Harry's last month at home was nothing short of suffocating. Dudley would not leave him alone, constantly pestering him to train him in a mocking parody of Sasuke. While Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia would never leave him out of their sight. It was as if they expected to never see him again.
He had spent the duration of his time either in his clearing polishing his shinobi skills or in his room. The books that his family had brought him were spelled with audio charms designed to read text aloud to him. To keep the pretence that he was blind, the voices generated by the second-hand books played regularly in the Dursley household.
Throughout the month he had sporadically deemed it necessary for night time incursions to the library. A ninja's bread and butter was their ability to gather information. So, he had focused predominantly on history and technological advancement. When the day came where he would return to Sasuke he would need all the advantage this dimension provided to contest those who would mean harm to his brother and Konoha.
His mind churned endlessly, his eyes saw with fervour. He had inhabited this body for eleven years, fundamentally the elemental nations and this dimension were the same, yet the actions of humans here were more severe and dangerous than the mentality of ninja's.
'Was this the potential for civilians if there wasn't any ninja or chakra?'
He closed the book with sickening finality. The red and black of his eyes depleting back to a sheen of green eerily reminiscent to his birth mother. He needed to rest his bleary mind. Tomorrow was his first day of magic school. Getting up with nary a sound, he glided out of the empty library.
The title and contents of that book would be seared quite intimately into his memory.
Adages of World War II!
***Break***
Aunt Petunia had woken up especially early for his send off. 9 AM to be exact. Breakfast was a subdued affair, even the exuberant Dudley was silent and solemn. This continued till they eventually reached Kings Cross Station.
"Guess this is good bye." Harry said softly.
Uncle Vernon ruffled his hair with his meaty hand, "we are just an owl away son."
Dudley gave him a tight hug as if not trusting his voice not to crack. Harry merely hugged him back, taking care to whisper in his ear without his parents being none the wiser.
"Keep training Dud. I'll be back for Christmas break and we can spar then."
Dudley tightened his grip in response to his words before nodding and slacking his grip on the "blind" boy.
Aunt Petunia was the last to look at him, taking a silk handkerchief from her hand bag, she dabbed away at the tears pooling by her eyes, she crouched to Harry's eye level and gave him a gentle hug. "Your mother would be so proud of you, just like I am of you." She let him go but not before pressing her lips atop his brow.
The mangekyo could only be activated when intense feelings of loss were felt. As he gazed at his family, he knew he wouldn't activate it again unless anything happened to the three people before him. He turned away and entered the portal in between platform nine and ten. One thought reverberating in his head.
'I hope I never awaken it.'
***Break***
Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every colour wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.
The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Harry pushed his cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat.
Everywhere he looked the carriages seemed to contain residents already, when Harry would knock, he would either be ignored or met with a firm rebuttal of "go away,"
Nearly giving up search of finding a seat, a compartment door swung open to reveal a frizzy haired girl, already dressed in Hogwarts robes, where the house insignia should have been on the pristine, black robes was blank signifying she was a first year like him. His eyes catalogued this in a fraction of a moment.
"Need a seat?" She gave him a hesitant look as if expecting rejection. Relief flooded her face when he gave a sharp nod and after her lead entered the compartment, sitting on the adjacent seat.
"Your owl is quite beautiful."
His voice broke the silence, she looked up from her book and gave him a shy smile taking care not to show her teeth. "Thank you, her name is Hedwig! I read about it in A History of Magic!" She said this very fast as if she was used to being interrupted.
"I thought the name was familiar,"
Silence began anew, Harry noticed the girl looking at him, she seemed to want to say something, before closing her mouth, this continued for a while until he decided to put a stop to it.
"I'm blind."
He expected pity, most people that saw his disability would exude a parody of compassion and mock sadness at his plight, the girl in front of him shattered his misconceptions.
Browsing through her trunk beside her she extracted a thin looking book. "Sensory deprivation- a guide to magic. I found it in the used and discarded pile at Flourish and Blots! It was written by a blind witch Casandra Wilcock," she placed the book in his hand, "as a guide for future generations of magic users that have disabilities."
"My thanks, miss?"
"Hermione! Hermione Granger, and you are?"
"Harry Potter." His eyes catalogued her reaction, unlike every other person he'd met in the wizarding world, Hermione Granger did not break out into a gasp or mention the man who'd murdered his mother or father, instead she merely gave him another smile, like before she made sure her teeth were hidden and said,
"Nice to meet you Harry."
While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, both engrossed in their respective books, Harry flicking through the thin book that Hermione had given him, audio charms playing which helped him understand the test, whilst Hermione read 'Hogwarts A History' the fields and lanes flicked past.
Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?"
Harry who had eaten more of a banquet than breakfast thanks to Aunt Petunia merely shook his head. "No thanks."
Hermione also shook her head, before opening her trunk to reveal a container with homemade sandwiches.
The compartment door shut and they were left to their devices once more.
"Hermione, why do you have a book about sensory deprivation?"
Just as she was going to answer, the compartment door opened once more.
Three boys entered, two were hulking brutes, more fat than brain or muscle, the one in the middle was slightly shorter, pale with slicked back bleached blonde hair.
"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So, it's you, is it?"
He stared at them, sharingan primed and ready for any sign of physical altercation, he didn't need it active, but a good ninja always took precautions.
"Yes." He wasn't looking at the boy though, his gaze was fixed on the lumbering brutes beside the talker.
"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."
"Potter, Harry." But you already knew that, didn't you?" The corners of his mouth upturned as he gave a smirk.
Draco glanced at Hermione before looking at Harry, a sneer already forming. "You'll soon find out some people are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."
Hermione bristled, but kept quiet, stewing in her anger in silence.
Harry stood, his hand outstretched to firmly grasp Draco's. "Thank you, however I'm capable of differentiating between wrong and right on my own."
Malfoy's response was caught in his throat as he saw a flash of something pass through Potter's eyes, primal and frightening. Nodding with as much dignity he could salvage, he clicked his fingers at Crabbe and Goyle and left the compartment with them.
Harry retook his seat looking at Hermione expectedly, "you've met him before." It wasn't a question, but a statement. His sharingan had already analysed her behaviour when the trio of boys had entered.
And she told him of her meeting with Malfoy in Madam Malkins, and the subsequent words of bigotry.
"And that's when he called me a mudblood! I looked it up Harry… It's a very bad word used to express dirty blood." Her mask cracked and she began to cry.
"Hermione, don't let the words of others put you down, the dirtiness of your blood is of trivial importance, as long as you acknowledge yourself as the best witch you can possibly be, you won't fail."
She hiccupped. Giving Harry a watery smile, "thank you."
He gave her a smile back, "you're welcome Hermione, now if you excuse me I have to change."
***Break***
"First-years! First-years this way!"
Hermione led him down the steps of the train, the duo walked side by side, behind and in front of them were a crowd of similar pint sized looking first years, they were marshalled to the boats, leading them and briefly greeted, by Hagrid. One of the tallest men Harry had ever seen, both in this life and the previous one.
Their party was soon joined by a red-haired and a blonde-haired girl. They introduced themselves as Susan Bones and Hannah Abbot respectively. Making all the appropriate noises when he introduced himself as Harry Potter.
The squadron of ships moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.
Shock and surprise! Where the rest of the children were in awe of the looming castle, he was preoccupied with more pressing matters. Magic was distributed evenly across the entirety of the grounds, coalescing into a singularity around the castle itself.
'I can't use my sharingan…' He would be able to activate it, but actually using it would be difficult. The residual magic permeating around the castle would render some of his powers to become moot.
So, preoccupied with his assessment, he missed the boats docking. The children assembled in the corridor outside the great hall, waiting for the deputy head to make her debut again.
Now that he was in the castle his sharingan sprang to life, the tomoe spinning with disparity, each brick was embedded with magic, it was as if the very castle was sentient.
They were ushered into the great hall, beside him he heard Hermione mention the ceiling being enchanted to look like the night sky. An old and tattered hat sang a song, slow and steady much to the consternation of the children already sitting on the long tables.
One by one students were called up, the hat would be placed on their heads, and they would be sorted. Some would be done with very quick, others would have the hat on their heads for a longer duration.
Neville Longbottom was done with very quick, he was sent on his way to Hufflepuff. In comparison Hermione Granger sat on the stool for a long while before the hat had bellowed Ravenclaw.
Slowly but steadily the line of first years waned until his name was called.
"Potter, Harry!"
As soon as his name escaped her lips, the mutterings broke out, children of all ages stood to get a better look at him.
"What's wrong with his eyes!"
"What's he wearing?"
He paid them no heed. Allowing the deputy head to guide him to the stool, he watched as the dirty hat was draped over his head.
'Well, well, well what do we hav- What!?'
'You can read my thoughts.'
'This is most peculiar Mr Uchiha Potter. Most peculiar indeed. I haven't sorted a transmigrate in a thousand years! Do you have any idea the amount of headache I will get for this!? Do you!'
'You can read my thoughts. This won't get out to anyone, will it?'
'I am contractually obliged to reveal my wearers secrets only with their explicit permission. Your secrets are safe with me Itachi.'
'Please. Call me Harry. You mentioned transmigration, who was it that was sent here? And if anyone can, is there a way I can get back home?'
'I am sorry to tell you this Harry… But your home is gone.'
'Gone!? What do you mean gone!? How can the Elemental Nations just disappear!?'
It should have been impossible for a brim of a dirty hat to convey such emotion but he mentally felt it. 'The day will come when you realise how. I hope you understand why…'
No, no, no! This was impossible! He would not believe it, not unless he had proof! Sasuke gone? His eyes reflected his turmoil, they activated and deactivated, the strain was pulling at his heart. He was here to reach home… It couldn't have been gone, the land he had given his life for, the people he had sacrificed his clan for…
'Harry! Control yourself!'
His head felt as if it was on fire, he had subconsciously been heating the hat with Amaterasu.
With great difficulty, he reaffirmed his mental clarity. Emotional instability was a weakness, unless he knew for certain that his home was lost, he was not going to give up his search.
'You possess all the qualities that Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff treasured in a student. Knowledge, ambition, cunning, loyalty, chivalry. You are one of a kind Harry Itachi James Uchiha Potter.'
He narrowed his eyes, 'What happened to my home?'
The hat was quiet for a while longer. Before its brim opened all the entire great hall heard its cry.
"SLYTHERIN!"
AN:
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