Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything in relation to it.
A/N: Here is the next installment. This unbetaed, so I'm sorry. I feel bad making y'all wait, but the next chapters should all be betaed and whatnot. I hope you enjoy! The chapters that are betaed should also be a lot more developed than these past two chapters…and a lot longer because I am planning on making this almost novel length. These are really just teasers to your guys' interest. Please read and review!
Also, the italicized text means Harry is in a dream.
Chapter: 1 – Sitting in a Shadow
Harry was in fact very sad. It was his birthday too, but he didn't get any presents. In fact the only things he ever got from his parents were reprimands. He was never up to their standards. He was never polite enough, social enough, or anything enough. He was the opposite of his sister, who was perfect. And even if he did something just as well as his sister, it wasn't good enough. And if he ever did something better than her, it always resulted in him being sent to his room. He didn't understand it. What did he ever do wrong?
The only escape for him was his books. He often read stories, imagining he was the hero and getting lost in the imaginary world. It was his escape, and his way of finding his own sense of being loved. But the escape only lasted for so long; after all, you have to accept reality at some point.
Today was extra hard though. Normally, he at least got a present for his birthday, even if it wasn't anything he liked. At least if he got a present, it meant his parents knew that he existed. But now he wasn't so sure they remembered. He felt so alone, and he longed for a friend.
Ginny was watching the boy, and her heart broke as she watched a tear fall onto the page of the book the boy was reading. She realized that this must be Harry Potter.
Normally Ginny was a shy girl, but in this case, she used her courage as a Gryffindor, and was about to introduce herself to the boy, when her Mom called her telling her it was time to go. She didn't want to; she wanted to meet this boy and help him, but she couldn't. 'Maybe next year' she thought sadly, and quickly ran to her mother.
The Potter family sat at the dinner table, excitedly talking about how much fun the party was for everybody.
"Ron and Neville and the twins and I had an amazing game of Quidditch in the yard today! It was the most fun I've ever had!" Victoria exclaimed, excitement filling her voice.
Harry sat at the table, staring at his plate miserably. He wanted to play Quidditch. He wanted to have fun. He wanted to be loved. He was poking his food with fork as he mulled over his thoughts.
"That's wonderful dear." Lily said happily, and then looked over to Harry. "Don't play with you food Harry. If you don't want to eat it, go put it in the sink."
"Yes mum." Harry said as he picked up his plate headed over to the sink. His head hanging low in defeat. He headed up to his bedroom to go read more.
As Harry lay in his bed, he suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion overtake him. He put the book that he just started reading down on the nightstand next to him, and he laid his head on the pillow, instantly falling into a deep sleep, dreams filing his imagination.
Harry stood in front of a giant Castle. He had seen pictures of Hogwarts in books, but this castle made Hogwarts look like a quaint estate. As the boy looked at the entrance doors towering over him, he noticed they were starting to open. He wasn't sure where he was going, but the castle was beckoning him. He walked into the grand entrance of the castle, and saw four people standing in front of him. He had no idea who they were, but he could feel the magical power radiating off of them. He stared in awe of the castle and the people in front of him.
"Hello Harry." The first man spoke, a long silver beard clearly visible.
"Um…hello?" Harry responded in a scared voice. "Who are you?"
"I am Merlin, your many times over, great grandfather."
"That's impossible!" Harry exclaimed. "It's not nice to joke with me like that!"
"Ah, but if we only were." Merlin said seriously. "You are our heir, and a descendant of the four of us. A descendent of Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, and, through some unique by-laws, Salazar Slytherin."
"How?" Harry questioned. "This isn't real. This is just a dream."
Rowena quickly stepped forward to calm the child. "It only seems like a dream because this is the only time we can talk to you. What you learn tonight, you will be able to do when you wake up."
"Learn?" Harry asked, confusion written all over his face. "I love learning…"
"We are going to train you, and help you control your power Harry." Godric said. "As our heir, you are a very powerful wizard."
"I'm not the one that is powerful. Victoria is. She is the girl who lived. You have the wrong Potter." Harry said dejectedly.
All four members of the group burst out laughing at that point.
"What's so funny?" Harry said, thinking this was all another joke again. Tears were quickly forming in his eyes. He had enough of being left out and forgotten for one day; he didn't need it to continue in the dream.
Rowena quickly picked up on Harry's sadness. "Child, we do not have the wrong Potter. You are the chosen inheritor of our powers! We have waited millennia for you, and now that you have finally come of age, we can give you our gift of knowledge."
"But I'm only seven." Harry said slowly. "I'm not of age."
Merlin cut back in. "In the olde times, children inherited their powers when they turned seven, the most magical age and a symbol of coming of age in the world. Unfortunately, rituals and powers were lost as time went on. Wizards began relying on wands, as many no longer had the power perform wandless magic. The founders of Hogwarts were the final descendants of wizarding kind to maintain their inherited powers. As they noticed this, everyone but Helga Hufflepuff, sealed away their power to be given to an heir who was needing of the power."
Harry just stared in awe and disbelief at what he was hearing, unable to comprehend all of what he was hearing.
Merlin continued. "Now as I see that I put you in a state of disbelief and shock, we will begin your lessons. Godric will train you in transfiguration and combat, but that will be later. Rowena will train in history, charms, and runes. Salazar will train you in the ways of parselmouth and potions. And I will train in defense and some of the more unique areas of magic. For tonight, let us begin with wandless magic. It will be best to learn this first so you may practice it in your house."
"But I can't use magic yet. I'm underage."
"Can't use magic you say?"
"Yeah, until you're of age, you can't use magic outside of school, and I'm not even in school yet. The ministry will trace you if you use magic."
"Alas, that does not matter. There is no way your ministry will be able to trace wandless magic, as it has not been competently used for centuries. Besides, the tracers would have to placed in the wands in order to trace that. So you have nothing to worry about young Harry."
…And so the training commenced, with Harry learning about his natural wandless ability, and many spells to accompany it.
A/N: Please review! Thanks!