DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, or anything you may find in my story that in any way resembles a character, story, or plot that is owned by another person.
Harry Potter and Yet Another Version of His Hogwarts Years
Hogwarts Year 2
On September First Harry found himself unable to cross through platform Nine and Three Quarter. It was very annoying since he stood there and watched others go through before him and after him. Somehow it just wasn't letting him through. He idly wondered if this was some trick of Dumbledore to draw him out. But whatever.
He just said Eff it and took the Knight Bus to the Leaky Cauldron then floo'd to the Three Broomsticks at Hogsmeade and walked to the train station, where he waited five more hours for the stupid train to catch up to him. Staying in disguise he chilled at the Hogsmeade stores while he waited. When he finally saw the train pull up he went around a building and removed his glamour rings and unshrunk his trunk.
When the train start letting people off to go to the carriages he just merged in with the crowd and joined in.
Several students and the prefects had reported they did not see Harry on the train, but there he was never the less.
When approached by the Head Boy about where he'd been, he told them mostly the truth. They would report that to the Headmaster and let him deal with it.
So it was that Harry joined his classmates as anticipated for his second year, but unlike last year, Dumbledore and Snape summoned him to his office to ask where he'd been and asked why he lied to his relatives.
Not wanting to be expelled because he did lie about Hogwarts in that story, he decided to play nice about it, but only tell them things to his advantage.
Harry told them that since he found out about being a wizard and had a lot of money left by his parents that he was never going to live with those relatives again. He briefly told some of how he was abused, but not all of it. He thought there were some parts he intended to take to his grave-not before he saw Vernon to his grave first though.
The Headmaster and Snape paled when they heard the story of his abuse there, but nevertheless Dumbledore wanted him to be made pliant by that household and even though he really couldn't restore the blood wards now, he made a story about them and told him he'd need to go back.
Snape internally had mixed feelings on it all warring internally over his hatred for all things Potter and his life debt to Harry via James, and his loyalty to Lily.
Harry exploded on them about how was it any of their business where he lived when he was not in school. He was just his school Headmaster, not his grandfather or anything. He could always just attend a different school, if there was a problem.
Snape wanted to blast into Potter after his outburst, but he remained uncharacteristically silent while he still pondered things, all other things considered he thought Potter actually had a point. Finally, he spoke up:
"Mr. Potter be that as it may, you are a minor, who just turned twelve I believe. A child your age cannot legally be off on their own." said Snape.
Dumbledore thought Snape was taking his side but really he was just trying to steer the conversation back to where Harry had been all summer, assuming that indeed he could not have been looking after himself all that time.
Harry just firmly but politely, since he didn't want to explode again, said. "Okay, I will go back to the Dursley's this summer and discuss my future with them since they are my official guardians. I still don't think it's a school matter, but I'm sorry for worrying you."
All Dumbledore heard was that Harry agreed to go back to the Dursley's, he didn't really catch the qualifiers in the statement. Snape did catch it but for once kept his mouth closed, wondering what this kid was playing at and thinking he would get to the bottom of it himself. Dumbledore was just hearing what he wanted to hear as usual.
Finally they got to the issue of missing the train and Harry explained that and repeated what he told the Head Boy.
Dumbledore asked how he did get here via that route without being spotted, they'd had people out looking for him.
Harry didn't miss a beat and said, "Why with my invisibility cloak of course."
To which Dumbledore nodded knowingly and said "of course, that explains quite a bit actually."
Snape had been about to ask what he was doing with one of those and was going to confiscate it at least while he was at school, when it appeared Dumbledore seemed to know that the boy had it, so he just gave him a funny look, figuring he would ask him about that in private later.
Dumbledore asked if he used the cloak a lot, following up his suspicions, and Harry said "Yeah, all the time. I'm not about to go around the magical world openly where people can see me, everyone thinks they know me or own me because of this stupid scar. So I like to go unnoticed when out in public." replied Harry.
Dumbledore thought, 'Well there is that at least.' and said, "That is a good policy Mr. Potter. That will help keep you safe as well."
With Dumbledore thinking he already had Potters agreement to return to the Dursley's, the rest was moot since he was safe at school, so he dismissed him.
...
School began without much fanfare and Harry continued to do well in his classes and made more progress with his wandless magic, mind arts, and parseltongue book. He had become adept at the parseltongue summoning and shield spells so now he was looking into more exotic spells that seemed to be really unique to parseltongue casters.
One was a parseltongue's own brand of invisibility, which also made him intangible and he could pass through walls and such, and unlike when using a cloak, it masked any sound he made or scents since he was basically out of phase with the normal dimension.
Another was a parseltongue's own brand of apparation, more like some kind of dimension travel because it was combined with the effects of the invisibility spell. This appeared like it would be very hard to learn without a teacher so he was going slowly. If he attempted to dimension travel without knowing what he was doing he could end up anywhere or nowhere, like the place vanished objects go. The book recommended the user learn normal wizard apparation first, to have a good understanding of the concentration and skill necessary. Harry wasn't sure he would wait that long to try it. But he could wait a while.
Another strange occurrence happened during the year where Harry encountered a House Elf named Dobby who came to warn him to leave the school because he was going to be in great danger that year. He admitted to him that he was the one who closed the portal nine and three quarters, trying to keep him from returning to school. Harry tried to get him to tell him details and why, only managing to figure out that Dobby must work for a bad family who knew something about what was going on but, was unable to say anything due to his enslavement.
Half way through the first term Harry heard that Ron Weasley, Seamus Finnegan, and Draco Malfoy got a week of detentions together. Weasley and Finnegan for trying to help Hagrid sneak a baby dragon off the school grounds and Malfoy for being out of bounds after curfew to catch them at it.
Then one day people started getting petrified by some unknown assailant, claiming to be the 'Heir of Slytherin.'
Since the boy-who-lived ended up in Slytherin, some people were already throwing furtive glances his way and murmuring.
After he revealed his parseltongue ability during a demonstration dual with Draco Malfoy that was staged by the idiot, Twinkletoes Lockhart, the whole school was certain that he was the Heir of Slytherin. He just shook his head and mumbled "What a bunch of idiots," every time someone mentioned that in earshot of him.
Then finally the day came when the 'Heir' wrote in chicken blood on the wall that "her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever" and Snape of all people came to him to ask if Harry truly knew nothing about it.
Harry was tired of everyone blaming him so he said no, but he offered that he might be able to help. Since he was a parseltongue he had lately been hearing voices coming from the walls that he normally associated with the sound of a snake talking to him, but he wasn't about to start digging through walls to see if he could find the source of it. And he didn't think it would be a good idea to just go reporting that he was hearing voices in the walls.
But, lately he had been thinking that maybe there was a big snake in the pipes or something and if that thing were a basilisk and if the people petrified only saw it through a reflection like the water on the floor, or the camera in Creevey's case-yes, these facts got all around the school in the rumor mill-then, maybe he could track it down and figure out how to get to it.
"Alright Potter, let's see what you can do. Where did you last hear this voice?" asked Snape.
"In the hallway across from the Girls bathroom on the second floor." replied Harry.
"Let's go then. Let's see if you can track this down, if it is a basilisk. If it is, and we find it, stay behind me Potter and don't look at it. I will conjure a rooster to crow which will kill it." said Snape.
"Yes, sir." replied Harry.
...
As they entered the hallway they also found two boys sneaking around looking like they were trying to follow some clues to it as well, the punk Ron Weasley and his friend Seamus Finnegan-with Twinkletoes Lockhart in tow looking like he'd rather be somewhere else.
Snape saw them and said:
"What are you two doing here? Professor, are they with you?" asked Snape.
Lockhart just mumbled, "Ah not really, well yes, these boys think they might know where the Heir of Slytherin is hiding and they want me to help them go after Miss Weasley, who was the one that was taken." he managed to stumble out.
"Why do you boys think you know what's going on? Weasley, answer me!" barked Snape.
"They flee from the spiders sir, just like Hagrid said, see? and look, we got this note from Hermione's hand that she was holding when she was petrified, it said 'basilisk', we figured she thought it was a basilisk but then got caught before she could tell anyone." said Ron.
Snape glanced over to Potter and nodded.
"Hmm, you might have something there. Potter was just telling me a similar idea." said Snape.
"Gilderoy, why don't you take these boys back to their dorms and tell Minerva to contact Albus to see if she can get him back to the school and let him know that Potter and I are going to search for this thing, possibly a basilisk, starting with this bathroom here where everything seems to be pointing to or from." said Snape.
"Why does Potter get to go?! He's a bloody snake. Everyone says it's him that's done it anyway. I want to go, its my sister that's trapped in there." stormed Ron.
"Silence!" yelled Snape.
"Weasley, that was not a request, now the lot of you go. Gilderoy, if you would please...and remember to ask Minerva to inform the Headmaster." said Snape.
"Right, come along boys. It looks like Professor Snape has this well in hand with Potter there, if anyone can deal with a snake it would be Potter, eh. C'mon." said Lockhart as he led the boys away with Weasley grumbling the entire time.
"Okay Potter, let's do this." said Snape.
"Do you hear any snakes now?" he continued.
"No, but we should check inside the bathroom anyway." replied Harry.
...
They entered the bathroom and Moaning Myrtle immediately began to shriek and cause mayhem. Until she saw Snape of course, then she just let out a little -eep- and dove into the toilet and disappeared.
"Well, that was unusual." said Harry.
Harry walked around the perimeter of the bathroom looking for clues and listening intently. When he got back to the large center sink console and inspected it, he saw that one of the pipes had some snakes on it, unlike any of the other pipes.
"Professor, what do you make of this?" said Harry, showing Snape the pipes with the snakes.
"That could be a clue Potter, if we're onto anything here at all. I don't know how that helps us though." replied Snape.
"Let me try something." replied Harry, then he bent down closer to the snakes and hissed "Open" in parseltongue.
The sinks started to move around and fold in and an entrance of sorts began to appear.
"Well, we found something sir." said Harry.
"Indeed Potter. I'm thinking you might actually be on to something." said Snape, having a difficult time admitting it.
"It's just a big pipe. I hope we're not supposed to just slide down it or something." said Snape.
"Let me try something else, sir." replied Harry.
And Harry hissed "Stairs." and stairs appeared.
Snape just glanced at Harry with a raised eyebrow.
"Alright Potter, follow me. Keep your wand at the ready and be quiet." said Snape.
Then Snape went to walk down the steps, which were very wet and he slipped and fell and bounced hard down fifty feet of stairs.
Harry was much more careful following him down and made it down without incident to find Snape mangled at the bottom of the stairs with a broken wand and clearly unconscious. Harry felt for a pulse and their was one. Harry actually hadn't learned any healing magic or the Enervate spell yet. So, he had no immediate ideas that could would anything except maybe hurt him more. So, Harry figured there was nothing he could do for Snape just then, so he just pressed on ahead to see if he could find the girl. If Dumbledore did follow them down there, he could help him.
...
Harry entered the main chamber to see little Ginny Weasley laying on the floor with a black book in her hands. Just past her another fifteen feet away stood a young man that looked like an upperclassman. He wasn't expecting to see a person there.
"Who are you?" Harry asked.
"Are you the Heir of Slytherin then?" he continued.
"Indeed I am Mr. Potter. And I have been waiting for you..."
The initial confrontation went the same way as in the books therefore I will not repeat it here.
Until Tom tried to cast a spell at Harry and he hissed the command word to activate the Parselshield.
Riddle's spell was stopped and absorbed by the shield. Riddle was so startled that Harry new a Parselshield spell and could speak it that Harry managed to disarm Riddle of Ginny's wand.
Then, Riddle turned to unleash Slytherin's monster. Meanwhile Harry was frantically trying to figure out how he would stop a basilisk. It's great he knew that a roosters crow could kill it, but he didn't know how to conjure a rooster.
As the basilisk began to appear Harry ran for it, trying to keep one step ahead of it, dodging and weaving through the underground pillars trying to avoid it while frantically thinking about what spells he knew that could help him.
Then it hit him, he couldn't think of anything offensive off hand but his Parselinvisibility would protect him from it getting him. So, he hissed the command word to activate his invisibility and he disappeared. Riddle didn't see or hear him perform that spell so he had no idea where Potter went either. He knew that the basilisk lost him because it was then coiling around in the center of the chamber trying to sniff him out but found nothing.
The best plan Harry came up with was in two parts, first while invisible, he went over to Ginny Weasley quickly turned visible again, grabbed her and the book and turned back invisible. In that short time, the snake smelled him and turned toward him which led Riddle to turn too and this time he saw and heard Harry use the Parselinvisibility. "Impossible," Riddle thought. "Even if he was a parselmouth, he was only a second year, how could he know those spells?!" Riddle thought.
Harry invisibly carried her all the way back to where the entrance was and where Snape was still prone on the floor unconscious and resumed visibility, put her and the book down. Then looking at the book, frowned wondering what if anything it might have to do with all of this, he'd seen Riddle making furtive glances at it every so often. There was something important about it. So, he kept the book and turned back invisible and returned to the main chamber, closing the entrance behind him hoping that would protect Ginny and Snape, then stupidly try the second part of his plan.
He knew he needed a weapon and the only way he thought he could hurt the basilisk was if he had a sword, then he could try to get it in the only place it would be vulnerable, right into the roof of its mouth. He was hoping that being invisible he could put himself in the right place at the right time and with the element of surprise get it before it could get him. Beside with Harry's plan, he was basically shoving his arm into its mouth anyway. He had to make sure his one shot was a good one. Somewhere along the way Harry thought he should've been in Gryffindor. Why didn't he just leave and get another (conscious) professor. Because he was used to doing everything himself, he mused.
Anyway, on with the plan. He ran to one side of the chamber to get distance from the basilisk then became visible and used his least adept skill, the Parselsummoning, to summon one of the swords from the suits of armor that decorated the entrance to the Great Hall. He knew those swords were real, he nicked himself on one once being too curious-and thus he knew precisely where it was to teleport it. With a long hiss, the sword appeared in his hand and boy was it heavy. Whoa!
He could hear the snake turning toward his direction again and Riddle yelling more orders at it. He turned invisible again and then raced back around to the top of the statue in the main chamber where the basilisk had come from. At that spot that he would have some leverage of height, and when the basilisk came wandering around back to the center like it had been doing whenever he went invisible, he should get an opening as it reared around hissing at empty space looking for it's prey.
Finally, there was the opportunity and Harry used both hands to heft the sword, because it was quite heavy for a twelve year old, became visible and tangible at the same moment he was ramming the tip of the sword into the snakes mouth.
Score. Direct hit, right where he wanted to, that had to have pierced its brain. That had to kill it. Problem was Harry was still holding onto the sword with both hands and the snake rose up with a cry of pain and flopped down to the chamber floor all in one motion dragging Harry with it. All before Harry could think to let go.
As Harry slammed into the head of the snake after it slammed into the floor, one of its fangs lodged itself into his arm. "Oww!" Harry screamed, "the pain..." Harry thought, as his vision started to blur. He was getting light-headed.
Harry wobbled to his feet with the hilt and only half the sword still in his hand. The venom seemed to eat into the middle of the sword and instead of Harry pulling it back out, it broke off half way. Riddle said "It doesn't matter Potter. Your dead already thanks to the basilisk venom and in mere minutes I will have drained enough of dear Ginny's life essence to return to corporal form and with that her death. You've lost, and Lord Voldemort returns!"
At that Harry said, "Oh yeah, you dickhead. Let's see how you like this." And Harry took the black book he took from Ginny, put it on the floor and stabbed it with the half-eaten sword covered in venom.
"No. Don't!" shouted Riddle. "What are you doing?" And Riddle made to lunge at Harry ad he stabbed it again. Then Riddle screamed and disappeared in a cloud of vapor.
Harry was tired. He was rapidly losing energy and he knew Riddle was right. This was the end for him too. But at least he saved the school and the girl. That's good for something right?
Just as Harry was about to pass-out he heard a thunderous 'boom' and the entrance he had closed with Parseltongue was blown open and in strode Dumbledore, McGonagall, a groggy Snape and an even groggier Ginny Weasley who had woken up.
They saw Harry on the floor with a dead sixty foot basilisk, and a half-eaten sword sticking out of a black book just as he finally passed out hitting the hard ground face first.
Dumbledore and McGonagall hurriedly levitated Harry out of there and to the hospital wing while Snape, a bit more slowly, escorted himself and Miss Weasley there as well.
The hospital wing went from empty and silent to exploding with a cacophony of noise and panic with Harry Potter, possibly already dead being levitated onto one bed, immediately being tended to by Madam Pomfrey, and a crying Ginny Weasley being tended to by Professor Snape, who still needed tending to himself. But, Harry was the priority at that moment.
There was no doubt Harry was suffering from a basilisk bite. The only known cure being Phoenix tears. Dumbledore summoned Fawkes who cried into the open wound. It took a lot of tears, but it slowly started to heal over. It had almost been too late. But Harry was not waking up. Perhaps it was too late after all. Fawkes then perched himself on Harry's chest and cried more tears into his open mouth, until Harry sputtered and coughed.
He was alive.
"It looks like Fawkes sensed that Mr. Potter needed more of a healing boost than normal, I've never seen a Phoenix do that before." said Dumbledore.
Madam Pomfrey, Professors McGonagall and Snape all agreed, no one had ever heard of that. It obviously worked.
"We know that Phoenix Tears are used as ingredients to certain high-end healing and restorative potions, but I know of no case were anyone was given undiluted Phoenix Tears directly like that. I wonder what the side-effects will be? If any?" said Snape.
"Well, you can worry about running experiments on him after he is one hundred percent back to health. Now that we know he is going to survive I must ask you all to leave now and let me attend to his full care, as well as for Miss Weasley." said Madam Pomfrey, shooing them toward the door.
As they were leaving, Dumbledore asked Minerva to floo the Weasley's to let them know that Ginny was safe and that they could come see her as soon as Madam Pomfrey released her, and to let her brothers in the school know as well.
...
Harry slept for two days after he had been deemed okay. His body needed the rest to fully recuperate.
In that time, Ginny was treated for magical exhaustion and released. Other than that nothing appeared to be wrong with her.
Harry had not had a chance to tell his story yet. But they pieced together a great deal of what led up to his part in the events when Ginny with her parents consent agreed to Veritaserum so that everyone knew the truth and Snape told his part for how Harry figured out and found the entrance.
They knew that she was possessed by the diary of Tom Riddle and that had been the object Harry destroyed with the sword. But Snape and Ginny both being unconscious didn't see Harry do anything and Ginny was even confused how she ended up in the entrance locked out with Professor Snape. It had to have been something Harry had done, but no one knew yet.
Ginny was not in any official trouble because she wasn't in control. That was not to say that her parents weren't quite angry with her but, they were more angry with her brothers for the way they treated her all year and ignored the signs of her troubles, which led her to writing and becoming ensorcelled by the diary and then after.
There was only a couple weeks left of classes but Ginny had returned to classes and Harry finally woke up, fully healed and the nurse released him.
Then the Headmaster summoned Harry to his office with Professor Snape and called the Weasley's back because they deserved to hear the story as well.
Harry explained what happened leaving out his Parsel spells and claiming that he'd found the sword just laying in the corner of the chamber as he was running around fleeing from the basilisk. He explained that while he had the snake confused he took an opportunity to quickly carry Ginny to outside the main chamber entrance and close it again hoping to keep her and the Professor safe while he continued to fight with the basilisk. He said he knew that Professor Snape sent Professor Lockhart to get Professor McGonagall to send for Professor Dumbledore, so he thought he would only need to keep the thing busy until they got there. He seemed to be able to stay one step ahead of it because it was so big it had a hard time turning itself completely around in some of the smaller spaces of the chamber while he was running around the place like crazy. At one point he found the sword and that's when he had the idea to stab it in the mouth where he thought he could get it. Unfortunately in the heat of the moment he didn't stop to think he was also sticking his arm in the mouth at the same time. And he thanked them for saving his life.
"That is quite a story Harry. Actually you owe the thanks to Fawkes, my Phoenix friend here. Phoenix Tears have healing powers and are the only known cure for basilisk venom. He came when I called and he cried onto your wound and he even cried into your mouth to give you a direct dose. Something I must say none of us had ever heard of before. So, he must really like you." said Dumbledore.
And before Harry could respond.
Molly Weasley grabbed Harry into a big hug and thanked him over and over for saving her little girl. Likewise Arthur Weasley shook his hand heartily and patted him on the shoulder, saying "Anything you want my boy, anything at all, if its in my power it's yours. I can never repay you enough for what you've given back to us." gushed Arthur.
And before Harry could respond to that.
The door was thrown open and in marched an imperious Lucius Malfoy strutting with his obnoxious pimp cane followed by his house-elf Dobby. Harry immediately recognized Dobby and saw that the little house-elf was giving him an impish little grin, knowing that Harry would then know who was involved in the conspiracy.
After Malfoy interrupted everything with his bloviating and Arthur Weasley almost came to blows with him in the middle of Dumbledore's office; he stormed back out with Dobby in tow. Harry, recognizing an opportunity, asked the Professor if he could borrow the remains of the black book that was the diary. The Professor just nodded yes, Harry grabbed it, ran out the door and just outside the office took off a sock and put it in the pages of the book and tossed it to Malfoy saying "don't forget this," and he went on to accuse him of planting the diary on Ginny somehow and causing all this mess, Malfoy replied "why don't you prove it." Harry knew that he could not, it was just a hunch after all, but the point was to get him to toss the book to Dobby anyway, not to actually prove anything.
The bait was taken and Malfoy tossed the book to Dobby, Harry then whispered and gestured for him to open it. Dobby exclaimed "Master has given Dobby clothes. Dobby is freeeee."
Malfoy sputtered, "I did no such thing," and turned around to see Dobby standing there with a sock sticking out of the book and Harry showing off his sockless leg.
Malfoy tried to curse Harry for losing him his house-elf when Dobby jumped in front of him and hexed Malfoy twenty feet down the hall, threatening Malfoy that he should not try to harm Harry Potter again.
Lucius Malfoy stormed out and Dobby squealed with delight that his idol Harry Potter got him freed and he swore his undying loyalty to him. Harry just said, "Dobby, keep it a secret for now, but if you want to hang out with me and help me out with some stuff, just go wait in my dorm, but stay invisible so nobody knows what's going on Okay?"
Dobby nodded eagerly, very excited that Harry Potter wanted him to stick around, said he would do that very thing, handed Harry his book back, but kept the sock, and popped away.
Harry returned to Dumbledore's office and handed him back the book.
"Thank you sir," said Harry. "I had to take care of some quick business."
"Certainly dear boy, would you mind clueing us in to what that was all about?" asked Dumbledore.
Harry told him everything except the last part at the end where he told Dobby to wait for him secretly in his dorm room.
Arthur was laughing his head off and Molly was grinning a bit too. "I'm glad a small amount of justice was done Harry. Thank you. Fact is if I could prove it I would have him arrested for that book, but nothing would come of it. I'm glad he lost something over it and now he knows we know even if we can't prove it. That's something too." said Arthur.
"Yes, sir. I just wanted to try to help Dobby." and he proceeded to explain although only Dumbledore got the reference initially, that it was Dobby who blocked him and only him from platform nine and three quarters at the beginning of the year, Dobby admitted it to him earlier in the year when he tried to talk him into leaving. He explained that Dobby was aware of the conspiracy and tried to protect Harry, believing he was the ultimate target. But could only do or say so much because of his house-elf bond. So, he felt he owed him.
"Well, I guess that settles all that then. Thanks again Harry, we should be on our way." said Arthur.
"You're welcome sir. I'm glad I could help. I'm glad Ginny is okay and didn't get in trouble." replied Harry, inwardly thinking it feels good to do nice things for people. Maybe not everyone is bad. His heart started to thaw a little bit that day. Not for everyone or anyone he perceived done him wrong, but for others, people he didn't know yet. He could start to give some of them a chance. While continuing to be on the look out for scum like Malfoy.
"Thank you Harry. You are dismissed. Oh and you are excused from classes for today, please stop by the girls bathroom on the second floor and re-seal the entrance to the chamber, it is my understanding you are the only one who can. We have the bathroom door closed with a password right now to keep the other students out, the password is Snickers." said Dumbledore.
On his way out, "Sorry Fawkes, with all the interruptions, I didn't get a chance... Thank You, I owe you my life. You are an amazing bird." Harry said as he walked over to Fawkes on his perch and patted his head and rubbed his feathers.
Fawkes responded with a warbling note and a squawk and just stood their preening his feathers like a proud little peacock.
...
Back in his dorm room Dobby appeared after Harry entered and jumped up and down begging Harry to take him as his own personal elf.
"Dobby, I thought you wanted to be free? It sounded like you were very happy about that." said Harry.
"I am very happy to be free of the mean, dirty, nasty Malfoys sir. They hurt Dobby and made me punish myself. But, I's wants to be bonded to the greatest wizard ever, Harry Potter sir!"
"Alright Dobby, tell me what this bonding means to both of us and how to do it."
A few minutes later Dobby was bonded to Harry. He liked the fact that Dobby could not reveal his secrets. He saw first hand how difficult it was for Dobby with the Malfoys even though he really wanted to. He ordered him not to punish himself and if there was any problem like that to talk to Harry first.
Then, Harry asked Dobby to stay with him always when he isn't sent out on an assignment but remain invisible so that he would have him nearby if he ever needed him. It was nice to have his own personal little body-guard too. That would make his brief visit to the Dursley's this summer bearable and possibly even fun. Then he led him to the Chamber of Secrets. Before he sealed it back up like Dumbledore asked, he wanted to get Dobby's help to render that giant basilisk down to useful parts. He knew from his reading that all of its body was valuable for one thing or another and that the Goblins would pay dearly for its meat.
Now that Dobby had been to the chamber himself, he could pop in and out whenever he wanted, and Harry learned he could pop Harry anywhere he wanted to go to, including the chamber. Because wizard wards did not prevent his way of traveling. Harry decided then, that he would also use the chamber as his personal sanctuary within the school. No one would ever know unless he or Dobby brought them there themselves.
So, Harry left Dobby to the task of rendering the basilisk and then cleaning the chamber, sealed it as requested and returned to his dorm to rest. He was still tired from the ordeal and the morning excitement took a lot more out of him than it normally would.
The next day Harry returned to classes and that evening was visited by Dobby who was excited to report he was finished rendering the basilisk and cleaning the chamber. Harry was initially worried that his dorm mates would see and hear him, especially Draco who he had the misfortune of sharing a room with. But Dobby explained that he could choose who sees and hears him and who doesn't. Harry whispered to Dobby that elves are amazing, which only made Dobby more excited.
At the end of the school year Harry didn't return on the train, Dumbledore personally escorted him back to the Dursley's to make sure he made it there this time and to make a show of resetting the blood wards. Which he knew would not take, but he wanted all occupants to believe they did.
So, Harry arrived with Dumbledore on the Dursley's doorstep looking like your usual wizard boy coming home from school with his trunk in one hand and his cage with his owl Hedwig in the other.
"Oh, its you lot." said Petunia, answering the door. "Well come in then, we don't want the neighbors to see the freak show."
"Madam, I believe that kind of language is uncalled for especially in front of young Harry here. Now remember Harry, you are safest here, so stay here this summer and don't wander off okay?"
Harry just shrugged non-committaly and didn't say a word. He kept his mouth shut. He knew all he promised was to discuss the matter with his relatives.
Dumbledore made a show of casting some spells to reset the wards. In fact all he did was try several times to place tracking charms on Harry which would not take for some reason. He didn't voice his concern out loud because he didn't want him to know he was trying in the first place. Instead he cast an ordinary ward on the house that would let him know if any death eaters or Voldemort came here, to alert him immediately. Figuring that would have to do.
Dumbledore gave them some words of encouragement to treat the boy well, blah, blah, blah. Both Harry and the Dursley's knew they would ignore him. So, they both waited for Dumbledore to leave.
"Well then boy!" Vernon Dursley said, cracking his knuckles.
"You think that you're going to get away with just lying to us like that and coming back here like nothing happened?!" he continued.
Petunia just stood there with a smirk on her face thinking the boy was really gonna get it that time. Dudley stood there mimicking his fathers gestures, making fists and trying to crack his knuckles.
Then Harry said, "Dobby if you would please."
And then suddenly all three Dursley's found an invisible force pushing them to the living room and into seats and then they couldn't move. "You can't use your freaky powers outside of school boy, I know. They will expel you." said Petunia.
"Alright Dursley's listen up. There is a new sheriff in town. Dobby you can show yourself." said Harry.
Dobby appeared out of thin air standing next to Harry and the Dursley's all gasped. "What is that creature?" exclaimed Petunia.
"Just shut up and listen. I'm only going to explain what I feel like explaining." said Harry.
"First, it's like that big oaf Hagrid said when he first came to get me. It turns out that I am in fact a 'thumping good wizard.' I've learned quite a lot and made a couple of important friends as well." continued Harry.
"Such as Dobby here who is my new loyal friend, who can perform all the magic he wants and no one is monitoring him. He only lets his magic be detected when he wants it to be." continued Harry.
"As for me, normally you'd be right. But, I've come in to some good luck. It turns out I have some powers even most wizards don't have. Powers that they can't monitor and track because I don't need a wand to use them." continued Harry.
"And then there is the fact that I have a second wand that they don't know about. One that has no tracking on it whatsoever." continued Harry.
"So, now that we've established that me and my friend here can use all the magic we want and no one would be the wiser, you would be wise to begin re-assessing your attitude." continued Harry.
"First, and this will make you happy. I have no intention of living here any more than I did when I left the first time. I only let that Dumbledore asshole believe what he wanted to get him off my back. I have a safe place to live and I don't want or need any of you or him for that matter." continued Harry.
"So, with the idiot Dumbledore pacified, I am going to cast a special charm on all three of you that will prevent you from speaking about any of the secrets I just told you, as well as it will prevent anyone from reading it out of your mind like Dumbledore would do the next time he comes to check on me. If he does." continued Harry.
"Dobby, what about the blood wards he just put back up would they tell him when I'm gone?" asked Harry.
Dobby explained what he sensed from what Dumbledore was doing. "There are no blood wards, he was lying about that. And all the tracking charms he placed failed to take due to your own protections master. The only ward I see is the one he placed that will alert him if any death eaters or you-know-who comes here. So, nothing is tracking you or alerting him if you are really here or not." concluded Dobby.
"Good. I suspected he was lying about the blood wards but you never know. I am still learning about how a lot of that works myself." said Harry.
"So, anyway Dursley's, it's like this. I'm leaving...again. Hurrah for all of us. Someday I might return to pay you back for all the good you've done for me over the years. I'm sure you will look forward to that, especially you Vernon. I may also pop back in from time to time if I find I still need to work to maintain the illusion to the old fart that just left that I'm still here. I suppose you understand by now that it is in both of our interests for him to believe I am still here, correct? You can nod if you agree." continued Harry.
The stunned Dursley's all nodded in agreement, hoping that if they remained silent he would leave without hurting them.
"Good, so if he or one of his friends comes to check on me and I'm not here you will make it seem like I've just gone over to a friends or doing something normal that teenagers do. I might decide to return here from the train each year, then just leave immediately after getting in the house, in case the fool decides to have people follow me. I actually don't know why he thinks it's important that I stay here and I really don't care." continued Harry.
"Now, let's see to those spells." said Harry and all they heard was a bunch of hissing and hand waving in each of their general directions. He used the Parseltongue Occlumency spell to lock their minds to all but those with his Parseltongue password.
"Alright, I'm leaving now and when I go you will be able to move again. Consider yourselves lucky that you are still alive and uninjured, this time. And consider yourselves lucky you got a free charm to protect your mind from being read, and even Dumbledore left you with protection from death eaters. Or at least an alert if they attack, at which time I am sure he will descend on the house like an avenging angel to protect you. You should be happy either way, because I am gone." concluded Harry.
He took Dobby's hand and they popped away with all of Harry's belongings-and reappeared in his room at the Bottomless Flask Inn.
"Thank you Dobby, you were great." said Harry.
"You are most welcome master. I only wish you would have let me iron their ears. Nasty buggers the way they treated you when you grew up there." replied Dobby.
Harry didn't ask Dobby not to call him master. He rather liked having someone call him that. He still treated Dobby nicely otherwise though.
"If you only knew the half of it Dobby. Anyway, let's continue on with our plans. Remember that when I put on my glamour that I'm still Harry on the inside, but call me Giles. And don't forget to glamour yourself too so that no one who does see you with both me and my secret identity can use you to put two and two together." said Harry.
"Yes, master." replied Dobby.
Dobby popped them back to the Chamber of Secrets where they gathered up all the containers of rendered basilisk ingredients. Harry shrunk them and put them in his trunk storage area then took that with him to Gringotts.
Grimtooth told him it was okay to enter Gringotts in his secret identity just that he needed to know they would see through it. Best if he asked for Grimtooth each time or just wait in line at his station if he was manning a teller booth. Less misunderstandings that way. So, that is what he did each time he visited Gringotts.
He already owled ahead to explain the situation with the basilisk and they'd made arrangements through the post. He was just waiting for school to let out to close the deal.
The Goblins set up a separate account for Harry's secret identity under the name of Giles Kerr. So then he would have full access to his new separate vault. He received eight-hundred eighty-thousand galleons for the eleven hundred pounds of basilisk meat. He sold them half of his six hundred sixty square feet of basilisk hide for another one hundred thousand galleons, half of his four gallons of venom for fifty thousand galleons, and half of the teeth for another fifty thousand galleons, for a total of one million eighty-thousand galleons (five point four million pounds).
Harry now planned to have his own wizarding house built for himself and for bringing them this deal, they threw in helping him find the best architects and builders and the promise that when it's done they would put on the best Goblin wards, including unplottable and a Fidelius. He would be truly safe in the new place he built for himself.
That was his big project over the summer. He didn't want to remain in England or Scotland, hoping to get a little further away from Dumbledore's and possibly Riddle's eyes and ears, while staying in the Commonwealth, so he aimed for Ireland.
He found a nice secluded tract of one thousand acres of land on Mount Brandon overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in county Kerry on the outskirts of the city of Brandon. This set him back one million pounds but it was worth it for the seclusion and the view, he thought. There was little low land or plains for farming but most of it was forested, which added to the seclusion and could have value all its own once it is warded properly for magical habitation. The land even had its own giant waterfall emptying into Loch na Lice with a large cave formation on one side of it. Most would see no utility in the land, to him it was beautiful. Most would see no way to construct anything useful here, but he knew that with magic it would be no problem at all. He didn't need roads or even electricity after all. But for the latter he would provide for some of that anyway, with generators and wind power. Wind was something Mount Brandon had plenty of.
As for the building itself. He found after staying at Hogwarts that he rather liked the castle theme, and it would look the part in the location he had in mind. Even muggles who would see it wouldn't question a castle being in a location such as that. Of course to them it would look like a run down ruin of an ancient castle and would have the urge to turn around and walk away, just like Hogwarts, but still.
Harry was quite wealthy but he did not have the money to duplicate something the size of Hogwarts. Fortunately he needed nothing so large as that, and fortunately with happy Goblin construction crews and their magic it was far easier and less costly to build something like that in that location than it would ever be for muggles to do the same.
Nevertheless, the Goblins hit him up for another two million pounds for the construction (four hundred thousand galleons), but it was worth it in his opinion. The excavation itself provided much of the needed structural materials and most of the work was done by magic.
The castle was similar in style to Duart Castle in Scotland, and oriented much the same way by comparison except that the highest point overlooked the Atlantic Ocean. Although Harry's was to scale a bit smaller. Harry decided to name it Potter Castle, even knowing the name would be a giveaway to the wrong people, it is not as though he would be advertising that name or location other than to any people he decided to trust as friends in the future.
Potter Castle would have fifty guest rooms and a separate grand apartment for Harry himself. It had four levels of basement underneath of it, the third lowest he would call the dungeons. Half of it was built with prison cells in mind should he ever find he needed them. This was a castle after all. The other half was the master head end to support all central infrastructure from electricity, to heating, cooling, water, and septic. The lowest level, the fourth was completely sealed with no doors or egress, it was simply his personal vault where he could store valuables and whatever else he wanted to hide. The only way in or out would be a room he dedicated for the purpose with an apparation point warded so that only he or anyone he keyed in could get in. The first two basement floors would just be unfinished space for now until he decided he needed them for something. This castle was obviously more than he personally needed for quite some time. He hoped to grow into it.
There was an interior courtyard that led to the main castle gate for the entrance and egress from his small private stable, for horses he would add in the future. There was another more ornate entrance that he and guests would typically use for casual entry. The upper floors consisted of a large Great Hall for dining, a small ballroom, a number of private offices and conference rooms. And many other rooms left unfinished in the beginning. Unlike your medieval castles this one was run with electric to all rooms as well as central heating and air, but also included the traditional fireplaces and chimney floo's. Since Harry would not need to occupy much of the castle for sometime he only had the Goblins do complete finishing of his private apartment and finishing enough of his central infrastructure to feed that and the main hall's kitchens. He would have them come back and finish the rest later when he needed it. That also helped keep the initial construction price down. He could do other finishing's and furnishings later depending on how he would use certain rooms. That also meant that Dobby would be able to take care of the modest amount of space Harry was actually using without more help in the beginning.
It took him all summer to get just the planning and deciding for all that done, he returned to school for his third year about when the Goblins said they would get started. They said it would be ready for his occupancy by the end of the school year.
Harry pulled his normal annual allotment from his trust vault as well. With his Giles Kerr vault set up, he decided he would consider that his main fund for Potter Castle and would continue to live off of his trust fund resources, keeping that cash handy as his 'petty cash' as he had been.
Not considering the balance of his trust vault that he could not access yet, he currently had in his Giles Kerr accounts four hundred eighty-thousand galleons (two point four million pounds) and in his mokeskin pouch for his petty cash was twelve thousand five hundred galleons and in Barclays another fourteen thousand pounds. With Grimtooth's advice, he deposited two million pounds of his Potter Castle funds into long term jumbo CD's which yielded him ten thousand pounds per month in interest which he had automatically deposited to a castle maintenance fund of the remaining four hundred thousand pounds under a simple interest bearing checking account that would itself grow for a while because castle maintenance wouldn't even cost that much until he started occupying it more long into the future. That account Dobby had access to acquire whatever he needed for the Castle, including food, etc. It was good he had a grown up Goblin like Grimtooth to advise him, he wouldn't have thought of that.
All told, Harry thought he had a good year so far if you didn't count almost dying.
