Disclaimer: Any recognizable characters and plot elements are the sole property of J.K. Rowling and other affiliated copyright holders. Otherwise, they are spawned from some strange place in my head. I seek no profits from this story, simply to share what I've come up with.
A/N: People! You've been amazing! I've gotten tons of views and reviews and favorites and follows and I just cannot express how flattered I am. I'm sorry it's been a little bit since the second chapter, but as I hope you'll understand the holidays are kind of a busy time, and it's been hard to get the time to write up this chapter. I'm hoping to start keeping a weekly update schedule or something close to it so that I can have the time to work while I'm back in school. I may even be able to work up a backlog if I'm lucky, which would keep this story going even if I get busy. We'll see on that… For now, here's Chapter 3!
Guys: Sorry that Chapter 4 is late... I got really sick this past week, and it took me until Wednesday to actually get underway on writing. I'm about to go back to college for spring semester, but I expect to have this done by Tuesday at the very latest. I don't know if this will alert those of you who are following, but I wanted to let you know in case you check up on the story.
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Chapter 3
They stepped once more into the daylight and saw the alley laid before them. Now, money in hand, they were about to get their first real taste of the wizarding world and all it had in store for them. The pair looked at each other and couldn't keep grins off their faces as they thought about what was to come.
Harry and Hermione's first stop was to purchase trunks to hold all of their new belongings. They decided they'd simply like standard school trunks, though both opted for the optional feather-light charm so they would be easier to carry. They then went off to be fitted for their school robes; they entered Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and met the smiling proprietor of the store. Madam Malkin's assistant took Hermione to be fitted for her robes while she personally took Harry off at the first sight of him, determined to find him something better than the rags he'd arrived in. Minerva considered objecting to the extra time, but decided against it since she quite honestly agreed that he needed rid of those things.
A short while later Harry came back wearing some casual wizarding clothes that could pass fairly well in the non-magical world. He had specifically chosen clothing that he could wear in place of his hand-me-downs in both worlds so that he could simply burn the old things. He only got a few outfits, but didn't mind washing them more often so he wouldn't have to go around looking like a beggar anymore. Hermione had already gotten her robes finished by that point, so the trio set off back into the alley to get on with their task.
On the way to the next destination they passed by Quality Quidditch Supplies and when Harry asked, McGonagall explained the rules of the most popular wizarding sport. The idea that wizards and witches actually flew on brooms was somewhat hilarious to Harry, and he wondered which side, magical or non-magical, had started the idea. When Harry hung back to look at the brooms for a moment too long, Hermione promptly took his arm and began leading him excitedly towards the wizarding bookstore, Flourish and Blotts.
They entered the store and Hermione immediately broke away from the group to explore the stacks. Harry wandered through, picking up his school books first before looking for anything else he thought might be interesting. He added a couple of books on the basics of magical theory and one on household magic, since he figured it would be useful to know how to do some everyday tasks. Hermione, however, came up with a pile of books twice the size of his on all sorts of topics, including everything from wizarding fairy tales to extra books on magic they wouldn't even start learning about until third year. She lugged up her purchases and the shopkeeper's eyes brightened as he got to work tallying up the total price. Hermione had had some extra money from her parents just for such an occasion and came out with just enough left to buy the rest of her school materials. Harry paid for his purchases as well and, after filling their trunks, they set off once more.
The group visited a shop selling potions equipment as well as the apothecary to pick up supplies they would need for their potions and herbology classes, and soon enough the only thing left on their list was to buy their wands. And so they made their way into Ollivander's (Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C., or so the sign said), hearing a tinkling bell as they stepped through the doorway.
"Ah…" came a voice from the back of the shop. A small old man with wide, silvery eyes entered the room, looking at the two children with a startling intensity. "Harry Potter, I had a feeling I would be seeing you soon. And hello to you, Ms. Granger. Always a pleasure to see a new face come through the doors."
Hermione and Harry stared agape at the odd little man, wondering how on earth he had known who they were. Before they could ask, Mr. Ollivander began fussing over Hermione, setting a magical measuring tape to work on her as he began rifling through boxed of wands, speaking the entire time about wands as though they were almost sentient. After trying several, many of which the wandmaker simply plucked away barely after she had touched them, he handed her a wand that produced a brilliant shower of sparks after she gave it a wave. Mr. Ollivander clapped his hands excitedly and proclaimed she had found her match. "Vinewood with dragon heartstring, 10 ¾ inches, very versatile though especially good for transfiguration work."
He then turned to Harry with an odd look in his eye. "Alright, Mr. Potter. Your turn." The magical tape went about its work again, measuring every conceivable distance around Harry's body, and Ollivander once more plucked out boxes and boxes of wands. They went through many more wands than Hermione had, and eventually even Ollivander seemed to be getting a bit frustrated. He tapped his chin thoughtfully and muttered "I wonder…" before wandering into the back of his shop. He returned with another few boxes of wands, handing the instruments over one at a time. Ollivander hesitantly offered one wand, and when Harry gave it a wave it emitted a bright flash of red and gold sparks. Mr. Ollivander seemed pleased, but Harry frowned thoughtfully. He gave it one more practice wave and Ollivander seemed that he was about to speak, but Harry interrupted him.
"It feels a bit… sluggish? Like it's struggling a little to push out the sparks. Is that normal?"
Ollivander frowned once more and murmured to himself for a moment before plucking back the wand. "I had a feeling it would have been that wand, Mr. Potter, and it's a good match for you. It would make some sense; after all, this wand is the brother to the one that gave you that scar."
McGonagall gasped softly from the corner and Harry reached up absently to touch the lightning bolt that stood out on his forehead. "Brother? What do you mean?"
"Well, Harry, this wand contains a phoenix feather as its core. That phoenix only ever provided two feathers, and one of them was in the wand that chose You-Know-Who. I was almost certain this would be yours, but it appears it's not quite a perfect match. Still, we have learned something. Here, try this one…"
Ollivander handed over another wand and, when Harry gave it a wave, he felt almost as though he was simply waving his hand. Another fountain of stars and sparks flew from the wand, this time gold and white. Harry smiled, and knew this wand was his.
"Yes, yes, this is the one for you. Birch and phoenix feather, 10 ½", light and quite sturdy. Still, a curious match..."
"Why's that, sir?"
"Well, this wand was just finished yesterday evening, as a matter of fact. A week ago, a phoenix appeared right here in the shop. Nearly scared the daylights out of me. It simply plucked off a tailfeather, placed it on my workbench, and left just as quickly as it came. Funny that you should come through my door so quickly after it was made; most wands sit on these shelves for years before they find their wizard."
Harry felt the tickle of Asa's chuckle in his mind and sent back a wave of amused chastisement. He knew instantly that it had been his familiar who had provided the feather for his wand, and he was glad that it had chosen him. He smiled at Ollivander and handed the man his payment.
"I guess I'm lucky I didn't come sooner, then. This feels perfect, sir. Thank you very much!"
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The trio stepped out of Ollivander's and squinted a little at the sudden change in lighting. It was coming upon lunch, and McGonagall decided to let the children explore the alleyway's shops. After expressly forbidding them from going towards Knockturn Alley, she let the pair lead the way around to see all of the sights and sounds that Diagon had to offer. Eventually, after roaming several of the miscellaneous shops, they came upon Eeylops Owl Emporium. Harry and Hermione went straight in, looking around at all of the interesting animals and supplies that were littering the cramped shop.
Harry wandered around the store for a while until a fluttering from his left caught his attention. As he turned, a barn owl that had been perched a few meters away winged its way over to him. He nearly flinched away, but at the last moment he recognized the familiar shape and reddish-brown plumage of Asa's disguised form. He held his arm out for the bird to land on, smiling at his friend as he settled in on Harry's shoulder. A short mental conversation later and Harry was walking up to the till, pet supplies in hand and Asa perched on his shoulder.
"Excuse me sir," he began, "it seems that I've been adopted by this owl. I'd like to purchase him and these supplies." He set an assortment of items out on the counter, including a standing perch and a variety of owl treats (that were mostly for show, since Asa could easily do his own hunting). He didn't feel the need to get a cage, since he knew that Asa had much better methods of traveling than being cooped up behind bars. The shopowner looked over the items and up at the owl, a strange look passing over his face briefly. "You know, I don't remember that owl being in here. Then again, there are a lot of them about. Ah well. It'll be 13 Galleons and 11 Sickles."
Harry pulled out the required amount from his money pouch and handed it to the man. Hermione, standing behind him, approached him with a smile on her face. "So you've got an owl now? I was thinking about getting one so I could send letters to my parents, but I can't really afford it right now. He's beautiful! What will you name him?"
He turned to her and grinned as Asa preened himself slightly at her compliment. "His name is Asa. I'm sorry you can't get an owl for yourself…" here, he turned to Asa with a questioning look, "but I think he wouldn't mind helping you talk to your family, if you wanted."
Hermione smiled brightly at the offer, reaching out to stroke Asa's feathers gently. "Oh, thank you Harry! And thank you, Asa! I know my parents would hate it if I couldn't keep in touch while I'm off at Hogwarts." Asa presses his head into Hermione's hand gently to show his approval, and Hermione gave him a gentle scratching in return. McGonagall shrank some of Harry's new equipment down so that he could fit it in his trunk, and the group left the store with Asa still perched on Harry's shoulder.
With that, and with all of their purchases made, McGonagall shrunk both of their trunks to a manageable size so that they wouldn't have to carry them through the non-magical world in public. She gave them passwords that would resize the trunk to normal, so that they would have access to their things once they were situated at home. The contents, she said, simply required a tap from their wand to revert to normal.
The trio stopped off for lunch at one of the many restaurants littering the alley, and Harry and Hermione took this opportunity to get to know each other a little, talking about their hopes for their time at Hogwarts and all of the new things they had been exposed to that day. After eating their fill, they made their way off to the side of the alley and McGonagall once more held out a slip of parchment. Harry told Asa to fly back to the Dursleys', and the children each took a corner of the page and were whisked off once more by that strange hooking sensation.
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The two managed to stay on their feet without much wobbling, though Harry was absolutely certain he would never be able to get used to that awful feeling in his stomach.
"Here we are, Ms. Granger, let's get you back home. Mr. Potter, I will take you to your relatives' house once we've finished here."
They marched their way up to Hermione's front door, where she turned back to say goodbye. "Thank you, Professor, for taking me to get my things. And it was nice to meet you, Harry. We should try to meet up again when we get on the train! That is, if you want to, I mean, I don't want to assume…" she trailed off, blushing a little as she realized she might have overstepped her bounds. Harry chuckled a little and accepted her offer, shaking her hand before she turned to the door and walked inside. As Harry and McGonagall walked away, they could hear the excited chatter of Hermione telling her parents all about her first exposure to the magical world.
Harry was happy to have met Hermione, and he was happy that she was able to share her excitement with her family, but as he turned away he couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy that he didn't have parents to tell about his day. He knew that the Dursleys would never want to hear about it, and he didn't have anyone else. McGonagall must have noticed this shift in Harry's mood, because she chose that moment to speak up.
"Mr. Potter… Harry." He looked up at her, his attention grabbed by her use of his first name. "I am truly sorry that your relatives are not… appreciative, of your gifts. I taught your parents when they went to Hogwarts, Harry. Your mother and father were both in Gryffindor house, of which I am the Head, and I came to know them very well. I want you to know that they would be proud of you, Harry. I am sorry that they are not here to tell you themselves… But I know that they would, if they were able to."
Harry stared at her for a moment in surprise. He choked out a quiet "Thank you, ma'am" before he turned to wipe at his eyes, his throat clenching with emotion at hearing about his parents for the first time in his life. "Would you…" he began uncertainly, before firming his resolve and turning back to her, "Would you mind telling me about them sometime? Do… do you have any pictures, maybe? I'd like to know what they looked like…"
McGonagall used all of her strength to keep her sadness from showing on her face. The thought that Harry had never even seen a photograph of his own parents, nor had he heard even one story about them, nearly broke her heart. She began to get very angry at the Dursleys, and she knew that a certain Headmaster would be getting a talking-to later that evening. For the moment, she schooled her expression and gave Harry a tense smile. "I would be glad to, Harry. I am certain I can find you a picture or two, your parents had many friends in our world. And you may come speak with me at Hogwarts; if I am free, I would be more than happy to tell you about them."
The joy that Harry felt caused him to run to her and throw his arms around her legs in a hug. McGonagall was frozen in surprise for a moment before she slowly leant down to return his hug, her usually-stern exterior broken by the crying boy before her.
After a time, Harry's emotions calmed and he looked up into McGonagall's face. He saw that she had unshed tears in her eyes, and felt his heart warm at the thought that this woman cared about him enough to show this side of herself. He knew from earlier that day that she was usually a firm, unyielding woman, but in that moment he saw her softer side, and knew that he was one of the few to ever see her this way. He whispered one more "Thank you" before he broke away from the hug. McGonagall stood, straightening her robes and clearing her throat softly before pulling out the same parchment and turning it into a portkey to take them back to Surrey. Much as she hated the thought of leaving Harry with his relatives again, she could only hope he would be safe until September came.
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The pair arrived on Privet Drive and quietly made their way to the Dursleys' home. Harry knocked at the door, and the two waited for a moment before Petunia opened it a crack to check who was there. When she saw Harry on the stoop, she simply turned and walked away, leaving the door cracked for him to enter. He said goodbye to McGonagall, a tender smile on his face as he walked inside. McGonagall popped away as he was entering the door, and so missed what happened next.
As Harry crossed the threshold, holding his trunk in his arms, the whistling sound of something moving through the air alerted him that something was approaching. In that instant, he caught a glimpse of a baseball bat approaching his face and dropped his trunk to the floor, clenching his eyes shut in expectation of the impact; the impact that never came. He heard a thud as something bounced off the wall to his right. He opened his eyes to see his uncle standing there, his face white with fear, one half of the bat in his meaty hands while another piece sat a few meters away, both pieces alight with a pure white flame where they had separated.
He turned away from the detached piece of wood, glaring daggers at his uncle. His breath was coming in deep huffs as he tried to quell the rising magic that flooded his chest. A hot wind picked up around him, and he saw Vernon begin to back away from him slowly. The man fell back on his arse, crawling backwards still as the wind increased to gale forces. Suddenly, the bat that sat by him exploded into splinters, all of which seemed to find their way into his body. Harry turned and stormed up the stairs, his uncle's cries echoing through the house.
He shut the door to his room with a slam, and threw himself onto his bed, closing his eyes and focusing as hard as he could on calming his mind and his magic. After a few minutes of this, his breathing finally slowed and he cracked his eyes open slowly to find Asa sat beside him on the bed in his owl form, looking at him with sadness in his deep black eyes. Harry could feel that his familiar's rage was boiling beneath the surface, and reached a hand out to stroke the phoenix's crown.
"I thought today was going so well. I thought that nothing could bring me down, but then… But then this happened. What am I going to do, Asa? I don't think I can stay with these people much longer. And if Vernon goes to the hospital over this, who knows what might happen? What should I do now?..."
Asa spoke softly into Harry's mind, pressing his head against Harry's hand. "For what he attempted, your uncle deserved much worse. I understand your worries, Harry, and much as I am loathe to share my tears with such a man, I believe it must be done. Fetch me a vial from your trunk, and I shall fill it for you."
And so Harry resized his trunk, opening it and rummaging around for his potions supplies. He pulled out a small glass vial and held it to Asa's eye. The phoenix let several tears fall, and Harry stoppered the bottle once he was finished.
He made his way down the stairs to find Vernon laid out on the couch, Petunia knelt beside him trying to pick out the shards of wood that were embedded in his skin. As Harry entered the room, she looked up with fear in her eyes and stumbled backwards in her attempt to get away from him.
"Aunt Petunia," he began, "I have something that will heal him, much as he doesn't deserve it. I did not intend to harm him; my magic simply reacted to the situation." He tossed the vial of phoenix tears to his aunt, watching her fumble with it for a moment before clutching it to her chest.
"Make him drink that. And don't let this happen again."
Harry turned away and walked up the stairs back to his room. He placed his hand on Asa once more, stroking his familiar's feathers gently as he sat in thought. "Asa," he thought, "that fire. What was that? Is it to do with our bond?"
"We share our magic, Harry. I believe you borrowed my flame in that moment. I would not be surprised if you find that you have become attuned with fire magic through me. As well, I believe I noticed another effect today. You recall the feeling you had about young Ms. Granger, yes? That strange sense of clarity as you shook her hand? I believe you have inherited some of the empathy of my kind. She is truly pure-hearted, and you sensed that through our bond, Harry. A very useful ability to have, my friend, and one I believe will serve you well in the magical world."
Harry considered this information and nodded his agreement. "You're right, I definitely felt that from her. Is it normal for this to happen?"
"It is not unheard of, when a bond is strong between a wizard and a magical being. And our bond is a strong one indeed."
Harry smiled at this. He knew that he and Asa were close, but to be so close that their magic was mixing this way warmed his heart. He pulled his friend close to him and held him in a loose hug, feeling relaxed in the moment.
A moment later, a hesitant knock came from the door and he opened his eyes, turning to look at the door suspiciously.
"Come in." he said, though uncertain that he truly wanted to invite anyone into his sanctuary. Petunia opened the door slowly, her hands showing as though to say, "I'm unarmed. I surrender." She bit her lip and avoided Harry's eyes for a moment before speaking up.
"I- I'm sorry, for what Vernon did. I shouldn't have let it happen." Harry knew that this apology was mostly made in fear; she regretted Vernon's actions simply because they hadn't worked out. Still, he said nothing, and let her continue. "And… and thank you, for whatever that was you gave him. He's all better. I… I don't like that it was magic that did it, but he's healed and that's what counts to me. I wanted to tell you, we… We'll leave you be from now on."
Since this last part seemed genuine, he answered her. "You're welcome. But you aren't forgiven, and you never will be. You've called me a freak all my life, told me that I shouldn't even exist, that I'd have been better off dying with my parents so you wouldn't be saddled with me. You try so hard to be normal, but look at you. Look at what you did to me my whole life. You people are monsters. He deserved worse than he got, and he certainly didn't deserve my help. Remember that. Now go, Aunt Petunia. Don't talk to me again."
She nodded, tears in her eyes as she closed the door and walked away. Harry sighed softly and turned back to Asa, who was still held in his arms. "Will you take me to our beach, my friend? I need to get away from here."
Asa pressed his head against Harry's chest, and in a burst of flames they were sat on that same lonely beach that they had visited so many times before. Harry stared out into the horizon, watching the waves crash into the shore and smelling the salt of the ocean spray as it wafted through the air. The two sat in silence for a long while, just watching the sun set off in the distance. As it turned night, Asa whispered into Harry's mind.
"Harry, you have had a long day, but there is one thing that must be done now. I have waited this long so that you would know about the night your parents died; about the war; about the foolish wizard who called himself Voldemort. I did not tell you before, for I knew that this day would come and reveal to you what effect that night has had on you and your world. I ask you to prepare yourself, Harry, for what I am going to tell you, and what we must do, will not be pleasant. There is a piece of him, Harry, locked in your mind. A fragment of the madman, torn from him that night as you lay in your crib. It lies in you, Harry, and must be removed. I needed you to know before I could do this, and it was not my place to tell you. I hope you can forgive me for this."
Harry simply looked Asa in the eyes and nodded. He knew that his familiar was wise, and trusted his judgment unwaveringly. "What do I have to do?"
"I need you to look into your mind. Open yourself to me, and we will find this piece of him that lies dormant inside of you. Removing him will hurt, Harry; it will hurt worse than anything you have felt before, and for that I am truly sorry. But I think you will agree that it must be done."
Harry nodded his assent, closing his eyes and taking himself into his mindscape. He felt Asa settle on his lap, and felt his head rested upon his forehead, right over his apparently-infamous scar. His familiar appeared before him, and the pair began to make their way through Harry's mind, looking for the intruder. They worked their way deeper and deeper in, moving towards the darkest recesses of Harry's web, until they found a form wrapped in dark silk, Harry's spiders circling the area in droves. They cautiously approached, and Harry looked to Asa for instructions.
"We must cut it loose, Harry. It will not be easy. It is possible it will wake, and if so it will struggle. You must be strong, Harry, and force it from your mind with all of your will. Together, we will defeat this abomination."
Harry stood to one side of the wrapped form, with Asa opposite him, and they began to slowly unweave the surrounding webbing. They made good progress, clearing nearly half of the strands connecting it to Harry's mind, before a sudden shriek pounded throughout Harry's mindscape and the piece of soul began to shudder violently. Harry nearly faltered, but continued to cut away at the cords as Asa began singing a song, boosting his resolve and seemingly causing the quivering mass pain, for its shrieking became louder still. Harry's head was pounding, and as he cut the last cord the cocoon burst open, a decrepit fetal creature emerging from the remains. As it approached him, Harry began to shudder violently in pain, his whole body feeling as though it had been flayed and salted.
Asa swooped into the creature and clawed at it, shouting to Harry "Cast it out! Gather your will, Harry, and throw it from your mind!" The phoenix grabbed the disgusting creature and held it back, pecking and scratching at it with all his might. Harry stared up at his familiar and, with everything he had, pushed his magic at the thing in a massive burst. As soon as the wave of magic struck, Asa flamed away with the creature in tow, and Harry knew no more.
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Harry opened his eyes to find the moon dangling overhead amidst a star-flecked sky. He let out a groan and closed his eyes again, feeling as though his head had been run over by a truck. Repeatedly. He felt Asa's warm body next to him, and heard his familiar softly singing his soothing song for Harry. Gradually, he managed to open his eyes and sit up slightly, though the second he was upright he turned and heaved onto the sand next to him. He placed a hand on his forehead and felt that it was slick; he pulled his hand away to see that it had a dark substance on it that felt like thickened blood.
"Asa…" he began, coughing a little before he continued, "What happened? How long was I out?"
"It has been several hours, Harry. You did it. You pushed, and I tore the beastly thing from your mind. It's gone, Harry, and it will not return. Your scar burst open when it was removed. What is on your hand came from inside. I have healed your wound, and I suggest you wash away the ichor before we go."
Harry shakily stood and walked over to the shoreline, dipping his hands in the water and washing off his face. He dried himself on his shirt and came back to Asa, feeling slightly steadier on his feet as the pain in his head began to fade. Asa winged onto Harry's shoulder and they flared away, arriving back in Harry's room at the Dursleys'. He hated to stay there, but knew he had nowhere else he could go at that moment, and he was at least sure that his relatives would be leaving him alone from now on. He flopped onto his bed, exhausted from his long day of shopping, the incident with his uncle, and the removal of the soul fragment. He was asleep in seconds with Asa curled up at his side, the phoenix feeling tired from the effort he had exerted during the ordeal on the beach.
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A/N: OKAY! So this is FINALLY complete. I'm really sorry, guys, but like I said, holidays came in the way, and I was having a few issues working out the flow here at the end. Credit for fitting in the horcrux removal goes to serialkeller, my first ever reviewer! I'm gonna have a ton of free time this coming week, so the next update ought to be pushed out by next Wednesday or so. Reviews are ALWAYS welcome, especially any constructive criticism or suggestions, since (as should be obvious from the above) I may decide that your ideas are important to the storyline! I'm writing this for you, dear readers, and so long as it fits with my ideas well enough I'll be considering your ideas thoroughly. 'Til next time, guys!