Author's note at the bottom
On Saturday, things began to get out of hand. Twenty-four letters to Harry found their way into the house, rolled up and hidden inside each of the two dozen eggs that their very confused milkman had handed Aunt Petunia through the living room window. (1)
Uncle Vernon had exploded when he realized that the letters were in his eggs. How they had gotten in there, Harry had no idea. Nonetheless, Uncle Vernon was furious and angrily paced around the kitchen ranting, raving, and waving his fists in the air. Petunia watched him worriedly, every few minutes she would start reaching out to try and calm him down before realizing it was a moot point. Dudley gave Harry a look of amazement.
"Who on earth wants to talk to you this badly?"(2)Of course, if Harry had known that then they likely wouldn't be in their current situation.
Eventually, Vernon calmed down, and Petunia was ready with a plan. She shooed the kids from the kitchen and quickly intercepted Vernon before he could rip the letters to shreds. Ignoring them clearly wasn't working, so it was time to try a new approach.
"Vernon, dear, I don't think ignoring them is going to work."
Vernon sighed in frustration, "Well, what else are we supposed to do?"
"I think we need to let him read it. I don't think they'll stop unless he does," Petunia suggested cautiously. Vernon rolled his eyes. How anyone would know if he read the letter was beyond him.
"That's ridiculous!"
Petunia sighed. "Wizards are ridiculous dear."
"And how do you know that'll work?" Vernon asked.
"I don't but ignoring them clearly isn't working. We have to try something else, I'm tired of my house being made into a circus sideshow!" Petunia exclaimed.
Vernon nodded slowly. He was also tired of the chaos ignoring the letters had brought, he had barely gotten any sleep the past week and it was starting to negatively affect him at work. He could also follow Petunia's logic, and if he could get the letters to stop without moving to a deserted island then it was worth a try. He sighed. "Okay, let's give it a go. Bring the boys in."
Petunia opened the door to reveal Harry and Dudley casually leaning against the wall pretending that they hadn't just had their ears pressed to the door. The two boys glanced at each other in surprise, before cautiously taking a seat at the table. Then Petunia handed Harry one of the letters.
"It looks like we can't avoid this, so go on, read it."
Dudley started to protest but was quieted by a firm look from Vernon. Harry took the letter in amazement. He didn't think he had a chance in hell of ever getting to read his letter. He had half a mind to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He restrained himself though, and opened the letter quickly, before his Aunt and Uncle could change their minds.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress
Harry looked up at his aunt and uncle in shock. His first thought was that this was a cruel joke. However, he quickly remembered that the Dursleys have no sense of humor (3). And, Harry knew in his gut that the letter was right, even though it didn't make any logical sense.
"Is this serious?" He had to ask, had to make sure.
Petunia sighed. She didn't even know where to begin explaining the little she knew about magic. "Unfortunately, yes. My sister, your mother, received a letter just like that when she was eleven." Petunia's faced twisted and angry thoughts she never had a chance to voice started spilling out. "Then she was brainwashed into joining that-that obscene cult and abandoned her family! And of course, all her irresponsibility got her killed! All because of that nasty magic world and that arrogant man! Then you were dumped on us and we swore we'd stomp out any magic in you!"
"I-I thought my parents died in a car crash," Harry said quietly.
Petunia shook her head vehemently. "No, Lily and that dreadful man she married got involved in some ridiculous war or whatnot and were killed," she said callously, not thinking, or caring, if this new revelation hurt Harry.
Harry processed this quietly. He knew there had to be a reason that his relatives hated him so much. Still, he had never imagined something like this. They hated him, berated him, hit him, starved him, locked him in a closet all because he could do magic? Like they thought that would reverse biology? Harry shook his head. There was a slowly building fury rising up in his chest and he did his best to suppress it. Blowing up now wouldn't do any good.
Dudley broke the silence. "So, Harry can do magic? That's not fair! Why can't I do magic?" He whined.
"You thank the Lord you can't do magic! Magic is evil!" Petunia snapped.
Dudley wailed and banged his head on the table. "It's not fair! Give me Harry's magic! I wanna do magic! I wanna do magic!"
Petunia turned red and slapped Dudley across the face (4). "You will never speak about magic again. Go to your room and don't come back until you're done whining about it." Petunia hissed furiously. She could accept that she had to allow her sister's disgusting wizard son live in her house, but she would absolutely not stand for her Dudders to be infected with that satanic energy.
Dudley stared at his mother in shock. Not once, in eleven years, had she ever gone as far as to speak firmly to him. He silently stood, his face stark-white, and walked to his room. Harry watched him uneasily. He had been hoping that getting to read his letter meant he'd get to go to this school, but now he wasn't sure. His aunt very clearly hated it. There was only one way to find out though. He flipped through the other papers and tried to look uninterested.
"So, does this mean I'm going to this weird magic school?"(5)
Vernon snorted. "Look at that school list boy! I'm not paying a cent for that. Besides, we made it clear that we don't want to be involved with any of that blasted magic."
Harry sighed. It was just as he thought. He'd have to try and find some way to convince them (6). Perhaps he could threaten to call child services, he certainly had enough bruises to make a convincing case. Luckily, for Harry, it didn't have to come to that as the perfect solution was in the pile of papers he was flipping through.
GRINGOTTS BANK
Mr. Potter,
We at Gringotts are pleased to hear of your acceptance into Hogwarts. Please present this letter to any goblin in the entrance hall of Gringotts to verify your identification. At that time, you will be given access to the education fund set up by your parents.
Sincerely,
Griphook
Head of the Potter Accounts
Harry grinned to himself, a plan forming in his head, and look back up at his Aunt and Uncle. "I understand, I'd never want to be a burden, but it seems like you don't have to pay for anything. The Hogwarts letter came with a letter from a bank called Gringotts. It says I have a vault there. My parents must have set up a school account for me before they died." (7) Harry could barely contain his excitement but forced himself to stay calm. Knowing the Dursleys they'd be even less inclined to let him go if he seemed excited about it. (8)
Vernon frowned. "Well, if they did, it must be the only sensible thing either of them had ever done in their entire lives. Even so, we told you that we are not getting any more involved in that mumbo-jumbo!"
Internally, Harry wanted to strangle the Dursleys, but he forced himself to be calm. He nodded. "That makes sense, but even you acknowledged that ignoring it hasn't seemed to help at all. If I went to Hogwarts, I'd be gone most of the year and you wouldn't have to worry about magic at all, but if I stay here who knows what these wizard folks will do. They seem pretty determined. They did all this just to give me a letter, imagine what they'll do get to me to go to the school." Harry gave a fake shudder.
Vernon and Petunia glanced at each other. In all honesty, Petunia didn't know much about the wizarding world. However, the one of the things she did know was that they became legal adults at 17, because that was when her sister had gone off and disappeared with that dreadful wizard, which meant they could get rid of Harry a whole year early and finally, truly, be done with magic.
"I suppose, if you really do have an account, we can consider it. Vernon, why don't you take Harry to that Gringotts place and see if it's true that my sister and her husband left him money? If they did, then we might as well send him. It'll make Mrs. Mills and Mrs. Clover so jealous if I tell them that both of the kids are going to elite private schools," Petunia sighed, already thinking up stories she could tell her neighbors that will make her seem even more impressive. Yes, this might be a good idea. She doesn't have to deal with her freak nephew for most of the year, and she can use this opportunity to boost her reputation.
Vernon was surprised that she gave in so easily but shrugged it off quickly. He was sure she would explain her reasoning to him when the freak wasn't right in front of them (9). So, he gruffly told Harry that he'd better be ready to go at 8 o' clock sharp Sunday morning, or he could forget about going to that absurd school at all.
Harry and Vernon left for Diagon Alley right after breakfast the next morning. Petunia pretended they were just going for a "lovely Sunday morning drive", Vernon grumbled about not having time to read the paper, and Harry pretended he didn't exist and sat quietly in the backseat, hoping Vernon wouldn't get fed up and turn the car around. He just needed to get to this "Leaky Cauldron". Then it wouldn't matter if Uncle Vernon changed his mind. Surely the Wizarding World had some form of child services, if need be, Harry hoped he could rely on them for housing should his Aunt and Uncle decide to kick him out.
As Harry continued to plan for emergency situations, Uncle Vernon drove up and down the same street, repeatedly, looking for the Leaky Cauldron. It wasn't until his fifth time down the road that Vernon suddenly spotted it and slammed on the car brakes, jolting Harry out of his thoughts. Harry jumped in surprise but was filled with relief to see that they'd arrived at the Leaky Cauldron. He'd made it.
Vernon snorted in disgust as they entered. "Why on earth would they put the entrance to their magic shopping way in such a dirty, unpleasant place?"
Harry thought it was to keep normal people away but kept that thought to himself. He had learned long ago when to keep his mouth shut. He watched as Vernon walked up to the bartender and loudly asked where "that Diagon Alley place is." The bartender glanced around Vernon to see Harry and smiled.
"Ah, you must be a muggleborn! Just got your Hogwarts letter, I see. Personally, I think they ought to provide better instructions on how to get here in that there letter. Same with Platform 9 ¾ . I tell you, the number of stories I've heard from muggleborns who almost missed the train because they didn't know they had to walk through the dividing wall is astounding (10). Anyways, come over here; I'll let you into to Diagon Alley. You've got to have a wand to get in," the bartender rattled on.
Harry watched in amazement as the wall slid away after being tapped in a couple of places. Even Uncle Vernon looked intrigued, though he tried to hide it. They stepped through the wall and took in the hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley.
There were people dressed in cloaks and robes everywhere. They were flowing in and out of elaborate shop fronts, some were selling things on the streets, and others were simply standing and talking. The air seemed to crackle, and Harry felt immediately drawn in. They were so distracted absorbing their new surroundings that Vernon and Harry both jumped when they heard the bartender speak.
"That over there is Gringotts, the bank. You'll want to stop there first to exchange your currency," he said before stepping back into the pub and closing the wall.
Harry looked where he pointed and saw a large, ornate, marble building. He and Uncle Vernon glanced at each other and started towards it. They had never liked each other, but they were both taken aback by the wizarding world and had formed a small, tiny sense of camaraderie in their mutual confusion.
Inside the bank, Vernon Dursley assumed his usual, no-nonsense work face. He approached the nearest goblin, sucking up his disgust, and showed it Harry's letter. He tried not to look at the thing as it took the letter and examined it. He couldn't help but think that these goblins were surely a violation of nature. They looked like cross between a midget, a dead bunny, and a reptile.
Harry, meanwhile, had the opposite reaction. Growing up, he had spent a decent amount of time hiding in libraries and had ended up reading a great deal of fantasy novels. He thought the goblins were absolutely fascinating and had to resist the urge to bombard them with questions, which was incredibly difficult as everything about them raised more questions for him. After all, he'd never seen anything like them in his life. Additionally, unlike the wizards outside, they were dressed normally, Harry could only assume it was because they were bankers. Which only led Harry to wonder why only goblins seemed to work at the bank. Were certain areas of commerce controlled by different races? Or are wizards just really bad at math? If so, Harry certainly couldn't blame them, math definitely was not his favorite subject. (11)
"Welcome to Gringotts, Mr. Potter. I'll go fetch your account manager," the goblin said in a low, gravelly voice before hopping off his stool and walking away.
He returned soon after with a slightly taller goblin who was dressed even finer. The teller bowed and hopped back up on his stool. Harry turned and smiled at the new goblin who had extended his hand.
Harry shook it as the goblin introduced himself as Griphook. He also shook Uncle Vernon's hand, although it barely seemed so with how quickly Vernon snatched his hand back. The large man was barely able to resist wiping his hand on his pants. The goblin led them to a private room to discuss their affairs. As Griphook gave them a brief history of Gringotts, Vernon pulled himself together, goblins were certainly the last thing he had expected to encounter at a bank. 'Yes, these creatures are funny looking, and have who-knows-what kind of lifestyles, but this is a bank. Anyone who runs such a fine-looking bank must have a semi-sensible head. Plus, they dress normally so they can't really be that strange. I'm a client here for money, I've done this a thousand times before. I just have to pretend it's a regular human,' Vernon thought to himself.
They sat down in a small room and Griphook laid out several files.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Potter. The Potters have always been great clients here at Gringotts so I'm glad you got our letter. I'd been wanting to get in contact with your guardians for quite some time, but for obvious safety reasons Dumbledore kept refusing to share your location."
Vernon cleared his throat, and made eye contact with the creature, "I'm Harry's guardian, Vernon Dursley. I'm married to his maternal aunt." He couldn't bring himself to apologized for being repulsed by its appearance, but he would treat it as normally as possible. It is the course of action that will benefit him the most (12).
Griphook nodded. "Ah, yes, I had suspected that Harry may have been placed in the Muggle world."
Uncle Vernon frowned, "Muggle?" he questioned.
Griphook inwardly sighed at having to explain the meaning of 'muggle' to yet another confused parent, 'Honestly, does the Hogwarts administration explain nothing to these people?' he wondered. His annoyance was tempered though by reminder that this was simply another chance to milk money out of them with a large 'consultation fee' (13).
"We call non-magical folks muggles. Wizards born to muggles are called muggleborns, the children of a wizard and a muggle or muggleborn are half-bloods, and the children of two wizards are purebloods," Griphook explained simply.
"The bartender earlier called me a muggleborn, but I thought both of my parents are wizards?" Harry asked in confusion.
"Ah, he likely didn't recognize you since you're with a muggle and are dressed very much like one, though you are actually a half-blood." Griphook shrugged, if the child didn't have that letter, then he likely wouldn't have recognized him either.
Harry nodded, then frowned. "Wait, why would he recognize me?"
Griphook blinked slowly. The pure absurdity of the boy-who-lived being the only person in all of magical Britain to not know who he was made Griphook want to jump off a building. He could understand him not knowing much about the wizarding world, but not knowing who Harry Potter even is? That was something he couldn't understand at all.
"Well, frankly, Mr. Potter, you're famous. Before you were born, a dark lord began rising to power, and everyone in the wizarding world was terrified of him. Your parents fought against him, along with several others. I don't know all the details, but once you were born, they hid away. Then, one day, he came after them. He showed up at your house and killed your parents with the Killing Curse. He then tried to do the same to you, but you didn't die. He vanished after that and hasn't been seen since. Most people believe the curse rebounded and killed him. Ever since, you've been hailed as the boy-who-lived," Griphook explained in simple terms.
'Yes,' he decided internally. 'I will charge them an extremely large consultation fee.'
Harry touched the scar on his forehead, suddenly understanding how he got it, and why it had never gone away. Vernon was also surprised. He never would have thought that the boy's parents were war heroes. It didn't do much to change his opinion of them though. If they didn't want to die, then they shouldn't have gotten involved at all.
"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you the bad news," Griphook said, not sounding apologetic at all. "Truthfully, I would have thought Dumbledore would've made sure to explain this all to you (14). But there's nothing to be done about that, then. Now, then, I'm assuming you also don't know anything about you accounts?"
Harry shook his head mutely.
"Alright, well, the Potters are a very old family and have gained a significant wealth over the years. Like most rich wizarding families, they have several vaults, properties, stocks, and paper businesses (15). As the only remaining Potter, you've inherited them all. However, you won't have access to most of it until you come of age, so I will save us some time and talk only about what you do have access to (16).
"First, and what you came here for, is your school account. It has already paid your Hogwarts tuition for the next seven years and covers all of your school expenses. Currently, it has approximately 500 galleons. If you would like specific numbers, I can give you that, but otherwise I'll save my breath.
"Then there's your child support vault (17). Your parents set this up in case something should happen to them. Whoever became your guardian was to have access to this vault in order to provide for you. I had assumed that you and your guardians knew about this because there had been several withdrawals by Albus Dumbledore. I thought he was withdrawing money on your behalf and then sending it to you. I now know this is not the case and deeply apologize. Inside your child support vault is approximately 5,000 galleons.
"Lastly, there's your private account, which will be merged with your trust fund when you come of age. You are the only one with access to your private account. Inside is approximately 7,000 galleons (18).
"There is also your family vault, but you legally don't have access to that until you've come of age. Now, since you are underage, there are several restrictions on your accounts. You're only allowed to withdrawal a set amount each year to ensure that you don't run out of money before you are an adult. You have six years before you're an adult, so it is only possible to withdrawal a sixth of each of your accounts each year and only a fraction of that can be withdrawn by one person. So, for example, there are three people with access to Harry's child support account. Each of them can only withdraw one third of one sixth of the account this year. Next year, it will be one third of one fifth of the account." Griphook thoroughly explained.
Vernon nodded with a deep frown on his face. He was mentally calculating just how much unnecessary money they had lost on the kid throughout the years. "Okay, so, who is this "Albus Doombelldurr," and why is he allowed to take money from Harry's accounts? And how much is a galleon worth in pounds?" Vernon had gone into full business mode. As the director of Grunnings, he was used to managing money and knew embezzlement when he saw it.
"One galleon is approximately 20 pounds (19). There are 17 Sickles in a Galleon and 29 Knuts in a Sickle. As for your other question, Albus Dumbledore is the headmaster of Hogwarts. Whoever the current headmaster of Hogwarts is always has access to school accounts and is extremely limited in how much they can withdrawal. In addition, any amount withdrawn has to be approved by us, and the headmaster must present evidence for his reason of withdrawal. Dumbledore is also registered as one of Harry's guardians, though, which has given him access to Harry's child support vault."
Vernon frowned. "Is there a way to remove him? I can guarantee you that we never received anything from him."
"He can't be removed without proof of misusing the funds. We can file an audit, but that will take several months, during which his vault key will be retracted. However, it's entirely possible that the money he withdrew was used for Harry's benefit in a way that wasn't visible." (20)
"I see. I'd still like you to do an audit," Vernon decided. "Now, how do the boy and I get keys?"
"We make them here. It will only take a few minutes. As you're a muggle, you should know that we also provide a debit card for our muggle clients. We understand that transferring currency can be rather troublesome, so we strive to make it as simple as possible. There is a regular bank in London that has a passage straight to Gringotts. If you give me a moment, I'll go start the paperwork for the audit, make your keys, and get you directions to the muggle bank." (21)
Harry sank into the cushioned chair. This was much more than he had expected. He was still reeling from the knowledge that he was famous, and that his parents were murdered. Then there was the fact that, apparently, he's filthy rich. Harry wondered what Uncle Vernon was thinking. He was probably plotting ways to steal Harry's money from him. Harry couldn't help but grin. From what Griphook said, it sounded like it'd be mighty hard for the Dursleys to do that. Harry happily took a cookie from a platter on the table and ate it while he thought about his new future.
Harry was only partially right in his thoughts about Uncle Vernon. Vernon was really thinking about he could use Harry. But it had also dawned on him, with no small amount of terror, that Harry was likely very loved in the wizarding world. Meaning, that if anyone got the impression that the Dursleys treated Harry anything less than excellently, then his whole family would be in danger. Vernon scowled. Those damn Potters leaving this huge mess for them. 'However,' he thought, 'if I do this right, then I could end up much richer than before.'
It was then that Vernon Dursley resolved to not only gain Harry's favor, but to learn more about the wizarding world. 'If I'm going to be involved in this shit, then I ought to know how this wonky world works. Perhaps, I can use learning about this place to bond with the little brat. He clearly doesn't know anything about it, and, from the looks of it, he hasn't yet realized just how much influence he has,' Vernon thought to himself. He grinned as he formed a plan, and happily treated himself to the snacks on the table.
Unfortunately for Uncle Vernon, Harry had realized the sway he had, and after seeing the calculating look on Uncle Vernon's, he got an idea of what Uncle Vernon's plan was. Harry decided to play dumb and go along with it. Having his uncle be nice to him was certainly a plan he could get behind (22).
Soon after, Griphook returned and handed them their keys, cards, and directions to the muggle bank.
"Now, we can head to the vaults."
After the mine cart ride to their vaults, which Vernon found extremely unpleasant, Griphook explained that the coin bags he gave them were enchanted so no one could steal them. Vernon, as opposed to magic as he was, thought that was brilliant and planned to keep one of the bags.
Griphook walked them to the entrance of the bank and pointed out which shops they'd need to go to before wishing them farewell. He had also advised them to buy a trunk first so that they could put their purchases in it. Then the goblin retreated to his office and gleefully wrote an invoice for an extremely large consultation fee.
Vernon and Harry followed his advice and wandered across the street to Madame Lougage's Travel Necessities, where they were greeted by the sight of multiple towering stacks of nearly identical items. Harry, completely overwhelmed by the sheer number of different types of trunks, glanced helplessly at his uncle. Vernon, however, had gone shoe shopping with Petunia multiple times and was undaunted. He waddled confidently to the sales associate and demanded their assistance in selecting the best case for a first year Hogwarts student.
"For a first-year student, I would recommend The Lougage Simplified it has a basic three compartments: one for clothes, one for books, and one for miscellaneous items. It comes with a weightless charm already applied, and a lock that cannot be undone with a simple alohomora. All that for the low price of five galleons!"
Vernon nodded as if he had great knowledge on the subject, despite not understanding half of what the man said. "Sounds good, we'll take it."
xxx
Flourish and Blotts was only a couple of shops away, so they headed there next to buy the obscenely long list of books Harry needed. Inside, Harry's jaw dropped with awe. He had never seen so many books in his life. His school library was ridiculously small and the Dursleys were not the type of people who enjoyed going book shopping. Harry wandered to the first section that caught his eye and gazed at the vast assortment of books. He found himself particularly interested in '101 Curses and Hexes for the Beginning Wizard' and idly wondered if he could use them on Dudley (23). Harry wasn't sure if Uncle Vernon would let him get it, but he tucked the book under his arm anyway.
While Harry was ogling books of curses, Uncle Vernon found something else even more amazing. Fellow muggles. He saw them from across the store; a nicely dressed mother and father with their son. They stood out from the rest of the crowd since they weren't dressed in the ridiculous cloaks the wizards wore. Vernon practically raced across the store to introduce himself. He cleared his throat to get their attention once he was next to them.
"Say, you aren't wizards, are you?" Vernon asked, just to be sure.
The man smiled at him and shook his head.
"Is it that obvious? My stepson, Dean, just got his letter a few days ago. I'm Malcolm Clarke and this is my wife Catherine," the man said.
Vernon Dursley beamed. "I'm Vernon Dursley, happy to meet you. My nephew got his letter just a couple of days ago too. Didn't want to believe it at first, I tell you. It's nice to see that I'm not the only non-wizard here," Vernon said happily.
Mr. Clarke nodded. "Oh yes, I mean, we always knew Dean was special, but we never would have guessed that he was magic." Behind him Mrs. Clarke looked guilty for moment before clearing her face and smiling welcomingly (24).
Malcolm and Vernon soon found themselves enthralled in a deep conversation about the differences they had noticed between the magic and non-magical world so far. Dean quickly zoned out and began looking for Mr. Dursley's nephew. He thought it would be nice to actually know someone before getting to school. It didn't take him too long to spot him, he was the only other boy dressed in muggle clothing. He was staring at a shelf filled with books about the boy-who-lived. Dean had only glanced at the shelves as they entered; his parents had been intent on finding his schoolbooks first, however with his parents distracted he was free to roam.
Dean tapped him on the shoulder. "Excuse me, you're Vernon Dursley's nephew?" he asked casually.
Harry jumped and stared at him. "How did you know that?"
Dean pointed across the store where his father and Vernon were still chatting.
"He just introduced himself to me and my parents. I'm Dean Thomas by the way." (25)
Harry shook his hand. "I'm Harry Potter."
Dean blinked slowly and glanced at the shelf of books about the boy-who-lived. The book in the center was titled, in larger words, 'Harry Potter: the boy-who-lived'.
"Are you trying to prank me?" he asked, suppressing a laugh. He wasn't the class clown at school, but he was certainly fond of pranks.
Harry smiled and shook his head. "To be honest, it came as quite a shock to me too."
Dean's jaw dropped. "You didn't know? How? How can you be famous and not know?"
"Well, how can you be a wizard and not know? I grew up in the muggle world, like you."
Realization dawned on Dean's face. "Oh, that makes sense, I guess. Wait, how'd you know I didn't grow up here?"
Harry laughed and gestured to Dean's clothing. "You're wearing a West Ham football jersey mate. I didn't know magic existed until yesterday, but I don't think that's something a wizard will wear."
Dean laughed in embarrassment. "You're probably right...You don't think that means wizards don't play football though, do you?"
Harry shrugged, personally he had never gotten into the sport, but he didn't dislike it either. "There's a sports section over there," he pointed out. "Let's go find out."
To Dean's despair, the sports section only had books on some weird sport called Quidditch. They flipped through them for a few minutes trying to figure out how on earth the game worked.
"Okay, this seems pretty cool," Dean acquiesced. "But I'm still going to bring some football posters!"
Harry nodded in support. He didn't see a reason why Dean shouldn't do it, quidditch seemed pretty cool but not that much cooler than football. They stayed in the sports section for a few more minutes, both of them selecting a book on quidditch and promising to swap them when they were finished. Dean picked a book titled, "Quidditch and it's Teams: a Brief History" that gave a brief history of the formation of quidditch and then an overview of the most famous teams. Harry selected a slightly thinner booked called, "Twiste, Turne, and Drop: Quidditch Maneuvers" which was filled with moving pictures depicting different flying techniques and quidditch maneuvers with a description next to them. After that, the two boys set out to find their schoolbooks.
xxx
An hour and a half later, Harry and Vernon each had a large pile of books on all topics. Harry had grabbed mostly spell books, but also picked up, "History of Wizarding Britian: For Muggles" and "A Guide for Muggleborns Entering the Wizarding World". Both of the books had been in the 'recommended for muggleborns' section that was set up near the front of the shop. Vernon had picked out several history books and bought a subscription to the Financial Times. He figured he ought to know as much about this world as he can if they're a threat to his family.
Along with the books, Harry and Dean both got a writing set, stocked with enough ink to last the whole year, several quills, parchment, and most importantly, a calligraphy guide. The writing set had been recommended by a sales associate after hearing Dean shout, "We have to write with quills? My handwriting's barely legible when I use a pencil!" (26)
xxx
The two families left the store together and headed to the potions shop next. Potion supplies and a telescope were the only things Dean hadn't gotten yet. They had arrived at Gringotts only a few minutes before Vernon and Harry, but for some reason hadn't stayed nearly as long. Finding that out caused Vernon and Malcolm to launch into a debate about the accuracy of the currency exchange outside the potion supply shop.
Dean's mom rolled her eyes at the two men. "Come on boys," she put a hand on both Dean and Harry's back, "Let's go inside and get what you need."
They spent significantly less time in the potions shop than they did in the bookstore, partly because they had no idea what any of the things in the shop were for, and partly because there was a huge display at the front of the store with kits designed specifically for Hogwarts students.
"Hey Harry," Dean asked, looking at his friend through a glass jar of what was supposedly 'liquefied fairy wings', "What do you think this is for?"
Harry glanced at it, "Obviously, you drink it before a quidditch match so you can fly."
Dean nodded solemnly. "Yeah, that makes sense." Behind them, an older man choked and quickly turned away from the boys.
When they left the shop, Vernon and Malcolm were still discussing economics, though they had shifted from the exchange rate to the international value. Dean eagerly interrupted them to show his dad the kit they got which featured: a cauldron, a set of glass phials, a set of brass scales, a few small beginners' books on potion making, and a potion ingredients case with all the ingredients a first year may need. Malcolm looked it over with interest.
"So, it's kind of like chemistry then huh?" he said, flipping through one of the books. "Well, if you try it at home do it in the kitchen, we don't need this stuff ruining the carpet."
Vernon was extremely relieved to have run into the Clarke family because the entire potions shop repulsed him. When the door had opened, he could hardly stand the smell that wafted out, and thanked the lord that Mrs. Clarke had taken Harry in for him.
Sadly, they had to part ways after they found the telescopes. Vernon and Malcom shook hands again and exchanged contact information, Mrs. Clarke gave Harry a hug and a warm smile, and Dean promised to see him on the train. The Clarkes pointed out the robe shop they had taken Dean to and then were on their way out. Then Harry and Uncle Vernon were alone again. Uncle Vernon was in a great mood though, happy to have found people like him. He even patted Harry on the head as they walked towards Madam Malkins.
xxx
Vernon left Harry to go inside Madam Malkins by himself while he went in search of a bathroom. Harry entered hesitantly and looked at the enormous range of fabrics with uncertainty. A large woman bustled over to him and smiles kindly.
"Ah, you must be a first-year Hogwarts student here to get your robes, I bet. Well, come stand over here and we'll get you measured. There's another boy your age up there too," the woman said as she pushed him to the back of the room.
Harry smiled at the other boy, but he wasn't sure what to say. The other boy smiled back, but also didn't seem to know how to introduce himself. The ice wasn't broken until one of the seamstresses screamed when a toad leapt out of the boy's pocket and on to her.
"Why is there a toad in your pocket?" Harry asked in confusion. The boy flushed in embarrassment.
"His name's Trevor. I just got him at the pet store across the street. You're allowed to bring one pet to Hogwarts you know, and I saw him and knew he was the pet for me."
"Oh, so you're a frog person then?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, anything in nature really. I really like plants and gardening, and with a toad I don't have to worry about it ruining anything. My gran was absolutely repulsed when I picked Trevor though. She thinks owls are the only practical pet for a young wizard to have."
"Owls? Why would you want an owl as a pet? How do you even take care of an owl?"
"Oh, you must be a muggleborn," the boy said, glancing at Harry's clothes. "I'm sorry, I'm probably confusing you. Owls deliver mail, so if you have your own you can use it to send letters and packages to people. They're magical so you just have to let them outside, and they take care of themselves."
Harry's eye bulged. "Whoa, that's wicked cool. I'm Harry, by the way."
"I'm Neville (27). So, I guess if you're a muggleborn you don't have any idea what house you'll be?"
"Mate, I don't even know what the house are," Harry answered with a grin. Neville flushed again and muttered an apology before explaining.
"Everyone is sorted into four houses at Hogwarts. Gryffindor, for the brave and chivalrous. Slytherin, for the cunning and ambitious. Ravenclaw, for the intelligent and curious. Hufflepuff, for the loyal and hardworking. I'm hoping for Gryffindor, both of my parents were in that house, so my Gran will be very disappointed if I don't get in. Knowing me, I'll probably get stuck in Hufflepuff though," Neville sighed.
"What's wrong with Hufflepuff? You just said it's the house for loyal and hardworking people, that seems just as important as bravery to me," Harry said.
"Hufflepuff is just looked down on, I guess. They're not anything special," Neville said dejectedly. Harry frowned. He had only just met the boy, but he felt the urge to cheer him up.
"That's stupid. From your description, I'd rather have a Hufflepuff friend than anyone else. Listen, I'll be friends with you whether you're sorted into Gryffindor or Hufflepuff," Harry said firmly.
"Really? You don't even know me though," Neville said in confusion.
Harry shrugged.
"I can't explain it, but I feel like I know you're a good guy though," Harry told him. It really was the oddest sensation. He had never met him, yet he somehow felt connected to him, like they had a shared history. Neville nodded with a strange look on his face (28).
"Yeah, I feel the same. It's weird."
Neville's robes were finished before they could chat any further though. Harry waved goodbye and promised to see him at Hogwarts.
xxx
Harry was done soon after and asked to use the bathroom before he left. When he emerged from the shop, Uncle Vernon was nowhere in sight. Harry was about to resign himself to sitting and waiting when he spotted the pet shop across the street. From the moment Neville had mentioned owls Harry had desperately wanted one. He doubted Uncle Vernon would let him have one though. However, if he went and got one on his own surely Uncle Vernon wouldn't make him return it. His uncle was trying to get on his good side after all.
Harry rushed to the pet shop, excited to get a pet of his own. The Dursleys had never gotten a pet of any sort, and Harry had always yearned for one. A companion that would love him unconditionally. It seemed too good to be true. Immediately upon entering the store, Harry was drawn to a beautiful, snowy white owl. She cooed happily at him when he approached, and he knew that she was the one for him.
Harry left the pet shop just in time to see Uncle Vernon return from the bathroom. He hurried over to his uncle with his new owl and the bundle of robes he had gotten.
"What in God's name are you doing with an owl?" Uncle Vernon exclaimed. Harry shrugged.
"It was on the school list," he said simply. Uncle Vernon blinked and slowly breathed in and out to control his temper.
"It stays in your room and you are fully responsible for taking care of it. If it ruins anything in my house, I'm getting rid of it. Okay?"
Harry nodded happily and smiled down at his owl who cooed at him.
"So, what else do we have to get?" Vernon asked gruffly. Harry glanced back at the list.
"Just a wand. I think the store we have to go to is Ollivander's."
"A wand? You'd think that would just be a stereotype," Vernon snorted. "These ridiculous wizards are driving me crazy."
xxx
Vernon's perception of wizards being crazy only got worse when they arrived at Ollivander's. It took a solid hour of complete chaos for Harry to get his wand. Vernon sat in a chair at the edge of the room shaking his head at the complete lack of organization. If this man had really been doing this for so long, you'd think he would've found a more efficient method of matching wands. Finally, though, Harry got his perfect match.
"11' Phoenix Feather core, holly wand. Nice and supple," Vernon heard the eccentric wizard say. Vernon began pulling out the coin bag as the wizard started giving Harry some cryptic message. Vernon didn't catch the whole thing, and he didn't really care. This old man clearly had some loose screws, and Vernon was ready to go. As fascinated as he had become, Vernon had had enough of the wizarding world for one day.
As they walked out of the Leaky Cauldron, Harry stopped and faced his uncle.
"Uncle Vernon, I just wanted to say thank you for letting me go to Hogwarts even though you don't like it," Harry said quietly. He figured that maybe with the change of events that their relationship could improve. Of course, Harry didn't think he would ever like his uncle or vice versa, but perhaps they could coexist peacefully. It should be easy with Harry gone for most of the year.
Vernon scratched the back of his head awkwardly. He didn't do emotional stuff. So, he simply grunted and patted Harry on the back. However, Vernon had only ever patted Dudley, who weighed significantly more than Harry, on the back. So, Vernon's pat was more like a slap and caused Harry to lurch forward. He was barely able to regain his balance and avoid falling to the ground. His glasses weren't as lucky though, and they hit the hard cement and broke (29).
Harry groaned. He could barely see with his glasses; his prescription was so out of date, but without them he was practically blind. Uncle Vernon picked the glasses up and examined them. He realized as he looked at Harry's glasses that he hadn't see a single wizard wear glasses except for the crazy wand guy. Vernon then looked Harry over, taking in his appearance. He honestly looked like a homeless street kid. Vernon winced and remembered what the goblin said about Harry being famous, the wizarding world wouldn't be happy if they got the slightest indication that Harry had been mistreated. And shitty clothes were a key sign of a mistreated child.
Uncle Vernon sighed and looked at his watch. It was only 1 o'clock. "Let's go to the eye doctor and see if they can squeeze you in today, if not you'll have to wait for a couple of days."
Harry stared at him in surprise. He had expected to have to simply deal with it. He couldn't remember the last time he got new glasses, despite them getting broken several times.
xxx
At the optometrist, they got lucky. Someone had just canceled their appointment, so they were able to fit Harry in at four o'clock (30). That left them with two and a half hours to kill.
Vernon figured this was the perfect time to get Harry some new clothes. He wasn't going risk being attacked by angry wizards because he let Harry wear dirty rags to school. Plus, he had the Gringotts debit card to use, so he wouldn't have to spend any of his own money. Vernon marched Harry around a nearby department store handing him things to try on. Harry mutely obeyed, not completely comprehending what was happening. He was sure he had to be dreaming. Being told he was a wizard was crazy enough, but his uncle actually being nice to him? That was out of the ballpark crazy. When Harry asked why they were buying new clothes Uncle Vernon snorted and gruffly explained.
"Surely you damn wizards don't lounge around in cloaks all day. You ought to have something to wear on the weekends and in the evening."
"I have clothes."
"Ah, those old rags? I'm not going to have you offending some crazy wizard and bringing his anger home. Besides, they said this Hogwarts place is a castle, if you wear those rags, you'll surely get hypothermia and die. And that'll be even more trouble for me."
They left the store with a nice variety of clothes. Vernon had insisted on forcing Harry to get a suit, because he wouldn't have that boy embarrassing him if he ever had to dress up. He got three pairs of shoes, though Harry didn't understand why he needed more than one. There were several sweaters, button down shirts, and two pairs of slacks. To Harry's relief, Vernon also let him get regular clothes; jeans, t-shirts, and new pajamas. Much to Harry's embarrassment, he also got him new underwear, socks, and two belts. When they were finished, Vernon was satisfied that no one would question Harry's appearance.
xxx
They got back to the optometrist just in time for the appointment. The eye doctor said Harry had the worst eyesight he had ever seen for someone his age. Harry flushed in embarrassment and left to go pick out new frames while Uncle Vernon discussed cost with the doctor. Harry decided on a pair of glasses with a simple silver frame and brought his choice back to the doctor.
"Very nice choice, they suit your face well," the doctor complimented. "Have you ever thought about getting contacts though?"
Harry shook his head. The thought of sticking his finger in his eye nauseated him. Uncle Vernon, however looked interested.
"I don't usually suggest them for someone so young, but with how terrible your eyesight is I think they might be more convenient (31)," the doctor continued. "We can give you a one-week trial pair to see how you like them. Your new glasses won't be ready till then anyways."
"That sounds like a great idea," Vernon agreed.
Harry hesitantly sat down in a chair as the doctor explained how to put the contacts in. Harry failed miserably at putting them in the first couple of times, but he finally figured it out and was surprised that they were so comfortable. He looked around the room in awe. He had never seen everything so clearly. There were no blurry gaps in his peripheral vision at all, and the colors on everything seemed to pop. Harry glanced in the mirror. It was weird seeing himself without glasses, but he thought he could get used to it.
When they arrived home, Dudley pitched a fit about not getting a pet and Petunia stared on in stony silence. Vernon pulled her aside and explained about the bank accounts, and she scowled deeper.
"Figures, they'd dump their son on us and not even have the decency to tell us about the child support. But, we have it now," she acquiesced. She sent Harry to his room and told him that she didn't want to see any of his school supplies outside his room or she would throw it away. Harry went happily, not minding that he was missing dinner as they had gotten food on their way home.
In his room, he opened his set his owl down next to the window and opened the cage.
"Hello, I'm Harry. I don't have a name for you yet so I'm just going to call you Snowy for now."
Snowy squawked at him indignantly.
"I'm sorry! It's just until I come up with a name." In an attempt to appease her, he opened his bedroom window. "Are you hungry? You can go hunt! Just come back before morning or my aunt and uncle might get mad."
Snowy gave him a serious look, jumped on his shoulder, rubbed her head against his, and then flew out the window.
Harry really wanted to take a closer look at the quidditch book he got but decided he should pick out a name for his owl first. He didn't want to offend her again, so he started skimming though the few history books he got.
When Snowy flew back in a few hours later, Harry waved at her and tested out her new name. "Hey Hedwig, have fun?"
Hedwig tilted her head and squawked happily. (32)
xxx
Two days after their trip to Diagon Alley, Harry turned eleven. He expected in birthday to pass by unobserved, yet again, but to his surprise Uncle Vernon actually bought him a cake. At first, Harry thought his uncle was ill, but then he remembered that Uncle Vernon was still trying to get on his good side. As for presents, Uncle Vernon told Harry he could have whatever Dudley left in his second bedroom. It wasn't a fantastic gift as most of the things that Dudley put in there were broken, but Harry was sure he could learn a spell to fix whatever was broken.
Still, even though most of the items were broken, it was the most he had ever gotten for his birthday. While Harry did appreciate getting something, he couldn't help but bitter anger than he couldn't remember ever receiving any gifts and that he was only receiving some now to placate him, not because anyone actually cared about him.
xxx
A week after their trip to Diagon Alley, Harry returned to the eye doctor to get his new glasses. They were in a nice, shiny case and Harry held them very carefully. They were incredibly thick but felt much sturdier than his old ones.
"How did the contacts feel?" The doctor asked Harry as he tried on the new glasses.
"They were alright, I liked seeing without glasses, but the contacts got a bit uncomfortable if I had them in for too long," Harry answered honestly.
"Oh yes, I would not recommend wearing them for more than ten hours straight because they do dry out, and definitely do not sleep in them. But I can give you eye drops too, which should alleviate any discomfort if you're not in a place where you can take them out immediately. Would you like that Harry? Or do you just want to stick to wearing glasses?"
Harry considered for a moment. The contacts were much better than his glasses when it came to seeing, but they were also a hassle because he couldn't wear them constantly. However, it couldn't hurt to have both glasses and contacts. Then he could choose whatever he wanted to use that day. He would hate to need contacts one day, and not have them.
"I'll try using eye drops with the contacts," Harry decided.
The eye doctor patted him on the back, happy to have helped. Uncle Vernon ordered a year supply for him and scheduled another appointment for next year. (33)
xxx
The next month felt like it passed in a blink. Harry was mostly confined to his room, on Aunt Petunia's orders, so he spent most of his time reading through his schoolbooks, wanting to be prepared for the first day. He was sure that he was going to be set back due to just learning about magic and Harry was determined to do well. His whole life depended on this, despite his aunt ignoring him and his uncle acting semi-decent, he still had no desire to stay with them any longer than he had to. They had never been family, and just because they stopped screaming at him didn't make him like them any more. So, he had to be good at magic to ensure a future in the magic world.
He also read the guidebook for muggleborns and was extremely glad he bought it. It seemed life in the wizarding world was set back hundreds of years politically. It was even more complicated than muggle politics with all the Barons and Earls and Lords and Ladies. Aristocrats seemed to rule their society. Harry briefly tried to figure out the politics, but he didn't even understand muggle politics, so this just gave him a headache. Harry figured he could learn it all when he was older and decided to focus on understanding his schoolwork. Besides, Uncle Vernon managed to make sense of the wizarding world politics and had many long conversations on the phone with Mr. Clarke about them as they tried to discern the different sides. Harry tried listening in on some of the conversations, but it doesn't really work when you can only hear one side. He ended up more confused than when he started. (34)
Aunt Petunia ignored Vernon whenever he did this. She refused to acknowledge anything associated with magic and tried to shut it all out. Which is what led to Harry being kept in his room most of the time. He was only allowed out for breakfast, dinner, and bathroom breaks. He didn't get lunch, but that was okay because Petunia was trying to ignore him to the point that she didn't stop him from eating as much as he wanted. Vernon on the other hand, encouraged Harry to eat more, not wanting the wizards to think he'd been starving the boy. Harry was rather happy with the turn of things. He wasn't a huge fan of being stuck in his room, but he had plenty of things to entertain himself with, and he didn't have to do chores anymore. It was pretty good, he got to sleep in a few extra hours and go to bed whenever he wanted. He had found a flashlight in the pile of toys that Dudley had forgotten about and used it to read at night.
Dudley, meanwhile, was not happy with the new changes at home. He was used to being the center of attention and had like ordering Harry around. He had a temper tantrum every day for a week when he realized that his father had started trying to get on Harry's good side. He couldn't understand it at all. For his entire life, his parents had called Harry a freak and suddenly now his father was sucking up to him? Dudley didn't like it. Eventually, Dudley realized that the only way to gain his father's attention was the play along and get himself involved.
He barged into Harry's room after a week and a half and demanded that he teach him about the wizarding world.
"No," Harry said flatly. He had no desire to spend any more time with his cousin then necessary.
"But you have to! I want you to!" Dudley yelled.
"Why? All my life you've tortured me, I have no reason to help you," Harry said, before turning back to his book.
"I won't beat you up ever again!" Dudley exclaimed. Harry looked up in interest. "If you teach me, I promise I'll never do anything to hurt you again!"
"What about your friends?"
"I won't let them do anything either. Harry Hunting is over, I swear!"
Harry grinned, "Deal."
Dudley dropped on the ground happily. "Okay, so what first?" (35)
xxx
Explaining to Dudley what he knew about magic worked out for Harry very well; he found that explaining it to someone else helped him remember and understand it better too. It took a few tries though for Dudley to understand any one concept, so it was slow going but his cousin was decent enough that Harry didn't mind him tagging along to meet ups with the Clarke family.
Uncle Vernon always swore the boys to secrecy the hand full of times they went to meet the Clarkes. Petunia was at risk of flying off the handle if she thought any more magic was infiltrating her home, and all three males wanted to avoid that. So, Vernon would casually say he was taking the boys to the arcade, or the movies, or out to ice cream and as soon as the car was out of sight of the house he would turn and go in the direction of wherever he had planned to meet the Clarkes. Usually, it was a random park somewhere halfway between where they lived. Luckily, as it turns out, the Clarkes lived in nearby Staines, so it was never more than a ten-minute drive to get to their meeting place. (36)
The park was their ideal meeting place because they could chat about magic without worrying about being overheard, and the boys had plenty of space to run around. Harry and Dean spent a lot of time trying to figure out quidditch. They swapped the books they got and shared what they'd learned. Surprisingly, Dudley was rather adept at understanding quidditch, though he didn't think it seemed very interesting.
Inevitably, the boys would get restless and Dean would pull out a football. Harry had never actually played football before, so Dean taught him the rules. Harry actually found it fun. He was a decent runner from always being chased by Dudley's goons and discovered that he had really good foot-eye coordination as he scored a few goals. It made him wished he had played sports as a kid, 'Maybe I'll try out for the quidditch team at Hogwarts.' He thought.
The three boys would play a few games of football, usually with a few random kids joining in, before collapsing in the grass and waiting for Vernon and Malcolm to finish talking. Eventually, the two adults would notice that the boys were at risk of falling asleep and switched their conversation to something normal as they took the boys for ice cream before heading home.
Soon, it was September 1st. Uncle Vernon drove Harry to King's Cross with Dudley tagging along. Petunia had opted to stay home and hadn't acknowledged them when they left. They awkwardly approached Platforms 9 and 10. The bartender at the Leaky Cauldron had explained how to get on Platform 9 ¾ but knowing is different than doing. They were all a little unsure of what they were supposed to do as they approached. Luckily, a huge family of gingers appeared and seemed to be going the same place as them. So, Harry approached the friendly looking matriarch with his uncle and cousin following him.
"Oh, is this your first year at Hogwarts dear?" the friendly witch asked. Harry nodded.
"Oh, wonderful. My Ron is a first year too. Perhaps you can be friends," she said absentmindedly.
Harry smiled at her and nodded at the tall boy she had gestured to.
"So, do we really just walk through that wall to get there?" Harry asked.
The red-haired lady nodded. "Unfortunately, muggles can't go through, so you'll have to say goodbye to your family here."
Harry turned to his uncle and cousin. He wasn't sure what to say to them. After spending the past month discussing magic they were on better terms, but he wouldn't say that they were anywhere near to being close. Uncle Vernon awkwardly patted him on the back once, careful not to knock him over this time.
"Don't get yourself killed," he said.
Dudley was a bit friendlier and made Harry promise to write him once a week.
"It's not fair that you get magic and I don't, so you better write me and tell me how much it sucks and how glad I should be that I don't have it."
Harry chuckled and agreed. His relationship with Dudley had become weird and he wasn't quite sure what to make of it, but he was rolling with it.
Harry closed his eyes and ran at the barrier. A part of him was sure that he'd slam into the wall and crash. Of course, that didn't happen, and Harry found himself on Platform 9 ¾. Harry glanced around in awe. Magic was amazing. Harry smiled to himself as he began looking for where to board the train. He wasn't paying much attention to the people around him, but one phrase did catch his attention.
"Gran, I lost my toad again," Neville said.
"Oh, Neville," his Gran sighed.
Harry turned and looked for the boy that he'd met at Madam Malkin's.
"Neville! It's good to see you!" Harry exclaimed, walking over. Neville looked up and grinned.
"Harry! I didn't think I'd see you till we got to Hogwarts. There are so many people here," Neville said. Harry nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, this is way more than I expected!"
"Oh, Harry this is my Gran, Augusta Longbottom," Neville introduced. Harry smiled and shook her hand.
"Hi, it's nice to meet you, but I can't stay. I think I need to hurry and find a compartment before they all fill up. I just wanted to say hi quickly." Mrs. Longbottom's mouth twitched in a smile.
"Yes, yes, if you don't grab one now then you'll be stuck sitting in the hallway."
"Oh, Neville, do you want to come with me?" Harry asked. Neville shook his head.
"I have to find Trevor. I can't leave for Hogwarts without him. I'll see you later though," Neville promised.
Harry nodded and started heading towards the back of the train where the last of the empty compartments were. He pressed on through the crowd until he found an empty compartment near the end of the train. He put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove his trunk toward the train door. Despite being weightless it was difficult to push up the stairs due to its size in comparison to Harry.
"Want a hand?" It was one of the red-haired twins he'd followed through the barrier. "Yes, please," Harry panted.
"Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!"
With the twins' help, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.
"Thanks," said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.
"What's that?" said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Harry's lightning scar. "Blimey," said the other twin.
"Are you?"
"He is," said the first twin. "Aren't you?" he added to Harry.
"What?" said Harry.
"Harry Potter, "chorused the twins.
"Who's that?" asked Harry, unable to resist the urge to mess with them.
The two boys gawked at him, and Harry felt himself turning red. He wondered if maybe instead of being funny he had just made himself sound like an idiot. Then, to his relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door.
"Fred? George? Are you there?"
"Coming, Mum." With a last look at Harry, the twins hopped off the train. Harry sat down next to the window where, half hidden, he could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying. He watched as their mother scrubbed at Ron's nose while the boy tried to squirm away. Soon another red-haired boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his black Hogwarts robes, and Harry noticed a shiny silver badge on his chest with the letter P on it. He wondered what it stood for.
Harry zoned out as the large family outside his window joked amongst themselves. Until their conversation turned to him. Then Harry started listening curiously.
"Hey, Mom, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"
Harry leaned back quickly so they couldn't see him looking.
"You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?"
"Who?"
"Harry Potter!"
Harry heard the little girl's voice. "Oh, Mom, can I go on the train and see him, Mom, eh please..."
Harry felt himself begin to flush with embarrassment. It was definitely going to take a while to get used to being famous. Attention was not something he was used to or comfortable with.
"You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Is he really, Fred? How do you know?"
"Saw his scar. It's really there - like lightning."
"Though when we asked him, he didn't know who Harry Potter was."
"Then he likely isn't him. He must have gotten a scar from something else," their mother said. "And I don't want you pestering him about it. He's clearly a muggleborn and you'll just confuse him with your talk about Harry Potter!"
"All right, keep your hair on." A whistle sounded.
Harry tuned back out as they said their goodbyes. He felt awkward spying on them, but it was interesting to know that no one knew for sure what he looked like. (37)
BANG!
Harry jumped as the compartment door slammed open. He looked over to see a sheepish Neville.
"I didn't mean for it to slam like that..." he said, scratching the back of his head.
Harry threw his head back and laughed. "Come on in Neville! Did you find Trevor?"
The other boy pulled the toad out of his pocket to show Harry, "Just barely in time though. Gran had to cast Accio to find him. I thought the train was going to leave without me," Neville explained as he sat down across from Harry.
He glanced back at the door as the red-haired twins passed by and wondered where Dean was. Harry debated getting up to look for him, but he didn't want to risk losing his compartment. Also, he had barely slept the night before and was starting to feel rather tired. As he focused back on Neville, out of his peripheral, he saw the youngest red-haired boy paused at the compartment door. However, he didn't loiter for long and ran to catch up with his brothers. (38)
Neville had noticed the boy too, "Should we invite him to sit with us?"
Harry shrugged, "Sure, he seemed nice enough." (39)
However, when he peeked out into the hallway the there was no sight of any redheads. On the bright side, he did spot a familiar head poking out of a compartment a few doors up. Harry grinned and waved.
"Harry!" Dean exclaimed, "I was afraid you didn't make it. My dad was complaining about the traffic the entire drive here."
"Yeah, I learned a few new words from my uncle," Harry laughed. "Do you want to come up to my compartment?"
"Oh god yes," Dean whispered. "I was sitting with a bunch of giggly girls. Normally, I don't mind girls, but all these ones do is giggle. They look at each other, whisper something, and then start this high-pitched giggling! I don't get it."
Harry did his best impression of a teen girl giggle, and Dean punched him lightly in the arm. "I'm going to have nightmares of that, thanks a lot mate."
"Sorry, sorry," Harry laughed unapologetically. "Here, I'll help you bring your trunk to my compartment.
xxx
It took a few minutes, but the two boys managed to maneuver the trunk to their compartment where Neville helped them shove it up top.
"Neville, this is Dean. Dean, this is Neville," Harry introduced the two boys.
"Oh, is this the kid you told me you met at the robe shop?" Dean asked.
"Yup, the one and only Neville..." Harry trailed off and then stage whispered, "What's your last name?"
"Longbottom," he whispered back. "And what's yours?"
"Potter, and his is Thomas."
"Wait," Neville froze. "Harry Potter?"
"Yes, that's my name."
"As in the-boy-who-lived?"
"And is still living," Dean joked. He had bought one of the books on Harry as a joke, and the two had laughed over the ridiculous monikers used throughout the book.
Dean's joke seemed to snap Neville out of his haze of shock, "Well, good to meet you both. So, did you two know each other before?"
"Oh yes, we're twins. Can't you tell?" Harry asked.
Dean nodded. "I think we look strikingly similar."
Neville shook his head with a grin, "Sorry, it must be the hair that's throwing me off."
"Really? Our hair? Huh, usually it the skin color that most people get stuck on," Dean said curiously.
Harry couldn't stop grinning, "No, we actually met in Diagon Alley the same day I met you. My uncle and his step-father stayed in contact, so we met up a few times in August."
"I see, so you both grew up in the muggle world?" Neville asked curiously. "What was it like?"
Harry shrugged and Dean gestured vaguely. "It was normal I guess, I mean, what was growing up in the magic world like?"
Neville opened his mouth and then quickly closed it. "Oh, yeah, that's hard to explain if it's all you know."
"So, your whole family is magical?" Harry asked curiously.
"Yeah," Neville answered. "The Longbottoms are a pretty old family."
"How old?"
"I don't know exactly, more than a thousand though that's for sure."
"Do you have any siblings?" Dean asked.
Neville shook his head sadly. "No, it's just me and my gran. My parents...are gone. But, what about you?"
"I've got two half-siblings," Dean said. "They're both a bit younger than me though."
"I wish had siblings at all, whether they're older or younger. All I've got is my cousin and he's horrible," Harry said.
"Ah, Dudley's not that bad. A bit aggressive, kind of obnoxious, but I'll bet he'll come off it eventually," Dean said.
"So, you really grew up with muggles?" Neville asked Harry. "Sorry, I don't mean to be annoying, it's just shocking."
Harry nodded. "I didn't even know I was a wizard till a month ago."
Neville nearly fell out of his seat when he heard that.
"Seriously? But you're the boy-who-lived, how could they not tell you?"
Harry chuckled and shrugged. "I guess no one knew how to tell a kid that his parents had been murdered by a dark lord," he lied. He liked Neville and Dean, but they definitely didn't know each other well enough for Harry to share his extensive history with the Dursleys.
xxx
A little while later a woman knocked on the compartment door and asked if any of them would like a treat. The three boys eagerly jumped up to look at what she had. Neville gave them recommendations on what was the best, and between the three of them, they had a large pile of candy.
They spent the next hour working their way through the pile and joking about random things. Neville explained Chocolate Frogs and their collectible cards to Harry and Dean and cautioned them about Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. Approximately halfway through the pile, Neville jumped up and ran to the bathroom, exclaiming that he desperately needed to pee. Harry and Dean laughed at him for holding it for so long and continued pigging out.
Eventually, they finished the pile and Neville still wasn't back. Harry desperately had to go to the bathroom now as well and wondered idly if Neville had fallen into the toilet and needed help. 'Well, I'll find out when I get there'. He grabbed his robes too, figuring he might as well change while he's in the bathroom. However, on his way there he ran headfirst into Neville.
"Neville! There you are! I was worried that I'd have to fish you out of the toilet."
Neville turned scarlet, and Harry realized why when he glanced around the boy to see a girl with him.
"Hello!" She exclaimed. "Did you see a toad anywhere?"
Harry's jaw dropped as he turned to Neville. "You didn't, did you?"
Neville nodded and buried his face in his hands. "I lost Trevor again," he mumbled. Harry couldn't help but laugh.
"At this rate you're going to make me think you don't like him after all," Harry joked. Neville rolled his eyes and grinned at the joke.
"We're going compartment to compartment to see if anyone's seen him," Hermione explained. "You haven't seen him, have you?"
Harry shook his head. "No, I was just heading to the bathroom, but if I see anything, I'll tell you. Don't worry Neville, I'm sure you'll find him." Harry promised before continuing to the bathroom. He relieved himself and changed quickly. Then hurried back to his compartment, brushing past a snobbish looking platinum haired boy who was peeking in all the compartments. (40)
"You're back! Geez, you left for 10 minutes and everything interesting happened," Dean said as Harry slipped back into the compartment.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, apparently Neville lost his toad again and that's why he's been gone for so long."
"Oh, yeah, I ran into them in the hall, poor guy, but at least he has help."
"Yeah, then after them this blonde kid came by."
"What did he want?"
"No clue, he looked in the compartment, and when he saw me, he turned away and left. It was bloody weird," Dean emphasized.
"Eh, he was probably just looking for his friends," Harry guessed.
Neville returned to the compartment a few minutes later. The girl he was with, her name was Hermione apparently, convinced an older student to do a locater spells to find Trevor. Turns out Neville left him in the loo.
The train arrived at Hogwarts soon after and everyone was rushed off the train. In the distance, Harry could see a large man calling for the first years. Unfortunately, in the large crowd, with students pushing and shoving past him, Harry lost Dean and Neville. He hoped the other boys made it to the boats okay but was too excited to really worry. (41)
In his boat there was one other boy and two girls. They introduced themselves as Theodore Nott, Padma Patil, and Susan Bones. They were slightly awestruck upon Harry introducing himself but recovered from it quickly and their conversation soon turned to what houses they'd be sorted into.
"I'm going to Slytherin for sure, it's the best house," Theodore Nott declared. Padma Patil wrinkled her nose.
"The best house if you want to become a Dark Lord maybe," she retorted. "I'm hoping for Ravenclaw, but Gryffindor would be alright. I'm betting that's where my sister will go so it'd be nice to be with her."
Susan nodded. "I want to go to Hufflepuff. My whole family is from there."
Theodore snorted and Susan glared at him.
"What?"
"Nothing, nothing I'm just surprised. I would rather die than be sorted into the useless house."
Susan scowled. "Hufflepuff is not the useless house. Hufflepuffs are loyal and hardworking, they're they kind of people you like and respect. Unlike Slytherins," she shot back.
Theodore rolled his eyes. "Slytherins are hardworking too, it's the house for the cunning and ambitious after all. Going after your dreams isn't evil."
"Harry, what house are you interested in?" Padma intervened, stopping the argument before someone got pushed in the lake.
Harry scratched his head.
"I don't know, they all have their merits, I guess. We'll just have to see," he answered. In all honesty, Harry hadn't really thought about the sorting. It wasn't until just now watching the other students argue did he realize how significant it was. But, nonetheless, he still didn't know what house he'd prefer. He'd read a little about them in one of his books, but he didn't know much more than the basics about any of them.
xxx
Harry couldn't help but gape a little as McGonagall lead them into the entrance hall. It was huge! He looked around while she gave them a brief speech.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.
"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history, and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.
"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." (42)
McGonagall had them form a line in alphabetical order while they waited. Harry and Dean were next to each other in line and at the very end Harry saw the red-haired kid from before. Before he had a chance to introduce himself, McGonagall was leading them into the Great Hall which was even more grand than the entrance hall. Professor McGonagall lead them to the front of the room where an old hat sat on a stool. The entire hall was eerily silent for a moment before the hat opened its mouth and began to sing.
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on!
Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
The hall broke out in applause as the hat finished its song. Once it quieted down Professor McGonagall stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"
A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause -
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat. The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table.
"Bones, Susan!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah. Harry smiled at her as she passed, glad that she got the house she wanted.
"Boot, Terry!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.
"Brocklehurst, Mandy." went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Harry could see the redheaded twin brothers catcalling. He thought that seemed slightly inappropriate considering she was eleven.
"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin. Harry glanced at the Slytherin table as they cheered and welcomed her. He hadn't been worried at first, but now he was starting to feel sick. He remembered being picked for teams during gym at his old school. He had always been last to be chosen, not because he was no good, but because no one wanted Dudley to think they liked him. He was suddenly afraid that no one would want him here either.
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
Sometimes, Harry noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. He wondered how long it would take for him. Was it good or bad if the hat took a long time?
"Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy next to Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.
"Granger, Hermione!" Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head. "GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. Harry heard the boy behind him groan, Harry wasn't sure why though. She had seemed nice enough on the train.
When Neville Longbottom, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. Harry whispered good luck to him, and he smiled in return. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag." Neville was grinning like crazy and Harry gave him a thumbs up. He supposed that Neville had gotten over his fear of his gran's anger. Despite his nerves, he couldn't help but feel happy for his new friend. (43)
"Malfoy, Draco" swaggered forward when his name was called and the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!" Malfoy went casually to the green table and, based on his blonde hair, Harry guess he was the boy who had stopped at their compartment.
There weren't many people left now. "Moon" then "Nott" who got his wish and was sorted into Slytherin as was "Parkinson". Then Padma and her sister. She had been right in her assumptions. She was put in Ravenclaw and her sister in Gryffindor. Then came "Perks, Sally-Anne" and then, at last - "Potter, Harry!"
Harry walked nervously up to the hat as whispers broke out through the hall and put the hat on.
"Hmm, where to put you. You'd make a great edition to any house, but which one is the best? You have plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, ah my goodness, yes - and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting... Usually by now the student has started butting in with their own opinion."
"I don't know which house is the best. Everyone seems to have very different opinions about them all," Harry replied, feeling quite overwhelmed.
"That's certainly true, perhaps you can help change that, but first I have to sort you. Hmm, throughout your life what have you wanted and valued the most?"
Harry thought back to the song the hat had sung, 'perhaps in Slytherin you'll make your true friends' and knew without a doubt that he wanted that. "Friends and family," Harry answered immediately. "I've never had a family of my own. And at school, no one wanted to be friends with me. I've always been alone. People who love you, care about you, will fight for you, and support you no matter what. I want people who will do that for me, and I want people that I want to do that for. I want a family more than anything," Harry thought surely.
"I see, however, you're the boy-who-lived. People will target any family you have. What will you do to protect them?"
Harry paused to think about that. He knew that his Uncle Vernon was worried about that, and they weren't even close. Harry thought about his resolve to be good at magic so he could get away from the Dursleys. As he remembered that, a plan formed in his mind. His answer to the hat was simple, as there was only one thing he could do.
"I'll become the most powerful wizard I can. I'll be the top of all my classes here at Hogwarts, so that when I leave, I'll already have a reputation of being smart. Then, I'll gain influence in the wizarding world, and I'll get the good will of the public so anyone who comes after me will not only be stupid but hated by the people and disciplined by the law," he answered.
The hat chuckles. "Ah, there we go. I know without a doubt you belong in... SLYTHERIN!
Hello! Thanks for reading, below I just have a few notes about this AU that I'd like to share.
Most important in terms of writing mechanics is that I'm American, so my knowledge of British slang is mediocre. I'm going to try my best to use British over American terms, but I'll likely miss some things. Also, I don't hang out with 11 year olds, so the dialog might be a bit more mature than what reality would be, if that bothers you I'm sorry.
Now, about the AU, I've always liked Slytherin! Harry and wondered what the chances were that he'd be sorted into Slytherin if he hadn't had such a bias against the house. In canon Harry demonstrated a few Slytherin traits, however, I was also tired of reading Slytherin Harry stories where Harry is a cold-hearted ass, so I created this story. My Harry is slightly more 'clever' than canon Harry because I think that's more realistic considering how he grew up. Same goes with the Dursley's, I'm not trying to redeem them all but I do think the canon versions are a litte too unrealistic so I changed them.
As of January 3rd, 2020 I went back through and revised parts of the chapter, and accidentally added another 4,000 words.
-I tried to keep the bank and shopping trip as short as I could because I know a lot of people think it's tacky and overdone, but it was important.
-originally, I had had Harry meet Hermione and her parents at the bookstore, but I decided to change it to Dean because I'm really fond of his character and he doesn't get used a lot in fanfiction so I thought it would be fun to expand his character a bit.
-Neville's birthday is July 30th, which is why I choose to have him and Harry meet in Madame Malkins. Also, it is a personal headcanon of mine that Harry and Neville do have a slight bond over both being possible candidates for the prophecy.
This is not going to have morally Dark! Harry.
As for plot, since Harry is in Slytherin things will obvious go very differently, however, things that Harry doesn't affect will be the same. For example, the stone is still hidden at Hogwarts but Harry doesn't know that Hagrid ever got something out of a Gringotts vault for Dumbledore.
Finally, my full author's notes are on Tumblr. I have a lot to say, so my authors notes tend to be very long. I don't want to make the AN too long for people who aren't interested so I decided to post them on my writing Tumblr, which is Bluemoon-writer. You'll notice numbers in parentheses throughout the story like this (1), these correspond to my author's notes that are on Tumblr. You'll be able to find my notes by going to my pinned post, clicking Harry Potter, then The Snake Inside, then Chapter Notes, then Chapter 1.
This is also going to be posted on AO3 and Wattpad if you'd prefer to read it there.
Thank you for reading, sorry about the long AN.
Please review and let me know what you thought. Thoughts, opinions, suggestions tell me all of it.