And I'm back folks, glad you stuck with me. Now, I'm going to address a few issues. First, for some reason, I haven't gotten any emails with your reviews like I usually do. In fact, my email account has had no indication that this story was ever posted. If anyone could point me in the right direction, please do. Now, onto viewer response.
Mr. Eclipse: I must say that while your idea is valid on the theory of a 'no one is bad,' I'm not particularly trying to make him 'evil,' but more 'The road to hell is paved with good intentions.' It will be revealed later. As for Harry being ok with everything, it'll hopefully be explained this chapter. Oh, and for my story, Goblin's don't traditionally use wands, but my theory is Goblin magic is designed more towards defence of structures, at least in the bank. Some have wands for the more 'human' like magic, such as a shrinking charm.
ShadoSentinel: While that was Canon, You'll see that his plans are much grandeur than that. Trust me when I say, Dumbledore might be off his rocker.
Sirius009: All I can say is if you don't like the story, I'm not forcing you to read it. Constructive criticism is always helpful. But you should be aware, I've been here less than a week. I have no idea what HP fanfiction realm cliche's are. Sorry if the story isn't up to stuff with you, but I'll take that last part as a compliment about my writing skill.
Now, If you weren't mentioned here, it's not because I don't care about your review, but a few were about the same thing, those were the only two things I decided to explain. But enough of my rambling, let's get down to brass tacks.
On with the story.
Harry didn't open his eyes. He knew it was a dream. A truly wonderful dream, filled with magic, friendly goblins, magic, gold, magic, information, did he mention magic?
He didn't open his eyes however, because it was all just a dream. He would open his eyes, shoo the spiders away, put his clothing on, and proceed to feed his relatives until they were fatter and sweating.
Opening his eyes, he glanced around. It took his groggy mind, still happy with the dream, a moment to come to a realization that lit a fire in his body.
This was not his room.
Nor was it any room in the Dursly home. It was fairly plain, grey walls, faded dark wood floors, a window looking out onto London, and a giant four poster bed, with sheets and a mattress that put the Dursly's to shame. In the corner of the room was the eagle he had first seen, his eagle now, her head stuffed in the crook between her body and wing. A cage sat next to her, resting on the desk. Beside the desk, raised on a low shelf, was a large black wood trunk, purchased to hold all his supplies, hand picked by Ragnok.
Harry fell back onto his bed, tears of happiness.
"It wasn't a dream," he said, reveling in that simple sentence.
Magic, the explanation for everything. His aunt and uncle hated his mother, who married his magical father, who both parented a magical child. When they were forced to take care of him, they decided to get rid of his 'freakishness,' through regular physical abuse. It explained his fast healing, his above average intellect, the odd things that seemed to happen to him.
He jumped up with a start. "I just told the bank not to worry about 19 million gold coins." Harry pondered that statement. He had over 40 million gold coins, all weighing several ounces each. He was richer than his Uncle could ever hope to be. He swung his legs out of bed, standing up.
He immediately felt dizzy, wavering on his feet like an ocean was pounding him. remembering yesterday, he remembered Ragnok telling him about the litres and litres of goblin potions that he consumed, all made to restore his body to above average health for an almost 11 year old boy. This included nearly 50 pounds of muscle and a bit of fat, making his weight around 90 pounds. While a bit larger than what he thought an 11 year old should be, he did feel better than he had in a long time.
It didn't take effort to get out of bed. It didn't leave him winded to open his trunk, nor to cloth himself in what he expected proper clothing was. When he had drank 4 litres of restorative potion, apparently the human version of it would have killed him in such large amounts, he had been outfitted with the finest clothes. He had taken an immediate dislike for the robes, seeing them as a waste of fabric. Instead, he opted for some black pants, shoes, white shirt, a black sweater and hair tie for his unruly black hair, now done messily behind his head. Out of habit, he brushed some hair over his scar, hiding it. His aunt didn't like the scar, saying he was a freak for it. Besides that, apparently it was a sign of who he was, making him stand out.
He reached into his new trunk, amazed that it was larger on the inside, and grabbed a bottle marked '1.' According to one of the goblin healers, he had 12 of these 'calming' potions. They would help him enter society without feeling as shy as he did, even around the other goblins. There was one for each day, consecutively getting weaker and weaker, but he didn't know that.
He remembered the words of Ragnok.
Flashback
Harry had just woken from his potion induced sleep and was eating a veritable feast, all by himself. There was ham, bacon, steak, vegetables, fruit, breads, drinks, more consumable good on that table than the Dursly family had ever eaten in one go. And he was eating it all.
It didn't take long, but he finished a great deal of the food on the table, patting his larger stomach. Ragnok finished eating as well, happy that his best client was not suing for his death.
"Mr. Potter, before we end today's discussion, there are a few more points I wish to cover." Harry nodded, feeling content. In a far corner of his mind, he knew this was a dream, but he was going to live this dream like a king.
"We've taken the opportunity to buy you a space enhance trunk and several sets of clothes, as well as a few more potions to help your physical health. We've also taken the liberty of securing a place of residence until term begins at Hogwarts." Harry nodded. Most of the information he didn't remember. He was just going to wake up later.
"We suggest that you explore Diagon Alley during your stay. There are a few shops you should explore. I've assembled a list of shops you should visit to get your supplies. Should you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask a teller for help, we'll be glad to help you in any way." Harry nodded, still feeling good from his 'dream meal' and the sheer absurdity of the situation. He knew it was a dream, magic couldn't exist.
"If that's everything, then I'll have a goblin escort you to where you will be staying. While it has been a great joy meeting with you, we do have other matters at the bank that require attention. Do you require anything else?" asked the goblin, shuffling some paper. Harry shook his head.
Flashback End
Looking around his new trunk, slamming his fingers against the side, unused to his extra height and strength, he found a scrap of paper. It had a list of a few different shops and where he could find them, written on a sheet of parchment.
He smiled widely again, once again realizing this was all happening. Unknown to him, the calming potion was working its way through him, helping him adjust to the world faster than he should have. It was a less common potion, given to Muggle born or Muggle raised children that might have a hard time accepting the magical world. It wasn't usually needed, but Ragnok had the foresight to give him the potion.
"Ollivanders for a wand... Apocathary for potion supplies... Madam Malkin's robes for all occasions for more clothing." Harry lowered the list, still not believing this was all happening. In all honesty, it was a dream come true. He didn't have to go back to the Dursly's house, there was this whole world where he was rich, and he got to go shopping.
Despite his small body, he immediately headed out the door, asking the barkeep for some breakfast with a confidence he hadn't known in years.
The shop door dinged, signalling the arrival of a new customer, door creaking on hinges hundreds of years old. Dust drifted down, shafts of sunlight made the dust visible, intensifying that old feel.
"H-hello?" called Harry, absently rubbing his arm, phantom pain making it hurt. It often did this in situations where he was nervous.
"Hello!" came a voice to his left.
"WAHH!" shrieked Harry, jumping to the left. He turned to face a man. Silver hair, trimmed neatly. Pale blue eyes stared at him, unblinking, almost peering into his soul.
"Who are you?" asked Harry quickly. The man smiled.
"Ollivander, owner of Ollivander's wands. And you Harry Potter, are here for a wand, correct?" Harry nodded briefly. Despite the potion, he was feeling nervous.
Ollivander smiled again. Without a word, he walked over to a safe, spinning the dial left and right. With a faint click, he opened it, pulling out a very old box. Opening it, he pulled out a wand.
"11 inches. Holly with a phoenix core. I was given this wand to give to you by Dumbledore." Harry nodded, unaware that he was reaching towards it. Too his shock and horror, Ollivander, cried fiercly.
"HEYAH!" he cried, snapping it over his leg. Multiple bursts of sparks, orange, blue, green, yellow, white, and all the colors between shot out. Harry stared aghast.
"Thankfully, without him here, or one of his lackeys here, we don't have to give you that sorry excuse for a wand."
Harry's face morphed from shock to confusion. "What?" he asked.
"Dumbledore came here 10 years ago and told me I would give you that wand. Suspicious, I checked it out. I was greatly disturbed by the spells cast on it. Multiple magic limiters, compulsion charms, obedience charms, all spells used on ministry prisoners." Harry wasn't sure what the Ministry was. He had heard of the British Parliament, but he wasn't sure if the Ministry was the same.
"So, I decided, should you ever come back beforehand, I would do something unexpected. I never liked Dumbledore after the first war. So, as a bit of revenge, we're going to make him mad." Harry didn't like the sound of that, making this 'Dumbledore' angry.
"We're going to build you a new wand. Using all the materials I've hidden away for years." Harry perked up.
Following the wand maker, Harry found himself upstairs. The room was divided into two sections. On the one side, multiple tables with jars, filled with varying substances ranging from solid objects to gasses of all varieties and consistencies.
On the other side were various bars of wood, all about 8 feet long and of every color and grain.
"First, we'll need your magical core. This focuses your magic based on your magical core. Just run your hand over the tops and pick up anything that pulls to you." Harry nodded, shuffling over to the tables. As he grew closer, he could feel an energy in the room, reverberating from the jars.
His hand stretched out, hovering over the closest jar. Inside sat a small white scale. Nothing happened. He continued to pass his hand over other jars, large ones, small ones, black ones, yellow one, some with heavy locks and straps, some with nothing more than a rubber seal. His hand passed over a particular one.
It was a simple latch, holding a clear glass lid on top, rubber seal keeping the contents inside. Harry picked up the container, looking into the depths of the gas inside. It was mostly black, deep, endless black, with flashes of green and red energy. It looked like a storm inside, raging against everything.
"Hmm, curious, very curious," murmured the wand maker. He snatched the container from Harry, startling him, unused to such speed without pain.
"What is it?" asked Harry quietly. Ollivander smiled.
"That, Mr. Potter, is my little secret." Leaving it at that, he walked over to the section with wood.
"This is much the same, touch each individual piece of wood while holding the core. We'll know when it's chosen." Obliging, Harry took the canister, storm rolling inside. He touched a few different woods, varying in color, softness, grain, until he found the right one.
"Hmm, Ebony, firm, unyielding. A great wood for all branches of magic. It should only channel your magic." Harry nodded, not sure what the old man was going on about. Collecting the strip of wood and jar, Ollivander faced Harry.
"This... this will take me some time to complete. If you come back in a few days, it should be done." Harry nodded.
"Umm, what happens if it doesn't work?" asked Harry. Ollivander smiled.
"Trust me, it will work," he grinned, already facing some of the wood shaping equipment. Taking this as his notice, Harry awkwardly left, exiting the store. Turning to look at the building once more, he was shocked to notice the blinds were closed, with a large 'CLOSED' sign on the front.
Feeling suddenly very alone and very vulnerable, Harry headed back towards his room at the Leaky Cauldron, hoping to spend some time with his Eagle, Hedwig.
Harry stood inside the wand shop the next day. It was late, late enough that people had already left most of the alley, leaving the chirping of crickets before they were fed to the owls.
Ollivander had told him to wait a bit longer when he came by at noon, saying it needed a few more adjustments. So, here he was, 8:30 according to his watch, standing out there, wearing some of the wizarding robes he bought. He wasn't sure if he could wear them 24/7, but he needed to get a feel for them. After all, if living at the Dursly's taught him anything, it was that you had to get used to anything very quickly.
His memories of that house vanished as the strange old man came out from the back, holding a box. It was newer looking, marine blue on the outside with a standard white bottom.
With a flourish, he pulled the lid off. Harry gasped. Having lived in a completely anti magic environment, he was no connoisseur of wands, but he did know this one was good.
The Ebony wood was black, giving it a very intimidating look. It was about 11 inches long if he had to guess, pointed at the end, with a grip at the bottom. The grip itself was covered in some sort of scaled leather, gripping his hand. A small raised edge indicated where his hand shouldn't go above.
"11 inches, Ebony, with my own mystery core. A magnificent wand, equally suited for a magnificent wizard." Holding it out to Harry, he grasped it, feeling a rush of energy along his arm and into his body. Red and green sparks danced off the end, lighting up the room.
"Just as I thought, perfect," murmured the wand maker. When harry pulled out his money bag, Ollivander held up his hand.
"No no Mr. Potter, this was a custom job. A custom job that hopefully makes Dumbledore mad, consider it on the house," he smiled. Harry thanked the man, leaving the store quickly.
A month quickly passed, the only notable event being his letter from the school. It merely told him to buy much of what he already owned, the only exception being a textbook for potions. For the first time in a while, he wasn't alone on his birthday.
After having a custom order from Ollivander, the two had a form of friendship between the two. While he didn't have a party or dinner, the aging wand crafter gave Harry his first birthday gift. A wand holster, made of dragon hide, the same that served as a grip for his wand. It was a simple instrument, strapping around his arm, sending his wand down his sleeve at will.
Finally though, it was September. Term started today, which meant the students would ride the Hogwarts train that day.
He had spent his entire month pouring over his texts, practicing wand movements. While he couldn't explicitly practice any, he could practice the movements with a similar sized stick. Living with the Dursly's, he had only three books. All that Dudley didn't want. The first was 'Tom Sawyer,' followed by 'Ender's Game,' and finally, his last book, 'Sun Tsu, Art of War.' All those books, well, most of the books he got, he just left lying around. Over four years, Harry nicked those and a dictionary, all four he poured over any chance he had. This sudden influx of reading material was like a heaven all on its own, letting him dive into something new every day.
He was currently at Kings Cross Station, where, according to Tom the barkeep, he had to run through the load bearing support between platform 9 and 10. So here he was, an Eagle in a cage it obviously didn't like, on top of a black wood trunk, on a cart, standing in front of the barrier. He wasn't absolutely sure if it was true. Certainly he had seen magic do some need things, but this was a whole new level of crazy.
"Wondering how to get through?" asked a feminine voice. Harry jumped, hearing the person speak to him, and based on how loud it was, very close to him. Harry turned to look at the person who had frightened him. even a month after leaving that awful home, and a series of potions designed to help him, courteous of the goblin bank that was apparently still in debt to him by several million galleons, he was still frightened easily by new people, situations, or locations.
The girl in front of him was his age, with deep black hair, having an almost blue color to it, trailing down past her shoulders. Bright, violet eyes shone, looking at him with amusement. Lightly tanned skin stood out, giving her a depth of color that most people in London didn't have. Her clothing consisted of a deep green sweater, blue jeans and black boots.
"Umm, I'm new to all... this," motioned Harry, pointing to his cart and hers. He noticed her trunk was a brown color, with black metal straps protecting the corners. A brown barn owl sat in a cage, yellow eyes staring curiously at Edward's Eagle.
"Muggle raised?" she asked. Harry nodded, a bit downcast.
"Not to worry, just run at it, here, I'll go first," she said. Before Harry could say anything, she ran forward, her card ahead of her. Right when he expected her to crash, he closed his eyes, not wanting to see. Opening them, he was shocked to see nothing.
Then her head popped out.
"Come on, the train's going to leave soon!" she stated, disappearing again.
"Oh this is weird," muttered Harry. Pushing his cart forward, he got it up to a decent speed, his cart an inch from the wall. He closed his eyes, expecting pain across his midsection. It would probably feel like Vernon's walking stick.
To his surprise, he opened his eyes to find a grinning girl with violet eyes standing next to him, an I-told-you-so look on her face.
And this is where I leave you for tonight folks. I hope the chapter has been good, I certainly classify this as somewhat of a useless chapter. If anything, the wand was my favorite part.