A.N
Hello everyone, this is the chapter covering the first year of Harry's venture into the Wizarding World, and will cover the majority of the events he encounters.
Some scenes are cut out of course, but just assume he either didn't do go through them, (Norbert) or it was simply not important to show. (Most of the classes.)
This is a story of Harry's evolution from a righteous wielder of the Death Note… into whatever comes next.
This isn't the story of Harry's struggle to fit in at Hogwarts and maintain good grades.
Anyway, enjoy.
(I don't own Harry Potter or Death Note.)
Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey.
(2021, Four years later)
"Just hours ago, the elusive criminal, Edwin White was found dead in …" The news anchor dramatically droned on, the words following the obvious script in the man's hands. The man looked eager at such morbid news, as it was likely making the man's career.
It probably was, as even though the man attempted to look serious, it was obvious there was a hefty paycheck waiting for the man once the broadcast ended.
But, that is how life works, isn't it? The misfortune of one, is the fortune of another. A circle of misery and cheerful tides, brushing away the old, and bringing the future forward.
Seems I must be a wave then… Harry Potter thought to himself , his eyes shining in amusement, as he looked down at the small cell phone he had bought with Petunia's credit card.
Of course, she didn't pay any mind to that, he had made sure of that.
Even when she had snapped out of her depression, the mere mention of Vernon's death and how truly alone she was, coupled with the… unfortunate disappearance of Dudley, she didn't protest whenever he did anything a normal preteen shouldn't do.
Like buy himself a highly expensive cell-phone, fully paid off in advance, though he had an odd feeling he wouldn't have it for long…
The smartphone was really nice, sleek and advanced; the latest model of the line apparently, and was made of titanium, with scarlet accents streaking across it.
The reason he had gotten it had been for a simple feature of it, though internet access wherever he went was a plus.
A prime part of the phone's media function had been a news channel, and thankfully, they mostly covered crimes and unfortunate events.
Harry had heard of White from the news in particular, and upon hearing the man's long list of crimes, all of which the man had gotten away with, he couldn't sit by.
He was actually watching the proceeds of his decision now, as the news he expected had emerged just on time.
He was far past the point of watching and hoping, so White's name had been the first of the day, right before breakfast.
Edwin White
Travels to the nearest, crowded area, and dies of a heart attack in four hours.
Harry had only imagined how it would happen, and the Death Note didn't disappoint him in even the slightest way, it never did.
"White had wandered into Trafalgar Square earlier this morning, and unexpectedly died of a surprise heart attack. Coroner report states that the man in question hadn't been at risk of a heart attack at his age, yet…" The reporter continued with the report, as Harry placed his phone back down onto the cherry wood desk, right next to the Death Note.
White had just been the first on the list, but Harry didn't need to keep track of the rest of them, he was already sure of the following things.
A murderer, a rapist, a drug dealer, a professional assassin, and a kidnapper, all would die by the end of the night.
That the police would continue to look into things, as just like with White, not all of the deaths were subtle, but they didn't need to be.
And that they couldn't track him down.
Harry didn't need to hide, he just needed to keep all the attention away from himself, and that's what he intended to do.
He had made the decision a year after he got the note, that he wouldn't start a murder spree anywhere near his 'home.'
The rare death here or there in the surrounding area didn't arouse any suspicions, but he couldn't go throwing around heart attacks like smiles.
With Ryuk by his side, Harry had mastered the death note, at least he thought so. They even collaborated on causes of deaths sometimes.
It was fun.
Yeah, I've got something wrong with me… He thought to himself, as he looked away from his desk, wondering where his resident shinigami had gone to.
Ryuk's absence was bizarre really, as he had tended to follow Harry everywhere, no matter how much they argued about it.
He just assumed Ryuk had decided to raid the neighborhood again, and turned his attention once more to his phone.
"One more should do it…" He muttered, before hearing the familiar rumbling of Ryuk's voice, particularly when he was upset. Knew it wouldn't be long...
"Hey Harry! This one bird keeps coming to the house, and won't leave no matter how much I yell at it." Ryuk whined as he phased through the bedroom wall, his sorrowful gaze landing on Harry.
"I'm sorry? Is a scary bird too much for the mighty Ryuk?" Harry asked in a teasing manner, as he fought to keep a grin from his face.
It was a difficult task indeed, one of his greatest accomplishments to date.
"I'll have you know the bird isn't scary, just… persistent." Ryuk spoke, a bemused tone coming into his voice. Whatever this bird was made of, apparently a shinigami couldn't stop it. It's not like birds have names.
"Persistent… how?" Harry asked as he stood from the desk, one hand grabbing his phone, and the other locking the Death Note in his desk.
"Um… it wouldn't go away, and it, I think it saw me." Ryuk said, a childish fear growing in him, though Harry just discarded the idea entirely.
Birds couldn't see the invisible, of that he was sure.
"Well then, let's go see your monster bird." Harry said, sarcasm wrapping around him like a warm blanket. It was tough to not be, when around a goofball like Ryuk.
Then you'll see I'm right! Ryuk thought, as he urged the boy into the hallway, though Harry preferred to walk at his own pace.
He wasn't in a hurry, whatever kind of bird it was, it was most likely patient.
Looking around the house, he didn't see any sign of Petunia, which intrigued him.
She was usually moping around somewhere, crying her eyes out from the death, and apparent death, of her husband and son.
As she tended to be depressing, he put her far from the front of his mind, where she never needed to be.
He had other things on his mind, such as what lay before him.
Harry had seen some weird things in his life, but the sight of a tall, prideful owl standing on the dining table was definitely new, along with the fact the bird looked pissed.
Ryuk took a wide berth of the avian, while Harry stepped closer to the owl.
He was cautious of course, as owls weren't exactly house pets, and those talons looked pretty sharp.
Raising an eyebrow, Harry noticed the formal letter that was tied to the angry bird's leg.
Their eyes locked together, and he made a split and definitely bad decision. He reached over and slowly untied the envelope, only to be quickly slashed by the bird, the stinging pain being his only warning.
Harry had been right to be cautious, as the bird showed it's displeasure at waiting for him, and he now had three gouges cut in his cheek.
He hissed in pain, as he threw the rabid bird towards the window, before slumping into the nearest dining chair, his right hand now pressed against the cuts.
Blood dripping down his face, Harry turned to Ryuk, who was chuckling at his pain.
"Not a word, or I will personally grind up every apple in the house using the garbage disposal…" Harry muttered darkly, his eyes narrowing at the shinigami, who now had a look of shock growing on his face.
"Harry… buddy… you don't have to do something like that." Ryuk said hastily, backing away from the injured boy, though he was silently laughing in his head.
He had been right after all.
Harry just scoffed at him, before wincing in pain, his eyes trailing out of the room.
"While I get cleaned up, open up that damn letter for me, would you?" He asked as he moved to the bathroom, his focus on a first-aid kit, which hopefully would help.
He didn't trust hospitals completely, as he didn't need some doctor getting concerned over his scars and burns.
He didn't need sympathy, nor did he want it.
Ryuk saluted him then, as he carefully pried the wax seal off the envelope, before pulling out the contexts.
"Umm… Hogwarts… school of wizards and other stuff… Dumbs door… Owls… " Ryuk read aloud, as he skimmed through the letter quickly, taking caution not to poke holes in the fragile paper.
He completely skipped the supply list, as most of it seemed pointless, he thought so at least.
Who in their right mind uses a cauldron? How barbaric… Ryuk thought with a snicker, as he pictured an old bearded man making stew inside a big rusty pot.
"Wizards you say? That's really dumb to be honest, but you exist, so…" Harry muttered, bandages now wrapped around the side of his face, though poorly.
Harry wasn't a doctor after all, and he didn't need to be.
"Hey! That's offensive! I think…" Ryuk exclaimed in false-outrage, though he then was sucked into thought over it.
Was that technically an insult? Is it right for me to be offended? This is the twenty-first century after al-
"Ryuk, are you even listening?" Harry asked, growing a bit annoyed at the scatterbrained nature of the shinigami, but looked over it in favor of getting his point across.
"Hmm, oh of course! What did you say again?"
Harry just sighed as he rested his face in his hands.
"I was saying, that we'll just have to wait for some representative from the school to come visit. I'm assuming that since they communicate through… owls, and as we don't possess one and theirs' left, they'll have to come to us." He explained, as he rested his arms on the table, while looking over the acceptance letter.
"Then we have plenty of time to spare!"
"Yes Ryuk, we do, however we will not waste this time. We need to plan this out, as this meeting will be crucial to my introduction to their world, I need to make a good impression." Harry calmly said, wondering who these 'wizards' would send to convince him to throw everything he had away, and waste years learning 'magic.'
What, did they think he was a child?
(August 15th)
"So… you're a witch then?" Harry asked tentatively, taking in the details of the odd older woman before him.
He hadn't expected them to send an old woman to entice him into their world, but he supposed they weren't expecting him to have a reserved opinion of them prior to visiting him.
'McGonagall' was apparently a professor at the magical school, and now they expected him to just go off with some total stranger to a secluded area in the core of London, where normal people wouldn't be able to find or help him.
Regardless, he had already hidden a scrap of the death note in the pocket of his coat and sewed a pencil inside the sleeve, just in case anything were to go wrong on this shopping trip.
"Yes Mr. Potter, indeed I am." Minerva McGonagall, the deputy-headmistress of Hogwarts said to him, silently observing him.
Harry looked better than she had expected after leaving him with those dreadful muggles ten years ago, certainly healthy.
What she found peculiar however, was his appearance. His naturally black hair had brightened a shade, and now matched a dark brown hue, rather than that of his father's, and his eyes had somehow changed as well.
Where as he had been born with emerald eyes, like those of his mother, they now resembled more of a forest green color… Strange certainly, though the muggles had actually done research on the subject, from what she'd heard.
"So, what is so special about magic, exactly?" Harry asked her, a critical look slipping into his eyes, as he wondered why they were so insistent on him agreeing to attend Hogwarts.
Since the first letter, they had sent several more, until finally they had told him they would send someone to speak with him, enter McGonagall in the equation.
He was fairly content with his life so far. He didn't see why he had to go off to some weird boarding school all the way off in Scotland.
"Why should I go?"He mused to her, wanting to see what her reaction to those four words would go.
She didn't disappoint him.
McGonagall looked almost disturbed at that, as her entire expectation for the boy had been viciously torn apart. In her shock, she didn't even ask what had happened to the boy's uncle, which was best left unsaid.
"Well… both of your parents attended Hogwarts, you'll find friends, and you'll be able to master the abilities that you were born with." She said in a rush, as she didn't want to be the one to ward Harry Potter off of Hogwarts.
Hmm… she knew my parents… Let's see what she's willing to slip, besides the fact they obviously didn't die in a car crash, or the fact they weren't stupid enough to be drug addicts. Harry thought to himself while staring down at his clenched hands, his facial expression schools, though he ensured that he looked sad.
He assumed that he should be.
"My parents… tell me about them." Harry muttered, his eyes meeting the woman's as her face softened at his low tone.
Seems she fell for it, wonderful.
"She seems like a bitch Harry, I mean, she wears her hair in a bun! Who does that?" Ryuk asked as he circled around McGonagall, even slapping at the woman's head like a cat.
Of course, she was completely oblivious.
"Well… your parents, Lily and James, were two of my favorite students." McGonagall started, though she paused suddenly, almost as if she was gripped by emotion. "Lily was a brilliant woman, my top student, while James… he was a handful. A prankster if there ever was one, but he was a good man, if annoying at times."
Harry filed the information away for now, though he had hoped she would have told him more. Disappointing that their personalities was all she was willing to give away, though he wasn't willing to pry further.
A frown threatened to spread on his face, but he held it in check.
He needed to appear… normal, especially around a woman who would most likely share all information that he gave to her.
"Thank you… this place you were talking about before, where we would get my supplies?" Harry asked in an attempt to switch the subject, and to get this whole exchange moving forward.
McGonagall straightened up at that, and seemed to slip into what he assumed would be a 'professional mode', as she even seemed to be enjoying herself now.
Obviously magicals were pompous.
"Yes, it's known as Diagon Alley."
"Look at that! That man is selling apples that glow! Please, please, please Harry! Can we stop here!" Ryuk begged him, as he tried to pull at Harry's coat, the shinigami's eyes locked firmly on the innocent street vendor.
Harry just rolled his eyes as the two traveled down the magical alley, their attention caught every so often by the oddities the market offered.
McGonagall had stepped into one of the side shops for a moment, so Harry was left to his own for a short time, or with Ryuk to be exact.
He was instructed to wait for her, but… he wasn't going to pass up a chance like this.
Most of the shops didn't interest him too much, besides his attention was mainly focused on a side alley adjacent to the alley, that apparently went by the name of 'Knockturn.'
While he would have loved to venture into that exact area, but when he had overheard some of the passing rumors of the place, he had realized that an eleven year old would attract unneeded attention.
"Harry! What are we doing next then? Can we check out that marble place? It looks important, don't you think?" Ryuk asked him, as the two approached a bookstore, as Harry assumed that reading up on this 'world' would be the best approach to take when he thought about it.
Still in thought, Harry did glance at the building, and decided he'd go over to the place in question later.
"Not yet…" He whispered, turning his head as he pushed open the door to the store, stepping in as well.
He was impressed slightly, as the store seemed to be stuffed with books, everywhere. They certainly had a selection, and even though he couldn't buy anything yet, he did take a look through the aisles.
He saw a few novels and textbooks that he'd probably need for his schooling, and some he wanted for his private studies.
It was only when he was heading to the door, did he see a large book on a stand, which brought a sharp grin to his face.
The Sacred Twenty-Eight,
a guide to the oldest families in Magical Britain.
"Hey Ryuk, the oldest families in the magical world… do you think they'd be corrupt bigots?" Harry asked his only friend quietly, as he thought about how one could go about learning all those older families… and seeing their faces.
"Oh definitely."
"There you are Mister Potter! I've been looking everywhere for you." That same professor, McGonagall, said as she caught sight of him.
Harry appeared to look ashamed for a second, before walking over to her at a hurried place.
"I'm sorry Professor, I just wanted to see what books the store had." Harry said, before looking over to the marble building Ryuk had pointed out before. "What's that place professor?"
McGonagall followed his gaze, and saw what he had been looking at before.
"That, is Gringotts Wizarding Bank, the only magical bank in the United Kingdom." McGonagall explained to him, before walking towards the bank.
Upon seeing that he hadn't been following, she turned back to him.
"Coming Mr. Potter?" She asked, as he then rushed to catch up to her.
"Of course."
Hogwarts Express
(September 1st)
Harry was surprised that the wizards used such an old steam engine so regularly, rather than something like the bullet trains, but a magical variation.
He assumed it would be simple to create such a contraption, though he assumed it was merely a political reason.
After reading several novels he had gotten regarding the political hierarchy of the Wizarding World, he knew several of the youth that rode on the train were highly valuable to the future of the society, and were being prepared for positions of power once they came of age.
He deduced that the long, several hour train ride was a means for the children to meet each other to form connections and alliances with their peers.
Regardless, he had found himself seated in a compartment at the end of the train, and had been reading through a book that was interestingly enough, covering himself. The book was amusingly wrong.
Like I'd ever fight a dragon…
He had just finished a chapter detailing his fictional counterpart rescuing a young princess, when a boy slammed the compartment door open, looking tired and exhausted.
"Anyone sitting there?" The slightly grimy boy, a redhead just like the loud woman at the station, asked, motioning at the seat opposite of him."Everywhere else is full."
"He's lying you know, half the train's still empty… He also smells terrible." Ryuk, who had been… somewhere on the train, rudely said as he flew back into the compartment.
Harry snorted at that, and just nodded at the boy before turning back to his book.
"I'm Ron, Ron Weasley." The boy, Ron, blurted out, apparently wanting to talk… Harry didn't like talkers very much; they tended to be annoying.
Harry just sighed for a second, as he had been expecting at least one confrontation on the train, and was proven right.
People would learn of his identity anyway, so he might as well give it up…
Then again…
"I'm Neville Longbottom." Harry said with the straightest face he could, his attention still on his fantasy fanfiction. It really blew his mind what these people could come up with.
Seriously, now I'm the reincarnation of Merlin, but in hiding? What the bloody hell are these people smoking…?
"You've got a pretty cool staff though." Ryuk pointed out the picture of Harry, but with a wicked beard.
Harry still thought it was ridiculous, though at least entertaining.
"Are you… really? You don't look like a Longbottom." Ron asked, disbelief apparent on his face, though the boy had nothing else to work with as Harry didn't look like the idiot the wizards thought Harry Potter was, or like anyone else.
"Of course not, I just don't want to talk." Harry said harshly, still doubting that wizards could honestly be that thick.
He threw the book to the floor, and began reading another book from his rucksack.
Perhaps 'Beedle the Bard' would be a better read… At least a funnier one.
"Oh… okay then, sorry." Ron muttered as he turned to the window, watching the scenery fly by as the train picked up speed as it zoomed across the countryside… though not as fast a bullet train would, but still fast.
The silence held up for several minutes, until an audible beep sounded in the cabin.
It shocked both of the boys, along with Ryuk, who had been reading over Harry's shoulder.
Only after a few seconds, did Harry realize that the sound was actually his cell phone, which he had forgotten to leave at Surrey.
Ignoring the clear confusion on the redhead's face, Harry unlocked the device and checked to see what exactly the alert had been.
"Don't muggle things stop working inside ma-" Ron started, only to be interrupted suddenly.
"That's a myth started by the Purebloods to keep the Muggleborns from bringing new technology into 'their' world, and to prevent drastic change from affecting the status quo and disrupting the delicate way of life they've enjoyed over the past two-hundred terrible years." Harry explained in a rush as he quickly brought up what he had expected, the news feed.
Ah… the other assassin is dead then. Harry noticed, grinning as he read the headline they'd gone with.
"Professional Assassin Misfires in attempt to murder U.S president!"
Misfire… That's an understatement, that's far different from what I wrote.
Virgil Covata
Attempts to kill a high-value target, and fires several rounds from a firearm straight into his own head, in seven hours.
The schedule system he had created worked well so far, and was always a joy to look forward to.
Smiling to himself, Harry slipped the phone back into his coat, and turned back to the story book, the Weasley boy still being ignored.
Ryuk apparently found something interesting about the boy's pet rat, but Harry didn't pay it much attention. Ryuk found paying taxes interesting…
Only moments later, another interruption to Harry's sweet dream of silence was introduced, in the form of a sweets trolley.
A smiling, plump woman had a cart layered with sweets, snacks, drinks, a large variety of delicacies that would probably make his deceased mother disappointed in him.
"I'll take whatever is sweet and, or sour." Harry said without much attention, handing the woman a small sack of sickles.
Ryuk looked almost offended that the woman didn't have fruit on hand, but just returned to watching the aisle of the train for people heading their way.
The woman handed him some sweets, and as the other boy didn't have anything to say besides that he had sandwiches, the woman left as quickly as she came.
Taking the nearest piece of the small pile she had given him, Harry quickly tore the box off of a chocolate frog, ignoring the card of an annoyed bearded man with crescent moon glasses.
"You're Harry Potter, aren't you?" The boy… Ron, that was it, asked him, apparently forgetting what he had said before.
Harry took the time to finish consuming the rebellious chocolate, before responding.
"Congrats, you guessed it. I am, in fact, Harry James Potter." Harry said, a bored tone to his voice, as he resumed resting on the bench. It wasn't very comfortable, but it was the principle of the action that mattered.
"And have you really got the, uh, you know…?" Ron asked, pointing slightly at Harry's forehead, pointing out something Harry had actually forgotten about.
The wizards loved that scar, as it was apparently a symbol of hope, the impact site of a Killing Curse… why it was a lightning bolt, he had no idea.
Giving a groan, he pulled back his bangs to show the famous scar that he didn't give much thought to. While it was just a blemish to him, the other boy apparently was amazed.
"So that's where You-Know-Who-"
"Yes, that is in fact where that wannabe dark lord Voldemort tried to Avada Kedavra my cranium. I would award you points, but as I just learned a month ago, the story is overly hyped and well spoken of." Harry said to him before opening what appeared to be a packet of Jelly beans.
"You… you said, his name…" Ron spluttered, apparently in shock that someone in the damn society had testicles.
"Yep."
Not long after, two more people decided to interrupt, a round boy and a girl that Harry had sworn was familiar.
She was fairly pale, but was a bit of a warmer shade than he was, and had a large head of bushy brown hair, which looked as if it was trying to swallow her face.
"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one." The girl asked them, which also brought Harry's attention to the boy, Neville Longbottom, the person he had impersonated halfheartedly.
He actually snickered at that, but tried his best to suppress it.
"I haven't seen one, but I would recommend him to carry one in a cage… just like rats." Harry added helpfully, briefly looking at the boy across from him, who's filthy rat was still out.
"Alright then, well… I'm Hermione Granger, and you are?" She asked, a bright smile coming to her face.
Just before hand, Harry had mentioned his dislike of talkers, but she at least seemed worthy of listening to and had more than two Neurons to rub together.
The Weasley boy muttered his own name before focusing his attention on the rat again, as Harry thought more about that name. Granger…
"I've met you before… I'm sure of it." Harry said faintly, as he remembered where he knew her from. "Wait… you're the daughter of my dentist, Walter Granger… aren't you?"
Now that, that probably surprised her far more than his name could have.
"Yeah, that's my dad, who are you?" Hermione asked, her mind working extra hard to remember if she had seen him before, he could see the gears grinding in her head, when it came to her. "You were that kid with the terrible teeth, weren't you?"
That's… that's certainly one way to describe me… That brought a genuine laugh out of him, which was an impressive feat onto itself.
"That's me, I'm Harry Potter."
"Are you really?" Hermione asked, almost as if she was putting the pieces together just now. "I know all about you, of course, I read a whole bunch of books all about you and-"
At that, Harry pulled five different books all about him out of his rucksack, and let them fall to the floor in a heap.
"Oh… well, it's nice to meet you." Hermione said with a smile, before she turned to the embarrassed boy beside her, and left. Harry assumed the two were off to look for the boy's toad, or whatever it was.
"She seems nice." Ryuk said in passing, making Harry think as well.
Indeed she does.
"Wow, people have no sense of decency do they?" Ryuk asked as not even ten minutes later, an albino ferret walked into their compartment, with two plus-sized gorillas by his side.
"Is it true?" The blond intruder asked, "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?" his eyes narrowed straight at Harry, not trying very hard to look friendly.
"Yes, he is. I am Harry Potter." He said quickly, as he got a good look at the boy before him, before it came to him.
"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," The snob said carelessly, before attempting a warm smile. "And my name's M-"
"I know who you are." Harry interjected, his eyes taking on a slight sheen.
"Your robes appear to be the standard requirement for Hogwarts robes, but has elegant stitching and material work, implying that you come from money.
Your eyes are of a grey coloring, suggesting a distinct gene in your genealogical line, of which only two families have such a clear trait.
The Black family, and the Malfoy Family." He took a faint breath then, and noticed the looks on all of the boy's faces.
Time to bury him…
"You don't have the right hair pigmentation to be a Black, as ironic as their name suggests, near every member of their family has had dark hair, of which you don't.
That implies that your mother or father married into a family with light hair, of which only one member of the latest line of the Black family has, which only could be a female member, as neither Sirius Black or Regulus Black had children.
That leaves the Black Daughters.
The oldest, Bellatrix Black, married Rudolphus Lestrange. He is a man with brown hair and a facial structure far different from yours, so that cuts that line out of possibility.
Her younger sister, Andromeda is instantly out, as you obviously aren't a Half-blood, and she as well married a man with brown hair.
Finally, that leaves the youngest Black daughter, Narcissa Black, as your mother.
She married Lucius Malfoy of course, a son of the Malfoy 'Bad Faith' family, which originally began with Armand Malfoy, a sniffling little snot that came with William the Conqueror to Britain, and was gifted land in Wiltshire that was STOLEN from Muggles.
Over the next hundred years, the Malfoy family continued to steal more and more from Muggles, until they were rich enough to pretend they had always been rich and brave enough to insult their betters.
You, are Draco Lucius Malfoy, born on June fifth, two-thousand and eleven.
You enjoy a lavish and lazy lifestyle, and have never known true hardship or done enduring work, judging by your unmarked, feminine skin and the fact that you lack muscle definition entirely.
You, are a bigot." Harry ended, his deduction finished as his now glowing eyes bore straight into Draco's, a reflection of everything Harry had seen or done flashing through his eyes at light-speed.
Draco Malfoy left their compartment, and didn't return.
Hogwarts Castle, Scotland
"They've got a living hat? Why would you want something like that?" Ryuk asked immediately after the shabby hat was placed on a stool at the far end of the Great Hall.
The first year students around him were similarly confused by the blatant display of magic before them, even more so than the obviously enchanted ceiling that Hermione had pointed out when they had walked in.
It was pretty, even though a rain storm was currently appearing in it. Odd, as it wasn't raining outside…
"It apparently sorts us into different houses…" Harry muttered under his breath, Ryuk nodding at that, as the shinigami stepped around the first year students and looking at all of the things around them.
Unknown to the both of them, the death god wasn't unseen…
Harry didn't pay attention much as the children were sorted, only taking mild notice of which students went where, such as Malfoy and Hermione, but did notice when his own name was called.
The entire hall fell silent at the sound of it, and he simply strode forward, anxious to get this over with.
Sitting firmly on the stool, he allowed McGonagall to place the hat on his head, and closed his eyes.
"I've not sat on such a mentally disturbed student in a long time…" A voice spoke out in his mind, causing Harry to have a sudden moment of clarity as his every memory flashed before his mind, before he clamped a steel hand down on the flow of information.
"You. Will. Stop. This…. Sort me, and get out of my head!" Harry thought with all of the force he could muster, which only gave him a piercing headache.
"I can't tell anyone, so calm your nerves you brat. You are so much like Riddle…
Well, you aren't a Gryffindor, that much is sure…
Not loyal either you rotten bastard…
Certainly ambitious… but you wouldn't do well in Slytherin…
I know where you belong Potter… "
"Better be…. Ravenclaw!"
That very night
"Hello Harry my boy, take a seat would you?" Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore asked as the boy he had wondered so much about walked into his office after returning to the Wizarding World after eleven years.
Ever since he left Harry with his relatives, he had watched the boy from time to time, but had never gotten a close look.
He had known the boy was mistreated for some time, and it truly made his heart hurt from the troubles inflicted on the son of one of his favorite students, but it had to be done.
"Oh and Harry, tell your friend to have a seat too." Albus said, a small smile coming to his face as the small boy froze in fear.
Of course he had seen the creature, he knew of everything that entered his wards, but not what they were exactly.
Just like he knew two animagi crossed the wards this morning, but not who they were, though he assumed one was his deputy of course.
However, that was a worry for another time.
He had seen the… creature the very moment it came close to the castle, even though he knew not what the creature was, he was sure that it was harmless… after all, it was incorporeal… mostly.
"What are you talking about headmaster?" Harry asked then, obviously trying to keep his friend a secret.
Albus admired the boy's need to protect his friend, as the… man was not exactly normal looking, it was a nice gesture, but he'd prefer if Harry could trust him. He really did want the boy to feel safe at Hogwarts, and to know that at least someone cared about him.
"I wish you wouldn't lie to me Harry, it is unbecoming of you." Albus said, a disappointed look coming to his eyes briefly, before he turned to the… man.
"Sit would you, if you're able to. Tell me, what is your name dear sir?"
The creature looked shocked obviously, but Albus just smiled. The creature looked harmless enough, and even kind of funny. Much like a wicked clown.
"Well um… My name is Ryuk, and sure." The so named, Ryuk said in surprise as it did in fact take a seat.
"Now then, I assume that you will keep a firm hand on your friend Harry… I would hazard a guess that others can't see him?" Albus asked, even though he knew that the answer would be yes, as there would have been a panic on the train, let alone in the Great Hall if others could have seen… Ryuk.
Harry, as expected nodded.
Albus looked from one to the other of them, then nodded at them, accepting that there would be no further interruptions from the spirit.
"I also assume that the both of you will be on your best behavior at all times, right?" Albus asked them with a analytical look, though the both did nod at that.
"Well then, best get to sleep the two of you, classes start tomorrow morning." He said, a friendly smile spreading on his face as he looked between the two of them, satisfied with what he saw in them.
"Good night Headmaster."
"Good night Beard Guy."
"Good night Harry, Ryuk…" Albus said, thinking about how strange this truly was.
He had seen many students bring odd pets to Hogwarts over the years, Acromantulas, Unicorns, dragons, but…
What was Ryuk, exactly?
(Halloween)
"Ryuk, does something seem odd to you?" Harry whispered to his only true friend as the two sat down for the Halloween feast, Ryuk snatching an apple before the others could notice.
"Hmm… now that you mention it, it does seem more… quiet than usual." Ryuk said as he looked around the Great Hall, looking for anything unusual until he spotted some things that were indeed strange. "Hey, the Snow Queen and that Turban Guy are both gone."
Harry nodded at that assessment, deciphering the meaning, and responding in turn.
"Hermione is crying in the girl's restroom after a comment made in a class from earlier on in the day, and as for Quirrell… well, I don't have an alibi for the man," Harry said before turning to the shinigami. "Does he still appear weird to your eyes Ryuk?"
"Yeah, his name has still been flickering every time I've seen him… It's really creeping me out." Ryuk said slowly, as he was obviously conflicted over the matter.
Harry was as well, ever since Ryuk had pointed him out to him, he knew that something was gravely wrong with the man.
Professor Quirrell was an unexpected oddity, of that he was sure.
The Hall had filled fully now, Dumbledore was just standing to give the Halloween speech, and right as Ryuk was going to comment on the matter, the Great Hall doors banged open.
The missing man, Quirrell himself had rushed into the hall in a bizarre manner.
"Troll in the dungeons! Troll in the dungeons! Thought you ought to know." Quirrell exclaimed before falling backwards in a dead faint and a wheeze.
Immediately, Harry knew that that the man was putting on a show.
The man's eyes twitched twice a second after he supposedly 'fainted', and the fact that he fell backwards showed that he had in fact faked his fall, as one staggers when fainting and would naturally fall forwards or to the side due to the shaking momentum.
Why no one else noticed this, Harry was unsure, but he had a feeling it was because the only other intelligent person other than the headmaster and himself, wasn't there.
The hall around him began to panic and erupt into chaos until Dumbledore called them all to order, but Harry wasn't focused on that now.
His focus fell on the man who was pretending to be unconscious to avoid answering how he discovered a troll within the castle, didn't alert anyone beforehand, and escaped unharmed when the man was obviously inept at self-defense.
"Ryuk… what name does it say on him now?" Harry asked the shinigami, a feeling settling into his gut even as the rest of his peers were led out of the hall.
"I can't tell you that Harry… You know that… " Ryuk said hesitantly, even though he clearly had seen something worrying, and wanted to say something.
Harry was sure of it now.
Quirrell had something wrong with him, and Harry couldn't take the chance.
In a matter of seconds, the scrap of the note was pulled from his vest, and the ball-point pen hidden in the left sleeve of his robe was ripped free.
He had a feeling, and he had to take the chance.
Harry began to write.
Quirinus Quirrell
Dies of a ruptured kidney, and chokes on his own blood in forty seconds.
"Let's hope I'm right Ryuk." Harry muttered as he began to walk from the Great Hall, and started to think more about the man's troll claim.
Just as he walked out of the hall, a mangled wraith flew from the man's trembling corpse, and flew off, all the while screaming of his future revenge on Harry Potter.
Harry however, had better things to do than face the stupid grudge of a man who should have died years ago.
Like defeat a troll.
(November 17th)
"This is it Harry! It's weird right?" Ryuk asked as he led the boy into the mysterious room he had found while exploring the older parts of the castle.
Hmm… a mirror. I wonder if it would take me to Wonderland. Harry wondered in amusement, as he looked over it for a few seconds.
"Do you see something Harry? Because I see just glass…" Ryuk asked, despite the fact that he never saw anything in mirrors, just clear glass.
"Well, I see… Me?" Harry said before noticing his reflection.
The other him, the boy in the mirror looked different from him, that was sure.
He was taller than he was, and had a wicked grin on his face, his eyes narrowed as they burned with crimson light.
Behind him, a bright and beautiful Utopian city stood high in the sky, though the only detail Harry could directly make out was Big Ben standing true and tall.
The other Harry wore a dark suit that seemed very unlike him, and had a loose red tie dangling from his neck, though the feature he focused on most, was the Death Note clenched firm in the mirror counterpart's hand.
It looked… thicker, and seemed older and obviously more worn than his own. It appeared that his reflection had written far more names than he had.
What is this mirror? Harry thought to himself, before noticing the writing engraved on the top of the wooden frame.
Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi
In just a second, he knew what this mirror truly was.
"Ah, it's a trap isn't it. A mirror enchanted to show one's greatest desire and drive a man mad. Clever, but it is flawed as one could have all they desired, or have a dream that is unreasonable, and know that the mirror is showing them a lie." Harry reasoned, as there could only have been the one conclusion to the mirror's puzzle.
"Well done indeed Harry, well done." A familiar voice said, as a man Harry knew well stood behind him.
"Hello Headmaster, what are you doing out of bed at this hour? It's already bad enough for me, but it's even worse if both of us miss sleep tonight." Harry said, as he turned to the elderly man, a smile serving as his greeting.
"Well, I had a feeling that you'd be here. You are smarter than others would think after all, I had no chance of keeping this hidden from you." Dumbledore said with a chuckle, before coming to stand beside the boy, and sparing a glance at the shinigami. "Hello again Ryuk, behaving are we?"
"Of course Headmaster beard guy." Ryuk said to the man, his long, spindly hands lifted in a polite salute.
Dumbledore nodded at that, and looked once more at Harry.
Harry muttered to himself, his eyes still looking over the reflection, even though he knew it was nothing but that. A reflection, an idea of what he could be.
"Tell me Harry, what do you see in the Mirror of Erised?"
Hmm… I could go with an easy one, but I think an emotional one would work better in this case.
"My parents sir…" Harry carefully lied, all the while observing the actions of his doppelganger, who had now pulled a playing card from his suit pocket.
Rather than show it to the real Harry, his reflection merely let the card fall from his hand, and drift down to the floor slowly.
"Ah, I had thought as much… In truth Harry," Dumbledore said, looking every single one of his years as he looked into the mirror gratefully. "I see my sister, who I lost much too soon."
Harry stopped then, and spared a glance at the man and his blatant humanity. It was, unexpected, that much was certain.
"Thank you for telling me sir, I can't imagine that was easy on you." Harry said, as he was actually grateful that the man had confided in him, it felt… odd to be trusted for no actual reason other than respect.
"You as well Harry. Now, I do believe it's after curfew… but as I prefer not to be hypocritical, what say we both agree we didn't see each other, hmm?" Dumbledore said, a twinkle coming to his eyes as a small smile graced his face.
"Of course sir, have a good night." Harry said with a grin as he and Ryuk both made for the door.
"And you as well Harry." Dumbledore said to the departing boy, before looking once more at the mirror.
Ariana, his dear sister was still reflected there, but she seemed to be pointing to the floor for some reason.
Stepping closer to the mirror, Dumbledore noticed that a standard playing card appeared to have landed there.
He naturally assumed Harry had dropped it, and quickly plucked the card from the floor, and looked at what was printed on it.
Strangely enough, the card displayed a name on it.
It appeared to be a muggle name, but he had a feeling it would be relevant in some way.
"How curious indeed."
Heathrow Airport, London
(January 19th, 2022)
In the wake of a cold front, a young man in loose clothing stepped from a private charter jet, his bare feet connecting with the cold concrete below him.
Taking a breath of the fresh and chilled air, the man sighed as he audibly flexed the lean muscles throughout his body, his body swaying slightly as he relaxed. He had thought much on the flight, and he had prepared himself to begin immediately upon landing.
The man's eyes were still closed, even as flight staff hurried to greet him, along with several suited men who walked slowly towards him.
Only when they stood before him, did the man's eyes shoot open, the shadows beneath them highlighting them in startling detail.
"So… this is London. Just as I expected, but sadly not as nice as I had hoped." The man said, his voice soft and low despite the loud sounds produced by the jet which was now being stored away in the air hanger.
The government men tried to not take offense that the man had subtly insulted their home, but simply waited for him to finish speaking, as it wasn't a good policy to interrupt him.
"Now… where will I be staying?" He asked, his sharp eyes now focused intently on the oldest of the men, accurately predicting that the balding man was in charge of the group.
"I have already made arrangements, but I believe it would be better to speak in private." The suited man said, as he began to lead the group towards the outer reaches of the air runway.
"Glad to know that the Prime Minister isn't completely incompetent despite the fact that he doesn't keep track of his wallet.." The young man said snarkily as he followed them, wishing that he didn't need to walk so much…
The Prime Minister looked to him in surprise then, before checking his pockets.
"How did you?"
Rather than explain, the man simply threw the wallet back to it's owner, the lesson taught swiftly and effectively.
This was a dangerous time, and all cautions should be taken. I shouldn't have to teach the governments this, but I always have to it seems...
"You have a car waiting, correct?" He asked, as he was tired if he was forced to be honest.
It had been a week already since he started the case, and he wouldn't devote a single hour to rest.
That wasn't the way to find his answers.
He couldn't afford to be anything less than-
"Of course L."
Did you enjoy?
Not much to say really, yes, it was a long chapter, but they need to be. (Also, Harry is too intelligent to go through the entire gauntlet to try and protect the stone. It's not in his character.)
The next chapter is second year, and will have more content thankfully. (Not a lot actually happened besides Harry and friends just wasting time until the confrontation with Quirrell-Mort.)
On a farther note, as there are obviously people reading and enjoying the story so far, I would love to hear from some of you.
If you enjoyed it, or have something to critique, or even questions, feel free to leave a review. (I'll get back to you shortly.)
Have a nice night everyone.
-Oscar