Title: The Way The World Works (mxm) [A Harry Potter fanfic]
Summary: Nine year old Harry Potter discovers the wizard world on a fluke and decides he loves it. He creates a new identity and become someone else entirely. At eleven Harry recieves his Hogwarts letter, but it wont stop him from being him. And it helps that he's a metamorphmagus and a little more devious then people think. When the times comes, they wont even know what hit them.
Rating: T (it may change)
Pairings: Don't know yet
Warning: Will be male/male in later chapters, though not for some while as Harry is still young. A lot of bashing.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything you may recognize!
§Hello snake!§ equals Parceltongue
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A/N: Okay I had a couple of questions that I'm gonna try to answer now. Sorry for the wait.
First, there is a book at Hogwarts where all people with magic in Britain, well most of them, are the moment they are born. Dumbledore used this book to find muggleborns in Harrys age and after a while decided Hermione would be the best choice for Harry as she is very smart and Harry wouldn't really care to study when she could just do it for him, destroying any desire for knowledge he ever had in the process and making him ignorant.
Second, the allure from the Veela in him comes forward when he uses his metamorph ability to make himself older. The body then thinks it is older and so does the allure, allowing it to make it out. However it isn't fully developed yet and won't be until he's around fourteen.
Third, he can go to the Leaky Cauldron to eat sometimes, but no matter how mature he seems to be, he is still just eleven and while he is incredibly smart he is also a kid that don't yet knows his way around the neighborhood as he is very rarely let out. Anything he steals from the Dursley's, they don't notice anyway.
Fourth, he will eventually do something about the stealing, however he is still underage and can't really control that yet, especially since Dumbledore approved of it and is his magical guardian, illegally or not. He will probably do that if he's entered in the Tri-Wizard Tournament as that will serve as acknowledging that he is an adult and will declare him adult.
Fifth, yes Harry is still a Horcrux.
If I missed any, let me know.
Enjoy reading! :D
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Ch 4 - Hogwarts Express
The next day started as any other day. Harry spent a couple of hours reading as he waited for Hagrid to return and was making notes about runes. The book he was reading was in Gobbledegook about wards and Harry loved it. He was by now absolutely sure he was going to get a mastery in wards some day.
He waited patiently for Hagrid to show up to get him and tried to ignore the feeling of smugness. He was sure Hagrid informed Dumbledore about how it went, and was positive that the man didn't get anything suspicious out of his mind. He had been incredibly careful. He felt kind of bad though, about the way he had lied to him, Hagrid had been nothing but kind to him.
A knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts and he put the book back in the bag. It was bigger on the inside then the outside and Harry had to admit it was genius spell-work. Whoever thought that up clearly had too many books. It also come with a featherlight charm which he adored.
"Mr Potter, Rubeus Hagrid is here to get you." Harry picked up the bag and his minisize trunk, putting them in his pocket. It wouldn't do for people to think he knew about this world.
"I'm coming, tell him to wait!" He listened while Tom left and continued putting away his things. Although he was worried about what he was going to do ones it was time for a wand. Technically you were only allowed one wand and only one, supposedly, fit you right. The wand chooses the wizard and all that.
Harry walked down the staircase that led into the pub that was under and immediatly saw Hagrid. He was kind of hard to miss. With his long coat and scruffy beard he was easy to spot in a crowd. He walked into the pub with a nervous expression, because he had to admit it. He had never seen Diagon Alley in day-light. He was sure it was a sight to behold. It made him even more anxious to get to Hogwarts, after all, the castle was his.
"'Arry! There you are lad." boomed Hagrids loud voice. "I've been waiting for yer. Are yer ready to go?" Almost simultaneously all the people in the Leaky Cauldron turned to stare at him. He could almost see the wheels in their heads turn. It was quite creepy actually.
Harry stared. "All ready."
"Harry Potter?" came a awed voice. As Harry nodded people instantly came up to him and started shaking his hand.
"How are you Mr Potter?-"
"-pleasure to meet you-"
"-how do you do?-"
Eventually they managed to get away from the crazy people and Harry was reminded of why he never went here as Harry Potter. He always came as Rowan, though he did have a habit of changing eye-color when he did. Last time it was black, which he quite liked. It made him look strange but after all this time no-one blinked twice when he showed up in Knockturn Alley with a different eye-color. Sometimes he had two different colors of his eyes. It was something he loved, messing with the color of his eyes. Even the Goblins had gotten used to it.
As Hagrid hit the stones in the archway Harry felt his breath catch. Diagon Alley had been beautiful in the night but it was downright amazing during the day. Everywhere were people walking and talking, laughing and having fun. Harry wanted that. He wanted friends, that liked him for him, dark side and all, and that hadn't been paid by that Old Coot Dumbledore. He'd been told that the Weasley clan were all red-heads and had a plan to avoid them. It mostly consisted of becoming friends with someone they would never, in a hundred years, approve of.
"We'll start at Gringotts 'Arry. It's a bank run by goblins, nasty creatures if you ask me, never polite to anyone." mumbled Hagrid. "It's the safest place there is. Well except Hogwarts of course." Harrys liking for Hagrid went down when he said that, he quite liked the goblins. And besides, from time to time they would insult a wizard in Gobbledegook and Harry had to admit, it was loved to degrade someone they felt weren't worthy, it was why they always were so hard on Dumbledore, and by default, Hagrid.
"Okay Hagrid." said Harry and followed the man into the Alley.
They walked passed different people and Harry could hear people mutter things under their breaths as they passed. It was truly an amazing sight. They entered Gringotts and Harry saw several goblins stop walking towards him when they realized he was with someone. Someone who was stricktly under Dumbledores control. Harry nodded to them behind Hagrids back and tried to ignored the things they were saying about unsuspecting wizards and witches.
Hagrid went to a teller and Harry could almost smell the disgust coming from the goblin. "We're here to pick up some money for you 'Arry here for his school suplies."
The goblin sneered. "Key?"
"Ah yes, I 'ave it here somewhere." said Hagrid as he started feeling his pockets for the key that should be in Harrys possesion. "Ah, here it is. I also have a letter from Dumbledore regarding whats in vault you-know-which, for you-know-what." And he pulled out a envelope out of another pocket which said classified in big bold red letters.
Harry watched as the goblin turned the letter around and opened it, reading it in silence. Eventually he must have decided that it was good enough for he nodded his head at Hagrid. "Griphook will take you." And like magic Griphook ran over to them and looked just as sour as always. He was muttering stuff under his breath in Gobbledegook, something about a stone.
They used a cart to go down to his vault and Harry smiled at the familiar feeling he had come to love. He had a bad habit of coming to Gringotts just to take out a couple of knuts to be able to ride in the cart. He laughed as they drew closer to the end, seeing the amusement on Griphooks face.
When they stopped, Hagrid was the first one out and looked way to green in his face, that it just couldn't be normal. "Are you alright, Hagrid?" asked Harry and for once he was actually genuine. Not everybody liked the way that the Goblins carted them around in the underground. Apperently it was beneath pure-bloods. Not that Harry could see what the big deal was, it was like traveling on a roller coaster. He had only ever been on one of those ones, but he would again, that he had promised himself.
Griphook suddenly stopped walking in front of a vault Harry recognised as his own. "Here it is." He stuck the key in the key-hole and Harry watched as the door was wretched open. He followed Hagrid into it and stared at the pile's of gold that were on the floor. He knew it was smaller and smaller each time he visited as Dumbledore continued to pay his followers.
"Griphook, how much do I need for the cost of all things to bring with me to Hogwarts?" Harry asked with honest curiosity in his voice. He really didn't know.
"Around 320 galleons should be enough." Griphook answered and took out a pouch and started filling it with galleons. He gave it to Harry who took it while trying to not roll his eyes about how stupid this was.
They went back into the cart again and stopped by another vault. Hagrid kept glancing around him as if to make sure no-one sees anything as he quickly picks up a small packet from inside. Harry tried to see what it was but for ones Hagrids big frame was good for something. Harry couldn't see a thing and Hagrid was way to uptight about it.
It wasn't like it was the Philosopher's Stone.
"What was that?" Harry asks, unable to keep quiet about it. He was curious!
Hagrid winces. "Oh, jus' something Professor Dumbledore is moving to Hogwarts 'Arry. Nothing ter worry 'bout."
Harry nodds at Hagrid and smiles up at him in a way that is supposed to be calming. He didn't think is was, based on the way Hagrid looked at him. Harry flashed him his puppy-dog eyes and sat down in the cart again as they went up towards the ground. Harry kept a good grip on the cart and on his pouch as he rode upwords. He pointly ignored Hagrid who was too busy throwing up to notice as Harry took the small packet out of Hagrids pocket. It was red and it was almost glowing and Harry couldn't for the life of him figure out why Dumbledore would want to bring it to Hogwarts.
He put the rock in his own pocket and picked up a galleon from his pouch that he transfigured into an almost exact replica of the other one. The only problem was that it wasn't glowing, so Harry put a small notice-me-not charm on it. Hopefully it would at least stop people, cough Dumbledore cough, from looking to closely. Besides, the stone was really pretty.
Harry and Hagrid walked out of Gringotts, both happy for completely different reasons. Harry because it had been fun to watch Hagrid throw up and listen to the goblins insult people without their knowledge, Hagrid because he was finally off that Death-Trap. Hagrid carelessy felt for the stone in his pocket and stopped ones he felt it. He had been worried it would fall out, but it seems he had been rather lucky.
Sometime away from the bank Harry opened his letter. It wasn't a surprise what was in it and Harry was sad to see that most of the books for the book list wasn't really any good for learning. Maybe a good read, or to cross-check information, but not learning from the start. But perhaps it was there way of ensuring that you studied? Of course it was stupid, as in his experience, kids don't usually study out of their own free will. Not everyone can be as weird as him. Ot maybe it was totally normal and that was the reason so many people respected Dumbledore, because he dumbed down school and got rid of everything or anyone that could challenge his authority.
Who knows?
Well Harry didn't care. Because at that moment, they walked into Flourish and Blotts and Harry was in heaven. There were people everywhere and he could hear mentions of himself in the speeches, but he didn't care. He was busy running around with a basket and putting all the books for school he could find in there. In the end he put what he guessed the second-year books would be too. He had long since lost Hagrid somewhere in the crowd and he abscentily played with the small stone that was in his ear. It had become a habit since he got it and Harry didn't regret it.
Harry ignored the few curious gaze's thrown his way as he made his way to the desk at the back of the store to pay for his many books. He was going to Hogwarts, he had a right to skip and laugh!
When he had payed for the books, thy made their way to the apothecary, while Hagrid told him about the different Houses at Hogwarts. "And then there's Slytherin, all dark wizards and witches go there. Yer parents were Gryffindor through and through 'Arry, and all Potters go to Gryffindor."
Harry only smiled at Hagrid and pretended he didn't want to smash his skull in. He had long ago decided he was going to wait a few years until he started killing. He was to young to go to Azkaban anyway. After the apothecary they went to Madam Malkins and Harry was sad to say he didn't get treated specially. He'd have thought they would know he owned a big part of the store. Oh well, not everyone can know everything.
"Hogwarts dear?" a young woman asked him and Harry nodded.
She smiled. "We have another young man getting measured right now thats going to Hogwarts as well. Come along and stand still will you?"
Once again Harry nodded and stepped up onto the small platform in front of a mirror. While he was being measured Harry was glad he had gotten his eyes fixed in Knockturn. It had hurt a couple of days after but never since and he could see better then ever. They boy who stood next to him had platium blond hair that was almost white and pale skin with grey-silver eyes. He had that way of standing that Harry knew came from having money and important parents.
"Hullo," said the boy, "Hogwarts too?"
Harry nodded. "Yes."
"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first-years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow." Harry was strongly reminded of Dudley.
"Have you got your own broom?" the boy went on.
"No." said Harry.
"Play Quidditch at all?"
"No." Harry said again, wondering why on earth so many people were obsessed with the sport. He supposed the flying could be part of it, but other then that, it really wasn't all that exciting.
"I do - Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?"
"Ravenclaw I think, but I'm not sure." Harry answered.
"Well no-one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been - imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"
"I'm sure they have their perks. Perhaps comfy chairs in the common room?" Harry said, while trying not to laugh at the face the blond pureblood - because he has to be a pureblood - made.
"I'm Draco, Draco Malfoy." the boy put out his hand as they stepped down from the platforms and Harry grasped in firmly with his own.
"Harry Potter."
—
The rest of the day went well. He got a wand at Ollivander's, a holly with a phoenix feather. For some reason, Hagrid looked extremely pleased when he told him, ut Harry didn't really care. They got the rest of his stuff and Hagrid bought him an owl. A snowy white owl that was to smart for her own good. He named her Hedwig in the end.
The stunned look Draco had when he left Madam Malkin's was enough to make him laugh. He settled for snickering instead.
The holly wand worked well for him, but it didn't feel as good as his own wand. It could have been his wand, ut as it was, it was just a spare wand that he had to use while at Hogwarts and that had a tracer in it so that the Ministry would know where he was at all times. Or more like Dumbledore would know. It didn't really matter to him, he would take it off ones summer came again.
Hedwig had decided to use his shoulder as perch, but Harry found that he didn't really mind. It was nice and to be totally honest. Harry wanted friends. Just not the kind of friends that were only with him because of the money they would get out of his vault. And he had a feeling Hedwig was his first real friend. Although, Draco was a possibility.
Harry left Hagrid at the Leaky Cauldron and went up to his room again. He dropped the new bought trunk on the ground that was filled with his school things. He had ended up using all the money he had taken out of the vault at Gringotts with Hagrid which he didn't really regret. He could afford it. It was just to bad he couldn't claim lordship for a few more years, as he was willing to bet it was at least some interesting things in the other vaults he had.
But as it was, he had enough books to read.
So Harry spent the rest of the night reading. Then he spent the rest of the month reading and making potions that he sold in Knockturn Alley, because there was no-way that he needed all of those now that he wasn't going back to the Dursley's for some time. And besides, potions was really interesting. That was the reason he had to go to the Alley and get more ingrediens every other day. Though Mr Bert probably didn't mind.
He also read up on wards, but there wasn't much he could find on it. Not the kind that was around the Dursley's house anyway. He was however, sure that something would exist in the Restricted Section at Hogwarts, and as he was the Heir of Ravenclaw he wouldn't have any trouble getting in.
On September 1 he stood at King's Cross station in London and wondered how he would get in. People were walking all over the place and Harry was quite sure there were no platform 93/4. He was about to give up and get back to the Leaky Cauldron when he saw a family of red-heads running into a brickwall, only difference was that they went through it. Harry didn't stop to think, he just started running there and when he was close enough he could see more people running in there with there carts. So Harry did as well.
He felt the wash of magic pass over him and then he was out on the other side. He still had ten minutes to spare so he went on board the train, only the trunk he bought with Hagrid and Hedwig out, the rest small and in his pockets.
He passed a lot of compartments until he came to the back of the train where he found an empty one. He sat in it and after a few minutes of pushing his trunk up on the hill finally succeded. That was when he remembered he had magic. Harry blushed even though no-one was around and wondered when people would start boarding at the back where he was, as the train would soon leave. He saw the family of red-heads pass through the barried a couple of minutes to eleven when the train would leave. He had now conducted they were the Weasley family that were stealing his money.
Eventually, when the train left, sadly all Weasley's, except the little girl, had boarded the train. He sat down and started reading the first-year charms book.
Two hours into the train ride a knock sounded on the door before it was pushed open and a girl with bushy hair and bug teeth and a slightly pudgy boy entered. The boy had tears running down his cheeks and the girl had that know-it-all wibe.
Harry ignored them.
"Have you seen a toad? Neville's lost one." the girl demanded. Her voice was to high and gave him a headache.
"No." Harry said and went back to reading after briefly looking up at them. Hopefully they would leave.
"Oh, are you reading the charms book? I've read all my books of course, i'm the first witch in the family, I am ever so excited. Hogwarts is the best school you know." the girl continued and Harry wanted to hit her with his book. He wasn't usually a violent person but for her he could make an exception.
She continued talking. "I'm Hermione Granger, by the way and this is Neville Longbottom. You?"
"Harry."
"Oh," she said. "what an ordinary name."
Neville must had seen the murderous glare he sent the Granger girl, for he took a hold of her elbow an turned her around. Smart boy.
"Come on Hermione, lets leave him alone." Neville said in a soft and slight weak voice. Hermione however followed him anyway, probably to go looking for him.
Harry went back to reading.
Another hour later and the door was opened again, this time by Draco Malfoy. Draco had two body guards at his side and a superior look in his eyes.
"There you are, Potter. I've been looking everywhere for you. This is Crabbe and Goyle, friends of mine." he sauntered into the compartment that Harry had now officially claimed as his and sat down, a body guard on each side of him.
Harry smiled. "Hello Draco."
The rest of the train ride was spent eating chocolate frogs and telling stories. Or well, Draco told stories and explained what Quidditch really was all about, it was just too bad Harry still didn't have any intresst in it. It sounded like a waste of time and Harry didn't want to know anything about it.
Harry finished reading another book and then they played a game of Exploading Snap. The only time they got interrupted was when Ronald Weasley entered, luckily Draco didn't call him Potter then. The Weasel left pretty quick, with his face as red as his hair. It really didn't suit him.
Eventually the train stopped and they all left it. "Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here!" Hagrid stood on the middle of the road and collected all of the first-years. Hagrid beamed when he caught sight of Harry that had somehow gotten seperated from Draco. "C'mon, follow me - any more firs'-years? Mind yer step, now! Firs'-years follow me!"
They followed a path down to the docks where plenty of boats lay. Harry could see many of them and wondered what would happen if someone fell into the lake and couldn't swim. Perhaps they would simply let them drown.
"No more then four a boat!" Hagrids loud booming voice came and Harry hurridly stepped into one, not wanted to be left behind. Two girls and one boy went into the same boat with him. "I'm Harry."
The italian looking boy answered first. "Blaise Zabini."
"Susan Bones." a red-brown haired girl said.
The last one was blonde and didn't have any emotion on her face. "Daphne Greengrass."
In there boat it was silent after that. Some time later they saw the first view of the castle they would be going to school for the next seven years at. It was magnicifent and Harry already loved it. It felt like home and e could literally feel the magic in the air welcoming him as an heir to the castle.
Yes, this was home.
"Everyone duck!" Hagrid shouted and everyone but Harry did who was too busy staring at everything and basking in the feeling the castle gave him. The feeling of security and safety. Lucky for him there was no real need to duck so he didn't fell over the edge of the boat into the black lake.
They made it safely onto the ground and Harry could see quite a few people looking ill. It made him want to laugh, but he stopped himself as he didn't want to look like a fool.
Hagrid knocked three times on the big castle doors they were standing in front of on the steps. It swung open at once. A tall, black haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Harrys first thought was that could probably be a much better headmistress and then Dumbledore.
"The firs'-years, Professor McGonagall." said Hagrid.
"Thank you, Hagrid I will take them from here."
She pulled the door open wide and the Entrance Hall was so big you could have fitted the Dursley's entire house in it. It made him wonder how big the rest of the castle was and which house he would be in. He really hoped Ravenclaw now. It sounded far better then Gryffindor anyway and he was an heir to Ravenclaw. That should count for something should it not.
They followed her as she walked in again and Harry was amazed by the way it looked. Harry could spend his life here. They walked passed on the flagged stone floor until they stopped with Professor McGonagall in front of another pair of huge doors. She turned around and everyone stopped as well.
"This is the entrance to the Great Hall. This is where you will eat and feast. It is also where you will get sorted. There are four houses, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. You will wait out here until I come and get you." and she turned around and walked through the doors, the doors closing with a bang after her.
Harry waited outside the Great Hall with the rest of the first-years and tried to remember if he had ever read how they sorted them. He thought it had something to do with magic but they just be asking questens to you. He heard someone mention fighting a troll and Harry snorted. Dumbledore wasn't that crazy, was he?
Suddenly he could hear screams of fear and he looked in the direction everyone else was. Ghost's! And many of them! They were a pale white and see through, and it was clear that they were arguing over something or another. Not that Harry cared, in fact he toned them out as he waited for McGonagall to return.
Eventually she did and they followed after her as they entered the Great Hall where hundred of students were sitting and eating. Harry looked up at the ceiling and was pleasently surprised to see stars there, he knew it said so in Hogwarts A History but he couldn't be sure. However he loved it.
McGonagall stepped up near the table where the teachers sat was and placed an old ratty hat on a three-legged stool. The hat opened its mouth and started singing.
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 out me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hand (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!
—
A/N: End of chapter four!
I have no beta. All mistakes are mine.
Thank you for all the reviews and follows!
Till next time.
-FantasyDeath