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
—
Ch 5 - Restricted Section
The hat stopped singing and Harry stared at it as McGonagall started calling names.
"Abbott, Hannah," Harry watched as a blonde girl with pig-tails ran up and sat down. The hat was placed on her head and covered half her face. Harry couldn't help but wonder if he would look that ridiculous as well, sitting there. "Hufflepuff!"
"Bones, Susan," McGonagall called and the red-brown haired girl Harry had sat in the same boat with walked up to the hat and sat down. "Hufflepuff!" She walked to the same table that Hannah had and sat down while laughing.
"Boot, Terry," ended up in Ravenclaw.
"Granger, Hermione," sat on the stool for several minutes while the Headmaster's gaze never left the hat. Eventually it called out Gryffindor. For Harry it was stareingly obvious that the Headmaster had influenced the hat, he would have been able to bet that girl was supposed to be in Ravenclaw. Or perhaps even Hufflepuff.
More names were called, but Harry didn't pay anymore attention to the sorting. He was busy taking in the faces of those around him and trying to place what kind of looks they looked at the Headmaster with. He was disappointed to see that many looked at him with blind adoration in their eyes. It was disgusting and Harry hated it.
"Potter, Harry," McGonagall called out and immediately whispers broke out everywhere in the hall and Harry could feel irritation seeping in. He couldn't understand what was so special about him, he was just Harry. Oh, he was going to be special soon, but he wasn't now. And wouldn't be for a while.
Harry walked up and sat on the stool, the hat soon being placed on top of his head. Darkness clouded his vision as his eyes were covered and Harry felt something probbing at his mind.
"Ah, what a mind you have. Such potential. You could be great you know. And what is this. Not the Golden Boy are you? There's been such a long time since I sorted a mind like yours, boy. Yes you'll do great in..."
"RAVENCLAW!" Harry almost cried in relief. He wouldn't have to be in Gryffindor together with the thieves.
Harry walked fast down to the table and sat down next to Boot, ignoring the stunned silence that was everywhere, before the Ravenclaws started clapping. Harry smiled at them and proceeded to eat. He was slightly aware of Blaise going to Slytherin but that was it. He gave Blaise a tums-up and then pointly ignored everyone else. The Headmaster spoke a speech and Harry wasn't listening. All he heard was something about a third floor corridor and a painful death. Needless to say he was going to stay away from there. Harry really didn't want to die. It was a problem of his.
After the feast was finished the prefects led the first-years through the castle. Harry was trying to memorize each turn they took, but after fifteen he was completely lost. Hopefully he could follow an older student to the Great Hall tomorrow. There were people all around, joking and laughing and although Harry wanted that as well, it wasn't a must. He could survive without friends. Besides he had a library to abuse. It was, technically, his after all. Hell, the entire castle was.
They stopped in front of a wall with a painting on it. "Password?"
"Anemone." the male perfect answered. "Don't tell anyone the password who's not in Ravenclaw and if you don't remember it, you'll have to wait for another student to come along."
They followed the prefect into the common room and Harry stared with wide eyes at it. It was a beautiful room with plenty of space and warm blue colors. There was a painting of four people above a fire-place and soft looking cushions in front of it. Here and there, there were tables with chairs and in one corner was book-cases filled with books to the brim, some looking like they could fall apart in an instant. The whole room has a soft glow, the light not to bright, and Harry instantly falls in love with it. He could easily spend the rest of his life here.
"The boys dormatory is to the right, the girls to the left. Your name will be on the door, to which room is yours, the elves have already brought your things there. Breakfest starts at seven and classes at eight-thirty, you'll have to follow an older student to breakfest and someone will show you the way to your first class. Good night, everyone."
Harry followed the other kids to the staircase and made small polite talk when requested of him. Otherwise he ignored them as he walked passed with a slightly smug look on his face. He still couldn't forget the look Dumbledore had when he realized that the Gryffindor Golden Boy aren't in Gryffindor. It was worth all the trouble he had gone through these last few years. And Ravenclaw was the house of the intelligent and Harry wasn't sorry to say that he was smart. Smarter than most and they should know that. The second he turns seventeen he will sure all those people who used his name without his consent.
Five doors down the corridor and Harry saw a dark brown door with his name written in gold on it. And only his name. He opened the door and was pleasently surprised. The walls were soft blue and the wood on the floor, dark brown. There was a bed in the far right corner and a desk on the opposite wall. There was a closet close to the bed and a bedside table with a candle on it.
In one corner his school trunk was and he walked toward it. He changed into his pajamas as he was incredibly tired and tomorrow classes would begin. He was looking forward to what Dumbledore would do when he realized Harry wasn't within his grasp. Harry blew out the light and then went to bed with a smile on his face. He was at Hogwarts!
—
The next morning, Harry woke up at six am and spent the next hour reading a book on potions. He had heard that Snape was a complete bully and he wasn't going to let him ridicule him. And if that meant re-reading a book he had read before then so be it. It was a book on the way different ingredients reacted to each other and why you should never ever mix some of them together unless you had a death wish. Some plants became neuturalized and useless if mixed with the wrong amount of some other plant and could ruin the whole potion.
It was a complicated subject and just like cooking, Harry loved it. It made him wonder why this book wasn't on the lost of what was required to buy for potions class when the other one only named different potions and told how to them. You didn't really learn anything from it.
At seven thirty o'clock Harry went to the Great Hall for breakfast. There was already some students there, but Harry didn't really care for them and sat down somewhere in the middle of the table while ignoring the sounds around him. Food appeared where he sat and Harry was pleased to see his wish for water had been fulfilled. He briefly wondered where the food came from before he remembered reading about house-elfs in 'Hogwarts: A History'. It was a boring read, but he couldn't deny that it had its uses.
After breakfast and getting his schedule, he went to his first lesson which proved to be Charms with the Hufflepuffs. After being utterly lost for ten minutes he was finally found by an older Ravenclaw student who happily helped him on his way to class. The student was probably a third-year student and was way to chatty. It was annoying but Harry managed to tune it out by thinking of how he would gladly push Dumbledore down a tower. It was a fantasy he decided to persue again in a few years.
The Charms professor is a charms master named Filius Flitwick and a quarter goblin. He was short and has to stand on a pile of books to see past his desk. However his cheerful attitude made up for it. Harry ended up sitting next to the Longbottom boy, someone he thought that maybe someday he could get along with. If only Neville got better self-confidence. The Weasel sat next to Granger and as they practiced the spell, "Wingardium Leviosa" and the Granger girl kept telling him how to say it. It took Harry a couple of times as this wasn't his original wand but then it worked like a charm. Ignore the pun.
Neville on the other hand, somehow managed to blow up the feather he was supposed to be leavitating.
Harry still wasn't sure he wanted to know how.
After charms, Harry got lost twice in his effort to get to the transfiguration classroom and barely made it in time. When he got there, there was a tabby cat sitting on Professor McGonagall's desk unnaturally still. The cat had markings around its eyes and was kind of creepy. When five minutes passed and still no sign of the Professor Harry sighed and pulled out his book on magical theory. Some of the things went above his head but for the most part he understood it.
Ten minutes in to the class a Hufflepuff boys came running in out of breath. Harry thought his names was Smith and he knew for a fact the boy was to arrogant for his own good. Suddenly the cat leaped of the desk and turned into McGonagall in the middle of the air.
"Five points from Hufflepuff Mr Smith, for being late." McGonagall said sternly and Harry allowed a small smirk on his lips for a fleeting second before he squased the feeling of amusement down.
McGonagall then went on to turn her desk into a pig and back again. It was impressive but not something Harry wanted to learn. He didn't think he would ever be able to see the desk as just a desk again. To be perfectly honest he didn't see the need of Transfiguration other then to learn to be an animagus. The Professor started walking around and giving matchsticks to the students. For some reason she looked at him disappointed when she walked by him and pointly ignored him. It caused a flare of anger to burn within him and after a short glare Harry pointly ignored her back. If she didn't want to spend any time teaching him, then he didn't want to spend any time listening her.
Harry was the first one to complete the transfiguration after only a few tries, quickly followed by a Padma Patil. Of course, McGonagall ignored his successfulness and gave only one point to Patil. When some random Hufflepuff boy finally managed she gave him ten points. Harry could see the angry face of the Patil girl and felt a brief moment of pity with her as he was, after all, also ignored.
It just stand to show that McGonagall was not as professional as she would like people to believe.
When Transfiguration finished, it was time for lunch. Harry steadily ignored everyone he saw, while pretending he didn't hear the whispers and rumors about him. He knew that it wouldn't be long before the Headmaster would call him to his office, probably to talk about his placement in Ravenclaw. A hero should be in Gryffindor after all.
Harry sat down next to the edge of the giant table and quickly started eating the food that appeared. It didn't take long until he was full and when he was he started getting up. He was stopped by a Ravenclaw prefect.
"Professor Dumbledore wants to meet you in his office. The password's Twix." and then the female Ravenclaw prefect left without looking back.
Harry decided that he wanted to know what Dumbledore would say and immediatly started on the way to his office. Unfortunally the girl never told him the way and it took Harry almost twenty minutes to find the Headmasters office. Mostly because he didin't really try. The Headmaster was an old fool that had to much power and not enough common sense. Harry knocked on the door after the gargoyle had let him up and was on the inside scowling.
"Ah, Harry my boy, how are you feeling?" was the first thing Harry heard when he entered the room.
"I'm okay. Was there something you wanted?" Harry said.
Dumbledore smiled in a grandfatherly way. "I'm glad. I'm sure your very excited to be here. Such a shame your not in Gryffindor like your father. I taught him you know, such a nice young man. A shame he had to die. For the Greater Good, you agree."
Harry snorted on the inside. "Of course Headmaster Dumbledore, I understand." You need a scape-goat.
"Good, good Harry, now I want you to understand that if you ever need a re-storting then all you have to do is ask. I am here to help you Harry and I am not entirely sure Ravenclaw is the right house for you. After all, your parents were both in Gryffindor."
"I think I will wait a little while to make that decision, sir. For now I have a library to raid." Harry says and turns around without waiting for an answer. He knew Dumbledore would try to stop and Harry can't have that. So Harry turns around and walks away from the office with a light skip in his step. It was a good day whenever you had the chance to one-up Dumbledore in his own game. He was now incredibly grateful he had spent that time learning to play chess. Though, Griphook was a fierce player that tended to beat him every time they played.
Oh well, it was still fun.
—
The library of Hogwarts was amazing. It was rows upon rows of books and this was what Harry imagined heaven looked like. Harry didn't believe in God but it was a nice fantasy. That he would go somewhere after he dies. Not just stop existing. It's a secret fear of his.
Harry entered the library with a almost like skip in his step, it was so many books! How can he not be excited?! And the est part was that he owned some of them. The library was huge and had a home-y air about it that made you want to live there, it wouldn't surprise him if Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw was the ones that designed it. From the stories he had heard from them Helga H. was a warm woman who accepted all and Rowena R. was incredibly clever.
Harry immediatly rushed to a book-case and started browsing. After a while he grabbed a book on runes that looked interesting. It was one that he didn't have and looked fairly old. Of course that didn't mean it was right, he would have to cross-reference. He briefly wondered if the Magical World thought the world was flat five-hundred years ago too. If they still thought it. He didn't think they even know what gravity is.
After all, muggles are just brainless idiots, right?
He sat down at one of the empty round tables with wooden chairs and started to read the book he had in his hand. He soon got lost in it and didn't notice time passing. He was so lost in the book that it didn't matter if there was a few things he didn't quite understand, he could fix that later. It wasn't until Madam Pince shook his shoulder that he stopped reading.
"Mr Potter, the library is closing and its about time for curfew. You can check out the book if you want, but you need to leave." Harry looked up at the face of the grey haired woman and nodded at her with a thankful smile.
"Of course, thank you for reminding me." said Harry and packed his stuff back in his bag. He checked out the book he had been reading and left the library in a hurry. He was actually kind of tired.
When he came back to his room he left the book on the desk and hurried to change to pajamas so he could sleep. It had been kind of weird being around magic the way he was. He had spent a lot of time in Knockturn Alley, but this was different. Harry had recently put up a post box in Diagon Alley that from now on would forward it to another one in Hogsmead in the name Rowan Arawn, all he had to do was empty is once in a while.
It worked like a charm.
Harry spent the night sleeping without a care in the world, when he woke not remembering a thing of his dream. He was warm and for the first time he was sleeping in a truly comfortable bed. Why the Headmaster didn't want him to be in Ravenclaw was beyond him. When the morning came he was well rested and ready for new knowledge. His messy black hair and green eyes made him look like he didn't have a care in the world and that was exactly what he wanted. He wanted to be in the back-round, where no-one would ever check to look for him.
Harry smiled at those he passed on the way to breakfest. He was hungry and had a un-ending need to finish reading the book he had started on. He quickly ate what appeared on his plate and drank his water. He ignored the looks the Headmaster kept sending him and instead concentrated on his first class in Potions. He had been looking forward to it his entire summer. He really liked Potions.
After breakfast he went back to his room and took out the things he needed to bring to his class. Harry then walked out of the Ravenclaw common room and started the long walk to the dungeons where the Potions classroom was. He managed to find it a mere minute before the class was supposed to start and gratefully hurried in. He ended up sitting next to Draco Malfoy, the boy he had met at Madame Malkin's. Just after he had sat down the door closed.
Two seconds later the door was pushed open so violently that it banged against the stone wall. A man dressed in completely black clothes and a billowing black robe behind him, with greasy hair and a long nose that had clearly been broken before stood there with a look of complete and utter contempt on his face. He walked to the front of the class room and started saying the names of the people in this class. When he came to Potter he stopped.
"Ah yes," he said softly. "Harry Potter. Our new … celebrity." he then continued on with the name calling until it was finished.
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potions-making," he began. He spoke in barely more then a whisper, but they caught every word - like Professor McGonagall, had the gift of keeping a class silent without any effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect any of you will really understand the beauty of of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses ... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."
Harry almost rolled his eyes, but he had to admit it was true. There was far to many dunderheads in this world for him to be happy. At least right now.
"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Harry's eyebrows frowned. "A sleeping potion known as the Draught of Living Death."
Snape snarled. "Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"
"In the stomach of a goat, it cures most poison's." Harry answered.
"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Snarls Professor Snape out. Harry straighten his back as he tries to remember what the difference is. He knows he knows it!
Harry smiled as he remembered. "They're the same plant, Professor."
"Correct, Potter," said Snape. "Well, why aren't you writing that down?"
Suddenly there is twenty something quills scratching away at parchments. Harry carefully look around and ignores the stares he is receiving. He knows they all thought he was going to be in Gryffindor just like his parents. It's honestly kind of sad, the interest they have in his life just can't be healthy. He shakes his head a little and look at the instructions on the board as he apparently missed the one Snape gave.
Harry walks to the front of the classroom and grabs the ingredients he need and starts to prepare them while keeping a close eye on his cauldron. He'll be damned if he is going to let someone mess it up!
At the end of class, Harry is smiling as he hands Snape his finished potion. Someone tried to add something to it, but Harry luckily managed to stop it. Sadly he couldn't see where it came from so he couldn't rat them out. Not that he would use that phrase, but that was essentially what he would do if they tried it again. Harry left the dungeons after saying goodbye to Draco. The boy might be arrogant but he wasn't nearly as snobby when you got to know him. And that he was good at potions didn't hurt either.
When evening came after dinner Harry waited until he was alone in the common room and used a spell he had seen in one of the older students charms book to silence the area around him so no-one could hear him. Then he cast the notice-me-not charms and walked out. It as relatively easy to get to the library. He almost sopped breathing ones when a passing prefect walked around the corner. When he didn't notice him he grinned in victory.
At the library Harry stopped briefly to take in the silence that wasn't that normal for such a big place. Then Harry walked passed the shelves filled with books until he came to the gate of the Restricted Section of it. It had a dark aura and was gloomy looking but Harry felt a sense of home he had never felt before. He stopped in front of the iron gate and looked up at it, wondering how he was going to open. He wasn't even sure how it was locked.
In the end Harry put his hand on the handle. "Hello Hogwarts. My name is Harry Potter and I am the heir of Ravenclaw. I humbly request permission to enter Ravenclaws Library and read its books." The gate quivered and shaked slightly before they opened just enough for Harry to slip in between the cracks.
"Thank you." Harry felt an answering feeling of warmth and love fill him as he walked inside the library known to others as the Restricted Section.
Harry walked passed a dozen or so shelves filled with books and scrolls before he stopped in front of one shelve. The book that had captured his attention read Moste Potent Potions on the spine together with the numbers 1863. It didn't say who had written it but that hardly mattered to him. What mattered was that there was a book that wasn't to bad and no-one could accuse him of being evil if they saw him with it. Draco would probably like it too.
He took the book down from the shelve it was on and blowed on it to take away the dust that covered it. He brought it close to his face as it was quite dark where he was and after staring at it for minutes and determining it wasn't going to start screaming at him Harry moved it so he could hold it under his arm. He then turned around and walked out of the Restricted Section as he wasn't sure if Dumbledore had it monitored somehow and would know s someone was there.
Harry then made his way to the Ravenclaw common room and successfully sidestepped everyone he crossed paths with.
A/N: And that was chapter five.
I hope you enjoyed it.
Thank you for the follows and favs.
It means a lot to me that people like what I write.
Tell me what you think and have a wonderful summer break.
-FantasyDeath