Harry stared out the train window troubled. Outside of a few...occurrences... he had had a great first year at Hogwarts. But now it was over and he didn't want to go back to the Dursleys. He had already made a decision no one knew about. He wrote his aunt and uncle that he had his own way back, that they didn't need to pick him up.

He told them he might not be back right away, that he was going to stay with a friend. They responded asking if they could keep him.

His time in the Hospital Wing had him pondering his conversations not just with Dumbledore, but the one after with his friends. He had dismissed Dumbledore's actions. But now... away from him.

He didn't know much about being a wizard. The rules. The way things worked. He had been excited to learn he was one but didn't think about what it meant to be one and live as one once he was of age to leave the Dursleys.

Maybe Ron and Hermione were right...Dumbledore letting him so what he did made him 'off his rocker' and could have gotten Harry killed. But Harry didn't think it all through either.

He had issues trusting adults more often than not. And it hasn't helped that McGonnagall had not believed them when they went to her. But... she wasn't the only adult.

Hermione always pointed out why what they were doing was wrong even if she went along to keep them from getting caught. And when she didn't have an answer for something, she went looking for it. She wasn't top of their class for nothing. He needed to pull his inner Hermione. He needed answers before he went back to the Dursleys.

And the only place he knew that was magical was Diagon Alley. So when the train pulled into Kings Cross and he said goodbye, he waited till his friends were gone to find his way to the Leaky Cauldron.

With no mormal money for the bus, he didn't mind the walk. He stayed on busy streets as he walked though Hedwig did get a few weird glances. Took him nearly an hour,so when he finally saw the sign, he signed in heavy relief.

The owner instantly recognized him from his trip with Hagrid and agreed to helping him get a room for 3 days worth with a promise he could stay longer if he needed.

--

The next morning, he got up bright and early. He began with a more invested walk of the magical shopping center. He decides it might also be a good idea to buy some of his supplies for next year since he was already there. And he wanted the chance to shop because he could. Everything he owned belonged in his trunk and that was barely anything.

He looks down at his now 'summer' clothes. The clothes too big on him. He needed to fix that. But first...Gringotts.

--

The goblin teller he went to was frowning at him. Angry in his eyes.

"You don't have your key?"

"No sir...I came with Hagrid from Hogwarts last year and he kept it... was I supposed to keep it? I didn't know, I apologize..." he stammers out. His mind was pointing out this one exactly why he came searching in Diagon for information.

"Yes Mr Potter. You are supposed to keep your key. Very well. Give me your hand, " he grabs it and cuts it faster than Harry could blink. He could do nothing but watch as his blood dripped into parchment confirming he was Harry Potter. "Follow me, Mr. Potter"

He hadn't expected this. He was led into an office in the back. The goblin left him there, leaving him to sit down in front of the desk.

Not 5 minutes later, another goblin enters with a stack of folders in his arms.

"I've been waiting for you to show, Mr. Potter. We have much to discuss. Including your replacement key though I do request you do not let someone else keep the keys to your vault this time."

"Yes sir. "

He listened for an hour about his Lordships he didn't know he had, properties, vaults, and investments. While the goblin was blunt, he answered every question Harry had. When he exits the bank, he was wearing 3 rings making him as Lord Potter-Peverell and Heir Black. He got new money bags linked to all his vaults and a folder for him to keep including his parents will, the properties he owned and a paper with how to get to other places in the wizarding world including the Ministry of Magic, St Mungos hospital, and a few wizarding communities across the UK.

He went back to the Leaky Cauldron to eat before finding him clothes that fit among other necessities.

Maybe he didn't need to go back to the Dursleys after all, yes?

--

When his 3rd day was up, he shrunk his full truck and placed it in his pocket. He didn't recognize himself and he wasn't sad about it. The books he had purchased taught him so much. He also got a selection of books for school that the bookshop owner had helped him select. Technically he was sure he didn't need to come back for the rest of the summer unless he just wanted to. The shop owners even taught him how to owl order for during the school year.

He looked at the list of properties. A few had a floo, which he learned was travel through a fireplace, access to them. He decides on Potter Manor.

He lands on his back when the fireplace spits him out. The area he was in had a bench on opposite walks but that was it. He was surprised to not see any dust or cobwebs as he would have expected of an abandoned home.

POP

A creator in a clean pillowcase and had floppy ears appears before him.

"Oh! Oh! Welcome young Master! I was not aware you works be arriving today! I'm so glad! I started is on clearing all properties as soon as we felt a New Master was with us! I'm Bibsy, head Potter house Elf!"

"Nice to meet you Bibsy. I lived in the muggle world so this is new to me. Please, can you show me around?" He was glad his account manager had explained house elves to him. Bibsy very much was happy to show him the Manor while another elf took aware his belongings and Hedwig. Bibsy assured him his trunk was going to his room and they had a nice set up for his owl.

The Manor was bigger than he expected. He kinda understood now why Draco Malfoy was the way he was if he grew up in a place like this.

He did though make sure to follow the list of things to ask about. The library, the office, the portraits that will come alive now that he was there, and the wardroom. That last one he made sure to complete at the end of the tour. The wards, he was told, would protect him and the property from attacks, unwanted intruders, etc.

That first night he lay in bed unable to sleep. He had learned so much in just a few days. More than he had expected. He hated more so that the Dursleys acted the way they did and treated him the way they did. It wasn't right. They kept him from his magic and his heritage. And that did include the Evans family branch. His mother was from a long line of squibs. She wasn't the first witch to appear though the only one to go to Hogwarts in a long time. Aunt Petunia and Dudley may not have inherited the magic like Lily did, but that didn't mean a child or grandchild of Dudley's wouldn't. Harry of course got out because both his parents had it though a squib child would have still been possible. His account manager pointed out that Lily would be considered fresh blood to family bloods that tended to intermarry more often then not.

It was a lot to wrap around his almost 12 year old brain.

He made sure to get himself better aquinted with the property and its elfs for a couple days before before writing his first letter to his best friends. He did not bring up what he learned. Especially to Ron. He didn't want to keep it from him but he knew how jealous and insecure he could be when it came to money. He hoped it wouldn't ruin their friendship when he did learn about it.

He told Hermione a little more though. He valued her opinion as it was her way of thinking that got him here whether she knew it or not.

As an unsaid thank you, he sent her books he had purchased in Diagon Alley that explained about the wizarding world that Gringotts had explained to him. He had his own copies as well. The 3 books explained so much. Wizarding etiquette, traditions, history, about the Ministry of Magic, and more. He knew, as a muggleborn she would appreciate this information. He understood now that while there was nothing wrong with loving your muggle history, embracing the wizarding one you are entering was just as important.

He also told her to take a heritage test at Gringotts. More than likely she was from a squib line as well.

For his birthday, he decided to be a little brave. He went to St Mungos for a full exam. He's had too many injuries throughout his life from his relatives thar left him hurting in his cupboard to not have issues in his young body.

The healer week took care of him was not pleased with the diagnostics that came from her wand. He spent the night there as a few of his bones needed to be regrown. She wanted to know who did this to him but he just promised he wasn't there anymore.

He knew Dumbledore left him with the Dursleys. He wasn't able to have him learn he wasn't there anymore and send him back.

He never felt better as he left the wizarding hospital.

--

The rest of summer flew by. He got started on the books for school and practiced Quidditch out on the Quidditch field that was behind the manor.

He read books upon books in the library, taking notes as he went and wrote his friends. They offered him to visit, not knowing he wasn't with the Dursleys, but he declined. A part of him wanted to go but he needed this time to catch up on the past so that he was ready for the future.

A week before September 1st, the portraits awakened. He cried as he spoke to his parents for the first time. His grandparents were a delight. They loved him. He loved them. He wished they were there in person but worked with what he had.

He also took plenty of more notes from them. And learned something interesting about James Potter's best friend Sirius Black who was also his godfather.

It didn't take much to find out he was in the wizard prison Azkaban. His father was very upset about it. His mother cried. They talked him thrugh the letter he needed to write to the heart of the DMLE at the Ministry.

The friend that was the secret keeper was not Black but Peter Pettigrew.