AN: Welcome! This AU takes some of the things established in the Harry Potter universe and dials them up, re-evaluates, or changes them completely to establish a new understanding of magic and how it is used. I wanted magic to be more than wand waving and incantations and so this AU was born of me continually asking myself 'but what if he could do this one thing?' and putting it all together.
My goal is not to avoid or subvert tropes, in fact, in most cases I find myself embracing the tropes, nor is it to have any major plot deviations. I simply wanted Harry to have a different understanding of magic at its core and to explore how that understanding might re-shape his experience at Hogwarts. Don't expect some deep revelation/meaning or Godlike!Harry. That's not what I'm doing here at all. I'm just having fun with my little creations.
I'm also American, and Texan at that, so if my wording is off on any British phrases, I apologize. This first chapter has been looked over by a friend but I have no official beta, so all mistakes are my own.
Chapter 1: To Vulcan's Isle
It was not often that Headmaster Scythe left the grounds of Ignis Academy these days and it was even less often that he returned to the lands where he had spent his youth. England had changed much over the long life of Headmaster Scythe, the Muggle world more so than the magical, but the good headmaster had no intention of staying there for very long. He had only come to England for a very special case, following the request of a family that he had received a message from nearly ten years before.
In the summer of 1981, Headmaster Scythe received an owl, an odd encounter in his life these days, from a young mother. Lily Potter and her husband, James, had a one year old son at the time, Harry, and were about to go into hiding from a dark wizard that had decided to conquer Wizarding Britain. Lily had discovered an account of Ignis Academy, a very special school that resided on a hidden island in the Atlantic Ocean, in a journal she had found in the Potter Family Vault. With the young boy the possible subject of a great prophecy, the Potters had decided to reach out to the headmaster in the hopes of securing a position at Ignis Academy for their son.
Intrigued by the family that had contacted him and the conflict rising in Britain, Scythe had journeyed to Britain and sat down with Lily and James to discuss the possibility of sending the Potter heir to Ignis Academy once he was old enough. The decision had been made, but both James and Lily were aware of the chance that they would not be around to inform their child of such plans. The information was spread to the intended caretaker of Harry if the worst came to pass, the Potter boy's godfather, with a final plan which promised that if Headmaster Scythe hadn't been contacted by either Sirius or another adult on behalf of Harry prior to the boy's tenth birthday, he would search him out personally. There had been no communication from Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, at all, which Scythe had found odd because by all rights Sirius had been an active participant in Harry's life. It was a matter that would need some investigation. But first, the headmaster had his new young charge to locate.
So, Headmaster Scythe had spent the last week looking all over Britain for the now almost ten year old Harry Potter. The Potters had been surprisingly well prepared for such an event and had left letters at Gringotts, one for Scythe and one for their son, as well as an extra key to Harry's Inheritance Vault. Scythe had the letter for Harry in the pocket of his robe and his own letter in his hand, double checking that he had the correct family. If all else failed, Lily had advised Headmaster Scythe to find her sister, Petunia Dursley. Finding the Dursely residence in Surrey had been easy enough, however getting around the extensive wards that kept magical beings from entering the property had been another issue altogether.
In his attempts to bring down the wards without alerting the creator of said wards that he was doing so, Scythe learned that not only was the Potter boy living at Number 4 with his mother's relatives, he was treated as little more than a slave there. Scythe had seen Harry doing the cooking, cleaning, and yard work, all wearing baggy, unkempt clothing that was at least 4 sizes too large for him and avoiding the oaf who those clothes presumably belonged to chasing him around the street. Scythe was disheartened to learn that the child of such loving parents was being treated in such a way and, for perhaps the first time since the agreement had been made, Scythe was glad that he had agreed to personally pick up the child in the worst case scenario. Children like Harry were part of the reason that Ignis Academy existed.
Once the wards were brought down safely, all but a blood protection ward that Scythe deemed ineffective in keeping him away as he didn't intend to cause Harry or his relatives any harm, Scythe waited until the morning of July 30 to knock on the door to Number 4.
Harry's aunt opened the door, a thin woman with an abnormally long neck and a sneer on her lips.
"Good morning, Mrs. Dursley," Scythe said politely. "I apologize for bothering you so early but I am looking for someone, a young Mr. Harry J. Potter."
"There is no one here by that name," Mrs. Dursely said, her voice sounding like the screech of a bird.
"I have to disagree, I saw the boy trimming the garden yesterday evening." Scythe lowered his voice slightly. "I am here at the request of Lily and James Potter, you will let me see young Harry or I will make you."
Petunia's eyes widened when she noticed the wand that Scythe had silently maneuvered into his hands, confirming the headmaster's suspicion that she had a fear, if not hatred, of magic. Of course, Scythe didn't need his wand to cast a spell that would allow him to control Petunia for a few moments, but he found that it wasn't as intimidating to Muggles if he waved his hand like a character in a movie. With a frown firmly in place, Petunia opened the door wider and allowed the man to step past her.
"Boy!" Petunia snapped. "Come out here at once!"
Scythe watched as the small boy pushed open the door to the cupboard under the stairs and stepped out, glasses held together by tape carefully balanced on his nose. The boy didn't look up as he pushed the door closed behind him, keeping his gaze on the ground as he waited for instructions. Scythe gave the woman standing just behind him a scathing look as he stepped forward.
"Harry," Scythe said gently, kneeling so that he was on the same level as the young boy. "Harry, my name is Headmaster Scythe. I was a friend of your parents." At his words, the young boy looked up sharply and Scythe was met with vibrant green eyes, the same shade of green that Lily's eyes had been.
"My parents are dead," Harry said slowly, glancing in Petunia's direction as if to confirm his words. "My father killed them both in a car accident."
"No, Harry, your parents didn't die in an accident," Scythe said in the same gentle tone. "They were killed by a very bad man who was trying to get to you. Before you parents died, I met with them and we agreed that if necessary, I would come and pick you up to take you to school."
"I don't do well in school," Harry muttered. "My parents were murdered?"
"Yes, they were. I am truly sorry for what happened to them. My time with your parents was brief, but I knew them to be intelligent, kind people who loved you very much. That's why they asked me to come for you if need be.
"You see, Harry, I am the headmaster of a very special school for students like yourself. Students who can use magic."
"Magic?" Harry asked, surprised. Behind Headmaster Scythe, Petunia recoiled as if she'd been slapped.
"Yes, magic. You are a wizard Harry, from a long line of powerful wizards. Your parents were magical as well, and they spoke to me about giving you a position at my school before you went to Hogwarts, the most prominent magical school in Great Britain. The school that I run would be a place to prepare you for Hogwarts and to help you develop some skills outside of the Hogwarts curriculum. If you agree to attend, you will be there until your eleventh birthday, at which time you will return here to receive your Hogwarts letter and prepare for traditional schooling. Thereafter, you would spend the majority of each summer at Ignis Academy until your graduation from Hogwarts."
"I can leave here?" Harry asked softly, resolutely not looking in the direction of his aunt when she scoffed.
"If you wish, we will leave right now." Scythe promised. Harry nodded his agreement, pushing his broken glasses up his nose when they slipped with the motion. "Is there anything you wish to take with you?"
"He will not be going," Petunia stepped in. "There's no such thing as magic, we made sure of that when we took him in."
"You cannot remove the magic from a witch or wizard, Mrs. Dursely," Scythe said as he stood up again, turning around to face the woman with Harry behind him. "Mr. Potter wishes to leave, and leave he shall. You cannot stop me."
Anything that Petunia might have said in argument disappeared when she once again caught sight of Scythe's wand. Moving swiftly, Scythe gently ushered Harry out the door to Number 4 Privet Drive and they left an open mouth Petunia staring dumbly in their wake, unsure if she should celebrate being rid of the boy or scared of what may happen when Dumbledor eventually showed up again.
Harry kept silent as Headmaster Scythe led him down the street from Privet Drive, waiting for the moment that the man would turn around and tell Harry that this had been an elaborate prank and he would have to go back into his cupboard. Much to Harry's surprise, Headmaster Scythe did no such thing. In fact, the Headmaster barely looked at Harry until they reached the end of the street where there was a parked black car, apparently the one that the Headmaster had driven to pick Harry up.
"I thought you might be more comfortable with muggle transportation for now," Headmaster Scythe explained. "I'm sure you have many questions and I will be happy to answer them all, but first we have a few errands to run to get you set for school."
"Muggle?" Harry asked as his mind had picked up on the unfamiliar word. Headmaster Scythe offered him a kind smile and pulled open the front passenger door of the car for Harry to climb in.
"Non-magic people, they're called muggles in this part of the world, though most countries have different names for them." Headmaster Scythe made sure that Harry was safely buckled into his seat before pushing the door closed and making his way around the car to the drivers' side. "I know you must be very confused, Harry, and I promise that I will answer any questions you have once we reach a safer location."
Harry remained silent as Headmaster Scythe started the car and continued his silence as they drove to London. Harry was still waiting for the other shoe to drop, which he expected to happen at any moment, when the car came to a stop outside a rather run-down looking establishment. Scythe turned the car off and gestured for Harry to climb out. Harry did as directed, silently following the headmaster into the establishment, apparently named The Leaky Cauldron.
Inside, the patrons of the pub milled about without bothering to look at Headmaster Scythe or Harry. The Headmaster walked swiftly in the direction of a backdoor, ushering Harry along before any of the others could get a good look at the boy. Harry's mouth fell open and he released a surprised sound when the brick wall behind the pub parted and an entirely new street was revealed.
"This is Diagon Alley," Scythe explained as they stepped into the street proper. "The most well-known and prosperous magical shopping center in Britain, though it is not the only one. Places like this exist all around the world, concealed from Muggles with very powerful charms and wards."
Harry listened attentively, soaking up both the words that Scythe spoke to him and the feeling rising in his stomach. All around him, Harry could see evidence of magic. There were signs held aloft by nothing, a broom sweeping the stones on its own accord, and people milling about discussing all manner of things that Harry hadn't the faintest idea of what it could mean. Slowly, the feeling that this was an elaborate prank set out only to mess with Harry faded and was replaced with growing excitement. Harry finally had an explanation for all the odd things that had happened around him growing up and, even better, if he trusted that this was real he might not have to go back to his relatives home.
"Gringotts is just ahead," Scythe continued, unaware of the cycle of emotions moving through Harry, "It's run by goblins. They may look quite frightening but they value respect. If you are not rude to them, they won't be rude to you."
Scythe walked Harry into the bank, past the goblin guards standing by the door, and let Harry look around in wonder as Scythe requested a sizable withdrawal in his name. It was a shame that they didn't have time for Harry to visit his Inheritance Vault or the Potter Family Vault, but Scythe knew that the boy would be returning to Diagon Alley the next summer, before he went to Hogwarts. It was more important to pick up the necessities and leave before anyone else caught wind of who Harry was. The boy didn't need to be mobbed on his first day in the wizarding world.
"What are we getting?" Harry asked, holding the black bag of coins that Scythe handed him.
"Robes, parchment, ink, quills, and a school bag of your choice," Scythe explained. "Everything else that you require at the Academy will either be given to you or made by your own hand."
"Made? What sort of things will I be making?"
"You'll get to decide, but it won't be until after the holidays that you'll begin working on magical crafting. There is quite a bit of theory to understand first. Ah, here we are," Scythe pulled open the door to Madam Malkin's. In quick order, Harry was outfitted with a few selection of robes, trousers, shirts, two pairs of shoes, and three sets of pants and t-shirts made out of the softest fabric available and meant to be slept in. After they settled the bill, Scythe quietly explained the ratio of galleons to sickles to knuts, and they stepped back into the street.
Scythe led the way to the next store, Ink Spills, and selected an assortment of quills, ink, and parchment for Harry to use.
"One of the things you'll learn at the Academy is how to write with a quill," Scythe explained. "It is quite the change from writing with a pen or pencil and your teachers at Hogwarts will be grateful for the time you spend practicing, it will make your essays easier to write and read."
"Hogwarts?" Harry asked. "Is that the Academy?"
"No," They were back on the street now, heading to the luggage shop a few storefronts away. "Hogwarts is one of the most prominent magical schools in Europe and the only one in Great Britain. You'll start Hogwarts next September, after your 11th birthday. The Academy, Ignis Academy is the proper name, is a preparatory school and, if you choose, a school for learning subjects that are more broad than the standard wizarding curriculum."
"What sort of subjects?"
"Magical crafting, as I mentioned earlier, but others as well. As a first year at Ignis, you'll be able to take a variety of classes that focus on connecting your mind, body, and magic together. You'll have to study Magical Theory your first semester, but the rest of your classes will be up to you. We'll go through all of them when we get to the Academy."
Harry turned his attention to the wall filled with school bags as directed, slightly disappointed that Scythe was turning their conversation elsewhere. Scythe informed Harry that he would need to get an uncharmed bag as students are only allowed to use magical items that they craft themselves while at the Academy. He selected a simple grey messenger bag and soon enough they were back on the street. Harry piled all of the purchases they had made into the pocket of the new bag, Scythe having shrunken all of it so that it would fit, and followed behind the headmaster as they made their way out of Diagon Alley.
Instead of returning to the car, Scythe led Harry to a quiet, out of the way spot, and pulled a length of rope from his pocket.
"We're going to take a portkey to the Academy. I warn you that traveling by portkey is rather disorienting at first. Hold on tight and don't let go until I say otherwise."
Harry gripped the length of rope with his hand. A moment later, Harry felt the world beneath his feet fall away as a sharp sensation just behind his navel pulled him away.
They landed roughly on a small wooden dock, Harry tripping over his own feet as they touched down and winding up in a tangled heap against the sun-stripped wood. Headmaster Scythe, eyes shining with amusement, offered his hand to Harry to help him up.
"Welcome to Vulcan's Isle, the home of Ignis Academy," Scythe said once Harry was on his feet again and looking curiously around. "Best to move quickly. Incoming students will be arriving all day. Hello, Matilda."
"Welcome back, Scythe," a woman stood in the sand at the end of the dock, large sunglasses perched on a button nose. She was tall, nearly as tall as the headmaster, and wore light robes. "I trust your trip to England was successful."
"Indeed," Scythe gestured for the boy, who was shyly standing back, and they approached the woman slowly. "Harry, this is Madam Beck, she will be your Magical Theory instructor."
"Welcome to Ignis Academy, young man," Madam Beck greeted him warmly, moving her sunglasses away from her eyes to get a better look at the young boy. Harry nearly gasped aloud at seeing the startling purple hue of Madam Beck's irises.
"Thank you, ma'am," Harry replied softly.
"We'll have you report to the Commons for introductions. A few students are there already but we are still waiting for about ten students from the Americas. Once everyone is here, we'll get your classes sorted and show you where you will be living while you're here." Madam Beck gestured to the largest building in sight, though it - like all the others - looked like more of a hut than anything else. Certainly, there were no buildings that looked anything like a school to Harry.
"Harry will join the others in a moment, I will show him to the Commons before orientation" Scythe leaned in close to Madam Beck and said something too quiet for Harry to hear. Madam Beck nodded once and pulled a notebook from the pocket of her robes, tracing a design on it with her finger and then opening it, lifting a muggle pencil from within, and making a note. She showed Headmaster Scythe what she had written and then reversed the process to pocket her notebook again.
Harry followed the headmaster down a path made of sand colored wood to the large building in the center of the island. All around Harry there were older students milling about, a fair few with books or journals in their hands and even more with blocks of wood and other materials that they were working with either by hand, with some sort of tool, or by wand. Around many students and moving freely about the island were all sorts of animals.
The double doors of the hut were pulled open as the headmaster approached and Harry felt his eyes widen in amazement as he realized that the outside of the hut looked nothing like the inside. It was much bigger.
"One of the things you'll learn," Scythe said when he noticed Harry staring, "Is how to use what we call expanded space, you'll study the theory of it and apply it in magical crafting."
Scythe led Harry up a set of stairs and to the right, walking along a wide hallway before the door at the end was pulled open again and they entered what looked to be an office.
"Here we are," Headmaster Scythe said. "Please, have a seat and we'll get through those questions of yours."
Harry sat in one of the two chairs in front of the headmaster's desk, Scythe taking the one beside him rather than sitting at the desk proper.
"Is all of this real?" Harry asked, just to be sure. It certainly didn't feel real.
"Yes, Harry, this is very real," Scythe said. "I'm sorry to say that you should have known about this world for all of your life, your parents were certain that you'd be raised among wizarding kind even if they weren't around. I'm not sure why you were not but I promise that I will find out."
Harry nodded. "My parents were really killed? Why?"
"When I met your parents, they were about to go into hiding from a very dark wizard named Lord Voldemort. Your parents and another wizarding family were being targeted because of a prophecy that You-Know-Who - most people aren't willing to say the name Voldemort - heard. I am unaware of exactly what the prophecy said but I do know that Voldemort would have been after you, rather than your parents. You were the subject of the prophecy."
"My parents died because of me?" Harry's voice was hoarse.
"No, Harry. Your parents died because of a madman obsessed with power. It is not and never will be your fault. Your parents died protecting you that night, so all that you were left with is that scar." Scythe spoke gently but his words were firm. "Your parents loved you very much, Harry. So much so that they made sure you would be able to get the best education you could, be as safe as possible, even if they weren't around to see it."
Scythe pulled the letter that James and Lily left for their son out of the pocket of his robes and handed it to Harry.
"They left this for you, and I'm sure that they will explain more than I can about your current situation." Scythe didn't comment on the tears that leaked from Harry's eyes, only giving the boy some time to gather his composure. To his surprise, Harry didn't read the letter right away but tucked it into his own pocket.
"What kind of classes can I take?" Harry asked the headmaster once he had tucked the letter away.
"We've already discussed magical theory a bit, and that one is a required class. The other required classes are Plant and Animal Handling. You won't be allowed to take magical crafting if you can't safely harvest your own materials. Ancient Languages is recommended but not required. Most commonly used spells are written in Latin but you can also study Greek, Ancient Egyptian, or regional languages. Spell crafting isn't something that you'll be able to do for a few years but Ancient Language study could give you a leg up if that's something you want to pursue.
"The next recommended course is Occlumency, the art of shielding your mind. There are spells and skills that allow others to see into your mind. We believe that your mind is your most private, precious possession and so we want to make sure you can protect it. Aside from that, the Occlumency meditations will also be helpful if you decide to study the Animagus transformation. That's an ability to turn into an animal at will, though you don't get to choose the animal as it will be your magic's representation of yourself.
"The other classes that are offered for this first semester are active classes, yoga, jogging, or strength and conditioning. There is a direct correlation between the strength of your mind and body to the strength of your magic. The goal for your first year at Ignis Academy is to understand the relationship between these aspects of yourself and apply it to your magical studies moving forward. It is not necessary to understand or even know about this relationship to be successful at magic, but most of our students find that it makes their further education quite a bit easier."
"What about after the holidays?" Harry asked after a long stretch of silence in which he was able to digest all of what the headmaster had just told him. The explanations were simple enough, though Harry suspected there was a great deal more to be said about each subject.
"You'll trade Theory for Crafting, can begin the Animagus instruction, and continue with any other course that you have started. You'll have a student mentor that will be able to explain how the upper years of schooling work and they can help you decide which classes to take based on what you like or don't like."
"Do I have to pick my classes now?"
"No, you'll decide at Orientation with the rest of the first years," Scythe checked the clock on the wall. "Which will begin in roughly one hour. Would you like some time to think, maybe have a snack before then? There are refreshment tables in the Commons."
"Yes, sir." Harry stood from his chair, following Scythe back out of the office and then down the hall, down the stairs, and into the Commons. He left Harry at the refreshment table, citing a need to sort out a few last minute details before Orientation began. Harry fixed himself a plate of sandwiches and crisps, grabbed a cup of what looked like lemonade, and retreated to a small table to eat his snack.
As he ate, Harry thought about all that he had learned that day. He still had so many questions. How did he survive Voldemort's attack? Who told Voldemort about the prophecy? What did the prophecy say? Who did his parents want to raise him? Why hadn't anyone come for him before? They were all questions that Harry didn't have the answer to, but he could at least contend himself with the knowledge that he had not been abandoned, that he was loved by his parents and that they had wanted the best for him. He would wait until he was somewhere more private before reading the letter Scythe had given him, but he was happy to have something tangible that connected him to his parents.
Headmaster Scythe entered the room again, quieting the dull hum of the students chattering at one another. He clapped his hands together twice and in the time it took Harry to blink, 24 student desks appeared in a circle around the headmaster.
"Have a seat, children, and we can begin."
There was a small scrambling of movement as they children did as directed, looking warily at those that they didn't know. Harry ended up with a dark haired boy to his left and a blonde girl on his right.
"Very good, very good," Scythe remained standing, walking in a slow circle to make sure that all the students had found seats. "Welcome to Ignis Academy. For those of you who haven't met me yet, I am Headmaster Scythe. It is my joy to help incoming students choose their classes each year and that is what we are here to do now. You should have all seen the list of available classes, yes?"
Around the circle of desks, the students nodded with a quiet murmur.
"Good, good. We will start with the required classes, and then the recommended, and then the rest from there. Now," the headmaster clapped again and a packet of parchment appeared on every desk. On the first page there was a form to be filled, a list of all the classes available and the student name already filled in the blank at the top. "Let us begin."
Headmaster Scythe began explaining the classes in the same way that he had done for Harry. Harry spent the time that the headmaster was explaining things to others to get a head start on filling out the class request sheet on his desk. Harry, taking what Scythe had said about the connection between mind, body, and magic to heart, selected Magical Theory, Plant and Animal Handling, Occlumency, Ancient Languages, and Yoga. Scythe finished his explanation and opened the floor for a round of questions.
"Yes, Ivan?"
A boy sitting across the circle from Harry had raised his hand.
"What kind of magical creatures live here?"
"All kinds," Scythe answered. "We have a herd each of unicorns, thestrals, and fire horses, at least one breeding pair of every magical snake that isn't inherently dangerous, the same for other magical reptiles and birds, as well as a few packs of wild cats and dogs around the Isle. There are, of course, also several breeds of magical fish surrounding the Isle."
"That's a lot of animals," the same boy replied.
"Indeed, it is."
"What about plants?" The girl to Harry's right asked.
Headmaster Scythe began to list a few of the magical plants scattered around the island, either growing wild or cultivated in greenhouses. The questions continued on with a few about where different classes would be located, Harry noted that his yoga class would take place outside unless there was inclement weather, and a few others about where they would be sleeping, eating, studying, or anything else they wanted to do.
Before long, Orientation had been completed and Headmaster Scythe was gathering up the class request forms from them, taking a moment to make sure that each student had selected an appropriate number of courses.
"Well done, everyone. I look forward to seeing what you accomplish in your studies here at Ignis Academy." Headmaster Scythe held the filled out forms in his hands. "You will receive your timetables in the morning at breakfast. Now, each of you will be divided into groups and shown to your dormitories."
Four teenagers, two boys and two girls, stepped into the room. They split from each other and began calling out names from a parchment in their hands. Harry was called along with Ivan and two other boys named Leo and Isaiah.
"I'm Johnny," the teenager introduced himself. "I'll be your student mentor this year. The four of you will be sharing Hut S. Follow me and I'll take you there."
The five boys trudged out of the Commons behind the boy, stopping in shock when right as they exited, a snake-like creature with wings and a feathered mane soared down and wrapped itself around Johnny's shoulders. Johnny laughed at their expressions.
"Don't worry, boys. This is Ra, my familiar." Johnny said. :Ra, introduce yourself:
:Why? They wouldn't understand me anyway:
:You can talk?: Harry, amazed at hearing a snake speak, didn't realize that he was suddenly the center of attention until he felt six burning stares on him. The other boys had jumped back in surprise and terror at the sound of the hissing.
:A speaker: Ra seemed overjoyed.
"A natural parselmouth," Johnny said happily. "Good on you, Harry."
"A parselmouth?" Harry asked. "What's that?"
"It means you can talk to snakes," Ivan explained, looking at Harry with a pale expression. "It's a sign of a dark wizard."
"That's a load of crap," Johnny said plainly, rolling his eyes in faint amusement as the ten year olds around him gasped. "I can speak parseltongue and I'd be shocked if you thought I was a dark wizard after knowing me for all of then minutes."
Ivan shrunk back, embarrassed. Johnny continued on.
"It is a gift, Harry. Nothing more nothing less. I wouldn't be surprised if you have a magical familiar of your own lurking around the Isle. Though it doesn't have to be a snake, of course."
"Does everyone have a magical familiar?" Leo asked curiously, looking at Ra.
"Everyone has the capacity to magically bond with an animal and I suspect most of you will find some kind of animal companion while you're here. A familiar bond is special and most likely won't happen right away. I didn't meet Ra until I was thirteen and even then it took about a year for our familiar bond to form."
Ra, still perched around Johnny's shoulders, preened under the attention as Johnny once again set the group in motion and walked them to the hut that they would call home for the next year. As they walked, Johnny explained that breakfast, lunch, and dinner would all be held in the Commons each day and that Johnny himself would be around again in the morning before classes to help them find their way.
Hut S had no distinguishing features to it other than the golden letter on the door but just like the Commons hut, the inside was much bigger. A common living room connects to four bedrooms and a common kitchen area where the boys could keep any snacks if they so wished, as Johnny explained. The four boys settled on the chairs and couches in the living room while Johnny summoned a chair from the dining room. Ra curled up across Johnny's shoulders.
"Most students prefer to find study spots around the Isle or in some of the Huts near the Commons, but you do have the option of studying in your rooms if you wish. Of course, there is also the library, which is normally empty because most older students have constructed their own personal libraries."
"How do you construct your own library?" Isaiah asked Johnny.
"Why don't I show you?" Johnny reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bit of wood. In the time it took Harry to blink twice, Johnny had set the small bit on the floor and hissed the word 'enlarge' in parseltongue. The small bit of wood grew until it became a large trunk made of dark wood, golden clasps constructed in a pattern that reminded Harry of Ra.
"As Headmaster Scythe said, we're not allowed to use any magical items here unless we craft them ourselves, except for our wands of course. You're not required to make any specific item, but I found that I enjoyed crafting quite a bit and decided to take it further. This is the third trunk that I've made. This one has five compartments, one of which is a library. I also have a greenhouse, a potions lab, a gym, and a living compartment."
"Living compartment?" Harry asked, surprised.
"I want to travel after graduation. It'll be easier if I don't have to look for places to stay and I've never been fond of magical tents."
"Can we see it?" Ivan asked. Harry looked hopefully at Johnny. His mind was whirling with ideas. If he could make a trunk like that, he wouldn't have to go back to the Dursleys at all. Even if he did, he could simply hide away. It's not like they would notice if he did anyway.
"Of course." Johnny popped open the trunk and instructed them to simply step over the edge. "It will feel like you're walking down a staircase."
Harry was the first to go down the steps into the trunk. It was a bit of an odd sensation. Harry couldn't determine if he was getting smaller or the space in the trunk was getting larger as he walked down the stairs. By the time he reached the bottom, Harry could look up and just barely make out the ceiling of Hut S above him, until the lid of the trunk closed and he could only see darkness above him.
"That's a little unnerving," Isaiah said, looking up. He was the last of the boys down the stairs and, like the others, was staring up at the darkness above them.
"Sorry," Johnny apologized. "I'm still working on some of the cosmetic things for this, it's a recent build." He waved his hand and the landing was covered in light, revealing a short hallway with five doors along it. "The library is this way."
Johnny led the boys to the last door on the left hand side of the hallway. The door opened as the group approached it. On the other side of the door there was a lit fireplace against the far wall, casting light and warmth into the room. A desk sat near the fire with a comfortable chair and a lounge seat placed around it. A miniature tree rested just beside the desk, a perch that Ra quickly settled down on with a pleased hiss.
The other walls were lined with floor to ceiling bookshelves. Each shelf was bursting with texts.
"Did you buy all of these books?" Isaiah asked, eyes wide.
"No, some of them I was given, some I bought, and others I made magical copies of. You'll learn how to do that in your Magical Crafting class." Johnny directed the boys to his desk and showed him some of the enchantments he had added to the library, including spells that would summon the books he needed to his desk and return them to the shelves once he was done with them.
Johnny took the four boys on a tour of the rest of his trunk after leaving the library. They marveled at the brightness of the greenhouse and the coolness of the potions laboratory. The gym was the simplest room, but it was also the largest, with one half of the room bearing a padded floor that was dedicated to a variety of weight machines and the other half containing a half size basketball court. Harry was most interested in the living compartment, which contained a sitting room, a joint kitchen and dining area, a bedroom, and a bathroom. Each room was fully furnished and the bedroom also had a large closet.
"You boys get any ideas for your own trunks?" Johnny asked once they had returned to the sitting room in Hut S. He chuckled as the four boys nodded in unison. "Happy to help. Now, you four should get some rest. I'll be back here in the morning to take you to breakfast. Welcome to Ignis."
Once Johnny was gone, the four boys made their way to their own rooms. Once inside, Harry sat on the edge of his new bed for a moment before falling backwards onto the mattress, sighing in comfort. He was asleep before he remembered the letter he had been so eager to read.
I hope you enjoyed and please let me know what you think!
Next chapter to come on: Feb. 28, 2023.