Magic
The moment he agreed, Dumbledore nodded like he expected it all along and briefly explained the concept of apparation to Harry. He said he was taking Harry to a market to buy his supplies and held out his hand expectantly.
Harry looked at the extended hand uncomprehending what the headmaster wanted him to do.
"Take my hand Mr Potter," Dumbledore said gently.
"Why?"
"It is the only way to get where you want to go."
With great reluctance, Harry extended his hand and felt revulsion when he can in contact with the older man. A moment later his eyes went blind and he felt a great power crush him from all sides. The experience had left Harry gasping for breath but he could not stop the excitement bubbling in him. They could use the void to teleport! It was incredible. Harry was glad he said yes and the rest of the evening was a blur of magic brooms, goblins, gold, robes and wands. He purchased magic books with eagerness and roamed the Apothecary with fascination. He avoided the pet shop and almost went crazy (more than he already was) in the ice cream shop.
He couldn't stop tasting the flavours. They were so many of them. Dumbledore was in Gringotts, the goblin bank, drawing money for his supplies and Harry had a free run of the magical market. He was particularly high on the effect his new wand made on the void. With the wand, the void smoothly slid through the slim piece of wood and before it came out Harry could bend it to his will. He had started with exploding a garbage bin in the gaps between two buildings and laughed when the metal was torn apart by the void. It made a sort of wrenching sound before it crashed into the opposite walls with a loud clang. He couldn't wait to learn more. Before, the void could only move things. Now, with the wand, the possibilities were endless.
The number of people in the Market put him off though. He avoided them like the plague and always moved to the dusty corners of the shops he entered.
Flourish and Blotts; the largest bookstore in the Market was a shop Harry liked very much. The ground floor was full of people but the floors above were empty. A few children and adults roamed around, looking for books but other than that, it was quite empty.
Harry walked between the shelves idly, raking his eyes over the books, looking for anything that caught his interest. So far, he had loaded the basket he was dragging with books that held his name. Books with the words battle, dark arts and dangerous caught his eyes more than anything else did.
"Going a little overboard there aren't you? Do you think you can read them all before the start of term?"
Harry turned around, startled. It was a girl, who looked to be around his age and like all others; dressed in robes. She had golden hair that was manicured straight. An oval face with thin lips, high cheekbones and dark blue eyes topped with long eyelashes. The feature Harry took in was the fact that she was quite taller than him.
He scowled when she idly lifted one of the books in his basket like she owned the place and smirked at the title.
"I saw you with Headmaster Dumbledore before. It is very rare that he accompanies a student to buy supplies. Who are you?"
Harry stared at the girl like she was an idiot. He didn't appreciate others coming into his personal space and touching his belongings. Even though they weren't his yet.
The girl was either stupid or oblivious to his rising temper.
"Are you a mute?" she asked mockingly.
Harry had had enough. He summoned the void and was ready to swot her across the room but then for some reason, the headmasters blue eyes flashed in his mind and with uncharacteristic restraint, he whacked her hand instead. The girl shrieked and dropped the book back in the basket.
Suddenly she was looking at him like he was a different person. Her eyes were wide and she was rubbing her hand tenderly. "Did you just use magic!" she asked incredulously. "You didn't even draw your wand! Please don't tell me that was accidental. You are eleven aren't you?" she asked suddenly unsure. He could be just shopping for a sibling. He was easily two inches shorter than her and that was saying something. He was very pale and his head was a mess of black hair, which made her lips curl in disgust. His eyes however negated attention that his mop head drew and had drawn her in completely which led her to approach him in the first place. Green eyes of that shade were very rare according to her pre-school studies.
Harry turned his back on her and moved on. Talking to children annoyed him. They had nothing of worth to say. And even if they had, he had no interest in talking to one.
"Hey! Don't just walk away! I'm talking to you. Didn't your parents teach you any manners?"
"You're an annoyance that won't go away," Harry said finally, his voice soft with an undertone of warning. He retreated into the void. "Please leave or I'll make you leave."
The girl shuddered at his voice. It was a sort of soft yet firm and unyielding voice. It gave her goose bumps and she stopped in her tracks.
Harry smiled in satisfaction and walked away leaving behind a very curious girl.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Before the end of the day Dumbledore took Harry to an Ophthalmologist who to Harry's surprise decreed his eye sight to be extremely poor and proclaimed in was a miracle he was even able to walk without bumping into things. Harry was sceptical as he was able to see just fine, but when the lens was put in front of his eyes his jaw dropped at the suddenly clarity of the world. Images were clearer. Alphabets were sharper. Colours brighter. It was amazing. He had no idea the world looked so different and when he looked at Dumbledore questioning how he knew; the headmaster cryptically said it was Genes.
When they returned to Janus, Dumbledore handed Harry a letter and a ticket. He explained how to get to the magic platform and inquired if he would require any help on September 1st.
Harry shook his head and Dumbledore turned to leave with a nod. However, before he left he turned to Harry and looked at him penetratingly. His deep blue eyes looked cold as ice and Harry felt more than a little uncomfortable.
"I expect you to behave yourself and not hurt anyone in my school. If you do, I promise, you will regret it."
The Void felt fear and Harry nodded with wide eyes.
Dumbledore disappeared without a sound.
The next one month, Harry buried himself in the books he had bought and he understood why Dumbledore had used magic to hide his scar. Apparently, he was famous for killing a Dark Lord when he was one year old. It made him chuckle. Looks like the Dursley's hadn't been his first kill after all.
Sometimes he wondered if they were to be the last. Then the obese visage of Dudley swam in his memories and he decided that Dudley was to be the last. The books also made Harry realise the Wizards were unaware of Harry's murderous feast at Privet Drive at that disappointed Harry. It had been a very artistic night after all.
By the time 1st September arrived, Harry had devoured a History of Dark Lords, his schoolbooks, magic a common wizard should know, and his favourite; The Dark Arts and their Follies. Magic, Harry decided, was fantastic and incredible while the school books were dull and stale. He sincerely hoped there was a worthwhile library at the school or else he would have to make more trips to the Market.
At 10:00 am, Harry summoned his shrunk trunk and put it in his pocket. His wand was safely in his newly charmed pants with pockets longer than his arm. He also had brand new round specs balanced over his nose.
He was wearing a brand new, clean and ironed white shirt and his school robe was neatly tucked into his breast pocket that was also charmed to be longer than his arm and wider than a table for four. His hair was wet and neatly pushed to one side. His pale lightning bolt scar was hidden with the magic he had seen Dumbledore use to hide the scar. The wand was really useful.
Harry summoned the void around him and recreated the magic he had seen around Dumbledore. Then, from within his locked room, Harry disappeared with a loud crack and reappeared in an alley near Kings Cross.
He mentally shook off the nauseous feeling of being squeezed like a wet cloth and walked out of the alley. He navigated around traffic and people and hurried towards platform 9 and 10.
As he walked on the platform the void sensed magic in one of the pillars and he knew that was it. He had to walk through it according to the headmaster's instructions. Harry didn't do it. What if the headmaster was joking? He had come dressed as a clown after all, he wondered. His doubts were put to rest when he saw a family of three quietly walk through the wall with a large trolley in hand.
Harry smiled and then quickly shut his mouth before following the family with his eyes closed. He felt like he walked through some kind of slimy membrane and then he opened his eyes. His eyes widened in wonder. A golden scarlet train attached to an ancient steam engine filled the platform with its presence. It was beautiful.
The number of screaming children and laughing parents on the platform put him off and he quickly headed inside the train. He found an empty compartment and settled near the window and then he saw parents and children peeking in through the window either looking for good seats or looking for their children. He got up and chose an empty compartment over looking a scatter of trees and dozens of rail tracks. He wondered if those were the non-magical tracks, or muggle as the books called them or if they were tracks for more magical trains. He wondered if the train could fly.
A couple of hours later the train wasn't flying and Harry was curled up in his place staring out the window, through gold rimmed spectacles, with fascination, as green and blue blurred past. It was his first time in a train and the light rocking and sounds of the metal wheels rolling over steel tracks was addictive. He giggled every time the wheels went over the gaps between the tracks, which sounded; to him like the train was going to fall of a cliff and everyone on board would die.
He of course would survive.
He imagined the awe-inspiring sight of all the broken, dead bodies in a sea of red ooze and giggled again.
"What's so funny?" asked the boy sitting opposite him nervously. Harry's giggle wasn't funny. It was freaky.
Harry ignored him. He disliked kids even though he was one too. He disliked people in general. They were noisy and kept disturbing his thoughts. He sank into the void and felt its welcome emptiness.
"Ignore him," said another boy. "He's been fixed in that position since the train began to move and he giggles and laughs every now and then."
The other boy glanced at Harry nervously and turned back to the other boy with a weak smile. "Can he hear us?"
"If he can, he's ignoring us. Do you get the hint?"
The nervous boy laughed. "I'm Neville. Neville Longbottom."
"Draco Malfoy."
Neville paled.
"Heard about my family have you," Draco said with a smirk. "I've heard about yours as well. Your grandmother is really scary you know."
"Y-yes. She is."
"Who do you think he is?" Draco asked, jerking a finger toward Harry who was giggling again.
"Must have escaped from an asylum I think," Neville joked.
Draco snorted. "He's insane that's for sure. Anyway, I hear Harry Potter is on this train somewhere. Want to help me find him? The Boy who lived is going to need someone to show him around and we purebloods should be the ones to do it, don't you think?"
Neville stared at the thin but confident boy. He was not much taller than him but he looked like a prince. A prince with bleach blonde hair that was regally slicked back. Neville felt his insecurities and inefficiencies rise. Why did this boy from one of the most powerful families in England want him; a pudgy and weak wizard, to join him?
"Well?" Draco demanded impatiently. "Are you coming or not?"
"S-sure," Neville stammered. "Let me get Trevor."
"Tre-who?"
"My toad," Neville said absently looking around.
He missed the disgusted sneer that grew on the blonde.
"He'll turn up. Now let's go!"
Draco didn't wait for a reply. He grabbed Neville's wrist and dragged him out, ignoring his splutters and protests.
Once they left, Harry turned away from the window and glanced at the open door with a cold expression. "I shouldn't kill them," he said to himself with a sigh. The idea of cutting them up into pieces and rearranging their body parts imagined quite appealing. "The headmaster wouldn't like that."
A shiver ran down his spine. The headmaster was a scary person. He didn't want to anger such a person.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Few more people came into the cabin and for some reason they didn't stay long. Harry wondered why they spoke so much trash. Silence was so much more beautiful. Thoughts made more sense than words. Words made no sense. Thoughts on the other hand were much more reliable.
Speaking thoughts never made sense and hence his firm decision to not speak. Although he would argue it was more to do with avoiding conversations. He was a born and breed an anti-social being after all. A being who cared about nothing but his void.
Harry chuckled at the train of his thoughts and left the void when the train jerked to a stop. He got off the train, onto a dull grey platform and followed the voice of an actual giant with an atrocious accent.
Bodies bumped into him and he scowled fiercely when he noticed a few taller and older boys sniggering at his small stature. He was easily the shortest among all.
Before he could summon the void to teach those boys size didn't matter, he was shoved again and this time a girl who's way he was in.
"The giant is calling us. Move," she demanded.
Harry clenched his teeth. The void began to bubble.
"Oye! You in tha back!" the giant called suddenly. His voice louder than a cannon boom. "Dark hair and round glasses! Get into the boat will ya!"
Harry listened and forced the void to settle down while grumbling under his breath. He glared at the girl who shoved him and got into the boat with her.
The girl looked him over and smirked. "Did you never get out much or are you the love child of a vampire?" she mocked.
"All of ye duck!" shouted the giant when a particularly low bridge came looming in front of them.
Everyone automatically ducked but the girl suddenly found herself to be stuck. She couldn't move. She couldn't talk! She began to panic and her roving eyes locked on Harry. Harry looked into her eyes and smiled.
The back of her head hit the wall with a crunch and she fell into the water.
Harry let her go.
She burst above the surface, screaming and flailing about. "Help! Help me!" she screamed. She sank into the water and kicked her body back above spluttering and screaming in terror.
"Oye! Boy! Help her!"
There was no one else in the boat. Harry just leaned back and watched her with glittering eyes. He wanted to see her drown. He had never seen anyone drown before.
Before the giant could jump into the lake and save the girl, a giant shadow suddenly rose below the surface of the lake and to every child's shock and awe, a giant tentacle rose above the surface and pushed the girl back into the boat.
She lay there, shivering, scared, head hurting and sobbing.
"Are ye aright?" yelled the giant. "Squiddy won't let anyone drown!" Harry detected a tone of relief in the giant's voice hinting at not complete confidence in Squiddy.
"I'm.. I'm…"
"Oh! Look ahead all of ye!"
Heads swivelled from the girl to the front and oooo's and aaaahhh's went rolling through the air. Harry never turned and kept his eyes fixed on the girl.
He stood up to get closer to her and she immediately scrambled back in fear.
Harry smiled. He couldn't help it. He then reached into his breast pocket and pulled out his Hogwarts robe. "To keep you warm," he said softly.
"T-thank you," she stuttered. There was red dripping down the back of her neck; she was spared more damage that's to the roots that grew all over the low bridge. Harry almost laughed at the shape of her nose. The tip was bent upwards and her nostrils were on display if she turned up her nose. Her face was small and she had long black hair. Her dark eyes were now looking at Harry warily.
Her eyes then turned away from him and looked behind. Her gasp made Harry turn and his eyes widened.
The sight was awe-inspiring. The massive stone structure, lit by the light of a half moon, rose majestically into the night sky and broadened, curved and disappeared through a forest that looked menacing as it did inviting. Thin towers could be seen stretching even higher if he squinted and as the boats got closer, an arch shaped double door thrice the size of the giant came into view.
Harry couldn't make out the shape of the castle. He would have had to travel much further away and higher too fully grasp the size and shape of the castle known as Hogwarts.
Harry pulled on the void to immediately he gasped at the amount of warmth and welcome the castle radiated. It almost felt like the magic around was alive! He had never felt such joy before. It was a strange rush and the smile the graced his face and lit his eyes went unnoticed by all. They would have thought him a completely different person.
This castle. Hogwarts. It felt like home.
The boats bumped into the shore and the giant led them across wet mud and grass to the castle doors.
Harry felt the magic of the castle wrap around him like a cocoon. It felt amazing.
The giant lifted a doorknocker larger than three boys put together and banged the door once, twice and then a third time.
The thuds felt like nothing to those outside but Harry was sure inside, the noise would have woken half the castle.
Suddenly a gold hairline crack appeared between the doors and then with a great groan, the wood began to open and light flooded out, blinding those outside.
It took a moment for their sight to return and when it did, the doors were fully open and standing at the entrance of what seemed to be a huge corridor, was an old woman. Her grey hair was neatly folded into a bun above her head. Her grey eyes were lined with wrinkles and everything about her screamed prim and proper. She stood straighter than a bamboo tree and her eyes swept over the crowd of children regally.
"Were there any problems Hagrid?" she asked. Her voice cracked like a whip and Harry found himself unconsciously smoothening his robes and straightening his back. He didn't want to cross this lady.
Hagrid jerked a thumb the size of Harry's leg at the shivering girl. "She fell in ter the lake. Squiddy pushed er' back in."
The professor snapped her fingers and to everyone's amazement the girl was dry, her clothes freshened and her body was steaming with warmth.
Only Harry noticed the quick moment of the wand in her left hand.
He grinned. It was a cool trick. He almost missed the little quirk of her lips showing her amusement.
"Welcome to Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry. My name is Professor McGonagall. Follow me for the sorting."
That said, she turned swiftly and walked into the castle.
Quickly the new students followed and some gulped at the line of armour and sharp looking weapons that were lined on either side of the corridor. High above, candle lit chandeliers floated lazily casting just enough light to see where one was going.
A chuckle made Harry look to the side sharply. It sounded like it had come from the suit of armour but it was as still as a dead man. Harry walked on but glared at the suits suspiciously. He was sure the chuckle had come from one of them.
Soon they reached another set of doors. These smaller than those at the entrance but still huge nonetheless.
"Hogwarts," began the professor. "Is divided into four houses. The sorting will determine which house you below to and where you would grow the most, magically and mentally. The houses are designed to create competition and not hostility. You are encouraged to make friends outside your house and overall, became a witch or a wizard, Hogwarts can be proud of!"
Some students clapped enthusiastically and some hesitantly. Harry couldn't help but think there was more to the speech than what was said.
"Now without further ado."
The doors opened.
For a moment, Harry thought they had walked into the outside grounds again. There were four long tables lined up side by side with students, small and large occupying the wooden bench, looking towards them with deep curiosity. Hundreds of eyes focused on the first years and understandably, many of them got nervous.
Harry didn't notice the stares. His eyes rolled up and when they could roll no further his head turned up and stared. He summoned the Void and the sight astounded him.
"I've read it's enchanted to look like the sky outside," came a whisper near him.
Harry wasn't enamoured by the sky. He was left speechless with the magic he could see that made up the roof! It was dense and energetic. His magic when summoned, looked like a slight distortion to him, but this, this was something else. There were layers and layers of colours, almost like thunderclouds. They rolled with a fury expected from a storm and colours danced across the roof.
Harry's heart sped up. He wondered why the void was colourless and this magic that enchanted the roof was so vibrant and full of life. Could he do the same with the Void?
"HARRY POTTER!"
Harry jerked out of his trance and looked towards the voice; startled.
The hall was buzzing with curiosity and excitement.
"Harry Potter! If you're here please step up!" shouted Professor McGonagall in a thoroughly annoyed voice.
The students around him look left and right, looking for a hero with a scar and when Harry stepped forward many gasped.
"Is that really him?"
"He looks fragile!"
"I don't see the scar."
"That can't possibly be Harry Potter."
The wonder was replaced with a more familiar feeling. Anger. The Void wanted to lash out at the voices. They were annoying.
Harry reached the professor and she gestured for him to sit on the stool. Harry sat and saw hundreds of faces looking at him with various emotions reflected in their faces before a hat dropped over his eyes and blocked his sight.
'Well well well,' said a deep and manly voice. 'Bee in your bonnet Mr Potter?'
'The hat can talk?' thought Harry.
"I'm talking in your mind Mr Potter. No one can hear us. I must say, it's been a while since a mind as twisted and damaged as yours has come to me for a sorting."
A brief moment of panic struck Harry. The hat could read his mind?!
'Calm down,' the hat said and immediately Harry felt himself relaxing. He knew it was magic affecting his senses.
'You aren't the first to panic about their thoughts and memories being examined. What happens in your mind stays in your mind and mine.'
'Get out.'i
'Not until we decide where you belong and it's quite obvious really.'
Harry tried not to think. He didn't want the hat to be in his mind any longer but something was preventing him from lashing out and tearing the hat to shreds.
'I'd be a rich hat if I counted the number of times students have had such destructive thoughts about me. I'd also be a rich hat if I counted the number of psychopaths I've sorted. You, however, are a different kind of psychopath. More than getting your kicks by killing, you get them by learning about magic. Dumbledore was an idiot to leave you with those muggles. Slytherin had the right idea you know; muggles and wizards cannot get along.'
'What the fuck are you on about?'
'So the boy can talk. How wonderful. And an abuse mixed in too. Absolutely genius.'
Harry scowled. The hat was beginning to piss him off and there was nothing he could do about it.
'You have an insatiable thirst for knowledge and you've been brought up in hate and pain. You're not rash like Gryffindor and neither are you manipulative like Slytherin. You're ruled by emotions and you need to learn about emotions if you are to choose a path. The question is; are you capable of undoing the damage done to your mind or will you continue to wallow in hate and become a true monster.'
…
'Stop imagining mutilating me Mr Potter. You can't. I'm protected by more than just spells. I need an answer from you if I'm to sort you."
Harry didn't stop.
The hat sighed. 'Well that gives me more of an answer than you could ever hope to understand with your current mind-set. Gryffindor would have served you well but for now you belong in…'
"RAVENCLAW"