[a/n]A good read is Harry Potter and the Three Rules By: Becca Dax – This has nothing to do with that story except the title's inspiration - h uses 3 laws

Harry Does Different CDLVIb

Harry Asimov

Abused harassed and bullied by his cousin, a 9-year-old boy with green eyes, dark hair and a lightning scar hid in Little Whining Elementary's library. The librarian, old man Radcliffe, who the boy liked to imagine was his grandfather, pitied the boy whose situation he knew and allowed the rules to be bent. One day, he approached with a book and said "This has always been one of my favorites. It may be a bit over your head, I was only a couple years older than you when I first read it, but…"

"THE CAVES OF STEEL." Was the title Harry read. It was a pocket-sized paperback, old but lightly used. On the front was a man with a metal arm, on the back was an eye-catching introduction that said "He looked like a man. He walked like a man. He talked like a man. But he wasn't a man! Detective R Daneel Olivaw was a robot. Lije Baley was told his new partner in a murder investigation would be a robot."

Mr. Radcliffe smiled "I noticed you took a liking to a young person's edition of a Sherlock Holmes story. This is like that. The ultimate solution isn't obvious, although with all the clues a smart detective like Mr. Holmes or Mr. Baley, can get there."

Harry struggled with elements of the story. Never had he been to America, so that country thousands of years in the future, was beyond his experience. The librarian's recommendation to not dwell on it helped, and he began enjoying the story. More than halfway in he encountered a new concept that would affect him greatly. Mentioned here and there, but not detailed were Three Laws of Robotics:

The First Law, A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm."

Second Law which states, 'A robot must obey the orders given by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law,'

and the Third Law, which states, 'A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.'

That the protagonist solved the murder should be no surprise. There were other books. And there were talks with Mr. Radcliffe. At first presented as absolute and immutable [ie] That a robot would destroy itself for harming a human; the Laws had shadings and exceptions. A robot, especially a very valuable one, would not unquestioningly obey an order to destroy itself. And while a robot could possibly perform an appendectomy, the cutting into a human body would cause damage. Thus, Harry was in no danger of dying because he punched Dudley. However, when a 9-foot-tall bear of a man came to deliver a Hogwarts letter, the boy he encountered had had two years to absorb the philosophy.

Abcij

The redhaired boy across from Harry had just tried to turn his rat yellow and the young witch was scornful "Well, that wasn't a very good spell was it?"

"Hermione you said your name was?" Harry interjected himself as the boy's face flushed ashamedly "I mean no insult, as you indicated you were on a quest to assist another. That indicates a good person, HOWEVER we are going to school to LEARN magic. Don't you think a first train ride is a bit early to be getting every spell perfect? Or even know why Ron's didn't work?"

Bushy brown waved about as she frowned then "No. And I have not read all my texts yet. So no I can't say. Sorry Ron."

"Sall righ!" the boy was chewing on a sweet, but paused to smile at the apology.

She grinned back at the more relaxed atmosphere then, to the spectacled boy "But, you did say you're Harry Potter? You must know all about magic from what I've read."

"I imagine you've read about The-Boy-Who-Lived. I can't say where those authors got their information. Perhaps just some historical fiction. I assure you, I knew nothing about magic until midnight of my birthday last month." Harry presented a possible theory, which still followed his philosophy of avoiding harm "And, don't think I am trying to get rid of you, but didn't you say you were helping someone find a pet?"

Flushing slightly, Hermione stomped her foot at herself and said "I'm so sorry! See you at school!"

"They've been talking about it all up and down the train. You are Harry Potter aren't you?" a relatively small boy with a loud personality and flanked by two bulky ones entered before the witch could depart. He did not acknowledge either of the other occupants.

To that the new wizard nodded and politely replied "I am indeed sir. And these are my acquaintances, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. May we know yours? And those of your friends? That may be presumptuous, but since you came in together, I assume you are friends."

"Certainly" the visitor was surprised by the courtesy "Draco Malfoy, heir to the Noble House of Malfoy. These are Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, whose families have allegiance to mine. You should be aware, Potter, of the proper circles to socialize with. I can help you there." A look of disdain at the compartment's other occupants was obvious, but uncommented on.

Harry stood and shook the extended hand "Your offer is appreciated Mr. …or should it be… Heir Malfoy. I welcome it in the spirit it was made. Would you three like to join us? I don't believe six First Years would be too crowded?"

"We are already setup in another compartment sir." Associating with a Blood Traitor grated against his nerves; and an obvious Mudblood actually turned Draco's stomach, but he dared not show it in the face of such politeness "I look forward to the Sorting Ceremony. A bit of free information, custom has it incoming First Years are not supposed to know the exact process. Rumor has it we must fight a troll or some such. I have learned from sources unnamable that it merely involves a magical artifact."

The look on Ron's face was highly revealing.

"I've heard that." Harry was again polite "Considering we haven't even had a class, I don't think it likely. Maybe it's some test for graduation. I wish you luck. Vince, Greg, you too."

Hermione's eyes followed the departing trio not at all sure what she witnessed. Ron, however, was sure. As soon as the door clicked shut he demanded "Don't you know who they are? Slytherin! Evil to the bone!"

"Hermione, I mean no insult. Merely making a point." Harry first addressed the witch, then turned to the other wizard "Ron, think about what I said when Hermione made fun of your spell quote is a bit early to be getting every spell perfect unquote. I do not know what Slytherin means, however it is just as too early to know if a person is evil before we even have our first dinner. Likewise, I mean no insult to you."

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"The Three Laws of Robotics? A fascinating philosophy." An ancient voice spoke in Harry's head. And it seemed to the Great Hall full of witnesses to be a lengthy hatstall situation "The magic which created me does something similar, in that I can never reveal anything I see in your heads. And that is more than even the near absolute security those laws imposed on robots. I cannot be made to reveal any of what I have seen. Even to destruction. I offer two bits of advice. One is that few, if any, wizards would adhere to such a code. It is something that can be used against you in ways R Daneel used his mental powers to avoid. And, such a thing similar to mentalics exists among magicals. They all are in the form of spells, but can be resisted with Occlumency. Meanwhile, to see to your Sorting. While Ravenclaw calls to you for the thirst for knowledge, it is insufficient. Your Three Laws preclude any slyness or ambition. That leaves Hufflepuff or Gryffindor: The absolute loyalty created by The Laws is a problem, because while you have made that a deep part of your beliefs, you have not latched onto anything to BE loyal TO. While the bravery so fundamental to Gryffindor inspires many so Sorted to unselfish acts and stepping in where saints fear to tread, an important component is to surmount fear. What you have done is deny fear exists. Regardless, we shall go with family history as a tiebreaker. GRYFFINDOR!"

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The school year was only days old and First Year Harry Potter had been restricted to the tower outside of class and meal times. This was not punishment, the hearing about to start would decide that. Not offered a seat, he stood before many of the most powerful witches and wizards of Britain. His calm demeanor was most disquieting.

"You are here, boy, to answer for what you did to my son!" the wizard with long blond hair began without identifying himself.

Harry looked at him sadly "I assume you are Mr. Malfoy. I deeply regret the injury to your heir. May I inquire as to how he is?"

"Do not think us swayed by some false expression of compassion." He growled, long hair bouncing in tempo with his fury.

The Headmaster intervened "Now now, Lucius, you mustn't assume such duplicity. By all reports I have seen, Harry has been a paragon of honesty. Much has been made of the desire to punish Harry for what happened, but little has been said of exactly what occurred. My boy, can we hear things from your perspective?"

"Of course, sir." People said many things about Harry, him being impolite wasn't one. "In Potions class, we were brewing …as Professor Snape called it… a simple Foot Fungus treatment. My partner was Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley was working with Millicent Bolstrode. I do not know the name of Draco Malfoy's partner. I glanced up from my work and saw him …Draco, that is… toss something toward Ron and Millicent's cauldron. There had been some unfriendly exchanges between Ron and Draco since school started, so I assumed it was some kind of prank and swatted it away. The object bounced back into Draco's cauldron causing a fireball. Draco screamed in pain and Professor Snape ordered us all out of class."

Mr. Malfoy shouted "THE BRAT IS LYING!"

"I do not wish to seem disagreeable, sir." Said Harry "However, it is against my beliefs to tell falsehoods."

The blond wizard sneered "Of course, we have the only child in the world who cannot lie."

"Like any other human, I have the ABILITY to lie." the young wizard was now quoting a robot "It is simply something I choose not to do as it violates the purpose of communication, which is to share fact. And not for mere personal gain. Besides it is unnecessary in any case. I imagine Draco is aware had he delayed just a few minutes, the lacewing fly he attempted to land in our classmates' cauldron, there would have been no fireball. His injury was just bad timing."

Trying to reverse the argument, Lucius countered "Caused by your actions, boy."

"I could not fail to act in light of the danger to Ron and Millicent." Harry explained "And had those lacewing flies landed in their potion, which was not as far along as others, the fireball would have been bigger. Perhaps even fatal. While I regret Draco's injury and am glad he will recover, my actions were in the best interest of everyone in the class."

The Headmaster was nodding, and he had support from enough of the right people "I think, Governor Malfoy, we can close this matter. Harry, on the surface, your actions were somewhat reckless. Your punishment will be a detention with your Head of House, during which you will write a theme. The subject of which will be, for my edification, a more detailed explanation of your beliefs. All other restrictions are canceled. You may go."

"Yes sir." Answered Harry, though he turned back before exiting "And again, Mr. Malfoy, I regret my actions necessarily caused harm to Draco. Good day." It is fortunate for Harry, that even in the Wizarding World, looks alone could not kill.