Hey everyone,
So yeah, this chapter is probably one of the points where Darkened is really going to deviate from Preventing.
Like I said at the start of this story, I'm not even sure if I will continue calling this a rewire of the former story.
One huge difference? Vernon won't have his "special client". I definitely want to portray the Dursleys as terrible Muggles, but this time around I want to accomplish that goal in a different way; one that doesn't scar Harry that badly.
We cool?

Venquine1990
PS. Due to my private life I can't guarantee that this will be a finished chapter. I will work on it as much as possible, but life won't always go the way I want it to.

Chapter 29
The Start Of Youth

26th of June 1995
Great Hall, Hogwarts
James' POV

"Are – are all chapters going to be this – like this?"

My heart goes out to the sweet young first year girl at the Hufflepuff table. And while Nella goes over to sit with her, I gently smile at her and say:

"I doubt it. There will, after all, be chapters about Harry's trips to Diagon Alley, his trips on the Hogwarts Express, him playing Quidditch and just chapters describing the regular school weeks.

This chapter was just extra heavy because the book genuinely wanted to convey the importance behind this reading and because some of us felt the need to express the darker side of the victory we achieved all those years ago."

The girl nods in understanding and gives us both a grateful smile.

"So now we get to listen to Potter growing up. How fun."

Harry grimaces, though whether this is because he has tried to keep his homelife hidden and secret from the magical world or because of how sarcastic Draco sounds at the end, I can't say.

"You're wrong, Malfoy. The title of the next chapter is called The Vanishing Glass and the first line says that ten years have passed."

Draco seems to feel a mix of relieved annoyance, while Filius starts to bounce in his seat and levitates the book over as he tells Katie that he'll read next.

"At least we won't have to suffer being reminded that those Muggles exist for too much longer." I hold back a snort as I hear my wife whisper this in our son's ear.

CHAPTER TWO

THE VANISHING GLASS

Nearly ten … his mother.

"This can't be right, right? That almost sounds as if those people think that they're living in a showroom instead of a home or something."

Instantly someone next to the young lad asks what a showroom is and he gets told that his friend will tell him later.

Lily and Harry, in the same time, prove that they are related. They roll their eyes in perfect sync and Lily dully tells the kid:

"Trust me, young man. The book might do a lot, but it sure isn't exaggerating there. And your comparison is almost insultingly accurate."

I glance past them as Dumbledore's silence makes me wonder if he has given up or if he just doesn't consider the whole topic not worth his time.

The room … the stove.

Ron and the twins share a confused and shocked look at this. Harry winces and yet again I wish that my son had trusted his friends enough to come clean about this.

"He had his reasons." I quickly make sure to warn the three, who look at me confused. Yet I leave it at that and Filius reads on.

At the same time, the fact that we are reaching this troubling subject so quickly makes me reach into my robe pocket where Bill's report is lying innocently.

"Almost." I think to myself.

He rolled … dream before.

A lot of students and even a few teachers stare at my son. "Trust me, I would rather remember the rest of that than what those fiends pulled up from my subconscious."

The cold tone coming from my son's voice makes everyone who had been at Hogwarts last year wince. Many heads turn away again and Filius reads on.

His aunt … them on.

"You might want to clean your room a bit better, dear." Nella wants to gently admonish. Yet I wince and Filius growls: "He wasn't in a room."

Almost every head turns to the man, who is gripping the book so tightly I feel like blessing the fact that it was made by the Powers that Be.

And while he rarely shows it, as Filius always claimed to love the tranquillity that comes with teaching more, the Goblin-Warrior side is now clear for all to see.

This sight makes Nella and Molly have to scurry around the hall to calm down and reassure several frightened first years.

And with a voice that sounds almost nothing like the man usually does when in front of a class, he spats out one important line.

Harry was … he slept.

It takes several moments full of tense, disbelieving silence – before pandemonium breaks loose across the entire hall.

Aqua shouts a reminder about the Time spell to Lea, Axel, Isa, Roxas and Xion just before the lot of them disappear in their usual cloud of smoke.

Sirius actually pushes himself so that he's between James and Harry and pulls our son on his lap, his grip tight to indicate how much he's trying to restrain himself.

All of Lea's friends have disappeared. For a moment I wonder if Lea and the others took them with them.

But then a sound is heard from above and when I look up, my eyes widen as Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aqua are fighting each other above our heads.

All four of them are glowing blue and seem to rely on the walls covering the length of the Great Hall to repower this skill of theirs.

Over and over they reach the long walls, take a few steps across the length or height of the walls and then they would launch themselves off again.

And after hitting each other – mostly Sora on Riku and Kairi on Aqua and vice versa – they would use each other to launch off back to the walls.

I wonder where Terra and Ventus might be and look around. The two have actually forced the doors to the Great Hall open and are in the Entrance Courtyard.

Yet unlike everyone else, it seems as if something scared Ventus as Terra has his arms wrapped around the blonde and seems to try to calm him down.

I worry for the blonde and Lily, who notices my gaze, whispers that she'll go check on them. I nod at her and return my focus back to the Great Hall at large.

Plenty of students are also asking each other all kinds of questions, how this could've been missed by anyone being the most prominent among them.

What worries me is that most of Harry's friends are either looking at each other in guilt over missing this or, worse, staring at Harry in betrayal.

After everything I've seen them do during their years with Harry as their friend and peer, I genuinely hope that they won't actually act on this feeling.

In the meantime I turn to look at the Head Table.

And the sight there brings a smile to my face.

There is a circular shield surrounding Dumbledore, meant to protect him from the curses thrown his way by Flitwick, Hagrid and his umbrella, Babbling and Moody.

Yet obviously the shield is not able to protect him from Molly, Nella, Pomona and Minerva who are all screaming his hide full.

"WHY AREN'T YOU JOINING US?"

Someone suddenly shouts from another table.

I pull Bill's audit from my pocket as I stand up and answer simply: "Because we already know about this. We've seen our son suffer under this fact for 10 years."

This simple answer actually seems to silence a lot of students. Though after a moment I wonder if my tone of voice might not actually be the reason.

After all, like the smile on my face, my voice is full of satisfaction and victory. Those confusing features must've confused them into silence.

"Tell me, how do you take down someone so famous you fear you might turn your greatest friends against you just for suggesting that something might be faulty with them?

I'll tell you, you bide your time, wait until you get provided with some irrefutable evidence – and then throw your own irrefutable evidence on top of that."

By now I have everyone's attention, including Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aqua who have come down from the walls and are staring at me.

I raise the audit paper above my head and state: "I already mentioned how callous you are earlier, Dumbledore. And here I have even more proof of that.

After all, this audit paper proves that you cared as much about taking proper responsibility for my family's financial legacy as you did about my son."

"That is a lie! I had the best Goblin start working your family account!"

Dumbledore actually has the gall to shout.

"The best? Or the one who would be stupid enough to follow your idea of a proper financial balance? Because trust me, Dumbledore, this audit proves me right."

"What could possibly be in that audit to prove this?"

"The fact that, thanks to no income and an increase of outcome sources, my son's trust vault can only be refilled 3 more times before we end up completely and utterly – broke."

It really doesn't surprise me that Dumbledore summons the audit paper from my hand as soon as I finish speaking.

What does surprise – and amuses – me is that Flitwick summons the paper just as it's about to reach the older man's outstretched hand.

"I'm part Goblin, Albus. I was raised to have a better understanding of proper finance than you and I've continued that education through all my years of life and hardship.

I'll decide if this paper, and Lord Potter's claims, are valid."

Dumbledore clearly looks upset with everything going on around him.

Flitwick scans the document and then asks me if he can underline the income portions. I happily grant him permission and after a few minutes of doing so, he hands the document to Dumbledore.

The man takes the paper and reads it. And reads it again. And again. And every time his eyes seem to pass over the document, he whitens more and more.

"This – this can't be right."

Yet William beats me to the punch and speaks up instead. "It is. And I made sure to tell the Goblin working on that audit to add notes stating exactly when each of these problems started and what caused them.

The whole timeline of that can be found at the bottom of the audit. And before you try to use the excuse of bias, the only bias this Goblin has is for humans who work at Gringotts. He is known to hate and distrust all other people.

Even people like werewolves and vampires, who are hated and mistreated by others like us, will never get specialized treatment from him unless they work for him or Gringotts.

And even then, like myself, they need to have worked at either for at least 3 years before they will even get to meet with him.

Yeah, even those working under him."

Dumbledore, like many others, stares at William for this last statement for several minutes before his gaze turns down, back to the paper in his hands.

Yet again, the man's eyes rake over the paper and, with a voice full of weak disbelief, he whimpers:

"It – it says here that – that while 32% of the Potter financial losses can be – be blamed on the war – that – that the other –."

And while I had, begrudgingly taken responsibility for reading this as I had, in my youth, donated more money to the war-cause than I realized was necessary, I state:

"That the other 68% can be laid at your feet and that of the Goblin you decided to hire. Why you even did so in the first place, when the paper clearly states that the one hired by my father still lives and breathes, is probably the biggest problem."

"How can that be a bigger problem than the fact that you'll be out on the streets in only 3 years?"

Theodore Nott asks, his voice full of anger and confusion.

I smirk, first at the lad and then at Dumbledore as I answer:

"Because of the discovery made in the last book. How Hogwarts – sides with my son." A lot of sounds of confusion follow this statement.

"It's not just the castle itself. The portraits and even your own statue guardian, Dumbledore, seem willing to turn against you.

They kept Harry up to date on when you left on ICW meetings and the sort. And, thanks to his 3 week stay in Diagon Alley, he was able to create a bond of communication with the Goblins.

He called on them, during one of these times that you were out of the castle – and took them into the Chamber of his Second year."

Instantly everyone who was present at the school during that year gets what I am hinting at. And the weakness Dumbledore felt earlier is replaced with anger as he snarls:

"That carcass –." But I shout back at him:

"IS HARRY'S RIGHTFUL PROPERTY BY RIGHTS OF CONQUEST! DO NOT TRY TO DECEIVE OR DEFY THE LAWS OF MAGIC, DUMBLEDORE!

You're already in trouble with Lord Hades, do not try to anger Lady Hecate as well!"

And for all his faults, the man seems capable of heeding a warning when he hears it.

I smirk at the man and say: "Besides, do you really take me for the same spending fool I was all those years ago?

I grew up.

I already sent that money to the Goblin who replaced the one you hired – the son of our previous account manager – and told him to get to work.

And right now, he's again doing something you should've done. He's calling back royalties from just about everything that has Harry's name or title on it.

That should make sure that, when the main vault is done refilling my son's vault, there will still be money left in it for the rest of us.

My son, without knowing about the bloody blunder that you pulled, saved almost a millennium of financial history."

Like many other times, many students stare at Harry. Yet unlike the other times, Harry keeps standing strong and looking proud of his actions.

Then, after a few more minutes of silence, the silence is broken by Lea, Axel, Roxas, Xion and Isa return in a large cloud of smoke.

"Good on you guys to clear out that Antechamber. We probably would've turned a lot of those old trophies into molten gold and silver if you hadn't."

Minerva obviously worries why Axel believes that he could melt the stuff, yet she nods and states that situations like that was her reason for doing so.

"Are we the only ones who managed to calm down?" Xion asks and I happily explain her what happened while they calmed themselves down.

And while Dumbledore is obviously annoyed to be reminded of what happened so quickly, the five teens smirk at hearing the report.

"So yeah, for now Dumbledore can consider himself lucky that we're under the Time Spell or Amelia would've probably dragged him off to the Holding cells.

Though, to be honest, I don't know how lucky he is, as now he's going to have to continue listening as we continue what we've been doing for the past chapter."

"Only better." Axel, Isa, Lea and Roxas chorus. And to the growing annoyance of the old man a lot of students nod in agreement with the lot.

Then, after taking back the paper and levitating it back to me, Filius takes up the book again. And while everyone sits back down, he reads on.

When he … racing bike.

"Another one of your mistakes, Albus. Because according to the audit paper, you actually increased the amount of money that was meant to go to the caretakers of Mr. Potter. And not just once, but five bloody times – and you even doubled the amount each time!"

Naturally Dumbledore demands to see the audit paper again. But after watching him have his way for over a decade and being unable to do anything about it, I just turn to Flitwick with a look that clearly tells him to keep reading.

A smirk worthy of his Goblin nature is on his face as he complies.

Exactly why … his age.

"I wonder if, if all of us were to cast the Curaga spell on you, that might help solve the issue." Sora mumbles, mostly to himself.

I smile at the caring brunette and Madam Pomfrey, who seems to have heard him, replies: "I believe it might be best if you were to cast the spell one at a time instead of altogether, Mr. Sora."

Lea nods and says: "Went to see Ienzo. He has a similar theory. Thinks that, because these people aren't used to our kind of magic, their own cores might need to be exposed to it more to get used to it and not see it as something new and dangerous."

A few students seem to find this strange. Yet while Sora sometimes gives me an impression of being happy-go-lucky, he nods in understanding.

And the look in his eyes, which he tries to hide with his smile, proves that he has seen enough in life to truly understand and believe that.

It's mostly thanks to my time in Elysium and all that I learned about Dumbledore and his true motives since my death that allowed me to pick up when someone hides another side to themselves.

Yet at the same time I have to, yet again, admit that – like Dumbledore – I was completely oblivious to this being the case with my own son.

He looked … he was.

"Do you have any new cloths of your own now, Harry?" Kairi asks my son.

Harry shrugs with a bit of an awkward look on his face and says: "After I got my Hogwarts letter I started just buying my school cloths together with one new shirt or one new pair of pants.

I think, by this point, I probably have three or four complete outfits. I just never dared to buy more – or anything not Hogwarts related – because I didn't want to alert the Muggles that I had any real money of my own.

You'll see why the Muggles believe otherwise in a few chapters, I think."

Some people seem to amused and in awe of my son's ingenious little trick. Yet like others, I just resent the Muggles for keeping my son from buying his own cloths.

Harry turns to me and asks: "Maybe one of the first things we can do once this book is read is going on a family shopping spree?"

Instantly my resentment for the Muggles is replaced with a strong sense of glee and I give my boy a big grinning nod as Filius reads on.

Harry had … the nose.

Harry's grin confuses me and many others.

"The twins fixed it during my first trainride. And apparently, a little something that happens in a later chapter scared Dudley something awful. He never hit me in the face again after that."

Thanks to all my time watching over my son I already know what he's talking about. I start to smirk myself as I anticipate hearing/reading about that.

The only … of lightning.

"Knew it."

Some of the students snort. Yet Lily sneers at them and asks: "Really? And do you know why he likes it? Did you ask him?"

The snorting students cringe and while Harry grins at his mother, Filius reads on.

He had … had said.

Immediately the atmosphere around the Hall is full of shock and disgust.

"That's unacceptable!"

Naturally a lot of students turn to stare at Draco Malfoy and Angelina reminds him of how often he insulted my wife and myself.

Draco glares at her and snarls: "There's a difference between insulting people you don't like or whose beliefs you don't agree with – and there's lying about another person's death.

I might do the latter, but I'm too proud of my own person to ever even think of doing the latter."

Angelina seems to begrudgingly accept this as Filius reads on.

"And don't … the Dursleys.

It really doesn't surprise me that this increases the anger and disgust that the majority at Ravenclaw students feel for my brother in law and his wife.

Or that Filius is now having trouble keeping his voice from sounding strained with rage as he reads on.

"It really is a good thing that Harry started ignoring that rule after he got to go to Hogwarts. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to achieve all he did for our school."

This statement silences Filius just as he wants to restart reading. And after a few seconds of shocked silence, he thanks precious Luna Lovegood for her wonderful observation and reads on.

Uncle Vernon … the place.

"There is both an explanation and a bit of a mystery attached to that. It is said that, because we Potters just don't perform a lot of Accidental Magic in our youth, the magic gathers itself in our hair and that's what makes it stand up like that all the time.

Though to this day, no one – not even Unspeakables – has ever been able to explain why Potters don't perform as much Accidental Magic as other families."

Harry, Hermione and several of Lea's friends are all glowing with interest as they listen to my statements. I deeply enjoy this before Filius reads on.

Harry was … a wig.

"Harry, my good man."

I don't know how the twins haven't joined in on laughing with the rest of us. Yet before one of them can continue, Harry interrupts him and his twin and says:

"After I graduate."

The twins both happily nod in acceptance to this. And while, somehow, Molly seems unaware of what was just agreed between the three boys, Filius reads on.

Harry put … last year."

A few times Filius predicted that he'd have to pause in order to let someone comment. This time, he just barely manages to finish the sentence and let himself be heard over the increasing amount of students – both Hogwarts and foreign – shouting their disbelief.

"And why were they able to spoil him this much? Because someone upped the amount of money sent their way and didn't bother to check on whether or not it was used for its proper purpose.

I can assure you, Albus. If they are unable to pay back all of the money they should've spent on Mr. Potter's care, I will personally ensure that Lord Ragnok takes the money from your vaults."

Dumbledore had already started trying to tell Filius off, yet the name mentioned by the half-goblin silences him – and even makes him whiten.

This intrigues me as Filius resumes his reading.

"Darling, you … all right''

"I'm starting to see why Potter doesn't like these Muggles."

This statement makes many turn to look at the young lad, who turns red and snaps: "Give me a break. I only started Hogwarts this year. I only hear so much about stuff like this."

A lot of those who looked at him nod in understanding. And while a few of his friends suppress snickers and giggles, Filius reads on.

Dudley thought … Dudley's hair.

"Do I want to know how this bastard was raised? It sounds like he enjoyed the same kind of spoiled upraising."

Charity Burbage mutters to herself. Lily rolls her eyes and tells her: "Trust me, you do not want to know how he behaved the first time he joined us for Christmas back in 1974."

A few students actually look like they are curious about this. Yet thankfully the majority of the hall seems to agree with her.

At that … a VCR.

"How much longer are we going to have to suffer hearing all these terms that no one understands?"

It really doesn't surprise me that about 60% of the student body is looking at Pansy as if she grew a second head or something.

"How do you think Muggleborns feel the first few years that they enter and re-enter the Wizarding world? Or how our otherworld guests feel through most of these books?"

Parkinson obviously doesn't care much about how people like Lily and Hermione feel. Yet she begrudgingly gives Luna right in the end.

Again Filius beams at one of his own. And while I wonder if the girl is more like her father or takes more after her mother, he reads on.

He was … it there.

"Harry my boy."

I jump up and snarl: "One, this reading is the only reason I'm willing to tolerate that you share a room with my son, let alone breathing space.

Two, if there is one thing I plan to make sure, it's that everyone will listen before they judge what they hear about my son's private life.

You were going to reprimand my son for a personal opinion even before you could determine whether or not there'd be an explanation following or not."

Dumbledore grimaces at me – even though I know he wants to glare or worse – yet in the end, he has to concede to my argument.

So he keeps quiet.

The whole … ever owned.

"That doesn't sound too bad."

Someone mutters.

Yet Harry rolls his eyes and says: "The book is omitting a few facts.

There are no books to read, there were no toys to play with, the tv was always on some boring cooking channel and she only got maybe three or four new cats in the ten years this happened. And she owned a total of, I think, 20, maybe 30 cats."

This makes a lot of students wince and the kid from before whispers: "I take back my earlier statement. That sounds more dreadful than one of Binns' classes."

"Now what?" … the boy."

"And I will never regret what I did to her two years from now."

This loud statement draws the disapproving glances of Hermione, Molly and several staff members.

Yet Lily and I smirk at my son and we chorus: "You went easy on her. She deserved to actually get hurt, not just inflate."

Hermione and Molly look at us shocked, yet thankfully the others now look as if they want to ask us to elaborate.

Instead of that, Filius reads on.

The Dursleys … a slug.

I look at my side and I can tell that my son wants to make a comment about this. Yet for some reason he keeps his silence.

Filius is oblivious to this as he reads on.

"What about … it alone..."

"Now I get what's going on here!"

Again a lot of students look at the kid as if he's slow or crazy. Yet the lad doesn't let himself feel embarrassed and just continues:

"They hate magic so much, they think that, if they don't keep Potter under their watch and busy, his magic will ruin everything they care about.

They're so biased, they can't even imagine that magic might have a positive side to it and they're letting that bias out on Potter."

"We fear what we do or cannot understand." A few students grumble under their breath at hearing this. I really hate agreeing with them as Filius reads on.

Dudley began … around him.

"That brat is an actual genius."

I wonder how often students are going to make strange statements. This time it's a girl from Beauxbattons and she continues:

"He must have been treated like this for so long, he decided to start taking advantage of it. He is actively acting like the four-year old his anger his mother seems to think he still is, just to get what he wants.

He's not being emotionally and mentally abused, as some who are called such degrading names could be considered to be, he's emotionally manipulating his parents and abusing their unconditional love for them for his own gains."

I really didn't think anything about these books could make me resent my Muggle cousin even more. This young French girl just proved me wrong.

"I... don't … hit them.

I turn to Amos and tell him: "If the Ministry is ever able to catch Pettigrew, see if you can take some of his blood and take it to the Ministry for an inheritance test.

I've seen that kid a few too many times and a few times I thought I was looking at Peter when he was first coming to Hogwarts, but then somewhat changed."

Amos winces and nods as Filius reads on.

Dudley stopped … his life.

Lily and I smile at our boy and I happily tell him: "We'll gladly take you, Lea and his friends for a tour across the Wizarding world over summer.

You definitely already visited a good portion of it, but there are still areas across the island you've never been to before. And trust me, they're great to visit with family and friends.

And naturally, we'll visit some with Lea and the others and some with just the three, four or five of us."

Now all three of my favourite men are smiling at me as Filius reads on.

His aunt … ever did.

"Keep that in mind."

The way Chirithy speaks as he says this sounds absolutely ominous. He continues, his voice somewhat lighter and more natural for his small, cute body.

"Thanks to Skeeter, those three words are going to be very relevant when we get to the fifth book."

A few students seem to wonder why he would spoil such a thing. A few others seem to wonder how Chirithy knows this.

Yet all I can think of is the other time Chirithy sounded this way. It was a few days ago when Chirithy warned us that some actions of Dumbledore were going to get my Siri killed.

The problem … taped glasses.

"That proves it. That kid is actually smarter than his parents."

Yet Harry shakes his head and says:

"I think I know what you're thinking, kid, and you're wrong. It's not that Petunia doesn't know that her actions contradict her need to appear normal to the neighbours.

She wants them to commiserate with her. Poor normal Petunia, to be saddled with such a strange freak of a kid, who doesn't even understand fashion.

And yes, the Muggles in that area are vain enough they think like that."

The lad mutters that he likes his own theory better. Harry snickers at hearing this and mutters his agreement as Filius reads on.

Next morning, … so quickly.

"Like I said. Because most of our magic settles in our hair our younger years, very little can be done about our hair and how it grows and sticks out.

Only a few potions and creams made by our ancestors can help. And even then, only some of them work on some members of our family. There have been times even they didn't work."

The look on my son's face makes me know that I will absolutely be telling him more about these members of our family later.

Another time … wasn't punished.

"Did she really keep trying it for that long? Surely she would've stopped when that thing became too small to fit over your head?"

Harry rolls his eyes and tells Padma Patil: "No, that's when she took one of my arms in a deadlock and tried to put it on me, sleeve first."

Padma hits herself on the head and a few students mutter that the woman must be delusional or must have been ailing at the time.

Yet my family and I know Petunia well enough to know her real reason. She knew what was happening and didn't want to lose the battle with Harry's magic.

She never stood a chance.

On the … the chimney.

"How'd you pull that off?!"

A lot of students yell.

Harry shakes his head with his arms raised above his head as he claims: "To this day, with all I learned about magic, I wouldn't be able to tell you."

I can easily see that there are a few students who refuse to accept this. So I stand up and say: "For those interested, I will venture to see if my family still has a Pensieve.

We will be putting Harry's memory of the event in there and those who are willing to leave my son alone about this will be invited to study the memory to their heart's delight.

And when I say, leave him alone, I mean both before and after. So if you study the memory and can't come to a conclusion yourself, you will not question him further."

The few who had looked cross now nod in acceptance. My son smiles at me gratefully and I retake my seat as Filius reads on.

The Dursleys … in mid- jump.

"Surely –." Yet before the rude-looking Badger can speak up, Cedric interrupts him and snarls: "Shut up, Smith. As if any of us can claim that all our reasoning at that age always made logical sense."

The two glare at each other and I almost find myself comparing the disgust they feel for each other to the disgust my son feels for Draco and vice versa.

But today … favorite subjects.

"How hasn't Potter snapped yet?"

A Bulgarian asks.

Harry sighs and answers:

"At the time I was groomed in a neighbourhood that was a mix between accepting and gossiping about each other's quirks and families.

Though after a few years of spending time at Hogwarts with my friends, it sure has become a lot harder to keep my temper and my magic in check around them.

As the summer before my third can attest. Minister, please hold your judgment about my second until the next book."

Thankfully, Fudge seems to remember how his book-self behaved in the last book. He gives a simple nod before Filius reads on.

This morning … dangerous ideas.

"I think someone who has an iron grip of control over their temper should visit that lot with a book describing all of the positives of the wizarding world.

Maybe if they do that, those people can learn to appreciate our world instead of constantly believing it to be nothing but dangerous negativity."

A young girl mumbles. Harry winces and he tells her: "I don't think such a person even exists. Trust me, you'll see later just how much those Muggles enjoy insulting our kind."

It was … ice pop.

"Wow, you must've hated them for that."

Harry shakes his head and says: "I didn't. I was used to them being cheap on me and I was still too in awe over the fact that I was somewhere new, somewhere public."

My boy seems to not care for the looks this statement makes students send his way. In fact, he seems to actually reminiscence about the described day.

This brings a small smile to my face as Filius reads on.

It wasn't … the first.

"He didn't give it to Piers?" A student asks shocked. Harry shrugs and explains: "Piers is allergic to strawberries. The glory had that and raspberries mixed with the ice cream."

Harry felt … reptile house.

Lily stands up and I notice that she is looking straight at Snape, who decided to sit with his Snakes at the Slytherin table.

"Before you make the same mistake your boss almost made earlier, Snape, answer me this. Outside of your team and Mr. Malfoy, when has my son ever been rude or cruel to any of your other Snakes?"

Snape's silence speaks volumes and Lily resumes her seat.

It was … snoozed on.

"That snake knows what's what. He knows he has no reason to answer to the demands of his inferiors."

A lot of people around us gape at Sirius, who argues: "Tell me I don't have a reason to be disgusted with that Muggle for how he treats my boy."

"That's not it, Sirius. It's just – we didn't expect you to use – that kind of lingo." Sirius shrugs at Minerva and says:

"Why not. It's what Dorea called members of the Ministry if she disagreed with their agendas. I'm just honouring her memory this way."

Minerva blinks a few times and then concedes with my sweet love. And while I love that my partner decides to honour my mum, Filius reads on.

"This is … the house.

"Wow, those Muggles really cursed their leg off."

Everyone who had been staring my boy turns to stare at Fleur instead. She shrugs and says: "Up to this point, Harry didn't question his upbringing.

But now that he got to see someone who, he thinks, has it worse, he's going to start realizing that his way of life isn't realistically fair.

This is actually an incredibly paramount moment in Harry's life as this was the moment where his self-worth started to make an appearance and started to grow."

The shock and awe some students felt before seems to have increased. Yet I can only think to myself that, like with Cedric, the Goblet definitely picked the right student to represent Beauxbattons.

The snake … them jump.

"You genuinely didn't realize what you were doing?"

Yet before my son can answer his best friend's question, Filius speaks up:

"It's actually quite the common occurrence, Mss. Granger. Every year, one in every five or ten students performs such a powerful bit of Accidental magic that its effects last for a longer amount of time.

During this time, they get so attuned with their inner core that the outside world gets shut off from their consciousness for at least a portion of the effect time."

Hermione looks genuinely interested in it. Yet at the same time my son seems to feel relieved at hearing the amount of students who are expected to experience this.

"DUDLEY! MR. … of horror.

"I don't think that's quite what happened."

We all look at Nella, who smiles at Harry as she explains: "You wondered if the snake was even able to hear you. I think, after you entered the zone, your magic reacted to that curiosity.

I don't think the boys jumped back because the glass suddenly vanished. I think they jumped back, because they realized that the glass had already vanished."

Harry's eyes are temporarily wide and he mutters that that makes sense.

Harry sat … Thanksss, amigo."

"You know what's crazy? Near the end of summer, there was a report on the news stating that a huge tanker had been held up by the authorities, because someone had claimed to have spotted a snake among their containers.

Though unfortunately, the tanker was meant to head to Egypt, not Brazil. So even if the snake hadn't been caught and brought back, it still wouldn't have been able to get to its destination. Poor thing must have been so desperate, it boarded the wrong ship."

A few students stare at the girl as if she's lost her head for sympathizing with the snake. Yet others seem to agree with her as Filius reads on.

The keeper …. you, Harry?"

"That kid sure has one crappy way of regaining his senses."

It's obvious that there are students who want to make much harsher comments about Piers, yet they keep quiet and just agree with their peer as Filius reads on.

Uncle Vernon … some food.

"Good, you at least have some good self-preservation skills. Besides, a lot of that food is meant for you anyway. It, after all, was probably bought with the money coming from your own vaults."

Harry winces and mutters that he had only started doing this that year. Yet before anyone can ask him how long he went without food before then, Filius reads on.

He'd lived … came from.

"There were actually times where I thought that dad had crashed the car into a bus full of carnival lights or fireworks or perhaps even a disco.

I was just trying to make sense of my vision in combination with the information I had been told for all those years."

It's obvious no one wants to accept this statement. Yet they begrudgingly do so. As deep down, many of them probably know that they'd do the same in my son's shoes.

He couldn't … only family.

"I really hope that this proves how wrong it was for all of you to just take Dumbledore's word for granted and to accept his orders not to seek my son out."

Minerva winces as I look directly at her as I say this. "It does, James. And I'm sure much more, that many other parts of the other books, will prove the same."

I agree with her on this as Filius reads on.

Yet sometimes … closer look.

"How is that even possible?"

Dumbledore thunders.

I roll my eyes and state: "It's called coincidence, Dumbledore. These Magicals obviously have business in the Muggle world, perhaps even Muggleborn friends somewhere in the neighborhood or a nearby town or city."

Dumbledore seems to feel even angrier at the chance that there might have been Magicals living near the area where he wanted my son to live an isolated life.

Yet I don't care for this.

Instead I feel furious at how selfish these bastards were. Just interacting with my son that one time, leaving him behind and not caring how Harry might have felt afterwards.

Just like when the events themselves took place. Yet this time I remind myself that I am now alive; that now I can take a chance to talk these people down for their selfishness.

At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.

"Not even the staff?"

Harry rolls his eyes and says: "Vernon had had several appointments with the director of the school during the summers between school years.

Each year he kept emphasizing what a troubled kid I was and how he was trying everything he could to keep me in tome and how they shouldn't bother themselves with how I behave in class.

Yeah, they constantly believe him."

Needless to say, everyone feels deeply disgusted with this.

OKAY, WOW!
I didn't think that I'd be able to finish this and I kind of regret that I had to sacrifice the extra bits of text to see it happen.
But in the end, I'm quite happy with this chapter and feel like I gave it a nice, original twist at some points.
Tell me what you think,

Venquine1990