Extended Summary:

Harry Potter runs away from home, surviving through theft and crime. Alone and cunning, he travels the world using cleverness and accidental magic until he gets his Hogwarts letter. Eccentric, hardened, and ruthless, Harry grapples with his morality, toeing the line between good and evil, while dark secrets lurk in the shadows of time and space.

As multiple global forces clash for dominance around him, Harry must learn who to trust, while the world slowly grows darker and more dangerous. Ancient mysteries begin to unravel, as magical creatures vanish one by one. Can Harry withstand the storms and grow into his potential? Or will he succumb to the power of darkness and revel in its glory?

A/N: Welcome to my new story! I have written before under a different name many years ago, and I wish to remain anonymous because my previously completed story is now old and my writing has changed. You could say I am older and wiser, though you would be right on only one count there. Here are some important notes and warnings before you start.

Optional pics for the story:

imgur gallery/how-i-imagine-sorcelleria-cove-vZxnpS7

I aim to make this Fanfiction story extremely unique and special, and hopefully, I can deliver.

Here are some assumptions you should have:
1) I do not enjoy writing overpowered main characters, especially those who have not earned or deserved their abilities. I prefer stories with genuine uncertainty about Harry's success, instilling real fear in the reader when he is in danger. If Harry Potter is powerful, his enemies will be even stronger, as befitting their age, experience, magical power, and reputation. This story should have an interesting twist on that idea, where Harry will still be fun to cheer for, but he won't be boring and overpowered.

2) Before you comment that I made a mistake with a plot or character development, or if you notice a character lying based on information you already know, wait a bit to see if it is on purpose. If you do review, add a Spoiler warning so others can try and figure it out.

3) I tried to change most characters from the original Harry Potter. Most will be different, some in subtle ways, and others with completely different backgrounds and personalities.

4) Lastly, if you hate or love certain characters, and are turned off by those characters playing a role in stories you read, please just give it a chance. I want to try and use characters in different ways, and maybe some of those will pleasantly surprise you.

5) I constantly post my writing progress to my profile along with additional information. Feel free to check my profile if you are waiting for an update.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Memory Conformity

In the quiet early of a Sunday morning, the world outside Number 4, Privet Drive stirred lazily, the sun shining brightly on a rare beautiful day. The sun was a perfect beam of warmth, and the air had a soft gentle breeze. Within the confines of Number 4 Privet Drive, there was a different sort of energy. Harry Potter, a boy of just six years, moved about the cramped kitchen with a weary determination. His movements were slow, burdened by the weight of his oversized, baggy grey clothing that seemed to swallow him whole. Yet, despite his malnourished frame and the slight limp from yesterday's rough encounter with Dudley's gang, there was a light in his bright green eyes, a glimmer of intelligence and curiosity that refused to be dimmed.

With careful precision, Harry finished preparing breakfast for the Dursleys, his guardians who showed him little kindness. The scent of burnt toast lingered in the air as he placed the plates on the table, a small offering to the silent oppressors of his world. As they bustled about, preparing for some outdoor event that Harry wasn't invited to, Harry stole a moment of respite. Retreating to his sanctuary beneath the stairs, he lay down, the cool darkness a welcome reprieve from the harsh reality outside his cramped bedroom.

Harry closed his eyes, his mind relaxing as he imagined a quiet day with no school and the Dursleys out of the house.

Harry heard the Dursleys leaving the front door, Vernon snarling a final "Boy, if I hear that you caused any trouble, you will not forget the beating that comes your way" but Harry ignored it, keeping his eyes closed and embracing the cool dark of his space.

Harry Potter began to drift off into a light sleep.

But the peace was short-lived.

Suddenly, as if jolted awake by an unseen force, Harry's eyes flew open. A shiver ran down his spine as he sensed something, someone, with him in the cramped closet. His heart hammered in his chest as he scanned the shadows, but found nothing. With trembling limbs, he emerged from his hiding place, only to discover that the house was eerily silent. There was nobody around, as he had expected.

A faint noise from upstairs drew his attention, and though every instinct screamed for him to retreat, Harry pressed forward. Climbing the stairs, each step a struggle against his trembling legs, he was consumed by a sense of foreboding. Was this some cruel prank from Dudley or one of his friends? Despite his fear, a stubborn curiosity propelled him onward, a desperate need to uncover the truth. Harry knew he was being stupid, and he knew that his curiosity often led him on paths he later regretted. He just couldn't help it.

Reaching the top of the staircase, Harry hesitated before the bathroom door where he heard another scraping sound, his hand hovering over the cold handle. With a deep breath, he pushed it open, the hinges groaning in protest.

It took Harry a moment to spot it in the mirror.

Harry's face went white, and his eyes bulged with absolute terror. A deep cold tremor raced down Harry's spine as he stared in alarm at what was right behind him, his fight or flight response rooting him to the spot as he stopped breathing.

With a gasp, he whirled around, something in Harry bubbling up with a hot flash of energy, but there was nothing behind him. Harry felt a whirlwind of panic and confusion and struggled to remember why he had spun in the first place. Harry stood in the bathroom, the mirror to his back, trying to remember why he came upstairs. There had been some reason, something that had freaked him out.

Harry shook his head to clear it from the fog of adrenaline and confusion, trying to remember what felt like important information at the tip of his tongue. After a minute he shrugged, scanned the bathroom one last time, and headed downstairs with a shrug.

Harry retreated to the safety of his closet beneath the stairs, sighing as he wondered what had gotten into him. As he settled into the darkness, a sense of unease lingered like he ought to know something important and urgent.

And though he couldn't shake the feeling of missing something important, he shrugged it off, chalking it up to his overactive imagination. Closing his eyes, he sought solace in the rare moments of rest that his tumultuous life afforded him.

Harry fell almost instantly into a dream, though he would not remember much when he awoke. He did remember the theme though, the theme that seemed to repeat every few months since he could remember. The dream always ended the same, with a flash of green light and a woman screaming.

The end of the intro chapter. As always, please check my profile for a constant stream of updates on the progress of the next chapter. I literally post what % I am up to so you know if there are delays in getting a chapter out.

Please leave a review, and if anyone guesses correctly what freaked Harry out, they get browny points and an acknowledgment in the final chapter.