Parseltongue will be italicized
Inner thoughts will be in between apostrophes
Other languages and letters/writings will be bolded
31 July, 1991, Nurmengard, Austria
BRNNG, BRNNG! BRNNG, BRNNG! BRNNG, BRN- CRNNCH! I hit my alarm clock, and throw it at the wall. I get out of bed with a groan and go to the window. Opening the curtains, I am met with two things. The beautiful sight of the majestic, snow-covered peaks of the Alps, and the intensely bright light from the sun shining directly into my eyes. "Ah Fuck me!" With a sigh, I go to the bathroom to shower and brush my teeth. I then walk into the kitchen to see the countertop covered with several plates of food. I looked at the stove to see that a small creature with no hair and big, pointed ears was shuffling up and down the kitchen while muttering to himself, completely oblivious to me standing there. "Hans." I say to get his attention, with no success "Hans!" I say a bit louder with still no reaction. "HANS!" I yell, and STILL, no response. Starting to get a little annoyed, I decide to use Sonorous. "HANS!" My voice reverberated through the large castle and Hans jumped up almost 8 feet and turned towards me. "Master Harry! No no no, yous be ruining your surprise!" He says dejectedly. I looked at him confused "Surprise? What surprise?" "It bees your birthday Master Harry!" He says. I thought about it for a second and realized that today WAS in fact my birthday. "Fuck me, I've COMPLETELY forgotten about it."
Even after five years, the idea of someone even remembering my birthday was still a little foreign. The Dursleys always just ignored my birthday, like it didn't exist or it was one of those holidays that was too small and insignificant for anyone to even remember it. I remember asking if I could get cake or a present for my birthday once. The only thing I recieved was a beating from my Uncle Vernon for even suggesting that a so called "freak" like me deserves anything at all. "Oh, it bees alrighty Master Harry. Yous might have forgotten, but Hans never will, and Hans is be preparing a wonderfulls birthday for yous Master Harry! I's be just finishing up making yous breakfast!" I chuckled at the house elf's enthusiasm and couldn't help but smile at the effort. I really was grateful to Hans, not just for the birthday, but for everything he has done for me.
I remember when I first arrived here at Nurmengard, being scared and confused. I started wandering the castle and Hans came out of nowhere, popping up in front of me with that infuriatingly annoying Elf Apparation of his and scaring the ever loving shit out of me (not that I would ever admit that out loud). I was freaked at first, not knowing who or what he was, but he explained to me that he was a House Elf, a species of magical people that are used by wizards as servants. He said that he and his family have served the Grindelwalds for centuries. He himself was bonded to Gellert Grindelwald, the wizard who owned this castle, and who made me his heir; And now that he was now bonded to me. Over the years, Hans taught me everything I needed to know to live in the Wizarding World. He taught the history, the culture, the etiquette and the proper wear. Everything. He also taught me what he could about magic and how to use it. For whatever reason, despite having all this knowledge of spells and magic in my head, I didn't seem to know how to use it properly. Actually, I didn't know how to use it at all.
The ghost, or memory, or whatever the fuck it was of Gellert Grindelwald had put his own knowledge of magic into his ring. When I put it on, all of it was transfered into my head. It's as if I learned entire deacdes worth of knowledge in the span of a few seconds. And yet, I couldn't use any of it. It's like knowing how to do something WITHOUT actually knowing how to do something. Not that that makes any bloody sense at all. It seemed less like him put all of his knowledge in the ring and more like him copying an entire textbook, verbatim into it. I technically speaking knew how it can all be done, but I still had to learn to use it and practice it. But I digress. Hans looks at me with those big eyes of his and a big smile on his face. I look at him and can't help but return the smile. "Hans, while I appreciate the enthusiasm, you really didn't have to do this." Hans frowned and shook his head like a stubborn, disappointed grandmother, not that I've ever seen or ever met ang of my grandparents, but still. "Oh no, Hans be insisting on this sir. Yous be deserving birthdays after what those mean people put you through." Again, I couldn't help but smile at the Elf's enthusiasm. Since finding out about the Dursleys never celebrating my birthday, Hans has made it his personal mission to make every birthday I had memorable. I constantly tell him not to bother, that it wasn't a big deal, but he does it anyway. Granted it does occur to sometimes that as his owner and master I could just order him to celebrate my birthday, but it's honestly nice to see someone make an actual effort just for me.
I sigh, "Alright. Do as you will." I said. Hans smiles and goes back to cooking "BUT" he looks at me again "Since it's my birthday, as a present from you to me, I would like to ask you to STOP calling me 'Master'. Deal?" Hans shuffled uncomfortably. I knew this was a little unfair to ask of him, but I had to try. House Elves are basically hard-wired to obey the wizard and/or witch they are bonded to in everything. They don't get paid or compensated in anyway. In most cases, they don't even get some much as a thanks from their master, or instead get beaten and treated like an object rather than a living creature. The similarities between House Elves and my own life with the Dursleys was like a knife to the heart. When I found out, I immediately told Hans that he could leave and be free if he wanted. His reaction was to drop to his knees and start sobbing as if I just told him his mother died. After I managed to calm him down, he explained that House Elves rely on the stream of a wizard's natural magic to survive. The magic of a wizard keeps them alive, and in return the elves serve them. It was a little hard to come to terms with, but I eventually accepted the idea and moved on.
Doesn't mean I have to deal with him calling me 'Master' though does it? I would occasionally try to convince him to drop the whole master bit, but it unfortunately never works. And it seems to not have worked THIS time either. Sighing, I decided to leave Hans to his business and made my way to the arena.
Don't ask me why, but Grindelwald seemed to think it was a good idea to build an indoor arena inside of his castle/prison. When he wasn't using it to make his prisoners kill each other as a form of entertainment for himself and his troops, he used to practice and train. And if his track record was anything to go by, the training payed off. The arena itself, despite being 12 acres in size, wasn't really much to look at. You had the pit where all the fighting took place, with some traps, dummies that fired spells, and gates for fighters and animals to come of. There was the stands where people would stand or sit while watching the fights. And then there was a small balcony overlooking it that had a nice, ornate chair where Grindelwald would sit and watch the fights himself. It was all very simplistic, if not compeletly massive.
I enter the arena and put on some body armour. After stretching a bit, I stood in the center of the pit and deep breath before saying "Engage training exercise, level one". Five training dummies roll out in to the arena and spread themselves out in front of me. I stood and waited, when a dummie to my left fired off a stunner. I sidestepped, only for the dummies on the right to fire off Knockback jinxes and Exploding curses. I dodge and evade all attacks. Soon enough, all five dummies are firing spells of varying lethalities at me. Some will fire Disarming charms and Body-bind jinxes, while other will fire Cutting and Blood-Boiling curses, and I simply avoid them all. After about five minutes, I start blocking, parrying and deflecting the spells sent my way. I raise a shield to stop an Incarcerous curse to my right, then seconds later delfect a Vanishing charm back the dummy in the center. Soon it become a bit of a rhythm. Block, parry, dodge, parry, block, avoid, dodge, block, parry, block. After another 20 minutes, I go on the offensive. I send a three Cutting curses to my left, relieveing a dummy of both limbs and its head. I send an Exploding curse and a fireball at the dummies to my left, blowing one up and reducing the other to ash. I summon another to me and use it a shield aganist the other one and begin advancing. When I'm close enough, I banish the dummy I used as a shield directly into a pit of spikes and unleash a spell chain at the last. Disarming, Bodybind, stunner, and finally exploding, splintering remanants of the dummy all over the ground.
After a few deep breaths and a drink of water, I go to start up the next training sequence when..."Master Harry! Master Harry!" I apprate myself out of the arena, stumbling a bit as I appear, and sprint to the kitchen. I get there with my wand still in hand, ready to deal with whatever was wrong, only to see no danger. Just Hans, standing in front of an open window with a look of shock on his face. "Hans, what's wrong?" I ask "Hans?!" I ask again, a bit more forcefully. "SCREEE" I look towards the noise to see a Great Horned Owl standing on the table, looking particularly annoyed due to the cold weather. Confused, I look at Hans expectantly "Hans, for Merlin's sake, what the fuck is going on here? Why is there some bloody random owl here?" I ask impatiently. The owl screechs angrily, as if understanding that it was insulted. Hans turns around to face me and I notice he's holding something. An envelope. He gives to me, and I see who it is adressed to.
HARRY POTTER
NURMENRGARD CASTLE
AUSTRIAN ALPS, AUSTRIA
I turn it over and see the seal. A shield, with a badger, snake, lion, and raven on it. Natrually, being the well-spoken and intelligent young man that I am, I drop the envelope and say the only thing that Is going through my mind at that moment.
"Oh Bollocks"
AAAAAANNNNNDDDD THAT'S A WRAP!
Thank you for bearing with me. I had quite a but on my plate, what with trying to graduate, then me going to Boot Camp for a few months.
But I'm back and eager to get going. See you next time
May the Father of Understanding Guide You