The party is exactly like all the others. Family friends, their children, and a few of the press were all in attendance for the 10th birthday of two of the children who lived. The kids in question were as always out in the field with their friends, but now that their training had progressed they had switched their games around. Now they had mock duels where they would pit their minions against each other. While Daphne and I watched, the disgust coming off of me could almost be felt in manifestation. As heat had begun to waft off of me many different critters and birds began to scurry away. Daphne to my surprise was completely unaffected by my outburst and seemed to be exuding a similar level of magic to halt the heat. Intentional or not that was impressive.
"What do you think?" I Ask her as she stares at where Tracey Davis is dueling Ronald Weasly.
"I could do better in a day with a wand," She said with underlining fury. To many, it would seem petty for Daphne to sound so mad at the girl but they aren't privy to what I know. The girl had abandoned Daphne, all for my beloved sister, Eveline. It wasn't long after I had met Daph, but one day she had written me telling me of how her best friend, Tracey, had been awfully absent recently and how she wasn't responding to her letters, sadly that had been the beginning of their separation, as not two days after the first letter, one Tracey Davis began to show up at the manor to see Eveline.
"Phhpt, a day? I was thinking more like two hours." I respond with a snort, looking back to the group of pathetic duelists.
I truly began to notice the differences between me and my siblings. Simon stood at 5'2 and was decently stocky. His head was full of the famous potter hair, dark black and unruly. Eveline stood at 4'11 and was almost a replica of our mother. Including the hair, but the stark difference was her glasses. They, while not incredibly big or bulky, were noticeably ahead of their teams, not including Neville. On top of this, their extra physicality truly shone through when their battle scenarios were run. As they had an additional level of strength, speed, and endurance compared to everyone else in our age group. On the other hand, I currently was the tallest by some miracle, standing at 5 '4 which for ten isn't too shabby, my hair was now a stark contrast to my entire heritage, as my slicked-back hair was a pale white. Completely different from any potter before me, and yes I checked the family records. I was truly an anomaly. Not only this but the structure of my face was even different from the rest of them. They possessed all the major features of our parents, rounder features and a slightly larger nose, along with the green eyes of Lily. I on the other hand had a much sharper and more defined facial structure, and my eyes? They are not green like the others.
But as I was trapped in my thoughts, Neville approached us. "Harry, who is this? Why haven't you introduced us?" He questioned, eyes now fully focused on Daphne.
"Hmm? You've met Neville. Haven't you?" I ask her, to which she nods and then turns away ignoring the boy.
"No, I don't think I have. If I had, why would she still be over here with the freak? And not with us enjoying this wonderful day." With that, he offered his hand to her. She stared at it for a moment.
"I would rather the freak than the prick." She said as she swatted away his hand. A flash crossed Neville's face, a flash of anger and petty rage at the insult. But before he acted on it he turned abruptly and marched back to the others.
"There was no need for that Daph, now you've made the dunce mad." I whine to her as we watch him walk away. "And did you have to call me a freak?"
"No," She said with a small smile crossed her face. Before she could add on to her statement. I felt a spell flying towards us, more specifically Daphne. Quickly I push Daphne over sending her sprawled out across the ground. The spell hit me in the arm, causing my arm to begin to swell and begin to break out in boils.
"Harry!" Daphne yells when she sees the reaction my arm is now having, as she does so, I grab onto my arm and it starts to freeze. A thin layer of ice then forms over all the growing boils making them fall off of my arm, leaving behind a pattern of light red marks up and down my arm. "You idiot! Why would you do that?!" She said as she grabbed my arm and began to inspect the damage that I had managed to subside.
"I'm fine Daph," I say with a hushed tone, noticing that we were no longer alone. Around us now stood Simon, Eveline, Neville, and all of their lackeys.
"Couldn't dodge that could you?" Simon questioned as he twirled his wand in his hand.
"No need to taunt him, Simon," Eveline commented as she stared at Daphne who continued to inspect my arm. "Greengrass, you owe someone an apology."
"No, I don't believe I do," Daphne said while not looking up. When she had said this a new spell was sent at her. This time I was unable to move her in time. The red spell hit her in the back and caused a small hissing sound to erupt from her. She then toppled over in pain.
The spell had set a small fire on her back and she now writhed on the ground while trying to put out the flame. Suddenly my arm felt all better. Scanning the group I quickly found the one who had sent the spell at her. Tracey Davis locked eyes with me as she lowered her wand. Before I could control my magic the heat from earlier returned, this time with an intensity that caused almost all of them to step back. I then slowly stood up, slowly I walked towards Dean Thomas. Who despite being frozen in place shakily drew his wand and pointed it at my chest. I dodged the first stunner with practiced ease and continued to walk forward as the others also brought out their wands but they had yet to fire any spells. That's their own mistake. I reach Dean and snatch the wand out of his hand quickly waving it at him and sending him flying back with a stunner.
It's as they watch Dean hit the ground when they all realize what has happened and begin to send spell chains at me. Simon's squad quickly moved the others behind them as they entered their dueling stances. Neville cast a spell at the ground that brought up a small blockade that Dean was swiftly brought behind.
"Harry, why don't you give that wand back, we don't want to see you get hurt doing something foolish," Eveline said as she joined Simon in the front of the group. I paid them no attention as I held the wand in my hand. It was a terribly made thing, barely able to cast anything of real consequence, but it would serve its purpose well enough. I then pointed the wand at the ground and muttered a string of transfiguration spells that I had studied quite extensively. To my and their utter surprise, the spell worked exactly as I had intended on the very first try. Making the grass and earth that I had cast at quickly rise up and slowly form into a relatively small dragon. Which quickly moved in front of me and Daphne.
"Pipkin!" I quickly state, with a crack he appeared.
"Yes, Young master?" Pipkin said as he laid his large eyes on the downed Daphne.
"I need you to go grab the four stones from my study, and set them in a twenty by twenty square around us." As soon as I had finished my instruction Pipkin was gone with another loud crack.
Neville made quick work of the transfigured dragon turning it back into the inanimate earth that it had been not long ago.
"How'd you do that?" Simon questioned with a newfound fury, "That level of transfiguration, with that terrible wand? That should be impossible for someone of your pathetic power."
I said nothing as in the corner of my eye I could see Pipkin placing the small stones that I had made. They were small stones all connected with a rune scheme, made to stop anyone outside of the perimeter from seeing or sensing anything inside.
"Finally," I sigh as the barrier is fully up, I turn to face Simon. "Are you going to keep talking?"
"Harry, I won't repeat it. Give us the wand." Eveline spoke up again now bringing up her wand. But there was one issue, had she drawn it at me so be it, but she then pointed it at Daphne who was now standing behind me.
"Hmmmmm, no." With that, I conjure a flock of ravens and command them to swarm the front line of attackers. They didn't survive long as Ron and Shemus sent out two large blasts of ice. Then a string of spells began to pelt me and Daphne, I hastily threw up a shield.
"This is a tad bit harder than I thought it would be," I comment to Daphne as I then throw out my first attempt at a spell chain. It wasn't a very successful spell chain as only three out of the five spells were sent out at the approaching people. Thankfully that was all I needed as Ron didn't attempt to block and was quickly bound and stunned. This caused a chain reaction of surprise, Lavender and Shemeus both dropped their guard as they saw Ron bound on the ground, and before they could put up a shield or dodge they were also stunned and out of the fight.
"How's he doing this well?" Neville asked Eveline as they watched the others attack me at the same time.
"I don't know," She muttered with a mask of confusion and indignation on her face.
"What does it matter? Let's end this. Neville come on." Simon commented as he walked forward.
As they did so I finished dueling their dunce subordinates. Turning to Daphne I decided something. "Daph, I need you to go back to the manor and get someone, I can't fight them while worried about them attacking you."
"What?! I'm not Going to leave!" Daphne protested immediately, "I can protect myself!"
"Not without a wand you can't. Please," I pause as they keep getting closer, "Trust me, I can't risk you getting hurt." I looked her in the eyes and hoped she could see the concern that was lying there.
"Fine, just this once," She said and turned to get away, but just as she was about to get out of the perimeter she was hit in the back yet again with a spell, this time a body binder. The anger that I had felt earlier paled in comparison to this given moment. She was trying to get away, was completely defenseless, and had already been hexed and humiliated by these imbeciles.
"Now, we can't have her leaving us can we?" Neville questioned in an incredibly snobbish fashion, "Especially before a much-needed apology."
"Shut the hell up," I retorted before casting a cutting curse at him, he attempted to move out of the way but was hit in the cheek as he moved his head, causing his face to begin to leak a steady stream of blood. In response to his injury, Eveline put up a shield between me and the still-walking Simon.
I then walk up to the still-shimmering barrier and pace back and forth watching every move that Simon made. How his breathing kept steady, how his step was slightly narrow, all things I could use against him were being analyzed in my head.
He then smirked at me, "You can't win this freak. I've been trained by the world's best duelist, you can't possibly comprehend what magic I know," He then stopped his pompous waltz. I didn't respond to him. He was right, sadly, he was trained much better than I was. On top of that, I had just begun to cast spells not ten minutes ago, which in my mind was the larger factor in this battle. But this is irrelevant, they had harmed Daphne, and they now need a beating.
Not letting him make the first move I swipe my wand across the shield causing the pale white to turn into a dark red before producing a gap which I shot a stunner through. He blocked and began to send out a spell chain. Unlike the others, his was surprisingly harmful, basic as well but that only helped the effectiveness. Leading it was a stunner, next jelly legs jinx, then following that was a cutting curse? Oh my, that's a complete 360 in spell choice! To counter this I quickly maneuver out of the way, spinning on my toes while transfiguring the ground into a muddy sludge. He hadn't expected this and was now hip-deep underground before, a new spell hit him and raised him out of the muck.
"All that talk and that your opening sequence?" Eveline questions with disappointment clear in her voice.
Simon doesn't respond, his face showing no emotion as he walks forward. Quickly he fires off the same spell chain, but following this one with an elemental spell, which one I couldn't tell but it was a relatively powerful fire spell. I made to move out of the way of the chain when a sudden shift in the ground occurred and I could feel a curse flying at me.
"So that's how you want to play it, Longbottom?" I mutter just before the spells hit me, but they are suddenly absorbed by the shield I cast. But as the fire came closer to me in the form of a large bird. I spun with my wand, flying through the air like a musical conductor, taking control of the fire and adding a new level of heat to the inferno changing the orange flame into a bright and blazing blue. But rather than send the fire at Simon, Neville was my target. That certainly startled them. He hastily attempted to cast a shield alongside Eveline. But before those could solidify I sent out three stunners as fast as I could breaking the still-forming shield.
But just before the inferno hit them, it turned to ice and fell to their feet.
"Now, now children." An old voice suddenly said, "That kind of magic shall not be used in a childish squabble." I looked towards the voice. And there helping Daphne to her feet was one unmistakable man.
Albus Dumbledore was the strongest wizard that Britain had produced in multiple centuries. As the island had always had relatively competent and knowledgeable magicians, Dumbledore was the one who seemed to finally have the innate power to fuel the application of centuries of magical study. This was recognized by the ICW in their yearly rankings, a list of ten people worldwide who individually had enough power to overthrow a small nation. Dumbledore had once been at the top of the list, constantly switching the first and second ranks with Gellert Grindelwald. And while most magical capabilities never fade, that battle with Grindelwald had taken a toll on his body, which rapidly aged just a few years after his legendary duel. Causing him to drop a few ranks as he lost a certain physicality that aided his battle strategy and capabilities. But even with the consequences he had only fallen to the fifth rank and was considered to be able to beat any of the people ahead of him given a small amount of preparation.
If it wasn't evident by that rant, Dumbledore was not to be messed with. So when he had given that implicit command, I swiftly turned away and made my way to Daphne.
"Are you okay?" I questioned immediately, my conscience needing to know I hadn't caused her more harm when telling her to flee.
"I'm okay." I raised an eyebrow. "Harry, I am okay, " she said with more conviction. Once I could tell she wasn't lying to me, I breathed a sigh of relief that I didn't know I had been holding.
"Thanks for trying" she then muttered while looking away from me.
"Anytime Daph, I'll always be there for you." This time it was my turn to scratch my neck and look away from her blushing face.
"Ahh Harry Potter!" Dumbledore said jovially, it seemed like his scolding of the others was done. "Just whom I was looking for!"
Looking for me? That's not something I heard often, especially at their birthday party. "You were sir?" I ask politely.
"Yes of course I was. I have a gift for you! And it was rather good timing that I found you." He said while now as he reached into his robes.
"That small sibling fight was about to take quite a nasty turn, but that's beside the point, here have this," he then handed me a small pouch, "I felt guilty about your lack of a wand especially now that your siblings are suitably upset with you,"
A wand, my own wand! And a year early? This day swiftly changed from terrible to amazing. There was one small issue with this though, what about Daphne? She is now in just as much trouble as me. Because they may not be able to harm her now, next year once school began she would be at a major disadvantage experience-wise.
"Sir, can Daphne get one as well?" I ask hope bleeding through the request.
"After what I witnessed just now it seems reasonable for her to get one, I shall inform of her permission as well." With that I excitedly turned to Daphne as she ran over and tackled me in a hug, muttering thank you over and over again.
"I must leave you both now. Remember I am but an owl away." With that, he quickly walked away. His face is distorted in…pain? That's odd.
"Harry!" yelled Lily from across the field, "time for gifts!"
Slowly we make our way to the porch where I go and sit across from Simon and Eveline. Whom both stare at me with anger and fury. It seems that they had been properly embarrassed in front of their hero.
Soon the gifts were all present and it was the turn of our parents the moment all the people in attendance waited for when each year they attempted to outdo the last. Last year they had failed to beat the previous gift of heirship, with season tickets to the British quidditch league. But they seemed rather happy with themselves.
"Finally our gifts! Simon and Eveline, for you we wish to bestow a great family treasure. Each of you are now the owner of the Potter and Peverall grimoires!" With that two books appeared before the others.
Of course, they now had family magic. That's just what I needed this year, for them to now have legitimate training and secret family knowledge, great just great. Soon we were ushered inside as the partygoers left and returned to their homes. Mum and Dad then sat us at the table, with Neville coming in and sitting next to Eveline.
"We have another gift for you kids," James said as he summoned three sheets of paper. "We have consulted a few people and decided that it would be best for each of your teams to have their base of operations. So that you can better specify your training and as a reward for all your hard work."
Noticeably I didn't have a sheet of paper telling me the property details and location. For the other gifts, I could understand. It's their right to have the grimoires, but this? How could they do this? The favoritism was always evident in how they spent time and cared for the others but this was unbelievably far. I was now the one stuck in the library unable to leave while all of my so-called family members left to their own space and special training. Accidentally my magic acted on its own for a second time. Soon the drapes on the windows were engulfed in flames, blue and scorching hot. But as quickly as they appeared James and Lily had put them out.
"Harry!" Lily exclaimed as she turned back to the table, but I was already leaving the room. She kept calling out to me but I refused to hear her out. I'm done with them, I decided at that moment. I had tried to give them time to correct the neglect and favoritism but no, they doubled down and gave in to their every whim and want often going far beyond what they wanted while not even reaching my basic wants. I didn't want the land, or the book, or the training. I wanted something far more simple, I wanted their love. Was that too much to ask?
Upon entering my room I swept my current wand around furiously and erratically, sending blasts of fire and wind all around the room. I was soon lost in the destruction, the therapeutic waving of my wand, the feeling of cast magic. This is all I need, magic, magic will be my freedom.
The next day I left the house while the others were eating breakfast. Today was the day, I was going to have my very own wand. On top of that Daphne will get hers early as well! Meaning we can both start to put the theory into practice.
Soon I was waiting in the leaky cauldron, I was a few minutes early and was vibrating with excitement. Not that I allowed anyone to see that, to an outside eye I looked like any normal kid waiting for their parents as they finished packing up their room. But that wasn't the focus of my thought at the moment, no it was the large sum of money that was currently in my hands. When I woke up it seemed like Lily or James had attempted to make amends for the gift incident, to do so they left a nifty sum of three hundred Galleons at my door. That is an obscene amount of cash for a ten-year-old but they had just gifted my siblings their property to do what they pleased with. It did little for them in my eyes as the bridge they wished to fix was now sunk at the bottom of an uncrossable river. No, they would never be held in high regard again.
"Harry!" Daphne yelled as she hugged me from behind, her head only reaching my shoulder blades. "We're finally doing it!" She said with the same excitement.
"Yeah yeah. Of course, we are." I said in a bland tone while prying her off of me.
"Don't try and play this offfff," She whined as we walked out back and opened the wall to the alley. "You can't hide your excitement from me."
"Whatever you say," I respond knowing full well she was right. While to others we both may seem odd, cold, and despondent at times, whenever it was the two of us both my and her personalities seemed to flip a switch. I for some reason became an overly sarcastic antagonist, while she became overly excited and childish. It was a strange dynamic but I found solace in being able to relax around Daph.
Soon enough we reached a small shop front with a large golden sign hanging above the door.
Ollivanders, Makers of Fine Wands Since 382 B.C.
This is happening, it all finally seemed real as we opened the door and stepped inside. There stood one decrepit-looking old man. He had white stringy hair that seemed to go every which way and a piercing set of light blue eyes. Eyes that seemed to know everything about me with just a glance.
"Ahh and , Albus told me to expect you. I assume you're here for wands? Or is that twig you have suitable ?" He said while moving into the back shelves. Soon returning with a box in each hand and four floating behind him slowly.
"Now who is first?" As soon as he had asked this Daphne rushed forward to the front counter, eager to cast her first real bit of magic. The first wand she tried caused all the papers in his back desk to catch fire and then glow afterward. The next was just as much of a mismatch as it caused all the lights to flicker off and turn into a dark red hugh. But then when she picked up the third wand and gave it a wave, a breeze entered the shop. Cool and calming it then circled her lifting her hair above her head in a hilarious manner.
"Yes! Yes, Cherry Wood with a Phoenix feather core, 12 inches long and rather flexible. Perfect for a witch or wizard who specializes in charms and healing." As Ollivander spoke Daphne couldn't take her eyes off her wand, so mesmerized by her new property I had to lightly smack her on the shoulder so she would move and allow me to go.
" , I've been waiting for you. Especially after your siblings got their wands. Sadly they were rather basic wands and I do hope you pique my interest." Then the next twenty minutes were spent with me trying a wand and quickly handing it back. Finally, he went into the back and produced a strange box. It was a lighter blue and had a strange symbol on the front.
"This wand was my grandfather's last creation. It is rather special as it is one of the many worldwide attempts to create a mythical artifact, but unlike many others, he was successful" As he spoke he lifted the lid off the box revealing a long black wand, but unlike any of the other wands it was inlaid with lightning-like patterns. It immediately had my full attention.
"He made this wand in an attempt to replicate the Famed elder wand while adding his obsession with lightning and the myths of Thor and his almighty thunder." I ignored what he said as I picked up the wand, suddenly a crack of thunder could be heard and electricity began to spark up around me.
"I'll take it," I said with a smile now crossing my face. He responded with a smile as well.
"Of course, , that wand is made of Elder wood with a thunderbird feather core. With its length being 13 inches unyielding. Perfect for transfiguration and elemental magics." He then offered us each a wand holster, bringing our total purchase to 16 galleons.
The next stop we made was a rather spur-of-the-moment decision. I decided that now was the time to open up an account with Gringots. Daphne had a genius way to get around the age restriction on personal accounts as well. Rather than opening the account as Harry Potter's account, I will be registering under a new business, Mirage & Myth Expeditions. That's the name we devised for our company. Our idea was that when we eventually do get out into the world and start to use the ship to go about, we would undoubtedly discover new and valuable things that we could then sell to the highest bidder, maybe even get hired to find some ancient artifacts. The meeting would last longer than I expected to be honest. For some strange reason, this venture idea piqued the interest of our soon-to-be account manager. So he requested additional information and then told us that they would be in contact with us once we have the business fully running. This genuinely surprised me but I would gladly take the bank as clients.
Noon was soon approaching and we had one final stop to make, this stop being in one of the more unsavory parts of Diagon Alley. We headed to Mr Mulpeppers Apothecary in Knockturn Alley. But unlike most, we didn't go there in need of slightly illegal potion ingredients. We needed two different materials. Acromantula silk and dragon hide, both of which are sold here for exorbitant prices. Despite this the ideas that I had in mind required us to not be harmed easily and these materials are the best option for that. And rather than pay even more to buy the clothes made out right from a specialist, we were going to attempt to craft them ourselves. Or more accurately, have Pipkin make them and then have us put any and every runic enchantment possible across every inch of them. So the day ended with the spending of nearly 150 galleons. That large sum was used to purchase a total of fifteen meters of acromancula silk and six meters of Ukrainian Ironbelly skin. Twenty people had been killed while taking down this particular dragon. If that was true or not, the dragon species was the only one I would accept. During the world wars, there had been a multitude of times when iron belly hide absorbed magic that would kill almost any living thing, other dragons included.
So my actual birthday came to an end. Many good things had happened this year that thankfully outshone the bad, and now Daph and I's plan was even closer to its start.