Chapter 4: Weeks before Hogwarts
AN: Finally, the last preparations before Harry gets to Hogwarts
Enjoy!
The recognizable sections belong to JKR
Chapter 4
July 31, 1991
Harry woke up on his birthday with a large grin on his face. Today was an important day. Perhaps one of the most important days of his life.
Today he would get his Hogwarts letter, pick up his wand, and finish his school shopping.
As soon as his letter arrived, he would get on his way. Over the last two months, he became fairly familiar with Diagon Alley. He even snuck into Knockturn Alley a couple of times but decided to discover this darker area of Magical Britain only after he received his wand and was able to protect himself.
Harry did however find some questionable nutrition potions that, according to the vendor, were neither legal or illegal but in some grey area. Since Harry did not want to have any physical disadvantages compared to his peers, he decided to give the very expensive potions a try.
He noticed the effects of the potion quite quickly. Thanks to Mother Magic, he grew almost two inches within the two months and now stood relatively tall for his age group at 4 feet and 9 inches. He also gained the necessary weight for a boy of his age and barely showed any signs of his past malnutrition.
For the last two months, Harry had been spending his time learning as much about the wizarding world as possible. For that reason, Tom advised him to subscribe to the "Daily Prophet" the largest newspaper in Wizarding Britain.
From the paper, Harry learned a lot about the Wizarding World, its norms, and culture, just by reading the different articles. He quickly noticed that politics play an important role, with the Ministry of Magic playing host to the Wizengamot, the main political stage of Magical Britain.
The Wizenagamot was the closest Magical Britain had to the House of Lords and within it lay three main factions. There was the conservative faction, which mostly consisted of very old pureblood families. The neutral faction and the progressive faction, where one may find most half-blood or muggle-borns.
Harry did not quite understand the separation by blood. He did not find any references or evidence, which supported the claim that "pure" magical blood leads to stronger magical powers. Some of the greatest wizards of the last decade were half-blood. The most prominent example being Albus Dumbledore.
Officially, you were considered a pure-blood if all four of your grandparents were witches and wizards. However, some hardcore conservatives only regarded people with multiple decades of wizarding ancestry as true purebloods. All in all, wizarding society seemed a bit backward and racist in some respects.
There were other wizarding institutions all over Britain. These included the wizarding hospital, the "Saint Mungo's", Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, up in Scotland, or the magical prison, Azkaban, located somewhere in the North Sea. In addition, there were several prominent wizarding settlements like Hogsmeade, Mould-on-the-Wold, and Godric's Hollow, the place where he spent his first year of life.
Every afternoon after school, Harry practiced his magic. Wandless magic, as most authors agreed, was an incredibly rare talent, even for gifted witches and wizards. In most of his books, it was mentioned that underage witches and wizards often show signs of magic in high-stress situations. However, he could not find anything on how to correctly practice the ability.
Most books simply advised against practicing magic before the children go to school, whether it be with a wand, or without it. However, Harry was not fooled by that advice. To him, it only seemed like a way for the Ministry to avoid nasty incident's, in which underage wizards or witches endanger themselves or the people around. Harry would just disregard it and continue his daily exercises.
He improved a lot in his abilities and was now able to levitate or summon small objects much easier than during his stay at the hospital five years ago. It was still very taxing, and he couldn't levitate anything heavier than half a pound, but Harry noticed how the soreness afterwards decreased quite a lot.
He used his beautiful white owl, which he named Hedwig, to occasionally order things from Diagon Alley and keep in correspondence with the goblins from Gringotts. Today, however, he would visit the magical place in person one more time.
Harry snuck downstairs and waited for the mailman to make sure he received his letter. As soon as he saw the muggle postman leave the mailbox, he quickly grabbed the letter and hid it under his shirt.
Unsurprisingly, none of the Dursleys even acknowledged his birthday, let alone gave any presents to him. To Harry, it didn't matter. The envelope, currently safely stored under his shirt, was perhaps the biggest birthday gift he could ever receive.
After finishing the usual quiet breakfast with the Dursleys, Harry went upstairs to his room. Even though he pretty much knew the content of the Hogwarts letter by heart at this point, he still felt his excitement building up, as he watched the thick parchment envelope. He opened the letter and started to read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
COURSEBOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat, OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST-YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK
Nothing unexpected, Harry thought. He had already read through most of his school books. The theory was very interesting and was definitely necessary to build the needed foundation. However, he was very much looking forward to finally practising magic with a wand.
He left Privet Drive, taking the bus to London and then the Leaky Cauldron. Harry couldn't wait to be reunited with his wand. Ever since experiencing the raw magical power when he first connected with it, he was longing to have the piece of wood returned to him. Today was finally the day.
Arriving at the Leaky Cauldron, he greeted Tom, who escorted him towards the brick wall and opened the gateway to Diagon Alley for him. This would be the last time Tom had to assist Harry in accessing the magical world. From now on, he could do it by himself.
It was a lot busier than the last time he had been here, Harry thought.
Making his way to Ollivanders to pick up his wand, he saw so many children and students his age, shopping with their parents or talking about the new school year with friends.
This was taken from me… Harry thought angrily. Voldemort took this from me when he took my Parents. But I will avenge their deaths. One day I will enjoy moments like these as well. And no one will ever stop me from doing it.
Soon, he arrived at Ollivanders. The wandmaker was currently talking with another customer who had just bought her wand. The girl had red hair like the woman next to her and looked friendly enough.
"Hi, are you also here to buy your wand?" the girl asked.
"Well, one would expect that that's what I am here for, as Ollivanders is literally a wandmaker," Harry replies sarcastically.
The girl laughed."You're funny! I'm Susan Bones, and this is my Auntie, Amelia! Don't be scared of her, she's really friendly."
I am not scared of anyone… not Lord Voldemort and certainly not some middle-aged ginger witch, Harry thought.
"And who might you be, young man?" The stern-looking woman asked.
"My name is Harry, Ma'am." Harry simply responds, not being too keen on having to state his last name.
Susan's eyes flickered to Harry's scar, and she started a conversation with her aunt in exciting whispers.
"Excuse my niece, Mr. Potter. This is the first time you have been spotted in the Wizarding World. Susan is simply excited to be atrending Hogwarts with you soon."
Harry just nodded and turned his attention to Ollivander, who watched the exchange with a curious look in his glassy eyes. Ollivander said farewell to Madam Bones and young Susan and hastened Harry to the back of his shop once again.
"Well Mr. Potter, I of course know what you are here for. Rest assured no one has come into contact with your wand since the last time you have been here. I imagine you must be excited to be reunited with it now. With a connection as strong as yours, being apart from your wand must almost feel like torture."
Ollivander had no idea how true his words were. It did feel like torture, especially after having a taste of the raw magical power he felt in that very special moment. Harry quickly snatched his new wand and the feeling, while not quite as strong as for the first time, was still overwhelming.
"This wand is truly one of a kind, Mr. Potter. Treat it with the utmost respect!"
"Thank you, Sir. I would also like to buy a dragonhide wrist holster for my new wand and a polishing kit." Harry said. Recently there was a very interesting article in the Daily Prophet about the advantages of carrying your wand in a holster. Harry had decided that it could not hurt to give it a try.
"I expected as much from someone as brilliant and powerful as you. Here you go, Mr. Potter. That will be 11 galleons and 9 sickles in total then please."
Harry paid the required amount and left the shop. Next up, he wanted to buy his robes for Hogwarts. He knew of two shops for robes in Diagon Alley from his previous wanderings. "Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions" and "Twilfitt and Tattings".
Seeing as the latter sold more premium quality robes, he made his way to the store and bought four plain black Hogwarts robes in high quality, an Acromantula-silk winter cloak, and a full wizarding wardrobe to top it all off. After all, he had a good first impression to make. The House of Potter would finally be returning to the Wizarding World after a decade of absence.
Paying a hefty sum of galleons he made his way to the Apothecary next He bought a cauldron, dragonhide gloves, and a large kit of ingredients for potions and herbology. Harry found both subjects somewhat interesting. However, since their practical application in fights, duels, or everyday magic was somewhat limited, he would rather spend his free time on what he thought of as more important subjects, like Charms, Transfiguration, and Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Being curious about the runes Ollivander carved in Harry's wand, Harry also bought a beginner's guide to Ancient Runes. He was disappointed that the subject would only be taught after his second year at Hogwarts. Runes had lots of practical applications. From what he read, they could even be used in rituals to permanently increase his magical power.
With his wand in his wrist holster, he made his way into Knockturn Alley to a store called "Borgin and Burkes". The shop was famous for the sale of darker or grey magical items, but Harry didn't care about those naive characterizations. He needed to gather knowledge about all aspects of magic, not just the "Ministry-approved" lighter aspects.
Harry entered the shop and made his way to a scary-looking shelf of books in the back of the store. Multiple interesting titles caught his eye. He found an Auror's handbook, an "Introduction to dueling" by an author named Antonin Dolohov, and a book called "Legilimency, the Intrusion of the Mind".
However, what really caught his eye was a book that must be centuries old. At first, he couldn't read its title. However, after concentrating on the obscure signs and letters, he managed to read them:
"The tongue of the Serpent" by Herpo the Foul.
Harry caught his breath. A book about Parseltongue. This book was literally priceless, and he was one of the few humans that could actually read it, Harry thought.
Parseltongue was already an incredibly rare ability. The last known Parselmouth in Britain had been Voldemort himself. Other than that, they have not been seen in Europe for over a century.
He had to get this book. But how could he buy it without raising suspicion? If Borgin or Burke only knew what stood here on a shelf in the back of the store… They must have had no idea.
Harry decided that a blunt approach might just be the simplest. There were no price tags on the books, so he simply took them to the counter where Mr. Borgin eyed him curiously.
"Well, well, well… I must admit that you are one of the last people I expected to enter my shop today, Mr. Potter."
Harry was not surprised that the man knew his name. He did not want to hide his scar, so it was plainly visible. "Mr. Borgin, a pleasure to meet you, Sir! This might be my first visit to your fine establishment, but rest assured, it shall not be my last. I have the Galleons to back up my interest in your inventory. I do hope to build the foundation for a healthy business relationship with you, beginning here, with my first purchase."
"Indeed, Mr. Potter, your family certainly has the Galleons. Do not worry... Discretion is inherently part of my business. Let us see what caught your interest today."
Harry showed Mr. Borgin the books, who only raised a curious eyebrow at the last title since the sounds of golden Galleons coming from Harry's bottomless bag quickly caught his attention elsewhere.
"That will be 230 galleons, Mr. Potter. I am certain this will not even put a small tent into your vault." Borgin says with an evil grin.
Harry did not mind the price at all. The Parseltongue book was literally priceless. This was most likely the worst deal Borgin would ever make in the history of his shop. Smiling inwardly, Harry paid the Galleons and left the Shop. He couldn't wait to start reading his new books.
The very last item on his list was a trunk. Harry decided to invest some Galleons in an Auror grade trunk with five compartments and an undetectable extension charm. This would certainly be enough for his time at Hogwarts, and he could safely store all the books he might add to his growing collection in the future.
Finishing his shopping Harry returned to the Leaky Cauldron and ordered some dinner. Just as he was about to sit down, the largest man he has ever seen bustled into the room.
"Hagrid, what can I do for you?" Tom asks the giant.
"Lookin' for Harry, Tom. Can't find 'im at his relatives. Must have run away from home. Nasty muggles those, I tell ya."
"Well, young Mr. Potter is enjoying his dinner over there in the corner. Let me know if you need anything else."
So, this was Hagrid? This is the person that was supposed to take him to Diagon Alley and help him with his school shopping?
"Harry! 'S good to see ya. I've been looking for ya everywhere. Couldn't find ya. Where have ya been and how did ya get to Diagon Alley by yourself?"
Harry didn't think he needed to explain himself to the rude giant, however, in order to be left alone, it might be for the best. "I have known for a while that I was a wizard and I decided to get to know the magical world on my own. I don't need any help. Thank you though, Sir!"
Hagrid did not seem to like the reply he just heard. However, he could hardly drag Harry out of the full pub and simply abduct him now, could he?
"Well Harry, just promise me you'll be careful, alrigh'. I took ya to your relatives that horrible night Lily and James died, on Dumbledore's orders of course. Come and visit when you arrive at Hogwarts. I'm the gamekeeper. I'm sure I'll be able to tell ya some stories about ya parents. 'Specially yer dad... was always up to mischief, him and his lot, I'll tell ya!"
Hagrid bid Harry farewell and made his way towards the entry to Diagon Alley. How very interesting, Harry thought. The man actually seemed to know his parents. Learning more about them was an offer Harry would very likely accept. To find his place in this new world, it made sense to first know everything there was about where he actually came from.
In addition, Albus Dumbledore ordered for Harry to be taken to the Dursleys the night his parents died. He was the one that dropped him at their doorstep and damned him to 10 years of misery. Now he also wanted to make sure Harry didn't wander around the magical world by himself.
What were the man's motives for that? Harry had of course read about the mighty Albus Dumbledore. He was supposed to be the greatest wizard of their time, defeater of Gellert Grindelwald, and the only person Lord Voldemort ever feared. Why was the old Headmaster so interested in Harry's life?
Harry vowed to be cautious of the man and assume the worst unless proven otherwise. He certainly wouldn't trust a man that thought the Dursleys were fit to raise a magical child and never checked up on him in ten long, difficult years.
For the last time this summer, Harry went back to the Dursleys. The next day he would gather everything he had left at Number Four and spend the rest of the holidays until September the first at the Leaky Cauldron.
This would allow him to practice magic with his wand. He started reading about The Trace recently. Just as Harry assumed, the Ministry was not able to pinpoint the performance of magic down to a single person. Only to the general area and only if a wand was used to produce magic.
At the leaky cauldron, with so many adult wizards staying around, the Ministry would never be able to pinpoint any magic down to him. This would be the perfect opportunity to improve his magical strength and get a head start on his peers.
Harry didn't care much about the academic aspect or even the concept of grades. Yes, he wanted to be the best. But not to boast around some stupid piece of parchment! He wanted to be the best so that the events on Halloween 1981 would never repeat themselves. He would be the best so that should Voldemort or any future Dark Lord ever seek him out, Harry had a chance to best them.
Harry would be the best so that one day no one would be able to tell him what to do…
He would finally be free...
August 31st, 1991
One month had passed since Harry took residency in the Leaky Cauldron. The Magical World was simply a wonderful place to live in. Every day, Harry witnessed or read about new fantastical things. Wizards and witches from all over the world came to the Leaky Cauldron each day on their way to Diagon Alley.
Harry learned a lot about the international magical community, different magical schools, magical history, and politics. Of course, he also continued his self-study. The first-year books were almost too simple by now. It only took him a couple of tries to change his matchstick into a needle, use the Lumos charm or even levitate a feather.
However, he didn't want to slack in any areas of magic. Hearing that the potions professor tested first-years during their very first lesson, Harry relentlessly studied his potions textbook, organizing his knowledge in his mind palace before falling asleep at the end of each day.
He was finally able to stop taking his nutrition potions. Having reversed his malnutrition and even helping him grow to his potential, he now stood at 5 feet and one inch, looking like a very healthy 12/13-year-old boy whilst still only being eleven. He was certainly one of the taller kids in his age group.
His study of the mind arts also turned out very well. Using his mind palace and the meditation exercises as a basis, Harry quickly started to practice clearing his mind and safely storing memories behind magical barriers. It would take a few more months before he could safely stop an actual attack on his mind. However, he was positive that he would at least feel another's presence at this point already.
Since eye contact was very important whenever breaching someone's mental barriers, Harry would simply be cautious around powerful wizards and witches that might be skilled in the mind arts. In a worst-case scenario, he could always look away and break the connection.
One of the most interesting things he had read so far was his book on an introduction to dueling. Being of a very competitive nature himself, Harry couldn't wait to start practicing some dueling exercises at Hogwarts and test his knowledge. He simply needed to find a good place to practice. Maybe his dorm was large enough or he could always find an unused classroom.
The author of the dueling manual was certainly a questionable wizard. However, the fact that Antonin Dolohov was in prison for being a follower of Voldemort and killing a great many people, didn't discourage Harry from reading his book. Sure, the man was evil and followed a maniac. But his knowledge about dueling is among the very best. Up there with the likes of Grindelwald, Dumbledore, and the Dark Lord himself. Therefore, Harry would continue learning from the man.
He also read about the International Dueling Championships. Right now, he was too young to participate in the events. However, after his 12th birthday, he would be allowed to enter the Under 14 Championship, to be held in Paris in two years. All he needed was a contact person and sponsor to enter… Someone who had experience in dueling and took care of the organizational aspects in the background. Perhaps he would find someone suitable at Hogwarts over the next two years. Maybe even a teacher if Harry did well enough in their class.
Learning how to duel and getting hands-on experience would certainly be of an advantage to Harry's future, maybe even outright necessary one day.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
August 31st, 1991
Albus Dumbledore was deep in thought. Tomorrow, Harry Potter would board the Hogwarts Express and make his way to the Castle. After living with the muggles for ten years he would finally rejoin the magical world.
At least that's what the ancient Headmaster originally thought...
Apparently, Harry hasn't been living with the muggles for some time now. Mrs. Figg has not seen the boy for almost one month and Hagrid reported that he could not find Harry when picking him up from his relatives to take him to Diagon Alley. In the end, Hagrid found the young wizard at the Leaky Cauldron after Harry finished all his shopping by himself already.
That thought did not sit well with Albus. He remembered another boy that grew up as an orphan roughly 60 years ago. That boy also showed high levels of independence, refusing any help when doing his shopping for Hogwarts. Tom Riddle and Harry Potter already shared some similarities and young Harry hadn't even been sorted yet.
Albus had also been almost certain that Voldemort's twin wand would choose Harry. However, that didn't seem to be the case. When Albus asked Ollivander if the phoenix core wand chose Harry as his wielder, the old wandmaker simply laughed and denied the statement.
The Headmaster had no idea why his theory didn't turn out correctly. He was certain that something special had happened the night Tom attacked the Potters. The scar on Harry's forehead was no ordinary curse scar, that much was clear. However, even Dumbledore had no idea what it actually meant. All he knew was that a connection had been established. Could this connection be the reason that the two wizards already shared so many similarities?
Dumbledore tried a couple more times to get Ollivander to tell him about young Harry's wand but to no success. The only piece of information the wandmaker was willing to give up was that the wand would be "one of a kind" and "unlike anything that I have ever sold before."
Of course, that didn't sit well with Albus at all. A young orphan from very powerful parents, who most likely endured a horrible childhood with his magic-hating relatives, picked up an extremely powerful wand. He would have to keep a very close eye on Harry while the child studies at Hogwarts. Albus could not risk indirectly supporting the rise of a third Dark Lord. Especially one that already shares plenty of similarities with Voldemort.
Albus had watched the young boy, ever since Hagrid told him that he found Harry in the Leaky Cauldron that night. What he witnessed so far, filled him with pride and caused him great concern at the same time. The boy was very independent, similar to a young Tom Riddle. However, whenever he asked the people who Harry encountered on a daily basis about their opinion on the boy, they all stated that they believed his respect and friendliness to be genuine.
He was a very curious and studious boy, so far, his most visited shop had been the bookshop in Diagon Alley. Very similar to how Albus himself had been around that age. It would be interesting to see what house he will be sorted into: Will it be Gryffindor, like his heroic parents? Or would a different house gain a very valuable member by this time tomorrow night?
Albus was certain that the answer to many of his questions lays in the famous scar itself... Perhaps Harry would allow him to take a closer look at the scar? Then again, he couldn't risk annoying the boy any further. Albus had to get Harry to trust him. How else could he support him in fulfilling the Prophecy? He would not approach the boy directly but would wait carefully to build a foundation for a relationship with the child. "Yes, that would certainly be the best plan of action."