Hello, this is my first story here and I hope you will like it. I do not own Harry Potter or the other characters.

A Black Appearance Chr. 1: The Letter

"Nooooo", with a shout Harry woke up. He sat up in his bed, searched with one hand for his glasses and sat them on his nose. Running through his sweaty hair with his right hand, Harry slowly calmed down. Looking at the clock on the nightstand, he realized that it was only three o'clock in the morning. Harry sighed, that was the twelfth nightmare since his return to the Dursleys and the school year ended a week ago.

Every night since his return from the graveyard, Harry dreamed about the third task. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Wormtail casting the killing cures, heard Voldemort screaming, "Kill the spare" and most importantly, he saw Cedrics lifeless body. Endless guilt plagued him. His mind knew that there was nothing, he could have done to save Cedric. His heart on the other hand was a completely different story. He felt as if it all was his fault. If he had only been selfish this once and had taken the cup alone, then Cedric would not have died.

The Dursleys were not as bad as usual. Like every summer, he had to do chores, but not as much as usual and at night his uncle came a few times, angry shouting in his room because Harrys screaming had woken him up. Other than that, they ignored him. Harry got up, crossed the room and sat down at his desk. On the desk were everything he needed for his summer homework. A few schoolbooks and parchment, together with an inkwell and a quill.

By using his godfathers status as escaped criminal he had convince his relatives to let him take his trunk to his room. Knowing it would be pointless to go back to sleep, Harry decided to start with his potions essay. Contradictorily to general believe, Harry liked potions and was quite good at it. He thought it was similar to cooking and after years of cooking for his relatives he had more than enough experience and knew exactly what he was doing. Therefore, neither the essays, nor the actual brewing posed problems to Harry. The reasons why he was bad in class were simple.

First, he was holding back. This was something he did since primary school. The Dursleys had always punished him if he dared to do better than his cousin did. Now it was so that his relatives detested magic and were not interested in his marks at Hogwarts. Therefore, he didn't have to hold back. Nevertheless, Harry was afraid of the reaction from his friends if he would show his best. Ron would complain that Harry had no more time for him. Hermione would not like it, if he got better marks than she did. Not only in potions, but in other classes as well.

Secondly, he and his fellow Gryffindors shared potion class with the Slytherins. Between the two houses reigned a deep rivalry and the Slytherins didn't miss a chance to sabotage the Gryffindors potions. The last reason was that even if he gave his best, the professor wouldn't give him the marks he earned. Professor Snape always favoured the Slytherins and used even the smallest opportunities to criticize the Gryffindors and take points from them. His favourite victim was Harry. Snape absolutely hated Harry for no other reason than the simple fact that Harry looked like his father.

Therefore, Harry held back in all his classes, presenting the façade of the mediocre wizard to the people around him. Nevertheless, that didn't mean that he wasted his true potential. Not in the slightest. Whenever he was doing homework with his friends, he wrote essays that wouldn't get more than an A (Acceptable). However, as soon as he was alone he would rewrite the essay this time using his full potential. The same with the summer homework. He would write the first essay perfectly and would change the second essay to one that was only acceptable. His original essays he hid safely in his trunk. The writing of the essay took Harrys mind off the nightmares.

After finishing the essay he took a glance at the clock and saw that he had still time. Since potions was the last essay, he decided to use the rest of the time to study Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. Shortly after the beginning of his third year, it had become clear to him how useless Divination and partly Care of Magical Creatures were. Therefore, during the Christmas break he had secretly bought books for Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. He learned for both subjects until it was time to make breakfast. He hastily put on some clothes, walked downstairs and went into the kitchen. There he started to cook eggs, bacon and made toast.

His relatives came into the kitchen and sat down at the table in silence. After bringing the breakfast to the table, Harry prepared a small plate for himself and started to eat.

"We will leave in half an hour and will not come back until late in the evening. Make sure that the lawn is mowed and the shrubs are weeded when we come back" said his aunt sharply and then continued eating.

"Yes, aunt Petunia" Harry replied.

When his relatives had finished eating, he cleared the table and washed the dishes. Then he went upstairs to his room to feed his owl a few treats. Earlier this morning she was out hunting. When he entered the room, he saw her sitting on the perch of her cage. He walked over to her and stroked her feathers.

"Hey girl, had a good hunt?" Harry asked while giving her a treat.

Hedwig gave a positive hoot and nestled her head against his hand. Sadly, he thought about the fact that not one of his friends had written to him. A few minutes later, he heard his uncle's car leave the driveway and went down to start his chores. Two hours later, he was finished and went inside.

Looking at the clock, he saw it was only one pm. He took a banana from the refrigerator and went to his room. When he entered, he was surprised to see an unknown brown owl sitting on his desk. He went towards it and released the owl from the two letters. Then he walked over to his bed. Sitting down on the bed, he opened the first letter. It was from Gringotts.

Dear Mr. Potter,

Attached to this letter you will find a delayed letter of your late mother to be send to you on your 11th birthday. We from Gringotts regret deeply that the letter is only send now.

May your gold flow and your enemies crumble.

Regards,

Nagnok

Potter Account Manager

Gringotts

Harry stared at the letter. A delayed letter from his mother. Still shocked he put the letter aside and opened the second one.

Dear Harry,

If you read this letter than Voldemort has found us, James and I are dead and you have survived. It also means that we could never tell you the truth.

First let me tell you that we love you no matter what and will always be proud of you. I am sitting here in your nursery writing this letter and looking at you while you are sleeping. It is difficult for me to write this letter knowing that there is the possibility that we will not survive. However, more than anything I am worried knowing that Voldemort wants you dead more than anything else". The reason is a prophecy made to Albus Dumbledore by Sybill Trelawney before you were born. The prophecy reads as follows.

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."

I know it is hard to comprehend but don't let this rule your life.

Now to the hardest part.

Even if we love you like our own son, we are not your biological parents. Let me explain. When we discovered that I was pregnant, we were overjoyed. Our son was born on July 31. It was the happiest moment in our life. However, our luck didn't last. Our son, who we named Harry James Potter, was suffering from a rare and incurable disease and passed away only one day later. It broke our hearts to forfeit our beloved child like that. A few hours later, we were quite surprised, when someone knocked on our door. It was your mother. She told us that she couldn't keep you and that you would be in danger if she did. She begged us to take you in and raise you as our own. At first, we wanted to refuse because we didn't want to replace our son. However, in the end, we gave in. Your mother was relieved when we agreed. She didn't want to give you away but saw no other way to keep you safe.

Nobody, except the healer who was present at your birth, knew of your existence and he was obliviated by your mother. Her last request was to be obliviated as well, so nobody would find out. James did that after she kissed you on the forehead for the last time and I had gone inside with you. Then she left. We then used a strong and very complicated glamour charm on you to make you look exactly like Harry. It was lucky that we hadn't told anyone of Harry's death. We buried him in secret the very same day. The next day Albus told us about the prophecy and we went into hiding.

Because of the possibility that this letter falls into the wrong hands, I will not write the names of your parents in here. If you want to know them, go to Gringotts and take an inheritance test. I understand that all of this is a bit too much and probably very hard for you. Never forget that we will always love you.

Love

Lily

Harry stared at the letter. He didn't know what to think. He didn't know what to do. His whole life was a lie. His parents weren't who he thought. Harry himself wasn't who he thought. He stared at the letter for another two minutes, trying to wrap his mind around everything he had read. Then he let the letter fall to the floor and did the only thing he could do at this moment. He put his head into his hands and started to sob. For the next fifteen minutes, though it felt like hours, he cried for the mess that his life was and for loosing what he thought was his identity. When he stopped crying, he started to think about what to do.

He wanted to know who his real parents were. Therefore, he would have to go to Gringotts. However, he couldn't just go out the front door. It may sound paranoid but whenever he was outside, he had the strong feeling that someone was watching him. At first, he had thought that he was imagining things but later he concluded that either Voldemort or Dumbledore had sent people to watch him. Harry suspected the latter. After all, that had happened during his school years and how Dumbledore had acted, he wouldn´t put it past him. He also had begun to avoid looking into the man's eyes. He thought it was suspicious that the headmaster always knew what was going on and what to say and suspected that Dumbledore had the ability to read minds.

Therefore, he needed to find a way nobody could track, without people seeing him and without leaving the house. The knight bus was too loud, someone would see him and it was the first choice people would think of as he had seen in third year. He had neither Floopulver nor a real fireplace that connected to the Floonetwork. Therefore, that was out of question too. The next idea was a portkey but Harry discarded it at once for several reasons. First he didn't like or trust portkeys since the third task. Second, he didn't know how to create one. Third, even if he knew he would get into trouble for using magic during the summer. Harry had read about apparation. However, for that, he needed a license and he hadn't one. He thought more but just couldn't come up with a way to solve his problem. 'If I could just pop in and out like Dobby.' He thought. Then it clicked. Dobby! Of course! The little house elf was always excited to help him. It was worth a try.

"Dobby.", Harry called. Crack! Dobby popped into the room. "Master Harry Potter sir has called Dobby!" the elf cried out and threw himself at Harry's legs. Harry looked at the elf in amusement. "Nice to see you too Dobby." he answered without thinking. Then he realized what Dobby had called him. "Wait. Why did you call me master?" At this question, Dobby suddenly looked nervous. "When Master Harry Potter freed Dobby, Dobby needed a new master. Without a new master Dobby would slowly go insane and then die. Therefore, Dobby bond himself secretly to master Harry Potter. Dobby wasn't sure if Master Harry Potter would want Dobby, so Dobby didn't tell. Because of that the bond was not completed and is not as strong as it should be." he explained while looking down the whole time.

Harry looked at the elf in complete surprise. He hadn't known that house elves needed masters to survive. If he had known, he would have bonded with Dobby right after he had freed him. "Dobby, look at me." he said. Dobby looked up, the nervousness clearly in his eyes. "Of course I would want you as my elf. If you had told me, I would have bonded with you right then." "Really?" Dobby almost glowed with delight. "Really", smiled Harry. "Tell you what. Explain me how to bond with you and I do it right now. Alright?" Dobby nodded overjoyed. "It is very easy. Everything Master Harry Potter has to do is to take Dobby's hand and say that he wants Dobby to be his elf." Harry did as he was told to and a moment later Dobby was officially his elf. Dobby hugged Harry again, crying tears of joy and saying "Thank you Master Harry Potter sir." repeatedly.

While he did that, got Harry an idea. "Dobby, first it is only Harry. Secondly does Winky still want a new master?" "Yes, Master Harry, Winky is still miserable at Hogwarts." Harry nodded in understanding. "Ok, do you think she would accept me as her new master?" "Dobby is sure master Harry" Harry smiled and called "Winky!" Crack! Winky appeared in the room. She looked horrible. She was dirty, wore a ripped pillowcase and Harry could smell the alcohol right from where he stood. "Harry Potter called Winky?" she asked. "Yes Winky. I wanted to ask you if you want to become my elf." "Harry Potter wants Winky?" she asked clearly surprised. "Winky, I would be happy to take you as my elf." Harry insured her. "Then Winky accepts." she said smiling. Harry repeated his actions from earlier and a few seconds later Winky was his elf.

After a few minutes of arguing, the two house elves agreed to get two Galleons per month and six free days per year. More the elves would not accept. They also agreed to wear black uniforms with his family crest. After a moment, Harry decided how to proceed. "Alright. Winky, I want you back to Hogwarts for the time being. Get yourself cleaned up and sleep the alcohol off. I don´t need a drunken house elf." Winky nodded and disappeared. Then Harry turned to Dobby. "Dobby, can you bring me to Gringotts without letting the people outside know or alerting the ministry?" Harry asked after informing the elf about his suspicion that someone was watching him. "No problem master Harry elves can hide their magical signature and can´t be tracked." Dobby answered. "Good. Now there is the possibility that I will look completely different when I call you next time and you probably will not recognize me." Harry explained. "No problem at all master. Thanks to the bond we automatically recognize our master as well as his current name and title." Dobby explained. "Perfect." smiled Harry. He went to his trunk, took out an old hoody and pulled it over the t-shirt he wore. At the very last, he pulled up the hood and made sure his scar was covered. He went back to Dobby and told the elf to bring him to Gringotts. Dobby took his hand and with a pop, they were gone.

Hope you liked it.