Harry Potter and the Blessed Blood

Blessing

***Despite my plans to eventually own things, Harry Potter will never be one of them. ***

Note: Neville is going to be referenced as a 'blonde' because that is what the author considers him in the actual book.

***HPBB***

Lily Potter hastily drew yet another symbol upon her young son's forehead. Both her and James knew what was coming, they could feel it in their bones. Voldemort would find them sooner or later and when he did…

She had to finish this last act, possibly the last thing she would ever do in her life. She had to ensure that Harry would survive, that he would be safe from harm.

They had both heard the prophecy, were both aware of what it meant. The problem was that Dumbledore was an arse and would undoubtedly find some way to twist the entire situation to his favor. That and the fact that there was little hope a mere child would ever gain enough experience and power to out duel the Dark Lord himself, who would have well over fifty years of experience on the boy.

Their only hope, his only hope, was to figure out 'the power he knows not'. When it had been first revealed Dumbledore, in his infinite wisdom, began muttering about 'the power of love and friendship' or some such bullshit.

Luckily neither of Harry's parents were willing to risk his life and future on vague ideals of hugging the Dark Lord into submission. Also fortunate was the fact that they had access, through James, to forbidden and forgotten magic of the Potter family. That, coupled with the knowledge and skills of the two most skilled magical users of their generation, provided a glimmer of hope. An ancient ritual designed to strengthen and enhance the power of one's blood, except that it would be enhanced, Lily was considered a genius after all, and magnified to a terrifying degree which shouldn't be possible even in the world of magic.

At least that was what Lily hoped.

An explosion sounded from the ground floor, the sound of a door being blasted to pieces.

A shout from her husband followed quickly after as the air began to fill with the excess magic of a duel. She had to complete the task now.

"Blessed be the blood of my blood." She muttered, drawing another small symbol on the child's forehead.

"Protect the blood of my blood, keep him safe, keep him strong, and allow…"

A sickening green light filled the house, and she felt her heart die a bit… her husband was dead and she was sure to follow. The only hope left was to save her son.

Minutes later, and despite the pleas of a desperate mother, a bolt of green energy ripped Lily Potter's soul from her body, leaving her only child unprotected.

A single incantation followed, and once more the house was filled with a green glow, before all grew silent once more.

Save for the crying of an innocent baby.

***HPBB***

"FREAK, GET IN HERE NOW!"

Said small child slowly entered the room, his eyes staring at the floor as he had been 'taught' to do since early on in his life.

Seconds later he was attacked from the side by his cousin, who proceeded to begin practicing his 'wrestling moves' on the smaller child.

Harry would pass out seconds later, while his aunt and uncle laughed on from the other side of the room.

***HPBB***

"I have a package here for a Mr. Harry…"

"There is no Harry here now leave!" Petunia promptly slammed the door in the man's face, before turning and leaving for the kitchen, muttering the entire time.

Little did she know that inside the cupboard under the stairs a young boy had heard just enough to make a startling connection.

With eagerness befitting a child at Christmas Harry began to make small scratches with his worn-out fingernails into the wall, hidden from view unless one sat inside the cupboard itself.

'H…A…R…R…Y'

He finally had a name, and he would never allow himself to forget it.

***HPBB***

"I TOLD YOU FREAK, IF YOU DIDN'T FINISH THEN NO SUPPER!" With this declaration the larger man grabbed ahold of the child, and threw him roughly into the closet before locking it from the outside.

It wasn't his fault. He had almost gotten done with weeding the elaborate garden in the back yard before Dudley had come barging through and ruined half of the plants. This, of course, was blamed on Harry and he had been forced to sit still while being sprayed off with the garden hose to get the dirt off. "Can't have you tracking mud through my beautiful house freak!" Petunia snarled, as her son turned up the pressure causing welts and bruises to appear on the boy's skin.

'Maybe… it is my fault… maybe I deserve this…' the young boy thought as he was confined to the darkness of his personal jail.

It had been like this for as long as he could remember, and despite knowing that the same rules did not seem to apply to his cousin… it was obvious that something was wrong with him to deserve such treatment. He was just a freak after all.

***HPBB***

"Freak get in here this instance! Dudlekins needs his wrestling practice."

Nodding in obedience the boy walked into the living room, his head bowed as had become the norm with him.

Within moments he found himself in various painful positions, his muscles and skin being pulled in awkward angles, and his bones straining in discomfort.

The last thing he remembered before blacking out from a choke hold, was the smiling faces of his two 'guardians'.

***HPBB***

It is truly amazing what children will do to survive, even resorting to stealing food in the very house they live in. A quick 'sleight of hand' and an apple would seemingly vanish out of a fruit bowl into a young boy's hand.

When the situation was dire enough the human mind will adapt to just about anything, a normally vibrant and curious personality will be stifled if questions and expressions lead to physical harm. If eye contact leads to hatred and scorn then one need only to keep their head bent. Spending hours upon hours outside toiling in the soil would give one quite the education involving plants and how to care for them.

Yet there are times that despite all of the ways in which a person can change and overcome an obstacle will emerge that simply cannot be passed, a mountain too high to climb. Thus, despite all of his physical pains and stresses Harry Potter remained physically small and weak. Every day, he felt exhausted no matter how much food he would steal or how many chores he performed.

There was always something that seemed wrong, as if he was being weighted down and suppressed. As if a part of him was being denied.

***HPBB***

Harry Potter was busy dusting the living room, while the others sat and watched television, when a letter slid under the doorway.

A letter addressed to 'Harry Potter'.

The black-haired boy paused then glanced back as if to ask permission to touch the envelope, he had learned after the one time he hadn't that the consequences would be quite painful.

"Go ahead freak, mail ain't gonna pick itself up!"

"Yes sir" Upon retrieving the letter he froze, and slowly began to open the envelope when he was knocked into the wall by a large fist.

"DON'T OPEN WHAT AINT YOURS FREAK!"

"V-Vernon…"

The man glanced over to his terrified wife, who gestured towards the letter in her hand. Returning his attention to the prone child below him Mr. Dursely finished by delivering a stomp to the boy's head, knocking him unconscious.

***HPBB***

"What do we do?"

"I already told you he ain't gonna be learning from those freaks!"

Harry blinked his eyes open, realizing he was once more in his 'room' and that there was a conversation going on nearby, probably about him by the anger in the tone of his uncle.

"You don't understand Vernon; these freaks aren't going to just stop with one letter. If he doesn't reply they will send someone to find him."

"Let them try, we will just go on vacation and…"

"They will find us Vernon… It was the same way with my sister. I don't like it any more than you do but… this way we avoid having to deal with them and we won't have to see him for nine months of the year. Think about it darling… nine months without that little monster."

The locked-up child could practically see his uncle's slowly forming grin.

"Well when you put it like that…"

***HPBB***

"Albus now that the school year is fast approaching we need to go over the first years who will have a staff member assigned to introduce them to the magical world."

"Ah yes of course Minerva please go down the list."

The other teachers sat anxiously, there was a certain… experience… to be given such a task. Sure, there was the initial stress and anxiety that went with trying to convince normal everyday people to believe in magic, and to send off their young child to attend a school they had never heard of. But there was also that. Seeing a child's eyes light up in amazement when a simple spell was performed for the first time was an experience that none could wave off as being 'trivial'.

After most of the list had been gone through McGonagall paused, before glancing around hesitantly.

"Harry Potter"

Snape gave his usual sneer and snorted in annoyance.

Dumbledore's eyes began twinkling with an unusual brightness.

"Who… has the child been living with all this time Headmaster? You never did inform us."

"And for good reason I am afraid Filius. Despite the war being over there have been numerous death threats against young Mr. Potter's life. He has been hidden away under powerful wards and with a normal muggle family to raise him to be modest and caring rather than concerned with fame and fortune."

"Hmph, I am sure the brat will be just as full of himself as his father was."

"Now now Severus I am sure he is quite the young man by now."

"So Albus who is going to be assigned to…"

"I do not believe that will be necessary Minerva, I have spoken with his guardians and they have assured me that he has been well informed of the magical world and his place in it, along with his parents. I suggest we keep away from this topic as the year begins though, there is no reason to open old wounds."

***HPBB***

Harry was dropped off unceremoniously at the train station that he was to report to. Vague instructions alluding to a 'Platform Nine and three quarters' were all the instructions he received from his uncle.

That and the threat that he had better not come back before the next summer. If he somehow couldn't find a way to get to school then he had to fend for himself for the next nine months.

Glancing around the young boy shivered in his worn-out clothing. All he had been allowed to take was a falling apart suitcase and some dirty clothes stuffed inside.

Hopefully the school would provide the books.

Harry had never been in public like this before, having seldom left the house save for doing chores, and began his wanderings to try and find his destination. He finally reached platform nine, and noticed platform ten next to it but…

There was no signs, no instructions, no professors… what kind of school was this?

Maybe it was a trick? His 'family' had certainly wanted to be rid of him for some time now, perhaps this was the best way they could think of? Elevate his hopes and dreams and then leave him abandoned to die.

Just then he saw the most curious of things, a woman and several red headed children walked through a wall.

Well… that wasn't normal… right? It must be one of those 'tricks' that his uncle always ranted and raged about.

Either way it was between platforms nine and ten so… why not try?

Taking a few shy steps forward the boy took a deep breath, and walked through.

***HPBB***

Draco Malfoy had not been having a good day so far. First the stupid house elf woke up him late, which meant that he didn't have time to sit and fully enjoy his breakfast as a proper Pure-blood heir. Then his robes weren't perfectly ironed like they should have been for his first day of school, he had found at least three different wrinkled spots and such things were… unacceptable. Finally, all of the stress that this had caused created an imbalance in his naturally perfect hair, a few strands falling out of place. How was he ever going to rule Slytherin with anything less than a perfect first image?

Luckily for him all of the elves had gone about punishing themselves, as to be expected by such lowly creatures, and he had made it to the platform with plenty of time. Why his father was insisting he use the train with the rest of the commoners he wasn't quite sure, but who was he to question the man?

He had easily spotted Greg and Vincent before boarding the train and began walking to greet them when… some stupid dirty mud-blood forgot to watch where they were going and actually bumped into him. Imagine it, a dirty commoner, dressed in rags actually entering his personal space, breathing his air.

"Watch where you are going you stupid buffoon!" the blonde boy snapped in agitation. Unfortunately, his mother and father were busy catching up with with the Goyles and the Crabbes and so did not see the altercation. If they had, then the ugly boy would have been banned from Hogwarts already!

"S-s-sorry, I…"

"I don't care! Come near me again and I shall ensure that you never attend Hogwarts!"

The messy haired boy's gaze never rose from the floor, at least he had the decency to understand who his betters were, and nodded slowly in understanding.

"Good, you better pray that you are not sorted into Slytherin, or mark my words you will not make it through your first year!" It was true, such a weak fool had no business in the most prestigious of houses.

With one last sneer, the Malfoy heir moved on to catch up with his friends, although they were a bit… dimwitted they were at least of pure magical heritage.

***HPBB***

Harry chose the very last carriage to hide away in, he had already noticed quite a few stares at his dirty appearance and ratty clothing and had no intention of seeing any more of their pity or judgment.

Luckily no one else joined him, which allowed for a rather quiet, if a bit lonely, trip. Of course considering what attention usually got him at the Dursely's home perhaps lonely was a good thing.

'What will school be like? Will I be able to make any friends? Will everyone hate me? If I do really well will I be able to get a really good job some day? What do I even want to do later in my life?' These were the questions and concerns floating through the child's mind when an odd sound startled him. Looking around he saw no indication of the cause, until he noticed the small looking toad sitting on the floor, staring up at him as if it was confused by what he was doing all by himself.

"Hello there, I don't suppose you know how long we still have do you?"

The croak did not answer his question, and the boy sighed before picking the creature up and putting it on the, considerably more comfortable, padded bench. Around ten minutes later knocking emanated from his door, before a rather shy looking boy peeked through, "Ummm you haven't seen a toad around here have you?"

Harry nodded, and gestured towards the creature sitting next to him.

"Trevor! Oh thank you so much, I was so worried about him!"

The boy-who-lived wanted to ask more but... questions often did not end well for him, so he just kept his mouth shut as he had been taught.

"Do you ummm mind if I join you?"

He was answered by a shy shaking of the black-haired boy's head.

"My name is Neville Longbottom."

"Harry"

The boy seemed to pause for a second, but realized that he wasn't going to get any more of an answer than that.

'Strange though, he doesn't seem to be like Draco Malfoy and arrogant, it almost feels like he only has one name...' The Longbottom heir considered, before he did a more thorough view of his companion.

Messy black hair that nearly covered his eyes, nearly broken glasses, clothing that looked about three sizes too big and covered with holes, skin that was beyond dirty... but most apparent of all was his demeanor.

He made Neville look outgoing and brave in comparison.

How the blonde haired boy longed to fill the silence with pleasant conversation, to be like his father and mother and be able to talk about topic, even to perfect strangers. How he wished to even have an ounce of their charisma or courage.

But he did not, or so he believed, and thus the train ride passed in silence until a food cart made its way past.

Neville grabbed two bottles of water, and offered one to his newly met companion.

"Th-thank you."

The slightly overweight boy nodded, before returning to silently berating himself for one thing or another.

***HPBB***

"Firs years over here res of you all in the carriages com on now!" the gigantic man called out.

Harry and Neville quickly found a boat to share and were whisked across the lake. As the excited giggles and chatter from the other students began to quiet down, and awe of the castle took hold, a young lightning bolt scarred boy reflected on the new… friend he had made.

Was friend the correct word? He didn't quite know, never having any himself, but from what he had observed of Dudley this did indeed seem to be true.

He had helped return the boy's pet, and the boy had bought him a bottle of water.

Upon realizing that he did not have any official robes Neville had offered to loan him a spare until he could purchase his own.

By this logic, he would need to return the favor, correct? Isn't that what friends do? So Harry began to ponder what he could give the boy in return. Undoubtedly he would be unable to help him with any schoolwork, perhaps he could help him carry his books?

Meanwhile Neville Longbottom had a dilemma of his own, mainly how to keep the tentative relationship with 'Harry' alive. The boy was so thoughtful and quiet, so nonjudgmental of his cowardice and problems…

But there was something else. He had volunteered his cloak to the bespectacled boy, without him asking to in the first place. Where had that come from? Not that he minded, in fact he was secretly hoping the boy would keep it just so that he could claim to have been of some use for once. One moment the blonde was wishing for just the barest minimum of courage to speak up, the next he was handing over the object, his voice clear and composed. It was almost as if the person sitting across from him had unknowingly inspired him to do so. As if he had somehow brought out the fearless charisma that the Longbottom heir had always dreamed of possessing.

If he could do such a thing with only a few hours of silence… what could he achieve if the boy agreed to be his friend, even if he knew that such a thing was impossible. Why would such an amazing person ever want to be his friend?

***HPBB***

"Come come now first years over here. Thank you again for your assistance Hagrid." The man nodded happily towards the Scottish woman before walking further into the castle. "Now then we will be going in one year at a time starting with seventh. Stay with your house, first years just form a single line."

Neville turned to join the others, when he noticed his friend staring at the carriages that had brought the older students in. "Is something wrong Harry?"

"The horses…."

"What horses?"

The black-haired boy turned back to his friend for a moment, and noticed the confused expression on his face. How could he not see them? Skeletal creatures with red eyes and terrible wings drew each of the ornate looking transports. Had he finally gone mad? Imagining things out of the depths of his nightmares?

No, he couldn't let on that he had seen them, he didn't want to scare away the only person who had not looked at him like he was a freak.

"I…"

"Boys what are you two doing? Come along now." The professor ordered as she walked up to herd the two children.

"Sorry professor, Harry just thought he saw some horses but I think you put them away already." He answered, before the two boys joined the others.

Luckily neither of them noticed the frozen and paling features of Deputy Headmistress. 'Only those who witness a violent death can see a Thestral. Does that mean he is the Harry…' any further thoughts from the woman were interrupted as a gong sounded from deep inside Hogwarts, signaling the time for the new students to enter.

***HPBB***

As the first years were lead into the room Harry gazed about in shock, floating candles, a twinkling ceiling, cups that kept refilling themselves as the person drank…

"H-how?"

Minerva had been standing close enough to hear the boy, and see his pure amazement at the scene before him. The more she took the boy's appearances in the more she began to recognize his features.

"How what Harry?"

"How is all of this…"

"Magic of course"

The boy blinked, before stopping and turning to the elderly woman. "What's magic?"

***A/N***

Welcome ladies and gentlemen to my very first attempt at a Fanfiction not focused around comic books, anime, manga, or cartoons… hopefully it doesn't crash and burn.

Whole lotta angst and character weakness, but considering whose insight we are obtaining is it really that strange? Harry is abused for nearly his entire life, such a situation does not lead to healthy mental or social development.

Neville is… well pretty much Neville from the actual books.

A brief warning now, if anyone is expecting this to follow the books precisely then I apologize. I only read up through Goblet of Fire, and that was years ago, I will be doing a refresher course but… there will be changes.

My goals of this story are simple, write a decent fanfic that people enjoy and that I can be proud of, avoid any serious bashing, emphasize several characters while removing a few of the more irritating ones, and make Harry himself as badass as possible without turning him into a Godlike entity.

I will be cutting back on the "Author Notes" at the end, because I felt I had too many of them in my last few stories.