Chapter 1

Harry Potter lay in his 'bedroom' that was essentially the cupboard under the stairs. It was dusty and spider invested, with a small rickety cot for Harry to curl upon. If you were facing the tiny space you could easily question how the ten-year-old boy could sleep in such a place. The left side of the cupboard, which was the tallest side, was approximately three feet height and the smallest end was just two feet. If you looked up into the cupboard you will see the jagged shapes of the stairs above him which sheds even more dust every time one of the Dursley's walks up or down them.

When he was younger he had always wished for someone to come and save him from this Hell he lives in. He prayed for some distant relative to realise where he was and rescue him, but now he didn't care. For now, he was the Master of the Carolija cards.

These cards must have been Gods way of answering Harry's prayers. They were magical and with each card he discovered he found a new friend, a new home and a new happiness.

The ten- soon to be eleven- year old boy smile as he twirled one of his favourite cards in his hand. It was because of said card that he no longer cared about sleeping in a cupboard as it ensures that he doesn't have to anymore. On the card was blue, lilac and red with a damask pattern on the back. On the front of the card was a sophisticated painting of a mystical castle.

With one last smile, the boy clenches his right hand and whispers, " dvorac." The ring on his index finger began to glow a deep lilac. It was made out of a special metal called Weiacite, which, at first glanced, appeared to be Silver. However, upon closer inspection, it could be seen to have veins of blue and red. The symbol engraved on the ring was the same damask pattern as was on the card within him a hand with all the intricate flicks and curls that seemed impossibly detailed to put on the ring.

The occupants of Number Four Pivet Drive were completely unaware that the 'freak' that they locked away in the cupboard under the stairs had now vanished from the tiny space, instead of spending the night in the one place that both his head and his heart called home.

Harry Potter's real home was inside the card that was previously in his hands- funny as you think that is, it is true. For being the Caroija cards Master gave him the rights to use the cards to his will. In this case, the card in the boy's hand was that of a castle.

One second the green-eyed, black-haired boy was laying on his back in a cramped space and the next his shoeless feet hit the cold, hard marble floors, each tile chosen with a specific taste in mind. Beautiful, elegant paintings hung on the walls of what Harry assumed was the Card Master's of the past who had once used this card. There is a set of double staircases, one on the left, one on the right. The railing of the staircase is exquisitely engraved with flowers and vines, making neither one the same. There are six large stone pillars evenly spaced, to keep the castle standing. Each one is elegantly carved to accent the Renaissance feel of the castle. To Harry's left, there is a grand wooden door that leads to a very large library. To his right, there is a door that leads to a greenhouse, with too many plants to even think about counting. Each one he had never seen before. Then there was a moderately sized fountain that showers water gracefully back to where it came from, repeating the cycle continuously.

As the glow around the boy died, he smiled happily and took out the other cards in his possession: Harry had nine overall, however, he was told that there was a total of forty-five Caroija cards that he had to collect.

The cards were blue, red and lilac however the black-haired boy was also told that their colour changed depending on their owner. Lilac was the colour his power manifested in and blue and red were the colours that created lilac, so, therefore, the cards took on that appearance.

At the moment his collection consisted of Dvorce (the castle), Stit (the shield), Knjiga (the book), Vitez (the paladin), Kljuc (the key), Krila (the wings), Uspavanka (the lullaby), Lazljivac (the liar) and Budale Bogatstvo (the fools riches). Each card had their own characteristics; some like Vitez and Uspavanka have human appearances; some like Budale Bogatstvo, Kljuc and Krila have physical non-human forms and some like Lazljivac doesn't have any forms at all.

Once again Harry chose two of his cards and muttered, "Vitez. Uspavanka," as his ring began to glow. The Vitez card resembles a teenage boy around 16, with dark blue hair and black eyes. He wears a black and white uniform with a black cloak that as the same symbol stitched onto it as the ring does. The Uspavanka appears as a young pink-coloured girl with long wavy hair and feather-like ears and arms like wings similar to that of a Harpy. She wears a long, silky white gown that also has the symbol on it.

"Master Harry," Vitez dropped to his knees, while Uspavanka smiled and nodded gently.

"Vitez," Harry groaned. "You know I do not like you calling me by such a name. You are my friends, not my servants, despite what you were created to be."

The knight smiled and rose to his full height, at least one and a half heads taller than the ten-year-old.

After that, the night continued as usual, with Harry being tutored in all that Vitez and Uspavanka knew from the masters before him. To say that these two Caroija's thought their master odd was an understatement. None of their other masters had treated them as more than tools and weapons to use and manipulate, yet this boy, who was neglected by the world, had become their friend and family.

The two cards didn't know whether this connection was a good thing or a bad thing.

Eventually, Harry went to bed, climbing the stairs and walking towards the West Wing of the castle. It was there that he found the room that he had claimed as his own. The room was large like many of the other hundreds that the castle held within its walls, with a double, fourposter bed that appeared to be Victorian in style. There was also two deep oak chest of drawers and a large wardrobe that formed long dark shadows. The floor beneath Harry's feet was wood, with a large fur rug from some sort of animal that the young boy did not want to think about. After all, he did not want to dream about someone hunting, slaughtering and then skinning a couple of bears or wolves just a lay their kills on their bedroom floors. It sent chills down Harry's spine.

Finally, Harry crawled into the large bed, sinking into the warm silk covers. He eventually fell into a deep sleep as Uspavanka's beautiful, enchanting voice sung to him.

Not longer after their Master became lost to the world of dreams, did Vitez and Uspavanka return to their cards, content knowing that Harry slept safely within their creators castle.

Awaking early, Harry quickly drew himself out of the Dvorac, appearing once again within his cupboard. He was just in time to hear his aunt screeching at him from the other side of his door.

"Boy! Get up!"

"I'm coming," he called back not paying attention as he quietly changed into 'clean' clothes. The tee-shirt that was originally Dudly's was much too big for him and, despite its grey/brown appearance, it did use to be white. He wore trousers that his cousin had once fit into years ago but the waist was still too large for Harry's thin body, and his socks had more holes in than Swiss cheese.

Time to start his day...

After the large breakfast that Harry had cooked, Uncle Vernon took Dudley to his rugby (one of his short term hobbies Harry was sure) game before going to work himself, Aunt Petunia then shooed him out of the house. This left Harry with a lot of time to himself.

It was when the young 10-year-old boy was walking past the community library did he feel it. Heat suddenly began to throb around his finger and Harry's emerald green eyes glanced down to see his ring become red. It didn't necessarily burn him. No, it was just hot enough to warn him that a card was near. One that he hadn't captured yet.

With sudden determination, the small black hair boy walked into the library, following the rings pulsing warmth.

Soon enough, Harry found himself face to face with one of the humanoid cards, the Ucenjak (Scholar). It was middle-aged male, wearing what appeared to be 19th century clothes (a white frilled shirt, a black tie and trousers and a brown vest coat). His hair was pulled back into a long brown ponytail. In the Ucenjak's left hand was an old leather-bound book and in the other a blank amulet.

He turned to Harry sensing the power of the cards destined master, but Ucenjak was not giving up his freedom yet. Not until he believes the child was worthy of his knowledge.

"There is a story that a man and not a man

Saw and did not see a bird and not a bird

Perched on a branch and not a branch

And hit him and did not hit him with a rock and not a rock."

Harry frowned at the riddle before him, never expecting the Caroija card to give him a riddle. The dvorce was easy enough to retrieve as the boy simply had to show that he would respect and treasure it, the Vitez remained in its deck, the Uspavanka had seen him as a child in need and willingly went to him.

Shaking his head the boy forced himself to concentrate on the riddle. 'A man and not a man'- there were many things that deemed someone who is born male to be not classed as part of the male Populous for example the loss of a certain... body part.

A bird that was not a bird must be another animal that can fly but is not categorised as a bird, co maybe a flying squirrel or bat.

Harry stood there ages his mind running over all the alternatives until finally, he got it, "A eunuch that could not see well saw a bat perched on a reed. He threw a pumice stone at it but missed."

The Caroija card smile and glowed brightly. The amulet in its right hand now showing the engraving of Harry's symbol as it transformed into its card form.

What do you think? Do you want more? Let me know :)