This is my first-ever Harry Potter only story. It is lightly derived from my sister's work, Shadow Sorcerer, but not as detailed as hers. Enjoy and tell me what you think through a review, a comment, or a PM. Flames welcome.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
Chapter 1: The Letter
The Dursley family lived in one of the quiet corners of London, away from the hubbub of city life. But unknown to their neighbors, in Number Four Privet Drive, Whining, Surrey; the Dursleys hid a secret. A secret that they were very scared to reveal to the world.
Upon hearing this fact, quite a lot of you would believe that their secrets involved a family of murdering psychopaths; or maybe the family was part of the mafia that terrorized the many businesses in Great Britain. Or possibly, the Dursleys were involved in horror-filled experiments making zombies that hunger for human flesh ready to be unleashed upon the world of the living.
No, their scariest secret involves a boy; a boy no older than 7 years old that goes by the name of Harry James Potter.
Roughly six years ago, in one of the coldest and darkest nights of October, a 15-month old baby was left on their doorsteps, wrapped in a blanket, with only a letter telling the Dursleys what happened and why their family of three became a family of four.
It would seem that Harry James Potter was a survivor of a murder that killed his parents. With nowhere else to go, Harry was left in the caring hands of his Aunt Petunia Dursleys, his mother's sister, to be given a wonderful home and to grow up in a wonderful family.
But that wasn't the case.
Petunia Dursley hated her sister with a passion. Not because of petty sibling rivalry but because of the difference between the two of them.
You see, Lily Evans, Petunia's sister, was a witch and she married James Potter, a wizard. This was where her hatred stemmed from, the lack of magic in her made her resent Lily to the point that she cut all ties with her family.
Considering that Harry James Potter was the child of a witch and wizard, it only stood to reason that he was one as well. Couple that with the hatred that Petunia held against her sister that rubbed off on her husband, Vernon Dursley, Harry didn't end up with a happy life as most believed.
When Harry reached the age of 4, he was tasked to do all the chores in the house. He all the cleaning, cooking, gardening, and even ran errands if the Dursleys were of a mind to let him out of the house.
Instead of a bedroom filled with toys and books, Harry's room was the cupboard under the stairs, with dust and insects to keep him company during cold nights. All he had was a small tattered cloth for a blanket, a very thin mattress, and a very hard cot.
Harry was given little food and water, enough for him to survive. He wasn't beaten, well not that often anyway, though he was subjected to the harshest emotional and mental abuse that could have broken a child into a gibbering mess or turn homicidal at the point of a knife. He didn't which was a miracle in itself.
The beatings that Harry did get happened when he performed acts of 'freakishness' as his relatives dubbed it. There was this one time that his hair grew back after being 'trimmed' by his aunt since it was so untidy. It grew back the next morning. The beating he got from his uncle left him unconscious and stuffed back into his cupboard. He woke up three days later aching all over.
Another scene that earned him a beating was when his aunt saw him talk to a small green garden snake while tending to the roses. His aunt shrieked as if the hounds of hell were after her, calling Vernon from the office which made him sour because he was in the middle of a business meeting. This resulted in Harry getting another beating of a lifetime, earning him a few broken bones before being stuffed back into his cupboard to heal…again.
The funny thing was; Harry would always heal to a semblance of health after a few days of staying in the cupboard.
Because of this, many would think that they would end up seeing a meek and pliable Harry James Potter under the Dursley's thumb, or would think of him as a boy of low intelligence and common sense because he was content to just succumb to their 'tender' mercies.
How wrong they were.
Harry James Potter looked down at the crowd of four below him with a grim, yet curious expression on his face. He was standing on the roof of his primary school looking down at his cousin, Dudley, and his gang of misfits.
A few minutes ago, he was being chased by his cousin and his gang for a round of 'Harry Hunting'. It was their favorite sport, running after his scrawny hide and beat him to a pulp once caught. This was a regular occurrence and the teachers would often turn a blind eye from his bruised form after Harry reported it to them.
After the first, second, and third report was dismissed, Harry ignored authority after that. How could he trust adults who didn't even bother to help him even when there was evidence to prove his claim?
Anyway, back to the chase. He jumped into an open dumpster to hide from his cousin but he ended up on the roof. How he got there, he didn't know. He walked to the edge of the rooftop and leaned over the railing to see his cousin and his gang look at the dumpster where he dove into with confusion.
With a grim smile on his face, Harry turned around towards a shadowed corner and slumped down to rest. He leaned his back on the cold wall and thought about all the weird things that happened to him.
This sudden…teleportation was just one of the few 'weird' situations that happened to him throughout his life. He termed it as such since his relative's name for it, freakishness as they called it, left a bad taste in his mouth.
First, his hair returned to its messy mop after being almost turned bald by his 'beloved' aunt.
Then, he had a delightful conversation with a garden snake a few years back. He was saddened that the snake was cut in half by his shrieking aunt with a large cleaver before being dragged into the house by the ear.
Not to mention the many times his body 'miraculously' healed after his uncle gave him his tender loving care.
Now, he teleported like those mutant characters in the telly from the dumpster to the roof of his school.
Unlike other boys who would have dismissed these happenings as fantasy, Harry James Potter wasn't like any other boys.
Despite how his relatives tried to beat the life out of him, he hid his real character behind the façade of a meek and pliable boy. He showed them what they wanted to see – a servant of a boy that had no will of his own. But deep inside, hidden behind the perfect mask, was a very intelligent boy who had the most logical mind in the world.
Harry analyzed every weird thing that happened to him. Thanks to his eidetic memory, he recalled everything in crystal clarity, already breaking down the events that led to it.
His mind remembered how afraid he was of showing his face to his schoolmates, with his almost bald head, for it to grow back in the morning.
His mind remembered how he talked to the snake. He didn't say anything in English, instead, his mouth released a lisping, snakelike sound that the snake understood. The snake did the same thing which he understood as if it was English.
The healing was quite obvious. Despite being unconscious during those times, his body just healed as if he possessed a powerful healing factor like those mutants on the telly.
Finally, his mind recalled the intense fear that he felt as he thought what would happen to him if his cousin caught up to him, teleporting out to safety after praying, despite his fear, that they wouldn't be able to find him in that dumpster.
His mind already attributed everything that happened to his emotions. Each of those times, not discarding the healing, he felt intense emotions for his, dare he say it, powers to manifest. The instance of these events snapped together in his mind, giving him the answer to his many questions.
His powers manifested when he felt intense emotions.
His powers would always result to his benefit.
His powers responded to his wants and needs.
He had powers that no normal human had.
With a gleam in his eyes, Harry James Potter stood up from his cold perch, making his way down to the ground. Lunch break just ended with a ring of the school bell and he didn't want to be late for his class.
It has been two days since the recent manifestation of his powers. After spending hours upon hours trying to replicate the feat, he had to admit defeat since he couldn't do anything for his powers to manifest. Two nights he had to go back to sleep in sadness because his intelligent mind couldn't help him control these powers.
It was in the middle of the night that he woke up suddenly when he felt…something calling him. He didn't hear any voice nor did he felt anything nudge him awake.
No, he felt 'something' that woke him up and urged him go to the attic.
For two hours he ignored the feeling, trying to back to sleep since he needed to wake up early tomorrow to prepare breakfast being Dudley's birthday and all. However, the 'something' stopped him from going back to sleep. It was infuriating.
Sighing in frustration, he pulled out a foot of thin metal from underneath his cot and slid it at the gap where the lock was. He wiggled it a few times until he heard the faint click that signified the lock being undone. Harry grinned, one of the many, thanking his foresight of learning lock picking after bribing one of the boys in school with what little lunch money he had when he saw them open a locked door in the school cafeteria.
For him, it was a wise investment and it paid dividends. He didn't have to worry about the little food the Dursleys gave him. He just stole whatever he needed when his relatives were in deep sleep.
Thankfully, his night-time raid on the fridge went unnoticed since his aunt thought that it was his beloved Dudleykins satisfying his appetite. He was a growing boy, after all.
Harry slowly opened the cupboard door to avoid any noise; he exited his tiny 'bedroom' and made his way to the second floor. It was slow going since he had to avoid the places he memorized that produced creaking noises when someone stepped on them. When he reached the door to the attic, he turned the knob and walked up to the gloom.
When he got there, he looked around to grimace at the amount of dust in the place. Despite his façade, his Aunt Petunia's tendency to be a neat freak passed on to him. He did do the cleaning, after all. He couldn't stand the sight of dust, whether miniscule or not.
He was about to leave when he felt another nudge to his mind. He followed the invisible directions his mind gave him to a secluded portion of the attic. There in front of him was a trunk. What caught his attention to it was how the moon shone its light through the only window in the attic directly on top of the thing. Considering that he was still a 7-year old boy, his curiosity got the better of him.
He approached the trunk and dusted it a few times, grimacing all the while. After a semblance of being cleaned, Harry slowly opened the trunk before peering inside. He raised a questioning eyebrow when he saw two letters, two books, and a golden pendant.
Curious, he picked up one of the letters and was surprised when he saw his name on its front. Frowning as to why a letter was addressed to him, he exited his hand from the trunk while clutching the letter. He position himself so the light from the moon would enable him to read, he scratched the wax seal off with his finger and opened the envelope before pulling out a yellowed parchment.
He unfolded the letter and started to read.
Dear Harry,
If you read this letter then I'm sad to say that your father and I are dead. This letter was written a week before Halloween when a friend of mine told me that it was needed. Confused? I know I was but who am I to doubt my friend.
You see, Harry, I have a friend named Selene Lovegood. She told me that circumstances would be happening that requires me to write this letter. Considering that I knew her for a very long time, I trusted her and this letter came to be. I don't know how to explain it but Selene had this uncanny ability to know things before they happened. It was because of this ability of hers that I wrote this letter.
Before I go into why I wrote this letter, I need to tell you about who you are. If you are with your aunt then I doubt you would have been told of the truth. If you don't know then continue to read, my son, and be aware of your birthright.
You see, Harry, there is a hidden world out there. A world of magic. Unbelievable? Well, you better believe it because everything about you is magical.
I am a witch, a female practitioner of magic, while your father was a wizard, a male magical. The Wizarding World hid themselves from those without magic to protect themselves which is the reason why no one believed in them anymore.
Anyway, a war occurred and is occurring right now - a fight between the Light and Dark side of magic. Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters are terrorizing Wizarding Britain to try to subjugate it and its people to his rule. Your father and I are part of the Light side of Magic that fought tooth and nail to avoid that from happening.
However, if you read this letter, then the prophecy came to pass and both your father and I are dead with you the only survivor of our family. The prophecy states that a child would be born during the end of July that had the power to destroy the Dark Lord, Lord Voldemort. We were told by a trusted associate of ours that Voldemort heard the first part of the prophecy but not all of it. This in turn resulted in him hunting down our family to try to defeat the prophecy before it took hold. If we are dead and you are alive then it meant that the prophecy is in play and you defeated him.
Now, the reason why I wrote this letter is to explain some things to you. But first, you might be confused as to why you suddenly have this…urge to come to your aunt's attic until you found the trunk that held this letter. This I will explain in detail.
You see, when you were born, you displayed a unique form of magic that was said to exist only in myths. My friend, Selene Lovegood, recognized this brand of magic thanks to her studies of ancient magical tomes. If you're curious, she is a Magic Historian and a Spell Crafter.
According to Selene, your unique brand of magic is called Sorcery, and you, doing the magic, is called a Sorcerer.
With her urging and help, we enchanted this letter in hopes that you would get an 'urge' to find it when your unique magic activates and until you reach a certain age. In this case, when you reach the age of 7.
You are a wizard, my beloved Harry, but because of the ability to use this unique magic – Sorcery, as Selene called it – you are also a Sorcerer. With these two combined, you are practically the most powerful magical in the world.
The key to unlocking the full power of your Sorcery is the pendant inside the trunk. You see, when you displayed Sorcery a few times, Selene and I had to bind the power to ensure that it wouldn't cause you harm. Unlike accidental magic which only happens when a witch or a wizard is experiencing extreme emotions, Sorcery is activated and used when the Sorcerer is under intense focus and intent. You can practically do anything and with the focus and intent of a baby, you were practically using Sorcery to do anything you wanted. The first time you used it, you teleported your father and I to your room when you had a crying fit.
To protect you, Selene resorted to digging out a rare tome from her library about the lost art of Sorcery. Using the instructions within, we constructed a binding of sorts on your powers. To unlock this, you have to put on the necklace since it acts as a key to the lock within you. Upon wearing the pendant, you will feel a wave of warmth encompassing your body; this signifies the power of the pendant destroying every single block we placed on you. With this, you can consciously control your powers without hurting you.
The book in the trunk is from Selene which she asked me to pass on to you as a gift. It is the only book in existence that described the power of Sorcery. Hopefully, with it, you can control your powers to do what you wanted it to do.
I hope you forgive me and your father for not being with you, my son. If it was possible, we would fight tooth and nail just to be there with you right now. If we are dead in the hands of Voldemort then it would mean that we weren't up to the task. For this, I ask for your forgiveness.
Know that we love you, Harry, and wish you the best in life. My only advice to you is to live your life the way you chose. Don't be shackled by the precepts of the prophecy or let other people's view sway you from your own. Trust yourself and your beliefs.
I love you, Harry, and I will see you soon in the next life though I hope it would be a very long time before I do.
Sincerely with love,
Your mom,
Lily Potter nee Evans
Harry was leaking tears after reading the letter. It was from his mother. He felt happy to know that his parents were not some drunks that his aunt and uncle led him to believe. He was loved and cared for. His mother went through such an extent to protect him and to prepare him. He vowed right there and then that he would follow her advice even if it killed him.
With his resolve firmly in place, he placed the letter down on the floor and went back to the trunk. He picked out the golden pendant and pulled it over his head. He felt a wave of warmth wash through his body and he could feel a surge of energy encompass his being. He didn't know why but he knew right there and then that his powers were his to use, no longer encumbered by the block that was placed there by his mother and her friend.
Chuckling a bit to himself, he decided that he wouldn't be testing out Sorcery until he read the book. His eyes strayed to the other letter and the second book that his mother failed to mention. He pulled out the second letter and saw his name on the front of the envelope.
Unlike his mother's tidy scrawl, this one was more elegant, belaying a sense of authority that his mother lacked. He, again, destroyed the seal and pulled out the parchment before starting to read.
Dear Harry,
You're mom was writing a letter to you so I decided to do the same, though she didn't know that I included a letter and a book in the trunk.
Anyway, short introduction. My name is James Andrew Potter and I am your dad. I'm not into that mushy stuff so expect this letter to be direct.
I don't know what your mother wrote in her letter but if I was to guess then she would be informing you all about Sorcery. Can you believe it? I'm a father of the only Sorcerer in the Wizarding World. I'm so proud of you, my son.
On with the show then. Since you're mother wrote something educational then I should write one too so this letter is all about your other heritage - what it meant to be a Potter.
You see, son, when Wizarding Britain was still in its infancy, there were ten major wizarding families who ruled the land as commanded by King Arthur and Merlin. These families were given the task to safeguard the wizarding world to make sure that it is protected and nurtured. The Potter family is just one of these families.
Considering what I just told you, the Potter holds a great amount of respect in Wizarding Britain. The ten families who ruled the lands during King Arthur's reign were considered wizarding royalty. We didn't have kings or queens to rule the magical side but the ten families were the head of the government, the Wizengamot. The ten families make the decision and everyone follows. That's how important we are, my son.
Anyway, the book I placed inside the trunk is a history of the Potter family. The book has been passed down from generation to generation, updated by each Potter to chronicle their life. It doesn't run out of paper as it is enchanted. The last entry on the book should be my own with my father before mine. Aside from the Potter Family History, the book also catalogues all the spells that the Potter Family created. It is a family secret so make sure that these spells stay in the family. You can teach it to your wife and kids but no one else.
There are a few things I want you to do after you read the book and I will list them below:
First, when you reach the age of 9, make your way to Diagon Alley. The entrance is at the Leaky Cauldron, located in Charing Cross Road. If you have a wand, you can get there by taking the Knight Bus. Just hold out your wand and the bus will appear. If you don't have a wand then just take a normal bus to get there. (The Knight Bus requires payment as fare but just tell them that you are lost and you need help to give you a free ride *wink wink*)
Second, when you arrive in Diagon Alley, make your way to Gringotts. It is a bank ran by goblins. Be polite with them since the Potters have always been polite to the bankers. I, along with your mother, are Goblin Friends. - a title that is not bestowed lightly and grants us a few boons with the goblins. Look for a teller and politely ask for Griphook. He is the family's account manager. I left him further instructions that needed to be followed to the letter. Please follow them, my son.
Lastly, I want you to live a happy life. I don't know what the future holds but Selene, your mother's friend, hinted that it will be full of challenges for you. She is somewhat of a seer so I trust her advice more than anything. The path you will be walking is dark and paved with danger but I know you can handle it my son. Hopefully, the instructions I left with the goblins should prepare you for what's to come.
I love you, Harry, my son, my pride, and my joy.
Your loving father and dad,
James Andrew Potter
Lord of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter.
Harry gave out a soft smile as he finished reading his father's letter. It felt him with pride and joy that the Potters were more than just a name. His family was important in the magical world and he vowed that he would uphold the name of the Potter Family till his dying breath.
He replaced everything inside the trunk and locked it. He looked around before a smirk made its way to his face. He raised his hand and gathered in his Will, feeling a build-up of power in his body, a roaring sound echoed in his mind before he released the pent-up energy with a single word.
Every single dust in the attic disappeared.
The smirk in his face turned into a wide, happy grin. From this day onwards, things will change and this time, it would be for the better.
Harry James Potter has finally awakened to his birthright.
Harry James Potter has just awakened to become the only Sorcerer in the Wizarding World.
End of Chapter 1
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