Chapter 1 A Surprising Discovery

A/N: hello! Well firstly, Harry Potter does not belong to me. Secondly, this fic will be definitely different from canon, although it may not seem it at the start once the first few years are finished it will be completely different! Just bear with it! I'll try my best not to include irrelevant cannon bits! Although some are necessary to show some of the changes :)

And thirdly, please review! I have most of this story planned out and i can see it being quite long - long enough that i don't want to write it if no ones interested in it. So yeah, please review if your interested!

Kate

...oOoOo...

Chapter 1

Petunia Dursley's day way going quite well...all things considered. Vernon had recently been given a promotion to 'sales director' at Gruntings, which mostly pleased Petunia as she could now brag excessively about the fabulous holiday that Vernon had booked for the family.

Even her little Diddykins was behaving today, but that could be more to the fact that Petunia had just placed a third breakfast in front of the already overly plump child.

The arrival of a stranger on Privet Drive had Petunia with her nose almost pressed against the windows to see what gossip she could collect - strangers in Privet Drive were few and far between. This man was presenting her with a great opportunity; to discover the latest gossip about the residents of Privet Drive as this man would show her just which unfortunate soul has made the social faux pas of inviting this stranger to their house. In broad daylight too! It was to her horror that Petunia saw the man approaching their house.

As he turned abruptly onto the drive of number 4 and started the short journey to the door Petunia Dursley cringed at the very idea of the gossip this odd old man would incur.

"Yes?" she demanded the sneer on her face matching the disapproving tone with which she addressed the man ruining her day. The next words she heard had her face dropping into a look of startled shock but of also indignation.

"No. Absolutely not. I don't want freaks like him around my family anymore!" she hissed glancing around quickly. If any of the neigbours so much as thought that the Dursleys could associate with such strange people...well, it didn't bear thinking about.

"Petunia, Harry has no other..." Albus Dumbledore tried calmly to explain to the fuming woman as she cut him off with repetitions of "No."

Albus sighed and something seemed to shift behind the comforting twinkle of his eyes as he informed her "Very well. It appears that you have left me with no other choice."

"Imperio"

...oOoOo...

Harry Potter awoke to the same familiar sight that had greeted him for the past 10 years. The floorboards that created the ceiling of his cupboard were the same old worn out floorboards that he awoke to every morning.

However to Harry Potter this day was special. It was his 11th birthday. He wondered if this year was going to be the year that the Dursleys would remember and celebrate it. He was pulled back down to earth and out of his thoughts by his Aunt smacking the door repeatedly.

"Get up boy. Diddy's hungry." he heard his Aunt cry in a shrill voice.

Harry sighed as he remember that this was the Dursleys he lived with. He would have to become a lord or some other notable figure in society before the Dursleys would even admit to his presence and even then he was doubtful that they would acknowledge him . Even so, he reminded himself, if he had that kind of power he would ensure that everyone in all of Little Whinging knew just what the Dursleys were like.

With one last sigh he got up and went about his morning routine as normal. The difference to the norm however came when Harry went to collect the post. He had a letter. Him!

'Mr. H. Potter

The Cupboard under the Stairs

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey'

There was no mistake - really how many other people lived in a cupboard under the stairs. Harry wisely stuffed his letter deep into his pockets as he brought the other post to the table; gym advertisements, take away menus and Aunt Petunia's magazines. Nothing much that interested him.

He waited with the letter buried in his pocket all day until he was allowed to return to his cupboard. Carefully breaking the wax apart he opened the envelope and withdrew 2 separate pieces of stiff, yellowing paper.

The first was a letter and the second a book list. The letter declared that he, Harry Potter, was a wizard, but stranger still that he had a place at Hogwarts school for witchcraft and wizardry.

Harry thought that this might have been a joke but, he decided, he should speak to the Dursleys about it. What if it was true? Besides who would play a joke on him and not inform Dudley? Who would have teased him all day. The absence of this left Harry to draw the conclusion that this must be true.

"Uncle Vernon?" Harry began cautiously the next morning.

"What, boy?"

" I've received a letter." he said timidly holding out the strange paper.

Vernon's face paled as he read the letter to the point where he was positively ashen.

"Petunia!" he screamed. "Petunia, he's a ... a you-know-what! We can finally get rid of him!"

Harry could not have been more surprised at his Uncle's reaction than if Vernon started to get up and dance.

Trying desperately to remove that image from his mind he almost missed his uncle saying "Boy, we're going to London. Get your things from the cupboard."

Surprised at this change of events,

Harry looked around his cupboard and seeing nothing that he would want he simply grabbed one of Dudley's old coats and walked quickly out to the car.

...oOoOo...

Uncle Vernon pulled of the busy London road and stopped the car. An "Out." had Harry scrambling to leave the car before his Uncle Vernon drove off yelling back "And don't ever come near us again Potter!"

Harry wandered through London aimlessly until he was drawn towards a dingy looking inn that a rusted sign proclaimed to be 'The Leaky Cauldron'. Upon entering the bar, Harry was surprised at the crowd that the small pub contained. An old man hobbled towards him and stopped mid-step to gawk at his forehead. "Mr Potter?" he whispered almost reverently, his eyes showing his great shock. "erm, yes?" Harry asked nervously. At this confirmation an unnatural hush descended over the pub as even the rats stopped squeaking at the news that this boy was Harry Potter.

As quickly as the hush began it stopped as all at once everyone surged forwards to speak to him. Their words were lost in the large cloud of noise that struck him.

"Enough!" roared the barman. At this everyone reluctantly went back to their seats stealing the occasional glances at him. "I'm Tom, Mister Potter. An honour to meet you sir, an honour." the barman -Tom - told Harry. After glancing around to make sure this could be a wizard dwelling (the strange dress-like outfits worn by all made it fairly clear this was not a place Uncle Vernon would have declared 'normal') "H-hello, Tom. I'm looking for Dia...Diagon Alley?" Harry said quietly and uncertainly.

"Right this way Mister Potter." Tom replied with a hint of a smile.

...oOoOo...

Harry returned to The Leaky Caldron in a state of utter shock. He really was a wizard. He was really, really rich. Harry wasn't sure which of these two statements sounded the most ludicrous. He had been told by the strange little goblin, Griphook, that as heir to the Potter vaults he owned several different estates around the world. Or, at least he would when he became 17. This was too much for the boy who, until today, lived in a cupboard under the stairs in a house where he was only good enough to do the chores.

Having been inside his vault and withdraw some of the wizarding currency 'galleons' he had secured a room for all of August at The Leaky Cauldron. Harry smiled as he realised that he wouldn't have to see the Dursleys again but instead could spend the last month of his holidays acclimatising to the new and exciting world that he now belonged to.

...oOoOo...

A/N: so there it is! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter and please review!