What If… Harry Potter

“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 hands of the other, for neither can live while the other survives.”

*

“Lily! Grab Harry and GO! It's HIM!” James shouted.

Lily didn't need any more goading to listen. She grabbed their baby boy and ran up the stairs to the nursery. She practically tossed little Harry into the crib and then whipped out her wand. With hasty slashes, she drew the final sealing runes onto the wood of the crib and then tried to finish the sequence with a smear of her own blood on her son's forehead, in order to protect him as much as possible.

With the sounds of someone stomping up the stairs echoing into the room, her hand shook a little too much from fear of what was to come. Instead of writing the 'protection' rune as her blood ritual had stated, she mistakenly inscribed the 'power' rune. With no time to wipe it away and fix it, the door burst open and she left her wand on the floor. Her willing sacrifice was needed and she was going to protect her son with her death.

“Step aside, you stupid mudblood! I only want the child!” Voldemort spat at her.

Lily was filled with fear as she faced the most horrible Dark Lord of their age. Her shaking hand missed the calm comfort of her wand as she made a fist... then resolution overrode the fear. She stood proudly as she glared at the man that dared to attack her son.

“Never! I would rather die than have you harm my son!” Lily spat right back.

“Very well. Never let it be said that Lord Voldemort wasn't merciful. Avada Kedavra!” Voldemort said as a green beam of light struck Lily in the chest.

A smile of satisfaction was on Lily's face as the ritual was completed. She felt her magic pour out of her and into her son as her soul was ripped from her body. She flopped to the floor as if a puppet with its strings cut and Voldemort stepped over her to point his wand at the babe that would be the bane of his existence.

“None can stand in the way of Voldemort.” Voldemort said with a haughty voice.

Baby Harry stood up and held himself steady with his hands on the bars of the crib. “Gooboo goo!”

Voldemort scoffed at the boy's defiance as he used the killing curse once more. “Avada Kedavra!”

*WHA-BOOOOOM!*

Instead of killing the baby, the curse's magic struck the altered protection ritual rune Lily had put on Baby Harry's forehead and super-charged it instead. The magical backlash of Voldemort unintentionally giving his magic to the ritual, blew out from the impact point and vaporized everything in front of it, including Voldemort, the wall, and most of the roof of the house.

Surprisingly, the wand he used was unharmed and it fell to the floor with a clatter. It was quickly picked up by a terrified garden rat that scurried off to make its escape.

*

Albus Dumbledore had spent several hours constructing the blood wards around Privet Drive that same night as people celebrated the defeat of You-Know-Who. No one but him would know he had done so and perverted the intent of Lily's protection magic. He needed to keep the muggles safe as well as Harry and linked Harry's blood to that of family.

As soon as Petunia picked up the bassinet with little Harry in it, the wards would activate upon her acceptance. He was a little enamoured of himself at that little bit of clever magic, gaining what would be given by subterfuge instead of just asking for it. He didn't see any harm, since they were just muggles anyway.

Albus quickly went back to Hogwarts castle and wrote up the letter for Petunia. He gave his condolences for Lily's death and then warned her about never letting the boy leave the protection of the house or her own protection would be forfeit.

Madam Pomfrey checked the boy over the next day and Albus made her swear an oath to never interfere with the cursed scar or to report it to the authorities. The headmaster couldn't have anyone interfere with the prophecy now, not with it active.

Albus sent Hagrid on the motorcycle that night, after a quick obliviation and a confundus charm to make the large half-giant man think that no time had passed since the night before. The headmaster apparated to Privet Drive to wait for Hagrid there and extinguished the streetlights. He wasn't surprised to see McGonagall in her cat form waiting for him by the house. After a quick chat where she informed him that they were the worst type of muggles she had ever seen, Hagrid arrived and handed over Harry's basket.

Albus didn't tell McGonagall that this environment was exactly what Harry needed, so he would be appreciative when he was rescued and taken to the magical world. The boy needed to see the magical world as a refuge from his home life and to be something to fight for... and die for. That was foretold by the prophecy, after all.

“There, there, Hagrid. This isn't really goodbye.” Albus said to placate the large man.

Hagrid sniffled and blew his nose on a handkerchief the size of a tablecloth as Albus put the bassinet on the doorstep and then placed the letter on top.

“Are you sure this is wise, Albus?” McGonagall asked. “It's fairly cold and...”

Albus waved his hand at her and performed a mild compulsion charm. “Harry is going to be just fine, Minerva.”

“Y-yes, I believe he will be.” McGonagall said and then apparated away, her concern over the situation forgotten.

Albus smiled his grandfatherly smile as Hagrid rode away on the flying motorcycle and then he released the lights on the street before apparating away himself.

*

Petunia almost groaned in pain as she went to the front door to get the paper and to drop off the empty milk bottles. She had made the mistake of doing it that first day after the honeymoon and now it was unofficially her job to be up before the damn milk delivery to make the proper exchanges. She opened the door and froze at the sight of the bassinet and the baby inside of it.

She didn't know how long she stood there and stared at the thing. It must have been an illusion, or a trick by the neighbours, or some other such nonsense. There was no way that someone in their right mind would deliver a real baby to her doorstep in the middle of the night.

Petunia eventually saw the envelope and sighed at seeing her name on the front of it. She reached down and picked up the bassinet by the handle and then froze solid as she felt and heard a loud snap as a flash of light almost blinded her. Electricity ran up her arm and into her heart that made her tremble all over... and then it was gone as if it never happened.

She shook her head and entered the house with her new bundle of joy. She set it on the kitchen table and reluctantly opened the letter and read the contents. A single tear threatened to fall from her eye until she read that she would have to take care of her nephew. A burning rage filled her at the extra burden that her family would have to take on, especially since they were already struggling with her own little Duddikins.

Petunia was severely tempted to chuck the boy back out onto the doorstep and stood to do just that. When she tried to grab the handle of the bassinet, a heavy spark snapped to her hand and she jumped back.

“Pet! Is breakfast ready?” Vernon called as he clomped down the stairs.

Petunia was too shocked to respond and rubbed her hand absently.

“Pet?” Vernon asked as he entered the kitchen. His eyes went wide at the scene in front of him and he stomped over to the kitchen table. He saw the baby and the letter, quickly read it, and his face immediately turned purple. “I'll not have any of that freakishness in MY house!”

Petunia opened her mouth to warn her husband as he reached for the bassinet. She was a second too late as two heavy sparks snapped at Vernon's large hands and he yelped in both pain and surprise.

“What the bloody devil was that!?!” Vernon shouted.

Baby Dudley heard the angered shout and started crying.

Petunia growled as she stormed past her husband and ran up the stairs. She had just gotten the boy to sleep after an early morning feeding and now she would have to try and soothe the child again.

“S-sorry, Pet.” Vernon said after she had returned to the kitchen and saw her nod. He looked back at the bassinet and thought about the problem. He knew he couldn't touch the thing and thought about tilting the table to get it to roll off and perhaps out of their way. He reached for the edge of the thick wood tabletop and a heavier spark slammed into his hand as he cried out in pain again.

“We have to live with it.” Petunia said from behind him with a nursing Dudley in her arms.

“Pet, we can't afford another child!” Vernon responded.

“I know. We'll just have to make do.” Petunia said. “Dudders is much bigger, so all his old things can be used again. We'll cut corners when we can and we'll have to settle for off-brand groceries for a while.”

Vernon sighed. “Pet...”

Petunia walked over to him and kissed his cheek. “You work hard and get that promotion to the sales floor. Once we have that, we can start living right again.”

Vernon nodded and both he and Petunia glared at the hardship that rested on the kitchen table. They might not be able to harm the boy physically; but, the both of them resolved themselves to make sure that he would always know what he had done to their family.

*

The first time three year old Dudley tried to bully Harry with a punch to the chest, was the last day he tried it. The bright bolt had shocked Dudley so much that he fell over backwards, frozen in fear. Petunia's shrill shriek over her little Duddikins collapsing like that, made her run over and react badly. So badly in fact, that she automatically raised her hand to slap Harry's face... only to receive a bolt twice as strong as Dudley's to her outstretched hand. She collapsed to the floor as her muscles froze up and she stared at the giggling little boy that was becoming an unholy terror in her eyes.

*

The first day of school for five year old Harry was a memorable one. His bright smile and happy disposition had immediately brought him to the attention of several school ground bullies. That they were chummy with Dudley was inconsequential.

As soon as they surrounded Harry, they taunted him and tried to beat him up. Suddenly, all four of them were treated with a bright spark each that dropped them to the ground and incapacitated them.

Little Harry stood over them and gave them what would become his trademark smile. “You can't hurt me, so don't try. If you do...”

The four boys felt pure terror as Harry raised his little hand and tiny sparks of lightning flowed around his fingers. He made sure to not let the teacher at the door see him do it, because he didn't want to get into trouble.

“...no more bullies.” Harry said with a little laugh and walked over towards the front door of the school. He didn't really believe that whatever the lightning bolts were, could actually do that, because it always reacted to protect him instead. He was okay with that, though. He had learned that a bluff was just as good or better than actually doing it.

“I told you.” Dudley whispered to them and walked away as well.

*

“How dare you get better marks on your report card than Dudley!” Vernon shouted and swung a meaty hand at the nearly six year old Harry Potter. Unfortunately, the man had grown complacent and had forgotten about the boy's protection, until a strong bolt of lightning snapped out and threw the obese man away from the kitchen table and onto the floor.

“Vernon!” Petunia shrieked and dropped to the floor to check on him.

Harry walked over to them and did the trick with his hand as little lightning bolts flickered between his fingers. “I'm getting better and better with it.” He said and looked at the terrified faces of his aunt and uncle. “Soon I'll be able to use it without you attacking me first.”

Little did Harry know that it wasn't a complete bluff. His magic had taken years to adapt and gave off the same feeling and reaction as his protection. The constant put-downs and berating for things he wasn't responsible for, had finally taken their toll on the little boy's mind and he'd had enough of it.

“You are a bad man and you lied. I'm not a bad boy. I'm a good boy, just like the teachers said.” Harry said and the lightning bolts between his fingers increased in speed and size. “I do my work and I stay quiet when they say and I answer questions when they ask. They like me.”

“Get away from us, you freak!” Petunia spat angrily. The little snaps of lightning made her jump each time she heard it.

Harry gave her his happy smile that seemed to light up his face. “I asked Mrs. Jensen if I could live at the school because I didn't like it here. I even promised to be a perfect student.” He lowered his head slightly and pouted. “She looked sad and said she would like that, then she said I wasn't allowed and had to stay at home.”

“Why... don't you... ask her to... take you home?” Vernon stammered.

Harry's face brightened immediately. “Really? You'd let her take me? She's really nice and...”

“Yes!” Dudley exclaimed from the living room.

“I'll get... papers... and... tomorrow...” Vernon tried to explain.

“Okay!” Harry said and the lightning stopped on his hand. “I can't wait to tell her at the class party tomorrow! She's always said that if she had her own babies that she wanted them to be like me! Now she can have me instead!”

The two adults watched the happy child practically skip his way out of the kitchen. They exchanged looks and felt horrible, because they realized that they could have done it years ago.

*

Surprisingly, Mrs. Jensen didn't object to the situation. She hadn't been lying about what she had told little Harry. To be presented with him and adoption papers, because he really was an orphan and not a ward of the Dursleys, made her a very happy woman. She signed immediately and hugged the cute little boy hard.

Harry was just as happy as she was and hugged her in return. “Can... can I call you mummy now?”

Mrs. Jensen's eyes teared up as she nodded. “Y-yes, Harry. You can.”

“Yay!” Harry said and somehow hugged her even tighter.

*

Having a teacher for a parent, an actual loving parent, made Harry's heart swell and his mind expanded. He seemed to soak up information like a sponge and his happy disposition made his new mum remain in an elated state, even at school.

Mrs. Jensen praised him for the things he did, the goals he accomplished in school and at home, and for doing his homework first thing. Harry also ate all his greens and veggies at mealtimes, because she had told him that he would grow up big and strong if he did.

*

By the time he reached the end of the school year before his eleventh birthday, Harry was one of the tallest boys in the class and had received an award for having the top marks. He could have advanced several grades by now and they had both decided that he needed to stay with his peers to get the best out of his schooling. The last thing they wanted was for him to stand out or to be ostracized.

Harry's previously messy hair was tamed and cut in an appropriate style for a young man, with his bangs judiciously covering the scar on his forehead. He also wore contact lenses and it really made his emerald green eyes pop. They almost sparkled, much to the delight of his female classmates.

“I am so very proud of you, Harry.” Mrs. Jensen said and hugged him after he stepped off the stage.

“Thanks, Mum!” Harry gushed and hugged her back. He really loved getting hugs from her. He even made her laugh when he sometimes snuck up on her to hug her from behind.

“Gloria, you've done a wonderful job with this young man.” The principal said as he approached them.

“Nonsense! It was all Harry's doing.” Mrs. Jensen said and let Harry go to turn him around and faced the principal.

“Now it's my turn to say nonsense.” The principal said with a smile and held a hand out to Harry. “Congratulations again, Mr. Jensen.”

“Thanks!” Harry said and shook the man's hand enthusiastically, which made both adults laugh.

“That's natural charm right there.” Mrs. Jensen said and pet Harry's head.

“I could argue nurture versus nature; but, I know you'll smack me for it.” The principal said and they both laughed again.

“With his marks, he's got a choice of schools to go to.” Mrs. Jensen said, proudly. “We've got a lot to go through to figure out which one he'll want.”

“I want to go to your school, Mum!” Harry said and both adults laughed again. “What's funny?”

“It's an all girls parochial school.” Mrs. Jensen said. Her face flushed a little red as she imagined Harry wearing her old school uniform of a blouse, skirt, and knee-high socks. “I suppose you're cute enough to pull off the skirt...”

“MUM!” Harry gasped in horror and it started another round of laughter.

*

“Acceptance letters!” Mrs. Jensen said loudly as she brought the post in from the front door. It was the middle of July and their inquiries to the different eligible schools had all somehow arrived on the same day. She laughed as she heard Harry's feet scramble down the stairs and sounded like a herd of elephants.

Harry beat her to the kitchen and had already sat down when she entered the room.

“A little eager, are you?” Mrs. Jensen asked with a smirk.

“Nope!” Harry lied with a huge grin on his face.

Mrs. Jensen laughed and sat down next to him at the kitchen table. “You don't mind if I have a cuppa first?”

“Muuuuuuuum!” Harry whined.

Mrs. Jensen leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Grab the letter opener.”

Harry was off the chair, across the kitchen, grabbed the utensil, and was back on his seat before Mrs. Jensen could make a sarcastic comment about it. She winked at him and they started opening letters.

Things went fine until they reached the bottom of the stack and the larger than normal envelope. It used his old last name and was oddly addressed to Harry's bedroom, despite being delivered to the front door. It was also made of heavy paper, almost like parchment. As a teacher, she had studied a lot in older libraries and had seen parchment scrolls before, so she had some idea of what they felt like.

“This can't be right.” Mrs. Jensen said as she read the letter.

“What is it?” Harry asked and leaned in close to read as well.

“It must be a joke or something.” Mrs. Jensen whispered as she moved the cover letter aside and read the second sheet. Her eyes widened as she read the list of required school books and equipment. “This is definitely a joke. Most of these things don't even exist.”

Harry stared at the sheet and his own eyes widened at the implications. “But... but... what's the point?”

“What do you mean?” Mrs. Jensen asked.

“If it's a joke, I don't get it. What's the joke?” Harry asked, confusion on his face.

“I... well, I...” Mrs. Jensen closed her mouth and thought about it for several minutes, because he had made a pertinent point. “It must be a fake, because there's no way we can respond with an owl right now. They're nocturnal.”

Harry sat back as he thought about it as well. He had never told her about his lightning protection and this was too much of a coincidence to ignore. “Maybe it's a special owl?”

Mrs. Jensen gave him an inquisitive look, then she huffed and barked a laugh. “All right, let's go outside and have a look around, even though this is crazy.”

Harry grinned at her and took her hand. “Adventure time!”

Mrs. Jensen laughed as Harry used the catchphrase she used before reading him a bedtime story, then he dragged her through the house and outside. It only took a few minutes of looking at the branches of several trees before they froze like statues and stared at the tawny brown owl that stared right back at them.

“Oh, my god.” Mrs. Jensen whispered.

“Are you waiting for a letter?” Harry asked, quite boldly.

The owl gave a hoot of confirmation and Mrs. Jensen's knees felt weak.

“It's okay, Mum.” Harry said and put an arm around her waist to hold her steady.

Mrs. Jensen took several deep breaths to calm down. She had a rational mind and she knew magic wasn't possible... and she also knew that she had a parchment letter that an owl had delivered and was waiting for a response. She shook her head several times to clear it and then she hugged Harry.

“What do we do?” Mrs. Jensen asked, unsure of how to proceed.

“It's just like that new computer course you asked about at the college.” Harry said, struck with inspiration. “We can load the response with TONS of questions and see if anyone answers!”

Mrs. Jensen gave him an incredulous look for a moment, then she barked a laugh. “All right. Even if this is some kind of elaborate joke, getting answers from whoever sent that letter is worth the time to write the questions down.”

Harry grinned at her. “We can put that in the letter, too!”

Mrs. Jensen nodded and Harry looked at the owl.

“We'll be back in a bit with a letter. Do you want something to eat while you wait?” Harry asked.

The owl shook its head from side to side, a clear indication of no, and Mrs. Jensen decided that she had a lot more questions than she had a moment ago.

*

Minerva McGonagall sat at her desk as she filled out the calendar for her home visits when a tawny brown owl flew into her office through the charmed window and nearly collapsed onto her desk.

“Hoooot.” It said, exhausted, and rolled over to hold out its leg. On it was a thick bundle of paper.

“You poor dear! You're a messenger owl, not a package owl.” Minerva said and slid a water dish and a food dish in front of it. She untied the bundle and the owl hooted its thanks as it drank greedily.

Inside the bundle was a comprehensive list of questions that covered everything she knew, some things she only guessed about, and others that thoroughly confused her. It took her an hour just to read through everything and she had a headache by the time she read who the ridiculous amount of questions had come from.

Harry Potter.

The name alone gave Minerva a new perspective on the near endless list of questions, especially because of the name correction to Harry Jensen. It also reminded her that Harry lived with muggles and she had forgotten that fact and sent the wizard package for a response to the acceptance letter and not the muggleborn or muggle-raised package for students that didn't know about the wizarding world.

She rubbed her forehead and accepted that the torture she just put herself through by reading all of those questions, was her own fault. She gathered the bundle up and secured it, then wrote into her schedule a visit to Harry Potter. He would be the first one she would go to and explain everything.

Minerva looked at the thick bundle at the side of her desk and sighed. “Well, maybe not everything.”

*

A week later, neither Mrs. Jensen nor Harry could believe it. It was real. It was all real. The stunned pair walked around Diagon Alley behind Professor McGonagall and stared at all the wonderful and physics defying things before their eyes. It was amazing and terrifying at the same time, especially because they had a solid background in the way things ought to work in the real world.

To learn there was another world where the rules of normalcy were completely defied, had made their minds and thoughts feel like punch drunk fighters in the final round. While Mrs. Jensen was waiting for the knockout punch that would finish her off and end the fight, Harry had gotten his second wind and he was going to make a triumphant comeback with a flurry of punches to win the round.

The trio went to the large ornate building at the end of the alley and entered it. This was the goblin bank called Gringotts and Minerva had said that Harry had some money here for schooling. They waited in line and Minerva handed over the vault key to the goblin when asked.

The ride to the vault was exciting and action packed. Harry enjoyed it while the two women had kept their eyes closed and waited for it to be over. The goblin had grinned at Harry because of the women's reactions and Harry grinned back. They both knew to have fun when they could.

The contents of the vault made Harry's mouth drop open and Mrs. Jensen swayed on her feet and made a noise of distress.

Minerva was smart and caught the woman before she actually fainted. “You don't think that Harry's parents would have left the boy with nothing when they passed, did you?”

“I... I... I...” Mrs. Jensen whispered.

“How much is in here?” Harry asked as he grabbed a bag off the wall and piled several handfuls of coins into it. Surprisingly, the weight of the bag didn't change.

“There's just over 120,000 galleons.” The goblin said with an air of not caring.

This time, Minerva made an audible noise and she almost fainted as she held onto Mrs. Jensen tightly.

“We... we need an accounting.” Mrs. Jensen whispered.

“That's not my job.” The goblin said with a disgruntled tone.

In a stroke of inspiration, Harry plucked a gold coin off of the stacks and handed it to the goblin. “The faster you take us back up top, the faster we can bug a teller to do their job.”

The goblin accepted the coin and nodded, his grin like that of a shark. “Get in!”

“YES!” Harry shouted and hopped in.

The two women groaned as they sat down in the cart and continued to hold onto each other. The cart went very fast as it sped all the way back up to an above-ground level and the little cart wheels sparked as the thing skidded to a stop at the platform.

“That... was... AWESOME!” Harry exclaimed and jumped out. His excitement and the groans of the two women as they stumbled out of the cart, put another grin on the goblin's face.

“This way, please.” The goblin said and took them to an unoccupied teller. “This client needs an accounting of their account.”

“Key, please.” The teller said and the key was handed over. “The cost is three galleons for an out of sequence accounting.”

Harry handed over the money and the small group stood there for several minutes as a parchment was filled magically.

“There you are. Good day.” The teller abruptly said and tossed the parchment at Minerva. She took the key back as well and the group walked part way across the room to look at the results. The goblin that had driven the cart had already departed.

“Those damn muggles!” Minerva gasped when she read that the Dursleys were being given a stipend to take care of Harry, even though he had been at Mrs. Jensen's for five years and weren't his guardians.

Harry frowned at the parchment and didn't know what to do. “That should be Mrs. Jensen's money!”

“Harry, it's...” Mrs. Jensen started to say.

Harry plucked the parchment out of Minerva's hand and strode over to the closest teller. Thankfully, it wasn't the same one that had already served them. The bank was quite busy.

“I have proof that thieves are stealing money from me.” Harry said and pointed to the parchment. “These people have never taken care of me.”

The new teller gave him an appraising glare. “Do you realize what we do to thieves?”

“As long as you get all that money back, I don't care what you do to them.” Harry said.

“Harry!” Mrs. Jensen and Minerva gasped.

The teller smiled the same shark smile as the other goblin had. “Very well. We will investigate and deal with them.”

“A measure of restraint should be shown.” Minerva said and the goblin scoffed at her, as did Harry.

“They didn't restrain themselves when they tried to beat me. My magic did that.” Harry said.

“Good for you.” The teller said. “We will send the results along with your next bank statement.”

“I've never gotten one before.” Harry admitted.

The teller looked surprised for a moment, then he let out a low rumbling growl. “No one should interfere with Gringotts business. This calls for an even more in-depth investigation. Please wait here.”

Harry, Mrs. Jensen, and Minerva stood there as the teller hopped off his high stool and disappeared through a small door that had been concealed behind the desk. Ten minutes later, a man dressed in a business suit approached them after coming through a normal-sized door.

“Mr. Potter, it's a pleasure.” The man said and held a hand out to Harry.

Harry, knowing full well that his protection magic would hurt the man if he meant Harry any harm, gladly shook the offered hand.

The man jerked for a moment and then laughed. “Well played, young man. Well played.”

“What do you mean?” Minerva asked.

“Ah, that is not my secret to tell.” The man said and took out his wand. He waved it at Harry's chest and a light blue glow appeared there. “As the teller suspected, you have a mail redirect ward on you. I'll need a moment to remove it.”

“Can't you just change where it goes?” Mrs. Jensen asked.

“Why would I do that?” The man asked, curiously.

“Someone put it there, right? Won't they know it's gone?” Mrs. Jensen asked back.

The man smiled. “You are quite intelligent, madam. Changing the target of the spell would be much better than removing it. Thank you for the suggestion.”

Mrs. Jensen blushed a little at the compliment and then watched as the man made several swirly motions with his wand.

“Where should I redirect it?” The man asked.

“Send everything to Harold Jensen.” Harry said and the blue glow pulsed for a second.

“H-Harry...” Mrs. Jensen whispered, flattered at the boy accepting her last name officially.

“There you are. I've changed the destination from Headmaster of Hogwarts to Harold Jensen.”

“WHAT?!?” Minerva gasped loudly.

“Oh, yes. Dumbledore seems to have wrested control of the Potter account as well as Harry's mail.” The man said and then he took a step back from the harsh scowl on Minerva's face. “Don't worry, madam! It should all come out when the investigation ends.”

Minerva's scowl didn't lessen, so the man did his best to ignore her.

“The appropriate fee for my services will be deducted from...” The man started to say.

“...Albus Dumbledore's personal account!” Minerva spat and the man jumped a little at the interruption. “He did whatever he did and not as the headmaster of the school. I will not have anything associated in that way and you will NOT charge Harry for any of this! Do. You. Understand?”

The man actually looked fearful as he nodded several times.

“Good.” Minerva said and turned a sweet smile to Harry and Mrs. Jensen. “We have some school shopping to do and we are a little behind.”

Both Harry and Mrs. Jensen took the obvious hint to beat a hasty retreat and followed Minerva out of the bank.

*

Vernon Dursley was having a great day. He had gotten a bit of a snuggle and cuddle from Petunia the night before and a great breakfast that morning. The monthly stipend for taking care of the freak had also come in and he was flush with cash. He would be taking the family out for dinner again that evening and he was looking forward to another snuggle and cuddle with his wife. It was almost like they were newlyweds again with the way their lives had improved over the last five years.

There was a commotion from the outer office and several inarticulate shouts. Vernon always kept his inner office door shut, just for that reason, to muffle any goings-on that he didn't want to participate in. Unfortunately, his choice in the matter was soon taken from him as the door burst open and several well dressed men and two police officers entered.

“Vernon Dursley!” One of the suited men exclaimed. “You are under arrest for tax evasion, money laundering, and grand theft!”

Vernon shot to his feet... well, he tried to and slowly stood, since he was quite large. “BOLLOCKS!”

“He's resisting arrest! Take him down!” One of the officers shouted.

Vernon's eyes widened as all five men tackled him to the floor.

*

“They really take banking seriously.” Mrs. Jensen commented a week later as she and Harry read the report of the investigation.

“I can't believe it only took five men to tackle the whale!” Harry pointed at the picture and laughed as the scene continued to be replayed.

Mrs. Jensen almost couldn't stop her own laugh and had to cover her mouth to not show anything.

Harry had seen her, though. He reached over and hugged her tightly. “It's okay! It's really funny!”

“We shouldn't take pleasure in other's misery.” Mrs. Jensen said, wisely.

“The cops were really happy, though!” Harry exclaimed and that finally set her off. The two of them laughed and held each other for several minutes.

They calmed down and read the rest of the report. The house had been sold to cover the cost of getting ten years of stipends returned to the Potter account, plus interest, and Harry had immediately signed it all over to Mrs. Jensen. She tried to refuse and Harry simply said that he would have paid her twice that over the years for taking him in and making him so happy.

“Hoot!” Snowy the Owl said and Harry tossed her another owl treat.

“Don't spoil her.” Mrs. Jensen warned him.

“Bacon.” Harry said with a grin.

“HOOT!” Snowy responded and Mrs. Jensen laughed.

“Point taken.” Mrs. Jensen said and hugged him. “You need to get ready. Sally and Jacob will be here shortly.”

“Okay!” Harry said and ran to his room to change. He had one last play date with his close friends before they all went off to their respective schools. Sally was going to an all girls academy, Jacob was going to Stonewall High, and Harry was going to a private boarding school. He would still be taking muggle subjects while learning magic, too.

Mrs. Jensen was now quite wealthy, thanks to the back-pay of ten years of stipends, and she was seriously debating retiring early. The continuing payments every month would keep her in a comfortable lifestyle for the rest of her life, even after Harry was of legal age and she wasn't required to take care of him anymore.

“You really are a great person to have around, Harry.” Mrs. Jensen whispered.

Harry came out of his room wearing his rough and tumble clothes. It was just in time, because the doorbell rang and Sally and Jacob came in. They were both wearing similar clothing and the trio ran to the back of the house and out the kitchen door.

Mrs. Jensen followed them and sat at the kitchen table to watch them and have a cup of tea. Years later, she would admit to Harry's children that these relaxing times were the best that she remembered, because of a handsome and happy little boy that had come into her life and made everything so much better.

*

“Remember to write every week.” Mrs. Jensen reminded Harry as she hugged him.

“I will, mum!” Harry promised. “Snowy loves flying!”

Mrs. Jensen nodded, because the owl had already left for the school that morning after breakfast. She never did ask why the bird loved bacon so much. “Have fun and don't cause any trouble.”

Harry grinned at her and held his hand up, while hiding it from sight of everyone else. Several snaps of lightning went between his fingers and thumb. “I've got this.”

Mrs. Jensen gave him another quick hug. “I'm going to miss you a lot.”

Harry's smile faded slightly. “I know. Me, too.” He said and then he waved for her to bend down. She did so and he gave her cheek a kiss. “I love you.”

Mrs. Jensen blushed at the sincerity and gave him a kiss on the cheek back. “I love you, too.”

Harry's happy smile made a triumphant return and he pushed his trolley through the magical barrier between platforms nine and ten. He appeared on platform nine and three quarters and looked around at all of the parents and students.

Harry was really glad that he had taken his mum's advice and wasn't overwhelmed by the thick crowd. They had even practised a few times by going into London during the busiest times at the subway stations. It was scary the first couple of times, especially when she would back off and let him find their next train connection by himself. She really was a great teacher.

Harry abandoned the trolley and pulled his trunk onto the train and down the railcar to an empty compartment. He gave a quick look around before he shut the door and took out his wand. It was holly and phoenix feather, which gave him a thrill every time he held it, and he did the swish and flick to use the levitation charm and put the trunk in the overhead rack.

“It worked! Ha ha!” Harry exclaimed and flopped onto the bench seat to stare at his wand. His magic wand. He had practised wand waving with a long wooden dowel, because of the warnings from both Madam McGonagall and Mr. Ollivander. Magic wasn't allowed outside of school and Harry was a little worried that just being on the train wasn't close enough to school to count.

When nothing happened, like ministry officials showing up or strange owls delivering warnings, Harry sat back and put his wand away. He wasn't surprised that his school robes had a specific pocket to carry a wand, so that a wizard would always have quick access to it. Convincing his mum to let him have the same kind of pocket in regular clothes had been a chore, though.

Harry chuckled a little at the remembered argument. They rarely ever fought and he never asked for anything outrageous, even though he easily could have, being rich and all. He distinctly remembered the way Dudley acted when he lived with the Dursleys, and he would never, not in a million years, ever act like that himself.

Mrs. Jensen had eventually given in, just because Harry couldn't be expected to wear wizarding robes on the weekends or during holidays, while playing with his friends. He needed to hide the wand while also keeping it close, so he had won the argument in the end. He brought her flowers from the field near the park and she had hugged him pretty tightly after that.

The train started up and the whole thing rumbled, as if it was alive, and the first whistle blew. It was a warning that the train was going to be leaving in five minutes, which meant that everyone not on the train had better get on it right now.

Harry looked out the window and clamped his mouth shut on the laugh that tried to escape, because he could see the mad scramble of a bunch of students trying to escape from their parents to get onboard. One large group of redheads were simultaneously trying to say goodbye and escape while their mother tried to desperately hold onto them and give them one last kiss and hug goodbye.

A few minutes after the train had left the station, the door to his compartment opened and a bushy-haired girl stood there. “Have you seen a toad? A boy named Neville's lost one.”

“We just left the station and he's already lost his pet? Really?” Harry asked with a laugh. “Are you sure it didn't escape on its own?”

The girl couldn't stop her smile. “He did say that Trevor had long legs.”

Harry grinned at her. “Lemme guess. It's a huge bullfrog, right?”

The girl nodded and held her hands six inches apart. “It's about this big.”

“Oh, he definitely escaped.” Harry said. “Just the change in environment would set it off and want to get away.”

The girl's face brightened considerably. “How do you know that?”

“My mum's a teacher!” Harry said, happily.

The girl seemed to shiver slightly and then she stepped into the compartment and let the door shut behind her. She walked over to Harry and sat down right beside him. Harry wasn't surprised by this, because Sally used to do the same thing. He was a little too young to understand why Sally did that, though.

“I need you to tell me what subjects she taught.” The girl ordered with a glint in her eyes.

Harry recognized that glint. It was the same one that his mum got when a new book that she ordered came in. “All of them.”

The girl caught her breath and then she closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath. After a moment, she opened her eyes and locked them onto Harry's. “My name is Hermione. Hermione Granger.”

“I'm Harold Jensen.” Harry responded. “My friends and my mum call me Harry.”

Hermione's eyes shifted from his to the window, then back again. “Can... can I call you Harry?”

“Sure!” Harry said and smiled. Her answering smile was just as bright as his own.

The door to the compartment opened and a redheaded boy stepped in. “Mind if I sit here? Everywhere else...” He paused when he saw that Harry wasn't alone. “...is full.”

Hermione squinted her eyes at him. “That's not true. I passed four empty compartments on the way here while looking for a toad.” She said and then gasped. “THE TOAD!”

Harry laughed at her reaction. “I guess you better keep looking.” He said and then took her hand to get her attention. “Will you come back and visit again? Eight hours is a long time to spend it without talking to my new friend.”

Hermione blushed and found that she couldn't quite speak, so she nodded several times and pretty much ran from the compartment.

“Barmy, that one.” The redhead said and sat down.

Harry gave him a stern look. “What makes you say that?”

“Uh... she... she lied. Yeah. There's nowhere else to sit.” The boy said.

“Really? Then where's your trunk?” Harry asked.

The boy's face lost some of its color. “Uh...”

“It seems a few things are being lost on the train.” Harry said with a knowing look. “Why don't you go find what you've lost before someone else takes it?”

The boy's mouth fell open and he just stared at Harry for several moments.

“So, you don't care if someone else takes your clothes and books? How will you buy replacements by the morning?” Harry asked in a reasonable tone of voice. “Do you want to go to class in your underwear?”

The boy let out a squeak, or something in his pocket did, and he fled from the compartment as quickly as Hermione did. Harry sat back and smiled at getting rid of the other boy that hadn't even introduced himself. His mum had warned him about people wanting to be friends with him only because of his fame. That was why he changed his name to Harold Jensen.

Unlike Harry Potter, Harold wasn't famous. He was just a kid that wanted to learn magic.

Half an hour later, Hermione entered the compartment once more and had a shy boy behind her. Harry welcomed both with enthusiasm, especially because they knew him as a Jensen and not a Potter. That established a proper friendship between them and they enjoyed talking about stuff that they were interested in.

When it was time, Harry and Neville changed into their robes and Hermione waited in the hallway. The three of them left the train with the other students and they heard a loud voice calling for the first years. Once they were all gathered together, the group followed the half-giant named Hagrid down a side path to the nearby lake and onto boats. The trip was uneventful, even with a dark skinned boy riding along with them. He was just as quiet as Neville was, even after proper introductions, and they rode across the lake to stare at the castle when it came into view.

Everyone made appreciative sounds at the sight, even Harry. He might have seen and heard about different castles, thanks to Mrs. Jensen's nightly story time; but, it was one thing to see a picture or a drawing and it was an entirely different thing altogether to see it in person.

A long set of stone carved stairs later, they were delivered to Minerva McGonagall and she gave them a speech about houses and them being like family. Harry was a little put off by that, especially if it was like the way his family had come about. He didn't want to have to suffer first before finding one that he truly liked. His pointed gaze at Minerva had caught her attention and she opened her mouth to comment, then she sighed.

“Follow along and stay together.” Minerva said and led the new students into the castle and near the Great Hall. She left them in an anti-chamber for several minutes to smarten themselves up a bit, while she attended to getting both the stool and the hat for the sorting.

Harry checked Neville over and he returned the gesture, then they both made soft noises at Hermione.

“I'm fine, thank you.” Hermione said with an air of superiority, which made the three of them laugh a little.

Minerva returned and brought them into the Great Hall and under the scrutiny of both the other students and the professors. After a short gaze at the night sky that was somehow on the ceiling, the older lady had the new students stand a short distance away from the front of the room and the hat on the stool started singing.

Harry stared at the thing with awe and a little reverence, while the words of the song were completely missed by his completely occupied brain.

“When I call your name, come up to the stool and put on the hat. You will then be sorted into your houses.” Minerva said and unrolled a large scroll of parchment. “Abbot, Hannah!”

A dirty-blonde haired girl with pigtails almost ran over to the stool and pulled the hat onto her head.

“Hufflepuff!” The hat exclaimed loudly enough for the whole student body to hear.

“I want a talking hat.” Harry whispered and glanced at Hermione. He saw the look on her face as she tried to figure out how to go about it, and he knew that he had a similar look on his own face. Hermione gave him a smile and a little nod, which meant that they were going to try and work it out together.

“Granger, Her-mi-one.” Minerva said.

“It's Her-my-oh-knee.” Hermione corrected before she picked up the hat and put it on her head as she sat down.

It took a long and quiet minute before the hat spoke. “Griffindor!”

Both Neville and Harry's mouths fell open at the proclamation, because they were both sure that she would go into Ravenclaw. She was way too smart to not go into the house based on intelligence.

Sorry! Hermione mouthed to them and went to her assigned house table.

Harry gave Neville a pointed look and he shrugged.

“Jensen, Harold!” Minerva said and almost no one reacted, except for the polite interest that all the students received.

Harry smiled happily at the older woman as he approached the stool. It was a plan that they had come up with to ensure that the Potter name wouldn't cause a stir among the students and teachers. In fact, Mrs. Jensen had officially adopted Harry and became his guardian in both the muggle and magical worlds. They even had all the paperwork done and filed with both ministries.

Hmm, this isn't difficult at all. The hat said into his mind.

It shouldn't be. Harry thought back. I know exactly where I need to go.

As do I, Mr. Jensen. The hat responded. “Better be... HUFFLEPUFF!”

Harry received some enthusiastic clapping from his house, the same as Hannah and Susan had received, and he was perfectly fine with that.

“I like your ponytail.” Susan said, quite boldly.

“Thanks! My mum worked hard to teach me how to do it by myself.” Harry said.

They had grown his hair out over the years, just so he didn't look so much like he had before. The last thing he wanted to be reminded of when he looked in a mirror, was his time at the Dursleys. So, new wireframe glasses, longer hair that was dyed slightly lighter than the old black, and clothes that fit, were all signs that he had left his old life behind. Plus, he now looked a lot like Mrs. Jensen.

A few more names were called and sorted into different houses, then Neville's name was called. Again, Harry was surprised when after a couple of minutes, the hat called out 'Griffindor'. Neville gave Harry a bit of a sad look and went to go sit with Hermione.

Harry wasn't sure what to make of that. He had thought that they were friends. Friends stick together when they could and would miss each other when they were apart. They had spent the better part of eight hours talking and enjoying themselves, so Harry had assumed that they would all be in the same house.

“You look sad.” Susan whispered.

“I... yeah.” Harry whispered back and then explained what happened.

“Oh. I see.” Susan looked over at the girl and boy that had turned their backs on a budding friendship. “Hufflepuff is the house of the hard working and loyal. You'll never hear of anyone complaining about a Hufflepuff betraying anyone.”

“You will hear them complaining that we're all 'duffers' and not worth getting to know outside the members of our house.” An older male student said.

“Don't tell them that!” An older female student spat.

“What? I'm just telling them the truth.” The guy said and gave the first year students a sad look. “They look down on us because no one of note has come from this house. All the greats came from Griffndor or Slytherin.”

“Which explains their eternal rivalry.” Another male added. “Believe me, you don't want to get between them when the spells start flying.”

“What about Ravenclaw?” Harry asked, curious about the answer.

“They're a bunch of bookworms.” The male student said.

“Hey!” Someone from the next table exclaimed.

“You are!” He responded. “You even have your own library in the tower that you barely leave!”

There was a pained sound from the Griffindor table and Harry turned his head to see Hermione with a hand over her heart. He wasn't sure what to feel about that. He was upset about her not going where she should and a little glad that she had missed out on one of her fondest wishes. That made him feel even more upset and also guilty.

Susan saw his face and took his hand in hers to hold it.

Harry turned his head back to look at her.

“It's going to be okay.” Susan whispered.

Harry wasn't sure why he was reassured by that, considering they just met. “Thanks.”

“Anyways, they study all the time and only a few of them go outside for sports or recreation.” The guy said.

“That's not why we broke up!” The girl from Ravenclaw said.

“Of course not. You just had to concentrate on studying for your OWLs... months in advance... and you didn't have time to waste spending time with someone that really liked you.”

The girl opened her mouth to respond hotly, then she realized that everyone was staring at her. She closed her mouth and ducked her head a little.

“Some are even terrible liars because they can't admit the truth.” The Hufflepuff older girl said and the Ravenclaw girl blushed.

“I think we're getting way off topic here.” Someone else said.

“Weasley, Ronald!” Minerva said and everyone turned to look. They had missed the rest of the sorting and a few of the other tables were whispering quite loudly about a certain student being missing.

“Griffindor!” The hat shouted and the last student practically ran to his assigned table and sat down.

Complete silence fell in the Great Hall as Minerva took the stool and the hat out a side door and returned to take her seat at the head table next to the headmaster. No one spoke as the minutes seemed to tick by and everyone was talking softly and looking around. Even the headmaster was doing it.

“Albus! Make the announcements and start the feast!” Minerva whispered loudly. It carried all through the hall and everyone heard it.

“Minerva, I need to go and...”

“Albus.” Minerva said in a stern tone that brooked no argument.

The old man seemed to slouch and then he sighed and clapped his hands once. “Let the feast begin.”

Minerva gave him a pointed glare that he ignored.

The students were distracted by all of the wonderful foods that had appeared on the platters in the middles of the tables. Pork chops were handed around, mashed potatoes were scooped onto waiting plates, and gravy was ladled over everything. Side dishes of vegetables, rice, and bread rolls were added and everyone dug into their meals.

The meal soon ended and desserts of all kinds appeared and enticed the students, even the full ones that had gorged on the delicious main course. It was gone almost as soon as it had appeared and then the old man at the front of the hall, stood. He gave several start of term notices, warnings, and whispered something about staying away from the third floor.

“Albus!” Minerva spat and the old man waved her concern away.

“Off you trot.” Albus said to the students, without any enthusiasm, then he and Severus Snape rushed out of the Great Hall before anyone else had stood up.

“That was odd.” The older male Hufflepuff said as he stood.

“Come on, you lot. My partner and I are Prefects.” The older female student said and stood as she tapped the small metal badge on her robes. “We're taking you all to the common room.”

A short trip down into the first basement of the castle and they were soon in the common room that was hidden behind some stacked wooden barrels. It gave off a homey feeling and everyone felt good about being there, even if it was in a basement.

“Badgers live in hovels.” Susan said as an explanation.

“Neat.” Harry said.

“Girls, your rooms are on the left and boys are on the right. They are double rooms, so if there's anyone you want to room with...” The female student barely spoke the words when Susan and Hannah grabbed each other in a tight hug, as did the other two girls, and four of the guys paired off. They had apparently known each other before school, so that left Harry to have a room alone.

“I'm glad you all sorted that for yourselves.” The male student said. “Breakfast is served at seven thirty and classes start at nine sharp. You will be up at an appropriate time every morning or you will be visited by the house ghost.”

The Fat Friar floated into the room and he had a jovial smile on his face. “Don't let this outfit fool you. I can be scary at times.”

Everyone shared an odd look for a moment, then the Fat Friar let out a loud belch. *BRRRAAPPPP!*

“I warned you.” The Fat Friar said and everyone laughed.

*

Harry barely shared any classes with the Griffindors and he barely saw his first two friends at all for that first week. That was not a good basis for a friendship, so he resigned himself to stop trying during the week and would make an effort on the weekend. It wasn't his fault that he had been left all alone in another house.

At least they have each other in Griffindor. Harry thought.

On the other hand, his efforts to make friends with the other first year Hufflepuffs was a success, especially because Susan was almost a force of nature. She was a happy girl and she made sure that if you weren't happy, she was going to make you happy. Her first unexpected hug during lunch on Friday had caught Harry completely unaware.

Harry let out a squawk of surprise and tensed up as Susan held him tightly from behind and Hannah laughed. “It's not funny.”

“It's hilarious!” Hannah said and gave Susan a brief look, so Susan let him go with a blush on her face and Hannah hugged Harry as tightly as she did.

Harry's face went red when he realized what had just happened. Hannah blushed when she let go, too.

“That's so cute!” The female Hufflepuff prefect said and then Harry had an older girl's breasts pressed into his back when she hugged him from behind.

“M-M-Morag!” Harry stammered.

Morag winked at Susan and Hannah, then she bent down and gave Harry a kiss on the cheek. “I'm sorry for embarrassing you, Harry. Can you ever forgive me?”

Harry's face now burned a bright red as Morag stood with her hands on his shoulders. “It's-s-s-s-okay.”

“Hey, are you making moves on my girl?” A different male Hufflepuff asked with a smile on his face.

Harry glanced up Morag's face and saw the smug look she had. He thought a little revenge would be worth the embarrassing thing he said next. “Yes.”

Most of the first years, and several other students around them, let out gasps of surprise.

“She's very pretty and really smart. I would be honored to spend time with her.” Harry said in a serious voice, despite his still beet red face. “Aren't you?”

Complete silence met his words and everyone stared at him, some of them had their mouths hung open.

“Well, damn. Called out by a first year.” The guy said and looked at the shocked face of Morag behind Harry. “I suppose you an I need to have a talk.”

“I-I... w-wait... y-y-you...” Morag stuttered.

The guy stood and walked around the table to take her hands off of Harry's shoulders. “He's right, you know... and I really am honored that I get to spend time with you.”

Morag still looked stunned, so he gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

“Let's go for a walk by the lake. We've got first period off after lunch.”

“O-okay.” Morag said and they walked out of the Great Hall together, hand-in-hand.

“Merlin's beard, Harry.” Ernie MacMillan said, his eyes wide.

“Jesus.” Justin Finch-Flechley whispered with awe in his voice.

“I'm too young to have a boyfriend.” Susan said and then leaned in to kiss Harry on the cheek. “I hope you don't mind waiting.”

No one thought that Harry's face could get any redder, then it did.

*

“There will be no foolish wand waving in this class.” Severus Snape said as he entered the room and slammed the door. He then gave the same speech that he gave for every first time class. He called the class attendance sheet and every student responded to their name, and the class proceeded on as normal.

A short explanation was given for the potion to be brewed for that day's double class, then they were set to work. Everyone succeeded in brewing a passable version and were given corrections for the mistakes and slight alterations needed to fix the potions that they would need to write up for the next class. When all the vials were collected to be marked, the class was dismissed and the students left.

“That was a weird class.” Justin commented as they went back to their common room. School was over for the week and they had nothing but homework to do that night.

“I was almost afraid to ask why we were dicing instead of slicing.” Susan said.

“I'm glad you did.” Harry said and a few of the others nodded. “Getting a quicker brew and dissolving the ingredients faster, instead of letting it simmer and dissolving naturally, was a great reason and we all needed to know it.”

“Yeah! Thanks, Susan!” Hannah said and gave her a one arm hug. “Let's all sit down and get the writing for the potion out of the way right now, while we all have it in our heads.”

“That's a great idea, Hannah.” Ernie said. “There's no way I'm gonna remember all this by next Friday without writing it down first.”

Everyone nodded in agreement and went to the common room with a purpose.

*

“I don't understand why he isn't here.” Albus Dumbledore said and hid his sigh as the professors of the school gave him odd looks.

“Perhaps if you actually paid any attention to him when you hid him away ten years ago, you might know where he is.” Minerva said with a cool voice.

“Minerva...” Albus started to say.

“I told you then that they were the worst kinds of muggles and you overruled me and left that boy on their doorstep.” Minerva said. “Did you even have a warming charm on the thing?”

Albus sighed and slumped back. “I had to put him with his last remaining family to keep him safe.”

“How safe was he that his supposed family gave him away over five years ago?” Minerva asked with a huff. The other professors nodded their heads and looked at Albus, as if he had the answer. He did; but, he didn't want to tell them that it apparently hadn't been safe at all.

“I lost track of him at the muggle school he attended.” Snape said. “No magic traces go past there.”

“What about at the ministry?” Albus asked.

“There are no official records, as you very well know.” Snape said.

“What does that mean?” Minerva asked, pointedly.

Albus gave Severus a glare and sighed again. “As Chief Warlock, I sealed Harry Potter's records to hide him from Voldemort's followers.”

“You sealed all of his records?” Filius Flitwick asked. He was a half-goblin and the best Charms professor that had ever taught at Hogwarts.

“That includes all accidental magic, doesn't it?” Pomona Sprout asked. She was Head of Hufflepuff House and she was quite upset that the savior of the wizarding world had been lost to them, and it was all because a meddling old fool had hidden the boy a little too well.

“Unfortunately.” Snape said. He didn't admit that he had known about Albus' plans to contain any accidental magic by obliviating anyone that was involved. “Even Mrs. Figg is unsure exactly when the boy went missing.”

“Well, this is a right cock-up, isn't it?” Septima Vector asked. She was a sexy black woman and her robes were designed to show off and cover up as much as possible. It was an intriguing combination.

“What are you going to do, Albus?” Minerva asked. No one missed the implications of her foisting the whole thing onto the headmaster.

“We need to keep looking, of course.” Albus said. No one missed the implications of him trying to spread the guilt around. “This weekend, I'd like some of you to...”

“No.” Most of the voices of the professors responded.

“Excuse me?” Albus asked, a little shocked at the immediate denial.

“I don't know about you; but, I've got several dozen students that need my help to keep up with their schoolwork and to ensure their passing grades for their end of year exams.” Minerva said. “Not to mention grading the first week's assignments for an entire school full of students.”

“It's the same for me.” Flitwick said. “Despite their eagerness, the first years need a gentle hand to coach them through their first real assignments that they've ever done. Their performance on these first few reports will stick with them and create habits that will carry them through the rest of their time here at school.”

“Well said.” Pomona praised him and smiled at her co-worker. “I'm not as rushed as everyone else; but, I still have to care for the plants and make sure that everything is safe for all of the students, especially for the first years.” She looked at everyone's nodding heads and smiled. “I must say that my batch of first years this time are quite the little sprouts!”

Minerva and Septima let out girlish chuckles at her joke and Snape almost slapped a hand over his own face in embarrassment.

“I suppose we can move on to the student assessments.” Albus said and everyone agreed.

Out of all of the first years, several of them stood out for good reasons and several stood out for bad ones. Snape argued over the Slytherins being classed as the bad ones, of course, despite it being true.

“The worst students by far are Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle.” Minerva said.

“I doubt they are the worst.” Snape said. “Both the Weasley boy and Longbottom perform pitifully in my class.”

“You've only had them for one double class.” Minerva countered. “I've had them each day for four days.”

Snape managed to not roll his eyes. Barely.

“Now, now. Let's get back on track.” Albus said. “Who are the standouts?”

“Oh, Mr. Jensen a complete delight!” Pomona exclaimed. “He actually took over my second class to teach the rest of the students how to maintain and weed a proper planting area!”

“You're kidding!” Minerva gasped.

“Not at all.” Pomona said. “He's almost as good as Longbottom, only for normal plants and not magical ones. If I had been lucky enough to have the both of them in the same class, I doubt I would have had to lift a finger until Christmas!”

The other professors gave her surprised looks.

“He's been performing spectacularly in my class as well.” Flitwick said. “He has all the basic wand movements perfected for all of the spells we've done in class so far. All he needed was instruction on how much magic to push through his wand.”

“That's... how did he do it? Isn't he a muggleborn?” Septima asked.

“Ollivander gave him a wooden dowel to practice with.” Minerva said, a little proudly. “I was quite happy that he was so diligent to actually go through with his promise of studying hard, even if he wasn't allowed to do magic outside of school.”

“Why isn't he in my house?” Flitwick asked with a smile. He always loved to argue semantics with his fellow professors. It was the best way for them to find the smartest students and to keep an eye on them.

“He adores his friends and values their friendship.” Minerva responded.

“He was quite sad, outside of classes, for most of the week.” Pomona admitted. “Miss Bones and Miss Abbott have been keeping an eye on him for me.”

“I believe I saw some of that at lunch.” Minerva said with a smirk.

Pomona let out a short laugh. “Did you see Miss MacDougall's face? I wish I had a camera to catch it!”

Minerva let out a short laugh as well. “I think we will soon see a ring on her finger.”

“Oh, she'll just melt if he does anything like that!” Pomona said and a light laugh was shared by almost everyone.

Albus sat back as the professors discussed the other students and his mind roamed elsewhere. He needed to find Harry Potter and he needed to find him as soon as possible. He contemplated what could have happened to the boy and then sighed mentally. He would need to call in a few favors and perhaps even a particularly skilled werewolf to help track down the wayward boy.

*

Harry was up early on Saturday, the first day of the weekend, and he had no homework left to do. Thanks to Hannah's idea, they had all stayed up late and finished all of their homework. He went to breakfast alone and was a little disappointed that the Griffindor table was completely empty. He sat down and enjoyed a nice breakfast and occasionally glanced over to the other table to see if anyone arrived yet.

“You know you can just go wait by their common room.” A female voice said as she sat down across from him.

Harry turned around to see Morag sitting there and smiled as he thought about teasing her. “Hi, beautiful. How's the old boyfriend doing?”

Morag snorted a bit and laughed. “You're pushing your luck, Jensen.”

“You kissed me. It's not my fault I'm adorable.” Harry said in a snooty voice and made her laugh again.

“At least you're humble about it.” Morag said and Harry grinned at her. “So, you should go where you know they'll be.”

“Yeah, I guess I should. Waiting here is a bit pathetic.”

Morag shook her head. “You're trying to keep your friends and that's admirable. Waiting around in the Great Hall with the hope that they will come here eventually, is just wasting your time.”

“I... yeah. Okay.” Harry said and stood up. “Thanks, Morag.”

Morag waved his thanks away. “You're just lucky I'm seeing someone already and that it's pretty serious.”

“I think you got that backwards.” Harry said and glanced around, then he walked around the table and bent down to place a kiss on her cheek. “I'm the unlucky one because someone else is already lucky.”

Morag blinked her eyes at him and watched him walk away. She couldn't help but notice that his clothing was both stylish and expensive while also being comfortable and easy to move in. She saw her boyfriend pass him in the doorway and the two boys exchanged nods.

“There goes my competition.” Her boyfriend said as he sat down beside her.

Morag turned his head towards her and gave him a proper snogging. “There's no competition.”

The guy smiled at her. “Would you still say the same if he was Harry Potter?”

“No! I'd be all over that rich kid!” Morag joked and they both laughed.

*

Harry had no luck finding either Hermione or Neville at Griffindor tower. He left there after ten minutes and went to the library. He searched the huge place for another ten minutes and didn't see her bushy hair anywhere. What he didn't know was that Hermione was out in plain sight and not hiding at all.

Unfortunately, she was behind a stack of books and her head was down as she copied things out of one of the books. Since he couldn't find his friend in the obvious place that she should have been, Harry left there to go look for Neville, not realizing that Neville had been down to the Great Hall and eaten breakfast while Harry had been at the tower and then in the library, like two ships passing in the night.

Both of Harry's first magical friends had just missed him, by the sheer expedience of being close to each other and also out of sight.

*

Weeks turned into a month, then another. By this point, Harry had barely even seen Hermione and Neville, let alone had a chance to talk to them. The others seemed to always be in a rush to get away and any of his attempts to talk or to arrange a time to do so, seemed to always have an excuse to not hang out with him.

Fully dejected and seemingly rejected, Harry stuck to his housemates like glue. Susan had been right and keeping friends that didn't want to keep you in turn, only ended up hurting in the end. So, Harry went on with his life. He didn't need friends that ignored him, especially because it seemed to be on purpose.

*

October thirty-first, Halloween day, was one for the record books in hindsight. No only did the stuttering Defense Professor collapse in the Great Hall during the evening feast, a troll had entered the castle. Everyone was freaking out, except for the muggleborns and muggle-raised. They didn't know what a troll was.

“SIIIIILENNNNCE!” Dumbledore's voice cut through everyone's yells and shouts like a hot knife through butter. “Please. Do. Not. Panic.”

Everyone calmed down and turned to look at him.

“Prefects, take your housemates to their common rooms. Teachers, with me. We have a troll to take care of.” Albus said and the entire school shuffled out through the large doors of the Great Hall and into the Entrance Hall.

“H-H-Harry.” A soft voice said and Harry turned to see the pale face of Neville. “Hermione. She doesn't know.”

Harry gave him an incredulous look, as if the boy was committing a crime by just talking to him, then he sighed. He wasn't like Malfoy or Dudley. Even if he didn't like Neville and Hermione anymore, he couldn't stand by and see either of them get hurt.

“Where is she?” Harry asked and grabbed Neville's sleeve to keep him close before the crowd pulled them apart.

“B-b-bathroom. S-second floor.” Neville said.

Harry waited until the majority of the students had passed before he dragged Neville behind the retreating Griffindors. He stepped off the stairway onto the second floor and the smell him like a slap to the face.

“AIIIEEEEE!” A girlish scream echoed down the hallway and the sound of crashing wood came right behind it.

Harry let Neville's sleeve go and ran as fast as he could. He skidded along the floor and barely slowed down as a small lightning bolt shot out of his hand and slammed the bathroom door open and into the wall with a loud thud.

Harry dove into the room as the troll, a twelve foot tall stinking monstrosity, turned and raised its club up to strike. Harry didn't hesitate as he leapt into the air and slammed his palm against the monster's chest.

*KRACKOOOOWWWWW!*

The four occupants of the bathroom were temporarily blinded as a huge lightning discharge cracked between Harry's palm and the chest of the beast. The troll was tossed through the remaining wooden walls of the stalls and slammed into the stone wall while Harry was flung in the opposite direction.

Harry flipped head over heels and landed face first into the stone wall beside the door and the crunch of his glasses and his nose echoed loudly. He fell down onto the floor and landed on his back, completely unconscious. If he had been standing on the floor at the time, it would have acted as an insulator. Instead, he was in the air and all of the equal and excessive force from the protective lightning bolt, had hit both him and the troll.

*

Harry woke up in the hospital wing a week later and groaned in pain. He remembered stupidly jumping to hit the troll's chest in its center of mass, and realized what a mistake that was. One of the first things he learned in science class was about equal and opposite reactions when a force is applied on an object. He had no supporting force to counter the energy that he had sent into the troll, so he suffered for it.

“I see you're finally awake.” A woman's voice said and Harry turned his head to look at the person-shaped blob.

“Who're you?” Harry asked.

“I'm Madam Pomfrey and I run the hospital wing of the school.” The woman said.

Harry thought about getting up and decided that it wasn't worth it. “Pain.”

“I'll get you a pain relief potion, now that you're awake and I can see the effects.” Pomfrey said and moved away.

“Why not... during?” Harry asked.

“Some patients react badly to the potion and I need a counter potion to fix anything that might happen, like excessive stomach cramps or regurgitation.” Pomfrey said and held out the bottle. “Go ahead and drink up.”

Harry blinked his eyes at her and didn't try to reach for it. “I can barely see it.”

“Your eyesight is that bad?” Pomfrey asked and waved her wand at him. She caught her breath and stepped back for a moment, then she sighed. “I'm sorry. I need to report this.”

Harry wasn't sure what she meant. “What? Why?”

“I'm under orders.” Pomfrey said and walked away.

It took Harry a few moments to realize what she meant. “Wait! You can't! Doctor privilege!”

There was no answer for nearly a full minute and then Pomfrey came back.

“That's a muggle thing.” Pomfrey said, her voice sad. She picked up his hand and placed the potion bottle in it. “Drink that and you'll feel better.”

Harry opened his hand and let the bottle drop to the floor. It smashed and the potion splashed across the floor and her shoes.

“Mr. Potter! You can't just...”

“You swore on your magic to do no harm, Poppy.” Minerva's voice cut across the woman's rant.

“Wh-what?” Pomfrey asked, surprised.

“You broke your oath. What you just told the headmaster will severely harm Harry. I've worked hard to conceal him from Albus and now you've told that meddlesome old fool that the boy he abandoned and stole from, has been right here all along.”

Pomfrey gasped and her hand clutched at her heart. “N-no, I... no... I didn't... I didn't...”

“Albus only issues orders. You chose to follow them and hurt someone under your care. You swore to protect the students and to heal them to the best of your ability. The harm you've caused Harry will affect him for the rest of his life.” Minerva spat.

“AHHHHHH!” Pomfrey screamed and fell to her knees as her magic was stripped from her.

The doors to the hospital wing slammed open and Albus Dumbledore strode in like a conquering hero.

“Harry, my boy!” Albus said happily and walked past Madam Pomfrey without even glancing at her. “I'm so glad that I've finally found you.”

*KRACKOOOOWWWWW!*

Albus was hit by a six inch wide lightning bolt in the chest and thrown across the hospital wing, through the still open doors, and into the hard stone wall across the hall.

“Oh. Oh, dear.” Minerva whispered as her eyes cleared and she regained her sight. The crumpled form of the headmaster was in the hallway and Pomfrey was at her feet. “Perhaps it was your vow to not harm the headmaster that cost you your magic.”

Pomfrey looked up at her with a look of horror on her face.

“Oh, well. I guess it doesn't matter now.” Minerva said. “I'll have to call St. Mungo's and see if they can send over a replacement for you.”

“Use... use floo... in office.” Pomfrey whispered.

“I'm sorry. I can't impose upon your domain like that.” Minerva said with a smile. “I'll go all the way back across the castle to my office instead. I need it to be an official call from the deputy headmistress, after all.”

Pomfrey started crying. “A-Albus...”

“I'm sure that immediate help will be sent... in half an hour or so.” Minerva said. “He may still be alive by then.”

“No, my protection doesn't work like that now.” Harry whispered. “The troll is dead.”

Minerva gave Harry a big smile. “Then there really is no rush. I'm very glad to hear that, Mr. Jensen.”

It took Harry only a second to realize what she meant. He gave her a big smile in return. “Me, too.”

Minerva rolled Pomfrey over and knelt beside her old friend. “Obliviate.”

*

Another week passed and Harry was finally allowed to leave the hospital wing. The bright and chipper healer that had replaced Madam Pomfrey had doted on Harry the entire time and he almost thought the woman had been channelling his mum, Mrs. Jensen.

Of course, his mum had visited as well and might have impressed upon the healer about how her Harry should be treated. Harry didn't mind in the least. The healer's hugs were pretty nice and her bedside manner was so good that he was a little reluctant to leave.

Madam Misquick had to push Harry out through the hospital wing's doors. “Don't worry about having to leave, Harry! I'm sure that I'll see you again sometime.”

“That's both scary and comforting.” Harry said, cheekily.

Madam Misquick laughed and gave him another little hug, then she closed the doors with a flick of her wand.

Harry had a smile on his face as he turned to walk down the hallway, only to come to a stop when he saw two students there waiting for him.

“H-hiya, H-Harry.” Neville said, almost in a mumble.

Hermione had a book clutched in her arms and slightly raised her hand to wave a little.

“What are you doing here?” Harry asked. His voice wasn't accusing or even sharp; and yet, both of them winced as if slapped.

“We... j-just...” Neville started and took a deep breath. “Thanks.”

“For what?” Harry asked, a little confused.

“You... saved her.” Neville said with a bit more confidence. “Hermione. You saved her.”

Hermione nodded her head several times.

“That was weeks ago.” Harry said and waved his hand a little, as if dismissing and erasing the whole thing. “I'm just glad that you weren't hurt.” Like I was. Went unsaid.

“We... we... uh.” Neville stopped and glanced at Hermione.

“We want... to be friends.” Hermione said, finally speaking for the first time outside of class.

Harry was surprised. He had tried for weeks and weeks to get their attention and to try and be friends like they had been on the train. They had rebuffed him so many times and blew him off that he had given up on it. On them.

“I tried being your friend for almost two months and you ignored me. Now that I risked my life, where I almost died killing a troll, that you've finally decided that I'm worth having as a friend?” Harry asked.

Both Neville's and Hermione's faces lost their color. Not that there was a lot to lose in the first place.

“It... it wasn't like that.” Neville said. “We just...”

“We've never...” Hermione started to speak, too.

“No, thanks.” Harry interrupted and both of them closed their mouths with a snap. “You didn't want to be my friend before, so I'm not going to be your friend now. I've got friends. Real friends. Friends who want to talk to me, even when they're busy. Friends that don't ignore me because they need to go somewhere. Friends who invite me to go with them, to spend time with them, and enjoy my company.”

Hermione's eyes had tears in them and Neville's posture slumped as he ducked his head.

“The best part is that I do the same for them. That's what friends do. I'm a great friend, too. I always have been, because I know how important they are and that's why I was sorted into Hufflepuff. It's not because I'm hard working or that I'm loyal, even though I am... it's because when I make a friend, I want to keep that friend. I work hard to be a great friend, because everyone needs a great friend.”

Susan walked out of the alcove that she and Hannah had been waiting inside and walked down the hallway. She went around the two other students and stood beside Harry. “Hi, Harry. I missed you.”

Harry didn't hesitate and gave her a nice hug. It was a quick one and put a smile on Susan's face.

“I really like your hugs.” Susan whispered in his ear before he let her go. “Come on, Hannah's waiting for us. We've got two weeks of work for you to catch up on.”

“Okay.” Harry said and took her hand as he looked at Neville and Hermione. “Just so you know, I was jealous of you at first. You went into a house together and I was sent to mine all alone.”

“Wh-what?” Hermione and Neville asked at the same time.

“You were already friends and went into the same house. I thought you two were having fun and enjoying each other's company, while I was in Hufflepuff and had to get to know a bunch of new people. It took weeks for me to be comfortable enough around Susan and Hannah to relax.”

“Hannah's such a tease!” Susan exclaimed.

“No, I'm not!” Hannah's voice echoed down the hallway and Susan winked at Harry, who laughed.

“You see? Great friends.” Harry said and he and Susan started to walk by the two students that stood in the hallway. “I hope you can find someone else to save your life, especially if that's what it takes for you to notice them and then try to be friends.”

Neville and Hermione weren't really sure what had happened. They had been sure that the boy who had saved them, would have wanted to be their friend. He risked his life for them, so it was worth putting in the work to be a friend, wasn't it? They had never had one before, or realized that they did have one and lost him, so they were really confused about the whole thing.

Harry walked away with an actual friend holding his hand and Hannah stepped out of the alcove and took his other hand. He gave them each a quick kiss on the cheek, making both girls blush, and he thanked whoever was watching over him for the lightning bolt protection. He never would have found a real family or friends without it.

*

Seven years later, upon the large prepared battlefield where a magical war was being fought, stood a lone tall man. His face was set with a stern look as he peered through the enemy's forces for that particular person that he had been searching for.

“There! On the right!” A voice called out.

More heads than necessary turned and looked in that direction and the man with the grim face smiled.

“Finally.” He said and strode through the battlefield as if the other participants weren't there. Destructive and debilitating spells bounced off his magical shield that he held with barely a thought. His wand arm waved at passing enemies and they were rendered helpless and in some cases, literally disarmed as their wand arms detached from their bodies in sprays of blood. Nothing touched the man as he reached his final confrontation with his prophesized nemesis.

“Hello, Mr. Riddle.” Harry Jensen said with a casualness that belied the situation.

“Who the hell are you?” Voldemort spat at the newcomer and sent an Avada Kedavra at him. Unlike every other time the spell hit its target, Harry Jensen stayed standing. “Wh-what... what...”

“Your little death spell won't work on me, Mr. Riddle. I'm far beyond that now.” Harry said and didn't bother trying to dodge the two follow up instant kills spells.

“What? Who? How?” Voldemort asked and stared at his wand. You could almost see it on his face that he thought his wand wasn't working properly.

“Don't you recognize me, Mr. Riddle?” Harry asked and casually flicked his long hair away from his forehead to reveal the trademarked lightning bolt scar.

“NO! You're DEAD! I KILLED YOU WHEN YOU WERE A BABY!”

Harry laughed as spell after spell from Voldemort hit him in the chest and did nothing. “The conditions of the prophesy have never been fulfilled. You can't kill me, Mr. Riddle. Not until you see something that you never thought you'd see.”

Voldemort stopped flinging spells and stared at the man in front of him. “You... you have... the power that I know not.”

Harry nodded and made a motion with his hand that could be seen from anywhere on the battlefield. At this one gesture, ninety nine people stood up from the fallen. Those that had been cut down. Those that fought the good fight. Those that were supposed to be dead.

“No.” Voldemort whispered.

“Yes, Mr. Riddle.” Harry said and spread his arms wide. “Say hello to my little friends.”

“NO!” Voldemort yelled as ninety nine Avada Kedavra death spells slammed into his chest and the magical backlash blew his body apart.

“Remove the rest, please.” Harry said.

Ninety nine wands swung around the battlefield and delivered death spells to all of Voldemort's followers. No one was surprised that the battle ended not long after that.

One of the fallen stepped forward and the illusion of a dead body that covered them, faded away. “I want that pensieve memory as soon as we get home.”

Harry turned to look at the fully armored Susan Bones-Hansen. “Anything for you, my best friend.”

Susan pulled off the special helmet made of rune-covered and interlocking magical plates of steel. Each piece could take any one spell and negate it, mainly by taking the hit instead of letting it go through. Several layers were below the top layer and a single spot could take up to five AKs before the person wearing the armor would be hit. No one was stupid enough to stand still for that to happen, though.

“I didn't see any ghost or phantom smoke.” Susan commented.

“That's because there was almost nothing left to him.” Harry said and reached up to peel the fake scar off of his forehead. “I had more of his soul in my scar than he had in his whole fake body.”

Susan laughed softly and leaned in to kiss her husband. “How do you want to play this out?” She asked and lightly touched his face. “You're going to be even more famous now.”

Harry tilted his head for a moment, then he barked a laugh. “My dearest heart, the rest of the wizarding world can go screw itself. I didn't do this for them. You know that.”

The other ninety eight armored people walked over to them and took off their helmets. Faces of well known friends and faces of recent friends, all smiled at the married couple.

“The only thing I need around me, are my friends.” Harry said and everybody cheered.