Knowledge is Power

Disclaimer/Plot/Author's Note: SEE FIRST CHAPTER

Dedication: I'd like to dedicate this story to my many good friends and loyal fans: my recommended reads are Saviour of Magic by Colt01, For Love of Magic by Noodlehammer, Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality by Less Wrong, Partially Kissed Hero by Perfect Lionheart, Harry Potter and the Daft Morons and Angry Harry and the Seven by Sinyk, Harry Potter and the Prince of Slytherin by The Sinister Man, Harry Potter and the Rune Stone Path by Temporal Knight, A Study in Magic and A Study in Magic: The Application by Books of Change, Dark and Light by Pleasedial123 and Harry Potter: My Life Is My Own by Sashian

Key Pairing: Eventual Harmony;

Other Pairings: To be confirmed

Normal Speech

'Thoughts'

/Parseltongue/

{Foreign Languages}

Review Answers:

Jostanos: You have no idea how right you are, my friend;

SasukeShouldDie: Oh yes, he could do that…but he's not going to;

And for a while, Harrison was content being as far out of the spotlight as he could get.

That is, until the day when a strange letter, so precisely addressed to him that it might as well have been a laser fixed on his location in preparation for a nuclear strike, found its way into his hands.

On that day, Harrison found something that really interested him; something more than books and cleverness and the pursuit of knowledge.

He found something…he didn't know…

Chapter 2: Is This a Joke?

It was just another ordinary day for the kids in St Christopher's and while many enjoyed the summer sun out in the yard and discussed potential adoptions, there was one whom was where he preferred to be: inside, surrounded by the gateways to knowledge and greatness.

Indeed, looking at him, anyone would find it hard to believe there could be anything unusual about the boy known as Harrison Potter; with his black hair that never seemed to lie flat and his emerald-green eyes that never seemed to lose their calculating, but innocent gleam, he was described by most as an angel – though many more would call him a fallen angel. The summer sun had also given him a healthy tan that accentuated his angelic features, as well as the air of nobility and pride in his facial features.

Unlike many of his peers, Harrison was dressed in a skin-hugging short-sleeved shirt as well as a pair of loose, dark-blue chinos, which would have looked informal, if not casual on another student, but, on Harrison, it made him look older than he was.

He had a single black biro nestled comfortably behind one ear while his hands held onto a copy of his favourite book, David Copperfield, which he read with the same bored, but private look about him that showed he was happier inside with the book than outside.

He could also imagine what it'd be like to be someone like Copperfield or another Dickensian character…well, except for Oliver Twist anyway. (1)

Unlike Oliver, he didn't need family holding him back and expecting him to be something he wasn't.

As he finished the book for what seemed to be the tenth time since he'd first been given the copy as a birthday present, Harrison sniffed before he leaned back against the window sill and looked out of the window. His room was on the less-sunny side of the orphanage, which meant that any sunlight wouldn't hit the area until much later in the day.

Just one of the reasons Harrison liked it so much; however, as he looked out of the window, watching the leaves of a nearby oak tree blow in the summer breeze, Harrison's eyes narrowed slightly when he caught sight of something very strange making its way towards him.

It looked like a dark-grey tawny owl, but Harrison knew that was impossible: tawny owls…heck…any owls were nocturnal and didn't like to fly during the day, especially an almost-cloudless sunny day like this one. And yet, the more he watched the owl flying towards his residence, Harrison felt his eyes narrow even further as the fact it was an owl became even more evident until, realising it was flying to his window, Harrison clicked the latch open. This allowed the strange creature to soar through the open window where it landed nimbly on the edge of his feet, which were currently resting on the sill with the rest of him.

For a moment, the owl shook itself before, to Harrison's bewilderment, he watched as the owl offered one of its talons to him, revealing an even stranger sight: a yellowish-coloured envelope that appeared to be sealed with a red wax seal. As Harrison eyed the seal, he took note of the design it bore: a surprising, but interesting quartet of beasts surrounding a large letter H.

There was an eagle, a badger, a snake and a lion, all of which looked as though they were supposed to mean something, but Harrison didn't know what that something was.

As for the owl who carried the oddly-sealed envelope, it didn't seem to move too quickly, which told Harrison it was waiting for him to relieve it of its burden; even when he did so, however, Harrison saw the owl remain exactly where it was, save for when he moved his feet, which caused it to hop off his socked feet and onto the sill.

"Strange bird," drawled Harrison, looking away from the owl as he eyed the envelope it had given him; aside from the odd seal and the parchment used to design said envelope, the only other thing Harrison noticed was an address written on the reverse in emerald-green ink.

Mr H Potter

Room 7

St Christopher's Orphanage

Guildford

Surrey

"Strangely specific," muttered Harrison, turning the envelope over once more before, lifting it to his face, he cracked the seal with his teeth, but not before he also took a closer look at the envelope. It had come from a place where it was handled respectfully, since Harrison couldn't make out any creases or hints of a stamp; it also looked like whoever had addressed the envelope had either done so with stencils or some kind of computerised text printed onto the paper.

How else was the writing style so perfect, yet so unrecognizable that it looked almost too-perfectly written to have been done by a human hand?

As for the seal, it was candle wax, but there was an underlying tang of some hidden scent wherever the writer had sent the letter from; something like polished wood or…he didn't know…some kind of plant?

Wherever it had come from, Harrison was even more intrigued; as he cracked the seal, he gently examined the contents of the letter, which turned out to be a single letter with two pieces of parchment, one of which looked more like a shopping list while the other had a very unusual header.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

"What is this? Some sort of unfunny joke?" scoffed Harrison, ignoring the long list of accolades concerning someone named Albus Dumbledore as he turned his attention to the letter itself.

Dear Mr Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

'A school?' thought Harrison, re-reading the letter several times while he wondered to himself, 'An actual school with an actual Deputy Head and Headmaster? But what kind of a name is Hogwarts anyway? And why would they say I've been accepted? I certainly don't remember being offered a place to begin with. And they await my owl…so…what? Am I supposed to send a reply back with this unusual bird?'

For a moment, Harrison eyed the owl sceptically before he turned the letter over, reading the second parchment as carefully and with the same air of curious scrutiny as he did the first letter;

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require: Three sets of plain work robes (black)

One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following: The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT: 1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK

Yours sincerely,

Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus

Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions

'If this is a joke, it's starting to get funny,' thought Harrison dryly, looking more to the list of books as he wondered, 'Who are these authors? Newt Scamander? Bathilda Bagshot? Quentin Trimble? They don't sound like bestsellers…but I admit; it's funny because they actually sound like a bunch of interesting reads.'

Shaking his head as he thought on the humour of the moment – as miniscule as it was – Harrison sighed before, removing his pen from behind his ear, he picked up his book once more and, turning it over, he rested the invitation letter on top of it, giving him a hard surface to write on, while he penned his response.

Once he was done, he offered the letter to the owl before he said, "Well, off you go, Archimedes; I'm sure Merlin's waiting for your return. Say hi to the Wart for me too, won't you?"

If the owl even suspected the fact he was being sarcastic, it didn't seem offended or amused; instead, it took off silently from the bedroom window, leaving Harrison alone with his thoughts and the small glimmer of humour that lingered in the back of his mind.

Although he didn't admit it – well, to anyone but himself – there was a part of Harrison that couldn't help but think, 'Please let it be true…because it's a whole new world to explore, new knowledge to claim and new levels of greatness to reach.'

Another part of him, however, couldn't help but also think, 'Ha, ha, very funny; my name's Bugs Bunny…and I say: it's your move now…Doc!'

Knowledge is Power

When Minerva McGonagall received a response from one of the students whom she'd dispatched the traditional acceptance letter to, she was a little surprised, as well as a little aghast at the air of pride and mockery that was written in the response from said student.

This was only heightened by the fact that it was addressed to one student in particular, but Minerva didn't think of that as she read the response;

Dear "Deputy Headmistress McGonagall" (kindly note the air-quotes there)

Let me first congratulate you on making me smile with regards to your insane letter regarding the impossible existence of magic, let alone the even-more impossible existence of a school where one can become a wizard – or witch in the case of the females of the species.

However, the only thing that amuses me about your pathetic excuse for fun and games is the creativity that must have gone into naming those books and creating such interesting topics. Now, don't get me wrong, I admire and appreciate LARPing as much as the next boy, but I have never had any ambitions to join any of them: whether they're Tolkien fans, Pratchett fans or even King fans, let alone the embarrassing LARPers who go around in Lucas' gear and call it normal.

So, if you want me to actually consider your joke even an iota of truth, it's going to take something truly spectacular; therefore, I cordially invite you to arrange the necessary proof and deliver it to my address on the anniversary of my birth: July 31st.

If you convince me, I'll attend your "school" but if not, I have the names and addresses of several well-known therapists and psychiatrists who can help you keep your jokes in better taste.

As a wise man once said: extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence and, sorry, but even my hunger for knowledge and your amusing book titles barely qualify as that.

Ball's in your court.

Yours sincerely,

Harrison James Potter

Staring in disbelief at the way the letter talked about such things as magic and Hogwarts being fake, Minerva felt horror rise up in her heart.

How could Lily and James' son not believe in magic?

How could he call Hogwarts a fake?

Why did he seem so…different from the little boy she'd seen delivered to those damn Muggles?

Had she been thinking clearly, Minerva might have noted the address on the letter; however, with fear and disbelief clouding her senses, the only thing she could do was oblige one request on the letter.

Extraordinary evidence.

Fortunately, she knew just the colleague who'd be able to provide that and more in spades…

Chapter 2 and, talk about surprises around every corner: Harrison doesn't believe in magic, but he's willing to humour them, so what will happen when the humoured humour him?

Also, will the extraordinary evidence be enough to convince Harrison to pursue the vast oceans of knowledge waiting for him in the magical world and, if so, what will his long-term goal be?

Keep Reading to Find Out

Next Chapter: Harrison meets a rather interesting man whom seems to admire his hunger for knowledge while his request is answered by a surprising, but also-interesting birthday excursion and a very different series of encounters with certain well-known characters;

Please Read and Review

AN (1)

Daniel Radcliffe starred in the dramatization of David Copperfield before he was in Harry Potter, so I thought this would be a funny little shout-out to that; he's just as good in that as he is/was in the eight films and almost everything since;

Also, speaking of DR roles, I'm taking inspiration from one of his latest roles as a BRILLIANT villain in the movie Now You See Me 2 as the way I'm writing Harry in this: unwilling to believe in magic, but with that bratty, if arrogant air about him that makes him funny and so damn mysterious at the same time;