3,150Lily's Son
Chapter 2
Hogwart's Headmaster's office
"Harry Potter is coming to Hogwarts this fall Severus" said Dumbledore to everyone else it would have appeared causal. Keenly watching the wizard's reaction, he had built up an image he wished Severus to have of Harry Potter over the past decade. He would never leave it to chance that Severus might see more of Lily than James in the child. They all had their parts to play in the upcoming battle, which would soon meet their shores.
However, Severus knew better than that. There was nothing casual about Dumbledore or any of the words that came out of his mouth. "I know" sneered Severus "Likely as spoiled as his father." Dumbledore had told him often enough to paint that picture well enough, or he'd overheard Dumbledore informing Minerva who had been convinced he'd been put with 'the worst sort of Muggles' apparently. He hadn't heard anything about that for about nine years now, Minerva finally content that the child was being looked after.
"Indeed, and you know how you have to play it?" asked Dumbledore prodded, "Regretfully our duties are far from over." Saying our when he really meant your but he was nothing if not polite. Wariness setting atop of his shoulders less than gracefully, he'd been planning everything for a decade now, and just one week into it he had already been foiled. Harry already knew about magic and he feared how much the boy may know.
"I know Headmaster," Severus snapped, he hated being reminded of his so-called duty. How he loathed these meetings, arms crossed, looking more like a bat, as he looked down his nose at the old fool. He knew his game, he didn't care about him, or any of the Slytherin's for that matter.
"Good, good" said Dumbledore satisfaction carefully hidden away. Everything else was carefully manoeuvred into play. The Weasley's had been planted and are going to have Harry loathing Slytherin's before he entered the Hogwarts. Not able to let Harry meet Hagrid was just a little mix up. He didn't need to do more than suggest Molly keep a look out for the child, and the Weasley's would do the rest, it was quite ludicrously easy.
"Now have you heard anything from your good friend?" Dumbledore asked, blue eyes twinkling as they stared up at Severus. Well aware that the wizard had used the Floo network to attend an event just last week. Draco was Severus' godson if he recalled correctly, not that Severus had told him, no, he knew through the grapevine.
"Lucius was celebrating his son's birthday, albeit a little late but they were abroad on his birthday." Severus coolly informed Dumbledore. Well aware that Dumbledore kept an annoyingly close watch on him. He was surprised that his owls weren't getting read as well. "Nothing of the Dark Lord or the cause were mentioned." Lucius knew better than to say anything to him.
"Well as long as you know your duties, you are free to go," Headmaster Dumbledore proclaimed, yes, he was very pleased with how things were going. The hiccup was nothing under the grand scheme of things. Already ignoring Severus, as he begun to reply to yet another correspondence from Cornelius. He'd like to pretend to be annoyed, but he loved that they asked him for his input. Nothing happened without him aware of it.
Severus felt like choking the old fool, the bloody fool of a man had just spoken to him as if he was a house elf. He had to dig his nails into his palms to stop himself doing anything. The pain took the anger away, sighing he nodded his head and left the old man's office. He'd long ago learned to keep his anger in check, he returned to his classroom, his lip curling, he loathed teaching children.
Privet Drive 1st of September
"Hurry up!" Petunia called out loudly, from the bottom of the stairs, "Otherwise you're going to be late!" not only was Harry packing but Dudley would be following his footsteps in just over a fortnight. It truly was going to be odd not having either of them in the house, it would be good for their independence too. Not that Harry had trouble with that but Dudley did.
"Coming!" yelled Harry to his Aunt Petunia, quite a few loud thuds were head afterwards, then a breathless, "Just a second!"
Petunia shook her head in silent amusement, its funny how one incident could change so much. Her seeing magic for more than just something that took her sister away from her mattered. She wasn't sure she'd ever truly love Harry the way she should but she did care in her own way. Harry had saved her husband, had saved her sons father and for that she owed him so, so, so much. In the end she'd given him what he ought to have already. A bedroom, clean clothes that fitted, telling him what he was.
"How are you going to keep in touch with the …Harry?" said Vernon, still slipping up now and again on calling him 'boy' but it was a lot less frequently.
"Owls Vernon, but they will be inconspicuous," Petunia reassured him, seeing Vernon relaxing. It was true, owls used to come to her home when she was young for Lily. Nobody in the neighbourhood seemed to notice or care, and that was with a bird watcher around the corner.
He just nodded and hollered to Dudley to move it, he needed a few more things to take to boarding school with him. "Let him know I'm waiting in the car." With that Vernon moved to the car and got in, finding it much easier, his near-death experience had forced him to face the chances he needed to make if he wanted to live passed his sixtieth birthday unlike his father and grandfather before him. shedding two stone would do that to anyone, and Vernon planned on continuing his health kick. It's not like he would be giving up everything, he still had an English breakfast – albeit a lot less – on a Sunday morning.
Added in how proud Petunia was of him…well, who could blame him? He knew he wouldn't be able to do it without her, and Dudley looked to be losing a little bit too.
And what weight Dudley had lost, Harry had gained sitting eating the meals at the table.
Petunia made her way up the stairs, grasping a hold of one of the handles of Harry's school trunk and wordlessly began to help him downstairs with it. Then through the landing and into the boot of the car, it was heavier than she thought it would have been.
"I need to get Heath and Hedwig," Harry said, before rushing back upstairs, to get his familiars, and was far more careful coming downstairs. He didn't like them being confined to such small spaces, but it was only for a few hours, surely it wouldn't be too bad? He grinned in thanks when he noticed the back door open. Easing in Heath he then sat Hedwig on the left, before closing the door, mentally calculating if he had everything and gave a firm nod.
"Aunt Petunia…is there a platform nine and three quarters?" Harry asked dubiously, staring at his golden ticket curiously.
There is, it's through the pillar into the magical side," Petunia confessed, swallowing thickly. How she hated the magical world so much, Lily had chosen that side instead of her family, one of the last things she said to her was that she was a freak at that platform.
"Really?" Harry said, eyes gleaming wickedly. "Awesome!" the rest of the drive towards the train station was spend in silence, except from the occasional hoot from Hedwig or meow or purr from Heath. It wasn't a strained silence, no, it was just too early really, to get much of a conversation both still tired.
Once they got to the station Petunia helped Harry get his trunk onto a trolley. Hedwig, Harry's owl was let out to fly to Hogwarts. "She'll be able to find you anywhere, they're very smart." The cat was in his travel case also on the Trolley, and then they were off towards the platform.
"What if they don't allow my two pets?" asked Harry worried as they walked the platform. "I was only supposed to get one." He couldn't exactly send Heath home to Privet Drive now, could he? Although Hedwig could return home to Privet Drive.
"Don't worry, they wouldn't even allow you to come home, remember your parents were important to that world," Petunia said, with a sour look upon her face.
"Blackmail? By reminding them of my parents?" blinked Harry catching on to his aunts meaning.
"If you have it Harry, flaunt it." Petunia stated, she knew there was more to the meek child Harry portrayed, she had seen it often since they began to treat him well.
Harry slowly smirked, nodding, "Flaunt it," he agreed.
"Now here we go" said Petunia making a stop, right outside the platform Harry would disappear through.
Just then one Molly Weasley began to call loudly about platform nine and three quarters and how the platform was surrounded by Muggles. Surrounded by a gaggle of children all with red hair just like they presumed their mother or grandmother whatever the case may be. Petunia narrowed her eyes, watching the woman's eyes look around her like a hawk, which she'd understand if it was keeping an eye on her children, but she was looking everywhere but at them.
"Watch them Harry," Petunia cautioned, finding it wholly suspicious after all the woman had surely been coming to this platform for years now. She had many children going through the platform, so this must be the usual for her, and there was likely just the same amount of people every year.
"Why?" Harry enquired curiously. Glancing from his aunt to the last of the family going through the opening, wow, so it really was through there, awesome.
"They are all Witches and Wizards, and she's yelling about finding the platform, as if she's wanting someone to overhear her" sighed Petunia "It's just suspicious that's all. Just be careful around them." Well aware of her nephew's fame, she'd need to caution him fully about it. She should have done it already actually.
Regretfully she had no time to do so eloquently, so a letter would have to do.
"Okay," Harry agreed.
"Good" Petunia stated, "Now go on, quickly, the train will leave without you."
Harry nodded, moving his trolley into line of sight, ready to leave.
"Good, now if you want to know more about your mother, there is one person I know that will know everything about her. Her best friend who used to live near us Lily was always mentioning him. She said if everything had been different, he would have been your godfather," Petunia quickly said, as Harry started to move.
"Who?" Harry asked stopping for a moment, he knew Petunia didn't know much about her sister. She told Harry she had never really seen her since she was eleven just during the summer and they had never gotten on. She wasn't the one to be able to tell anything to Harry without bitterness.
"Severus Snape, I don't know what he does. He may not even be alive, send an owl once you get settled in. If you can't spell it I will write his name down for you." Petunia told him, "Now go on!"
Harry waved before running full speed towards the wall, closing his eyes instinctively, expecting rationally to hit it, but he went through. The magic he felt while he did, made his skin tingle and when he opened his eyes, he saw the beautiful scarlet engine. It was beautiful, and this was more than he'd expected it to be.
Hooting and hissing coming from the train's chimney. Cloaked figures were everywhere, students hugging parent's goodbye and people boarding the Hogwarts Express. Harry's eyes widened, realizing that it was very close to leaving, he had to get everything on board! That would take time.
Which luckily for Harry, didn't take too long with help from a prefect, Harry didn't even get their name. He quickly and easily found a compartment, which was empty, and Harry was fine with that. He petted and soothed Heath through the door of the travel cage. "Not long to go now." He soothed him, "Then you'll get to roam around the entire school."
The engine soon jolted; the excitement made Harry's tummy feel like it was doing summersaults. He was on his way to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was finally going to the castle he had been dreaming about and finally going to learn to control his magic. Peering out the window watching the students clamber on and frantic waves goodbye, as the train begun to truly move and gain momentum.
Yeah, you can fit three of these chapter into a normal single chapter - an indication of how little I used to write per chapter :) originally, we're up to what was the third chapter in the original story :) some stuff is usable others not so much and you know when I re-write something a lot of the material gets discarded as I literally re-write the chapters lol! For how many of you guys is this a new story? And how many is it something you liked before and are happy to see it continued? R&R please xx