Chapter Text
Ch.13 Start of the Summer
Harry reached number 4 Privet Drive. Uncle Vernon started dragging his trunk out of the car. "Uncle Vernon." He called. The trunk he was dragging was not his actual trunk. That trunk he had bought recently was shrunk in his pocket with all the books, extra clothes and money he would need, but he did not need to tell him that. "I have a deal for you. This summer you don't have to feed me or anything. I will stay out of your way the whole summer, as much as out of sight as possible. You don't have to spend any money on me. In exchange you will leave me alone and my room open. Also you have to sign a form."
Vernon's eyes glinted. It was a good offer for him. "Deal. What is the ruddy form you are talking about?" He said after pondering over it. "Nothing, just a permission form for learning new subjects." He lied, handing over the form. He was not really worried. He had placed aconfoundoon it to make them just sign it once handed to him, given the request was reasonable, or his logic would have overpowered it. He could have said that it was to visit Hogsmeade but did not want to risk it just in case. He was going to a school, magical, but studies is what you do in a school. Well for normal students that is. For Harry it was doing death defying feats too. Killing a Troll, stopping dark lords, fighting giant-ass spiders and Titanic snakes who could kill with a glance and had the most potent venom. Also get belittled or hailed a hero depending on the Public's mood. He remembered what had taken place on the Hogwarts express a few hours ago.
FLASHBACK
Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting in the compartment, playing a game of exploding snap. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Harry opened it with a wave of his wand. Outside stood a crowd of around a dozen people. Susan Bones, Hannah Abbot, Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch Fletchley... actually all the Hufflepuffs in his year. Most of them were the main instigators of the resentment he had faced due to his Parseltongue ability.
"What can I help you folks with?" He questioned emotionlessly with a raised eyebrow. "Err... Yes" Susan Bones began, "We wished to apologize for the behavior towards you this year due to all the heirs..." She was interrupted by Harry as he raised his hand and commanded, "Stop Ms. Bones. Why are you apologizing? You never did anything to antagonize me this year. Infact I even saw you defending me. And for that you have my most sincere gratitude. So why are you apologizing on behalf of these... people?" Harry said and started to use the eye-glow technique Salazar taught had him
"Oh! umm... yes guys, please take over." The Blue eyed blonde said awkwardly. It was clear that the Hufflepuffs had elected Susan as their spokesperson and had expected her to handle it. Now they were extremely unnerved that their spokesperson had abandoned them and also due to Harry's eyes and emotionless face. They just stood there shooting glances at each other.
"Are you going to speak up or are you going to waste my time like the f*ckwits you are?" Harry finally snapped at them after a few moments of silence. They bristled at the comment but knew they had it coming. Harry potter had endured six months of taunting and name calling. Ernie Macmillan finally spoke. "Err... I guess we wanted to just say sorry."
"You guess?" Harry said, his eyes glowing brighter and his magic flaring. They all gulped. "I meant we are sorry."
"And for what are you sorry Mr..." He trailed off. He knew Macmillan's name but he wanted to show that he was inconsequential... A politician would have picked this message flawlessly. Subtly telling the opposite person that they are not worth their time. To tell a person in a higher position than yourself, it may be political suicide. If one genuinely did not know the other person's name, they should say, I am sorry but I don't think we have been introduced or something along those lines politely. The founders had taught him these basics.
"Macmillan, Ernie Macmillan. We are sorry for all the name calling and jeers we sent at you after the dueling club. We should not have done it. It was wrong of us to do so. We should not have jumped to conclusions."
"And pray tell what caused this change of heart?" Harry asked. By now his eyes were swirling vortexes of power, showing that he was pissed at them and was not in a forgiving mood. They suddenly seemed even more frightened than before. They knew that they were facing the top student in their year who was Harry Potter, the savior of the magical world, whom they had pissed off. Royally. The more politically inclined even knew that as the last of Potter family he could make their and their families lives hell in Britain with merely an interview. Some of these families were even indebted to the Potter Family and for some the Potter Family had several shares in their family businesses and such. They hoped that Harry Potter did not decide to act on it.
"We realized that you were not such a person who would harm muggleborns. Your best friend is Muggleborn and you have never acted bad towards them. You can not be the Heir of Slytherin." Ernie said, really wishing Potter would stop questioning them further. He was extremely unnerved and wanted to get the hell out of the compartment.
Harry knew that he was a descendant from Salazar, The heir of Slytherin indeed, but did not correct him, obviously.
"Really? You morons did not think of this before you started the taunts?" Justin and Ernie opened their mouths and others shuffled their feet. "Don't speak! You imbeciles did not even realize that my own mother is a muggleborn, one of the most famous at that. You called me a dark lord, just because I can speak to snakes. You realize how dumb is that? It is just a mother-f*cking language like English. And while we are at that, according to history, if what is written is true, even Merlin, the greatest wizard to have lived, was a parselmouth." It was true. Myrddin had done a ritual so that he could learn parselmagic, Salazar's specialty. So had Morgana. But it was not passed down the bloodline like Salazar's was and his would be. "Do you think Helga Hufflepuff, a lady who was said to be extremely kind, loyal and accepting of others would have approved of your behavior? No. She would have been ashamed. You have besmirched your own house's ideology. I am disgusted by you all."
"Now, what are you waiting for? You gave your half assed apology. Go back!" He said as the Hufflepuffs had just stood there with their heads bowed in shame.
"Aren't you going to forgive us?" A person at the end of the group asked though looked like he wanted to run. "Forgiveness is not given, it is achieved. But if you want to hear it, I won't hold it against you all. Now let us play our game in peace." He said with finality. He did not want to deal with them any longer. They were all sheep. They followed a loud voice mindlessly without any logic. They all scampered down the corridors.
He turned to Susan. "Ms. Bones, I would once again like to thank you for your support. It is deeply appreciated. You are welcome to sit with us."
"It was nothing... no really... You couldn't be the one attacking students. You just listed the reasons yourself. I know both our parents lost their lives in the fight against you-know-who. You would not have done such a thing. As for err... the offer, I would have to politely decline. I have to leave, I am afraid. Goodbye Harry, and please call me Susan."
"Bye Susan. Have a good summer."
FLASHBACK ENDS
Uncle Vernon nodded and signed the form with an ink pen. "Here you go. And mind you, I don't want to see you at dinner. And if you are going to go out, stay out as long as you can. And remember boy, no freakishness in the house."
He nodded and took his trunk up the stairs to the smallest bedroom. It was clean, with a bed, a wardrobe, a chair and an old desk. He called for Dobby and asked the hyperactive elf to make the bed softer and improve the desk and chair. It was done with a snap of his finger. Harry then told him to bring dinner after a couple of hours straight to his room. Dobby nodded and popped away. Harry settled on his improved bed after removing a book on charms he had taken from the Chamber, to bring home.
The next day Harry returned to the chamber and trained and practiced till lunch. After the work-out and learning about potions and Transfiguration he was a bit tired and went to one of the bedrooms in the chamber for a short nap. After the nap, instead of going back in time he decided to go to London to explore. He sent Dobby with 100 G to Gringotts to convert them into pounds. He returned with 1130 pounds according to the exchange rate. Dobby then popped him to Charing Cross Road under a timed notice me not charm, so that the muggles did not notice him popping in. He roamed the streets and bought some things like a brand new Wallet, a can of co*ke to enjoy and a new jacket he noticed in a shop.
As he was roaming he noticed a poster advertising a summer class to learn a thing called Krav Maga*. Underneath it was a picture of two men fighting. It provided an address, which was not too far from his current location. The fees was 250 pounds for one month's worth of classes which proclaimed that the students will master basics in a month. It was interesting. He called on the number given from a public phone and enquired all about it. He ended up registering for the evening batch. Something new to learn. The batch started from the last week of June and would last till Last week of May. Except Sunday, they had it everyday.
He ate a Pizza at a restaurant before going back to Number 4 Privet drive via Dobby Express.
On 24th June, the summer solstice, Harry was moving around the Chamber of secrets making final preparations for the Ritual. He had to make sure everything went right. At quarter to one Salazar and Helga nodded approvingly. "Remember, the Ritual will feel a bit painful. Under no circ*mstances must you exit it till the ritual is complete. You would most likely fall asleep due to the effects of the ritual within a few minutes. After the ritual is complete we will ask the elf to teleport you to the bedroom in the chamber. Remove every article of clothing as well as everything magical on you. No wand, no necklace, no ring." Helga instructed.
"Do I have to be naked?" Harry asked. The ritual needed him to be naked. There should not be any restrictions on the body. "You have read what was written in the book Harry. It is nothing I have not seen before. I was a healer." Helga said, rolling her eyes. He nodded and followed reluctantly. He had memorized the chant. He sat in the middle of the Ritual circle and waited for the clock to strike 1300 Hours (1pm). At exactly the time he started the chant after laying down on the cold stone floor. The Runes glowed an ethereal blue. Then the pain started. It felt like his bones were on fire and his eyes were also burning. He stayed still through sheer will power. A few minutes later he passed out.
Harry's eyes opened slowly. He saw the ceiling of the bedroom in the Chamber of Secrets. He sat up and stretched resulting in several cracking sounds from his joints. Memories of what had transpired flooded back into his mind. With a jolt he realized that he did not have his glasses on and he could see clearly. He sprang up in joy and stumbled a bit. He was taller than before and felt a bit heavier. He also became aware of the fact that he was stark naked. He panicked before looking around and seeing clothes on a chair next to his bed. He wore the cloak that Dobby had removed and went outside to retrieve his possessions and meet Helga and Salazar.
"So you are finally awake." Salazar's voice sounded. Harry nodded and asked "How long was I out?"
"More than four hours. It is 5:20 now." His eyes widened as His Krav Maga classes started at four thirty before he remembered that he could just use the time turner. He relaxed. "How do you feel?" Helga questioned.
"Good, I am feeling a bit of pain in my back but it is going away. Most importantly I can see clearly without glasses."
"It is a good thing. You may have become disadvantaged because of it. Also now you will be immune to any poisons in the world. Check how much you have grown." Salazar said. Harry nodded and did a spell on himself. " An inch and a half in height and put on 2 Kgs weight. My bone density and nutrients have come to an ideal state."
"Good. The effects will continue for a couple of weeks, slowly. You may grow a bit more during this time like maybe half an inch or one inch. Also you would need to buy new clothes. Don't buy too many as I suspect you will soon shoot up like a fiddle. Buy a few pairs. For now, resizing charms will do till you buy a new one." Salazar said.
"Also keep magic to a minimum for the next few days. Instead of spell casting we will dedicate the hour to Magical theory and Occlumency till this weekend. We will start with healing theory and arithmancy this week." Helga said. "Also everyday till the weekend you will study politics." Salazar added Harry nodded, a bit sad that he won't be doing spell casting but decided to obey.
"Now eat something and enjoy the rest of the day Harry." He nodded and ate, knowing Helga won't leave him in peace till he ate properly. After eating he took out a book on Healing theory to have an idea what they were going to study. It was a bunch of facts about the Human body, while interesting, he had frankly expected more but continued reading. After an hour, he felt good enough to learn Krav Maga so used the time turner to go back to 3 pm. After wearing a t-shirt and jeans with resizing charms, he went to buy a few new clothes in muggle London, before going to his new classes.
It was the second week of July, two weeks before he turned thirteen. His training was going well with the founders along with his Krav Maga and swimming camp. Oh! yes Harry had joined a swimming camp which was for a fortnight last week. It was fun and he had learnt how to swim. It was an excellent exercise. He was not an expert swimmer by any means but now could swim to save his life and for fun.
That was when in the morning, uncle Vernon approached him. He had used the time turner to come back in the morning and took a nap from 5:30 to 7:00. Then had some food before he had settled down with the Lord of the Rings book, A muggle fiction he had taken an interest in. He did not study the whole day after all!
"Boy listen here. Marge is visiting in the last week of this month. You will keep to yourself and not tell her anything about your freakishness. You will tell her..."
"Wait a second... When is she coming exactly?"
"The 26th."
"Ok... So I will leave the house on the 25th. I won't come back till next year." Harry wished to spend no time when Marge and her dogs were coming.
"So, you would not be in the house?"
"No, I won't be."
"Excellent. And don't you dare forget it." Saying this Vernon left the room.
On 25th Harry's trunks were properly packed, by Dobby of course not him. He had decided to go to the Leaky Cauldron. He initially wanted to stay in the Chamber but Salazar pointed out that it would be unwise of him to go completely off the grid where no one could find him. He was a national hero and if he went missing, a huge manhunt would start. He would not be wearing a glamour while checking in and being at the inn, but whilst he roamed the alley he would wear the glamour.
He struck his wand out to summon the knight bus, a mode of transport he wanted to try out. He had read it in the book Dumbledore had recommended. It also listed techniques for graceful floo exits and portkey landings. Now he landed without a problem in the chamber every morning.
On another note, his stage 3 of occlumency had been achieved. His mind shield was complete. Now he would soon start on the mind place soon. By the end of the calendar year at the latest he expected to start his Mind place defenses and shield, the stage 5 of Occlumency. Also now he had 137 new spells in his journal. Several of them were combat spells. But he also had household charms and some basic healing and diagnostic spells in it. He also now understood that he was most skilled in transfiguration and combat spells. He could do charms too, but it took more practice compared to his spells for transfiguration and offensive and defensive magic, as Salazar and Helga called it.
The purple bus arrived with a bang. A conductor in a purple uniform leapt out of the bus and began to speak loudly to the night. "Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this eve-"
"Yes, yes. Thank you. I wish to go to the Leaky Cauldron. How much for the fare?"
"Eleven Sickles," said Stan, "but for fifteen you get 'ot chocolate, and for fifteen you get an 'otwater bottle an' a toothbrush in the color of your choice."
"Only the fare... No hot chocolate or hot water bottle or those things. Just get me to the leaky." He said handing over a Galleon to him. He returned the change. And he got on the bus.
"What is your name?" the conductor asked.
"Would you believe me if I said Albus Dumbledore?"
"Of course not. Dum'ledore is an old man with a beard and all. He is..."
"Then my name is Albus Dumbledore. Just get me to the Leaky Cauldron please." He snapped, not wanting to be fanboyed by a heavily pimpled conductor. He knew if he would give a name it would be it. He was not travelling incognito exactly as he wanted to leave a trail of how he got to the leaky cauldron if someone wanted to investigate or someone asked him. So by a person telling the conductor that they would remember him, but not fanboy over him too. Killing two birds with a single stone.
"Err... yes. Ernie! to the Leaky Cauldron after Abergavenny. Madam Marsh, your stop is next!" The conductor called as the bus Started with a bang. Harry fell back on his bed. Yes! The damned bus had beds instead of seats and apparently started and stopped from high velocity to zero, in a second. The damned bus did not even have a seatbelt. There were no f*cking safety standards in the thing!
"WHERE IS THE DAMNED SEATBELT?" Harry yelled at the conductor over the noise the bus was making. "What's a seatbelt?" The conductor asked in confusion.
"f*ck it! How much time till we arrive at the Leaky?"
"One more stop and then in two minutes." The conductor replied. Harry nodded, praying to the almighty that the Ride ended as soon as possible. He loved high speed maneuvers on his Nimbus 2000 but this bus was making him sick.
They arrived at Charing cross road and Harry jumped off. "Hope you enjoyed the ride. Hope you travel again with us err... Albus." Harry did not get what could possibly be enjoyable about the ride but nodded nonetheless. He had no plans to travel by the wretched thing again. He preferred Dobby express or broom.
He entered the Leaky Cauldron and booked a room till the first week of August. If something new came up, like Weasleys inviting him over he did not want to lose money. A fortnight for now was good enough. He handed the barkeeper the advanced payment for his room and registered it under his real name. His eyes went wide when he heard the name but Harry put a finger to his lips. Tom nodded and gave him a room.
He went to the room, and opened the door. Hedwig was already there perched on the wardrobe. His very intelligent girl. She flew onto his shoulder and nipped his ear. He stroked her white plumage lovingly. "Hey! Hed. Glad you are here." He settled in the room.
