Child of Death

"Avada Kedavra"

Harry felt like he was falling into a dark nothingness. He kept falling and falling he didn't know for how long. When the sensation finally stopped, he found himself surrounded by darkness; only, he could see and feel this darkness. It was as if he was in a big room whose walls were all painted black, with a black ceiling and nothing else in the room. Harry moved towards the wall but it felt as if he never came an inch closer to it however long he walked. Tired as he was, he sat there and stared at the blank black wall. He did not know when he fell asleep but then he felt as if someone was watching him and he suddenly jerked awake. He turned around to see a man in a flowing white cloak. His face was covered by the hood. Harry felt nervous.

"Who are you? And where am I?"

"I am who you wizards call The Master of Death and you are in my domain."

"Does that mean that I am dead?"

"Not yet my child."

"What do you mean?"

"You are in what is called limbo. Neither here nor there. Somewhere in between life and death."

"How is that possible? You are either dead or alive. Will I be staying here in all eternity?"

"It was made possible because at the time of your death you were in possession of all three of my gifts to man; the cloak of invisibility, the resurrection stone and the Elder Wand. Hence you are being given a chance to choose where you want to go next."

"I don't understand all this. What do you mean by I can choose where I need to go?"

"Well you see I have the power to send you back to any time in your life, the only condition being it should be a turning point of your life."

"And what do you want from me in return?"

Death was pleased by the child's perception. "You just need to return to me my gifts that are in your possession. Men have for far too many years misused them."

Harry looked at himself and then at death, "I have nothing with me here. How will I return it to you?"

"You are their Master at this point. You just need to call them to you."

Harry nodded. He closed his eyes, spread his arms and said clearly, "Accio deathly hallows." Suddenly, in one hand he had his invisibility cloak and on the other were the stone and Dumbledore's wand. He gave them to Death without any hesitation. Death was highly pleased by this gesture. It meant this boy had no greed whatsoever because one in possession of his hallows could rule the world single-handedly.

"You have pleased me wizard. Hence I will give you the choice to which turning point of your life you want to go back to. I will give you three options. I will also give you three gifts from me and grant three wishes of yours before you go."

Harry nodded his head and waited for Death to continue.

"Your first option is to return to the current time, alive and defeat Voldemort. Your Second option is to return to your 14 years old body, on the scene when you enter the maze. Your third option is to go to your 10 year old body, the day when you received your Hogwarts letter. For some reason of her own, Lady Fate does not want you to return to your 18 months old body."

Harry did not know what to do. If he chose to go to his almost 11 year old body, he will be able to save Sirius and the others from dying and take control over who to trust in his new world. Decision made he turned to Death once again, "I would like to start over at my almost 11 years old when I received my Hogwarts letter."

"Very well. Now for the gifts." Death circled Harry a few times and stood merely two feet in front of him. He raised the Elder Wand first and touched it to Harry's chest along the sternum and said, "The Elder wand will give you the power to perform wandless magic from the very time you land in the past and keep your core strong and healthy." As he said it, the wand vanished, as if being absorbed by the body. Death took out the Resurrection Stone next and placed it on Harry's forehead in place of his third-eye and said, "The Resurrection Stone will give you memories and essence of your loved ones and some of mine too and protect your mind from intrusion stronger than any occlumency shields." After the stone got absorbed into Harry, he moved at Harry's back and draped the Cloak of Invisibility around his shoulders saying, "This Cloak of Invisibility will give you the power and stealth to hide and turn invisible at will. When you are invisible, no wizard however powerful, no wards will be able to detect you. You will also have power to detect if someone else is hiding something from you" When the cloak too got absorbed, Harry felt as if his body was radiating heat and power. After a few moments, Harry felt normal.

Death asked him then, "You carry my essence within you now. You will now be called the Child of Death. Tell me my child, what are your three wishes."

Harry weighed his options. What did he want to have in this second chance of his? He decided to ask the most important thing he could think of right now. "I would like to keep all my memories."

"Granted. Though I thought you would like to forget all the bitter memories and start afresh?"

Memories flashed in front of Harry's mind. He looked straight to Death's eye and willed him to see the memory with him.

Flashback

Harry was sitting guard outside the tent. Ron had returned a few hours ago and helped him destroy the locket. He asked Hermione and Ron to go rest while he will take the first watch. He was feeling restless. He went to pick up the water flask to realize he had left it inside the tent. He went to get it. It was a long lonely night after all. When he reached near the tent, he heard them talking which made him suspicious somehow. He did not want to eavesdrop but had to hear them nonetheless.

"We are leaving the first chance we get Hermione. He will get us all killed."

"We cannot do that. Dumbledore said we had to see this through."

"Well Dumbledore did not tell us that he was suicidal."

"I don't know Ron. I want to get out of here too. All he has given us in return of our friendship is trouble. Since the first year I wanted to run away from him but Dumbledore insisted he won't be able to do anything without us. Now that it is almost over you want to leave. I have given a lot into this farce. I am not backing out when we are this close to the Fame that was promised to us."

"I think you are right. When he went after the troll, I was having second thoughts about Dumbledore's plans. But the promise of Fame and Reputation that we gained from staying with him and the one we will get after he kills Voldemort, whether he himself survives it or not, is worth the pain I guess."

"Now you get me. Once Voldemort is defeated and he marries Ginny, everything will be fine. We will be hailed Hero alongside him; Ginny will be his wife and Lady Potter. We and our families will be set for life. Now come let's go to sleep. The lazy fellow will want to change shifts soon enough."

Harry had listened enough. He could not believe these people who he had considered family. They were also after his fame. Who could he trust after this? Voldemort? At least he was truthful in his hatred.

End flashback.

Death was in deep thought. "Very well. You shall keep all your memories and you already will unlock some memories of your loved ones, your true allies, as you Master your own mind. What are your other wishes?"

"That is my only wish. The rest, I would like to accomplish on my own."

Death was impressed. This young man had a chance to ask for anything, riches or the whole world at his feet. But instead he just asked for memories. He had chosen the right candidate to bestow his blessings upon.

"Very well then. You will be able to come here any time you wish, but only when you are either asleep or in deep meditation. In the years to come, if you will ever require these two wishes, I will grant them. May God bless you my child."

With that Harry again fell into darkness. He woke to a loud banging on the door and dust falling from the ceiling. Where was he? Then it suddenly hit him. He was in his cupboard under the stairs. He quickly got up and went to the kitchen. While making breakfast he took a peek at the paper. It was 23rd June 1991. Why did he land on Dudley's Birthday? Wasn't the day he got his Hogwarts letter the turning point? That was a month later. There must be something. Death can't be wrong to send him to this specific day can he? Then he remembered. This was the day he had set the Boa Constrictor free. There must be something important about it. He will soon find out. But this time, he will be discreet.

As last time, Harry was to come with them to the zoo as there was nowhere that he could be left today. Harry sat by one window of the car, making himself as small as he could. His thoughts were not on the journey but on what he needed to do. He ignored all poking and prodding from his cousin and his friend. He had saved the snake last time too. What should have been different today? He would surely have to be discreet this time, he knew that. He had to avoid punishment. He also knew that he had to avoid his uncle getting his hands on his Hogwarts letter and find a way to send his reply. It wasn't that he did not like Hagrid, but he did not want to go shopping with him this time. Hagrid had not allowed any extra books or equipment to him last time. Harry was determined to excel in his studies this time around. He will not let Ron or anyone for that matter to pull him away from studies. This was another thing that he had discovered when he had sat to think things over after overhearing his friend's conversation. Ron had been lazy and had always distracted Harry whenever he had wanted to study. He had also pulled him away from talking to other people and making more friends. Harry was so insecure when he had come to Hogwarts the first time that he had done everything to keep his first friend ever. That won't happen this time. He also needed to meditate and find the memories that Death had gifted him. It would be good to know about his allies before he went to Hogwarts.

Harry kept quiet and to himself all through the trip till he came to the glass cased prison of the boa constrictor. Dudley and Polkiss were busy with a spider colony on the other side of the room but he would soon be here. Vernon and Petunia were standing with them, Harry totally forgotten. Harry quietly spoke to the snake. "Hello"

The snake raised his head, "A sssspeaker? Oh I had only heard from the other sssnakes that your kind is very rare. I am privileged to meet you sssspeaker."

"I am Harry. Do you want to be free from this captivity?"

"Yessss Harryyy. I would like to be free but I do not know where I could go. I have never gone anywhere other than the breeding grounds and this cage."

Harry had realised while glaring at the Dursleys who didn't even bat an eye at Harry while gulping down their breakfast like the animals they were, that he could see and feel magic. While Petunia and Vernon were devoid of any magic at all, there was a slight sliver of it in Dudley. It is most probable that his children or grandchildren will show signs of being fully magical. Likewise, he concentrated on the snake and confirmed that it was not a normal muggle animal but a magical one. He had suspected it when he had thought about why death would send him at this point of time.

"I know for a fact that roaming on the roads of London is dangerous. So I can give you a choice. I will shrink you with a special spell that works on the animals and you can hide inside my clothes for now. The school I am going to go to, has a magical forest. I can leave you there. But you will have to stay with me for over two months."

If snakes could look happy, the boa constrictor would be looking one. Harry smiled at him and looked around. He saw that no one was looking his way but for safety reasons, he cast a muggle repellent charm around himself and the snake house (wandless of course). He then vanished the glass and shrunk the snake. He and Hermione had discovered this charm in an old book in the black library when they were on the run. Harry had memorized it saying it would really help if they cast it on Nagini. A small Nagini would be easier to kill. Though at that time they did not know that she was a horcrux, just that she was always by Voldemort's side and could attack them whenever they met Voldemort in a battle.

When Harry laid his arm out for the boa constrictor, it took the offer and climbed onto it, travelled through his overly large clothes and wrapped herself around his stomach. The clothes were so loose that nobody would even notice. Harry then quickly brought the glass back and cancelled the muggle repellent charms. He went and stood at a corner staring at an owl (which was a non magical muggle owl). Just like last time, Dudley came to the snake house next just to find it empty. After much ruckus, Vernon called the Zoo keeper to know why an empty cage was left to entice children. A long and loud argument ensued after which they left, with a bewildered zoo keeper searching for his lost snake behind. From time to time, Harry would pet the snake to keep its amusement quiet. It would not do anyone good to hear the hisses after all.

That night, Harry sat to meditate after being sent to his cupboard without dinner, because Dudley was upset that he didn't get to see the Brazilian Boa Constrictor. It was a new experience for Harry to walk into a well organized mind. It was like one large library for Harry. To anyone else it would look like an empty playground. Nobody knew that Harry really liked reading. On the library shelves were books in which Harry knew were his memories, organised through years and then person. At the far end was a shelf protected by a glass case. Harry could feel that this was not bearing his magical signature. It was feeling foreign. That's how Harry found himself in front of the memories gifted by Death. He knew they won't be all the memories of the person, just the ones Death deemed necessary for him to see. Though Death had at first promised only the memories of allies, he had later said, just as Harry was about to leave, that few memories would be to clear some doubts in his mind and to understand and accept things better.

There were two rows of books on this shelf. There weren't many but the books were labelled by name so Harry began reading the titles. Fred and George Weasley, Weasley Family, Gryffindor commons, Severus Snape, Neville Longbottom, Albus Dumbledore, these were pretty much common. Harry was astonished by the uncommon ones. In the second shelf were Draco Malfoy, Slytherin commons, Dursley family, The Marauders, and Lily Potter. What memory of his parents did Death want to show? Of course he knew they loved him, they died for him. Harry knew that.

Curious, Harry picked his mother's memories first. What he saw shocked him to the core. There were only two memories of his mother in there. One was when she came to know she was pregnant. Other was when Dumbledore told them the prophecy. The first one showed her raving to James Potter that he has ruined her life by getting her pregnant so soon that she won't be able to fulfil her dreams of becoming a charms mistress anymore; James was saying that it was a mistake that he forgot the contraception spell and was constantly apologizing. In the next one Lily sat crying that first the child took away her dream and now was going to take away their lives. Harry did not want to see any more. He stored the book away and came out of his meditation. He wiped away the tears that had spilled and went to sleep. But sleep eluded him. Every time he closed his eyes, he could see the memory floating in front of his eyes again and again and again.

Harry woke earlier than usual the next day. He planned to do his books and clothes shopping early. As everyone will get their letters the next day, or he hoped that everyone will get their letters together, he decided to shop in peace. First he thought that he would ask Petunia to let him go, but that wouldn't go well will it? So he decided on a confundus charm to make them believe that he is ill and recuperating in his cupboard and no one should go check on him or else he will contaminate everyone. Easy enough.

Harry got out of the house and tried to gather some energy in his hands to call the knight bus. It worked. He was left in front of the leaky cauldron. He had covered his scar, which was left as it is on his forehead sans horcrux, with his bangs, and entered the pub. He went over to tom, the innkeeper, to request him to let him enter Diagon Alley. Tom was worried to leave a new muggle raised child alone in the Alley but Harry assured him that he was meeting a friend's family outside flourish and blotts. Hearing the child say the familiar name, Tom thought he knew what he was speaking about. In reality Harry knew but he could not tell anyone the whole reality could he?

Harry's first stop was Gringotts. In his years in the run and interaction with Griphook in Shell Cottage, Harry had known about many Goblin customs and etiquettes. He approached a Goblin teller and spoke in a confident voice, "May your gold multiply Master Goblin. May I have a moment of your time please?"

The goblin looked shocked and pleased at the same time (if that is even possible). "And may your enemies keel over and die. How may I help you kind wizard?"

Harry smiled. A very few number of wizards knew that goblins could be kind. They just treated you as you treated them. 90% wizards think and behave as if they are superior to goblins. Hence they only see the surly and angry side of them. Harry was determined to keep them on his good side. He spoke politely, "I need money to buy my school supplies but my magical guardian forgot to send me the key. Is there any way I can get a duplicate?" Harry knew very nicely that he could retract all keys only through a simple blood test to determine his identity but he could not show that now.

"Your name please."

"Harry James Potter."

The Goblin's eyes widened. James Potter was not one of the politest of people towards the goblins. He had known that through his last life. Now he had doubts if his mother was one two. Quickly hiding his surprise, the goblin led him to an office area. He went inside a room and came out within a few moments. He said, "Mr. Potter, this is the office of the Potter account manager Bubdook. He will help you with whatever you need."

Harry bowed down to the goblin, wishing him a good day and entering the office. He knew the goblin would have looked gobsmacked if he would have turned to see him. Harry bowed down to Bubdook and greeted him in the same fashion as he had wished the teller. Bubdook was more fascinated than anything. He could not believe someone of the haughty Potter family will bow down in front of a lesser creature. Not that he believed himself to be lesser or a creature but that's how they all thought about him and his kind didn't they? He decided to be done with the inheritance test first then think of anything else.

Bubdook took out a parchment and a silver knife. He asked Harry to make a small cut and drip three drops of his blood at the centre of the parchment. Harry did so. There on the parchment was written his name and inheritance. He had more money than the king of England at this point of time; more than even Lucius Malfoy. Harry was looking at it wide eyed. Then a thought struck him. If the Wealeys were so poor that they could not buy a new wand, how did Ron gift expensive chocolates to Lavender? Harry asked his accounts to be checked.

While the accounting goblins were informed to bring the records, Bubdook observed Harry. To him, Harry was nothing like the privileged James Potter. He wore oversized clothes with a snake hidden round his stomach, his glasses were held together by a tape, his hair could do with a cut and he over all looked malnourished to the point of starvation. He could offer a medical check-up after the accounts.

As suspected, the accounts were not in the perfect condition. A hundred galleons were being paid to the Dursleys for his upkeep. That was not going on his upkeep definitely. A hundred galleons per month to Molly Weasley God knows for what. A thousand galleons to the order of the phoenix for help in war efforts, the war which has been over for over 10 years. Harry was pissed off and Bubdook could see it.

"The war is over for 10 years then why is the remuneration still being paid? And moreover, my aunt and uncle did not spend a penny on my upkeep. And what do I or my family owe Molly Weasley? Please stop all these payments and I would also like to claim retribution. Also retract all keys of all my vaults back and keep in your custody till we meet again. Can it be done without letting it be known that I know anything?"

Bubdook understood that if they knew, how will a child of 11 fight with adult wizards? So he agreed to do it discretely. After that Harry asked if anything like a muggle card was available. He planned for extensive shopping and could not carry so much money on him all the time.

"We don't have that sort of a card but we can provide you pay slips which are something similar to muggle cheque books which can be used in the wizarding world worldwide. For Muggle shopping, they could provide a wallet which would always contain 200£ in paper notes and 10£ worth money in cents and will update to full every 6 hours. It looked exactly like a muggle wallet so there was no problem in moving around with it.

Bubdook offered a medical checkup but Harry declined. Since the time he spotted Severus Snape's name on the memory book, he wanted to know if he was friend or foe. If he was friend, his health would be a nice excuse to start a conversation.

With his wallet and chequebook, Harry entered Diagon Alley. His first stop was Madam Malkin's because he knew what he was going to order would take atleast a couple hours to fulfil. It took about 20 minutes to take measurements and another 20 to choose colors, dress material and how many sets he wanted. The shop assistant said that it would be ready in about one and half hours. Harry's next stop was Gladrags. He ordered some fancier robes there in dark greens, blacks, blues and greys.

His next stop should have been the trunk store but he did not want to buy the standard Hogwarts trunk. It had no privacy or advanced protection. He would buy it later. He went to Flourish and Blotts and bought his school books along with the muggle package and few other books he thought he should have read before going to school. It would have made his life the first time easier. Never mind he would do it this time. The extra books included wizarding etiquettes, ingredient preparation and preservation, basic pre Hogwarts potions, Laws of the land, magical plants and their properties, muggle plants used in potions and a self updating copy of Hogwarts: A History. He wanted to get a book on animagus transformation but it was a highly regulated topic and he did not want to be spotted with it just now. He proceeded to buy the regular potions kit in the apothecary and cauldrons and other necessities from the other shops. He got two sets of scale and also two sets of his pewter cauldron. He asked the shop keepers of all these shops to shrink his packages and put them in the threadbare backpack he was carrying.

He then proceeded to Eyelops Owl Emporium to meet his beloved Hedwig. He had lost her during the beginning of his sixth year and never found her body. He was eager to meet her again. This time, he would protect her like she had protected him. Harry found Hedwig at the very back of the shop. When Harry approached her, the shop owner warned him of her ruddy behaviour but he was shocked to see her cooing over his young customer and handed her over to him at half the price. He was all too pleased to get rid of her. Harry ordered a perch, a couple packets of owl treats and a large box of white mice. The shop owner said that the bird was used to hunt but Harry insisted. The problem of sending the reply was solved. Harry asked Hedwig to fly to Surrey and wait for him outside the house. She could rest anywhere. There were many trees in the neighbouring area.

Harry decided he did not want to get a wand from Ollivander's. He was sure that as soon as he left the shop, Mr. Ollivander would floo Dumbledore. He could not have that. It would be too suspicious if he was spotted before he got his letter. Harry proceeded back to Madam Malkin's then Gladrags, took the shrunken packages and paid them through cheque as he did in every other place.

Harry came to a back Alley and calmed his sudden nerves. It won't do to look nervous in such a place as the one he was about to go in. He let loose a little of his magic to create a protecting yet threatening aura around him to warn people to wanted to get close to him and entered Knockturn Alley. There were various shops there, some named some unnamed, but the grimy windows showed all that they sold. Harry's first stop was an unnamed ramshackle shop which, Harry knew from his spying on Draco in his past life, was a wand shop. Their method of making a wand was non-conventional for the lack of a better word. The owner asked Harry to close his eyes and reach for his core. Then he guided his hand over several woods. Harry felt a slight tingle when his hand was over two woods. Then without opening his eyes his hands were moved over several other items and indicated whenever he felt the tingle. He opened his eyes to find that he had selected ebony and yew as his wand wood. These were absolutely different from his Holly. For core, he had chosen horned serpent horn and crown feather of a shadow phoenix. His core also chose Snake venom which the wand maker explained that his wand wood would soak in itself. It contained Venom of the Basilisk, the deadliest snake known to wizard kind. This particular canister has not been chosen for nearly 1000 years. The wand maker also explained that many wizards may think that shadow Phoenixes are dark but it was not the case. Shadow Phoenixes are actually known to be great protectors and are even harder to bond with than a fire Phoenix. It was possible that this particular Phoenix whose feather was going into Harry's wand would turn up at his doorstep sometime soon. They are so loyal to their chosen masters that their feathers also don't bond with anyone else. And shadow Phoenixes can hide in the shadows so they go with their masters everywhere. The last known wizard who had bonded with a shadow Phoenix was a Lord of the light sector of Wizards about 2500 years ago. And Horned Serpent horn usually chooses parselmouths to be their masters. They also warn their masters of danger by a soft singing sound that could be heard only by their master. It took ten minutes for both the woods to soak the Venom, then he put the woods and cores into a gel like liquid and cast a few wordless spells on it and let it sit for another ten minutes. Within half an hour, Harry had his wand in his hand. 14 inches Yew and Ebony soaked in Basilisk Venom with a horned serpent horn and shadow Phoenix crown feather core.

Harry's next stop was Mr. Mulpepper's Apothecary. Harry wanted some good quality ingredients for a few experiments and he could not use his school supplies on that. In his later years, Harry had found out that he had a knack for potions which had not manifested in the class due to two reasons- Harry's constant nagging of Snape being a git and Harry's misplaced hatred towards the said man. This time, even if Snape turned out to be an actual git, he was not going to give him reasons to belittle him. After that, Harry went to a trunk shop located above Trankleshanks Locksmith, where he knew he will find a better trunk. He explained to the man what he wanted. He wanted a Trunk which would look like a regular Hogwarts approved wooden trunk from the outside but he wanted a full seven compartment trunk inside. Three sections would be the visible shallow once like all Hogwarts trunks. Those will contain his uniform and only a few other clothes, his books and parchment and his other school supplies. The hidden four compartments will contain a library, a closet, a regulated cabinet where he can store potions and potions ingredients without getting spoiled and last would be a personal space absolutely hidden, where he will store his personal items. The whole trunk should be password protected such that if anyone opens it without the proper password as well as his magical signature, it will only show the standard trunk setting. The wood should be ebony and his name initials inlaid in yew. The shop keeper gave a calculated look but feeling the power oozing out of the tiny kid, he did not object. He asked him to come back in half an hour.

Harry came out of the store and saw Beard Trimming. He was curious about something and knew he wouldn't find it in several years if he searched the product in books so he went inside the barber shop. He came out after 5 minutes, almost giddy with excitement. Last time, he was fed up of everyone calling him a clone of James. And after knowing that his father was a bully during his school years, he hated being called his clone even more. He loved his father but he did not want to know him anymore. So he had asked the attendant to change his hair colour to so dark it almost looked a deep midnight blue and he had got a hair growth potion. He had to gulp half of it down at night and see the length. It he was satisfied, he could store the remaining potion for future use or if he wanted his hair to be a bit longer, he could gulp the rest down the next night. Harry asked if it would cause any side effects to take the whole portion at once. The barber looked sceptical but said it would not affect his health. Harry decided to take the whole then go to a muggle barber for a nice layered haircut. It would look nice, and different.

His next step was the famous Borgin and Burkes. Before meeting Borgin, Harry explored a bit. Harry wanted to buy the Vanishing Cabinet actually, but did not know where to keep it. An Idea struck him. He would have to consult Bubdook. If it worked he would come here again. At the back of the shop, Harry found a small shelf full of ancient looking books what were definitely Dark arts. Harry called Mr. Borgin for help. Harry left the shop with 20 books on dark arts including a few on parsel magic and blood rituals. Borgin did not question. He had felt that amount of power only once before; when a young man, freshly out of Hogwarts, had come to work for him.

On his way back to the trunk shop, Harry passed Fledermaus and Tanners Bats and Skins. Harry was curious. He entered the shop to find it to be an animal skin product store. He got two best quality dragon hide boots, two pairs of dragon hide gloves, a dragon hide wand holster and a very trendy robe which looked more like a trench coat. This would work in both the worlds. It also had extension charms which would run through two years for Harry.

Back at the trunk shop, the only thing left to do was put the initials. Harry asked him to put H. J. P. on the trunk and decorate it with ivy running all around it. It was a matter of a moment for that to be done. Seeing that nobody was in the store, Harry quickly dumped his fully loaded bag into the trunks main compartment. The trunk maker explained the process of setting the passwords and dripping a drop of blood to identify the magical signature. Harry then asked for a backpack with extension and feather light charms. Out of the options, Harry chose a black leather backpack.

All shopping done, Harry proceeded towards home. It was evening already and he was hungry. He picked a takeaway on the way, knowing that he will not be given any food. Harry had already fed Hedwig before sending her off and knew that she will hunt when the sun went down. The white mice were actually for the boa constrictor as he could not leave him outside. Harry needed to name the snake. He could not keep calling him the snake or the boa constrictor in his mind. It was rather exasperating. So Harry decided to ask for his opinion when they reached home. Of course they reached home in just a few moments; they were travelling by the Knight Bus. When Harry reached home, he quietly snuck in through the back door through the kitchen and entered his cupboard. He set his new leather backpack, which contained his shrunken trunk within it into the small space of the cupboard. Harry cast a wandless expansion charm on the room but it grew only to thrice its size, which was half the size of Dudley's bedroom. It was a muggle house and this was the extent the extension charm would go. Harry decided it was at least better than what he was earlier living in. Harry set the boa constrictor down and gave him two big juicy mice to eat. After the meal was done, Harry asked the big question, "Hey amigo, would you like me to give you a name? You can choose a nice one of your liking if you want."

The poor snake looked so excited by the suggestion. So Harry began his long list of potential names. He had named Hedwig after St. Hedwig from his History of Magic book. Over the years, he had read many books and came across many names. So he began to recall them all starting with Hera, Hermes, Iris and so on and so forth, till the snake chose his name to be Hades. Trust a snake to choose the name of the Greek god of the underworld. He should have been Voldemort's pet, for choosing such a deadly character as his name. But he had a feeling Nagini would not like the suggestion.

After having his own dinner and putting his trunk away, Harry sat for his meditation. He was unable to decide which one to choose first. In one place he was feeling really curious to know what was there in the Marauders' memories, in the other place, he knew if it turned out to be just like Lily's he won't be able to proceed further. He decided to go with Severus Snape then finish with the Marauders. Severus Snape's book had many memories. It started with his abused childhood to his being bullied in the school for being poor yet doing well in studies. He was an outcast even in his own house. Starved for attention and affection just like Harry himself was when he had entered Hogwarts last time. These memories helped him to understand the man of course but it did not justify his behaviour towards him. The next few memories explained that too. The next memory was of Severus standing in front of Dumbledore, probably just after the first welcoming feast. He was demanding Dumbledore to have a full body check-up for him as he believed that he was abused at home. Dumbledore told him, he would handle it. It would look suspicious if Severus was the one to take him to the hospital wing. The next memory was of Severus asking Madam Pomphrey if Dumbledore brought any Gryffindor for full check-up which she replied no; Severus watching him eating his meagre meals three times because his stomach could not take in more; Severus getting frustrated when each year he requested not to send him back to that abusive home only to be told off, sometimes harshly that he was over reacting, there was no abuse going on. Last was the last moments of Severus standing in front of the Dark Lord when he says that the Elder wand answers to Severus and hence he must die. Severus very well knew whom had the Elder Wand shifted his allegiance to but did not utter a word, sacrificed himself so Harry could ultimately win the war and his life. The Elder Wand was like a hope to him, thinking that it would not kill its owner, even if Dumbledore had asked him to send Harry to his death. He died with that one little ray of hope in his heart.

By the end of it, Harry was crying. Never had he got a moment to cry over losing this man. He had thought after watching the memories in the pensieve that he was a misunderstood man, but Harry could not even think of how much the man had hidden within him. Harry was determined to impress the man and make him proud even if he would not be able to show it. He was happy with his decision of not going to a healer today. His medical condition would help him get close to the man.

Wiping his tears, Harry took out the Marauders' book of memories. It contained only one memory. James, Sirius and Remus were sitting in a sitting room or a study of someone. Remus looked angry and Sirius was pacing. James looked grumpy. Remus suddenly said, "You both have totally lost your mind. How dare you even think of leaving your son to an orphanage? Just because he could be a part of a prophecy, you will abandon him?"

"So what shall I do huh? Wait for the Dark Lord to come and kill us all? I am just trying to save my family here."

"And Harry? Is he not your family?"

"He is but his death is inevitable. We cannot stop it. But at least I can save Lily."

Remus looked disgusted. Suddenly, Sirius came and kneeled down in front of James, held his hands and said, "You want to give him up for adoption right. Give him to me. I will raise him as my own. Whatever you want in return I will give you. Just say yes please."

Both Remus and James looked stunned at the pleading voice of Sirius. Harry felt empty and elated at the same time. His own parents had not wanted him. He was an accident, a hindrance to them, to their plans. But Remus and Sirius had wanted to raise him. This time, he was not going to lose Sirius.

With that he came out of his mind. He sat there for a few more minutes, then took out the hair growth potion, gulping all down in one go, and went to sleep. He would view the rest of the memories one at a time. He was going to get his Hogwarts Letter the next day. He had to be prepared for that.

The next morning, Harry got up early. He was surprised to see long black tresses of hair which went down till his lower back. And they looked so shiny and soft. Harry tied it back with a conjured leather band and cast disillusionment charm on them. He would also need a few hair accessories when he went out to shop. The letters would be delivered by breakfast time. And then he had his shopping in muggle London to do. He quickly took a bath and got ready in some clothes he bought yesterday, a plain black slacks and white button down shirt with dress shoes. He needed to buy some casuals. He cast a charm on himself which would enable others to see the oversized rags instead of his nice clothes till he cancelled it. He quickly made breakfast and waited for the Dursleys.

Same as last time, in the middle of breakfast, Vernon asked Harry to get the mails. But this time, Harry picked up the mails, found his letter, hid it in his slack pockets, and then handed the rest over to his Uncle. Breakfast went peacefully after that. Once again, Harry confounded his family, this time to believe that he must work in the garden the whole day and there was no need to check on him.

Harry spent the first half of the day shopping in muggle London. He bought several T-shirts in all possible colours but mostly his favourites black, green, blue and greys. He also bought several pairs of jeans and also plain cotton pants. He got himself three pairs of sneakers and several pairs of socks. Next he headed to a book store where he bought books on medicine, history, physical combat, law, war and its effects and several well known novels for light reading. Reaching a back alley, he shrunk the packages and put in the leather backpack he was carrying. He then proceeded to a saloon. He told the attendant that his mother was shopping in the nearby area and sent him for a haircut. He also said that she likes his hairs long but not so long so he had it cut down till a little lower than his shoulders. They were cut in beautiful tresses which made it look like they were cascading on his back. In his last life, Harry had never given much attention to his looks. But this time he would. After his shopping in the muggle world was done, he stopped by a small restaurant, had his lunch, and proceeded to the leaky cauldron. At this time, both his wand and wandless magic were undetectable by the Ministry. So he quietly slipped to the back of the pub and tapped the wall to open it.

Once there, he made a bee line for Gringotts. There, he requested to meet Bubdook. To him, he explained what he wanted. Bubdook was suspicious but did not retort. There was something about this kid which made him obey him. He said that at his age he would not be able to open a new account but he could put the cabinet in one of his other accounts. Harry chose one of the Potter accounts which contained the Potter artefacts. Bubdook also informed him that all the keys have been retracted and the process of reclaiming the theft of money has started. Harry took the keys and put it in his bag. He would store them in his personal compartment of his trunk later. Then suddenly a thought struck Harry. He said, "Master Bubdook, tell me is it possible for me to go to another's vault?"

Bubdook was taken aback by the sudden question but answered nonetheless. "No Mr. Potter, you cannot get into anyone else's vault without their express permission."

Huh! As if Bellatrix would permit him to enter her vault, Harry thought. "So, who can enter a vault which does not belong to them say suppose if the owner if the vault is incapable to do so themselves?"

"Only the Lord of their house can, with proof that the owner of the vault is indeed incapable."

While Bubdook looked on towards Harry with calculated eyes, Harry began to think – 'So Sirius can enter her vault when he is emancipated from Azkaban. I will surely not leave him there for long. I just need to get my hands on that rat. Then I will have to convince Sirius to get into Bellatrix's vault without arousing his suspicion. Or maybe I could tell him some tale of dreams or visions or anything.'

Then another thought struck Harry- 'The sword of Gryffindor was not the one to actually kill the Horcruxes. It was the Basilisk Venom that got absorbed into it that did the trick. And the venom got absorbed into it because it was Goblin made. He could get a goblin made dagger.' Another thought struck him just then- 'My wand was soaked in Basilisk Venom. Could it be possible to kill the Horcruxes with my wand?' He did not want to take chances though. So he asked Bubdook, "could you make me a dagger? The Goblin made ones that absorb what they get in contact with?"

At Bubdook's calculated look, Harry thought- 'did I say more than necessary? I don't want my secret to be discovered so soon.'

Bubdook did not say anything. After a few moments of deliberation, he said, "It will be ready in a week. Would you like me to send it to you or you will come to receive it."

Harry was relieved, "I will come by next week. Also where can I get a house-elf?"

Now that was a very odd question. "Why do you want to buy a house-elf?"

"Uh.. Nothing.. Just that my relatives are muggle and cannot afford maids or any sort of house-help. I want to help." Harry said timidly. In reality, he needed time to right himself and it was not possible when he had to cook three meals and clean and garden. But Bubdook did not need to know that right now.

"There is an agency. I can set an appointment for you in some time. Why don't you finish your business and come back?"

"Sure. Thank you."

After setting that up, Harry visited Borgin and Burkes again. Though Borgin did not want to sell the cabinet to a child, but he caved in on the offer of double the money. He was a greedy person after all. Harry also got two ornate silver daggers. He had bought the blood rituals book after all. It would not do to use anything else for them. Yes he, the boy-who-lived was going to practice some blood rituals which he knew for sure were not dark but grey.

After asking the cabinet to be delivered to Gringotts to Bubdook and storing the daggers away in his bag, secure in their scabbards, Harry made his way back to Gringotts. It was good that he could now control his magic to such an excellent level. Nobody in the Alley stopped him these two times that he visited. He had seen a tattoo store on his return today. They won't allow a child in there but he would get a nice tattoo from there some day. He exactly did not even look 11 yet. That would change. Once he had Severus by his side, he would surely insist on nutrition potions. Those won't give him his desired height, the malnourishment was long and extensive, but he had plans for that too.

Harry reached Gringotts to be told by Bubdook that the cabinet had been stored away already and an agent is waiting for him who will take him to the agency. Harry bid Bubdook goodbye, until next time, and flooed away with the agent named Patricia longnail. She was a charming lady with an easy smile on her face. She led him to a hall area where there were atleast 20 house-elves to choose from. All looked cheerful and excited and looked towards Harry as if he was their saviour. House-elves were highly misunderstood. When Hermione had started her SPEW campaign, they had looked upon her with disdain. What she did not understand was that they needed a master to bind their magic. If they did not have a master to do so, they would slowly lose their magic and die. Yes it was wrong to mistreat them but setting them free was not the solution, it was a death sentence.

Harry spotted a small house-elf at the back that was not among the cheerful lot. She was looking as if she was on the verge of losing her magic. She was folded in herself at a back corner of the room. Harry slowly walked towards her and patted her head, "Hello little one, what is your name?"

The elf slowly looked up to Harry with tear filled eyes. By the look of it, she was only an adolescent by house-elves' standard. It was evident that she was an unclaimed elf, maybe abandoned by her master's family after her birth, and she was now on the verge of death. She replied very slowly, as if she had very little energy left-"My name is Sally" with that she looked down to the floor, as if not believing that someone would like to talk to her let alone bind with her. Harry understood her very well. He had spent quite some time with Winky after Hermione had forgotten about her after bringing her to Hogwarts. Winky had never recovered from her depression of losing her family.

Harry quietly asked Sally, "Would you like to bond with me Sally?"

Sally immediately looked up. She could not believe her ears. No one who came to these halls had ever selected her, even when she was chirpy and excited. She immediately nodded her head in frantic yesses. She did not want to lose this chance. So this is how Harry came in possession of a happy and chirpy house-elf.

After the bonding was done, Harry took Sally to a back Alley and told her a few things about his home life and that she could not be seen by anyone. It would be extremely helpful if she remained invisible except in his rooms. Sally agreed immediately. She would do anything for this kind wizard who was sitting on his knees so that he could talk to her on her level of height. She was smaller than normal house-elves, which is why nobody had chosen her before. But now that she was bonded, she would be a good elf and do everything her master says.

On reaching home, Sally immediately became invisible. Harry quietly led her to his cupboard room and told her where things were and what she needed to do. After that Harry went out with an invisible Sally to the kitchen. The confundus had worn off by now. Even then, Harry was safe in the kitchen as his relatives never came into the kitchen to check what he was doing unless they heard something breaking. Then it was hell to pay. Sally made the dinner and cleaned the kitchen and set the table while Harry decided to meditate. From the next day, he would carry his books to read while Sally worked.

Today he decided to view the memories of the Dursleys for now as he did not have much time and the twins at night. He was going to leave Dumbledore for the last. The Dursleys memory book contained four memories. The first was when Petunia had found a child on her doorstep. It showed that in front of her husband she had ranted and raved of the unfairness of the act but in the dead of the night, she had silently cried for her dead sister. The other memory was of her wincing every time Harry was physically punished, her trying to sneak in food but every time remembering that her husband hated the name of magic hence she gave up and let things happen as they were. It was not particularly fair but Harry understood. She must have thought that Harry would go away to his world when he grew up but she had to live with her husband for the rest of her life. The choice was difficult but she made it none the less. The last memory was of Dudley who observed his mother every time she flinched, every time she picked up the food but stored it back to the refrigerator again. At first it infuriated him but then he too slowly understood her reasons. And it was true, Dudley's attacks had reduced to nothing in the later years. But what really was the eye opener was the last memory. It was of a small but fat child who looked mostly like Dudley but a little different, frightened and clutching a girl a little older than him, most probably his sister, and hiding under the table. Nothing much was visible, just a few men roaming about in long cloaks. Suddenly a man came out of what looked like the bedroom, dragging a woman after them by her hair. The woman was backhanded for some information but he could not understand what because the voices were muffled. A red light suddenly shot through the air and hit the woman who rolled over the floor and screamed. Crusio, Harry's mind registered. When even the torture curse did not get them the information, they killed the woman with the killing curse. None of the men registered the children below the table as they were very very silent, or maybe they left them behind on purpose, only they would know. It then hit Harry that the kids were Vernon and Marge and the women killed in front of them by wizards was their mother.

Harry came out of his mind just in time for dinner. He served them but he was very very quiet. Yes Vernon's anger towards anything magic was justified but his abuse was not. Harry will never forgive them but now he could better understand them. Even the Dursleys were taken aback by Harry's silence and lost behaviour but they did not care, or at least pretended not to.

After dinner, Harry made a bed out of his old clothes and a new blanket to cover them for Sally. She was elated. Harry introduced her to Hades and promised to introduce her to Hedwig the next day. He also had to send his acceptance the next day before they started sending letters right left and centre. After feeding Hades one mice, Harry sat for his meditation. He picked up the twins' book. He was quiet sceptical after Ron's betrayal. What he saw restored his faith in friendship. The first memory showed the twins listening in on a conversation between Molly and her two youngest children telling them to befriend him. When Ron started whining, she scolded him that he was only thinking about himself and that he should think of his sister too. Once Harry becomes a part of their family through him, he could marry Ginny and their life would be set. Another memory was of them trying to get Harry alone to talk to him but Ron always spoiling their plans. Another memory, to his astonishment, was the twins asking for help from Severus, who seemed quite comfortable with them as if they had been working together for a long time. Severus also said that he was being blocked by Dumbledore but he would try to find a way as should the twins. The last memory was of the twins slipping antidotes of the love potions used by Ginny into his drinks. This was a revelation.

Harry quickly picked up the Weasley Book next. He wanted to finish with them before he went to sleep. It also showed the full conversation of which a part was heard by the twins. After getting him into the family, Molly and Ginny were even ready to feed him love potions if necessary, for him to marry Ginny and give him everything she needed, most preferably before the final battle, so that even if he dies, Ginny gets everything. Another was of Dumbledore telling Molly that 100 Galleons would be transferred to her personal Vault every month for her cooperation to his plan. The last memory was of a time that hasn't happened yet, when Bill overhears Molly scolding Ginny for not being able to ensnare him and confronting Molly after telling the whole thing to Charlie and Arthur. All three men looked very pissed off. To his utter astonishment Molly said, "I am sorry Arthur. I did what I did to secure the future of my children and I will continue to do so." With that she stunned all three of them before they could even react and then obliviated them. How could she do that to her own family? He had to be very careful of this woman who he had considered his mother in his last life. Harry came out of his meditation in distress. Sensing her master's mood, Sally brought him a cup of hot chocolate. Harry smiled at her in gratitude. He was feeling really happy that he decided to get her and not some other hyperactive elf. The hot chocolate did calm his nerves and he slept until morning.

Harry woke up to find a pair of plain cotton trousers and a green T-shirt laid out on a chair beside his bed which he did not know he had. He also saw that at the back of the earlier bare cupboard, stood a plain shelf made of wood planks. On it were set all of his books that he had purchased except the dark arts ones. On the other wall, just on the right of the cupboard door, stood an open wardrobe. It was a simple rod protruding from the wall on which hung all his clothes on hangers. They were all dust free which meant that dust repellent charms were put on everything. The cupboard itself was very clean without a speck of dust in them. There was also a nicely made bed for Hades to lie in and a slightly longer bed for Sally herself. How the elf knew what he needed, only gods could know. Maybe it was the bond elves share with their master that let them know what they needed? Whatever it was, Harry decided that he really loved magic.

He took his clothes and went for a bath. It was fairly early so the Dursleys would not bother him. He needed to buy his bathroom supplies before he went to Hogwarts. He did not trust the wizarding shampoos and soaps.

After a refreshing bath, Harry went to check on Sally. As expected, she was cooking a regular breakfast for the Dursleys. Harry had told her that if he gained weight and did not look so starved, his enemies would get suspicious. She did not like it but accepted it. But she would not accept that he would eat nothing. So he had his toast and eggs in the kitchen even before the Dursleys woke up. While Sally continued her work in the kitchen, Harry took out his ingredient preparation book. After reading a few chapters, he would try to implement them by practicing the techniques on vegetables under Sally's watchful eye.

After breakfast, they proceeded to the garden where again Sally worked and Harry continued his reading. By the evening, Harry was sure he could experiment with the cutting techniques the next morning. That evening, while Sally prepared dinner, Harry saw the memories of Neville Longbottom. The first memory was of his gran telling him that he and Harry Potter were god-brothers as Alice was Harry's god mother and Lily was Neville's. The next memory was of Neville making his way to meet him on the train to tell him they used to have play dates when they were young but Ron stopped him on the way and threatened him to stay away from Harry. There were several other instances where he tried to get close to Harry but was always chased away by only Ron first and later by both Ron and Hermione. If Harry was angry before, he was pissed off at his so called best friends now. He was determined to make friends with Neville this time. He was genuinely worried about him most of the time, he knew. And he wanted to be friends with him because their mothers were friends and not because he was famous or could give him anything unlike his best friends.

Harry was determined to complete the rest today leaving only Dumbledore for tomorrow. He knew it would be a long one. So after dinner, Harry took a longer than usual meditation session that day. He first picked up the Gryffindor commons. It was nothing new, just Ron keeping others away from him. One particular memory was of the Tri-Wizard Tournament where many had protested when Ron had accused him but he had threatened that he would get them expelled if they supported Harry. Afraid, everyone stirred clear of him that year and looked the fool when Ron himself came around after the first task. Harry was livid. Ron would pay for this. He next picked up the Slytherin commons and came to know something he had never thought possible. There was only one memory where Draco Malfoy was declaring Harry Potter off limits to everyone in his first year and the seventh years looked scared of crossing him. Exactly how powerful was Malfoy among the Slytherins? Though he said that Harry was his prey and his alone and that nobody else could torment him except Draco, it still sounded kind of possessive. Geez… it sent shivers down Harry's spine. Could it be possible… . No no no… he was not going to think that way. (A/N: Harry's body is 11 years old but as he has requested to keep his memories, his mind is almost 18). It was just because he had refused Malfoy's hand and he wanted revenge, that's it. But then Draco's own memories were still to be viewed.

Resigned, Harry got Draco's memory book out. He did not know he was about to open a can of worms that he will not be able to control. The first Memory was like a slideshow of abuse that Draco endured during his early years, not physical but mental. He was ignored, neglected and mostly forgotten by his parents. He was raised by house-elves till he came to Hogwarts. His parents' only contribution to his childhood were expensive gifts. The once he had said that he wanted their attention and not gifts, he was backhanded. He never demanded their attention after that. The next prominent memory was of a conversation between him and Blaise Zabini. Zabini was telling him to stop chasing Potter as he would never return his affections. But Draco said that he would keep protecting him from the backgrounds, he did not need anything in return. That was rather deep for a 16 year old to say. The last memory was of the day he got his dark mark. Even when he was sitting there on his knees in front of the most feared wizard of the century, in his mind was only one thought; if he turned his face from the Dark Lord now, he would be killed, most probably by his own parents. How would he protect his Harry then? No he could not let that happen. May be he could even spy on the dark lord and protect Harry that way?

Harry stored the book away and came out of his mind. How could he have missed so many things? So many people trying to protect him from the backgrounds- Draco, Severus, Neville, the twins, Sirius, Remus. And Draco loved him so much that he was ready to do such a dangerous task without any safety net. With another cup of hot chocolate, Harry laid down for a fitful sleep.

Though Harry could not sleep well last night, he decided to give his full attention to his ingredient preparation practice. By the time of breakfast, he had successfully mastered slicing, dicing, paring, chopping, grating, flaking, pounding, mincing and scrapping. For practicing shelling and stringing, he needed appropriate material but that was advanced so he let it be for now. He discovered that he has a knack for potions otherwise perfecting so many techniques in an hour and a half would have been impossible. He was determined to develop this knack more during his training under the youngest Potions Master of the century. Come tomorrow, he would be starting on his basic pre-Hogwarts potions. Sally promised to set up a regulated potions area at a corner of the kitchen. The books and clothes were kept in the open in the room so it wasn't possible to set it up there.

Harry was not feeling like to read anything for the rest of the day so he decided to finish with the memories while Sally worked in the garden and Hades gave himself a sunbath. Hedwig also came to visit for a short while and Harry sent his acceptance letter through her. After Hedwig flew off, Harry found a quiet corner under the bushes and sat for his meditation. Harry had thought there would be many memories of Dumbledore but there were only a handful. The first memory was of him leaving his baby self wrapped in only a blanket, on the doorstep with only a letter to Petunia. The other one was of him getting angry on Severus for pestering him to get Harry checked for abuse. The next one was a slide show of all the times when Dumbledore made Severus do his shady work using Lily's promise and Harry's safety that he had sworn when nothing else worked. He even convinced Severus to kill him while telling him this would ensure Harry's safety. Severus did hide many things in his memories that he gave Harry when he was about to die. He showed only the good of everyone else to him. Harry's respect for the man rose several notches up. The last memory was Dumbledore talking to Fawkes that he did not particularly care that Harry would die in the process, he was just concerned that Voldemort should be killed. His expression was rather vicious which Harry did not understand.

Just when Harry put back the book, a drawer at the bottom of the shelf began to glow. Curious, Harry bent down to open it. Within it, he found another book, probably of memories. It was a black leather nondescript diary. Harry picked it up curiously. When he opened it, he could not believe it was the memories of a young Tom Riddle. In fact all the memories that Dumbledore talked about and a bit more. First was how he was treated in the orphanage with disdain and called a freak, how only the snakes were his friends and it alienated the other kids even more, how Dumbledore had come to him and had lost his smile when he heard he could talk to snakes (something that was not shown to Harry before), how Dumbledore had ignored him once in school because he became a Slytherin, how often Dumbledore blamed only him in fights with other houses because they teased him (something Dumbledore had done with Severus and the Marauders too; it would seem he never learnt from his own mistakes), and finally how, even after being talented, he was rejected for the Defence Against the Dark Arts position after which he had cursed the position in his anger. Dumbledore could have easily guided the young man into someone successful and great but he let his prejudice spoil Tom's whole life and career for once rejected by Hogwarts, he found it difficult to get a job. Yes he was already involved in Dark Arts by then but things could have been salvaged. And now, they could not do anything. He had to rethink his plan of killing the Horcruxes. He would put that on hold until further information on the subject.

When Harry came out of his mind, it was time to prepare dinner. So Harry and Sally went into the kitchen. When Harry had been meditating, which was a long time as the sun had almost set, Sally had done the laundry and dried and pressed all the clothes after doing the gardening. Now, Harry had nothing to do so he pulled out his basic potions book and asked Sally for the setup. After it was done, he quietly, sneakily got his extra kit and second cauldron out and set to work. The first was a simple salve to cure superficial cuts, rashes or sun burns. It was fairly simple and Harry got it perfect in the first chance. As these potions did not consume much time, by the time dinner was ready, Harry had made two more potions- One for headache, another for sore throat. These two also came out perfectly.

Through the next month up until his birthday, Harry had mastered all the basic potions and half the first year potions, read all his extra reading books and half the school text books, made some healing potions for his own potions kit to take to school and revisited his mind and made a nice playground landscape for his Occlumency with a tree which had a small dwarf gate which led to the library. For people to keep away from the library, he had few unimportant memories stored in mushrooms that grew all over the place and a dwarf was sleeping with his back to the gate which hid it well. There were also children playing around and kites flying to make it look real. Harry had read that this was a natural Occlumency shield among children who are often abused as they like to make their mind into something they did not have. This would make Severus believe Harry's home life, not that he ever believed what he himself said about him being waited up on hands and knees.

Harry celebrated his birthday for the first time in his new life and not alone. He had Hades, Sally and also Hedwig (courtesy of Sally who had smuggled the bird in for the night). Sally had baked a small cake for Harry which he cut at the stroke of midnight. Hades had curled up on Harry's neck and said, "On your birthday young wizard, I gift you the majestic and great Boa Constrictor Hades. You may now call him your familiar."

Harry was shocked. Yes he was having second thoughts over sending Hades to the forbidden forest. But he had thought Hades would have liked to be set free that's why he had never told him that he now wanted to keep him for himself. After hearing Hades practically declaring himself to be Harry's Birthday gift, Harry could not help but give a big grin and accept the gift by petting the snake on his crown. This was Harry's best birthday in his both lives. All of them then went to sleep. Hedwig decided to spend the night. Come early morning, Sally would set him outside.

The next month also passed in the same manner with Harry completing all his school books and also many of his muggle books. He kept the novels for when he would feel bored at Hogwarts. He now read the medical and other books that he had got. On the 31st of August, he informed his relatives that he would be going away to school in Scotland that he was selected in. Petunia immediately realized what school Harry was talking about. She did not react overly much only saying that she was not going to pay for the expenses. To this Harry said that he had gained a full scholarship from his primary school. Vernon did not question and he did not care as long as the brat stayed away from magic. Harry could not understand. Petunia definitely knew where Harry was going then why didn't she create a scene? May be she did not want Vernon to know before he was gone. Whatever the reason, he will not turn down this luck. The next morning, Vernon offered to drop him to King's Cross. Thanks to any gods who were listening that Vernon neither asked to see his tickets nor did he come to drop Harry inside.

He was two hours early to the station. Hedwig had flown for Hogwarts in the morning itself. Sally had packed his trunk. He had set his passwords and magical signature on the trunk with a parseltongue password on the personal chamber which contained his dark arts books (which he had found rather an interesting read) and the vault keys. Sally will meet him at Hogwarts, invisible to everyone else's eyes and Hades was wrapped around his middle in his shrunken form. A new journey of his life was about to begin and everything was about to change.