κεφάλαιο I - Part I
Κεφάλαιο I - Change Is Always Afoot - Part One
Change is inevitable. Change is constant.
Benjamin Disraeli
Summer in London was not different from the previous years.
Hot. Sweaty. Muggy.
Surrey and its residents, as usual, try to beat the heat by taking month-long vacations to the seaside or further into the countryside, where it is cooler. However, that is not the case for one house.
Privet Drive, No.4.
The house of the infamous Dursleys.
One wonders why they are infamous. Is it because Vernon Dursley is so loud that every living thing runs away at the sound of his voice? Or is it because Petunia is so over the top and prideful as an English stay-at-home mother only caring about her precious Duddkins? Even more curious, is it because Dudley is a well-known bully and a huge whale that it is impossible to miss him?
Wrong.
The answer is simple. It is because they blamed a young orphan who had nothing to be blamed for apart from being a kind soul who was dealt a bad hand.
Harrison Solarion Potter.
The Boy-Who-Lived. The Savior of the Wizarding World.
One would think that he is living the life, but no. The death of his parents and loss made it hard, but even then, everyone thought as the Hero, he would be raised in a loving home with all the comforts, love, and happiness as he grew up to become a Lord and responsible adult.
Once again, the people are wrong.
Harrison Solarion Potter became Harry James Potter. Dumped on the Dursley's doorstep for the sake of protection, his life was, in short.......HELL.
He was a slave. Cleaning up after them, doing chores, and as such, while being called a delinquent.
Which brings us to the present day. 30th June 1994. Months after the Triwizard Tournament and the near-death he faced. Months after the rise of Lord Voldemort. At this moment, we can see Harry angrily pulling out the weeds in the gardens.
"Bloody Morons who think I am an idiot. Why would they do such a thing when I know that they think they know everything, but no. I am a teen who has been through hell, and I need to be treated as an adult. ARGHHHHHHHH".
Harry yanked the weeds out as he screamed his frustration at the situation he was in. He was angry at the way that his friends and his godfather were behaving this summer. It was bad enough that there were no letters, but the fact that he was banned from all sorts of communication from the Magical World had nagged him badly. He could sense someone spying on him but couldn't locate them. This further cemented the fact that had been sneaking around his head for a while.
Albus Percival Brian Wulfric Dumbledore is an asshat.
Correction, a manipulative and evil asshat.
Harry is increasingly unsure about Dumbledore's manipulative actions, questioning the Headmaster's motivations. This doubt strains his friendships with Ron and Hermione, who seem to prioritize their faith in Dumbledore over him. After everything that happened with the Tournament and Cedric's death, Harry began to lose faith in Dumbledore, unlike his best friends Ron and Hermione. Ron, because he was a jealous prat and git, as Harry began to notice the signs, even after sort of reconciling, but Hermione disappointed him the most. She looked up to Dumbledore as a revered being. If he didn't know any better, she probably had a thing for authority. Meanwhile, Harry's relationship with Sirius is likely to improve, as they bond as uncle and nephew, providing the support and understanding he craves. Harry swore to himself that he would make it or he would eat his shoes.
Snorting at the mental image, Harry dusted himself off and got up to get back to his list of chores when the bushes near the fence rustled. Harry froze and slowly turned to the noise in a defensive stand, wand in hand. The rustling grew louder, and Harry tensed even further when a black ball fell out and went rolling at high speed before smacking into the fence. Harry winced at the pain the black dog must be feeling.
Wait a minute.
A black dog or.......Grim?
Harry wandered over to the grim when said grim stood up, shaking himself off before turning to look at him. Familiar silver eyes made contact with emerald green. Harry nearly let out a screech of surprise as the grim jumped on him and started to lick him. Harry let out a laugh at the grim's enthusiasm before sitting up and lifting him in a princess carry. "Alright, you trouble maker. Let's go inside so we can have a nice long chat." Harry whispered to which the grim happily woofed in response. They made their way into the house, Harry silently praying his thanks, as the house was devoid of the occupants, and there was no presence spying on them. As soon as they entered Harry's room, the grim jumped down and transformed into a human with black curly hair up to the shoulders, a soft turtleneck in green with jeans, gaunt features and bright silver eyes with a pair of black dragonhide boots. Harry grinned at the sight and glomped the man who in turn hugged the teen tightly.
Hello, Harry. I have missed you, my dear. First off, let me apologize for not writing to you because my letters were not allowed to leave the compound thanks to the wards set around the location I am in but I tried with the help of the twins and Ginny, heck, we tried to use Dobby as well but the wards did allow the letters to pass but once it reached here, they were repelled and sent back. All of us were not pleased with the no communication rule save for Dumbledore, Severus, Ron, Hermione, and various chickens. I love you, Harry, and I am so sorry if I hurt you. Sirius Black confessed while hugging the teen. Harry could feel the sincerity in the magic surrounding them and spoke. “ I believe you, Siri, but I don't trust Dumbledore as far as I can throw, but he needs to pay for being a liar and a manipulative asshole. He knew that the Dursleys don't love me and abuse me yet he keeps making me come back due to "Blood Wards" for protection and every year at Hogwarts feels like I am being tested or forced to be seen as The Savior or Chosen One while hiding the fact that I wish to be taken care. I am scared, Siri. I want to be free and a normal teenager." Harry broke down sobbing in Sirius's arms, finally feeling safe in them and not on the edge as he was feeling for the past few weeks. Sirius sat down on the floor and pulled Harry into his lap and let Harry cry out his emotions. Harry fell asleep, and Sirius tucked him into the bed. As Harry slept, Sirius cataloged the room for any evidence of abuse and neglect and what he found...... left him with a pit of despair and a gut in the punch.
The room was in horrendous conditions. A broken window, no ventilation, rickety beds and tables, creaky floorboards with blood spatters. The blood spatters made him see red, and he was cursing Dumbledore for putting his godson through hell. Knowing that the house was empty, he decided to take a look.
The house was a typical English home, but their occupants were anything but typical. Photos of the Dursley family were everywhere but no sign of Harry. Sirius knew there was more, but he was going to let Harry tell him when he was ready. Sirius walked around until he paused in front of the cupboard under the stairs. He could feel traces of magic surrounding the area as well as a metallic scent that he was extremely familiar with.
BLOOD.
MAGICAL BLOOD WAS SPILLED.
Sirius took a deep breath and opened the door.
He wished he hadn't. Despair and anger sank into him as he took in what he saw and realized.
Harry lived in a cupboard for 12 years and nearly died in it.
Feeling the need to check Harry was alive, Sirius ran back to the room, and seeing a peacefully sleeping Harry made Sirius sigh in relief. He walked over to the bed and sat next to Harry's head. Gently lifting the boy's head, he slid under him and let Harry's head rest on his lap. Harry settled and slept. Sirius smiled gently at the sight, knowing that these might be the last few days of peace as the storm was going to hit. A burning sensation came and went on the back of his neck. Sirius paused. He knew the implications of the back of his neck burning. A voice flitted in his mind.
"Hello, my darling heart. I know that you are most likely mad at me for leaving you behind, but you see.......I was charmed to forget about you by someone evil, but I want us back. I am so sorry, my love....I know my words are not enough, but please let me repent and prove myself to you......yours, R.L." The whispering voice disappeared.
Sirius felt his tears flow. His soulmate. They were alive. He needed them, but he could not talk to them thanks to the spells and hexes Dumbledore put on him, but he swore. "I will get you back if it is the last thing I do. My heart and soul. Rabastan Lestrange." Sirius had long since known who his soulmate was since he was 16 when he got his soulmate. He woke up that day to a soulmate mark of a black raven with grey eyes, the same shade of Rabastan's eyes. Sirius reminisced the emotions of the awe of having a soulmate, especially of one that he has had a crush on since he first met him at one of the balls that the Blacks hosted a long time ago. The tall man with a thin frame that belied strength with long black hair put up in a ponytail of intricate braids, chiseled jaw with French features, almond-shaped eyes with deep grey eyes that haunted his dreams and soul, yet he never made a move as the First Wizarding War struck. The war was long, hard, painful, and riddled with grief as various friends and family died. Sirius recalled James, Remus, and Lily discussing soulmates with him as they all knew that their soulmates were on the Dark Side. They had made plans to switch sides and nearly done it when it all went to shit thanks to somebody tipping off Dumbledore, making everyone either forget or repress their memories. Sirius knew that the muggleborns did not know about soulmates and soul marks and their significance thanks to Dumbledore's ban on such information as Dark Magic. Sirius couldn't help but get angry at the audacity of Dumbledore's actions, which were essentially killing Magical Britain.
Sirius felt Harry stirring and put a pin on the thoughts and plans in time to see tired green eyes looking up to him blearily. Sirius let out a soft smile, to which Harry returned and sat up.
Harry felt embarrassed and looked down at his hands to avoid the embarrassment. He just wept all over the man. He felt fingers gently cup his chin and found himself looking into silver eyes filled with sadness and understanding.
"I know what has happened to you in the last few years of your life, Harry. I am so sorry for leaving you behind and being brainwashed by Dumbledore. I hope to make it up to you. However, I need your consent in a certain act I am going to pull off."That had Harry tilting his head to the side in question. Sirius gave a smirk, and his eyes glowed with mischief as he spoke.
"I am going to kidnap you, and we are going to Gringotts for an inheritance test. We are going to lay a paper trail with the help of the goblins to confuse Dumbledore and his merry band of cronies. We are going to teach you everything you need to know as the next Lord Potter, as Dumbledore has no doubt curbed your knowledge by acting as the sagely grandfather he does to everyone." Harry stared and gave a laugh. He knew what Sirius was true, and then he spoke. "I am already aware that I am Lord Potter thanks to a few friends I made with due to the Tournament debacle and also learnt Wizarding etiquette & protocol thanks to said friends but I still need to understand the ins and outs of being a lord and the voting system in the Wizengamot." Harry replied with a mischevious tone, making Sirius grin and pride gleaming in his eyes. " Alright, let's pack up all you need, ditch this hole, and make our way to the new chapter of our lives." Sirius spoke.