Story idea's up for adoption [prompts]

Now...the witcher novels were not published until 1994, in English around 2000, so instead of having Harry read the novels as we know them perhaps he finds or is given old journals.

Imagine if you will a small Harry, perhaps only 7, running to hide from his cousin and Co. Perhaps he runs into a person who just moved to England from another country (Poland perhaps?), or perhaps he simply hides in an antique book shop.

Either way he finds an old journal(s) in a language he cannot read.

Little Harry is smarter than he appears to be and is very curious. His determination to figure out what secrets the journal has is fruitful. He finds a dictionary of the language to English and begins translating them. He has nothing else to do when locked in his cupboard after all.

The stories with are breathtaking but sometimes also very sad. Magic, monsters, love, and hate. There are even drawings of creatures and something called signs that can, while simple compared to the magic sorcerers use, do amazing things!
Through these journals, and so through the eyes of Jaskier the bard, Geralt of Rivia, and other people's experiences written within; he realizes that how his family treats him is truly wrong. How the neighbors ignore the abuse done to him is also wrong. Sadly though he cannot escape them. He'll have to survive their hatred until he can actually get away.

When outside, blessedly alone for once, he decides to play pretend that he is a witcher and uses igni.

Only to see real sparks fly from his hand.

After a good couple of minutes freaking out he is exstatic! Signs could truly help him not only survive but also escape and find happiness. So he practices all the signs, takes his time with them, he will be patient in learning.

Sometimes he uses the signs to make his family actually feed him and then forget they've done it. Sometimes he'll set Dudley's trousers on fire if he gets chased by him. By recognizing the feeling he gets when using signs he learns to feel magic and figures out how to use it for other things.
He figures out how to heighten his senses using magic, move objects towards himself, teleport himself to places he has been before, and so on.

This is how he discovers the curse in his scar and the, almost non existent, barrier around the house. The feeling of the barrier also gave off the feeling of being watched, which felt really creepy to Harry, but he's scared of getting rid of it and tipping off whoever is watching. The curse on the other hand was something he wanted to deal with quickly.

Through trial and error a now 9 year old Harry transfers the "curse" (and another other spells you choose to have had him under if you want to go bad dumbles) into a rock. The type of rock is up to you.

Along with signs Harry studies plants and potion making (though he is not going to test them since he does not have the witcher enhancements) but also studies the native plants, uses of them, and reactions when mixed.

Harry practices sword movements, if only as a work out method.

Harry becomes a regular at various libraries nearby, always searching for knowledge within books and the internet.

When his letter arrives mostly canon events happen but this Harry, being an avid reader of both fiction and non fiction, can recognize manipulation when it happens. Hagrid is doing it, though he believes he is doing right by doing so, probably been manipulated himself...poor man.

Harry plays into it until Hagrid leaves. He returns to the alley to investigate more.

Sadly he finds the many..."safe" books sub-par and seeks a way to find better, more knowledge less propaganda, books. Luckily he has money enough to order foreign books and translates them himself. (He discovered horrible misstranslations once and refuses to trust anything but his own translations)

Magical Britain is...disappointing when compared to other countries. Not the worst but certainly not the best.

Young Harry already plans to learn ahead and escape his stupid fame by leaving to travel the world when he is old enough.

This Harry is obviously a ravenclaw and refuses to give anyone who seeks his company based on his supposed fame any notice. Though when he was found by Draco on the train he told the young boy exactly that. Asked to be amenable but being in each other's company based on their fame or who their family is would not be a thing.

Harry also finds the use of wands to be ridiculous and prefers not to use his. He only uses it when teachers make him. When asked about light and dark or if being preached to about it Harry will give a blank stare and comment on various ways dark spells can help someone and various ways light spells can hurt or kill someone.

At some point Harry will quote
"evil is evil. Lesser greater middling. If I am to choose between one evil and another I'd rather not choose"

Perhaps someone will recognize the quote or not...depends on you.

This Harry makes his own path and refuses to follow the whims of anyone else.

The rest is up to you. Have fun!!