Chapter 3

Harry opened his eyes and saw that he was lying on the floor of the hut that he remembered where his Uncle had taken them in his desperate effort to escape the barrage of letters from Hogwarts that had been sent to him. He looked around and saw that everyone was asleep and he decided that he would follow his actions from the last time. So he drew on the dusty and dirty floor a picture of a cake and Happy birthday Harry. Just as soon as he finished he heard the booming crash as the door of the hut fell down torn off its hinges revealing a giant man.

"Sorry about that." The giant man said as he was bending over to pick up the door. He lifted it and placed it back into the door frame.

"I demand that you leave at once, sir!" Vernon hissed through clenched teeth. "You are breaking and entering, sir!" He raised the shotgun threateningly at Hagrid.

Hagrid stomped over, and bent the barrel of the shotgun. "Oh, dry up, Dursley, you great prune!" As soon as he released the barrel, the weapon discharged, blowing a hole into the ceiling. Hagrid turned to face the only boy he could see in the room as Harry was currently hiding behind the fireplace mantle.

"Well, I haven't seen you since you was a baby, Harry, but you're a bit more along than I would have expected." He patted his stomach. "Particularly right in the middle."

Dudley, terrified out of his mind, took a step back. "I-I'm not Harry." He stammered.

Harry took this moment to step out from besides the fireplace. "I am."

Hagrid looked over and got a pensive look on his face as he compared how Harry looked next to his 'cousin'. "Well, of course you are!" He held out a hand, which Harry shook. Hagrid then said "I got something fer ya Harry. Made it myself, words and all." He then pulled out a slightly crumpled box and handed it over to Harry.

Harry opened the box and saw that it was a chocolate cake with the words Hapee Birthday Harry written on it. He looked up and said "thank you sir."

Hagrid slightly blushed and replied "well it's not every day a young man turns eleven after all. Is it now?" Hagrid then flopped onto the battered couch, pointing his umbrella at the fireplace. Tiny balls of flames erupted from the tip of the umbrella, filling the damp hut with warm air. He reached into his pockets, and began pulling out a motley assortment of items.

Harry then sat the box down on a nearby table and got the poker, sausages and tea from Hagrid, and started to cook the meal.

"How'd you know how to do that?" Hagrid asked after a moment.

Harry gestured with his thumb at the Dursley's behind him. "I've been cooking for them since I was three years old." He replied simply, turning the sausages to make sure they wouldn't burn.

"Since you were three?" Hagrid asked. "Didn't know you liked cooking."

Harry shrugged, turning the sausages again. "Doesn't matter if I like cooking or not. These bastards," Harry again gestured at the Dursley's, "make me cook, clean and garden for them."

As expected, Hagrid heaved himself to his feet. "What?" He roared. "Make you work for 'em like a House Elf?"

Harry pulled the sausages from the flames. "What's a house elf?" He asked innocently.

Hagrid flopped down onto the battered couch, which groaned in submission. "That don't matter at the moment, Harry." He reached into his pocket. "Here, give me them sausages." He passed over the letter. "I reckon you should be reading that now."

Harry took the letter, opened it, and started to read. He quickly skimmed through the message, before looking up at Hagrid. "Is this a joke?"

"Blimey, Harry," Hagrid began, "didn't you wonder where your parents learnt it all? Haven't you ever made something happen? When you were frightened ... or angry?"

He looked at Harry's sheepish nod. "You're a wizard, Harry, just like your parents."

Harry asked "I thought my parent were out of work, no account drunks, sir. At least that's what they told me."

Hagrid roared "drunks!!!! James and Lily Potter were two of the bravest souls to live!" Hagrid turned on the Dursley's and spoke "why would you say such things?" Looking at Petunia he said "your own sister!"

Petunia burst out with hatred and loathing in her voice "she was freak! Just like the rest of you lot! We tried to beat it out of him, but we couldn't succeed obviously."

Hagrid's eyes narrowed in anger and ground out "beat his magic out of him? I see." He turned to Harry and asked "how long?"

"As long as I can remember sir."

"Well put it out of your mind then, as you'll be attending the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world!"

"He'll not be going to be contaminated with more of your freakish ways!" Vernon hissed, obviously annoyed at being ignored by Harry and Hagrid. "He'll be going to Stonewall High, and he'll be grateful for it!"

Hagrid stood again. Harry swore he could hear the couch sigh in relief, as Hagrid made his way in front of Vernon. "I suppose a great Muggle like yourself is going to stop him then? He'll be at the finest school for wizardry in the world! Seven years there, and he won't know himself! And he'll be under the finest Headmaster Hogwarts has ever known! Albus Dumbledore."

"I'll not pay for some crackpot old fool to teach him magic tricks!" Vernon ranted, only to be stopped when Hagrid's pink umbrella appeared under his nose.

"Never. Insult. Albus. Dumbledore. In front of me." Hagrid said slowly, before looking over at Dudley who was busy stuffing his face with the cake that Hagrid had brought for Harry. He waved the umbrella, and a pig's tail erupted from Dudley's pajamas.

"I'd ... uh ... I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention that to anyone at Hogwarts. Strictly speaking, I'm not allowed to do magic."

Harry nodded, and grabbed his shirt from the hook by the fireplace. Hagrid pulled the door off the hinges again, before stomping through. "Are you coming? Unless you'd rather stay, of course?" Hagrid had a cheeky grin.

The two of them then flew off on the motorcycle that Hagrid had used to get there. They stopped in front of the Leaky Cauldron and Harry followed Hagrid through the room once again acting like this was his first time coming here. He and Hagrid went to Gringott's and Harry watched as Hagrid gathered the Philosopher's Stone and they then went to his trust vault. Once there Harry grabbed a bag and scooped in around a hundred galleons. Deciding that this was enough for now he went with Hagrid and got most of his supplies. He then went into Ollivander's while Hagrid went off. Hoping that Hagrid was once more going to pick Hedwig he walked into the store and once more jumped as Ollivander did his spooky introduction.

"Ahh Harry Potter is it? I remember when your parents came in. 11"Mahogny with a dragon heartstring, pliable and good for transfiguration. Your mother had a 10 ¼" Willow with a tail from unicorn, swishy and good for charms." He snapped his fingers and the tape measure began its seemingly insane dance. He asked "which is your wand arm?"

"I am right handed sir."

Ollivander nodded and then started bringing out wands. Harry watched in some amusement as he went through the same process as last time and watched as Ollivander went back and brought out his old wand saying "Holly 11" with a phoenix feather."

Harry grasped the wand and was slightly surprised when nothing happened. He watched as Ollivander suddenly smiled and cackled. Ollivander then said, with glee in his voice "I was hoping something like this would happen." He took the wand from Harry and turned to the back of the store and said "follow me."

Harry followed him and walked into a manufacturing center of some sort and looked to Ollivander and said "what now?"

"I have to make you a custom wand lad. Doesn't happen often, no indeed it doesn't happen often at all." He then took out several trays as well as a small bowl filled with some clear liquid. "Dip your finger into that bowl then move your finger across these wood samples."

Harry did so and saw four different samples glow. He looked at the names on them and noticed that the faintest glow came from the sample marked Holly. The other three glows were bright and were evenly matched in their glow. One was marked as Rowan the second was marked as Hawthorn while the third was marked as Black Thorn. He looked over to Ollivander when he spoke up "excellent! This will indeed be a unique wand. Now draw your finger across the lip of this box please."

Harry complied and saw that three items lit up. Looking closely he saw that one was a heartstring from a Kneazle, one was a heartstring from a Hungarian Horntail, and the last item was a small gray Phoenix feather. He looked up as Ollivander whistled tunelessly in surprise. Ollivander spoke with awe tinting his words "a heartstring from a full blooded kneazle, a heartstring from a Hungarian Horntail that was the Alpha of Alphas before she died of old age, and a tail feather from a Royal Gray Phoenix all in the same wand? This will be a masterpiece my boy."

Ollivander shook his head and then brought out another bowl and said "dip your finger in this and run it across the lip of that shelf." Harry complied and saw that this shelf was filled with various liquids. He saw that there were two items that lit up. One was a vial of basilisk venom and the other was a vial of willingly given phoenix blood. Ollivander's eyes bulged out and whispered "where did that come from? I don't know of anybody that has that in their stock."

He shook his head and then gestured for Harry to come next to him. He then said "alright then Harry, how I make wands is different than almost anyone else. Other wand crafters make the wand alright, but most of them don't put runes into the wand like I do. They are a bit of a safety net. You see when a wizard uses an immense amount of magic in a short period of time their wand will become filled with magic energy. While the wand won't be affected any, it will make following spells more difficult, so I put runes on all of the wands I make to make sure that the buildup is dissipated safely and quicker than it would otherwise take. For my special crafted wands I need to take some of your blood and put it onto this sheet of paper. The blood will sink in and the runes that are special to your wand and you will write themselves onto it. This will also have the bonus of no one else will being able to use your wand if they somehow get a hold of it."

Harry complied with the instructions and watched as the blood was absorbed into the parchment. He watched as twenty runes wrote themselves out. Ollivander watched as the runes wrote themselves out and said in some surprise "Norse runes, Celtic runes, ancient Briton runes and Sumerian runes on the same wand? This will be a masterpiece indeed." He looked over at Harry and said now I need your help in making this wand as well. I will be taking the woods and shaping them. While I am doing that I need you to be touching them and putting your magic into them. That way I will be able to fuse them together as well as shape them correctly, alright?"

Harry cocked his head and asked "how do I push my magic into them sir?"

Ollivander answered while gesturing to a nearby wooden lathe "see those grips on the far end of my lathe?" Seeing Harry nod ne continued with "I want you to grip those handles and don't let go. I had these specially crafted awhile ago, what they do is provide a connection from your magic into the lathe. Once the connection is formed I will be able to craft your wand."

Harry nodded and grasped the handles. He could immediately feel his magic flowing through him into the machine. He noticed that the lathe was now slightly glowing. He watched as Ollivander put the three samples into the lathe and started the lathe. Harry watched in awe as the three wood blanks start to glow and condense into one piece. Finally it shortened under the care of Ollivander into a wand 11 ¼" with the three woods in a swirling pattern. Ollivander then took the cores and laid them on top of the wood and chanted a long phrase. Harry watched as the core materials were absorbed into the wand leaving nothing behind. Ollivander then took the fluids previously selected and poured them onto the wand leaving them to be also absorbed. He then took the parchment that had the runes written on them and wrapped it around the wand being careful to not touch the wand itself. Harry watched as the parchment rapidly decayed while the runes that had previously been on the parchment hovered in the air for a few seconds until they shrunk and then fell onto the wand and were grooved into the wand leaving nothing behind.

Ollivander then spoke "take the wand from the lathe Mr. Potter."

Harry released the handles and walked over to the front of the lathe and reached out and grasped the wand. He felt a surge of magic like nothing he had ever encountered before. The wand emitted a glow of magic that was bright and fairly filled the room with a thrum of power. He looked with a rapturous gaze upon the wand and smiled in awe. He broke his gaze from his wand and looked over to Ollivander and asked "how much do I owe you sir?"

"Twenty five galleons should cover it."

Harry took out the money and laid it on a bench nearby. "Here it is sir. Thank you for the wand."

Ollivander nodded and said "I believe that you are meant for great things Mr. Potter. Perhaps even greater than the person I sold a wand to many years ago, the wand that gave you your scar."

Harry reached up and rubbed the scar and said "I hope that I can do so sir. I sincerely hope so." Nodding and saying "goodbye sir" Harry turned and walked out of the shop. He looked around and saw Hagrid coming down the street with a large snowy white bird on his shoulder. Feeling immense excitement Harry called out in his mind 'Hedwig!' The bird looked up startled and directed its gaze onto him and flew from Hagrid's shoulder onto Harry's. Harry, still playing clueless, looked at Hagrid and asked "whose is she, sir?"

"She's yours Harry. Just bought her for yeh. Sorta birthday present for yeh."

"Thank you so much sir! It's the first present I've ever gotten."

"No problem Harry. Now that yeh got everything I best be taking yeh back to yer Uncle's house."

"You needn't bother Hagrid; I can easily get back on my own. You have an errand to run I suppose?"

"Yeah, you sure you'll be alright?"

"Yep. No problem."

"Alrighty then." Hagrid reached into his coat and dragged out the trunk that Harry had purchased earlier and unshrunk it. He then handed it over to Harry and said "I be seeing you soon at Hogwarts then." With that the gentle half-giant walked off.

Harry turned to Hedwig and said "wait for me here Hedwig as I need to go into the bank, alright?" Hedwig made a barking sound that Harry recognized as agreement and flew off. Harry picked up his trunk and walked into Gringott's. He walked in and went to the nearest teller and said in a low voice "my name is Harry Potter and I need to speak to my account manager."

The goblin sneered and said "follow me."

Harry followed the goblin to a door with a name plate next to it announcing Most Ancient and Noble Houses account manager Bloodpike. The goblin opened the door and waved Harry in. Harry walked in and said to the goblin behind the desk "I am Harry Potter and I have some business to discuss with you."

The goblin sitting behind the desk said "I require verification."

"What sort do you need?"

The goblin placed a bowl and a knife on his desk and said "place three drops of your blood into the bowl."

Harry picked up the knife and pricked his thumb with it. He dropped three drops of blood into the bowl and saw his cut immediately heal. He saw at the same time as his cut healed that the bowl glowed blue for a few seconds. He looked up at the goblin and asked "good enough?"

The goblin nodded and said "what business do you have for me then Mr. Potter?"

"Several things actually. One would be why I have never received any listing of my assets here? The second thing would be that I would like to receive a ledger detailing all financial transactions that have taken place within my account. Third would be that I would like to receive a copy of my parents will. When these things have been seen to I have some further things I would like done."

The goblin had an indecipherable expression on his face as he listened. Once Harry finished he cleared his throat and said "am I to believe that you have never received any information on your account?"

"You would be correct. How would I be able to prove this to you, should you require it of me?"

The goblin shook his head and said "no need. I cast a spell on myself to make sure that you were telling the truth when you verified your statement. Wait please." The goblin opened a drawer and took out a mirror and started speaking rather rapidly into it for several minutes. He listened to the reply for a few seconds then looked at Harry and asked "am I correct in that you came here earlier in the day?" Seeing Harry nod the goblin looked back down into the mirror and spoke some more. He waited for a few minutes then received some reply. He then looked at Harry, as he put the mirror back where it came from, "the items you requested shall be here in a few moments."

Harry nodded and leaned back in the chair as he waited. After about five minutes the door opened and four goblins walked in. Bloodpike got from behind the desk and bowed to the approaching goblins. Harry stood up and slightly bowed as well as he recognized the leading goblin as Ragnok the current goblin king. He then sat back down as Ragnok waved his hand. He looked on attentively as Ragnok sat behind the desk.

Ragnok cleared his throat and directing his gaze at Harry said "you may not know who I am Mr. Potter. I am Ragnok the director of this bank and leader of all goblins in Britain. I am here so I can directly know what transpires here." He then turned to Bloodpike and said "do you have the information?"

Bloodpike looked up from the information that he had gathered and answered "yes, I do now." Turning his gaze to Harry he said "the information that you requested is as follows. You never received any information of your assets before now due to two things. One of them was that there was a mail ward set upon your current residence, the second was that someone in the bank has been redirecting your mail from here to Albus Dumbledore." He looked at Ragnok and said "I am not completely certain who it was, but I believe that it was Griphook, sir."

Ragnok nodded and called out to one of the goblins that had accompanied him and said "bring Griphook to a holding room now." He turned to Bloodpike and said "continue."

"I have a ledger here that you can keep. It lists all transactions that take place concerning your account." He then handed over a rather thick tome to Harry. "As for your parent's will, it has been sealed by order of the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. I am afraid that I cannot unseal it without permission from Ragnok."

Ragnok nodded and turned to Harry and asked "why did you wish to unseal their will?"

"I believe that their will has been violated sir. After my parents were killed I was sent to my mother's sister Petunia. Since she hates and despises all things connected to the wizarding world I do not believe that my parent's would have allowed that to happen and I am hoping it says so in their will."

Ragnok nodded and turned to Bloodpike and said "you have my permission to unseal their will on my authority."

Bloodpike nodded and opened a parchment that had been folded. He read the parchment and turned a shocked gaze to Ragnok. He then turned the parchment over to Ragnok. Ragnok read it and handed it over to Harry and said "I believe that your hope was correct."

Harry took the parchment and read it.

The Last Will and Testimony of Lord James and Lady Lily Potter

All previous wills are hereby abolished

To Sirius Orion Black III: we leave 25,000 galleons

To Remus Jasper Lupin: we leave 25,000 galleons and set up a trust fund to pay for a lifetime of the Wolfsbane potion

To Peter Pettigrew we leave 13 sickles and a curse for if we have died it means that he has betrayed us

To our son Harry James Potter (prongslet): we leave everything else. On his 11^th birthday he shall be allowed to take on the Lordship of the Potters. Until he has reached that age he shall be raised with the people we have listed further down the page. His guardians shall receive an allowance of 700 galleons a year to defray the cost of raising and teaching him.

As it is wartime currently in the wizarding world we have provided a list of people we wish to have custody of Harry until his 11^th birthday.

Sirius Orion Black III: his godfather

Frank and Alice Longbottom: his godmother and her husband

Remus Jasper Lupin: a brother in all ways

Flavius and Heathcote Bones: good friends

Xenophilius and Selene Lovegood: excellent friend

Under no circumstances is he to be placed with Vernon and Petunia Dursley.

Signed this date on October 13^th 1981

Lord James and Lily Potter

Harry looked up from reading the will and looked to Ragnok and said "what happens now, since their Will was not adhered to?"

Ragnok looked pensive for a few seconds then looked to Bloodpike "when you looked at the account ledger were there any monetary withdrawals listed since Lord and Lady Potter died?"

Bloodpike nodded and replied "a monthly withdrawal of 60 galleons that we were able to trace that was converted and deposited into the account of Vernon Dursley. A yearly withdrawal was also taken and deposited into the account of one Albus Dumbledore. The reason listed was that it was his stipend as his charges magical guardian. The yearly amount was 350 galleons. The total amount taken by him comes to 3,500 galleons. He has also claimed the Potter seat and votes for them."

Ragnok nodded and turned to Harry and said "I will be pacing the Will into effect. You may not know of this but Sirius Orion Black III, your godfather, was imprisoned on charges of betraying your parents to Lord Voldemort, as well as killing 12 muggles as well as Peter Pettigrew shortly after Lord Voldemort was banished."

"How did they convict him?"

"They didn't. No trial, no hearing, just chucked him into Azkaban."

"Fuck. That's harsh. Maybe I can get him out somehow. Voting in the Wizengamot maybe."

"Even when you become emancipated that won't be possible until you turn 25."

"Alright then, showing this to the head of the wizarding police then."

"Possibly, but not likely as any trial would require that either Albus Dumbledore or Cornelius Fudge, the current minister of magic, to endorse it."

"Damn. What about the other names on the list?"

"Frank and Alice Longbottom were tortured into a catatonic state shortly after your parents were killed by followers of Voldemort. Remus Lupin is a known werewolf and it is currently prohibited by Ministry decree for any werewolf to have custody of any child. Flavius and Heathcote Bones were killed shortly after the will was made. As for Xenophilius and Selene Lovegood ... Xenophilius is still alive and his wife was alive until just over a year ago. According to the will you should have gone to them. As the will was sealed I doubt that they were even aware that they were listed."

"Alright then; well since I am eleven now how about getting my emancipation then?"

"That we can do. Now this will only affect you in the wizarding world. To receive emancipation in the muggle world you will need Vernon and Petunia Dursley to sign emancipation papers."

Harry thought about this and said "that shouldn't be a problem." He sat back and thought for a few seconds and asked "when do I become emancipated as today is my 11^th birthday."