Hello! Sorry for the delay in updating but I think I experienced my first-ever writer's block. The last time I wrote was Thursday, 22 July and I felt really lazy after that and didn't even open the laptop until a whole week had gone by! So, really really sorry for the delay! My cousins had also visited so I was busy.
Btw, I won't be able to upload after this until halfway through August or even after that. The reason being that:
a) I am going to my hometown (or home city, actually if that's even a thing) on the 3rd and I haven't seen my cousins for more than a year so I won't have time to write.
b) Even if I do find time to write then my beta is also going on holiday on the 3rd so she won't be able to edit my document.
So sorry for the inconvenience!
Thank you for reading! Please review!
Millie15128
|
A Different Life | ||||||
|
Category: Alternate Universe Characters:Albus Dumbledore, Draco Malfoy, Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, James Potter, Lily Potter, Luna Lovegood, Minerva McGonagall, Neville Longbottom, Nymphadora Tonks, Other, Remus Lupin, Ron Weasley, Severus Snape, Sirius Black Genres: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, General, Romance Warnings: Dark Fiction, Death, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Situations Story is Complete Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 29 Summary: *ABANDONED. CHECK REWRITE ON PROFILE* Voldemort underestimated Lily Potter's brilliance when he tried to kill the Potters on Halloween of 1981. As a result, James and Lily live and Voldemort is vanquished. This is the story of Harry, Heir Potter, as he grows up the way he was supposed to and takes his place in the Wizarding World. Hitcount: Story Total: 9626; Chapter Total: 1147 Author's Notes: |
Previous Next |
|
||||
|
The Mid-Years 10 April 1988 William’s Suite, Potter Manor “You remember what you have to do, right?” asked Lily. They had introduced Harry to meditating two years ago, and Lizzie just the past year but this was only William’s third night trying meditation by himself. He had practised for two months before this in his parent's and siblings’ company but now he was trying on his own. For two months, he had been practising by focusing on separate body parts and releasing all tension from them but today, he was trying a different method. Tonight, he was going to think of something that made him relax and let go of his worries. Naturally, he chose flying. Lily had to shake her head at how similar her kids were at times. Harry and Lizzie both chose flying as well, though Harry had also debated on choosing cooking since that made him feel very relaxed as well. He was going to think of the feelings that flying invoked in him and let go of everything. Imagine he was in the air, the sun was bearing down on him, the birds were chirping along, he could see the trees waving in the breeze, and looking down, the ground was far beneath him….Lily shuddered. She wondered why she was the only one in their family who didn’t play Quidditch. Even Remus and Frank did, and Alice didn’t mind a pick-up game now and then. “Yes, Mum. I remember. You’ve gone over it three times already,” said William, grinning exasperatedly at her. Lily chuckled. “Good night, sweetheart.” She brushed back her son’s wavy black and red hair and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. “Why are we doing this again?” Lily smiled. He had asked her that question every night for two months. “Because it will help you with Occlumency. It also helps you to focus better. It will also enable you to have better control over your emotions.” 16 April 1988 Potions Laboratory, Potter Manor “Please be careful,” said Lily as she turned the heat off the cauldron. “I want you to take the cauldron off the heat, if you heat it too much, it will react with the lacewing flies and explode in our faces and we definitely don’t want that.” She was making potions for her apothecary along with her children who always came along to help her. It also helped to give them practice for when they would, eventually, go to Hogwarts. The thought of them going so far made Lily anxious, she always had been after the events of 1981. She shut down that part of her brain, she would not go there. Harry carefully turned off the heat of his own cauldron just as Lily heard a shriek; she turned around to notice that the cauldron on which William and Lizzie were working was shaking. She had enough time to cast a shield over all of them before the whole thing burst. After the huge cloud of smoke cleared, she looked up from where she was shielding Lizzie and William to where Harry was silently laughing in a corner. “I thought I said to take it off the heat.” said Lily matter-of-factly. Lizzie shot a still chortling Harry who was now putting Acromantula venom in his cauldron, a dirty look before answering. “William messed it up!” “I didn’t! It was you!” “It was not me! You messed it up!” “Didn’t!” "Did!" "Didn't!" Lily raised her eyes to the ceiling and wished for patience. 30 April 1988 Potter Cottage, Godric’s Hollow Euphemia Potter looked up from the biscuit dough she was making towards the fireplace as the empty grate was lit up with green flames which flickered before revealing a seven-year-old child who stepped out gracefully. Harry’s face lit up in a smile when he noticed his grandmother. “Grandmama!” Euphemia went over to the boy and gave him a crushing hug. Euphemia Potter was a beautiful lady with red hair so dark that it looked almost brown with shades of grey and white in it. She had a shorter than average height and a thin build. Her warm smile and cheerful eyes always managed to cheer Harry up. “Harry! How are you dear? I haven’t seen you in ages. Haven't I told you that you and Elisa should come over every week?” “I know, grandmama,” Harry laughed. “You just don’t have the time for me anymore,” he sighed dramatically. Mia huffed. The flames flickered again revealing her granddaughter, Elisabeth. “Grandmama!” Euphemia, or Fee, let Harry go before hugging her granddaughter. “Elisa dear. I was just telling your brother that you both don’t come here often enough,” she sniffed. “You have no respect for your poor grandma!” Both kids laughed as the fireplace lit up again and William stepped out followed by James and Lily. Fee hugged her second grandson warmly before squeezing her only son and daughter-in-law. “Hello, Mum. Where’s Dad?” James added, looking around. Euphemia raised an eyebrow. “Where do you think?” Lily smiled sympathetically. “He’s at the Quidditch pitch?” Fee nodded. “He claims to want to make sure that the pitch is uhm, ready for you,” “Oh, can we go? Mum, please?” asked Lizzie, her hazel eyes, wide and hopeful. James perked up as well. “Can I go too?” Lily laughed. “Honestly, you are just as much a kid as them. Go. All three of you go while Fee and I have a dignified conversation,” William grimaced slightly and remained behind. He liked to fly, the thrill and the adrenaline was something he loved but he didn’t like to play Quidditch. All the rules made his head spin. He liked plain flying. The two kids and their father ran off towards the back door of the house and out into the back garden. After Voldemort had been defeated, Fee and Monty had moved out of Potter Manor to leave it for the new generation and had fixed up the house in Godric’s Hollow that had been blasted apart the day Voldemort came for them. The three-bedroom house was perfect for the elderly couple. William had never known the cottage to be anything other than what it was since he had been born after the events of Halloween 1981. The cottage had an open plan kitchen and dining room with a pantry to one side and the backyard door to the other. The front door opened into a warm and cosy living room where a wooden staircase led to the upper floors which boasted two bedrooms and one extra guest washroom. The last bedroom and powder room were at the end of the hallway on the ground floor. It was an hour later that Lily called everyone inside for dinner. “Wash your hands all of you. Hello, Monty.” She hugged her father-in-law. Fleamont, or ‘Monty’ Potter, was an elderly man with salt and pepper hair and tall height. He had a friendly face and a kind smile. He was one of Lily’s favourite people because of his cheerful and fun-loving personality. Euphemia had made steak and ale Pie along with a thick stew with minced Beef. The Potter family sat around the kitchen table and enjoyed the woman’s delicious cooking. William always loved eating food that she made. While he loved the food that Isabella, the kitchen house-elf and his mum made, there was something special about his grandmother’s cooking. After the dinner was done, they all congregated in the living room to eat biscuits and drink the tea that Euphemia offered. The wireless was playing the match between Falmouth Falcons and Appleby Arrows and Harry and Elisabeth were engrossed in the match. While Harry’s favourite team was Puddlemere United and Beth’s favourite team was Holyhead Harpies, Harry was supporting the Falcons, while Liz was supporting the Arrows. William played chess with his granddad, one of the few people other than Ron who could beat him. It made for a very lively and cheerful atmosphere. Euphemia turned to James. “I forgot to ask. When are Sirius and Marlene getting back from Croatia?” Sirius and Marlene had gone to Croatia with their team on behalf of the British Auror Department to check on the Dark activity there, which was claimed to be the work of Death Eaters that were not imprisoned after the war. “Marlene said they should be back by next week, but we don’t know for sure. You know how it is.” Indeed, Fee did know how unpredictable Auror schedules could be, since Monty had been an Auror. 16 May 1988 Guest Suite 4, Potter Manor Ginny looked around the room. Ron was playing chess with Victoria in a corner and judging by his facial expressions, she was giving him quite a challenge. Neville, Luna and Lizzie were experimenting with something they had stolen, ahem, borrowed from Harry's room. Ginny feared Harry would never get it back. William was reading a book in a corner though she was too far away to tell the title. Harry himself was..... coming towards her. "Hey," he said, throwing himself on the bed where she was sitting, making her bounce. She grinned mischievously and bounced once making the bed and him bounce too. His laughter was cut off by her mournful cry. "What is it?" he asked, sitting up. Ginny looked down at her lap where various pieces of the puzzle were now scattered. "I was solving this puzzle and the whole thing's ruined now. I shook the whole bed." She bit her lip. She had spent the last half hour trying to solve this puzzle and now she would have to start all over again. It was supposed to form a picture of Hogwarts, but judging by the clock, she wouldn't have enough time to finish it before Mrs Potter called them down for dinner. The Potters were holding a sleepover for the children's friends which included Neville and Victoria Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, and Ron and Ginevra Weasley. Harry, Lizzie and William had met Luna through the Weasleys and, at first, they weren't sure what to make of her. But, over time, they got used to her odd quirks and dreamy personality. The Potters tried harder to be her friend when they learnt that her mother, Pandora had been a friend of Uncle Sirius' in school. "This one's easy," said Harry pulling the base of the puzzle closer to him. "Here, I'll help you." Ginny gave a sweet smile. "Thank you, Harry." Fifteen minutes later, the two children sat back and observed their handiwork. The puzzle depicted the Hogwarts castle at night showing the lake and greenhouses as well. It looked absolutely gorgeous and Ginny couldn't wait until it would be her own turn to go to the best magic school in Europe. It was going to be Percy's first year at Hogwarts in September and Ginny felt sad that another brother would be gone. Then Fred and George would leave and then Ron as well. "We've done it, Ginevra," said Harry, pleased with himself. Ginny snapped her head up to look at him. "Don't call me that!" she said fiercely. Harry looked abashed. "Sorry. It's just that I searched up the meaning of the word 'Ginevra' and it means 'fair one'. I thought it suited you." He looked at her from under his fringe, gauging her reaction. Ginny bit her lip as she thought about it. She had never known what the meaning of her name was because her mother had not told her beyond that it was the Italian variation of King Arthur's wife, Guinevere. 'Fair one' sounded...nice. "It can also mean 'white shadow, white wave'." offered Harry tentatively. Ginny realized at that moment that she was lost whenever Harry rested those emerald green eyes on her. "Alright, you can call me that," Ginny decided. "But only you; no one else." Harry gave a cheeky smile. "Thank you, Ginevra." Before Ginny could respond, Mrs Potter knocked on the door before opening it. "Dinner's ready!" She shouted once before leaving. Ron and Victoria abandoned their game while Neville, Lizzie and Luna quickly hid whatever they had before Harry could get it. William placed his book on a shelf so that no one could accidentally ruin it. Ginny and Harry also got up and raced downstairs. Ginny was ahead of Harry and nimbly started down the stairs, sure she would get there before Harry when she suddenly heard a whoop. She didn't have to look back as Harry slid past her on the bannister. She narrowed her eyes and ran even faster down the stairs, almost tripping. After dinner, Ginny made her way back to the guest room they had been staying in. Luna was right next to her when she opened the door and was met with a.....pillow. She threw it off and saw Harry and Ron with pillows in their hands while Neville was gathering the cushions from the loveseat. Ginny darted forward and grabbed a cushion before Neville could. "Pillow fight!" 1 August 1988 Knightswoo d Primary School, Anniesland, Glasgow "Good morning students," said Miss Ashley. Harry liked her. She was kind and very fun. She also scolded the bullies in the class which not every teacher did. She was his maths and homeroom teacher. "We have a new student joining our class. I'll trust you all to make her feel welcome." Harry realized who the girl who was sitting next to him was. His friend, John was absent today so she had taken his place, he supposed. She had been here even before him and he was one of the punctual students of the class. "Why don't you tell us a bit about yourself?" asked Miss Ashley kindly. The new girl had brown bushy hair and large teeth. Her eyes, brown in colour, were darting around nervously before she raised her head high. "My name is Hermione Granger and I am eight years old. My parents are dentists and they opened a new surgery in Scotland so we moved here from Cambridge in England. I like to read books as a hobby." Miss Ashley moved on to teach that day's lesson and Harry was busy listening to her to pay any more attention to the new student. It wasn't until after they had been let out for recess that he introduced himself. "Merry meet," he said, holding out his hand. "My name's Harry. Harry Potter." Hermione looked at him with a confused expression before taking his hand in her own. "What did you say?" Harry raised an eyebrow, an expression he had seen his godfather do a lot. "I said 'merry meet'." "Right," she said slowly. "What does that mean exactly?" "It's a way of greeting." He explained patiently. He got this a lot. Hermione nodded though he could tell she was still a bit puzzled. "Hello, Harry Potter." she replied to his greeting. "I made a new friend today," announced Harry when he came home. "Oh?" asked Mum. "What's his name?" "Her," He emphasised her gender. "Name is Hermione Granger. She moved to Glasgow because her parents are dentists and they opened a surgery here," he said, repeating what she had told the class. 13 August 1988 Family Suite 2, Potter Manor Harry sat on his bed, trying to concentrate. His godfather had been trying to teach him Occlumency for three weeks now but not once was he able to get a hang of it. It was very frustrating especially when Uncle Siri said that the more frustrated he got, the more difficult it would be. "Close your eyes," instructed Uncle Siri. "Think about flying. You need to lose yourself in that feeling; apply your meditation skills. Imagine your mind as a place to store your memories in." "What do you mean?" asked Harry, confused. "Let me give you an example. If someone breaks into your mum's mind, they'll find a library with all the books as her memories. Now, you can add extra defences like making the books an illusion and put the memories behind them. Your dad's mind is like Potter Manor. The best memories are hidden behind the rooms he loves the most like the kitchen, the Quidditch Pitch and his bedroom, I suppose but these memories are everyday things that he loves. The important memories like secrets of the war are hidden behind multiple defences and in the securest room in the Manor." Harry cocked his head to the side. "Which is?" Sirius winked at Harry. "The training rooms." That was actually a lie; the most secure room was the panic room situated under the basement. It could be accessed via the top floor, the kitchen and the basement. But Harry didn't need to know that; Sirius only knew because he had been present when Potter Manor had been attacked during the war Harry took a deep breath and brought up the image of him flying. The sun shining on his face, the ground far beneath him, the wind whipping his robes and hair, the breath-taking speeds. Harry found himself landing gracefully on a white floor. Looking around, he noticed that there was white mist all around him. The ceiling couldn't be seen nor could the walls. Though he could see the floor, he couldn't tell what it was made of. He frowned thoughtfully before placing one foot forward. Nothing happened so he took another and another and was soon walking into the white mist. A few minutes in, he noticed something dark on the ground which looked very out of place in its white surroundings. He bent down and observed it closely. It was red and orange in colour and gave the feeling of comfort and warmth. He slowly reached out and picked it up before gasping in shock. He realized immediately that he was viewing a memory. In the foggy mist around him formed a hazy picture that slowly solidified. He recognized it as the Burrow and watched his first meeting with the Weasleys. As the memory faded from view, turning back into the blob it had been before, Harry noticed more and more blobs of different colours. He followed the trail and eventually reached a plain brown door. Looking around, he noticed another brown door on his left though whatever was inside was glowing brightly. Harry turned back to the door he was in front of, just now noticing the gold plaque on it. It read, in what he recognized as his own handwriting: Memories. He took a deep breath and placed his hand on the knob. It was time to face the music. 3 September 1988 Training Room, Potter Manor "Harry, what did you learn the last time?" asked James. "You taught us what Family Magic is," responded Harry. "About that, why aren't William and Lizzie here?" "They aren't here because today's lesson is meant only for the Heir of the Potter Family. Now, what is Family Magic?" "Family Magic is the result of the ambient magic that is collected from the wards of ancestral homes over hundreds of years," replied Harry, summarising what his father had told him. "The ambient magic collects itself and forms into what we know as Family Magic. Family Magic can be used to make powerful wards, evict someone from the House, reinstate someone, become the Heir or Lord of a house. Some special spells or rituals are limited to the Magic of the Family and can be harmful to those not in the Family." James gave him a pleased smile. "Correct, Harry. Now, every House and Family-" "What's the difference between a House and Family?" interrupted Harry. "You should have waited till I was done speaking," frowned James. Harry lowered his head in embarrassment. "Sorry, Dad." he said contritely. "It's alright, Harry. Now, the difference between Houses and Families. Houses are generally families which go back fifteen generations or more. Families are generally those who go back five to ten generations and are not as important or influential as the Houses. The Houses have generally a lot more influence than the Families because most of them have a seat in the Wizengamot and higher positions in power." Harry nodded in understanding. "We are a House, aren't we?" James nodded. "Yes, we are a House. The main reason that a House differs from a Family is Family Magic." "What do you mean?" "A Family does have Family Magic but it's mostly only spells or rituals that can only be performed by a Family member. However, the Family Magic of a House is a lot more complex and coveted. Rituals and spells are included in the Family grimoire as well and, if used, by an outsider, can harm them, but the main talent of Family Magic is a special ability that the members of the House excel in. The Blacks are famous for their talent in mind Magic. Most Malfoys are renowned for their skills in Healing. The Longbottoms have a natural connection with the natural magic of plants. Weasleys are gifted with talents in Potions brewing. The Greengrasses are good in warding. The Abbots used to be famous for empathic abilities, but we don't know how real those rumours are now. The Prewetts have always been fantastic in Defensive Magic while the Lestranges are rumoured to be the top in Offensive Magic." "What about the Potters?" asked Harry curiously, with a touch of excitement. James grinned and held out his hand, palm facing up. "The Potter Heirs are gifted with..." A small ball of flame appeared in his hands making Harry gasp. "Elementals," James finished. Harry had to make considerable effort to shut his jaw. "I can do this?" asked Harry, awe evident in his voice. "Yes, you can," confirmed James. "However, it's not going to be easy. Elementals are the main reason the Potter Family is held in high regard, though many people seem to have forgotten what the Potters specialize in." "Is that a good thing?" "It's a very good thing because it enables us to have the element of surprise. Elemental abilities is a very envied talent. " "Why are Lizzie and William not here?" asked Harry curiously. "Because Elementals are only gifted towards the Heir of the House," answered James. "While they might have a connection with any two of the elementals; they are going to be able to conjure flames, water, earth or air, but they can't call the spirits of the animals like we can." "Is it like this for every House?" James shook his head. "No, it's only the House of Potter that is like this. Elementals are different from normal Family Magic. It's probably because the first Elemental in the Potter Family was from the Potter side, not the Peverell and we don't know where Linfred of Stinchcombe descended from." Harry nodded to show that he understood, he remembered when he had memorized the Potter family tree. "I am going to check the amount of magical power you have in your core first." said James. "Why?" asked Harry. "We need to be able to judge your power so we can have an estimation of how many elementals you can call. It's different for every Potter. For example, I can call eight Elementals, three Earth, three Wind, one Fire and one Water. The most that has ever been recorded in the Potter Grimoire is seventeen." James proceeded to cast a spell on Harry. "Moles Magicae Revelare!" A transparent tube appeared in the air above Harry's head. It slowly filled up with different shades of colours in the order of the rainbow. James was aware that he was gaping at the tube but he couldn't stop himself. He could feel Harry staring at him but he didn't care. Harry was only eight; Harry's tube shouldn't have so many colours. Yet, the results were in front of him. Harry's tube went from red to pink with white at the very top. It was astonishing. While the colours of the magical core and aura were interrelated, the colours of this spell were different. In a magical core, each colour symbolized an aspect of the person's power or personality. However, in this spell, the more colours there were, the more powerful the person was. Even James hadn't reached white, even after maturing. James clapped his hands together. "Let's get started, shall we?" 23 December 1988 Potter Manor, Glasgow “Honestly, Harry! I told you to change ten minutes ago and here you are, still in your pyjamas! Go and change unless you want all your friends to see you the way you are?” Harry grinned at his mum and rushed past her up the elegant wooden stairs almost knocking into a fully dressed William who was going downstairs. He entered his bedroom and shut the door behind him. His room was big and artfully decorated in shades of dark green. Some people might think that his room looked too Slytherin but Harry had always liked the cool and slightly dim atmosphere of his room compared to Lizzie’s bright red and golden room and William's bright yellow room. His room was divided into two parts: the bed chamber and the private sitting room. The sitting room had a dark grey couch close to the middle of the room. Along the wall directly across the room’s entrance was the large window with a reclining chair in front of it where he loved to curl up and read fiction. On the right were a fireplace and the Muggle TV above it with another dark green armchair next to the hearth. In the middle of the room was a white and black striped shaggy rug with a round coffee table in the middle. Only the right and left walls were painted dark green while the others were white. On the same wall as the entrance, on its left, was a brown dark oak bookshelf filled with Harry’s favourites. Behind the couch were the double white wood and glass doors along with the white curtains that led to Harry's bedchambers. Harry walked across the sitting room and into his bed-chamber. Lizzie had chosen carpeting for her bedroom, same as William but Harry chose hardwood flooring. The wall with the door and the one opposite it were painted dark green. Pushed against the opposite wall was a mahogany four-poster bed with dark green silk sheets. On each mahogany side table was a white lamp so that Harry could read while in bed. Above the bed was a wooden shelf which held a potted plant from Neville, a sudoku puzzle from Hermione, his first-ever Chocolate Frog which his mum still had somehow, a framed photo of his whole family including Remus, Sirius, Marlene and the Longbottoms and another photo of him, Lizzie and William, and finally a picture of the Potter crest. In front of the bed was a white leather bench. Underneath the bed was a white soft shaggy rug (It was positioned to cover more area of the room than only the bed). On the right side were the large windows that doubled as a sliding door leading into the balcony. It was a large balcony, overlooking the Manor grounds. There was an egg chair in one corner and two garden chairs and a table on the other. There were also various plants scattered around, courtesy of Wolpert (gardening house-elf) and his mother. On the left of the entrance was a fireplace with a hanging chair on its left and a plant Neville had given him on his birthday on the right near the door. In front of the fireplace were a green love seat and a small round table on the love seat’s left. On the same wall as the entrance, on the far right, was a mahogany desk with a small shelf attached. Harry crossed the length of his room and, through his washroom, entered his closet. The door to the en-suite washroom which also led to the walk-in closet was on the far left of the room. His washroom had its own tub and shower. Inside the walk-in closet were shelves on the right side and poles for hanging clothes on the left side. Opposite the door was a large mirror with drawers and cabinets for each side. Next to them was a large floor to ceiling shelf for shoes. In the middle of the room was a white circle bench. The walls of the en-suite were painted dark green and white on opposite walls. “Mira!” he called out and a second later, a female house-elf appeared with a crack. She was wearing a black and white maid’s uniform with the Potter Crest and Motto(Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat [Fortune Favours the Brave] ) on it. “Yes, Master Harry,” she asked. Mira was his own personal house-elf as well as a dear friend. “It’s Just Harry, Mira.” grinned Harry who knew how she would respond. It was kind of a running joke between them. “Alright then, Just Harry, what is it?” “Please help me pick out clothes!” he groaned dramatically. “Mum just told me to change but what do I wear? Because I know whatever I choose, Mum will make me change again!” Mira chuckled slightly at his dramatics. “Oh, Harry. Let me help you,” Mira choose a light grey sweater and blue jeans for him with a black robe with green lining that complimented his eyes. Harry thanked her before rushing to take a shower. After coming back, he quickly attacked his messy hair with a comb for all the worth it was before giving it up as a bad job and exiting the washroom. His room, he thankfully always kept clean so now, he had nothing else to do except go downstairs. It was the 23rd of December or more specifically, Yule which was also known as William's favourite holiday in their house. Harry, himself, preferred Samhain while Lizzie's favourite holiday was Lughnasa because she absolutely loved corn dollies. Harry liked Samhain because it was the best time to talk to the ancestors. Harry didn't have any dead family that he would have liked to particularly talk to but it was nice to sit by the fire. The Longbottoms were going to come to their Manor to celebrate Samhain with their annual festival, which was held at the Longbottoms last year. Thus, it was the Potters turn this year. Along with the Longbottoms, other families like the Malfoys, Blacks (It was only Sirius who would have been invited whether he would have been a Black or not) and the Greengrasses. Harry had wanted the Weasleys to come as well but his father had told him that they weren't traditional and instead celebrated Halloween. It didn't help matters that Ron thought that celebrating traditional holidays like Samhain and Yule instead of Halloween and Christmas was crazy. 23 May 1989 Kitchen, Potter Manor "No, Master Harry, you only had to add one tablespoon of sugar," said Isabella, their kitchen house-elf, exasperatedly. Harry couldn't stop his grin from forming even though he felt the disappointment inside him that he had once again messed up. "Sorry, Isabella." said Harry mournfully. Isabella waved her hand, vanishing the ingredients from the bowl. "Start again. This time, only one tablespoon!" She walked away muttering things under her breath like 'troublemakers and their puppy dog eyes' and 'should have said no when he came'. Harry had seen Mum cook Dad's favourite food on his birthday and ever since then Harry had been curious about cooking. He wanted to try to cook himself so, like the genius he was, he didn't tell anyone and sneaked into the kitchen one evening to try to make one of the recipes from Mum's cookery book. After all, how hard could it be? Well, he learnt that lesson well. After several long lectures, his mother had agreed to let him learn to bake (since she declared him incompetent to cook until he was older), but only under the tutelage of their house-elf, Isabella. An hour, several spills and a flour-covered counter later, Harry could proudly say that the chocolate brownies inside the oven had been made by yours truly. 21 August 1989 Braveheart Fencing and Archery, Glasgow Since the Potters were not only of high ranking in the wizarding world but also in the Muggle world, it was decided by James and Lily for their children to learn what every noble child had to learn growing up. Mainly horse riding, fencing, archery and ballroom dancing. Since Harry knew how to ride a horse and dance, it was time for him to learn archery and fencing too. The reason Harry hadn't learnt archery and fencing before was that the minimum age was nine years old. This was also the reason that Lizzie and William weren't learning yet (that didn't stop them from being horribly jealous). ---------------------------- ---------------------------------------- "Stretch it tighter, Harry." instructed the teacher, John Carls. Harry did as asked. He focused on the target in front of him. Archery was a lot difficult than he had thought but he had never been known for giving up. He would go through this and learn archery! Harry fitted an arrow in the groove on the bow and stretched his arm far back. He let it go and watched as his arrow landed close to the target but nowhere on it. He sighed in disappointment. "Try again!" encouraged Mr Carls. "Don't be discouraged!" ---------------------------- ---------------------------------------- - Harry picked up the fencing starting sword. It was heavier than he expected. It was only a beginner's blade and he dreaded to think what a real fencing sword would weigh. "Everyone come here!" called Miss Miles. "Form a line in front of me!" Harry glanced to where his mother was sitting in the spectator's area. Dad had wanted to come as well but an emergency in the Auror office had stopped him from coming. However, he did promise to come to the next one. His siblings weren't going to come because they thought it would be horribly boring but they changed their mind when they found out that they would have to learn it too in a few years. After all, it would be better to already know what they were getting into. William and Lizzie waved at him from beside Mum. Harry waved back. Mum smiled encouragingly at him and Harry smiled weakly back before moving to stand somewhere in the middle of the line. 2 September 1990 Training rooms, Potter Manor "It's a swish a flick, Harry, not a jab." said James. Like all pureblood families, James had decided to start teaching Harry magic a year early. James was aware that it was unfair for the Muggle-borns but James had no intention to not follow tradition. Besides, it wasn't as if he would be teaching Harry all the first year syllabus, just a few of the beginner lessons in all subjects. It would help Harry have a positive image early on. While James had never been very political, even he could see the benefit of having allies. Ideally, Lily was probably the best candidate to teach Harry Charms since she had a Mastery in the subject (he had a Mastery in Transfiguration and Defence Against the Dark Arts). William and Lizzie had snuck into her Potions lab and accidentally tipped over a cauldron of experimental potion. She was now too busy cleaning up that mess and fixing William and Lizzie up to teach Harry Charms. Thus, the job fell to him. Harry still didn't have a wand, instead, he was using the wand of one of his ancestors. His father had taken him to the family vault in Gringotts to find a wand that best matched him. Harry had felt a warm feeling come from the wand of one Alexis Potter. "Wingardium Leviosa!" Harry did the requested wand motion but the feather refused to move. Harry resisted the urge to stomp his foot in frustration. That would just make him look like a five-year-old child and he definitely didn't want his father thinking of him like that. "Try again!" instructed James. Almost half an hour later, Harry watched as his feather zoomed upwards and embedded itself in the ceiling. He sighed, ignoring his father who was struggling not to laugh. Now, he had to figure out how to get the feather down. Author's Notes: I am sorry if I have offended anyone by getting any aspect of the traditional holidays wrong. I don't follow these holidays and thus, everything I have written comes from the internet and my beta. If I have written something wrong, then forgive me because it was not my intention. Ginny's name: In Arthurian Legend Baby Names the meaning of the name Ginevra is: Fair one. Guinevere was King Arthur's mythological queen. Another definition is: The name Ginevra is a girl's name of Italian origin meaning "white shadow, white wave". List of House-elves: 1. Isabella (Kitchen and Cooking) 2. Wolpert (Groundskeeper) 3. Filbert (James’ house-elf) 4. Minley (Lily’s house-elf) 5. Mira (Harry’s house-elf) 6. Robby (Lizzie’s house-elf) 7. Freema (Euphemia’s house-elf) 8. Loopy (Fleamont’s house-elf) 9. Trishy (Cleaning) 10. Slinky (Cleaning) |
| Reviews 29 |
Previous Next
|
