#its working but also please just be normal. gwen much rather your serious but soft demeanor you had Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[cestacruz]

AU doodles

This was the original reason why i drew league girls in those poses btw

[dgcakes]

A Different Hogwarts & The Sorcerer’s Stone - CH3

A Harry Potter Au Fic

AO3 | Tag

Warning: This is a completely self-indulgent fic because I have some serious problems with some adults in this series and how things are run. This series is heavily based around an OC and rewritten by how she changes things with her presence and actions. This is entirely for fun on my part, so probably shouldn’t be taken too seriously.

Sometimes this au uses bits or quotes directly from the books for effect, but I'm going to try not to overdo that.

Summary: Young Harry Potter ends up taken from his horrible home and introduced to a world of magic and wonder Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Meanwhile, a young woman has been working to try and bring reforms to the school and positive change for the wizarding world’s youth. Their paths collide as Hogwarts, and the world itself, are changed because of it.

Chapter Three - A Hug and a History Lesson

Harry followed along with Miss Prills out of the house, sort of in a daze. When he’d been younger he’d hoped for a long lost relative to come and take him away from this, and he’d always thought strangers had recognized him, but having a stranger actually show up and lay out the Dursleys for how they treated him was all...very hard to believe. Yet here he was, following this strange little woman out of the Dursley’s house.

“I’m sorry this is all so sudden, Harry. You probably have a lot of questions.” she gave him a smile as they headed down Privet Drive to where a very sensible little blue car was parked.

“Er - yes. What’s going on?” he finally said. Hurriedly, he added, “I mean, I know the Dursleys are in trouble and this has to do with me going to school but I didn’t think Stonewall High really-”

Miss Prills stopped and gave a soft little laugh, turning to pat his shoulder, “You’re right, that’s very confusing. I think it might help if I gave you your letter.” she handed him an envelope with green ink and a very official seal.

He stared at the letter, which had been addressed to him in his cupboard, and held it to his chest like it was precious. No one had ever written to him before either. He held the envelope out again to just read over his name on it over and over again, just to be sure.

Miss Prills opened the passenger’s side door and gave Harry a little nudge. “You can read it in the car. I have a few things to tell you while we drive.”

Harry, who’d never been allowed to sit in the front seat of a car, always squished in the back with Dudley, climbed in quickly before Miss Prills changed her mind or something. He buckled up and held his letter tightly, looking around her car in awe. It was clean but didn’t feel as new and obsessively kept like the Dursleys’ car, and Miss Prills certainly didn’t seem like she thought Harry would damage her vehicle just by his presence. Instead, she just got in the driver’s side, made sure his buckle was done before she did her own, and started driving.

After a few moments, Harry dared ask a question, very hesitantly as the Dursleys really didn’t want him to ask questions ever. “Where are we going?”

“We need to meet up with a friend of mine and head to London - he’s going to take you to buy your things for school.” Miss Prills at the very least, didn’t snap at him for asking.

“Oh. Why?” he rather wondered why her friend would want to take him shopping at all, let alone why people were bothering for him.

Miss Prills sighed softly, “To tell you the truth, because he’s supposed to have been the one picking you up to begin with, but I felt it unwise to let him. He’s a very caring person and he’s got a temper when it comes to certain matters, particularly how people he cares for are treated. And I rather think if he’d had to get you from the Dursleys, things would have gone very...badly.”

He was growing bolder and his curiosity was piqued now, “But why me? What’s so special about me? I’m just-”

Miss Prills, who had stopped at a light, glanced to him, “Harry, no one should ever be in a home like that or treated the way you were. But not everyone has the power to change that, and unfortunately, there really are special circumstances that required you staying with the Dursleys, whether I agree with that or not. But now that you’re eleven, some of those circumstances are changing.”

It didn’t fully answer his question, but the light had changed so she had to focus on driving again. Harry sat back against his seat, watching the road pass. This car never seemed to get stopped in traffic jams or follow proper streets all of the time. He once thought they were squeezing between cars, but that couldn’t be the case, could it?

It wasn’t till they made it out onto an empty road again that Miss Prills returned to what she was saying, “You’re wrong, by the way. You aren’t just anybody, and there is something special about you.”

Harry blinked. “Really?”

“Yes. It has to do with you, and your parents, and well...a lot of things.” Miss Prills kept her eyes on the road but seemed to at least be set on what she was talking about. “What did the Dursleys tell you about your parents?”

He looked at his lap. “Not much. They said they were weirdos and that they died in a car crash. I don’t really remember it though. I was a baby.”

“You don’t remember it because there wasn’t a car crash.” Miss Prills told him. Seemingly changing the subject, “Have you ever had strange things happen to you? Inexplicable things when you were upset or angry? Things that logically shouldn’t be able to happen? Probably things your Aunt and Uncle punished you for, even for seemingly no reason?”

Harry thought back to all sorts of things the Dursleys had inexplicably blamed on him.

Miss Prills smiled over at him, “I heard a few tales when I was looking into your situation. Something about setting a python free at the zoo, things about climbing school buildings and turning a teacher’s wig blue somehow?” she brought those stories up with an almost singsong tone.

Harry blushed, “I didn’t - I didn’t mean to do any of those things, and how could I have done them anyway?”

“Because you’re a wizard.”

Harry froze and turned to her with wide eyes, but Miss Prills had her eyes on the road again. “I’m a - a what?”

“A wizard. It’s a term for people who can do magic a particular way.” this information seemed so normal to her, and suddenly the fact the car they were in seemed to be able to just pass over ditches as if they weren’t there or squeeze between buildings almost made sense.

“Are you a wizard too?”

“Actually, I’m a witch, but it’s ostensibly the same thing. Different term, same thing.” Miss Prills was watching for signs now and looking at something as they drove.

Harry was silent, pondering, till at last he thought of another question. “Does that mean- you said this involved my parents too. Were they?”

“Yes. Your parents were a witch and a wizard. It’s why your Aunt and Uncle call them ‘weirdos’ and dislike them so much.” Miss Prills pursed her lips, though it looked less lipless and tight when she did it than when Aunt Petunia did. “The Dursleys are what we call ‘muggles’. They’re non-magic folk. Generally, muggles aren’t supposed to know about the wizarding world, but those who do, for whatever reason, have various reactions. Your mother’s family was entirely muggles and while her parents were pleased, I understand, your Aunt clearly was not.”

“Is that what Uncle Vernon meant, when he said they wanted to-when he said they were going to ‘stamp it out’ of me?” he had wondered what ‘it’ had been referring to.

“Essentially. They had some ludicrous idea about trying to mistreat you into not being what you are, which is awful to do to someone for any reason, but also just not how the world works. Unfortunately that’s just the kind of people they are - don’t like anything different.” Miss Prills seemed to have spotted where she wanted to go because she took a turn down a bend towards what looked like an inn.

Harry glanced at his letter again, “So this is…?”

“Well, open it and find out. You’ve waited long enough, haven’t you?” Miss Prills smiled again.

Feeling like he now had permission and with the tantalizing idea of just what could be in this letter, Harry finally tore into it. Inside he found two pieces of parchment and read out the first, a letter, the second being a list.

“Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.” Harry read aloud, just going over the name of it even in awe. He looked over the letter, mouth agape, but then he stopped. “What does it mean they await my owl?”

“Ah, don’t worry about that. That means they’re awaiting your response to say if you’re attending or not - wizards send post by Owl. I sent yours this morning.” she gave a knowing smile, “I was rather confident I’d be able to get the Dursleys to let me take you, and I was right.”

Harry smiled back and turned back to his letter. That sounded unbelievable and yet wonderful - owls delivering post? What next. He scanned over the parchment again, taking in this whole amazing situation. It was so strange but he couldn’t help but want it to be real, and every time he read that letter it made it feel more so. He was still reading and rereading it when Miss Prills parked the car.

“And here’s Hagrid.” she said excitedly. “Come on Harry, I’ll introduce you. I have to adjust the back of the car after anyway, and he’s going to be eager to see you.”

Harry looked up from the letter to see the inn before him and what he’d thought was just a shadow on the building was actually a massive man. He was huge and hairy, in a thick moleskin overcoat and looking that way eagerly.

Miss Prills went over to let Harry out, walking him over towards this man, waving towards him. “Hello Hagrid.”

“Oy, Gwen, issat him?” this giant of a man seemed to barely be containing his excitement.

“Its him.” she agreed, stepping up close to him. “Harry Potter, meet Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts.”

Hagrid’s beetle black eyes, barely visible in his mass of hair and beard, were crinkled up into a fond smile as he looked at Harry. “Las’ time I saw you, you was only a baby.” he was almost choked up saying it, “Yeh look a lot like your dad, but yeh’ve got yer mum’s eyes.”

“Did you know my mum and dad?” Harry stared up at Hagrid. It was hard to be frightened of him, even with his size, because Hagrid just seemed so genuinely happy just to see him, and there was something kind in his eyes and the way he spoke that made him easy to trust. And Harry so wanted to trust him, and wanted to trust someone had known his parents and actually liked them.

“‘Course I knew yer parents. Knew em when they were at Hogwarts, and after.” Hagrid said. “Anyway, Harry, a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here too - Don’t worry, Gwenny, I didn’t sit on it, I promise.” he’d caught a slightly worried look on Miss Prills’ face.

From his massive overcoat, Hagrid drew a box. It wasn’t in perfect condition, the edges were a little wrinkled but it was otherwise new looking. Harry took the box and opened it, finding inside a birthday cake. It was chocolate covered with green iced lettering, and he could feel his eyes welling up a bit. Today was definitely one of the strangest birthdays he’d ever had, but one of the nicest too.

Miss Prills quickly took the box from him, her other hand steadying his shoulder. “Here, I’ll hold that for you.” she said and stepped back so Harry could run forward and give Hagrid a hug.

Hagrid was massive and he leaned down to hug Harry with big arms and scratchy whiskers and for a moment, Harry almost remembered a dream he’d had of a whiskery kiss on his head after flying on a motorbike. It was one of the first real hugs he’d ever had, and one of the warmest and nicest feelings ever.

Miss Prills gave Harry back his cake after the hug, a reassurance that yes, it was still his, and went to go adjust something in the back of her car. Hagrid looked down at him with that same sort of fond smile.

“All ready for yer school shopping, Harry? Excited to go to Hogwarts?” he was absolutely beaming.

“I don’t know.” Harry admitted, “I’ve only just heard of it.”

Hagrid looked shocked, looking up to Miss Prills and gaping. “Only just? Blimey.”

“I’m sorry, Hagrid, I really did only just get to telling him about things. I only got to start on the drive over here, I needed to deal with the muggles before that.” Miss Prills returned ot them. “I adjusted the back, it should be ok for you now.”

“You mean he doesn’t know nothin’ about anything?” Hagrid sounded shocked,

Harry was looking a little put off by that but Miss Prills responded first. It seemed she at least caught where his train of thought was going.

“He knows things, just more mundane eleven year old things, Hagrid. Just like most students raised by muggles.” she said gently, holding the door for the car for Hagrid to get in.

It seemed absurd to watch this giant try to squeeze himself into Miss Prills’ tiny car but somehow, not only did he manage, he seemed to fit just fine in the back seat like it was normal. She let Harry back in next, helping get sat down again and letting him hold his cake box in his lap again once he was buckled.

“But yer saying he doesn’t-none of it?” Hagrid took a heavy breath and seemed upset. “When yeh said I wouldn’t like how things were - did they really tell him nothing about our world?”

Miss Prills took her seat in the front and glanced back to Hagrid. “Unfortunately, they are exceptionally against our sort, and they’re very unkind people in general. Its why I insisted I go get him. They didn’t tell him about anything, not even about his parents, and were rather against him learning of it.” she gave a smile across at Harry then, “Anyway, Harry’s been taking things well so far, haven’t you, Harry?”

Harry smiled back. He liked not feeling like he was unwanted or his questions unwelcome.

Hagrid still seemed flabbergasted by what he was learning, and it was starting to become clear what Miss Prills had meant about how much the Dursleys would upset him. “Not even about his parents? But they’re famous! He’s famous!”

Miss Prills shot the briefest looks back at Hagrid before returning her eyes to the road again. “Not to muggles, they aren’t. And his Aunt and Uncle would probably prefer to keep it that way.” she made a briefly disgusted face then shook her head.

“Wait - they were famous? For what?” Harry looked to Miss Prills, and back at Hagrid. At least Hagrid was so big it wasn’t hard to see them both at once.

Burying his face in his hands, Hagrid shook his head. “He doesn’t know, he doesn’t know.”

“Well that’s why we’ve got to tell him.” Miss Prills assured him. She glanced over at Harry out of the corner of her eye and gave Hagrid time to get his bearings. “Harry,  we’re not going to be able to tell you everything - some of it, most people don’t even know - but we’ll tell you what we do. About what happened, about why you and your family are famous, and about what happened to your parents.”

This really didn’t feel like a discussion one usually had in a small blue car, with a giant stuffed in the back and a cake in his lap, driving through areas at a that it didn’t quite make sense to be driving between. And yet here he was, in this surreal situation, learning about why he was famous for something he couldn’t even remember, from two of the first people who’d been genuinely kind to him in a long time. Being a wizard was already very strange. He looked to Miss Prills, eagerly awaiting the story.

“It starts about twenty years ago with a wizard. Everyone in our World knows his name, but no one dares even speak it.” Miss Prills explained.

“Why not?”

“Because it’s terrifying. People are still scared of him, even now, and of what he could do. My mother said there used to be rumors if you said his name, he’d know you were listening even.” Miss Prills shook her head. “He was an absolutely evil wizard.”

Hagrid nodded, “He was as bad as you can go. Worse. Worse than worse.”

Harry looked at them both, “What was his name then?” he asked.

The two exchanged a brief look and Miss Prills pulled over to the side of the road to turn fully to Harry. He almost expected her to yell at him.

“Sorry, I don’t want to get jittery if one of us says it and swerve.” she told him then took a deep breath. “Ok, Harry, I am going to say this exactly once, then we’d rather not repeat it, ok?”

Hagrid braced himself in the back of the car, and Harry looked at her, eyes wide and eager.

“His name was Voldemort.” she shuddered immediately, and looked like she’d swallowed a particularly gross bug.

After a moment to calm herself, Miss Prills turned back and took them back onto the road. “Anyway, so this guy, You-Know- Who, twenty years ago he started trying to get power, and he was getting tons of it. He was also looking for followers, and well-”

“He got ‘em.” Hagrid finished, “Some were afraid, some wanted a bit o’ his power-”

“And some were even bewitched. It was a really horrible time.” Miss Prills continued. “He was trying to take over, do all sorts of awful things, nobody knew who to trust and most places weren’t safe. The only place a lot of people felt could ever be safe from him was Hogwarts.”

“Why Hogwarts?” Harry blinked. Seemed strange for a school to scare off a terrifying dark wizard.

“Dumbledore was the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of.” Hagrid answered. There was a bit of fear but also a bit of pride there. “Great man, Dumbledore.”

“Your parents were pretty good wizards - they were the Head Boy and Girl back when we were at Hogwarts, actually.” Miss Prills gave a fond smile, “They were also very good people. Very close to Dumbledore and very against You-Know- Who and anything to do with the dark side.”

She looked like she was considering an awkward statement, which was funny to see from the side. “Essentially, no one actually knows why he decided to do what he did, in the end. But Halloween night, ten years ago, You-Know-Who showed up at your family’s home and-”

The sentence was cut off by Hagrid pulling out a large spotted handkerchief and blowing his nose, which sounded like a foghorn.

Miss Prills spoke low, to give him a moment. “That night, You-Know-Who killed your parents. It was very tragic, as they were wonderful people-”

“Nicer people yeh couldn’t find,” Hagrid agreed, clearly still very misty-eyed.

MIss Prills just nodded, keeping her eyes on the road but clearly a little down by that anyway, “It was extremely tragic.” she agreed.

“So...what happened after that?” Harry looked at her, a little worried about where this was going. Why did this make him and his family famous? For them dying?

Miss Prills gave another brief glance over and then said, “Because after he went for your parents, evil guy that he was, he went for you next. But for whatever reason, he couldn’t kill you. He’d killed many amazing witches and wizards, mercilessly, easily. And somehow, a one year old managed to stop him, and survive what had killed all these others with only a scar. That night is also when You-Know-Who vanished.”

Harry reached up and felt his scar, looking bewildered. He was remembering something he hadn’t before, a high, cold, cruel laugh that went along with the blinding flash of green he’d seen before in his dreams.

“That’s why you’re famous.” Miss Prills said firmly, “Only a baby and you survived what killed your parents, destroyed your house, and did the same to so many others. You survived, and you seemingly took him down in the process. No one’s sure if he died that night or what.”

“Codswallop.” Hagrid now said, “Don’t think he had enough human left in him to die.”

Miss Prills sniffed in agreement, “Well whatever it was, he was gone. He may still be out there, but starting then, the reign of terror he’d had was over, and people who’d been following him came back to our side. Some waking up out of trances, others...because they realized the times were changing and they just didn’t want to face it. And times did change - You-Know-Who was gone, and for the first time in forever we were free...and it was all because of you. Whatever happened, something about you stopped him and now you’re famous.”

Harry sank back in his seat, looking down at the box in his lap and the letter he was still holding. This still all felt surreal but now there was bad along with the dreamy good parts. And despite what they were saying, and what Miss Prills presented about him having magic, he still felt out of place and like he wouldn’t be able to do this.

She gave Harry a soft, sympathetic glance, “It’s going to be a little weird for a while.” She took a hand off the wheel for just a moment to reach out and touch his shoulder, then went back to driving.

With his attention on the road again and not the story, he could see they were actually starting to reach London. So fast and through such strange roads and non-roads, he hadn’t even noticed, but it really did look like they were reaching the city. Maybe that was part of what was helping him still believe that this whole magic business could be real. Something about this trip that made it all very clearly as magical as he was being told he was.

Harry looked back at his letter to distract himself, and took out the second piece of parchment from the envelope, the list of supplies. He read over it, brows furrowing at the odd and interesting stuff wizards apparently needed for school. Then another thought hit him and he looked up again.

“But - how am I to get these things? I haven’t any money, and the Dursleys won’t-”

“Your parents had a bank account, Harry. They left plenty to you, it’ll be alright.”  Miss Prills assured him. “Hagrid has the key to your account even and he’ll take you to get your money out. You had something to do at Gringott’s anyway, right Hagrid?”

“Yeh, special job. Fer Dumbledore. Top secret.” he agreed, puffing out his chest proudly.

Miss Prills gave a knowing smile, “I have a few stops to make myself, actually, while you both do all that. I think you’ll have a very interesting time at the bank, Harry.”

“Wizards have banks then?”

“Just the one.~” Miss Prills hummed and let Hagrid excitedly explain to Harry all about Gringotts and the things kept there to help the goblins guard it - like dragons. He always loved to talk about his dragons, and he really was the best person to tell Harry about such things.