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batsutousaiTitle: Playing Favourites
Chapter Title: Helpless
Added Pairings & Warnings: None
A/N: As you can see, the top bit is quite different from my usual. It takes up less space this way. I started using it on a fic which is, currently, only up on Fiction Alley. Decided I liked it. Think I'll continue it for this fic and that one on FA. *sweat*
Basically, I'll only add to this if there's something new in that chapter - whether it be chapter specific or for the rest of the fic.
For those of you who've been asking about Ron, he's in here.
Helpless
The first thing Harry did on his birthday - after making breakfast for his relatives - was take a trip on the Knight Bus to Diagon Alley - the Wizarding shopping centre in London.
Harry's first stop was Flourish and Blotts, where he spent almost fifty galleons on books with some of the more difficult spells in them and on two books about magical talents. He'd looked for a book on Angels, but hadn't found any, as expected. After paying, he shrunk his books and shoved them into a pocket of his jeans.
A touch discouraged, Harry wandered through Diagon Alley aimlessly. His meanderings brought him to Ollivanders, the best wand shop in Diagon Alley. Feeling like it was the thing to do, Harry stepped into the shop.
'Hello again, Mr Potter. Holly, unicorn hair, ten inches, if I'm not mistaken.'
Harry nearly jumped out of his skin when Ollivander appeared before him. It wouldn't surprise him if the old man could Apparate silently. 'Hullo, Mr Ollivander,' he allowed with a helpless smile.
Ollivander stared at him for a long moment before turning. 'Follow me.'
Harry quietly followed the strange old man back to a cluttered office. There, Ollivander pulled a book off a shelf and held it out to Harry. 'What is it?' Harry asked, not taking the book.
Ollivander offered Harry a knowing smile. 'You won't find any books on our kind for sale, Mr Potter. Take it.'
Harry took the book, eyeing Ollivander curiously. 'How can you tell?'
'Repeat after me; Revealio Aurae.'
'Revealio Aurae,' Harry said, then gasped.
Everything in the room had lit up with light. Ollivander himself outshone everything else in the room and the outline of silver wings arched out behind him. Harry glanced over his shoulder and found the gold outline of his own wings coming from his back.
'That's an Angelic Spell. Only Angels and Demons can see the light shadow of your wings. If a human casts the spell, all they'll see are the natural auras that surround all living things,' Ollivander explained.
'Wow...' Harry whispered, enjoying the new gift. He was rather glad he'd gotten the book he saw on auras in the bookstore. He'd have to teach Hermione and Neville the spell, too. They'd love it!
'Finite will end it,' Ollivander ended, smiling at the young Angel's excitement. 'I'm actually surprised Albus gifted you.'
'Huh?' Harry stopped looking around the shop to stare at Ollivander with wide eyes. 'Albus gifted me with this?'
'Yes. Gold wings are his mark,' Ollivander explained.
Harry nodded in understanding. 'Why are you surprised?'
'The last human he gifted fell to Hell after a few years. But that one had been a bit greedy from the start...' Ollivander shrugged. 'You'll be fine, I think, as long as Albus doesn't push you. I'll have to remind him.'
'Wait, remind him?'
'He's had his eye on you since James and Lily died. I told him after the first time I met you that he couldn't push you or you'd end up the same,' Ollivander explained. 'He needs reminding from time-to-time.'
There was the sudden tinkling of a bell and Harry knew he needed to leave. 'Thank you, Mr Ollivander. For all your help.'
Ollivander inclined his head with a faint smile. 'Drop by any time. And keep the book - I have another copy somewhere.'
Harry allowed Ollivander to lead him back up to the front of the shop, where a young girl stood with a woman who looked to be her mother. Harry slipped out the door with a smile as Ollivander started reciting the woman's wand.
§¤§
The afternoon of August fifth found Harry back in Diagon Alley - this time to wait for his two friends, though he was a bit early. He was enjoying a sundae at his favourite shop - Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.
'If it isn't baby Potty,' a voice called mockingly.
Harry rolled his eyes. 'Sod off, Weasel.'
Ronald Weasley, instead of leaving, leaned over the back of Harry's chair with a cruel smile. 'Make me.'
Harry turned and pressed his wand to the annoying redhead's throat, eyes hard. 'I've hit my majority, Weasel. If I were you, I'd take a hint and leave,' he threatened. Harry liked Ronald's twin brothers, Fred and George, and he didn't mind the only Weasley girl, Ginny, but Ronald had always made a point of picking on Harry, no matter what his elder brothers said.
'I'm shaking in my trainers,' Weasley assured Harry mockingly.
Harry twitched his wand and sent the other boy backwards into the street with barely a thought. Then he returned to his ice cream, as if nothing had happened.
'I'll get you, Potty!' Weasley shouted before stalking off.
'Oh, Harry, that was wonderful!' a female voice called out just before a girl with too much hair threw herself at Harry's back.
Harry felt himself blushing even as he smiled. 'Hey, Mi.'
'So you hit majority, huh?' a boy with sandy hair inquired with a kind smile as he took a seat at the table.
Seeing his friends again assured Harry that he'd made the right decision when Albus asked him to come up to Heaven. 'Yeah,' he replied to Neville's question. 'It hit on my birthday.'
'Well, good,' Hermione stated, falling into the chair on Harry's other side. 'You deserve more magic.'
Harry shoved another spoonful of ice cream into his mouth to save him from responding to that.
'You've gone and embarrassed him again, Mi,' Neville joked with a big smile.
'So are you, Nev,' Hermione shot back, her smile matching Neville's.
'Okay! Okay!' Harry gave his friends dark looks, which didn't do much, seeing as how he was still blushing brightly. 'Let's go buy our stuff.'
Hermione and Neville took Harry's hands and cheerfully pulled him from his seat and away towards the bookstore.
§¤§
'I've heard an interesting rumour, Potty.'
'That's nothing new, you little rat,' Neville said in defense of Harry. 'You tend to hear a lot of rumours in the sewers where you live.'
'I don't think I was talking to you, Longbottom,' Draco Malfoy shot back, stepping forward to get in Neville's face. Neville pulled out his wand and pointed it at Malfoy's chest.
'What's this rumour, Malfoy?' Harry slipped in, trying to avoid a fight. He tugged on Neville's sleeve gently, Hermione doing the same on Neville's other side.
'That you might be able to actually duel now,' Malfoy replied with a nasty smirk, his attention on Harry as Hermione forced Neville to lower his wand. 'Let's test this rumour, shall we?'
'Harry!' Hermione and Neville shouted as Malfoy turned his wand on Harry, a wordless curse shooting from the end of the boy's ash wand in a sparkle of orange.
Harry, not really thinking, slashed his hand through the curse, ending it with a thought - an ability that came with his Angelic powers, which he'd found in the book from Ollivander. It wasn't the sort of thing a human could get away with. He blinked at Malfoy, who looked like he might piss himself, and mumbled, 'Sod off, Malfoy.'
Malfoy fled.
Hermione and Neville both hurried up to check Harry over, looking for any wounds or issues that might have arisen because of the unknown curse he'd stopped, but Harry waved their hands away, feeling a blush heating his face. 'I'm fine. Really. Please don't cause a scene.'
Hermione and Neville traded looks, then nodded and hurried Harry away from the main thoroughfare. Once out of the way, Hermione gave Harry a suspicious look. 'What was that spell you used? I've never read about anything like it before.'
Not for the first time, Harry cursed having a best friend who read everything she could get her hands on. 'Erm, family spell,' Harry lied, using the first explanation that came to mind. 'Come on, we still need to get ingredients for Potions before Nev's parents come looking for us. Right?' He smiled nervously.
Hermione's eyes narrowed, but she let it go. She'd grill him at Hogwarts, where he couldn't get away from her.
§¤§
The rest of their trip to the Alley was uneventful and the three had fun for a good few hours before the Longbottoms found them back at Fortescue's. The group had retired to The Leaky Cauldron for a meal - courtesy of the Longbottoms - before splitting up to go home. Neville took the Floo with his parents while Hermione Apparated. Harry called the Knight Bus.
Without either of his best friends to worry over him, Harry decided it was safe enough to ask Stan to drop him off a few blocks away from his house, allowing him some time to think over the day's events and calm himself before returning to the Dursleys' house.
On his way past the park, he caught sight of a man dressed all in white, sitting on one of the swings. Harry let out a sigh and walked over to the fence to greet the man who changed him. 'Albus.'
Albus smiled up at him. 'Well, hello, Harry. A nice evening for a stroll, wouldn't you agree?'
Harry didn't return the smile. 'Why are you here?'
Albus' lips twisted with sadness for a brief moment before forcing themselves back into his too-cheerful smile. 'I needed to see how you're getting on-'
'Smashingly. Good-bye.' Harry turned his back on the other and headed towards the Dursleys'.
'Harry!'
Harry ignored the yell and continued on. He didn't need the man's help - he had Ollivander and the book the wandmaker had given him.
Albus grabbed a hold of Harry's shoulders, stopping him, but didn't force the teen to face him. 'What have I done that angers you so?'
'I simply don't need your help,' Harry replied coldly, twisting his shoulder from the other's grasp, but keeping his eyes on the street in front of him. 'You may have given me these wings and extra abilities, Albus Dumbledore, but I neither want nor need your help in learning of them. Good-bye.' He continued on his way to the Dursleys'.
Albus was left in the middle of the road to watch after the boy he'd gifted.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
A/N: Reviews were, I am surprised to admit, rather good for this. I only heard a few 'nays' about the story, and none of them were flames. I was also pleasantly surprised by the number of people who were saying they were willing to give this a chance. Thank you.
In all honesty, I expected a mass of flames and maybe a couple people telling me that they weren't going to read this because it's wrong or something akin to that. *sweatdrop*
I don't know if I'll ever get around to explaining why Harry and Hermione are friends with Neville instead of Ron, but I'll try and get it in there somewhere. A dream might work...
Figure that all their years previous have been basically what one would expect had Voldemort not existed, their teachers were always the same, and Neville had confidence in himself but Harry didn't really. Neville and Harry both play Chaser for Gryffindor, Ginny is their star Seeker. Ron's one of the Beaters. Haven't decided the rest of the team. Oh, and Neville's the team captain.
I think that's all for that. I try and get a scene or two about why Neville and not Ron is friends with Harry and Hermione.
Let me know if you have any other questions about this world, eh?
~Bats
Chapters:
1 - Golden Green |||2 - Helpless
Discontinued
Chapter Title: Helpless
Added Pairings & Warnings: None
A/N: As you can see, the top bit is quite different from my usual. It takes up less space this way. I started using it on a fic which is, currently, only up on Fiction Alley. Decided I liked it. Think I'll continue it for this fic and that one on FA. *sweat*
Basically, I'll only add to this if there's something new in that chapter - whether it be chapter specific or for the rest of the fic.
For those of you who've been asking about Ron, he's in here.
The first thing Harry did on his birthday - after making breakfast for his relatives - was take a trip on the Knight Bus to Diagon Alley - the Wizarding shopping centre in London.
Harry's first stop was Flourish and Blotts, where he spent almost fifty galleons on books with some of the more difficult spells in them and on two books about magical talents. He'd looked for a book on Angels, but hadn't found any, as expected. After paying, he shrunk his books and shoved them into a pocket of his jeans.
A touch discouraged, Harry wandered through Diagon Alley aimlessly. His meanderings brought him to Ollivanders, the best wand shop in Diagon Alley. Feeling like it was the thing to do, Harry stepped into the shop.
'Hello again, Mr Potter. Holly, unicorn hair, ten inches, if I'm not mistaken.'
Harry nearly jumped out of his skin when Ollivander appeared before him. It wouldn't surprise him if the old man could Apparate silently. 'Hullo, Mr Ollivander,' he allowed with a helpless smile.
Ollivander stared at him for a long moment before turning. 'Follow me.'
Harry quietly followed the strange old man back to a cluttered office. There, Ollivander pulled a book off a shelf and held it out to Harry. 'What is it?' Harry asked, not taking the book.
Ollivander offered Harry a knowing smile. 'You won't find any books on our kind for sale, Mr Potter. Take it.'
Harry took the book, eyeing Ollivander curiously. 'How can you tell?'
'Repeat after me; Revealio Aurae.'
'Revealio Aurae,' Harry said, then gasped.
Everything in the room had lit up with light. Ollivander himself outshone everything else in the room and the outline of silver wings arched out behind him. Harry glanced over his shoulder and found the gold outline of his own wings coming from his back.
'That's an Angelic Spell. Only Angels and Demons can see the light shadow of your wings. If a human casts the spell, all they'll see are the natural auras that surround all living things,' Ollivander explained.
'Wow...' Harry whispered, enjoying the new gift. He was rather glad he'd gotten the book he saw on auras in the bookstore. He'd have to teach Hermione and Neville the spell, too. They'd love it!
'Finite will end it,' Ollivander ended, smiling at the young Angel's excitement. 'I'm actually surprised Albus gifted you.'
'Huh?' Harry stopped looking around the shop to stare at Ollivander with wide eyes. 'Albus gifted me with this?'
'Yes. Gold wings are his mark,' Ollivander explained.
Harry nodded in understanding. 'Why are you surprised?'
'The last human he gifted fell to Hell after a few years. But that one had been a bit greedy from the start...' Ollivander shrugged. 'You'll be fine, I think, as long as Albus doesn't push you. I'll have to remind him.'
'Wait, remind him?'
'He's had his eye on you since James and Lily died. I told him after the first time I met you that he couldn't push you or you'd end up the same,' Ollivander explained. 'He needs reminding from time-to-time.'
There was the sudden tinkling of a bell and Harry knew he needed to leave. 'Thank you, Mr Ollivander. For all your help.'
Ollivander inclined his head with a faint smile. 'Drop by any time. And keep the book - I have another copy somewhere.'
Harry allowed Ollivander to lead him back up to the front of the shop, where a young girl stood with a woman who looked to be her mother. Harry slipped out the door with a smile as Ollivander started reciting the woman's wand.
The afternoon of August fifth found Harry back in Diagon Alley - this time to wait for his two friends, though he was a bit early. He was enjoying a sundae at his favourite shop - Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.
'If it isn't baby Potty,' a voice called mockingly.
Harry rolled his eyes. 'Sod off, Weasel.'
Ronald Weasley, instead of leaving, leaned over the back of Harry's chair with a cruel smile. 'Make me.'
Harry turned and pressed his wand to the annoying redhead's throat, eyes hard. 'I've hit my majority, Weasel. If I were you, I'd take a hint and leave,' he threatened. Harry liked Ronald's twin brothers, Fred and George, and he didn't mind the only Weasley girl, Ginny, but Ronald had always made a point of picking on Harry, no matter what his elder brothers said.
'I'm shaking in my trainers,' Weasley assured Harry mockingly.
Harry twitched his wand and sent the other boy backwards into the street with barely a thought. Then he returned to his ice cream, as if nothing had happened.
'I'll get you, Potty!' Weasley shouted before stalking off.
'Oh, Harry, that was wonderful!' a female voice called out just before a girl with too much hair threw herself at Harry's back.
Harry felt himself blushing even as he smiled. 'Hey, Mi.'
'So you hit majority, huh?' a boy with sandy hair inquired with a kind smile as he took a seat at the table.
Seeing his friends again assured Harry that he'd made the right decision when Albus asked him to come up to Heaven. 'Yeah,' he replied to Neville's question. 'It hit on my birthday.'
'Well, good,' Hermione stated, falling into the chair on Harry's other side. 'You deserve more magic.'
Harry shoved another spoonful of ice cream into his mouth to save him from responding to that.
'You've gone and embarrassed him again, Mi,' Neville joked with a big smile.
'So are you, Nev,' Hermione shot back, her smile matching Neville's.
'Okay! Okay!' Harry gave his friends dark looks, which didn't do much, seeing as how he was still blushing brightly. 'Let's go buy our stuff.'
Hermione and Neville took Harry's hands and cheerfully pulled him from his seat and away towards the bookstore.
'I've heard an interesting rumour, Potty.'
'That's nothing new, you little rat,' Neville said in defense of Harry. 'You tend to hear a lot of rumours in the sewers where you live.'
'I don't think I was talking to you, Longbottom,' Draco Malfoy shot back, stepping forward to get in Neville's face. Neville pulled out his wand and pointed it at Malfoy's chest.
'What's this rumour, Malfoy?' Harry slipped in, trying to avoid a fight. He tugged on Neville's sleeve gently, Hermione doing the same on Neville's other side.
'That you might be able to actually duel now,' Malfoy replied with a nasty smirk, his attention on Harry as Hermione forced Neville to lower his wand. 'Let's test this rumour, shall we?'
'Harry!' Hermione and Neville shouted as Malfoy turned his wand on Harry, a wordless curse shooting from the end of the boy's ash wand in a sparkle of orange.
Harry, not really thinking, slashed his hand through the curse, ending it with a thought - an ability that came with his Angelic powers, which he'd found in the book from Ollivander. It wasn't the sort of thing a human could get away with. He blinked at Malfoy, who looked like he might piss himself, and mumbled, 'Sod off, Malfoy.'
Malfoy fled.
Hermione and Neville both hurried up to check Harry over, looking for any wounds or issues that might have arisen because of the unknown curse he'd stopped, but Harry waved their hands away, feeling a blush heating his face. 'I'm fine. Really. Please don't cause a scene.'
Hermione and Neville traded looks, then nodded and hurried Harry away from the main thoroughfare. Once out of the way, Hermione gave Harry a suspicious look. 'What was that spell you used? I've never read about anything like it before.'
Not for the first time, Harry cursed having a best friend who read everything she could get her hands on. 'Erm, family spell,' Harry lied, using the first explanation that came to mind. 'Come on, we still need to get ingredients for Potions before Nev's parents come looking for us. Right?' He smiled nervously.
Hermione's eyes narrowed, but she let it go. She'd grill him at Hogwarts, where he couldn't get away from her.
The rest of their trip to the Alley was uneventful and the three had fun for a good few hours before the Longbottoms found them back at Fortescue's. The group had retired to The Leaky Cauldron for a meal - courtesy of the Longbottoms - before splitting up to go home. Neville took the Floo with his parents while Hermione Apparated. Harry called the Knight Bus.
Without either of his best friends to worry over him, Harry decided it was safe enough to ask Stan to drop him off a few blocks away from his house, allowing him some time to think over the day's events and calm himself before returning to the Dursleys' house.
On his way past the park, he caught sight of a man dressed all in white, sitting on one of the swings. Harry let out a sigh and walked over to the fence to greet the man who changed him. 'Albus.'
Albus smiled up at him. 'Well, hello, Harry. A nice evening for a stroll, wouldn't you agree?'
Harry didn't return the smile. 'Why are you here?'
Albus' lips twisted with sadness for a brief moment before forcing themselves back into his too-cheerful smile. 'I needed to see how you're getting on-'
'Smashingly. Good-bye.' Harry turned his back on the other and headed towards the Dursleys'.
'Harry!'
Harry ignored the yell and continued on. He didn't need the man's help - he had Ollivander and the book the wandmaker had given him.
Albus grabbed a hold of Harry's shoulders, stopping him, but didn't force the teen to face him. 'What have I done that angers you so?'
'I simply don't need your help,' Harry replied coldly, twisting his shoulder from the other's grasp, but keeping his eyes on the street in front of him. 'You may have given me these wings and extra abilities, Albus Dumbledore, but I neither want nor need your help in learning of them. Good-bye.' He continued on his way to the Dursleys'.
Albus was left in the middle of the road to watch after the boy he'd gifted.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
A/N: Reviews were, I am surprised to admit, rather good for this. I only heard a few 'nays' about the story, and none of them were flames. I was also pleasantly surprised by the number of people who were saying they were willing to give this a chance. Thank you.
In all honesty, I expected a mass of flames and maybe a couple people telling me that they weren't going to read this because it's wrong or something akin to that. *sweatdrop*
I don't know if I'll ever get around to explaining why Harry and Hermione are friends with Neville instead of Ron, but I'll try and get it in there somewhere. A dream might work...
Figure that all their years previous have been basically what one would expect had Voldemort not existed, their teachers were always the same, and Neville had confidence in himself but Harry didn't really. Neville and Harry both play Chaser for Gryffindor, Ginny is their star Seeker. Ron's one of the Beaters. Haven't decided the rest of the team. Oh, and Neville's the team captain.
I think that's all for that. I try and get a scene or two about why Neville and not Ron is friends with Harry and Hermione.
Let me know if you have any other questions about this world, eh?
~Bats
1 - Golden Green |||
Discontinued
.
no subject
Date: 2/3/07 03:14 (UTC)I hope that school goes swimmingly, and that your muse infests you with wonderous ideas (when you actually have time to write).
no subject
Date: 12/5/07 23:26 (UTC)Cheers! ^.~
no subject
Date: 13/3/07 00:40 (UTC)But well... I just got a short question... (I did ask on my own livejournal - I'm trying to write a bit more frequently now)
How can you put up a story like you do so that it doesn't appear on the main screen? You only got the link there and well... I somehow can't figure it out (I'm probably far too stupid for it -.-)
no subject
Date: 12/5/07 23:28 (UTC)You're not stupid, they just hid it. And it's an LJ specific thing. Well, LJ and DJ, but that's a different matter entirely...