a different harry potter

Wildwood

Harry woke slowly. He was warm, and lying on something that felt incredibly soft and comfortable. He didn't hear the usual morning sounds of the Dursleys, and he certainly never remembered his old crib mattress as being this nice. He opened his eyes carefully scanning the area around him. He was in a bed, with a soft blue comforter and a couple of rather fluffy pillows. Suddenly the previous day came flooding back to him. 'I guess it wasn't a dream, he thought as he stretched luxuriously.

He slid out of the bed regretfully missing the comfort already. He looked down at his new pajamas that he'd only worn the night before in wonder. Yesterday had been overwhelming in so many ways. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and wandered to his trunk to retrieve some of his new clothes. He really wasn't used to thinking of having so much, new clothes, a trunk, books, so many things had changed. With new clothes in hand he opened his door quietly peering into the hallway. Seeing no one he crossed the hall to the upstairs bathroom that Septima explained would be his while he stayed with her. It was similar to the downstairs bathroom with thick, fluffy towels and lots of little soaps and shampoos for guests to choose from in a basket on the counter. His new toothbrush and own toothpaste sat on the counter as well, along with a comb the two had picked out yesterday, and Harry smiled at seeing his stuff still sitting there this morning. The Dursleys would never have allowed him to leave things out on the counter.

After making use of the facilities including a hot shower that would have had his Aunt Petunia grumbling at him for his use of the hot water, he got dressed in jeans and a gray shirt. It felt odd still to have clothes that fit so well, and new underwear and socks that had never belonged to someone else first. He gave up on his hair as a lost cause and went back to his room to grab a book and do some reading. There was so much he needed to know, so much he wanted to know.

Septima had told him that he could go anywhere in the house, and get a snack from the refrigerator if he wanted but he wasn't so comfortable with the idea of straying too far from the room she had said would be his. He also wasn't really hungry again yet, as he had eaten more yesterday than he could remember ever having eaten. And after talking with Luna yesterday, he was excited to start in on some of his books. At Fortescue's she had told him about some of the magical creatures of the wizarding world, and Harry was amazed that many of the animals he had always thought were myths were actually real, like unicorns and dragons. And according to Luna, there were even more strange and unique creatures out there than those. He had also realized how far behind he truly was compared to someone like Luna who was raised in the wizarding world. Luna had tried to reassure him that she was an unusual case as she loved to read, and her mother had taught her many things that typically were not taught until students had started Hogwarts simply because her mother wanted her to have a strong grounding in the basic magics that did not rely on wands like potions, runes, arithmancy, herbology, and care of magical creatures. Harry was still worried about fitting in, and if he really was magical. Sure he had odd things that had happened to him, but it all seemed too good to be true.

He sorted through the books he and Luna had chosen, and then realized that he had not looked at the ones that Septima chose. A book on wizarding families caught his attention and he hurried to look up the Potter family. When he got to the correct page, he started to read.

He soon learned that the Potters were an old wizarding family whose exact origins predate written record. Henry Charlus Potter was considered the patriarch of the Potter family and legend told that he was a contemporary of Merlin. The books described the ancestral home of the Potters as Potter Manor and that it was believed to be in Wales, though the exact location was unknown. Apparently, the Potters excelled in areas such as warding and curse breaking, and were well known for their valor in combat. The crossed wand and sword on the Potter coat of arms reflected the mix of both magical and muggle fighting that the Potters had trained in as the family traditionally intermarried every few generations with muggleborn witches and wizards leaving the family with ties in both the magical and mundane world.

More recently, Charlus Edward Potter was the last Potter to take up the Lordship of House Potter, and died in a Death Eater Attack in 1977. His wife, Dorea Black Potter died of dragon pox that same year. His son, James Charlus Potter never claimed his lordship after his father's passing, enlisting as an auror after graduating from Hogwarts in 1978. He married a muggleborn witch named Lily Evans, and their son Harry James Potter was born on July 31, 1980.

Harry was fascinated. He'd never known anything about his parents, and now, here was a book with precious details that he had always wanted to know. And not just details on his parents, but on his father's family. According to the book, he had a home in Potter Manor somewhere in Wales, and he remembered vaguely the paperwork that he received from the goblins. Sharpclaw had specifically said that Harry's properties were listed at the bottom of the statement. How many properties did he own? Could he live in one of them? His mind whirled with all the ideas and he longed to dig out the paperwork from the goblins so he could check it.

"Harry?" Harry looked up at his name to see Septima standing in the doorway.

"It's time for breakfast," she informed him with a smile. "I'm sure the book will still be there when you are finished," she added with a laugh as if sensing his hesitance. He carefully noted the page before closing the book and following her downstairs.

As the two sat down to breakfast, Septima considered the conversation she had the evening before with Minerva. She had learned a lot, but she needed more information. She watched quietly as Harry took the prescribed potions as delivered by owl from Healer Stanhope before beginning to eat his French toast and fruit. She decided to wait to speak until Harry was nearly done as she did not want to spoil his appetite or discourage him from eating in any way.

"I spoke with Minerva McGonagall last night." Harry looked up at her waiting patiently for her to continue. "I learned that the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, placed you with your relatives and warded the property based on the shared blood of your mother and your aunt. He was also the Chief Warlock who sealed your parents' wills. I do not know if he knew how your relatives treated you." She paused to let that information sink in before continuing. "I also learned that Remus Lupin was a good friend of both James Potter and Sirius Black, and should be a good resource on additional information about both of them. Your mother's closest school friend who is still alive is Severus Snape, the potions master at Hogwarts. He's a very surly sort who may be willing to talk to you about her, but he and your father did not get along at all so he may choose to be obstinate. Minerva taught both your parents while they were at Hogwarts, and will be coming to dinner tonight to tell you more about them. She also recommended that you speak with Professor Filius Flitwick the Charms professor at Hogwarts for additional stories about your mother who was apparently studying for her charms mastery with him."

"Thank you," Harry managed around the lump in his throat. He carefully set down his fork just realizing that he had still been holding it this whole time. He closed his eyes and took a steadying breath. He was learning so much information, and was still stunned at how helpful Septima was being to him. No one had ever gone to so much effort on Harry's behalf before, certainly not

NEXT CHAPTER WILL COME AT 19 :34 (come and read )