~22~ PHILOSOPHER STONE I

*Harry's POV *

I'm Harry. Harry POTTER the boy known as who lived. I lost my parents when I was little and my aunt raised me. It can't be said exactly raised because I paid by working for her and her family as a servant until I was ten years old. I thought I couldn't escape from them and be free and I was wrong.

One day I was going to the library secretly as usual. It was one of the places to escape from my cousin, Dudley, I was smarter than him but whatever I did aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon would get angry or uncle would hit me while aunt petunia watches without stopping him. I cried until I was four when I understood I couldn't change anything so I stopped crying.

If I was better than Dudley they would be angry and if I was worse than him they would feel humiliated to live an 'idiot' and still would hit or shout. It became worse when I was older, they told others me being a little thief and punk. Of course, what they said was true except the one they described was Dudley while I was blamed instead. They were the perfect family and I was their black stain.

I stopped being seen as clever and disguised myself as a lazy and idiot they wanted to see. I worked hard and learned everything the teachers taught. I got awards for my compositions and hid them before Dursley found about it. I found something different about me. I could manipulate others and let them forgot about me or not notice me it felt like I was invisible.

I escaped from cousin Dudley and excused for being late and they didn't ask anything. My hardship lessened but didn't end I couldn't push my luck in case they realize so I got freedom outside of the house and a servant at home.

I learned other subjects as well. I found out that I was clever and could remember things easily. I learned chemistry, biology, art, physics, psychology, medicine, economy, law etc. I might be better than college students in terms of theory but I concealed it. I began projects with the money I earned and invested in some promising companies with an alias. They don't know the shareholder is a child.

I learned traditional medicine and herbs to heal myself but it was hard with the bones set incorrectly also I need a proof against my uncle in case he carries to excess his violence.

I detach myself from the fake friends who wouldn't help me when my cousin bullied or threatened them so I became alone and got used to it in the end. I also didn't have time to spend with them to play I got things to do be free and independent and had eight years more and needed to bear with it. But I got a pleasant surprise.

When I went to the library, as usual, I saw a girl sitting next to the table I usually sit. She was different from others. She focused on her book and didn't recognize me glancing at her until I forgot time reading Oz the wizard which might help me understand my powers when my stomach growl. I guess I forgot to eat lunch I hope she didn't hear it. Me and my crow mouth *sigh*

She looked at me surprisingly as if seen a ghost. It's unavoidable I guess. I don't wear fashionable clothes but the old clothes of Dudley. I don't care about what I wear and can't buy new clothes to be caught by aunt during laundry.

She saw the title of book before I hid it and stood up and walked to me.

"Hello, my name is Hermione. Hermione Granger. What's your name?" she asked and I didn't know what to say. She saw how I dress and still introduced herself. Her smile was so pure without darkness and she was curious but not like a bad person but like an interesting subject or discovery.

I wasn't sure if she asked me intentionally and to be sure I asked: "Hello, were you asking me?" I got nervous. What if she didn't want to talk to me and it was a mistake and misunderstanding.

"Yes. I was wondering what you were reading?" She smiled and I got mesmerized. I snapped out of it and answered.

"Oh, I'm reading some trivial stuff nothing to care about and my name is Harry… Harry Potter" I tried to hide my embarrassment and the book I read instinctively. I don't want to be seen as a child or a weirdo even if I am a child I at least has an intelligent.

"Hello, Harry. It seems like you also like books as much as I do if you're spending hours in the library forgetting about your lunch and without getting bored. Do you want to be my friend?"

I couldn't answer her question. She was straight forward and asked me to be her friend. She didn't know anything about me and instead asked me to befriend with her.

She added when she saw me shocked and unable to answer " If you… don't … want to befriend with… me, I would understand" and turned around dejectedly and as if she'd cry any moment.

"Stop! Don't go" I shouted forgetting we were in the library. She turned around and looked at me waiting for me to speak.

"Sorry. I didn't mean it. I was shocked and couldn't believe you wanted to be friends with a freak like me" I recalled weird things happening around me and my power also aunt Petunia and her family. I got embarrassed to ask and feared of the answer and lowered my head and held between my hands.

"What do you mean a freak, what I see a boy reading his books, not a freak, do you suspect my credibility? " she asked angrily.

'Huh, why is it looks like I am a bad guy trying to trick her ' I didn't know what to say. I opened my mouth and finally answered her nervously fearing her to leave it was a new experience for me.

"No-no-no. It's just nobody would like to be with somebody like me. It's not about you" and it was true. My family detest me, my friends overlooking me being bullied all the time teachers don't care and blame me instead of Dudley without questioning. I don't know whom to believe anymore except myself.

"So do you want to be my friend or not? I don't care about 'freak' you are talking about " Her voice was soothing and sincere I feel like crying but hold myself back to be seen as strong.

" Thank you, thank you. We're friends. Even if you don't want to befriend with me someday I would accept it" It's true. Thank you for sincerity and I 'd keep my promise if you detest me someday like others without blaming you.

"Yeah. We are friends and to celebrate it we are going to have lunch together. It's on me" she said. I guess she misunderstands me and thinking I'm broke and try to not hurt my pride ahahaha. I let her lead me to the nearest fast food restaurant and paid the bill. I tried to explain but she refused to listen to me I hope I will correct the misunderstanding before it's too late *sigh*

We talked about Oz and when she mentioned about changing hair colour my pupils grew and I got nervous what if she learns about my difference and escape? I asked her indirectly

"I … ahem… do you believe that there is magic? What if it's just an illusion? Isn't it freaking you out?" I waited for her answer nervously.

"Hmmm. I don't know if there is magic or not but I believe that it would be amazing. It'd be a gift, not the opposite. The person who has magic would be lucky because not everyone having it" She thought for a while before answering with her eyes sparkling. I summoned up my courage and decided to tell her for our sakes and without secret between us.

I told her my ability and its secret. She asked me if I could change her hair colour excitedly but I refused because I couldn't control my power except affecting the target's mind for a short moment.

I cried after she believed me and praised me instead of freaking out and escaping. She told I am amazing not a freak. I think I hoped to hear those words someday.

I got detention in the house when Aunt Petunia caught me and because I wasn't myself and thinking about my new friend I accepted the punishment silently and cleaned the house. It took my time and I didn't see Hermione for days and didn't have a way to tell her. When I finally went to the library I saw her lost in thoughts and tried to tease her. She got surprised and smiled when she saw it was me.

I cut myself when I was distracted during the cleaning and she got angry thinking them bullying me, she was right they bullied me but not anymore unless I couldn't escape on time, she insisted about me telling the truth about scars and abuse so I told her my childhood and how they treated me.

She got furious and planned to let them go in jail let me free. I accepted her deal and we planned everything. I called the police trying to be heard as a child afraid to find out and tell Dursley on. Then I returned home and irritated uncle when I heard police sirens afar and she started hitting me.

I let him hit me for the last time and cried loudly trying to gain attention and known by people in front of the door. They banged the door and broke it in the end when they couldn't enter. I pushed some stuff blocking the door delaying the police as if uncle did. They thought it was him and arrested him he didn't know what happened and denied hitting me in haste.

I saw Hermione hiding in the bushes and acted as if I didn't see her. He was imprisoned and Dudley also got punished. When aunt Petunia learned about it was too late and they got reported on the news she can't do anything or would be imprisoned as well. Because she is my mother's sister got away without punishment but got a warning.

I went shopping and began wearing normal clothes and got rid of Dudley's ragged ones. We went to amusement park. I got distracted as I was nervous and got on the wrong bus and got late. She chuckled when she learned about it when I was blushing because of my mistake.

We rode different rides and ate lots of things but I got sick because of all the rides and snacks and got teased by Hermione yet again. 'Argh, it might be the worst day ever' I got ashamed when she was standing there as if nothing happened while I was struggling to stand up.

On the Ferris wheel, she told me about Hogwarts and magic. It seems I am not alone and we will go to school together next year.

She lent me her books and I studied with her every day trying to be prepared for the school. She doesn't let me learn anything dangerous and I let her be until I got my letter and my plans to begin.

…

Yesterday Hagrid came to our house and invited me to Hogwarts personally and talked about Albus Dumbledore who let me live in hell for years without care as if he is a hero and him being my guardian. I got furious but concealed it. We went to Diagon alley after he threatened aunt Petunia to behave herself and let me live normally '' Huh, what a drama. You let me suffer for years and after finding out all you did was to threaten without taking me away from her or talking about my parents, their heritage or the wizarding world. You let an ignorant child to enter a world full of hidden wolf tigers and dragons.'

I didn't let him go shopping with me with an excuse after he was nervous about a vault in Gringotts. He bought me an owl when I got my wand and went away when I assured him I could go home alone. He was naïve and didn't think before leaving me alone with a ticket nor telling me how to go there. *sigh*

I returned to Grinngotts hiding my face behind my hood and hat to be unnoticed. I talked to Gripphook and wished to have inheritance test and keeping it a secret. They accepted my terms and we vowed an unbreakable vow. Hermione lent me books about wizarding law and I knew what I was doing in my leverage.

I got the inheritance of Potter and Black family but I refused black family inheritance it would cause me trouble and before its time I wouldn't accept it. I learned that my parents left me letters and other wizards for my adoption and not be given to my aunt and. Dumbledore knew it but instead game me to them and left me in front of a door during a chilling night until morning they found me. Luckily I didn't lose my life there.

It seems my parents let whoever raise me to have enough money to spend and uncle and aunt used it for themselves and Dudley and without giving me a pound instead let me work as their servant. My gifts and letters got disturbed and I didn't get any message form anyone else and it was Dumbledore's job. He was blocking them and let me suffer in silence without an aid.

I permitted goblins to close my family vaults except for my own and family head's vault. I emptied my vault and let only 1000 Galleon in there for my studies in case Dumbledore wanted to see it as my guardian. I bought a bottomless pouch and filled it with galleons and converted pound. I believe British banks more than goblins and it can increase its value contrary to Gringotts.

I wore ring of heir and it let me access to the main vault every year to take a portion of the money. I went to the vaults as they were emptied and took everything out and filled my pouch and put only 100 galleons after emptying them as a show. I withdrew money from the main vault as well for once as an heir until my fifteenth birthday.

I withdrew 16.465.487 Galleons and 188.546.577 pounds from my vaults and everything else except 20.465.152 galleons in the main vault.

Because of our vow, all the goblins involved in my vaults and deal forgot about it after my 1.000 galleons payments for closing vaults and as their tips. It was worth it. I got a pouch bottomless, weightless and undetectable with the limit of 1000 m3 at least and put everything in it. It was for VIP guests who had money.

I kept my shopping and bought every kind of book I could find and all the necessary things required by Hogwarts. I also bought potion ingredients and cauldrons as a spare for experiment. After returning home I went sleep it was a busy day luckily Hermione warned me about my celebrity and I kept secret or who knows what would happen.

Hermione designed her house to be undetected by wizards and to be able to perform magic. We practised potion as a duo to stop each other in case a mishap occurs and practised first-year spells slowly. I learned about myself more and more and decided to handle those frauds living off with me and filed them to wizarding ministry. Their books got banned and they paid 523.660 Galleons to me as a punishment.

Hermione bought lottery tickets and told me to buy as well which the numbers she decided. We both won lottery and got money 'ah, Hermione. You don't know I have enough money to spend and you don't accept it as well I will keep it for you until you take it back' Harry was amused how Hermione helped him in any way even let him earn money to spend, what a pure soul unlike me he thought.

They finally boarded on the train after hugging Mr and Mrs Granger who accepted him as a son without questioning and treated him like Hermione.

They got in a compartment and Hermione cast magic for not being disturbed. I agreed with her and we spent our time at peace and arrived Hogwarts. It was a huge castle pulsing with magic. I followed Hermione and we got into a boat with two other boys.

Hermione was nervous different from her usual it seems like something is off but I don't know what it is. She tried to get off but before she could the boats moved. I tried to calm her down and when we arrived at the shore she left the boat as if escaping from a monster. I got worried about her but didn't know what to do.

The sorting hat asked me where I wanted to be and I told him Gryffindor in my mind without thinking anything else. My Occlumency defences were better than Hermione because I was using it for years unconsciously. I think I'm natural. I concealed my original thought and only let it see my miserable self abused by his family. I was cunning but not an idiot to tell clearly ' Come I'm a Slytherin and I'm a dark lord candidate, suspect me' which idiot would do that.

I met with my roommates who were impressed my famous history and an idiot who kept asking me how I did win against the dark lord. I held myself back for not hitting him. *sigh* Why does he not try to feel sympathy and think about my parents who sacrificed themselves instead of asking that murderer? I need to keep away from him. The only one silently listening without asking stupid questions was Neville. He paled when Ron asked about Voldemort. I guess he also has a history with him.

I began my courses and got into Quidditch team without my consent. I accepted it because I loved the feeling of flying on the broom. It feels natural and free. I met Hermione and her friends and regretted bringing Ron after he begged to come with us without asking where we were going.

I met Cho in study group and she is interested in Quidditch as well. I encouraged her to apply for the team and she tried it and joined as a substitute.

After I got invisibility cloak I followed Hermione. Sometimes she goes to Hagrid or Forbidden forest but not to the deepest parts. One day she went to the hut as usual and returned when I looked into the hut I saw a dragon egg on the table. The next day egg hatched and Hagrid went to see Dumbledore after Hermione persuaded him. I guess it's in her nature to help others by herself secretly. She didn't tell me fearing to cause problems. I got Ron and Draco who are busy to make my days as hell voluntarily or involuntarily.

I saw her keeping newspaper and hiding it from me. Next day I read it I understood why. Then I heard Quirrell talking to himself or someone else behind the doors. But when I looked into there was nobody else. I got a headache when he turns his back to me and with my IQ it is not hard to find out there is something wrong with him.

When I found mirror of erised I saw my parents but after listening to Hermione I became cautious. Who would keep a dangerous object in the middle of a school full of students? There is a ploy here. But I don't try to find out. My sixth sense tells me it is a trap to draw me in and my number one suspect is Headmaster.