Chapter Text
Harry had always been the odd one out, never quite fitting in. Maybe it was because his eyes were too big and wide, taking in the world around him in a manner that was almost human but missing that specific something that no one could quite name. Perhaps it was his uncanny silence, almost never making a sound, or on some rare occasions making too much sound to be normal for a child of his age.
Even his magic was different, wrapping around him like a blanket of protection too wild and strong to be normal.
Of course the Dursleys tried to stamp the freakishness out of him, but no matter how hard they hit him, or how long they starved him it never seemed to work. Harry would never appear fully human, from the way he stood to how he looked and spoke, nothing they did fixed him. Not that they tried too hard to fix what they had broken anyway.
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Harry tried, he really did, but nothing he did seemed to please anyone. Even when he was invited to a school of witchcraft and wizardry where he thought for sure everyone would be like him, he would finally fit in and be accepted, he was wrong.
Of course in the start he didn't fit in because apparently he was famous for something he didn't even remember doing, but then as the months ticked by more and more people, students and teachers alike started to notice things that were off about him. His only two friends Hermione and Ron tried to be supportive but even they were freaked out sometimes by things they couldn't explain.
They tried anyway, Not that Harry got it, after all even when he tried to mimic those around him he still got it wrong. Ron swore up and down that he once saw Harry posed like a gargoyle on the windowsill, eyes shining inhumanly bright in the darkness as he watched him sleep. Harry of course had denied ever doing that, and made sure to be more sneaky in the nights that followed to be quieter so as to not wake his fellow yearmates.
He didn't even know why he did it, Harry just thought it was calming to watch his friend's chest rise and fall in his sleep. Harry never felt like he needed that much sleep, he only ever got three or four hours sleep at a time before being awoken from dreams he could never quite remember upon waking. Over time and study harry finally managed to somewhat fit in with the griffondoors, matching their boisterous loud energy and false bravery to a tea, harry could never call it real bravery as he refused to believe that griffondoors were that stupid and careless, they had to be faking like him to be the united house that everyone thought.
Everything went somewhat smoothly for the next two years, everything was almost perfect until his fourth year.
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The school year had started out pretty much the same as every other year he had attended Hogwarts, in fact the first two months were the same, attending classes, joking with friends, and finally eating enough food to feel full.
Compared to Ron and well the rest of his housemates Harry was still not eating the healthy amount especially for someone his age, not that anyone noticed, or cared. The griffondoors just assumed it was one more thing to add to the ever growing list of why Harry was secretly a cryptid.
Of course there were other things that made the first few months of school exciting and new. That being the Tri wizard tournament. Harry disliked the extra noise it created in the halls, everyone got louder the sounds grated on his ears and forced Harry to wander off on his own to find places more secluded and quiet. He didn't mind the solitude that much after all. The exploring was also quite fun.
Ron kept going on and on about eternal glory and riches, Harry didn’t see the appeal, mainly because he was already widely known throughout the wixen population of Britain, and from the glimpse he got from his bank in gringotts he was pretty well off, well as long as he spent his money wisely that is.
Hopefully once he finished school he would still have enough left over to help him stay someplace while he saved up enough money to buy a house. Harry hoped he could buy a nice cottage in the countryside and live there with Sirius.
He was sure that Sirius would love to live in a small cottage away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Maybe Harry could do the ritual to become an animagus so that he could run and play in the fields with Sirius, and Remus on full moons. That would be nice, harry mused. Remus was nice and quiet, only talking when he had something meaningful to say. Even though sirius was louder and more stereotypical griffondoor Harry could deal with it as Sirius had dealt with Harry and seemed very kind and accepting, and he had offered to take Harry away from the Dursley's. That was an offer he couldn't refuse
But he was getting ahead of himself, he was still only in his fourth year after all. There were quite a few more years left until he finished school.
Harry focused back on his food in front of him, his chicken and mashed potatoes weren’t that appealing as his stomach was still adjusting to the regular amount of meals that he was usually denied. The food also didn't look too appealing to him, Harry didn't think he could eat it if he tried. The Chicken looked off putting and slimy while the mashed potatoes looked dry and lumpy. Harry pushed the food around the bronze plate with his fork as he half heartedly listened to Dumbledore’s speech.
He was kind of excited about seeing who was chosen to participate in the tournament. Harry spared a glance over to the group of Beauxbatons students who were sitting with the Ravenclaws at their table.
Cornflower blue, Harry considered, was quite calming, as well as a nice school uniform colour. Although Harry didn’t mind his school robes he did notice how both the Beauxbatons and the Durmstrang students' uniforms seemed more personalised and exciting. Hogwarts was lacking in colours in comparison to the two other schools currently residing in the great hall.
Harry watched with the rest of his friends as the goblet spat out a piece of paper from the fire. “Fleur Delacour,” Dumbledore announced.
The room burst into cheering for the champion. Harry almost had to cover his ears; it was so loud.
A girl stepped forward wearing the blue uniform representing Beauxbatons. Harry had to admit she was quite beautiful and graceful in her movements as she stepped forward to take her paper from Dumbledore and walk into a separate room for the champions. The loud claps and cheers from her schoolmates echoed around the room
What Harry didn’t get though was why most of the boys she passed kept whistling at her, he was sure he even saw some boys drooling as she made her way out of the hall. Much to Harry’s annoyance none of the professors did anything to stop the students of both Hogwarts and some of Durmstrang being what Harry could only describe as creepy towards the poor girl.
Suddenly a loud pop brought the hall's attention back to the goblet as another paper got rocketed into the air before softly floating down.
”Viktor Krum”
Almost instantly the booming applause for Viktor erupted throughout the room as he made his way towards Dumbledore with purposeful strides. Harry did have to cover his ears for this one as people had set off fireworks in the loud echoing chamber.
Ron was cheering so loud Harry swore he would go deaf. The applause carried thunderously long until Dumbledore had to enhance his voice with his long white wand demanding silence.
Harry didn’t usually care about other people’s wands as he did have what he could safely consider to be a great wand in his opinion. The wood was nice and smooth and untextured apart from the twist in the wood. Harry liked to run his fingers up and down over the warm wood as he felt the magic buzzing underneath and connecting with him.
But as Harry watched the pale almost bone like wand slice through the air, he swore something whispered to him. Desires and wants that were impossible to decipher echoed around in his mind, prickling his skin. He didn’t know what he truly wanted though.
Harry didn’t even know if these desires were even his, after all he had never so desperately wanted something. Well apart from his parents. Or someone like him who had shared his experiences and he related to.
Shaking the thoughts from his mind Harry focused back on the goblet. Just in time to watch a Hogwarts boy walk into the room where the two other champions were.
As if sensing his question Hermione leaned down to whisper “its Cedric, the hufflepuff we went with to the quidditch game” Harry nodded, from what he gathered from the brief conversation with the boy Harry could tell he would make a great champion. He couldn’t wait to cheer Cedric on from the sidelines.
This year was going to go different, he just knew it.
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“HARRY POTTER” the screaming of his name broke Harry away from his thoughts. He jumped as he looked around the hall for the reason his name was being yelled.
It was Dumbledore.
Harry gulped as he raised his head to look in Dumbledore's general direction. This was nervewracking, never before had he been called upon during a school assembly by name.
“HARRY POTTER” Dumbledore once again called out. All eyes were on him as Harry slowly stood at Hermione's command and made his way over to Dumbledore. It was then that Harry realised that Dumbledore was holding a fourth smoking piece of paper.
That wasn't right, there were only supposed to be three.
Dumbledore looked down at Harry with a grim expression. Everyone started all at once booing and shaming Harry for something he didn't even know he did. What did he do? Harry took the still smoldering piece of paper that had his name on it, and slowly made his way confused to where McGonagaal was gesturing him to go.
Harry looked down at the piece of paper in his hands, studying it and trying not to let the harsh whispers get to him as he passed by students he thought liked him, or at the very least tolerated him. The paper looked similar to what the other competitors' names were on, except the colour was an off white almost yellow instead of the whites and blues the other competitors had.
Wait no that couldn't be right, Harry was 14 he couldn't compete. NO no no he wanted a quiet year, this was his chance. But then again when did the universe ever care for Harry.
Eyes from nowhere watched Harry's hunched form slowly walk into a separate room where the competitors waited. Their eyes narrowed as they watched the teachers do nothing about how the students were already talking about his charge.
No more would he sit back and watch, it was time to do something, just how to get to his small charge in time.