Work Text:
-8-
Harry Potter sometimes wondered why he continued to stay in the British Magical world and why he just…stayed at Hogwarts, especially since during his fourth year at Hogwarts he had been exposed to different magical schools and it had made him start his research to see if there was so much better.
Indeed, his research showed him many of the magical schools had lessons and courses, and outlooks vastly different to what he had found; while Ilvermorny was run on a similar structure to Hogwarts, right down to the House system which made a lot of sense, seeing how one of the Ilvermorny founders was a descendent of Salazar Slytherin, although she had been abused by a more extreme member of her family and had wanted to go to Hogwarts, and modelled her new school on the ideal of the school she had wanted to go to, the other schools were vastly different.
Uagadou, the main and primary school for magic in Africa was among the most fascinating magical schools he had researched; apparently magic originated from Africa, and so African sorcerers had pushed knowledge to incredible heights, although compared to what he had seen so far he had a theory they had just done what they wanted before rules were brought in. They taught wandless magic, which was incredible since he hated being dependent on a stick to cast his spells, and they taught animagus transformation to a standard he knew was not taught here.
Castelobruxo in Brazil was more European in that they used wands, but they focused on herbology and magizoology, but the wizards and witches who came from there were taught to a high standard, far more than the standards at Hogwarts. Beauxbatons was even better than Hogwarts, but because of Dumbledore any of his plans to leave Hogwarts and go to a different school because his hopes to become a powerful and highly educated wizard with a bright future with many opportunities ahead of him became increasingly bleak. Every year some new crisis appeared and he came away very pleased he had survived.
As they said, whatever didn't kill you made you stronger, but each year he had to fight harder and harder just to survive.
But his fourth and most recent year had been a nightmare. Not only had he been put into a dangerous tournament, silently cutting ties with his so-called friends, particularly when it became apparent they didn't support him, but he came away from each task lucky to get out and relieved his acts of cheating and driving himself to go further and further to learn more magic paid off.
And then, the climax of the year happened. Harry had known Lord Voldemort, the dark wizard who'd murdered his parents and destroyed his life, would come back, and he had now. That was the reason why he had pushed himself to learn all the different forms of magic he could to shorten the gaps of knowledge, power, and experience that existed between them. He had taught himself alchemy, the mind arts, and parselmagic, and after he had gotten over the fact his younger opponent was more brutal, Voldemort had retaliated and the battle between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort was much greater than Voldemort had originally planned. He had likely believed all the crappy stories about Harry being Dumbledore's protege, but he was stunned by the truth.
Harry had survived, but the honest truth was he hadn't won at all, it was more of a draw; Voldemort still possessed greater knowledge than he did, and it would take more to fight back, but by the time he escaped, his body was badly injured; he was lucky he still even had the reserves to get back to Hogwarts before exhaustion and pain took their toll, and he fell unconscious. Harry found himself in a private room at St Mungo's, recovering from his injuries.
It took the best part of a month to recover, but by the end of his stay there at the magical hospital, Harry had already summoned Dobby and Winky, the two House Elves he had bonded with, and they helped care for him. They informed him he didn't get any mail whatsoever from anyone, but he wasn't upset about that. He had cut his ties to so many people this year, but he was still a little bit perturbed by the lack of visitors, barring one; Dumbledore had frequently come to the hospital, but Dobby had made sure the old wizard didn't cast any spells on him. Harry had never trusted Dumbledore after discovering his roles in the manipulations in his life.
When he left St Mungo's, Harry had left just as some Dementors attacked the Dursleys. Harry and his elves had left quickly, only to discover he was now on trial for casting a patronus charm.
What?
He knew Fudge was attacking him, using the Prophet as a mouthpiece for his stupidity, and claiming Voldemort was back, but he hadn't claimed anything. He had been in a hospital for a month, too out of it to say anything, and he hadn't told anyone about Voldemort, but after all of this, he decided not to bother.
For his trial, things went well. Fortunately, he went in armed with solicitors and memories showing he hadn't been at the Dursleys all summer, and to sweeten the pot in his favour, he showed memories of their abusive actions towards him in the past. Oh, and Fudge and his Undersecretary were brought to task by their pathetic little trick of moving the time of the trial at the last minute.
But by then, Harry had decided to get revenge on the Death Eaters and on their master, once and for all. His heart had turned fiery and cold, as he realised he would need to survive or be destroyed.
And he would survive.
-8-
If he had been told by something, anyone, his fifth year would have been worse than his fourth, Harry could have called them a liar. Dolores Umbridge, the silly bitch from his trial who was Fudge's undersecretary, and someone he didn't want to know as he despised her the moment he laid his eyes on her, and he had noticed something about her during his trial. She had been furious when he had countered the assumptions he had been at Privet Drive and used a patronus, but she had been stunned he hadn't had a wand.
Umbridge was the new DADA teacher.
Fab.
She was more incompetent than Lockhart; Crouch jr might have been a disguised Death Eater, but he had been competent. Umbridge was a joke for making them read from a stupid book. Granger and the Weasleys had started ignoring him, and he had taken to avoiding them in turn while Dumbledore refused to meet his eyes. If the old man thought he would crack, he was wrong and he would be waiting a long time. Harry did not need him., he never did; and later on, when the trio set up a secret group of kids to study DADA, Harry was ignored by them all, but he truly did not understand the logic.
He had already decided to cut out Lupin and Black out of his life forever after the two of them didn't get in touch with him. From what Dobby and Winky told him, the two men were firmly in Dumbledore's camp, but he had long since asked himself if they were worth it.
By that time, Harry had begun attacking the Death Eaters. Harry had had enough time in the muggle world to learn about muggle firearms, and he took to taking a couple of handguns and he planned to use them after inscribing runes on the guns to deliver more damage. Using his House Elves, which now included those from the Potter homes in Britain, Harry slowly studied the Death Eaters, and he created a small spy network. He used the elves to poison the Death Eaters, and transport them to Death Eater homes and businesses, and then began exterminating them like the vermin they were.
Lucius Malfoy (he had long since sworn to murder Malfoy after the Chamber of Secrets mess).
McNair.
Crabbe.
Nott.
Avery.
Goyle.
All of them were slaughtered. With the help of bombs filled with silver nitrate, Fenrir Greyback's pack died slowly and in unbearable agony, but the werewolves deserved it after casting such a dark shadow on the magical world.
-8-
Harry learnt of Lord Voldemort's secrets thanks to the Room of Requirement, and he learnt of Voldemort's Horcruxes. Harry spent a month learning more about that branch of dark magic. Immortality was always something that interested him, but only because of the fact he was scared he wouldn't get to live a good, and worthwhile life, not with Dumbledore's insane machinations and Voldemort's attempts on his life.
Granted, his desired method of immortality involved switching his soul with a different clone body, but Voldemort was the priority right now. Harry could not believe how Voldemort would resort to something so evil, but it fitted.
Once he learnt what the Horcruxes were, Harry began a hunt…
-8-
As more Death Eaters were slaughtered, life at Hogwarts became darker as more people learnt of the deaths of the Death Eaters. Harry had ignored it all, despite noting the looks. In the meantime, Umbridge tightened her grip. In the end, because of a traitor in the group, Granger and the Weasleys and everyone else were caught, but Umbridge had obsessively tried pursuing him, believing him to be the ringleader, but there was no proof.
Harry had ignored the toady bitch, especially when he found the Horcrux. He kept it in the Room of Requirement where he found it, and he continued attacking the Death Eaters and his own work.
-8-
In the end, Voldemort used his scar to bring him to the Ministry of Magic. Harry went, taking the Horcrux with him, and he engaged some of the Death Eaters in battle. He would never know for certain how, but Dumbledore's little group came, but just as Voldemort appeared, Harry destroyed the Horcrux, and he even threw it into the Veil of Death.
The results were catastrophic for Voldemort and the Death Eaters. They died, their magic torn from them and their bodies. After Voldemort's screams died away, Harry fixed eyes on Dumbledore before he walked away and went back to Hogwarts. When he got there, he took his stuff and left the school. He had just finished his exams, he could go. Heading for Gringotts, Harry had changed vaults, making sure he was the one who had the keys, before he made plans to get his NEWTs. He was tired of the British magical world.
It was time for him to leave, and to spread his wings.
Several people tried to get in touch, but he made sure the letters and gifts (some of them contained potions and poisons, so he sent them to the DMLE, and he reported the attempted murderers) were returned.
As he boarded a flight to Tahiti, Harry looked forward to his new life and his future.
The End.