บท 22: Leaving Hogwarts
A/N: Pat-reon: HelloDarkness07
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It's been a few days since our raid, and I have to say, Goldstein is a good Auror, and a good person. I like her, that's for sure.
Ash and I led them to the Breeding Ring's house, which was alarmingly close to my orphanage. Fortunately for us, it was in the muggle world, and the only place for literally miles, that had Magical protections.
Goldstein went in first, and then came back 5 minutes later, with enough evidence. Then, they called the British Aurors, and when asked by a pureblood auror, how they knew it was an illegal Breeding ring, she said, "I'm an Auror, a competent one, unlike you. I have experience in these kind of things, and have an intuition for it."
I enjoyed a small laugh, and then went back to Hogwarts, courtesy of my Sling Ring portal, leaving Ash in the very capable hands of Newt Scamander. I was getting good at them, and the portals took barely 5 seconds to form for now. It's still too long, but at least the size of the portal, and the orientation didn't matter.
Right now, I was standing in the Great Hall, along with all the other Seventh Year students. I, however, stood out like a sore thumb, thanks to my comparatively inferior height of just 5'7, and my obviously young face. I was 15, almost 16, while all the other Seventh Year students were all 17-18, and a few almost 19 years old.
But well, this was the Year End ceremony, and we have to do it this way. We were all standing near the Teacher's table, for the last 5 minutes, while Headmaster Dippet spoke about this last year.
The other students, meanwhile, were sat at their respective House tables, looking just as bored as us. I remember sitting there for the last 4 years, while the respective final year students stood like this, but I don't think the speech was ever this long.
Taking a deep breath, Dippet continues, "And while this year has ended, the adventures will still continue for our young friends here. Some of them will become Aurors, like Mr Stevens there, while some will join the Healers at St Mungo's. But no matter what profession they choose, or what profession chooses them, big or small, they will know, that they have a home in Hogwarts. Hogwarts will always be ready to help them in their greatest needs, as long as they are ready to ask for it."
The students take the cue, and clap for a few seconds, with us joining in. Then, Dippet says, "Now, I'd like to congratulate a special student of Seventh Year. She has consistently been at the top of her class, and even managed to get a grand total of 18 OWLs. And now, she has attempted NEWTs in 14 of those subjects, making it the second Highest attempt at NEWTs every! Please, welcome to the stage, Ms Thena Avery!"
We once again clap, as Thena, a girl standing two rows behind me, walks up the stage. Honestly, I have no idea why girls always are the ones that are able to handle the Time Turner Pressure. Must be something about the misogyny that forces them to want to prove themselves.
Sure, every topper of each year is offered it, but almost always, they return it in their Third Year itself. Those that do keep it till their OWLs, give it back after. But these people are so few in number, that they're only found once every few years. And they're always girls.
And then comes someone like Avery, who keep it until their NEWTs, using it to study 14 subjects for her NEWTs. Granted, practical and theory counts separately, but still. I myself didn't bother with signing up for extra subjects, despite knowing that I could manage it.
I have good memory, doesn't mean I want to overdo it. My NEWTs, if they all come out the way I expect, will number in 12. Two for Charms, DADA, Transfiguration, Potions, and Runes, each, and one each for Arithmancy, and Herbology. I hadn't taken any other subject, since I didn't want to.
Once she's been congratulated in person, he sends her down and then says, "Now, this doesn't mean the efforts the other students took are any less. So give them a big hand for successfully completing their Seventh Year of Hogwarts Education, and becoming full fledged Wizards!"
As the students clap, now for all of us, I smile, thanking God that Dippet didn't put me on the spot, by bringing attention to me being younger. I was already getting quite a bit, since it was apparent that I'm younger than my fellow pass outs.
I smile and wave my hands, when Tom catches my eye with a raised glass, Ana sitting right beside him. Turning to my left, I seek out Darla, and smile at her, doing the same for Dorea on my Right.
Once I sit back down on the table, the speech over, and the feast beginning, I hear, "Bloody hell. I thought he'd never stop. I'm bloody starving!"
Chuckling, I see Lucas fill his plate with the magically appearing food, and say, "Dippet did take a long while, this year, didn't he?"
As I start gathering food from the table for myself, Lucas says, "Yeah, but me mum did say he's getting a bit old."
I snort, in the middle of eating, which causes me to choke. As I clean myself up, Ana says, "A bit old? He's almost 300! I think if it wasn't for the Flamel's he'd the oldest Wizard alive!"
Gulping the food stuck in my throat away with the help of water, I say, "Nah, that's Barry Winkle, ain't he? Barry Wee Willie Winkle? The mad man who tries to one up his birthdays every decade? He's what? 700? And he doesn't even have a Philosopher's stone!"
Ana hums, and asks, "Why do you reckon we don't know much about him? A man like him must've had something to his name, other than just being old, right?"
"How do you think he survived this long? He only shows his mug every 11th year, to announce a birthday party that's 'the best the world has ever seen', has that birthday party, and then fuck's right off to wherever he wants. That's how you stay alive so long, by not giving anyone any troubles, and staying away from the people."
I wanted to become like this Barry Winkle. He literally had nothing to his name, no magical discovery, no invention, nothing. He didn't even write a single book, nor did he defeat a Dark Lord, or something else of the kind. Even Dippet has a Dark Lord in his past, from when he was in his 50s!
But Winkle, despite being in his 7th century, has nothing remarkable to him. He has a Vault in Gringotts that he uses to invest, definitely smartly, and he has a shop that sells Potions, that he hired one famiy to handle for a portion of the profits. Literally enjoying his long life! Good for him!
Soon, the topic turns towards my next steps, and since it's only Ravenclaw students on the table, due to it being a Feast, Tom is the one to ask.
I swallow the chicken that I was eating, after having thanked the House Elves for the food of course, and say, "For now? Nothing. I'm going to start looking for a place to make my home, and then wait for the Ministry to give me my Results."
"After that?" Ana asks, tilting her head in thought.
I shrug, and smile wide. I say, "Who knows, I might go to France, on a holiday, or I might go to Ireland. I've never been to either place. Until the results come, and until I get a letter of appointment from St Mungo's, I'm in the wild! I'm literally going to be free of everything!"
Well, I might just start my muggle school, and sit whatever exams I need to, in these months. I want to become an actual Doctor in the muggle world too, alongside being a Magical Healer, and for that, I'll actually need a muggle graduate certificate, or something.
"Lucky bastard." Tom, Ana, and Lucas, along with a few other students sitting and eavesdropping, mumble at the same time, making all of us laugh.
My journey at Hogwarts, has officially ended. Although shortened, I did enjoy these 5 years that I was here. And it's not like I'll just.. stay away from here! I've already kept a Vanishing Trunk in the Room of Knowledge, for whenever I need to go there!
And I can still Apparate or create a portal to the Chamber of Secrets, as soon as I get to give my test, that is. I still am not an adult, you know.
At the end of the feast, Dippet orders us to leave for the carriages, our bags having already packed and prepared for departure. But, as the other years leave for the carriages, he takes us Seventh Year students to the antechamber. From there, he walks us down a few flights of stairs, and then, when we stop, we're in front of a familiar sight.
We're standing in a cavern, that slowly sloped downwards towards the Black Lake. Along the stoned shore, were boats, the same ones that we had sat on when we were 11. I'm happy to say that I wasn't the only one tearful at seeing them.
This.. was an indication that we weren't students of Hogwarts anymore. And no matter what anyone says, Hogwarts is our home, and this feels like leaving Home for the first time.
Dippet smiles, pretending not to see many of us wipe our eyes, and softly says, "You came here, when you were 11, by the way of boats, and Mr Ogg led you to me. Now, it is upon me, to lead you to Mr Ogg." With a few long strides, Dippet sits in a boat, which magically goes to take the lead, and says, "Well, what are you waiting for? Get on! No more than four to a boat!"
Laughing a little, I wipe my own eyes, and sit down in a boat. Now bigger, these boats were definitely small for us, and we had to bend our knees, and bring them together, to sit well enough. But we didn't mind, none of us did. This.. was the end of a journey, us leaving our Home for the last time.
Even if I didn't know the boy sitting beside me, beyond his name, we were all together in this.
"Onwards!" Dippet yells, raising his hand upwards, wand tip pointed up.
As the boats leave the shore, and come out of the cave, I turn back to look at Hogwarts from the outside. Sigh, this won't ever get old.
"Remember children, you might have finished the Hogwarts curriculum, but you haven't finished learning." Dippet says, making me turn back towards him. He was looking at all of us, with a twinkle in his eyes, as he says, "Hogwarts is a place of studying, and Knowledge can always be found here. One just has to seek it!"
-
A few days later, a tall man, about in his late 20s, wearing a nice, moderately expensive three piece suit, grey in colour, walks towards Gringotts. This was none other than me, having changed everything about myself, until I was no longer Mason Aves. Metamorphmagic, baby.
My hair, which was usually black, was now dark blonde, and my eyes, which were usually a shade that changed between sea green, and grey, depending on the light, were now blue, and my height had a small bump of 4 inches, from 5'7 to 5'11.
I'd learned to change my body mass, and bone structure, only this past year. I can now change my height by 4 inches, so I could be anywhere from 5'3 to 5'11, without changing my bone density. I can't, however, change my weight by more than 5kgs. So now, while I'm taller, I look decidedly thin.
Walking inside Gringotts, I nod at the Goblin manning the Miscellanious Services, and wait for him to acknowledge me. After a minute or two of waiting, the Goblin looks down at me, from his high chair, and asks, "What can Gringotts do for you?"
"My name is Harrison Evans, and I want to talk to someone about identification papers in the muggle world." I state my need briefly, while not explaining too much. This is just a receptionist of sorts.
Nodding, the Goblin writes my request on a piece of parchment, and hands it to the runner behind him. He then turns to me and says, "Wait there until you're called for. It may take a maximum of 5 minutes."
Nodding, I look at where he was pointing, and seeing the familiar waiting are, I go and sit there. A few minutes later, the runner from before comes towards me, and leads me to an inside office, seated where was a lone Goblin, definitely amongt the oldest I've seen here.
We greet each other with a hello, and once I sit on my chair, he asks, "What can Gringotts help you with, Mr Evans?"
Smiling, I repeat my request and say, "My name is Harrison Evans, and I am in need of muggle documentation."
The Goblin smiles wide, recognising what I'm asking. You don't just approach the Goblins because you need something done that is strictly legal.
The Goblin, who's name plate says Larnott, leans back, and says, "It'll be expensive."
"I'm ready to pay a reasonable cost." I say, looking straight at him. I had 13000 Galleons left in my Trust Vault, of which I'd already brought 5000 with me, in case I needed it. Hopefully I don't, but can't say for sure.
Larnott raises his brows, and then says, "The standard rate is G200 per identification type, along with G100 Service charge. If you want a paper trail and obliviations to make it iron clad in the muggle world, then it'll be G250 extra."
Well, this is better than what I expected.
"How iron clad are we talking about here?" I ask, wanting to know more about this.
Larnott says, "The identification papers will be perfectly entered into the muggle system, and then our employees will make sure to add a sufficient paper trail by going there themselves. Even if someone does a very deep background check on you, the identification will hold. You don't get to ask how."
Well, this is probably because the technology isn't as advanced yet. The paper trail, I can guess. Time turners must be involved somehow, or a lot of Mind magic.
Nodding, I ask, "Have you done this before? It seems like you've done this before."
Larnott just smirks even wider, which prompts me to ask, "What kind of documents would you recommend then?"
"Advice and recommendations cost additional G10." Larnott simply says, making me scowl.
I nod and wave my hand at him to continue. So he starts writing on a piece of parchment, and says, "Well, let's start with a Passport, which I assume you don't have. Will a British passport suffice?"
On and on the questions went, after which he had me click passport sized photos in the same room. Then, he ordered me to leave, and return in 2 days' time, with the payment in hand. All in all, it cost me G1650 for a passport, the driving licences for Two Wheelers as well as four wheelers, a birth certificate, and a School Certificate to prove my Secondary education. There were more documents, and some other charges for the paper trail, as well as for discretion, which is what increased the costs to this much.
At the end of all of it, two days later, I had in my hand a British passport for Harrison James Evans, who had visited India and the United States of America in his 25 years of life. His birthday, 28th September, 1909.
He had just finished a secondary education with credit, and then decided to find work somewhere else after a few years of travelling. Which is where I am now. Meh, I might not find a job either way, I just needed these documents for something else.
Buying a house.
Another week later, Harrison Evans becomes the proud owner of Number 1, Malbern Terrace, in the Borough of Islington, at the cost of just £575. The real estate prices were damn low right now, so I might just invest in a few more houses just for investment's sake.
The house was nothing too much, it had blue tiled roofs, a blue pebbledash walls from the outside, with a nice sturdy make. And it had a garden at the front and back! The worst part of this house was definitely the fact that it was connected to another house on the left.
But well, this is London we're talking about. Every house here is like this. I'll have to find a place outside London for privacy. This is just going to be my public house. Well, as soon as Harrison Evans bequeaths it to Mason Aves, that is.
There was a plan, that was still a few years away, to make it seem plausible. But for now, I'm living at the Orphanage itself, until I can move here permanently.
-
About a month after my return to the orphanage, I get an owl from the Department of Magical Education, with my NEWT results. As expected, I had gotten 10 O's, and came third in class. Considering I had skipped two years, this was good!
With my results in hand, I was currently in the office of the DMLE head, to discuss my emancipation. We'd already discussed everything regarding the need for it, and considering that I was already a full fledged Wizard, it wasn't a long discussion.
Finally, he sighs, and says, "Mr Aves, we really hope that you know what you're doing. If you're emancipated, you will be tried as an adult for any crimes you commit. You won't be able to play the 'I'm Underage' card from now onwards."
Nodding, I say, "That's not going to be a problem, Mr Shafiq, since I don't plan on breaking any laws. I just don't think I can live 2 years without even using Magic. Plus, I'll need the apparition license too, if I get the apprenticeship I'm hoping for."
"You'll have to speak with Mr Twycross for that, I'm afraid." Mr Shafiq, the head of DMLE says. Finally, he stamps on the application form, and says, "Well, nothing I'm going to say is going to change your mind I'm sure."
With a tap of his wand, my application form folds into itself and turns into a paper bird. It then floats in front of his head, and only leaves when he says, "Melinda Edgecombe, Filing Department."
As the paper bird flies out of the room, he turns back to me, and says, "You'll get a verification, and an Emancipation Certificate within a month, after which you can apply for the Apparition test."
"Thank you for listening, Mr Shafiq." I say, smiling at the bigger man, as we stand up.
Shaking my hand, Shakif says, "You're most welcome, Mr Aves. But do be careful, Emancipation is not an excuse to drink carelessly, or break any laws. I wish you luck in your future, Mr Aves."
Smiling, I walk out of the Ministry, and towards the floo. The visitor's badge is summarily discarded in the bin specifically kept for that purpose, and I use the floo to go to the Leaky Cauldron. From the Leaky, I walk towards an alleyway, and create a portal to the Chamber of Secrets.
Walking inside, I'm met with an empty room, the Basilisk having been hidden away by me to avoid Sly becoming even fatter. Sly was currently in the Forbidden forest, probably finding something to eat, but well, at least he's not eating the Basilisk.
With a wave of my fists, I create platformed steps made up of the glowing orange Universal Magic, and walk up them to reach the hidden entrance to Slytherin's rooms. As I say the password, and walk in, I think over everything I've accomplished in these weeks I've been away from Hogwarts.
Well, not too much away, since I was currently underneath Hogwarts, but still.
I had a fake identity, complete with a license, and a passport. I am now emancipated, with my certificate coming in soon, and I'll also have the Apparition license soon enough, since I can actually do it pretty well. And I have a house!
Stopping in the Potions lab, I check up on the Animagus Potion, to see that it was coming along nicely. Nodding in satisfaction, I take out my Acacia wand, and with a few spins around myself, conjure three Eagle patroni. With a soft whisper, I say, "Begin the process." And send the patroni flying away towards Ana, Darla, and Dorea.
As soon as the patroni leave, I take a Mandrake leaf from the jar on the stands, and stick it to the roof of my mouth. Let the Animagus process begin!
Meanwhile, I did promise myself to visit France, didn't I? Well, better not disappoint myself.
Shifting into the form of Harrison Evans, I create a portal to the London Victoria, hoping to find a night ferry ticket for as soon as possible. I'll need to pack for the trip too. All without spitting the leaf out on accident. Sticking charm should do the trick, I think. I'll just have to reapply it every few hours.
France, here I come!
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A/N: The Night Ferry was a boat train that actually began in 1936, but since this is Marvel we're talking about, let's assume it started a year or two early.
This gets the official work out of the way, leaving the next chapter for moving the plot forward.
Harrison Evans won't be in any way related to the Evans family that birthed Harry Potter, don't worry. I'm not going to make him Harry's grandfather, or something like that. Just a coincidence, or intentional, I suppose. Harrison James Evans, is an inspiration from the Indy!Harry fics.
Tata!
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