Ch. 1 - Welcome To Harry Potter
It was a warm day in August the wind was chilly but certainly not cold and the sun which had been hot "like we have never seen before" (said every news ever) seemed to have settled down a bit as if settling the ground for the coming of Autumn.
A man, no older than forty, could be seen standing behind his window looking at the streets below bustling with parents and children preparing for school, a smile donning his handsome-looking face as he is probably reminded of the time he also walked through the same streets, with high hopes for the future and a smile brighter than the sun.
In the end, not everything went as he hoped for but... he probably wouldn't change a single thing even if he could because...
Thump
"Daaaad, I missed youuuu" a girl entered the study smashing the door open, right as he finished writing the last few lines on a book, with an incredibly high-pitched but at the same time suave voice
...Because of her... with a smile on his face, the man stood up and prepared himself as the human missile was about to hit.
"What a drama queen you are, I left for two minutes..." said the dad while stroking the silver-blonde long hair of the little nightmare that was his daughter
"I still missed you..." she said while pouting
"Yes, yes... of course, do you need something from me?" asked the man as the two separated
Putting a hand on the chin and scrunching her face as if calculating the universe she answers "Mom wants you downstairs soon, Aunt is already home and the Potters will be visiting us it seems, she looks very nervous"
"Ahanaha, mom nervous when we have guests? That's the understatement of the century. Go on Alice, sweetie, tell mom I will be down in a couple of minutes, use the floo if you can't wait"
The man closed the book he was writing, tidied the last few things, grabbed his cloak, and proceeded to go downstairs where his beautiful wife was waiting for him, for the life of him he couldn't understand how this woman never seemed to lose an ounce of beauty in his eyes whether it be exterior or interior and he would still lose himself in those dark blue eyes like the day they first danced together.
On her part, she was also unable to understand how could this man seem to have the ability to calm her down and soothe her just with his presence, every time she looked into his green eyes she could forget all her worries and be free for a couple of seconds... minutes maybe... heh... who had the time to count the time.
"Ready dear?" the silver-blonde asked
"Shall we go via apparition?" he asks
"Why not, we could also take the scenic route," she says while gently fixing his summer coat
He kissed her gently on the cheeks and said "Quality time with wifey? Who am I to say no to that"
"Don't get carried away, we gotta be home soon we have guests, and remember to...."
Activating his incredible ability honed by countless naggings he turned off the wife's voice in his head content on just having her close to him and apparated away.
...
...
In the study a gentle breeze passed through the semi-open window, gently fluttering the book openwritren on it were a few words: "The Story of Thomas Rashford" - An Autobiography of the Unsung Hero of Hogwarts, co-written with the daily prophet.
The wind fluttered a few more pages
"...during my studies at Hogwarts, I realized soon enough a painful and hard truth, magic did not love me. Magic is by all means very similar to mother nature the more you are liked by her, the more powerful spells you can cast, the more talent you possess, and generally the more you can make use of it. Magic choose each generation a few exceptional people and gives them the talent to become great, it does not differentiate between muggles and purebloods, whites and blacks, she is impartial and as such extremely unfair. However magic loves people who practice it, magic loves commitment, hard work, and appreciation even for the smallest things; magic loves people who dabble in it for magic's sake and magics' sake alone. It despises people who want to abuse it but will reward you accordingly if you treat it with respect...
...I was an orphan, a muggle-born, I had to survive and I couldn't trust my talent to do it for me, I needed more, I called, and magic answered, slowly yes, but surely...
...My most notable accomplishment, which most people might remember me for, was probably when I brought Voldemort to a standstill with simple spells and held him off for 15 minutes just in time for Harry Potter to complete the deed...
...
...
... I am Thomas Rashford, and this... is my story."
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-Rashford Orphanage, 1991, July 20-
I was completely stunned... I was sure I died, I already accepted my fate... yet... I still live it seems.
My body is probably 11 years old if the simple paper plaque in front of my door was any hint.
But what got me stunned was not the obvious existential dread of life after that or the fact that I still had my previous memories of my previous life on an Earth of the future instead, the cause of my shock seems to be a letter, given to me by Mother Theresa, the caretaker, on the back it read.
Dear Mr. Rashford, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. The term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July. Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress.
"Fuck".