Chapter 1

5 year old Harry watched as his brother played with his friends. They were chasing a magic frog that was bouncing all around the garden with their parents laughing at their antics.

Harry looked at them enviously. He wanted to play with them as well but was specifically forbidden by his step-mother from doing so.

He did not understand why she hated him. Why his father ignored everything related to him. Why others treated like he did not deserve their attention. Why his brother always made sure that he landed in trouble.

All he ever understood was that he did not belong there and never would.

A year later Harry watched his brother receive various presents from well-wishers. He replied to every letter because it was his 'duty' to reply to everyone. His mother gushed praises saying how he would grow to be just like Dumbledore, his father grinning in the background along with his two friends who seemed to hang around a lot nowadays.

He even teased Harry about his presents as his birthday was never celebrated to receive gifts.

Whenever he complained about Charles, his step-mother would glare at him and send him back to his room without food. He learnt to never voice out his thoughts from then onwards. He learnt to never voice opinion against the Perfect Potters. He dearly wished to give up his surname and leave them forever.

As harry was mourning the death of his mother on 12th September, he could hear Charles' friends entering through the floo. He heard Ron Weasely introducing his sister to him.

"H-Hi." Muttered Ginny shyly, "I'm Ginny Weasely".

Harry snorted as he walked up the stairs. Great another star struck fangirl. Just what they needed.

Hearing something Ginny turned around to search for the one who made the noise but Charles interrupted, "Don't worry, it was just Harry. He caused lots of trouble to his mother and got her killed. My father took pity on him and took him into the Potter household."

Harry's stoic mask almost broke but he took few deep breaths and reached for his room door but stopped after hearing what Charles said.

"Instead of being grateful he whines and cries in his room. He should have died with his good for nothing mother. The only accomplishment she had was her son who turned out to be a failure. I don't understand why he is still alive."

Harry rushed to his small room and punched the wall repeatedly. Taking a look at his window he approached it and was ready to give up when he remembered his mother's face.

No. He promised to himself. He would not give up. He owed it to his mother. Her mother prioritized him before herself. So now he would live his life to the fullest for her.

Determined Harry started preparing a bag full of supplies so that he could escape his prison and step outside without being associated with the Potters.

Tomorrow Harry would be celebrating his 7th birthday. He remembered the grand party that Charles had for his seventh birthday. Many notable people were invited to the special location.

He internally laughed at wizarding logic.

Arthur Weasely fought for muggle rights as the head of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts but had no idea about the muggles. He knew more than muggles from a single train ride than he did in his entire life.

His father James Potter who actively supported muggle rights but gave up on my mother for being a muggle-born.

Minister Fudge who used every bit of fame to remain in power.

Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix which was actually illegal but nobody raised any questions as he was the defeater of Grindlewald.

The hypocrisy never ends.

Dumbledore is a powerful man. Of that he had no doubt. But at his age, shuffling between three full time jobs, an order and teaching his idiotic brother whose only talent seemed to be in quidditch, he couldn't help but think that Dumbledore was going senile if he already wasn't. After all, he came to the party with a violet robe and a green hat which went horribly with his silvery white beard. Especially since Snape always seemed to follow him on such occasions with his black robe and a permanent sneer on his face. Harry was sure that Snape was part bat with how he seemed to move with his robe.

As Harry sneaked through the quiet hallway, he heard a sound in the kitchen. Upon entering he saw a man of short stature who seemed to be filling his bag with various wares.

"O-Oh" Mudungus Fletcher stammered "I-I was just looking at these plates. A-A-Amazing collection."

This was the perfect opportunity for Harry. "I won't scream if you give me all the money you have." He whispered.

"S-Sure. I have some money."

He quickly threw out some knuts, a few sickle and a galleon. Before Harry could react Mudungus ran out of the house and apparated as soon as he stepped outside the door.

That was surprising. Harry mused. He earned a good bit from that.

Harry returned to his room and placed that night's harvest within his bag under the wooden floor. He jumped on to his bed and quickly went into a deep sleep.

A year later

The world cup was a week from now. Harry had overheard that he would also be leaving for the world cup as they couldn't give him to someone other than their close circle lest he cause trouble with them.

Harry couldn't care less for the game. He found no practical use for the game. He did enjoy flying on Charles' broomstick at nights but he found no love for the games themselves apart from certain thrilling moves that Harry would try to copy.

With his ear on the door, he heard something that would change his day.

"Charles would go ballistic if you say that. You know how Harry continuously teases him" Cassandra said.

James sighs, "I know. How about we keep him in the tent. He would be far away from Harry. This way both of you could be happy."

Harry's chance was finally here. He had everything he could take carefully packed for years, and now he could finally escape.

Harry quickly went up the stairs to make sure he got everything.

He had enough money by robbing a thief that entered the house last year. He had also collected any knuts or sickles he could find lying around. Enough hand me down clothes that he could wear. The key to his trust vault and most importantly information

Certain key information like how the knight bus worked. How to enter the leaky cauldron. Where platform 9 ¾ was located and how to enter them. All bits of information he found useful were written on a piece of parchment.

He had also taken several books that he would read as none of the Potters entered the library.

He had decided earlier that he would go and live in muggle London. After all, even if the Potters searched for him they would never go to the muggle London and would quickly give up. He was pretty sure that they would never realize that he was gone for a long time.

A week later

It was time to leave for the world cup. They never gave him a second glance and never realized that he had already snuck into the tent a few days ago when James had brought the large tent home and hid his bag under a furniture. He quickly put on a stoic expression. No use of tipping them off with a happy expression. They would figure out that something was wrong.

He entered the room to find Charles complaining to his mother about how it was unfair for Harry to come.

You're sense of fairness is screwed up. I wonder what would happen in Hogwarts when they realize that Charles is just a spoilt brat who expected everyone to give him what he wanted. Harry thought.

James entered the room and used a portkey to take them to the camp.

Once he was sure that they left he quickly got out of the tent once he had grabbed the escape bag and quickly made his way towards the border.

He had heard that the game would take an hour to begin after which the mascots will perform. The match itself would take anywhere between 15 minutes to a month.

By that time Harry had to catch the Knight Bus, go to Gringotts and empty his trust fund which contained small amounts which was put there due to James' guilt. He also had to convert most of his money with pounds as he had planned to live in muggle London.

He put out his wand arm and using a training wand he had nicked from Charles after his class, he pushed as much as he can into the wand. Just then a bus appeared in front of him and he almost tripped behind.

"Well who do we have here?" Stanley Shunpike exclaimed "A lad running away from the world cup."

"I would like to go to the Leaky Cauldron." Harry replied carefully.

"Right lad get in. We have another young lady going to the Leaky Cauldron." Stanley said, "You be needing a toothbrush?"

"No thanks." Harry replied.

"Oh well. Nobody buys them anyway. I have no idea why we are selling them. Now get in or Ernie will have my head for delaying so long."

As Harry got into the bus and looked at various mats and stools present on the Bus he heard Stanley yell "All aboard."

With a bang Harry was thrown backwards and after a long amount of time the bus stopped at leaky cauldron. He got down after handing Stanley a few sickles along with a dirty blonde hair and beautiful silver eyes. She looked at him and smiled "You seemed to be in a great hurry. Don't let me stop you."

"Y-Yes I have to go." Saying so Harry hurried to Gringotts with his cheeks flushed. He could hear her laughing behind him but the voice carried no malice. No, she seemed to be happy. But all it did was to make Harry move faster towards Gringotts.

As he entered through multiple doors, he saw a warning on the wall.

Enter, stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed,

For those who take, but do not earn,

Must pay most dearly in their turn,

So if you seek beneath our floors

A treasure that was never yours,

Thief, you have been warned, beware

Of finding more than treasure there.

"What do you want wizard?" the goblin snarled as he sat upon a big desk.

Harry replied, "I would like to visit my trust vault." And handed the key to him.

After observing the key he handed it back to Harry and ordered a goblin to take him to his vault.

"That was amazing." Harry laughed. That was the best thing he had done in his entire life. The goblin looked at him wearily and opened his vault. He moved away from Harry as if he had a plague.

Harry moved towards the table in the center of the vault. He emptied the small pile of money into his bag and quickly left from his vault. After another exciting trip to the surface, he quickly exchanged all the money he had to muggle pounds.

He then made his way out of building and quickly left from the Leaky Cauldron. He couldn't help but get excited as he boarded a muggle bus.

Nobody could stop him and bring him back to the potters as he was sure that nobody knew of his existence. The Potters will not talk about how he was missing as rumors would spread about how James had cheated on his wife and mistreated Harry. With Rita Skeeter snooping around, he was sure that they would not talk about this incident to the public. After all the family of the Boy-Who-Lived can never be wrong.

With this Harry was finally free from any chains that held him down.