14 pre-Hogwarts 2

"Master, letter for Hoggywart is there!" Say, Autumn

Hearing the elf, Alex raised his head from the account book that Spring had to bring him.

"Has it be cleaned?" Asked him, knowing that some weren't above to bobby-trap them.

It had been one of his rules to the elves, shall there be any letter for him, they were to scan them and get rid of anything other than the parchment and ink on them. Knowing that the meddling fool could try and track him through them, he had created a letterbox in the post office of Diagon Alley.

Since he wasn't the only one to do this and was hidden, owls hadn't other choice but delivered them there. Due to its function, any monitoring would be useless there. An elf would pop two times a day and see if there was anything for him.

Until then it was the first he ever receive, knowing that Gringott should have sent monthly account for his trust Vault, he knows that the old fart had done something. The only thing he could though was some taboo that would redirect his mail, since he had gotten rid of all foreign magic for years and never put a foot in the magical world or past know places in the mundane world.

"Yes, been tracking charmies on letter of master." Respond the elf, shaking her head disapprovingly at the move.

"Alright" nodded Alex, breaking the seal.

As he thought, the formal letter of acceptance addressed to 'Harry Potter' from Hogwarts had been sent. In the previous years, he had briefly wondered if he would receive another one for Alexander Evans, but Winter had told him that since the clan wasn't affiliated with England, he wouldn't.

Knowing it was a good thing for him, as, should he ever renounce the Potter name, he wouldn't be restrained by the British community. He had already planned that, should he be subject to the TriWizard tournament, he would 'Kill' Harry Potter, freeing him from the contract and get out of there. By the time he was fourteen, the Potter Vault should be nearly emptied into the Evans one. Even then, as the last scion of both family, he would claim headship to the Potter Vault after being declared an adult by the ministry, empty it, and report the House dead just before the third task.

~~~

Taking a blank page from his block note, he wrote a quick response, before crafting an envelope from another.

"Would you deliver this to Deputy Headmistress McGonagall for me please, Winter? Don't bother finding her, and leave it on her desk, I would presume that she would have already a small pile of them."

"Yes, master." Bow the elf, popping away with the said letter in hand, while Alex returned to his lecture.

~~~

While Alex was leaving a carefree life on the island, the same thing couldn't be to say for an old wizard on his castle in Scottland.

Oh, at first everything had been fine, the prophecy became self-fulfilling in 1981. The boy had been physically marked; the cursed lightning bolt scar had been a dead give away. While he hadn't found a trace of Tom, he hasn't be worried, the half he knows of the prophecy would bring him to Harry. As long as he knows where the boy was, he would control the situation.

From then it had been simple, send Hagrid to pick up the kid, once sure everything was on track, to bring him to his next address. Sirius had never been a threat; the man-child had never had his priorities straight, leading to his best friend emasculation for one and dead for the other.

He hadn't been surprised to hear that the man had abandoned the child of his dead best friend to track the killer of say friend. He hadn't had to raise a finger, even! The poor sod had cracked his nut and broke at the wrong time, sending himself to Azkaban.

Due the time and the rumours running rampant, he had only needed to suggest that since he confessed, there wasn't need for a trial. Barty had been too eager to put a Black behind bars and Bagnold happy that thing where solving themselves without any input on her side.

After that, everything was more or less resolved. The Death Eater activity slowly dies off without their leader, peace return, and no one raised an eyebrow when he takes custody of the orphaned boy with a new hyphenated name.

He wouldn't have anything to do for the coming eleven years, and would only need to wait for seven before he could start to drain the Trust vault and funds the order next formation.

Thinking about that particular problem still annoyed him. As the Wizard community consider the first maturation to be around seven years old, Gringott and the Ministry of the time had fixed the minimum age to withdraw funds in the bank to be that same age.

Should there be a parent, the rule wouldn't be need since they would directly use the family Vault and for the orphan, they wouldn't be considered mature enough before them. Regretfully this was a rule that no one could by-pass, not even him since he was only guardian, not family!

~~~

That when everything started to go pear-shaped. Harry vanishes barely a little more than a month before his seven birthday.

At this time, he was on ICW duty, a month-long summit held every three years. Knowing that he would return around the particular day, he hadn't been too bothered by being absent so long.

That when he was proven wrong. The meeting had gone for a little more than planned, making him return on the 3 August. He still remembers the state of his office when he had apparate in. Everything had been wrecked. His trinkets all gone! Blown up to bits, his desk wasn't better, but what had pained him the most was the loss of his pensive, memories and sweets. They had been part of his plan in the incoming years, and they were rarer than seeing Lucius Malfoy taking part in a light-sided law!

Even with the loss, he had rummaged through the wreckage to fond at least something. When he indeed found that something, his hearth grow cold. What was previously the key of the Potter trust Vault was now, only a slagged key, completely melted.

After that, he immediately departs for the house where he had left the boy on a sweet night of October, but bad news had continued. The little boy had vanished for a month already, and nothing had been made to find him.

He hadn't even the time to properly search the house before the harpy had been screeching at him to free her innocent husband.

That had been the real kick in the ball; the boy was nothing like he wanted. At the first abuse, he directly went to the Aurors, and actively take part in sending his uncle into jail without remorse! He couldn't believe that the boy was already that heartless, fearing that the shard was already taking over, perhaps he should have made sure it's was adequately contained?

Then the bad news continues, the walrus couldn't be free without breaking the statue of secrecy, something he wasn't going to do for a muggle, the boy was gone, no trace and the blasted creature refuse to let him in the vaults!

~~~

The following years had been deception on deception. Nothing about Harry, other than the crap letters from well-wisher he burned to the last one. He had to pass all his break searching for him and couldn't let Minerva know without her spitting out a furball at him.

Without any blood, tracking he was next to impossible, and he was still waiting for the result of his last attempts. As the day passes without a response of attendance, he started to grow restless. If Harry didn't come, how can he kick-start his plans? Had he still been to the Dursley, he would have flooded the house with letters, before sending Hagrid to retrieve the boy, but he was bound foot and fists.

So when Minerva barge in his office out of nowhere on July 31, he was surprised, but not as much than from her words.

~~~

"Albus, we have a problem" Curtly say her, appearing uncomfortable and clutching a muggle envelope in her hand.

Surprised by her worried tone, but only raising a brow at this, he looks at her, before seeing something in her hand. Realising what it was, his eye widens imperceptibly before regaining his calm.

"Should I conclude that this to do with the letter in your hand? Is that young Harry reply?"

"Indeed is it." Say her, giving him the letter. "When I first read it, I wanted to go to those muggles directly, but seeing the day we are, I thought it would be best if you know of it."

"Indeed?" Say him while looking at what turns to be paper in his hand. Unfurling it to read the content, he wasn't happy from the content.

'Deputy Headmistress McGonagall.

I'm not sure if you will receive this reply as I couldn't found the address of your so-called school anywhere.

I don't take really well this kind of joke. While I may not be the sharpest pencil in the pencil case, I'm old enough to know that fairy tales are just that, fairy tales. That you have enough time to bother others with those blatant lies and jokes of dubious nature, doesn't mean others have.

Please refrain from contacting me again, or I would contact authorities.

As told in your letter, since the deadline as you 'await my owl by no later than 31 July', I sent this letter on the 27. Should it arrive earlier, I then refuse your invitation; I will not take part in this absurd joke, good day.

Harry.'

'That not good! Not only, he directly refuses, but also think everything is a joke? Was he not aware of the magical world and hide from it? How can't his address be tracked then?

While the old wizard was attempting to make his head on the incoming headache this affair would be, this single letter just destroyed the first part of his plan for the boy, and perhaps all the other to come.

'Was it really a wrong choice to send him there?'

~~~

It hasn't been his first choice to send back that type of reply, but it had struck him on the spot when he receives the letter. At worse it would fail, and he would have to attend, but doing it this way would throw off canon out with the most repercussion.

Like this Dumbledore would wonder what happen all those years back and the way he had written the letter would throw him off guard. From how he vanishes the older man surely thought that he either know of the magical world or was abducted by one from it.

With the letter, he would now cross the first possibility. Was it safe to made him suspect the second? No. Would he attempt to read his mind to know? Hell yes, he would.

The man was an information whore; he couldn't bear to live without them. By creating such a first approach, one would think that Alex had put himself into an unnecessary precarious situation. Recklessly endangering himself, and they would be right if not for a simple fact, CS.

Simply put, his conscious second form was just like the 'wolf' of Weres. His mind had been entirely re-wired, so much that it wasn't human anymore. Like any other magical creature, this creates natural protection from those not of his species, and, as he was the only living one, it wasn't a problem at all.

That didn't mean he was protected from mind-altering substances or spell on the 'Imperius' level, but legilimancy was out.

Doing this had another benefit, Dumbledore credibility. Should the man wanted to locate him; he would need the help of Goblins. While they wouldn't be able to locate him too, the old wizard doesn't know that.

The problem with this solution would be multiple. First, it would mean that the man had lost their hero, and no matter his power, his reputation would take a blow. The second would be a slap in the government face, as the man was the head of the Wizengamot, but unable to found him. The third would be moral, as his guardian, he was entitled with Harry security, letting it know that he wasn't able to do so would let an opening and became a threat to his tenure as headmaster.

After all, who would leave the man to take care of their children if he wasn't able to take care of his ward properly?

The four would be another slap to the Ministry; they would never swallow the fact that they need help from goblins to found him. The fifth was of the same order, as they would legally bleed the wizard for such task, they would turn into a laughing-stock.

With such drawback, Fudge would put the blame on Dumbles, and Lucius would do everything he could to reduce the man influence, and threaten his titles.

Another problem was his response. Not only he refused to attend Hogwarts, but in giving his answer now, it was too late for this year.

~~~

He didn't think that they would allow him to miss Hogwarts, even from this year, but he wasn't concerned.

While august was slowly trickling down, he continues with the schedule from the past years. He would raise with the sun, cleans himself, eats a cereal-based breakfast with fruits and fruits juice, before starting his day. In the morning, practical activities, he would go with Ash in the forest, learn how to harvest and prepare his ingredients, before using them in the potion.

Thankfully for him, he wasn't restricted by the lack of magical creature part. The Evans' had long since worked others branch of potioning, either a strictly plant-based of magical-mundane or, plant-animal of mundane and magical origin respectively.

It was that way he learns of the reason the woods were kept wild. While the potion effect lessened, they were more logical. One of the most common examples was a pepper-up potion. The potion was used as an all-purpose cure. A cold? Pepper-up. A lack of energy? Pepper-up. An after-effect of a trauma? Pepper-up.

What was worse was there wasn't doses or different intensity, one would need to take the entire phial.

During his study on the case, he also found something worrying. By essence, the potion wasn't pure, either from the ingredients or the skill of the Potioner. Those facts weren't that bad, would it be a few centuries back, but now? Wizard only swore by potions. This massive intake of contaminated substance would build-up toxin in their bodies without having time to dissipate naturally. Through the years, this would harm their magic and body significantly, being the reason why they faced a loss in lifespan from the past centuries.

From the record, he found that typical wizard, four centuries ago, would have an average life spend between 190 to 210. At this time, human barely lived to 69, a third of them. While powerful mage would live longer, they would scarcely go through three centuries.

Now? Dumbledore was one of the more powerful wizards, at least in Britain, and was already old at 109. While there are more senior living wizard and witch, they wouldn't past their second centuries. The mundane world had already started to catch up on this level, how long before the wizard became extinct.

This was when the Evans potion came in the game. Not only they had refined their magical ingredients to the point were barely anything other than the magical propriety was left, but had done the same to the mundane ones. With the filtred liquids left, the magical toxin was nearly inexistent, letting the body eliminate them easier. Still, the mix of regular part and the creation of a particular dose had turned those roughly null.

~~~

All this was brought further by Alex. With his simulation, he had already cut out the other contaminant, leaving only his skills after the final product.

Without having to waste time learning like the other, he had been able to concentrate purely on his brewing skills. Due to this method, it wouldn't be farfetched to say that Hogwarts had little to offer to him in this branch. There was still the odd mishap here and there, but no one can boast of being perfect, has he simply lack the years of practice. With the precise medication, his potion was practically toxin-free.

With the ritual five years ago, he had eliminated those accumulated during the first seven years of his life. When adding the boost from his change of race, he would outlive wizards of past for at least twice.

This, without counting on his early training in harnessing his magic and the ritual that would be reconducted every seven years. CS had told him that, earlier, it would put a too significant strain on his body and magic.

The fact that he would live at least 600 years old and knowing that he would not stay in this world had put a damper on his want to found a girl and create a family, even if the fate of the clan was entirely on his shoulders.

~~~

When lunch would come, he would stop his practical study from turning to forging. During the past two years, he had started to use his acquired knowledge to forge for his own need. While he hadn't touched anything else than iron still, he was slowly making his way.

~~~

This had been his life from the past five years; he wasn't in a hurry, he knows Tommy Horcruxs were and had a good grasp of cannon for his to have a window. He won't keep to script, turning into a good puppet for fear of being thrown into a completely different world, but would keep the primary lines to maintain a relative control.

The first monkey wrench was his letter. Without it, he wouldn't be brought to Diagon Alley by the half-giant, wouldn't encounter Draco Malfoy and, as the day pass, would avoid the Weasley's, and the train altogether, and more importantly, the stone.

While he didn't know them, he didn't like Ron, and he would be better without this early Hermione.

~~~

While Alex was passing a good month, the top power of Hogwarts wasn't. With Harry refusal to attend Hogwarts, the magic of the castle had crossed him from the roll for the year. Due to this, the pre-payed tuition made by James Potter at his birth had been refunded to the Potter Vault. That were problems started. As pre-paid, the refund had appeared on the school balance the board had access. It had been child play for them to track down to witch Vault the money had been sent back, and shit had hit the fan so hard it had splattered all over them.

With Lucius Malfoy in the board, Fudge had known of this from the 1 August, and the daily prophet had run a special edition the very afternoon. With the pressure of the Ministry and the Board, they hadn't other chose but revealed the letter.

No matter how he tried to turned it, the truth had come under light and had made the front pages. Dumbledore had lost the chosen one after leaving it with muggles. No matter the fact he claimed the choice for his protection, the fact that he was gone put a hole in his defence.

Not missing the opportunity, Fudge had jumped on the occasion and ordered an investigation by the head of the DMLE herself. The man had been smug at his act at the time. By ordering it in the middle of the extraordinary session of the Wizengamot, Dumbledore wasn't able to stop it, nor cut the meeting short to cover his bases.

Using the ministry records, Amelia Bones had easily track done the address of the muggle family, and after a long and fascinating interview, learn much.

The bad news was the transcript of the interview was leaked to the Daily Prophet by the rookie that had accompanied her.

In less than a day, on the 8 August, the Wizarding world learns the shocking truth concerning their saviour. An uncle sends to jail for abusing the four-year-old boy, a life past in a cupboard before that, before completely vanishing at seven, and Dumbledore knowing it for years.

~~~

The backlash had been monstrous, and the older man had only kept his three positions through the use of numerous favours he passed his life to accumulate. The only thing the Wizengamot had been able to take from his was the custody of the Britain wizard hero.

That was the second blow came from the ancient wizard. Goblins aren't like the sheep of the wizarding world. They immediately demand the key of the boy trust Vaults back. This was a situation he hadn't be able to walk out like he had the habit of doing. When they learn of not only the destruction of the key but him hiding the truth as of it state, the goblin had been pissed off.

They did take great pleasure to fine his ass, though and through. The destruction of Gringotts propriety had been fined 5,000G with an additional charge for the five years of dissimulation at a 1,000G each year.

After it came the fine for the damage that he could have cost the Heir Potter, divided into parts. The first was the basic fine, ten-time the amount of the Trust content. With a yearly 250G on eleven years, minus the 10G per months, the fine attains 19,100G. Then came the numbers of years from the destruction till the time he would have been restituted the key, 5 years for a total of 95,500G. When the Potter Account manager had penned a letter to the young boy and inform him of the result of the day, he had been first flabbergasted to see the owl cross the desk, before turning very angry.

A short and brutal investigation later unearth his dealing with the Trust Vault and his participation in the theft and fraud of Vernon Durley.

The family had been pay 10G per month (500 P) for the care of the young heir. Only for the money to be stolen and the heir mistreated. The fact that the mundane had a deal with the injustice didn't mean the goblins would forgive those done in the magical one.

At 10G per year, for seven-year, it was 840G the man helped to steal, and thus the fine came. At the standard rate of ten-time, for the past seven years amounted to 58,800G. All this before the extra fine for hiding the theft for eleven years, he had to pay a further 588,000G to Gringotts, and the same amount in reparation to the Potter Heir.

In sums, his account was fined 10,000G for propriety destruction for Gringott, 114,600G for the estimated damage to the Heir Potter, 58,800G for the theft pay to the Heir Potter and a final of 588,000G for both Gringott and the Heir Potter.

For any family the lost of 1,359,400G would be devastating, turning even the lesser fortunate noble house to bankrupt, for Dumbledore, while a harsh blow coasting a third of his saving, it was still bearable. What wasn't was that the goblin had forwarded their sentence to the ICW and British Ministry due to the past treaty.

From there, he finally lost his position of the British representant to the ICW as they can't have trialled criminal in their rank. With the loss of this seat, came the title of supreme Mugwump.

~~~

The confirmation of his lost position by the international community was the heaviest blow yet to him. Being cut from the international scene would cut off a great deal of the previously easily obtainable information.

The blow to Dumbledore reputation had been too successive for the British wizards to think of deliberate attempts to harm the man reputation, even them aren't dumb enough to not understand what happened.

When the high from Dumbledore situation finally settle, another rise, the actual situation of the British darling.

The older man wasn't a fool enough to hide that he had zero means to track the boy and with his refusal to consider that magic was real, he would certainly don't show up at Hogwarts.

This spurred Fudge and his cabinet to present a draft in front of the Wizengamot, compelling British children to attend Hogwarts, and bathe in the afterglow of the community praises for his forethought until he was reminded that even with the law if they couldn't track the boy, it didn't change anything.

This did cost his some earned popularity point, be it was still higher than before the debacle. As the attention-seeking-whore he was, he orders the DMLE to track the boy at all cost, before being clearly burned in front of the Wizengamot by Bones with the fact that she had others things to do and had neither the numbers nor the financial mean to start a man-hunt through the country for a lost child.

This turned out to be the final nail in the coffin. The whole affair turned to be disastrous to all parties, leaving Fudge with even lower popularity, Dumbledore fined a third of his fortune, his seat at the ICW lost, and his reputation with a hard blow, and a still missing Harry Potter. Thus the goblins feast in the Potter Heir name to have brought Gringotts such good business without them doing anything.

~~~

When 1 September came, Harry was surprised that no more letters made their way to him, wondering how wizards can be this dumbs. From what Winter had reported, Dumbledore had been ousted as his guardian; this should have been enough for him to retrieve whatever he had done to stop letters to reach his post box.

Even then, all it would have taken for the man was a letter, and follow where it was delivered. Had he done this, he would have discovered that Harry had a mailbox in Diagon Alley, this alone should tell him that he knows about the wizarding world.

He had barely sent Winter for his morning mail and put an end to the rental service, that she return.

"Master Alex, a letter from the goblins!"

"Did the old man had stopped his interference?" Asked him surprised to receive his first correspondence from the bank.

"yes." Shaking the elf her head. "But feather birdie been turning around, before Winter coming, feather birdy feel master connection to Winter and give letter to Winter."

"Good to know they can do that." Shrugged him while taking the extended letter.

"Only because master hidden, normally birdies not feeling the connection to master."

"Ah, ok." Say him to her, before opening the letter.

'To Heir Potter,

Greeting, My name is Bloodbones. I officiate in the capacity of the Potter's account manager from the last 153 years. I take advantage of your monthly statement you should have received since eleven-year, two months prior, to contact you.

Due to your particular situation, it would benefit Gringotts and you to convene to an appointment. The joint Portkey will take you to my office on the 2 September, at 9:00 AM. Should you be unavailable return your response with the Portkey.

Should it be needed, the activation phrase is 'Bloodbones office'.

Good day to you.

Poter account Manager Bloodbones

Gringotts, Britain

Diagon Alley.'

"Well, it seems that at least goblins are more efficient than wizards, but that isn't too shocking. Spring!"

*pop*

"Master be calling Spring?"

"Yes, I would like to enquire the situation of the Evans Vault in Gringott."

"A master says, Spring been taking shinies from Vaults, after new shinies been added. Only new shinies have been left in master Vault."

"Good as long as more than a 1,000,000G is left in, the House status wouldn't be taken away, and since there had never been 25,000,000G or higher in, we won't be recognised as magical house and had an accountant appointed. Good job, Spring." The elf puffed a little his chest under the compliment of his master. "From the letter, 761,400G had been added to my Trust vault from Dumbles fines; if nothing is done by the 1 January, the surplus would be transferred to the Potter Vault as the Trust had been fixed at 2,250G for now. After the meeting, I should receive a new key. When I came back, you will empty the Vault, and take those Galleons to the island Vault."

"Leave it to Spring, master!"

"Thanks, I know I could count on you."