A Different Path

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It was a quiet morning in the Dursley house. Petunia and her husband Vernon were cooking and eating when they heard some crying from under the stairs. They ignored it however until it got annoying. Petunia begrudgingly stood up and went to the little cupboard. She fed him just enough for him to stop crying then she stopped. When he finally needed his diaper changed she quickly did it and threw the stinky thing out. Then she heard her son start crying for the same reason. She quickly took care of him. Giving him more than enough food. Petunia may dislike the baby leftover from her 'freak' of a sister and Lilly's husband but she wasn't a complete monster. She took him out of the crib and set him in the living room before running upstairs to do the same for her son. When she heard both of them trying to say something her eyes widened and so did Vernon's.

Harry said very unwelcome words they were a spell. 'Expecto Patro' he giggled out while Dudly just said 'babodo' Petunia and Vernon praised Dudly and glared at Hadrian which they had been told was just Harry. What they didn't know was that the mistreatment they were giving him would lead to their fear.

~~~Hadrian's POV~~~

I didn't know why My Uncle and Aunt looked at me that way but I felt as if I did something wrong. I just hung my head and played with the carpet as I had no toys, unlike my cousin. I decided that since I had made my Aunt and Uncle sad I would just stay quiet the rest of the day. I wouldn't ask for food and I wouldn't ask for help sleeping. I tried standing up seeing as I would have to take care of myself. I stood up and walked a few steps. I found that walking was quite easy for me. apparently I wasn't supposed to even be able to talk at my age. I continued walking on my short legs and found the fridge. I opened the bottom of it and grabbed the milk My aunt had set aside for me. I grabbed the bottles and carried them to my cupboard. I set them down and sat on the cot for when I was older. I frowned at this but didn't say anything.

~A few years later Hadrian's age: 5~

I was quite tall for my age apparently as I towered slightly over Dudly. I grabbed some snacks that would be enough for me to last the whole day and got dressed for the preschool me and Dudly were being sent to. I looked in the mirror that was hung in the hallway and noticed I looked quite nice for someone of my age. I didn't need glasses as my Aunt and Uncle had suspected so they were a bit nicer because the only thing they had to buy for me was things for school, food, clothes, and things for a shower.

I waited for Dudly to be ready and for my Aunt and Uncle to be ready also. Once the Dursleys were ready we headed to the school. I saw a strange man sitting outside that seemed to be sad. I frowned because today was Holloween and people were supposed to be happy today. I also felt a little sad on this day every year but I was curious why this man was. I saw the Aunt and Uncle drive off and Dudley went into the school. I walked up to the man and sat next to him. "Are you alright sir?" He looked a little startled and looked at me a toddler that seemed quite mature. "You seemed sad so I wanted to cheer you up!" I smiled after saying this he smiled sadly and patted my shoulder.

"You have good looks kid, and very pretty emerald eyes...." I frowned when his expression became sad again. "What's your name lad?" I smiled at him.

"My name is Hadrian James Potter!" I smiled proudly after telling him my name. His eyes almost blew out of his socket and looked up to the scar on my forehead.

"H-Harry P-Potter?" I nodded and he hugged me suddenly. "I found you!" I was a bit confused but waited anyway. "I'm your grandfather! Your father's father to be precise!" I felt my eyes widen and tears dripped down my face.

"You're my papa?" I asked quietly he nodded and I hugged him tightly. "You can't take me away from my Aunt and Uncle yet but I will go to you once I turn eleven!" I smiled brightly. "I found a letter that told me that in the basket I was sent to my Aunt and Uncles in." He nodded and I looked at the time. "I need to go to school I'll see you tomorrow Papa!" he nodded again and I hurried inside the school. I was just in time and didn't get in trouble seeing as I was the top of my class. We were getting out report cards today so I was hoping that I would be praised by Aunt and Uncle!

~At the end of the school day~

I walked outside with my report card in my hand. I hopped into the car behind my chubby cousin and sat silently. When we got home they asked for our report cards. I gave them mine in the living room and they looked enraged that I did better then Dudly. "HOW DARE YOU DO BETTER THEN DUDLY!" I trembled a little and I broke when a white-hot pain flashed on my cheek. I held my cheek and trembled. I endured it though hoping that by doing this they would see it was pointless to do anymore. But they saw it as not enough. They then ripped my shirt off sent Dudly to his room and whipped me with a belt. I cried silently knowing it would be over soon. It was. I hobbled over to my cupboard and wrapped bandages around the deep slices on my back and chest.

~~~~~

Hadrian hoped it would get better with years but instead, it got worse. Petunia had joined in on the physical abuse while Dudly did mental abuse towards him. Hadrian had taken it all with a smile because he met with his grandfather every day during these horrible years. The year they had pulled Hadrian out of school and made him be their servant was the day the last thread of hope inside him got clipped. Hadrian had given his grandfather his address but he never visited. Harry had lost all hope until the day he was filled with power.

~~~Hadrian's POV~~~

I didn't really care a lot about Dudley's birthday but the Dursley's were forcing him to go so they had the perfect picture of a family. What they didn't know was I had been working out these past five years since I learned I would need to be tougher. When we arrived at the zoo I walked ahead of the family of three. When we reached the snakes I smiled. I saw a snake I especially like and talked to it weirdly. I don't know how or why but I felt I should.

The snack suddenly appeared outside the glass cage and instead Dudley was there inside the cage crying for his mama. I chuckled and said goodbye to the snake. Everyone was shrieking at the snake that was loose. It slithered past the guards and escaped the zoo. I smirked and got dragged home by the Dursleys after Dudley got out of the cage. I got probably the worst beating I had ever gotten in my life. It would definitely leave scars. I had to wrap the bandages around my body about ten times. I frowned and finished the wrapping off.

I sighed and fell asleep without dinner. The next morning I went to get the mail and found the impossible discovery of a letter from my Grandpa I set it in my room because the Dursleys weren't up yet and put the mail on the table. I went back into my room after exercising and making food for the greedy family. I opened the letter to read:

'Dear Hadrian,

I would like to remind you that you are legally in my guardianship as soon as you turn 11, Your birthday is today yes?' I paused and remembered today indeed was my birthday. 'Just as I thought it is. Since you are 11 I am also sending you to a private school for special people like you. My name is Alaistair Potter. Your grandmother is Geneva Black, she decided to keep her house name for the status and for the hope you would heir house Black, unlike James your father. I will be sending someone to pick you up from that horrid place.' I started shedding small crystal tears at the words telling me I would be able to leave this horrid house. I smiled and continued reading. 'It will arrive at around ten in the morning. Be ready and packed by then.

Sincerely, Your Grandfather Lord Potter'

After reading the whole letter I found a note on another page telling me about the other pureblood families. I got interested in the house of Malfoy, the young boy my age sounded interesting. I smirked and started packing my things. I heard the clinking of dishes in the kitchen and there was a loud bang on my door I opened it up and walked past to the kitchen I smiled at them looked to my Aunt who was still in the kitchen and looking at me.

I held my and up and levitated the dishes while flicking my wrist and washing them without moving. She looked horrified and I loved it. I used more magic to make things all around us float and move around the room. She looked like she was going to faint. I looked at the time to see it was 9:50 I moved back to my room everything still floating I continued packing the things I had not even thinking about forgetting anything left from my parents. I had packed those first. I looked around the room and saw the letter I picked that up and put it in my bag as well.

"My grandpa is taking care of me from now on! And It's the grandpa from my dad's side!" My Aunt really did faint, My Uncle and Cousin who had come down the stairs to see what the noise was heard my statement and paled a little. "And he's super-rich!" I walked out the door leaving it open to see a long limo. I stepped in and saw my grandpa. I gave him a hug and saw a woman that looked very beautiful. I gave her a hug also. "G-grandma?" she nodded and I felt a lot more comfortable. We rode in comfortable silence I looked at the manors and mansions passing and saw a darker one. We pulled into the driveway of the manor next to the darker one. I stepped out and admired the house. It was very large and I was worried I would get lost.

A butler took my bags and we stood outside for a few seconds another butler brought me a change of clothes and lead me to the nearest bathroom. I changed into the turtleneck sweater that was a charcoal grey and a pair of stylish tight black jeans. I swept my hand through my hair styling it and walked back out throwing the old clothes into the trash. My build was quite large for my age and my muscles were quite sculpted. I was quite tall for my age as well.

I stepped out back to my grandparents and saw a family that was all blonde except the mom had a patch of black. I smiled at the young boy that looked my age. "Hello Lucious, Narcissa, Draco. What brings us the pleasure of a visit from our neighbors?"

"We saw a new face in the window of the limo and became curious, how old is the lad?" Lucious replied to my grandmother. I looked at the boy, Draco up and down and smirked at him. This action earned a blush from the boy. I then returned to the conversation.

"This is our grandson from James and Lilly, Hadrian James Potter." My grandfather answered. "He is actually going into his first year of Hogwarts this year." I nodded to the two of them and bowed slightly.

"Pleasure to meet you Lord Malfoy, Lady Malfoy, and Heir Malfoy," I politely did a greeting in the customs I had read of on the way here. "As my Grandfather told you I am Hadrian James Potter," I again introduced myself.

"In fact, we are taking Hadrian to open up his vaults today and become in the known on which houses he is the heir of. We wouldn't mind taking Draco with us," My grandmother nodded at the cute boy and shifted back to look at his parents. I smiled softly at them, I knew this smile, in particular, was a very effective one if I wanted to persuade someone into something.

They gave in to my smile and My grandmothers offer and Draco's mother replied. "We wouldn't mind since we have a lot of work to do because of the ministry." she sighed, "Well Draco honey you don't mind right?" Draco was a bit surprised the conversation fell on him.

"No, I wouldn't mind at all mother!" He quickly replied to his mother a little flustered and excited. I observed this boy with interest. I bowed again when we were ready for departure and slid in the car after Draco.

"Well, Mr.Malfoy, what houses do you think you will be in name to?" I asked him calmly looking him in the eyes, his eyes were so pretty and mine were so intense.

"I suspect I will only have Malfoy and maybe a small part of Slytherin." he frowned as he said this. I slid my arm ontop on his seat and shrugged.

"I suspect I will be heir to one of my families or maybe both, maybe a Hogwarts house, maybe some other house but I don't know much," I smirked at him and subtly moved closer to him. We chatted for a bit until we got to the leaky cauldron. I unwrapped my arm from the top of his seat and got out. I held the door open for him and closed it once he was out. I offered my arm in a teasing way and he played along. We walked into the pub arm in arm. He looked a bit flustered so I moved my arm from him to his waist. I smiled at him and we kept following my grandparents even though all the gazes in the pub were on us we just smiled at each other and walked along.

We reached a brick wall and my grandpa tapped in order some of the bricks with his wand and it opened up. We walked down the ally I learned was called Diagon Ally and down to the bank named Gringotts. We walked up to a goblin that was the manager of our house holdings and rings. I smiled at him as he glared at me. "Hello Crozz, We're here to get our Grandson checked for his houses, I hope you don't mind Mr. Malfoy coming with us?" The goblin growled but nodded anyway. He leads us back to a room with a table and chairs.

"Take this knife cut a thin line and a drop of blood on both rings." I nodded but didn't take the knife. I just remembered a thin line the whip had made on my arm and pulled my arm up to reveal a lot of bandages my grandmother and grandfather were saddened that they didn't treat me right and I closed Draco's eyes. I pulled the bandage off to reveal to thin cut and dripped a drop onto both rings. I then covered it back up with the bandage. not rolling my sleeves down. I opened Draco's eyes again and he looked confused.

"It's something from my past that you shouldn't have to see." he nodded in understanding and wrapped both his arms around mine. I smiled and waited for the results.

"He is heir to both houses and it seems like he is heir to more." My grandparents looked slightly surprised but didn't say anything just nodded I sighed when he brought a bowl out saying to put blood into it. I looked at Draco sadly and he closed his eyes not letting go of my arm. I unbandaged the cut again and it dripped an inch of blood into the bowl I wasn't bothered by this, however. We waited and he came out within a long box. I had bandaged myself back up again and Draco was leaning on me with opened eyes.

He opened the box up and there was an assortment of rings but the one that everyone was looking at was the one that was in the middle. "He is an heir of the houses Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Merlin, Dragoon, and finally Grace." The houses I belonged to had everyone except me stunned. The only one that caught my attention was Merlin. I looked at Crozz and he was smirking. I held out my hands and set rings on my pinky, middle, and pointer on both hands. I still had three rings left. The heir rings, and the ring of Grace. I had my Slytherin ring on the pinky of my left hand, Gryffindor on the middle, Ravenclaw on my pointer, and on my right hand, I had Hufflepuff on my pointer, Merlin on my middle, and Dragoon on my pinky. I thought about it more and put my Heir Black and Heir Potter rings on instead of Hufflepuff and Dragoon. I smiled at the changes and received a very sturdy chain with a forever lasting charm on it from Crozz, I slid the three remaining rings onto the chain and put it on my neck. I felt Draco slither onto my arm again and I smirked at him he stuck his tongue out and clung to my arm.

We then were lead to the vaults. First, we went to the Salazar Slytherin vault and I browsed around it I picked up some of the money and put it in a pouch. I browsed around more and found a bookshelf. It had a bunch of journals on it and I grabbed some of them. I thought twice and grabbed all of them. I put those in a bag and continued looking around. I didn't find anything else and went back outside. I immediately got an attachment as soon as I walked out of the vault the attachment's name is Draco.

We got in the minecart and rode to the next vault, the Gryffindor vault. I had to open it up with Godric Gryffindor's sword so I relaxed Draco moved off me begrudgingly and I opened my mind. I subconsciously held my hand out and felt cold metal in my palm. I opened my eyes and saw shocked looks and a sword. I stuck the sword into the keyhole on the vault door and it opened.

I walked inside and did the same as the last vault, except I couldn't leave without the sword so I had to take the holster for it. I smiled and seethed it. I slid the sheathed sword into the bag and we stepped back into the minecart.

The other vaults weren't as interesting but still filled with money. I smirked when we were finally finished and I was interested now to know Draco's vaults and heirs. We walked over to the main goblin in the vault and when he saw us and all my rings he looked a little... surprised? "We're here to get Draco's vaults so his parents can focus on work." the goblin nodded and lead us to a room identical in some ways to the room we had been in to get my vaults. This time Draco actually had to slice his skin slightly and the blood dropped onto the Malfoy house ring. It took a bit and when the goblin came back he had some other rings too. There was the Malfoy ring, a Slytherin ring, a Grace ring, a Potrono ring, and a Dragoon ring. I smiled and kissed his cheek he blushed hard and I chuckled. We went to his vaults and he mostly just took some money out.

We were finally done and I had a month still until we went to Hogwarts. So we stopped by a book shop and I bought all the books that would get me up to date in the wizarding world. I also bought a snow-white owl that I named Hedwig. I smiled and carried all my stuff out of the leaky cauldron and to the car.