Chapter Text
There are as many Harry Potters as there are grains of sand on a beach, each one slightly different than the others, but all, at their core, the same little boy.
Some Harrys grow up with their parents, some in cupboards, some with guardians, and some on the streets. Some died early, or late, or not at all, as their stories unwound.
The Harrys are kind and cruel, loving and spiteful, Good and Evil, and all of the flavors of in-between. Being a Harry meant you were full of possibilities.
In this story, Harry Potter is Perfectly Normal (and also a wizard).
* * * * *
Harry arrived at Privet Drive in the same manner as usual, wrapped up in a blanket and left with a note late at night. He was taken in the next morning by a Petunia who was a little more cunning and a little less bitter than Petunias in some other stories.
Shortly after that, Harry became Harold Evans Dursley who had the proper paperwork and an official muggle existence. The story of his parent's death in a car accident (and subsequent adoption) gave Petunia the small social boost that she needed to set other plans into motion.
Because this Harry was going to be Normal (but also probably a wizard).
* * * * *
Harry grew up with a slightly older (and much larger) brother and constant playmate, a Mum who did her best to raise polite successful children (and wasn't above outright bribery), a Dad who encouraged all things drill-manufacturing-related, and a neighbor with too many cats (whom his mother aggressively befriended).
It was all perfectly normal.
He had nightmares sometimes of a Ma and a Da and a bright green light, but everyone told him it was normal to have nightmares, so he didn't worry. (But he did crawl into bed with Dudley when they were extra scary.)
He knew it was normal to love to play computer games with your brother and read books. Normal to form tiny 'be polite or we'll have Dudley sit on you' child mafias with the Thompson twins. Normal to play hide and seek with Mrs. Figg's cats, even if Ambrose always cheated. Normal to be gifted your own kitten with mottled marmalade fur and a lion-like air.
It was normal to make lists and to plan and to find ways to make people do what you want without sitting on them. Even if the sitting was easier. And more fun.
It was normal to despise maths, but practice it anyway because you needed to help your brother. Normal to be fascinated with watching mechanics repair the manufacturing floor machines at Grunnings. Normal to love trips to the zoo and helping teach your brother how to talk to snakes in the back garden, even if Dudley wasn't very good at it.
* * * * *
Using magic is normal, Mum said-- right after Harry's first burst of accidental magic at the park. It's something some people can do and others can't, like turning cartwheels or whistling. It's normal, but it's not polite.
The boys know there are lots of things that aren't polite, so they add 'doing magic in front of people who can't' to the list without objections. They both try to be polite, when they remember in time.
* * * * *
Harry Evans Dursley grew up being carefully normal and when he turned nine, Mum and Mrs. Figg sat him and Dudley down and explained that while Harry was normal… he was also a wizard (and everything that came with it).
It was a really sad story, but they got to see photo albums filled with moving pictures and hear stories of Hogwarts and his parent's friends. And the war. They got to drink hot chocolate, learn about magic, and pet the cats, so it wasn't all bad.
(But mostly it was.)
* * * * *
Life was still pretty normal after that.
Remus Lupin stopped by to apologize to Mum for not being there to support her when Harry's parents died. He helps them with maths (but he's not very good) and tells them stories about Hogwarts and the Marauders and promises to return. He doesn't, but he does mail Harry and Dudley a magic parchment that they use to write back and forth-- at least until Remus stops answering.
Mum says it has nothing to do with them and that she's sure he's fine, but Harry sees the way her face sort of scrunches when she says it and knows she isn't really sure.
Dudley helps him come up with reasons why Remus isn't writing them back. Mostly they involve MI6 and magic (and sometimes Doctor Who).
When he finally writes back the week before Harry goes to Hogwarts everyone is relieved. Remus asks Mum to cut the parchment in half and send half off with Harry and keep half at the house-- which is great for Harry and not so great for Dudley.
But Hedwig has promised to bring letters back and forth so Harry swears to Dudley he'll make a copy of anything that comes.
* * * * *
He learns it was normal to get upset when life wasn't fair and when people were in charge who shouldn't be, but you still had to think and you still had to plan. Getting in trouble standing up for your friends was often the worst way to help them (even if it seemed the only choice at the time).
He has his Ma's temper, Mum says, but so does she and so did his Grandmother so that's normal too. She tries to teach him how not to get mad when things aren't fair, but that doesn't work quite as well. He's okay-ish when things aren't fair for him, but once things aren't fair for Dudley or the twins… that's a lot harder.
But he practices, because it's important.
* * * * *
He learns it's okay to be homesick and miss your brother during the one disastrous overnight trip when they split everyone up and he went off with one twin and Dudley went with the other. (Mum and Mrs. Thompson wisely never allowed it to happen again.)
He learns that getting in trouble on purpose and getting in trouble on accident are two completely different things. The second one isn't nearly as much fun. Or fair.
But it's all perfectly normal and perfectly fine.
And then he turns eleven.
* * * * *
They all assume getting your Hogwarts letter the day you turn eleven is normal-- at least until Mrs. Figg points out that he should really have gotten it a few weeks ago. And nothing comes with the letter, unlike the fat package of glossy pamphlets and forms that came with their Smeltings acceptances.
He's a little sad that he won't be going to Smeltings (he's still not sure if Hogwarts teaches Unicorn French and he knows they don't have computers) but Remus and Mrs. Figg did make Hogwarts sound like fun.
Mrs. Figg knows what to do (even with the missing bits) and things are quickly sorted out. A faculty member will come out that weekend and explain everything and help him get ready for school. It's all still normal and expected and going to plan.
They go home for lunch and start baking his cake… and then suddenly, there's Hagrid.
Harry has never felt more terrified in his life than he has when the eleven-foot-tall hurricane of happiness that was Hagrid descends on their home. The giant does make excellent cakes and he seemed to know Harry from before-- but Mum and Mrs. Figg bundle him out the door before he can drag Harry off to Diagon Alley.
Hagrid was large and loud and very much not normal, but he was also friendly and thoughtful and oddly familiar. Harry still wasn't sure how he felt about Hagrid, but he was relieved to have some time to think it over.
Hopefully, the next person from Hogwarts would be a little less… Hagrid-y.
* * * * *
Professor Snape is as un-Hagrid-y as it's possible to get, in Harry's opinion. But it's not any better, at least not at first.
Mum and the Professor hate each other on sight and it looks like they're going to get into a proper row-- but it turns out the rude wizard is Important and Mum settles down. Just like she'd taught the boys to do.
They make revised plans during the drive into London and when Mum faces him again, things go more smoothly. Mostly. It's like watching two angry cats forced to share a sitting room.
As they work their way through Diagon Alley the Professor seems less and less scary and soon Harry and Dudley are peppering him with questions that he mostly ignores. He does answer some though which is enough to keep them going.
Professor Snape doesn't know anything about talking to snakes even though he's the Head of the snake House. Apparently, it's the sort of talent polite wizards keep to themselves. Harry's used to having those sorts of talents, so he shrugs off the disappointment.
Because so far everything else about wizards is brilliant.
He gets money and robes and books and equipment and a wand (although he'd almost given up hope when they kept refusing him), and last but not least an owl.
And that's where everything goes horribly wrong.
He accidentally sics his owl on the proprietor who is babbling about how special Harry is and how wonderful it is to meet him and is shaking his hand and won't let go. One upset owl quickly leads to a whole shop of upset owls and they flee the store.
Harry's last view of the Professor is one covered in feathers and nose-to-nose with an irate shopkeep.
There's a lot of running after that.
* * * * *
Harry and Dudley read his school books and play dress-up in the robes when they arrive. They have fake wizard duels using wooden spoons from the kitchen and introduce the Thompson twins to the owl (now named Hedwig after an ancient German war-witch). They make plans to stay in touch while at school and test if technology and magic really don't mix (and why!).
And Harry tries very hard not to think about what life will be like without his brother.
He writes apology letters to Hagrid and Snape and goes over his lists and plans until his Mum is happy that he'll be well prepared. He learns wizarding etiquette and history, who's currently important and why, and what to do when he meets kids of 'the wrong sort'. (Having Dudley sit on them is sadly no longer an option.)
Hagrid forgives him immediately but he rewrites the apology letter to Snape three times before it finally comes back without red marks, a Tolerable scrawled at the bottom instead.
* * * * *
Then it's September 1st, his bags are packed and it's time to go.