8th August 1996, 5 AM
Harry slowly woke up to the faint light coming through the window. He sat up in bed, feeling a bit restless, but also determined to get started with his day. A glance in the mirror revealed the changes he'd worked hard for over the summer: stronger arms, a leaner build, sharper eyes. He wasn't quite the same Harry Potter everyone remembered.
Preparing himself for his exercise, Harry wears his tracksuit along with a facemask covering the lower half of his face. Wrapping himself in his invisibility cloak, he slowly walks down the stairs and exits the bar.
The streets were still quiet as he reached a small park nearby. He stretched, then started his workout routine, pushing his body harder than before. Each push-up, each sprint felt easier than it had in the beginning—proof that his efforts were paying off.
After a few hours of working out, he made his way back to the Leaky Cauldron, slipping through the busy crowd under his invisibility cloak. Navigating around the sea of people coming and going from Diagon Alley, he carefully reached his room.
After a quick shower, he felt more relaxed. The changes inside him—ever since the merger of souls—still felt strange, but he was getting used to them. They hadn't just made him stronger; they'd changed how he saw himself.
A tapping sound came from the window. Harry dried his hair and walked over to find an owl perched outside. He took the letter and recognized the Hogwarts seal right away.
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Dear Mr. Potter,
Please note that the new school year will begin on September the first. The Hogwarts Express will leave from King's Cross station, platform nine and three-quarters, at eleven o'clock.
Third years are permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade on certain weekends. Please give the enclosed permission form to your parent or guardian to sign.
Your application for change in electives has been approved and necessary changes have been made in the list of books.
A list of books for next year is enclosed.
Yours sincerely,
Professor M. McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
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Opening his second letter
Third-year students would require:
The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 3 by Miranda Goshawk
Unfogging the Future by Cassandra Vablatsky (if studying Divination)
Intermediate Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
The Monster Book of Monsters (if studying Care of Magical Creatures)
Numerology and Grammatica (if studying Arithmancy)
Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles by Wilhelm Wigworthy (if studying Muggle Studies)
Spellman's Syllabary (if studying Study of Ancient Runes)
The Essential Defense Against the Dark Arts by Arsenius Jigger
Harry folded the letters and left them on the desk. After a quick breakfast, he headed straight to Gringotts, where he withdrew 250 Galleons and exchanged some for 50 pounds.
First, he went to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions to get his school robes as he had outgrown his old own, he quickly bought 3 robes and made his way towards Flourish and Blotts.
Entering the bookstore, Harry asked a clerk to help him collect his course books as he started to browse through the bookstore to see if there were any books that interested him. After searching for some time, he came back to the counter with a few reference books for all his chosen subjects.
On the way out, he noticed some classmates nearby but decided not to get into any conversations. He still wasn't sure how to talk about everything that had changed.
At Ollivanders, Mr. Ollivander greeted him as usual.
"Ah, Mr. Potter—holly, eleven inches, phoenix feather core. How has it been working for you?"
Looking to his side he sees the owner of the voice and this store Mr. Ollivander. "It works, but it doesn't feel right anymore. Like it's fighting me," Harry replied.
"Not unusual after… significant changes. The wand's wood sometimes rejects its master's new magic. Let's have a look." Mr. Ollivander requested as Harry handed him his wand.
"Curious, very curious, it seems that the Holly wood seems to be rejecting you whereas the wand core has formed a more powerful connection with your magic. Worry not we only need to change the wand wood, come with me".
He guided Harry to the back of his shop into his workshop. He opened a cabinet with different kinds of wood and handed Harry each wood one by one. It went this way for a while before a wood reacted to him "Hmm, it seems that you've chosen Elder wood, the rarest wand wood of all, and reputed to be deeply unlucky, the elder wand is trickier to master than any other. It contains powerful magic, but scorns to remain with any owner who is not the superior of his or her company; it takes a remarkable wizard to keep the elder wand for any length of time."
He went deeper inside his workshop and came back 10 minutes later with a new wand in his hand. "Elder wood, 13' with phoenix feather, quite unyielding. Try it" he said handing Harry the new wand.
Harry grabbed the wand in his hand and felt happiness rush all over him, it felt like he was finally complete.
Satisfied with his wand, he paid for it and made his way out of the shop. He quickly bought other things required and went to his room at the Leaky Cauldron.
There was still an hour left before lunch would be served so he made a quick decision and made his way to muggle London to buy some clothes for himself. Done with the clothes, he went to an optician to get new glasses without any power as his eyesight was fixed during the merger.
After a quick stop at the barber's shop, he came back to the Leaky Cauldron for lunch.
Finally done with all the work for the day he decided to complete his wandless practice. Today in practice his goal was to set fire to all the Dudley's hand-me-down without a wand.
He pictured the Dursleys—every insult, every night in the cupboard—and his anger flared. The clothes caught fire easily, turning to ashes.
Harry smirked, feeling stronger than he'd ever felt before. This year at Hogwarts would be different.