Chapter 2 – Brewing a Legacy
The dim light of Spinner's End was not a place most would associate with a happy childhood. The walls were faded, the furniture mismatched, and the air always held a faint trace of something brewing. But for Harry, it was home—messy, mysterious, and filled with books, cauldrons, secrets… and love disguised as discipline.
He didn't grow up with bedtime stories about brave Gryffindors and charming heroes. No, he was raised on alchemical theory, wandless discipline, and the subtle art of sarcasm.
---
Mornings with Lily
Lily Evans had given up a dream for this life—but never her fire. She had left behind a war, a marriage built on illusion, and the expectations the world placed on her son. Now, she focused on shaping something real.
Her days started early, sometimes before dawn. The kitchen smelled of mint tea and old parchment. Harry would sit beside her, still in his dressing gown, poring over Arithmancy problems and books titled "Advanced Magical Theory: Rewritten" or "Runes for the Rebellious."
"Power is easy, Harry," she said one morning, pouring tea into chipped mugs. "It's what you do with it that defines who you become."
Harry, nine years old and already more cunning than most adults, sipped slowly and replied, "Then I'll just have to be careful what I do with it… and to whom."
She blinked—then smiled with quiet pride.
"Just don't blow anything up today."
"I make no promises," he muttered.
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Evenings with Snape
Snape's lessons didn't end with the closing of a book. They were in the way he spoke, the way he watched, and the expectations he rarely voiced but always held.
"You're stirring too quickly. That venom will curdle at this rate."
Harry, leaning over a pewter cauldron, adjusted his grip, slowed his rhythm, and sprinkled phoenix ash with the precision of a surgeon. The reaction shimmered violet, not green.
Snape's dark eyes narrowed. "That wasn't in the instructions."
"I'm not aiming to follow them."
A long pause. The man's face was unreadable.
"…Good."
Beneath the strictness, Harry understood. This was approval, masked in apathy. And in his own way, Snape had chosen him—not just as Lily's child, but as a legacy. Someone worthy of more than mediocrity.
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A Secret Beneath the Floorboards
Most wizards would never think to use illusion charms over mundane trapdoors. But Harry knew better.
Under the warped floorboards of his bedroom, hidden beneath a silencing field and repelling ward, was his lab—a Muggle-magical hybrid sanctuary.
Salvaged tech from the junkyard. Solar batteries reworked with runes. A laptop running a stripped-down OS, charmed to remain invisible to trace magic. A mini-3D printer enchanted to handle soft magical components. And a portable storage unit—something between a briefcase and a vault—where volatile concoctions were locked away behind arithmancy-coded locks.
> [System Notice: Arcane-Muggle Fusion Lab Tier 1 Complete]
Bonus Trait Unlocked: "Hybrid Engineer"
Intelligence +2
Creativity +1
Hidden Project: "Portable Brewing Gauntlet" Available
He grinned to himself.
Let the wizarding world cling to candles and quills. He would redefine what it meant to be a practitioner of the arcane.
---
The Incident with the Cat
He hadn't meant to make an invisibility serum. It was a failed attempt at a pain-dulling potion, combined with some improperly labeled ingredients. But when Mrs. Figg's cat lapped up the spillage and vanished into thin air, Harry had a theory.
The cat reappeared three days later—mid-leap, crashing through the kitchen window and landing squarely on Snape's table during breakfast.
The dragonfruit elixir in Snape's hand spilled in slow motion across his lap.
He merely blinked.
"I'm naming it Project Cheshire," Harry declared, biting back a laugh.
"You are grounded from night brewing for a week," Snape replied coldly, lifting the cat off the table.
"Still worth it."
---
Understanding Emotion, Not Just Power
Harry didn't have a hero complex. He didn't want applause, destiny, or the burden of saving anyone. But what he did have was something far rarer in their world: perspective.
Lily was his heart. Snape was his foundation. And everything else? Everything else was background noise.
If someone tried to take what mattered from him, they'd meet a boy with chaos in his mind and power in his veins.
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Dumbledore's Distant Eye
Once a year, Dumbledore would visit under the pretense of checking in. Lemon drops in hand. Twinkling eyes and calm words. But he never stayed long.
Harry played the part well. Polite. Smart. Curious, but not too curious.
Even the greatest chess master couldn't see through a player who hadn't moved their first piece yet.
And so, Dumbledore left with nothing. And Harry kept building his foundation in silence.
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The Hermione File
In a hidden folder within his system interface, he'd labeled it "Operation: Rationality." Hermione Granger. One of the few people he truly respected in the canon timeline.
> [Target: Hermione J. Granger]
Traits: Brilliant, driven, morally grounded
Canon Outcome: Paired with Ronald Weasley
Personal Reaction: "Utter waste of potential."
Suggested Strategy: Early Intellectual Rapport – Provide challenge and validation
He grinned at the glowing profile. "Don't worry, Hermione. This time, you're not settling."
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On the Horizon
He could feel it drawing closer—Hogwarts. The castle. The name. The legacy.
But this time, Harry wasn't a pawn.
He wasn't The Boy Who Lived.
Neville could have that weight.
He had his system, his mind, and his ambition. He would hide behind the mask… for now.
> [Main Quest Updated: Enter Hogwarts and Remain Under the Radar]
Optional Objective: Intercept and Befriend Hermione J. Granger
Hidden Objective: Observe and Manipulate Slytherin Internal Dynamics
Reward: Trait – "Shadow Strategist" (Locked)
He closed the system window and looked up at the stars.
"Let the games begin."