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Harry Potter

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The Bounty

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NOTES: Sorry for no updates. On Feb 15th I went to the ER for pain in my stomach. I thought it was my kidneys again, boy was I wrong. My appendix ruptured. I spent 3 months in and out of the hospital/rehab fighting a triple infection. I was released on May 15th. I am still having problems from the appendix surgery but am slowly getting better. Now for the chapter.

If you leave a comment, PLEASE sign in so you can get a response or if you do leave a comment have it where I can email you back. I don't comment on all reviews, but I do read them and some stand out that need a response.

This will probably be only about 4-5 chapters and I have the first 13k written. Enjoy.

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In a small town in Surrey, a young boy, not quite a man, was freshly home from his boarding school. He woke shivering from the same nightmare that had visited him during this last year. Young Harry Potter had seen one of his friends brutally murdered, right in front of him. It was done by the man who had betrayed his parents, and had murdered them, when he was fifteen months old. He had escaped the same possibility by using the portkey that had taken him to the graveyard and the rebirthing ceremony that Peter Pettigrew had performed on the homunculus body of Lord Voldemort.

Harry walked to his desk and sat down. His eyes watched as the sun rose in the distance as he stared out the window. Movement caught his eyes and he saw his beloved Hedwig flying towards his open window with the morning paper clutched in her beak.

"Hello, Hedwig," he said as he took the paper and offered her an owl treat.

Opening the paper, he started reading and the more he read, the more his anger rose. He was angry at Minister Fudge for not believing him. He was angry at Dumbledore for forcing him to come back here to this hell hole, and not doing anything to help against the ministry. Balling up the paper, he threw it in the garbage. He picked up his wand, which he slipped into his back pocket, as he left his room and went downstairs.

Walking out of the house, he started kicking a stone as he walked. He was depressed and angry over what had happened, and what he'd read in the paper on how they were attacking his statement that Voldemort had returned. Harry was so angry that he didn't realize where he was, until he walked through the entrance to the park.

Entering the park, he looked around at the broken equipment that his fat cousin and his gang had destroyed. Of the six swings, only one was still usable by the kids. Scattered around the play equipment were stone benches for the mothers to sit on to watch the children play. Of them, most had been flipped over and shattered. Only three were still left, and on one; an old man was sitting sipping something from a cup as he read his newspaper. Ambling over to the swing, Harry sat and started swinging and thinking of the tournament.

"What deep thoughts for someone so young," a deep Irish voice said.

Harry jerked his mind back to his surroundings and realized the old man had spoken to him, "I'm sorry, were you talking to me?" he asked.

"Yes, I was. I said what has you thinking so hard on such a beautiful day," the man asked.

"Nothing, Sir," Harry replied sadly.

"The name's O'Brian, Patrick O'Brian, not Sir. I was never an officer in her Majesty's service," the man replied with a chuckle.

"Sorry, Si… I mean Mr. O'Brian," Harry said softly.

"Now that won't do. Call me Patrick, and what is your name lad?" Patrick asked as he placed his elbows on his knees and looked at the young man.

"Yes, Sir… I mean Patrick. My name is Harry," Harry replied.

"Well, Harry, nice to meet you. Now, why don't you come over here and sit. Then you can tell me what the problem is. Maybe I can help," Patrick ordered.

Harry stood up and walked over to the bench and sat down as he gathered his thoughts.

"Let me guess, something happened recently and you don't know what to do about it. Am I right, Mister Potter," Patrick asked.

Harry jerked and his hand started for his wand when the man looked over at him and said, "Yes, I know who you are Harry and I know you're a wizard. Don't worry; I'm not here to kill you or turn you over to Voldemort. I am here to offer the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter all the help I can."

"The what and what?" Harry asked in shock.

Patrick looked at the young boy and could see he didn't know what he was talking about. Feeling a tightening of his chest, he turned his head a coughed into the back of his hand. When finished he turned to face the lad and said, "Hasn't anyone ever told you your family history?"

"No, all I know is that I look like my dad, but have my mother's eyes," Harry replied.

"Harry, hasn't Dumbledore told you your family history?" seeing the negative in the boys face, Patrick took another sip of his coffee and said, "Harry, your family is one of the founding nine. Nine hundred years ago, war ravaged this land. Both muggle and magical fought for control. Nine great families eventually came together and formed a peace that formed the modern magical government. The families were the Potters, the Greengrasses, the Blacks, the Lancasters, the Longbottoms, the Prewetts, the Knotts, the Lestranges, and the Marchbanks. These nine houses, with their vassal houses, formed the Wizengamot. They all have hereditary seats. You should be taking yours this year, on your birthday, since you're the last of your bloodline. Of the nine families, two are gone, the Lancasters have squibbed out and the Prewett's only survivor is Molly Weasley. The Lestrange's are in prison as members of the Death Eaters. The Longbottom's seat is being held by Augusta until her grandson can take over while the Bones seat is held by Amelia Bones until her niece gets married. The Greengrasses, Notts, and Marchbanks are still active houses as well. The Blacks have basically died out, what with Sirius being on the run and unable to take his seat due to being a follower of Voldemort…"

"How do you know all this? Are you a wizard?" Harry asked.

"No, I am worse. I am a squib who likes to read," Patrick replied with a chuckle.

Harry snickered at the comment.

"Harry the more you know, the more powerful you are, because 'knowledge is power,'" Patrick replied as he took another sip from his cup and frowned.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"Out of coffee," Patrick replied with a sigh.

"Oh… well, I guess you will be leaving to get more," Harry replied sadly.

"Yeah, I need my coffee. Come on. Let's walk down to the diner at the end of the road, and get us some grub," Patrick said as he stood up.

"I should get home…"

"Nonsense, lad, you need to eat. I have books that are fatter then you," Patrick said as he started walking.

Harry did not know why, but he followed Patrick down the street and into the small cafe. There they had breakfast and talked for over four hours. The more they talked, the angrier Harry got… but, not at Voldemort! Instead, his anger was directed at Dumbledore and the professors at Hogwarts. Some of his anger was also directed at Remus and Sirius. Harry found out he should not have to compete in the tournament, because of his young age. However, he was now considered an adult, because the Ministry had declared him one by ordering him to compete.

Before Harry headed home, Patrick handed him a matchbox and said, "Just tap it with your wand. It will re-size. That will work in reverse, too. Inside, you will find books. Read them, learn them, and study them. Let me give you a bit of advice that I learned from a mentor. He told me this: 'Patrick, those who don't learn from history, are doomed to repeat it.' So Harry, learn from history."

"I will, Sir… Sir, what did you do during your lifetime to make you so smart?"

"Harry, when I was a young lad, I fought in what is called the Second World War. I went ashore in France on June 6th 1944 and saw many of my friends and comrades mowed down like sheep. We fought through the fields of France to the borders of Germany. I saw horrors every day and every once and while I saw something that brought back my humanity. But the worst thing I saw was the camps," Patrick replied and his eyes took on a distance look as he stopped talking and remembered leading his patrol into that nightmare.

"Camps?" Harry asked in confusion.

"Hitler's 'final solution,' as they were called… or, Death Camps. Bodies piled up to the sky to be burned. It was horrible. The camp we liberated had only a few hundred survivors. All were…" he stopped and shivered before continuing, "it was horrible, and something I pray I never to see again, or that you have to see it. When we buried the last of them, I swore I would find all who were responsible. So after the war, I went to Israel after they became a Nation, and joined them in the search for the murderers that had gotten away. I became a bounty hunter, and was paid good money for it. They called me the Bounty Man because once I went after a target; I didn't stop until I caught them. One hundred and ninety-seven Nazis I hunted down and killed. Money couldn't bring the dead back, but it did help solve the problem of no justice for them…" Patrick stopped and looked at his watch and said, "Damn, I'm late for my doctor's appointment. Now, Harry, I'll see you around. Remember what I said. You need to go to Gringotts, and talk to the Goblins."

"I will, and thank you, Patrick. Thank you for talking to me, and getting me to see that what happened to Cedric wasn't my fault," Harry replied and shook his hand.

"You're welcome, Harry," he replied and started walking away.

Harry turned and headed for home and then stopped. Turning he ran after the man who had changed his outlook on what had happened.

"Sir, one more question. Why? Why are you helping me?"

Patrick stopped and looked down at the boy and said, "Two reasons. One, I am an old man. Two, in 1977 Voldemort or his Death Eaters killed and murdered my whole family including my eleven-year-old twin granddaughters who had just completed their first year at Hogwarts. I want revenge for them. I thought I'd got it when your family got rid of him in eighty-one. When the Prophet reported what you were saying, and they said it was lies, I knew he was back. What person… what child… would say his parents' murderer was back if he wasn't? Harry, find that son of a bitch and kill him. Use those books in that trunk. Learn from the Goblins and learn from that huge library my granddaughters talked about. Remember, lad, those with the money make the rules… or buy them. So use your family's wealth. Who says you have to wait until he comes for you again to fight him? Now, I have to run. You take care, and enjoy life. Don't let what happened to you in that graveyard dictate how you live, nor let the headmaster of your school tell you what you can and cannot do. Remember, he is just your headmaster. He's not your parent or guardian."

"I will, Sir, and good luck at your doctors," Harry replied and walked away.

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ooOoOoo

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Harry returned to where he was forced to live and came to a stop. Standing at the doorway was the one man he had no wish to see at this time. Professor Dumbledore stood there talking to his aunt, who was scowling at the man worse than she ever did at Harry. Not wanting to see the man, Harry stayed in the shadows of the hedges he was forced to cut every year, and listened.

"Petunia, I told you to keep him at home. He is not allowed to roam around or leave the property," Dumbledore said to his aunt.

"And as I told you, he was gone when I went up to tell him breakfast was ready," Petunia replied and slammed the door.

Harry watched as Dumbledore pinched his nose and then turned away from the house and pulled out his wand.

"Point me Harry Potter," Dumbledore said and watched as his wand spun on the palm of his hand to point to his left. Turning, he looked at the bushes and saw Harry standing there.

Harry sighed and started walking towards the house.

With eyes twinkling, he said, "Harry my boy. You mustn't leave the house."

Harry stopped and looked at the old man, and replied, "Why?"

"It's not safe for you wandering around and I insist you stay in the house, Voldemort's forces are looking for you," Dumbledore ordered.

Harry looked at the man and mentally shook his head as he replied, "You know, Sir, I used to have so much respect for you, and now I don't. Just so you know, I'm not your mushroom."

"What do you mean by 'my mushroom?'" Albus asked.

"You know, like the song says: you 'keep me in the dark, and feed me shit,'" Harry replied as he walked to the door and opened it. He stopped, turned to the man he had called a mentor, and said, "It is the holidays, meaning you don't tell me what to do. You don't tell my family what to do. If you keep it up, I won't return to Hogwarts next year."

Harry stepped through the open door and slammed it shut.

"DON'T SLAM THE DOOR!" Petunia shrieked.

"Oh, blow it out your nose, you Giraffe," Harry replied as he went up the stairs and into his room where he sat on the bed.

Harry was about to pull the box out of his pocket, when the door opened and Albus Dumbledore stepped into the room.

"What do you want?" Harry demanded as he stood up.

"You will sit down, and be quiet. You will listen to what I have to say, and do as I tell you to do," Dumbledore ordered.

"Or what?" Harry demanded as he crossed his arms and looked at the old man.

"I am your guardian and…"

"Prove it," Harry snapped in anger.

"I was made your guardian when your parents were killed by Voldemort and they would be very disappointed in your attitude. Now when you return to Hogwarts, I want to see this attitude you have developed gone. I have asked Professor Snape to teach you occlumency to help control your outburst and protect your mind…"

"Snape couldn't teach a fish to swim, nor a baby to cry… well, maybe to cry… he could do that since he has a rotten attitude," Harry snapped back.

"That is Professor Snape to you and you will be respectful and kind to everyone when you return to school."

"Why would I want to return there? It's such a second rate school," Harry said as he sat on the edge of his desk.

"Hogwarts is the premier school in the world," Dumbledore stated and Harry snorted.

Harry held his finger out and said, "Now pull the other one."

Harry watched the confusion on the man's face and then said, "You say it's the premier school… NO! DON'T SAY A WORD. YOU WILL LET ME CONTINUE! Now let's look at your teachers and classes. Professor McGonagall: great teacher, lousy Head of House and deputy headmistress… I will admit she knows her transfiguration, but as the headmistress, she doesn't listen to warnings about the school being in danger. She assigns detections to students in the FORBIDDEN FOREST… WHERE SOMETHING IS KILLING THE UNICORNS… AND GIVES US HAGRID WHO CANNOT DO MAGIC AS PROTECTION! That's insane… no, it's criminal! If we were in the muggle world, she and Hagrid would have been charged with child endangerment.

"As to Professor Flitwick and Charms? No problem, there. He's a great teacher and motivates his students. The same with Professor Sprout, she really knows her Herbology. The only thing I have against them is they did nothing about the bullying in my second year, nor last year with the buttons, hell none of the staff did. It was disgusting how you all allowed it to continue. Now let's see who's next, I know Professor Trelawney who smells like sherry every day. That woman is a class one drunk, and all I can say is thank Merlin she doesn't drive, because she would kill someone. Also her predicting a death in every class most of the time they are mine and it was 397 times last year alone. Kind of makes you want to leave the magical world.

"Professor Burbage is your teacher for Muggle studies. The balmy woman is fifty years out of synch with the modern world. I know this for a fact, because I looked at Hermione's text book for the class. You know, she had nothing about such important dates like August 6th and 9th 1945 or July 21st 1969 or how about April 12th 1981 or another famous day, August 27th, 1979? Do you know what those five important dates are?"

"August 6th and 9th were the days the Americans dropped the atomic bombs on Japan. The other dates I have no idea," Dumbledore replied.

"Well, I will tell you. The last date was when Lord Mountbatten was murdered by a terrorist's bomb. The other two dates are historical for the world. The first one was when Apollo 11 landed on the moon, and for the first time in human history, man walked on the moon. The next date was when the shuttle Columbia lifted off to carry a team of astronauts into space. The shuttle circled the earth thirty-seven times in fifty-four hours before returning to land in the United States. They now have satellites up there that supposedly can find a coin in a field. How is magic going to stop that?

"Now, let's talk about Professor Binns, who runs a class where no one can stay awake. How's that helping us learn our history of magic? How about history of the country we live in? Are all the magical people really that stupid that they believe that the Queen and her cabinet don't know about the magical world? What's going to happen when Voldemort starts killing the muggles? Do you think they will just sit back and do nothing? I don't think so… Damnit, I did it again, sorry about getting off track.

"Now I don't know anything about the Runes and Arithmancy teachers, but Hermione raves about them, so I won't pass judgment on them. "Of the last three teachers you have, the only one out of date, is Professor Sinistra of Astronomy. Her class equipment and books are so far behind it's not even funny. I suggest you send her to the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh so she can see a modern Observatory, and can learn what she is missing. Now for the last two teachers, Hagrid. Now, I love the big lug. He was my first magical friend, but he needs help. One, he has no wand to protect us kids and must rely on his half-giant blood. Two, he has a monster fetish that will one day get a student killed.

"Finally, we come to our last teacher, Snape… who cannot bury his hatred for a dead man. A man who has been dead for over twelve years. He is also the worst teacher at Hogwarts. Three quarters of the school hate his class. He is abusive, insulting and an arse to anyone who is not in his house. He takes points off for not asking questions, for asking questions, breathing too loud, for being late (even when you have a slip), etc., etc. He comes in, takes roll, and says, 'You have one hour to complete the potion on the board.' No explanation on the potion, no directions on what to do. He then walks around sneering at everyone, and making comments like 'fool,' 'idiot,' and 'dunderhead' when we make a mistake. Was that how you were taught potions?"

"No, it wasn't, but I am sure if the students would just listen to Professor Snape…"

"You don't understand! Snape cannot teach. He just… How many people have dropped his N.E.W.T. classes, since he became a teacher? He has crippled this country, and you don't see it. Between the freeze on aurors because of Fudge, and Snape not teaching, we are going to be short Aurors when Voldemort comes out of hiding. You might as well just give him the country, because we won't be able to fight him," Harry stated.

"It's not that bad, we will defeat him," Albus stated and then said, "Now, as I said, your attitude will change. Professor Snape will teach you occlumency to help protect your mind and control your anger…"

Harry walked over to the door and yanked it open, and said, "Get out, and don't come back. Don't send me a letter. Don't show up, and don't have your friends around my aunt's home. She has told you to not come around. If… and I say: if… I decide to return, I will be on the train come the first."

"You will be on the train if I have to personally escort you there," Dumbledore replied as he walked to the door.

"So, you'd kidnap me? That's a crime. Like I said: leave me alone and go do your job. Right now, your job is head Warlock of the Wizengamot. Go get Sirius a trial, and get rid of Fudge so you can get the Aurors ready to fight. Now GOOD DAY, SIR!" Harry snapped out and slammed the door behind the man.

Taking his wand from his back pocket, he tapped the box and it grew into a dark mahogany colored chest. It was engraved with all sorts of dragons fighting and flying around. The lock was silver and shaped like a dragon with the tail looking like it went into the chest and out the main section of the trunk and came around to slid through the ring hanging from its mouth to lock the trunk. Around the lock were the heads of seven dragons that seemed to be watching what he was doing.

"Wicked," Harry said as he examined the trunk. Reaching up to unlock the trunk he jerked his hand back when he felt the prick of the dragon bite.

"Ouch!" he gasped out as he looked at his finger and saw two tiny bite marks and then heard a click.

Looking at the trunk, he saw the lock was open as he sucked on his finger as he pushed the lid open with his other hand. Harry saw only a sheet of paper there along with a single gold key. Picking up the paper, Harry sat at his desk and read the note.

Harry, by now I know you're confused as you look at this trunk. Well this is a special trunk. It has seven compartments, and was commissioned by my father back in the thirties.

The first compartment is for normal everyday items like your school supplies. It can hold quite a bit. I used to carry my clothes in it along with some camping supplies.

The second compartment is your wardrobe, and I have to say this. You need to take some of your money in Gringotts and buy some new clothes. The ones you're wearing are horrible.

The third compartment is the library to get to that compartment; press the third dragon head on the circle of dragons as you turn the key will open that compartment. When you do this, stand back as a six-foot tall bookcase will rise up from main trunk and is your study library where you can keep your schoolbooks. There are seven shelves for your books, one for each course at Hogwarts. The main library is accessible through compartment seven.

The fourth compartment is a potion storage compartment. It's for finished potions and their ingredients. This compartment is also accessible through the seventh compartment.

The fifth compartment is a training room and armory. You will find some items there, along with some books on the weapons. Inside the room is a pensive, as well, along with several boxes of vials that are marked. The vials contain my memories of the weapons, which should help you in your endeavor.

Compartment six is a catchall. Basically, I used it as a storage room or a prison for the bounties that were wanted alive.

Compartment seven is a two-bedroom apartment. This compartment has a living space, a study, a kitchen, a dining room, a bathroom and the two bedrooms. There is a floo in the living room that will take you to any accessible floo, as long as you know the password for that particular floo. The password for your floo is 'vengeance.'

Good Luck,

Patrick

Harry sat there looking at the trunk in surprise. Then, with a grin, he followed the directions for compartment seven and opened it. Looking down the stairs, he grabbed his old trunk, and dragged it down the opening to the living room, where he looked around. He dropped the trunk next to a large black couch. On the coffee table in front of the couch were several stacks of books.

He decided to check to see what was behind all the doors, so he went from door to door looking inside. The apartment was just as Patrick had described. He stopped and stared at the forty-foot long and forty foot wide room, with bookshelves lining each wall. There were also seven book cases that divided the room up into isles. It would have had Hermione drooling. The book cases were easily thirty feet high and each shelf was packed full. The bookcases had a ladder system that went all around the room so he could access the books on the top shelves. In the center of the room was a pedestal with a book on it.

"Hermione is going to flip when she sees this room," Harry said as he looked around at the hundreds of books.

Turning, Harry walked over to the couch and sat down with a sigh as he sunk down where he drifted off to sleep.

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Edited by Deenara and Cass63

.Edited By TeNdErLoin

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Harry Potter™ is a registered trademark and copyright (©) of JK Rowling and all that crap. The only thing mine is the idea and several characters. Everything else is hers including all the money...