Outline 138

Here There Be Monsters

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter series is the sole property of JK ROWLING and a select number of Publishing Houses worldwide hold a limited amount of rights to its usage. I do not own nor do I make any profit from the writing and publishing of this story. The characters here-in are still hers. The idea behind the story is my own and as such is mine to do with as I please. Also, this chapter has not been beta-read, so I apologize ahead of time for any grammar and/or spelling mistakes.

Synopsis: For as long as Harry can remember he has been told he's part monster. When he learns of the Dark Lord- a monster amongst wizards that sought to take over the world- he discovers a father he thought long dead.

In which Dudley takes to telling a little Harry that he's part monster and that's why no one will talk about his parents because his monster father killed his mother and left Harry with them. So it's only natural that when everyone refers to the Dark Lord as a monster and a demon that Harry jumps to the most logical conclusion: Lord Voldemort is his father.

Warnings: There are a few warnings in this story as of the moment of this chapter being published. First off, there is going to be a SLASH PAIRINGS as that tends to be my personal preference but mainly this will be a TOMARRY fanfic. What that means is that Tom Riddle Jr and Harry Potter will have relations of a romantic/sexual nature within this story. For obvious reasons (as stated in the story synopsis) this might make quite a bit of you uncomfortable. There's no harm in simply not reading this fic. Or if you would like to try it out for a few chapters before you decide not to because of that pairing, there isn't going to be any sexual content until chapter thirty-six at present outline (and even then it is hardly important to the plot and I'm making it easily skipped). So take a gander if you like. Also, characters will be OOC (I'm hoping only a little, but in some instances it is unavoidable). This fic is what I'm hoping to call a UA (Universe Alteration) plot where I'm hoping to stay within the same world, but a single change kind of perpetuates an ever increasing different story. I'll endeavor to limit this as much as possible, but c'est la vie. Read these now and forever hold your peace as I will not be posting the full warnings section in future chapters.

See the end for any Author's Note.

Chapter One

"What?"

The half-giant stopped in his retelling of the war and found verdant green eyes staring up at him. There was an unfaltering intensity to those eyes he was not prepared for. "Sorry?"

"You said that the man who gave me this scar, the man who caused the war, who killed all those people, he was... was..."

"As Dark as anyone can go," Hagrid confirmed with a grim set to his face. "A monster among good witch and wizards."

There it was again. It was the first time Harry had ever heard of another one. Another monster. He thought he was the only one left. The only monster to hide amongst the humans. Harry Potter was struck with a sudden urge to know this monsters name. He could look up the creature in the library and learn more about how his kind was supposed to act. He reached out and grabbed hold of Hagrid's jacket. "Hagrid. His name. Please! I need to know."

The giant of a man looked to have swallowed his tongue. The air around them seemed to solidify in the anxiety the man felt and long seconds passed before he let out a large sigh. Finally: "V...voldemort."

"Voldymore," Harry repeated and then frowned. That didn't sound exactly the same as Hagrid had pronounced it. How did one even spell such a name? "Voldehmore... Vol-de-"

"Shh!" Hagrid hissed. When Harry looked to him again, the man was as white as the bathroom linoleum at Privet Drive beneath his large bushy beard. "I don' know much, mind. But he... You-know-who killed... Harry I'm so sorry! There wasn't no one sweeter than your mum and your dad-"

"He killed my mother?!" Harry blurted out, cutting the giant of a man off.

Hagrid burst out into large shaking sobs, but nodded his head. Harry stared at him as if expecting him to take it back, to say all of this was a silly joke that the Dursleys had concocted to teach him a lesson. But the man continued to sniffle and Harry had to accept that Hagrid was telling the truth. This was... this changed everything. Absolutely everything.

If he had thought that discovering he could use magic was a dream come true, he had been wrong. This monster- this Voldemort- had killed his mother.

Harry sat back and stared into nothing, going through everything he knew about monsters. Monsters tended to hide under beds or in other dark places like the cupboard under the stairs. People were supposed to be scared of monsters, children especially. Voldemort seemed to have succeeded in this simple truth, but Harry was no good as a monster and had never been able to scare the Dursleys.

And that thought brought him back to this revelation that was greater than even his sudden claim to magic. Because when Harry was a babe, he was given his scar by a wizard that committed great and terrible acts. Ollivander had been very clear. The monster that had killed his mother had tried to kill him. Had failed to kill him.

The same monster Dudley had spoken of for as long as Harry could remember, hissing the words through the slat in his cupboard door. "Wittle Monster Hawwy Potter doesn't have a family. Your monster dad killed your mummy, he did. Killed her and left you alone."

Harry had always thought that meant that his dad, too, had died. Why else would he be given to a family like the Durselys? They weren't scared of monsters, not really. Or rather, they weren't scared of Harry. But the very mention of Voldemort's past misdeeds had Hagrid flinching and breaking out into tears. It was remarkable what a true monster could accomplish. Hagrid had calmed down finally and looked at Harry as if he was expected to break out into tears next. Truthfully, Harry wanted to jump for joy. He had a dad. He had family. "A monster..." the newly dubbed Wizard spoke reverently. "Voldemort was a Monster?"

Hagrid nodded. "Those were dark times, Harry and your parents... well, they never really stood a chance."

"My mum-" Harry interrupted, "She was a witch, right?"

"Aye. One of the kindest and brightest I've ever met. And your dad-"

"Voldemort. He was a monster..." Harry whispered.

Hagrid flinched at the name, but nodded again. He looked slightly worried, but Harry paid him no mind. That's why Aunt Petunia had always called him a Freak. Being the son of a Monster and a Witch, there was no wonder Hagrid thought their relationship never stood a chance. Finally, something in his life was starting to make sense. That's probably why all those strange things had happened around him before and all those kids- and even some teachers- seemed to be scared to get anywhere near him. They sensed that he was different. That he was a Monster.

Harry didn't really feel much concern about how badly that term was looked upon by everyone else- Hagrid included. It's what he was. He couldn't change being born a Monster like his Father anymore than he could change being born a Wizard. And while one was applauded in this new world that Hagrid had introduced him to, the other was feared. That didn't bother Harry either as both was frowned upon in the world the Dursleys lived in.

"Thank you, Hagrid," Harry said.

Even if Monsters were scary, that didn't mean he had to be scary to everyone he met. Harry also had no idea how a proper Monster should act, so he decided to behave like a proper wizard until he was told otherwise. And there were many examples to be had in Diagon Alley. "Hagrid..." Harry thought aloud as he stared at the mass of people who milled about Florean Fortescue's. "What happened to Voldemort?"

Hagrid flinched again. Poor fellow was terrified of Harry's dad. "Blimey, Harry. You can't just go around sprouting You-Know-Who's name like that."

Harry blinked up in confusion. "Why?"

"Why?! Merlin's beard, people are still terrified of 'im. 'Why', he asks." Hagrid mumbled the last sentence to himself so low it sort of rumbled out of his big bushy beard. Harry thought it would be rude to point out that he could hear the man anyway- maybe monsters had really good hearing?- so waited for the groundskeeper to continue by himself. "Anyway," he began, "The Dark Lord vanished that night he tried to kill you."

Vanished? How does one simply vanish- oh right. Magic. But then a sickening thought like old milk gurgled low in his stomach.

"Did I kill him?" Harry whispered in horror.

The world around him turned fuzzy around the edges and a tension ran from the base of his neck down the middle of his back. Had Harry killed his own dad? "Some... not me, mind you, but some say he died. Codswallop, if you ask me."

Harry didn't dare hope, but Hagrid knew a lot, after all. Surely, if he thought that Harry's dad was still alive, then it must be true. 'But then again,' Harry thought to himself. 'He might be angry with how everything turned out.' From the sound of things, Voldemort had been nigh unstoppable until Harry had come along. And while this could very possibly mean that Harry was stronger than his dad, he very much doubted it.

Harry nodded once to himself. Everything was starting to make more sense. Now that he knew he had a dad somewhere, he didn't have to stay with the Dursleys anymore. Sure there were plenty of people scared of Voldemort, but that meant they were least likely to argue with the monster when Harry asked him to take him away from the Dursleys.

Of course, he would have to apologize for almost killing him first. How should he go about doing that, he wondered?

"Well tha's enough of all that. Let's get yur robes and get goin'. I have to meet the Headmaster soon. Very important business to be done."

Hagrid came to a stand and patted his pockets a few times. Harry had almost forgotten the grubby little package that they had picked up in Gringotts. He wondered idly as they left the ice cream parlor if it was as important as Hagrid said it was. Surely he shouldn't be just carrying it around and rather should take it directly to the Headmaster if so. Alternatively if Hagrid was part monster too (he was so big, he must be) then perhaps he was strong enough that no one dared to even approach him in hopes of stealing the package. That was rather smart of the Headmaster to entrust the Groundskeeper with such a project.

Harry pulled out his school list just for something to do with his hands. It always ended badly when he was caught staring more than was proper. They still had quite a bit left to go- needing his cauldron, his textbooks, and a standard black robe, whatever that meant. "What is a standard black robe? Is it different from the ones everyone else wears?"

"Madam Malkin will take care of ya, don' worry yerself about that."

When they reached the seamstress' shop (Madame Malkin's Robes for Every Occasion) Hagrid shooed him inside and went off by himself to get something he forgot. The shop was larger on the inside than one would guess. It seemed to be the standard for magical shops and Harry briefly wondered if the same was true for magical homes? He could probably make his cupboard larger if he learned how it worked.

The lady bustling around took one look at him and knew immediately he was going to Hogwarts. Harry wondered if he looked like his parents. Did she know his dad? Perhaps he could ask- "Hogwarts?"

Harry blinked in surprise and turned to notice for the first time there was someone else standing on the podium next to his own. "I-I'm sorry?"

The little boy rolled his eyes and tilted his chin up a bit more. Harry could see up his nose with the new angle and wondered if that was its purpose. It seemed a very silly thing to do. "You are a wizard, yes? Your parents are one of our kind as well?"

Harry wondered if he was supposed to tell people about his father. Sure, it was common knowledge, but there seemed to be a bit of a taboo about talking about him per se. "My mother was a witch. My father is not."

The boy's nose scrunched up. "Well, I suppose that's something at least. My father says that those that do not learn the traditions are a stain on our society and I must say I agree. You do practice the old ways?"

Harry blinked in confusion, but the blond boy continued on without even waiting for his answer. "Well, of course you do. Any family of worth would and you don't look like a pauper. Do you know which house you're going to be sorted into? I'm of course bound for Slytherin. Only the best are allowed so it's the best house. Just imagine if you were sorted into Hufflepuff-" he scoffed at the idea.

Harry wondered if the boy planned on allowing Harry to answer any of his questions or ask a few of his own. Some of the words the blond was throwing around was obviously wizarding staples, but Harry had no idea what most of it meant.

"No one really knows, of course," Draco concluded with a sigh as if the weight on an eleven year old's shoulders was just so great.

What on Earth was a Hufflepuff? Slytherin sounded like something having to do with snakes though and being an Addertongue, surely that house was the one Harry would go to. "Slytherin," Harry spoke with resolve. "Like an Adder?"

The blond boy cut off whatever diatribe he had went on while Harry had been thinking and regarded the other boy with a frown. "Well, the house mascot is a serpent. But I doubt it would be anything as mediocre as a Muggle adder. Perhaps a runespoor?"

Harry didn't know what that was. But he didn't want to sound stupid either. "I've never met a Runespoor before, but I hear that Smooth Snakes are quite ill-tempered. Addy says that it's because they live in cold places."

"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about. My father says-"

'And there he goes again," Harry thought with a sigh.

If nothing else, at least he was learning the dangers of idolizing his dad early on. He'd hate to sound like such a prat.

"What did you say your name was?" the blond boy asked.

Harry inwardly groaned. He hadn't said his name. In fact, he was going to make it a point to not say his name as much as possible. After that escapade in the Leaky Cauldron he knew for a fact that he did not want his name being thrown around listlessly. If one more person congratulated him on almost killing his dad he think he would be sick. "That's you done," the seamstress called to Harry.

He immediately jumped down from the stand and hurried over to the front so he could pay for his robes. Just as he was gathering the parcel he heard a knock at the window. Hagrid was there with a snowy white owl. "Happy Birthday!" he called.

Harry grinned and forgot everything about the rude boy being measured for his robes. He grabbed his parcels and hurried out of the store. "Thought I'd better get ya a right proper birthday present."

Hagrid's beard was so large and bushy that it sounded like he said 'birfday present'. Harry grinned up at the man. This was the nicest thing anyone had done for him. Although he much preferred the birthday cake yesterday, but maybe monsters didn't just eat sweets. That seemed right enough. "It's a lovely bird, Hagrid. But I wouldn't know the first thing about how to handle her."

Harry wondered distantly if he was supposed to eat the bird- that's was the sort of things monsters in storybooks did. Eat people and other animals whole. "Owls are smart creatures, Harry. Just give her a little water and nice place to lay down in when she's done flying about and she'll take care of the rest. I've named her Hedwig."

Relieved that he wasn't supposed to eat the beautiful white owl after all Harry reached forward to pet her through the cage bars. She nipped at his fingers, but didn't bite nearly hard enough to draw blood. "Looks like she likes ya!" Hagrid rumbled his large laugh.

"She bit me."

Hedwig hooted. It wasn't exactly scolding, but it did rather sound like she thought that he was an idiot for not noticing that that was a sign of affection. "Frightfully smart birds, Harry."

Harry wondered if the action translated to other people as well? Was he supposed to nip people to show his affection? Monsters had fangs and claws- neither of which Harry presently had, but there was room for growth. He was only eleven after all and some of the people he had seen today looked positively ancient. Ollivander looked like he was older than the queen. (Harry distantly wondered if the queen knew about witches and wizards. Probably as Aunt Petunia said Queen Elizabeth knew everything.)

"It's best we be off to Flourish and Blotts now."

By the time they had left Flourish and Blotts- and the apothecary, and three other stores necessary to get the rest of his school supplies- it had been a very long day and Harry had taken to sitting on his trunk whenever they stopped for a minute or two. He had everything the letter said he would need- and Hagrid had reminded him that he should follow the letter of the law, so to speak and not spend too much on extra purchases. That hadn't kept him from sneaking purchases that got him a few curious glances and raised eyebrows from some of the staff, among which were several historical texts claiming to have exclusive knowledge and recounts of the War with You-Know-Who. (Harry secretly thought it was both stupid and impressive that grown witches and wizards with magic were so terrified of his dad that they refused to even write his name, even a decade after his supposed destruction.)

Hagrid gave him one more warning before he said goodbye. "Now don't go practicing spells now that you have yer wand. Underage magic is still illegal and if you're caught, you'll be expelled."

All Harry took from this was that he had to make sure he wasn't caught practicing magic. He had added a book concerning underage magic and the laws and regulations that governed those under the age of seventeen when they had gone to the book store. Initially he had hoped it would cover how his dad could go about getting him from the Dursley's but it would probably prove to be helpful in this instance as well.

Now how was he supposed to fit his trunk and Hedwig's cage in his cupboard?

A/N: I've tried to keep this first chapter rather short to just introduce the world. All following chapters are considerably longer and quite a few of them have been cut in half because they just keep... going... but as a rule of thumb, the chapters themselves shouldn't be any less than three thousand words, but I have written a couple eight and nine thousand ones so there will be some longer updates. (Chapter six, for instance, rounded out at over eight thousand words before I was finally content with it).

There also have been quite a few cuts on scenes and what not and it is my hope that everything that's written has a purpose of some sort whether to introduce a future important plot point or for character development so that you're not suddenly hit in the face with something that makes no sense for the character as they've been written up to that point. I have most of the story mapped out although the ending is a little muddy. It's going to run at least fifty chapters though, so it will be a nice good length of a story. At the moment of this posting the first ten chapters are written and ready so that should give me time to continue fleshing out the rest. I will be posting bi-weekly for the time being to give me time to finish writing and add things as needed, but once I've finished the story I will increase it to weekly updates.

Edited: February 2020

Bonne lecture