Harry Potter: The Rise of the Technomancers

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. If you believe that I do, please send me all your cash and check yourself into your nearest mental health center, thanks :)

It was a tiny room in the home of number four Pivet Drive.

Nearly as big as a walk in closet, it barely had room for the bed besides the drab and over used furniture that had seen many days past its prime. Reminiscent of a muggle prison cell, the room was cluttered, with a very lived in look, despite the fact that its current occupant had been there for only three days. Strewn around the room were old muggle clothes, tatty frayed and much too over large for its current owner, and a mixture of simple black robes and old parchment. News papers, mostly those of the Daily Prophet, but some muggle publications, filched from trash cans around the pristine little home of Pivet drive lay scattered about. One such clipping read:

London Times

Murder-Suicides on the rise!

In an east London home this morning, a middle-aged couple was found dead in their living room in an apparent Murder-Suicide killing. One of many that have been plaguing the London as of recent times. From police statements, it was determined that Amos Diggory, a reclusive man and his wife Nora were found dead in their home when a neighbor heard loud noises that sounded like arguing. In the morning, they were found dead, the woman was discovered with a large gash across her neck, most likely from a knife or a cutting implement, and Mr. Diggory was found unmarked but deceased nearby. Coroners have not determined the cause of death for Mr. Diggory, but it is suggested that he had ingested a toxin that may have lead to his passing.

A neighbor had this comment to make, "The Diggorys were always such a strange family. Never really socialized in the neighborhood, never really knew what they did, although last year Amos and I talked a little. He said his son was killed, poor old chap. Seemed to be falling apart. They two were always fighting." (Liam Oddington, 65). Other sources concur that the Diggorys were frequently heard bickering late into the night. This is yet another tragedy to the dire times we live in.

- Veronica Edgings, senior reporter

Yet another clipping, this one with moving pictures gracing its cover could be seen lying on the desk, its crumpled and ink smeared pages told of long hours of study and the anger of its owner. A picture of a haggard young man with graying hair, standing beside a tall old wizard with a long silver beard with a sad expression across his creased face as he looked down at the tired youth.

Daily Prophet:

The-Boy-Who-Lived released from Azkaban!

Harold James Potter, The Boy-Who-Lived, our one time savior from the recently returned He-who-must-not-be-named, was released from Azkaban today after finishing out his one month sentence in the greatest wizarding prison on the planet. Confined in solitary lock down with dementors guarding the door, the once savior looked a horrid mess when he stepped off the dock at Stephan's Kay only hours after he was released. Escorted by Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Albus Dumbledore, Mr. Potter appeared to have spent much longer in the prison than he actually did. His hair graying at the temples, his clothes dirty and frayed, and even his eyes held the haunted look of one tormented.

When asked for a statement, Mr. Potter remained silent and appeared not to notice what was being asked and simply followed the older man. When asked for a statement, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore also chose not to comment on the situation, simply saying, "An injustice was done, and those who have committed it should think hard on what their priorities are, the state of the people or their own positions of power." (Albus Brian Wolfric Percival Dumbledore, 176).

Earlier this year, after the return of He-who-must-not-be-named and his attack on the Department of Mysteries, Harry Potter and several of his friends from the former Dumbledore's Army (DA), a formerly illegal student run club formed my Mr. Potter in the attempts at studying defense against the dark arts, entered the Ministry building after subduing the former headmistress and illegally named high inquisitor of Hogwarts, Dolores Umbridge, and had been charged with trespassing, attack on a ministry official, attack on fellow students, creation of an illegal militia, and damage to ministry property. Prior to these charges being filed, Mr. Potter and the DA had incapacitated Dolores Umbridge and her illegally formed Inquisitional Squad, and had entered the ministry, preventing several Death Eaters and You-know-who himself from retrieving an item from the Hall of Prophecies in the Department of Mysteries. It was suspected that the item in question was a prophecy and that this prophecy was about Mr. Potter and You-know-who.

After watching You-know-who and Albus Dumbledore, the suspected leader of the vigilante group known as the Order of the Phoenix, duel, ex-Minister Fudge was unable to deny the accusations of Mr. Potter and Professor Dumbledore any longer. In a land mark retraction of Daily Prophet publications, subsequent issues exonerated Mr. Potter and Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster was restored to the Wizengmont as well as had all his previous positions and titles returned.

Mr. Potter on the other hand, although exonerated from the previous charges, did not get off so lucky. As a last act of sedition, ex-Minister Fudge leveled all the charges against him, including previous charges such as willful endangerment of fellow students, the formerly overturned ruling of under aged magic use, and several other crimes. Utilizing his contacts, ex-Minister Fudge was able to charge and convict Mr. Potter with the crimes of: endangerment, assault against a Ministry official (Dolores Umbridge, who was charged with several other crimes in a previous trial that included torture of students through use of a blood quill), assault against students, assault against Pure blood wizards, damage to ministry property, unlawful entry and trespassing, and use of lethal curses (stated: the reducto curse).

These charges were laid upon Mr. Potter. The other five students were set free pending an investigation. Although Ronald Weasley, Ginerva Weasley, Luna Lovegood, and Hermione Granger left without comment, Neville Longbottom had to be removed physically from the court room, citing unfair treatment and mistrials for Mr. Potter. The young man was stupefied and taken away in the charge of his grandmother Augusta Longbottom, member of the House of Lords. After the trial, Mr. Potter was sentenced to restricted confinement to his home during the summer and then to Hogwarts during the school year, payment of fines for damages and restitutions against assaulted individuals (Gringotts contacts state the Potter family vaults that would have gone to Mr. Potter on his 17th birthday are now empty and most of his properties seized and liquidated), and a one month sentence to maximum lockdown and solitary confinement in Azkaban.

The new Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, former head of the Auror Department, had this to say, "Although I am thankful for the help Mr. Potter has given to uncovering and preventing the theft of an item from the Ministry, we do not condone his vigilante actions. Many prominent citizens were hurt by his actions and damages incurred by his actions were astronomical. It will serve him good to see where such actions will lead him should he continue down this path." (Rufus Scrimgeour, 120)

Although some of these crimes may be true, this reporter feels that there is no such president to level such claims or enact such harsh punishments against the boy who once saved us as well as alerted us to the return of the same dark lord. It is my opinion that-

The paper was obscured by yet another Daily Prophet. This one printed a retraction to a previous paper and claimed an un-scrupulous reporter was being fired for their use of an esteemed publication as a "muckraking tool".

On the windowsill above the desk, a white snowy owl stood, a half eaten mouse clutched between its beak as it tore flesh from the carcass. The bright amber eyes of the owl looking sadly down, as if lamenting the pain that her master felt. Said master, a skinny, underfed boy with black unruly hair, lay face down on the tattered and warped mattress that once was his cousin's. His over-large clothes also a hand-me-down from said cousin, his large t-shirt seemed to flare out over the bed, akin to a dress or a kilt, his jeans looked like something from the American eighties, baggy and bulbous like the parachute pants worn by bull shit rappers trying to make it big. His hand were crossed in front of him over a ratty pillow, used to simply elevate his head rather than provide comfort, and a short letter with three names signed on the bottom lay in front of him. There were tear stains on the paper. He had not cried in a long time. Even when he saw Sirius die, he didn't even shed a single tear for the man he once through of as a father. But now the tears were gone. In its place lay something that woke up during his possession by Voldemort in the Department of Mysteries, something he had never really been able to touch before. Anger. Hate. He wasn't referring to the teenage angst that he usually felt. The frustration he felt at his own hopelessness or the feeling of being controlled. No. This was something more profound. Fuelled by vengeance, this hate was all consuming. It had changed something fundamental within him and he liked it.

But now, the tears had tempered that anger with something else. Betrayal. Looking down at the short but horrible letter in front of him, Harry Potter felt the anger rise again in his body. Heat suffused his limbs as he read the lines over and over again.

Harry Potter,

We can no longer support you the way we have in the past. The game you are playing is becoming more and more dangerous as the years pass and we feel that you will someday endanger all of us with your recklessness. We do not wish to endanger our families' lives or their financial stability like you have ruined yours. This is the last letter you will receive from any of us or our family. Our parents agree that it is for the best that we detach ourselves from you. Stay away from us or we will file lawsuits against you. This is your only warning.

-Ronald Billius Weasley, Ginerva Molly Weasley, Hermione Jane Granger

After all he had done for them, they would betray him in such a way. If it hadn't been for him, Hermione would be dead right now, smashed under a troll's club, either that or alone and friendless, the geeky Gryffindor who haunts the back shelves of the library. If it hadn't been for him, Ron would be a nobody, still bitching and moaning that he was being overshadowed by his brothers. And Ginny. She too would be dead right now if he hadn't jumped down a sewer pipe, and battled a sixty foot basilisk as well as its deranged incorporeal master, she would be nothing but a skeleton deep within the chamber of secrets. And not to mention all the things he did for them throughout the year like sticking up for them, helping them get descent grades on their work, providing the galleons for Ron's brothers to start up their business.

But he should have known. Ron, with his jealousy issues, always moaning that Harry had everything that he wanted. The little bastard could have it for all he cared. For all the love he had, for all the memories he had, for all the people he had to support him, Ron was such a little baby. That was probably why he was a little baby. Too spoilt to do anything but moan his head off and not work for a single thing. The bastard was probably laughing right now since Harry had to spend a month in Azkaban and had lost all his money.

He should have suspected Hermione as well. The jealousy she had shown when Harry did well at things, her irritation at his understanding of concepts that would boggle her mind. Harry had been forced to temper his own grades, his own performance in class to keep Hermione's friendship. He was much smarter than most people gave him credit for. When he was little, he had to do the same to not get hit by his uncle for bringing home better grades than his fat cousin Dudley. Over a long while that turned into a game for him to play in his cupboard under the stairs. He would do all the homework correct, but then he would fudge the answers and make it so that he would get the questions wrong. Later, he would check his answers with what the teacher was saying later when going over it to see if he got it right. That had been his only amusement for the first ten years of his life, and he thought it would be over when he went to a wizarding school, but to keep one of the few friends he had made, so starved was he for companionship, he had to revert back to his "Dumb Harry" persona to make it work.

But then there was Ginny. Why had she betrayed him? He had thought there was something growing steadily between them, but obviously Ginny didn't feel the same way. It was disheartening to see her signature at the bottom of that letter. He had thought, at least Ginny would believe remain loyal to him, but it appears as though no one really cared for Harry in the first place. They just abandoned him to the wolves. Now, without any money, with only his faithful owl Hedwig to keep him company, how was he to survive? He couldn't get a job. One he didn't have license to work as an under aged and his uncle would not take the time to sign off on anything. He would probably take the money he made even if he managed to sign anything. And two, he wouldn't even be able to leave the house. Dumbledore wouldn't let him leave the house no matter what.

Plus, where the hell would he go? He had nowhere. He had no money from his parents, his trust fund was taken from him, the Potter vaults were gone to filling some escaped death eater's pocket (the death eaters taken in the ministry were taken into custody, but were broken out in transit to Azkaban, thanks to the incompetence of Fudge, who was still in power at the time, and then used the same imperius excuse), and all his potential properties had been sold off or seized by the ministry. He had nothing left to him by his parents. Sirius had no access to his family's fortunes, so he couldn't have given Harry anything in any sort of inheritance, even his house at Grimmauld place had been handed over to Dumbledore when Sirius was still alive. He had absolutely nothing to go on, but a meager fifteen galleons, forty two sickles, five knuts, some old clothes that fit him very loosely, some books, and a wand. His Firebolt was taken from him and sold off as a luxury item to pay for his "crimes" to the various assaulted individuals, even though those "assaulted parties" were the ones to attack him first, one even tried to cast the cruciatus curse on him.

Remus would probably help him, but he was practically broke himself and didn't even have a stable home, thanks to being bitten as a child. Nothing ever made any sense anymore. The betrayal had been terrible for him when he received the letter two days ago after being released, but he should have seen it coming. Only Neville ever said anything in his defense, and the only person that visited him in Prison the one hour during the week that he was let out to receive guests, was Remus. He had looked terrible, but he said that there had been a job offering in America that he had to take. After that second visit, Remus didn't visit him. He had received a letter from him the first day he got out, saying how he was doing, but other than that, nothing. You could say it was a betrayal, but he had no obligation to Harry, and Harry didn't hold a grudge against him. He had his own problems and gave of himself much more than he needed to without a single reward. He still trusted Remus, but he knew he would never be like family, the way Sirius was.

Neville was a different story though. It was surprising how his closes friends did nothing but abandon him, when someone he had only come to get to know in the past year or so had come through for him so readily. While his other friends took off, blaming him for making their life a mess, Neville didn't. He had supported Harry and voiced his objections in the court so readily that he had to be stunned and dragged out. His letter was the only one he had received in solitary confinement, not even Remus wrote to him in there. It was very short, but it basically said he was on Harry's side and that if he needed some help, he would be willing to give it. The letter itself had been taken away from him shortly after he received it, when the first of his daily Azkaban beatings took place.

His life in Azkaban was not glamorous. Although he was imprisoned within the solitary confinement cells of Azkaban, he saw a lot of people every single day. His first day, by far, was the worst. After hauling him into the cell, his two jailors, Biggs and Hughes, strung him up by his wrists, and beat him with lengths of rope. All the while jeering at him and calling him the Boy-who-lived, mock bowing to him, then beating him some more. This became a ritual for Harry. Every day, like clockwork, a pair of guards, alternating different days so everyone could get their fill of beating the wizarding world's hero, would string him up, his body beaten and sore from yesterday's beating yet completely unblemished as they healed him with powerful charms to ensure they would not be charged with a crime, and they would take turns at swinging the thick hemp ropes. He would grit his teeth every time it bit into his skin, but he wouldn't cry out. He couldn't cry out. His newly awakened anger wouldn't let him.

It was in that hell hole that Harry had learned how to endure the pain. How to endure the torture, and how to think. Previously, Harry's mind had been a hodgepodge of thought. He himself was a brilliant student, understanding concept and theory nearly as easy as working out the practical part, but his mind was very unorganized. Within Azkaban and through the tender ministrations of his torturers, he was able to focus inwards to protect himself from the physical pain they were causing him. By doing this, he could examine his thoughts and his thinking process. 

Through this experience, he was able to develop a way to organize his mind in such a way that his thoughts and information was extremely easy to access, no long seconds of thinking, no "can't remember" explanations, he had rewired his mind to its highest level of functioning. Thus, as he was being tortured, he could occupy himself with memories and other pursuits to distract himself from his beatings.

And that's where the first phase of his plans would begin. Once he was out, he would have to find a way to change his destiny. Already locked on the path thanks to that great bitch destiny, he would have to see it through to the end, but destiny didn't dictate how he would see it through, only the end result.

His first duty was to get some financial backing. He knew that the world ran on money and if he was to change his destiny, he would have to change his bank account. The loss of the entire Potter fortune was a large blow to his plans. But he did still have other ways of making a buck. Although he could quickly turn to larceny and other illegal acts, it really wasn't his style. No, he would use the wizarding world's own back water ways and ignorance of everything muggle to rebuild his fortune, then he would be able to start from there.

His second duty was to gain vengeance for his betrayal. He would attack those who betrayed him, from the sheep of the wizarding world, to the companies like the Daily Prophet that thought they could bugger his arse while he was a kid. Never again would people screw with him. Never again would they be able to say anything and sway the stupid masses.

Lastly, he would fulfill his destiny and then forge ahead to create a new destiny for himself. He would have everything he wanted after that, everything that was denied to him, and he would finally be at peace.

But first he needed the pocket change to start himself up. How was he going to do that? Investments? No way would they take an investment of 15 galleons. Even if he did invest in wizarding stocks, and the company miraculously made a thousand fold profits, it would take forever for him to build up enough capital to carry out his plans. He wanted to enjoy his life when he was young. Not when he was older than Dumbledore.

As he was thinking about his financial predicament, hope came on the majestic wings of a six inch tall brightly colored pink pigeon tapping at his window.

Harry, who had not moved for the past five hours, groaned as he felt his joints pop and his muscles ache with the strain of moving after being immobile for so long.

"What the bloody hell do the sheep want now?" he asked Hedwig, who looked slightly ruffled at the new stranger in the bright pink plumage standing outside her wizard's window. After pulling the window open, the holes where the bars his uncle Vernon had placed on the windows still sitting around the sill, gaping because he had refused to fix them and his uncle had refused to do anything that would benefit his hated nephew, the brightly colored rat with wings hopped into the room and began to peck at his desk.

Mumbling under his breath about bloody rats with wings, Harry grabbed the flapping rat and undid the tie on the bottom of his leg. A letter fell down to the floor as Harry tossed the little rat out of the window and watched it fly away, an indignant look thrown over its pink wing.

Bending down Harry frowned when he saw the seal done up in bright yellow and blue wax, a pair of jester's hats and a large "WWW" imbedded on the front. Curious, but cautions, Harry had received a letter laced with bubotuber pod puss yesterday from an indignant Ministry official, he broke the seal and slowly unfolded the letter.

Harry,

Hey mate how are you doing? It's us, your partners in business, the Weasley twins. We were shocked at what they did to you after you pretty much saved the wizarding world from themselves. A bunch of ingrates I say. The limey 

buggers should have just been left to burn after you know who buggered the whole lot of them up their tightly pursed arses. But then, who would buy our wonderful products?

We wanted to thank you for backing us up with our joke shop mate. From a fraction of the profits from our owl delivery service we were able to buy a shop in Diagon Alley. You can't miss it mate, it's the brightest building you've ever seen. And just because, you were our financial backer, we're proclaiming that everything for you is free, in moderation of course mate. And on the condition that you tell everyone where you found our wonderful products.

But on to the real reason why we're sending this letter. We've got some bad news for you mate. Originally when we started the company, we made you a partner. Gave you 20 percent and everything, but we held the cash for you in another account. Now since the ministry decided to catch you with your pants down and grab you by your roger, they began to ask about your holdings. They caught one look at us, and decided to gut your profits. I'm sorry mate, but it's all gone. They took everything and absolved your partnership in the company. But not to worry mate. Even though our traitorous family, who we are not talking to by the way, have abandoned you, we definitely will not. Family is family any way you slice it and although our family has forgotten, Weasleys don't desert family.

So, we've decided to give you back your initial investment plus a lot of interest. We know they pretty much took everything you own but the boxers you're sitting in and we also know you hate charity, but this is not charity our fine honorary Weasley, this is just business…with a little more because you're family. Don't try to send it back mate. We won't have it. And just so you're wondering, no one knows about this, not even the head of the order of the fried chicken himself. So good luck Harry, if you need a friend to talk to or a place to crash, we're always here.

-Fred and George Weasley

P.S. Just promise us you'll use some of the galleons in there to prank our ickle little brother. He's got to learn what happens when you betray loyalties.

Harry was happy that not everyone had turned from him. At least some people had something of a sense of honor. But of all the people who he would have thought to remain behind him, the Weasley twins would not have been very high on his list. They had been his very good friends, but when they had split last year, he hadn't heard from them since they had left. Their writing to him now was a very big surprise and a lifesaver. Now he at least some money to build on. It would take him longer, but only a little longer than he had thought.

He shuffled the letters around turning to find the voucher that was enclosed. Finally after leafing through the significantly long letter, very interesting as the Weasley twins never showed much interest in bandying words, he found it. And he nearly fainted.

To one Mr. Harold James Potter,

We, Mr. Fred Weasley and Mr. George Weasley, here by offer the sum of 54,000 galleons to one Mr. Harry James Potter, to be released to Mr. Potter in the form of Galleons and over seen by our financial representative at Gringotts bank Mr. Bloodhook. Said sum is to be untraceable and will be given to Mr. Potter in full at the time he requests it. Respect our wishes and follow Mr. Potter's Instructions.

-Mr. Fred and George Weasley, CEOs – Weasley's Wizard Wheezes Inc.

Fifty four thousand galleons. Fifty four thousand galleons! When a normal wizarding house only costs two thousand. This would be enough to put him directly in the middle of the planning stages of his scheme! If Fred and George were there he would eat all the canary creams and ton-tongue toffees that they wanted him to. At the moment he could have kissed the two strange brothers.

"Hedwig!" Harry said, talking to his owl since he had no one else to talk to, "Do you know what this means? This means we can start already! We're financially set!" Harry started to dance around the room, oblivious of how stupid he looked.

T he owl looked at her master dancing around the room, the first smile she had seen on his prematurely aged face since he got back from that horrible place. She had been overjoyed at his return. When he had not come back to Hogwarts, she had gone searching for him. After a week, she had sensed where he was, but couldn't enter the wards of the fortress and was forced to stick around the towns, awaiting the return of her master. Once he had been released, she was overjoyed to see him and followed him all the way back to Pivet Drive. But her gentle master had changed greatly. He was skinnier than he usually was and he had an anger about him that was so unlike him. She had tried to bring him some food, at least her kind of food, but he didn't want to eat anything, so the only thing Hedwig could do was sit and worry.

When the first letters came, she was ecstatic. At least her master would be happy now that his friends had written to him. He was always happy after one of their letters. But she saw him break down, something she had never seen him do before. Deciding to get revenge for her master, she flew back with the old owl, and waited for her master's former friends to exit the house. She spent the next day dive bombing the red headed boy and girl, coughing up pellets and leaving them on their pillows. After the second time the girl had to pick dead rats out of her hair and the boy was flinching at every bird he saw, Hedwig was satisfied and flew back to her master. Only to see him depressed on the bed. She had waited patiently, he wanted to talk to her and if that made him feel better than she would sit there and listen, even if she didn't understand. He was her boy, and she loved her boy.

But now he was jumping around the room, with a smile on his skinny pale face. Her master was finally happy and happy was something she would do anything to keep him.

AN: How'd you like it? I know it follows a lot of the same plot elements as most, boo-hoo poor Harry Fics, but this one has a little twist :), Keep reading if you want to find out...And REVIEW!!