Okay, so I know this has been done but I wanted to try it anyway. I read Knowledge is Power, and was sad to find it an incomplete masterpiece. I would recommend it to anyone who likes Harry/Fleur or is just looking for something a little different than the usual fair. After finishing KIP, I tried but could not find a completed replacement or continuation. So, I decided to give it my own shot. I am striving to break the mold for these stories and set out in my own direction. Things will start in a similar place with a bookish somewhat reclusive Harry who has his own problems to deal with. This will be the story of Harry finding his place in the world, finding his role, and the insurmountable odds that seem to plague the Potter Family. For convenience, I will be moving the time frame up by ten years. 1981, the year of Voldemort's "death" will become 1991 and so forth. Harry's birthday will be July 31st 1988, making him two years older. He will join the twins in their year at Hogwarts and Neville will become The Boy Who Lived. Remus will take over as Harry's guardian with the help of the Tonks family. In general many witches and wizards will be described as more adept than those J.K.'s cannon, and Harry will stand above the average. Magic, after all, has unlimited potential.

Do I really need to tell people that I don't actually own Harry Potter?

With that said, I hope you enjoy.

(Wit Beyond Measure)

Chapter 1: Harry Potter

November 1st, 1991 was a strange day. Owls were out and about, flying in broad daylight, people dressed in strange robes danced in the streets, and those same people were waving sticks around, creating fireworks, levitating everything in sight, and causing general mayhem. To the average person it was like they had entered the Twilight Zone. However what the average person did not know was that a secret society hid directly underneath their nose. Witchcraft or wizardry, as in the application of magic to achieve various goals, was in actuality, quite real. The magical community had gone underground during the seventeenth century in an effort to hide from their more numerous non-magical brethren, whom the magical community referred to as Muggles. Of course there were certain members of the muggle community, usually a political leader or a monarch, that knew about their magical cohorts, but for the most part, the two factions remained mutually exclusive. Occasionally illegal interactions would cause problems for one community or the other. Witches and Wizards tended to bully muggles more than the non-magicals prodded their counterparts, but these interactions were not unheard of. However, today none of the separations of worlds mattered. The previous night, on Halloween of all evenings, Neville Longbottom, had somehow done what no other wizard, witch, or muggle had been able to do. Neville had survived a direct attack by The Dark Lord Voldemort, the darkest wizard to ever terrorize the magical world. Neville's parents Frank and Alice Longbottom had not survived the attack on their home, but Neville had somehow repelled the killing curse, something considered impossible until now. Regarded as The-Boy-Who-Lived, Neville had somehow banished The Dark Lord Voldemort. The magical community openly celebrated this victory, partying in the streets and causing general mayhem.

Unfortunately cutting off the head of the snake did not mean it's body was useless. Even with Voldemort gone, his followers, known as Death Eaters, were merely scattered and leaderless. Bellatrix Lestrange, often considered, the Dark Lord's most loyal servant, had set out to find the reason her lord had fallen. The witch felt that the Potters, a family who had butted heads with Voldemort on several occasions and held close ties with the Longbottoms, would have the answers to her questions. With the help of several companions, Bellatrix tracked down the hidden Potter family in her bid for understanding.

(Wit Beyond Measure)

Remus Lupin, a prematurely grey and tired looking man, with a pale complexion and Alastor, Mad-Eye, Moody, a grizzled old man missing a leg and his left eye, sprinted down the path to the Potter's home in Godric's Hollow. It was evident that a struggle had taken place on the property. The wards that should have been protecting the property were completely gone, and front door was dangling from a single hinge. Moody had received a distressed message from James Potter a few minutes earlier saying that he and his family were under attack. With the rampant celebrations around the country, Moody had been unable to gather anyone other than Lupin to answer the call for help. There simply had not been enough time to search for other members of the Order of the Phoenix, a group dedicated to fighting Voldemort and his followers.

The sight inside the house was not for the faint of heart. The entryway had been transformed into a veritable warzone. The ground was littered with debris, the walls scarred from countless curses. As Remus and Moody moved to the living room, they found three bodies in various states of mutilation. Moody stood guard while Remus inspected the bodies. The one nearest the door, the first to fall if looks were to be believed, was Rabastan Lestrange. The second body was missing its right arm, and had a dead lion latched onto one of its legs. Unsurprisingly, it was Rabastan's brother Rodolphus Lestrange.

"Lestranges" Remus announced, earning a growl from Moody. This news seemed to unsettle the auror. The dead could not fight back, but the woman who often accompanied the Lestrange brothers could, and she was someone they had to worry about. Remus moved to the third body, and had to fight back tears when he recognized James Potter. James was slumped against the wall at the foot of the stairs. His wand was still pointed towards Rodolphus. It was clear to Remus that his friend hadn't gone down without a fight, but that did not change the fact that, James Potter, his friend of uncountable years was dead. Moody also seemed dazed at the sight of James. Even after years of war, the veteran was still susceptible to surprises such as this. He had taught James personally, the Gryffindor been his protégé, and in many ways better than Moody himself, but apparently it had not been enough.

The duo shook themselves from their thoughts when they heard screams coming from upstairs. With Rodolphus dead in the living room, it was a safe guess that his wife was here as well. Bellatrix was known for torturing her victims. Coupled with her husband's death, she would surely be on a rampage. Remus looked to Mad-Eye with a pale face. Disregarding his own safety, Lupin sprinted up the stairs and barreled towards Harry's room. He could only hope it was not too late. Moody following close behind, neither of them hesitated at Harry's door. Breaking through the door shoulder to shoulder, Moody and Remus found Lily and Harry in the midst of being tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange and Barty Crouch Jr. Bellatrix was cackling madly while Harry screamed under her cruciatus curse. Crouch held the same curse over a bloodied and beaten Lily. Moody struck first. Using a nasty cutting curse, the auror severed Crouch's hand, effectively ending the young death eater's spell. Handless and wandless, Crouch fell to the ground in agony. Moody silenced him with a quick stunner before moving to help Remus with Bellatrix. However the werewolf did not need help. Remus tackled the woman with a growl. The superior strength granted to him by his affliction allowed him to easily over power to woman. Slamming her arm against the ground he got her to drop her wand and then, letting his baser instincts take over, Lupin pummeled the woman into unconsciousness. His single minded fury only came to a halt when ropes spawned around the unconscious woman. Remus turned to look at Moody who stared at the woman impassively as if contemplating a more permanent solution for the vile woman. Eventually he turned and walked over to Lily. She was alive, but unresponsive. Being worked over by Lestrange did that to people. No doubt the bitch took her turn torturing Lily before passing her off to Crouch. "Evans is beyond help." Moody commented, his face marred by a frown. "How's the boy?" he asked, turning to Remus who had gone to Harry.

Remus had scooped the boy up into his arms, and used what basic legilimency skills he had to assess the boy. Harry was not catatonic like his mother, but he was in no way ok either. "I'm not sure, but I know who can tell me. Andy is trustworthy enough, she helps with my personal problem. I just hope we were fast enough." Remus stated solemnly. "Can you finish up here?"

"I'll get Evans to St. Mungos and wait for the rest to show up." Moody growled.

"Thanks" Remus offered before disapparating with a soft pop, the crying Harry still in his arms.

Lupin reappeared in front of a small two story house in a quiet neighborhood. The door opened before he could knock, revealing the face of the woman he had just mauled. However there were a few differences. For one this face lacked the insanity that Bellatrix's did. Additionally Andromeda's hair was slightly lighter than her sister's, and her eyes were softer and rounder. Remus looked like he was about to question her being awake, but the woman cut him off.

"I felt like something was wrong tonight." Andromeda supplied. "James, and Lily?"

Remus shook his head. It was such a fresh wound, but he managed to give the answer. "James is dead. Lily is alive for now, but she's comatose. But I really need you to look at Harry. I would have gone to St. Mungos, but….

"No need to explain." Andromeda said cutting him off. "Give him here and come inside."

"He was under the cruciatus when we got there, but they may have done more." Remus offered.

"Who was it?" Andromeda asked

"Bellatrix..."

"That BITCH!" Andromeda growled, unable to contain her rage. "Using the cruciatus on a three year old! Even for her this is lower than low. She has sullied our house's name beyond repair." Andromeda spat, while pointed her wand at Harry. Muttering a few quick spells, she sighed in relief. "I can help him, and he should be fine, but it was close. You got there just in time."

Remus nearly cried in relief. "Thank you Andy. Can you watch him for a day or two I have some business to take care of. There are some questions that need to be answered."

"Don't go getting yourself killed Remus. He's going to need you. But I'll happily watch after him for a few days. It will take that long to fix him up anyway. Good night Remus."

"Good Night, and I owe you." Remus waited until the door had closed before he disappeared in a soft pop.

Harry stayed with Andromeda for two weeks after the attack, under the careful eye of the mediwitch. This gave Remus the time he needed to deal with the aftermath of the attack on Godric's Hollow. Andromeda was amazed that the three year old Harry had come out of the ordeal as unscathed as he did. Medically speaking, he was a miracle. He should have died from the strain the cruciatus had placed on his mind, or at least ended up like his mother, but the boy had come out of the encounter intact. While Harry had been under the Tonks' care, Remus had gone after Sirius Black. Supposedly a trusted friend, the heir to the Black family had been the Potter's secret keeper. This made him the only one who could have revealed the Potter's house to the Lestranges. However, before Remus had been able to find Sirius himself, the man had been caught by the Aurors, but not without the death of another close friend. Peter Pettigrew, arguably the weakest member of their group, who had gone after Black much like Remus, but the rat animagus had perished during the confrontation.

(Wit Beyond Measure)

7 years Later

As Harry woke on his eleventh birthday, something did not feel right. Why do I get the feeling that I'm not going to like what I see when I open my eyes, Harry wondered. Knowing it was better to just get it over with, Harry cracked open his eyes. Instead of residing in his comfortable bed, Harry was stuck to the ceiling of his room by copious amounts of duct tape. Not the best way to wake up, but it was not the worst thing he had woken up to either. Harry would get revenge of course, but he had to play the long game. He was the less experienced party in the pranking war that had been going for as long as he could remember. It had started when he was young with just whoopie cushions and knotted shoelaces, but things had escalated quickly from there. Harry would have to outsmart Remus and catch him off guard. But, before Harry could do, or plan, anything regarding revenge, he had to get down. Looking around for a means of escape, he found exactly what he needed. Just to the left of his head, a small strand of tape was hanging within biting distance. It was a bit too perfect, which left Harry wondering what the cost of pulling on the tape would be. With no other options in sight, Harry resigned himself to pulling the tab. Tugging on the tape caused it to peel away. Harry fell from the ceiling and landed in an unceremonious heap on the floor. Harry groaned a bit after the rough landing, but he knew it was all just part of the process of living with a Marauder. Today would be the same losing battle his birthday always was. It was Remus' favorite day to prank Harry. Seeing as it was his eleventh birthday, Harry would also be getting his Hogwarts letter and his wand today. He was very excited to have his own wand. As for the Hogwarts letter Harry had a few reservations about the school. Dragging himself off the floor, Harry nervously approached his door, it was the most likely location for another prank. Knowing better than to touch the door with his bare hand, Harry used the shirt he slept in to twist the knob. Having safely made it into the hall of the small apartment he and Remus lived in, Harry cautiously proceeded towards the bathroom to shower.

Harry's childhood after the attack on Godric's Hollow had been interesting. With his father dead, and his mother comatose and confined to St. Mungos, Remus had taken over as Harry's guardian. Initially Harry despite being only three had refused this. Harry had refused to let his mother be replaced, but when it came down to choosing between Remus and an orphanage, Harry had chosen to live with Remus. He had known the man as Uncle Mooney after all. Their relationship had been a bit rocky at first, but after some time they had found their stride. Remus, while performing his role as a guardian, did not act too much like a true parent. This ensured that he did not completely replace James or Lily in Harry's life. In return Harry respected the older man's guidance. They were also brought closer by their respective lonelinesses. Harry essentially parentless and Lupin a werewolf left them nearly alone. Aside from Remus, the Tonks family also played a large role in Harry's life. They were the only ones outside of Remus that Harry really had any contact with. Lupin would always send Harry to stay with them each month when it was time for his transformation. At least until Harry had up and decided to become an animagus at age seven. After hearing what the Marauders did to help Lupin during school, Harry had decided he would as well. He was most likely the youngest Wizard in history to achieve the transformation.

For the most part, Remus and Harry lived away from the magical world. They would venture to Diagon Alley on occasion but it was often easier for Remus to find work in the muggle world. With their impressive primary level education, it had also been a better and safer place for Harry to grow up. However, there had been no getting around the fact that he was a wizard. The few instances of accidental magic during his early years had been potent to say the least, and the boy had taken to anything he could do without a wand.

Harry had gotten the best of both his parents. He had his mother's brain, always wondering how things worked, constantly reading about anything and everything he could get his hands on and of course he had her striking green eyes. Much like James, athletics came naturally to Harry. While not as passionate about sports as some of the other things in his life, Harry did play a variety of sports. However he had also ended up with James' abysmal eyesight. It was the Potter's curse, but being stuck with glasses never seemed to bother Harry.

Harry visited his mother twice a year. He would spend all day with her on Christmas day and her birthday, January 30th. As much as he was thankful for Remus and the Tonks family, Lily was still a major part of his life. Harry drew his strength from Lily. He had dedicated his life to finding a cure for her. If Harry wasn't pranking Remus or playing sports then he could be found with his head stuffed into a book, usually one of Nymphadora's school books, but it was not uncommon to see him with a book on muggle science or advanced magic. Remus had been more than willing to support Harry in this and helped teach the boy in any way he could. Harry also insisted to pay for anything and everything that Lupin needed, going as far as lending the money to buy the small apartment they lived in. The Potters had not been unnaturally wealthy, but they were not unwealthy either. It had been a hard fought battle to get the werewolf to accept the money, but eventually Harry had won, claiming that he could make his own money later, and that Remus should be paid for his work with him anyway.

Harry stepped into the kitchen after showering and getting ready for the day.

"Hey pup. Ready to go get your wand?" Remus asked handing the boy a plate with eggs potatoes and bacon on it.

"Change it back." Harry growled as he sat down to eat.

"Change what back?" Remus replied innocently.

"My hair Moony." Harry offered, pointing towards his head. Instead of being covered by its usual black mess, Harry's scalp was a war zone. Half of Harry's hair was red and half was blue. Both sides seemed to be alive and fighting for dominance over his hair, which visually represented itself as a strange tug of war. The blue side would swell slightly before being repelled by the red side and vice versa.

"Maybe in a bit. You should have checked your shampoo." Remus replied with a smirk. "Now Hurry up and eat we are supposed to meet Andy in Diagon Alley soon." Harry grumbled but dug into his breakfast none the less. "Oh, and happy birthday pup."

Harry gave Lupin a quick smile before returning to his food. The werewolf had to sigh as he watched Harry eat. Today was the last day he held an advantage over Harry. Once Harry got his wand, Remus was sure the gloves were going to come off in their little prank war. Sure he might get a few days of solitude while Harry figured out how to get around the trace, but with his brains Lupin doubted it would be long.

While Remus was afraid of what Harry would do to him once he got a wand, he was truly proud of the boy. Harry had a genius level intellect. Something that Harry, while gifted with, had improved through hard work. Harry never stopped fueling his mind. He would often ask Remus to explain things in greater detail, asking questions fit for sixth or seventh year students. Sometimes it scared the werewolf, but Harry's character left him without any worries. After everything he had suffered through, one would think Harry would want revenge or that he would be jaded, but that was not the case. Instead Harry was driven. He was by no means angel, but the boy always did what was right in the end. However, what Remus did worry about, was the guilt that Harry harbored about his mother. Harry felt he was the one at fault for his mother's situation. Of course, it was completely unfounded. What parent wouldn't sacrifice themselves for their child? But no matter how many times Remus tried he couldn't get Harry to understand that. When his explanations had failed, Remus turned to pranking. The whole reason for their prank war was to help distract Harry from his mother. Lupin had also made sure that the Tonks family was around to show Harry that he had a life to live outside of his mother. Harry knew what Remus was doing, but went along with it most of the time. As devoted as he was to his mother, he did enjoy other aspects of life. Remus could happily to say that he had done his best in raising the young and upcoming marauder, and if the boy decided to follow in his father's footsteps, Remus knew Harry would be a force to be reckoned with at Hogwarts.

(Wit Beyond Measure)

Harry looked around with a slight glint of excitement in his eyes. He had been to Diagon Alley a few times, and each time he came the place inspired him. It had so much to offer, especially if you counted Knockturn Alley, where one could obtain legally questionable items. Harry didn't care much for the goblins in Gringotts, they were a rude bunch, but he could say that he really did not hold any grudges against their race. One was entitled to be rude, it just wouldn't get you very far in life. Harry looked down at the list that had come with his Hogwarts letter.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Yours Sincerely

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

HOWGARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Uniform

First year students will require:

Three sets of plain work robes (black)

One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags

Books

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

Other Equipment

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may also bring an owl, cat or toad. I would also like to remind parents that first years are not allowed to bring their own brooms to school.

The Tonks family had met them at the alley for the shopping trip. Andromeda saw Harry looking at his list. "If you don't care about having new books, we would be happy to give you Nymphadora books." Andromeda offered. Harry chuckled slightly at the look of annoyance on his surrogate sister's face. It was amazing how much she hated her name.

"Thank you Nymphadora. Are you sure you don't need them anymore?" Harry asked, furthering her annoyance. "That will give me more to spend on new books anyway." The group, minus Tonks, chuckled. Harry was quite good at getting under his sister's skin. Harry looked back at the list. "That leaves robes, and class materials."

"Remus can take you to get your wand Harry, and If you give us a little gold we can stop by the apothecary and get you potions utensils and supplies," Andromeda offered.

"Ollivander's it is." Remus said with a smile, as Harry handed Andromeda some gold. The Tonks family quickly disappeared into the crowds, leaving Harry and Remus on their own. Remus began to walk towards Ollivanders, but was stopped when Harry didn't move to follow.

"Actually, I'd rather go to a different wand store if thats possible." Harry said. "Or at least see what they have to offer. I was there when Tonks got her wand, so I know how Ollivanders works. I want to make sure I am getting the best possible wand for myself. I also need to get fitted for robes."

"Umm the only other wand maker that I know of is in Knockturn Alley." Remus muttered. "Robes can be found in a few different places though."

"Thats fine," Harry replied, walking towards the "Dark" alley, without so much as a second thought.

Remus stopped him by stepping in front of him. "Harry wait. It's not safe to go in there."

"Why not?" Harry questioned "What's so bad about this place? You've been down there, why can't I go? If what you said is true than we can probably get robes here as well."

Remus sighed, but thought about it. The alley itself was not inherently dangerous. Some wares that could be found there along with certain people that frequented the alley were a different story, but He could steer Harry clear of those things. Most of the unsavory came to the alley at night anyway. "We can go, but if I say we have to leave we leave." He said firmly.

"Lighten up a bit Mooney. Your hair is grey enough as it is."

"Smart ass," Remus grumbled. "Do you need anything other than a wand and robes?"

Harry smiled. "Maybe. Depends on what we find in the dark and spooky alley." Remus looked at him seriously. "Fine, I'm hoping that I can come across a few books that Flourish and Blotts doesn't sell. I need some new transfiguration material and I want to look at something that hasn't been dissected by the Ministry, see how it's different. Maybe a charms book or two as well." After Voldemort's rise and subsequent fall from power, the Ministry had done their best to control the materials that people had access to. Claiming to be preventing such occurrences in the future, many older texts that could be considered morally ambiguous had been banned.

"Always more books" Remus chuckled. "One of these days I'll have to turn you into a book, although it might already be too late.

"That could be interesting. I wonder if my thoughts and memories would fill the pages." Harry thought. Remus just shook his head.

"You're going to be a claw for sure. Only a Ravenclaw would think being turned into a book would be interesting." Lupin sighed. "Its too bad too. All of the marauders were Gryffindors. They'll be missing out with you in another house. I guess you'll just have to liven up Ravenclaw a bit."

"Why should I be the same as the old. Newer is better right?" Harry said nonchalantly. "Besides their common room is closest to the library. A strategic advantage in my opinion."

"Here we go." Remus said shaking his head at Harry's comment. The two stopped in front of a small shop tucked in the alley. There was no name or brand on the store. A simple a sign hung above the door with a wand stamped into the wood. "Funny I remember a different store than this one. I wonder if it's new."

Harry didn't bother with Remus. Letting the man question himself, Harry walked into the shop. A tall pale man stood behind a small counter on the other side of the room. Harry could feel that something was off about the man, but he didn't know exactly what it was. "Good morning" Harry offered, approaching the counter. His question about the man's odd presence was answered when Harry reached the counter. The man smiled and Harry noticed that his canines were slightly longer than they should have been.

"Good morning to you as well." The man replied, flashing and even larger grin. Harry just looked at him curiously, having never seen a vampire before. "I see you are not swayed by my food preference."

"No, just curious. I've never met a vampire before. However I'm looking for a wand and was hoping that you could help me." Harry responded.

"Why have you come to me and not gone to Ollivanders like most others?" The vampire questioned.

"Simple really, I wanted to compare another maker against Ollivander. While I don't have one of his wands I am familiar with his work, and to be honest I don't trust the common sentiment that he is the best."

"Well said. Well said indeed. I think you will get a wand, and I would be happy to tune up the wolf's wand, if he is related to you." The Vampire offered gesturing towards Lupin.

"Remus is my guardian." Harry supplied. "But we are not blood related as far as I know."

"Most interesting. Most people do not keep werewolves as company. Mr?"

"Potter" Harry supplied. "But I would prefer Harry. And you would be?."

"I've amassed several names over the course of my life, but you may call me Alucard."

"Why does everyone spell your name backwards?" Harry asked, a somewhat cocky smirk on his face.

Remus paled at Harry's cheekiness, vampires could be very unfriendly. "Harry..." he tried to caution the boy, but it was too late.

"If I was the figure known as Dracula would you be afraid of me?" Alucard asked cutting off Remus. He was curious to see how Harry would answer.

"Not really. If you really wanted to harm me, I'm sure you would have done so already. No, I would be more curious as to why you did it." Harry replied.

"Interesting, but I am sorry to say that I cannot give you that answer. Dracula is not a name associated with me beyond being a vampire myself. It is merely a coincidence."

Harry nodded at Alucard. "As much as I would like to ask you hundreds of questions, I am a bit crunched for time and I doubt you became a wand maker to answer an eleven year old's questions."

Alucard nodded. "That is correct, however I find you intriguing Harry. I would not be opposed to several questions, but if you are pressed for time then perhaps later. Hold still for a moment please." Alucard pulled out his wand and waved it a few times over Harry. Harry glowed a soft red color for a few moments, while Alucard studied him and took a few measurements. Satisfied, Alucard ended his spell and returned his wand to his blood red suit. "You continue to intrigue me. If I am not mistaken, the best fit for you will be a wand from rosewood, with a core from a sphinx. They are brilliant creatures but their violent tendencies leave them very misunderstood. It will be interesting to see how this wand comes together."

"I've never heard of a wand using anything from a sphinx as its core." Harry commented.

"Nor have I ever made one with such a core and I have been making wands off and on for a very long time." Alucard commented. "I do know that Ollivander only uses three different types of cores which is why you have not heard of other cores. However outside of Britain other cores types are popular. In France veela hair is not uncommon, and Gryffin feathers are used across Europe."

"I see." Harry replied. "And if I may have one question, what does a wand say about its wielder?"

"It can say many things or none at all." Alucard answered. "However seeing as your wand will be matched to you specifically it is likely that you embody some aspects of the sphinx. Intelligence is the most likely, but I could be wrong."

"I see, when will my wand be done?" Harry asked, mulling over what he had learned in his head.

"I will have it sent to you before you leave to school. Unlike Ollivander I do not have the ingredients here and will have to collect them. It will take some time for me to get them and make the wand. I will need a small sample of blood you as well." Alucard said as he passed Harry a small vial and a knife. "Half the vial should do."

Harry grimaced slightly when he cut his thumb to fill the vial, but did not complain. This was exactly what he wanted. A wand tailored to him rather than some arbitrary creation that Ollivander would pair him with. "I look forward to holding it in my hand." Harry said handing over the vial.

Alucard turned to Remus who had been silently watching the event. "I usually do not provide tuning services, but I would be happy to repair your wand. Harry has proven to be a unique individual and one as close to him as you must be unique as well"

"I'm simply a plain old werewolf, but it would be rude to not take you up on your offer. We are going shopping for books after this, could you have it done in an hour or so?" Remus asked.

"Easily." Alucard replied "And I suggest you go to the bookstore known as the Red Raven. They have the best collection in this part of the alley"

"Thank you for the information and the wand Alucard. I will hold you to your agreement to answer some of my questions." Harry said as he and Remus headed for the door.

(Wit Beyond Measure)

"You handled that really well Harry. Actually, better than well. Vampires aren't the most trusting beings to walk the earth. They usually stick to themselves. The fact that you were able to befriend Alucard is impressive." Remus stated as they looked for the Red Raven.

"I really don't see the big deal. You're a werewolf and I'm friends with you, why should it be hard to be friends with a vampire or anyone else for that matter?" Harry replied.

"I would agree with you Harry, but it's not that simple." Remus replied. "Society says otherwise and people are slaves to society's rules. But maybe it will change in the future." Harry nodded to Lupin, as ideas spun through his head. Somebody would have to start the change, maybe he could be the one to do it.

When they reached the bookstore, Harry asked Remus to look for anything about charms that seemed interesting. With Mooney searching the charms books, Harry searched the other side of the store for some transfiguration tomes. After the hour that they had agreed upon, Harry had found five transfiguration books that sounded interesting. He had The True Theory of Transfiguration, Transfiguring Laws, and Their Origins, Transfiguring the World and Transfiguration in a Duel. Transfiguration was an area of magic that Harry felt had unlimited potential. While the school curriculum was good, Harry knew he would need more if he wanted to master the subject. Remus had come back with similar books on Charms, but Harry didn't pay too much attention to them. The only title that stuck out to Harry was Charms or Curses.

"No concerns that these are too advanced for me." Harry jested as the werewolf heaved the six he had collected onto the counter.

"You're too smart for your own good. The only concern I have is for my health after you're done with them." Remus replied with a smile.

"It's only fair. I've been a poor defenseless child up till now" Harry said as he handed over the gold for the books.

Remus looked at Harry with a smile. "Your father would be calling you a book worm and telling you that you need to lighten up if he ever saw this. He would be proud of you, but he'd wonder where he went wrong."Remus with a hint of a chuckle. "And Lily will proud of you, when you wake her up." He added, with a slightly somber tone.

"Thanks." Harry mumbled. His mom was always a touchy subject, but Remus at least talked about her like she was still alive. There were so many people who had just written her off as a lost cause. It really was infuriating. Remus only nodded his head at Harry. It amazed him that someone so young had survived such a harsh life, and that they retained a positive outlook on life. "I miss her too. She was a close friend. I know you're determined to do this alone, but do not forget that I am here to help you in any way that I can. Academically, I was the smartest of the group, other than her of course."

Harry nodded, his face neutral. "You're right I do want to do this on my own, but I appreciate your offer none the less. Not to belittle your intelligence Moony but if you could cure her, then it would have happened a long time ago."

Remus acknowledged the comment. He knew Harry was right. Remus had been at the top of their class during his years at Hogwarts but he wasn't exceptionally brilliant. It was going to take a Dumbledore level achievement to cure Lily. "I may not have what it takes to cure her Harry, but that doesn't mean I cannot help. I'm here if you ever find yourself stuck."

"Thanks Mooney. The letter said I could bring a pet. I'm going to need some company other than dear Nymphadora."

Remus chuckled, ignoring the subject change. "I think we can do something about that, but for now lets go get you a trunk. With the money you saved on books thanks to Tonks, you should be able to get a nicer one."

(Wit Beyond Measure)

Harry and Remus rejoined the Tonks family outside the Leaky Cauldron after they had retrieved Remus' wand, and gotten Harry a trunk and some robes.

"Did you two get everything you need?" Andromeda asked.

"Yes I believe so." Remus said.

"Let's head home then shall we." Ted offered. They were all going to the Tonks residence to celebrate Harry's birthday.

"Yes, lets." Remus agreed. Harry wasn't done shopping and he knew it. Harry still wanted to get a pet. Something which he had agreed to, but in reality had already been taken care of. Unfortunately it would not be a surprise for very long. The glare on the Harry's face was one that demanded an answer. "Fine." Remus sighed, knowing better than to go against that glare. "We have to give it to him now."

"Harry we knew you would want a pet, so while you and Remus were shopping we made a quick stop." Andromeda explained, and with a flick of her wand she revealed a cage in Tonks' hands.

"Happy birthday" Tonks cheered, handing him the cage with a beautiful white snowy owl in it.

Harry was floored. He had not been expecting this in the least. Sure he got gifts now and again but nothing like this. "Thank you." He muttered, his tone laced with appreciation.

"You deserve it Harry." Remus stated. "Now come on let's go celebrate your birthday."

(Wit Beyond Measure)

The next day, Harry and Remus spent the afternoon packing Harry's trunk for the coming semester at Hogwarts. It was a ways off, but most of his school supplies would go unused until then. Once that was done the two ate a small dinner, and settled into two arm chairs in the living room. Remus relaxed with one the many books that he owned while Harry looked through some of the new books that he had gotten. After several hours of reading, Remus set aside his book a took to twirling his wand. It almost felt new after Alucard had worked on it. "I have to say, I think you made the right choice in going to Alucard's. My wand is behaving rather well."

"I agree." Harry said from behind one of the transfiguration books he had bought. "Making the wand for the wizard instead of pairing the wizard to an arbitrary wand just seems more logical. I imagine he enjoys the challenges involved as well. Matching a wand to an individual and then collecting the pieces by hand to craft it, can't be easy. Sounds like a bit of fun in comparison to how Ollivander does it. With unicorn hair being a possible exception, all he does is collect hearts from dead dragons and feathers from a few willing birds. A bit boring if you ask me."

Remus chuckled a bit. He hadn't thought of it like that before. Regardless, Alucard appeared to know his stuff. While he would never wish for another wand after so long with his first, it was performing rather well. Perhaps he would have to seek out the man in the future and ask for another tune up. Seeing Harry's owl perched above the boy on the sofa, he asked, "Have you named you owl yet?"

"She likes the name Hedwig. I tried a couple out, but that was the only one that she responded to" Harry supplied from behind his book. Reaching up he stroked the bird's head before turning the page in his book, clearly engrossed by it.

"Interesting, I haven't heard a name like that in some time." Remus replied. Hedwig hooted at him indignantly, which got the werewolf to chuckle a bit. "It's a very pretty name for a beautiful owl." He said, causing the bird to puff out her feathers in pride. She would be an interesting addition to the bunch, that was for sure. "What is so interesting in that book?" Remus asked, returning his attention to Harry.

"Let me borrow your wand and I think I can show you." Harry offered. Remus grumbled a bit, debating over the dangers of giving Harry his wand, but decided his curiosity was worth the risk. Passing the boy his wand, he waited to see what Harry would do. Harry accepted the magical tool with a smile. "Emeric Switch, the author of my assigned text book says to do it like this." Harry said, pointing Remus' wand at a small empty cup on the table. With a wave and the proper Latin command the cup morphed into the general shape of a needle, but it was too big and still retained the cup's ceramic properties. To prove that was as far as he could go, Harry canceled the spell and tried again. He did not get a different result.

Remus thought that both the result and the subsequent cancellations were rather impressive. He remembered the difficulties of learning transfiguration during his early years. Sure Harry had read every theory book he could get his hands on, but actually performing the spell was something else.

"The True Theory of Transfiguration offers a different method. The author talks about the will of the castor and its role in the transformation. Instead of just muttering a spell you have to will the change to occur, and release any attachments to the object. That and a little extra flick of the wrist. " Harry repeated the spell and added a flick to his wand movement for the third attempt. This time when the spell struck the cup it morphed into a large metal sewing needle.

Remus picked up the needle and inspected it. "Harry have you ever done that spell before?" Remus asked, while accepting his wand back from Harry.

"no, not this specific spell." Harry replied, ducking back behind his book to continue reading.

"You scare me at times you know that? An eleven year old with no practical knowledge should not be able to do that so quickly."

"That's a good thing. You should be scared of me." Harry smirked "And I do have a bit of practical experience. I've stolen your wand over the years. How else was I supposed to try this stuff you've been teaching me. Practice makes perfect and all that."

"You sneaky little pup."

"Didn't have my own yet, so I improvised." Harry said with a shrug, before closing his book and walking to his room.

"Merlin help me. If the next seven years are anything but life threatening." Remus sighed. Casting a quick tempus to check the time, he realized how late it was, and decided to follow Harry's example of going to bed.

(Wit Beyond Measure)

(Wit beyond Measure)

Well, I hope you liked it. please let me know what you think. Also, I've gone back and edited all of the chapters, but If I missed something big please let me know so I can fix it.