A Certain Scientific Harry Potter

A Certain Scientific Harry Potter, by Fengchen Sanmiao

"Synopsis:

I, Harry Potter, don't want to be a Potter;

I, Harry Potter, don't want to learn magic;

I, Harry Potter, don't want to be in Gryffindor;

I, Harry Potter, don't want to play Quidditch;

I, Harry Potter, don't want to fight bosses;

And...

I, Harry Potter, don't want to be a pawn!

This book could also be called Me, Harry Potter, Have Lots of Things I Don't Want to Do~. Throughout Harry's life, he would always have to face plenty of things he didn't want to do. But to him, what truly mattered wasn't whether he did them or not.

It was whether he could make his choices freely and fairly!!

As he fought for that fairness and freedom, Harry gradually acquired many titles: Hogwarts' schoolyard battle god, the magical Animagus, the super wizard who revived the elements, a human-shaped, mobile trash talker...

Hey, did you know? Everything you think is fantastical is actually scientific~

—by Harry, who no longer goes by Harry Potter

(p.s. This book has almost nothing to do with the A Certain Magical Index series. The author is just terrible at naming things. That's all~)"

"Extra: A Future Beyond

One: Harry Potter Had a Very Happy Childhood

Happy... When young Harry Potter first learned what the word meant, he immediately associated it with himself.

He couldn't think of another word that described his life any better.

Harry had a father who was very popular in the British Wizarding World: James Potter. He had once been a powerful Auror, famous for escaping the terrifying Dark Lord three times in a row.

When peace came, James had been in line to become the head of the Auror Office. But he found working at the Ministry of Magic unbelievably boring, so he promptly quit and went to play Quidditch instead.

He first joined the Chudley Cannons as a Chaser, and gradually turned around the team's decades-long record of finishing at the bottom of the league through his efforts alone... By now, he was the team's star player, and the team had even been renamed the Godric Lightning Team.

That's right, James had bought the team and changed its name to one he liked while serving as its manager~

So he was undoubtedly a pretty excellent father... If he hadn't always shown off his affection with his wife in front of their son, he would have been even more excellent in Harry's eyes.

But Harry couldn't do a thing about it. He couldn't expect someone who hugged, spun around with, and kissed his wife in every photograph to understand the importance of caring for the mental health of underage single people.

Harry also had a mother whose reputation in the British Wizarding World was nearly flawless. She was not only powerful, but beautiful, too. Even now, Harry still thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

Well, Harry probably wasn't the only one who thought so~

Lily Potter had also once been a promising Auror, but she felt the job had no future, so she switched careers just like her husband.

She was now a senior healer at St. Mungo's Hospital. She had developed more than half of the hospital's new potions in recent years, and people said her skill with Potions was every bit as good as that of Hogwarts' young and brilliant Slytherin Head of House~

So she was undoubtedly a very excellent mother, too... If she hadn't always shown off her affection with her husband in front of their son.

All in all, Harry had never lacked love in his childhood, with both of his parents there for him. In fact, he had so much of it that it could get a little cloying.

Especially whenever he saw that "I have a wife and you don't" look in his father's eyes, he couldn't help wanting to run away from home.

But he never put that thought into practice.

His irresponsible godfather was always egging him on, saying that a life without running away from home was incomplete. But his own home was just too nice, so Harry had no interest in listening to that idiot.

Besides, he was simply too famous. People recognized him wherever he went.

Harry Potter, the boy blessed by the heavens—that was what people in the Wizarding World called him.

Nearly every wizard believed that, when he was one year old, he had called forth some kind of miracle and destroyed the terrifying Dark Lord who had plagued Britain. But he didn't remember what had happened then. He only vaguely felt that someone had protected the three of them.

At the time, a flash of green seemed to pass before his eyes. Then Voldemort was taken down right outside their front door, and an unexplained lightning-shaped mark appeared on Harry's arm.

He had asked his mother about it once, but Lily had only touched the mark wistfully and said... the Dark Lord had been defeated by love.

"When you truly understand that feeling, and are willing to risk everything for it, that's when it can unleash its true power!"

Those were words his mother Lily often repeated. But Harry had had smooth sailing from the day he was born, and had never faced a moment that required him to risk everything~

It was 1991, and Harry Potter was eleven years old.

That afternoon, July 31, the Potter family was getting ready for Harry's birthday party. But Harry, the birthday boy, wasn't at home. He was down by the little river in the valley, catching fish with a friend who had arrived earlier to celebrate.

Neville Longbottom was Harry's best friend, and they had been close since childhood. Their relationship was pretty much like that of his father James and his godfather Sirius.

Neville came from a family much like Harry's. His parents were powerful Aurors who had also escaped the Dark Lord three times, and Neville's birthday was just one day before Harry's. So the two families and the two boys had naturally grown close.

The Potter and Longbottom families held birthday parties in alternating years, always inviting the other family's child over. That meant the two boys effectively celebrated their birthdays together every year. This year, it was Neville's turn to visit Godric's Hollow.

"We're going to Hogwarts soon. You'll probably try to play Quidditch like Uncle James, right?" Neville tossed his empty net aside and looked a little conflicted. "What a shame. I don't think I'm very good at it."

Neville was a little taller than Harry, but he'd been brought up to be very well-mannered. He wasn't as wild as Harry, who'd been raised by his dad and godfather together, so he wasn't great at Quidditch or other strenuous sports.

Otherwise, Harry wouldn't have been here catching fish with him. He'd have jumped right into the river to swim around.

As far as Neville could tell, he'd probably only be able to cheer his friend on from the sidelines.

"Whether I play Quidditch or not is beside the point. Besides, the house team tryouts don't start until second year. Now that I'm finally going to leave home, I've got to get down to business." As he spoke, Harry seized his chance and hauled up the net.

But when he saw the two fish tangled together inside, he immediately tossed them back into the river, expressionless.

What was the world coming to? Even the fish were rubbing it in his face~

"Business... what does that mean?" Neville asked, scratching his head in confusion.

"Getting a girlfriend!" Harry ground out, almost spitting the words from between clenched teeth.

"Uh... right~" Neville finally understood what he meant and felt sorry for his best friend for a second.

The Potter couple were famous throughout the Wizarding World for showing off their affection. Neville had grown up with his childhood friend, and what he'd heard most often was Harry's passionate plea for people to care about single folks.

Still... wanting to find a partner as soon as he started Hogwarts was probably a Potter family tradition. Neville wondered if Harry had anyone in mind.

"Kids, the birthday party's about to start! Hagrid's already here, so hurry home~"

Lily's voice came from a distance. The two boys hurried to their feet and headed home.

As they walked, they started wondering what presents they'd get for their birthdays that year.

"I hope Hagrid gives me an owl. But whatever it is, I just hope it isn't one of those stone-hard Rock Cakes!"

Remembering the fear he'd felt when forced to eat Hagrid's "cooking," young Harry felt his new adult teeth ache~

All in all, things were a little bittersweet, but still pretty wonderful, weren't they?

(p.s. I'll post two extra chapters today, and another one later. As for whether I'll write the main story tomorrow, I'll have to see how I'm feeling~)

Two: Harry Potter and an Encounter with Someone

Hogwarts was a school of magic founded around 990 AD. It mainly accepted students of magical age from Britain and Ireland, and was the most renowned of the three European schools.

In Britain, all young witches and wizards who had turned eleven were allowed to attend Hogwarts. On September 1, they would board the Hogwarts Express at Platform 9 3/4 in King's Cross Station, then arrive at the school in the Scottish Highlands around dusk.

After the train set off, Harry and Neville found an empty compartment and put away their luggage. They bought some snacks from the trolley witch, then started idly imagining what life at school would be like.

Both their families were traditional Gryffindors, and neither Harry nor Neville had ever imagined ending up in another house. They were hoping to keep sharing a room after they started school, after all.

Harry, though, didn't seem very talkative. From the moment he sat down, he kept anxiously glancing at the corridor outside the compartment, and Neville had no idea why.

"What are you doing?" Neville asked curiously.

"Waiting for someone," Harry replied, as if it were obvious. "Preferably a witch... Dad told me that the first witch he met on the train was Mum. He said it was called... what was it? Fate!"

"So... why do you think something like that can be inherited?" Neville sighed helplessly. "Listen, Harry... I know you're in a hurry, but Uncle James's experience was pretty rare. What if the person at the door is Malfoy instead of some... girl?!"

As he spoke, Neville froze, because a girl had actually appeared in the doorway!

She had thick, curly hair and front teeth like a beaver, and she was wearing Hogwarts robes.

Judging by her height, she was probably a first-year too.

"Hello. Can I sit in the empty seat here? The other compartments are completely full."

She asked the two of them. Her tone was polite enough, but there was a hint of pride in it.

"No problem. Go ahead." Harry shifted over to make room for her.

"Thanks~" The girl sat down next to Harry and nodded to both of them. "My name is Hermione Granger. What are yours?"

"I'm Neville Longbottom."

Neville introduced himself first, but Harry seemed to be spacing out.

"What... did you just say your name was?" He seemed not to have heard her properly and asked again. "Was it Granger?"

"I'm Hermione Granger!" The girl was clearly very proud, and she thought Harry was looking down on her. Her tone turned even sharper than before.

"Uh... don't get the wrong idea~" Harry clearly noticed she was upset and hurriedly scratched his head as he explained. "I was just curious, because I think I've dreamed about your name before..."

Neville, who had been curious to see how his best friend would handle this "fateful encounter," immediately spat out the juice he'd been drinking~

Good grief, you're getting into this far too quickly. Are you going to hit on the first girl you see?

"W-what are you even talking about?!"

Hermione shifted away from him, uneasy and wary, nearly getting up to leave.

To Hermione, someone who'd just met her claiming to have dreamed about her was either a bad person or a crazy one.

"No... I didn't mean to say that! I... Forget it. I'm sorry about that."

Harry was so embarrassed he didn't know what to do with his hands. He tried to explain himself to Hermione, but couldn't figure out what to say.

He'd misspoken just now. What had caught his attention was the surname "Granger," not Hermione's first name.

Harry had always kept a secret: ever since he was little, he'd often had the same dream.

The dream seemed to replay the events of that night. He could always see that flash of green, and then vaguely hear the name "Granger," but he didn't know who was speaking.

That was why he'd been so surprised to discover that "Granger" was Hermione's surname. He'd been so startled that he'd stumbled over his words.

But now he had no idea how to explain his slip.

"Um... I'm Harry Potter." After hesitating for a moment, Harry could only force himself to introduce himself.

"You're Harry Potter?!" As soon as Harry revealed who he was, it was the girl's turn to look astonished. "Really? I know all about you. I even bought several extra reference books. Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Important Magical Events of the Twentieth Century both mention you!"

"Then I'm honored~" Harry answered in a subdued voice. He clearly wasn't very interested in Hermione's topic.

Honestly, he couldn't be bothered to read even a single word of what those books said.

Maybe the so-called miracle from the heavens had played a part, but Harry believed his mother more.

The Dark Lord had been defeated by love.

Harry's parents weren't the type to keep things from their child. They were open-minded, and they respected Harry's valid opinions. So, apart from the "miracle" that they couldn't explain in detail that night, Harry knew quite a lot about Voldemort.

Harry—or, more accurately, Harry and Neville—had both been caught up with Voldemort because of a certain Prophecy, and that man was bound to return someday!

So there was no point dwelling on the "miracle" from that night. His parents had already made it clear that such luck couldn't happen again!

And unless he hid behind his parents and everyone else like a coward... if he wanted to help defeat Voldemort, he could only rely on his own efforts, and on the lesson he'd believed in for so many years... his mother's teaching!

The train sped toward the Scottish Highlands. After the initial awkwardness, the three of them gradually got to know one another.

They got off the train together, crossed the Black Lake by boat, and were then sorted into Gryffindor one after another during the Sorting Ceremony.

Hermione Granger... At the time, Harry had no idea what kind of story would eventually unfold between him and the young witch whose surname had made him so curious.

On his first day at Hogwarts, Harry met lots of new friends. He'd met most of them at the long table after the Sorting Ceremony. Everyone was very interested in the famous boy.

He also got his wish and ended up in the same dormitory as Neville. Their other roommates were Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan, and...