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(1.1) Harry

A/N: I know, I know, I've got a number of unfinished stories and yet I'm publishing another one. Honestly, I've got so many unfinished ideas in my drafts it's overwhelming. But anyway, I hope you enjoy what I've got completed for this story. Also, disclaimers in description apply to the entire story. Without further ado, let the story begin!

***

I didn't know how I felt. On one hand, I would never have to live with the Dursley's again. On the other hand, I was travelling across the pond to America. America! The place of loud talkers and obese walkers and rude coppers. (A/N: I'm an American. Get over yourselves, fellow Americans. You know it's true.) Dumbledore said something about love and magic and protection, but I wasn't listening at the time. All I could focus on was that I had to leave my friends and Sirius over the summer and live in New York with my maternal Aunt and her son.

It went like this: the Dursley's disowned me. They cut me off from any and all financial aid, parental responsibility, housing agreements, boarding arrangements, etc. I was supposed to be 18 before they could legally cast me out, but they'd been saving up to bribe the legal system. So there I was on an aeroplane to New York.

Maybe I'll enjoy America? Maybe things won't be so bad? But Aunt Petunia said my other aunt was just like her and not at all like my mother. I knew she meant my second aunt was not a wizard like my mum. But part of me wondered if they were similar in personality too. If that was the case, I really didn't want to go to America. I'd be further away from the comfort of friends and too far away from anyone who could help me.

Thinking about this made me start to feel trapped. It felt as if the walls were closing in quickly. The confines of the aeroplane weren't helping in the slightest. My mind flashed back to the times when the Dursleys would lock me under the stairs without supper. It took a few labouring breaths before my heart rate declined from its rapid pace.

***

The flight was long. For doing nothing, it was somehow exhausting. They recommend we stay awake because the UK is 5 hours ahead of the US. It would be around 7:00 pm when we landed. To me, it would feel as if it were the middle of the night. And it certainly did. I groggily grabbed my trunk and the backpack I had as my hand luggage—unfortunately, Hedwig had to stay with the Weasleys—before I walked off the aeroplane.

Fine, I more accurately stumbled off the aeroplane. Not five steps and I've run into a wall. My arm was going to hurt for a while from how hard I smacked into the bloody thing. And my luck didn't stop there. When I approached the crowd of people shouting names and directions and more profanities than I'd care to count, I ran into someone with the same arm as before.

The pain hurt more than I was expecting. It made me drop my trunk and wince as I fell to the floor. I braced myself for the iconic 'I'm walkin' here' or some rude hand gesture. But to my surprise, the person I ran into apologised instead!

'Sorry about that, dude. I was looking for someone and didn't see you. You alright?'

'Uh... yeah, yeah I'm all right. Thanks.'

'No problem. Need a hand?'

'Oh, sure. Cheers, mate.'

I think my slang threw him off enough to realise I was British. How he hadn't picked up on it before was a little surprising, but he could've just been more worried about me crashing to the ground than my accent.

'What's your name?' he asked suspiciously.

'I'm Harry, Harry Potter.'

'Well, I'll be damned. You're who I was looking for! I'm Percy Jackson, my mom is your aunt, Sally Jackson-Blofis.'

My eyes lit up at that. The first New Yorker I met who didn't cast me a disgruntled look happened to be my cousin. 'Brillant!'

'Here,' Percy offered, 'let me take your trunk.'

'No, I've got it', I insisted, but he didn't listen.

Percy reached down and picked it up easily thanks to the feather-light charm. But also thanks to that charm, he was surprised at the lightweight of what should've been heavy luggage.

'Did you even pack anything? You do know you're staying with us for the rest of the summer, right?'

I thought about how I could avoid the luggage question and just focused on the second one. We had walked off a few metres, presumably towards Aunt Sally, when I finally answered my cousin.

'Yes, I'm hoping for some sun, you know. Don't get much of it in England. I mean we do, but everyone just says we don't, and it's kinda true, but...'

I was cut off by Percy's laughter. My ears went a little pink.

'You're almost as bad as I am. I've got ADHD, so when I get off-topic, I really get off-topic.'

I'd heard about that disorder, but I hadn't met anyone with it before. I guess it was good to know he was easy-going. I hoped his mum was like that too. And then a thought crossed my mind.

'You said "Jackson-Blofis". Is she married?'

'Yup, Paul Blofis, an English teacher. He's my stepfather if the last names didn't give that away', he added with a smirk. 'He's a cool guy though. Don't worry.'

I smiled hearing that. Percy seemed nice and if he said his stepfather was nice, then his mum should be too. I'd find out soon enough because she was now only a metre away.