The Domino Effect (A Harry Potter Fanfiction)

CHAPTER 09: Yule and a Friend

Harry and Iris are now eight years old.

They have been under the tutelage of their magical guardian, Ignatius Peverell, for over two years now. The man is rather strict, and has limited patience (for children at least), fair but does not leave Harry and Iris hanging by themselves. He has become their teacher and another parent to them even to Dudley even though the no-maj boy is much closer to his cousin, Augustus Peverell (now confidently called Uncle Oggy by the children) mainly because Ignatius does have some prejudice against people without magic but is not openly bigoted nor think they are inferior. Like many American wizards, he just feared the no-maj knowing their way of life, and even a no-maj child who knows magic is seen as a risky endeavor even for him.

Uncle Oggy though is cautious like his cousin but not worried that Dudley and his mother would blab to their kind especially since Petunia Dursley is already aware of the dangers of doing so and does have some fear against wizards. But she was willing to let the twins (Harry and Iris as they normally call themselves) study magic but only on the agreement that the two will not sacrifice their no-maj classes. Although the studies they learn in their no-maj school might not apply to their future as wizards and witches, even Uncle Iggy (something the three kids call him behind Ignatius's back because the first time they said this to him he was adamant to call him by his said name as proper) admit that letting the children learn this early helps create more amicable study habits, social learning, and values at an early age something that is not often shown to magical children as they are often isolated by people beyond the ones they are exposed to, limiting their perspectives to the peers of their parents.

Harry and Iris wanted to try magic but needed a wand to do that. However, because of their young age, they are not allowed a wand yet. It is not because of their underdeveloped magical cores but also because children are less subtle and have the potential to expose magic in the eyes of no-maj so they are not allowed one until they reach formal schooling. So, the two are limited to only theory classes, etiquette classes (because according to their Uncle Iggy, "you couldn't be taken seriously in society if you don't know how to properly behave!"), and get to be exposed to the magical community through travel or attending important events even quidditch matches. They even visited memorials and museums to help them with history although there doesn't seem to be a lot of them in the magical world as witches and wizards tend to keep their magical ideas and histories of their families to themselves. They also travel around the world during the summer (with Aunt Petunia's permission). Harry even gets to meet other people who are parselmouths living in India and the Middle East where such talent is more revered and less stigmatized than their Western counterparts. This helped Harry reduce some of his fears after knowing about the history of parselmouths in Europe, especially the recent dark lord, and why it was stigmatized today.

Dudley sometimes wished he could wield magic. He was envious of how his two cousins got to learn all about it. Although he sometimes gets a chance to join them on their summer travels. Aunt Petunia allows it since it is summer break and they can get to enjoy themselves together as long as Dudley does not leave Uncle Oggy's side when they are in public to avoid any issues or accidents along the way. Petunia was able to nip Dudley's slight inferiority of being a no-maj or muggle as this doesn't mean just because he does not have magic doesn't mean he is not of value. Even Uncle Oggy helped by informing by looking at the magical and the no-maj world as countries each with its own culture, language, and government. Dudley did enjoy the quidditch matches (he gets to watch them or listen to the radio, yes wizards and witches have them although outdated in no-maj standards), with his favorite team the Winter Horntails (A/N: made up by the way) and he enjoyed reading about the history of the magical world but no so much the magic theories as he has little use of it.

But Harry hated one thing. That was the knowledge about his family, more particularly his parents. Aunt Petunia can only provide small information about them since she is not exposed to what is going on in the magical world. All she had were stories when their mother is younger and none after that. But it turns out, their parents are famous. At first, he and Iris could not believe that their parents were famous or that their other sibling is famous. They are famous thanks to their brother, the other member of their set of triplets who is said to have vanquished the dark lord when he was just a baby.