What Should Have Been- The Harry Potter Version

The Demon Doors

The vampire's hand was cool to the touch and brought goosebumps to Harry's arms. But he didn't let that bother him. The young wizard looked around at his former school grounds with a face of indifference. They wanted him to be their hero and yet Harry could care less about fulfilling their wishes. 'Goodbye and good riddance. I'm done laying my life down for people who could so easily throw it away.' After this final thought raced through his mind the images of the battlefield where gone and in their place, were the goblins of Gringotts Bank.

Harry turned and looked at his future professor in astonishment. "How was that possible? It couldn't have been apparition I didn't feel the pull and it certainly wasn't portkey."

"Come on now, Lord Potter, do you really think that apparition and portkeys are the only means of fast travel for the wizarding world? And here I thought that you were the type to think outside of the box." The vampire mocked Harry with a leer. "Let's get going young one, we have lots to do." And with that Felix tugged on Harry's smaller hand and pulled him over to the desks that held the goblin tellers. They stopped at the tallest podium and waited to be seen. 'I wonder why we didn't go see one of the open tellers.' Harry thought in confusion.

After a five-minute wait, they were seen. Harry just stood in confusion. Not quite sure what to say or do and feeling slightly out of place. Luckily, Felix happily did the talking and slowly Harry began to understand why they were there. " Greetings Opes, we are here to claim young Harry's lordship and to remove any trace or binding spells that have been placed on him." Felix spoke in a firm yet respectful tone.

Again, Harry was shocked. Very few wizards treated the goblins with respect. Most wizards he knew, the Weasleys included, treated them as if they were servants and therefore beneath them. It was refreshing to witness that he was not the only wizard that gave the goblins the respect they deserve.

The goblin turned to Harry and slowly inspected him from head to toe. "Ah, young Potter. I have heard a great many things about you from Griphook. It is odd for him to speak so highly about your kind. I will help you, young wizard. Follow me to the ritual chambers. Once there, we will remove any spells that have been placed on you." With that the goblin moved from his place at the tall podium and led the two wizards to a hall that was in the back of the tall ceiling bank.

"Has this hall always been here?" Harry questioned. This was his first time seeing it and its presence shocked the young man.

The powerful goblin turned to him and his face held a smirk. " Just because you haven't seen it, young one, does not mean it isn't there." Harry realized just how true that statement was. Too often, he realized, he relied on just his sight. He had a feeling that he needed to make changes to his observation skills before he entered this new school. He was going to be the only human therefore that would mean he was going to have to use every skill he had. No longer could he hide behind his false friends and fade into the background. It was his time to shine and he wasn't going to let this chance pass him by.

The two wizards continued to follow the goblin. Only then did Harry realize that he still held the vampire's hand. Blushing in embarrassment he quickly let the hand go and placed his hand in his back pocket of his blood-soaked jeans. Felix turned and gave Harry an odd look but thankfully did not comment on the young wizard's flushed face. They walked for what seemed like hours before they finally made it to their destination.

Ahead of them was a monstrous door. Around the sides held metal vines that tightly wound around the enormous frame. The top held a marble head of a fierce looking creature. It looked almost as if it were staring into Harry's very soul and judging him for what it saw. The door and the frame were made of the same strong dark medal. On the door's face lay two dragons.

The overall door and frame held an ominous air that held a dangerous edge. Just by looking at it Harry felt a shiver run down his spine. Without thinking, Harry ripped his hand out of his pocket and grabbed his vampire professor's hand tightly. Any previous embarrassment that he might have felt left his mind. All thoughts vanished and all he could think about was the frightening door in front of him and the dread he felt at the thought of going passed it.

Felix stood frozen in shock that the little human had grabbed his hand. 'A moment ago, he wrenched it out of my grasp and now he readily grabbed a hold of it.' But the more Felix looked at the door the more he understood. 'Ah, a demon door. I remember when I saw my first one. I am sure that my reaction was the same as his.'

Felix bend down and whispered in Harry's ear, "Do not fret little one, it is just a demon door. It will not harm you. It does carry some magical properties but none that are going to hurt you." Harry relaxed his hold on the vampire's hand but did not release it. Even with assurance that the door would cause no harm Harry was still weary. He could almost see the magic that the door had around it.

The goblin turned around and faced the human and the vampire. "You must go in alone, young wizard. The magic of the doorway will only allow one presence at a time. Once you enter you must lay in the circle that is drawn in the middle and cut the palm of both of your hands. The ritual will then start and any spells that have been placed on you will lose their power."

Harry didn't like the idea of having to go through the doors and going in alone scared him even more. "How will I know when the ritual is done sir?" Harry softly asked the goblin trying to not sound as scared as he felt.

With a half-smile the goblin replied, " Oh trust me, young wizard, you will know when the ritual is over." And with that the goblin stood up as straight as he could and motioned for Harry to enter.

With a slow inhale and exhale Harry dropped the hand he was holding and slowly walked up to the doors and pushed on them. With a surge of magic the doors flew open. Harry paused for only a moment before he pushed back his fears and entered the ritual room.