I'm reborn as Harry Potter

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***

After folding the paper I received from Veselur, I went outside. The time had already passed noon, and the number of people in the alley had noticeably increased. I went into the city, thinking that no one would recognise me among the ordinary people. But before that, I absolutely had to eat. I had once heard that you can't eat too much after hunger, and a few hours later, squirming with pain in my stomach, I realised that it was a sensible statement, but now it seemed delusional to me, because if you want to eat, you have to eat!

Having had a heavy breakfast and at the same time an equally heavy lunch in a small restaurant, I called the waitress to my table and, under the admiring glances of all the staff, made another order, deciding that a second breakfast is not such a bad idea, especially if it is a heavy one. All this time I sat in my hoodie, I didn't want to scare people with my appearance, and by the end of my meal the staff were convinced that there was actually a black hole there and no face in sight. Finally, after I had eaten my worm, I got out of the table and went shopping to the applause of the restaurant staff.

After wandering around the mall for three hours and collecting pockets full of shrunken bags of clothes, I reached the last point of my impromptu excursion, namely the hairdresser's. Upon seeing what was under my hood, the hairdresser first grimaced and then brightened, apparently appreciating the amount of work involved. A true fanatic of her work, I love her. Two hours of endless chatter, which began with the fact that December was too cold and ended with the fact that her roommate had brought home her fourth man in the last week, paid off: I was looking in the mirror at a handsome, smooth-shaven guy of about seventeen, with bright green eyes, black hair done up in a stylish "I just got up" style, and pale skin. I'm going to assume it's aristocratically pale, not because I haven't seen the sun in six months.

It was only after all this that I finally travelled to my flat using the portal. The place was really nice. A big bright living room with lots of armchairs and a fireplace, four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and a huge balcony. The only thing missing was a plasma on the wall, but that would have to wait about five years. After pulling out and laying out all my stuff in the one of the bedrooms I liked best, I headed for the bathroom. After washing all my limbs from Azkaban and making coffee, the former hero of the magical world, Harry Potter, sat down in a chair by the fireplace and began to think about his future actions.

- I've been in this world less than twenty-four hours, but I've already managed to do quite a lot of things: escape from Azkaban, save Malfoy Senior, become a lord, and acquire real estate. At this rate, I'll own Western Europe by the end of the week," Hitler's absurd conversations with himself always relaxed me and put me in the right frame of mind. - I think we should get a housekeeper, because it's not right for a lord to wash his own pants. Dobby!

A loud clap announced that the housekeeper was alive and well, which was good news. Considering all the good he's done for Harry, he's not so mad.

- HARRY POTTER SIR!!! - a multi-coloured thing grabbed my ankles and tried to kiss my feet. - Dobby thought you were dead, sir! Dobby cried for three months without stopping! - and then it froze for a second and went straight into the wall. - Bad Dobby didn't realise Harry Potter, sir, was alive! - Each phrase was accompanied by the sweet meeting of the houseboy's forehead and the concrete wall.

- Dobby, stop that this instant! - I pulled him away from the wall, out of shock. - It's not your fault, Dobby, calm down, it's all right. You couldn't have helped me anyway, because I was in prison, and housekeepers can't go in there," I thought that seemed to cool the temperamental creature down a little.

- Tell me how you're doing, are you still working at Hogwarts?

- Yes, Harry Potter, sir! Dobby works at the school.

- Don't you want to work for me? - the housekeeper's eyes doubled in size. - You'll be head elf of the Potter family, - I'm not sure if there is such a position. - I'll give you a salary and a convenient schedule.

- MASTER HARRY POTTER SIR!!! DOBBY AGREES! DOBBY IS HAPPY TO BE HEAD ELF OF THE POTTER FAMILY! - Apparently it does exist. - Dobby doesn't need money, he's no longer a free elf, but the head elf of the Potter family! - He seemed to like the wording.

- Dobby swears to serve his master Harry Potter sir and his family until the day he dies, to never betray his secrets, and to protect the entire Potter family! - After these words, a thin beam of red colour burst from my chest and enveloped the houseboy. No confirmation of the oath was even required of me. Good, now I had a loyal companion, and it would be even more fun if he was strange.

After sending Dobby to clean up the flat, which had accumulated a fair amount of dust over the years, I decided to do the last thing I needed to do today. Taking out the paper Veselur had given me and looking at the specially prepared photograph, I dressed in my usual winter clothes, threw on a deep hooded jacket, and apparated.

Earlier at Gringotts.

- Oh yes, Veselur, I forgot, could you tell me if a French girl named Fleur Delacour has been applying for a job with you lately?

- I thought you'd never ask," the goblin grinned understandingly. - She used to do that, but instead of work, she was usually busy looking for proof of your innocence.

- Why would she do that? I'm as good as dead.

- I think she's blaming herself," I thought for a second that there was no trace of a smile on the goblin's face. - Did you know that Veelas only choose their mates once in their lives? - Of course I didn't know anything about that. I guess that must have rubbed off on my face. - I guess you don't. Well, I think she's already made her choice.

I was both delighted and dismayed by this news. On the one hand, Weasley can suck his thumb now; I'd thought from the beginning that he wasn't worthy of a girl like Fleur. On the other hand, I felt a little too lousy once I realised what the French girl had been through in the last six months.

- Could you give me her address?

- Sure. Her parents gave her a cottage when she decided to move to England. It's called The Shell.

***

When I got to the seaside, I felt a chill. It's great in the summer, but in December the proximity of the sea is a disadvantage. In front of me stood a small two-storey house of white colour. A light was burning in the window on the ground floor. Hearing the clap of the apparatus, a girl came out on the porch, wrapped in a light autumn coat. She was incredibly beautiful. Her luxurious golden hair framed the thin contour of her face and fell freely to the middle of her back, her blue eyes looked at me warily, a light blush appeared on her face from the frost, and her coat covered her only to her knees, leaving her ankles freezing. On her feet were the usual house slippers. I knew in my heart that this was the first time I'd actually seen this girl, but now Harry's emotions merged with mine, making me feel a deep, overwhelming tenderness for the girl in front of me, and a prick in my heart at the bags under her eyes.

- Who are you, what do you want here? - The accent was almost absent, but there was a slight weariness in her voice. More than anything, I wanted to go over to her, hold her in my arms, and hold her until she died, but if I did that now, all I'd get was some kind of not-so-pleasant curse.

Feeling a weight on my shoulder, I turned my head and saw Hedwig looking at me. So there she was, I was afraid the Weasleys had taken her, or killed her.

- Hey, hello there girl, did you miss me? - Hedwig whooped and pecked me gently on the cheek. - Me too, beautiful, me too.

- And you, my girl," I turned to Fleur, taking off my hood and smiling. - Did you miss me?

She stared at me for a few seconds with an expression of deep shock on her face.

- 'It's... It's... - Here the confusion changed abruptly to anger. - That's impossible! Stupefy! - That probably wasn't the best phrase for me to start a conversation.

A bright red beam hit me exactly in the chest and threw me back into the snow. Hedwig jumped up from my shoulder and looked at Fleur, but she didn't budge:

- I don't know whose joke this is, but it's absolutely not funny! - From the sound of her voice, she was on the verge of hysterics.

As soon as the effects of the curse subsided, I abruptly stood up and walked over to Fleur, ignoring everything. From the shock, she never used any more magic, so I pushed away her hand with the wand pointed at me, put my arm around her waist and pulled her against me.

- Fleur, it's me, Harry. Your Harry. I woke up less than twenty-four hours ago, escaped from wherever I was, and here I am.

- Г... Harry? - She was already starting to shake from the cold and emotions, so I picked her up in my arms and walked into the house. Closing the door, I took off my jacket and threw it over her shoulders. I sat down in the armchair opposite the fireplace and put the still trembling girl on my lap, stroking her hair slowly, waiting for any reaction.

Fleur looked up at me and remained silent, making no attempt to break free of my embrace.

- Harry?! - Oh, the shock is wearing off, that's good. She jumped up abruptly and pointed her wand at me again. Or maybe not good. - What did I tell you just before the third trial started!!!

Harry actually has a pretty holey memory, but I remember that conversation clearly:

- You said it didn't matter which one of us took the cup, because you'd already won the grand prize. And I told you that I actually got the main prize, and you only got the consolation prize. - I smiled - that was the last bright memory in my head.

Fleur stared into my eyes for a few more seconds, trying to find confirmation there. In an instant, it was as if all the air had been let out of her. The hand holding her wand dropped, tears sprang from her eyes, and she hunched over a little. I jumped up from my chair and pulled her to me.

- Harry, it's really you," it wasn't a question, it was a statement. Her arms wrapped around my neck, and she buried her nose in my shoulder and sobbed. Everything that had been building up in her for the past six months was coming out now. I just held her tighter to me, stroked her back, and waited. - Harry. I felt so bad without you... I even wanted to kill myself... I would have, once I proved your innocence.... - She spoke in between sobs. - I didn't tell you then, and I'm still not sure I'm not dreaming it all, but know that I love you, Harry Potter.

- Fleur, my darling, my love, it's not your fault. I wouldn't forgive myself if you did anything to yourself. It's really me, and I've come here to tell you that I love you too, Fleur Delacourt.

She pulled her head away from my shoulder and looked into my eyes. The tear tracks had dried and now sparkled in the uneven light of the lamp. I slowly brought my face close to hers and kissed her lightly, gathering the tears from her cheeks. Fleur's legs gave out, and I sat her back on my lap, facing me. For a few minutes we just sat in silence, looking at each other. I smiled and ran one hand through her hair, while she just held my face in her warm palms, stroking it with her thumbs. I moved my hand to her neck, put my other hand on her waist and pulled her to me. She wrapped her arms around my head and the first one shortened the distance to zero.

No, there was no mad passion between us tonight, there was only absolute tenderness. No one was going to cross the line, after all, anyway, I've been dead for six months and we both know it. Now we don't need to hurry. Our lips studied each other leisurely, catching up on all the things we hadn't done during the Tournament. Her fingers moved through my hair, and I loved it as I traced patterns on her back, but I didn't want to go any further than that. I sat Fleur next to me and put my arm around her, and she rested her head on my shoulder. It was idyllic. Back in that life, I'd already thought about a family at twenty, so why shouldn't I think about one at fifteen? Especially since this life was so much more fulfilling.

- Harry, don't leave me again," Fleur murmured, falling asleep on my shoulder.

She'd been suspiciously quick to accept the fact that her soulless boyfriend of six months had quietly dropped by her house and claimed to be alive and well. I should probably read up on Vale's nature, something tells me it's not without it.

I smiled and kissed the top of her head:

- Never.