The Boy Who Never Was - A Harry Potter Fanfic

There are moments in life when you realize you've leveled up—not in the "I found a rare loot drop" kind of way, but in the "Oh, I might actually belong somewhere" way.

For the first time in… well, maybe ever, Christmas felt like it was going to be more than just a reminder of what I didn't have. This year, I had the Grangers and despite my constant scheming, hoarding, and occasional bending of reality, they were ready to make me family.

But first, I had to survive a final boss that made Voldemort look like a substitute teacher: government paperwork.

The social services building smelled like burnt coffee, stress, and misplaced hope. The kind of place where time seemed to slow down out of pure spite. The walls were a sickly beige that practically whispered, "Abandon all joy, ye who enter here."

I approached the front desk where a stern-looking woman with horn-rimmed glasses barely glanced up from her papers.

"Name?" she droned.

"Sky Kingston."

She shuffled through a stack of files with all the enthusiasm of a dementor on its lunch break. "Take a seat. Your caseworker will call you shortly."

I sat on a plastic chair that felt like it was designed specifically to discourage comfort. My knee bounced nervously. This was it. The official step. The one that would make everything real.

"Mr. Kingston?"

I looked up to see a middle-aged woman with kind but tired eyes. Her name tag read Mrs. Perkins. She had the air of someone who had seen far too many heartbreaking cases but still held onto a sliver of hope.

"That's me," I said, standing quickly.

She led me to a small office cluttered with folders, post-it notes, and a potted plant that looked like it was actively giving up on life.

"Alright, Sky," she said, sitting behind her desk. "We've completed your background check and investigation. As you know, without any birth records, next of kin, or witnesses to your early life, you are officially considered a ward of the court."

Hearing it out loud was oddly freeing. I wasn't lost anymore. I was… accounted for.

"We're also aware the Grangers have applied to foster you permanently, with the option to adopt. Have they discussed this with you?"

I nodded. "Yeah, they have. I'd like to move forward with it."

Mrs. Perkins smiled. "That's wonderful to hear. I'll just need your official consent here."

She slid a document across the desk. I eyed it for a second, then signed. I felt like I should've heard trumpets or maybe gotten a certificate with glitter on it, but all I got was a ballpoint pen that barely worked.

As I handed the form back, a thought struck me.

"Uh… would it be possible to, like… contribute financially? To the household?"

Her eyebrows raised. "That's… unusual. Why?"

I scratched the back of my neck. "I just… I want to pull my weight. And I want a bit of independence. I'm planning on applying for early emancipation when I'm older, and I figure having a paper trail of me providing for myself could help."

Mrs. Perkins leaned back, intrigued. "That's very mature for someone your age."

"I'm basically twelve going on thirty," I deadpanned.

She laughed—a real, genuine laugh. "Alright, Sky. I'll set it up so you can contribute monthly. It's not common, but it's not unheard of."

Victory.

We wrapped up the rest of the details, and as I left her office, I felt lighter. For the first time, I wasn't just surviving—I was building something.

That evening, Emma and Dan Granger sat me down in the living room. Hermione was lurking by the doorway, pretending not to eavesdrop like the nerd she was.

"So," Emma began gently, "Mrs. Perkins called. Everything's moving forward."

Dan grinned. "Looks like you're stuck with us."

I smirked. "Could've done worse."

Emma swatted my arm. "We need to make sure you're happy with this, Sky. It's a big decision."

I nodded. "I am. But, uh… I kind of asked to pay rent."

Dan blinked. "What?"

"I just—look, I know you guys are taking me in, but I want to contribute. And, uh… I may need a room to tinker in."

Dan chuckled. "A room to tinker?"

"Potions, runes, maybe legally questionable fireworks."

Emma sighed. "Just don't burn the house down."

"No promises."

Hermione poked her head in. "What's this about fireworks?"

"Nothing!" we all said simultaneously.

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With the adoption underway, I threw myself into researching the Ministry of Magic's legal system. Spoiler: it was a mess.

Hermione sat beside me, flipping through books. "Did you know cauldron thickness regulations are considered a national crisis?"

"That's what keeps them up at night," I muttered.

"And house-elves don't even have wages!"

"Free labor—sounds like every corporation ever."

She gave me a withering look. "This is serious."

"So am I. When I inevitably end up in court, I want to confuse them so much they just let me go."

"You're going to end up in Azkaban."

"Allegedly."

She threw a pillow at me.

Dan and Emma discovered my apartment trunk when I casually walked into it mid torso.

"YOU JUST—WALKED INTO A SUITCASE," Dan gasped.

Emma peered inside. "This has to be illegal."

"It's not!" I protested. "Clerical error. Squatter's rights."

"That's..... no... that's not how squatter's rights work."

Hermione was already lounging on the couch inside the trunk, flipping through a book. "Welcome to my life."

Dan stepped in and whispered, "It's… bigger on the inside…"

"Doctor Who fan?" I asked.

"Obviously."

"How much is this trunk worth?" Dan asked,

"Over 20,000 Galleons." I responded lightly

Emma chokes on her tea she conveniently had on her.

"You're like a walking legal disaster." Hermione said in a sing-song voice.

I'm so proud of how used to me Hermione has become.

"I prefer 'creative problem solver.'"

"Won't this get you arrested?" Emma started to wonder

"Visiting hours are Thursdays." I said playfully.

"Pretty sharp lad, isn't he?." Dan replied.

"Too sharp." Hermione responds while holding her head.

We agreed to pretend the trunk didn't exist.

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Hermione's extended family came to visit for the holidays.

Carla (Hermione's cousin) arrived with her parents and Grandma Eveline.

Carla was sweet and polite at first glance.

As soon as everyone was out of sight though was another matter altogether.

In a way, I did wonder why Hermione never left my side the whole time she was nearby.

"Oh wow, Hermione, still rocking the frizzy look and buckteeth? Bold."

Hermione flushed with embarrassment.

Hermione was no longer the crybaby she used to be while in Hogwarts, but on occasion I would notice how sensitive she was whenever she heard insult hurled her way..

Ever since I slowly indoctrina..cough cough.. got her used to me and my crazy ways, she mellowed out a lot. 

Even Ron doesn't rile her up as much anymore.

Only my opinion seemed to matter to her for some reason though.

I smiled. "Ignore her. There is no need to reciprocate someone so childish."

I hit record on the tape recorder behind my back.

Despite our efforts to ignore her and focus on our reading, she was quite the potty mouth. 

Only thing that would ever enter was only waste.

"Bet you aren't even liked at that freak school you go to." She was under the impression Hermione entered a no name prep school which in some ways was not wrong.

"Hermione, you'll die alone and single."

"Bet your parents wish they had me instead."

When she started to realize we were freely ignoring while reading books, she decided on another route.

The vase. Emma's heirloom.

"Don't touch that!" Hermione yelled.

"If I break this, I bet they wouldn't even blame me. Want to bet?"

She slowly tilted the vase over.

"Crash"

Everyone who had heard rushed into the room to see what had happened.

Cue fake tears. "Hermione pushed me!"

Family war broke out. Voices raised. I let it simmer before stepping in. (I could have written back and forth dialogue here but I was getting too tired for the day.)

"Valuable vase?" I asked Emma.

"Very."

"We could sue them right?" I said off handedly.

Carla's family laughed. Until I produced the tape recorder.

Play.

Grandma Eveline (Hermione's Grandmother) snapped. "Carla, I never thought you would be this audacious!"

As Grandma Eveline was busy yelling at Carla and her family, Hermione looked at me like I'd pulled Excalibur from a rock.

"How long were you recording?" Hermione asked in a whisper

"From the first insult." I replied

"You are terrifying." Dan whispered back while having eavesdropped.

I just brushed my nails on my shirt and blew on them.

"I know."

Aftermath

Carla left disgraced. Emma and Dan were grateful. Grandma called me "sharp."

Later, Hermione and I sipped hot cocoa with peppermint in my trunk's cozy living room.

"This is good," she murmured.

"Exclusive Sky blend." (Peppermint Hot chocolate wasn't a big thing yet.)

She leaned against me. "Thank you… for everything."

The room was quiet, warm, and for the first time in a long while, I felt like I belonged.