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There's a fic where Harry runs away or gets left outside after finding a book in a library on magic and believing he is an elf.

He grows up learning "wish for a trade" or magic for a trade bartering and such, meeting odd people along the way, multiheaded snakes, I think Mr. Lovegood, child Malfoy, and more until he's old enough to go to Hogwarts and someone finds him and enrolls him.

There are already several fanfics as its a series going up by each year or two. They are also definitely over 30-50k+ or more. It's really funny and everyone keeps trying to convince him he's not an elf, except either Malfoy or Granger or some unexpected friend; not the usual trio.

It might also be on Archive of Our Own, but I'm very sure it's fanfiction.net as that was my soul and life blood until recently.

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  • If you want a different, similar one to read, then check out: To the Waters and the Wild "While flying back from Godric's Hollow, Hagrid accidentally drops baby Harry over a wild forest. Harry is raised by rebel fairies until his Hogwarts letter arrives. The Dark Lord is in for a surprise.." - It's very funny
    – Sensoray
    Commented Oct 29, 2018 at 15:51

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It would appear to be Fantastic Elves and where to find them by evansentranced, on fanfiction.net indeed.

After the Dursleys abandon six year old Harry in a park in Kent, Harry comes to the realization that he is an elf. Not a house elf, though. A forest elf. Never mind wizards vs muggles; Harry has his own thing going on. Character study, pre-Hogwarts, NOT a creature!fic, slightly cracky.

Harry runs away or gets left outside after finding a book in a library on magic

From chapter 2, "Wherein Harry takes leave of Kent":

"I..." Harry looked up at her with big, hopeful eyes. "I want to read a story about people who can disappear."

Harry had heard her talking about fairy princesses a couple weeks ago with a little girl, so he knew she wasn't too likely to get angry at him for mentioning unnatural things. All the same, he held his breath after asking the question and watched her purse her lips with some trepidation.

"Like magic, you mean," she decided, nodding. Harry nodded along, and was relieved when she smiled at him. "We have some stories like that. Do you like comic books?"

Meeting odd people along the way, [...], I think Mr. Lovegood, child Malfoy

Xenophilius Lovegood appears in Chapter 7, "Wherein Harry delivers Dirigible Pums".

The man turned in another slow circle and dropped to his knees. "You're safe," he said. Harry narrowed his eyes and disappeared to a lower branch of the tree, silent and suspicious, but still very curious.

"Can you speak English?" the man asked in a soft voice. "My name is Xenophilius. I'm looking for Dirigible Plums. I heard the Forest of Dean has a lot of them if you know where to look. I only want to examine them, and perhaps take a few seedlings, if that's alright."

Draco is without much surprise the Pureblood in chapter 8, "Wherein a pureblood is sighted" (note that once again Harry is convinced to be an elf):

The boy frowned at him, a bit of white hair peeking out from beneath his cap. "What's your name, then?"

Harry cocked his head again. "Elves don't just tell anyone their name." He had found this to be effective in deterring determined name-askers in the past. Harry didn't really see a use for names. He thought it was a very stale thing, to want to label every creature and item that crossed his path.

"My name's Draco," the boy told him, looking a bit perplexed. "Draco Malfoy."

Found with the Google query harry potter "i am an elf" site:fanfiction.net. The first result is The handbook of Elf psychology which is the sequel of this one. In the sequel, Harry goes to Hogwarts and is still much convinced he's an elf.

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  • Thank you! I will most certainly check this out! I just noticed 2 ppl replied! Thank you both so much
    – Kazenari Black
    Commented Oct 28, 2018 at 9:44
  • I checked out the stories and they seem right but im sure there was another elf story that sort of went up by year? I remember some final scene with him havun missed the train and climbing out a tunnel to at the end and waiting for updates. Then again my memory could just be hating on me like usual and i get it mixed up. Anyhow I shall be back after reading them!
    – Kazenari Black
    Commented Oct 28, 2018 at 9:52
  • @KazenariBlack do you mean it was part of these two, or another story altogether? If it's another story you can ask that as a new question; if it's in the same story I didn't find it :/
    – Jenayah
    Commented Oct 28, 2018 at 18:02
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I believe this is "Fantastic Elves and Where to Find Them" by evansentranced.

After the Dursleys abandon six year old Harry in a park in Kent, Harry comes to the realization that he is an elf. Not a house elf, though. A forest elf. Never mind wizards vs muggles; Harry has his own thing going on. Character study, pre-Hogwarts, NOT a creature!fic, slightly cracky.

There is a sequel "The Handbook of Elf Psychology", and another story set in the same world.

The story does indeed have Harry realize he has magic, decide he must be a magical creature, and picks elves as the most likely based on story-books... which becomes confirmed (or something) when he meets actual house-elves. He does meet the Lovegoods, and Draco malfoy, and a few others.

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  • Thank you so much!! Ill go try it out and see if its the right one. Even if it isnt it sounds like a good read! Be back soon! (Im a bit surprised though i thought the title had a different format like Harry the Elf - 1 but with more descriptive words)
    – Kazenari Black
    Commented Oct 28, 2018 at 9:43

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