Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot and the occasional oc. Anything you recognize belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling. Don't sue me, I'm broke.
A/N: I would like to thank lmill123 for the review. That was the only review I got for ch.2. If you read this story thenplease leave a review. I don't care if the review is good or bad I would just like a response.I already have the next two or threechapters written and I will type them a lot faster if you review. R&R.
A/N 2:Sorry for the delay on this chapter and for any mistakes. This chapter was edited at one in the morning. Please just over look them.
Ch.3 A Trip to Diagon Alley
Harry threw his bags on the floor and collapsed on his bed. A day with Tonks was exhausting. 'What am I laying on?' Harry thought as he felt something poke his back. He rolled over to find an envelope with his name on it written in Hermione's neat hand writing. He grabbed the letter and tore into it.
Dear Harry,
I'm so happy to hear from you. I was starting to get worried. I understand that you don't want to talk yet, but I just wanted to tell you that whenever you do I am willing to listen. Don't forget that your not the only one who misses him, we all do, especially Remus. It might be good for you to talk to him when your ready. We all love you and just want to help.
It's good that you found something to do to keep you busy and even better that the thing is reading. If you'll look in the back of the organizer I gave you for Christmas you'll find some homework tips, some of those should be reading tips. Your O.W.L. study book has a memorizing spell that I can show you how to use when we get back to school. It should help you understand the subjects faster. All the spell does is let you speed read through the book and you memorize it. After that you can go through the information and sort it out. You understand the information lot better and you get through the book much faster.' She rattled on about the spell for half a page before finishing with a 'hope to see you soon'.
'Now all I need are the books and I can get them tomorrow. I had better get to work on that tracking spell.' He thought as he searched his desk for the book Remus had left. 'Remus couldn't have been more obvious. The question is, why did he go against Dumbledore and tell me about it? I should try a revealing spell first just to make sure. Harry cast the revealing spell on himself and, as Remus had implied, their was a tracking spell on him. He wasted no time in looking up the counter spell and after a few tries managed to get rid of the spell.
'I can't wait to have a chat with that manipulative...'
'It was for your own good. He would need to know where you are if Voldemort ever managed to get his hands on you.' the 'Golden Boy' voice interrupted.
'Voldemort and his goons aren't suppose to be able to get through the wards so they wouldn't be able to get their hands on me. That manipulative asshole just wants to be able to know when I'm out of the house. I thought I had gotten rid of you!' Harry thought.
'No, but you really do need to get rid off him. He is really annoying!' The other voice told him as he groaned in frustration. He had decided to call this one his slytherin voice for the simple reason that most of the time it was as sly as a slytherin.
'You two have to shut up! Mundungus has guard duty tomorrow and I have to be ready.'
The next morning Harry went for his usual jog with Mundungus wheezing beside him. After a quick breakfast and shower he went to his room to get ready for his trip. He changed into a dark green shirt and a pair of jeans that actually fit. After putting in some blue contacts he drank a glass of the hair coloring potion while imagining himself with sandy blond hair. He slowly opened his eyes to look in the mirror at a person that looked nothing like him.
Harry slipped on his invisibility cloak and went out the back door. He had no trouble slipping passed Mundungus and he quickly made his way down the street. Once he was a few streets away and outside of the wards he hid in the shadows and slipped off the cloak. It took the Knight Bus mere seconds to arrive after being summoned, coming to a screeching halt inches from his face.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus..." Stan's greeting was cut off.
"Leaky Cauldron please"
"Eleven Sickles, Mr..."
"Mr. will do." Harry handed him the money and swept past him, into the bus. After scanning the bus for a seat separated from everyone he plopped down into a seat in the back corner. Harry watched houses and various buildings fly by for around fifteen minutes before the bus slammed to a stop in front of the Leaky Cauldron's entrance. Harry made his way off the bus and into the Leaky Cauldron. For the first time no one looked twice at him as he made his way to the backdoor. A few taps on the right bricks and Diagon Alley opened up before him. Even after five years in the wizarding world little things like this still amazed him.
He didn't pause as he made his way through the crowd towards Gringotts until he spotted the last person he wanted to see. An annoyed Kingsley was walking away from Gringotts and in Harry's direction. Harry paused to watch Kingsley and saw that his eyes were searching the crowds.
'Oh shit! What if he recognizes me?' Harry continued making his way to Gringotts while trying to stay in big crowds. He passed right by Kingsley without him even glancing at Harry. Once he made it inside the bank he chose the shortest line and managed to get some money and change some more into muggle money without to many questions. He was almost at the doors when he heard his name.
"That was Harry Potter." Griphook told an older looking goblin.
"Harry Potter? Why wasn't I informed immediately!" Harry didn't stay to hear the rest of their conversation. He hurried into the crowd so that it would be almost impossible for anyone to follow him. His next stop was Madam Malkin's and he didn't slow down until he got there. Harry quickly picked out the most expensive material for some new robes. Normally Harry wouldn't dream of spending that much money on clothes but he knew that many wizards wouldn't listen to him if he didn't have the appearance of being powerful and to most people power means money. He also requested battle robes, pants, and boots made out of dragon hide. Madam Malkin's checked several times to make sure he understood how much this would cost before she started taking his measurements.
"It will be a few hours before you can pick up your order or would you like it delivered?"
"No, I'll pick them up later." Harry exited the Madam Malkin's and made his way to the book store. Books were the only way he knew to learn what he needed to and he planed on being prepared to at least defend himself against attacks. He wanted to be prepared for all type of attacks not just from Voldemort but also form the ministry, press, and even the order. Harry wasn't stupid enough to think that everyone would let him do what he needed to without trying to stop him in anyway possible. It wouldn't surprise him if Dumbledorewent as low as to usehis powers in the ministry to stop him. This was why Harry was determined to learn everything he could as quickly as possible and it is also the reason he was searching through the books on wizarding laws. He eventually found a few books like 'Every Law Ever Passed' that looked like they would be useful.
Harry spent a good two hours searching through every dusty corner of the bookstore before paying for a good twenty-three books on laws, occlumency, potions, charms, transfiguration, healing, defensive and offensive spells, dueling, advanced magic, wandless magic, and understanding magic. He had grabbed a book on anything that looked like it would be even slightly helpful. The cashier gave him funny looks as he added up the prices of each book and Harry paid before finally giving in to his obvious curiosity.
"What's a boy your age want with these types of books? There quite expensive and I doubt the material will be much interest to you."
"Um... I'm a bit of a bookworm I guess and I have plenty of spending money." Harry replied slightly nervous. He wanted to avoid as many questions as possible so as not to raise suspicion.
"You don't look like the bookworm type but I guess I shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Would you like your books shrunk?"
"Yeah, that would be great." he replied. As soon as the books were shrunk Harry slipped them into his pocket and hurried out of the book store.
'If I have to go shopping one more time I'll go crazy.' Harry thought as he stood in line at Florence's ice cream parlor. He had been in most of the shops in Diagon Alley and had even made a trip into Knockturn Alley to pick up books on the dark arts and some of the slightly illegal potions. After you got past the dark and creepy aspects of Knockturn Alley it really isn't that bad.
Harry had just payed for his chocolate frog ice cream and was turning to leave when he felt something slam into his side. The next thing he knew he was laying on his back, covered in some one elses ice cream, and on top of him was a girl about his age with dark brown hair, blue eyes, and she was covered in his ice cream. As she pulled herself off him he couldn't help but laugh.
"Do you think this is funny!" she screeched while trying to clean off the ice cream.
"It wouldn't be quite as funny if you didn't have that piece of chocolate on you nose." He informed her as he pulled of the miniature chocolate frog.
She tried to hide a smile as she introduced herself. "I'm Vanessa Patroc but everyone calls me Ness."
"I'm Harry... Johnson." Harry silently cursed himself. He seriously had to work on the whole secretcy thing. "Are you related to Alec Patroc, the most famous Auror in Europe?" He asked hoping she would go for the distraction.
"I'm his daughter. So, Harry Johnson," She said with raised eyebrows, "Did you know that your a horrible liar? I saw the scar when I fell on you."
"Damn it all!" Harry cursed under his breath. If she had seen his scar then there was no way she would believe him even if he tried to deny who he was.
"Don't worry, I want tell the guards I saw you."
"Guards?"
"Dumbledore recruited my dad who seems to think I need a guard following me everywhere I go." Ness told him, sounding slightly annoyed.
"Where is your guard?" Harry asked, glancing around nervously.
"I ditched Kingsley a few hours ago, so I'm guessing he's somewhere in Diagon Alley looking for me." she shot him a huge grin. "Want to get another ice cream?"
"Actually, I have a better idea. Why don't we go get some lunch in muggle London, my treat? Kingsley will still be searching for you when we get back." 'I have lost my mind. I'm asking a girl, who is being hunted by the same people I'm trying to avoid, to lunch. The newspapers were right I have got to be insane.'
"Sounds great but you might want to get down." She told him while pulling him underneath a table in the corner.
"What are you doing?" Harry was looking at her like she was insane.
"Look at the door." At that moment Kingsley walked into the Florean Fortescue's ice cream shop. He walked straight up to the counter, cutting in front of some very angry people, and started questioning Florean. Harry and Ness could barely hear what was being said.
"There was a girl who fit that description in here a few minutes ago. She was talking to some boy, I didn't recognize him." Florean told Kingsley. Kingsley said something else to Florean that Harry and Ness couldn't make out before turning and walking to the other side of the ice cream shop, checking all the tables on the way.
"He'll be checking this side next. We have to go now." Harry whispered to Ness.
"Florean is bound to spot us."
"Not if we create a distraction." Harry gave her a mischievous look before continuing. "Has the table beside us been cleared yet?"
"No." Ness replied looking slightly confused.
"Hand me an ice cream bowl." She quickly slipped a hand to the table and grabbed a bowl. "That one is empty, try again." She brought down another bowl and this one was half full of ice cream. "Hold on to that and follow me." They crawled from table to table trying to avoid hitting people's feet until they reached the end of the tables. They were now feet away from the ice cream line. "When I give the word stand up and head straight for the door." Ness gave him a nod.
There were kids of all ages running past their hiding spot. Harry waited until he was sure Kingsley wasn't looking before spilling the half melted ice cream in the path of a young boy who was running towards the long line of people waiting for ice cream. The little boy ran right into the ice cream and started sliding towards the line of people. He hit with enough force to knock down two people and attract everyone's attention.
"Now." Harry said before calmly getting out from under the table and walking towards the door with Ness at his side. They made it safely outside the ice cream shop before breaking into a run. Once they found themselves in muggle London they slowed to a walk.
"That was great. Did your escape from the guards include a distraction like that?"
"No, this mornings escape was a lot easier. Have you met Mundungus?" Harry told her how he escaped as they made their way down the street. A short walk found them sitting in the corner of a small restaurant.
"Do you have to have a guard everywhere you go?" Harry asked as the finished ordering their food.
"Most of the time, whenever I'm out and my dad isn't with me. He is really overprotective because I was almost kidnapped when I was little."
"Almost?" he asked curiously.
"I used accidental magic to throw them into a wall and screamed for help. They had planned on using me to get their brother out of prison. My dad was close friends with the minister of whatever country we were in at the time so they thought I would be a good exchange." She explained.
"Do always travel with your dad?"
"I go on any long trips that are safe, I always have. I did spend a few years in a few different boarding schools but that didn't work out. After that I was home schooled."
"What happened with the boarding school?"
"Two times we had to move and the schools were to far away for me to continue going there. Then at the end of my fourth year I was expelled from a school. Apparently you aren't suppose to tell the headmistress to go to hell." The waitress brought their food and they continued their conversation while eating.
"Some times they need to be told that." Harry thought of his recent argument with his own headmaster. "I can't believe you got expelled for that. At Hogwarts that would usually only get you a fewweeks worth of detentions."
She gave him a mischievous grin. "I may have said a few other things and played a few pranks but she deserved all of it. She said some things about my mum that I didn't appreciate. I swear that woman hates me, she definitely hated my mum. After that my dad had me home schooled. I finally convinced him to let me go to Hogwarts this year."
"That's great! What year will you be in?"
"I will hopefully be in your year. The professors are going to give me a test to make sure my home schooling was sufficient but that shouldn't be a problem. I'm ready for school to startjust so I can get away from the guards."
"The guards might not be their but almost half of the staff is in the order and all of them answer to Dumbledore." Harry informed her.
"I'll find some way to have fun and I think I might have found a partner in crime. Are you any good at pranks?"
"I don't know. I don't have the time to plan pranks."
"You always have time to prank. I see I'm going to have my work cut out for me if I'm going to turn you into a proper prankster." They continued chatting while the finished their lunch. They left the restaurant after Harry payed for the food and headed back towards the Leaky Cauldron. They parted once they were inside Diagon Alley with Ness going to look for Kingsley and Harry heading for Madam Malkin's. After picking up his order Harry caught the Knight Bus back to Little Whinging.