A Gift

Harry is 14

Leaky Cauldron

23rd August 1994

Harry woke up early that day. He had acquired the habit of waking up early thanks to the Dursleys, but this time, he didn't wake up with reluctance and annoyance. On the contrary, he was excited and ready to start the day.

Harry went to the bathroom to freshen up. A toothbrush and toiletries had already been prepared for him by Tom. Harry washed away any remains of sleep and brushed his teeth. Hedwig was sleeping on the coat rack, Harry gave her a soft pat and went downstairs for breakfast.

Descending the creaky stairs, he was greeted by Tom and the early morning customers. Tom had already prepared some breakfast for him and it was on a plate at one of the side tables.

"Tom, thank you so much for letting me stay here last night. I don't know how to thank you."

"It wasn't anything big, plus, you already paid for your room so I don't see the problem with letting you stay."

Harry quickly finished his breakfast and went back to his room. He picked up his backpack and headed to the back door. Harry stared at the brick wall for awhile before tapping the bricks. The bricks started moving rapidly and soon revealed a large archway. Harry looked at the bustling sights of Diagon Alley and excitedly went through the archway.

Diagon Alley

The hordes of wizards and witches moving around through the Alley did nothing to deter Harry from excitedly scampering about. His destination was Gringotts. Harry weaved through the crowd expertly, his small frame making it several times easier. Harry was soon face-to-face with the familiar white walls of Gringotts. The interior design of the bank never failed to blow him away, countless goblins were serving the numerous of wizards and witches. Harry managed to join the shortest queue and was soon led to the front.

"Hello Griphook, I would like to make a withdrawal please."

Harry was slightly nervous and worried that he had gotten the goblin's name wrong but the goblin didn't correct him. In fact, the goblin was slightly impressed which spoke a lot about how rude wizards and witches were.

"Key?" He grunted.

Harry rummaged through his backpack and fished out his key. It was slightly dirty but Harry wiped away the grime on his shirt and sheepishly handed it to Griphook. Griphook pushed himself off his chair and motioned for Harry to follow him.

They were soon in a cart, moving past countless vaults. The cart soon stopped in front of Harry's vault: Vault 687. Griphook opened the vault and Harry was welcomed by his numerous piles of gold. He stood outside patiently while Harry went about his business. He bent down, swiftly took a handful of Galleons and shoved it into his little bag. He and Griphook then left the vault, the Galleons clinking around in his bag.

As Harry was setting foot into the cart, something caught his eye. A few vaults down was a magnificent door, intricate carvings ran across the shiny black door. It had a very otherworldly aura to it. The black sheen of the door was further enhanced by many silver streaks in the metal, the sides of the door were studded with gems of different kinds. The whole door gleamed ominously and Harry couldn't help but compare it to the other doors, they paled in comparison and appeared ordinary next to it.

"Griphook, who does that vault belong to?" Harry queried, one finger pointing at the door.

"You can see that?" Griphook was genuinely surprised, but his face betrayed no emotion.

Harry nodded and Griphook was muttering something in rapid Gobbledegook.

"We don't get much of your kind around here, if you fancy a continued existence, don't talk about it. That magic of yours hides scent, but in the Wizarding World-" Griphook had turned to him and was seriously warning him,"- the greatest threats aren't monsters. Wizards can be far, far more vicious than you think."

My kind? Monsters? Merlin, what was Griphook going on about? Harry wondered. The cart soon exited the dreary caverns of Gringotts. Harry wanted to ask Griphook more, but Griphook was grumbling something under his breath and Harry wasn't sure if he wanted to disturb him. Harry quickly alighted the cart, escaping from the suffocating awkwardness.

Harry dipped his head in courtesy to Griphook,"Thank you, Griphook, may the gods grant you more gold."

"The gods indeed.." Griphook muttered with a wry smile.

Clueless as ever, Harry turned and left Gringotts. He had come to Diagon Alley with the intention of getting Sally and Perseus a gift to thank them for their hospitality. He had wanted to search for one when he came to Diagon Alley for his yearly shopping trip, but he ultimately wanted to get them a special gift, and he needed time to carefully pick out one. Harry pondered what to get them as he drifted from stall to stall. He couldn't get them anything too obvious, and Perseus couldn't use most of the things here. A piece of jewellery, perhaps? He didn't remember Sally wearing anything that day, no earrings, necklaces or rings, so nothing too showy either.

He had walked by countless stalls, each shop owner was loudly declaring their wares, desperately even. Harry wanted to get away from all the noise and soon found himself standing in front of a stall that was oddly peaceful, even amidst the bustling crowds. It was slightly run-down, the old lady managing it sat on nothing but a simple stool. Her wares were displayed on a table, on top of a velvet red cloth spread. Three gem-studded chests sat in the middle of the table. She was sipping something, waiting for customers.

The old lady soon caught sight of Harry. She smiled at him in a grandmotherly way, her eyes widened and something flashed in her eyes, it was unlike Dumbledore's trademark twinkle but still managed to unsettle Harry. Had she recognised him?

"Welcome, young halfblood." Her voice had and odd rasp to it, she was still cupping the tea cup, occasionally taking sips. Her eyes trailed over to Harry and Harry immediately averted his eyes. Halfblood? How was that a way to greet someone?

He scanned her wares, it was mostly jewellery. Ranging from the smallest, most inconspicuous stud to obnoxiously gaudy headpieces. Every single piece looked good but what caught his eye was the aura surrounding the three chests. Yet, the aura they exuded was unlike magic, it was different, more imposing. Where had she acquired them?

As if reading his mind, the old lady confirmed, "I see you have noticed my most precious goods. This one-" She unlatched the hook on the first chest and pulled out a bronze ring,"-has an unbelievably powerful protection charm engraved into it." Harry stared at her, if these had such powerful enchantments, why wasn't she selling these to paranoid purebloods who would gladly fork out insane amounts of Galleons to purchase her goods? The lady set the ring back down. Gripping her tea cup tightly, she glanced up at Harry," You're wondering why I'm not filthy rich, right? Simply put, those wizards and witches weren't the ones who could properly use them." Harry nodded and opened his mouth to ask a question but he was brutally cut off.

"I can read minds and see memories. I'm a born Legilimens." She deadpanned. Sensing his lingering curiosity, she continued with a defeated sigh. "These three chests contain the creations of my late husband. He had told me that they would keep our son safe. I foolishly kept them in our vaults, instead of using them for their intended purpose. My son was viciously killed, ripped to shreds. Then my eldest child lost her life when some greedy wizards caught wind of my "treasures". Now, I only seek to give these to someone who truly needs them."

Harry gaped at her, and disbelievingly pointed at himself. Me? Someone who truly needs them? The old lady chuckled at him, "You're a lot more special than you realise, Harry Potter. Not just because you're the Boy-Who-Lived. These will serve you well. You will need them. The ones who you plan to gift these to need them even more. You have a bigger role to play. Them as well." She stared at him knowingly.

Harry was still shaken by what had just happened. The old lady spared no time, setting her cup down, she hobbled over to the second chest. She pulled out a beautiful silver chain. It had a few dangling charms attached to it. She waved it around in front of him," This one might be the most valuable to you. It helps hide scent." Harry raised an eyebrow, quite offended by that statement. Sure, he hadn't showered since escaping Privet Drive but he couldn't have smelt that bad, right? The elderly woman laughed," Not like that. You'll know when the time comes. Take it as something that has been engraved with a powerful Concealment Charm."

She proceeded to open the final chest. She reached into it and in her hand was a golden bangle. "This one will be of great use to you. Watch." She placed it on her left wrist and then tapped it three times. Harry was buzzing with anticipation and his mouth dropped open when the old lady turned around, and in her hand was a beautiful sword. It gleamed as the light hit it and Harry felt a slight pull towards it. The blade was passed to Harry and he experimentally gave it a swing. It was strangely comfortable. Harry tossed it from hand to hand and was impressed by the way it seemed to dance in the air.

"I bestow these to you, Harry Potter. I always knew that they served a greater purpose. Use them well."

Harry wanted to thank her but he felt a great push and a flash of light blinded him. Before he knew it, he was on the floor with busy wizards and witches walking around him. He hoisted himself to his feet and searched for the mysterious old lady. Her stall was nowhere in sight.

Confused and mind still distorted from the flash, Harry looked down at the additional weight on his arms. Safely on his right wrist was the chain bracelet and securely on his left wrist was the bangle. On his finger was the bronze ring. Harry decided that he would examine them somewhere else, if they were as valuable as the elderly woman had claimed, he didn't want any word getting out that he possessed them.

Harry dashed over to a small alley. He removed the items from his person and tucked them safely into his bag. He placed them next to the pocket where his Gringotts key was safely stored. Harry was tremendously overwhelmed by what had just happened so he decided to relax with some ice cream. Harry wandered over to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. He ordered a scoop of chocolate and waited patiently at his table. The server had quickly brought it over and Harry passed him a few coins.

As he savoured the sweet dessert in bliss, Harry reflected on today's trip to Diagon Alley. Overall, it had been quite fruitful. He had managed to get some nice gifts for Sally and Perseus. While he was happily enjoying his dessert, he didn't notice the two redheads who were sneaking up on him with the most devious grins on their faces.

Hands slammed down on his shoulders and Harry was painfully shaken awake from his chocolate-induced bliss.

"Hello Harry-"

"-what are you-"

"-doing here on this beautiful day?" They finished together.

Harry spun around, almost whipping his wand out due to pure instinct but was glad to see the identical faces of the Weasley twins. He glanced behind them to see if Ron and the others were here as well but was slightly disappointed by the lack of them.

"Hello Fred and George, as you can see, I'm just savouring this miracle given to us by the heavens-" Harry brought his ice cream up for another mouth,"-and can I ask for you to never do that to me again? That scared the living daylights out of me." The twins snickered and continued,

"Well, Harry, Forge and I here-"

"-thought that you had come to Diagon Alley-"

"-in preparation for the Quidditch World Cup Finals!"

"The what now?" Harry asked curiously.

Fred, at least he was pretty sure it was Fred, gasped dramatically," Only the greatest Quidditch event to take place this year! And you dare call yourself a Quidditch fan!"

George rolled his eyes at his twin's antics and continued," The finals are happening in two days. If I remember correctly, Ron wanted to invite you to go with us then."

Harry was looking forward to seeing his friends again and was utterly excited at the upcoming Quidditch match he would get to see. Harry rigorously nodded his head and told them that he was currently staying at the Leaky Cauldron. Soon, the twins left to continue their "top secret business" as they had put it. Harry finished the remainder of his ice cream and headed back to the Leaky Cauldron.

Leaky Cauldron

23rd August 1994

Harry left Diagon Alley with a satisfied smile on his face. He peeked through the back door of the Leaky Cauldron and quickly walked to his room. The waiters were rushing about, taking orders, serving customers and wiping tables. Unnoticed, the Boy-Who-Lived went upstairs. He placed his backpack on the table and was pleasantly surprised by the sudden appearance of a set of clothing on his bed. It looked like Tom had managed to get him some clothes, and they were of great quality too. Harry resolved to thank Tom later and entered the toilet for a shower.

He relished in the feeling of warm water hitting his skin and washing away all the dirt and grime. After his amazing shower, Harry put on the clothes Tom had procured for him. It was a nice long-sleeved shirt that hugged his body amazingly. The fabric was comfortably thin. Harry dried his wet hair with a towel and moved over to the window. He was feeling a little stuffy and pushed it open. The cool breeze rushed into the room in no time at all. The cooling feeling hit him and Harry let out a satisfied breath. Harry reached for his bag and sat on the leather couch. Harry leaned back and lamented why couldn't he have found that money pouch earlier. The warmth and comfort of this cozy little room could beat Privet Drive anyday.

He nestled himself deeper into the couch until he was comfortable. Once satisfied, he reached into his backpack and pulled out the three pieces of jewellery. Hedwig flew over to his couch and perched on top of it. She leaned her head down and affectionately nuzzled her head against his cheek. Harry chuckled and continued observing the objects. He firstly took the ring and palmed it in his hand. There were small engravings on it but it felt like a normal, run-of-the-mill bronze ring, if you ignored the mystical aura that seemed to have been seeded deep within all three objects. He put it on his finger and felt a warm blanket of magic envelop him.

Harry smiled and took it off. Harry then picked up the chain bracelet. He looped it around his wrist and secured the hook at the end of the chain to one of the loops. He held it up to the sunlight shining in. Harry observed the designs on the dangling charms. They were all in the shape of a burning flame. It was quite secure around his wrist, yet it wasn't too tight. Harry's eyes widened in surprise when he noticed the charms dangling from the chain slowly morph into that of feathers and several diamonds. Each feather was so carefully carved that Harry was pretty sure he could see each individual fiber. The diamonds were each three-dimensional. They glistened in the light and Harry admired the amazing craftsmanship.

He recalled that it could hide his "scent"? Whatever, the old lady had said that it was something similar to a Concealment Charm. Harry already had his cloak so he decided to gift the ring and the bangle to the Jacksons. These would be able to keep them safe, if they ran into anything that could endanger them.

Finally, Harry reached for the object of his interest. The golden bangle. He ran his finger over each embedded design. On the inside of the bangle, there was a word gracefully engraved into the metal: Phoenix. Harry quickly put the bangle on. He mirrored the old woman and tapped it gently thrice. The bangle glowed and stretched lengthwise, Harry instinctively gripped the growing string of light and pulled sideways. The bangle was gone and the rod of light morphed into a stunning golden blade. He said golden, but it appeared to be mostly bronze, except for its ethereal golden glow. An admiring gasp escaped his throat. Harry swung it around, it felt light enough for him to swing with ease but as he brought it back down, it was heavy enough to do some serious damage.

Harry was in awe. The blade resonated with him somehow. It was a similar feeling to when he first received his holly wand. It felt natural to him. Harry shut his eyes and imagined the blade morphing back into a bangle. When he opened them, he was not disappointed to see the finely-crafted bangle resting on his wrist.

Dopamine still rushing through his head, Harry gathered some parchment already on the table. He picked up his quill and set about writing his letter to Sally and Perseus. When he finished, he dropped the two objects into the envelope and signed his name on the front. Hedwig was on the windowsill, ready to fly off. Harry tucked the letter in between her beak and she took off, her white silhouette disappearing as she went further and further.

Author's note: Hiya, Happy(late) New Year! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Harry gets a cool new weapon this chapter. The old woman won't be appearing again, but I wonder how many smart cookies figured out who her husband is? Also, I'm sorry to say but the updates are going to be a little less frequent as school is starting soon. As always, reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome. :D