Title: Rules for the Next Great Adventure
Ship: H/Hr – Harmony Bond, Others to be determined during progress
Rating: M – Mature
Synopsis: With Voldemort gone, Harry tries to look to the future, but the shadows of the past continue to hold him back. Making one final choice, he decides he's ready for the next great adventure, but there are some rules involved no one mentioned before.
-
Disclaimer: Not mine. Props given to all who need it in Chapter One. Warnings are posted there as well.
AN: Sorry it took so long, life got in the way.
Key:
"Hi, I'm Harry." – Speech
'Oh my, it's the Boy Who Lived!' - Thoughts
"Avada Kedvara " – Spells/Magic laden speech
"§Speak to me oh Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four§" - Parseltongue
Chapter FOUR: Banking on Friendship
Feeling like a new man...boy, Harry made his way to Diagon Alley to start taking his life back under his control. Remembering the disaster his first time in the Leaky Cauldron was the last time around, Harry was wearing a hooded sweater and baseball cap to hide his face and scar as much as possible without looking horribly out of place.
'Don't mind me, just your regular everyday muggleborn axe murderer.' Harry thought with a smile as he walked through to the portal, touching the keystones quickly to open it so it wouldn't be noticed he didn't have a wand yet.
Walking through the alley, Harry let himself relax; though only a little because until he reached Gringotts he was basically in enemy controlled territory. If it got out he was in the alley before his business with the goblins was complete, that runestone he left behind to fool Dumbledore's blood trace would be useless. Reaching the marble behemoth that is Gringotts, Harry jogged up the stairs and inside, finding the shortest line...which just so happened to be Griphook's.
Getting to the counter Harry spoke clearly and respectfully. "Good day master teller. I have business to conduct with the Potter account manager. It is about the Heir Potter."
Griphook frowned. "And who are you to make that request young wizard? Attempting to meddle with a Gringotts account is a serious offence."
"I AM Heir Potter. I respect the honor of the goblin people in the security of Gringotts but time is money and I simply don't have the time."
"Your key?"
"Withheld from me and beyond my reach at the moment, something I plan on correcting this day."
Griphook took out a small sheet of parchment and a blood quill. "Please write your full name on this parchment. The enchantment will confirm your blood matches the name you write."
Suppressing a shudder Harry took the blood quill and wrote "Harry James Potter". Griphook took both back, watching the parchment as the blood written name faded into it, coming back in the form of black ink and he nodded, writing a short note on the same parchment and sending it away. "Please stand aside in the waiting area and you will be collected to speak with your account manager."
With a nod Harry spoke in such a way that clearly surprised Griphook. "Thank you for your assistance this day master teller, may I have your name?"
"I am Griphook mister Potter."
"Well met Griphook, may your gold multiply as you divide your enemies."
"May your gold flow as plentiful as the blood of your enemies mister Potter."
Harry bowed lightly to Griphook and made his way over to the waiting area, feeling proud of himself for both not hexing Griphook for something he hadn't even done yet and also making a start at a good first impression with the goblins. However, this meeting with his account manager went would determine how much more he would have to do to gain them as allies.
A young goblin came from a side hall. "Mister Potter, this way please." Harry followed the goblin at a respectful distance deeper into the bank and shuddered lightly at the chill of Thief's Downfall before a side door opened onto another hallway. Stopping at a doorway the goblin knocked, waiting till a gruff voice from inside called "Enter." to open the door ushering Harry inside.
"Ah, Mister Potter, I wasn't expecting to see you for another week. I am Barchoke, account manager for House Potter, what can Gringotts do for you?" the goblin within the office stood, coming around the desk.
"Well met Master Barchoke. It is my belief a great wrong has been done to House Potter and at the moment I am unsure who to turn to other than the honorable goblin nation to not only right the wrong, but to get revenge on those who wronged me."
"Please, sit. Why don't you start at the beginning and we'll see if anything I've dealt with matches up with your theories"
Harry outlined the basics, how he grew up outside the wizarding world by his magic hating muggle family, and finding his family's school trunks. Using all the innocence his near 11-year-old form could offer, Harry stirred the pot by mentioning he'd never received any mail until his Hogwarts letter and his "theory" that someone could be messing with him.
"Well mister Potter, I believe we can start taking steps to correct that issue. Firstly we'll revoke access to all keys connected to the Potter vaults." Barchoke took out a small metal bar that had a single sharp edge. "I sympathise at how this sounds Mister Potter, but getting your account secure will see a fair amount of your blood spilt to make it as secure as possible again. Please run your thumb down the edge of this block to create your new vault key."
Harry slit his thumb with the bar and watched in wonder as it transfigured itself into a vault key. Even after all the time he spent in the magical world in his past life, the little things still amazed him.
"Now then mister Potter, that is all the bloodletting we can do today, you will need to return in a week on your 11th birthday to complete everything needed to take your place in House Potter. On that day we'll be able to complete an inheritance test as well as activating your parent's wills finally."
Harry nodded then frowns, looking to get another answer for what happened to him. "Mister Barchoke, why hasn't their wills been activated yet? Wouldn't that have to be done close to when they died? I thought that was the whole point of having one.
"Under normal circumstances yes, but the Wizengamot sealed the wills. Given the...disconnect between the Ministry and Gringotts, our copy cannot be legally unsealed until requested by the heir of the house involved. Once you take up your heirship on your 11th birthday you will be able to request they be unsealed." Barchoke smiled, "Of course I will have all the parchmentwork ready for your signature before that day."
Harry nodded. "I thank you account manager Barchoke, at what time would you like me to see you on the 31st?"
"9:30 would be best Mister Potter, I have a feeling we will have much to go over."
Shaking Barchoke's hand and smiling to himself at the flash of shock on his face, Harry followed his goblin guide to his trust vault, paying the galleon for a charmed belt pouch which he filled with money, thinking about the non Hogwarts magical items he needed.
-¥-NGA-¥-
'First stop, wands. Merlin knows how many times I needed a backup.' Harry thought wryly as he watched the people around him, keeping half an eye out for any Hogwarts staff either playing guide to muggleborn or shopping for themselves. Walking into Olivander's he stopped dead, both cursing and praising his luck because there stood both Minerva McGonagall and Hermione with her parents. Olivander looked up and smiled lightly, Harry knew he was stuck.
"Ah, Mister Potter, I knew I would be seeing you soon. I will be with you shortly." He handed another wand to Hermione and a stack of wand boxes on the other side of the shop exploded. "No, definitely not Miss Granger, I do so love a challenge."
Harry could see the edges of doubt creeping into her face, the teetering self esteem about to take a nosedive at the idea she might not even be a witch and he knew he could help her and befriend her a little sooner. Throwing caution to the wind he stepped forward.
"Excuse me? Mister Olivander, is it true that the wand chooses the witch or wizard?" Harry asked, causing flashes of amazement to cross both his and McGonagall's faces.
"Yes Mister Potter, that is true. I take it you have an interest in wands and their lore?"
"Only in passing sir, given their importance to us, it behooves us to learn about and understand the power and responsibility this item that is both tool and weapon central to who and what we are as magicals."
Sneaking a glance at Minerva he could see her eyes going moist, likely remembering his parents; especially his mother.
She smiled at him. "Mister Potter, were it possible I would give points for that mature and well thought out statement. I am Professor McGonagall, deputy headmistress of Hogwarts and Transfiguration teacher."
"Nice to meet you Professor, I was going to owl my acceptance letter later today," He took it from his pocket. "would I be able to give it to you and save some poor bird the trip?"
"Of course Mister Potter." She took it with sparkling eyes, her stern face back in place.
Harry turned to Hermione and her parents, holding out his hand to her first. "Hi, I'm Harry, Harry Potter. You'll likely find out shortly that I'm a little famous in the Wizarding world. My family was attacked years ago and I was the only survivor, something my parents did stopped the bad guy and saved me. Since I lived I've become a symbol, but really I'm just Harry"
Hermione sprung at him, giving him the "Hermi-Hug" he didn't realize he missed so much and returned it. Realizing what she was doing she let him go, blushing.
"I'm Hermione Granger, these are my parents, Doctors Dan and Emma Granger."
Harry shook their hands. "Nice to meet you both Doctors Granger." He turned to Hermione with a smile that only made her cheeks tinge a little more pink.
"Okay Hermione, I could see you were getting a little stressed out over not finding your wand yet. I want you to close your eyes and take deep breaths, clear your mind. Your wand is in here somewhere, let your magic reach out for it."
"Okay Harry." She closes her eyes with a sigh and without thinking her hand reaches out for his, their fingers lacing. All of a sudden a wand box comes shooting from the back of the store and Harry's seeker reflexes kick in, catching it just before it smacked Hermione in the forehead. Harry opened the box, offering it to her.
"Here we are Hermione, give this one a try."
Hand shaking, she picked it up; the sparks flying from it golden and surrounding both her and Harry. With a squeal, Harry got another rib creaking hug as she whispered "Thank you." over and over.
Olivander smiled at the two of them. "Vine and dragon heartstring, 11 inches. Well done Mister Potter, I dare say you'll have your mother's gift of learning while at Hogwarts. I had offered her an apprenticeship with me once she completed her Charms mastery, sadly we all know how that ended. You have shown you can help others, but let's see if you can help yourself"
Harry closed his eyes, slowing his breathing as he reached out for the wand that both kept him in trouble and kept him alive. Hearing the whistling wind of the bullet box he caught this one too, without opening his eyes. Minerva looked him over critically, measuring him up as a potential seeker since Slytherin has won the Quidditch Cup and House Cup six years in a row.
Opening his eyes he stifled a sigh as he took out his holly and phoenix feather wand, only to let out a gasp as instead of the red sparks from last time his wand emitted the same golden sparks Hermione's did and surrounded them again. Olivander was nearly bouncing up and down seeing this.
"Amazing. Simply amazing Mister Potter. Holy and phoenix feather, but most curious."
Harry decided to play along. "Curious? How so sir?"
"The phoenix that gave the feather in your wand only gave one other. It's brother resides in the wand that gave you your scar Mister Potter."
"Could that possibly cause me issues later were Voldemort to possibly return sir?"
"I simply don't know Mister Potter and I doubt I am alone in hoping we never find out. If anything odd does happen while using your wand I simply ask to be kept informed so that I can assist you in finding answers."
"Of course sir."
Hermione's hand had found his, and her mother was grinning broadly while her father seemed to be mentally going over his "girlfriend's protective father" talk...until Emma noticed and smacked him in the arm muttering. "Daniel Granger you will not attempt to put the fear of God into that boy minutes after they met. Let them become friends, they're too young to do anything serious anyway."
Dan simply grumped over being so easily caught out and cuddled a giggling Emma that kissed his cheek.
Hermione looked to Harry. "Are you doing your school shopping today too?" At Harry's nod she turned to Minerva. "Would it be okay if Harry joins us professor?" She blushed and turned back to Harry looking down. "That is, if you want to Harry."
Harry tugged on her hand lightly. "Please look at me Hermione." She slowly lifted her head, meeting his eyes. "Of course Hermione, how could I pass up spending time with my new best friend?"
Hermione looked completely gobsmacked. "Really? Best friend?" Harry nodded again and took another "Hermi-Hug", hugging her just as tight and for the first time since coming back felt that his life was turning back to normal.