AN: In no way am I connected to Harry Potter
It was fascinating.
Harry knew for a fact the Weasleys packed the night before.
So how in the world were they just as disorganised now as they had been last year?
Rather than wait, Harry headed to the door of the pub, pulling his trunk behind him. The train station wasn't too far of a walk and he had more than enough time to get there. Even if he didn't, he would still be there before the Weasleys. Hermione had returned home a few days before to spend the last of her summer with her parents.
"Harry, where do you think you are going?"
Harry tensed. He glanced back, still holding the door open. "To the platform Mrs Weasley. I know the way."
"You're not going out on your own Harry." She stood there with her hands on her hips. "Now wait a few minutes. The boys will be ready soon."
Harry doubted that and he thought that Mrs Weasley knew that as well. "Thank you for your concern Mrs Weasley, but I want to get there early to see if I can find Neville."
"I'm sorry Harry, but it's not safe. You'll have to wait."
Harry was not in the mood for this, but he didn't think Mrs Weasley would listen either. He would give her a chance, but if she didn't at least explain herself, he was walking out. "Mrs Weasley, I have wandered around Diagon Alley and muggle London on my own, even greater distance than the train station. I'll be fine."
"That was very reckless young man. This time, you will be travelling with us."
"Reckless?" Harry knew why she thought that, but as far as she knew, he didn't. He knew he was safe, but she didn't. "Why?"
She went from furious to soft in a second. "Don't worry Harry. But you need to wait for us this time."
Harry wasn't waiting and she hadn't given him a real reason to. "Thank you, but I'll be fine Mrs Weasley." Without another word, Harry slipped outside. It wasn't that he didn't want to go with the Weasleys, but he definitely wanted to avoid the sudden rush of a few minutes before the train left.
He also had Hermione and Neville to find.
The first person near his age he met, Harry didn't recognise. All he knew was that she wasn't in Gryffindor. As he was in a hurry to get on the train before Mr and Mrs Weasley came and scolded him, he headed past her.
"Heir Potter. A word please?"
That made Harry stop. He turned and studied the girl properly. She was in his year, but he couldn't place her. "Sure, but fair warning. I haven't had a chance to fully check exactly what alliances my family have with others." That might not be the best thing to admit, but Harry didn't want any misunderstandings due to his own ignorance.
The girl nodded. "That's fine. The Greengrass family made a new alliance with each Lord Potter. My father would like to speak with you concerning this at some point."
Now Harry remembered. This was Daphne Greengrass, a Slytherin in his year. As Malfoy had been Harry's old reference for Slytherins, along with the Quidditch team, he hadn't been interested in getting to know the others.
I'll need to change that. I need to figure out what to do with Snape first. I'm not sure my plan for that is a good one.
"At the moment…Heiress Greengrass?" Harry didn't know of any other Greengrass' in Hogwarts, but she nodded all the same. "I would prefer not to meet with you father as I am currently not equipped to be a satisfactory Lord Potter, never mind a good one. It would be next summer at the very earliest."
Harry hated posh talk, but he needed to get good at it. She hadn't mocked him yet, so he obviously wasn't doing too badly.
"That is fair," Daphne replied. "He only wants reassurance that you are aware of the tradition." She frowned. "My observations of you in previous years made me think you were not."
Is this what a Slytherin should be like?
"You're not wrong, but I learned this summer. So I won't be rushing into anything until I know what I am doing. I would also prefer it if you kept these corrections to you deductions quiet for now."
Malfoy would sneer and jeer at him.
Daphne nodded again with a smile. "A wise choice Heir Potter. I will remain quiet and allow you to choose who to interact with." She turned and slipped back into the crowd, possibly to talk to her parents.
That wasn't so bad.
At least one family was willing to allow him time to figure out things.
Next summer, when he arrived at Potter Manor, he would study those alliances and deals very carefully.
This year though, he needed to focus on Hogwarts. He and Sirius had compared years and, while bullying was rife in Sirius' time too (including his dad and Sirius towards Snape which finally explained why Snape hated Harry so much and not a Life Debt), it was never done under a teacher's nose like it was now. This was when the war was going on as well. There had been no incidents of a teacher bullying a student. Favour yes, but not bully.
Harry wondered how much hostility would go down if he could get Snape sorted out.
I get he hated my father, and I can agree with why, but he's a professor now. He should act more professionally or pass me on to someone else if he couldn't. Besides, he was friends with my mother. Shouldn't it balance out?
On second thought, I'm an idiot for even thinking that.
Harry might be treated the worst, but he wasn't the only one. Neville for instance. On top of that, some Slytherins behave like bullies because they know they will get away with it. Snape giving a lecture on Potions safety and then ignoring Malfoy trying to throw something in Harry's cauldron came to mind. Another incident told Harry Snape needed muzzling before someone got seriously hurt.
If the students behaved this year like they did last year towards him, Harry now had a retreat in his trunk. Then he would get angry. After all, accidental magic was a dangerous thing and he could have easily inflated them the way he did to Aunt Marge. If he did control a Basilisk (and he almost certainly did now), he could have stuck it on them out of pure spite.
Sirius had shown him some breathing exercises and they did help, but when he was truly angry, Harry's magic could escape from him. He really needed to work on that.
Harry found Neville sitting on his own. "Can I join you?"
Neville jerked a little in surprise. "Yeah. Sure. I'm expecting to share with Susan and Hannah though."
"That's fine. Sorry I didn't write this summer. That was wrong of me."
"That's fine," Neville echoed, smiling. "How was your summer Harry?"
Harry shrugged. "Well…Eventful, I suppose. How was yours?"
"Great. I got quite a few new plants for my greenhouses and I even got mandrakes as well. Gran wasn't happy with those."
Harry knew there was going to be a Basilisk in the Chamber, but he should be able to convince her to protect the school. Still, the odds of her Petrifying someone was very low. After all, it was nothing short of a miracle no one was killed last year.
"Neville, I need to ask…" How was Harry supposed to ask this? "Does my family and yours have an alliance?"
Neville's eyes widened slightly, but he nodded slowly. "Yeah. I mean…We are strong allies and help each other whenever we can."
Harry frowned as he sat down. "Your Grandmother is the Regent at the moment, right?"
"Right."
"So you'll be Lord Longbottom when you turn sixteen if you want." Neville's hesitation told Harry he had missed something. He had no idea what. "What is it?"
"…It's…more complicated than that Harry. I…"
Harry tried to read his friend's mood. It wasn't something he was great at, but he could tell it wasn't fear Neville was feeling. It was something else; something far more complicated and Harry didn't know Neville well.
So he backed off. "It's okay Neville. You don't need to tell me."
"…You probably need to know."
"Do I need to know right now? I'm not going to be Lord Potter until after you." There was only a day between them, but still.
"No."
"Then don't tell me if you don't want to."
Neville only had time to give him a small, but grateful smile before the compartment door opened again. It was Susan and Hannah.
I had hoped to be gone before they showed up, but…While Susan never hid her opinion of me last year, neither did Hannah and she never thought I was the Heir of Slytherin. She at least wanted proper proof.
They hesitated when they saw Harry.
"I don't bite," Harry said flatly. Hannah had no problem with entering. Susan took a moment. "Neville was telling me about his summer."
Neville relaxed again.
Harry tried to focus on the conversation, but he found it difficult. He knew where his attention really was, but he couldn't let anyone else know that. So when Susan tentatively asked him if his summer was okay, he responded that he had enjoyed the last few weeks.
Once the train started going though, Harry's attention went to out the window. He didn't say anything to the others and they soon stopped trying to talk to him. This allowed Harry's mind to drift.
Getting his hands on previous Daily Prophet articles had not been easy. After quizzing most of the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley, he eventually just asked Mr Tonks when even Sirius didn't have an answer for him, though to be fair, he didn't know why Harry wanted them. Apparently, it even took Mr Tonks a few days to track them down.
There was no mention of Sirius Black's relation to his mad cousins until after he was arrested. In fact, he was seen as a war hero. More searches showed he was just under someone called Mad Eye Moody when it came to number of Death Eaters defeated. In other words, he was the least likely person to be a Death Eater.
Of course, after Sirius had been thrown in Azkaban (without trial), the newspaper changed its tune, claiming he was evil all along.
Bastards.
No one stepped forward to ask questions. Everyone just accepted it. Including the people that were supposed to be his friends.
Then again, no one thought to check on the Boy-Who-Lived after that night either and instead published things about that night that were impossible to know. Harry had finally relented and bought the books so he and Sirius had a better idea of what 'celebrity Harry' was dealing with and they found that none of the accounts match.
Not surprising. I was the only one there and I went straight to the Dursleys. Somehow, I don't think they interviewed Voldemort.
Apparently, there were no laws against slander.
This was what worried Harry the most.
Mr Tonks had told him of the only person willing to slander literally anyone, but that came with a problem. When Harry read through her previous works, he was very unsure all of a sudden. Sure, she was willing to go after the Ministry if Harry hired her for it, but there was nothing stopping her from going after him instead of the Ministry. Destroying the Boy-Who-Lived would be a dream come true for her, especially as everyone with a brain thought that sending dementors to Hogwarts was going to end Fudge's career.
They had better stay away. What was that stupid idiot thinking?!
For now, until he had a better idea of what would happen, Harry held off the media for now. The Daily Prophet was in the Ministry's pocket and would be unless someone bought all the stocks.
It was an idea Harry liked, but he had no idea how to play the stock market. That was another thing that he needed to learn.
So much to learn…
This year wasn't going to be much fun with the amount of studying he had to do, but hopefully it would be a little less stressful.
Or at least less dangerous. Is there a way to repel dementors? Hopefully, this year's DADA professor is better, though I honestly can't think of a way for him to be worse…
One thing Harry needed to know was if he could find a way to get competent teachers. His parents had paid for his tuition, so Harry wanted to make them proud. He was a little embarrassed on the way he had taken to his work the previous years.
It was a home, not a school. Is there a way to make it both?
Okay, a normal day. Ancient Runes and Arithmancy look very promising, but they're a lot more work. Care of Magical Creatures should be more hands on, but I should study up on the more dangerous animals beforehand. Transfiguration is taxing as well, so I need to study up on that. Charms as well. Maybe I could find genuine uses for them, like changing a button into a beetle around someone is afraid of bugs. History of Magic…What to do there? Professor Binns is another teacher that needs to-
Harry jerked in his seat.
Screeching rang out.
A thump and then darkness.
"What's going on?"
"What happened to the lights?"
"Have we broken down?"
Harry stayed quiet.
The train had stopped; that was obvious.
But why?
Why had the train stopped?
Why could he see his breath?
Why was everything suddenly black?
Why…was someone screaming?
Why…
Why…
Why did his parents have to die?
Was I worth it mum? Dad?
Do I make you proud?
Do I disappoint you?
Harry was cold.
He groaned and rubbed his eyes, forcing himself up. He was lying down. He was very sure he had been sitting a few moments ago.
"Harry?"
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Harry grumbled. He was far from fine, but they didn't need to know that. "What happened?"
He could see Neville now, although he was very blurred. He could also make out two figures to his right, but he couldn't tell who. He rubbed his eyes. He was cold and exhausted, but fine.
Now he could see properly.
Neville, Hannah and Susan shared an awkward look.
"It was a dementor Harry," Neville replied. "You sort of…went rigid and then…I don't know what happened. All I saw was bluish silver and then nothing for a second. Then…You were unconscious and the dementor was gone."
Harry tried to think about this.
But he was honestly too tired.
"Nothing happened to you then? It didn't do anything?"
Hannah shook her head. She swallowed when Harry looked at her, but she spoke. "No. It started towards you, then there was that light. Then it was gone and the lights were back on."
Harry looked between the three solemn faces. Shaken up and shivering.
I don't remember a dementor…I don't…I don't remember anything. All I remember is…cold…and then warm…
Why had he been warm?
Whispers…
Harry fought back a yawn. Right now, he just wanted a bed. He wasn't even interested in the Feast.
If it's dark, we must be past halfway. I'll get changed and then just rest my eyes for a moment…Not long…
Harry blinked awake.
Neville leaned back into his seat from where he must have moved over to shake him awake. "We're there Harry."
Maybe it was just as well he was so tired. Otherwise, he would have been very nervous.
Harry had taken a flying car to Hogwarts last year. It hadn't occurred to him to wonder what the rest of his year did once they left the train, as he certainly hadn't seen older years when he was in his First Year. The answer was horseless carriages.
That wasn't in the Slytherin or Gryffindor books…
As Harry passed through the Entrance Hall though, he finally noticed the statues that were around the walls. Was that Hufflepuff's protection?
Tomorrow…No. After I see my schedule, I'll find a good time to check on the Chamber of Secrets. I could also have a chat with Peeves. Maybe he's been the bane of Filch's existence for a reason.
But a task for a different day.
Harry followed Neville to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to him. Seamus sat opposite and Dean next to him. It took a few minutes for Ron and Hermione to catch up and they didn't arrive together. They still weren't talking.
"Hello Harry."
"Hey Hermione." Even to Harry, he sounded drained.
What's wrong with me?
Hermione frowned. "Are you okay Harry?"
"Fine."
She gave him a very disapproving look. She glanced at Neville, who shook his head. Harry didn't understand their mute conversation, but then he wasn't really trying. He just wanted to try and get some food in him before heading upstairs and waiting for everyone to go to bed.
Dumbledore's speech obviously wasn't going to be as short as it was in Harry's first year.
"Welcome back to Hogwarts. There is a time and a place for words, but this is not one of them. Let's eat."
Harry didn't think he would be able to manage more than a few mouthfuls.
To his surprise, he found himself taking seconds.
"Are you sure you're okay Harry?" Hermione pressed.
Ron interrupted. "He's fine Hermione. He's just a growing boy."
Hermione glared at him.
"Hermione." Harry sent his own glare to Ron before calming and glancing at Hermione again. "I'm fine. Just tired and hungry."
Somehow, this didn't calm her. "Have you been sleeping well? I mean…since-"
"For goodness sake Hermione, leave him alone!"
While Harry did agree with Ron's words, he definitely didn't agree with his tone. "Shut up Ron," Harry snapped. Ron's glare turned to him. "Hermione, I'm fine. Really."
She obviously didn't agree. But she didn't ask again.
Harry didn't pay attention to any other conversation. Neville seemed to notice his lack of interest and ran interference. Hermione had fallen quiet after quizzing Harry, but she didn't rise to Ron's scathing remarks about her cat. Another Gryffindor was snapping back at him, possibly owning a cat herself.
Neville never mentioned a dementor. Harry saw no need to tell anyone. It's not like he saw it.
I hope Susan and Hannah keep their mouths shut.
Dumbledore stood again. "Now we have been fed and watered, I have some grave news. Sirius Black has escaped prison. This year, the Hogwarts borders will play host to the dementors of Azkaban, until he has been recaptured." Not if I have anything to say about it. "I ask you not to give them any reason to harm you. They will not differentiate between those they hunt and those that stand in their way." Harry swallowed, but didn't otherwise react. If an enchanted diary could get in, then they couldn't know. "They will be keeping to the borders of the school, so there should be no disruption to our busy schedules. However, for those who visit Hogsmeade, be cautious. They will not harm you."
Harry disagreed. There had been a dementor on the train. Neville had said it came into the compartment. It could have Kissed anyone there and no one would have been able to help.
If I can prove Sirius Black innocent, then the dementors should be gone. I don't trust them to behave.
That might not be too difficult. If Fudge was worried about appearances and the parents found out a dementor had been on the train with no protection…
That could get Dumbledore out of Hogwarts for not protecting his students.
Maybe not.
Hogwarts. I have enough to do at Hogwarts.
"In lighter news, Professor Hagrid has become our new Care of Magical Creatures teacher." Harry applauded greatly, along with many of the Gryffindor table. That Monster Book of Monsters suddenly made a lot more sense. "And our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher is Remus Lupin."
While there was a polite applause, Harry froze.
That's him? That's one of my father's and Sirius' best friends? He's teaching here this year?
Lupin wasn't looking at him.
Finding himself furious, Harry wrenched his gaze away and to the rest of the staff table to see what they thought.
Polite and 'professional'…No change there…Save for Snape who's livid. No surprise there.
"Now then, I believe it is time for bed. Off you trot."
Harry only noticed when Percy stood up that his badge read 'Pinhead Boy'. Obviously the Twins' work. It did make him smile. Then it made him frown.
Percy's Head Boy, but what exactly do they do? I don't remember who was Head Boy or Head Girl last year or the year before…
Prefects reinforce rules, so were the Head Boy and Girl in charge of them? In the time of the Founders, they were someone to look after the younger children when the teachers weren't there. Harry had only come across prefects when he was about to lose House Points, not for encouragement.
During the Heir of Slytherin incident, they didn't do anything to stop the bullying. Then again, neither did the teachers. Percy was very willing to talk to me about my electives though, which could be due to his personality and not his job.
Harry followed a good distance behind Percy as he led the First Years up to Gryffindor Tower. He clearly took his responsibilities (or at least some of them) seriously. There was no sign of the other Gryffindor prefects, which confused Harry. He was sure there were some from Fifth Year upwards.
Harry hid his sigh of relief when he saw his trunk sitting at the bottom of his bed.
Neville immediately went to bed and pulled the curtains.
Ron also went to bed fast without a word or glance at Harry.
Seamus and Dean talked for about ten minutes, but seeing as three (really two) of their dorm mates wanted to sleep, they didn't stay up long either.
Having slept in the same room as these guys for two years, Harry had a rough idea of how long it took for them to fall asleep. It took far, far too long. Even so, he waited a little longer.
But finally, Harry was the only one awake.
Harry slipped out of bed.
No one stirred.
Tiptoeing, Harry slipped to his trunk. A murmur of his Parseltongue password "Heir of Slytherin" and still there was nothing. After hesitating a moment to be absolutely certain, Harry climbed inside.
Padfoot raised his head from where he was lying.
"Ready to go?" Harry whispered.
Padfoot nodded. He stood up and stretched his limbs before following Harry expectantly. Harry grabbed the cloak that the dog must have shaken off and dropped it over him again.
Scabbers was nowhere in visible sight.
Harry thought he saw movement under the cabinet and if it was it could only be a rat, but there was no guarantee it was Pettigrew. As difficult as it was, Harry left him be. For now.
Padfoot followed Harry, not even hesitating with Pettigrew nearby.
Later. When I am absolutely sure it is him. When I know I can get him to Madam Bones without problems. When I know the Minister won't silence him.
Harry had a plan.
Pettigrew would have Sirius' cell before too long.
There were several secret passageways out of the castle. Harry was leading Sirius to one of them. He could head to the Whomping Willow, which guarded a tunnel to the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade. Hogsmeade was the destination, so that would be ideal.
There was also the one eyed witch passageway, which led to Honeydukes also in Hogsmeade. That was closer and had a few shortcuts, so Harry was leading Padfoot there.
Harry had had some concerns about this.
Sirius had put many to rest, assuring him that people around Hogsmeade were used to stray dogs and so that would be their first thought about Padfoot and that it was not a Grim. As people lived there, it was a lot easier to scavenge meals and he would stay out of everyone's way unless he knew they could be trusted. He had also known the risk of the Leaky Cauldron, but knew that Tom wouldn't allow spells to be flung around. There was a cave in Hogsmeade that would do him well.
Apparently, Heir Potter and the Boy-Who-Lived protecting him made that unnecessary.
Sirius also thought the teachers would be keeping a close eye on Harry, as he had been known to wander. They were also probably relieved that he hadn't managed to get permission to Hogsmeade, so he would be easier to find.
Harry really didn't like the idea of them spying on him and swore to himself to keep an eye out.
Speaking of which…
They were being followed.
Mentally thanking the wand holster, the holly wand slipped swiftly into his hand.
The footsteps had stopped.
Harry spun. "Diffindo."
The quiet spell cut down the tapestry.
Much to Harry's relief, it was the Weasley Twins.
"Hello little Harrikins…"
"Quick reflexes there…"
"What brings you on a night stroll?"
Harry relaxed a little, but he didn't let his guard down completely. He couldn't go back now, especially if the teachers were going to start following him around. The sooner Padfoot got to Hogsmeade, the better.
Lupin knows Padfoot. If he sees him…
Padfoot had to go tonight.
"I didn't get a slip for Hogsmeade, so I was heading to one of those passages. So if you'll excuse me…" Hopefully, they would get the hint.
"Ah Harry…"
"Sneaking around where he shouldn't be…"
"We're so proud."
"So let us show you."
This is exactly what Harry didn't want. "Look guys, someone's going to catch us."
Fred pulled out a parchment from his pocket. "We're experts Harry…"
"We don't get caught."
Harry stared at the parchment, dread and hope curling in his chest.
Please don't let that not be what I don't suspect it isn't.
"What's that?"
George grinned at him. "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good."
'Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are proud to present the Marauder's Map'
Shit.
At any other time, Harry would be elated to see something that belonged to his father. The Marauder's Map was almost in a league of its own.
But.
It was almost ironic that Padfoot would be caught by something he helped make.
How to talk my way out of this? The truth is probably the best, but would they believe me?
They opened up the map. "Right Harrikins…"
"We are here…"
They pointed.
'Harry Potter'. 'Fred Weasley'. 'George Weasley'.
Harry could have laughed.
"And the closest faculty…"
"Is Filch…"
"Who is currently getting annoyed by Peeves."
Harry's relief was quickly interrupted by the question of how he was supposed to ditch them now. As much as he liked them, he did not want to risk Sirius being turned into their dad. He didn't want to put them in that position.
"So to make your journey easier…"
"Mischief managed."
"Here you go."
For a second, Harry didn't move.
Then it registered.
"You're just giving me this?" Did they have any idea what this meant to him?
"Of course Harry…"
"We no longer need it…"
"And you could use it if there was a mass murderer after you…"
"Don't let the Prof get you down…"
"They always forget how good for you fun is."
Gingerly, Harry took the Map from their outstretched hand. "Thank you. I really mean it."
"It's nothing Harry…"
"Now off you trot."
""But be careful.""
With a flourish of their robes that Snape would be jealous of, they repaired the tapestry and disappeared behind it.
Harry watched them go.
Then his soft gaze was drawn to the Map.
Padfoot gently nudged his leg. Harry could almost hear the tail wagging.
"Yeah," Harry murmured. "…Let's go."
Snape patrolled the seventh floor. Filch wormed around the Entrance Hall. Lupin was in his office. The other professors were in their office.
Pettigrew was in the Third Year dorm, but he wasn't where Harry thought he had been. He was by the other wall. Maybe he had moved or maybe he hadn't. It didn't matter.
But the Map made it a lot easier.
Once the statue returned to its original position behind them, Padfoot shook off the cloak. Harry put it in his pocket, wondering why he did that. He soon learned why.
The tunnel was a little tricky for Harry. It was oddly steep yet flat. It was no problem for Padfoot, but he would likely have tripped on the cloak. Fortunately, it wasn't a long trip and there was enough room to put the cloak back on at the end before they left the tunnel.
Empty.
Harry had never seen so many sweets in his life. The only magical sweets he really knew came from the trolley but this was a child's paradise. This was wonderful.
The door was unlocked.
It was cold outside. Harry hadn't worn a coat.
Again, Padfoot shook the cloak off. Harry picked it up and pocketed it.
The street was otherwise deserted.
The dog and boy stared at each other.
Harry swallowed. He knelt down and wrapped his arms around the dog. It was much easier when it was Padfoot and not Sirius.
The dog nudged him slightly and placed his paw on Harry's knee.
"Stay safe, alright?"
A slight snort ('of course') and a nod.
Reluctantly, the pair separated.
The boy and dog stared at each other.
"I'll find a way to visit."
Padfoot shook his head, but wagged his tail. 'That's a bad idea and don't do it, but I would like it.'
Harry's heart skipped a beat. His stomach twisted and squirmed.
Is this what it's like for other families? Is this what it's like to say goodbye?
Padfoot nudged his head into Harry's chest; back towards Honeyduke's.
"Alright, mother hen. I'm going."
If a dog could smile, Padfoot was.
Every step was a mistake.
Every step took him farther away from Padfoot.
There was a near miss with Snape at the entrance to the one eye witch passageway. Harry had to wait for ten minutes before he moved on.
Nothing.
Harry pulled the curtains around his bed.
He took a deep breath.
Sleep was very fitful that night.
AN: Thank you to everyone for reading. My update schedule is going to be slower than it was before as I am much busier now than I was when I started this, so I apologise for that. I have every intention of finishing this story.
I've had a few questions. The first is that I put Hermione and Ron there solely because I didn't want Harry to be alone. I set the timeline along a little bit so the Weasleys had returned from Egypt and were at the Cauldron for Harry when he eventually got away from the Dursleys. Hermione had coincided her visit to the Alley with the Weasleys. Another was why Fudge wasn't there. The answer is that he was there the night before and assumed Harry had somewhere else to go as he didn't immediately come to the Leaky Cauldron and stayed overnight elsewhere. The reason Harry takes Hermione to the bank is because he trusts her and, while he is grateful to Mr Tonks, he doesn't really know him yet. This is also the reason he is reluctant to talk to Skeeter and Bones as he has a bad experience with the Ministry and media.
I do apologise, but I had thought Harry's grandparents had been Charlus and Dorea for years, so it's easier for me to use them. Apologies for those who didn't want it. It was only quite recently in comparison that I learned I was wrong.
Again, thanks for reading.