Change log (for old readers): In chapter three (accidental magic), Harry was able to learn parseltongue using the System but that's now been changed so that the System learnt parseltongue and translates it for Harry.
Also, I accidentally made Dudley a year younger. I have changed it so that his age match canon's now. Many thanks to Nanettez for pointing this out.
Chapter Seven: Self Defence
Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions
31st July 1991
In a shop filled with beautiful handmade dresses and robes sat a young boy on a stool. Platinum-blond hair, arrogant grey eyes, pale, peachy skin; the boy looked like a king looking down upon his kingdom. His back was straight, staring fiercely ahead as a tape measurer measured itself against him, as if there is nothing that will faze him.
Internally, he was nervous, and very bored. It was one of the few times he's been out of his mansion, and the place was crowded with unknown witches and wizards. Although he'd met many strangers before, it was always at a ball or dinner, so he knew for sure that they were good people but today… he was breathing the same air as people who were poor, or squibs, or worse – mudbloods.
While he personally had never met any before, father had always said that they were foul inhumane creatures who taints magic itself. They'd eventually contaminate the entire wizarding world and-
*Ding Ding*
The tinkle of bells at the door interrupted his thoughts, signaling a new customer at the door. A giant bearded man walked in. Strange… Judging by appearance, especially his tattered clothing, the poor fool doesn't look like he could even afford a sock in Madam Malkin's; why's he here?
Ah! There's a boy next to him. He's probably just showing him directions. See, he's leaving now.
The blond boy internally marveled at his ability of deduction.
Hmm… Now who is the boy? He looks my age, if not younger, but he's likely here to get his school robes. His clothing is a bit weird though, it looks worn out and way too large for him, which suggests he is poor; but contradictorily he's able to afford the exquisite handmade robes at Madam Malkin's. Wait what is he even wearing? It doesn't look like any robes I've ever seen…
Madam Malkin was having a conversation with the raven-haired boy, behind a muffing ward, of course, to protect confidentiality, before pointing to a stool next to the blond boy.
Okay, he's walking over. Let's find out more about him…
"Hello. Hogwarts, too?"
"Yes."
"My father next door is…"
Not really listening to the boy's babbling, Harry was delighted to find out that the System's scan of the boy was already at 60%. It seems like the speed was dependent on how powerful of target it. As scanning slows down as scan completion increases, (much like how its takes longer to cook the center of a piece of delicious steak), Harry halted the scan to display stats, familiar green lines flashed across Harry's eyes.
[Name: UNKNOWN
Race: Human wizard
Age (approx.): 11
Strength: 4.6 (Slightly Below Average)
Agility: 5.6 (Above Average)
Intelligence: 5.9 (Above Average)
Stamina: 4.3 (Below Average)
Magic Power: 7 (Strong)
Additional comment: Organism is bought up as an heir to a rich wizarding family, leading to the procession of an aura of superiority.]
Harry was glad when the rather unpleasant and confusing conversation with the blond boy was over: unpleasant because the boy offended his friend Hagrid, mentioned his dead parents, and is apparently a racist against muggles; and confusing as he mentioned something to do with 'slithering' and 'huff n puff', and let's not even mention some sport with a weird name that begins with a 'Q'.
With Hagrid's hand in one hand and a delicious chocolate and raspberry ice cream with chopped nuts in the other, the duo strolled leisurely down the street to a small corner shop that sells quills and parchments.
Upon entering the shop, the friendly shopkeeper gave a smile and a nod to the duo. Hagrid helped Harry picked what he needed and went up to the counter.
"Ah, another one going off to Hogwarts, I see," exclaimed the shopkeeper, "could I perhaps interest you in purchasing the 'Ultra Ultimate Quill of Ultra Ultimacy V2.1'? Not only is it lightweight, self-inking, spell-checking, anti-dripping and self-writing, it also improves handwriting and make notes for you! Here, give it a go, young man!"
He handed over a golden sausage shaped object etched in delegate runes with a pointed end. Despite being called a quill Harry immediately recognized it as a muggle fountain pen. Picking it up, the runes glowed slightly in a dim blue flash briefly.
The shopkeeper pushed a small piece of rough parchment across the counter.
"Go on, try it out. Just write something and you'll feel it guide your hand smoothly across the page!"
The shopkeeper watched as the raven-haired boy squiggled the quill across the parchment, but to his surprise nothing was coming out! A bead of sweat rolled down his face as he internally panicked, worried about the shop's reputation.
Meanwhile, Harry was watching the System's display.
[New magical object detected.]
[Warning: unknown object attempting to withdraw mana from host. Self Defence Module activated. No objects will be able to extract host's mana until object is deemed safe. Identifying Object…]
[Identifying… 10%]
[Identifying… 20%]
[Identifying… 30%]
[Identifying… 40%]
"I apologize for this…" said the shopkeeper awkwardly, "this has never happened before. Maybe it's just been used so many times that the runes have worn out… Here's a brand new one, never been used, give it a go."
Before Harry could react, the pen was snatched from his hand and a new golden one replaced it.
Since this was a new pen, after the same messages from the System, the scan was restarted from 0%.
Knowing it wouldn't work, Harry patiently held the pen in his hand to wait for the scan to complete, but the shopkeeper was anxiously waiting for him to write something to proof that the shop wasn't selling defective products.
"Just write something here. It'll work this time, I promise."
The restarted scan was only at 50% at this point, but he'd already been standing there with a pen in his hand for a minute. Another customer has entered the shop at this point, and, not wanting to look like an idiot in public, Harry could only raise his hand to write on the parchment.
Unsurprisingly, not a single drop of ink flowed out.
"Ha ha," laughed the shopkeeper nervously, "it's my bad, this is the quill meant for display only so of course it can't write… I must've gotten it mixed up…"
He quickly swapped the pen for another.
"Try this one! It'll definitely work!"
Harry held the pen in his hand as the scan was once again restarted.
[Identifying… 10%]
[Identifying… 20%]
[Identifying… 30%]
The shopkeeper stared intensely at Harry as beads of sweat rolled down his face.
Please Merlin, let it work this time or my reputation would be ruined, and nobody will buy quills from there again…
[Identifying… 40%]
[Identifying… 50%]
Harry felt many eyes upon him as he just stood there with a pen in his hand. A woman in the queue behind him impatiently faked a coughed loudly and muttered rude things not-so-under her breath.
Embarrassed, Harry could only lift the pen up and drew across the page.
The shop owner looked down at the perfectly blank piece of parchment.
NO! Why did it not work?
"This… I… I…" the shopkeeper stammered, struggling to find an excuse as sweat was streaming down his face.
"Wait, wait," said Harry, "let me try again."
Harry slowly lifted the pen, buying precious seconds for the scan to complete. After ten seconds, the runes on the pen flashed a bright blue glow. Ink flowed beautifully into delicate cursive words, ending the shop owner's torment.
"It works! Erm… I mean, of course it works. I wouldn't sell anything that doesn't work here."
He looked down at the parchment, thankful that the pen finally worked, when he noticed what was written there.
Harry Potter.
Harry, not knowing what to write, had simply written his own name down.
It can't be…
The owner looked up at the young boy with distinctive Potter hair and emerald green eyes.
"You're… You're… Harry Potter! Please, you don't need to pay…"
"No, it's fine. I don't want to be treated differently."
"No no no you don't understand. This shop is only able to flourish thanks to your mother's inventions! More than half of the enchanted quills here are invented by her. In fact, 'Ultra Ultimate Quill of Ultra Ultimacy V2.1' was her best enchanted quill! It cost me an arm and leg to buy the right to sell those, and it was the best decision I've ever made!"
"Very well then…"
Harry and Hagrid left Amanuensis Quills without spending a knut.
"Hagrid, did mom invent a lot of things?"
"What, yer aunt and uncle didn't tell yeh? Yer ma was the craziest inventor ever! The firs' day when she 'rrived at Hogwarts, she was told mugg'e technology dun work 'ere. An' ya know what she said? 'Challenged accepted.'"
Hagrid continued reminiscing about what 'Mad Lily' got up to. How she nearly blew up Hogwarts multiple times. How she actually blew up the astronomy tower. And how Dumbledore was so fed up that he conjured and warded an entire building just for her crazy inventions.
The Daily Prophet Headquarters
31st July 1991
"Director!"
"What's going on?"
"The Boy-Who-Lived has been sighted in Diagon Al-"
"Again? We've had over 500 'sightings' and not a single one of them were true. Tell me something that's worth my time."
"Well, the goblins have all been acting strange and-"
"Strange how?"
"Well, they're running around Gringotts whispering to each other and gasping in surprise."
"Hmm, what else?"
"Apparently, Amanuensis Quills is selling defective products…"
"Hmm… let's get Skeeter on this and on the goblins as well. Maybe she'll be lucky and see the Boy-Who-Lived on the way…"
A/N:
Hello everyone! Here's a surprise A/N!
First of all, thank you for everyone who has read up to this point! I'm glad you're all enjoying my story (if you're not, why are you here? XD).
Secondly, reviews. A big thank you for all the kind reviews I've had at this point! I've yet to ask for any reviews as I don't think anyone has read enough of the story yet... until now! With 7 chapters and over 10,000 words, I would like to kindly ask you for reviews! Tell me what you like and don't like! Comments such as 'wow this story sucks' is not welcome but constructive criticism such as 'wow this story sucks because you made Dumbledore too sexy' is welcome! (Saying my story sucks is not compulsory. :\ ) I'm not an experience author so I really want to know what I'm doing right so I can continue doing it and what I'm doing wrong so I can improve!
Lastly, update schedule... or lack of it. I'm going to try to update more often, at least once a month. Hopefully. But I can promise you next chapter is coming next week!
Once again, a big thank you to all of you!
Aiden
P.S. American English or British English? I've been using American English right now coz that's what my spell check likes but since this's a Harry Potter fanfic maybe British would be better? Let me know by using the poll on my rather empty profile or by just leaving a quick review.