Chapter 33a

Dreaming Spires continued

After one last hug from Petunia, Harry smiled, finally at peace with his decision to re-join the muggle population and his wise decision to go to a muggle university. Petunia, Dudley, Severus, Draco and Ginny waved at Harry as he got into the car beside Luna and fastened his seat-belt.

"Are you ready, Harry?" Harry nodded at Vernon and he drove out of Privet Drive onto the main road. The trip from Surrey to Oxford did not take long but to make the trip seem shorter, his uncle turned on the car radio tuning into BBC Radio Surrey. David Bowie's Star-man was playing on the radio and Harry sang along to the melody. "Who's this, Harry?"

"He's a rock veteran called David Bowie, he often sings about other life-forms being on other planets and throughout the universe. He is rather out of this world himself. I still think 'Heroes' is my favourite song. It's about the Berlin Wall" Harry explained

"You'll have to introduce me to lots of muggle artists, I really think there are advantages to living in the muggle world"

Vernon nodded "I agree, Miss Lovegood, I…I am so sorry that I gave you such a bad impression of me when we first met. The H…Horcrux made me a nasty man to deal with. If it hadn't been for you, miss love-good, we might never have gained a close relationship with Harry and he might never have broken free of Dumbledore's sphere of influence!"

"Ah, but I did say that there was more to your hating Harry than just your inability to accept him as a wizard. Don't beat yourself up too much Mr Dursley, it has come full circle for Harry and yourself now. And that is for the greater good."

"Uncle, I know we haven't spoken much over the past few weeks. But Luna is right, when I forgave you, I meant it, this is a fresh new start and there will be no more looking backwards to the past, I am only going forward. My other godfather taught me that. Even though Dumbledore was evil, he did teach me the value of forgiveness and that was the basis of my choice."

"Hmmm, I wonder when he got warped by the power and greed?" Luna asked Harry.

"Thank you, HHHHHarry, you are most forgiving"

"Vernon, if you go all mushy on me, I will hex you!" Vernon roared with laughter at his nephew's satire sense of humour and then he spotted a motorway services station. "Do either of you want a latte or herbal tea?"

"Some Tea wouldn't go a-miss, Uncle Vernon. I'm buying"

The three occupants of the car driving towards Oxford were looking out on the river on the Dartford crossing motorway services.

Thirty minutes later, after a pit-stop Vernon was driving almost past the limit on the M25 to get his nephew to Oxford. They pulled up to the main building and were met by Professor Hargreaves in the corridor of the main campus. "Hello, are you…Harrison James Potter?"

"Yes, you must be Professor Hargreaves." Harry shook the man's hand. "Pleased to meet you, Mr Potter, I take it this is your guardian, your uncle and you are…?" Luna answered "His betrothed, professor"

"Yes, well, I will show you to your studio apartment, Mr Potter and here is your fresher's pack which has a map and a Key-card to your apartment. Would you like to get your luggage and boxes out of the car and follow me to the apartment block?"

"So, Mr Potter, I understand you did an A-level in the sciences, chemistry, physics and biology. It says here you also studied applied Mathematics at a degree level….at a private boarding school in Scotland! That must have cost you a small fortune!"

"Not really, my parents were wealthy and left me quite a substantial inheritance. And I have an accountant who looks after any investments. He is really good at looking after my best interests and I trust him."

"Of course, it's only right you should trust him, I may have heard of him, what's his name?"

"His name is Severus Snape. Steward of the House of Black and Potter families." Professor Hargreaves stopped in his tracks. "Severus!"

That made Luna quite wary "Harry trusts him, that's all you need to know, professor."

"I know Severus, he came to a physics conference presented by Sir Stephen Hawking." The professor smiled "Can you let him know he is welcome here. I've missed our chats." Luna relaxed then "Of course, professor, now let's go and see Harry's apartment."

Hargreaves showed Harry a studio apartment that was quite spacious. A small kitchen area, a shower room and a water closet. A cosy living area with a desk and chair for his studying and a fold-up divan double bed. "Wow, I love it, how would you feel if I paid two years of tuition fees up front, Professor"

"That's wonderful, Mr Potter, wouldn't you like to see the sports hall first?"

"No, I'm sure I can find it, Professor"

"No, really, Mr Potter, I would feel better if I gave you a tour of the excellent facilities we have here."

"Okay, but first we sort out the legalities and the counter-signing, Cheque or Card?"

"Card, if it would be okay, Mr Potter"

"Let's go to your office, oh I have my passport and Provisional Licence as I.D, would that suffice?"

A quarter of an hour later, Heir to the House of Black and Heir to the House of Potter was a fully enrolled student at Oxford University. Professor Hargreaves noticed that Harrison James Potter wore two rings with the insignia of his families and that the card belonged to a strangely-named bank.