I hope I haven't lost all my readers after the last chapter. :) If there's anyone left reading, there will be nothing in this chapter to upset any shippers.
More seriously, thanks again to KellhusTheKing for being my beta. Any remaining errors are, of course, my own. Thanks to everyone who left a review as well. As usual, a few replies follow below.
LifeIsAGreatAdventure: I did go back in time and edit the previous chapter, crediting you for bringing the timeline issue to my attention. In case you didn't see that, though, here are my thanks again for reminding me of just how tight that timeline was! I hope the fic is once again canon compliant.
Shae Vizla: You are very perceptive. :)
Shadow: Je ne parle pas Français!
KnowPein: He definitely will be dating more girls. This is the bit that never made a lot of sense to me in canon. Harry was a child celebrity, he shouldn't have any trouble getting dates!
Sebastian Perseus Jason: There's a lot in there. Rest assured I've read all of it. I am definitely taking into account your warnings. In regard to your point 3, I don't think so. I admit it's a long time since I was 12, but from what I recall this was exactly the point at which some kids started their first relationships. Not me, alas, I was a very late bloomer, but see my point above about Harry being a child celebrity. For point 4, I'm happy to take some things from Pottermore etc if I like them, but I won't feel bound by it if I don't like it. Insofar as any Harry's grandparents go, I'm more likely to go with the Pottermore version, but at the moment I can't see their identities being that relevant to where I want to take the story. Euphemia's second name was Fleamont, by the way. She begged her husband to not let her family name die, so he gave it to his son as his Christian name. Finally, for point 5, he will definitely be taking those two subjects. I'm completely with you there.
Magnusss: I think hookup culture is a bit anachronistic for something that's set in the 90s among teenagers. Not that I'm under any illusions about people having casual sex then, but the current hallmarks of dating apps and the like were not yet available. That said, he's a teenager, and he's going to have the opportunity to experiment a bit. That said, there will not be any actual sex scenes, or any sex, even implied, for a long time.
AJ Granger: You are also quite perceptive. :)
Laern: Don't worry, I got all three versions of your review. wasn't showing them for ages, but I got the email alert as soon as you posted them. Don't worry, we'll get some more time with Theodore when we get back to Hogwarts. It's inevitable due to where Harry is staying now that we're seeing more of Daphne. But I'm glad you've grown to like my take on her. I'll make a note of your suggestions regarding pairings. :)
Hank1967: I've really been appreciating your chapter by chapter reviews. Hopefully you make it to this chapter and see this note.
"Who is the third who walks always beside you?
When I count, there are only you and I together
But when I look ahead up the white road
There is always another one walking beside you
Gliding wrapt in a brown mantle, hooded
I do not know whether a man or a woman
—But who is that on the other side of you?"
T. S. Elliot
Mrs. Greengrass' strange revelations about Professor Snape never left the back of Harry's mind, but he didn't really dedicate much time to them. After all, there was very little he could do about it, short of trying to look less like his father, and he didn't even know how that would be possible. He'd continue with his strategy of doing as little as possible to draw Snape's attention to him, and try to work a bit harder at Potions.
The following days were spent in a blur of Quidditch practices, finishing the remainder of their homework, going for walks around the countryside and even occasional visits to the nearby town of Holt. Daphne didn't seem nearly as unfamiliar with the muggle world as Ted was. Harry assumed this was due to her father having to deal with muggle tenant farmers. When he brought this up, as they sat in a park eating very muggle ice cream, Daphne was quick to reply.
"If you're filthy rich like the Malfoys, then you can afford to never have to deal with muggles if that's what you like. And you aren't really any worse off for it. But for most people, even purebloods, the only reason to do it is if you hate muggles more than you miss the things you can get from them. At the end of the day, there just aren't that many of us." Harry nodded at this. Daphne went on. "Of course, it's hard to not do magic when you're used to doing it all the time. That's why we keep separate most of the time. I don't know how people like Tracey's dad manage to spend enough time around muggles to marry them, without ever breaking the statute of secrecy. Seems like a load of effort to me."
Harry ruminated on that until it was time to go home. He later sat in bed, having retired a bit earlier, and continued to read through Daphne's present, Duelling for Dummies. The book was very much targeted at competitive duelling, which was a sport of sorts in the wizarding world. Harry found that a lot more appealing than Quidditch. It was a shame that there didn't seem to be any organized competition at Hogwarts. Fights in the hallways didn't count.
He thought about that for a second. Their Charms teacher, Professor Flitwick, was known to have been a duelling champion in his youth, belying his diminutive stature. He wondered if he would be willing to organize a duelling club of some kind. He made a note to ask him once term had started. If not, he'd have to organize some kind of practise with his friends. They'd already had some impromptu duels during their defence practises, but competitive duels had a bunch of rules, which the first chapters of the book had spent some time describing. This was before there was any discussion of spells. In fact, a passage from the book had stuck in his memory, highlighting the importance of practising.
The most important skill for a dueller is not the size of one's spell repertoire, not even any particular spell, but the ability to think on one's feet and react quickly to what one's opponent does. While some of us are born with faster reaction times than others, there is no substitute for practice in developing this skill. The wizard who knows ten thousand spells can be felled by someone with a bit of wit and a stunning charm, if he is not fast on his feet.
This made perfect sense. He was sure the last sentence was a bit of hyperbole on the author's part, but the point stood without it. After some discussion of the importance of being able to move nimbly, because most spells were very hard to dodge if at all possible, the book finally began the part Harry had been looking for, that of basic spells. Of course, he needed to know some spells if he was going to practice, something which the author himself seemed to recognize, because he had divided his book into four sections, with a further section on more advanced techniques, and the fourth on more advanced spells.
Harry was somewhat heartened to find out that he knew a fair few of the basic spells already. Things like the Knock-Back Jinx and the Full-Body Bind were taught as part of first year Defence Against the Dark Arts, although Quirrell's delivery made him question how many people had actually learnt them. It was no skin off his back, anyway. Other spells were part of the curriculum for higher years, but were so ubiquitous that first years with Harry's drive didn't have any issue picking them up, like the disarming charm. While he skimmed through those chapters for tips to make his casting more effective, he was more interested when he got to spells he didn't already know how to cast.
Two spells that seemed very important were the Stunning Spell and the Shield Charm. They were both O.W.L. level spells, so Harry wasn't sure whether he would be able to cast them. Although there was only one way to find out, and that was to try. He wasn't about to do it then, from his bed, though, so he read all he could about them, practicing the wand movements-which weren't that complex to begin with-and incantations. The interesting thing about both spells was that the only practical way to tell that they were working required a partner, one to test whether it actually made them lose consciousness, the other to cast a spell at the shield and see if it held up. So he was definitely going to draft Daphne's help the next day. She could use a break from Quidditch, anyway. They just needed to stay sufficiently close to the house to fool the Improper Use of Magic Office into thinking an adult had cast them. Maybe they could use the former stables where they'd had his birthday dinner. All that was needed was something soft to cushion their landing in case they actually managed to cast the Stunning Spell.
Having decided on that course for the next day, Harry checked the time to find it was one in the morning, and he had spent way too long reading. Fortunately, once he put the book down he was asleep soon.
Daphne proved amenable to the suggestion, as long as they could make up with some Quidditch in the afternoon. Besides, he was reading her present, after all. She seemed quite happy for Harry to take an interest in competitive dueling, which Harry had been hoping for-it was still a form of sport, after all. She saw it similarly to Harry helping her with Quidditch.
"Alright, what do you want to start with?" she asked, once they were in the old stables. For ease of movement, they'd both changed into muggle clothing, unlike the robes they'd been wearing most of the time, at least when not in the sight of muggles.
"I'd say the Shield Charm sounds a bit easier," Harry replied. "Besides, we already know plenty of offensive spells, but not that many defensive ones…"
"Pretty ironic considering we take Defence Against the Dark Arts, isn't it?" Daphne replied with a grin. "Do you think you can cast it?"
"Only one way to find out," Harry replied, holding out his wand and shouting "Protego." As he did, a shimmering shield appeared in front of him, even if it took a lot of his concentration to keep it up. Once she saw that the shield was holding, Daphne shot a Knockback Jinx at him. The shield managed to stop it, but when she followed it with the Disarming Charm, it got through and made Harry's wand go flying out of his hand, even if the strength with which it did so was less than when he'd been previously hit with the same spell.
"Well, that wasn't a complete failure," Harry said as he picked his wand back up.
"My turn," Daphne replied, casting the spell, which resulted in a similar shield, with a similar outcome.
"Alright, we've got the basics right. Let's forget about the Stunning Spell for today and just get on with this. The book said that cast expertly, it shouldn't take any concentration to keep it up, and should continue holding against most jinxes. Let's just take turns. See if you think my wand motions are alright," Harry said.
"Yes Professor," Daphne replied with a grin, though Harry could tell she was actually enjoying herself.
They practiced for the rest of the morning, and while definitely not up to the standard the book deemed as proficient, they had got noticeably better. Then again, the book was intended for adult wizards, so what they were doing was already pretty impressive. But Harry wouldn't settle for mediocrity. Slytherin was the house of the ambitious, after all.
After a few more days of mixed quidditch and spellcasting practice, they had got much better at both. Harry had written Ted about their practice, and he surprised Harry by saying he already knew how to cast the Shield Charm, even if they had probably got better at it than he was. Now that was definitely interesting. Harry wasn't sure if he wanted to know why Ted knew that. He definitely didn't know how to cast the Stunning Spell, though, which they hadn't got to practice yet. Ted had urged Harry and Daphne to learn it so they could teach him as soon as they got to Hogwarts. It'd be really cool to be able to do an O.W.L. level spell like that as a second year. Harry definitely agreed with that. It wasn't even like when they practiced some dodgy spells Ted had found in his father's library. Both these spells were part of the curriculum, so it was like they were studying for classes.
The Stunning Spell turned out to be much harder to cast, though. They managed to produce a red light, alright, but it was seldom effective at doing what it was supposed to, which was knock one of them out. They had managed it a couple of times, but were yet to find a way of producing that effect reliably. It'd be no good without that.
"Do you think your dad could help us?" Harry asked Daphne after a frustrating failed attempt, just after he'd managed two consecutive successes and thought he was onto the trick.
"I know for a fact he has a N.E.W.T. in Defence, so I'm sure he can," Daphne replied. "I just hope he doesn't think we're too young to be learning this…"
"Maybe we can show him how far we've got with the Shield Charm," Harry suggested. "Then he can see we're serious about it…"
"Yeah, let's just get through tonight's dinner first, though. Don't want to stress him too much. He's really worried about this Barty Crouch person who's coming. He's a big muckety muck at the Ministry, and apparently has got a massive stick up his arse."
"What does he do?" Harry asked as they went back into the main, lived-in parts of the house.
"Oh, he's the head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation," Daphne replied. "Dad's got a pet project to record old international legislation that requires the cooperation of the International Confederation of Wizards. I don't really understand it all myself. Besides, his support could be important if it came time to a promotion to head of the Wizengamot Administration Services," she trailed.
Harry grimaced. He'd already caught a few glimpses of the bureaucratic horse-trading that went on in the Ministry from casual conversations with Mr. Greengrass, but the full show was going to be on at dinner. At least there'd be a few other people there, though none of them had children of an age where they'd get dragged along, which at least meant Harry didn't have to awkwardly socialize with someone who he'd exchanged two words with at school. Not that he was completely avoiding that, as there would be such a gathering soon. But he'd worry about that later. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
They practised some more Quidditch in the afternoon, though they finished earlier than usual to get ready for dinner. They wouldn't exactly be dressing formally, but Harry did wear a slightly posher set of robes than usual. Astoria seemed radiant in a set of very girly, light pink robes, and even Daphne wore something slightly more elaborate and feminine than usual, even if with distinctly less enthusiasm than her sister.
Guests began to arrive at about seven. In addition to Mr. Crouch, they had been expecting someone named Cuthbert Mockridge, who was head of the Goblin Liaison Office, which only reminded Harry of Binns' lectures, but was apparently a very prestigious position, and a witch by the name of Loretta Fieldwake, who was a special advisor for Elf Legislation. Harry was not looking forward to the conversation at the dinner table, especially if it included House Elves as the subject. But as a good, dutiful guest, he was at his best behaviour as he was introduced to these worthies, and in the case of Mr. Mockridge, his wife as well.
They all seemed very impressed with Harry, especially Mr. Crouch, who seemed to be looking at Mr. Greengrass with newfound respect. He had forewarned Harry about Mr. Crouch's past.
"He used to be head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement during the War. He used fairly ruthless methods, which were actually quite popular at the time. After you were attacked, he was heavily tipped to be the next Minister of Magic, since Dumbledore had refused the post. But then, his own son was found to be a Death Eater. And not just any Death Eater, but one who, together with the Lestranges, tortured the Longbottoms into insanity with the Cruciatus Curse." Mr. Greengrass was normally a calm and collected man, but he shuddered at the memory of this. "It was one of the most horrifying things I have ever known about. I remember seeing Frank and Alice Longbottom at the Ministry. Bright young couple, from one of the best families in the country, with a young son." The memory of those dark days cast a shadow over Mr. Greengrass. "I don't mean to disparage all the murders that were commited," Mr. Greengrass added, with a pointed look at Harry which told him he meant his parents. "But what they did to them consigned them to a kind of living death. It was horrible…"
Harry nodded, not taking any offence. His mind had latched on to something else, anyway.
"Did you say Longbottom, sir? There's a Gryffindor in my year called Neville Longbottom…"
"Yes, he was born very close to your birthday. Those were his parents. I have a passing acquaintance with his Grandmother, Augusta. Frank's mother…" Mr. Greengrass trailed. "But you have to excuse me. I'm becoming a bit of a rambler as middle age hits," he smiled wryly. "I was trying to warn you about Barty Crouch. Obviously, failing to realize that his own son was a Death Eater caused his downfall. Not only did he not become Minister, but he had to leave the Office of Magical Law Enforcement in complete disgrace. He disowned his son at the trial, but the damage was done. I was just starting at the Ministry back then, and I was the recorder at that trial. He was begging his father for mercy as he was being led out." Mr. Greengrass seemed to be reliving that moment. It had obviously left a lasting impact. "Of course, that would have been a lot more poignant if he didn't have Bellatrix Lestrange next to him, bragging about how they were the Dark Lord's most loyal servants. That didn't make his protestations of innocence very convincing. But Crouch Sr. still got hit with a double whammy. On the one hand he missed what was under his nose the whole time, which made his competence very questionable. On the other, well, he was perceived by many in the public as being quite heartless. He no longer had any hope of becoming Minister."
Harry noticed Mr. Greengrass was being very careful never to give his actual opinions. Part of that was probably his work as a recorder, part his background as a Slytherin. Harry was very curious to know what he really thought, but he knew better than to actually ask him directly.
"Why are you telling me all this, Mr. Greengrass?" he asked instead. "I mean, it is very interesting, but I'm sure you're not just doing it to entertain me," he added wryly.
Mr. Greengrass smiled. "You're quite right, Harry. I'm just giving you the background to understand my warning that he's a very truculent man, who is very sensitive about any mention of the War and any events therein. I'm sure he will appreciate making your acquaintance, otherwise I wouldn't have him here while you are, but at the same time I'm warning you lest you inadvertently say anything which might put him out."
Harry nodded. The information was useful, and you could never know too much, anyway. But that definitely made sense. "I'll remember that. Thanks for letting me know!"
So when he met Mr. Crouch, he made sure to keep any conversation limited to his current role at the Department of International Magical Cooperation. He really was a bit of a blowhard. Someone should have told him that toothbrush mustaches went out of fashion in 1939. Daphne and Astoria kept him busy talking about Canada, though, and since Harry would really rather not think of house elves at all, much less talk about them, he ended up mostly talking to Mr. and Mrs. Mockridge. He found the latter particularly interesting. She was an Arithmancy researcher, while Harry knew very little about the subject other than that it was one of the electives he would be able to take from third year. He asked her about it, and she told him about the different uses, especially curse breaking. Apparently the job of Curse Breaker at Gringotts required a NEWT in the subject.
"Does it have anything to do with the counter-curses we learn in Defence as well?" Harry asked her. She nodded.
"Arithmancy isn't necessary to create a spell, or devise a counter-spell. But it definitely makes it easier. And, might I add, at least in the case of spells which have been created arithmantically, understanding the numbers tends to make the spell easy to cast. However, the real advantage is when you come across a curse you don't know, or don't even know whether something is cursed or not. That's why it's so important if you're, say, one of Gringotts' curse breakers, digging somewhere like an Egyptian tomb…"
This fascinated Harry, and not just because it was an insight into a possible career path in the wizarding world, something he knew very little about. Rather, it was that it opened a window into the creative process that went into designing spells, which he'd not really thought about before.
"I think I just might be signing up for Arithmancy next year," he said, to an approving nod. "Septima Vector is strict, but she has a very good reputation. Besides, there's not exactly a wealth of options to choose…" Harry had the feeling she was about to launch into a rant, but her husband cut in.
"It's a shame they don't put on a class on Being issues. There's Care of Magical Creatures but that hardly prepares anyone to deal with Goblins, or any other Being, really. We have to deliver a lot of on the job training to get people up to speed."
This got Mr. Crouch's attention, who after warming up with a little rant on the declining standards at Hogwarts, turned to Harry, looking like he was about to have a stroke.
"Why, I'm reliably informed that even such an important, core class such as Defence Against the Dark Arts, was in this last year taught by a man who turned out to be an incompetent thief."
Harry certainly wasn't going to be expanding on the thief part. He had almost managed to forget what he'd done to Quirrell, bar the occasional nightmare, or late night sleepless thoughts.
"He was definitely very incompetent. We basically had to start a study group to read ahead and practice, because we could barely understand anything he was saying in class."
"He also smelled like a rotting corpse," Daphne interjected with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Harry almost choked on his food, trying to keep from laughing. Mrs. Greengrass wasn't looking too happy, but Mr. Greengrass was biting his lip to keep from any overt displays of mirth.
Other than that, the dinner went without incident, even if Harry was very bored by the conversation. Still, he knew it was important to Mr. Greengrass, so he grinned and bore it until the guests finally left.
Mr. Greengrass leaned against the fireplace and let out a heavy sigh of relief when the last guest departed. After turning off the Floo, he gave Harry a grateful look and offered him, Daphne, and Astoria a butterbeer for their troubles. They stayed downstairs talking for a while, and after Astoria and Mrs. Greengrass excused themselves, Harry decided to broach the subject of the Stunning Spell. When he'd finished, Mr. Greengrass gave him and Daphne an impressed look.
"Looks like that's one effective study group you've been running. Can you demonstrate the Shield Charm for me?" he asked.
They both nodded, and stepped back before taking turns casting it. Mr. Greengrass sent a Stinging Hex their way, then watched as it was deflected by their respective shields, which now looked much more solid than they had when they'd begun practicing it.
"It's been a while since I cast one of those," he said with a grin, as they cancelled the charms. "You never really forget." Harry smiled. The Stinging Hex had been one of the first spells he ever learned, and not because it was part of the curriculum. He turned to Daphne. "I'm really proud of you for being able to cast this spell at your age," he said solemnly. "There are too many adult wizards and witches, even those working at the Ministry, who can't manage this."
Daphne wasn't often embarrassed, but she blushed at her father's praise. Harry looked away, feeling like he was intruding on a family moment, and also bitterly reminded that he'd never get to hear his own father praise him for a feat of magic.
"And you too, Harry," he told him. "I'm glad Daphne's friends with someone with such drive. It will serve you well."
He then walked towards a large sofa, and bade Harry to sit on it.
"Alright, Daphne, please try casting the Stunning Spell on Harry." Daphne again succeeded in producing a red light, but it didn't even make Harry feel a little sleepy. They then swapped roles, to the same result. Mr. Greengrass had watched the spellcasting keenly.
"Sometimes, slight deviations from the textbook way of casting the spell can help you cast it better. Magic can't be completely boiled down to a simple set of instructions. They are necessary, because we can't expect everyone to discover the best way of casting every single spell by themselves. But ultimately, it is our minds that control the magic, and if your mind resists some particular element of the textbook instructions, you may be well advised to ignore them. I'm inclined to believe this is the case, because you both said you have been able to cast it successfully, but you can't reproduce that result." Harry and Daphne nodded. That seemed like a sensible explanation. "Sometimes it's not even going against the instructions, but adding an individual flourish. I always turn around when I'm apparating, for instance. I always find it helps me focus better. But that's just my particular trick. Now Harry, you've tried casting this a lot of times, I'm sure. Try casting it, but if your hand wants to deviate from the textbook movements at some point, let it do so. Daphne, sit down, please."
Harry did as instructed, thrusting the tip of his wand forward at the last syllable as he always felt compelled to do, even if he'd resisted it out of adherence to the instructions. As the red light hit Daphne, Harry was rewarded as he watched, wide-eyed, as she slumped forwards, her father catching her before she hit the floor.
"She was supposed to lean backwards," he shook his head, before silently casting the counterspell. "Can you try again, Harry?" Harry repeated the attempt twice, now being rewarded with success every time.
"This is brilliant. Thank you so much, Mr. Greengrass," Harry said, still surprised that he had managed to make it work. Mr. Greengrass shrugged.
"I only gave you a few pointers. I'm hardly a Professor," he replied with a grin. "Now it's your turn to serve as a test dummy, Harry. Do lean back now."
Harry did as instructed, as he watched Daphne cast the same spell. He noticed she handled it a little differently, starting with a slashing motion before proceeding in the textbook manner. All Harry could see was a flash of red light before the darkness came.
He woke with a start. It was only now, after experiencing it, that he realized it was the spell Quirrell had hit him with. That left him a little shaken. He knew what he was going to dream about for the night. Still, he didn't want to show weakness, so he sat through the next couple of attempts until they realized that Daphne, too, had got the hang of it.
"Again, I'm extremely impressed," Mr. Greengrass remarked. He was resting a hand on each of their shoulders, but looking mostly at Daphne, with a look of evident pride. Still, he couldn't resist adding "Now that I've seen what you're capable of, your marks better live up to it," with a grin. Mr. Greengrass was a serious man most of the time, but occasionally Harry saw these glimpses of a wry sense of humour not that different from Daphne's.
After warning them not to use that spell willy nilly in school, Mr. Greengrass let them go upstairs. As they walked, Harry could tell how happy Daphne was with her father's praise. He tried to forget about his own misfortune and be happy for his friend. When he finally went to bed, Harry was awake for a long time, the dreaded memories of the day he killed Quirrell running through his mind in an endless loop, until exhaustion finally overtook him and he succumbed to a nightmare-filled sleep.
Not long after, a letter from Hogwarts arrived for both Harry and Daphne. Not only did it instruct them to catch the Hogwarts Express as usual, but included a list of books to buy for the year, including seven books by someone named Gilderoy Lockhart. The Greengrasses seemed to be familiar with the name, and Harry gathered they didn't exactly share the same opinion. Mr. Greengrass seemed to think the man was a buffoon, but his wife thought him a very impressive wizard. When they were alone, Daphne explained this Lockart person was a bit of a celebrity hero.
"Mum has a crush on him. Well, half the witches in Britain do, I suppose. It's not a big deal."
The letter was soon followed by the planning for their trip to Diagon Alley for school supplies. As planned, they wrote Ted to arrange to meet up there. They chose to go on the Saturday, when Mr. and Mrs. Greengrass could both go and side-along apparate one of them each. The neatness of that plan was ruined when Astoria insisted on going too, but this was easily resolved with Mrs. Greengrass apparating back for her.
Side along apparition was slightly disconcerting, but unlike the Knight Bus, at least it was over quickly, and he was soon glancing at the shops lining Diagon Alley.
"You should go ahead and get your glasses, Harry," Mrs. Greengrass told him. Harry had almost forgotten about that. "We'll just take Daphne and Astoria for ice cream. Come meet us at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour when you're ready, will you?"
Harry nodded, and after getting directions to the opticians, made his way there. After the usual star-struck reaction upon finding out who he was, the service was professional and quick. Much quicker than the little he remembered from the muggle opticians, but he supposed that was going to be the case when the optician could do magic.
He was placed under something that looked remarkably like a muggle optician's examination apparatus, but which moved by magic and responded to the optician's wand movements. He only had to answer a few questions about how his sight varied with different lenses, before he had a prescription ready. He really should have had this done a long time ago, because he could see much better with the new prescription than he had been able to with the old.
Then it was time to choose the frame, and any charms he wanted placed on the finished product. He opted for a rectangular shape for the lenses, rather than the circular one he had worn until then. Since the voucher he had got from the Greengrasses was fairly generous, he also opted for a number of useful charms: water proofing, protection against removal, magical hardening to prevent them from being crushed, and a number of other clever enhancements. Magic really was so cool.
The glasses would take a couple of days to be made ready, but he wouldn't need to come back to Diagon Alley to pick them up-they'd just get owled to him. After concluding that, Harry found the Greengrasses at the ice cream parlour, where Mrs. Greengrass insisted on buying him an ice cream to go.
He got a small chocolate cone, and they all walked the short distance to Gringotts. Harry had almost forgotten the wild ride to the vaults, on carts which were one speed only. They got to his vault before the Greegrassess', so he told them to carry on, as he wanted to look through it for any family heirlooms that might have been moved there when his parents were killed.
"There's a bell outside. Ring it when you want picked up. And don't wander, if you know what's good for you," the goblin manning the cart warned him, before speeding away with the others. When they were gone, Harry first got the money he'd need for the year, before walking around the vault trying to find anything that was not money. His quest was successful. Those items had been placed at the bac, probably to make access to the money easier. Harry eagerly jogged forward to the pile of books which first caught his attention.
Unfortunately, there were definitely too many books for him to be able to sort through that day. However, he did find the pile of Hogwarts textbooks, and made a point of bringing two specific books: his father's old third year transfiguration book, and his mother's fifth year Defence book.
Moving on from the books, he found a veritable treasure trove of family papers inside a box. He was definitely going to take those. Grateful for the ability of magic to enhance the storage his satchel provided, while making it weighless at the same time, he slotted them in carefully next to the books before examining some more boxes. His search was rewarded with a treasure trove of jewelry. Well, what looked like a treasure trove to a boy who hadn't seen much jewelry, anyway. Most of it looked fairly recent, however there were some things which screamed 'family heirloom' even to someone who had very little experience of such things. Of course, to some degree magic made such things harder to gauge, because it could be used to preserve these items a lot better than muggle means could.
He hadn't dared to hope for what he was looking for, even if he thought it was worth the few seconds of the search. But hope or not, he was successful. He found an old silver ring with the Peverell crest on it. Alas, it was not the Gaunt ring-there was no stone capping it and bearing the Peverell crest. Rather, it was simply engraved in the silver, on the ring's flat top. Harry certainly didn't think the ring had any magical properties. But he would keep it as a constant reminder of the goal he had assigned himself. Slipping it on his finger, he picked up his satchel and stepped outside his vault, locking the door behind him and making a mental note to return for the books when he had more time. He rang the bell and had a much longer journey back to the surface, due to picking up two other wizards at different vaults. Mr. Greengrass and Daphne had only been waiting for a short time, and had been happy to recover from the cart journey anyway. Mrs. Greengrass and Astoria had gone ahead to Madam Malkins, while Mr. Greengrass walked with them to Flourish & Blotts, where they had scheduled to meet with Ted. Once they got there, they were greeted by the unexpected sight of a couple of familiar faces.
Standing by one of the many bookshelves containing Gilderoy Lockhart's opus, were Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom. The former was accompanied by a couple of upper-middle class looking muggles, who were obviously her parents. They were looking around wide eyed, and trying very hard not to stare at the vulture hat the old woman accompanying Longbottom was wearing, even indoors. Harry couldn't blame them, to be honest. It looked ridiculous, but she was a formidable looking woman otherwise.
Harry remembered Mr. Greengrass had said he knew Longbottom's grandmother, and indeed, he walked straight to her once he saw her.
"Hello Augusta, hadn't seen you in a while," he greeted her. Harry didn't think Mr. Greengrass was very enthusiastic about this run-in, but he dutifully extended his hand as the Longbottom matron replied.
"Ah, Christian, indeed, it's been too long. Here for your daughter's Hogwarts books?" she asked as she shook Mr. Greengrass' hand, her gaze finding Daphne, before coming to rest on Harry. "And who is this? Friend of Daphne's?"
"Indeed, this is Harry Potter," Mr. Greengrass said, urging him forward. Harry suspected that Mrs. Longbottom knew exactly who he was, but he was going to play the game if that's what the adults wanted. "He's one of Daphne's best friends. Harry, meet Augusta Longbottom."
Harry nodded and shook the woman's hand, while Neville was giving him a slightly unhappy look. "You'll know Neville, of course," she said, vaguely pointing at her grandson. "Although I'm sure that being in Slytherin you won't cross paths very often."
Harry and Daphne smiled politely. "Mostly Potions class, m'am," he replied. Mrs. Longbottom then introduced Granger's parents to Mr. Greengrass, Harry, and Daphne. Harry knew his host was perfectly capable of handling muggles, so just smiled until it was his turn to greet them.
As Daphne took Harry's place, his eyes drifted over to Granger, who Harry could tell was slightly surprised by how well the Greengrasses were handling the meeting. To Harry's slight shame, he'd told her in annoyance that he had been raised by muggles, when she caught him reading a tome on the history of pureblood families. So his being able to handle it shouldn't cause any surprise.
"Granger, Longbottom," he greeted with a nod. There was no reason to be hostile, after all, especially in front of the adults, who were now talking among themselves as Daphne had joined them.
"What happened to your hair," Granger blurted, to Daphne's raised eyebrow.
Harry grinned. It's not like Daphne and Granger were in familiar terms, but the hair cut did make for a striking change in his friend's appearance. Harry had known it was coming, but for someone who didn't… That didn't stop Longbottom from cringing at Hermione's perceived social faux pas, though. Honestly, this was a Gryffindor? Even Harry himself was braver than that.
At any rate, Daphne wasn't about to go off at Granger. Harry thought that she secretly enjoyed surprising people with her change in looks, and at any rate was quite proud of how she'd turned out.
"Going to try out for the Slytherin Quidditch team, and don't want it to get in the way. Besides, I just like it better this way. Even with magic, it's so much easier to handle now." She gave Granger a smirk. "Maybe you should try it too."
Granger didn't look happy with that comment, and a glance at her bushy hair was enough to know why. Then again, Harry's hair wasn't exactly long, and was a complete mess anyway. Just when Harry thought the situation couldn't get more awkward, Ted finally arrived.
"Hello Harry, Daphne!" he greeted, before realizing there were other people around. "Longbottom, Granger," he waved half-heartedly, before the adults' attention bore down on him.
Harry had been dreading this moment, because he knew Mr. Greengrass had some reservations about Ted, due to his father. Of course, Harry also knew these reservations were fully justified with regard to the father, but not in the slightest when it came to the son. That said, if there was one thing he knew about Mr. Greengrass, was that he was not inclined to draw attention to himself, and the last thing he'd do was make a scene. He wasn't so sure about Augusta Longbottom, however.
Fortunately, Harry was spared having to rely on his underdeveloped social finesse to handle the situation, as Daphne took charge. Come to think of it, considering it was her father they were dealing with, that made a lot of sense.
"Dad, this is Theodore Nott. We usually just call him Ted, though." Harry could tell she was nervous, but all things considered, handling it remarkably well. Mr. Greengrass cast Ted an inquisitive look. Ted held his gaze well, coming across as respectful without being servile.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Greengrass," he said. "Thank you for having me over at Harry's birthday," he added.
Mr. Greengrass nodded as he shook Ted's hand. "I know how much having you over meant to Harry and Daphne," he replied noncommittally. Ted knew that was about as much as he'd get, so he withdrew his hand with a nod, before Augusta Longbottom came bearing down. Chagrined at this extra complication, Daphne made the introductions again. She gave Ted a jaundiced eye.
"Constantine Nott's boy, are you?" she asked.
"He is my father," he replied glumly. The old woman replied with a cackle.
"I see he didn't bother to come along with you. Or maybe you'd rather not have him along yourself. Can't say I blame you."
Ted was looking grimmer by the minute. If it had been another student he'd've been hexed by now. Instead, he just said "My father was busy today, m'am, but I wanted to meet my friends, so I just took the Knight Bus."
Mr. Greengrass noted the tension and tried to diffuse it by getting everyone to look for the books.
"We've already got all of Professor Lockhart's books picked out," Granger said.
"Professor Lockhart?" Daphne asked with a surprised look.
"Yes, haven't you heard? He announced it yesterday when he was here giving away signed copies of his books. Oh, I do wish he could have done that today instead," Granger said quickly with an adoring look in her eyes.
"Christ Almighty Granger, are you serious?" Daphne asked with a look of disgust. Harry could see Mr. Greengrass giving his daughter an approving look. Granger shot her a frown.
"He's done so many amazing things! I've only had time to look through the back cover blurbs, but he sounds like he knows so much. It's going to be amazing to have him teach us Defence…"
"I can't see how he could be worse than Quirrell. Looks like you're going to be too distracted to pay attention, though" Daphne replied tartly. Even Longbottom grinned at this, as did Harry and Ted. Although Harry still didn't know much about this Lockhart person, he was beginning to gather than most wizards were not fans of him, while most witches were quite enthralled. Obviously not all, as Daphne did not seem impressed by him in the slightest, and to be fair neither did Mrs. Longbottom, who was regarding the pile of books with distaste. That was enough to raise alarm bells, of course. Even if Harry wasn't exactly an expert on these matters, he assumed the man must be quite good looking.
Meanwhile, Granger looked quite outraged at Daphne's suggestion. "That has nothing to do with anything… I, uh, don't know what you're talking about," she stammered, but Daphne just gave her a grin and turned to Harry and Ted.
"I guess this is going to be another year of Study Group Defence. What do you guys say we just buy a set of these things?" she asked, gathering all seven of Lockhart's books into a pile.
"These just seem to be narrative," Ted said as he began to skim through them. "How are we supposed to learn from this?"
"You're supposed to learn from how he handled the dangers he was in!" Granger intervened. Harry could swear Ted had forgotten she was there, but he'd seen how her eyes had lit up at the mention of a 'Study Group.' For the first time, Harry regretted that particular choice of words.
"But we have to read all the other drivel to get to that. Listen to this," Daphne began, taking the book from Ted's hands.
"'Then I dazzled the banshee with my smile-Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile five time winner-until she could no longer contain her adoration…' Bloody wars, this is such rubbish." She threw the book on the pile. "Yes, let's only get one set. It's probably one too many."
Meanwhile, Harry had been gathering the remainder of their required books, all of which they were taking one per person. He caught Mr. Greengrass' eye, who levitated them all towards the counter, excusing himself from Mrs. Longbottom and the Grangers. Harry, Daphne and Ted joined him and quickly settled their accounts.
"I suppose you kids will want to have the day out for yourselves," he said after paying the shop clerk. Harry raised an eyebrow at that, not expecting such a generous offer, and not really sure whether it would be polite to accept immediately. Fortunately, Daphne took care of that problem for him.
"That'd be great, dad. Can you take our stuff too?" she asked.
"Between your mother and I we should manage," he replied with a wry smile. "Be back home for dinner. It was good meeting you, Theodore," he said, nodding at Ted before stalking off, waving goodbye at Mrs. Longbottom and the Grangers, who were still looking through the bookshop. Knowing Granger, she'd be here a while. For his part, Ted just arranged to pick up the books before he left. Soon the three friends were out in Diagon Alley, free of supervision, and looking for a place to eat lunch.
A quieter chapter after the ship-filled last one. As always, I love reviews, so please leave some. I'm especially interested to hear what worked for you and what didn't. So please, review, review.