The car pulled up- outside the Grangers house. The house was larger than the Dursleys, and was in a more affluent neighborhood. Still, the house gave off a sense of casual comfort that the houses in Little Winging never could.
"Come on Harry! I'll show you around." Hermione said excitedly.
"You need to get your trunks out of the car first dear." Emma said teasingly.
Hermione blushed, and quickly got her trunk out of the trunk. Harry followed suite quickly.
Emma helped Hermione while Dan grabbed the other side of Harry's. Surprised, Harry muttered his thanks.
The four of them carried the trunks into the house. Harry's was placed in the guest bedroom, while Hermione's was put back in her room.
Hermione then proceeded to show Harry all around the house, and then around the neighborhood.
They stopped by the library, and the nearby bookshop in town, before heading back to Hermione's house for dinner.
Dinner was a fun affair. The Grangers asked about the magical world, and the pair was more than happy to talk about Hogwarts and share stories of their classes. The pair was especially gleeful in retelling their de-fanging of Snape.
The Grangers were at first rather concerned that a man resembling Snape, who was obviously unsuited for the classroom, was teaching a core subject. After hearing what the trio had done to the man, Dan and Emma were laughing uproariously.
The four had a very fun evening that culminated with watching the fourth Star Wars movie.
Over the next few days leading up to Christmas, Harry and Hermione explored the neighborhood more than Hermione had ever done before on her own. Harry had also managed to get to his Post Office and retrieve a number of letters and packages that he had requested held for him.
Reading through the letters, he came upon one from a Dr. Jackson, asking his opinion on Egyptian hieroglyphs that supposedly predated the official date that the Pyramids were built by.
Interested, Harry wrote back and asked for more information. The packages contained a large number of books, scroll, and other writings, mostly from Egypt, but a few from Greece, China, and Indonesia.
Hermione asked him why he was getting so much mail from such strange places and Harry grinned.
He began explaining to Hermione his gift with languages, and how he had turned it into a small but profitable (for him) business.
Hermione was astounded by the idea that Harry had accumulated not only fifty thousand pounds, but also texts. Texts that were rare, to down right unique.
Hermione tried to insist that she be allowed to read the texts, but after looking at them, she realized that even if Harry gave them to her, she wouldn't be able to read them until she learned the languages, and that could take years if not decades.
Disappointed, she asked Harry what his pen name was in the linguistic world. Harry grinned "Howard Carter" he responded cheekily.
"Didn't he find..." Hermione began.
"The Tomb of Tutankhamun, yes he did. That's why I chose him."
Hermione nodded. "You know you're going to have to tell Lisa about this." Hermione said firmly.
Harry nodded. "I was planning on telling you both before the end of the year anyway." Harry said calmly.
The rest of the week passed in a blur of study, writing letters, talking with Hermione, and preparing for the Christmas holiday.
Shortly before Christmas, Harry asked if they could visit Diagon Alley.
The Grangers didn't mind, and both Harry and Hermione wanted to shop there, so the four of them piled in the car and drove to Charring Cross.
The four passed through the Leaky Cauldron without any problems. Harry drew his wand and tapped the required pentagram to gain access to the magical shopping district.
The four first made their way to the bank, so that the Grangers could exchange currency, and so Harry could deliver on his side of the Goblin's deal.
HP**************************HP************************HP
Harry entered the bank and walked up to a goblin teller.
"I would like to speak with Mr. Griphook please" Harry said politely.
The teller looked startled that a wizard knew a goblin by name, but then he quickly became suspicious.
"And what business do you have with master (the goblin emphasized the title) Griphook boy?" the teller sneered.
Harry gave a tight lipped smile. "I am here to conclude a previously negotiated bargain."
The Goblin frowned and pressed a button on the bottom of his desk.
Moments later Griphook walked out of a tunnel and nodded to Harry.
"Good day Mr. Potter." Turning to the teller he said "I assume that he is the one I was summoned about?"
"Yes master Griphook." The teller said quickly.
"Excellent, you may proceed." The teller nodded and Griphook led Harry down into the depths of Gringotts.
Gringotts was more than a bank to the British Goblins, it was their nation. Harry was led not into the lower caverns, where wizard gold was held, but instead into the upper caverns.
Harry gasped as he and Griphook emerged into a massive hall, three times the size of Hogwarts Great Hall, and completely filled with shops recessed into the walls of the cave.
Griphook hurried Harry past as Harry tried to see what the Goblin merchants were selling. Stares followed them as the goblin artisans realized that a human was walking through their realm unopposed. The goblins were immediately watchful and suspicious.
Goblins considered humans to be short sighted greedy impulsive creatures. The fact that they routinely stole goblin treasures while only paying the initial fee reinforced the notion.
Humans, even muggles were long lived by the standards of the goblins. The goblins generally lived only an average of forty years, and that only with what magical medicine they had.
Never the less, the goblins thought far farther ahead than humans, especially wizards. The Goblins thought ahead by generations, usually more than one. They were a rather patient race, waiting until they had power and then striking their foes.
Thus a greedy thieving shortsighted human being escorted through a market that the wizards were not supposed to know about made quite a stir among the goblin artisans and merchants.
Griphook hurried Harry thought the cavern and off into another cave complex. Goblins here hurried to and fro, doing all manner of things by torchlight.
Harry was interested in the architecture, but Griphook did not give him time to admire it. All he was really able to see was that the granite and marble walls were covered in runes, both pressed in and extruding from the walls.
The pair walked through the tunnel until they reached a pair of doors that were cast from solid gold. The gold was forged with runes written in the molten metal as it cooled, leaving the runes virtually indestructible.
In front for the doors were four heavily armed goblins, one on each side, and two in front of the door.
Griphook walked up to them and spoke in goblygook for a moment. Fortunately Harry understood it to some degree now, so he understood Griphook's request for library access.
The right hand goblin nodded sharply and the two front goblins opened the door.
The Goblin library was unlike anything Harry had ever seen. It was a long hall, nearly thirty feet in width, and nearly a quarter mile long.
On the sides alcoves opened onto rooms the size of small houses, each filled with books, scrolls, maps, and even some artifacts.
Harry gasped. The Library was filled with more knowledge than he could learn in a lifetime. Looking at Griphook for permission, Harry was surprised to see Griphook beckoning him forward.
Following in confusion, Harry walked passed seventeen rooms before Griphook entered one.
Harry followed into a room filled floor to ceiling with tablets, scrolls, and the occasional book.
Griphook moved to a shelf of maps that had an empty space on it and stopped.
Harry stopped behind him in confusion. Griphook turned to Harry with a feral grin.
"If you can place your maps and translations here you may have limited access to our library. As per our agreement you may not remove anything from the library, nor may you study certain goblin practices, however you may study anything that is not held as a goblin secret.
Without hesitation Harry removed copies of his maps and notes and placed them on the shelf.
Griphook handed him a gold coin with a hole in the middle.
"An Ahnleh, an Egyptian coin of the priesthood, they were once the only coin needed by Egyptian wizards. After the Romans came, the priesthood fell, and the Ahnleh's were mostly lost." Griphook looked down at that, as if in shame. "We have since found only a few, but have used them as untraceable; portkeys to our Library."
Harry looked at the coin in his hand. He felt a warmth coming from the coin, one that he could feel, but that he couldn't identify.
"And you feel safe giving me such a thing?" Harry said quietly.
Griphook gave a nasty grin. "That coin now signifies that you are a friend of the Goblin nation, and we need all the allies we can get." Griphook said simply. "We also have used the Ahnleh as a form of binding charm, so that you may not betray our secrets to the Ministry, or any others without permission. That clause will not kick in until you use the Ahnleh however."
Harry nodded. That made sense. He would certainly be wary when giving a potential enemy, however kind and good they might seem, access to his most powerful and precious secrets.
"Well, let's get started then." Harry said with anticipation.
Harry spent hours in the Library. He quickly realized that the items and writings were organized by subject. The room he had started in was the Egyptian room.
While Harry spent a good hour browsing through that room, he was eventually drawn into other rooms.
In the Hindu room, he came upon a scroll that described a god who knew the speech of all animals and all men. Harry was fascinated by the implications, but despite his search he found no record of the spell that allowed it. Harry wondered if the wizard in question was in fact someone with the same ability he had. If so that meant he could probably learn animal languages too.
Other fascinating areas of knowledge were opened to him by the library. He read an opening on one of the mind arts books and was quite taken with the idea of organizing his mind and gaining a photographic memory.
Finally however he realized that he needed to get back to the Grangers, so he reluctantly pulled away from the library.
He found his way back to the main doors of the Library and opened them from the inside.
He found four goblin guards, (He wasn't sure if they were the same ones. Did goblins use shifts?) and asked directions back to the main lobby.
A lesser goblin was summoned and ordered by the guards to bring him back to the lobby.
The lesser goblin led him through a confusing maze of corridors, different from the ones that he had come in by.
Finally he was led into the cavern marketplace. When he arrived however, the goblins were not merely wary of him, they were down right hostile. A few even came between him and the exit.
"What are you doing here human?" spat one of the largest goblins in the group.
Harry frowned, looked around for a moment and then straightened. "I am here to study from one of the greatest centers of knowledge in the world." Harry said placating. "As far as I know your Library in unmatched anywhere in the world." While Harry personally disagreed with that statement, he hoped that it would diffuse the situation.
He was quite wrong.
"You have read from our texts? You have stolen Goblin knowledge!" the leader screamed at him.
Realizing that things were getting out of control Harry tried to prove he was no thief.
"The knowledge I learned in your library was paid for in full by the knowledge I added to it." Harry said quickly.
The goblin screamed in rage and leapt at Harry with a drawn dagger.
Harry had just a moment to realize that his guide had vanished at some point before the goblin drove him to the ground.
The goblin dagger was poised above Harry's throat when he felt the Ahnleh grow from slightly warm to hot.
A shockwave of golden energy flew from the coin bound on a cord under his shirt. The wave blasted the goblin back ten feet and caused the group to recoil in shock.
Harry stood quickly, and as he did the Ahnleh somehow ended up outside his shirt, hanging openly.
"You wear the Ahnleh." whispered one of the mob members in awe, and disbelief.
"Yes" Harry said firmly. "I am a friend to your nation and your people. That is why I study your arts."
The goblins were so surprised that none of them protested when he walked into the tunnel that led back to the surface.
"The Ahnleh protected him." muttered a goblin that had seen the entire event from the sidelines.
Murmurs filled the room as the goblins thought about what that might mean.
HP****************HP***************HP
"Harry! Where have you been?" Hermione shrieked as he emerged from one of the tunnels that led to the lobby.
Harry thought for a moment before saying "I was studying some books that a goblin recommended I read."
This successfully diverted both Hermione and her parents from their prepared speeches.
"What kind of books?" Hermione asked excitedly. Harry tried to answer, his mouth opened and formed the words, but they couldn't leave his throat.
Frowning he muttered "I guess the security spells activated early" before saying "I can't say, they are under secrecy spells so I can't reveal what they are about, or where I read them. I was still in Gringotts though." Harry said hurriedly as Hermione looked ready to begin a rant on safety. She had become even more paranoid than Harry after the troll incident and the Slytherin aborted attack.
Hermione nodded slowly, and then dragged a quietly protesting Harry out for cloths shopping.
After nearly three long hours of shopping for clothing, (Harry's and Hermione's much to Emma's silent amusement)
The four returned to the Grangers home, only to find a bit of a problem.
"Hey Hermione, isn't that McGonagall's animagus form?" Harry said as the car pulled in.
Hermione frowned. "Yes I think it is, I wonder what she is doing here."
The Grangers got out and Hermione walked straight towards the professor.
"Can I help you professor?" Hermione asked the cat.
Dan and Emma exchanged puzzled glances.
When McGonagall transformed back into a witch, the pair of them were shocked.
"As a matter of fact Ms. Granger you can help me. Can you tell me where Mr. Potter is?"
"Right here professor" Harry said coming out of the car.
McGonagall jumped and then looked sternly at Harry. "And may I ask why you are not at your relatives Mr. Potter?" McGonagall said frostily.
"I don't see how that is any of your business professor, in fact, I don't see how what I do outside of your classroom is in any way your jurisdiction unless it impacts school discipline."
McGonagall blinked.
"Further more, you and Headmaster Dumbledore seem to believe it is your right to know what I do with my time outside of your school. It's not. If I choose to spend a vacation with my relatives or with a friend, it is no concern of yours."
McGonagall stared at Harry speechless for a long moment.
"Mr. Potter" McGonagall said slowly "You are a celebrity in our world, and there are many who would wish to kidnap or otherwise harm you, so it is imperative that we know where you are at all times."
Harry scowled "Who is 'we', and why have I only heard about these supposed threats now?"
McGonagall looked flustered as she said "Dumbledore decided that you didn't need to be burdened with such concerns until later Mr. Potter." She cleverly avoided the question of who exactly was looking after Harry.
'Hm.' Harry thought calculatingly. 'It seems that the Headmaster is even more of a control freak than I thought.'
Aloud he said "Professor, my safety is my own responsibility, and frankly the fact that you have chosen to leave me ignorant of this danger for months tells me that you are at best negligent in regards to my safety, so I really have no reason to listen to anything you say outside of school."
The Grangers (sans Hermione) were still staring at McGonagall, like, well, like she had just transformed from a cat.
"Mr. Potter" McGonagall said coldly "I will be escorting you back to Hogwarts immediately, pack your trunk."
"Now wait just a moment" Dan interrupted. "Don't Harry's guardians get to say where he can stay? I'm pretty sure that's not you professor."
McGonagall stared at Dan for a full five seconds before saying "This is none of your concern Mr. Granger, this is a matter confined to the wizarding world."
"So kidnapping is legal in the wizarding world?" Emma said furiously. "Or is it only kidnapping a famous minor that is ok?"
McGonagall chose not to respond to that and instead ordered Harry to get his trunk again.
Harry however had had enough. "No thank you professor," Harry said as he drew his wand "I'm afraid I have no interest in being kidnapped."
"You cannot do magic outside of Hogwarts Mr. Potter" McGonagall said condescendingly "I on the other hand can."
"Actually that's not quite true" Hermione said suddenly. Everyone turned to look at her except for Harry who kept his eyes (and wand) trained on McGonagall.
Drawing her wand and pointing it at professor McGonagall, Hermione said "Harry and I are legally allowed to use magic to protect ourselves from bodily harm, and that includes kidnapping."
McGonagall frowned and said "I am doing this for Mr. Potter's own good Ms. Granger."
As soon as McGonagall started speaking Harry moved. He leapt forwards and grabbed McGonagall's wand in his left hand. Knowing that he couldn't pull it away, (he was using his weak hand and she was bigger than him) Harry bent the wand sharply.
The Grangers and Harry all grinned when McGonagall's wand snapped.
"Mr. Potter!" McGonagall screamed at him furiously. She didn't get a chance to do much more than that however as Emma rushed towards her and laid her out with a sharp punch to the face.
"I loath kidnappers, professor" she spat at the dazed witch. "If you ever try that again I'll do my best to make sure you never leave our prison system alive. Am I clear?"
The others, including Harry stared at Emma in disbelief.
"Good" she spat. Come on, let's call the police and get this woman (she spat the word like a curse) arrested."
"Honey..." Dan said slowly
"No Dan! I absolutely loath kidnappers, no matter what their reasons are. She's getting put away."
Dan nodded in solemn agreement and went inside to call the police.
Harry and Hermione shared a grin
"Two down, one to go." Harry said softly. Beside him Hermione giggled maliciously
(AN)
I realize it's been quite some time since I last updated, but life keeps throwing me curve balls, and writers block keeps hitting at the most inopportune moments.
Now, I have two options, I can update faster, in which case I can probably get a chapter out every couple of weeks but the chapters will get noticeably shorter, or I can continue writing longer chapters and hope to get a chapter out once a month.
Review or PM me with whichever you want to see.