"Excuse me" Harry asked in a polite voice, desperately hoping for someone nice.
"Yes dear?" The old woman responded, looking up from a book.
So far so good. "I was wondering if you might help me enroll at Hogwarts?"
Harry choked on his next words "someone called from the DMT?"
"Ahh the terribly rude child?"
Harry's heart dropped "that's me"
The old lady giggled "don't worry dear. I find the DMT equally dreadful. Now I don't need much from you. Have you had any formal schooling or test scores to show me?" The woman asked.
"No I'm afraid not" Harry responded sadly. He was going to have to retake his owls again...
"That's okay... of course you'll have to pay to have your tests proctored here. Unless you want to go into your fifth year instead? It's your choice" the woman asked looking up from the paperwork she was filling out.
Harry pondered the question for just under a second before deciding on an answer. "No, that's okay I'll pay to take them here.
"Are you sure dear? If you've never had formal schooling... it will be hard." The woman asked.
Harry squashed the rebellious thoughts telling him he would fail and spoke "Yeah I'm sure I'll manage. No school but I was tutored by my parents."
The woman accepted the answer and moved on.
"Well we're done with enrollment. I'll schedule your testing for as late as I can... Present yourself to Griselda Marchbanks August 20th through August 22nd from 12pm to 6pm each day. All that's left is payment. Do you want a payment plan or shall you pay upfront. Perhaps I should speak to your parents about this?"
"No, that's okay. Upfront is fine." Harry spoke before pulling out the enlarged sack of galleons and books.
"Well that's all. Remember to pick up your testing materials and outlines of the curriculum on your way out from the same Griselda Marchbanks."
Harry nodded his head and thanked the lady before making his way deeper into the floor. She had been the nicest one today, but still, Harry wasn't ashamed to admit he was quite done with receptionists for a long time.
It took Harry a few minutes to find Griselda Marchbank's door in the twisting identical hallways.
Harry knocked and slowly pushed the door open to reveal an ancient looking lady.
"Hello Mr Agnello" she spoke as Harry made his way in.
"Hello" Harry stared awkwardly back at the woman who made no attempt to do anything. Great, another crazy one.
"I was told you had study materials for me?" Harry asked slowly, waiting for her to cut him off and inform him of how much of an idiot he was for believing that.
"I believe I went to school with one of your relatives, Mr Agnello. Pelias Agnello... Many a year ago but I still remember him. A bit of an odd boy but smarter than all of us. He was two years older than me. Slytherin of course. He was quite charming, I believe I had quite the crush on him." Ms Marchbanks states.
"That's... cool" Harry's heart clenched in fear and his brain started working overtime. His hand idly clenched his wand.
"Yes it was... cool, as you put it. I always wondered what happened to him... who he married... whether he had children. But he disappeared from our world soon after graduation and I never met him or any of his family again. Excuse me, any of his family... until you." She spoke in an innocent tone but her eyes displayed anything but.
"I see... well... study materials?" Harry asked weakly. Perhaps if he could just get away from her...
Surprisingly the woman bent down and dug through her desk. She pulled out some books and packets of parchment before setting them on the desk.
"Right here. For all the subjects you've requested. I must admit I was surprised when I heard your name and the subjects to go with it. Divination? Care of magical creatures? I would've expected more from the Agnellos... Especially from Pelias' own." Griselda spoke, suddenly seeming almost wistful, a hint of regret hiding in her eyes.
"Yeah well... These are just my interests I suppose. I don't really feel comfortable taking OWLS for subjects I don't have much experience in" Harry tried to explain in a way that would avoid giving himself away. Griselda nodded dismissively, clearly still in her own mind.
Harry reached for the study materials.
"You look like him, you know? It was over a century ago but I'll never forget him. Keep your family's secrets if you wish but you look like him. Please ask him about me, when you see him." The distant look faded from her face as the sharp glint returned.
"Sorry about that... Now, good luck, and remember it's not too late to try out other subjects. For Pelias' progeny... I'd be happy to proctor and help you at any time." Griselda spoke before handing the papers and books over to Harry. His legs moved faster than they had ever moved before as he ran from the room.
She had known an Agnello... the goblin's said it had been over a century. But Wizards routinely lived longer than muggles so of course there are able wizards older than a hundred. Dumbledore himself was over a hundred.
But she said he looked like him. He was always said to have looked like his father... could the Potters have been related to the Agnellos?
Well of course they were related, but perhaps a more recent ancestor of his was an Agnello. Harry internally blessed and thanked that ancestor profusely before apologizing for stealing his or her family's name and money.
Harry tried to move as fast as possible without appearing suspicious. He had used a month's worth of luck in a single day, by his count.
Harry never had good experiences with the ministry. Flashes of trials, slander, and death popped into his mind as he walked around the gaudy statues littering the main floor of the ministry.
Harry let out a breath of relief as he stepped into the fireplace.
"Diagon Alley!" He pronounced clearly, not wishing to make the same mistake twice.
Harry wasn't entirely sure of what to do next. He knew what to do in the next weeks, months, and years. But not the next hours and days.
He didn't have the Dursleys to go back to now. He had parents but they weren't his. Harry had not so much as a clue to what the living cost in Wizarding Britain might be. He had estimations based on tuition and the Weasleys. He could probably afford something. Harry decided.
A small apartment or perhaps a cheap hotel…
…
Harry had managed to find a cheap, yet small place to live for a few months before the school term began. It was above some magical mirror shop that literally only sold mirrors. Surprisingly or not surprisingly the owner needed extra money and had decided to lend out a room.
The rent was cheap, at least compared to the few places Harry had stopped at. It was quite small but Harry decided that anything larger than a cupboard would be adequate for him.
Harry face-planted onto the bed upon entering the room. He was completely exhausted. Only the abyss knew when he last slept. Was it hours ago or was it decades from now in the future? Harry decided, with his current limited mental capability, that he didn't care and promptly fell asleep.
The rest, at first, was peaceful. But his dreams slowly started drifting to his old life, the one he would never return to.
He remembered the cupboard under the stairs. The years he spent constantly under the watchful gaze of a hateful uncle and egotistical aunt. The years of torture his fat oaf of cousin put him through. His only reprieve finally came in the form of a bear of a man.
He watched as his younger self learned of his fame and parents. The nights before Hogwarts where he wished he could trade it all in and just have his parents in return.
He watched as he met Ron and Hermione, how they slowly uncovered the clues and how he confronted Voldemort and won.
His dreams continued into his second year where once again Harry became the outcast. Even some in Gryffindor suspected him. Ron and Hermione remained loyal of course, so Harry never felt that old wound of loneliness reopen.
He watched the Basilisk get him in his arm and then Fawkes swooped in to save him. He watched himself, enraged at his aunt, inflate her and have her float away.
Harry watched himself meet Sirius once again, the promises that never came to be.
Harry watched as once again, now like clockwork, the school turned on him. This time Ron and even Hermione left him.
The race between dragon and man during the first task, Yule balls, mermaids and beautiful Veela, and finally Voldemort's return.
With as much mental capacity as Harry had he tried to push away what was to come next. He dreaded it. But it came all the same. Bellatrix's laugh echoed in his mind as his last memory of Sirius remained frozen in front of him. Finally it continued and Harry once again watched himself meet the abyss and then awake decades in the past.
The goblins flashed by before finally, Griselda set him free.
Harry awoke in a cold sweat as he launched forward in the bed.
It had all been so real and accurate. Like memories rather than dreams. How had he even dreamed of so much and in so much detail? Harry had certainly never done something like that before...
Being with Hermione and Ron and Sirius again... it was all so real... Harry closed his eyes before sighing.
It was just a dream. Harry realized.
Harry looked around his room. The sun was just peaking through the uncovered window. It was time to get up anyway. Harry's eyes flickered away from the window to the desk below it. On it we're two books that Harry hadn't left.
All color drained from Harry's face as he slowly stood up and hesitantly made his way to the desk.
"Agnello Family Grimoire: Mind and Magic" the book on top read.
"Guide to advanced Occlumency" the second read.
Harry's first thought was 'not this again...' but that was quickly shoved away in favor of 'who put these here? An Agnello family Grimoire and a book on an obscure form of magic?'
Harry thought back to the brief amount of lessons he had received from Snape before shuttering.
Harry's stomach dropped.
No...
Harry slowly tripped back over to his bed before falling onto it.
Had someone snuck in and used Legilimency on him? Eye contact was required for it to work but skilled practitioners could and did go without it.
It was the perfect explanation for his night Harry realized. Well almost perfect.
If someone snuck in and stole all his memories why did they just leave him without any confrontation or threat. Even more, Harry had been left with tools to help protect his mind from this ever happening again. Harry's head started to hurt from all the stress.
Harry briefly wondered if it were the abyss but quickly shot that theory down for a multitude of reasons. Dumbledore...? He had no reason to suspect Harry of anything at the current moment. Griselda Marchbanks perhaps? Though she could've just done it during their brief meeting and Harry would've been none the wiser.
Harry decided to not even entertain the thought of it being Voldemort who broke into his mind. The reason being if that were the case there was simply nothing to be done and the world was screwed.
"Was there someone here last night? Did you see anyone at all?" Harry asked the shopkeeper as he made his way down the stairs.
"Just you and I, lad. Why? We're ya expecting someone?" The shopkeeper responded unhelpfully.
Harry thanked the shopkeeper before making his way out into Diagon Alley. He needed to protect himself, Harry decided. Occlumency would protect his mind but it wasn't exactly something he could learn in just a few weeks. Harry needed something to help him now.
He decided on wards. He didn't know enough about advanced warding to really make any sort of strong protection. But he could make simple enough wards that would alert him to an intruder. That way he would at least know who was after him if it happened again.
Of course, the wards could be torn down by someone skilled or powerful enough. But there was really nothing Harry could do about that. At least not currently.
Harry was really starting to regret taking divination and care of Magical creatures.
Hermione would've known what to do, she always did, Harry thought bitterly.
It was the early morning so Diagon Alley was much quieter than it had been the evening before. Many of the people out on the street were setting up their shops or just arriving at them.
Harry had never been there so early before and so he found it curious. While he knew the Wizarding world was real it was also always sort of a dream. He never really experienced it like he was now. Perhaps a trip or two to Diagon Alley over summer and then 10 months packed away at Hogwarts.
It was a weird feeling to have. Harry enjoyed living in the wizarding world, away from the Weasleys, away from Hogwarts. But at the same time, he was experiencing it all alone. Back in his own time, he had Hermione who he could've done it all with. But here he was alone, again.
Is that really such a bad thing? A small voice asked in Harry's mind.
And perhaps it wasn't. This time, this world, it wasn't his. He was here to do a job, a dangerous job, a job that would very likely end in his death- or that of those around him.
Not for the first time since arriving, Harry wondered if he should just go to Dumbledore, give up the reins and just go along for the ride. He had been a passenger for his entire life, why stop now?
Harry tried to squash the traitorous thoughts as he entered the book store Flourish and Blotts.
"A bit early for school books, wouldn't you say?" An employee asks as he rounds a corner.
"I'm not here for school... Do you have many books on warding?" Harry asked, hoping it wasn't a suspicious request.
The employee smirked and tried to fight back a chuckle. "Trying to protect your... magazines from your parents are you?" The employee asked before twisting around and marching through the various corridors of bookshelves.
"Here you are. Everything from basic shields and repelling charms up to some quite nasty hexes. I wouldn't recommend anything aside from invisibility or basic protection. The punishment for hexing your parents is not worth it, I learned that the hard way I did" the employee said before stalking off, back into the labyrinth of shelves.
Harry's eyes narrowed in confusion, still not entirely understanding what the employee was talking about. Harry eventually looked back to the warding books and sighed. "I really should've paid more attention in class," Harry murmured as he looked through the titles.
Harry had gotten a book on protective charms and warding from the Agnello vault the day prior. But after a brief look through Harry decided that only Hermione would be able to understand it.
No, he needed something simpler, something that could help lead him up to the more complex protections. Hogwarts offered classes specific to warding and even briefly went over them in DADA. But, of course, even that brief introduction went out the window with the toad Umbridge teaching.
Hogwarts would probably go over them again on a more detailed level this year but that was simply too far away. And would most likely be too basic. Voldemort was no doubt a master at something as simple and useful as warding. So Harry needed to be as well, or at least acceptable.
Harry eventually gave up on trying to find any books labeled "warding for dummies" or "warding 101" and just picked a few that looked promising.
Harry picked up a few more books on the way to the counter such as "Cursing and Counter Cursing, an Aspiring Dark Lord" and "Elemental Charm, Sure to Cause Mental Harm."
Harry didn't know why wizarding books felt the need to insult the reader at every turn.
"Is that all you need? Are you sure you're not missing a book? Perhaps Merlin's 'Most Merciless Mutilations and How to Cause Them?'" The employee asked upon seeing Harry's choices.
"That's not a real book," Harry defended with a red face.
"Aisle 3, row 2" the employee responded as if he had practiced the line.
Harry was almost taken aback by how cavalier the employee was being. Not only that but there were books Harry would've been locked up for owning in his own time. Just sitting there on the shelves, broadly being advertised to anyone who walked in.
Harry paid the man from his quickly diminishing sack of gold before escaping the store.
It's a different time. It's been decades since the last dark lord or even a threat of one. Britain had been left largely unaffected by Grindelwald. Not like France or Germany who had the worst of it. With Dumbledore still alive and healthy they all feared nothing.
How much a people can change in just a few short years. A decade from now, half of Flourish and Blotts will be burned or locked away. That employee who joked about dark lords and dark magic will shudder to even say a simple name. Harry sighed before running his hand through his hair.
"Just one more reason..." Harry told himself quietly.
Harry found himself spending most of his days inside his room reading and studying. The first few days had been solely focused on warding. Harry spent hours reading through the few basic books he had on the subject.
While the protections he had put in place wouldn't stop an army or even a skilled wizard, they did help Harry fall asleep easier.
The days afterward had been spent studying for his exams. Harry found that the curriculum wasn't too different from what he had learned. It was certainly a bit rougher but it seemed that even in the past Hogwarts wasn't training future dark lords and death eaters. At least intentionally, Harry corrected himself.
Harry started his Occlumency training as well. He hadn't dared open the Agnello Grimoire fearing reprisal but he had started reading "Guide to Advanced Occlumency."
Harry decided that he was making more progress with the book than he ever had with Snape. Though that might have just been Harry's bias speaking.
Harry hadn't ventured out into the larger world much since he came. He was simply far too busy with his studying and the occasional chore the shopkeeper asked of him.
On the rare occasions that Harry did venture out he had yet to see anyone he knew. Though there was a flash of long red hair that quickly disappeared back into the crowd. Harry was left feeling a bit numb at the painful reminder of the Weasleys.
It was after that flash of red hair that Harry tried to remember as many dates and people as he could.
Harry had quickly figured out, much to his own dismay, that his parents wouldn't be sixth years with him. His parents and the rest of the Marauders would be third years. Harry had felt a little angry with the abyss for not transporting him a few years later in time. But those selfish thoughts were quickly stomped out with reminders of Voldemort and how much of a blessing it was that he was here at all.
Voldemort had started revealing himself and openly recruiting in 1972. The year was 1971 which meant Harry had a year before things started and at least a few years before things got bad.
It would have been nice to remember specific dates and events but Harry couldn't really find it within himself to regret not paying attention in History of Magic. That class was simply incomprehensibly boring.
Harry's plan was simple, he decided. Go to Hogwarts, get strong, ingratiate himself with the purebloods, discover the location of Voldemort, kill him, and then spend time with his family.
Harry knew that things were unlikely to work out so well but it was all he could do at the moment.
Harry sighed as he closed the Occlumency book and put it aside. He looked out the window for a long while before his eyes drifted to the Agnello Grimoire.
There wasn't much else he could do. Harry had gone back to Flourish and Blotts and hadn't been able to find an Occlumency book much more detailed or advanced than the one he already had. And the one he already had been read quickly and put into practice by Harry. But it wasn't enough. It wasn't enough against Voldemort or Dumbledore or very likely Snape in his prime.
Occlumency was supposed to take months for prodigies and years for normal people to master. Harry was neither a prodigy nor a normal person. But it would still take him months of practice and hours of meditation at the very least. Harry didn't have months, he had now.
"Agnello Family Grimoire: Mind and Magic"
It would surely have something on Occlumency. Perhaps a shortcut or family technique...
With a hesitant hand, Harry reached out and took the book in his hands.
He wasn't cursed.
Harry slowly opened the thick black leather cover.
He wasn't cursed.
Harry slowly opened his squinted eyes to take a better look. Inside was a blank page... followed by another blank page. This isn't another Riddle diary is it? Harry briefly wondered as he flipped through blank page after blank page. He sighed as he set the book back down on the table.
"What a let down" Harry mumbled as he looked at the cracked ceiling. Perhaps the Hogwarts library would have something, maybe in the restricted section. Harry wondered if Hogwarts was similar to Flourish and Blotts in that many of their books were banned in his own time. Harry decided to take a more detailed look through the library when he arrived at Hogwarts.
A scratching sound distracted Harry from his thoughts.
'Oh no... it is another Riddle diary' Harry realized as he watched the book write in itself.
"Place a finger here and the writing will appear," it wrote.
"What?" Harry couldn't help but ask out loud.
'What's the worst that could happen?' Harry thought, completely betraying his last hundred fearful thoughts of being cursed by the book.
"Ow!" Harry pulled away his finger as a sharp stinging sensation appeared on his finger. The book stabbed him! Before Harry could burn the book for its transgression it started writing again.
"Thank you for your sacrifice, any of this, you shall not recite," it wrote before the ink disappeared into the pages.
In its place, a page of text appeared.
"The Ringing Hex.
Cast this spell onto your enemies and they shall hear for the rest of their lives unless the counter curse is cast, a constant quiet ringing in their ears..." the page read.
It was a spell entry!
Harry couldn't believe it as he flipped through the previously blank pages. Where there were once blank pages, there were now pages filled with text detailing curses and counter curses. There was even a section on Occlumency which detailed many practices and techniques unknown to Harry.
At the very end, Harry found a section on rituals.
Harry didn't know what to feel as he flipped through the pages. Some were as simple as instant hair growth. But some detailed the sacrifice of muggles to gain strength or speed.
There were a few rituals that could supposedly boost his mental strength and focus which would then help his Occlumency shields. They didn't require muggle sacrifices but Harry was still loath to use them. Voldemort used rituals. The Agnellos, who likely sacrificed muggles as detailed in the book, also used rituals.
Harry finally decided to put them off to the side. He wouldn't write them off completely but he wouldn't perform them at the moment. The ones that didn't require Muggle sacrifice wouldn't be put off completely at least.
And so another month went by with Harry having little interaction with the outside world. This time with Harry looking through the Grimoire for salvageable spells and charms. He continued to study the curriculum of Hogwarts in preparation for his OWLs but it was not his main focus.
Worst come to worse Harry repeats the fifth year, it would allow him to actually take DADA without a toad for a teacher. It would also give him more time with his parents and the Marauders at Hogwarts.
Harry instead spent time learning as much as he could about the subjects he didn't know anything about.
Runes would help him ward and enchant.
Arithmancy would help him ward but it was also helpful to understanding magic theory on a deeper level. Understanding magical theory would help him efficiently cast spells and potentially create his own.
Dark arts, while not a subject at Hogwarts, would help him tremendously. Harry may not like the curses and would not use them, but knowing the intricacies of what he was up against would prove invaluable.
It was finally August 20th and Harry made his way back to the ministry. He had prepared for the day's tests as much as he could and refused to look at one more year five potions book.
Harry hadn't yet received his identification which was undoubtedly being held up by that infernal creature dressed as a woman. As much as he didn't want to, he decided he would check in with her to see how things were progressing.
"Excuse me?" Harry asked in as much of a polite voice as he could muster.
The "woman" slowly looked up from her paper "rude boy" she greeted.
Harry's anger surged and he felt the distinct need to try out a curse he had just learned from a 15th century Agnello.
Calming himself with a few of his Occlumency techniques Harry breathed in deeply. "I was wondering about the status of my identification? I am Harry Agnello. I was here a few weeks ago..." Harry managed calmly.
"I know who you are, rude boy, I told you then and I'll tell you now. Your identification will arrive with a ministry-dispatched owl. Now begone you are distracting me from my work"
Before Harry could whip out the wand that was now firmly in his grasp a smooth voice spoke from behind him.
"Now now... surely there is something to be done today? Did I hear correctly that this is Harry Agnello? For a family distinguished as his surely the process could be expedited?" The voice spoke as it came to stand beside Harry.
A man who looked quite familiar stood in front of him. He had short straight black hair with blacker eyes. In the middle of his face was a large ugly nose.
The man smiled almost haughtily at Harry before sticking out his hand. "I am Arcturus Black the third. Pleased to meet you"
Harry, not wishing to be rude, stuck out his hand. This was Arcturus Black, Sirius' grandfather. Not only Sirius' but Bellatrix's and Draco's mom's as well.
Harry hadn't heard much from Sirius but from what he had heard it hadn't been good. Arcturus was like every other elitist pureblood. He bought his way through life, even buying an order of Merlin, according to Sirius.
Harry noticed the man's own ring as they shook hands.