Chapter Three

Sunday morning, after a fitful night's sleep, Harry was laying awake in bed thinking about how his life came to be like it was, when the sound of a house elf delivering his breakfast tray roused him from his thoughts. Even though the elf, who looked like a young one was wearing an old black shirt and goulashes, had been as silent as the grave but Harry still heard it.

"Thank you," said Harry hungrily.

"Eeeep," the house elf replied.

"Don't be scared, I won't hurt you. I promise."

"I's is knowing that you's isn't harming me, sir."

Smiling, Harry watched as the elf made his presence more noticeable in his room. "What's your name? I'm Harry Potter."

"Denny is knowing who's you's is being, Harry Potter, sir. Master Tom is telling Denny to being quiet in cases you's is still sleeping." Then the little elf grabbed and pulled on his bat like ears repeatedly, "Bad Denny! Bad!"

However, Harry said, "Stop that! I was awake already, you didn't disturb me. I promise."

"Okay," the elf said timidly.

"I have a question for you, if you don't mind me asking."

"What is's you's needing to be knowing Harry Potter, sir?"

"Do you know where I can get a house elf of my own?" asked Harry as he gingerly got out of the bed and sat down at the little table to begin eating his warm and delicious breakfast. In fact it was the best meal he had in over one year, three months, two weeks, four days, seven hours, thirteen minutes and twenty six seconds and he was savoring it.

"Oh yes, I's surely does know! They's is been an elf auction this past week and they's is some leftovers."

"Leftovers? You mean some that didn't sell?" asked Harry. "Where can I find this place?"

"Is not being far Harry Potter, sir. Is being at other end of Diagon Alley, just past Gringott's Wizarding Bank it is."

"Thank you Denny, you were a great help to me."

The elf beamed and popped away.

x-x-x-x-x

Down in the pub, a short time later, Harry was waiting at the bar for his first watcher to arrive. He was getting very tired of waiting for whoever it was to appear.

"Alright everyone," Harry announced to the pub in general. "If my jailer assigned by the meddlesome Albus Dumbledore is here would you please show yourself, I have much to do today and I am getting tired of waiting for you to show up!"

He didn't have to wait long.

"Wotcher Harry, did you have to yell that all over the pub?"

"Yes, I did Nymphadora. Why were you hiding from me?"

Tonks scowled at the use of her first name and said, "I didn't want to be blamed for giving you anymore ideas. That's why I was in disguise this morning."

"Sucks to be you doesn't it? At least your dressed well enough, come on."

"Where are we going?"

Harry smiled wickedly and said, "Muggle London to buy some clothes for me."

"You're not going to try and run away are you?"

Harry just stared at her. How stupid is this woman? "No Tonks, if I were going to do that would I have been screaming for you in a pub full of people? You frighten me, you know that?" Then Harry turned and went towards the door that led to Muggle London with the Auror hot on his heels.

x-x-x-x-x

Some hours later the two returned to the Leaky Cauldron. Harry was looking well groomed, sporting a new hair cut, new glasses and new clothes and Tonks was loaded down with packages that he had forced her to carry for him.

"Hey, Tom," Harry called out to him. "Can you have a house elf take my packages up to my room for me?"

"No problem, Mr. Potter," Tom replied and snapped his fingers. Instantly the packages were gone.

"Wow," Harry said, "That was quick service." Then turning to Tonks, he said, "Ready for some more shopping now?"

Tonks, however, as a response collapsed on a nearby table and said, "NO! I'm too pooped to shop. Besides my shift ended an hour ago. It's someone else's turn to watch you."

"Fine, which one is it? Snape or Dung?"

"I have no idea and nor do I care."

"Well, you've changed your tune rather quickly. First it's 'please forgive me Harry,' and now it's 'bugger off Potter, I need a nap'," Harry said with a smirk. Then taking a look around the pub, Harry saw a mass of dirty rags moving slightly beside the fire. 'Must be Dung,' thought Harry as he moved towards him.

"Dung," Harry said, "Wake up."

The sleeping crook snored on as his tilted chair swayed back and forth slightly.

"Fine, let's play it this way then," Harry said and bent down and yanked the chair out from underneath him causing the ragged man to fall on his bum with a load thud.

Tonks laughed at him from her chair.

"What was that for?"

"For sleeping on the job again," spat Harry. "Now get up we have a lot of things to do today and Tonks wants to go home and take a nap."

"You got him Dung?" Tonks asked.

"Yeah, I think he's got me though."

"Well, I'm outa here. You have fun shopping. He's worse than my mum," then before Harry or Dung could say anything, she disapperated.

"Alright," Harry said coldly, "when does you shift end?"

"Six tonight," Mundungus answered.

Nodding and thinking, Harry replied, "If I give you a sack full of galleons, would you take off and leave me alone today?"

"Harry, you know that I can't … sack full you said?"

"At least a hundred of them," Harry said enticingly.

"Dumbledore would kill me."

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him and besides I have every intention of returning to the school now. Besides since when do you care about anything other than yourself?"

"Okay, where the money?"

x-x-x-x-x

A few minutes later, Harry was walking down the cobblestone path of Diagon Alley feeling very pleased with himself. He had taken his morning to drag Tonks all over Muggle London and back and he had just bribed away Dung for the afternoon. This was going to be a good day.

The first place Harry went was Gringott's Wizarding Bank, to make sure he could still charge his personal vault for all of the purchases he was planning on making today. Mostly because he was planning on spending a large amount of gold and really didn't want to carry that much with him. Hello, gold is heavy you know. Once that was taken care of, he was off to do some shopping.

Remembering that Denny had told him that morning, Harry went past the bank and soon found a building that had a sign that read, 'Barnaby Elf Auctions.' Harry smiled at the sign and opened the door and soon found himself inside a room that resembled an auditorium. An auditorium that is that also had a cat walk.

'Granger is going to flip her knickers when I show up with an elf,' Harry thought to himself.

"May I help you?"

Harry turned and saw a middle aged wizard standing there. "Yes, I was told I missed your recent auction, but you had some leftover house elves. Is that true?"

"Yes, we do …" the man began, but caught a glance at Harry's scar and then sputtered, "Ha… Ha… Harry Potter. You're Harry Potter."

"I know," Harry replied off handedly.

"Of course, we have an elf here for you sir. What kind would you like?"

"Well, I would like one that gets along with me personality wise. May I see the few you have left?"

"Of course, Mr. Potter, of course," old Barnaby said and snapped his fingers and an elf popped into the room. "Popo, please assemble all the elves we have for sale."

Within minutes a small number of very young naked House Elves were standing in a line up on the cat walk in front of Harry.

"Why are they naked?" asked Harry.

Old Barnaby chuckled, "You've never owned an elf before have you Mr. Potter? When ever you buy a new one, they are always naked. They find their own ways to cover themselves until you grow dissatisfied with them and award them real clothes."

All the elves shuddered in fear at the Old Barnaby's words.

"I would want my elf to wear a uniform to show that he or she belonged to me. Would that be possible without setting them free?"

"Of course, Mr. Potter, of course. All you need to do is bring a set of clothes here before you purchase an elf and I'll have them put them on. Then you'll buy the elf and then they would be wearing what you want them to. Its very simple, but people rarely bother with it."

"Alright then, before I do that, I have a question," Harry said and turned to the elves again. "Who wants to come and work for Harry Potter?"

All but one of the elves shied away from him, hearing talk of clothing scared them. However, the one girl elf looked up at him and asked, "What is this uniform being looking like?"

"What would you like?" asked Harry kindly.

"I's would be liking a pink dress with little yellow flowers embroidered on the hem of it. I's is seeing a little witch wearing a dress like that last week and thought it was being prettiful."

"I'll get it for you, what's your name?"

"Eppy."

Harry smiled and left the auction house and went to Madame Malkin's shop and bought the little dress for the elf and hurried back. Mr. Barnaby told the elf to put it on and after she did, Harry paid for her and they left the shop to do some more shopping.

x-x-x-x-x

"Where is we going Master Harry?"

"Well, Eppy, first I need to buy a new trunk and then buy some books and some robes. After that I have a few other places to go."

A few moments later, they arrived at the trunk shop and looked into the window, where the owner had many different kinds on display. Seeing that this was the place he wanted to start, Harry and Eppy entered the store and quickly found someone to help them.

"May I help you today?" the middle aged wizard asked upon spotting Harry in his store.

"Yes, I am in the need of a new trunk to travel with. My old one was destroyed in a freak fire bombing," Harry explained. "What I would like to have is one with multiple compartments in it."

"Well then, Mr. Potter, we have this lovely model with a nice little flat in it to use as a living space as well as storage for your belongings."

Harry grunted at it and said, "No, I thinks it's a little too Rosswrock for my needs, what about that one over there?"

"Rosswrock?" the shopkeeper asked.

"Never mind," Harry said dismissively, "What about that one over there."

Throwing Harry a strange look from his comment, the shopkeeper said, "Well this is a basic three compartment model. All three chambers are identical except for the interior color. They're color coded to help you remember things like, blue for clothes and yellow for books or whatever you like."

"How much is it?" Harry asked.

"Twenty two galleons, seven sickles and fourteen knuts."

"Sold," Harry said with a smile. "Eppy can you levitate this for me?"

"Yes, Master Harry," replied the elf while Harry charged the trunk to his account.

Back in the alley, Harry and Eppy headed for Madam Malkin's again. He needed wizarding robes after all. When the two entered the shop, Madam Malkin herself greeted them.

"Oh good, your back," beamed the elderly witch.

Smiling Harry said, "I need some everyday robes and cloaks. Also I'll need some dragon hide gloves and boots."

"I'm so sorry; I don't sell dragon hide here Mr. Potter. You'll have to go three doors down to the leather goods store. However, Professor Dumbledore already wrote me that you were coming in today and I have all your school things laid out for you. All we need to do is measure you to make sure it all fits."

Harry smile vanished at the mention of the Headmaster. "He wrote you? I don't really need school robes, just everyday ones."

"But Mr. Potter, it's already been taken care of. You can expect the same at the book store and the apothecary. Now why don't you stand up here and I'll measure you."

Jumping up on the little stool Harry asks, "Who's paying for my school robes?"

"Why you are, of course."

"But I didn't order them," Harry countered, "Dumbledore did. So I think it's only fair that he pay for them out of his personal Gringott's account."

"I don't know Mr. Potter," the shopkeeper said uncertain.

"Is it fair for him to order something and expect me to pay for it? Is that legal or ethical? Especially something that I didn't want to buy to begin with?"

"Well, no," admitted Madam Malkin.

"Then I'll pay for my personal robes and cloaks, since I asked for those and you can bill him for the school ones," Harry stated clearly.

"Well that does seem fair," agreed the seamstress. "Will you need any underclothing?"

"No, I don't much care for wizarding knickers, no offense. I bought some Muggle ones this morning."

Smiling the shop owner whispered, "You secret's safe with me, I like Muggle undergarments also. Isn't elastic simply ingenious?"

Harry smiled as she finished up with him and he stepped off the stool and together they walked to the counter where she began to tally up the prices.

"Now I would like it very much if you shipped my school things to Hogwarts for me. Spare no expense and bill the Headmaster for everything and I'll have Eppy put my everyday things in my trunk."

"I hope you know what you're doing Mr. Potter," Madam Malkin said as he paid her.

"Yes, I do."

x-x-x-x-x

In the apothecary, Harry met the same problem he faced in the robe shop, Dumbledore's interference. However, it was much easier to convince them to bill the Headmaster and ship his new cauldron and potions ingredients and equipment to the school than it was Madam Malkin. Next Harry went in to the bookstore.

"Mr. Potter, may I help you today?" asked the same wide eyed clerk from the yesterday.

Harry smiled much warmer today than he did the day before and replied, "Yes, I understand that the Headmaster has written you with the booklist that I will need for the term?"

"Yes sir, he did," admitted the clerk.

"What classes did he sign me up for without asking my permission?"

The clerk missed the jab at Dumbledore and told him the classes he would be taking.

"That's a lot of books, why so many?"

"Apparently you are taking two years worth of classes at the same time so you can graduate when you were originally supposed to."

Harry fumed and began, "I have no intention of …" but stopped himself. "Yes, I would be happy to take all of these books." Turning to the elf, he said, "Eppy please place them in an empty compartment of my trunk."

"Yes Master Harry."

Then turning back to the clerk, "Now, since the Headmaster ordered all of these books, quills and parchment, I would like you bill them to his personal account at Gringott's Wizarding Bank."

The clerk looked nervous at the idea.

"Then I am going to be spending an obscene amount of money buying myself books of every kind I want, and since you get the commission, you are going to be a very happy young man tomorrow."

"Okay," the clerk said and after he tallied up the bill and charged the Dumbledore account, he and Harry spent the next hour or so going through the store picking up large stacks of books to buy.

After Harry was finished with the bookstore, Eppy levitated his much heavier trunk down the street to the leather goods store where Harry bought his gloves and new dragon hide boots. In fact Harry even bought a dragon hide jacket, since he was splurging today with Dumbledore's money.

"What do you think Eppy?" Harry asked as he modeled the new jacket for her inspection.

"I's is being thinking it is being prettiful Master Harry."

"Thank you. I think you look beautiful too."

The elf blushed as the clerk came back to Harry. "Will that be all for you today, sir?"

"Did you bill Dumbledore's account for the gloves and boots?" asked Harry as he looked at himself in the mirror again to admire the new purchase.

"Yes sir."

"And my account for the jacket?"

"Yes sir."

"Good, then that will be all," said Harry with a huge smile on his face. "Thank you."

"No sir, thank you!"

x-x-x-x-x

"Where is we's going to now Master Harry?" asked the happy little elf as they walked down the cobblestone street of Diagon Alley.

"A new racing broom I think and a new invisibility cloak," Harry responded as he looked in the window of Quality Quidditch Supply.

"Can you's be buying a cloak like that in here?"

"No, Eppy, but I can get the broom," Harry said as he opened the door and the two went in.

"Mr. Potter," the clerk said when he saw Harry, "I heard that you were shopping today. What can I get for you?"

"Well, I need a few things; first I need a brand new Firebolt, a new broom servicing kit and a subscription to 'Which Broomstick'. Then after that I need you to write a quote for those items, as they were destroyed by my enemies and I need an accurate account of the items for when I take legal action to reclaim my lost expense."

"Well, as you may know or perhaps not being locked up in prison for something you didn't do, the new model of the Firebolt came out last month," the clerk said excitedly.

"Really?" replied Harry with equal excitement. "I would like to see it, but I need the older model quoted for my solicitor. I had the very first model they came out with."

"The vintage Firebolt? You know they are considered a classic already don't you Mr. Potter?"

"I didn't know that, did they go up in price?"

"Tripled in value," the clerk said. "Whoever burned yours should be hexed."

"They will be," said Harry absently as he drooled over the new broom. "Now let's spend some of my money."

"Yes, sir!"

After a short demonstration and everything was tallied up, Harry paid for his new broom.

"Now I would like you to owl this quote to my solicitor, Mr. Algernon Graves, who's office is in Knockturn Alley."

"Graves? You must really be out for blood if you hired him," said the clerk. "I hear that no one dares cross him in front of the Wizangamout."

"Yes, I know," Harry replied with a feral grin. "That's how his advertisement read."

x-x-x-x-x

Another hour later, after departing the self defense store, with a brand new and very expensive invisibility cloak hidden in his trunk, Harry headed towards Weasley Wizard Wheezes. He had something to do there and he wanted to do it now, before he had to meet with Snape at six o'clock, so that no one knew he had ditched Dung. Well, at least not yet.

Harry had sent Eppy to Mr. Graves' office with the quote for the cloak and then told her to take the trunk to his room at the Leaky Cauldron and to pack his Muggle clothes in it and to take great care with the rags in the brown paper bag. They were very important to him. Once she had gone on her merry house elf way Harry knew he could be alone with the twins.

Entering the little shop, which was busy considering that school was in session; Harry browsed the items in the store looking for things to take with him back to Hogwarts.

"Harry?"

Harry turned to see one of the twins staring at him with his mouth hanging open. It wasn't really a good look for him either; a fly was already attempting to fly in.

"What are you doing here mate?"

"I'm not your mate Weasley and I've come to talk business with you and your other half."

"Okay," George said as the last customer left the shop, "I'll get Fred." However, he didn't have to as Fred had already seen Harry and come over to investigate.

"Now that I have both of your attentions," Harry said coldly, "I wanted to discuss this store of yours."

"You aren't really going to close us down now are you?" George asked nervously.

Smiling at the pair, Harry said, "No, I've changed my mind on that one. I thought about it last night and realized that if you were unemployed then that would give you far too much time on your hands to beg and grovel for my forgiveness. I don't really need the hassle of two more people doing that."

The twins looked relieved.

"However, I have instead decided that you are going to help me."

"To do what?" they asked in unison.

"Well let me tell you…" Harry said deviously and then for the next ten minutes he informed the pair of what he wanted and how they weren't going to tell anyone about it, especially their mother or the Headmaster.

The twins looked a little uncomfortable with his plans, but after thinking about it, they gave in quickly. They knew from the look on his face that if they didn't, hassle or no, Harry would put them out of business.

x-x-x-x-x

As six o'clock drew near, Harry entered the Leaky Cauldron and found Snape sitting at one of the tables waiting for him. Harry smirked slightly at the annoyed look on the potion master's face at having to baby-sit him.

"Good evening Professor Snape," Harry said with words covered in a sickly sweet way.

"Potter," Snape spat as he looked down at the young man. It was amazing that he could do that considering Snape was sitting and Harry was standing. Then again he can make his cloak billow out behind him like he was in a constant wind storm, so doing this couldn't that hard either. What a Smeg-head!

"You don't seem happy to see me. Something wrong? Tough day at the office?"

"Stop playing the fool and act your age. You know full well that I don't want to be here and that I don't want to even deal with you at all."

"I know that," Harry said with a smirk as he took a seat at the table with the greasy teacher. "So why are you here?"

"Because the Headmaster," Snape said with distaste. "Seems to enjoy delegating delightfully unpleasant tasks to be performed to others in order to satisfy his warped sense of humor."

"Actually, I asked for you."

Snape arched an eyebrow as he took a drink of his firewhiskey. "You asked for me?"

"Yes, I did."

"Why, may I ask, did you do that?"

"Because you're the only teacher who I trust right now. You hated me before and you still hate me now. You are frank and honest about it and I always know where I stand with you. Therefore I can trust you to be a greasy git all day and all night long."

"Indeed."

To Be Continued … Please Read and Review

Rosswrock wrote a story called Harry Potter and the Power of Time, which is located at f f dot com, which is where this story is located. In his story, he wrote about Harry buying a truck with multiple compartments, some of which were a small flat for him to live in.