AN: Not much longer until the gang is at Hogwarts now. Actually, the end of the next chapter should have them either on the train or at the sorting. I'm still somewhat unsure about what to do with certain things, from how to handle the Potters to Harry's potential transfer to another magical school, to the political fallout, etcetera. It's actually the last one I'm most worried about as, to put it bluntly, I'm not a political person, and I'm afraid of screwing it up. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter, and suggestions are always welcome. The Shade is based on the design from Warcraft 3.
Beta'd by: NIX'S WARDEN
Chapter 7 – Diagon Alley
Bathsheda Babbling was drinking a morning mug of coffee when the Daily Prophet arrived the next morning. She barely glanced at it while giving the delivery owl a knut. However, once she did pick it up and actually looked at the article on the first page, she nearly choked on her drink.
"Sep! Sep! Come down here and read this!" She called up the stairs to Septima Vector, who soon came to see what the fuss was all about. Her eyes also went wide as she saw what Beth was talking about.
"What is this?" She asked.
"Doesn't the title 'Potters Alive – Patriarch charged with Assault' sort of give it away?" Beth scoffed. "It seems someone gave the Prophet a tip off about something happening at one of the International Portkey locations, and it turned out to be Lily and James Potter returning to the country, and with children of their own."
"Harry?" Septima asked.
"That's the thing, neither of them are Harry." Beth exclaimed. "One looks like him, but more normal. Look at the picture, his eyes don't have the same slant Harry's do, his hairs shorter, it's all black, and his eyes aren't separate colours."
"He doesn't have the scars either." Septima added, looking at the picture. "Then this means-"
"That Harry isn't an orphan like everyone thought." Beth finished. "However, it also means that Lily and James buggered off out of the country for some reason, though I've got a good guess as to why they're back."
"Harry." Septima stated. "As much as it's a possibility, I doubt they have his interests in mind, and I worry for the kid. Do you think we should invite him back here for a while? It can't be easy, learning his parents are alive, not after the life he's had."
Beth paused there, a contemplative look in her eyes. "Unless... he already knew that they were alive." She muttered. "It's possible that Harry's the one that drove them back to Britain, and let's face it, he's vindictive enough, and intelligent enough, to strike while the iron's hot."
"Are you suggesting that Harry's behind this?" Septima asked. "Is he getting some form of revenge against Lily and James?"
"Look, neither of us know exactly what happened that Halloween night." Beth bluntly told Septima. "What if Harry found out, and what if he didn't like what he found? We both know he has some rather strange magic he uses, so it's quite possible he learned about his past or something, or even used it to locate them."
"I think you've been reading far too many conspiracy theories." Septima told her long time best friend.
"They amuse me, so there." Beth childishly stuck her tongue out at Septima. "Still, don't you think Harry seemed rather... focused on something at the end of last year? This happening now feels like too much of a coincidence."
"A lot of things seem like too much of a 'coincidence' recently." Septima snorted, before frowning. "A... friend of mine in the Ministry's Education Department did let something slip the other day though, apparently Hogwarts is getting a handful of new students this year, third years. They're Japanese, and apparently were somehow 'missed' by the usual methods of picking up new muggleborns."
"Third years?" Beth raised an eyebrow. "The year Harry will be in this September, from a country we know Harry spends some time in, and a country that had some odd things happening in several years ago. Come on, Sep, you've got to admit that something weird is going on, yeah?"
"Yeah, I'll agree that nothing about Harry ever seems normal, okay?" Septima rolled her eyes. "That still doesn't mean these new students have anything to do with him, though I'll let you have the Potter thing as a maybe. Anyway, what was that about 'assault' in the title anyway?" She asked, suddenly remembering what she'd read.
"Apparently, James Potter tried to obliviate a Ministry Official, though there's no details about it. I'm thinking that one's embellishment. James Potter was a horny school boy, but he was by no means an idiot, and even he would know that there'd be no getting out of that one." Beth replied.
"Uh-huh." Septima agreed. "Well, if he did or not, I think I'd rather see how Harry's dealing with things. In fact, I'll send him a letter right now, you want me to add anything from you?"
Beth shrugged. "Ask if he knows those new students we're getting, I'm sure you're capable of writing some comforting words for the two of us, but I'd like to know if he does know them. Oh, also ask him if he has time to visit some time before September, he's always welcome here."
"You know, if we keep acting like this with Harry, all it'll do is fuel those rumours going round." Septima replied.
Beth shrugged. "Rumours are rumours, and with Harry being the 'Boy-Who-Lived' then they're to be expected. Besides, he makes a nice friend, more mature than his age would suggest, yet not without that childish curiosity that allows him to question things. I don't have many friends, so I won't ignore one of them due to a few stories."
Septima chuckled. "Yeah, me neither. I think I'll go write that letter then, be back in a minute."
"I'll put the kettle on." Beth said, already heading over to said appliance.
xxxxx
"Hey, anyone have any idea what Harry's doing?" Hayate asked the room at large, having spent the last quarter of an hour watching Harry, who seemed to be staring at something only he could see, his eyes occasionally flickering as if he was focusing on something new.
"I don't know, but it seems a bit... weird." Nanoha replied. "Maybe it's a magic thing we haven't learned yet."
"We could just ask him." Fate suggested hesitantly. "I don't think he'd deny us, unless it was something really personal."
"I'd say we should ask one of Harry's knights, but I haven't actually seen any of them all day." Hayate said.
"They kind of disappeared when that official looking letter turned up." Nanoha told her, having seen the bedraggled and tired owl arrive. "They didn't look happy about it, more like really, really angry. It was weird as well, like they were expecting it to happen or something."
Lindy then entered the room, a tray of snacks for everyone in her hands. She paused for a moment, seeing the three girls watching Harry, and a small smirk developed on her face.
"You know, girls, I think it's traditional for the boy to stare at the girls like they're a slab of meat, but if you want to reverse the trend, who am I to argue?" She chuckled at the mortified look that Fate had, and the cherry red blush that Nanoha gained. Hayate's dirty old man laugh, however, might have been cause for concern.
"I-It's not like that!" Fate protested. "We were ju-just wondering what he was doing, an-and where his familiars went. That's it!"
Lindy had to hold herself back from cooing over Fate, she was just too cute like that. However, the subject matter did make her face fall into something more serious.
"Harry's knights went to where the house is being constructed, and after that they're heading off-world, where they can properly vent their frustrations. As for what Harry's doing, I couldn't say. Maybe it has to do with how his Herakles golems are currently putting their house together?" She indicated the bracer on Harry's left arm, where said golem card could be seen, and it was active as well.
Nanoha frowned. "What do they have to vent about?" She asked.
Lindy didn't reply immediately, wondering if she should tell them or not. "The letter they received earlier, it was from the European Wizarding Bank. The goblins, as well as banking, also deal with inheritance, which is kept separate from the government. The letter, well... it was basically to inform Harry that he had been officially disowned by his father, and that he no longer had any claim at all to the Potter name or any artefacts belonging to the family."
"They, they kicked him out?" Fate asked quietly. "Just like that?"
Lindy sighed, not at all happy discussing this, especially with Harry only a few feet away, though it seemed his attention was elsewhere at present.
"Yes, they did." Lindy replied. "Fortunately for Harry, they'd already prepared for this, and now his name is officially Harry Ritter. Being nameless in the Wizarding World, from what I've read and been told, is a very bad thing, and even having a new name is going to have a big impact on certain things. Now, I don't think I need to tell you girls this, but I think Harry might need a friend to help him through this difficult time."
Nanoha nodded her head enthusiastically. "Yes, I can be a good friend!" She declared.
"I'm here if he needs to talk." Fate added, though a lot softer than Nanoha had.
"Maybe tickling him would make him laugh?" Hayate giggled, before starting to 'sneak' over to said boy to administer her 'treatment'.
She sneaked until she was barely a foot from Harry, hovering over him, as he was sitting on the floor, when his hand shot out and caught her by the wrist. His eyes, it seemed, had come back into focus, and there was a slight grin on his face as he saw the pouting face of Hayate above him.
"Nice try, Hayate, but you got too close to me and disturbed my magic, letting me know someone was getting rather too close for comfort. Next time, try and be quicker about it and you might get me." Harry said.
"Aww, you really need to teach us how to do that." Hayate pouted.
Harry rolled his eyes. "It's not so much a thing you 'learn', as it is something most don't really pay attention to. Everything magical is constantly leaking tiny amounts of mana, and those that pay attention to it can feel when their ambient mana shifts slightly. Practise a little, it's easier for those with a lot of mana, and that means you."
"At least my reserves are useful for something." Hayate grumbled good naturedly, before fixing Harry with a look, plopping herself down on his lap. "Now, why don't you tell us what you were just doing, ne?"
Harry sighed, still getting used to the antics of the touchy-feely girl, though Isis' own actions had made him somewhat used to all of the physical contact.
"Nothing much, really." Harry told them. "I was just keeping an eye on a few things."
"Such as?" Hayate prompted him. "And how were you doing it?"
"The house that's being built." He answered. "My golems can put walls and such in place by themselves, but it's a good idea to check things are going smoothly every now and then. I was also checking out what the Potters are doing right now, and I have a few more bugs scattered around."
"Bugs? Magical spells used for reconnaissance?" Lindy asked curiously, her professional side wondering just what they were capable of.
"Not really." Harry said slowly. "I'm actually looking through the eyes of... I guess you'd call them zombified insects, and other assorted creepy crawlies. I mostly use spiders, beetles, and a few types of flies."
"Ew." Lindy grimaced. "That sounds rather gross."
"It's necromancy, which isn't a subject most even read about. It's considered somewhat taboo in most of the world, even if it's not actually illegal. However, it is a very useful branch of magic, and I'm becoming rather fond of it, especially now I know that I'm a product of necromancy." Harry replied.
"Necromancy's about raising the dead." Fate spoke up. "Can it actually do that?"
Harry blinked in surprise. "Physically, yes, it can." He told her. "However, it can't bring back someone's mind. If you resurrect the dead – and do it properly, not using a puppetry technique like an inferius – then they'll be as coherent and rational as they were in life, but they'll have exactly zero memories, though a few habits might remain, things like biting fingernails or posture."
"I... see." Fate frowned. "What would happen if you used a necromancy technique on someone still alive?"
"That depends." Harry answered her. "If it's an instant technique, the living person would be instantly turned into a zombie, though a higher quality one than if you used a corpse. However, if you use a delayed technique... you get rather different results."
"What results?" Lindy asked, rather worried about where Fate's train of thought was going.
"Well, apparently, in ancient Greece, spells were layered on the hero Herakles upon completion of his twelve labours that rendered him immortal. Personally, I believe he was actually layered with necromancy that would activate when he took a fatal wound, restoring him to health, acting more like an instant regeneration instead of an actual resurrection." Harry replied.
"Something like that is possible?" Hayate asked with wide eyes. "You could make someone immortal like that."
"Well, in theory it's possible, but Herakles is the only known success." Harry said. "Personally, I think that a potion was used to enhance the necromancy that he had cast on him, most probably something that involved Re'em, dragon, and mermaid blood. Of course, getting your hands on all of that isn't easy, nor is it cheap."
"Isn't there a colony of mermaids in the Hogwarts Lake?" Nanoha asked.
"Merrow, not mermaids." Harry told her. "Actual mermaids are rather few in number. If the magical world actually had such a thing, I believe they'd be listed as an endangered species. However, I do know there's some mermaids in Japan that actually sell vials of their own blood, it's incredibly useful for a number of powerful healing potions."
Everyone looked disgusted at that.
"Do potions really have all of that nasty stuff in them?" Nanoha was the one to ask.
"Yes, and a lot of potions taste rather foul." Harry bluntly replied. "However, they do work, which is what is important. Regular pharmaceuticals contain things which substances which occur naturally in plants and animals, the only difference is that they're produced artificially, rather than being created naturally."
"But medicine comes as tablets, or flavoured syrups, and other stuff, not potions." She complained.
"Like I said, it works, and as a qualified medical practitioner, I'd rather think my opinion has some weight behind it." Harry couldn't help but be amused at how the girls were reacting to the thought of 'magic potions', especially given they knew just what sort of ingredients went into them.
"You're a healer?" Lindy asked.
"I haven't taken an oath, if that's what you're asking." Harry replied. "However, I have done two years of study under Madam Pomfrey, who is a fully qualified healer herself, and I'm hoping to do some advance studies this year. I've mostly focused on spell damage and cursed artefacts, though I'm not far behind them when it comes to creature induced injuries."
"Have you compared how healing differs between magic systems with Shamal?" Lindy queried.
"Yeah, I have." Harry answered. "I actually gave her some of the medical texts to look through, and I know she found some of the concepts in there rather interesting. Of course, given that Wizards think that things like surgery and stitches are barbaric, there's quite a bit that can also be added to that side of the equation."
"I see." Lindy said, even though healing really wasn't her speciality. She was asking questions to engage Harry in discussion than anything else, he was being rather quiet right now, and she was a little worried about him. "Oh, I've just remembered, I have the school book lists here, have you got yours yet?"
"Yeah, I do." Harry replied. "When do you want to go and get everything? No matter when we go, things are going to be pretty hectic, especially with, well, you know..."
"The Potters." Lindy finished. "Hiding yourself away, however, will only make things worse for you though. It's better if you're seen doing something 'normal', like your shopping or something. It'll be harder to make you out to be a monster if you're doing ordinary things, no?"
"Yeah, I guess." Harry sighed. "I also need to find another way to keep an eye on the Potters. If my zombie bugs keep tripping the pest wards then someone is going to get suspicious sooner or later. The thing is, I don't know what to replace them with."
"Your golems and insects both trip wards, if different ones?" Lindy asked, getting a nod from Harry. "Then is there another type of being you could create and/or ask to do it for you? Even something else... necromantic?" She hesitated over that last word, not sure she should be encouraging necromancy or not.
Harry went to reply, but paused, biting his lip. Ignoring Hayate, who was still sat in his lap, he retrieved his Tome of Shadows, quickly finding something in it. He was silent as his eyes rapidly flickered over the information, before he released a sigh.
"There is... something that could replace my insects, but-" Harry abruptly stopped.
"But what?" Nanoha asked.
"It's a step further into necromancy, the summoning and binding of spirits." Harry explained. "That's looked down on even more than my zombie insects would be. However, unlike the bugs or my golems, they could get right past the wards, not to mention they're invisible on top of that."
Fate frowned. "Something like that sounds like it'd be very good for assassination, is that why they're looked down upon so much?".
"No, at least the type of spirit I would summon isn't suited for that, as they're literally incapable of interacting with the physical world." Harry shook his head.
"Then why is it such a bad thing, there must be a reason for it?" Hayate prompted.
"Well, most people simply aren't powerful enough to call on spirits easily, so they must make it easier... or create said spirits themselves." Harry hesitated. "That means either conducting the summon in a place connected the the Astral plane, such as a graveyard, battlefield, or somewhere else that is tied to death, or by sacrificing a life to fuel the creation of a minor spirit."
"It's the sacrifice bit that causes it to be called 'dark and evil', isn't it?" Lindy asked with a grim look.
"Yes, it is." Harry acknowledged. "The binding of a spirit isn't illegal in the wizarding world. House Elves are basically enslaved brownies, and the Dark Mark the Death Eaters sport is, from what I can tell, a modified slave marking."
"That sounds nasty, especially the slave stuff." Nanoha frowned, really not liking the 'darker' side of magic.
"You know, technically, the Wolkenritter are enslaved spirits bound to Hayate, and familiars are the same for their contract holders." Harry decided to add in. "I know you don't treat them like that, but it is technically true. A mage can cancel a familiar contract, ending their life, any time they wish to, and the Knights were bound to the Tome of the Night Sky and the will of the one who held it."
Hayate looked down at that. "That's not so true any longer." She said. "Since Reinforce did her... suicide thing, the knights are now actually independent of the book, and they only follow me because they swore themselves to me, not because they are forced to do so."
"Hmm." Harry tapped the page in his Tome, before sighing. "If we're going to be going to Diagon, it might as well be sooner rather than later. Also, I think I'd prefer to know whether I can actually do this summoning or not first."
"Are you going to try it right here and now?!" Lindy asked in surprise.
"Better here with you lot, who can defend me if something goes wrong, than off by myself where anything can happen. Besides, I'm only going to try and summon the weakest spirit I can, and if I actually get it right, it'll be pretty fragile and easy to handle with raw mana attacks, like the ones your magic system favours." Harry explained, getting to his feet after moving Hayate off him.
"I... suppose." Lindy agreed hesitantly, deploying several scanning spells so she could record what Harry was about to do.
Hayate, Fate, and Nanoha all got up and backed away, their devices appearing in their hands and their barrier jackets forming on their bodies. If something was going to happen, they wanted to be prepared for it, even if they didn't really know what to expect.
Harry also manifested his barrier jacket, but left his device in the form of his gloves for now, it wasn't like a physical attack would do anything against a spirit after all. He clapped his hands together, before spreading them out, like he was addressing a great audience, and began to chant.
None of the onlookers knew what Harry was saying, just that the language he was speaking was harsh, and they flinched as the sounds seemed to almost assault their ears. If this was a result of simply using some of the more intermediate steps of necromancy, they could see where it got its bad reputation from.
A circle of magic appeared on the floor in front of Harry, strange, arcane symbols around the edge. Like with the words he spoke, simply looking at the runes gave the girls a headache, and once again, they didn't understand a single thing they were looking at.
They looked to Harry, who didn't seem to be in the best of conditions. He was sweating heavily, and his breathing was slightly laboured, his skin pale and tinged with blue and grey. Still, he did not slow down, his chanting remaining constant and even.
Suddenly, black smoke erupted from the circle, and a voice that spoke a language none of them knew, yet forced its meaning into their head, sounded out.
"The damned return." That was what the voice said, and when they looked in front of Harry, they saw what it was he had summoned.
The spirit possessed a torso, arms, and head that were all vaguely human, though hunched over and roughly triangular in shape, and the arms were long and thin, but instead of legs, it just had a single point, like a spike that pointed down from the waist. It hovered in mid-air, seemingly supported by a billowing, black mist. It was black in colour itself, aside from the bright, violet eyes.
"You... you are the... shade I summoned?" Harry asked, panting for breath, and rising to his feet after having fallen to one knee during the small ritual.
"I am, master." The shade stated in an ominous, echoing voice. "What would you have me do?"
Harry used his device to call up a picture of the Potter family. "I want you to invisibly follow this family and monitor them, particularly the man. Can you do that?"
"I can." The shade responded. "Where is this family now?"
"England, I have several minor zombies spying on them as we speak. I will take you there myself shortly, once I have recovered." Harry told the shade.
"I understand, master, and I obey." The shade bowed to Harry, before vanishing from sight. Only Harry, as the one who summoned the shade, saw it took up a position at his shoulder, like a bodyguard would.
He sank into a chair, and placed one hand over his rapidly beating heart. "That was more difficult than I thought it would be."
"What was that you summoned?" Lindy asked. "I was expecting a ghost, or at least something that resembles one."
"Ghosts aren't true spirits." Harry replied. "They're imprints, the remains of a personality tied to the planet, which supports their existence, and they find it difficult to move from one place to another and stay there for longer than a few days. What I summoned was a shade, a spirit that is doomed to forever wander the Astral plane feeling unfulfilled. They actually benefit from being summoned, as it gives them a sense of accomplishment, and this plane of existence is a lot more pleasant than the Astral plane is."
"What can shades do?" Lindy asked, already mentally preparing a report for the TSAB on the different types of spirits that exist on Earth.
"They can become invisible and are able to detect anything invisible or hidden themselves. Even when visible, they are incapable of making physical contact with anything, and they're generally used as scouts or spies. They can either be summoned, or they can be created from a living sacrifice. They have a very strong tendency to be loyal to those who summon them, and they can't be hurt at all by physical attacks." Harry rattled off the basics, before handing his open Tome to Lindy, which had more detail on it.
"Does he have a name?" Nanoha asked. "And how can you tell what gender a shade is anyway?"
"Shades are genderless." Harry replied. "Also, shades usually wish to forget their lives and are likely to take it badly if someone tries to help them remember something of their past."
"So it looks like we're going to Diagon Alley then?" Lindy asked. "Well, give it a few hours, England is eight hours behind Japan, so if we head off this afternoon or evening, it will be morning or the middle of the day there."
"Works for me." Harry shrugged, glancing over at the others. "I'll either head off earlier to show this shade where the Potters are, or hang back a little later and do it then."
"Are you sure you don't want us along, not even for moral support?" Nanoha asked.
Harry frowned. "I'm actually a bit hesitant being seen out with you before Hogwarts starts. If this thing with the Potters collapses on my head, it could quite easily drag you down as well, you know."
Fate lightly whacked him on the head. "We're your friends, Harry, and friends stick together."
"Yeah!" Hayate added, pumping her fist in the air.
Harry chuckled lightly. "Thanks, girls, it's good to know you've got my back."
He settled in to wait, everyone else settling down as well. They played a few games to pass the time, in the process finding out that Nanoha seemingly had some sort of divine luck that helped her get out of whatever situation she was stuck in, while Hayate's luck was apparently bi-polar, either helping her greatly, or failing her when she needed it most.
Lindy took a few pictures during this time, fully planning to add them a photo album at some point in the future.
xxxxx
As they were preparing to go to Diagon Alley, Harry's familiars and Reinforce arrived, having finished venting their anger. They were interested in meeting Harry's shade, who refused a name, preferring to be referred to as simply 'a shade'.
Those who actually went to Diagon Alley were Harry, Fate, Nanoha, Hayate, Lindy, and Loki, who had his wings hidden. Oh, Arf was also there, held in Fate's arms in her 'puppy' form. Reinforce was also present, insofar as she had returned to being inside of Harry, ready to unison with him at the first signs of danger.
"This is annoying." Lindy commented, seeing almost everyone in the alley stop and stare at Harry when they noticed he was there.
"I told you that you should have let me use a few misdirection charms." Harry grumbled back. "Now we can't even slip away to apply them, so I at least have to deal with all of the staring."
"I honestly didn't expect it to be this bad." Lindy said, a slight tone of apology in her voice.
"It's alright." Harry sighed, before something caught his attention. "James Potter just apparated into the alley, I'll be back in a moment."
Somehow, Harry managed to slip away from group, weaving in and out of the crowd with little difficulty. While everyone was looking the other way, Loki shifted into raven form, flying after Harry, only to land on his shoulder.
Harry, whispering under his breath, pointed James Potter out to his shade, which stopped acting as his silent, invisible shadow, and attached itself to James Potter, partially literally, so now if he apparated away, he would take the shade with him.
However, it seemed that Harry had gotten too close. As James Potter tried to make his way through the crowded street, he felt himself knock against someone, sending them flying. He looked over to the side to apologise, before continuing on his way, but the words died in his throat, and a disgusted sneer appeared on his face.
It was that damn vessel! Of course it would turn up today, on the day he intended to go to Gringotts.
Harry looked up at James Potter in faked surprise. "Oh, so it seems the rumours are actually true, and my parents are alive." He said.
"You are no son of mine!" James hissed. "Why must you torment my family so? Why couldn't you just die?"
Harry frowned. "What are you talking about? How am I tormenting you, and why do you want me dead?"
"You know what you are, Voldemort, and you will never be a Potter, even if you possess my dead child!" James declared, before storming off in the direction of Gringotts.
Whispers about what James Potter had just said, in the middle of Diagon Alley no less, were already beginning to spread, but Harry quickly thought up something to counter it.
"Wha-?" He choked out, tears beginning to leak from his eyes. He let his fringe fall in front of his face, and made himself look as pathetic and pitiable as he could. This, combined with his young age, soft features, and good lucks, really tugged at the heart strings of some of the people watching.
One old lady even went so far as to step forward and hug Harry, who slowly and hesitantly returned it.
"Th-thank you." He stuttered out.
"Don't mention it, deary." The woman said. "I don't know what he's put in his pipe, but you're about as much You-Know-Who as my handbag is. Now, why don't you run along and finish your shopping before he comes back?"
"I- I will." Harry smiled slightly, before making his way through the crowd and back towards Flourish and Blott's.
~ You really can act, can't you? ~ The telepathic voice of Lindy called out to Harry.
He mentally snorted. ~ That was all improvisation, I didn't expect to get rammed like that. ~
~ At least public opinion is swayed in your direction a bit. ~ Fate joined the conversation.
~ The question is, will it be enough? ~ Harry replied. ~ Somehow, I don't think it will be. ~
~ You're a pessimist, aren't you? ~ Hayate chided. ~ We all all know the solution for that though, don't we? Pure, undiluted Nanoha! ~
~ Hey, you're making fun of me, aren't you? ~ Nanoha joined in.
~ Let's just get the books, potions supplies, and basic necessities, shall we? We've barely been here half an hour and I already want to go home. ~ Lindy cut them off.
~ I can get all the books at once, and the rest of the supplies too, if you want to take the girls to get fitted for their robes. ~ Harry offered. ~ That would help get everything done faster, if you really want to be out of here as quickly as possible. ~
~ I can grab the potions ingredients and basics, such as telescopes and scales while Harry hunts through the book store. ~ Loki added.
~ Let's do that then. ~ Lindy agreed. ~ Just be careful, okay? ~
~ Will do. ~ Loki acquiesced.
~ Sure. ~ Harry added.
xxxxx
When Lindy stepped into Madam Malkin's with the three girls, she saw that there were customers there already. There was girl approximately the same age as those with her, as well as what appeared to be her younger sister. Lindy assumed the two adults who weren't measuring them up were her parents.
"Hello, robes for Hogwarts?" A friendly looking woman asked them.
"Yes, please." Lindy said.
"No problem." The woman smiled. "So, who's first?"
Nanoha ended up being the one to go first, followed by Hayate, and then Fate.
While Nanoha was on the stool, getting measured, she decided to try and be friendly with the other girls.
"Hello there, I'm Nanoha Takamachi, may I ask who you are?" She introduced herself.
The smaller, and probably younger, girl smiled back. "I'm Astoria Greengrass, nice to meet you."
'Greengrass.' Lindy thought to herself, mentally going over everything that Harry had told her about the big names in the Wizarding World. The Greengrass family was strictly neutral in all things, a lot of their businesses revolved around imports and exports of luxury items, were one of the most wealthy families around, and were descended from druids, so they likely had some unusual bits of magical knowledge stashed away in their family's grimoire.
The older girl, Daphne, was also someone Harry was acquainted with, though not particularly closely.
Lindy watched silently as Nanoha easily chatted with the excitable younger girl, though out of the corner of her eye, she kept an eye on Daphne and her parents. The Greengass matriarch and patriarch both had indulgent smiles on their faces as they saw Astoria talking non-stop, though Lindy would swear there was a tinge of sadness in the woman's eyes as she looked to Daphne, who was not really responding to Hayate's attempts at conversation well.
The bell above the door tinkled a quarter of an hour later, and in walked Harry and Loki, several trunks carried between them. Undoubtedly, the trunks were for Nanoha, Fate, and Hayate, and all of their stuff would be inside them, probably packed away neatly if Harry had been the one doing so.
"Potter." Daphne greeted Harry on seeing him, her manner cold and aloof.
"Greengrass." Harry returned the greeting, yet without the same tone and mannerisms she had used, though he did grace her with a curious glance.
"Have you read the Daily Prophet recently?" She asked.
"I keep up to date." Harry replied, already having a feeling he knew where this was going. "Am I to understand that you're referring to the apparent status of my... parents?"
"Apparent status?" Daphne latched onto that bit in particular. "So you believe they may be fake, a ruse? Perhaps so, it would not be the first time someone has pretended to be Lily or James Potter in an attempt to claim your family's assets, or even guardianship over you."
That was useful to know, and not something he'd been aware of.
"Whether they are real or not, it will soon be proved one way or the other, so the best option is to simply wait and see what happens." Harry said.
Lindy watched this as well, and personally found it adorable. In her mind, it seemed that Daphne was trying to learn the mannerisms and skills of a politician, using her school time as practise or something. She did wonder where such a thing had come from, but really, it wasn't any of her business, was it?
Instead, she focused on the surprise Birthday party they were planning for Harry at the end of July.
Hopefully, he would enjoy it.