oooOOOoooOOOooo
The next weekend, Blaise and Neville arrived to spend the weekend with Dudley and Harry. Hermione and Daphne joined in. The other boys were going through a somewhat anti-girl phase but Harry liked being around girls. Especially these two girls and they liked being around him, and each other, too. Dudley teased Harry that both girls were his girlfriend, which made Harry and the girls blush but they never denied it, even though Hermione was his only known girlfriend at the time.
"Hermione and I will be sharing a room," said Daphne. Her mother had chosen to attend, along with her little sister Astoria and Blaise's little brother, Riccardo, or little Ricky as he was called.
Story piped up, "I want to sleep in the room with the big girls. Ricky does, too," she said, imperiously. Annette smiled but shook her head.
"You can sleep in the room with Daphne, Hermione, and myself but the boys will be sleeping in another room. Ricky will have to sleep with Blaise," Annette said.
Story pouted about it but didn't say anything else.
Harry came rushing into the room with his empty knapsack ready to be filled with his shopping. Blaise, Neville, and Dudley were right behind him. He skidded to a stop a few feet from the girls, then walked calmly, in a composed fashion, forward to greet them. Gold glittered at his neck, wrist, and as a thin shimmering golden line from his chest to his pocket. There were even gold accents on his shoes.
"Hermione, my dear. So good to see you. Your robes really compliment your eyes today," he said, kissing the back of her hand. He then turned to Daphne. "Daphne, charmed as always. Your shoes are rather dashing. Is that dragonhide?" he asked, kissing Daphne's hand as well. Both girls giggled and blushed.
"Yes, they are. From a Glacius Maximus dragon from the Greek Isles," Daphne said, turning her foot so her shoes could be seen better.
"They're a lovely blue, just like your eyes," Harry flattered. He offered one arm to Hermione and the other to Daphne. They quickly took the offered appendage and snuggled in, whispering to a grinning Harry.
"He's so smooth. He gets it from me," said Sirius, puffing up at the display as he came into the room.
"You wish you were half that suave," said Remus, nudging Sirius. Sirius bumped him back and stuck his tongue out at the other man. "See? Things like that? That's why you're not as smooth."
"Hey!" Sirius said, mock pouting. Dudley and Blaise just rolled their eyes at the antics of Harry. They were used to it. They weren't interested in girls yet so they thought Harry was nuts. Neville blushed and thought of Hannah. He was taking notes on Harry's style. It definitely seemed to be working.
"Can we go?" asked Dudley.
"Right. Everyone step forward. We're taking a portkey," said Sirius, holding out a length of rope for everyone to grab onto. Everyone took hold and they were off.
They landed with a solid thud on the hard ground in the apparition point of Diagon Alley. The children all fell backwards onto their bums. The adults swayed on their feet but managed to keep their footing.
"Everyone good?" Sirius asked. Receiving positive responses as the kids got themselves off the ground and cleaned up, he said, "Alright then. Onward ho!"
Sirius led the group to their first stop, Gringotts Bank. They were such a large group, they needed two carts to traverse the railway under Gringotts. Harry, Hermione, Daphne, and Annette ended up in the cart with another rather large passenger, Rubeus Hagrid.
"Hello Hagrid. Good day, isn't it?" inquired Annette, politely.
"Sure is, Miss. Looks like ye've got a good bunch with ye today. Is tha' little Harry Potter? Right-o, it is! Been a fine few years since I've seen ye. Ye're looking good," said Hagrid, slapping his knee in delight at seeing the young boy.
Harry looked confused. "Have we met before?"
"Yep, when ye were a little baby. I saved ye from ye're parents' house and took ye to Dumbledore at Hogwarts. Then, I took ye to meet Dumbledore and McGonagall at ye're aunt and uncle's house. We left ye there ter live," Hagrid said.
Harry had heard the story of being left on a doorstep with nary a word. The headmaster had left such a shocking note that it had caused his aunt to run into traffic. This man didn't seem to be a part of that, though. Without this man, Harry wouldn't have been raised with his uncle and his cousin. He was quite thankful for that.
"Thank you for taking me to my aunt and uncle. My uncle has been wonderful to me. However, I do wish you hadn't left me on the doorstep like yesterday's paper. The shock was too much for my beloved aunt, who died shortly thereafter protecting me," Harry said, respectfully thankful but not ignoring the negative aspects of the situation. The girls squeezed his hands and held onto them. Annette watched carefully. She didn't know the circumstances of Harry's placement but something seemed off here. Harry was left on the doorstep?
Hagrid gasped. "The Headmaster left ye on the doorstep? That's right nutters! Ye could already walk! Ye could have ended up in traffic!"
That scenario made perfect sense to Harry. His resolve to respect the Headmaster but keep his distance from the man was cemented. His father didn't trust the man so neither did Harry. In Harry's mind, Dumbledore caused his aunt's death. He almost caused Harry's death. No wonder his aunt ran into traffic. It was to save a baby that wandered into the road. A baby left on a porch like some inanimate package with no care for his safety. Harry would have to tell his uncle. It would put his mind at ease. The why of how Petunia ended up in traffic was a gaping hole in the story that Harry felt had now been filled.
"When I left ye, ye were in the Headmaster's arms. I took yer godfather's motorcycle and Professor McGonagall and we left him to tell yer family about yer parents' death in privacy," Hagrid said. He would have said more but the cart shot forward and down a steep slope. Hagrid had to keep his mouth shut, in order to keep his breakfast in his stomach.
They traveled to Harry's vault first, his Potter trust vault. He gathered 500 galleons into a mokeskin pouch that he attached to a golden money clip with an anti-theft and return-to-me charm on it. Next, they went to Hermione's vault. She gathered the same amount that Harry had. She just put the gold in a sack in her purse. Harry made a mew of disgust and resolved to get her a mokeskin pouch and perhaps a silver money clip of her own. Hermione liked gold but she loved silver.
The Greengrass vault was the next on the list. Annette gave Daphne and Astoria 50 galleons each and then gathered 600 galleons for their shopping. Story might not be going away but Annette didn't plan to leave her out, either way.
The final stop on their Gringotts adventure was vault number 713. A very green Hagrid stumbled out of the cart and grabbed a small, grubby package. Harry, ever curious and not at all ashamed to sneak a peek, pickpocketed Hagrid and looked at the package. It was a small red stone unlike anything Harry had ever seen. He admired the deep blood red of the stone that seemed to glow golden and pure from within. Harry looked up at Hagrid and took out his rockpick. His father said he should always carry a rock pick and a magnifying glass so he could judge precious metals and stones. He carefully cracked a small piece off of the edge of the uncut stone. He rewrapped the package and slipped the stone back in Hagrid's pocket, none the wiser.
"What's in the package, Hagrid," Harry asked, hoping the man might say something useful.
"That's not for me ter say. Dumbledore asked me ter pick it up, ye see. Important man, Dumbledore, he is. This stone is between him and Nicolas Flamel. I'll not be saying nothin'," Hagrid said, stumbling out of the cart. Harry and the group followed him.
"Have a good day, now, ye hear. I'll see ye soon at 'Ogwarts. Stop by fer some tea, if ye like," Hagrid said, stumbling towards the Leaky Cauldron.
"He's a strange man," said Hermione. The others couldn't help but agree.
They met up with Sirius and the rest of the group in the bank lobby then headed out to start their shopping.
"We should go to Madame Malkin's first," said Annette. "It will take the longest. Then, while the robes are being finished, we can go to the Wand shop. That might also take a bit of time." Sirius bowed to the higher shopping wisdom and followed to get the boring stuff out of the way first. He planned for the joke shop to be the next stop after the wand shop.
Sirius and Remus waited outside on a bench with Story and Ricky. It was best to keep those two entertained so the real work could get done. It was up to anyone's guess which two Annette meant.
The little group of Annette, Harry, Hermione, Daphne, Dudley, Neville, and Blaise entered the shop.
"Good day!" said Madam Malkin. "Come on in. Hogwarts, I'm guessing?"
"Good day to you, too, Madam Malkin. Yes, these six needed to be fitted for Hogwarts robes and casual clothes, as well. I'd also like them each to have a set of dress robes. You never know when they'll be needed," Annette instructed.
The children dutifully took turns being measured, with the girls going first and the boys going last. Harry was the very last person to be measured. Another boy entered the shop to be served while Harry was being measured. He took the stool next to Harry.
Harry noticed the boy was dressed very finely and had well styled white blonde hair.
"Good day," said Harry politely. The boy turned and gave Harry the once over. Harry was dressed in his finest casual robes with gold glittering at every available accessory point. The blonde-haired boy looked impressed.
"Good day. Hogwarts?" Draco asked.
Harry nodded. "Indeed. You?"
"Yes, I will be attending as well. What house do you hope to be in?" Draco asked.
"I'm ambivalent. Each house has its benefits and drawbacks. You?" Harry asked.
"I will be a Slytherin. All Malfoy's are in Slytherin," the boy said, arrogantly. Harry smirked. He'd dealt with this type before. The hoity toity type who thought they were better than everyone else. He took his rank to mean he was better than everyone else while Harry took his heritage to mean he belonged. Harry felt a great love and responsibility towards the wizarding world and his fellow magicals, not a sense of aggrandizement.
"Will you now. I wish you much success. Did you say your name is Malfoy? I have heard of your esteemed family. It is an honor," Harry said, buttering up the twit like his father taught him.
Draco puffed up and stood proudly. "Yes, I am a Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. Might I have the pleasure of your name?"
Harry grinned. "It is a pleasure, Mr. Malfoy. I am Charlus Jameson Potter V. You may call me Harry, as we will be classmates."
Draco's jaw dropped. His eyes flew to Harry's forehead but the scar was so faint now, Harry had to turn his head a certain way for the light to glint off of it. Harry noticed what Draco was doing and turned his head to show off the lightning bolt shaped scar.
"It really is you! It's a pleasure, Harry. Please, call me Draco," Draco moved forward to shake Harry's hand. Harry smiled magnanimously and shook Draco's hand.
"The pleasure is all mine," Harry said. Just then, the clerk finished measuring Harry.
"Please go over there and choose your fabrics and embellishments," said the kind lady. Harry thanked her for her service, slipped her three galleons, and stepped off the stool. She grinned at him and pocketed the tip. Draco noticed the byplay and made sure to copy it when it was his turn to step down.
Harry went over to his friends and joined the fun of picking out styles, colors, and fabrics. Most of the school robes would all be the same. Just flat black with the house crest on one breast and the Hogwarts crest on the other, right over the heart. For feasts and the like, students were allowed to wear a robe with their house crests on it. Harry was proud to display the five houses he represented. Each of his friends had a house to represent, as well.
Once they were done choosing their casual and school clothes, they went to check on Story, Ricky, Sirius, and Remus. It had been over an hour and they were patiently people watching and eating some kind of snack that Remus and Sirius must have procured from one of the street vendors.
"Still good?" The foursome agreed that they were well entertained. Annette led the other six children over to Ollivander's to get their wands.
"Mr. Ollivander? You have guests," Annette called. The slightly creepy old man had been waiting to pop out and scare them but now it was ruined. He sighed and stepped out of the shadows.
"Lady Greengrass. Ivy wood and acromantula silk. Very delicate wand, good for enchantments but also very deadly," the old man said. Annette smiled at him.
"Correct as always, Mr. Ollivander. These six will need wands, please." Neville looked uncomfortable.
"Lady Greengrass? My Gran said I'm to use my dad's wand. She said if it was good enough for him, it would be good enough for me," said Neville, embarrassed.
"Do you have this wand with you?" Ollivander asked. Neville reached into his inside robe pocket and pulled it out. Ollivander took it and gave it a thorough once over. He started shaking his head.
"Lad, this wand is completely burnt out. The core, griffin claw, is nothing but ash. I'm sorry. This wand won't work for anyone. Would you like me to have it mounted for display?" Ollivander asked. Neville shrunk in on himself. Annette stepped forward and put her hand on his shoulder.
"It's not your fault, Neville. The wand was destroyed while your father protected his family. He would have given anything to keep you safe," Annette said, gently. She gave Neville a small hug.
"Neville's wand and the mounting will be my gift to him today. Please see the mounting is done nicely," Annette said, smiling down at the boy who had tears shining in his eyes. He didn't want to say that his Gran hadn't given him enough money to buy either a new wand or the mounting but now he didn't have to.
Ollivander turned and started gathering the mounting supplies. In less than five minutes, he had the entire wand set in a bronze mounting board with the wand held by a faux hand, holding it up in a wizard's salute. It was gorgeous. Harry took good notice of the design. His papa and Filantius could easily make something much nicer and in gold.
Ollivander turned to start pulling boxes from the shelves.
"Ah, Mr. Ollivander. I believe it would be best if we purchased custom wands for the children. Please prepare to do that, instead of pulling boxes off the rack," Annette wasn't much of a snob but she did believe in custom clothes and custom wands instead of ill fitted things that were premade.
Mr. Ollivander didn't complain. He was only able to charge a seven-galleon fee for the ministry subsidized wands. Custom wands easily cost at least 10 times that amount and they'd be buying six of them!
They started with Hermione, who was easily matched with ivy wood and phoenix tears. Ollivander said it was a very intuitive and versatile wand that would be excellent for performing most magics. Daphne went next. It took slightly longer to match her but she was eventually matched with a rosewood wand with unicorn tear core. It was said to be a delicate wand good for enchanting and healing.
Blaise was next. His wand was made out of redwood and opalescent viper fang. It was considered a hot, fiery wand with a vicious bite, good for defensive magics. Dudley went after Blaise. He took the longest time so far. Dudley came out with an English oak wood and a Welsh green dragon heartstring. A thin strand of gold also chose him, as a decoration for his wand. Ollivander said it was a good, reliable wand with a fierce heart, good for protective magics and at making, and holding on to, money. He said Dudley must have a heart of gold, which made Dudley puff up in pride.
Neville was the next up. It seemed he would never be chosen by a wood and core. It took so long that Neville began to sweat. He was sure that no wand materials would choose him. He was wrong. A plank of elder wood and the hair from a lion's tail chose him in the end. Ollivander assured him that taking so long to be chosen was the sign of a very powerful wizard. This wand would serve Neville well when courage was needed.
Harry stepped up, the last to go. They thought Neville took a long time with a 20-minute search. They had no idea how long the search could take. Almost 45 minutes later, Harry's wand materials were a surprise to everyone. He had two woods, elder and yew, a very powerful combination that worked well for both protection and attack. He also had two cores, basilisk fang and phoenix feather. It also chose to be soaked in unicorn and phoenix tears. A thin strand of gold also insisted on being chosen for Harry's wand, just as it had for Dudley's. Ollivander just stared at Harry for a moment.
"Mr. Ollivander?" asked Annette. She was worried. She'd never heard of such a wand choosing in all her years.
Ollivander shook himself out of it. "Yes, I apologize. Very surprising, Mr. Potter. Very surprising indeed. This wand will be good at both protection and offensive magics. You will be able to see through some magics with the fang of a basilisk. Your strike will be fearsome and deadly to your foes. The phoenix feather is something special. It is from an ice phoenix, the perfect healing balance to the basilisk venom found within the fang. I only have one basilisk fang; it has sat with me for over 50 years. A young Rubeus Hagrid brought it to me. He claimed he found it in a girl's toilet. He was in a bad way after he was expelled from Hogwarts. He needed funds and I gave them to him. I'm sorry, Mr. Potter. This wand will cost you 300 galleons, due to the rarity of the ingredients. I have only been able to procure one ice phoenix feather in my entire career, spanning over 100 years. The even funnier thing is that the phoenix who gave me that feather also gave me just two vials of tears. One vial is being chose to be part of your wand and the other chose to be included in Ms. Granger's wand. The unicorn queen who's tears you will be using gave only two vials of tears, the other of which is being used by Ms. Greengrass."
The three tweens looked at one another. It might be strange but it also felt just right. Neville might be his best friend but Hermione and Daphne were Harry's everything. He didn't know why he felt so strongly about them, he just knew that he did.
Annette noticed the looks. She noticed the way the three of them took hands, forming a triangle, as they considered this new information. They'd been doing that for years but Annette was starting to see the act in a different light. Was it just friendship or was something else emerging from the trio of kids? She wasn't sure but she intended to try to find out. They still had three weeks to figure things out before the children left for school, after all.
After almost two hours in Ollivander's, the group finally went back out to meet up with Sirius, Remus, Story, and Ricky. She expected them all to be exasperated, but instead, they were floating on brooms, above the street, flying around. It was something that Story loved to do. It was a whole new perspective on the alley and was something she was rarely allowed to do.
The group of four landed to meet the group of seven.
"Hi!" said Story. "Did you find wands? Let me see!"
"We don't have them yet, silly. We're having our wands custom made. Ollivander will send them to us in a week or so," Daphne said, helping Story off of her broom.
"Oh," said the little girl, disappointed.
"Now! No disappointment. We're off to Zonko's for some much-needed pranking material. If you're going off to Hogwarts, you'll need plenty of supplies," Sirius said, enthusiastically.
Annette gave him a look for suggesting the prank shop as their next stop but she could see the flagging children perk up at the thought of the fun store. She relented and started moving the group along.
The kids had a great time in Zonko's. Zonko was a firm believer in testing the wares, so that's exactly what they did. The children bought at least one or two of each of the things they tried, so Zonko was in full support. With all appropriate antidotes provided, the group left with bulging bags to head to the Hopping Pot for lunch. Annette had reserved a private room. They were quickly seated as soon as they arrived.
Lunch was delicious and leisurely. They were in no hurry to finish their shopping. They left the restaurant and headed to Flourish & Blotts, where they had to limit the kids to 40 minutes of browsing before their purchases would need to be completed. The apothecary was a quick visit. They had to limit Neville to 30 minutes of browsing in the Herbology store. They stopped by Quality Quidditch supplies for fun and the Trunk Bunk to pick up their trunks.
The kids all chose upgraded trunks. Hermione's trunk contained a giant library and a loo. Daphne chose the same. Dudley chose a trunk with a flat, like Harry's, though he added a quidditch pitch to his trunk. It was such a great idea, Harry decided to copy it. He pulled his trunk out of his knapsack and asked for it to be given any maintenance that might be needed and to add a quidditch pitch of his own, just in case he and Dudley ended up in different houses. Neville chose a trunk with four greenhouses and a cozy little sitting room with an ensuite. He insisted that he needed at least four greenhouses to maintain all the climates he would need. No one argued with him, even though that meant he spent all his extra money for the entire year.
Blaise got a flat trunk but with a dueling room instead of a quidditch pitch. He wanted to be good at fighting. He also explained to the other students that the ministry couldn't track magical use within the trunks so they could all practice magic during the summers, if they added a dueling room. They all quickly added the dueling room and the girls also added the flat package to their trunks as well. That way, they'd always have a place away from everyone if they ever needed some time alone. They were all very content with their purchases.
Annette reviewed them and asked them all to add libraries like Hermione and Daphne had in their trunks. She reminded them that the libraries in the trunks were magical constructs, not physical manifestations, and could be linked to any library. The books wouldn't be able to be removed from the trunk but they could be read inside. Harry offered to link them all to the Potter House library, which was very extensive both magically and mundanely. It was such a great idea that Annette allowed Story to choose her own trunk now, as well, so she could also link to Harry's library. Blaise decided to follow suit for Ricky. He didn't want the little guy to feel left out, plus the library was a huge boon. All the kids were very happy with their purchases.
They were all starting to wind down as they went to their last two stores. There was a lovely, little odds and ends shop inside the district. One novelty item sold was a magic mirror that could link together with others so that you could talk to anyone in your grouping. Annette intended to gift each child and their parents a mirror so they could keep in touch while in school. While Annette had instructed the children to pay extra to have a floo address added to and activated for each of their trunks, she didn't want them to have to rely on the floo. The mirrors were portable and would always be with the children, in case of an emergency.
The kids milled around the odds and ends store for a quarter hour or so. They each found some little thing that they wanted from the store. Even Neville found a jar of mixed seeds for two sickles that he could purchase.
They moved on to the last store of the journey. A store that had all the children excited once more. They were here to choose their familiars. Even the two little children had permission to choose a pet of their own. The parents didn't want them to be lonely without their big brothers and sisters.
The children moved into the store with glee.
"Oh, look at all the cute little baby animals!" cried Hermione with her hands clenched against her chest and love already in her eyes.
"They're so fluffy!" said Daphne. Her eyes had landed on a basket of kittens labeled "Half kneazle - half price!" Hermione followed her over, excitedly.
Harry shook his head and kept walking.
"Can we really only bring a cat, rat, or owl?" asked Dudley. He didn't want any of those pets.
Annette laughed. "You can bring any registered familiar. We'll make sure all of your choices are properly registered. They'll be your responsibility though. There won't be anyone around to take over for you, so make sure you consider how much work the pet will be before you choose them."
"I want a familiar and an owl for postage. Can I get both?" asked Harry.
"Yes, you can have a registered familiar and a post owl. We'll go there next. Make sure you ask me before you make any purchases," Annette said, setting the children loose.
Sirius and Remus followed the kids around and made comments on the possible pets. Sirius saw Neville looking sadly at the tank of toads. They were 10 knut each. Sirius could hear him jingling the last of his change as he looked morosely at the toads.
"Don't get that, Neville," Sirius warned. "People will make fun of you, trust me. Peter had a toad and we mocked him mercilessly for it, didn't we Remus?"
"You did. I thought it was a fine pet," Remus said.
"Here, let me buy you something else. What do you really want?" Sirius asked. The other boys listened carefully to get ideas.
Neville looked even more despondent. "I don't know. I just want something that will like being outside in the garden with me," Neville said. Harry perked up.
"You need a rabbit," Harry said.
"A rabbit?" Neville asked, unsure.
"Yeah! They make great pets. You can train them to do tricks and they like to sleep and eat all day," said Dudley.
"Plus, they very fuzzy," said Remus with a smile. "They can be litter trained and they're considered a low maintenance pet."
"Okay," said Neville, perked up. He headed with Remus over to look at the jackalope/rabbit mixes. Jackalope's were magical rabbits that could move very fast when need be.
Dudley and Blaise wandered off to find their own pets while Harry paused. He heard something. A little voice calling.
"Help me. Please take me with you. Someone will use me for ingredients if you don't! Please choose me. Please!" The voice kept up a litany of begging while Harry kept walking, trying to find the source.
Harry turned the corner and found a tank full of snakes. He tried to read the name on the side of the tank but it made no sense to him.
Xicalcoatl Viper. The wildest of all specimens of the Dryadic Snakes, Xicalcoatls are believed to have been bred by the North American Tree Dryads and migrated to Central and South America on their own. They are venomous. Their venom causes victims to become confused and confounded. Then victim then travels to the snake's lair to be devoured. It is known to have a preference for large prey, including humans. They can grow to be 3-5 meters long and up to 1 meter in diameter. They can also sprout wings to fly away when attacked. Though they can be domesticated by Dryads or Parselmouths alike, they must be handled carefully to limit attacks. Increasingly, Dryads have been importing them to the British Isles for their protective tendencies, which helps decrease legal and illegal logging on their land. They are also valued by potions masters for their confusion and confounding effects.
Harry stared at the beautiful red, yellow, white, and orange patterned snakes. One of the snakes stood, pressed against the glass with its hood flared open. Tears were leaking out of its face and it was crying for help.
The other snakes in the tank with it just laughed at the crying snake.
"You're a fool," said one of the other snakes.
"Don't fight against your fate," cried another snake.
"Just enjoy the food and relaxation and hope to be chosen as a breeder," cried another snake. That was the hope of all the snakes.
"I won't! I won't! My mates and I will be saved!" said the crying little snake. It had deep purple markings on its back, along with the other colors.
"Mates?" Harry asked.
The snakes all froze and looked at Harry. The crying snake didn't stay frozen for long. He pressed himself even tighter against the cage.
"Please! Help us! Save us! My two mates and I. Kira, Kyla, please come. I am Zeek. Speaker, please help us," the snake pleaded. Two smaller snakes with lavender makings on their backs came forward, shyly.
"Speaker, please," hissed one of the female snakes.
"Help us. We want to live," hissed the other female.
Someone approached and scared the female snakes back into hiding under their rock. The male stayed crying at the front.
It was Annette. Harry turned to look at her and saw the shocked look on her face.
"You speak to snakes," she whispered, looking around to make sure no one else saw. The shopkeeper was distracted by all the children in his store. He hadn't seen the interplay.
"Yes?" Harry said, looking at her inquisitively. "Can't most people?"
"No. It's a very rare and misunderstood gift. Come. We'll talk about it later," she said, trying to usher Harry away from the snakes. He resisted.
"I want these three snakes. They're my familiars," he said, stubbornly.
"We speak! We can speak mentally to one another, my mates and I. We could protect your loved ones for you. Please!" cried the male snake. Harry looked at him with sympathy.
"A Xicalcoatl Viper! They're one of the most dangerous snakes in the world and you want three of them?" She asked, exasperated.
"Yes! They're mates and they're scared! They don't want to become potions ingredients," Harry cried.
"We can turn invisible. No one will see us. Please speaker!"
"They can turn invisible! No one will see them. Please?" said Harry, tears in his eyes over the plight of the snakes.
Annette didn't know what to say. Sirius came over, noticing the look on Annette's face.
"What's up, pup? Ah, looking at the slimy snakes. Is that what has Annette looking so green?" Sirius joked.
"Yes and no. Annette looked around to make sure no one was listening. She whispered, "Did you know Harry could speak parseltongue?" she asked.
"What?" Sirius looked gobsmacked, then he looked thoughtful. "It used to be a talent that ran in the Black family. Harry's great grandmother was a Black. That's how I'm able to claim him as my heir. He's enough of a Black to count. We need to keep this quiet. Let's talk about it later. Harry, find a pet and let's go."
"I've found my familiars! I won't leave without them!" Harry cried. Sirius looked at Harry questioningly. Then he noticed the dangerous looking vipers and groaned.
"Your familiar is a snake?" Sirius guessed, hoping the answer was no.
"Yes! They're mates and I feel drawn to them. They're like me and Hermione and Daphne," Harry said, confused as to how he knew that but he did know it.
Annette and Sirius exchanged a glance. They'd definitely be talking about this.
"Alright, Harry. They're an easy pet to take care of. You'll have to get a very expensive cage," Sirius warned. "They'll need a very big cage to be comfortable but it'll have to be relatively small on the outside. Also, it'll need to be made to the correct habitat and climate for the snake. Let's go talk to the shopkeep. I don't relish getting them out ourselves."
Harry looked so happy. "I can just ask them to come out, if you like. The girls are very shy and sweet. Zeek will be good too though. He's very well behaved. Harry turned to the snakes and started to speak. "Guess what! They said I can have you as my familiars! I'm going to go get the shopkeep to get you and your mates out!"
Sirius shivered at the enthusiastic hissing. "Don't do that where other people can see or hear you, Harry. This needs to be an absolute secret, do you understand?"
Harry nodded but looked like he could barely contain himself. Sirius shook his head and led Harry towards the front of the store. Most of the kids were up there, waiting for them already. Sirius spoke to the shopkeep and led him to the snakes, with Harry running ahead to show them which snakes he wanted.
Annette helped the other shopkeep check the children out and arrange for supplies for the pets to be mailed to the appropriate place. Dudley had found a half-crup, half-boarhound that he absolutely adored. It was going to be a giant of a dog and looked like a small bear. Dudley held it in a puppy pouch. The puppy kept jumping and trying to lick his face in excitement.
Blaise got a small pair of sugar gliders. The small animals, who looked kind of like tiny flying squirrels, didn't live well alone. They needed at least one friend to keep them company. His little brother Ricky, ever the copycat, also got a pair of sugar gliders. Blaise didn't mind. They'd all get along well during the summers. Neville got a big fat black bunny rabbit with bright pink ear and nose. It was half rabbit and half jackalope. It would keep any pests out of the garden. They were also notorious for being able to get into and out of anything. It was almost impossible to keep them caged when they didn't want to be.
Hermione got a bandy legged, orange half-cat, half-kneazle with yellow eyes. Daphne got a kitten from the same litter. It was fluffy and bright white with gray feet and ears and vivid blue eyes. The kittens were snuggled together in their basket. Astoria got a playful little white ferret that also had gray feet and ears with a pink nose and eyes. It climbed all over her and played in her hair. Harry came back to the front with his snakes, grinning like a loon.
Hermione grinned to see his happiness. "Did you find what you wanted, Harry?"
"I did. It reminds me of us," he said. Hermione knew he meant herself, Daphne, and Harry. "Zeek is a king Xicalcoatl and his mates are queen Xicalcoatls. I'm very lucky to have found such a rare breed."
Hermione was glad to hear it. She didn't know what a Xicalcoatl was but she was glad Harry was happy about it. Daphne was a little leerier but she wasn't going to rain on Harry's parade.
The tired group made their way back to Potter House to spend the final night of the adventure. They had a quick dinner and retired to their rooms to organize their things in their new trunks. Harry, Hermione, and Daphne ended up in a room, sorting their things together. Harry had placed the faux book that would link the Potter House library to the libraries in each of their trunks. The girls were in love with their purchases. Hermione's trunk was a soft green colored dragonhide with flowers and vines embossed on the top. Daphne's was a buttery golden colored dragonhide. It had scenes of fairies embossed on top of her trunk. Both girls' trunks were edged in pure gold, provided by Harry, care of Filantius.
Harry grinned. His father would be so proud if he could see Harry's trunk. He guessed he could see the outside, which looked quite nice. It was a stately black dragonhide leather with scenes of a mountain forest on the top. It was edged in solid gold. Inside, the entire place had been upgraded. The maintenance performed on his trunk had included an upgrade to the furnishings, which were shiny and new. It was a fine apartment with a view overlooking the cliffs of Dover out each of the magical windows. Harry settled all the personal belongings he planned to take with him into the walk-in wardrobe. A doorway leading into which would pop out of one of his trunk compartments, with the right key. It was also accessible from inside the bedroom within the trunk.
He looked around his bedroom and sighed. He was happy to go to Hogwarts with his friends and learn magic where his birth parents had learned but he was also sad to leave his father behind. It was only for a few years, then Harry would move back home and go to university, but still. It was the end of an era.
Harry looked over at Daphne and Hermione and asked, "Are you sad to be leaving home, too? Like, it's not that I don't want to go to Hogwarts, I do. It's just that. I'll miss my home and my other friends and my father, too."
Hermione came over and hugged Harry. Daphne followed and took his hand.
"Of course, I'll miss my mum and dad," said Hermione, "And my bedroom and our friends from Hampstead Primary. Still, this is a good thing. We're growing up. We're not leaving for good."
Harry sniffled a little and nodded. He just loved his papa.
"Besides, even if we will miss Story and Ricky and our parents, we still have time to spend with them before we leave. I probably won't see you guys outside of our activities until it's time to go," declared Daphne. That made them all happy and a different kind of sad. They entered into a group hug. Annette arrived to see it.
She sat down with the children. She noticed the long faces and guessed the reason. "Feeling a little homesick already, are we?"
The kids laughed but agreed. "Maybe just a little," said Daphne.
"Well, you're not gone yet. You'll be back home before you know it," Annette said, smiling at the children. She looked at them curiously. "I see that you three are all the very best of friends."
The children agreed.
"How does your friendship feel? What does it feel like?" Annette asked.
The three looked thoughtful and took hands, all three together.
"It feels like… home. Like we just belong," shrugged Harry.
"It feels like… safety. Like we can just be ourselves around each other," said Hermione, decisively.
"It feels like we're connected, here," said Daphne, pointing at her chest. "Like I can feel it tugging sometimes when Harry or Hermione are really happy or sad."
"Yeah," agreed Harry. "My magic feels like it reaches for them, kind of."
Hermione nodded her head. "I can't sleep sometimes if we don't see each other for a long time."
The other two agreed. All three of them leaned into each other. Annette looked concerned.
"Do you mind if I cast a spell on you?" she asked the kids. They shook their heads that they didn't mind.
Annette cast an old family spell on the three children. It was meant to show if a couple had a magical bond, a soul bond, or a twin flame bond. A magical bond could be formed through friendship or shared trauma. A soul bond could be formed through love and sexual connection. A twin flame bond was a combination of the other two and so much more. Twin flame bonds were considered to be formed by magic herself, when she tied souls together with destiny, fate, and true, unbreakable love. The people involved in twin flame bonds were considered magically one.
Annette cast the spell and was not really that surprised to see the pure gold strands of a twin flame bond binding the three children together.
"We need to show this to your daddy, Sirius, Remus, and we should probably include Andromeda and Ted in this too. I'll schedule lunch for tomorrow afternoon."
"Is it bad?" asked Daphne, sounding anxious.
"No, baby. Not at all. It's just something we would have to think about. I think there are some extra protections that should be undertaken and the school should be notified. It's just something we need to think about," Annette patted the children and made her goodbyes. The kids exchanged glances and hurried into Harry's trunk.
"She's not telling us something," said Hermione. After an hour of research, the children knew exactly what a golden glow forming an equilateral triangle between three people meant. They were a triad twin flame. A very rare magical bonding that had occurred only twice in the last thousand years. Once in the Peverell line and once in the Gryffindor line. It was considered a golden trio. The participants were considered to be magically engaged as soon as the bond solidified and would be considered magically married as soon as they engaged in sexual activity. It was a shocking thing to learn.
"You're my fiances," said Hermione, looking at Harry and Daphne. "We're to be married someday, soon."
"Not until we're through with Hogwarts. I won't agree to it until then," said Daphne, firmly. "They only let married men stay in Hogwarts, not married women."
Hermione looked angry. "Then, I won't be doing it until we graduate Hogwarts, either. The nerve of treating women so poorly! We deserve equal rights," said Hermione, ranting about one of her favorite subjects. They let her go at it for a few minutes before Harry turned the conversation back to the matter at hand.
"What will they do? Now that we know?" Harry asked.
"Most likely, they'll enter us into a marriage contract. We're allowed to enter into one as soon as the binding is found. It protects anyone from forcing us away from our fiances. Once a non-revocable marriage contract is filed with the ministry, it is binding on everyone. No one can keep us apart, not even our parents or the ministry or anyone," said Daphne. That actually sounded pretty good to the kids.
oooOOOoooOOOooo