Chapter 4
Harry arrived home that night to Tolly waiting for him holding two messages tied to her leg and with a renewed determination to get through the obstacles and see him to the end of his little project.
Tired though he was, Harry sat down at his dining table and smiled when his owl flew over to him dutifully. He held out his leg so the messages could be removed, ruffling his feathers slightly. Looking over his shoulder, he noticed Kreacher had been busy, there was a pot of tea and a bit of cheese and crackers left out. This brought a smile to Harry's face. The elf was completely different now than when they'd first met.
Opening the first message, he immediately recognized Ginny's smooth and fluid script. It read:
"Hi Harry, How's things in London? Mum wrote before she left to say she's worried about you, are you okay? She says you've been distracted. I'm sorry I've been gone so much. Things are going well here with the Harpies, and they're going to let me start with them when the season opens in September!
I'll be home by then, and only gone for away games if that helps. Please let me know how you're doing. I can't ask Ron or Hermione, they're gone. I've asked George to look in on you, but he didn't reply before I wrote this. I'll be home in about a week, maybe ten days. Love, Ginny"
Harry smiled and quickly set out to write a reply.
"Ginny, I'm sorry to worry you and your mum. Everything's fine. I've got a project I've been working on, and it's got me tied up figuring everything out. I saw George today, and promised him that I'm not going anywhere and no one's in any danger. You'll find out what it is when you get home, I promise. Congratulations on starting with the team! Can't wait to see you come home. Love you, Harry"
He tied the note to Tolly's leg. The large owl twitched her wings and then took off into the night. He knew he'd rather rest, but it was an easy flight to the training camp and back. He'd be back by morning and could rest then, Harry figured.
Taking a moment to pour himself a cup of tea, Harry yawned and then sat down to look at the other note. It was from Hagrid. His writing was as untidy as Ginny's was neat, but Harry still smiled at seeing something come from his first friend in the Wizarding World.
"Harry,
How are you? I hear you've been busy but things are slow at the ministry. You aren't up to something, are you?
McGonagall says this will be her last term as Headmistress, and that someone else will be taking over but hasn't said who. Neville will be starting this term as Professor of Herbology! Professor Sprout says it's time for her to retire. She's going on Sabattical to South America to study magical plants and herbs there.
The weather's been good. Fang says hi. Hoping you're well.
Hagrid"
Harry couldn't help but smile. He'd done a lousy job of keeping his project secret, clearly. As time went on, more and more people were keen to find out about it, whatever "it" was. He supposed he couldn't blame them. The last time he was so secretive, he'd missed all of seventh year and Voldemort was returned to power. That was the kind of thing that would make anyone worry. He would check in at the Ministry in the morning, then spend the rest of the day getting the rest of his project figured out. As much as they worried about him, he felt he owed it to his friends.
Upon waking up the next morning, he got up and dressed like he would any other day. He found Tolly asleep on his perch, no note tied to his leg. Thinking he'd let his owl take the day off, too, Harry took his wand and sent a simple message to Kingsley via a talking Patronus, saying simply that he's checking in as requested, and would be home most of the day if needed.
He breakfasted on toast and marmalade, eggs and bacon, tinned tomatoes and tomato juice, and a hot cup of coffee.
He ate while flipping through the Daily Prophet. It didn't have anything in it to keep his attention, so it didn't take very long before he was done eating and ready to tackle his task for the day. He was ready. Then an idea occurred to him. Harry decided he would need to make one excursion before getting started on his project. He would need to make three stops, two of which were in Diagon Alley. If he hurried, he could be home before lunch.
Gathering his wand, Gringotts key, and traveling cloak, Harry apparated once again to Diagon Alley. This time, however, he was going about things differently than the day before. His first stop was Gringotts. As a rule he didn't keep much gold at home. Only enough to do some occasional pick up shopping. He had some Sickles and Knuts for paying delivery owls, but that was about it. For what he wanted to do today, he'd need more than that.
It was always a hair raising experience going into the goblin run bank. More so since the events that took place in what should have been his seventh year. He never really liked the goblins much, and even less so after Griphook's betrayal in Bellatrix LeStrange's vault. But since their escape from the lower levels on the back of what had been the bank's captive dragon, Harry got the impression the goblins had taken a particular dislike to him as well.
As he entered the halls of the bank, he could feel their black, beady eyes looking at him. By and large, the goblins ignored him, however, and for that he was grateful. He could see where the damage he, Ron, and Hermione had escaped had been repaired. The marble tiles and golden trim looked just like new. Extracting his key from the pocket of his robes where he kept it, Harry approached the counter and the goblin on the other side of it.
"Ah, yes, Mr. Potter. To what do we owe this pleasure?" The goblin said icily.
Harry smiled at him and replied, "I need to access my vault, please."
The goblin behind the counter took the key from Harry and looked it over carefully. He seemed to take more time than necessary but he was otherwise quiet while Harry waited.
"This seems to be in order." The goblin said, then he raised a finger and beckoned to a goblin who was standing nearby. The diminutive creature wasn't much taller than Griphook had been on Harry's first visit, still dressed in a waistcoat, and he carried a pocket watch on a chain much like Harry did. Absently, he reached down and felt the watch in his pocket. It had been a gift from Mrs. Weasley for his seventeenth birthday, and a family heirloom as well.
"Gorecleaver will escort you to your vault." The older goblin said while the smaller one bowed slightly. "Will there be anything else, Mr. Potter?"
"No thanks." Harry replied.
"This way, please." Gorecleaver said, his voice deeper than one might expect for a creature of his size. Without waiting to see if Harry followed him, Gorecleaver walked across the hall to a set of double doors on one side. He held it open for Harry and let him pass. Together they stepped into an elevator and down they went.
The doors opened up into a roughly hewn tunnel carved out of rock. Just like he'd seen his first time, there was a cart waiting for them. Gorecleaver and Harry climbed inside and the goblin grabbed the handle.
"Stay seated and hold on, please."
Harry sat down and waited for the trip to begin. Even though he'd experienced it before, Harry was still taken by surprise when the cart started moving and then gaining speed. They were quickly hurtling over the track, nearly careening off on the sharp turns, yet always moving forward.
Soon enough, though since Harry enjoyed the ride it was over too quickly, they reached the location of the Potter family vault. Gorecleaver and Harry exited the cart and the goblin requested his key. Providing it, he watched as the creature with long, spindly fingers deftly took it from his hand and then turned and opened the door to the vault.
It was always a bitter sweet moment for Harry when he visited here. Already possessed of his family's fortunes, the amount had grown substantially more upon the death of Sirius, his godfather. Enough that he ended up having to have his vault space magically expanded because the Black family was very well off, and Harry had inherited quite a bit. He looked at the stacks and piles of coins, Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts. There were also other heirlooms belonging to both the Potter and Black families. At some point, Harry thought, I'm going to have to come down here and go through all of this. He sighed. To business.
He removed his money pouch from his robes and scooped a significant amount of gold into it. Weighing it in his hands, he decided to add just a bit more, and then he turned to leave.
"You're finished then?" Gorecleaver asked, his tone businesslike, yet Harry noted a slight bit of hostility as well.
"Yes, thank you." Harry answered.
He exited the vault and climbed back into the waiting cart. The goblin closed and locked it, then handed Harry back his key as he, too, climbed back inside the cart and started them moving back towards the great hall and surface far above.
Following his trip to Gringotts, Harry walked down the way to the next stop on his list, Sugarplum's Sweet Shop. This was a much more pleasant visit, and he found himself smiling and taking a deep breath upon entering. It smelled the way a sweet shop should, Harry thought. He detected odors of chocolate, caramel, butterscotch, butterbeer, and various assorted fruit flavors as well. Mrs. Sugarplum smiled at him from behind the counter.
"Mr. Potter!" she exclaimed, "This is an unexpected pleasure. To what do we owe the honor of your visit?" She clasped her hands together as she made her way around the counter. Her curly, bushy hair seemed to explode out from under the bonnet she wore, and her nose seemed a bit long for her face. However, her smile was genuine and she seemed eager to help.
"I'd like a box of crystalized ginger, please. And maybe some chocolate frog cards, too." Harry added as he spied the display stacked so high it looked like it might topple over at any moment. From the way everything was crowded into the shop, he wasn't sure such an event wouldn't cascade into a catastrophe for the happy, busy witch.
"Of course, Mr. Potter. How large a box would you like?" She gestured towards the display of crystallized ginger, and the boxes stacked above. They, too, looked tall enough to fall over should they be disturbed by the slightest breeze.
"Can I have the largest box you carry, please?" Harry asked.
Her face lit up in pure joy at the request, and she made some squeal of excitement as she waved her wand. A large box extracted itself from the stack, then flew open as it soared down to the opened display case. Stacks of crystallized ginger moved as if guided by an invisible conductor and arranged themselves inside the box. Once full, the box shut itself and then a lavender bow tied itself neatly around the entire thing, making for a nice presentation.
For some reason, seeing this reminded Harry of Ginny. Feeling bad for nearly forgetting her, Harry got a box full of her favorite assorted candies and divinities as well. If nothing else, maybe she would enjoy the little surprise.
"So, we have the box of crystallized ginger, a box of assorted candies and divinities, and ten chocolate frogs. Was there to be anything else today?" Mrs. Sugarplum asked.
"No, thank you." Harry smiled at her.
"Then that will be eighteen galleons, four sickles, and three knuts, please, Mr. Potter."
Harry counted out the coins and grinned as the old witch waved her wand with a flourish, and watched as each item went into separate bags and was then giftwrapped. Green for the ginger, pink for Ginny's box, and green with a brown bow for Harry's cards. He thanked her again and left the shop. He'd need to drop the two incidental purchases off at home before he went to his next, and hopefully last, stop of the day, to visit Professor Slughorn.
An hour later, it wasn't even eleven yet. Harry smiled at the progress he'd made. Ginny's gift and his cards were at home in Grimmauld Place on his kitchen table. Now he was in Kent, in a small, quiet street, and standing at the door of his old potions master, Horace Slughorn. Making sure to have the box of crystallized ginger where it could readily be seen, Harry raised his hand and knocked.
Professor Slughorn was quick enough to respond for a man as old and rather large as he was. His robes did little to hide his paunch, but his tired smile was bright when he saw who stood in front of him on his doorstep.
"Harry Potter! Well this is a surprise. A pleasant one, to be sure. To what do I owe this pleasure?" He asked.
Harry smiled back and proffered the box of crystallized ginger. Professor Slughorn's smile brightened even more upon seeing this, and he accepted it almost greedily. "Ah, my favorite! You remembered." Professor Slughorn said.
"How could I forget, Sir?"
"Come in, boy. Come in. Please, have a seat." Harry was bowed inside the professor's house, and he crossed his fingers as he entered. If this worked, he'd have all the help he needed for his project. Hopefully, it would allow him to finish things quickly so he could be done with all the sneaking around.
The two men exchanged small talk for a few minutes. Each asking after the other's health. Then they spent a few minutes more talking about their times in Hogwarts. Harry as a student, and Professor Slughorn as his teacher. Harry smiled as the small man opened the box and removed a piece of the ginger, placed it in his mouth, and savored it.
"Nothing has ever come close to what The Sugarplums do," He smiled."and a box this size could not have been cheap. I'm thinking you must have a reason for bringing me this beyond reminiscing over old times?"
"Yes, sir." Harry replied, deciding on the direct approach. "I was wondering if I could seek your help on a project I'm working on. I'm not really able to talk about what it is, really, but if I could get your help, sir, I believe it would move things forward exponentially."
Professor Slughorn sat back in his overstuffed chair, steepled his fingers, and looked at Harry who decided to add just a bit more to hopefully gain the assistance of the old potions master.
"What I can tell you is that when I'm done, this project will be for everyone. Everyone who fought and lost someone in the second war. Even the first war. If you don't want to help me, then maybe you could do it to help them?"
"And there's not even a hint to what it is you want me to help you with? Is that the way of it?"
Harry sighed in defeat. "Yes, sir. I'm sorry, but once it's done, you'll understand. And, I think, you'll be more than happy to have played a significant role in the project's success. Probably more than any one person, if that helps anything."
Still sitting and observing Harry over his steepled fingers, Professor Slughorn breathed deeply and asked, "And what is it exactly that you need, Mr. Potter?"
Harry noted the use of his surname, and figured his efforts would be for nothing, then decided to plow on anyway. "Professor, Sir, would you happen to have any Felix Felicis? Or if you don't have any on hand, could you please help me to brew some?"
"Harry, is what you're working on in any way illegal? Could it get you or me into any trouble?"
This was a reasonable question, Harry thought, and one he was readily able to answer. "No, Sir, not at all. It's just that I've been working on this project of mine for a long time. I'd like to finish it sooner rather than later because I'm afraid later would be it not getting finished at all. But if I could just get my project done, I think it would benefit a lot of people."
"And you think I just keep such a devilishly difficult potion to make on hand?" Professor Slughorn asked with half a smile.
"I'm sorry, sir, I didn't mean to assume. I was just hoping…"
"Relax, Mr. Potter. As it stands, I do happen to have a vial of old Felix on hand. I was saving it for something, what it is doesn't matter, but I think I'd like to know about this project of yours. There's been whisperings that you were up to something…" He held up his hand at the look on Harry's face.
"Sir?"
"Harry, after the events of your seventh year, did you really think it would go unnoticed if you started behaving oddly?" The professor smiled at Harry and gave a slight shake of his head.
For some reason, Harry found this irritating. Then realized he recognized that look. It was the one Hermione reserved for him when she thought he was being particularly thick about something. This irritated him even more.
"So this mystery project is for the good of the wizarding world?" Slughorn asked.
Harry nodded, not quite trusting himself to speak without a hint of the irritation he felt in his tone. Professor Slughorn chuckled and heaved himself to his feet. He waved Harry back when he too started to stand, while he went over to a large cabinet with smoked glass doors. Opening one of them, he reached in and removed a small vial. He then turned and handed it to Harry. "For the good of the Wizarding World. May your project help us all."
"Thank you, Sir. I believe you just made this project's completion a certainty." Harry smiled in relief.
"Then I look forward to learning more about it in due time, Harry. Please, don't hesitate to call on me again if you need me."
The two men shook hands, and Harry left. It was a quick apparition from Kent to Grimmauld Place and home. Harry's mood was greatly improved. He now felt like he had everything he needed to complete his project, and hopefully, bring a bit of peace to his friends.