Harry smiled as he made his way through Vienna's Natural History Museum, having decided to experience something unrelated to art, at least for the most part. The museum was known for a huge hall filled with exhibits about the dinosaurs, along with the world's largest collection of meteorites, both of which he found himself enjoying immensely. After all, he was hardly unique in having been fascinated by dinosaurs as a kid.
After finishing his excellent breakfast and finally leaving the Westbahnhof he had quickly made his way to a good hotel and dropped his luggage off before beginning to sightsee.
He'd begun with some of the more nearby and quicker to get through sights, such as the Hofburg and the Austrian Parliament Building. He had been especially interested in the Pallas Athene Fountain outside of the latter, finding it quite a sight when he first saw it. Before he left he could not help the words that slipped out of his mouth as he gazed at the Goddess of Wisdom and War, holding Nike, Goddess of Victory, in her hand. "I hope I will have you on my side in the future." He'd said with a wry smile on his face as he turned and walked away to his next destination.
Seeing that it was nearly closing time for the museum, and having already bought tickets for something that evening, Harry spent his last hour at the Natural History Museum in its planetarium, a recent addition to the museum that had many great reviews online.
Sitting in his seat alongside the other attendants, gazing up at the dome showing stunning images of the planets, stars and galaxies, he wondered if Professor Sinistra had ever been to something like this, and how she would react if she did. The thought of it brought a smile to his face as he enjoyed the show and narration.
Seeing all of the wonders of the galaxy brought to life, he wondered if it would be possible for him, assuming he survived Voldemort, to live long enough to see Mars, or Saturn's moons. He knew magical people could live longer than non-magical people. Could he live to see the day that travel to other planets, perhaps even other solar systems, was commonplace? Considering how much he'd already found himself enjoying traveling, he hoped so, even if he knew it was a silly thought, overall.
Perhaps he could find a way to pay to go up in a rocket, at least. Visit the ISS. He'd happily rob Malfoy blind for a chance at that, he thought with a grin.
Once the planetarium's show was over Harry made his way out of the museum and checked the time. He had two hours before showtime, so he had to get ready quickly.
Thankfully having little trouble catching a taxi, he quickly made his way to his hotel room to get ready.
Night had fallen over the city by the time Harry arrived at the Vienna State Opera House. He had spent nearly half an hour transfiguring some of his older cast offs into a good tuxedo, having pulled up multiple images online to get the changes just right.
Sure, he could have bought a tuxedo, but he didn't really see a point. He doubted he would use one often enough to make such an expensive outfit worth it, so simply transfiguring some old clothes into one when he needed it worked fine.
He smiled in amusement at the fact that he'd helped himself visualize by imagining he was dressing as James Bond, having watched the latest films on the train. "Potter." He said to himself with a small chuckle as he stepped out of his taxi. "Harry Potter." He snorted lightly and wondered if he should study enchanting just to make Bond style gadgets. The thought was definitely amusing, if silly.
Though if he happened to find himself in possession of a beautiful Aston Martin, he wouldn't exactly complain.
Walking into the Opera House after providing his ticket Harry gazed around in wonder, taking in the amazing architecture and artwork on display. He had decided that, just like with visual art before, while in a city famous for music, he would explore that area of the arts as well. He'd found several types of modern music that he liked, but that was different from music like what would be played at his current location. He considered himself lucky that he'd found a good ticket online for a concert by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, as he'd read it was one of the best in the world when he looked it up.
Taking his seat Harry relaxed as the players started warming up, hoping that this would be something that he would end up enjoying. Still, even if he didn't, he'd at least be having a new experience. And that was one of the main things he was looking for.
As the music started he smiled and closed his eyes, letting the wave of sound wash over him.
The next day found a well rested Harry making his way to Vienna's magical district, Verwunderung Allee. From what he'd found in his magical guidebook it wasn't actually all that difficult to access, unlike the others he'd gone through so far. In fact it was similar to the entrance to Diagon Alley, hidden in the back of a shop.
Finding the business in question, a surprisingly modern coffee shop (modern being that it looked less than a hundred years old), Harry stopped to order some coffee, finding it quite nice once the pretty barista had given it to him with a smile, before making his way to the back of the shop, where a sign reading 'Authorized Personnel Only' with a small symbol of a gryffon underneath it indicated the correct door he needed to go through.
Grabbing the doorknob he felt a small tingle in his palm before it allowed him to turn it, letting him through to another cafe full of obviously magical patrons, the decor more what he was used to from the wizarding world. He ignored the patrons as he sipped his coffee and walked out the door into the streets of Verwunderung Allee.
This magical district was somewhat reminiscent of Paris', but with enough distinct changes in architecture to make it obviously Austrian. He found it quite interesting to observe, and he made sure to take pictures to show his friends when he got home. He was sure Hermione, at the least, would be very interested in seeing how magical districts differed among the many countries he was planning to visit.
Making his way through Verwunderung Allee he found it to be not very crowded, unlike what he was used to from Diagon Alley. Then again, the only times he usually went to Diagon Alley was for back to school shopping. The only times he hadn't seen the alley crowded was when he'd lived there for a short while before his third year.
The shops were generally what he was used to at this point, apothecaries, clothing stores, supply shops, a quidditch store (which he spent more than a fair amount of time in), and restaurants. He eventually found the main store he was looking for and began perusing the books available.
Unfortunately it seemed to be very similar to Flourish and Blotts in Diagon Alley, primarily stocking more basic and general books rather than anything he couldn't find elsewhere, the only real difference being the language everything was in. Still, he made sure to look through the entire shop, on the off chance there was something of interest tucked away in a corner or high shelf.
In the end he left the bookstore a bit disappointed but ignored it to continue his wandering through the district, focusing primarily on getting souvenirs for his friends. It was when he came across a store with a sign that read "Haus der Musik, 1756." that his attention was really drawn.
Remembering the previous night's excellent concert he hesitated before walking in, glancing around at the wide variety of instruments on display in the old looking shop. Under a myriad of portraits of what Harry assumed to be famous musicians there were a multitude of brass instruments, woodwinds, string instruments, pianos, and even a few harpsichords, which Harry was relatively sure weren't really much of a thing, anymore.
As he was looking at the brass instruments a man appeared from the back of the shop. He looked to be in his sixties or so, with snow white hair, a distinguished face and facial hair. He was dressed in a nice but old suit, like something out of the Victorian era. "Welcome, young man." He said enthusiastically, appearing honestly pleased to see him. "I am Johann Sebastian Schmidt. Are you looking for anything in particular?"
Harry turned from a trumpet to smile at the man. "Not really. This is really more of an impulsive thing." He gazed around the showroom. "I went to see the Vienna Philharmonic last night…"
"An excellent orchestra." Schmidt said cheerfully. "And I'm guessing it made you interested in something more traditional than the guitars and such of modern 'rock' bands and the like." He said with a smile.
"Basically." Harry said in agreement. "I'm trying to expand my horizons and try new things, and it occurred to me that perhaps I should try to take up an instrument. The thing is, I do a lot of traveling, so I need something I can bring with me and won't just sit and collect dust, so something large like a piano or the like is right out." He said as he remembered an amazing piano piece played during the previous night's concert.
"Were you interested in trying the piano?" The shop owner asked. "Because I do have some options if portability is the issue." He said with a smile as he motioned Harry over to the counter. His customer followed him and watched as the man grabbed a cylindrical roll of leather from under the counter. Schmidt then set it on one end of the counter before unrolling it, revealing piano keys, all organized as though set in an actual instrument but not attached to anything other than the leather itself. Then Schmidt smiled at him and began pressing down on the keys as though playing an actual instrument, and Harry was surprised in spite of knowing he shouldn't be when the clear sounds of a well tuned piano of exceptional quality being played expertly began. Schmidt played for twenty seconds, going through various different styles and tempos to demonstrate, before stopping. He smiled and motioned for Harry to check for himself.
Harry reached over and pressed down on one of the white keys, a clear C note ringing out from apparently nowhere. When he did it to another he got a G, and he hit it multiple times in quick succession to test it, noting that it reacted and sounded perfectly.
"You'd think I'd be used to the things magic is capable of by now." The teen said with a wry smile on his lips.
"I find it a good thing that you aren't." Schmidt said with a smile on his face. "I feel that if you lose that sense of wonder you have for magic, you've lost something truly precious. The same is true for music, I believe."
Harry nodded slowly, definitely agreeing with what the man was saying. "It definitely solves my problem." He said, bringing the topic back to the instrument, considering it. "How much?"
"I'd be willing to let this one go for sixty galleons." Schmidt said with a smile.
Harry considered it carefully going over his finances in his head, before going ahead and pulling out his money pouch. "Deal."
Once Schmidt had taken and counted the money he handed Harry the rerolled up instrument. "Pleasure doing business with you, Herr…?"
"Black." Harry said with a smile as he took his new purchase in hand. "Hermes Black."
"Herr Black." Schmidt said with a smile. "I hope it serves you well. Perhaps one day I will see you on stage at the Opera House playing for an adoring crowd."
Harry chuckled, smiling a bit wider. "Perhaps." With that he said his farewells and left the store to continue meandering along Verwunderung Allee, his new piano clutched in his hands.
Harry spent the next day exploring several other places of interest, including the Museum of Military History and the Vienna Zoo.
The former was quite interesting, allowing him to see a variety of weapons and vehicles from all the way from the 1600s to the 1950s. It reminded him of when he wielded Gryffindor's sword against the basilisk. Though even he knew that 'wielded' was a very generous word to use to describe his crude handling of the fine weapon.
It made him wonder if he shouldn't perhaps look into some sort of weapon skill or hand to hand combat style, in case he was ever unable to use magic for some reason. He wasn't stupid, however. He knew that getting proficient enough at any weapon for it to actually be useful would take far longer than he had, which was why it would be best for him to focus on his magical skills.
The zoo was quite relaxing. He enjoyed seeing the many animals being cared for there, a smile on his face as he joined the other visitors in enjoying the antics of the giant panda cubs, who frolicked and played without a care in the world. The reptile exhibit had also been a highlight, though for very different reasons. The snakes there were much more talkative than he remembered them being in the London Zoo back before he started Hogwarts. One particularly mouthy python couldn't stop insulting every single passerby that gazed into his tank, apparently finding it quite entertaining. Harry was sure the young mother that was showing her toddler the big snake would be covering her son's ears in mortification if she could understand what he was saying about her.
Harry saved some of those insults to memory. They were quite inventive.
At the end of the day, however, it was time to move on, and as Harry sat in his hotel room, staring at the map of Europe on his laptop's screen, there was one place he knew he had to go to next, though a part of him really didn't want to. This trip was supposed to be an opportunity to relax, and this very much wouldn't be.
Still, it needed to be done, so he booked his train tickets for the next morning before heading to bed, grabbing Tobin's Spirit Guide and cracking it open to read while he tried to get to sleep.
When he finally closed his eyes and did so, his dreams weren't restful. What he was about to go see fuelled anxious nightmares of the future, so when he woke up he ended up downing three cups of coffee.
Still, it needed to be done.
Shorter chapter than usual. Shorter, later chapter than usual, for that matter.
Part of the reason for both of those issues (beyond the fact that I've been working six days a week for months and am simply exhausted) is simply the fact that I never meant for anything really important to the overall plot to happen in Vienna. This was a breather city for Harry, and an opportunity for him to obtain a musical instrument. Otherwise nothing much was going to be happening.
I wavered between giving Harry a violin or a piano for a while, and in the end I went with the piano, as I don't believe it's been done before, at least not in this manner. And giving Harry a non combat, somewhat relaxing skill and hobby seemed like a good idea.
Still, next chapter is going to be Important. I'm wondering how many of you will figure out what he's dreading going to so much.
After that location, we'll likely be heading out of Europe. I had considered having him go to Amsterdam for some shenanigans, but it would be going pretty out of the way back west only for him to immediately head directly east again. The only reason I say it's likely, however, is I'm considering having him go to Berlin. There are a few things there that could be of interest, including The Wall. And I do have some ideas germinating for a confrontation with Tom's lackeys, although I'm debating having that happen somewhere else instead. Decisions, decisions… Still, I'll figure it out.
I believe that's all the relevant stuff said, so now I'll go ahead and give my usual reminders:
As I've stated previously, my best friend and their roommate have a podcast. Yes, I know, everybody and their mother has a podcast these days, but I beg you to hear me out. It's called 'Two Idiots and a Dog', and they talk about pop culture in general with different shows for different topics. So far they've primarily done 'Idiots on Film', talking about classic or important movies, and another one called 'Idiots Unleashed', where they just take a topic their Discord members vote on and talk/argue/rant about it without a filter. The latest episode of 'Idiots on Film' was on the latest Mortal Kombat movie, and their latest 'Idiots Unleashed' was on the weird and baffling weapons of RWBY. They also recently did a review and discussion of the Netflix adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Sandman, because they're huge geeks and why wouldn't they? So if you're interested, that's 'Two Idiots and a Dog' on most podcasting resources. Please check it out. For me? *puppy dog eyes*
Secondly, I am, as always, truly grateful for those of you who are willing to send a buck or two my way out of the kindness of your heart. I relied on all of you when I wasn't working, and it definitely still helps even now that I've had a job for nearly six months. Thanks to you I have more of a cushion to get things I still need or pay essential bills. Like Final Fantasy XIV. (Speaking of, Ryuma Hyurinmaru on the Coeurl Server, Crystal Datacenter, North America)
Of course, let us not forget that you do get something out of it. For each dollar that you donate to my Pat A Ron, you get a vote in my monthly update poll stating what you want to see updated next month. And if what you vote for doesn't win immediately, no worries! Non-winning votes roll over to the next poll, so a fic that only gets a vote a month will eventually win (though it might take a bit, to be brutally honest). No Good Deed was recently updated due to turtling the others, for example.
That said, if a fic hasn't won in a long time, I will take it off the poll and update it anyway, like I am in the process of doing for On Swirling Ashes, which is unfortunately still taking me longer than expected but is making progress.
So yes, donate to my Pat A Ron, you get a say in what I update. Everybody wins! So that's Pat A Ron dotcom /athanmortis. The current poll ends on September 5th.
However, as something new, I have set up a Ko-Fi for those of you who don't want to use Pat A Ron to support me. The only caveat is that it won't count towards any voting, so I honestly don't see it getting much use. That said, it's there for those of you that prefer it. Seeing as I only created it a few weeks ago, please give me any feedback on it so I can make improvements. That's ko-fi dotcom /athanmortis78653 .
Thank you as always for reading, and sticking with me despite my dry spells and delays. I really do appreciate it. I hope everyone has a good one. Till next time!