"…ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred…" Harry put a small tally mark on a piece of paper. He started again at zero and stopped at thirty four, which he scribbled down as well. He counted his tallies, a total of thirteen tallies and a number thirty four. In other words, he just counted one thousand, three hundred and thirty four galleons. He would have had one more but it had been lost after colliding with the skull of a certain fifteen year old Slytherin. Harry had received a letter from Hermione saying that Malfoy had a major concussion, and luckily had no brain damage. Also that if Draco hadn't so obviously harassed Ginny, the Malfoy's would have taken him to wizard court. As if it wasn't already obvious.
Harry glanced over the letter Hermione sent once more. Her words seemed so much more conservative an vague when talking about Ron. Something was going on, and he could only think of two things.
He checked his watch. There was a portkey going from Diagon Alley to Hogsmeade in thirty minutes. He had just enough time to stop by at Gringotts. Placing all of the thousands of coins into a sack, and making it feather light. He put on his cloak, sheathed his wand, and grabbed a pinch of floo powder before trekking downstairs. He saw his aunt watching the tele in the living room and ventured to inform her of his activities.
"I'm going now, and I won't be back until at least tomorrow, and perhaps longer. I don't expect you'll miss me, but I felt you should know so you don't think I'm dead and rotting in my room." He was surprised at his own cheerfulness, but decided it was not worth dwelling on. He threw a pinch into the fireplace and stared at it. He knew he could do this. Floo powder was extremely flammable and it only required a spark. He was able to do it before with his hand, and his hand was only an extension of his body. So, he should be able to make it ignite with pure power of will……………He supposed he looked like the bearded guy in that movie he saw on the tele once. Superman, was it? The evil guy who couldn't shoot the lasers out of his eyes. He probably looked the same way, but he had no more time to waste. He flick his wand into his hand and ignited it manually. He stepped in and shouted Gringotts before the familiar spinning took him on his journey.
He was happy that he didn't fall when he exited the floo, and equally happy to see that Gringotts was empty of patrons, giving him access to speedy service. He moved up to the nearest counter. The goblin looked kindly at him.
"My name is Pottel, how may I help you today?" Harry almost confused the goblin's name for his own.
"I have a little over thirteen hundred galleons to deposit. All but two hundred of which go to my personal account. The others go to vault 6897 with this note." Harry placed his sack on the table, and handed the note to the goblin.
"Following rule 372-142, you understand you must read this note before it is deemed credible to be put in the vault, and that once your money goes in that vault, it may not be withdrawn by you. You may only withdraw from your own vault." Harry nodded and opened the note.
"Dear Mr. and Mrs. Weasley,
You may not know me, but one or more of your family members unknowingly helped me greatly on one of my business endeavors. I feel, therefore, obligated to share one sixth of all profits with your family. I will not reveal my identity, simply, because I have learned from others that you do not accept charity, which you may claim this to be, when it certainly is not. Aid from your family has increased my wealth, so I am to increase yours. Have an enjoyable autumn.
A friend." Harry folded the note and handed it back to the goblin who read it just in case anything was not consistent with his words. Upon nodding the goblin put a stamp on the note, and adjusted the numbers on the counter to match the vault number of the Weasley's. He place in the note, and counted and placed two hundred galleons in a slot in his desk. Then quickly changed the vault number to Harry's vault, before dumping the rest of the contents of the bag into the same slot. The goblin turned to Harry.
"Anything else sir." Harry shook his head, and wandered out of Gringotts, onto the heavily crowded streets of Diagon Alley. He dodged and squeezed his way over to the fountain, until he found a pink orb sitting on the edge. He fished into his pockets and put twelve sickles into the orb. It flashed once leaving a pink print on the pointer finger on his right hand. He assumed it was a sort of pass, so it would accept him when the time came, which would be in five minutes.
He sat alone and watched the people walk by until the orb started flashing once a second. He assumed it meant it was ready to go and placed his finger on it. After a few seconds a flood of people circled around and placed in their money, and touching it with their fingers. He was wondering why they all waited until the last second. He was the only one at the orb until ten seconds before it worked, when seven other people joined in.
With a familiar tug, Harry was flying over trees, hills, towns, until quite suddenly, it stopped and he and four others fell down. All the others separated and without a word wandered in their own direction. Upon looking around, Harry realized he was lost. He took the portkey to Hogsmeade, but he had never been in this part of Hogsmeade before. He was going to venture to wander around until a train whistle caught his attention. He guessed where it cam from and started jogging in that direction. As he rounded a corner, he could see the spires of Hogwarts school. Finally knowing for sure where to go, he just followed his eyes, and shortly came upon the gates. They were so familiar. It felt good to be back. This used to be his home. The sentiments came in a large wave, almost drowning him into tears. He held back his emotion. There was business to take care of first. He walked up the path to the school letting his feet take him where they would. He was not so surprised when he ended up on the quidditch pitch, very near the spot where Cedric Diggory and himself would be changed forever. He knelt down and placed a very inconspicuous, round stone on the ground. He sighed heavily, and walked solemnly towards the castle.
/\/ /\/ /\/ /\/ /\/ /\/ /\/ /\/
A young man with greasy black hair and a hook nose fell out of the thicket, tripping on the vines that wrapped around his feet. He cut them away and got up. It was the last time he would ever agree to go back into the forbidden forest for ingredients. From now on he would by them. Let someone else trouble with getting them. The man turned to see that on the quidditch pitch was a short solitary figure, kneeling above what looked like a rock. As the figure moved away, he noticed the black messy hair of the character, and scowled. What the hell was he doing here? He had decided he was too good for the wizarding world.
However curiosity struck the professor, and he walked over to and picked up the stone. It was a perfectly smooth stone. Too smooth. He examine it closely until his finger felt something. He turned the rock over keeping his finger on the rough spot he felt. There were many tiny marking on the stone where his finger felt the inconsistency. Curiosity still fresh, he popped a magnifying lens out of his wand and read the tiny scrawl on the stone.
In memory of Cedric Diggory. Who was a friend when friends were few. Who was noble and modest when recognition was easy to acquire. A true person, beyond any other. Rest in peace, my friend. Harry Potter.
With a apathetic look, the man tossed the stone carelessly onto the ground. He never saw the aged wizard in a white beard watching from a window in the tallest of the towers.
/\/ /\/ /\/ /\/ /\/ /\/ /\/ /\/
"Mr. Potter, I'm surprised to see you here. I was told you are no longer attending Hogwarts."
"Hello, Madame Pince. You were told correctly. I am here only for research. I was having trouble locating a book, and I wanted to look here before I tried the ministry library." Harry responded.
"Well, then, lets have the title." She said idly.
"Powerful Potions for the Troubled Mind, or the updated and retitled The Pscychotherapeutic Encyclopedia of Potions." She looked at him oddly.
"Isn't that a little above your level, Mr. Potter?" He shook his head. She sighed and entered the area of books off limits to most students. "As soon as she returned, she started scribbling on a piece of parchment. "You know, Potter, that if you still were a student at Hogwarts, I would not be able to lend you this book. It may not leave school grounds."
"I understand that. I must be off to see the headmaster." He sang.
"No lunch?"
"No," Harry said, after a short thought, "too many people." He tucked the book under his arm and slipped quietly out of the entrance. He heard the rumbling of footsteps as the fast eaters exited the great hall. He knew they would be passing by him shortly on their way to their common rooms. He would surely be seen. A group of Gryffindors rounded the corner and he halted abruptly. Upon seeing his sharp stop, the boys lifted their heads to look more closely at him. He felt very awkward quite suddenly, but ventured to break the silence.
"Hello Ron, Seamus, Dean, Fred, George, Lee." Harry said, forcing a small grin.
"What happened, Harry?" asked Fred or George.
"Yeah, did you miss the train?" asked the other.
"You could've taken the car, you know" said the first one.
"Blast the car, you could have taken the floo" exclaimed the second.
"Or a portkey."
"Or a broom."
"Oh, bugger off!" shouted Ron at his brothers, before pushing them both forward and passed Harry. They laughed aloud with Lee Jordan, before expressing their pleasure at seeing Harry and passing on.
"And how are you Ron?" Harry asked. Ron looked towards Seamus and Dean. "That is a question you should be able to answer on your own." Harry chortled.
"I'm alright, I guess. It's kinda boring, when your not here. Now I know why Fred and George waste all their time on pranks." Harry nodded slowly.
"I have an appointment with Dumbledore. I guess I'll see you later." Harry said.
"Wait, you're staying?" asked Dean.
"For a day or two. That's all." They all exchanged nods of farewell, and Harry continued on his way. He avoided going by the Great Hall, as more than likely most of the school was in there, and he really didn't want to see them. He arrived at the gargoyle which barred the entrance to Dumbledore's office. He didn't want to have to guess every single…Why was there a candy wrapper on the floor? He bent down and picked it up. Why would anyone eat a piece of candy here?
A very imaginative thought struck him. It was too simple. Far too simple. So simple that it was unbelievably brilliant. He reached into his pocket and extracted a bag of Bertie Bot's Every Flavor Beans. He took a small handful and placed them carefully into the gargoyle's mouth. The stone creature started munching immediately, and stepped aside revealing the entrance. Harry felt empowered, intelligent, wise, creative, ingenious. What a brilliant Cassious Mechanism. He knew was one here. Of course there was one hear. A spoken password to enter, or any of a designated common item. The item was candy. Dumbledore really was a crazy old man. But would Voldemort ever think to use candy? "I think not" Harry thought. He took the moving stairs three at a time and burst into the office. Dumbledore obviously wasn't expecting him to rush in, because he tossed his mug of tea in his reflex. It crashed through a display and spilt on top of a thick book.
Dumbledore extracted his wand and cleaned up the mess with three flicks of his wand. Harry took a seat across from him and dropped the book on the desk. He sighed the refreshingly clean air, and waited in comfortable silence, a silly grin playing at the corners of his mouth.
"What is so amusing, Mr. Potter." Harry went into a full fledged smile.
"Getting jumpy in our old age, are we?" Dumbledore's eyes sparkled with energy. "Oh, and, I must say, candy as your Cassious Mechanism? Very inspired."
"So you are beginning to learn my ways. Hmmm, and why would they be so important for you to know?" Harry stayed quiet while he thought about it. "Of course I do have my own theory." Harry looked at him with the eagerness of a young boy.
"And that is?" Harry pressed.
"I would not say. I do not ant to put any undue pressure on you." The old man claimed.
"I assure you I can take it." In a flash Dumbledore was leaning so very forward his eyes were merely inches from Harry.
"I will not lie to you Harry. I do not have forsight, yet when I envision the future, I see four things. I see myself dead. I see Voldemort perished. And I see you sitting, on the other side of this desk." Harry repeated them over and over, not allowing himself to forget the words.
"You said there were four. That was only three." Harry whined.
"Alas, in time, I know you will see the fourth, but if I told you, it would expire with the very words I would use to tell you."
"So you think that someday I will become headmaster of Hogwarts?"
"Absolutely, after you are married and after your first term as Minister of Magic. You will serve your other seven consecutive terms as Minister of Magic while Headmaster. A feat even I could never accomplish. But what you will term your 'grand talent,' will allow for you to achieve many, many things."
"I thought you only saw four things."
"Yes but I can infer others." Harry exhaled a large breath, show that he conceded to end the road they were going down. "And how long will you be staying with us?" Harry looked at his watch. He couldn't believe it was Saturday.
"Tomorrow. Probably early. I just need to copy a few things." Harry said.
"Yes, of course. Check in with me if you need anything."
"Only if I can't figure it out. Otherwise, just smile and let life have it's way."
"That reminds me of the doctrine of a man on a television show which played in the United States. I believe it was, 'Live long and prosper.' I have adopted it with one word changed." Dumbledore said suggestively.
"And that would be?"
"'Live well and prosper.' My thought is that life isn't about age, how long you live. It is how you spend the time you are blessed with." His white whiskers swayed in a soft breeze from the window.
"I know exactly what you mean, Headmaster." Harry exclaimed
"Do you?"
"Absolutely. It means it's time for me to go to sleep."
Feels good to get a few chapters out. I know they're short. Later on I'll probably combine them, but I am working better now. I hope everyone is enjoying the story. I gladly await any reviews or flames. I'd love to hear suggestions. Even if you don't like the story, I'd like to see you write it. I rarely do personlized responses to individual reviewers, but I feel this is an occasion enough.
David305 – I appreciate you recognizing my origniality. It becomes increasingly hard to stay original. So many people have so many good ideas, it's hard to find your own path. That is why I no longer read nearly as many fan fics as I used to. Thank you for reviewing.
Temporary Insanity – I won't skip years like that. This is a fifth year fic. However, we will learn a bit of Harry's life outside of Hogwarts. And between you and me (and anyone else who reads this), there is going to be a very drastic change for Harry relatively soon. Probably in the next 2 or three chapters.
Takeda Lee – Harry will actually start to shrink. It will become clear why in a decent amount of time. It's a while away. But in the far future, who knows? And if you think the way he beat on Malfoy was good (looks around with psychopathic grin) I think you'll like the chapters to come.
Stoneheart – Quite possibly my favorite reviewer. Indeed I have returned. The whole paragraph thing was because I have a, ahem, not perfectly legal, ahem, copy of Microsoft office, and it has it's share of glitches when changing formats, thought I believe I rectified the problem. The purpose of the fight in the bookstore was mentioned just afterwards. I didn't want to make it too clear, but I was trying to demonstrate Hermione desperately hanging on to the "old" Harry. She won't let him go, which also contributes to his staying away from Hogwarts. If noone will let the "old" harry go, he feels he needs to give them time to forget him, and return reinvented. It'll get more clear and confusing later on. The massage scene was misinterpreted by you. No offense intended, but he was not in the magical world at the time. It was a muggle establishment. I hope that makes it clearer for you. That purpose was to try to prove that despite his shrinking stature, he is still aging and going through the joys of puberty. Harry playing with sodium may become sybolic of his need, like any other humans, to vent. I am still debating whether to use it or not. I feel very welcomed in my return, and in all honesty, I did not feel I was so missed until I returned. In doing so, I apologize to everyone for my tardiness.
To everyone else, Thank you for reading, I appreciate any comments, or suggestions, and if any other Harry/Hermione shippers are out there and have stories, I'll read them. Just let me know where to go.
