Power is a Wonderful Thing

Chapter 3: Diagon Alley and Reunions

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Seconds later Harry appeared back in the same place looking exactly the same if a little confused. He looked at himself in the mirror and asked.

"How long have I been gone?"

"Couple of seconds, is that what the spell was meant to do or did you just mess it up."

"I messed it up, but I never thought I would come back again, I thought I had lost this time. But if my appearance hasn't changes maybe my power hasn't either."

Harry turned around and spotting some towels on the rack he stuck out his hand and raised it. As his hand went into the air so did the towels, which then slowly began to spin, as Harry's hand lowered so did the towels. Harry turned back to the mirror grinning.

"Oh this is going to be fun, I can't wait to see Hermione's face when someone beats her on a test, or Malfoy's when he suddenly loses the ability to speak, right when he comes up with the perfect insult."

Harry walked out of the bathroom laughing to himself, as he walked back up to the Tower he practiced he simple spells, with and without his wand. It was good to have his wand back spells were always easier with your own wand instead of one you had stolen from someone else and had to force to work with you. Pushing that unpleasant memory away Harry carried on up to the Tower to do the Homework he had been putting off, but now was composing the essays for in his head.

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Later that night Harry headed down to the Great Hall to join the professors for tea. But at the door he stopped stunned upon seeing a person he had thought he would never again lay eyes upon. His mind drifted back to all the times Snape's teachings had saved his life and he had silently thanked the man. You didn't become one of the four most powerful wizards or witches in history by trusting everyone you meet and letting the world know how you feel, or what you think. Feeling Harry's stare Snape looked up and glared at Harry. Pretending nothing had happened Harry continued up to the head table, while he started to plot how to capture a certain male he had been dreaming of for some time now.

Harry was still absorbed in his thoughts when he heard his name; looking up he realised Dumbledore had been speaking to him and was now looking at him expectantly. Blushing Harry apologized.

"Sorry what did you say?"

"We were just arranging a date for you to go to Diagon Alley to get your new school books, and as Severus told me awhile ago that he needed to go to get some potion ingredients I thought it would be a good idea if you both went at the same time. If you wanted you could get Mr Weasley and Miss Granger to accompany you. We thought Friday would be a good time?"

"Yeah that would be great thank you." Then turning to Snape, "Thank you for allowing me to come with you I shall endeavour to be as little of a nuisance as possible."

Harry managed to say without bursting into laughter at the shocked look on Snape's face it was priceless. "Your Welcome." Snape mumbled.

Smiling Harry finished off his tea and went to write invitations to Ron and Hermione inviting them to meet up at Diagon Alley.

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Harry decided to go pay a visit to an old friend down in the entrance hall, who hadn't seen him in years.

"Gregory(1), how good to see you."

The painting looked up from its nap, confused that someone had called him by name, he had thought that had been forgotten years ago. He looked down at a young figure that smiling up at him asked.

"Do you not recognize me? Though I am slightly younger than when we last chatted."

"Sir is that you it has been many years I am glad you are back."

"Aye it is me, how have you been my watcher, seen anything interesting lately?"

"I have seen someone interesting lately, that man you told me of he has been around recently, for the last 30 years I think, he is interesting to watch, sweeping past scaring all the little ones it is quite funny."

Smiling up at his old friend Harry sat on the floor, as Gregory proceeded to tell him all about what he had seen since they had last talked, it was going to be a long night.

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Friday morning arrived to find Harry walking down to the Entrance Hall to meet up with Snape. They were going to Hogsmead first so that they could floo to Diagon Alley.

"Good morning Sir. How are you today?"

"Fine thank you Potter, I trust you are in good health and on best behaviour?"

Harry decided to ignore the hint of threat in Snape's tone.

"Absolutely Sir. May I enquire as to what you are going to buy today?"

"Potions ingredients: unicorn hair, and veela tears of compassion."

"That is going to be expensive, what is the desperate need for such a strong healing potion?"

From the expression on Snape's face Harry knew the gamble had paid off, he had guessed right.

"Pray do tell Potter how you knew the uses of these ingredients and the potion made from them."

Using an excuse that both knew to be false, Harry replied.

"Oh you know, saw it in a book in the library whilst doing some work."

Harry knew he was not convinced, Snape had on his calculating look, like the time he had found out Harry could speak Parseltounge. Harry could see him itching to ask a question or add some comment, but he refrained and they continued to Hogsmead in silence.

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Harry hated using the floo network he always ended up on the floor and this time was no exception, he end up in a ball at the feet of a smirking Snape.

"Up you get Potter your fan club is one the way. Back here at 6 o clock and don't be late."

He said as he yanked Harry to his feet by his cloak and walked off, just as Ron and Hermione arrived.

"Harry mate how you been, bet it's been hell stuck at Hogwarts on your own?"

"Its not been that bad actually I've been using the library loads and learnt lots of cool tricks, wait till you see what we can do, the teachers wont know what hit them."

"Harry as pleased as I am that you have been using the library don't you think there are better things you could have been looking up than tricks."

"Give him a break Hermione he has been all on his own he has to do something to keep from dying of boredom. Right Harry"

"Absolutely."

Replied Harry although he had been quite busy over the last week planning on capturing a certain Potion Master, and his own little shopping trip that required leaving his friends behind.

"Shall we go then, we arranged to meet mum and the others here at 5 to get something to eat before we go home." Said Ron.

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They had finished all their shopping and were heading back to The Leaky Cauldron when Harry suddenly stopped and started patting down his trousers.

"Bugger!" He swore.

"What is it mate?"

Ron asked as Hermione looked at him reproachfully for swearing.

"Left my purse in Madam Malkins be back soon don't wait for me."

Harry ran off down the road and once Ron and Hermione were out of site went down Diagon Alley. He needed his equipment and just hoped the old shops were still there. To his relief he found the robe shop right were it should be. In he went and came out with three fighting robes the leather trousers that not only looked better than his old baggy trousers but also had all the right holders for his weapons. Which were his next stop, he came out of the weapon shop with two new throwing knives, potion vials containing some of the dangerous potions known to wizards and a fighting knife with a nick at the end to contain poison and then spelled to hold poison until it touches blood. Harry shrank his bags with a flick of his hand over them then stuffed them in robes and raced back to The Leaky Cauldron, arriving at the same time as Snape who was arriving bang on time.

"Good, lets go Potter."

"What we were going to have tea."

Complained Ron, which only got a snear in return from Snape.

"It doesn't matter guys I'll see you at the feast in a few weeks okay we can talk then alright."

After a round of good byes from the Weasleys and Hermione, Snape and Harry flooed back to Hogsmead, and set off for Hogwarts.

"So Sir did you get everything you needed?"

"Yes, thank you and yourself?"

"Oh yes everything I needed, even the extra stuff."

Harry knew Snape hadn't been curious before, but now he was, but he wasn't going to elaborate and Snape wouldn't ask so he would just have to wait to find out what he had bought. And when his weapons came out it was sure to be a show.

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(1) Gregory: saint; Greek; based on 'to be watchful'

A/N: There you go 3rd chapter, sorry it's been so long since I last updated but had exams, then holidays then exam results, but have full time job now, and the chapters will be more regular now I promise, and the story should be finished by December cos then I going to Tanzania so I wont be able to update.

Thank you to people who have reviewed much appreciated your input.

And just one question can you guess who he was I think I have put in a lot of clues, so please answer in a review.