Ah... the next chapter...

~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry and Severus, after a loud crack and another unsettling experience, appeared in a small alleyway with a wooden door on one side and a brick wall on the other. Severus began to observe the brick wall and tapped it with his wand.

Harry was surprised to see the brick wall give way into a wooden doorway, opening to the other side.

The other side was a street with stores and full of people in similar robes striding easily, carefree, down it.

Harry didn't bother to hide his excitement or amazement at this particular sight. He was very quickly getting used to not being punished for his untamable emotions.

Severus saw the excitement that was present in Harry's newly energetic eyes and inwardly smiled. He didn't smile physically-no, of course not. That would ruin his image. Harry's bright green eyes danced over the bustle of Diagon Alley, and they stepped into the street as casually as possible.

"Where to first, Professor?"

"Gringott's. The wizard's bank. You have an account there, installed by your mother and father. Dumbledore has given me the key so we can get in, do not worry." He pointed to the end of the street, where a large building sat. "Right there, hurry, boy."

Harry winced at the calling of 'boy.' His uncle had called him that, too. He stood up straighter, knowing he couldn't wince whenever someone said something his uncle said, or someone would suspect him of weakness. He was many things; weakness being minor. No one was willingly allowed to see his weaknesses, or he had failed in everything he'd been working for, but freedom. Harry had heard someone say once that "Freedom isn't Free," and he knew how true that was. He had tried many times to become free of his uncle's home, and each time he suffered dearly. Now he was, to a point, free, and his past payments for that supposed freedom were many.

"Harry!"

Severus's stern voice brought him harshly back to the present. "Yes?"

"Keep up," he growled. "Let's go."

They reached the bank. Entering, they began to approach a front desk, with somewhat hideous-looking creatures behind it. "What are they?" Harry whispered.

"Goblins. The keepers of Gringotts."

Harry nodded, a bit surprised but not showing it, as they came face to face with one of these Goblins. Severus did all of the talking, while Harry observed his surroundings. Harry had basically blanked out and was mindlessly following Severus.

They went down a hall after Severus persuaded the Goblin of his identity and right to the money in the Potter safe. Severus, Harry, and a Goblin loaded into a cart and went on what seemed like an everlasting downhill roller coaster ride. They stopped at an almost empty safe, where Severus took a small box and put it into the folds of his robe, saying that it was at Dumbledore's request that he pick it up. The next stop was at Harry's vault, where Severus helped Harry gather a sufficient amount of Galleons, Knuts, and Sickles. Severus then explained how the wizard money system worked. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough." Harry had absently nodded, tucking the pouch of wizard coins into his robe. And they were off again, zooming on a wild roller coaster ride back into the land of the living.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Well, you've got all the books you need in your cauldron, there," Severus stated. They were sitting at a café table outside an ice cream parlor. "And you have the quills, parchment, and ink you'll be needing in that bag. And you've got robes there. And other random objects there." He looked thoughtfully across the street. "Now all you need is an animal and a wand. Finish that up and we'll go.

Harry quickly finished his little cup of vanilla ice cream and stood, grabbing his bags. They headed across the street, Harry once again zoned off, lost in thoughts, and Severus trying to lead him safely across the street - ah, but to no avail.

"Harry! Watch out!"

Harry did not notice soon enough, but he faced a head on collision with a girl carrying just as many bags. The girl let out a yelp and dropped everything, while Harry managed to keep hold on his bags and fall to the ground with everything-including her-on top of him.

"Er... sorry?" Harry mumbled to the small girl on top of him as she struggled to get up.

"Yea, yea, of course."

Severus helped her up as Harry grabbed all of her bags and put everything back inside them. He looked up, holding out her bags, and she took them.

She had light brown hair and deep blue eyes. She was wearing a blue robe, the same color as the mesmerizing eyes.

"I am sorry, you know."

She nodded, dusting off her robes with her hands.

Harry held out his hand, a peace offering after knocking her off her feet. "Harry Potter," he said, as though he'd been introducing himself to girls all his life, and not been locked in a cupboard.

To Severus's shock, she showed no sign of surprise, awe, respect, or honor at all. She took his hand timidly and announced, "Vanella Grace Incendie." She hesitated, "Nice to meet you Harry Potter."

Severus started at her name. The first one being strange in itself, as it was a flavor incorporated as a name, but her last name, pronounced an- sahn-dee, was French. Severus knew; he grew up with some French relatives. When they said 'incendie' they were talking about fire. Very fierce fire.

Harry didn't hesitate. "Yes. Completely sorry about your falling over. I wasn't paying attention as I should have." He remembered her books, similar to his if not the same. "Are you attending Hogwarts this term?"

She nodded, glancing at the books resting in his grounded cauldron.

Professor Snape watched in silence. They were receiving strange looks from passersby, and he wanted this conversation either over, or private. He cleared his throat. "Harry, you need to get your wand. Come, now. I have work to do at the school."

Vanella Incendie looked at him curiously. "At the school, you say? Do you work there, sir?"

"Indeed, I do, young miss. What does it matter?"

She looked down. "It doesn't."

"We must be going, Harry," Severus growled impatiently. "Places to see, things to do."

Suddenly the girl pulled a list out of her blue robe. "A wand, eh? Where is the wand place, sir?"

Severus sighed. Clearly there would be no getting rid of her. Yet. "This way." Severus led the way to Ollivander's.

Mr. Ollivander had silvery eyes that bore into Harry's. When he started going on about Harry's mother's wand, Harry winced. Noting Harry's reaction, Mr. Ollivander moved over to get down long skinny boxes off of shelves a tape measure measured every bit of Harry's body.

Harry tried many different wands, over and over, eventually tiring. Mr. Ollivander fluttered around happily, pleased with his challenge. He stopped suddenly and looked at Harry. "Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere-I wonder, now-yes, why not- unusual combination-holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple. Try her."

He didn't know how, but Harry felt it. Something about that one wand was right for him. Mr. Ollivander nodded happily in front of him, swooning about. "Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well... how curious... how very curious..."

Harry watched him as he placed Harry's wand back in its box, mumbling continuously about how 'curious' it was.

"I'm sorry, sir, but what exactly is so curious?"

Mr. Ollivander turned to stare at Harry with his mysterious eyes. "I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather-just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother-why, it's brother gave you that scar."

Harry shivered, swallowing.

A few feet over, Severus shivered.

"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember.... I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter.... After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things-terrible, yes, but great."

Harry paid seven Galleons for the wand, before leaving the shop. Vanella got her wand after him, but he wasn't there when she was done, because he- and she understood completely-was somewhat freaked by Mr. Ollivander.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"She's beautiful, yes, but look at him," Harry said, pointing to a coiled snake in a cage.

"I'm not sure Cobras are allowed, no matter who you are."

"He wouldn't hurt anybody. You can see it in his eyes. Look at them; they're kind of like yours."

Severus tilted his head questioningly at the boy who was leaning over the cage of a Cobra.

"They're black, Onyx, but somehow seem deep... mysterious."

Severus raised an eyebrow but said nothing. "I'm not sure it would be legal for us to bring a venomous snake into a school, Harry."

"I may be venomous, but I know a life better than this one when I see it," the snake told Harry, causing the boy to smile.

This snake talking to him did not surprise Harry, as it had happened before. Weeding Aunt Petunia's garden he had come across quite a few garden snakes, becoming friends with one or two.

"But he's living caged, like an animal," Harry protested.

"He is an animal," Severus countered.

"Tell the bastard I can hear him, Harry Potter," the snake said.

Harry smiled, causing an amused look from Severus, before claiming, "I know what it feels like to be caged up like that; it's not nice, Professor."

Severus scowled. "If, and only if, you can keep that animal under control, I will not realize you bought it, but you will need to get an owl as a messenger."

"Messenger?"

"That's what the owls are for, of course. Delivering letters."

Harry recalled the owl that had delivered his fate. "Right."

Harry turned to the snake, and spoke, causing Severus to visibly start, " I'm getting you out of here, friend. What do you wish to be called?"

Severus closed his mouth, knowing he looked like a fish, and it was not appealing.  The kid's a Parselmouth! No wonder he knows he can control the thing! It can talk to him!  he thought bitterly.  Should I tell Dumbledore?  He coughed as Harry spoke to the snake again.  No. Deal with it when the time comes. Right now, Harry has other things on his plate. Besides, the boy will probably read about it later anyway.

Harry waited for a reply from the snake, but the snake was staring over his shoulder, at, what Harry figured was one Severus Snape. He timidly asked the snake what was wrong, and still got no answer, until, finally, "He knows, Harry. He knows you can talk to me. And you can call me 'Vitesse,' and I am female, boy."

Harry laughed, then turned to Severus. "I'm buying her, and that snowy owl, and for names, the Cobra will be called 'Vitesse' and the owl, 'Hedwig.'"

Snape shrugged, assuming, by the French word for the snake's name, that the snake had named himself. "Very well. Pay, and we'll return to Hogwarts."

Harry couldn't mask his excitement. It was a good day. He met someone he might know at school, he met a friend, Vitesse, and had a beautiful owl, Hedwig. Not to mention that something about him was feeling light. He didn't know why, he just felt... happy.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Author's Note: Well, this was fun to write, as well. Happy Easter everyone, by the way. Anyway, on with business---- Everything Mr. Ollivander says is right from the book, so do not sue me for plagiarism, as I would not dream of stealing something as sacred as writing. As for Vanella... excuse her. I like her; I do. But I do not know if she will come into the big picture... reviewers! Help me? Should Vanella Incendie stay or go? (Believe you me-if she stays, she'll pull off to be one hell of an interesting character...)I wait for replies...

Reviewers! Thank you for the past reviews... and a new one...

Molly Morrison: Yes, Harry is indeed sticking up for himself. Maybe not the 11 year old Harry in the books... but this is my creation Harry. This Harry has gone through hell and is willing to stand up to people he thinks can either help him, or hurt him. He's just that kind of person in this story, I suppose. Being happy might work; although you bring up a valid point...

And readers who don't review should be thanked also! Anyway, hope everyone enjoyed the chapter... and whatever will Snape do about Harry's Parseltongue? Hmm...

Anyway... Back to school for another week tomorrow, so I have no idea when the next update will be. It could be later tonight, if I go to bed wicked late, or it could be next weekend... God knows when, basically. Well, thanks to my loyal readers... love to you all!