Chapter 24 - Wizarding space
When Harry got to his dorm room he found it empty as he had hoped. Harry let out a long breath as he began to pace back and forth in the room. Tonight had been too close, far too close. Harry knew it and for the first time since the summer Harry was reconsidering his decision to return to Hogwarts this year. But Harry knew that time was still needed before everything came together as planned. He just couldn't afford to get trapped again like tonight. Running his hands through his hair in frustration, Harry knew he had to concentrate more on avoiding being placed into positions like tonight. Harry, clearing his mind of the constantly replaying memories of McGonagall's office, set about thinking of ways of getting around the wards on the towers windows. They were his biggest immediate problem. He could not be trapped here in Gryffindor Tower. It would be disastrous and with McGonagall now on Dumbledore's side it was only a matter of time before they would try exactly that.
"Ok, Think logically, Harry" Harry told himself. "You can not break the ward on the windows and there are no other exits in the tower except for the portrait hole. Why didn't someone put one of those blasted secret passages in the bloody tower? Wait a minute. Who did make all the secret passages in the school? Was it all the work of the founders? I doubt it. Many seem to be much later additions. So there must be some way…" Harry didn't finish his little self dialog as a sudden inspiration occurred to him.
Harry, first checking to see he was still alone and unobserved, pulled his bed's curtains closed and opened his trunk to the seventh compartment and climbed in. As his head disappeared into the trunk Harry pulled the lid closed leaving the dorm empty again for the others to find later and assume Harry had gone to bed early.
Harry stood with a slow smile coming to his face. He was inside Mad-eye Moody's old trunk, in the room sized compartment were Moody was held captive during Barty Couch's time at Hogwarts. The compartment was now empty except for a single item. The item was, Harry thought, the best thing he could have ever purchased for himself. Harry ran his hand along the top of the item and his smile became even bigger as he thought back to that day in Diagon Alley during the summer.
FLASHBACK FLASHBACK FLASHBACK FLASHBACK FLASHBACK FLASHBACK FLASHBACK
Harry slipped unnoticed from doorway to doorway as he made his way from Gringotts. Harry sighed and banged his head on a convenient wooden post. Why couldn't anything go smoothly for the sodding-boy-who-lived? Harry for the millionth time wondered why the fates always picked on him. Did he offend them in some way, perhaps in a previous life? Harry sighed again. He knew he had to get whatever shopping he could done quickly. The goblins had chucked him out with a sack full of galleons while they prepared for the ceremony Harry would take part in, the leading part at that. Harry hit his head again on the post and sighed. Why in Merlin's name did it always have to be him?
Harry finally noticed the shop to which his head butting post belonged. 'The Magical Outdoors Emporium'.
"As good a place as any to start, I guess." Harry told himself as he smoothed his bangs over his scar and took the door handle in his hand.
"Good Morning…" A slim man in his late twenties started to say but stopped mid sentence as he regarded Harry's attire. The young man's nose turned up as if offended by Harry's affront to wear his Dudley hand-me-downs into his shop. "More alley riff raff come to waste my valuable time." The man sneered at Harry. Harry noticed a teenage youth behind the counter of the shop roll his eyes and hurry forward.
"Perhaps you would like me to take care of this gentleman Cecil?" the youth asked.
"Doesn't look like he has two Knuts to rub together. I'm going to lunch." The man Cecil announced as strode for the door.
"Bit early isn't it?" the youth responded.
"How dare you question me that way!" the man roared, "Father kept you on out of the goodness of his heart and all you do is criticise. No wonder business is dropping off. You just watch your step or you will be out on your ear." With that the man stormed out of the shop's front door.
"Git!" the youth muttered under his breath but it was loud enough for Harry to hear. "Sorry about that. My name is Harry Jones. How may I help you today?" the youth said pleasantly to Harry.
"My name's Harry too!" Harry said smiling.
"Your parent fans of the-boy-who-lived too. I swear there are more Harry's in our age group than you can shake a stick at. If I ever did meet the boy-who-lived I would probably punch him right in the nose. I guess the only thing we can be grateful for is he didn't have a truly awful name." The youth chatted.
"Like Cecil?" Harry replied amused at the young mans candour.
The youth laughed and said, "Precisely! So you just looking Harry or did you want something specific?"
"Actually I was kind of interested in a tent. A friend's father had one a few years ago at the World Quidditch cup. It was small on the outside but inside was like a small house." Harry asked.
"Well," the youth said quietly looking around. "We do have a range of new wizard space tents the boss just got in but from one Harry to another, I wouldn't shove my worse enemy into them. They're a bit dodgy if you want my opinion. Cheap knockoffs of the good tents we use to stock here before old Mr. Grim sold out. Mr. Abernathy, the new owner is changing our suppliers all the time always looking for a bargain. He doesn't realise he's destroying this business's name for quality products. He's only interested in making a quick buck."
"That's a pity." Harry replied.
"Yeah, it is. You don't want to be in one of those tents when they collapse leaving you with no way to get out. Now our old range of tents you couldn't collapse even if you tried, especially the Supreme range. They were real corkers, they were. Not cheap mind you, but you get what you pay for. But we don't have any of those anymore… Actually there is one of the old one's left. I'd almost forgotten about it. 'The Ultimate' was designed as a showpiece by one of the new designers at Supreme tents some years ago. The man was a genius but 'The Ultimate' never really caught on. See he was a muggle born and he designed everything with a muggle style to it. You can imagine how that went over with his pure blood bosses. We ended up with the tent as more a demonstration of what was possible than anything else. I can set it up in a jiffy. You got to see this."
"Okay" Harry agreed and soon the youth had set up the tent on the floor of the shop. On the outside the tent looked like a muggle three-man dome tent in a non-descript greenish grey colour. But when Harry crawled into the tent he found himself in the entrance hall of a modern house. The youth beckoned Harry into the first doorway off the entrance hall.
"Living room here. You can see what I mean about the muggle style. Guessing from your cloths your muggle born so maybe you can relate to it. Through here is the formal dining room." The youth continued as he walked on with Harry stumbling behind. This place made the Dursley's house look positively decrepit. It was like something out of one of Aunt Petunia's Vogue magazines. Harry found himself gaping at the formal dining room's table which looked like it could sit at least sixty. "… the kitchen has all muggle appliances including a microwave oven. The designer managed to install muggle electricity throughout the tent by using a perpetual motion generator, hence the light switches. Personally I find electric lights better than candles and torches but don't tell the purebloods that. There's a very large library, games room, potions lab, and duelling area on this level. Upstairs are the bedrooms, I'm not sure exactly how many. I stopped counting at twenty. There are several bathrooms on both levels of course. But it's the garden I want to show you." The youth said as he opened a sliding glass door.
"A garden in a tent?" Harry asked puzzled.
"Yes and not just any garden." The youth said as he smiled at Harry.
Harry walked out of the house and onto a paved area that ended in an enormous swimming pool.
"This is the pool of course." The youth told Harry, "Change rooms, gymnasium and sauna are housed in the pool house."
Beyond the pool was a large area of lawn with surrounding garden beds that were mostly bare of plants. Beyond the gardens was a forest like scene that Harry could tell was really the edge of the tent but the effect was stunning. With Harry's years of looking after the Dursley's garden he could see the possibilities here far better than most. The place could be planted up with a whole collection of muggle and magical plants.
"The whole garden can be set for any season you wish. It even rains in here, can you believe that?" the youth chatted happily. "But if you would follow me for the 'piece du resistance'. It's just around this hedge. 'Voila!' " the youth announced.
As Harry rounded the garden hedge his jaw dropped open. "Great Merlin's balls! That can't be real, can it?"
"It's real. I assure you." The youth said.
Harry just stood there staring dumbstruck. "I'll take it!" he finally announced.
The youth just laughed and said, "It's all yours for a paltry two hundred and fifty thousand galleons. But of course you'll be wanting the extras. Furniture, bedding, ever stocked pantry, to name a few. Say another one hundred thousand on top."
"Sounds good to me." Harry announced.
"It would be nice to be able to afford it, wouldn't it?" The youth replied thinking Harry was joking.
"I was being serious." Harry said, "I'll take it and the extras too."
"No offence Harry but you don't exactly look like you have three hundred and fifty thousand galleons." The youth replied warily.
"I have heaps of galleons. I have just come from Gringotts after arranging the transfer of the inheritances I have just received. So, as I said, I'll take it." Harry said smugly. Seeing the still questioning look on the youth's face Harry suggested, "Look, lets see what else you have in the store I want then once we total it all up you can come with me to Gringotts and confirm payment."
"Great Merlin, you really mean it!" the youth gasped.
"That's what I said." Harry replied.
"Okay, but if this is some sort of joke I'm punching you in the nose." The youth declared.
"Sounds fair." Harry laughed in reply.
"Okay, I guess we'd better go back to the shop and go through the extras you want and total it all up." The youth said in a bit of a daze.
"Great!" Harry replied as he followed the now stumbling youth back through the kitchen.
It wasn't long before Harry had selected all the extras he wanted for the tent which was basically all of the ones Harry Jones said were available. Harry was particularly impressed with the security package available for the tent. From the master control panel in the study, Harry would be able to turn on all sorts of wards and defences against outside attack not to mention a few offensive charms and hexes. Basically any death eater attempting to get into the tent was in for one hell of a surprise.
While Harry Jones was busily arranging the installation of all the options into the tent, Harry scoured the shop for other useful items that included a featherweight wizard space backpack and many other items especially from the old good quality stock that young Mr. Jones had pointed out. Harry was especially delighted with the range of clothing the shop carried. It was designed to blend into muggle areas but the clothes had all sorts of charms ranging from heating and cooling charms to size fitting charms. Harry now had a wardrobe of very good looking clothing that would put to shame anything the Dursley's had ever lavished on Dudley. And Harry's new dragon skin walking boots felt like heaven after his worn out trainers, not to mention looking way cool.
"All up that comes to three hundred and seventy thousand three hundred and sixty two galleons." The youth said carefully.
"Great!" Harry said smiling. "So do you want to go to Gringotts now?"
"What's all this mess?" a voice bellowed.
"Mr. Abernathy, I was just serving this gentleman." The youth replied to a balding man who had just entered the shop.
Mr. Abernathy looked as impressed as his son Cecil had at Harry Potter's appearance. "I hardly think someone like him warrants this much mess." The man sneered at his employee, "You have still to do the banking boy, so hurry and finish up. And find a way to get rid of that old stuff. Sell it at half price if you have to. Just make room for the new shipments next week."
"Sir I don't think it's a good idea to drop the prices that much…" Harry Jones replied cautiously.
"I don't care what you think!" The man yelled angrily, "Half off I said and that's how it will be." With that the man stormed into the back of the shop and disappeared into a door marked 'Employees only'.
"Like father like son, I see." Harry remarked to the young shop assistant.
"Too bloody right. Stupid git. Well he just saved you a pile of galleons. I'll have to figure out the reduced total now and redo the paperwork." Young Mr. Jones replied looking aggravated. "And they are going to blame me and probably fire me next week when they realise the blunder they have made."
"What blunder?" Harry asked.
"Well most of this stuff you bought is what is known as consignment stock. Basically we get it from our suppliers but only pay for it once we have managed to sell it. So Mr. Abernathy by reducing the price by half is actually going to be out of pocket next week when we're due to pay the suppliers. Take the tent for instance. You are now buying it at half the two hundred and fifty thousand galleons original price. That's one hundred and twenty five thousand gallons. But next week we have to pay Supreme tents their original wholesale price for the tent. From memory it's about one hundred and forty thousand galleons. So Mr. Abernathy is fifteen thousand galleons in the red on just the tent. Add the rest of the stuff up and they will have lost a small fortune today. I am certainly not going to be getting my five percent sales commission on this sale. Not that they would have paid it to me anyway I suppose even if it is now halved. That's life I suppose. Let get all this stuff into the backpack and I'll finish all the banking paperwork and we can go to Gringotts."
Harry Potter was horrified that he was about to cause this nice young man that had been so helpful to him to lose his job. "But it's not fair on you." Harry spluttered.
"When is life ever fair?" the young man complained.
"That's certainly true." Harry Potter replied. Harry could not have agreed more with the unfairness of life.
"But look at the bright side," Harry Jones said, "perhaps I'll find a better job. Mind you anything would be better than dealing with the Abernathy's."
"If I can help in any way…" Harry Potter replied.
"Actually could you write me a short testimonial? I'll add it to the reference old Mr. Grim gave me. I'm certainly not going to be getting one out of Mr. Abernathy. Not that I'd want one from him and then I need to go job hunting. Not that there are any jobs in Diagon Alley at the moment except at that new joke shop but I'll never get that one." Harry Jones stated.
"Why not?" Harry Potter asked.
"Everyone and their dog have applied to work there. I wouldn't stand a chance." Harry Jones replied sadly as he shrugged.
Harry Potter smiled as he said, "What say I write you a special letter of introduction to the Weasley twins. I'll do it while you get the banking paperwork from Mr. Abernathy. You can drop it into the joke shop on our way to the bank."
"You know the Weasley brothers?" Mr. Jones asked in a surprised tone.
"We've met." Harry replied cryptically as he got to work on the letter.
Gred and Forge
I would like you to consider hiring Mr. Harry Jones for any position you have available in your shop. I can vouch for him personally as he has been a great help to me in the past even though it will seemingly cost him his current employment shortly.
He is a kind and friendly person with excellent sales skills and business acumen. I am sure he would be a great asset to your business and might even allow you more time to concentrate on research and development of new products. I know he seems to plough through the Ministry and accounting paperwork with ease. In fact with him and Lee both working for the business, you would probably be able to open a second shop in Hogsmeade in time for the first Hogsmeade weekend at school. Just a thought. If you need extra investment to get it going just let me know.
Make sure you pay him a reasonable salary and sales commission. I know he'll be worth it.
Your first investor,
H
P.S. Don't tell anyone about this. I'll explain later.
"Well I'm all set" Harry Jones said as he joined Harry Potter again with the banking books and paperwork under his arm.
"Great, I'm finished too. Let me just hoist this backpack on and we can go. Here's your letter of introduction to the Weasleys. No don't read it. Just give it to them. Trust me." Harry said handing over the folded letter to Mr. Jones.
Harry Jones looked suspicious but then nodded in agreement.
Once they were out in the alley and walking towards the most hideously garish building in Diagon Alley that was of course Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, Harry Potter continued, "I'll wait outside. I don't have time to drop into the shop and get caught up with the twins, so just don't mention I'm in the alley today."
Harry Potter managed to peer in the window through all the products displayed to see Harry Jones make his way through the crowd of customers in the shop to one of the twins. Fred or George, Harry couldn't be sure at this distance, snatched the offered letter from Harry Jones obviously annoyed being bothered by a job applicant when they were this busy. But the twins annoyed expression immediately changed on reading the letter. The second twin was instantly called over and he too read the letter. Fred and George looked over the top of the letter at the slightly cowering Harry Jones. A brief conversation ensured and with a quick shake of the hands between all three, Harry Jones was on his way back out of the shop totally oblivious to the fact that his hair was now that distinctive Weasley red colour.
"I don't know what you put in that letter but it worked. All they wanted to know was when I could start." Harry Jones said excitedly. "I don't know how I'll be able to thank you enough."
"Least I could do considering I cost you your job." Harry Potter replied, "Besides us Harrys have to stick together."
"This is going to be the best job I've ever had." Harry Jones stated proudly.
"If you can stand all the pranks that is." Harry Potter replied lifting his eyes to his friend's bright red hair.
"What?" Harry Jones asked as he looked up. It only took him a moment to realise the few stands of his own hair he could see were the wrong colour. He pulled a few locks forward and saw the red. "How?"
"The twins! You don't think they'd let a new employee escape unscathed do you. Although they properly went easy on you so they didn't scare you off but wait until your first full day. You'll probably end up rainbow coloured, half transfigured into a centaur and stuck to the ceiling. And that's just for openers." Harry said happily. "Never underestimate the twins pranking capacity. It has brought many to their knees before and will again. In fact I almost pity any death eater that tries to attack their shop."
Harry Jones looked stunned for a few moments but soon recovered and laughed, "It will still be heaps better than working for Mr. Abernathy and his git son."
"Well we better get to the bank." Harry Potter said.
As the two Harrys approached Gringotts, they noticed the crowd of witches and wizards in the alley in front of the golden doors of the bank that were firmly shut.
"They're closed." said one wizard as the two Harry moved to the doors.
"But Gringotts is never closed!" Harry Jones spluttered in surprise.
Harry Potter knocked loudly on the golden doors.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. The goblins have been extremely rude to any who have tried to get in." the nearest witch said.
The doors opened a crack and the sneering face of goblin appeared but the expression changed instantly to one of surprise when the goblin saw who had knocked. "Oh it's you!" the goblin said, "Come in, come in. We're almost ready." The goblin opened the doors a bit more to allow Harry Potter through.
"He's with me." Harry Potter told the goblin just as Harry Jones was about to be pushed back from the doors.
The two Harrys walked across the foyer area of Gringotts as they heard the goblin behind them yell to the angry crowd outside that Gringotts was currently closed for a few hours. The slamming doors boomed through the bank briefly drowning out the loud buzz of noise from the masses of scurrying goblins. Harry Jones was wide eyed as he saw ten times more goblins than he had every seen in Gringotts before and they were not just sitting at their desks like normal either. The goblins were running around carrying various items here and there. They were also dressed very differently than normal too. Gone were the old style suits the goblins usually wore and in their place hard armour with jewel encrusted scimitars slung at their sides. Harry Jones started to get nervous looking at it all. Something big was definitely up.
"You are a little early, Mr. Potter." Griphook the goblin said as he hurried forward.
"He called you…" Harry Jones said as he turned to his companion, "Potter."
"Well, it is my name." Harry said brightly.
Harry Potter watched as his young friend's wide eyes went from staring him directly into his eyes to slowly creep up to his forehead. Harry Potter took pity on the boy and moved aside the bangs to reveal the famous lighting shaped scar that resided there.
"You're the boy-who-lived." Harry Jones exclaimed shocked.
"I hate that name." Harry replied, "That's a myth, a legend, a load of bullshit made up so the wizarding world can have a saviour to hide behind or a whipping boy for when things go wrong. That's not me. I'm Harry, just Harry. Just like you are."
Griphook snorted loudly. "Well just Harry it's almost time for you to get ready."
"I need to transfer some money to the Outdoor Emporium account to pay for my shopping and Mr. Jones here needs to do some banking too." Harry Potter told the goblin. "Oh and transfer eigthteen thousand five hundred and eighteen galleons from my personal vault to Harry Jones account. That's your sales commission on the stuff I bought."
Harry Jones spluttered incoherently.
"Certainly." Griphook replied and took the bill for Harry Potter's purchases and the banking documents from Harry Jones and hurried away leaving the two Harry's standing there.
"So!" Harry Potter said to his young companion, "Are you going to punch me in the nose now or later?"
"Oh Merlin I did say those things didn't I?" Harry Jones replied as he blushed a deep red.
Harry Potter laughed, "Now you really look like a Weasley with the hair and blush."
"Mr. Potter I can only offer my deepest apologies for…" Harry Jones said looking mortified.
"Forget it. I knew you weren't serious. I should apologise to you for the whole name thing." Harry Potter said seriously.
"Mr. Potter, after everything you have done for me I will be honoured to be named after you." Harry Jones said.
"Look why don't we just call it even. One Harry to another." Harry Potter said as he offered his hand.
Harry Jones still looking very like a Weasley took Harry Potter's hand and shook.
"Thank you Mr…" Harry Jones said but Harry Potter cut him off.
"Ah! Ah! Ah! Its just Harry, remember. For the both of us." Harry Potter said.
Harry Jones nodded in agreement.
"All the transfers have been made." Griphook said as he joined the two Harrys again and handed the documentation to Harry Jones. "So if you are finished with your shopping Harry it is time for you to get ready and for your friend to leave."
"Well I didn't get anywhere as much shopping done as I'd hoped but it will have to do." Harry Potter replied.
"I could do some shopping for you Harry if you want." Harry Jones offered.
"Don't you have to get back to the shop?" Harry Potter asked.
"If Mr. Abernathy doesn't fire me the instant he sees this hair, he will when I tell him the result of his cutting the price on the consignment stock you bought. Either way I'm free to do your shopping this afternoon and to start at the joke shop tomorrow first thing." Harry Jones replied smiling broadly, "So what do you need?"
"Well, everything really." Harry Potter said. " I especially wanted to get a new watch. My old one hasn't worked in years."
Harry Jones got a small out a small muggle notebook and short pencil from his pocket and made a note.
"Get him a number of watches." Griphook chimed in. "And just because he's rich don't think you can throw his money around."
"No, no of course not." Harry Jones replied, "I know most of the merchants in the alleys. I'll get everything at near wholesale price. What else do you think?"
"Gold" Griphook barked out, "You can never have enough gold. Gold jewellery, diamonds too. Emeralds to go with his eyes."
Harry Jones looked up and studied Harry Potter's eyes for a moment and then nodded to Griphook, "Yes, although the emeralds would look better set in platinum rather than gold. I'll get a wide selection of chains and rings and he can choose which he most likes. I'll make sure we can return any he does not like for a full refund."
Griphook looked impressed with Mr. Jones' suggestion.
"He'll need more clothes than what he bought at the emporium. Shoes and boots." Harry Jones said adding to the list. "Luckily we are about the same height although he's skinnier than I am. I'll just get everything for a tight fit on me."
"Weapons, he needs weapons." Griphook added.
"Mmmm." Harry Jones agreed scribbling more notes. "Magical, traditional and muggle, do you think?"
Griphook nodded. "Don't bother with battle robes. We've found something better." Griphook added.
"I take it we are not exactly concerned with what's legal and what's not?" Harry Jones asked.
"Mr Potter needs all the protection he can get," Griphook growled, "regardless what those fools in the ministry think."
"Right. That's fine by me. What the Ministry doesn't know, won't hurt them." Harry Jones replied. "So weapons. I'll find what's available at the moment and buy it all."
"Good. Good." Griphook agreed.
"Don't I get a say in this." Harry Potter interrupted.
"Sure, what else?" Harry Jones replied without looking up from the notebook.
"Books, I need to find out everything I can about the things like Occlumency and Legilimency. And law books, all you can get especially about the Veela laws. And a text on Veelas, especially anything on resisting their powers. Then there's defence books. I have all the normal ones but that's the problem. The bad guys know those books too. I need curses and techniques the bad guys don't know. Also ancient magics and unusual powers. I suppose some dark arts books too if you can find any. Not to use you understand. Just to know what I'm likely to run into and how to counter it."
"Don't worry, I know just the places to get all of them. Deceased estates' libraries. There's quite a few for sale at the moment thanks to He-who-must-not-be-named and his death eaters' attacks. Good and bad, it's all in there." Harry Jones said earnestly. "There are also some shops in Knockturn Alley that have private stocks for sale, if you know who to ask and have the galleons. I'll get what I can today but I'll keep looking and send you anything I think suitable. Just make sure no one from the ministry finds out. They're not exactly legal either."
"Just make sure you don't use my name when you are getting them. Enough people think I'm turning dark as it is." Harry Potter grumbled.
"Fools and idiots." Griphook replied. "You'll not the one who has turned dark and we both know it."
"Don't worry Harry, I won't even tell the Weasleys." Harry Jones replied.
"Especially don't tell the Weasleys anything, it would get straight back to…" Harry Potter answered but was interrupted by Griphook loudly clearing his throat and giving Harry Potter a pointed look. Harry didn't finish that sentence.
"Just don't tell anyone who the stuff is for and in fact don't tell anyone I was even here today." Harry told his young friend.
"My lips are sealed." Harry Jones repeated earnestly.
"If they aren't, neither will be your neck." Griphook said threateningly as he pulled his scimitar half way out of its scabbard.
Harry Jones paled.
"I trust him, Griphook." Harry Potter said seeing the effect the threat had had on the boy.
Harry Jones meanwhile had straightened and stood proudly erect. Harry Potter trusted him and he wouldn't let Harry Potter down, no matter what.
Griphook pushed his scimitar back into its scabbard. "You best go boy. Here's a thousand galleons for the small purchases and for the large purchases bill them to vault 714. I want receipts for everything too. I will be checking closely I warn you. You have two hours to be back here with the goods. Harry Potter is needed elsewhere now." Griphook stated.
Harry Jones nodded and hurried to the doors still with a haughty air about him.
Griphook laughed and said, "I think that one would take on a dragon for you now. That is a powerful force you wield being able to convert a common wizard into a loyal warrior within a few hours of meeting."
"I did no such thing." Harry objected. "I just said I trusted him."
"Whatever you say my brother." Griphook replied smiling knowingly, "Come. The council of elders await and you are still not dressed in your armour."
"You found some that will fit?" Harry asked.
"Oh yes." Griphook said, "A suit that has awaited you since long before the founding of Gringotts. But it is for the elders to tell you of that tale."
Harry sighed and rubbed the his eyes, "Why do I get the feeling this is another of those nasty big surprises the fates are always springing on me."
Griphook laughed loudly, "Perhaps because it is. Come. We must go."
END OF FLASHBACK END OF FLASHBACK END OF FLASHBACK END OF FLASHBACK
Harry, his hand still on top of the tent in the room sized compartment of his trunk, shook himself from his few moments of recollection and ducked down to enter the tent. Inside the entrance hall of his hidden home as he like to think of it, Harry called for Dobby and Winky.
"What can Dobby and Winky do for Harry Potter?" Dobby asked.
"I need your help to find some books in the library. I know I saw one over summer. It has a picture of a wizarding family in front of a manor on the cover. Its title was something like One thousand and one projects to improve your manor." Harry Potter said as he led the way into his private library.
Family libraries in the wizarding world were often large extremely valuable collections of books and scrolls. They were the source of arcane and forgotten powers and spells that each ancient pureblood family specialised in. They were closely guarded treasures with only family members allowed access. The library room in the tent was designed to easily accommodate the largest of these family collections. Which was why it was woefully inadequate for the current collection of one Harry James Potter. You see Harry's collection was not a single-family collection. It was comprised of the Black Family Library that Harry had rescued from the machinations of Dumbledore, the Potter Family library from the vaults at Gringotts and lastly all the books, tomes, and scrolls that Harry Jones had managed to acquire over the summer. In fact, what Harry didn't know, was that he had the largest and arguable the finest collection of magical books in the entire world. But to Harry it was just a resource. One he had relied upon heavily over the summer but he would cast it away in an instant if it would buy him even a little freedom.
Harry stood amongst the chaos of the library. Books filled the shelfs to bursting, Books were piled on the floor rising up in great pyramids taller than Harry. "I think it was part of the Potter Library. I seem to remember thinking my dad owned it. Maybe he used it to fix up our home before…" Harry trailed off wondering if his father was a handy wizard around the manor. Harry yawned loudly.
"Harry Potter is tired." Winky announced, "Harry Potter is needing his sleep. Harry Potter should be going upstairs to his bedroom and getting a good night's sleep. Winky and Dobby be looking for books."
"I'll be alright Winky." Harry replied yawning again.
"Harry Potter not being alright. Harry Potter be going up to bed NOW!" Winky responded. "Winky be making Harry Potter some nice warm milk to have before Harry Potter be going to sleep."
Harry knew from experience that there was no arguing with the little elf when she thought he needed to look after himself. Winky had spent most of her life looking after a reluctant Barty Couch junior and could be very forceful if she thought her charge needed care. Harry could only override her concern by a forceful order and he would never have the heart to hurt the feelings of the little elf that badly by doing that. So, the only other option was gracious surrender. In truth, he kind of enjoyed having someone in his life that was whole focused on his well-being and over the summer Winky's fussing had helped Harry recover physically from the depression the events of last year and the early summer had left him in. In fact, Harry reckoned his growth spurt over the summer had a lot to do with the little elf constantly stuffing him with food at every opportunity. Harry had just topped six feet and whilst not especially tall by any standards Harry happily no longer considered himself a runt.
"Alright, Alright I surrender. I'll go to bed but don't you two work too hard either. Anything you find about wizarding construction would be good. I know where to find everything else I need. I'll see you in the morning." Harry replied as he stumbled across the library and out the door. He wearily climbed the grand staircase to the floor above and walked into the master suite. His king-sized bed awaited him and he smiled. It even surpassed his Hogwarts bed for comfort. Harry stripped to his boxers and climbed in.
With a pop Winky appeared, carrying a glass of warm milk. "Harry Potter be having his nice milk and then going to sleep."
Harry took the glass from the elf, "You know Winky I think I was the luckiest wizard in the whole world when you and Dobby asked to be my elves." Harry liked to work on his elves self esteem whenever possible and it was slowly working.
Winky looked joyful as she said, "And Harry Potter is the best Master Winky and Dobby ever be having." And with a pop she was gone again.
Harry thought to himself as he drank his milk, "Considering who your previous masters were that's not exactly hard." But Harry was still happy with the compliment from Winky. They cared for each other like family members should. Harry never regretted taking Dobby and Winky into his family and never would. The milk finished, Harry placed the empty glass, his wand and his glasses on the bedside table and rolled over and was instantly asleep. No bad dreams troubled Harry Potter's sleep that night, normal or induced. They never did in his tent. Harry was safe here. Harry was home.
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AUTHOR NOTES:
Well this is my sort of answer to the Rosswrock type trunks. Instead of a trunk with a house/flat/mansion hidden in it, I used two previous items from cannon to achieve a better result in my opinion. Okay so the tent was much more than the one Mr. Weasley had in the books but remember this is a newer and much more expensive tent than the one Mr. Weasley borrowed for the World Cup.
Can you guess what was in the garden around that hedge? Its kind of obvious as what would inspire Harry to instantly want the tent regardless of the cost. But that's not the biggest surprise you are still to find out about Harry's hidden home.
Did you like the fact that it has electricity? Yes it does still work at Hogwarts. The shielding of the trunk and the tent allow it to work within the tent. Perhaps Harry wouldn't be able to receive TV or Radio signals but the microwave oven would work. The perpetual motion generator is my shot at the whole something-for-nothing magical world and a good solution for where the electricity comes from.
Having a second Harry I know was confusing at times but was necessary for Harry Potter to affirm that he was not really the-boy-who-lived but just Harry like the other boy was. I guess Harry Jones is about a year younger than Harry Potter as he was named in Harry's honour. He didn't go to Hogwarts. Home schooled or trade schooled as he is relatively poor. He's not a muggleborn but isn't considered a pureblood either. He is just a young working stiff of the wizarding world trying to get by day to day. You can also assume although Harry Jones is working at WWW, he is also still sourcing things (legal and otherwise) for Harry Potter from his contacts in the Alleys (Diagon and Knockturn) and from the muggle world. Dobby picks them up from Mr. Jones and takes them to Hogwarts. I guess that makes Mr. Jones Harry Potter's personal shopper. Now you all know where Harry's watch came from and all the other stuff Harry has. I now can write chapters where Harry can turn up with everything from an Armani suit to an Uzi submachine gun. Oh the possibilities! Tell me in a review what you think Harry should show up with? I will try to slip in a couple of the suggestions in upcoming chapters.
Did you like the fact that Harry has his own home now? He was able to stay much of the summer in it and still be protected by the wards at Privet Drive. He has it in Hogwarts and no one is the wiser.
Harry has the greatest library in the wizarding world at his command but you can't learn everything from books… No I can't say more yet. You will have to wait and see.
More about the goblins soon I promise.
More Draco, Snape, Dumbledore, Ron, Hermoine, Ginny, Blaze, Neville, Luna, and a host of others soon too. Keep those reviews coming and if you want your questions answered post a message at my Yahoo Group (link in my fanfiction bio). I don't promise to tell you anything but at least Yahoo does not have the restrictions that Fanfiction has on the author notes and reviews.