Chapter 25 - Dawn of a new day
Harry's eyes fluttered open and then closed again at the bright glare. It took him a few minutes to become fully awake and he was hesitant to leave the comfort of his bed. But eventually, he struggled from beneath the blankets and stumbled to the bedside table to collect his glasses and wand. It was still early and Harry pulled some of his workout clothes from the nearby chest of drawers and pulled them on.
"Good morning Winky." Harry said as he entered the kitchen.
"Did Harry Potter sleep well?" Winky asked brightly.
"Yeah, yeah I did actually." Harry replied, "I'm going to do a bit of a workout before breakfast, Winky."
"Winky will have everything ready for Harry Potter when he is ready for breakfast." Winky said happily.
Harry walked out of the kitchen doors to the paved area around the swimming pool, kept on going out into the lawn area and around the hedge. Harry entered the small hut just the other side of hedge and grabbed his thunderbolt.
"I guess that's one advantage of actually owning a broom manufacturer. I get to try out the new models before they are even announced to the public." Harry said as he mounted the broom that would shortly become the replacement for the firebolt. Harry shot skyward in a dazzling burst of acceleration that tore at his body even with the inertia dampening charms on the broom. Harry looped the broom around his entire private Quidditch field once and then soared straight up until he could feel the repelling charms of the tents roof. It still looked like open sky but Harry knew that he was at the height limit, so he dove again towards the ground, only pulling out inches from the turf. To anyone else it would have been terrifying, but to Harry, it was relaxing and he felt the tensions of yesterday slip away. He practiced his familiar Quidditch drills until he grew bored. He wished he had some human opponents but dismissed the idea immediately. As much as he wanted to tell Ron about having his own Quidditch field, Harry had agreed to keep all of this a secret until after this matter of Malfoy was resolved. Besides, Harry thought to himself, Hogwarts has its own Quidditch field that Ron and the others can use all they want, so there is no point in telling anyone until the summer. Harry didn't really want to admit to himself his fear of Ron's jealousy when he found out about the tent, not to mention just how ridiculously rich Harry actually was. The last thing Harry needed at the moment was a repeat of fourth year. In the summer, Harry told himself, I can tell Ron and Hermione about it all and we'll all have time to adjust to everything including my marriage, hopefully. Harry returned to his repetition of the drills as he tried to clear his mind of the conflicting emotions the thought of his impending marriage arose in his mind.
Some time later, a very sweaty Harry Potter rounded the hedge and walked through the gardens towards the pool. Harry considered going to the pool house but decided not to bother with a swimsuit, as he was alone in the tent except for the elves. So Harry simply stripped off his sweaty workout clothes where he stood and plunged into the cool refreshing waters and swam a few laps. Harry was glad he had learned how to swim during the summer. Not only was it great exercise but it was also just the thing to relax him after a workout on the Quidditch field or the gym in the pool house, especially with the massage he got in the heated spa at the end of the pool. Harry eventually got hungry enough to want to go find the breakfast Winky had promised him. Harry climbed out of the pool and walked naked to the pool house for a towel and one of the towelling robes kept there. If his friends at school had seen him stripped naked as he was now, then they all would have been amazed at the rippling taut muscled form that was usually hidden under the bulky Dudley hand-me-downs and flowing school robes.
"Here you is Harry Potter." Winky said as she set down a plate groaning with piles of food in front of Harry.
"Winky!" Harry said in a moaning tone.
"Harry Potter is needing to eat all he can to be big and strong." The elf replied without a hint of regret.
Harry knew when he was beaten and started to eat hoping he could manage enough to satisfy the little elf. Harry really didn't want to find out what Winky was prepared to do if Harry didn't.
After escaping the little elf's plot to get him as fat as Dudley in one session, Harry wandered back up to the master suite and took a good long shower. As he finished towelling off Harry wandered into the walk-in wardrobe and started going through outfits looking for something to wear today.
"Mmmm, Japanese kimono? Comfortable and I could wear my katanas with it. No, not today!" Harry said aloud to himself, "Flaming scarlet dress robes? Bit too formal I think. The Armani suit?" Harry laughed as he looked at his black Armani dress suit remembering the time he had worn it over the summer. Uncle Vernon had finally convinced the Maisons to come to dinner again after the disaster of the pudding incident, telling them loudly on the phone that his 'criminal' nephew was now under control. Harry was a bit incensed hearing that and decided if he was going to be labelled a criminal, he was going to act like one. So when the Maisons had arrived Harry made his appearance in the black Armani suit with black shirt and black tie. Harry also had the largest and most garish gold watch he owned on and his fingers all had large gold rings on them. The slicked back hair and blue tinted glasses completed the 'Mafioso' look to a tee. Harry watched outwardly calmly as his relative's faces were frozen in shock. Harry lead the Maisons into the living room before the Dursleys could recover and proceeded to give his apology for the pudding incident that his Uncle had insisted on with a good few expressions Harry had picked up from 'Donnie Brasco' and 'The Sopranos'. The finishing touch was during dinner when Mrs Maison complimented the pasta dish. Harry told her it was an old 'Sicilian' recipe he had been given by 'Don Corleone'. Uncle Vernon had gone the deepest purple colour he had ever managed hearing that but could do nothing in front of the Maisons. Mind you, the minute the Maisons were out the front door Vernon went in search of his nephew. Harry had already fled through the back door and met the Maisons as they were getting into their car. Harry explained that it had been his little 'prank' tonight after hearing what his Uncle had told them on the phone and that he was in no way a 'Mafioso'. He suggested that Mr Maison check with St Brutus School of Criminally Insane Youths if they had ever heard of a Harry Potter. Harry explained he did, in fact, go to an exclusive private boarding school in Scotland and beseeched Mr Maison to not take his business away from Grunnings because of Harry's actions. Luckily the Maisons were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Actually, Mr Maison looked somewhat amused and shook Harry's hand thanking him for a most entertaining evening. Shouts from number 4 had ended their conversation as Harry said it was time to go face the music. The aftermath with the Dursley's hadn't been good but Harry was given a slight reprieve when his Uncle came home the next day and announced the corporation Mr Maison worked for had placed their largest ever order with Grunnings and Grunnings managing director was so pleased he had even given Vernon a bonus and a invitation to dinner with his own family for all the Dursleys. Vernon Dursley was quite pleased with it all until his managing director added that Vernon had to bring his charming nephew along as the Maisons had praised the young man and his 'witty' dinner conversation. Needless to say Vernon Dursley begged off the dinner invitation immediately.
What no one knew was Mr Maison took Harry up on his offer and did in fact try to contact St Brutus's about the young man, but found there was no such institution. Mr Maison then contact the investigation branch of the corporation he worked for, asking for a background check on a Harry Potter of 4 Privit Drive, Little Whinging. The returned information showed that a Mr Harry James Potter was the controlling shareholder of various and interwoven corporations and trusts that among other things had some forty percent of the shares of Mr Maison's own corporation and sixty percent of Grunnings. Mr Maison was a wise enough corporate player to realise that if a major share holder wanted the corporations business to go to one of his own companies that exactly what should happen if Mr Maison wanted to keep his own job. So that's what happened.
"Leather posing pouch and body harness? I am going to have to talk to Harry Jones about some of the items he buys for me." Harry said as he continued through his outfits. "Leather pants, vest and trench coat? This looks like that movie I saw with Weasley Snape, I mean Wesley Snipes, Blade Trinity that was it. I suppose I could try it on. Just to see if it fits."
A few minutes later Harry Potter was checking himself in front of the mirror admiring his leather clad look. Harry had added black buckled boots, his throwing knifes and his two chromed 50 calibre desert eagles in shoulder holsters under the coat. A sword, not unlike the one in the movie, he placed through the small slit he made at the back of the trench coat. He looked deadly, sexy but deadly. He was deadly with each of the weapons on his person after all the training he had put in over the summer.
"Goth Potter." Harry said with a smirk. "I wonder what would happen if I walked into the Great Hall in this outfit." A little voice in the back of his head replied, "Draco would wet himself."
"Stop that!" Harry said aloud. "I did not need that mental image."
"Too bad. You got it." The little voice replied.
"Right, that's it Potter you have officially lost it." Harry said. "I suppose I better get to work."
Harry spent the rest of the morning in the library studying the books Dobby and Winky had found plus a number of others. Harry made copious notes and diagrams. At lunch, he talked for a while with Winky about unimportant things and then headed to the duelling room to practice some of the spells he had read about. As usual it didn't take him many tries before he had each one down pat. He was now ready to undertake the work he had planned but that would have to wait for now. So still enjoying his Goth outfit Harry returned to the library to start on the charms essay Professor Flitwick had assigned. The time passed quickly for Harry and he found himself engrossed in the work and the possibilities it held for application in his defence studies. Harry was finding that more and more the separate fields of magic he was studying were merging together to a deeper underlying understanding of magic as a combined whole. The possibilities seemed endless.
Winky and Dobby joined Harry for a quiet dinner in which Winky again had managed to stuff Harry to bursting point.
Harry being sick of reading for now spent the rest of the evening checking his garden. Pruning here, tidying up there. It was calming and as the tent simulated a summers evening Harry began to feel the lure of his bed. It was not long before the long leather coat was stripped of its weapons and returned to the wardrobe with the vest, pants and boots. Harry fell once again into that pleasant undisturbed sleep that the tent allowed him.
Dobby woke Harry early the next morning with a nudge or two. He grabbed a quick shower before changing into some of his old jeans and one of Dudley's old flannel shirts.
The top of Harry's trunk opened a bare crack as two emerald green eyes stared through. Ron groaned loudly in his sleep and rolled over. The quiet sounds of restful breathing came from the other occupants of the sixth year Gryffindor boy's dorm. The trunk lid slowly opened fully and Harry climbed out of the trunk and quietly shut the lid. Harry opened his beds curtains and messed up his sheets to give them a slept in look. He then quietly made his way down to the common room without waking any of his dorm mates. Harry sat in his favourite squishy chair near the fireplace in the common room and began working on his charms essay again.
That was where his friends found him some time later when they had awoken, dressed and come down to the common room on their way to breakfast.
"Morning Harry," Hermione said as she pulled a still bleary eyed Ron by the hand. "Sleep well?"
"Morning Hermione, morning Ron. Yeah, I did sleep well actually. Feel much better." Harry replied cheerfully.
"What are you working on… That's Flitwick's charms essay." Hermione said loudly as she snatched the parchments away from Harry.
"Hermione!" Harry complained.
"You're almost finished!" Hermione said shrilly. "How can you be almost finished? We only got it yesterday and you had detention with McGonagall and then you went to bed early…"
"I just got up early and got stuck in." Harry replied, "Now if you don't mind, could I have it back?"
"But Harry, how did you look up all the reference material you needed? I was planning to spend most of this evening just getting together what is needed from the library. You didn't just try and wing it again did you?" Hermione asked as she flicked over the pages of parchment. "No, it looks like you didn't. But I don't understand…"
Harry grabbed the parchments back out of her hands as he said, "Hermione, go to breakfast before Ron passes out from lack of food. I'll talk to you later about this."
"Food Mmmm" was Ron's contribution to the conversation.
Hermione looked ready to continue to complain again but Harry forestalled her by saying, "And try to keep everyone down there for as long as possible this morning. I think I have worked out a way around my little window problem but I need some time to put it into action without being observed."
Hermoine still looked vexed but nodded curtly.
"Hey Harry!" Dean said, "This your tool belt?" Dean had spotted the leather tool belt that was hanging out of Harry's book bag. He had grabbed it and pulled it free before Harry could react. Unfortunately the belt also pulled the bright yellow hardhat from the bag.
"You trying to look like one of the Village People Harry?" Dean asked smirking. "Perhaps this thing with Malfoy is getting to you."
"NO!" Harry said forcefully as he grabbed his tool belt and hardhat back. "But I'll tell Malfoy you're a fan of the Village People, Thomas, when he goes off me and is looking for another mate."
"Go on, put on the hat and belt and do YMCA Harry." Dean teased. A few of the students who were muggleborns in the now crowded common room laughed. Even Hermione was trying not to smile rather unsuccessfully.
"Out! Out! All of you out!" Harry yelled, "Go to breakfast."
"It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A." Dean began to sing doing the silly motions with arms forming the letters.
Harry grabbed the nearest thing to hand, which happened to be his charms textbook and threw it at him. Dean easily dodged it but Hermione shrieked. "Harry! You can't treat a book like that."
"What?" Ron asked as the commotion roused him from his stupor.
"You just wait Thomas. You and Malfoy." Harry said back.
"Not me Harry." Dean said back as many laughed, "I've got to be a macho man."
Harry was struggling with Hermione over his transfiguration textbook so he could throw it too, when Dean and his friends decided it was time to go to breakfast. "At least he's not dressed as the leather man." Harry heard Dean comment to the Creeveys. "I don't think I could stomach that."
Well, Harry thought to himself, that puts an end to any idea of wearing my Blade outfit anytime soon.
"Okay Hermione you can relax. I am not going to chuck anything more." Harry said.
Hermione reluctantly released her hold on the textbook. "I still want to know how you are managing to get through all your work so easily." She said.
"Hermione please," Harry replied, "You know I can't tell you some things because of Dumbledore's ability to pull it right out of your head. I'll tell you what I can, when I can, I promise. Just let it go for now."
"You're not messing about with a time turner are you Harry?" Ron asked.
"Look who's awake at last!" Harry exclaimed, "No Ron, I think all of us learned the dangers of that in third year," Harry said pointedly. Of course, Harry thought to himself, no one said anything about the weird side effects you get when you open a large wizard space tent in a much smaller trunk wizard space room. I really got reamed out for doing that. Thank Merlin we were able to stabilise it to a four to one time dilation. It's proving quiet useful having a whole extra day every night.
"Breakfast Ron" Harry said. That was all that was needed to get the red head heading straight for the portrait hole dragging his reluctant girlfriend with him.
"And keep everyone there for as long as possible." Harry yelled after them.
As they were climbing out of the portrait hole Ron asked. "What was all that Dean was going on about?"
"The Village People Ron. I'll explain at breakfast." Hermione answered.
"No! Please don't, Hermione." Harry yelled but the portrait had already swung shut.
Harry cringed as he thought of Hermione's piercing voice explaining Harry's resemblance to one of the gay muggle band to the entire Great Hall.
"Well Village People or not I've got some work to do." Harry said as he put on the hardhat and tool belt and headed for his dorm room. As he went up the stairs he unconsciously started to hum. "Oh Merlin" He said, "Now I'm going to have YMCA running through my head all day. I'll kill Dean!"
8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
Author Notes
Okay, I know a lot of you probably hate this chapter and it is a bit silly in parts but it and the previous chapter actually serve an important role for the future plot. I added a few humorous bits so you won't be too bored but I consider them both foundation chapters because they are giving you background information that is actually important as this whole story started at the end of Harry's mysterious summer. All we know about the summer where Harry prepared for this struggle is contained in the flashbacks in Chapters 2 and 24 and it is far from complete. There will be future flashbacks but they should not be as long as the last one. At least I hope not. You'll need the background information these chapters provide if what is to happen is to make sense. If you think this story is a run of the mill Veela Draco/Harry slash single plotline story, think again. It's more complicated than that, as I have said before. But it should start to move along more rapidly now.
Next chapter we are right back to Harry/Draco conflict, Harry/Dumbledore conflict and Harry/Snape conflict.
Meow-Fairy, hope you enjoyed the outfits.