"Yes, well now that our dinner plans have been made, we ought to hurry so we can get your shopping done, Harry. Mr. Griphook, may we visit Harry's trust vault please?" Petunia asked.
"Why certainly, however I have an easier option for you. For the slight fee of ten Galleons-"
"What are Galleons? Are they money?" Harry interrupted. Before he was answered he seemed to realize his rudeness. "Sorry for interrupting you, Mr. Griphook."
"Hmph. Well, it's alright, I suppose. Yes, Galleons are money. Our monetary system uses bronze Knuts, silver Sickles, and golden Galleons. Twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, and seventeen Sickles to a Galleon."
"If I may, sir, those are rather odd numbers to use. Why not use thirty and fifteen, or something else easy to remember?" Dudley asked politely.
"Because at the time of the creation of this system, that was the ratio of how much raw gold, silver, and bronze were worth. Now, any other questions before I continue? No? Then, as I was saying, for ten Galleons I can give Mr. Potter-Evans a pouch that would allow him to simply state the amount of money needed and have it withdrawn directly from his trust vault. If he does this, he can also have the money converted into pounds, dollars, yen, or any other recognized form of currency, barring the barter system. Would you be interested in such a purchase?"
"Yes, please!" Harry stated emphatically. Severus then cut in.
"However, I think the price of five Galleons is much more appropriate for such a device. Unless, of course, it comes with an anti-theft component?"
Griphook gave what could be interpreted as a (frightening) smile. "Why, Professor Snape. Of course it has anti-theft measures. It will only respond to young Mr. Potter-Evans's voice, and cannot be taken from his person unless he personally removes it willfully. Will that convince you the price is deserved?"
Snape gave a smirk back and replied, "I think that should do, yes."
"I have one more question, Mr. Griphook, sir. How many Galleons to a pound?"
"Well, Mr. Potter-Evans, the answer varies. It is approximately five pounds to each Galleon, however it changes slightly based on a number of economic components, such as inflation. Will that do?" Harry nodded in response to Griphook's answer. "Then here," Griphook opened a drawer and removed a simple pouch from inside, sliding it over to Harry, "Give it a test run. Speak into the pouch 'ten Galleons'."
Harry did so, and although he'd expected it to work he was still slightly shocked when the money just appeared in the bag, adding only a slight weight.
"Wicked!" both boys whisper-shouted in unison. Petunia silently agreed.
"Well, I believe that is all our business for today taken care of then. Thank you for your time, Mr. Griphook, and I look forward to your message regarding the wills."
"I am also waiting with anticipation," Severus said.
"Quite so, Ms. Evans, Professor Snape. Quite so."
"Goodbye, Mr. Griphook! Thanks for everything!" Harry said with the earnestness only a child could achieve.
"Yeah, thanks Mr. Griphook!" Dudley said in the same way.
"You are quite welcome. Good day to you all." With that, the quartet walked out of the office and out the front doors of Gringotts.
"Right then, it's about-" Petunia checked her watch, "-10:30. So, get your list out Harry and we can get most of your supplies before lunch at 1."
"Yes, Mum," Harry replied, taking out his parchment. "It says to get my uniform first."
"That would probably be best, it gives us time to continue shopping while Madame Malkin makes alterations," Severus chimed in.
"Alright then, to Madame Malkin's we go," Petunia answered.
Two hours later they had visited everywhere but the wand shop and the apothecary.
"I think we ought to leave the apothecary until after lunch, don't you Severus? Boys?" All of them nodded in agreement, so Petunia continued. "In that case, does anyone have any suggestions as to where to go? I personally am not fond of The Leaky Cauldron, but if there isn't anywhere else…" she trailed off, glancing at Snape.
"We could eat at Florean Fortescue's, I suppose. A much more… appropriate… atmosphere, I should think."
"The old ice cream place?" Petunia queried, surprising herself with the memory.
"Indeed. Business has been quite good for Fortescue, and he has branched out to include a variety of both magical and mundane foods in his repertoire. I haven't eaten there personally, but it's rumored to be quite good."
Any chance of not journeying to the aforementioned shop was dashed when Harry and Dudley heard their mother say the words 'ice cream', so to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Shoppe and Grille they went. The group enjoyed a good meal of fish and chips for Dudley, a burger for Harry, and "boring adult food" for the other two. All four, however, enjoyed different wacky flavors of ice cream. Watching the somewhat dire man known as Severus Snape try to eat an ice cream cone with dignity was, surprisingly, not the most shocking part of the outing. That came when Snape himself insisted on paying for everyone's meals.
"Come now Severus, you can't be serious. You had the least expensive meal out of all of us, and you've been so kind to come along with us today. I can't let you pay for lunch as well!"
"Nonsense, Petunia. If it hadn't been for you and your… your sons, I would never have even a hope at hearing Lily's will, or even knowing I have a godson! I assure you, it is no great hardship." Petunia made to interrupt, but Snape continued, "And furthermore, Harry is treating me to dinner later, so we'll be even." Even Petunia wouldn't argue that point, so she simply tacked on one more thing.
"Fine then, you pay for lunch and have our thanks for it. But don't think I won't repay you somehow!"
"I look forward to it. Now then, to the apothecary I believe?"
"That was so cool Professor! The way you made those employees admit they were lying about quality! And all the stuff you knew too!" Dudley exclaimed excitedly as they entered the apothecary, staff scowling out the windows as they left.
"Yeah! And when you yelled at the owner for claiming those horns were from unicorns!" Harry chimed in. "Oh! And when you-"
"I take it you boys had a fun time in the shop?" Petunia asked as they approached the bench where she sat doing some crocheting (the smell of the store had upset her stomach, so she waited while the others went in).
"Yeah! Professor Snape is totally cool! He knows everything about Potions!" Dudley said, Harry nodding along excitedly with his arms full of odd ingredients.
Severus, who until now had had a self-satisfied smirk on his face, suddenly smiled softly, and so slightly one might have missed it. "Thank you for that shining review, gentleman. I didn't receive my Mastery for nothing, after all. I also request that both of you call me Severus, at least when not at Hogwarts. It seems foolish to go by lofty titles at this point."
Without missing a beat, Dudley replied, "OK, but only if you call us Dudley and Harry. When not at Hogwarts, of course." A cheeky grin appeared on both of the young faces.
"I suppose I could acquiesce to your terms, Dudley. Now, shall we be off? Mr- Harry- needs to purchase his wand and pick up his uniform before we are done with our day, after all."
Harry hurried to put his ingredients in a specialized compartment in his trunk that cooled, heated, or otherwise regulated temperature for each ingredient as needed. Severus had insisted he buy a trunk with Potions storage, as he wanted Harry to be able to learn how to properly handle ingredients. When he completed his task, his trunk was shrunk with a tap of Snape's wand and returned to Harry's pocket (another feature that had been insisted upon), and the group began walking to Ollivander's.
Upon reaching the old shop, Petunia was struck with a momentary flashback of the only other time she had been there.
Snape and Lily were so excited about getting wands Petunia had been left behind completely, and the door closed in her face as the other two rushed in ahead of her. The old man, Ollivander she supposed, was very surprised to see her and her parents enter the store. One test run of a wand nearly ended with Lily being beheaded by a vase, but Petunia pulled her back just in time. Not that she'd gotten so much as a thank you. Just some giggling and a "careful, Sev. I don't think that one's right!"
Petunia shook herself out of the memory and turned to look at Severus. Judging by the looks she was receiving in return, he was also thinking about that day. Her thoughts were confirmed a moment later.
"I never apologized," he began softly. "I could have killed her, or you, and I didn't even realize. I was such a fool."
"You were a boy, Severus. Nothing more and nothing less. I have long since forgiven you for that incident." The pair shared a nod just before they reached the door, where the boys, having run ahead, were waiting.
"C'mon Mum, Severus! Harry's got to get his wand!"
"Alright Dudley, calm down. If I remember correctly, Mr. Ollivander likes a nice, quiet shop, so make sure to use your manners and inside voices, boys." Both of her charges nodded, and with that the door was pushed open.
As the group walked in, the door snapped shut behind them. An old man with eyes that gazed uncomfortably deep into the soul peered out from between two of the massive shelves in the room.
"Ah, Mr. Potter-Evans. Welcome. I remember your parents well, and their wands, of course. Your mother, Lily, had a wand exceptional for Charmwork. But your father, he was outstanding at Transfiguration." Harry's eyes were wide at these new revelations, but had little time to process. "Ah, Severus Snape! Dark Arts and their defenses, yes? How is your wand treating you?"
"As excellent as ever, thank you," replied Snape stiffly.
"Hmm. Oh, and Petunia Evans, I remember you." At Petunia's startled look, he continued. "Oh yes! I'm very sorry for the losses of your sister and parents, my dear, they were all good people."
"Th- thank you."
"Dudley, Petunia, why don't we sit while we wait for Harry to get his wand? I can conjure a padded bench if you would like?" At Petunia's shaky nod, the three moved to the corner of the shop and sat.
"Ah, I have a few ideas for you, young sir. Quite a few, in fact. But no worry, I'm sure it won't take too long."
"Two hours! Two hours to find a wand because he didn't just check the one I felt in the first place!" Harry raged as they exited the shop and the Alley.
"Yes dear, I quite agree. It didn't take Lily and Severus that long combined to find a wand!"
"And did you hear what he said at the end? About my parents and You-Know-Who?"
"I thought that was kinda rude. I mean, he only meets each wizard or witch once, right? Why does he think just because you have the same core or whatever it's called you're going to be the next You-Know-Who?"
As the outrage continued on their way to the car, Snape remained silent and pale, unnoticed by the ranting boys. Just as they made it out of The Leaky Cauldron, Petunia stopped him.
"Severus, are you alright? You've been… off… since we left Ollivanders. Was it what he said about… about Lily?"
Severus turned to her, seemingly still dazed. "No, it's not that. It's what he said about You-Know-Who. I haven't told you yet, though I swear I was going to! But I… I joined him and the Death Eaters. Right out of Hogwarts. At first it was just selling potions to them so I could get money for my mastery, but then… I got in too deep. And I couldn't save her. It's my fault she's dead, I could have saved her!" All of this Snape yelled in a whisper, so as not to alert the still rambling Harry and Dudley.
"Severus Snape, you look at me right now. I can see how much you've changed since we were children. Your heart was always good, I think, but circumstances darkened it. If you tell me, honestly, right now, that you never wanted to join him or his magical Nazis, I will believe you. Because you are not responsible for Lily's death. The only one responsible for her death is the son of a bitch who killed her. Do you understand me?"
Snape, now nearing a panic attack, took several real deep breaths to try to bring himself out of the danger zone. Thankfully it worked, and his breathing steadied out gradually. "I never wanted to join them. I never wanted to lose Lily. I was just so desperate to prove myself to someone, but that's no excuse. I'm so, so sorry."
Even in their formative years, Petunia had never seen Severus Snape break down. He was always stoic, made so by his horrid father. Seeing the same boy, now a man, in front of her now seemed impossible. Yet here they were.
"I forgive you. Now, deep breaths and compose yourself. We have a dinner to attend," she said, not unkindly.
I feel now is a great time to note that I do not at all support canon Snape, he was a horrible person. Fanon Snape, however? One of my favorite characters. Also, once we hit 10k I'll post a bonus chapter with that conversation Dudley asked for and some other tidbits, so look forward to that! I'm not sure if my next post will be next Friday or Sunday, depends on how broken I am after watching the new Spiderman movie.