A morning run:
The next morning that Remus awoke to find Harry sitting in his living room fully dressed. He merely nodded and stretched, as he got dressed for his first morning run and callisthenics exercise. He was curious to see how much exercise Harry did, to benefit so impressively in a physiological manner.
Remus found himself fascinated by the track clothing. It was light and breathable. But most spectacular were the NIKE running shoes. He realised that the shoe had been designed well and his soles and his feel felt very supported. Remus then walked experimentally with the shoes as he muttered, "Well the muggles have way better footwear, for sure". He then glamoured himself and then followed Harry into the front yard from the null-box. Harry gave the necessary instructions:
"The run is simple. We are doing twenty minute jog to the recreation ground. It has a circumference of approximately one kilometre or a little more than half-mile."
"A kilometre?" Remus interrupted.
"You will have to get accustomed to metric. I don't know why wizarding England still uses Imperial measurements. A little more than half a mile. So, our recreation ground, excellent soil, no unexpected holes. Well-worn track. Good stuff. We are doing two laps at the fastest possible speed. Then we break off for some standard military style exercises. Then we do a long distance run. Five laps at a decreased pace without stopping. Then on the sixth lap, we can gradually slow down. Oh, this is an easy day today because you are new."
Remus had initially thought that Harry was joking. That was until found himself struggling to keep up with Harry, shortly after the activities started. Harry was easily capable of outpacing him. Worse yet Remus could run quickly even as a human, as his lycanthropy gave him a boost. After the continuous two kilometre run at break-neck speed, Harry began to slow down as they approached a particular spot which contained a rather substantial tree. Then he started with Burpees, Pushups, Sit-ups, Pull-ups and Squats. Harry performed Burpees for an entire two minutes and then executed at least 75 repetitions of every other exercise, with a short break in between when necessary.
Remus had to stop and catch his breath as Harry continued to just push through the exercise like a machine. Afterwards, Remus decided that he would rest and not bother with endurance running. Harry easily completed the endurance run and found Remus looking like a tomato. Remus realised that Harry's fitness was exceptional. Harry received a phone call, and he answered by flicking the answer button on his bicep mounted phone case. It was Hermione.
"Morning Harry. I managed the 2km run at approaching four minutes and fifty seconds. The burpees were fine too. But the other exercises, I can only do about 40 reps before I want to drop dead. My break was probably a bit longer than yours."
"As for me, I managed the 2km run in six minutes and thirty seconds. I just don't have the raw speed you have. But I did manage to get into about 75 reps for the core exercises. The goal is eventually 100. Remember you have a smaller lung. You can probably still outpace all the male Wizards though. They are a bunch of softies."
"I wish I could improve my lungs with some kind of magic. Alright, let us call it a day. How is Remus going Harry?"
"Well, I think it is unfair to make a direct comparison. He is a hulk of a man, so the effort can't be proportional. He will get up to scratch soon. He seems to be naturally strong."
Remus smiled. At least Harry was observant. He continued to listen.
"And when we get Padfoot back when I start to work him, he will pray for me to drop back at Azkaban."
Remus gulped.
"Always the hard ass. See you later I am going to read some of the new Runes material. Later bighead."
"Later Priestess."
Harry and Remus walked back to Remus' apartment. Harry then apparated home via Mipsy. Remus then showered and changed into something more comfortable. After he was sufficiently decent, we walked into the kitchen and found Harry had arrived with a pigeon sized Grace, who was happy to once again be the primary form of transport. While she was only pigeon sized, it seemed that her feathers and her tail were much longer.
"Well Harry through the war, I never had that amount of physical stress on my body. It was always waiting in cover or hiding around corners and casting spells. I can see why you are so powerful for your age. I can feel my core humming ever so slightly."
"Yes, it truly does wonders. What you should do is try not to drip magic into your muscles while exercising – you want to build as much muscular endurance and strength as possible. I am looking at your body type, I think you might be suited better to pure muscular strength. We will have to put the gym to use."
As they ate their breakfast, they discussed some of the finer aspects of Wizarding Education. Remus informed Harry that the Hogwarts syllabus was only concerned with if you could produce the spell. There was no expectation that intent shaping would ever be applied. Harry then realised what this could mean…
"Are you saying that I could probably take the NEWTS – the practicals and probably pass them? I know all the spells in the Hogwarts syllabus."
Remus nodded.
"Even the theory too. In the Charms, Transfiguration and Defence Against the Dark Arts, you could probably ace them. But I understand the general direction you wish to explore, in terms of personal fulfilment."
They both continued to eat their breakfast, which was a mixture of scrambled eggs, buttered sourdough bread, bacon strips and coffee. While they were eating, Remus received a call from Hermione. Remus somewhat more accustomed to the device slid the green call button. He answered with a kind and spritely, "Hello Hermione, Uncle Remus here." He continued to listen to Hermione, and she laid out her request.
"Excellent, after I am done with Harry's class, I will pick you up," Remus replied as he hanged up. He then laughed at Harry.
"Rather convenient. Not that the owls aren't important. But you could see how this eliminates wasted time," commented Harry.
"It certainly does, Harry"
Hermione had decided that she was going to get her robes done today. Truthfully, Remus was excited to see the fanfare. After the hearty breakfast, both Remus and Harry began to review the Hogwarts syllabus, particularly in the wanded subjects and runes. He soon realised that Harry already knew most of the spells. However, his fluency was another thing. Many of the spells had oddball applications. Some caused laughter, some caused tripping. Others could make small objects explode. Harry could reproduce these spells for full marks under examination conditions. However…
If a spell had a practical application to Harry's master crafting, Harry knew the spell with so much confidence that it made Remus almost feel embarrassed. Remus noted that Harry seemed capable of shaping many of the combat spells and charms in new unique ways and it didn't drain his energy much.
"I still wonder how you do that so easily. I have never seen somebody shape Protego with such ease. Your father was now beginning to investigate the applications of this skill" Remus laughed.
"Well let me explain then – let us look at transfiguration. A wizard conjures a grandfather clock. The wizard has no idea how any of the mechanisms work. Yet it all works. Where did the wizard get the information from Uncle Remus?"
"I always wondered about that. I have no idea."
"Well, it is simple – let us assume the whole population of humans are already magical. But only some can interact with magic. Of that smaller set of people, only some can cast deliberate magic with a wand. Magic uses the knowledge from the species at large and if the knowledge is commonly known, then magic assumes and provides the solution that you need.
Now imagine this not common to Transfiguration, but runes and even normal spells. What if I knew how the tourbillon and the gears worked? What if I knew the gears and shafts had to be present? What if I knew how clock parts were manufactured? Magic has fewer assumptions to make and it, therefore, saves me energy. If you can visualise anything easily enough, the Transfiguration spell can become irrelevant."
Harry then transfigured the empty bowl into a Grandfather clock with no effort. That was something that only mastery level transfiguration individuals could do, easily.
"I do know how clocks are constructed, Not everything, but some of the bits. See?"
"Merlin's Pants it makes sense. Your father was always capable of sketching objects long after he saw him. He was always good at Transfiguration."
"So, I gathered from his journals. But more interesting, Hermione's runes work the same way too. We used an established, well-known technology to use as the basis for the new runes. We always try to approach magic from a scientific and linguistic basis. Hermione didn't mention this but we have invented two new spells by the way."
"I haven't gotten around to reading the muggle textbooks but based on the size of them, it seems Muggle school is much more demanding than Hogwarts. I could see why muggleborns generally do better in the practical, even if they don't get access to the magical theory books, but I see you have corrected those issues."
"Technically, we are not the first wizards to invent spells. Every house has its own set of unique spells. However, they will probably invent maybe two or three every twenty years. Over five and six centuries, it becomes a lot. We say quantity is its own type of quality. How about five new spells every year? And five new spells around crucial discoveries, not minor ones."
Remus nodded as they continued to review the work. While Harry knew nothing about Potions and Herbology, he seemed to know his History of Magic quite effortlessly. Some off-hand questions about Astronomy made Harry giggle.
"Am I missing something Harry?" Remus asked.
"Sorry uncle, the Wizards are probably five centuries behind the muggles. I heard Sinistra was the astronomy teacher at Hogwarts. I suppose she does not know about Magnetars or Black Holes."
"Well, I think the best revision is to make you duel me from now on. I will make you use spell chains that allow you to work particularly on the spells that you don't use regularly."
"Excellent. I have downloaded Iron Man for you to watch. Then you will understand what exactly I am looking to build in the long term. Grace, up to getting Hermione to Madam Malkin?"
Grace made her signature chirrup audible.
"Excellent. Zap over and wait for her. I am going to my classes. Maths and Physics. Today the teachers are going to try and test me against a full GCSE Mathematics paper out of curiosity. It is the equivalent of a full OWL test. According to them, I am ready with the self-study I have been doing. I will be back a little later, around six. Tipsy, home."
Harry then popped out of existence and arrived at his home to gather his necessary materials,before apparating back. Five minutes later, Hermione arrived. She greeted Harry with her customary hug.
"Hi, Uncle Remus. We are doing two things this afternoon. First, is getting an Internet connection. My mother knows someone at the Sky office in London, so let me just make sure you have everything from your Gringotts package."
Remus soon pulled out all the documents that were in his study draw. Hermione quickly skimmed through them and pulled out what she would need.
"Okay, I.D. here, Passport here, Telephone bill also here, I have the employment letter, by the way, take a look at the official Peverell Industries Letter Head."
"This is rather impressive. Who would think Harry is behind this operation?"
"I know. I am working on mine right now. Can't let Harry have all the fun. Come on hold my hand. Gracie, spot number 31 please!"
After a short visit to London, the modem was obtained and the pair found themselves at his humble flat.
"We will get this setup later, off to Madam Malkin's. Glamour my face please?" Hermione asked.
While she could cast many of the charms and combat spells that Harry knew, her casting always suffered from the same problem. She quickly ran out of energy. In many cases, she needed to wait for a half-hour after about 20 minutes of continuous casting to refill her magical core. Upon explaining this to Remus, he clarified that many Aurors could not cast for twenty minutes straight and certainly if they could, they could only do it at half of Hermione's speed.
"Harry is a bit special, as I spoke to Invictus about his unusual amount of strength. His Warlock magic is slowly setting in. As for you, while you might feel you can't keep up, even Lilly had problems in the early years at Hogwarts. You are already a prodigy with magic, make no mistake." Remus commented.
"Thanks, sometimes I need to hear that. I get the feeling my body will adapt eventually. Gracie, Madam Malkin for two, please." Hermione requested.
Fifteen minutes after, Hemione found herself in Madam Malkin's shop after Remus had taken the lead in walking her to the location. She found the elderly woman attending to a girl that probably looked to be her age but not necessarily her size. She had the silvery blond her and the dreamiest voice that you could expect from a girl. She seemed to be wearing the most oddly designed dress that Hermione had ever seen. She was also getting a custom dress made. Hermione observed the design on the parchment, as the child explained what she wanted. Truthfully, the design looked very bright, colourful and very stylish.
Outlandish. A definite statement.
Hermione liked it. She realised that she would not mind an adult version of this, so she decided being friendly would be to her advantage. She summoned what little magic remained in her core and sent out a friendly and wandless hello to the little girl, as for some reason her core was buzzing. The girl who seemed almost in a dreamland, suddenly produced one of the most brilliant smiles that Hermione had ever seen.
"Daddy….she is like…me! Hello?" the little girl said.
"Hello, Lady Von Neumann at your service. I love your dress. Did you design it yourself?"
"I did, I like bright colours. I love to draw. Are you here to get robes too?"
"I certainly am. I think I want a personal version of this dress you have there. Would you mind that at all?"
"Daddy somebody likes my robes. Her magic feels nice. Can we be friends?" the little girl asked hopefully.
Madam Malkin looked on at the interaction and smiled. Madam Malkin was aware that the only friend that Luna had was Ginny Weasley. Luna seemed too odd to make friends with normal wizarding children. She also observed the type of confidence that the older girl seemed to possess. And a Lady of a great house too….unless this was…
This was the Troublemaker's friend. This was Harry's friend.
The unnamed girl looked tall, healthy and magically very strong. Easily as strong as a third-year student. Power leaked off her. Madam Malkin decided she would let the interaction play out.
"We can certainly be friends. My name is Jean. Lady Von Neuman is for the annoying people. I live in the mundane world, so I don't have an owl. However, write down your address for me, I will write to you with my uncle's owl."
The little girl smiled.
"My name is Luna Lovegood. You hardly have Nargles floating around your head" she commented. Hermione quickly looked up and saw nothing. But instead of dismissing the claim, she the said
"I have a friend who can see a lot of things others can't, so I won't dismiss that they exist. What generally causes people to have a lot of Nargles around their heads? What do they look like to you?"
Xenophillius Lovegood was shocked. This girl wanted to know what the Nargles looked like? The same girl who offered to be Luna's friend?
"Like little fireflies. When people are hurt are sad, they come around."
"Muggle science has suggested that the basic particles that make up our reality vibrate in a certain way. It has been theorised that there could be alternate dimensions not accessible to us that could contain lots of different types of life. I think you can see these creatures. Believe me, I want to know about all of them. I think you are gifted like my friend. Very special eyes you have there!"
"You know muggle science and Magic at the same time? And my animals could exist according to science?" Luna asked.
"Sure, they can exist. Perfectly logical by scientific standards. Both complement each other beautifully if you have common sense. That however is in short, in Magical England." Hermione replied.
Madam Malkin was suddenly quiet. This girl seemed highly intelligent and was opened minded. Magically powerful but also Muggle educated? She spoke with such authority – almost as if her world was filled with such fantastic things that this was a walk in the park.
She then put the pieces together. The boy was following in his mother's footsteps. Perhaps Harry and this girl were doing magical research?
Harry had probably made such significant discoveries that he required an image to match his achievements. That was why his robes were so modern and fresh . They represented a new player in the game. Madam Pomfrey then affectionately remembered the rants that Lilly would go on when she got her robes adjusted. And Harry was not alone, he had help too! Of all the people these two troublemakers could choose, they chose her humble shop to outfit them with their new robes. As she thought about this, Hermione spoke and confirmed all her suspicions.
"Madam Malkin sorry for ignoring you. I happen to be the troublemaker's friend. Custom robes for me. But before you start mine, I want a copy of Luna's dress made for my size. Best materials. Acromantula. And yes, make Luna's version with the same quality and materials. I am paying."
This gesture shocked Xenophillius. Before he could mount an expression of protest, Hermione stopped him with a gentle pat of her hand on his shoulder.
"I am doing this because my magic tells me that Luna needs to be my friend. I had a feeling about my first friend just like this and he turned out to be my brother by magic. I have learned we should not question Lady Magic about certain things. I can see that she drew the design by yourself. If she loves to draw, I might just have found the artist I need. I might need her eye and her talents. We will be in touch Mr?"
"Xenophilius Lovegood. Thank you. The dress was originally meant as an early birthday present. Her birthday is in February. The 13th to be exact. I had not managed to get the dress commissioned in time." the man replied.
"Excellent. Happy belated birthday Luna. Madam Malkin, perhaps you can measure me at the same time. This lot is all getting ice cream. You want anything?"
"My my, so kind. Double chocolate with Hippogriff Sprinkles. What about your requirements?"
"Yes, look at this here. The main piece is tight pants and a long sleeve. Everything formfitting. These pieces are heavily embellished with these extra pieces of cloth here. The top robe is open-armed. The skirt is longer at the back. These bits only run down to the elbows and the knees respectively. For the front, you will see these faulds here. Also, the main belt is deliberately thick like that. Fur collar here, and standard hood here.
The colours now – I want this hexagon pattern distributed all over the robes in pure gleaming silver. I want this symbol for the main chest piece, with the colours just as they are. And finally, I want this drawing here on my back. The highlights here can be done in white. Best materials. Acromantula. For the main robe colours – Grey, Black, Purple and Blue. Dark pallets. And cloth gloves in matching colours with dragon hide exterior. Toughest thing you got. I deal with exploding potions regularly."
Madam Malkin looked at the design and truly realised what she was dealing with – this was Rune-Priestess robe that had been updated with angular lines and accents similar to Harry's robes. She had seen this type of robe made only once, so many years ago when her father took on a job almost close a century ago. She also noted the nods towards muggle fashion – it was smart and efficient. This girl could easily move around and not wonder about her decency. The patterns she suggested, truly nothing like this had been seen before in the wizarding world. Another challenge that would be well worth it, she thought.
"All of you, come back in three and a half hours. I will have it done."
"Excellent, come Luna tell me about those wonderful eyes of yours. And perhaps you can tell me about your art, and I will explain why I am looking for an artist."
Over the next three hours, Remus would sit with Xenophillius and politely listen to Hermione's questions. Hermione had taken out a notebook and made notes apparently for the fun of it. Luna who had never seen muggle stationery was amazed at how steady the lines were and quickly she took to sketching her 'imaginary animals' with the pen. Hermione noted that these imaginary animals seemed to resemble many of the prehistoric insects she had seen in documentaries.
Hermione wondered if perhaps magic had been here for millions of years – or if perhaps a certain event had caused the magic to become part of the human species. They ate their ice cream, and after Hermione was sufficiently satisfied with the notes she had complied, she began to explain why she needed an artist.
"Well, Luna, one of the rather interesting things about the Hogwarts is that certain aspects of it are outdated – for example, I have it on good authority that it was Wizards who angered the Goblins first, many millennia ago. Essentially, Binns the History of Magic teacher at Hogwarts is incorrect and irrelevant."
"I had always suspected so, but the Goblins have never cleared up the issue. I hope one day they will sort the issue out," replied Xenophillius.
"And another thing. The Muggle Studies curriculum is probably a century out of date. Important historical events include man landing on the Moon and particularly the age of computers and the Internet. The Muggles are probably five years ahead in Astronomy too."
"Truly?" asked Xenophillius
"I was shocked. The muggle world is all steel, glass and electricity. I live in a Muggle house myself. The food? So many options until your head hurts. It is time to do away with those old pure-blooded superstitions." Remus replied.
"I think I would very much like to see for myself and I would be happy to bring Luna also. Maybe I can see how they prepare their magazines?" Xenophillius replied.
"I think I would very much like to take you on a tour of the Muggle world. You see, I want you Luna to take many cool muggle ideas and translate them into magical art. Naturally, you will need to experience the ideas for yourself before we get started. And if you think this pen is cool, wait till I take you to an art store.
Normally, I would not be so open about employing a random person I just met but my magic is buzzing. I am going to trust the process. Uncle Remus, can we use your place when Luna is visiting? The lab is booked?" Hermione inquired, with a grin on her face. She had not thought about where Luna was going to work.
"Sure. I think I would enjoy some company when utilising that television, that Harry and I installed the other day. I think the documentaries will be quite entertaining for Xenophillius." Remus replied.
Hermione nodded as she checked her watch. It was time to pick up the custom robes. Hermione quickly ordered the ice cream for Madam Malkin and cast a freezing charm on the ice cream. The entire party returned to Madam Malkin's store and Hermione quickly cancelled the charm on the ice cream. Hermione then said,
"This is for all the fuss I put you through. I would like to change fully into one of my new robes just for fun. I would love to show Luna what I designed."
"Oh thank you, you are too kind. Thank you for the ice cream. Yes, that room to the back there. Select your preferred colour, and go ahead."
Hermione quickly selected the black outfit and changed into it, as Luna collected her dress. Madam Malkin continued to bag all of Hermione's other robes. Hermione gingerly walked out feeling like she was truly the coolest kid on the block. The carbon patterns were lively and the periodic table along with the arithmantic cell was animated and alive. Also, was a phylogenetic tree that Hermione had selected for the black of her robe. Hermione looked at herself in the mirror.
"That is truly a unique and impressive robe. There is none other like it. I can see why you want my Luna's help. You are truly a woman of great taste." replied Xenophillius.
"You remind us of those old rune-priestess stories we have in our family. Rowena Ravenclaw wore robes just like that. They are so nice. I am going to buy one just like that after I work for you." replied Luna, with not a single clue she had nailed Hermione exactly. This only encouraged Hermione to conclude that Luna needed to be within their fold as she could make startling observations, quite easily. Perhaps he had some minor form of precognition? Hermione then descended to her knee and hugged Luna, and she returned the hug with much excitement as she had never been hugged by anyone except Ginny.
"I have to go now. I will send you an owl soon enough."
Luna beamed while Xenophillius and Remus nodded at each other. Hermione then pulled her hood up and then queried the total bill for her shopping spree:
"How much for everything?"
"1700 Galleons. It is a lot of extra cloth. And the gloves were expensive…"
"Here, 1800. As my friend would say, I was not here. We were not here. Don't worry, we will visit again, we love your work. Thank you for your patience, Madam Malkin. I am satisfied. I look and feel fantastic." Hermione then grinned.
"You are welcome. Happy to do any work you need. Your friend told me he wanted to look good while taking out the trash in Wizarding England. If you are helping him with that, I will help you look the part dear." replied Madam Malkin as she grinned.
"All in good time. Time for me to go, hope to see you soon."
"Yes, Lady Von Neumann , take care."
Hermione and Remus exited the store. As she opened the door, she found herself staring at a pair of sisters who were accompanied by their parents. Hermione who had always been polite, looked at the girl and said aloud "Good Afternoon there. Have a good time, won't you?" and casually walked away.
Daphne Greengrass looked at the older girl who had just walked out of Madam Malkin's store. She was here to commission a new robe for the event at Malfoy Manor. Truthfully, she did not like Draco and thought he was a ponce, but appearances were appearances. While these thoughts were on her mind, because of her short height, got a direct look at a kind but powerful pair of green eyes. This witch seemed to have the kind of presence her parents displayed but it was so effortless. The other man seemed very tall.
Her voice sounded so genuine.
And the robes? The robes were easily the most stylish robes she had ever seen. And her gloves, were they dragon hide? And was that all Acromantula? And the designs? She had never seen those patterns before. The girl looked like an absolute witch. She made all the Purebloods look old fashioned and unsophisticated. Before Daphne could reply, the girl and her guardian disappeared into nowhere.
"Well husband, it seems the troublemaker at the bank has a friend. The design patterns are the same. And we just found out that Madam Malkin made the robes. Perhaps we can ask how much for a single robe?"
Cyrus nodded.
"I know those robes husband. Those are Rune-Priestess robes. Lilly and I had planned to get a matching pair after Hogwarts. After she was no more, I could not dare to think about it." Ophelia mentioned to her husband as a sad look arrived on her face.
"I never knew James and Lilly much, but I had hope that Lady Hecate protects Harry. He needs it more than most. As for these new players, we will see what happens. Did you see the size of the bag? It looks like a lot galleons are no big deal for her. Even I would not be that extravagant."
Daphne considered this a great compliment, as she listened on.
"Finally, somebody wealthier than Lucius Malfoy. Even he doesn't wear acromantula so liberally. I highly doubt he would spend more than 50 galleons on a robe for himself. It will be nice for someone to put him in his place. Dear wife, I hope both of these 'troublemakers' show up soon enough. There has been much talk about the boy, particularly from Lord Parkinson. The Dark Lord's buffoons finally are aware that they aren't talented or intimidating as they think." Cyrus replied as he grinned.
Daphne observed the frown on her sister's face. She was not surprised. Astoria thought Draco was the best thing since the creation of sliced bread.
"I wish I could be friends with her. She is so cool. Her robes look so…"
Daphne continued to struggle for an appropriate word as they all entered Madam Malkin's store.
"Modern daughter, that is the word you are looking for. Some aspects of that robe are very traditional. But some are without doubt Muggle ideas. Lilly would have loved that robe, I think.
Understand this daughter, I knew Lilly well. She was intelligent as they came, and she was a truly brilliant mind. Lilly knew enough magic to outclass all the purebloods and never frowned her face at me as a Slytherin. She was truly my best friend."
"A Gryffindor and a Slytherin, best friends. Only you mother, could be that ambitious" replied Daphne.
"And only she could be that brave. Also remember, Lilly introduced me to Muggle Fast Food. Remember other Wizards do not eat those things, do not mention it at the party, particularly to Draco. We don't want them digging into our business. Astoria, give me your word you won't go spilling information to Draco or no more Big Macs for you….forever." replied Ophelia.
At this moment, Cyrus smiled. He considered his wife's deft handling of Astoria masterful. After all, she did gulp at the thought of never having a cheeseburger again. It was more than enough incentive to keep Astoria in line. Daphne listened as her mother continued to speak behind the privacy ward.
"And don't believe the stories about Harry Potter if the topic comes up. I have good reason based on rumours to believe he ended up with his Muggle Aunt. If Dumbledore put him there, Harry will be coming to school very hurt. It will be your job to reach out to him – he won't know anything about our world. If anything happened that night, it was a muggleborn woman beat the Dark Lord with nothing but her mind. Rightfully so – nobody ever messed with Lilly and got away. I have been looking for Harry for so long and no luck. I hope he is okay."
Daphne could not believe the legendary Harry Potter who saved Wizarding England could be suffering. She promised herself she would help him when she met him at Hogwarts.
Little did Daphne know that she would never meet Harry at the beginning of the school term.
Daphne could remember the evening her mother had spoken about the Wizarding war and the Dark Lord. Her mother then explained the legend of Harry Potter. Daphne had already heard the story many times from other children, but the greatest shock was when her mother produced a picture of her and Harry as babies. She also tenderly went through many of the letters that Lilly had written to Ophelia as friends for so many years. The girl's mother made one thing clear – most of the people who were in their immediate social circle were unhappy that the Greengrass family had stayed neutral in the last war. They were all Death Eaters and were hoping to capture their father's allegiance in the future, regardless of the Dark Lord's demise. Daphne was naturally aware of the issue, and by extension hated Malfoy. Her father had explained if any war did come around again, that House Greengrass was not joining the scum, one bit. He however hoped that society would stay stable, so that he would not be pushed to make a decision.
With the regular galas that were hosted at the Ministry of Magic, Astoria who had also been informed about the Greengrass' unique relationship with Potters, followed instructions to the letter. She never revealed any House business, but she seemed to like Draco very much. Astoria already had her hopes of being Ms Malfoy, but was afraid to disobey her parents. She remained tight-lipped but often practised fluttering her eyelashes and flirting with Draco. Astoria was deeply fascinated with the idea of being the 'Lady' of a 'Great House.'
Madam Malkin had caught enough of the facial expressions to understand that Ophelia Greengrass in some way had seen or heard about her two favourite troublemakers and was probably trying to piece the information together. Madam Malkin was aware that Ophelia and Lilly were like two peas in a pod. However, she decided that for now she would play the fool. People could change, afterall. Harry needed to be safe, until he revealed himself.
"Well met Madam Malkin. We are looking for two dresses for my daughters. We did notice the rather fantastic set of robes the young witch was wearing. Did you make those?"
"Afternoon Lady Greengrass. Yes, I must say I loved the robes the young lady was wearing. Sadly, that is not my work. The young lady happens to be one of my suppliers. I am afraid I was supporting her business, instead of the other way around." replied Madam Malkin in a believable tone.
"My apologies. Say how much would a robe like that cost if you had to make one?" Ophelia asked.
"Hard to say. The design of such a robe could easily cost upwards of 1000 galleons. And that would have to be done somewhere in Paris. I don't design but I can copy a design from parchment. A muggleborn witch even bought a magazine to have something custom made for her. All those arrangements can work. My labour for the robe of similar dimensions and quality would cost 400 galleons perhaps." replied Madam Malkin.
Cyrus whistled.
Ophelia immediately understood Madam Malkin's deflection – she wasn't going to spill the secrets of probably her two highest paying customers. But little did Madam Malkin know that Ophelia was not fooled. She was quite familiar with English Acromantula silk and was sure that the robes had come from her store. Ophelia would begin to hatch plans to get more information.
Hermione and Remus apparated into his flat and crashed into the couch after the rather exhaustive trip. It was easily 2:30 p.m and they were both tired. After Snaggletooth both fixed them tea, Hermione then connected to the Wi-Max modem and logged into the administrative interface and set up the network. After she was convinced that the Internet was live, she tested the device by taking off her mobile data and connecting to the Wi-Fi Network.
Success.
Hermione then connected the TV to the internet and logged in with an e-mail account that Harry had prepared beforehand. She also connected his phone to the internet.
"Well, Uncle Remus you know have access to the Internet. I should ideally take a shower, but I am going to show Harry my fancy robes. I also want to see how the robe holds up to the kind of work that we do. There are charms to help with the comfort and sweatiness. By the way, perhaps you can start your Youtube search with CNC Machining.
It is spelt C-N-C-M-A-C-H-I-N-I-N-G. Here let me scribble it down.
I believe Harry eventually plans for you to do those types of things. Here use this external keyboard, it is just like the phone. Yes, you should be good. Oh right….here let me put on Iron Man for you. Understand that this show is fictional. But the technology could be here in two of three hundred years. Have fun. Later we will get a TV licence for you."
She then paused and collected herself.
"Snaggletooth drop me off at my house."
"Yes, Lady Granger, right away."
Remus throughout the evening would slowly get the hang of the smart televisio. He began to use YouTube after looking at the Iron Man. He now understood exactly why the muggles had progressed. Harry was drawn to these types of ideas. He understood that Harry was going to use magic to fill in the blanks. Iron Man was the best entertainment he ever had experienced in a very long time.
Maybe the muggles were mad.
As he explored YouTube, he became convinced a laptop was the next purchase. He continued to watch videos about anything that interested him, which eventually turned into Carpentry, Welding, Home improvement and Manufacturing. Remus who liked to use his hands began taking notes about the function of various tools and which ones he could use if he was interested in doing wood-working. It seemed like a good use for one of the spare rooms in the back of the house that seemed empty.