AN

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Gamer Manga. Any game references used belong to the respective game creators.

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Chapter 5: Discoveries


"Diagon Alley"

Harry failed to stop his grin of triumph.

"Ok, well come on in"

Stan waved Harry inside. He shouted just as Harry got inside. "Take her away, Ern"

"Y'a! Take it aw'y, Ernie! Fasten your seatbelts, clench your buttocks! It's going to be a bumpy ride!"

A squeaky voice echoed the bus conductor's shout.

*BOOM*

Harry didn't even have time to look at the other party let alone brace himself as the bus lurched forward, throwing him across the floor of the bus and into a cushioned seat.

"Holy shit! It's crazier than I thought"

Harry groaned from where he was thrown into.

"That'll be eleven sickles for the ticket. For thirteen sickles, you get hot chocolate, for fifteen you get a hot water bottle and a toothbrush of your own choice colour"

Stan said, looking at Harry while he lazily leaned on a pole.

"So, what'll it be?"

"Just the ticket, please"

Harry barely replied as the bus started to go faster and crazier, while he unsuccessfully tried to force down the dizziness that gripped him. He was able to fork out the one galleon without it jumping out of his hands to Stan.

*Ping*

Stan handed him a ticket, then counted out some silver coins from his pockets, gave it to Harry and then moved on to pick up a newspaper and started browsing over it.

'I got six sickles back, meaning 1 galleon is equal to 17 sickles'

Harry counted the coins as he quickly put them into his inventory as the bus drifted across a pavement.

Harry could only watch in amazement as the driver, conductor and the earlier weird accented shrunken head, 'A freaking shrunken head!', remained as cool as ice as the bus went through death defying stunts.

'This thing is even crazier than one of those roller-coasters that Pier's was bragging about'

In his amazement, Harry took a glimpse outside, only for his face to get pale and then turn green at the sight he witnessed.

The bus was moving over everything, traffic block? No problem, we have the walkway. Old lady on the zebra cross? No problem, we can jump over her head. End of the road? No problem, we never needed the road to begin with.

Harry hurriedly moved his sight and kept his gaze inside the bus, to the moving chandeliers, the sliding couches including his own and the knick knacks that floated about from time to time.

Trying and failing to keep his head from spinning and stopping himself from throwing up, Harry closed his eyes and decided to remember the day that he thought he failed yet again.

Flashback Begins

*Boom*

Harry slammed his hand down on the ground from where he laid face down.

'Not again'

Slowly he turned over and looked at the blue sky overhead, letting his thoughts drift away from the frustration of having met with another failure. Then a simple thought hit him.

'Why do I have to keep chasing her when I can simply wait?'

A blush crept up his face as the idea fully expanded in his mind.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid"

He muttered all the way back to his house.

*Boom* *Screach*

Harry dropped what he was doing outside the Dursley household as soon as he heard the customary boom. Going out and after taking a roundabout turn, he came across Mrs. Figg with a bag in hand.

"Hey Mrs. Figg, how are you?"

"Harry… oh I am doing just fine", Mrs. Figg replied after the initial surprise.

"What are you doing out so late"

She looked up at the slowly darkening sky.

"Oh I went to the park," Harry pointed away. "How are the kittens by the way?"

"They have shot up quite a bit since you have seen them"

A proud smile greeted the boy.

"Can I see them?"

"If you want, then I don't see why not"

Mrs. Figg started walking towards her house.

"Of course I would love to"

Harry then accompanied her. A few steps in, he looked up at the old lady, "Here, let me carry that bag for you Mrs. Figg"

"Haha.. you're a wonderful boy, Harry"

The old lady easily gave her bag to the young lad, brushing his hair before walking again.

"Thanks, Mrs. Figg"

Harry smiled at the old woman.

'Inspect'

By the time the duo reached the old lady's home, Harry's smile had morphed into an ear splitting grin.

As soon as Mrs. Figg opened the door, a white striped orange fur ball crashed into her.

"Hold on, Snoocky… I got your kibbles with me"

Mrs. Figg turned to Harry as she picked up the mewling cat. "Harry take out the cat food from the bag… she has been going bonkers since yesterday"

"Can't you give her some fish or something?"

Harry took out the small packet and handed it over to Mrs. Figg.

The old lady slowly moved across the hallway and opened the packet to drop its contents into one of the many plates littered on the floor.

"Meow"

Snoocky jumped right down from her owner's grip and started gorging on the brown coloured pellets.

"You know how cats are… And Snoocky is one special cat. She needs special food once a month"

Mrs. Figg smiled as she stroked her cat absentmindedly.

"Yeah… she is one heck of a magical cat"

Harry murmured as she kept the old lady and her cat company.

"Meowwww"

Suddenly Harry heard a cacophony of calls. 'I think I might have overstayed my welcome'

Flashback Ends

Coming back to where he was and seeing the bus still defying the laws of physics, Harry reached out with his hand to touch the walls of the bus.

Ding!

Knight Bus - Magical Transport - Lvl 20

Enchantments: Imperturbable (Objects will never hit, rather bounce off the item soundlessly)

Repello Muggletum (Muggles or non-magical people are prevented from seeing or interacting with the item)

Impervius (Repels water and mist from the item)

Capacity: 27

Durability: 11500/11500

[A triple decker bus that has been appropriated for magical transportation across the country. It is the brian child of Ultrick Rockwood to minimise mana consumption and dangers associated with other modes of transportation.]

[To hail the bus, a witch or wizard or a squib must stick their wand arm in the air. Though it is also possible to book tickets from the Ministry and the Leaky Cauldron. Safe Travels!]

[Hail me for I am the Knight that guides your travels!]

'That's a lot of enchantments… Level 20?'

Harry kept his eyes solely on the information, keeping his dizziness at bay. 'Leaky Cauldron? Is that in Diagon Alley as well? A Ministry?'

Having learned as much as he can about the bus, Harry then diverted his attention away from the dizzying motion of the bus and used it to his advantage as he purposefully fell on the bus conductor, driver and the shrunken head that was hanged on the rear-view mirror like an accessory, which was laughing crazily all throughout the twists and turns, to use [Inspect] on them.

Ding!

Stan Shunpike - Bus Conductor - Lvl 13

HP: 160/160

MP: 100/100

[Stan Shunpike is your average bus conductor with delusions of grandeur. He just graduated from Hogwarts, acquiring his current job last year.]

"Stay on the seat Kid"

"Sorry!"

'Hogwarts? Graduation? Is it like a school or college for magic?'

Harry tried to grasp at straws that were presented to him as he once again used the crazy movement of the bus to fall towards the driver.

Ding!

Ernie Prang - Bus Driver - Lvl 14

HP: 150/150

MP: 120/120

[Ernie Prang has been driving the knight bus for the last 30 years. With little to no accidents in his entire career, he is an exemplary driver. Though you should note that there is no concept of a driver's licence in the wizarding world.]

"Woah Kid"

'No driver's licence? Then how the fuck did he get the job?'

Harry paled at the info as he mumbled, "Sorry," before using the lurching motion to brush his hands on the shrunken head.

Ding!

Dre Head - Accessory - Lvl 7

HP: N/A

MP: N/A

[Der Head is an accessory used to relieve the boredom of passengers, conductor and the driver. It does occasionally give observations and warnings to the Knight Bus driver.]

"Lost your marbles yet Kid? HaHAHAHAHAHA"

"Stuff it!"

'Oh, great! A shrunken head as an accessory. I think the wizarding world is crazier than I thought'

The journey continued and despite the concerns and worries of Harry, no accidents occurred. Within what seemed like hours but was barely half of that, they reached their stop.

"Diagon Alley, right up," Stan said, going to the door, opening it for Harry so that he could disembark.

"Thanks for travelling with us. We hope to see you soon"

Stan ended his spiel with a cheery wave.

Just as Harry was about to scramble himself out of the door and into the safety of hard ground outside, he heard 'Der' giving advice.

"Ah! Leaky Cauldron. Hey, kid. If you're having pea soup make sure you eat it before it eats you! HAHAHAHAHA"

Harry could still hear his ears ringing with that crazy laughter as he stepped out of the bus. Planting his feet down on solid ground, Harry wobbled as he couldn't balance himself.

Ding!

You have used the crazy transport!

You have gained the status [Confused] (Temporary)!

You have gained the status [Dizzy] (Temporary)!

Harry could only curse as the world around him spun, creating a kaleidoscopic effect of grey, black and white colours. Closing his eyes, he tried to take in some calming breaths.

Regaining his bearing, Harry finally looked up to see a sign board depicting a witch pouring over a cauldron. The black sign board swayed lightly in the wind. The pub was situated in between a bookstore and a record store. Looking around, Harry found that people seemed to be unable to look at the pub.

"Even the pub is enchanted. Cool!"

Shaking away the cobwebs in his head and holding his curiosity for the moment, Harry decided to head in and try to locate the gateway to the wizarding world.

"Forget it, Diagon Alley first"

Making sure that his hat was in place, Harry made his way to the door of the pub. His entrance into the pub proper was announced both by a bell chime outside as well as by the bell chime of his own notification.

Ding!

Location Discovered: Leaky Cauldron

Harry promptly checked the information on the pub as he further moved inside and away from the door.

[Leaky Cauldron]

Number 1, Diagon Alley

Capacity: 69

Enchantments: Repello Muggletum (Muggles or Non-magicals are prevented from seeing or interacting with the item)

Locus Deprauatum (Space is distorted to enlarge and fit in)

Porta Anchora (The way into the distorted space is anchored)

[Created as a gateway between the magical and muggle world, it eases the transition between two worlds seamlessly. The pub has five entrances, providing access from all parts of London. It offers Knight bus ticket booking as part of room service.]

[You can access its services through the 'Shop' command]

'Woah, space magic... Now that's awesome!'

Harry shook off his excitement as he hid his grin. Taking a look around, Harry wondered how such a famous pub could remain this dark and dingy.

Inside the dark and shabby pub, there was a bar and a number of tables in the shadows of the corners. Towards the right was a huge fireplace that Harry reckoned could easily fit in at least five grown adults, there was a small pot hanging by the side of the fireplace.

Even though he was taken back by the looks, judging from the welcoming aura that lingered in the air as well as at the sight of the handsome wooden staircase towards the left side, Harry ventured that the accommodations provided by them might actually be better than what he was seeing now.

Looking around Harry wondered if it was due to him being so early and on a Monday morning to boot that there were barely any customers at all. He found only two old men in what appeared to be garbed in Victorian robe outfit, sitting in a corner of the room with some drink in their glasses.

Using the [Shop] command, Harry was greeted to a wide range of foodstuffs from the common bread priced at 5 Knuts going upward with Bread and Scrambled eggs at 10 Knuts and going down the list to 'House soup Leaky' at 1 sickle to 'Pickled Eel' at 3 sickles, 'Roasted Hog' priced at 7 sickles and 'Steak and kidney Pie', 'Game Pie' and 'Raw Liver' each priced at 11 sickles.

Then the beverages it offered ranged from the normal tea, coffee, offered at 1 sickle to butter beer at 2 sickle changing to alcoholic drinks like brandy, whiskey to stuff like 'Exploding Lemonade', 'Ogden's Old Firewhiskey' and 'Dragon scale', all within the range of 2 sickles to 2 galleons.

After being thoroughly shocked at the options, Harry moved on to find that lodging at the pub cost 7 galleons for a week, which included food and the knight bus ticket.

Harry found an old man, who was practically bald, dressed in plain black robes, standing behind the bar, cleaning the cups in front of him using a towel. What made the sight curious, or rather magical was the fact that every time he put down a cup, it automatically flew towards the shelf in the back. He had a brown apron that said, 'Tom the Bartender' on top of his ensemble.

Harry teetered on whether to move closer to use an [Inspect] or just move around and use the same skill to find the hidden entrance.

'I seriously don't want to make a spectacle of this 'Hero of the Wizarding World', is there no choice'

As if sensing Harry's intense scrutiny, Tom the Bartender looked up from his task and gave him a wide toothless smile, which while seemed creepy, Harry only felt kindness from the action.

Moving closer, Harry simply decided to ask the old man for more info. Just as he was about to reach the bartender, a stern, no nonsense voice echoed out. The voice wasn't loud, yet it lingered and permeated the whole place.

"Now look closely. In order to open the way to Diagon Alley, you have to tap these specific bricks with your wand"

The voice paused only to suddenly pick up back in full force. "Yes, Mr. Bulby. You will be getting a wand of your own soon"

The content of the voice was enough to drag Harry towards it, with a briefest of smile send towards the bartender, Harry made his way to the back upon which he entered a chilly courtyard that seems to be crowded by a gaggle of kids and their parents, watching a stern woman garbed in green robes waving her wooden stick around.

Harry at first thought they were tourists until his [Inspect] on the nearest person proved otherwise.

Ding!

Katherine Bell - Hogwarts I Year Student - Lvl 3

HP: 350/350

MP: 300/300

[Katherine Bell is a muggleborn who is about to start her first year of Hogwarts.]

"Hey did you just Zap me"

The brown haired girl suddenly turned towards the boy next to her.

"What? I did not!"

'How did she..?'

Harry ducked behind another mother-daughter pair and moved to the other side to make himself scarce from the small incident.

'I better be careful with [Inspect]... maybe another try…just to confirm?'

Harry used [Inspect] on an older woman and to his confusion he didn't get any response other than getting her info. Turning he did the same to the energetic boy next to him.

Ding!

Bobby Bulby - Hogwarts I Year Student - Lvl 2

HP: 250/350

MP: 270/270

[Bobby Bulby is a muggleborn who is about to start his first year of Hogwarts.]

"Hey!... woah, how did you do that?"

"What are you talking about?"

'Ok that confirms it… only these Hogwarts students can feel it. Or it might be that all those who are magical can feel it'

Harry ducked again and wound up back beside the first girl he inspected.

'They are all magical students. And it's Hogwarts again. It appears there is indeed a magical school. I wonder how they joined this school?'

Further questions went out of his mind as he, along with the group of people, marvelled at the magic that was on display.

As if in response to the stabbing made by the stern witch with her stick to three bricks, on the left, right and bottom section, the brick wall started folding onto itself, forming an archway.

For Harry it was like watching a dungeon being formed, the similar way of bricks folding over itself, the enlarging of the hole and the final creation of an archway was the exact same as what happened when [Ratacombs] was formed.

"That's so cool… How did you do that Prof. McGonagall?"

"Magic, Mr. Bulby… magic"

The stern witch merely smiled tightly while inclining her head towards the excited boy who was brightened up like a bulb.

Harry was jolted out of his shock and awe as a couple of notifications popped out to him with their customary bell chime.

Ding!

You have completed the quest [The Investigator Series I]!

You have gained: 25 EXP

Ding!

You have initiated a Chain Quest!

[The Investigator Series]

[The Investigator Series II: Sleuth for Information]

Quest Synopsis: Follow Minerva McGonagall and find out more about the Wizarding World

Quest Requirement: None

Quest Rewards: 50 EXP

Special Reward: None

Quest Failure: Being ignorant, untapped potential

Accept / Decline

Harry was only able to press 'Accept' as Prof. McGonagall started gathering her charges and led them into the magical world proper.

"Alright, now I have explained this to all of you when I delivered your Hogwarts letter but just in case"

Waving a hand towards the now open archway, she continued. "We will be entering a different world from this point on. All of you magical students will feel a sudden rush of mana, symptoms include sudden rush of euphoria, dizziness etc. There is no need to worry as you will get used to it within minutes if not seconds"

"Come along now, we have a lot to cover before the day is over"

Prof. McGonagall's stern voice echoed as she turned around and stepped through the archway.

'Rush of Mana?'

Just as Harry put one step into the newly opened archway, he froze and started spasming just like every other kid around him.

Ding!

You have entered a mana rich environment!

MP Regen increased!

MP Regen = 0.029/min

Ding!

You have entered the Gateway Town: Diagon Alley!

Harry felt himself being filled up by something hot and ethereal, like being stuffed on hot chocolate.

It took a few moments for everyone to get a hold of themselves. Parents were fuzzing over their kids even though they waved it off with wide grins.

Shaking away the rush he was feeling, he easily mingled into the group with his [Sneak] skill.

"Good, your body will get used to the sensation over time," McGonagall nodded then once again moved forward.

"You must remember that the Statue of Secrecy forbids you from speaking about the wizarding world to other muggles…eh…non-magicals. The consequences will be dire"

A stern gaze followed her sentence, letting everyone know of the gravity of her words.

"We were never part of the non-magical world and have kept it that way. Our wards keep us hidden and away from the conflicts of non-magicals"

'No wonder no one knows about this wizarding world'

Harry paid rapt attention to Prof. McGonagall even as he took in the completely different world he was in.

'How the hell did they hide a mountain in London?'

Over the horizon, he could see the shadow of a looming mountain range.

McGonagall then once again started moving forward with an attentive crowd behind her. "We have gone to great lengths to hide and protect ourselves. You can see it in the wards that surround us. The more disinterested or even hateful that you feel towards magic or people with magic, the less you will be able to grasp our world and those who are part of it. You will feel inclined to overlook things about us and slowly become completely estranged with us"

'Wait why does this feels so familiar'

Harry's eyes narrowed into slits as he listened raptly to the old witch.

"You will even be inclined not to visit our world, if the disinterest or hatred goes deep, as the wards prevent anyone with ill intent. I am telling you this because I have seen many families such as yours having their bond broken because one or more of their non-magical members being unable to accept magic"

'Either she is lying and there is more to it OR… there's something different about me'

Harry could hear the barest of melancholy in her voice. But it was gone as swiftly as he noticed it.

"Like I said, our community is not part of the non-magical world," she waved a hand around them as she continued. "We are now in Diagon Alley, which is one of the many Wizarding enclaves that exists within Great Britain. The Ministry guards and organises this particular enclave."

Slowly, she started moving, along with giving further explanation. "Hogsmeade, Meoble, Dunnottar, Dundee, Glenmoore and Portree, Ferryden and Montrose, Bren Oak Woods, Wigtown near the Crook of Baldoon, Hoff and Appleby Castle, Holy Island, Caerphilly near Waterloo, Tutshill near River Wye, Wiltshire, Manswood and Holt wood, Ottery St. Catchpole, Goldenbank near Falmouth, Kenmare in Ireland, Fagley both Upper and Lower, Sheffield and Tinworth are the other Wizarding enclaves."

"All of them are maintained by the Nobles of that region, which you might note were given to them by the Royal house during ancient times"

Smiling at the series of sceptical mutterings and gasps, Minerva continued.

"Now for transport, we use mainly four types of transportation. Floo travel is the most commonly used method. I know it may come as strange to you, but do keep your scepticism to yourself and at the end of the day I will be departing using that method to show you that it is real and harmless."

Waving her hand away to stem any dissent, she continued.

"Floo travel uses a fireplace to travel across from one location to another. Both must be connected to the Floo network for it to work. In order to use this network, first the fireplace has to be connected to said floo network, then you need floo powder, a magical powder, and finally you need to know and say the destination clearly. How to use it is simple, you enter a fireplace that is connected and clearly state the destination, the last part is very important as any slight difference in pronunciation and you might end up somewhere else, and finally throw the floo powder in to the fireplace, with that you will be whisked away to your destination"

Prof. McGonagall took a break as she glanced around at the crowd to see if they were following, both her steps and her words. While the crowd, mostly the parents, had sceptical looks, they kept it in remembering her promise. She let the crowd gawk around for a bit and then continued.

"The next is apparition, which only wizards and witches can do, highly dangerous as there are cases of people leaving their limbs behind. It is only taught when you are 18 years old and you need a licence to use it"

Her voice was stern enough to convey the danger of doing so otherwise.

'Good thing I didn't try out that skill'

"Similarly, there is the portkey, which can mass transport people across. This method is done through the help of an enchanted object and only licensed personnel can enchant or issue a portkey. Before Hogwarts express was sanctioned, students used to take portkeys to the school."

"Then there is the Knight bus, which all of you can use by the way, though I recommend caution as it is known to make you scared out of your lives. In order to hail the bus, you only need to put your wand arm in the air near a road and it will come to you. The ticket charge is eleven sickles regardless of the destination"

"What do you people do for a living?," one of the parents asked.

"Yeah, what kind of jobs are there for wizards and witches?", another chimed in.

"Jobs?," Minerva gave a tight smile. "There are many available. But before that you should note that the cost of living in the magical world is less than half of what it is in your world."

"When you have charms to regulate temperature, cook meals etc… you understand how much of the things you might be using now in your daily life are pointless here. Further, our luxury goods differ completely from the non-magical standards. Some like Gold, gems remain the same, but here clothing is a luxury item"

More than one parent scoffed at the statement, all of them looking pointedly at the robe she was wearing.

"I have indicated it before and I assure you again, we are not wearing robes like this to keep up with the old ways. There are various reasons but the two main ones that are noteworthy are one, our robes are made from magical materials which allows for better enchantments and which also makes them lasts longer and two, doing the same to clothes that you wear now will degrade them into mere strands"

McGonagall then rolled her eyes at the askance filled looks of the parents. "No you are not going to lose your clothes this very minute. Like I said, only if you try to enchant them and the normal deterioration can take anywhere from a month to years depending on the material of your cloth"

She then looked away as she added the last bit with a smirk. "When you go for cloth shopping after exchanging currencies, you'll know how handy some of these enchantments are. And all of you ladies will be cursing mine and your daughters good fortune after that trip"

'Well that's good to know'

Harry looked down at his clothes. 'I think my [Inventory] could keep them safe, but she is right. I have to buy clothes that function better in this world'

"I stated that it is a luxury because high quality ones require materials from magical beasts that are dangerous and hard to find, coupled with the skill requirement of crafting the cloth and enchanting said material…"

Minerva let it at that, allowing the parents to draw their conclusion.

"Right, I went far off topic", she shook her head, "Now as for jobs, some of them revolve around the transportation systems I just explained."

"There is an entire wing that regulates and fixes any problem regarding the Floo system. Another for Apparition, its licensing, etc.. and the same for PortKey as well. Then there is the Auror Corps, our equivalent of police"

Seeing the questioning glances she added, "It wouldn't be the first time someone with magical powers tried to make a get rich quick schemes like stealing, drugs, illegal trading etc.."

Lots of 'ahs' 'ohs' rang around as the group continued its trek.

"Then there are other Ministry jobs, the Security department, Education department, International Relations department, which also deals with international travel, our own research department, Trade department etc... Potioneers are always in demand and if you have the healing touch then we have Healers, Medi Witches and Wizards"

Then her hands pointed towards the various shops around them. "Most of these shops are run by Hogwarts graduates, their taxes go to the Ministry, same with Ministry employment."

"But if you have good talent and catch the eye of a Lord, you might get an invitation to work on their land, which means your taxes will be paid to them instead of the ministry."

"Another and in fact, it could be considered as one of the major cultural identities of our society is Quidditch, our own sport. If you have talent for it, then you are set for life. Just like football, there are various Quidditch clubs, along with national teams"

"It is, as they say, the major cash cow of the magical world," Minerva smiled as she saw more than one parent looking thoughtful. "Then there are job opportunities available with the Goblins," she halted her steps, letting everyone look around where they had ended up.

The group came to a stop in step with Prof. McGonagall, and as they looked around, all of them realised that they were in front of a grand building that was entirely built using white marble. The multi storied building towered over its neighbouring shops and was built along a mountainside that created the backdrop to the town.

"As you can see, we are currently in front of Gringotts Bank, the only bank in Wizarding Britain and is run by Goblins. Word of advice, don't provoke them, don't belittle them and generally keep to your business. They are a grumpy bunch, don't let their suit clad figure fool you, they are a warrior race through and through, each and every one of them"

With another stern gaze that instilled the seriousness of her words upon the group, she started climbing the stairs.

"While primarily a bank and thus providing various economic services, there are other miscellaneous ones they have as well like Warding homes, Curse breaking etc.. It is with these miscellaneous tasks that you will find jobs with Goblins."

Keeping her steady pace, she took a brief glance to spot any stragglers Nodding, she continued as she found none.

"You can exchange your money for wizarding currency here. If they haven't changed it then the rate is around 25 pounds to a galleon. A galleon is the highest currency in our system, 1 galleon is 17 sickles and 1 sickle in turn is 29 knuts"

"I suggest you exchange 500 pounds for galleons, that'll be enough for any and all purchases you require for the entire year. Most of the expense is for buying a wand which cost 7 Galleons and it usually is a once in a lifetime purchase, the next majority goes towards clothes"

Harry, who had been paying attention so far, also followed after them.

'Well good to know about the wand. Let's see, 104 pounds and the 45 pounds I got this summer plus 4 galleons and 6 sickles that I have after taking the knight bus, I could definitely buy that wand thing if I want for sure'

Once more looking at the giant structure, Harry could imagine the strength that accompanied the opulence displayed. The importance of the bank can be seen from its positioning on the street.

The bank's presence can be felt and seen by anyone who enters Diagon Alley no matter from which part of the alley they did so, as it was situated at the very north end of the alley. The main street or the cobbled stone path that connected Diagon Alley together led to the marble steps of Gringotts Bank.

While noting the bank's majesty, Harry found two sign boards that indicated two different alleys that branched out to either side of the bank, 'Knockturn Alley' on the west and 'Horizont Alley' on the east.

'So, there are two more alleys here, if Diagon alley is the major shopping centre then these two might contain other things like residential area, business and so on'

Harry guessed as he took in the whole area as he created a map of sorts in his mind.

The group soon started climbing the stairs up to the bank and Harry followed absentmindedly as he tried to take in as much as he could about the surroundings.

Suddenly small gasps rang out around Harry, causing him to look towards the front from where the sounds came.

In front of the group beside the large bronze doors stood guards from a completely different species. The creatures were adorned in gleaming silver armour along with sharp pointy halberds in hand. They were short in stature, around four foot five inches tall and even through the shining armour they wore, one could see their wrinkly pale green skin, sharp teeth and pointy ears.

'This should be the goblins'

Harry mused but didn't try to use [Inspect] on them, as he had no desire to be impaled on their halberds if on the off chance they could feel his use of skill like the magical students.

Harry shook his head as he moved his gaze to the enormous double doors and the entryway further beyond. Getting through the first double doors, they arrived at an entrance hall, upon their entry, Harry noted that marble continued to be the theme for the bank. Harry then spotted five large fireplaces each, on either side of the hall.

'These should be used for Floo travel. I suppose it is unlikely that all magical people will come through Leaky Cauldron'

Moving along, the group was once again greeted by a set of double doors, this set was silver unlike the bronze of the previous doors and was once again guarded by two goblins who wore golden and silver armour unlike the uniform silver of the previous guards, and had a red plume on top of their helmets.

Harry was once again disappointed by the lack of info as he couldn't use [Inspect] on them, but his attention, along with the entire group's, was quickly drawn towards the words carved on the silver doors.

'Enter, stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed

For those who take, but do not earn,

Must pay most dearly in their turn.

So, if you seek beneath our floors

A treasure that was never yours,

Thief, you have been warned, beware

Of finding more than treasure there.'

Moving past the doors that gave out the grim warning, the group arrived at a vast marble hall. Long counters stretched across the room, with doors leading off to the unknown. Harry saw several tall counters, which were manned by goblins of various shapes. He could count nearly fifty goblins behind those counters. Prof. McGonagall promptly guided them to different counters to quickly exchange their money.

Ding!

Location Discovered: Gringotts Wizarding Bank

Harry's attention was on the new notification as soon as he stepped through the large door.

[Gringotts Wizarding Bank]

Number 17, Diagon Alley

Capacity: ?

Enchantments: Impervius (Repels water and mist from the item)

Expanded Space (Contains more space than you think possible)

Obstrufuse (Ward against divination)

?

?

?

[Gringotts wizarding bank is the one and only bank of the wizarding world of Britain and is owned and run by Goblins. The goblin clan has sovereignty over the bank's land, which they have gained through many battles and bloodshed against the wizards. Most speculate that the tunnels which contain the vaults run for miles and miles into the very depth of the earth. Some say the tunnels lead to another world entirely, the world of Goblins.]

['Fortius Quo Fidelius' or 'Strength through loyalty' is their motto]

[You can access its services through the 'Shop' command]

Before using the [Shop] command, Harry decided to use the normal way to get an experience of his own with the goblins. Harry too, then as planned, went before a counter just like everyone else. Remembering the words uttered by Prof. McGonagall, he politely waited for the goblin to notice his presence.

"Yes, what is it, stranger?"

A gruff voice that imitated the grinding of sharp metal, greeted Harry.

Pulling out 100 pounds from his pocket, which he had moved there from his [Inventory], he easily produced it to the goblin before him.

"Please, change them to galleons"

Harry said, to the point and keeping a polite tone.

Nodding, the goblin ran his rough fingers across the notes and deposited it somewhere below the counter and when he brought his hand up, there were 4 galleons in it, which he gave to Harry. Then without a word, the goblin went back to whatever he was doing before.

Shrugging his shoulders, Harry moved back to the group of people that had finished their own money exchange. Then he pulled up the [Shop] menu to see what all he could do, and the list that appeared before him was long.

There was currency exchange, sale of property, sale of shares, renting apartment, renting business stores, warding, curse breaking, contract creation, contract acquisition, contract validation, blood test, money deposit and withdrawal, which was currently locked for him, written in a grey shade, with the cited reason 'Unable to find/Access Vault', and many more.

Harry's head spun around in a loop looking at the long list of services and decided to simply exchange currency to look for any difference.

Ding!

You have exchanged £25 for 1ᶃ

'No difference', Harry mused as he watched 25 pounds disappear and get replaced by 1 galleon.

"Alright, now that all of you have acquired the required amount let's get our shopping done"

Prof. McGonagall gathered their attention and started leading the group out of the bank, Harry in company as well.

Reaching the street once again, Prof. McGonagall stopped them and started pointing out the shops to them so that they could easily familiarise themselves with the shops.

"Flourish and Blotts, is the bookshop that you need to go to buy your school books"

Prof. McGonagall first pointed towards the nearest cranky looking bookstore. Harry was startled to see caged books inside the store through the wide glass window.

"There is Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, where you can get your uniform, robes etc. Slug and Jiggers Apothecary, from where you can get your potions supply, Trontford's Trunks, which sells school trunks and finally, Ollivanders, where you can buy your wands"

Prof. McGonagall pointed out to each of the buildings from their position.

"Now all of you can divide and start buying your various supplies, so that you don't crowd one building. Just say to the shopkeepers you are there for your Hogwarts shopping and that you are first year students, they will help you with the rest. I will wait for all of you at the Leaky cauldron. You can use the first-year supplies list that you got along with your acceptance letter to make sure that you bought everything you need"

With that, Prof. McGonagall left the group and moved towards the Leaky cauldron.

While everyone else started their shopping, Harry stood where he was looking through the quest completion window.

Ding!

You have completed the quest [The Investigator Series II]!

You have gained: 50 EXP

Closing the notification, Harry too moved along, intent on checking the various shops. As Harry entered the various shops, he received the accompanying 'Location discovered' notifications, which he agreed was quite convenient for him as he didn't need to line up for a queue or get into the hustle and bustle, like everyone else.

He didn't enter the wand shop, 'Ollivanders', as he was unsure whether the shopkeeper would identify him as not being a first-year student. And since he didn't need a wand to perform magic, he skipped the shop entirely.

He visited the clothing shop, just to see the price tags and the enchantments that Prof. McGonagall alluded to before.

'Wow, self cleaning? Self-ironing? Temperature regulator? Self Refreshing? These are cool!'

Harry became impressed with each charms listed along with the price tag on the robes he picked.

'It is pricey though, just like she said,' he frowned as he saw the 3 galleon tag on one robe that had up to four enchantments added into it. 'Though it's not like there are no other alternatives'

Turning towards another section, he found robes with simple build quality that had prices ranging from 13 sickles to 1 galleon depending on the material used. He also saw tunics and underpants for men, priced between 11 sickles to 5 galleons.

'What does this crotch comfort enchantment combo even do?,' he wondered as he picked up the pricey underpants.

Getting out of the shop as he was scared off by the furiously muttering females of the group he had followed, who interchanged between giggles and cursing, he started shadowing the males to learn more about how they got in touch with the magical world.

'It must be about what she said about those females soon cursing her,' Harry remembered the words of the enigmatic professor as she uttered them on the marble stairways. 'Scary, the lot of them…beautiful, but scary'

While following around the group, Harry learned about Hogwarts and how those who have magic got the letter of acceptance on or around their twelfth birthday.

'If the pattern holds true, then I would have to come here next summer to buy my own school supplies. Might as well plan for my eventual trip now'

Moving on from there, he just barely entered various stores like Amanuensis Quills, which was right next to Madam Malkins, while simply window shopping on others, only entering shops that interested him like Twilfitt and Tattings, which appeared to Harry as an elite wizarding cloth store which he inferred from the high price tag for items, to see other enchantments on offer.

He even took a look at the Magical Menagerie that housed various mundane and magical pets, a place from where Mrs. Figg bought her special magical food for Snoocky.

Whereas he completely avoided stores or building like Madam Pimpernelle's Beautifying Potions, The Daily Prophet's Main Office, The Ministry Press and Terror Tours as he didn't feel any need to enter those.

Then after one round of wandering around the alley, Harry noted stores that could be useful to him and as such marked them for later, like several book stores and second-hand shops.

Having done his overall inspection, Harry decided to splurge some money on the bookstore Prof. McGonagall pointed out, Flourish and Blotts. Entering the shop, he gave a wary look at the books rattling the cage that held them and cautiously moved inside.

It was when Harry was browsing through the bookstore that something caught his eyes that made him freeze to the spot.

'Harry Potter and the Princess of Suramar'

'Harry Potter and the Naughty Dragon'

'Harry Potter and …'

And many other Harry Potter books lined an entire shelf. Harry wanted to shout at the top of his voice but kept his cool.

'What the Fuck are these monstrosities?'

Harry started cursing in his mind. Picking up one and flipping through them, the irritation he felt changed into pure anger. The entire shelf contained fantastical and outright bullshit stories of Harry, all of which seemed to be written targeting small kids as each story ended with some moral lesson or the other.

Getting his anger under control, Harry remembered how the wizarding world viewed him as a hero, as such he quickly switched his attention to the historical section of the book store. He didn't have to browse for long as he found a suitable book called 'Famous wizards and witches of the twentieth century'.

Looking through the book, Harry found an entire chapter dedicated to him near the last section.

'Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, is known for his triumph against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. As the only known person to ever survive the killing curse, Harry Potter defeated the dark lord when he was just a baby. The night that the world-famous incident happened, Halloween 1981, still remains a mystery and only a handful knows about what really went down that fateful night.

It was Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard after Merlin, who proclaimed the fall of dark lord at the hands of baby Harry along with the death of his parents Lord James Potter and Lady Lilly Potter nee Evans after the incident had run its course. What is known for sure is that, Harry Potter as a baby survived the killing curse, a dark curse that cannot be blocked via any magical shield and has never failed in its intended purpose, that of killing the enemy, before and after this incident, with nothing but a lightning bolt scar on his forehead. The current location of Harry Potter is unknown as…...'

Ding!

You have completed the quest [Find your roots]!

You have gained: 50 EXP, New Title: [Boy-Who-Lived]

Harry ignored the notifications that popped up as he continued his perusal of the book like a man possessed. He drank in each and every word, which slowly melted in his mind to create a picture of what might have happened that Halloween night of 1981.

"Huuh…"

Harry took in a deep breath, his mind calmed down from the initial surprise and anger. Gently, he started piecing together the puzzles that plagued his life.

'A wizard… it looks like I was right…. But The Boy-Who-Lived… seriously?'

Shaking his grimace away, Harry placed the book gently on the shelf as he mulled over what he had learned. 'And it looks like the quest related to my scar is still active'

He pulled the hat that hid the lightning bolt scar that he now learned was famous across the magical world and gently traced it.

'How do I find what is different about my scar? Maybe this Albus Dumbeldore fellow might know about it. Now then where can I get information on him, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and the Potters?'

Harry shook his head before placing the hat back in place hiding his scar before moving towards another section.

As he browsed through the many books, a cursory glance was given to the new title he obtained.

Ding!

[Boy-Who-Lived]

[A title given to the only known survivor of a killing curse. The magical masses worship you, witches adore and lust after you, wizards admire and want to be you.]

+10 CHA

+300 favorability with witches

+100 favorability with wizards

-500 favorability with Death Eaters

'Death Eaters? Probably minions of this so-called Dark Lord. More and more my life feels like the tragic MC trope'

He closed the summary of his title as a small selection of books attracted his attention.

[The Sacred Twenty Eight - Book - Lvl N/A]

Enchantments: None

Durability: 100/100

[This book written by Crakentouros Nott while biassed to the nth degree does include the major old wizarding families]

[Wizengamot and Its Rules - Book - Lvl N/A]

Enchantments: None

Durability: 100/100

[This book explains the ruling body of Magical Britain and its rules in excruciating detail.]

[Etiquette of the Nobles - Book - Lvl N/A]

Enchantments: None

Durability: 100/100

[Ah… a book that tells you how to be pompous]

With each book that he picked, Harry had to hide his twitch both at what he learned and the snarky comments he received.

'It appears I am the last Potter, most likely why I got dumped at my aunt's'

Harry sighed as he placed another book back in its place. Reaching the counter, he placed four books, 'Duelling made easy', 'Transfiguration in a jiffy', 'Charming them all', 'A beginners guide to Runes' and 'Wards here and after'.

"That'll be 1 galleon and 8 sickles"

"Um.. I would like to purchase the first year set, please"

The man with greying hair behind the counter simply raised his hand, upon which a thin stick appeared out of nowhere much to Harry's surprise. Then a leather bound set of seven books came flying through the air before dropping down gently on the counter.

"2 galleons and 12 sickles"

"Here you go"

Dropping the coins and gathering the change, Harry picked the books, storing them in his [Inventory] as he moved out of the shop.

'So knowledge remains pricey, somewhat. Yet I don't think it is due to a lack of printing press'

Coming out onto the cobbled street, he spotted the last of the stragglers moving towards the Leaky Cauldron. Being curious about the Floo travel mentioned by the Hogwarts Professor, he too followed them back.

"Have all of you completed your shopping?"

Prof. McGonagall asked as the last stragglers joined the big group.

Hearing their affirmation, Prof. McGonagall nodded, then moved on to the big fireplace inside the pub.

"Ok then, I hope all of you remember how to get to Hogwarts Express?"

Seeing only a smattering of nods, she decided to give another reminder. "You need to go to King's cross station and find the third pillar starting from platform nine and between platform nine and ten. I assure you while it may seem solid, it is a gateway to platform nine and three quarters. Sprint into the pillar if you feel anxious to walk into it"

'Wouldn't that be counter productive?'

Harry looked at the professor with a raised eyebrow.

Once again receiving their confirmation of said piece of knowledge, she picked up the small pot near the fireplace and showed the grey powder it contained to the group and started explaining.

"This is Floo powder which you need to activate the floo travel. You need to take a pinch of it"

She paused to take said pinch and put the pot back in its place and entered the fireplace.

"Then enter the fireplace and clearly pronounce the destination. I repeat, say it clearly or you will be dropped at an entirely different place. You just need to say the destination as you drop the powder down. Alright, I will see you kids on September 1st at Hogwarts. Good luck"

She ended her explanation as she stood straight. With one last nod towards the group, she uttered the words of her destination.

"Hogwarts Headmasters Office"

Then as she dropped the floo powder, much to the shocked exclamations and cursing of the onlookers, the fireplace lit up in an eerie green coloured fire that swallowed the women and with a woosh the fire was gone along with the old Professor.

"Eh… she is gone?"

A kid ventured.

"She didn't burn herself to ashes, did she?"

A concerned parent asked no one in particular.

"She is fine and has safely gone back to Hogwarts, everyone"

Came the wizened voice of the bartender, attracting the attention of the group.

"If you are sure"

Said the same parent.

"Believe me, we have been doing it for centuries. Now if any of you are hungry, food is ready. And if not, then my pub is open to all of you at all times."

Then the group started splitting up, with Harry slowly sneaking out of the pub. Having witnessed the wizarding world, learning about himself, Harry was quite tired emotionally and hailed the Knight bus back to his house to rest and recuperate.

*Boom* *Screach*

Ding!

You have used the crazy transport!

You have gained the status [Confused] (Temporary)!

You have gained the status [Dizzy] (Temporary)!

"Fuck!"

Harry cursed as he tried to stay upright with his eyes shut tight. Feeling himself getting relaxed and hearing the notification that alerted the removal of the debuffs, he slowly opened his eyes.

The sight that greeted him made him pale and shudder.

Vernon Dursely stood outside his home, his thick fat taking on a new shade of pink as he breathed in and out like a mad bull. Petunia Dursley and Dudley Dursley poked their heads from each side of the very angry man as they looked at the pale boy in surprise.

"BOY!"

"Ah..Fuck!"

0o0o0o0

"Vernon.. Not here, get him inside", Petunia hissed from the doorway.

Vernon took a deep breath before grabbing Harry by the scruff of his shirt and dragged him inside.

*Bang*

"Why you little FREAK"

Vernon threw Harry across the hallway and into the living room, striding forth after the fallen figure with Petunia right behind his heels and Dudley at the doorway.

"What have you done? How did you get out? Where have you been?"

Harry stared at his uncle mutely, anger bubbling up inside him as the whale tore into him.

"We feed you, cloth you, shelter you and this is how you thank us? Breaking the door and gallivanting all day… you.. good for nothing… just like your parents"

"Shut up"

Harry said in an even tone, ending the tirade.

A pregnant pause ensued, broken by the heavy breathing of the overweight man.

"What…did… you say?"

"I said Shut the fuck up"

Harry roared as he stood up and locked eyes with his uncle.

"You ungrateful FREAK"

Vernon raised his hand high to beat down only for him to freeze as an orange glow reflected back in his eyes.

"Try it"

Harry had a ball of fire in his hand as he gazed fearlessly at his uncle.

"Vernon!"

Petunia grabbed her husband's hand as she pulled him away from her nephew.

Dudley dropped the cone of ice cream he has been furiously licking.

"You! How?"

Petunia asked as Vernon found himself sweating a lot.

"I know I am a wizard," Harry bit out. "I know what happened to my parents"

The fire ball fizzled out as he mentioned his parents, the Durlseys remained stricken as they looked at the boy.

As they looked at each other and away, one thing was sure to all of them. Things will never be the same in the Dursley household.

0o0o0o0

While Harry was confronted by his demons in life, far away, in the Scottish Highlands and inside the vaunted castle of Hogwarts, a professor was dealing with her own demons.

"I knew you would be drinking again," a matronly voice echoed from the door to Minerva McGonagall's private quarters just as she poured down another glass down her throat.

"Leave me alone, Poppy," Minerva replied, not even bothering to look up from the bottle in front of her.

Chuckling the Healer of Hogwarts made her way towards her fellow faculty. "Fire Whisky? WHat happened to your Honeybrew Brandy?"

"Oh stuff it, Poppy"

Placing the bottle back, she summoned a chair beside the drunken witch. "So I am guessing you saw more than one parent being affected by the Wards already?"

"All of them"

"All of them?," Poppy Pomfrey couldn't hold the grimace that graced her face. "Fuck"

Then the medi-witch joined her friend in pouring a glass for her own.

"Honestly, what were those old bastards thinking when they put up those Wards?," Poppy scowled as she downed her glass.

"Paranoia, probably," Minerva sighed. "We have lost so much during the crusades of the church and the Islamic purges. I have heard rumours that at this rate, we will go extinct within the next century or so"

After a moment of silence, Poppy asked. "How many students this year?"

"12"

Poppy winced as she picked up another glass. The two witches continued to drown more glasses until they emptied the bottle.

"You know what we should do?," Poppy asked with a slur.

"What?," Minerva belched a gout of fire.

"Create a new treasure hunting team and go on adventures again," Poppy was giggling by this point, "Remember that time when we had that orgy in Rio?"

"Poppy!"

"What? Both of us need to get laid," Poppy scoffed as she held the empty glass to her face. "If we are dying out, then it is better to live a life that we enjoyed than be burdened by…."

"There are only the two of us," Minerva sadly looked into her own empty glass. "We lost everyone during the war"

"Create a new team"

"And where would we base our team? We lost our crew, our ship, our port and our money… how will we do that?"

"If my calculations are correct then shouldn't Harry Potter be coming next year?"

Minerva frowned at the random question, but replied anyway. "That's correct"

"Great, let's seduce him," Poppy giggled again. "The Potter's own a port city, even if it is in ruins now, he can rebuilt it"

"Poppy," Minerva put her glass down as she looked at the flushed witch. "And you were supposed to get me out of drinking?"

Picking up the older witch, who was moaning while chanting about how she is going to examine the BWL, closely and thoroughly, made Minerva blush.

"Honestly, you were never good at drinking!"

0o0o0o0

As the two witches were helping each other cope with the dark twisted side of their world, at the other corner of the large castle, inside his quarters, Albus Dumbledore pulled on a specific book among the large collection he possessed. With a soft click, the shelf glided out before he strode through the secret staircase and reached the hidden room behind.

Inside, the room was bare save for a single stone plinth in the centre. The white marble piece stood in stark contrast to the granite floors and walls. Above the plinth, a crystal ball floated in the air, which was twinkling with bluish white light.

Tapping the floating crystal, Albus intoned. "What is it, Nicholas?"

"What? Annoyed already? Even after I gave you my stone as bait?," The image of a middle aged man appeared above the floating crystal. He had non-descriptive brown hair and a matching pair of eyes.

"You rarely give social calls," Albus replied, ignoring the jibe.

"True," the man nodded. "Anyway, one of our secret groups, the DoM, has been looking into a Grade 1 warning which they and I think was just a blip in the system"

"A short spike in the decline of ambient magic?," Albus frowned. "How long did it last?"

"Not more than a few seconds, maybe up to a minute," Nicholas shrugged. "Like I said, a simple blip"

The older looking man kept frowning, making the middle aged man roll his eyes. "Looking for conspiracies again?"

"I don't know," Albus said before sighing. "I have never been able to shake off what Gellert had said as he went mad towards the end of our plan"

"What?," Nicholas scoffed. "Don't tell me you are still thinking about that? He took the role of killing all those people, inciting war which resulted in the death of millions, no one can keep themselves sane after doing all that. Besides, we warned him to delegate tasks but he was the one to argue about utmost secrecy. If he hadn't..."

"We are fools," Albus suddenly spoke up, cutting off his mentor. "We are all fools playing to the tone of destruction made form, we are doomed, doomed..."

"His words don't mean anything, Albus," Nicholas cut off Albus. "We are the Illuminati, from 10,000 years ago, we have been tasked with carrying the embers of our ancestors. To bring back the light from those embers, light that is the very magic back to our world in all its glory"

"While not large to begin with, we still lost many of our members over the years. Now, there are only three of us left, you, me and my wife. The loss of Gellert was a heavy blow, but we must not falter. Not when we are so close. We have gathered enough magic by sacrificing all those millions, we have already unleashed it to break the seal that holds the Magical Plane"

"Ten, no..," Nicholas shook his head. "Seven years at most and the glory of magic will once again echo throughout our world"

Then he looked pointedly at Albus, "Knowledge is light…"

"And light shall guide us back from darkness," Albus completed. "Very well, I am sure if there is anything stirring, one or the other secret group that we control will learn of it"

"It doesn't matter anymore Albus," Nicholas smirked, "It doesn't matter what the Inmortui, the Templars, the Scientia Sectorem, the Venatores do… the die has been cast and there is no stopping it"

Albus frowned once again, his magical awareness honed through all his years blared at him as if all is lost. But he held his misgivings inside. 'After all, the die has been cast'

"I shall then concentrate on cleaning up our home grown Dark Lord"

"Good," Nicholas nodded. "Ah, before I go, how sure are you that you can trap the soul of our newest Dark Lord? He has surprisingly become a thorn in our plans by creating those horcruxes"

"Less than 10 percent," Albus shrugged. "Someone who has taken the most drastic steps to avoid death, wouldn't fall for our trap that easily. At the least, I hope to gain some information that is all"

"And the boy?," Nicholas frowned. "Honestly both of our projects simply refuse to follow the path that we set for them"

"He will be coming to Hogwarts next year," Albus shrugged. "I will let him be, after all dealing with someone who has been touched by fate never ends well for anyone.."

"Just like you?," Nicholas cackled as his image disappeared leaving behind his mad cackle.

"Yes, just like me"


Ding!

You have slept in your bed. HP & MP restored to 100%. All negative status effects and ailments have been cured.

Harry opened his eyes to the same greeting message but as he closed it, the sight that greeted him was completely new.

After yesterday's reveal, eventually he was tossed into a new prison, the second bedroom on the first floor with the added security of triple bolts and bolted windows.

"Why the fuck have I not broken out… oh that's right, I have no where else to go"

Harry rolled around in the creaking bed.

*Click* *Clack* *Click*

"Get out! And start making breakfast!"

Instead of yelling 'make it yourselves', Harry went out and made food, stealing some for himself along the way and was promptly tossed back into his room after his use was over.

"Might as well go through the books I got"

Harry took out the first year books he had bought as he chewed on a piece of crisp bacon. For the rest of the summer, he had to follow the same routine as the Dursleys kept him locked in his new jail.

As the last days of his summer vacation closed in, Harry realised one important thing.

"Dang… I should have bought my wand"

0o0o0o0

A new school year soon started and with it, Harry found himself back in the safety of the school library. Harry used the time he couldn't conduct his training to sharpen his mind by reading various books, learning things like how to socialise, basic geography, economics and more.

Most of the advanced books were way over his head, but his high INT status helped Harry in getting a superfluous idea of them.

While the entire school year was a waste with the Dursleys keeping an extra eye on him, Harry did manage to grind out +2 in INT and +1 in STR, DEX and END. Even with the watchful eyes of Dursleys keeping him from going to the park and exploring new skills, Harry was able to learn a new skill.

It was a variation of the 'Protego' shield spell he had seen in one of the advanced books on magic he had bought.

'Mana Shield'

Harry smiled as a blue shield, with a golden sheen to it, covered him like a dome. "Wand spells seem more fluid and in control but I think this is more cool. Besides it doesn't have any restriction of needing a wand to perform"

Ding!

You have learned a new skill!

[Mana Shield]

Ding!

[Mana Shield]

[The ability to cast a defensive shield around a target]

(100 x MYS) damage absorption

+3% chance to bounce back magical attacks

Cost: 100 MP

"Thank god that they even allow me to come to school, otherwise I would have gone bonkers by now, Gamer's mind or not"

*Tring*

His head snapped up as the school bell rang through the entire place.

"Time to head back to class"

With a sigh, Harry came out from behind the storeroom and trekked back to his class.


Harry was lying on his creaky bed, his eyes lazily following the various shadows that the bulb cast on the wall of the new but small room. His mind wandered around the various plans to improve his strength, about how long he would have to stay here like a prisoner, the treasure map that he had yet to follow up on and about his powers.

*Click* *Clack* *Click*

Harry's attention was drawn towards the sounds of bolts and latches being closed.

*Thud Thud*

"Lights off...NOW!"

The loud thud on the door merely raised a sigh out of him as he got up from his bed to switch off the light.

Even as darkness engulfed the small room, he kept staring at the roof of his jail, contemplating as always the merit of staying with his relatives. Just as sleepiness covered its gentle hands on Harry, there was a bright blue flash right in the middle of the room, drawing Harry's attention.

*Ting Tuck*

Harry saw a metal card appear out of thin air accompanied by the bright flash then fall down on the floor. He watched it settle down on the floor, waited for a couple of moments to see if anything else would happen before he got up and reached for it.

"Weird as hell"

The moment Harry touched it, he felt something tug at his navel and one blink later, he found himself bouncing across a multicoloured storm, being tossed and turned around as if he was in a twister. The dizzying and somewhat violent journey came to an abrupt end as Harry found himself thrown across a white marbled floor.

"I seriously got to stop doing things like this...," Harry groaned as he stood up, wondering what new adventure he had fallen into. Harry's levitivity though was soon broken as he spasmed over, bending over clutching his legs so as to not fall over as he felt himself being filled to the brim by something hot and cold.

Harry felt as if his nerves were on fire as a molten liquid coursed through them, leaving a chilling cold behind its fiery path.

"Gahhh…"

Harry gritted his teeth as he pushed through the pain, which he succeeded as soon got used to it.

Breathing heavily, Harry took in large gulps of air before he stood up straight, his body shuddering at phantom pains.

Ding!

You have entered a magic rich environment!

MP Regen increased!

MP Regen = 0.29/min

"That's more than…."

Harry narrowed his eyes as he closed the notification.

Looking around Harry found himself inside a very large hall, white marble floors gleaming in soft white light given out by the large glass chandelier that hung above the domed stone ceiling. White Marble pillars with black granite bases that provided a sharp contrast with the white beams, held up the massive ceiling. On a closer look, Harry found golden patterns that looked like engravings running along the pillars and floor.

"Welcome Lord Potter, sorry for the sudden kidnapping, but time is money and each moment we waste reduces that wealth by large"

A gravelly voice, like metal grinding against each other drew Harry's gaze down.

There in front of him stood a goblin with pale green skin, smashed wriggly face with saw-like gleaming white teeth, small sharp eyes underneath braided black hair and with clawed hands. The expensive looking suit the goblin wore created a whiplash effect on Harry as he stood there confused.

Then he asked the first question that came to his mind.

"Lord Potter?"


AN

Thanks for reading and giving reviews.

I know most of you will have an opinion on the exchange rate and economy I have shown so far. Go wild in the comments. Honestly I have been researching and calculating, mapping… just to create a working economy for the magical world. If any of you readers are a wiz at that, do point out the blunders that I have made.

Also do tell me if I have held in as much as my itch to cram down my research in this chapter as I had tried.

I hope some of the names crack you up, if not meh I will keep at it.

On a final note, there is a very big chance that I might edit this chapter again as I learn about the blunders and plot holes I made from the reviews. After all, a thousand sets of eyes is better than one.

Next Chapter: Lordship is not with Hardship

See you all next month.