Disclaimer: I do not now, nor will I ever, own the intellectual property of Harry Potter, or any related properties. This work is not intended to produce a profit of any sort.

Chapter Four: The Ivory Serpent

"I am very disappointed in you, Petunia." Dumbledore stated calmly over his cup of tea, "When I left young Harry with you, it was with the express purpose of you raising him as your own. Tell me, if the roles had been reversed, do you truly believe that Lily would have mistreated your own child as you have Harry?"

Guilt flashed across Petunia's face as Dumbledore's words bore into her, forcing her to turn her eyes towards her nephew sitting beside the headmaster in order to evade the old man's deceptively friendly gaze. With the meddley of shame and anger spreading across her face it was crystal clear that Petunia had countless questions and not enough time to ask them. The headmaster paused, taking a moment for a lengthy sip of tea, before a maroon faced Vernon shattered the tense silence. "Now see here, old man! You come into our home and insult us after demanding our hospitality?! We never wanted the boy to begin with, but we fed him, clothed, him and gave him a place to live, all with our own money mind you! The boy has got better than he deserved while living with us and I-"

A wave of heat washed through Harry as he tensed furiously and glared up at the behemoth that had terrorized his childhood, doing his best to ignore the itching sensation prickling its way across his skin. The dark haired teen started to open his mouth in protest, only for his mentor to direct a pointed look his way before turning his gaze toward the overly large man, "That is quite enough of that, Mr. Dursley. If you will recall my staff personally wrote Harry's acceptance letter to Hogwarts. I am well aware of how Harry has been treated within the confines of this home. It would serve you both well to remember that while Harry resides here the blood protections granted to him by Lily's sacrifice serve to keep not just him but yourselves safe as well."

"I don't give a bloody hoot about you freaks and your freakish 'protections'! This is my home, and all that matters here is what I say, and I say that I have had more than enough with the boy!" Vernon retorted furiously, the vein in his forehead pulsing as he leaped from the sofa opposite the pair of wizards, "You don't bother to show up at the end of your term after Petunia and I took time out of our lives to pick you up, and then you have the gall to show back up on our doorstep now, expecting us to let you stay here?! Well I say that I've had it, I want you out! Out, now!"

A muffled creaking drew Harry's attention towards the landing of the stairs where the sight of Dudley trying to go unnoticed as he spied on the conversation momentarily distracted him from his building anger. The lapse of his attention immediately snapped back into focus as he heard Petunia speak up again, "Vernon, dear, you know that I want the boy gone as much as you do, but..."

For a moment it looked like Vernon would turn his fury towards his wife, but Dumbledore beat him to the punch as he set his tea down on the center table and fixed both of them with a cool glare, dropping all pretenses of civility. "Let me make myself clear to the both of you. Dark forces are stirring, and whether you care one bit for Harry or not will be inconsequential to these wizards. Should anything happen to Harry while he is under your care for the next week, anything at all, you will be afforded no protection by any authority within the wizarding world. It is not much to ask that you be civil to your own kin for a single week out of the year, Petunia, regardless I'm quite sure that it will please you to know that I am currently pursuing an alternative solution to Harry's safety and living arrangements during the summer months."

Vernon's mouth opened and closed wordlessly times in absolute shock at being spoke down to, while Petunia simply stared in horror at the headmaster's words, "Y-you mean the man that killed Lily? You told us he was dead!"

Harry's stare narrowed at her sudden concern before he shook his head, "No, Aunt Petunia, he's still alive, he just doesn't have a body right now. I've stopped him from coming back a couple of times, but it's only a matter of time before he gets it right."

"Bah! As if you could stop anybody, boy! Don't worry about what these freaks are saying, pumpkin, they're just trying to-"

"Quiet, Vernon!"

Petunia's shrill voice rang through the house while both Harry and Vernon blinked in shock at the thin woman's authoritative tone, only for her to turn her attention immediately back towards Dumbledore, "He's not going to come here, is he? Can't you do something with your frea- I mean, m-magic to stop him, like you did for Lily!?"

The boy who lived felt a dull pain tug at his chest as he watched from across the room at his aunt turned so quickly against the eternal law of her own household, 'Petunia's never cared so much what happened to Mom, she always hated it when I asked questions about her. Of course she doesn't start wanting to remember until she could be hurt.'

"We are doing all we can, Petunia, I assure you of that. I can say that I highly doubt the possibility of Tom attempting to assault your home in his current state, however the future remains unclear. The protections on both Harry and yourselves will only last so long as he calls this place his home, upon such a time as he doesn't then they will lapse." The Supreme Mugwump leveled a serious look at the uncomfortable looking couple, "Perhaps now you start to grasp the full extent of your folly."

A heavy silence descended across the living room as Dumbledore's words hung in the air until Harry shook his head, unable to suppress the fatigued frustration he felt while he stared at his relatives, "I don't think anything else you can say will get through to them, Professor." He muttered, ignoring the offended blustering from his uncle as he started to stand up, "If we're done here, I think I'd prefer to just stay in my room for the night."

Dumbledore offered his apprentice a small nod before turning back towards the Dursleys, his grandfatherly facade sliding back into place smoothly, "Of course, Harry, I'm sure that you're exhausted after the last two days. Why don't you lead the way and I'll restore your belongings to their proper size." He replied cheerfully before vanishing the remaining tea in his cup with a flick of a wand and standing to brush a speck of nonexistant dust from his robes, causing Petunia to squeak in fright while Vernon jolted in his seat, "I thank you for your hospitality, Petunia, but if you don't mind I'll show myself out once I see young Harry to his room."

The creaking at the stairs intensified as Dudley scurried down the hall towards the room to hide from the older wizard's sight. A door slam closed just as Harry set foot on the landing, leading him to offer his mentor an unsurprised frown, "I appreciate the effort, Sir, but I really don't think that any of them are going to change at this point. They hate me, I don't know why, but they always have."

"Not to worry, Harry, I do not labor under the illusion that your relatives will change their ways, however we will be watching them closely while you are here. If you'll recall, Nymphadora will call upon you in the morning to help you pick up your new wand, and Minerva has agreed to keep watch over them during the day." He explained calmly, following close behind as Harry opened the door to his cramped bedroom. "She was rather insistent, in fact. I'd originally planned on keeping a rotating guard set, but it would appear that Minerva has become somewhat attached to you."

"I'll remember to thank her." Harry replied, fighting against the embarrassed grin tugging at his lips before tossing a critical eye at the lumpy mattress and peeling wallpaper that made up his living area, "Err...you can put my stuff wherever you want, Professor. I'm sorry there's not a lot of room."

The older wizard simply waved off the concerns as he produced Harry's collected belongings from an inside pocket of his robes, save for Hedwig who had elected to stay in the owlery rather than being forced to make the trip to the Dursleys' and back within the same week. "It is of little consequence, Harry, I assure you that this is the last time that you will be staying here." He finally replied once he'd enlarged the chests packed with his newly acquired wardrobe and school supplies, before sitting down on Harry's bed and patting the spot next to him, "Before I go, I'd like to speak with you regarding one more matter."

Hesitantly, Harry sat down next to the headmaster, "Is something wrong, Professor?"

"I wouldn't say that anything is wrong, per se, unexpected perhaps, but certainly not wrong. It has been brought to my attention that you are experiencing some...changes." Dumbledore offered, smiling with amused understanding as his apprentice's face twisted with embarrassment, "Come now, Harry, there's nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone's body develops differently, I simply wish that I had realized your own unique circumstances earlier, perhaps we may have saved you from some small heartache."

Despite his best efforts, Harry's face burned brightly at the topic, 'Of all the people, why did it have to be Dumbledore that's giving "the talk"?' He groaned silently, before taking a deep breath and doing his best to look his mentor in the eye, "Sir, I really appreciate the offer, but I read the same pamphlet as everybody else, I don't think I need to have this conversation."

The older man shook his head gently before patting Harry on the shoulder, "If that were the case then we would not be having this discussion, Harry. Nymphadora spoke to me last night with some concerns that went beyond your confrontation with Tom's followers. She said that she had spoken to a man after the world cup, he believed you to be different than many of the young men your age and, as skeptical as she had been, she believes that this Mr. Delacour is correct." He paused, seeming to mull his words over in his head for a moment, "I believe that you're a veela, Harry."

"Come again!?" Harry's world spun violently at his mentor's words and he found himself shaking his head to try and clear it, "How is that even possible? I thought that Mr. Weasley said veela were all witches!"

"I am afraid that I do not understand the specifics of how Veela work, however it is not unheard that someone in your position could find themselves going through...unexpected changes. I'm more concerned with the question of how you came to be as you are, but thinking back on it I have my suspicions that there may have been more to your mother's bloodline than any of us, including her, realized." Dumbledore explained with a sigh, "I realize that this must come as quite a shock to you, Harry, I myself was skeptical when Nymphadora brought it to my attention. However, after having the opportunity to observe you through the day while watching for the signs, I'm forced to admit that I have come to the same conclusion."

"Unexpected changes? And what signs?! Why am I always the last to know anything about myself?" Harry spat back with frustration, only to wince as he realized how petulant he sounded, "Sorry, Professor, I know you said that you just realized it too, it's just...why does this even matter? What's so different about being a veela than anybody else?"

"I am not offended, Harry, I understand the difficulties associated with youth. As to what makes being a young veela so uniquely difficult...I suspect that even if I attempted to explain it to you I wouldn't do it justice. Instead, with your permission, I would like to have a woman named Eloise Delacour visit you tomorrow once you return from your trip with Nymphadora. I have spoken briefly with her and she appears to be quite interested in meeting you, due less to your fame than your existence outside of any conclave. I am quite certain that she is much more capable of answering any questions you may have better than I ever could."

Harry shifted uncomfortably at the suggestion while the older man simply sat patiently next to him, "I...do have a few questions." He admitted with an unsure tone, "I just...if I meet this lady, she's not going to run off and start telling the Prophet about me, is she?"

Dumbledore chuckled softly at the younger wizard's concern, "An understandable concern, but I assure you that whatever you tell Mrs. Delacour will stay between the two of you. If you'd like, however, I will request for her to submit to a vow of silence in regard to your meetings here."

"Maybe...I don't want to force anybody to do something that they're not comfortable with, though. If you think she can be trusted then I'll talk to her." Harry agreed after mulling it over, 'Even if this lady does try to cause problems, it's not like I'm not used to being stared at. As long as I'm careful about what I say, then what's the worst that could possibly happen if this gets out?'

"Excellent! I'm sure that Mrs. Delacour will not mind your request for discretion, Harry, after all she often deals with matters of a sensitive nature while carrying out her duties. Now, with that said I do believe that I have far overstayed my welcome. Unless you have anything else you wish to discuss, I will show myself out." The elder wizard pushed himself up from the bed and stepped into the center of the room, turning to look back at his student one last time, "Have a good evening, Harry, and please do try to find some enjoyment while you're here. It will make the week go by that much quicker if you can manage it."

Despite Harry's doubts that the next week would be anything other than abject misery, he found himself fighting back a smile at his mentor's unrelenting optimism, "I'll do my best, professor."

"You always do." Dumbledore replied, offering a warm smile before disapparating with little more than a quiet pop.

The second that the older man had disappeared from his room Harry fell back onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling, desperately trying to wrap his mind around the bomb that had just been dropped on him. 'Out of all the times for this to come up, why does it have to be now, while Death Eaters are showing their ugly faces and I'm stuck with the Dursleys again? As if I didn't have enough problems...' He groaned at his own thoughts while curling into a ball as his navel returned to trying to twist itself into knots, 'Ugh...and now with this again. Maybe if I'm lucky this Delacour lady can help me find a way to stop my stomach from hurting so much...and get my chest to go back to normal.'

With that last vain hope in mind Harry found himself drifting off to sleep, his mind wandering not just to the events of the last two days, but his training throughout the summer. All he had to do was survive the week, and he'd be back where he belonged, within the halls of Hogwarts.

The following morning found a panting Harry collapsing onto Four Privet Drive's tightly manicured lawn to stare up at the sunrise, somewhat mesmerized by the warm pinks and purples that colored the clouds, 'Even if the Dursleys are terrible, at least they can't take this away. Things might be going insane, but there's still plenty of time to train. In the meantime, I'll just have to make sure that there's still something worth fighting for by the time Voldemort comes back.' The dark haired teen sucked in a tight breath and launched into an extra set of flutter kicks, gritting his teeth while his mind continued to wander. 'I don't know if the timing of the attack was just random, but with this happening so recently after Trelawny's vision, and then Peter getting away from us...I have to be ready next time. I'm not sure how many people were hurt at the world cup, but that can't be allowed to happen again. Maybe I can't stop something like that from happening yet but I can at least make damned sure that I can actually help put an end to it next time somebody tries something like it.' A soft grunt escaped his lips as his abs spasmed and he fell flat against the earth again, catching his breath before rolling over and gingerly pushing up into a series of cool down stretches. 'Even if this was a fluke, I have to push myself to be the best I possibly can. Maybe Dumbledore will end up being right and it'll be a long time before it happens, but I can't afford to count on that.'

A long breath escaped him while he slowly raised up from his last stretch, still sweating as a small, if unsure, smile crossed his face. "As long as I keep pushing, I can only increase my chances." He muttered to himself, before turning to make his way back into number four. Harry had barely had the chance to lock the door and walk into the kitchen before coming face to face with his first Dursley of the day.

Dudley stared at the wizard from in front of the fridge, apparently unable to keep his mouth shut as Harry simply returned his gaze with a critical one of his own. The two simply stood unmoving for several moments until the smaller cousin shook his head and started to step around the overweight boy, "Good to see your wits haven't dulled a bit, Diddykins." Harry muttered on his way by toward the stairs.

"What happened to you?" Dudley's unexpected outburst drew an incredulous scoff from the emerald eyed wizard.

"I'm the same person you've always known, Dudders, the only thing that's changed is that I'm not defenseless anymore." Harry snapped, gritting his teeth to hide his wince as the increasingly familiar sensation washed through him again, not noticing the increased agitation in his cousin's stance as embarrassment dominated his pudgy face.

"You know as well as I do that you're different than before, freak. You were always a wimp, you didn't even try to fight back, and now you're suddenly toned and...kind of scary, even if you do look like a bitch." Dudley shot back equally angrily, but with an unexpected admiration reflected in his tone.

The boy who lived arched a confused eyebrow at his cousin's words, not entirely sure what to make of them, only to snort derisively as he finally processed what the larger boy was asking, "I guess it's all just a part of growing up, Dudders, guess that we know which side of the gene pool you're gravitating towards." He replied somewhat bitterly before spinning towards the stairs and rushing up them as quick as he could without running. There was a part of him that wanted to give Dudley some small amount of credit for even bothering to talk to him at all, but on the other hand he'd been the target of too many 'Harry Hunts' to ever care too much about what his cousin might think about him.

Forty-five minutes, and one nearly scalding shower later found Harry leaning against the corner of the flowerbed Petunia had forced him to tend for so many years. Normally he would have taken more time to hide from potential discovery, but the revelation that he would be leaving forever in a week afforded him with plenty of time to flip through a defense text that he'd carefully rested on his chest. A particularly nasty hex had just caught his eye, 'Ugh, this one shrivels your arm! How's that even legal?' As he lifted a finger to turn the page he felt the sudden presence of someone standing over him. The boy who lived tossed his book into the intruder's face and scrambled to his feet, only to pause mid-step as he recognized the dark-skinned beauty's voice. "Ugh, wotcher, Harry...remind me not to try and sneak up on you again..."

Heat blossomed across Harry's face as the realization that he'd just hurled a spell book into his friend's face set in, "Erm...sorry about that, Tonks. You just surprised me, is all..."

A snorting laugh interrupted the dark haired teen's apology, "I got what I was asking for, it's not your fault that I tried to sneak up on you, Harry!" Tonks beamed, taking a moment to get a good look at him for the first time since he was in the hospital wing, "Well, you're not looking too much worse for wear...actually, I think that your new look is perfect. Now that you've let Madam Malkin pick you out some new clothes, anyways."

Harry's blush simply deepened at her somewhat backhanded compliment, "I picked this one out, actually." He retorted, only half truthfully before groaning as he realized that he'd fallen right into her trap when she started giggling. "Anyways, that doesn't matter. We're going to go pick up my wand, right?"

The metamorphmagus shook her head, unable to contain her amusement until he'd mentioned their trip. "Oh, right! I'll bet you can't wait to get your hands on your new wand, can you?"

A slight twinge of guilt at his first wand's destruction flared up before being quickly shoved down by Harry's growing excitement to see what Ollivander had come up with, "I'm trying to be patient, but I'm probably about equally nervous and excited."

"I've always heard that custom made wands are the best kind that you can get. Most people just do what you did before and get one that a wandcrafter made for a shop, to be fair that's enough for most what most people need anyways. Still, I can understand why you could be a bit nervous about a new wand." Tonks agreed while Harry wandered over to bend down and pick up his mistreated book, leading her to avert her gaze in embarrassment as she caught herself admiring the view. The moment that he'd rejoined her side, the metamorphmagus tugged Harry behind the side of the house, "Alrighty, so we'll apparate to Diagon Alley and get you to Ollivanders. I need to check up on a couple things on our way back out, but unless you have anything else you want to grab then we'll get right back here after that. Sound good?" She finished with a smile, even as she shifted her weight from one leg to the other in discomfort next to him.

"That sounds good to me, Tonks." Harry replied quickly, only for his lips to dip into a concerned frown, "Are you alright though? You seem like something's bothering you."

The metamorphmagus snorted in amusement before shaking her head, "I'm fine, Harry, it's just...well, please don't take this the wrong way, but you're going to have to figure out how to control this aura thing you're doing.."

Frustration flashed across Harry's face as he stared at his friend in confusion, "How, Tonks?! How am I supposed to know how to control an aura that I don't even understand?!" He retorted stressfully, "That's why I agreed to talk to this Delacour lady. If she can tell me what's happening to me, then maybe I can concentrate on controlling whatever this is."

A sympathetic smile spread across his friend's face as she stepped forward and pulled him into a hug, "I understand, Harry, it's gonna be alright. I know that you didn't talk to Sebastion much, but I'm positive that his wife is the real deal, she'll know how to help you." She assured him softly before pulling back from the embrace offering a much more upbeat grin, "Alright, now let's stop moping around and get you to Diagon Alley. Hold on tight!"

The dark haired wizard's eyes widened in surprise and he tightened his grip around the auror's arm moments before the pair disapparated from Surrey, only to reappear seconds later in magical London. "Ugh...a little warning next time would be nice, Tonks." He grumbled quietly, double checking to make sure he still had all his parts.

"Please, I gave you plenty of time to get ready. Besides, you should get used to quick exits, considering how often you're getting yourself into trouble." His guard quipped with a teasing grin as she gave his hair a closer inspection, "You've been practicing braiding your own hair, then? Did you ever decide how long you're gonna let it grow?"

"I don't know, maybe down to my back or something? I honestly haven't thought much about it lately." Harry replied with a noncommittal shrug, following alongside her as she lead the way, "I've got more important things to worry about right now."

Determination shone in Tonks' eyes and she clicked her tongue at his lackluster response, "You still have so much to learn, Harry. It's fine to not have a plan for your hair if it's short but if once it starts getting too long then you have to keep up with it." She chided, clearly about to carry on only for the wizard's salvation to come in the form of Ollivander's shop.

"I suppose that's the reason you always keep yours so short, then?" Harry prodded back playfully before rolling his eyes as she prepared to launch into an explanation, "I'm joking, Tonks, I know you're right. I'll let you give me the lecture later, but let's just concentrate on getting what we need for now."

Ollivander looked up from the counter along with his customers as the duo entered the shop. "Ah, Mister Potter! I've been waiting for you. Just let me finish up and I'll have your wand."

The boy who lived offered the older man a small smile, doing his best to contain the warring excitement and anxiety threatening to overwhelm him. 'There's no reason to be nervous, your first wand reacted to you just fine, and Tonks said herself that a custom wand should fit even better. Just calm down and smile, everything will be fine.' A calm determination slowly washed over him as he tore himself from his thoughts, only to suddenly notice the shocked face of Blaise Zabini staring at him from the side of a first year girl with his same golden hair and elegant facial features. The fourth year Slytherin suddenly seemed to realize that he'd been spotted and started to turn back to the counter silently, "Blaise? What are you doing here?"

His classmate froze at his name, before slowly turning back towards Harry, flushed brightly at being caught staring. "Ah, Potter...I'm just helping my sister, Addi, with her first year shopping." He explained with an embarrassed laugh, glancing in the girl's direction.

Harry blinked in surprise at his answer while the little blonde girl twirled around, wand in hand, "It's Adeline, Blaise! I told you, you have to use my real name at school!"

The older sibling simply rolled his eyes affectionately, "You'll always be Addi to me, you'll just have to learn to accept that." He teased, before remembering his classmate and turning back towards the Gryffindor with a somewhat unsure smile, "Ah...so, you're here for a wand too, then. Obviously."

"Err, well, yeah. It's a long story." Harry answered shortly, though if the Slytherin was bothered by his lack of an explanation he didn't bother to show it.

"It always is with you, isn't it?" Blaise offered jokingly, drawing a wry smile from him which swiftly developed into an awkward pause as the two fourth years considered each other, "So, uh...you look a bit different, Potter."

A bright flush washed across the dark haired wizard's cheeks, "Err...I've just been working out a lot." He muttered unconvincingly while a wide-eyed Tonks watched the exchange, finding herself uncharacteristically at a loss for words at the scene unfolding before her.

Blaise quirked an unimpressed eyebrow, "Right...I take it that Draco hasn't seen you yet. Word of advice, you should come up with a better lie than that before you run into him. Last time I saw him, he was still angry about your muggleborn friend 'assaulting' him, and he's had a lot of time to think."

"I really couldn't care less about what any of the Malfoys think of me, to be honest. I know that we've been going back and forth since we started at Hogwarts, but Draco's the least of my worries at this point." Harry replied dismissively, drawing a surprised blink from the other boy, "Tell Malfoy that as long as he avoids me, then I'll leave him alone too. The castle is more than big enough for us to ignore each other."

"I'll extend the message, but I think we both know that he's too stupid to agree." A smirk tugged at the blonde's lips as he eyed the Gryffindor up and down, clearly reevaluating his view of the 'arrogant glory hound' he'd heard so much about,"You've changed quite a bit from last year, Potter...I think I like it." Blaise offered smoothly, before turning back towards Adeline to gently push her towards the door, "Well, we got what we came for, Addi, but there's still plenty of shopping left. This year is starting to look even more interesting than usual, Potter. I'll see you at Hogwarts."

An unfamiliar sensation of lightness bubbled up in Harry's chest at his classmate's words, leaving the boy who lived beaming as he tried to suppress the unexpected giddiness, finding limited success. 'What the hell was that?! Blaise and I have barely ever said three words to each other, and suddenly this? And that look he gave me right at the end, what's that about?!' The smile on Harry's face slowly faded into a small frown as the siblings made their way out of the store without another word, leaving him to consider the blonde's parting words. '"A more interesting year"...yeah, that's exactly what I need. I wonder if Zabini even knows about the Tri-wizard Tournament. It wouldn't surprise me if half of Britain knew about it by now. Plus, with what happened at the world cup...'

"Alright, Mister Potter, it's ready."

As quick as his excitement had evaporated, it immediately welled back up at the wandcrafter's voice calling him forward. The boy who lived eagerly stepped up in front of the counter as Ollivander placed a navy blue box before him and smoothly removed the lid. "Aspen, eleven and a half inches. The basilisk fang core makes it significantly more firm than usual...you should find it much more durable than your previous wand, Mister Potter."

A soft gasp escaped Harry's lips with the introduction of the intricately crafted ivory wand, "It's beautiful." He murmured, his emerald gaze lingering on the grip as he marveled at it's resemblance to a serpent. 'I never would have thought that a basilisk could be so elegant. I wonder why he took so much effort to carve it like this?'

The younger wizard's thoughts were interrupted by Ollivander, "Well, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and give it a swish!" He prompted with impatient excitement reflected in his gaze.

"Oh, right..." Harry replied sheepishly before reaching forward and delicately wrapping his fingers around the grip. Immediately warmth flooded his senses, followed by an immense wave of power and determination that swirled through his entire body before settling into his chest to resonate passionately. 'My old wand always felt comfortable, sort of like Fawkes' song, but this...it's like I found something I didn't even know I was missing.'

"Fascinating...truly fascinating."

The wandmaker's proud tone tore Harry from his own silent amazement, "This...it feels perfect. I can't believe that I'm actually grateful for having to kill Tom's pet snake." He grinned, before giving a soft flick of the wand as he'd been told, summoning a shimmering orange shield that he'd never seen before. Despite his wonder only increasing, he quickly dispelled the unrecognized spell once he realized the searing heat that it seemed to be radiating within old shop.

"That's absolutely wicked, Harry." Tonks offered, beaming with admiration at the unexpected display, "See, this is what I've been trying to show you for half the summer. You've been through things that I couldn't even imagine, but once you get to the other side, you're able to use the experience to grow. Any time You Know Who tries to hurt you, you've always turned it around on him."

Ollivander's eyes shone brightly, bringing more pride to his face than the younger wizard had ever seen, "You continue to impress, Mister Potter. It takes a wizard of some resolve to wield a wand such as that one...truth be told I rather expected your bond to be more reserved until you grew to realize your potential." The teenager blinked in stunned silence at the admission, clearly unsure what to make of the older man's words, "Instead it would appear that your wand has fully accepted you as its true master...you've surely got plenty of room to grow still, but I now believe more than ever that you are destined for greatness."

The warmth filling Harry's body quickly evaporated into a cool numbness as the words he'd heard so many times before repeated again, though if Ollivander noticed the shift he didn't acknowledge it. Instead the aged wizard simply continued to beam as he pushed the navy box across the counter, accompanied by a wand holster. "T-thank you, sir." Harry replied finally, pushing through his thoughts to offer the older man a soft smile of his own. "I'll make sure to take good care of it."

"I'm sure you will, young Mister Potter. Now run along, just don't forget to check the box for your cleaning manual."

A quizzical expression flashed across the younger wizard's face, though the wandmaker simply offered him a meaningful smile before retreating behind the curtain concealing the vast storeroom beyond. "Alright, Harry, let's get your holster on and then get moving. We wouldn't want to miss this Delacour lady, would we?"

Tonks' voice snapped Harry from his confusion, quickly bringing a nervous smile back to his face at the mention of the woman he'd be meeting later, "Ah, right...you needed to pick something up too, didn't you?"

The bubbly auror nodded enthusiastically while she finished tightening the buckles of the wand holster around his wrist, "Yep! There's this little enchanting shop off past Flourish and Blotts that's working on a couple of projects for me. We'll swing by and then be right on our way." She explained shortly, before fixing him with a smug grin as they made their way out into Diagon Alley, "In the meantime, why don't you tell me about your Slytherin friend? The two of you seemed awfully close..."

"W-what?!" The color in Harry's face drained drastically as he realized just how his unexpected conversation with Blaise must have looked to the ever curious metamorphmagus, "T-that wasn't what it looked like, Tonks!" He hurriedly blurted out, only to wilt somewhat when she simply quirked an incredulous eyebrow. 'Merlin, how could I be so stupid?! I mean, I know Tonks would never care about this kind of stuff, but Mr. Ollivander was there, and...bloody hell, I must have looked so stupid...'

Reality all returned to the wizard in force as Harry continued sinking further into his embarrassment, only made worse by the realization that practically every person the pair passed as they made their way through the alley was pausing to stare at them. The moment that the dark-skinned witch had lead him around a corner she tugged him off to the side where fewer people would notice them. "Harry, listen to me..." The auror started softly, enveloping his hand in her own with a gentle but nonetheless firm grip, "I know that you're going through a lot of changes right now, and you're probably afraid of what's happening to you. But you don't need to be ashamed of who or what you are, because no matter what you're hands down the single most inspiring person I've ever met. So whatever it is that's got you so worried about that boy, whether it's something that the Dursleys or anybody else told you, don't worry about it."

A wave of affection surged through Harry's chest at his friend's assurances, leaving him staring down towards the cobblestone with an embarrassed smile, "I...thanks, Tonks. It's just...all really confusing right now." He whispered hoarsely, "I mean, I know we've talked about it in the past and I wasn't lying to you when I said that I like girls, but then things like that with Blaise happen, and I'm not really sure what to think."

Tonks bit down on her lip, doing her absolute best to push down her amusement as she watched the boy who lived work through what, as far as she knew, might be his first actual crush. "I never doubted that you liked the ladies, Harry. I remember the way you were looking at those witches before the world cup." She replied with an affectionate prod, "Doesn't mean that you can't branch out with your interests, though. After all, it would be a crime to deny blokes a shot at a bombshell like you."

'I think I'm starting to miss the death eaters, at least when they show up they aren't likely to kill me with embarrassment.' Harry reflected as he fought to control the crimson that had dominated his cheeks once again, "I, err...I'm not really sure what to say to that, Tonks." He muttered, slowly forcing himself to meet his friend's eyes even as they shone with affection, "Other than thanks, you always know what to say about this kind of stuff."

"Pfft, this stuff? It's easy enough once you've been through it once or twice." Tonks quipped dismissively as she returned her attention to guiding them through the hectic alley, only to stop outside of a colorful storefront with mannequins set up to display a variety of clothes and jewelry in its window. "Alright, this is the place. I'll be right back out."

The metamorphmagus rushed into the shop, the door's bell jingling to announce her as she left Harry behind without a second glance, leaving him wondering what had just happened while he awkwardly hovered near the door. Once fifteen minutes had ticked by, the boy who lived let out a frustrated sigh and pushed himself off the wall he'd been leaning against, 'Alright, screw it. If she's gonna be that long, I'm following her inside.' He thought mutinously, only for Tonks to burst out into the alley moments before he could reach the door himself.

"Alright! Well, that took a helluva lot longer than I thought it would, sorry 'bout that Harry! I'm ready to go whenever you are, though."

Harry leveled a suspicious stare at his friend's sudden reappearance, "Wait, so you're just gonna leave me out here for more than ten minutes and not tell me what you were picking up?" He asked with exasperation, "Not even an explanation for how long it took?"

"Pretty much, yeah!" She replied casually, offering the her friend an innocent smile as she pointedly lead the way back towards the apparation point. "If I told you now then it'd ruin the suspense!"

"More likely to just drive me insane from boredom."

Tonks rolled her eyes with a snort, "As if you don't wanna know." She retorted playfully, turning to face the shorter wizard as they came to a stop, "If you've really gotta know then we could head back. We might miss your rendezvous with the French if we do though..."

The boy who lived let out a petulant huff at her teasing, "Fine, let's just head back to the Dursleys, since you're going to be difficult."

A beaming smile spread across the auror's lips as her friend gave up, "Glad we could come to an agreement! Alright, then, get over here so we can shuffle you back off to the zoo that Albus insists on subjecting you to."

Despite his annoyance at her evasive answers, Harry could only force himself to keep a straight face for so long before the absurdity of her insistence for secrecy brought an amused smile back to his face. "Okay you win, let's get going?" He finally agreed, looping his arm around her own moments before she willed the both of them to vanish from Diagon Alley.