Chapter 11: Holy Time Skips Batman

"60% of the time it works every time."

Brian Fantana

Sorry guys got to do a big time skip of Ceds 2nd year, so a few things will seem jarring but I got to get to the meat and potatoes of this fic (or suffer the dreaded writer's block). Most changes are relatively minor and will be explained don't worry.

Harry and Hagrid exited the bank with more money than Harry had ever seen before.

Harry was still so amazed by it all. As they walked down the street his eyes seemed to have minds of their own, darting this way and that. There was a store that sold trunks, potions ingredients, even one that seemed to only sell brooms, the old kind for some reason.

"Cedric my boy!" Hagrid said, breaking Harry out of his daze.

"How ya ben mi lad?" He said as he slapped a tall handsome boy in the back

"Hagrid!" The boy, presumably Cedric, shouted as he hugged the big man. Wow he sure was friendly.

The half-giant just bellowed laughter.

"Ah Cedric this is Harry." Hagrid said as Cedric let go of him. Then he leaned in and whispered "Harry Potter, he be starting this year ya see and Dumbledore asked me to take care of em"

He at least had the common sense to whisper his name this time. Harry waited for the inevitable look everyone here had when they heard his full name.

"Nice to meet you Harry." He said smiling and holding out his hand.

There wasn't anything there. All other wizards he had met seemed to have this almost reverence to him but not this one.

"Nice to meet you, Cedric." Harry said, shaking the offered hand.

"Hagrid, you seem a little green are you feeling a little sick? Maybe you should sit down for a spell.

"Aye, them carts always make me queasy." He said unsteadily.

"How about I take Harry here to get his school things? I only have my potion ingredients so far so I need to go anyway."

"Thank ya Cedric. If that's alright with Harry that is." He said turning to Harry.

He just shrugged.

"Alrite I'll b' in the pub if you need me."

He walked off, staggering slightly as he did.

"Poor guy. Gets motion sickness I think. Anyway, off to spend your money." Cedric said laughing. "Oh right I just remembered something I gotta do real quick. I'm going to drop you off at Ollivander's to get your wand. That takes him forever anyway and I can't help you there. I'll be right back then we'll continue."

"Uh sure I guess" Harry said, shrugging.

"Great." Cedric said, clapping his hands.

XXXX

I can't believe Dumbledore trusted Hagrid with the stone.

I was holding it and trying to figure out how to turn a small piece of lead into gold. I put it away with reluctance. It wasn't the time for experimenting. I had to throw the scent off my trail and get back to Harry.

"Transpareō" (No cannon chant for disillusionment, went with this)

I snuck back into the Leaky Cauldron and overheard the conversation.

"I'm tellen' ye, the lad knew nottin. Thought his parents died in a car crash. Lily and James die in a car crash?" He blew out an umph at that.

"Unbelievable." Tom said, wiping his glass.

I very carefully took out a vial full of a potion I had come up with that would cause someone to exhibit symptoms like drunkenness. It would first display the common ones like slurring speech and then progress to getting black out drunk before passing out. Getting it to Half-Giant proportions took some doing.

I used a very weak and silent Bombardia to destroy a chair leg of a customer in the corner. This of course caused him to fall, which was all the distraction I needed. I put all the contents of the vial into the distracted Hagrid's drink.

"You big stupid oaf. You better pay for that stool." I heard Tom yell out as I left.

With any luck Dumbledore would never suspect the guy who was with Harry all day. Not knowing it wasn't when Hagrid was passed out that the stone was taken.

XXXX

"So now that we have everything on your list we need how about we get you an owl?"

"Why would I want an owl?" He asked in his cute Daniel Radcliffe way.

"Ah well Wizards use owls to send letters. Didn't they send you your Hogwarts letters by owl?" I asked feigning confusion

"Now that you mention it at first there were owls then it got weirder. They even started shooting from the fireplace once."

"Well that's how we communicate, by owl mostly."

We walked into the store and I admittedly spotted Hedwig.

"There that one matches you perfectly Harry." I said pointing at her.

She almost seemed to preen, as if to say it was to be expected as she was perfect after all. Damn arrogant bird.

"Just like that. You can tell that quickly." Harry asked, surprised.

"Yep trust me I'm part bird. Or at least bird-brained. LOL."

"What's LOL?" Harry asked confused

"Exactly"

Harry just blinked as did Hedwig who the shop owner had already retrieved for him.

"Now that we have you an owl, I guess it's time to get you back to Hagrid so he can get you home. Let's head on over to the Leaky Cauldron and drag him away from his drink."

XXXX

"Let it bee, Whispa wrrds of wizzom, let it bee" Hagrid sang out drunkenly as he punched a guy rushing him.

"That's a Beatles song he's singing, abit strange for a wizard isn't it?" Harry asked.

I was dumbstruck, how the hell was he still standing. I gave him enough of that potion to knock out a horse. And why were a bunch of wizards fist fighting?

I'm going to Nope right out of here.

"Hey Tom, can you tell Hagrid when he's sobered up that I'll make sure Harry get's back home alright."

"Sure thing Cedric as soon as I get him to stop destroying the place." He said as he ducked under a tossed stool.

"What the bloody hell? Who's going to pay for that?" I heard as I led Harry out back into the muggle world.

"How about we take a cab? I don't fancy taking the Knight Bus."

"The Knight Bus?" Harry asked

"Oh I forgot. If you ever need emergency transport just hold your wand up like this." I said using my finger so as to not draw the infernal thing "And it will appear anywhere. Well anywhere with a road. But like I said only for emergencies."

"Why is it expensive?" He asked

"No it's just a really rough ride. They drive like maniacs."

"Oh" He paled at that.

I looked both ways and didn't see a cab coming.

"How about we walk until we see a cab?" I said pointing up the street.

He just shrugged and we started walking.

"You know you've been awfully quiet all day. I figured you would have a million questions."

"I do but…."

"Go on man I'm not going to bite."

"The man who gave me this scar, he killed my parents didn't he? That's why everyone keeps looking at it. Cedric I know you all seem to know something you aren't telling me. What is it?" He said looking stern as only children can.

I had stopped walking as soon as he said scar. It was what I had been waiting all day for. I looked at him for a moment, then I looked around and spotted a tea shop nearby

"Ok." I said, sighing "But it's not a conversation to have on the street. Let's head over there to the tea shop."

He nodded, having got what he wanted.

We entered the shop and asked for a private booth. We were seated and after she poured us a glass the waitress excused herself.

"Harry I'm going to be honest with you, this isn't an easy tale to tell."

He just looked at me sternly.

"Alright, alright. To be blunt your parents were killed by a murderous racist. He was basically a fundamentalist terrorist. He terrorized wizarding Britain for years, killing anyone not a pure blood witch or wizard or even those pureblooded that stood in their way. Your parents fought against him and he killed them for it. You survived though even though you were hit by the one curse that has never been survived, it is known as simply the killing curse. It somehow reversed and hit him and now he's gone. People think you somehow defeated him. That's why everyone seems in awe of you. They see it as you saved them all."

"But how, I was a baby then?" He asked, confused.

"I know I agree with you. I always figured it was something your parents did. Either something they prepared in advance knowing he would attack or their sacrifice invoked some ancient ritual or something. Truth is no one knows but no offence Harry but I think it was your parents that were the hero's, not you."

He beamed at that. Harry was a weird duck. Praise him and nothing, hell he would get embarrassed and uncomfortable. Praise his parents and he lights up.

"Thanks Cedric. At least I now know they weren't drunks that died in a car crash."

"No that's ridiculous. They were closer to spies or soldiers that died protecting you." I said, patting his shoulder. "If you want to know more about them ask Professors Flitwick and Mcgonagall when you get to Hogwarts. They were close to your mother and father if I remember right."

"Thank you." He said tears in his eyes.

"Your welcome, Dan... I mean Harry." I said patting him on the back.

Like I said probably will post a few chapters at a time, so probably will be a week or two. I'm not going anywhere. By the way I get constant notifications on my phone about reviews and follows/favs all day and that really motivates me to write after yet another 12 hour day. So keep em coming if you want more.