The runner goblin lead Harry into the bank lobby and over to an aged wizard that was leaning against a column. He was 5'8" but had an aura that intimidated those around him. He had salt and pepper hair cut short to show off sharp features and a scar running from his left temple, across his nose and ending in the middle of his right check. What he lacked in height he made up for in his muscles that looked bigger than Harry's arms and legs put together. If Ragnorock wanted to make sure that he was safe, then he succeeded on looks alone. Harry didn't want to meet Mr. Tombs in a well-lit street let along a dark alley.
"Is this the kid I'm babysitting?" While Harry was looking Tombs over, the curse breaker was returning the favor. He knew who Harry was the moment he saw him, but was surprised at what he saw. No amount of warning could prepare him for the waft like appearance that he had. Harry's healing and proper clothes didn't take away from the fact that he looked like he was nine instead of eleven, skinny to the bone, and a walk that he saw most solders have. Always aware and waiting for a hit to come towards him. It took everything in him to not scowl considering that he had a ten year old son that was taller and more filled out than Harry and thinking why that was. Tombs got Harry's medical file since he had to make sure that he took all his medicine and making sure that Harry didn't do anything to overtask himself with. But that didn't mean that Tombs wasn't going to teach the kid some tricks to protect himself with. Harry Potter was one famous boy, but with the way he was looking, people would be trying to take advantage of him and his stuff for an easy knut.
"This is Mr. Potter, Curse-breaker Tombs. You are going to escort Mr. Potter around while he gets his school supplies. After that you are to stay with him at his hotel in Vertical Alley. We have already gotten you a connecting room in preparation of this. On Sept. 1st take him to the Hogwarts Express and stay there until the train safely leaves. Do you understand that or do I need to repeat myself?"
"Yeah, I got it, relax. I haven't taken a head wound in over six months." The runner goblin sneered at him before turning towards Harry.
"Mr. Potter, I hope that your business at Gringotts has been to your liking?"
"Yes, thank you very much." Harry gave him a little bow which the goblin returned. Griphook told everyone how polite and respectful the little human was even though he rarely received it in his life. The goblins could understand this since most wizards didn't treat them with respect. They might not have heard everything concerning Harry, but what they did hear made them respect him and hoped that any offspring that he had were like him.
Tombs and Harry watch the goblin walk off, growling at a wizard that almost tripped over him, before going behind the door separating the lobby from the rest of the bank. The both of them turned towards one another in an awkward silence before Harry broke it.
"Mr. Tombs, where should we start first for my supplies?"
"We'll start with your trunk first. That way we can place everything else in there. Sounds good little man?" Harry nodded at that and Tombs turned around, leading them out of the bank. "And, kid, it's just Tombs. I've never really liked being called mister."
"Why?"
"Reminds me of my father and from what I've heard he was like your uncle." Harry stopped in his tracks with a look of horror. He thought that was supposed to be kept quiet until after the trial at least. He almost missed Tombs squatting before him to be on equal footing with him. "Hey, Harry, don't worry. I'm the only person outside the goblins and healers who know about it. I'm supposed to look out for you, and that means making sure that you're alright mentally and physically. I'm under a vow to never speak to anyone without your permission or I'll lose my life. Got it, kid, I'm not telling anybody." It seemed that calmed down Harry enough since color started returning to his face. "Sorry, about that. I thought that the goblins told you that I knew about your history."
"It's alright, it just took me off guard. I knew that I would have to tell people, but I didn't expect anyone to know without meeting them beforehand, at least for now." Tombs nodded at that before rising to his feet.
"Now that's out of the way, how about we get that shopping done. I'm sure that it's going to take longer if we keep standing here." Tombs took out his wand and waved it around them. It was then that Harry noticed that the people were avoiding them, or at least not noticing them and giving them a three feet radius.
"It's a notice-me-not charm plus a privacy ward. You'll probably learn about that in your sixth or seventh year along with silent casting. Very handy if you ask me. Oh, just for convenience sake, let's just say you're my nephew and that you are just getting over a bad case of the flu." Harry nodded and then followed after Tombs. The first stop was a shop near the bank that sold many different trucks.
"Welcome to my shop. How may I help you?"
"My nephew here is in need for a trunk for school."
"A little late are we?"
"He's just getting over a bad case of the flu. Still have to fatten him up some more, but you know how these things are with little kids." The shop attendant nodded as he looked at Harry. He noticed how skinny and slightly pale Harry looked. Before the salesman could get a closer look his attention was brought back to Tombs. "So what would you recommend to a first year with some descent protections included?"
"Well, we have a three compartment trunk with charms to prevent any unauthorized entry, plus an identifying charm for those who try to open or damage the trunk, and a permanent feather light charm and a shrinking rune for easy transport. The price of everything will be 150 galleons, not including extra features including family crest and upgrade in wood or any accents."
"Do you have a book with all the finishes? And how much for the family crest?"
"The family crest is an extra 10 sickles, but the finishes range from an extra 10 to 100 galleons depending on what you get." Tombs nodded and the salesman went towards the counter to get the book.
"Is all that really necessary?" Tombs looked at the man before answering Harry in a low voice.
"Yeah, it is. Most heirs get trunks like this, but you're going to need all the help you can get. No matter which house you get sorted into at Hogwarts, you're going to be loved and hated. That means that people will have no problem in trying to steal your stuff either as a memento, a quick payday, or as retribution. At least this will prevent that from happening as well as giving an indication on who was trying to steal from you so that you know who to blame." Harry was about to ask something else, but the salesman was already coming back.
"Here we go. These are the wood finishes as well as trim that can be added. There is also a section on interior designs if you're so inclined." Tombs nodded and nudged Harry over to a section of the store that had leather chairs and tables in the corner of the room. "I'll leave you two to decide. Please call me over if you have any questions."
"Thanks. We'll let you know if we need anything." Harry and Tombs sat in two of the chairs and opened the book. "I would suggest that we use a cherry wood or something that could be stained that way since red and silver are your family's colors. It's your decision though, so pick whatever you like."
"Okay." Harry looked through the book, even though he was thinking about what Tombs said about his family colors. It was the first tangible fact about his family. He was defiantly going to research his family further. "I like the dark mahogany wood with this black and silver ascent. I think I'll go with the standard inner design."
"Nice kid. Now let's get this situated." They walked over to the salesman at the counter and told them what they wanted.
"Alright, I've got a dark mahogany with black and silver ascents on a three compartment trunk with our basic security features, a feather light charms and a shrinking rune. Is there anything you would like to add?"
"I would like to have my family crest included as well." The salesman wrote that down on the order form.
"Alright, that's everything. The trunk is going to cost you 226 galleons and 5 sickles. I'll have the trunk ready for you in half an hour. Now all I need is the payment as well as which family crests belongs to you." Harry took out his vault key and placed it in the indicated box.
"The crest that I'm using is the Potter's" The salesman froze in his review of the order form. By the time he came around, Tombs had already ushered Harry out of the store. The fact that Tombs was laughing wasn't lost on the teller when he checked the order form and saw that the account belonged to one Harry Potter.
"Let's get to Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions. That way we can get your school robes as well as a regular wardrobe. That should eat up the half an hour while getting what you need. The trousers and shirts can also pass in the muggle world until a later time we can go shopping there." Harry nodded, but before he could ask anything else he caught something out of the corner of his eye. There were two things that caught his eye. The first was that the person on the front page was moving. The second was the headline running across the front of the page.
Dumbledore steels from Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lives!
Tombs followed Harry's gaze and found what he was looking at. His whistle brought Harry's gaze back to him.
"It looks like you made the front page already kid. The goblins must have alerted the Daily Prophet last night in time to be printed in today's issue. Let me grab a copy and then we can go to Madam Malkin's." Tombs jogged across the street to get the newspaper before returning back to Harry. "Let's go, kid. We'll get lunch after this and we can review what the paper says."
"Can't we do that now?"
"Not if we want to get everything done today. Don't worry, we'll have time to look at this over lunch." Harry pouted but agreed. They walked into Madam Malkin's to see a middle aged woman coming out of the back.
"Oh, hello dears. Are getting school robes?"
"Yes, and a daily wardrobe as well."
"A little late getting a school wardrobe aren't we?"
"Yeah, but this little guy had a bad case of the flu. So not only did he lose some weight, but we had to burn his wardrobe to make sure that he wouldn't catch it again." Madam Malkin nodded while taking a look at Harry. His thin frame and pale complexion worked with the story given. Her gaze softened before getting a look of determination.
"Okay, dearie, you just need to hop onto the platform so I can measure you. Then we can get everything that you need along with socks, underwear, and the rest of your wardrobe. I'll include a growing charm that will grow four inches as well as let out two inches until you need to buy some more clothes. That way your clothes will grow with you while you're getting better."
"Okay, miss." Harry hopped onto the platform indicated while a tape measure came to life and started measuring everything.
"You can call me Madam Malkin. This store has been in the family for a couple of generations, although that can be said for just about all the stores along Diagon Alley." Madam Malkin talked a little more while taking down the measurements. Tombs was sitting near the front window watching them with amusement. Harry looked like he wanted to bolt at any moment but was scared of the matrim. Couldn't blame him in the slightest though. Madam Malkin could be a little much if one wasn't use to her, plus shopping usually wasn't enjoyed by the male population. Once that was done, the tape measure zipped to wherever it was resting before while Madam Malkin wrote down the last of the measurements.
"Alright, here are some trousers that should be around your size and some shirts. Try them on and we'll see what needs to be done. Then we'll place the charms on them to grow with you. Off you go now."
Harry took the clothes into the dressing room and tried on the clothes. While he was doing that, Tombs was picking out some packs of underwear, socks, and undershirts. Malkin nodded in approval while waiting for Harry to come back out. When he did, the pants seemed a little too long while it was a little lose in the waist. The shirt sleeves seemed to be long on him as well and the shoulder part seemed to hit him a little low on the arm.
"Okay, it seems to swallow you but it's an easy fix." With a wave of her wand the sleeves sat higher on his frame and shorten on his arms. The pant legs were pinned up as well.
"Alright, you can take them off and try on the other stuff. I'll fix this while you change."
Harry nodded and went back to the dressing room. A moment later the garments that he was wearing flew out over to a work area that came to life and started making the alterations desired. Harry came out a minute later in the next set of clothes. This went on for another two times before Harry came out in the original clothes he came in with. Madam Malkin walked over with swatches of fabrics to go over with Harry. Tombs saw this and walked over to help. From personal experience, he knew that this could be overwhelming and to someone who wasn't use to shopping before.
"Alright, your things are becoming fitted right now. Those will be your everyday ware for when you're in and out of class. For everything else, we can go a little higher end. So take a look and see what you like." Harry and Tombs went over the fabric before turning back to Madam Malkin who was watching the work station to make sure everything went alright. Tombs caught her attention before listing what they wanted.
"We'll take two black trousers, one tan and another in navy blue. Have everything, except one of the black trousers, in cotton. We'll take the silk for the other black trouser. For shirts, we'll have one in red, one in blue, two in green and blue, with another two in black and one in silver. Here are the patterns that we want in with the blue and silver shirts. We also want two boots, one in dragon hide and the other in leather, as well as two black outer cloaks as well as another one in red with silver trimmings and his family crest over the breast pocket." Madam Malkin wrote as fast as her quill would let her. She could already tell that this was going to be a big order for her.
"Is there anything else that you would like to add to this order?"
"No, that should be everything for now. Could we have a catalog and owl order form just in case we need anything else?"
"Of course. Come to the counter. I'll get the catalog and order form while you pay for everything. Make sure to right down which family crest I'll be using for the cloak." Madam Malkin got what she needed for them before going behind the counter. "Here you go dears. The clothes will be done in about a hour."
"Sounds good with us. We'll return in a hour." Tombs gave her a wink while Harry gave her a shy smile which Madam Malkin returned with a full one. It wasn't until they left that she looked at the order form and saw a name that she didn't think possible, especially with what was recently put in the papers. Harry Potter had visited her store.
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Tombs led Harry to a little café on a side alley while they waited for his trunk and wardrobe to be finished. After they placed their orders, they spread the newspaper between them to read.
Dumbledore steels from Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lives!
That's right loyal readers. The leader of the light, Albus Dumbledore, has stolen from The-Boy-Who-Lives, Harry Potter. Confirmed by the goblins themselves, Dumbledore has stolen money from our savior Harry Potter. This means dear readers that Dumbledore is going to be fined for this thievery as well as return what he has stolen from our beloved savior. But wait, that isn't the only thing that Albus Dumbledore has stolen from Harry Potter. Several family heirlooms and artwork has been returned from Dumbledore's clutches with a hefty 6,000 galleon fine for taking said Potter heirlooms. Dear readers, if this weren't all that has happened to Harry, there is more injustice facing The-Boy-Who-Lives.
Harry Potter doesn't even know about the wizarding world as he should, especially since the same Albus Dumbledore is Harry's magical guardian. How could that be you ask readers? Well, it seems that Dumbledore dropped off Harry Potter with his muggle relatives and never looked back while enjoying his ill-gotten gains. I am sure like myself, you are in an uproar about such things, especially since Dumbledore has been saying that Harry has been with loving guardians and tutors, not to mention the amazing adventures that Dumbledore and others in his camp has told us. Let us just hope that at least the loving family part was true, otherwise Dumbledore's treachery knows no bounds.
Written by Rita Skeeter
History of the Noble and Ancient House of Potter's page 2
Fines against line theft page 3
History of Harry Potter page 4
History of He-Who-Must-Not Be Named page 4
History of Albus Percival Wulfic Brain Dumbledore page 6
Adventures of Harry Potter; Fact or Fiction page 9
Next to the article was a picture of what Harry assumed was Albus Dumbledore in bright blue robes with yellow stars dancing around the robes. The article may have been short, but it was vicious towards Dumbledore. It looked like Ragnorock was right when he described Rita Skeeter. Harry almost smiled with the thought of getting her permanently on his side, and he had the perfect plan to do that. Little did he know that his luck was going to swing further his way.
"Wow, Rita didn't pull any punches. I'm sure that people are going to be pissed at what Dumbledore has done."
"Do you think it will cause his to lose one of his positions?"
"No, but this is only the start remember. Once everyone knows of everything else he's done, he'll be lucky to walk down the street without being mobbed. Heck, with Rita's story, he should be getting hate mail right about now." Harry couldn't help to snicker at that while their food came to them. Just before they were to start eating, Tombs noticed a woman in a lime green outfit with tight blond curls. He caught Harry's attention before pointing her out. "That, Harry, is Rita Skeeter. As you can tell, she has no problem being vicious when it means higher sales and a bigger pay for her." Harry nodded in understanding.
"Hey, Tombs, I'm probably going to do something that seems stupid, but just play along, okay?" Tombs studied him for a moment before looking back at Rita. With a sigh he agreed. If nothing else, this would be an interesting experience. "Ms. Skeeter, Ms. Skeeter, over here." Rita Skeeter looked around before locating Harry and Tombs at their table. It seemed that she debated with herself about going to them, but luckily she started making her way towards them. It wasn't until she got closer that it looked like Rita could tell who they were, well at least Harry anyway. Once she was by their table, Harry spoke again.
"I just wanted to tell you how glad I am about this morning's article about Dumbledore. When I was told that people would actually care about what Dumbledore did to me, well I could hardly believe them. I guess I have even more surprises coming into the wizarding world." The look on Rita's face was priceless. It looked like Yule, a bonus, her birthday and a jackpot was all rolled into one for her.
"Where are my manners, why don't you join us for lunch? We were about to eat before we spotted you."
"And who is this with you?"
"Oh, this is Mr. Tombs. The goblins thought it best that I have someone with me before I head off to school. With me not knowing anything and my statues, they wanted to make sure that I was safe. I really appreciate it to."
"Really? Would you mind if we did an interview right quick, just so the readers know your side of the story." Harry nudged Tombs leg while passing over the contract that the goblins gave him. It seemed that Tombs' got it for he jumped in before anything else happened.
"I might have to suggest that not happen. Not without a contract between you two so that others wouldn't try to take advantage." Rita looked stunned at this, but before she could dissuade against that, Harry jumped in, thinking about one of the other stories listed.
"That is right. The goblins did say something about people righting stories about me without my permission. I wouldn't want you to get in trouble with them."
Tombs almost choked on air at that but managed to retain his composer. Those books written about Harry came off more fact than fiction, and it was perfect to use it in this situation. If he didn't make it into Slytherin after this, he didn't know what other house could handle that cunning. But he had to play a part before he could congratulate Harry.
"That's right. Now that I think about it, the goblins did give me a contract for you if you wanted to talk to the media. That way the reporter wouldn't be penalized with the other writers." Tombs made a show of looking for the contract before presenting it to Rita. She looked so excited, but Tombs decided to push her over the edge. He looked at the contract before sliding it over to Rita with a quill plucked from another pocket.
"It seems that you will have exclusive rights to write about Harry. Lucky you."
The shark like grin that flashed across her face before she schooled her features and she signed the contract without looking at it. Harry and Tombs smirked at each other before turning back to the matter at hand. Harry signed his name as well as Tombs as the witness. The contract glowed before copying itself. One went to Rita, one went to Harry, and the other one disappeared to be filed at Gringotts.
"Know that's all settled, you can start you interview."
"Do you mind if I use a quick quill, just to make things go faster?" Rita was already taking out the quill before Tombs stopped her.
"I believe that the contract is against the use of a quick quill Ms. Skeeter." Rita's eyes grew large before she really looked at the contract. Yes she was the only reporter that was able to sell any interview or story to any publication that she chooses for two years, but it also restricted the use of her quick quill as well as embellishing to a certain extent. She could only write the truth and there was only so much she could do to beef up her story. And the fines and punishments for going against the contract almost made her squeak. It would destroy her financially.
"Ms. Skeeter, are you alright? You look a little green." Rita came out of her panic attack to look at Harry. She may not be able to use her usual writing style, but she was confident that she could still write a story that would sell. This was Harry Potter after all.
"Of course, Mr. Potter, everything is fine. Now since we're going to do this interview, why don't you call me Rita?"
"That's fine, as long as you call me Harry as well." Rita nodded while picking another quill from her purse and some parchment she always carried with her.
"Now, how are you responding to being in the wizarding world?"
"Well, I've only been here for a couple of days, but what I've seen so far it's amazing."
"Only a few days, Harry? Didn't you get your letter on your birthday three weeks ago?"
"Well, yes, but my family didn't let me see the letters that came." Harry ducked his head down for a second before looking back at Rita.
"You see, Rita, my aunt and uncle never liked magic. So when the first letter came, my Uncle Vernon snatched the letter from me and destroyed it before I could even open it. A couple days later two more letters came, but like before they were destroyed. This went on for about a week before it seemed like hundreds of letters came through the fireplace and mail slot. After that, Uncle Vernon packed us in the car and took his vacation days to try and outrun the letters. We went to hotel and inns and all these other places to get away from the letters. But it would only last a day or two before the letters would find us again. Well, fast forward three weeks, and he took us to an island in the middle of nowhere. I guess that someone was sick of sending all those letters, because next thing we know, this giant man came barging in. He said that his name Hagrid and he was there to deliver my letter to Hogwarts. You'll have to guess my surprise when I found out that I was a wizard and that all the 'freakish' things that I've been able to do was magic."
"My, my, Harry. It seems that you had quiet the adventure." At Harry's nod Rita continued. "Now, why did you say ''freakish' stuff' before?"
"Oh, that was what my aunt and uncle called my magical outburst. Like one time there was this really mean teacher that I had. One day her hair turned green and my aunt and uncle blamed me. Of course I didn't know that I did it let alone what was happening. But that didn't matter to them."
"What happened? Did they punish you for something that you couldn't control?"
"Yes, they did. When I got home and my cousin Dudley told them what happened, they seemed to turn white before getting really angry. My uncle grabbed me and threw me into my cupboard under the stairs." Rita looked horrified and even Tombs looked surprised that Harry revealed this much, but one look at Rita explained it all. She was hooked onto Harry's words.
"Your cupboard under the stairs?"
"Yes. It's were I stayed for as long as I remember. My Hogwarts' letter was even addressed to 'Harry Potter, The Cupboard Under the Stairs'. But now I don't have to worry about that. The goblins have made sure to give everything to the aurors to make sure that I never have to go back."
"Didn't you ever tell anyone while you lived with your relatives?"
"Of course, twice even. Once I told a substitute teacher. She believed me and went to the headmaster of the school I went to, but unfortunately he was a friend of my uncle's, so didn't believe her. He told Uncle Vernon, and he was so mad that I was locked in the cupboard for about a week. The other time I told a police officer, the muggle aurors, and he asked my uncle about it. Well, Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia said that I was lying. The police officer believed them without asking me anything else. After that, Uncle Vernon hit me and threw me back into the cupboard for another week. After that, I learned that anybody who knew my aunt and uncle would never believe that they were abusing me, or for a fact the Dudley was the bully."
"How was your cousin a bully Harry?"
"Well, he and his friends had this game called 'Harry Hunting'. They would chase me around the neighborhood. If I didn't outrun them, then they would beat me up. One time when I was running away from then, I suddenly appeared on my school's roof. I didn't know how I got there or how to get down. Eventually I had to be brought down, but that didn't endear me to my relatives if you can imagine."
"And what happened to your cousin? Was he punished for chasing you?"
"Of course not! To my aunt and uncle, he was a saint while they told everyone else that I was disturbed and a delinquent. Nobody would believe the Dudley would do anything to me." Rita seemed to have lost her voice at that. She shook herself out of her stupor.
"Well, thank you Harry for the interview. I'll let you and your companion enjoy the rest of your lunch and day." Harry smiled and wished her a good day. After Rita left, Tombs turned towards Harry with an amazed look.
"How in the world did you manage to pull that off? You looked vulnerable yet strong at the same time." Harry shrugged and took a bite of his food.
He was surprised that it was still warm, but the cheeseburger was so good that he probably wouldn't have cared if it was warm or not. Tombs just shook his head and started eating his lunch as well. After they finished with their lunch, they went to collect Harry's trunk and clothes. They quickly went to get the cauldron, telescope, beginner's potions kit and everything else, including new, black wire-rimmed eyeglasses. Flourish and Bolts took the longest since Harry decided that he liked shopping for books. He got what was listed from Hogwarts as well as books on wizarding culture and etiquette, family histories and crests, wizard travel, and anything else that Ragnorock or Tombs thought that he would need. The pile was bigger than Harry when they checked out and Harry was glad for the trunk that had its own library compartment. When Harry was putting his books within his trunk, Tombs went out to Eeylops Owls Emporium to get Harry a gift. He felt bad for Harry and thought that an owl would be a perfect belated gift for him. By the time Harry was done, Tombs was already waiting outside for him. Harry looked around before spotting him through the window.
"Where did you go?" Harry said the minute he walked outside.
He didn't notice the owl until he heard a hoot on the other side of Tombs. That was when Harry saw the most beautiful owl that he's ever seen. She was white with golden eyes that seemed to pierce him. Harry couldn't help kneeling before the cage to admire the owl closer.
"Hello, there beautiful. Who do you belong to?"
"That would be you, kid." Harry turned his confused eyes toward Tombs. "Think of her as a belated birthday gift. I had a feeling that you two would be good for each other. Not to mention that you'd need an owl to communicate with the goblins and everything." Harry looked from the owl cage to Tombs to the cage again. His eyes started to water before he blinked them away and turned towards Tombs again.
"Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me." Harry's voice was thick and Tombs was surprised that he suddenly had a lump in his throat with the way Harry was looking at him. Those green eyes would be the death of someone if fully turned on someone. Tombs cleared his throat before pushing of the wall.
"No problem, kid. Now, we have one more stop to make before going to the hotel, and this is the most important stop a young witch or wizard can make."
"What's that?" Harry said while grabbing his new owl and following Tombs. With the amount of stores they visited, it was no wonder that Harry lost track to where they were supposed to go next.
"Ollivander's or course. It's where everyone gets their wands from. Garrick is a little odd, so don't be to creeped out by him. He's really nice, just not that good with interacting with people." Harry was a little unsure what Tombs meant about that but still followed him into a shop that only had a single wand on a faded pillow in its window. When they entered, a bell chimed announcing their arrival. At first it seemed that the shop was empty except for the single chair in the corner and the lines of dusty boxes lining the wall. Harry almost jumped out of his skin when he heard a voice behind him that didn't belong to Tombs'.
"Mr. Potter, it is a pleasure to meet you. I was wondering when you would be showing up to get your wand, but then that article came out and it seemed to explain some things."
Harry can understand the creepy comment from earlier. Garrick was a man that seems to have taken Einstein's hair style and have a slightly haggard face. Garrick was looking straight at Harry, but it seemed that he didn't completely focus on him. Instead he seemed to be looking around Harry like he was seeing interesting, miniature dancers around him. And if that wasn't disturbing enough, Garrick's voice had reminded Harry of a spider for some reason. Normally that wouldn't have bothered him since there were spiders underneath his cupboard with him, but when combined with everything else, Harry had to stop himself from shivering.
"Garrick, can we move this forward? We'd like to get done before nightfall."
"Of course Mr. Tombs. And is your wand still working for you alright? Hornbeam with a dragon heartstring and 10 inches if I remember correctly. Perfect for offensive magic and curses. A very loyal wand but slightly temperamental." Garrick laid out some wands before Harry to try out.
"Why don't you try this Mr. Potter? Yew, 9 inches, with a unicorn's hair." Harry picked up the wand and promptly blew up the bowl on the counter.
"I don't think this one is right, sir." Harry placed it gently on the counter before anything else happen, while throwing Tombs a glare for the muffled laugh he heard. Garrick handed Harry another wand before taking it back just as fast with a 'no'. Wand after wand was tried, with them either giving Harry no reaction at all or if it did, destructive ones. Harry was sure that was the third time he broke the front window. After the twentieth wand tried, Garrick seemed to pause.
"Hmm, it seems that you're a difficult one, Mr. Potter. Don't worry though, no one has ever left this shop without a wand." With an appraising look, Garrick turned around while mumbling under his breath. Harry turned to Tombs and his unnamed owl, who both seemed to shrug at him. Garrick came back with a single box that seemed to have more dust than any other box in the store.
"Try this one, Mr. Potter." Harry took the wand handed to him. Unlike the other times, Harry felt warmth spread through him. When he waved his wand green and red sparks shot out.
"Yes, it seems that we found your wand Mr. Potter. It is most interesting though." Tombs got up from the chair to look at the wand.
"What's so interesting about it Mr. Ollivander?"
"Holly wand, 12 inches with a core of a phoenix willingly given. Usually, a phoenix only gives one feather and that's it. But the phoenix that gave a feather for your wand also gave another. Just one other of course. But the feather went with the wand that caused the scar on your forehead, Mr. Potter."
"Voldemort?"
"Yes. Yew, 11 inches and with a feather from the same phoenix. I expect great things from you, Mr. Potter. For Voldemort did many great things, evil of course, but still great. That will be 15 galleons, Mr. Potter." Harry shakenly handed over the money before leaving the store. They both walked in silence before Harry broke the silence.
"Please tell me that I never have to go in there again?"
"Of course, as long as you don't break the wand you have at the moment. Let's stop at this shop here for a moment. We can pick up a wand servicing kit as well as a holster for you. Don't want to put it in your pant pockets now do we. No falling out of pockets or accidently blowing off you backside." Harry snorted at this while going into the store to get what they needed before going to the Sight Inn in Vertical Alley. They ate an early dinner before letting the later named Hedwig out to hunt her own food. Little did they know that the next morning would cause a potions master at Hogwarts to go postal.
Boy-Who-Lived Abused
I am sure that many of you remember the story I wrote yesterday about the theft committed against Harry Potter yesterday by Albus Dumbledore as well as his assurances that The-Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter was with loving relatives that taught and cared for our young savior. Well, it seems that is another strike against Albus Dumbledore. How did I know this for sure you may ask me? Well, I happened across Harry Potter myself yesterday while he was enjoying lunch yesterday with his guard that the goblins provided him. It seems that at least they care about the wellbeing of Harry Potter. The same can't be the same for Albus Dumbledore. And once you read Harry's story, you will have to wonder if someone like Albus Dumbledore should be anywhere near our children, let alone be the Supreme Mugwump for the International Confederation of Wizards as well as Chief Warlock for the Wizengamont. What could be even worse than steeling from Harry Potter and the Noble and Ancient House of Potters? Well readers that would be leaving dear Harry Potter with magic hating muggles that tried to beat and starve the magic from him. That's right everyone. The young savior of the wizarding world, who freed us from Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, was left with muggles who tried to get rid of the 'freakiness' in him by beating and starving an heir to a noble and ancient house and savior against the biggest and evil, dark wizard since Gellart. Here is part of the interview that I had with Harry Potter when I ran into him. I will warn you now reader, that some of what you read here today will break your heart and cause you to get angry at the man who would sentence a child to such torture in the first place.
Rita: "Now, how are you responding to being in the wizarding world?"
Harry: "Well, I've only been here for a couple of days, but what I've seen so far it's amazing."
Rita: "Only a few days, Harry? Didn't you get your letter on your birthday three weeks ago?"
Harry: "Well, yes, but my family didn't let me see the letters that came."
At this I was confused. Who wouldn't want to have their child receive their Hogwarts' letter, especially one as special as Harry Potter? This is when things start to get troubling dear readers.
Harry: "You see, Rita, my aunt and uncle never liked magic. So when the first letter came, my Uncle Vernon snatched the letter from me and destroyed it before I could even open it. A couple days later two more letters came, but like before they were destroyed. This went on for about a week before it seemed like hundreds of letters came through the fireplace and mail slot. After that, Uncle Vernon packed us in the car and took his vacation days to try and outrun the letters. We went to hotel and inns and all these other places to get away from the letters. But it would only last a day or two before the letters would find us again. Well, fast forward three weeks, and he took us to an island in the middle of nowhere. I guess that someone was sick of sending all those letters, because next thing we know, this giant man came barging in. He said that his name Hagrid and he was there to deliver my letter to Hogwarts. You'll have to guess my surprise when I found out that I was a wizard and that all the 'freakish' things that I've been able to do was magic."
Going through so much trouble to hide one's birthright is almost impossible for me to imagine, as well as the lengths these muggle relatives would go through that the Hogwarts' game keeper had to be sent to retrieve a young Harry Potter from his relatives. From the way Harry glossed over some things, it was clear that something was amiss. This, dear readers, is one of those times where I wish I was wrong and had to retract some of the interview because of how terrible it was. Even what I reveal to you now will make you weep.
Rita: "Now, why did you say ''freakish' stuff' before?"
Harry: "Oh, that was what my aunt and uncle called my magical outburst. Like one time there was this really mean teacher that I had. One day her hair turned green and my aunt and uncle blamed me. Of course I didn't know that I did it let alone what was happening. But that didn't matter to them."
Rita: "What happened? Did they punish you for something that you couldn't control?"
Harry: "Yes, they did. When I got home and my cousin Dudley told them what happened, they seemed to turn white before getting really angry. My uncle grabbed by and threw me into my cupboard under the stairs."
That's right readers. Ever since Albus Dumbledore left Harry Potter with his muggle relatives, he's been living in a cupboard under the stairs. Many house elves get more room than that. But a little, innocent child has been living in a cupboard under the stairs ever since he's been sent to live with his muggle relatives is horrible. And for those of you, who doubt that the headmaster didn't know about this, let me remind you that Albus Dumbledore is supposed to be Harry Potter's magical guardian. Someone who is supposed to visit and talk to their charge and teach everything that is needed to learn about the wizarding world as well as family history and magicks. But none of this happened for Harry. He slipped through the cracks while we were celebrating the downfall of You-Know-Who.
While we recovered and rebuilt our lives, a young orphan who helped us while losing his only family, was shipped to a magical hating muggles that hit, starved and Merlin knows what else to beat the 'freakishness' out of him. And the man who is responsible for this is in charge of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The same school where we sent our kids to for a safe, informative education?
Luckily, Harry has found help, but not through other wizards, or even muggles in his neighborhood. No, the help has been given by the goblins who have contacted the aurors to investigate these horrific facts that I've found out. Until then, dear readers, we need to keep a vigilant eye out concerning Albus Dumbledore and how he treats Harry Potter and the rest of our helpless children. And I'll try my hardest to deliver the news of how else the goblins are protecting our savior and the aurors investigation into the criminal proceedings of Albus Dumbledore.
Written by Rita Skeeter
Known charges & punishments facing Albus Dumbledore page 2
History of the Goblin Nation page 3
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Severus Snape was not a man that lost his temper easily. That was to be expected with someone who was a double spy that also taught eleven to seventeen year olds the subtle arts of potion making. But as he read the newspaper in his quarters, years of self-control and occlumency did not help him with his anger over Rita Skeeter's article over a boy that he's promised to protect. A promise forced from Albus Dumbledore himself from when Severus turned traitor against the Dark Lord. Severus marched to the headmaster's office.
Since it was the summer, everyone took breakfast in their rooms and shared the other two meals together in the great hall. Something that Severus was happy for. He had no doubt that the others would be shocked at him losing his cool as well as the secrets he was going to reveal. Reaching the gargoyle, Severus muttered the password, Lemon Drops, and rode the stairs to the top. Not wasting any time knocking, Severus barged into the room to find something that would normal cause surprise and amusement to him. Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, Supreme Mugwump, and Chief Warlock seemed to be fighting off Howlers left, right and center. Severus stood there a moment before taking out his wand and pausing the assault the Headmaster was facing.
"Ah, Severus, thank you. It seemed that I couldn't stop them fast enough."
"And are you surprised Albus, especially with what you've done." Severus slammed the newspaper on Dumbledore's desk, showing the first sign of his anger.
"You told me that he was protected Albus. That he was being spoiled by his caretakers and the he would be receiving tutors. Now I have to read from Rita Skeeter that he was being starved and beaten by Petunia and her whale of a husband! I knew that horse faced bent and could have told you beforehand that she would be terrible to take care of any magical child! But no, the great Albus Dumbledore doesn't make mistakes. No matter if they keep hitting him in his face."
"Now, Severus…"
"Don't you now Severus me! You promised me that he was safe! And then you made me make a vow to protect him. On my magic! You are lucky I'm not a squab at the moment. I don't know what you plans are, but they stop. No more will I be your little puppet or stand by while you destroy another life. No more will you have me stamp out these students interests in potions just so I can claim to be doing the Dark Lord's bidding whenever he may rise. Or so they fit in whatever plan you have."
"Severus, you can't do that! Who else will spy on him?"
"Who cares you old man! He hasn't risen in over a decade. We don't even know if he will even rise again. And if you do, then you are too stubborn and conspiratorial to let anyone else know. Well guess what, I am going to start making my own plans if and when the Dark Lord rises. You just better hope that you don't end up imprisoned or killed. Because if that happens, whatever you know that could put down that madman for good will be lost because you are too power-hungry to trust others." With that Severus stormed out of the room, but not before canceling the spell that held the Howlers at bay and slamming the door.
Dumbledore almost didn't notice the Howlers because he was in shock. Never before did he think that Severus would react like that. He looked down at the newspaper that was left on his desk to see the headline as well as the picture of Harry Potter. It was plain to see that he was skinner than he should be, shorter as well. Looking at the picture and thinking about Severus' reaction caused Dumbledore to finally rethink his plans. Before he could think any more on the subject, more Howlers came in, adding to the volume in the room. The headache was getting worse and he had a feeling that Severus wasn't the only teacher that was going visit today, although he doubted any would hit so close to home.
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Ragnorock looked over the newspaper with a grin on his face. He couldn't believe that his plans were working so well so fast. Dumbledore's name was being dragged through the mud and the goblin nation received a boost, all in one article. Sitting back in his seat, he thought further and what to do next since Harry's accounts were coming along, although slowly, and he already sent out inquiries about Sirius Black. There was also the thought about informing Rita Skeeter about what else was going on, but dealing with that woman was a pain so that was a far maybe. So many chooses, so little time. With a sigh, Ragnorock got back to work. He'll figure something out after the will reading.
