Chapter 2

Breakfast had been almost pleasant, given the lack of conversation, and the only minor bluff that Vernon had put up before I assured him the first five hundred pounds would be available when I returned for the day. I knew he wanted to know where and how I was getting the money, but he was far too afraid to ask and too greedy to chance having it dry up. It was a lot of money, I knew I had enough for this summer, but a trip to Diagon Alley to see just how much was in my trust vault would determine if I could keep it up for additional summers.

Still it had went well enough, and I decided to take the Knight Bus to the Alley. Which had arrived promptly and delivered me more or less in one piece. Tom had looked slightly askance at me when I wandered through with a cap pulled down low over my forehead. Still I knew what I looked like, just another muggleborn student in to do some shopping, or at least I hoped that was what I looked like.

The walk to Gringotts was fairly short, and the interior of the bank was much as I remembered it. I waited patiently in line for one of the tellers, and as the others had before me, pressed a small button next to the window that seemingly dropped a privacy charm around us. I set my key on the counter and pushed it across to the Goblin.

"I'm here for a withdrawal, and if possible I would like to speak with someone about the particulars of my account. Griphook if he is available." That startled the grouchy teller as much as the key did, and he wasted no time snarling back.

"Griphook is only a cart goblin. If you need to know about your account you can speak with me." I had dealt with that attitude enough from my aunt and uncle to take it from a goblin.

"No, I will deal with Griphook, or I will deal with your manager. Perhaps after that it will be you who will be taking the cart rides." I engaged in a staring contest with the goblin before it finally huffed, spouted something to a runner in Gobbledegook handed my key back. Moments later Griphook had joined us, looking rather out of breath.

"Good. Griphook, Potter here wants to speak with you about his account. See to it."

Griphook looked rather bewildered as he gave a nod and moved to lead me off to a room. I had drawn rather more attention from the people behind me in line than I had intended, but the TV shows about wars always says that no plan survives contact with the bad guys, or something like that. I'd deal with it, and if nothing else it meant I'd just have to cut my shopping short.

"Mr. Potter, may I ask why you requested me for this?"

I decided to go with my instincts on this one. They're rarely wrong, or at least haven't been in the past. "Truthfully, you are the only goblin that I know by name Griphook. The last time I was here with Hagrid, that trip was memorable, and you were a part of that. I've got questions that I need answered, and I trust you enough to believe you would answer them correctly, or find someone who does."

Griphook took a moment to think as my words faded into the background of the meeting room before he gave a single slow nod. "Understood. You were not then asking for me because you wished for me to manage your family vault? The trust vault we visited last time is managed by a committee and that cannot be changed."

"Family Vault? What family vault?" Exploded from my lips before I figured out I was even talking.

"The Potter Family Vault of course." There was a gleam in Griphook's eyes that I had learned to regard as greed from my Uncle. I figured it probably meant the same here. Greed was something I knew how to deal with. "It holds the majority of the cash, which you cannot touch until your majority, personal effects from past Potters, weapons, and trophies."

"Ok, yes, I think I will make you manager of that. Normally what does that entail?" I was more than a little lost here, but if I could just get down there once, maybe I could find something of my parents. Even something from just another Potter would be nice.

"Traditionally Vault Managers oversee the investment of all monies. They are granted three percent of all generated income as their wage." And probably robbed the family blind at the same time I realized. Well probably not, but there were most likely things that an account manager could do to hide money he made, like what Vernon boasted of doing at work.

"If I were to grant you say, ten percent of what the investments make, you would be rather more motivated to have them make more money yes?" At Griphook's wide eyed nod I grunted in satisfaction. Yep, playing to greed still worked. "So ten percent then. Now how does the trust account work?"

"Your trust account has an automatic payment out of the family vaults to replenish it to a fifty thousand galleon level on the first of every year until your majority. Twelve thousand galleons will be automatically debited for Hogwarts tuition for each year you are elligible to attend. As of now your account holds thirty-seven thousand three hundred and twelve galleons, eleven sickles and three knuts. Your Hogwarts payment has already been deducted." I did some quick mental math, thanking the fact that I had once been in the advanced class in it in Primary school and gave a nod, more than enough money to pay for the summer.

"Good. I'll want to make several purchases today, is there any ways other than carrying cash to do this? I will want some of it in muggle money too." Griphook was turning out to be quite helpful now, even cheerful. That meant I was probably overpaying him, but as long as it kept him honest, and me on his good side it was worth it.

"We can provide you with what are known as checks. They draw directly from your account and the amounts can be written in both galleons, and in muggle money. They are quite straightforward." I nodded, having seen both my relatives using the muggle equivalent several times in the past. "If you wish, we shall retrieve a checkbook for you, and then peruse your family vault Mr. Potter."

The checks were easy enough, but the cart ride down to the family vault was something else. Every dragon we passed had to make it a point of trying to roast the cart, much to Griphook's amusement, and the cart driver's unease. I figured it had something to do with them not liking how I smelled, but who knows.

Eventually we reached what had to be the deepest layer of vaults and coasted to a stop next to a large door, guarded by actual live goblins rather than beasts, hundreds of goblins in fact. That drove home just what I had handed over to Griphook, and I figured that he'd be happy with his sudden elevation in power and prestige for decades to come.

The first thing I saw when I entered the room were my parents. There was a wizarding portrait of them sitting at the front of the vault, and obviously painted only a few months after I was conceived. There was an obvious bulge in mum's stomach that her hands rested comfortably on, and I spent several minutes blinking back tears before I realized Griphook's hand was resting comfortingly on my back.

"It has not been activated, it will take a drop of your blood on the frame to do so. I would suggest doing it at a time when you have several hours free for explanation." Griphook said softly, and I gave a nod.

There was a chest that the picture frame was sitting on, the frame being of a size to fit inside the chest easily. It was then that I noticed that the background of the painting was of a comfortably furnished library, and seen in a window a quidditch pitch. There was a note on top of the chest, addressed to me.

Dear Harry,

I leave you my notes, and my chest from my days of school at Hogwarts. I hope that you find it as useful as I did. I wish I could have given it to you in person, but that was not meant to be. We have left you this painting which has been updated shortly after your first birthday, to provide an insight into our lives if you have not already been given it through others. I hope that you are well, and I wish you to know that I have loved you from the moment that I realized you were coming into our lives.

Love Mum

I left Gringotts with a self-shrinking trunk of two compartments the first of which was magically expandable at least, the book of checks, the painting of my parents and a weary heart. I wanted nothing more than to go back to my aunt and uncles and activate the portrait, but it was likely this was to be my only trip to Diagon Alley this year and I needed things.

Things like the Notice Me Not charms shown in one window. I had been wondering how I could get around in my dragon form without having the Ministry come down on me, and these were advertised as meeting Ministry Guidelines for masking magical items in muggle presence. Good enough for me, since it even had the stamp on the back. I even convinced them to throw in a nice expanding necklace for it, so I didn't have to take it off if I didn't want to. It was quite nice.

Clothes were quickly packed away in the trunk, and after thirty minutes I felt like I had bought out the whole store. New robes, including a dress robe for the next year at Hogwarts, along with an entire new muggle wardrobe were the biggest bulk. The great thing was they all fit correctly and thanks to self-adjusting charms should for the next year or two. I had debated all of fifteen seconds before I ordered gift certificates for the entire school going Weasley family at Madam Malkins as well. I figured it would be a good way to say thanks, and I included a note to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley in it, so that they'd be more inclined to accept.

Another fifteen minutes passed in the bookstore getting the next couple years worth of books, and a certificate for Hermione later and I was on to my last stop. This one was perfect as it had many of the things that I had thought the wizarding world should have but had never seen, magical household appliances. Ever-burning candles and dishes and pots charmed to ensure their contents never scorched or were over cooked. I picked up a pair of certificates there as well for the Weasleys and the Grangers as thanks for welcoming me into their homes, and a catalogue for safari gear. I figured I could find something in there for Sirius to use, and have Hedwig pick it up for delivery.

It was nearly ten o'clock by the time I was finished on the Alley. I wished that I could browse the broom shop, but I knew if I didn't show up soon Hermione would go spare. Wanting another hug had nothing to do with it, or so I tried to convince myself. I patted my pocket to make sure I still had the shrunken trunk and headed through the Leaky Cauldron to call the Knight Bus once again.

Only I was stopped on the sidewalk of muggle London by one of the people I never expected to see there, Minerva McGonagall.

"Hello Harry, we need to talk." She said tersely as she motioned for me to follow her, leading us deeper into the mundane parts of the city. "Albus has found out about your little, ability, not that you had a chance of keeping it secret from him. Partly because of his reaction to it, and partly because of his still ever-present lack of satisfying answers to why you must stay at the Dursleys, I am here.

"Dumbledore is going to come in a day or so, maybe less to question you about what you plan this summer. Likely he is going to attempt Legilimancy on you, do you know what that is?" At the shake of my head the Professor did something that I had never heard her do before, and that shocked me to my core, she let out a string of curses that would do a sailor proud. "Manipulative bastard, V-Voldemort was a master Legilimens, I would think he would teach you that as a matter of self-defense. Legilimancy is a magical method that allows a person to read thoughts. Occlumency is a method that allows you to shield them, and it takes much effort and mental control. Never mind now," she waved her hand as I opened my mouth, "your form gives you a natural protection equal to any Occlumency shield. When he arrives Harry, touch the beast in your mind, as you did while meditating for the first change. Let it roam your thoughts whenever Dumblerdore, or Snape makes eye contact with you, and for Merlin's sake tell him you read it in the same book you learned to make the potion from. I doubt your friends will be in much danger, but you, you need to watch out for him."

That floored me. Minerva was warning me about Albus and possibly Snape as well? And in a way that indicated that she did not trust them any farther than she could throw either without a wand. There was a sudden crack in the wall of my belief in the Headmaster's trustworthiness.

"Why?" It was all I could think of asking, and truthfully I didn't really know what the why mean. Why should she do this? Why did she not trust him? Why indeed.

"Because Harry, every one of you Gryffindors are like my children. Some are great disappointments like Peter, but for the most you are my proudest accomplishment. It was under Albus' orders that so many of them died in the last war. I won't let that happen again, no more am I going to let my sons and daughters be ground down by his greater good." Minerva turned to face me and I found myself wondering how much I really knew the stern taskmistress in front of me. She had seemed so loyal to Dumbledore just days ago and now, now she was all but that. "There will be a better time for this discussion in the future. From now on though, do not use the Knight Bus for any form of travel Harry, rely upon muggle methods or fly. Now that you have that aversion charm, it is quite the bit of charm work, you can transform in the presence of anyone and the non-magical won't even see you."

I started at that, and realized she must have been following me all day. Why? Well I'd have to find out in the future. I needed to get to Hermione's and flying sounded like a splendid way of doing it. Besides asking more questions was impossible, because she turned in her spot and disappeared with a pop of air.

In the end I arrived at the train station nearest Hermione's house much later than I had originally planned. Flying was hard work, and a lot slower than I had first realized. I had pushed on until I could go no further, and relented to taking the train the rest of the way.

"Finally!" Hermione groused as she stepped out of her parent's car, her mother looking on the display with some humor. "I thought you were never going to call!"

"Sorry, I got sidetracked while taking care of some business on Diagon Alley, yes I'll show you what I got, and then I tried to fly here. It is a lot harder than it sounds." I tried looking even more tired than I felt, which was easy since I was exhausted. "I'm going to have to work on that."

I had already decided to fill in Hermione on what McGonagall had revealed to me in private. I doubted that Dumbledore would barge in on the Grangers, but I wouldn't put it past him to try and catch Hermione on the out. Getting her head protected from mind readers was a definite must. I hadn't saved her from a troll only to have her brains dribble out her ears. Though it was unlikely that she would be able to get the Animagus transformation done when she could not use the spells to confirm her compatibility, I doubted learning Occlumency from a book was beyond her. Hell, I doubted anything was beyond her.

Hermione though was busy pushing me into the back of the car as she spouted off a half dozen questions a second. Seeing her in much tighter fitting muggle clothes for the first time in a long time I was pleasantly struck by the fact that Hermione was not just a girl, but a very pretty girl. I decided to ignore the questions, and my reaction to her presence in favor of greeting her mother.

"Good morning Mrs. Granger." I said politely, trying to ignore the huffing girl beside me.

"Good morning Harry, and please it is just Emma. Mrs. Granger is Dan's mother." I copied her smile. "Hermione spent several hours last night explaining just what an animagus is and what form you take. I understand you are going to demonstrate it for us? What does it feel like?"

"Thank you Emma. I can see now where Hermione gets her thirst for knowledge." I turned a bit to Hermione and gave her a small smile, which she flushed at. "Hermione has insisted I demonstrate to you, and my form is still new enough that I like showing it off. As for what it feels like, well the change itself is a little strange, like having muscle spasms really, but once it is done it is rather just like being you, natural."

"So, when you are in your form, that of a… what was it again hon?" Emma glanced up in the mirror at us, and drew her daughter back into the conversation at the same time. I wondered if having a real family was like that, having them look out for you even when there wasn't any real danger.

"A Peruvian Vipertooth mum. As the name suggests they are natively from Peru, and they have teeth like a Viper." Hermione paused for a bit. "I'm still trying to decide what forms I should test the compatibility of."

"Cats would be best I think Hermione." I said almost immediately in response. She looked at me with a question in her eye, as did Emma in the mirror of the car. "Cats are held in high regard in the wizarding world for being intelligent familiars. They are independent, loyal to those they take as their family, and fierce when provoked. I think Hermione rather exemplifies those traits."

Hermione blushed a bit and rewarded my praise by latching onto my arm. A much welcomed kiss on the cheek, that just grazed the edge of my mouth followed shortly. There was an electric jolt that shot through my body at the contact. I couldn't fancy Hermione, could I?

"Don't forget boldness, and courage Harry. Maybe my daughter could be a Gryffindor lion hmm?" Emma sounded rather pleased. Maybe she had seen the kiss. Oh, Merlin, what if she had?

"No, I rather think I'll be something smaller mum. One of the Kneazle crosses I was looking at last night." Hermione turned her gaze back to me and continued excitedly. "Did you know that certain of the hybrids exhibit different magical characteristics? The Egyptians for instance revered the Serval-Kneazle hybrid because it had the ability to cross ward-lines without triggering them. It made the cats quite popular as guards, for they could move in and out of ward lines without having to have them lifted."

That was an interesting ability. I wondered what a Serval was though. I was going to ask, but the conversation had already drifted again and Hermione was now explaining something of magical history to her mum. It was rather boring, not as bad as Binns, but close to it.

"Mum, you won't say anything!" Hermione hissed, and I yawned. I must have drifted off because the car was not moving, and my face was nested comfortably, cripes! I jumped back a bit extricating myself from Hermione, and tried to ignore Emma who looked inordinately pleased by the whole deal.

"Huh?" I was a bit more flabbergasted. I'm not sure when I had started liking Hermione as a girl, but I was pretty sure it was just yesterday when she hugged me. I decided to defuse the situation though, given the look that said girl of affections was shooting at me. "When do you want me to demonstrate?"

"Would just after lunch be fine Harry? Dan had a few things to take care of at the office this morning." I gave a polite nod in reply to the request as we made our way into the Granger's house. It was incredibly welcoming inside. Pictures of Hermione and her family filled the walls along with a few tasteful pieces of art. Emma shooed us into the living room and then disappeared off to the kitchen.

I spent several minutes silently looking at the pictures on the walls while Hermione watched me. I could tell she was uncomfortable about something, but for the life of me I couldn't figure out what.

"This is brilliant Hermione!" I gushed as I looked at another one of the pictures. This one was of Hermione holding the house cup with Ron and I after winning it our first year. I wondered briefly how they had made a normal muggle picture out of a wizarding one.

"Really?"

"Yeah, you can tell that they must really miss you during the year." I looked around at the walls again and took a seat on the couch. "It must be hard for all of you, being away from each other so much. Same for Ron too I guess, I never thought about it much."

Hermione reached over and pulled me into a hug. It did make me feel better, as the sadness that had started to well up at the thought of having my parents do this. "Mum and Dad are so important to me. Really it is one of the reasons that I'd rather us meet here at the house than the library. During the summer they come home for lunch ever day so that we can talk, and it is such a relief to be able to."

"Hermione, about that well…" I trailed off and looked over at the kitchen before leaning in close. "Look, you need to go through your book catalogues and find a primer on Occlumency. I met Professor McGonagall earlier today and she…"

The following few minutes passed by quickly and Hermione's eyes began to smolder more with every word I said. I had seen that look before in her eyes, right before she smashed Malfoy in the nose. At the end she didn't say anything, just dashed up to her room and returned a few moments later with a huge owl-order catalogue. There was a quick shuffle of pages while I watched amazed, and then Hermione was jotting down book orders with a quill and parchment.

"Do you think this three book set on introduction and intermediary Occlumency will work well with this other master set?" Hermione mused and I gave an unknowing shrug, placing her gift certificate by the book instead.

"I'm not sure, but I believe this should have enough money in it for all of those, and a bit more if you wanted." I paused then and then had a sudden inspirational thought. "Maybe something in potions as well? There has to be a good primer for it in that catalogue someplace, and Merlin knows we aren't going to learn from Snape."

"Harry! You didn't have to do that!" Hermione was looking longingly at the gift certificate, and I shoved it closer to her.

"I know, but I thought I should. You've been rather key in my surviving school this long Hermione, and I'm certain you'll continue to be so in the future." I smiled at her tentatively. "After all the more you learn the more you can teach me. Like potions."

"That is an excellent idea Harry." Hermione did not look up from where she was marking several more books, including one I noted was titled 'Everything you wanted to know about potions but Snape didn't teach'. "Even if I still haven't found a way around the Underage Magic Laws, I do think that reading up on the theory behind the wand magic we learn in classes will help our practical studies when we return after break."

"Hermione, the lad has only been here for a few minutes, and you've only started your vacation. Do you really have to jump right in on the next school year?" The warm voice from the doorway was that of Hermione's father, Dan, and I smiled in return as his gaze fell on me. "Besides lunch is ready."

Hermione was beaming at her father as she rushed from where she sat to give him one of her patented hugs. It was eye opening to watch the older man warmly return it. If this was what family was, then I truly wanted one. My few stays with the Weasleys had been rather hectic, and I was beginning to think that their boisterous family was the exception and not the rule.

"You'll have to explain Quidditch to dad, Harry. I've tried a few times but I'm afraid it has just been rubbish. I really don't get to watch much of the game with watching and dreading you falling off the broom at every turn." They were both obviously waiting for me, so I gave a nod and moved to follow them into the kitchen.

"Yes Harry, I'd love to learn a bit more about it. It rather seems a unique game, with nothing quite like it that I know of."There was a bit of a pause while everyone settled down at the table. Harry took the spot across from Hermione without really thinking. "Hermione says you play, seeker, is that right?"

"Yes sir…" I was quite content with the conversation for the rest of the meal. It didn't touch on anything more studious than Quidditch, and despite her assertion that she was rubbish at it Hermione was able to clear up several of the minor rules about the game that I had never really taken an interest in.