Chapter 08

"Sign here," Ragnok said softly, passing Harry a blood quill. "Don't worry. See the little point there, where you hold it? Just press your index finger against it before you write."

Harry took the quill in his hand and didn't even wince as it pricked his finger. Tashaneri had dulled his nerve endings for him. Writing his signature, he ended it off with a flourish and the fresh blood lit up in a bright red show of light.

He was emancipated.

"And now, you must provide proof that you are a Potter," Ragnok said, placing another piece of parchment on the table. "So you can inherit the estate of course."

Harry asked, "How do I do that?"

With a sorry smile, Ragnok pointed to the quill in Harry's hand again. "Ah, I see."

The process was repeated once more for the Black estate, and after an interesting light show, everything was done. Harry himself was surprised, he thought there would be some sort ridiculous process involving family rings, or rituals, or even some sort of quest, but hey, if he was able to get off easy for once, he'd take it.

"Now, we must attend to the matter of your moving out," Ragnok said. "I have prepared a list which shows the best homes possible for training and staying hidden. Would you like to see them?"

After much deliberation, debating and deciding (ooooh, three D's in a row!) Harry and Ragnok decided to settle upon a one story bungalow in Crawley. It was a new development in the area, which was filled with two or three story mansions to be quite honest. However, the bungalow had one thing that the mansions lacked: 5,200 square feet of basement.

Since the ground level floor held six bedrooms, a kitchen and a dining room, the basement level was widened in all directions to accommodate two living rooms, another kitchen, an entertainment room and four unfurnished rooms.

At first, Harry was skeptical about the bungalow, since it was in a muggle neighborhood with absolutely no magical protection. However, Ragnok pointed out that Dumbledore would most definitely think that Harry would take residence in the Potter ancestral grounds, and would therefore put a heavy guard up on the unplottable and Fidelius guarded house's perimeter.

Ragnok also vouched for Gringotts to personally go to his home and apply any and all wards necessary, or unnecessary if Harry wanted. For a small fee of course.

A few hours later, Harry's house was completely warded against magical beings. Ragnok had hired a team of mage goblins to apply a special and goblin-only Fidelius Charm called Velius Magickus Fidelius. I could really go onto a huge speech about the origins and purpose of this spell, but in order to get to the good stuff, this charm hides whatever it's cast upon from any magical being, but not muggles.

There was a Secret Keeper of course, and who better to keep the secret than a goblin of high stature? Ragnok was incredibly pleased that Harry would trust him with such powerful knowledge. In fact, he was soo pleased that he personally hired several muggle home designers to help Harry shop for his new home.

It was nearly midnight when Harry finally collapsed on his new bed. It was a king sized mass of comfy. No other means of description were required, and Tashaneri put her mental foot down on it. The mattresses were made of the spongiest –but firm – materials available and the covers were as soft as fresh down. The duvets were immensely fluffy and thick, but feathery and light. The pillows were made out of the same material as the mattresses, so Harry's head sank into them nicely as he lay down under the cream colored sheets.

"Now this is comfy," he murmured, drifting off to sleep as Tashaneri joined him.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Harry grumbled in his sleep and pressed his ears into the pillow.

Tap. Tap. Rap. RAP. RAP.

"AH! Okay, what? What?" Harry groaned, cracking a sliver of green towards the window. Hedwig was currently hovering outside across the street. Confused, Harry got up to the window and watched in fascination as his owl picked up a small rock in her talons.

She took flight and flew high into the air, diving down towards Harry's house and releasing the rock in a dive bomb. This time, it struck the front of the house on the bricks. Harry watched as she repeated the action, hitting a different spot every time.

Why is she doing that? Harry wondered. She should just come over to the window!

It's the Magical Fidelius Charm dumbass, Tashaneri replied dryly, making a mental picture of her yawning hugely. She can't see the house, but she knows you're around here somewhere. It's something about the magic in post owls or something. You'd better go outside and meet her and get that card Ragnok gave you!

Throwing on a nice cotton bathrobe, Harry quickly made his way outside, where Hedwig swooped down upon him.

"Hedwig, I missed you!" Harry fawned, as Hedwig climbed onto his outstretched arm. "Here, look at this girl."

Looking around to make sure no muggles or wizards were about, Harry pulled out the card that said, Harry's Hideaway is located at 32 High Street. (Technically, there is a home there for sale lol, I checked the classifieds. It's apparently £1,350,000!)

Hedwig looked at the letter and hooted softly to let Harry know that she somehow read the card. With an affectionate nip to his ear and some preening to his hair, which had grown about half an inch during the year, she flew through the open window in the kitchen.

Looking around to make sure no one saw, Harry happened to notice the morning's paper lying on the grass near the roadside. Directly under the sprinklers. Damn paper boys! I should throttle the kid who delivers these!

Walking out to his lawn, which then shut off the sprinklers due to pressure pads installed under the grass (yes, those exist) Harry bent over to pick up the paper.

"Harry?"

Said boy snapped his neck up and around so fast, that the whiplash caused his bone to crack most painfully and his muscles to seize, making him yelp out in pain from the sudden movement. Tashaneri immediately began to work on his nerves. The physical ones of course. His mental ones became shot once he saw who called him.

It was Hermione. Hermione in muggle clothing. No, scratch that, Hermione in muggle summer clothing. Such a sight was something Harry had never seen the studious young girl in, mind you he had seen her in Hogwarts robes, dress robes and everyday muggle clothes, but things such as a miniskirt and tube top had never graced her body, nor his eyes.

Then again… How the bloody hell can she see us –me? Harry thought in panic. He was certain that the wards would repel Hermione unless…

Harry took a few steps backwards onto his stone pathway. Hermione's face suddenly looked distraught, and her cinnamon eyes searched the area almost desperately. It seemed as if the area nearby the road wasn't part of the Fidelius Charm, and therefore anyone could see Harry if he ventured out that far.

Harry very nearly succumbed and walked out again when he saw Hermione close to tears and she quickly walked around the area, searching for him… calling his name softly as a single tear rolled down her cheek. But… he had work to do. So much work and as much as he wanted it, he had no time to spare. Not even for his best friend.

With a sad sigh that seemed to make his shoulders sag and his feet weigh twice as much, Harry trudged back into his house.

He never saw Hermione burst into tears as she sank to the ground.