I know that I have long times between updates so I'll give a little chapter reminder for what happened last time. Sorry for the 2 week gaps but I've got a lot of other work to do outside fan fiction. I hope you understand and stick with me! ;)
Last time:
No matter how much he enjoyed the ride, Harry didn't think he would be returning to this bank any time soon. He thought that would be pushing his luck slightly. Harry could see Goldwick getting jumpy about completing the deal, Harry was just as nervous but for different reasons. When the cart came to a stop, both occupants were hasty to exit. Goldwick made eye-contact as if pressing him to fulfil his end of the bargain, Harry smiled and tossed the Goblin a shrunken package before making his way towards the doors leading out of the bank. Harry was simply trying his hardest not to look shifty, it appeared he had succeeded when Harry managed to get out of the bank and to the apparition point without disruption. However, it was only when he had actually apparated through several locations without incident that Harry really relaxed. Once he was sure he was safe, Harry apparated back to the tent.
When he saw someone standing right outside the wards it made him stop in his tracks. He had apparated inside the wards so the intruder would not be able to see him but that didn't stop him from freaking out. Who the bloody hell was he?
Or, to be more accurate, who was she? (A/N Yes, I know I misled you XD Sorry, not sorry)
She was fairly short with dainty hands and feet. The tell-tale sign of a wand holster on her forearm was a dead giveaway that she was a witch. Her blonde hair and blue eyes reminded Harry of a certain someone. Well, wouldn't that be interesting? Deciding that stepping out of the wards would be his best option, he did so, he couldn't keep the lady waiting could he?
First, just to be safe, Harry instructed Kreacher to gather all of their belongings and apparate away to a safe location. A strong warning was given to Kreacher should he go to a place that Harry wouldn't consider safe, eventually Kreacher said he would go to the area by the river where they had first met. Kreacher was also warned against returning until he was called, it would be rather pointless otherwise.
Once everything was sorted, Harry stepped out of the wards to greet his visitor.
"Why hello there, what brings you to this humble patch of land?" Harry swept into a mocking bow.
"My name is Adira Mayfair, are you Arty Johnson?"
"Yes I am. What do you need with me?" Harry stood and looked in her eyes as he spoke, he recognised that name and he already knew it would have to do with the diadem.
"When Ravenclaw's diadem came to be in my possession, I was doubtful and so decided to follow the source of the ritual back to the instigator. I found you but you're not who you say you are, are you? All the people you've come into contact with claim your name is Arty but the ritual seems to think your name is Harry Potter." Now it was obvious why she was Ravenclaw's heir, she was far too curious and driven not to be.
"Do you have an actual question or are you trying to threaten me?" Harry asked blandly.
"I want to know what your reasoning is behind giving me the diadem. I know the ritual you used and I know what it means but why?" Adira's words just made Harry feel confused. Why wouldn't he give it to the rightful owner? His puzzled thoughts must have shown on his face because Adira elaborated.
"You could have sold it or used it for yourself, so why would you give it away?"
"I never thought of that," Harry paused to think and then continued, "Well, I don't deserve it and I know I would hate to have something that belongs to me taken away for someone else's selfish gain."
"Well, you're rather honourable aren't you?" Adira seemed to relax slightly and her eyes softened, "Should I call you Arty or Harry then? I'll keep your secret, I feel like things will get far too complicated if I attempt to pry into your well of secrets."
"Arty is fine and I would appreciate that." Harry smiled and decided he should invite Adira inside the tent, "Give me a moment and you can come inside?" Harry's questioning lint at the end of his sentence afforded Adira the chance to decline.
"That sounds lovely, as long as you can provide tea."
"I'm sure something could be arranged," Harry smirked before he walked back through the wards to call for Kreacher. A few minutes later found Harry and Adira sitting in the living room of the tent drinking tea and snacking on biscuits made by said house-elf. They mostly kept the conversation light, Adira knew there was something off about Harry but not the extent, after all it wasn't that weird for people to be reluctant to share their identity. At one point Harry gave Adira advice on gardening, apparently even though she had read every book about plants she couldn't keep them alive. Well, everyone had their weaknesses.
~Stupid freaking line breaks~
It had been a few days since Adira first visited and she had returned everyday since. Harry was reluctant to leave the farm, he was worried that she wouldn't want to visit anymore if he left. They had struck up a friendship in the short time they had got to know each other, even though half the time he was too busy taking care of the farm to be much company. The feeling that he should be on the move was strong, however; so he left, not before telling her where he was going and making her promise she wouldn't forget his wonderful gardening tips.
Companionship was good for Harry, at least he had Kreacher to keep him company when he was too scared to approach people. Kreacher may still refer to him as 'Filthy Master' (which earned him some funny looks from Adira when he didn't reprimand him) but he was funny in his own way.
Anyway, Harry needed to continue on his quest. There was no point in dawdling. He needed to plough on, get the horcruxes and leave.
It had already been decided that he would aim for the diary next, Malfoy was going down. He just needed a plan, this would be more difficult than the other horcruxes. He couldn't bargain and sneaking in would be difficult, though Harry did still have to experiment with wards. Maybe that should be his top priority.
Ward experimentation was hard, he couldn't exactly try to break through his own wards because his magic would automatically let him through. Kreacher was his only option, if he wanted to keep everything on the down low. Kreacher could only make basic wards but it was nice to test it out with something that wouldn't skin him alive when he tried to pass through, it was funny that Kreacher seemed to know wards that would change the colour of your skin if you walked through uninvited. Even though Kreacher didn't say anything Harry could tell that he was getting a kick out of seeing Harry purple, his croaky chuckles were probably a hint too.
He had contemplated whether or not he would be able to pass through wards because of his new found magic and his dead-yet-not-quite-dead status but the experiments with Kreacher seemed to disprove this theory, seeing as he had been every colour of the rainbow at least twice. Maybe it would only work with human magic or something, otherwise it would make no sense that he managed to get the diadem or the locket. It would be ridiculous to assume that Harry had found the diadem with just pure wit, generations of students had searched for the diadem so it couldn't have been as simple as levitating a statue. It was most likely that there were powerful wards around the diadem that made it undetectable, Riddle would have seen them and managed to break through them.
When Harry thought of the solution he felt incredibly stupid, why didn't he just try apparating into Hogwarts? If he failed and raised some sort of alarm he could just get Dumbledore to sort things out, that did seem a bit of a cop out but he didn't have much choice. Deciding he should warn Dumbledore he sent a patronus, strictly instructing it to wait until Dumbledore was alone before revealing itself and to return once the message had been received. Harry sat down to relax once he had watched his stag gallop away. It might take a while for the Professor to get some time alone seeing as he had to teach classes, so he may as well get comfortable.
He must have dozed off because it was dark when he felt the nose of his stag nudging him awake. It appeared it was time for him to get going. Hefting himself up and straightening his clothes, Harry walked out of the tent. With a final deep breath he twisted on the spot...
And appeared in the grounds of Hogwarts.
This would make things much easier. Malfoy Manor wouldn't know what hit it. It would probably be good to scout out the premises, figure out where the library was (etc.) even though he had been imprisoned there, he hadn't gotten the grand tour. He just needed his ticket in.
Coming back to himself and realising that he was standing around like a lemon, he apparated out of Hogwarts and into his tent. Plans needed to be made and houses needed to be broken into. Harry's best shot would be to get into the Manor through some sort of formal event, a ball or banquet maybe. Then he would be able to sneak around under his invisibility cloak with the noise of the party being the perfect distraction. All the guests would make it incredibly difficult to identify the thief and easy for him to slip in and out. The Malfoy's just needed a reason to celebrate and Harry could give them one.
~Stupid freaking line breaks~
Harry was sure that if Malfoy made a truckload of money he would be inclined to rub it in the face of his enemies, his friends and his acquaintances-basically irritate everyone he knew with his new wealth. Maybe one of the businesses he invested in could get a huge boost in sales (1), that would certainly be reason to celebrate. Harry would need more money if he wanted to do that though, maybe he could get some help. Dumbledore was going to hate him after all this was over.
Yet another message needed to be sent to Dumbledore, things were so much easier when Dumbledore was Headmaster and Harry could bug him any time of day. With a patronus on it's way and Harry's mind made up, Harry made his way to Diagon Alley to waste time. While he had nothing to do, he might as well buy a couple things that would be useful later on. One thing that he really wanted to buy was a pensive, the Horcrux hunt would be getting a lot harder from now on and Harry's Occlumency wasn't up to scratch so he wanted to keep important memories in the pensive. It would also make things easier when he wanted to organise his thoughts, it was surprisingly helpful.
He also wanted to pay a visit to Ollivanders to get a new wand, getting one would be a good idea so that he wouldn't have to explain the Elder wand if it was discovered. There was defiantly no point trying to disguise himself from Ollivander, he was strangely perceptive and likely saw past most enchantments. He would have to be good to make and sell magic wands, even Voldemort had seen his worth and kidnapped him for it. He was strangely knowledgeable and likely had connections with many wizards, including Dumbledore, so it wouldn't surprise him if the wand maker already knew who he was.
Making his way towards the familiar, dusty old shop was a weird experience. It was as though it hadn't changed at all, it didn't look any newer, the same amount of letters were missing from the overhead sign and there was the same wand in the shop window. It was comforting and off-putting at the same time. Shaking his head to compose himself, Harry made his way towards the door and opened it to reveal an empty shop. Well, was Ollivanders ever truly empty? Harry wouldn't be surprised if he stayed in the shadows of the shelves to evaluate his customers and perceive their reaction to his sudden appearances. All the magic in the air from the wands and protection spells surrounding the building meant that Ollivander wouldn't even have to try to conceal his presence. When Ollivander popped up a few moments later it seemed to confirm his suspicions.
"I hope you don't plan to steal from my shop now, Mr Johnson?" Defiantly had connections then...
"I wouldn't dream of it." Harry chuckled.
"That's good, I don't think anyone has ever been successful in stealing a wand from me so I wouldn't want you to ruin my reputation." Ollivander didn't smile but his eyes were gentle.
"I merely wish to purchase a wand today, if you wouldn't mind." As he said this Harry walked closer to the desk and got the perfect view of Ollivander's back as he hurled between the shelves to find Harry a suitable wand.
"Did you lose your last wand?" Ollivander questioned as he darted around.
"Something like that," Harry mumbled. It had actually been lost in the Final Battle but he couldn't exactly say that.
"I see, well I shall try and find you a match." He didn't make eye-contact but that probably had to do with the fact that he had a collection of wands in his arms that blocked his vision. He deposited these on the desk and motioned for Harry to experiment with one at the top of the pile. Just as he had expected, as soon as he touched it the wand was ripped from his grasp and replaced. The strange yet soothing procedure was known to Harry so he didn't feel as surprised by Ollivander's actions as the wizard was probably expecting. Multiple wands were presented to Harry and taken away without a second thought, it should be enough to irritate anyone but Harry had learnt great amounts of patience over his life. After they had passed the 100 wand mark, things were getting cluttered. Discarded wands and their boxes were scattered on, and around, the counter. Only a few had gotten any sort of reaction from Harry, the one thing he needed to make sure of was that he didn't get the Holly and Phoenix feather wand. Things could get complicated if that were to happen.
It were easier said than done, the Holly wand was thrust into his hands before Harry even knew what was happening. Light with the intensity of the sun burst out of the end of his wand. It almost blinded him, a few moments later he was still blinking away the inky spots that wouldn't leave his vision.
"Well, crap," Harry sighed, he really didn't need this.
"It appears you know what this is and it's significance. I thought I should test it out on you. It appeared I was right. You do realise that I can't give this wand to any other person, no matter who it should be bonded with. The wand chooses the wizard, not even your counterpart would be able to function this wand now. You are different people, this wand shall always belong to you. It can never be stolen because the bond has already been forged. This shall remain between us."
Harry stared at Ollivander blankly, there would be no point denying what Ollivander said. He was bloody curious as to how he had guessed he was a time traveller but Harry knew confirming his suspicions would be even worse.
"Okay then, I think that would make things easier." Was all Harry said. This did cause Ollivander to look at him with extreme curiosity but nothing more was said between the two. Harry left the shop without even a backwards glance, he had nothing to say and a lot to think about. That pensive was going to be really helpful in the near future!
He wasn't quite sure where you could buy pensives from so he just wandered around, hoping for some clarity. It was only then that Harry remembered he needed to keep a low profile, especially if he went near Knockturn Alley. There was a high chance that Borgin would have committed his face to memory should he ever turn up around here. Harry knew he could take him, he was the Master of Death after all, so he held no fears about that, however; it would be a rather irritating to draw so much attention. Mind made up, Harry steered clear of the shadowed alleyway. He preferred to take in the sights of Diagon, it was far more welcoming and would have a higher chance of having what he needed. The bright cobbled street wasn't too busy because Hogwarts was in session but there were still a fair few shoppers.
Instead of people-watching Harry decided he should head to a shop owner and ask after pensives. Might as well try Flourish and Blotts first, the shop prided itself on selling books so the owner must be pretty knowledgeable, right? It appeared he was wrong, the employee behind the desk was such a simpleton that Harry found he couldn't even come up with an adjective that would suitably sum up how moronic they were. It soon became clear that he wouldn't be able to get any useful information and so left the shop.
"Dear Merlin," Harry mumbled, "That was almost unbearable."
"It is rather sad how much the quality of education has gone down, isn't it?" This was said by a tall, elderly stranger as they walked out of the very shop Harry had just vacated.
"I couldn't disagree with you more, it is the quality of people that has gone down." Harry smiled up at the stranger to gauge his reaction.
"Haha, I think I like you," The man chuckled, "It's a pleasure to make your aquantance, my name is Nicholas Lovegood."
"Arty Johnson." Was Harry's reply. He had experienced a lot of introductions recently.
They engaged in a bit of mindless chatter for a while before Nicholas had to make his leave, this relieved Harry slightly. He had to make sure he got the pensieve and arrived on time to hear the verdict of his patronus.
Swiftly making his way towards the Apothecary, which was his next best bet, he crossed his fingers and begged for patience. Luckily, his prayers had been answered and they were able to point him towards the shop across from them which sold the item he required. Thanking him profusely Harry exited the shop and froze. Leaving against the shop he wished to enter was a Malfoy.
Composing himself and walking with purpose and pride, Harry strode up to the door and made his way inside without incident. Finally scanning the shelves full of pensieves, Harry quickly snatched one up so that he could get out of here. There were too many close calls and new people which made Harry nervous.
Harry managed to slip out of the shop unnoticed, thankfully, which allowed him to relax slightly. This did not stop him from rushing to the apparation point. Once he was in the safety of his tent, Harry let out a sigh.
Waiting for him was his patronus. It appeared Dumbledore had agreed to a meeting.
~Stupid freaking line breaks~
"So, you want me in invest thousands of Galleons in Mr Malfoy's company so that he will throw a lavish party which will give you the cover to steal from him?" Dumbledore's summary of the situation really did make it sound like a stupid plan but Harry stuck with it.
"Yes." Was his genius reply.
All Dumbledore did was gaze at Harry over his spectacles and stroke his beard. "Very well then. If this is what it takes, I will do as you say. However, I have one adjustment to make. I will transfer this money over to you which will give you a chance to slip into the party under more-legal-means."
For a moment Harry looked shocked. He hadn't thought of it that way, it would make things an awful lot easier. A smile began to stretch his face as he said, "Thank you very much sir, I will compete this task to the best of my ability."
"I'm sure you will, my boy, I'm sure you will. Now, I have papers to grade and companies to invest in. I will contact you when the money has been transferred." At this obvious dismissal Harry went on his way.
~Stupid freaking line breaks~
It would take a few days for the money to go through so Harry spent that time looking up pureblood etiquette and the companies that Malfoy owned. He decided the should invest in one of the smaller businesses to give the feeling of a bigger accomplishment on Malfoy's part. Watching a small buisness start to rake in the profits was probably just, if more, satisfying than a seeing a bigger corporation get another investor.
Harry's efforts appeared to have paid off because just a hours after he had made a donation he was invited to Malfoy manor for a ball that would be taking place the following week. Harry was quick to consult the pureblood book he had purchased to form a reply and after a few minutes of drafting, he sent off the owl. Apparantly it was rude to keep the recipient waiting, Harry just thought it made it seem like he had nothing else to do.
The next few days found Harry busy preparing for the ball. He practiced his bowing and small talk, he bought new robes and he attempted to tame his hair. It was, mostly, successful. His hair was never going to change but he looked pretty damn good otherwise. He also sketched out a map of Malfoy Manor from what he could remember. It would allow him to waste mess time and cross out a good portion of the house. It was doubtful the library was next to the dungeons after all.
Harry wasn't sure how he would react being back in that house but this needed to be done. As long as he stayed calm and didn't punch anyone things should go smoothly.
~Stupid freaking line breaks~
Harry was still telling himself this as he prepared to make his grand entrance to the ball a week later. His robes were a crisp black and green combination with delicate silver stitching that formed bold patterns around the hem. They were made of the finest quality material so he was unlikely to be looked down upon for his muggle name.
Straightening his back, Harry gave a precise tap on the doors to announce his presence. Harry found his eyes automatically falling to house-elf height as the door was opened, he doubted that Malfoy himself would answer the door. Just as he had predicted, a nervous little creature gave him access to the manor. It appeared he was right on time because the party was in full swing, dancers took to the floor whilst musicians played gentle music. The atmosphere was rather stiff but welcoming enough.
Harry's first contact with the Malfoy's happened a few moments later as they glided forward to welcome their new guest.
"Good evening, we are delighted you could make it Mr Johnson. This is my wife, Lyra Malfoy nee Black." Harry bent to initiate the customary kiss to the hand that people found charming and then stood to shake Abraxas' hand. After a bit of small talk and various introductions Harry could feel himself tiring.
Lavish parties had never been his thing. The Triwizard tournament was proof enough of that. His dancing was atrocious so Harry made sure to stay far from any possible dance partners. Harry's main aims for this event were to provide an alibi for himself and to build trust with the Malfoys. If he did so then they would be less likely to suspect him.
The best way to do that was by socialising with members of the party, this was easier said than done. Another skill Harry lacked was the ability to deal with pureblood bullshit, however; he tried his best considering the number of jabs he heard about his heritage.
Harry strode towards an individual who appeared to have moderate temperament, any glares that he directed at Harry appeared rather weak in comparison to others in the room. As Harry got closer it appeared that the man was growing gradually more uncomfortable. This did nothing to stop Harry's progress towards him, he would look like an idiot if he stopped in the middle of the room. This did not please the stranger, it was obvious by the increasingly vicious glares being sent his way. 'Oh well, too late now'. Was all Harry had the chance to think before he found himself face to face with the dark haired stranger. He seemed to have come to the decision that Harry was an unavoidable nuisance as he made eye contact. This led Harry to discover he had decided to approach a twenty-something version of Tom Riddle. 'Well...damn. This would surely come back to bite him in the arse.'
Immediately Harry began making comparisons between this Riddle and the Riddle of his world. He appeared closer to the 'Voldemort stage' than Harry had expected. He had still maintained his good looks-to an extent. His eyes were definitely closer to red than brown (as they had appeared at distance); his skin was paler and he appeared more frail than his teenage self would have. Another huge difference was the way he carried himself, he was less confident. He had a hunched over posture that hinted at some sort of condition. Frankly, he looked rather weak. This did nothing to ease Harry's nerves. After all, appearances could be deceiving.
His examination of Riddle appeared to have taken too long and Riddle was getting agitated so he initiated a conversation, for politeness sake.
"Was there something you needed?" Well, not so polite.
"I'm terribly sorry sir, I was merely hoping to socialise but it appears that blood status is not something that can be surpassed to do so. Thank you." At this, Harry made a hasty retreat to the beverage table. "That went well..." Harry muttered to himself.
After gulping down a glass of wine he attempted to drag other people into conversations. Sometimes he was successful, other times his existence was ignored completely. Eventually Harry decided to swiftly make his excuses so that he could start his search. To do so he stalked down a few corridors and attempted to gain his bearings. Consulting the map he had made Harry looked at the rooms in front of him, maybe it would be easier to just check all the rooms he came across. Or-yes! He could just feel around for any doors that were warded, Malfoy was sure to keep the diary protected with wards.
With his mind made up, Harry allowed his magic to run wild. He would have to be fast if he wanted to avoid detection. His magic encountered door after door only a few of which had wards placed over them. This process may have drained his magic rather fast but eventually gained him access to the libary. Once again spreading his magic to the maximum, he coated all surfaces with magic, trying to find a hidden compartment or room somewhere. It appeared luck was on his side as he discovered a small aclove in the corner of the room, foreign magic left a strong resonance behind but Harry ignored it as he reached inside and whipped out the diary.
"Success!" Harry whispered to himself as he tucked the diary away and made to leave the library. It was only then that he heard the hasty footsteps of someone swiftly approaching. Frantically Harry tossed his invisiblity cloak over himself and hid in the corner of the room, this all appeared to be for nothing as the footsteps walked straight past the door without even pausing. Harry stayed where he was a few moments more and then walked over to the door. It was likely that someone had sensed his magic when he had been searching for this room. Just as he had reached the door, listening for any sounds, he was smacked in the face by said door. It was as he was falling to the floor that he realised his cloak had slipped off his face slightly. This gave the intruder-well he was intruding on Harry's business-the perfect opportunity to look him right in the eyes. Before the man could do anything, Harry had directed his wand at him under his cloak and knocked him unconscious with a 'Stupefy'. Without further ado, Harry closed the door, with the man on the inside, and cast a silencing charm on the room before apparating out.
It was a good thing Harry did because only moments later another person burst into the room to investigate the disturbance. This led to the discovery of the unconscious man and the eventual outburst that occurred over the missing diary.
~Stupid freaking line breaks~
Meanwhile, Harry ripped off his stuffy robes and changed into his pajamas before heading to bed. As his head was hitting the pillow, he almost hit himself when he realised that he should have obliviated the witness. He would have to deal with the consequences of that.
(1) Yes, I have no idea how investments work so if anything is inaccurate please don't kill me XD