Whoa! Two chapters in one day, that's pretty good for me so yay! I'll try to update often and I'll be focused on this story though I may post the beginnings of another story, more as a test run for it. Enjoy the chapter and PM me or review with any questions or concerns!
(Quick-Note- I don't know if this is true but in my story Trainers (English) and Sneakers (American) are the same thing, if they aren't please review or PM me and tell me! Thanks.)
Chapter Two
Harry set down the letter on the soft grass and turned to the list, it read: HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)
By Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic
By Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory
By Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration
By Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi
By Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions
By Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
By Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection
By Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS
ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK
Yours sincerely,
Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus
Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions
"So it's simply a list of school supplies that I'll need, I wonder where I'm going to buy this stuff. And I'm sure I'll need more than three robes, I'll just get a full wardrobe." Harry muttered to himself.
His question was answered as he read the short note:
Dear Mr. Potter,
I must apologize for the late letter as we had a bit of difficulty finding your exact area. Now normally, we would send a Professor from the school to explain about the world of magic but we have reason to believe that someone has already explained enough to you. Also, all of our teachers are a bit busy at the moment so I will simply write down instructions on how to get to Diagon Alley, the wizarding shopping center. I dare say that you'll need an owl to correspond with your family or any friends you make in the magical world.
Good Luck,
Headmaster Albus P.W.B. Dumbledore
Harry lifted a perfectly shaped eyebrow at the less than professional letter his new Headmaster had sent him but shrugged it off and read the directions to Diagon Alley. They were pretty straight forward and easy to understand but all Harry needed was a picture of it to be able to get there. Luckily for him, Dumbledore had included a picture of the pub the Leaky Cauldron so that Harry would recognize it.
Harry stuffed the parchments back into the envelope and put it back into his pocket before standing up and brushing himself off. He took a calming breath and once again took off through the forest.
The run back to Number Four seemed shorter than before but that could be because Harry was running full of energy instead of an empty stomach. He slowed to a jog as he exited the forest and jogged down the block back home.
As he entered the house he ignored his Uncle in the living room and headed straight for the kitchen. Inside he predictably found his Aunt sitting at the table looking through a fashion magazine and sipping a glass of iced tea.
He pulled out the Hogwarts envelope and held it up; Aunt Petunia caught sight of it and sighed. She stood up and hugged Harry tightly for a minute before kissing his head and holding him at arm's length.
Harry could see in her eyes that nothing had changed, he was still her favorite and only nephew and she was still his loving and caring aunt, nothing had changed. Harry once again pecked Aunt Petunia on the cheek and then headed upstairs to change clothes.
He threw on black skinny jeans and a black belt; he replaced his Sleeping with Sirens t-shirt with a tight red Pierce the Veil band tee. Harry put his red and black Nike trainers back on and replaced his diamond earrings with obsidian ones. He looked in the full length mirror on the back of his door and ran his fingers through his dark red hair that he loved the most about his appearance.
"Man, I am one sexy beast!" Harry murmured to himself with a smirk. His hair looked ruffled in an I-just-rolled-out-of-bed-but-I'm-still-hotter-than-you kind of way. Harry never bragged about himself or spent hours in front of a mirror but he was definitely confident in his abilities to get a girlfriend if he wanted one.
Harry didn't even bother to leave his room; he simply cleared his mind and focused on the image of the outside of the Leaky Cauldron. He could feel a familiar tingling rushing up from his toes until it reached his scalp.
'3… 2… 1…' right on time, Harry disappeared with only a small ripple through the air and appeared in front of the pub. Harry looked around and saw that no one had seen his arrival except for a child on the other side of the street. Harry smiled and winked at the kid before entering the pub before the kid could tell his oblivious mother.
It was dark and his keen eyes could see the swirling dust mites in the air. He focused himself and walked up to the cheerful looking fellow behind the bar.
"Hello sir, could you let me into the alley?" Harry asked politely. He subconsciously brushed his fingers through his hair, and didn't realize the significance of his move until the bartender gasped.
"Bless my soul, its Har," The bartender began. His words were abruptly halted as Harry rudely stuck his hand over the man's mouth and shook his head with a stern glare. Surprisingly the man looked chastised. Harry slowly took his hands off of the man's mouth and let his hand fall to his side.
"Sorry, I'm afraid I got a bit excited. I won't mention it. Just follow me and I'll show you to the Alley. My name is Tom by the way." As they walked toward the back door, Harry couldn't help but notice that every eye in the pub was on them but no one knew who he was yet.
Harry studied Tom and the brick wall between them and Diagon Alley intensely. He could feel the magic coming from the brick wall and leaking through it so it was definitely the right place. He memorized and filed away the pattern of bricks that Tom had tapped.
Harry bid Tom a good day and stepped through the newly revealed archway into Diagon Alley for the first time and he instantly felt like he had made a huge mistake.
Everything looked so… old fashioned and dull. Sure, there bright colors and crowds of people bustling about but everything looked as though it was still stuck in the Middle Ages. Harry sighed to himself and got on with his shopping.
Thanks to the directions Headmaster Dumbledore had given him, Harry found Gringotts rather quickly. He returned the bow the Guard-Goblin had given him and entered the bank.
Harry didn't expect there to be so many goblins but he hid his shock rather nicely. He noticed the disgusted looks he was getting from a rather stuck-up looking blond man at his muggle clothes; Aunt Petunia had taught him that term and had explained why he would get those kinds of looks.
Harry looked at the man seriously for a second before smirking and turning away. In his peripheral vision he could see the indignant expression upon the man's face. It was all Harry could do to not laugh.
"How may I help you, Mr. …" The goblin teller asked. Harry turned back to the goblin and said, "Potter, my name is Harry Potter and I'd like to get some money from my Trust Vault please." Aunt Petunia had told him about that as well, apparently his mother had informed her about his vaults in case something happened to her and Harry's dad.
"You are aware of your others vaults, correct?" the goblin asked.
"Yes sir, I was informed by my current guardian. I just need some money for my Hogwarts supplies please." Harry replied.
"Very well Mr. Potter, follow me and I shall take you to your Trust Vault." Harry followed the small goblin down a short narrow hallway until they came to the beginnings of a track of some sort.
Harry could hear a rattling sound coming from far down the track and about two minutes later a rickety looking cart came to a stop in front of them. Harry stared at the goblin incredulously. They honestly expected him to ride that death trap to his vault?
"Isn't there a way to get money without going down to my vault?" Harry asked hurriedly. The goblin grinned, which was a scary sight, and said, "There is a Gringotts credit card that works in both worlds however you would have to go down to your vault to get it anyway, so climb in Mr. Potter."
"You are enjoying this way too much." Harry muttered. He shivered as he heard the goblin chuckle. Harry had expected to fall to his death within the first few seconds after they had sped down the tracks but after relaxing, Harry loved the speed and the way the wind whipped through his hair, it was almost like flying!
Harry couldn't resist throwing his hands in the air and yelling, "Woohoo!" at the top of his lungs. The goblin beside him simply shook his head and muttered, "Humans," under his breath.
The ride was over quicker than Harry would've like but he got out from the cart and stood back as the goblin pulled out a little golden key from a glowing pouch on his hip.
"This is the only key to your Trust Vault, anyone with it will be able to open your vault so be careful with it Mr. Potter." The goblin said seriously. Harry nodded quickly and after the goblin opened his vault, he walked in.
Harry was immediately blown away by the sheer amount of gold coins in this vault, and this was just his Trust Vault! Harry simply had to run around the vault and jump into piles of money.
After he was finished giving into his childish urge, Harry looked around and saw a few things in the back of the vault that wasn't money. There was a glossy black trunk, a long flat box on top of that, a small square box, and a silver locket with a ruby in its center lay across the top of the trunk.
Harry slowly picked up the small box first and opened it. He picked up the folded letter inside and saw the fancy and obviously expensive ring underneath. Harry set the box back down and unfolded the letter, he was hit with a scent like chocolate and lightning. He didn't know how lightning smelt but he imagined it smelt like what he smelled now.
He read:
Dear My Little Boy,
By the time you are reading this, you probably aren't a little boy anymore but you'll always be my little boy. If you haven't guessed by now, I'm your mother, Lily Anne Evans-Potter.
Hopefully, your dad, James Charlus Potter, is reading this over your shoulder but if what I feared came to pass, then we are both gone. Harry let me tell you that your father and I love you more than we love life, even if we are gone. And we are sorry that we had to leave you so soon. Never forget that, ever.
We were the happiest people in the world when you were born Harry; you brought life and love to our lives in a dark time. You were what we were fighting against the dark side for.
Now, the ring that was under this note is the Heir Ring to the House of Potter. Wearing that signifies that you're Heir Potter and when you turn fifteen, you'll be Lord Potter.
There should be a trunk in this vault as well, in that trunk are some photo albums of your father, his friends, and I along with pictures of you as a baby. Cherish it always Harry.
Also, in the trunk should be all of our old books and some things we thought you should know. Be very careful with these belongings Harry.
I hope that my sister Petunia is taking good care of you and if she is then tell her I said thank you and I love her, and give her the box in the trunk. Know that your dad and I love you dearly and we'll be watching over you from Heaven. Stay safe and if you're anything like your father, stay out of trouble!
Love
Mum
Harry was teary eyed by the time he had finished the letter and he sent up a quick prayer to his parents before placing the letter in his jeans pocket. Harry picked up the ring box again and studied the ring.
It was obviously made for a boy; it was silver with a little design on a large blood red ruby that was surrounded by little diamonds. The design was a silver phoenix with his wings spread and his talons out, ready for battle etched into the surface of the ruby.
Harry thought it looked rather cool and slid it onto his right ring. Instantly, it shrunk a little to fit his finger perfectly and the ruby glowed brightly for a second before settling down. If Harry focused on the ring he could feel a slight hum coming from it.
Harry placed the small box on a nearby pile of gold and turned his attention to the silver locket. It had a blood red ruby on its center with the same silver design as the ring. Harry put it on and the locket rest against his chest, right next to his heart, instead of being cold though, it was warm.
Harry opened the locket and inside was two pictures. The one on the left was obviously of his mother and father holding a baby, which was him. They were all smiling and waving in the picture. The picture on the left was of five people. His mother and father, they were holding him again. On either side of them were a tall dark haired man and a tall sandy haired man. They were also all smiling and waving in the picture.
Harry had a feeling that he should recognize these two men but he couldn't recall their names. He closed the locket and tucked it into his shirt. Next, Harry picked up the long flat box and opened it. Inside was what Harry assumed was a wand. It was obsidian, smooth and cool to the touch; it had a small inscription on the handle that read: Potter.
There was a letter tucked into the side that had a different handwriting than his mother's. It read:
Dear Son,
I'm sure your mother has told you this but we love you more than life itself and we will be proud of the man you become because we know that you'll be the best person you can be. This wand was handcrafted by the very first wand-maker of the world, back before even Merlin was born.
Apparently, our ancestor, Octavus Potter had saved the wand-maker's life and so the wand-maker crafted Octavus a wand as a gift. This isn't just any wand, Harry. This wand was made to shape itself to be the perfect wand for whichever Potter uses it. It can only be held and used by a Potter and as soon as you grip it, it will form to be your perfect wand.
This wand has been passed down from father to son for centuries. I had it when my dad gave it to me, and now I want you to have it. Harry, I sincerely wish that I could've been with you to hand you this wand personally and tell you how much I love you but I can't and there aren't enough words in every language combined to describe how much your mum and I love you.
Another thing about this wand is that it cannot be tracked for underage magic. The ministry tracks all bought wands for that but since this one isn't bought, you can do all the magic you want without getting caught. Go nuts!
Harry, always do what you know to be right and best for you. Be the best person you can be and stay safe. If you're anything like me you'll get into lots of trouble, just make sure you get out of it alive! We love you but we don't want to see your beautiful little face for many, many years.
Love you always,
Dad
Harry was once again teary eyed and he placed that letter in his pocket with the letter from his mother. Harry had never felt closer to his parents than he did right at that moment. It meant everything to him to be able to have those letters from his parents, to have it in their own writing that they did love him and they didn't want to leave him.
Harry pulled himself together and slowly picked up the wand. For a second, it felt foreign and awkward in his hands until it began to morph. The color stayed the same however it changed length and thickness. It also seemed to change whatever was inside the wand because the magic that Harry felt within it changed as well.
Harry gripped the wand tightly and when the wand stopped changing, he felt as though the wand was simply an extension of him. Harry put the wand box with the ring box on the pile of gold beside him and finally turned to the trunk.
He touched the lid and wondered where the lock and key was when the lid simply popped open. The inside of the trunk was clearly larger than the trunk should allow but Harry shrugged and thought, 'Magic.'
He could see a few items in the trunk; they all seemed to have some sort of tag on them, like a label. He picked up some kind of holster thing and read the label: This is a wand holster. You place your wand in it and strap it to your forearm. If you tense a muscle in your arm, your wand should slide out into your hand. It may take a few tried to perfect it because the wand draws fast.
Harry strapped the holster to his right forearm and placed his wand in it. Harry tensed a muscle in his arm and thanks to his fast reflexes, he caught it. He had caught it awkwardly and tried again. This time, when Harry caught it, he caught it in a way that felt right.
Harry re-holstered his wand and closed the trunk; he'd finish looking through it when he got home. He looked around the vault and spotted what must be the credit card the goblin had told him about. Harry grabbed that and left the vault. He must've been in that vault for a while seeing as the goblin who had brought him there was asleep inside the cart.
Harry coughed politely and waited for the goblin to stand after it awoke. The ride back was silent as Harry contemplated everything that he had seen today.
After getting off of the cart, Harry bid the goblin a good day and exited the bank. He did his shopping quickly and even managed to get a full wardrobe of wizarding clothes, though he preferred his muggle clothes any day. Harry brought a little extra of everything that was on his list and he had somehow managed to buy the set of books for the first three years of Hogwarts.
Harry loaded all of these things in his trunk which seemed to expand on the inside with the more things he put in it. After shopping, Harry had Tom the Bartender shrink his trunk for him and add featherweight charms to it. Then, he slipped it into his other pocket and left the pub.
The street was completely deserted by this time so Harry had no time transporting himself home. He appeared over his bed and landed with a slight bounce but no sound.
Harry brushed his clothes off and lied down on his bed; he needed a moment to think about all that had happened today. Harry slipped into his meditative state and sorted through all of his memories, thoughts, and emotions of that day. It was like a rollercoaster and Harry was so caught up in his mind, he slipped into a deep sleep.