Come What May

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter works belong to J.K. Rowling.

Mildly Inspired by Knowledge is Power by Fetucini

Chapter 02: Meet The Parents

Harry's mouth dropped open but it quickly changed to a big wide smile. He never realized anything could be so beautiful… so wondrous. And Diagon Alley was that and more. It was truly amazing. Harry turned to face Tom, the bartender at the Leaky Cauldron, who opened the doorway to the alley. "Thanks a lot Tom. I really appreciate it."

"No problem lad. You take care now. Best make the bank, Gringotts, that's the white building at the end of the alley your first stop. You would need the wizarding money before you can buy anything in the alley."

Harry nodded and stepped into the alley. "By the way, what's your name?" asked Tom.

Harry turned around with the grin still on his face. "Harry Potter," and he raced toward the bank missing the surprised expression, which turned to that of grief on Tom's face. He shook his head and closed the gateway.

As Harry raced toward the bank, he wished he had more eyes to take in all the sights at once. It was amazing to say the least.

A plump woman outside an Apothecary was shaking her head as they passed, saying, "Dragon liver, sixteen Sickles an ounce, they're mad…"

A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium —

Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy. Several boys of about Harry's age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. "Look," Harry heard one of them say, "the new Nimbus Two Thousand — fastest ever —" There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Harry had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon…

And finally he reached a snowy white building made of marble with big letters on the top spelled GRINGOTTS. He quickly climbed up the stairs and arrived at a set of bronze doors being guarded by a ferocious being, dressed in full armor and holding a spear. The letter hadn't said they were any creatures here.

Seeing him, the creature bowed and ushered him inside. Then Harry arrived at a set of silver doors with words engraved upon them.

Enter, stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed,

For those who take, but do not earn,

Must pay most dearly in their turn.

So if you seek beneath our floors

A treasure that was never yours,

Thief, you have been warned, beware

Of finding more than treasure there.

As he finished reading it, he felt some kind of a weight trying to leach on to him and pushed back. There were two creatures guarding the door and they looked at each other surprised. They knew only a very powerful wizard can withstand their compulsion and were surprised to see an 11 year old doing so.

One creature ushered Harry in, while the other walked inside with him. Harry saw about a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Harry joined a queue of people in front of a counter.

He glanced at the creature that walked inside with him and saw him talking to another creature that was dressed in a suit of some kind. That creature in a suit glanced at Harry and nodded to the one in armor, who then left back to guard the door.

Harry didn't know what happened and was a little apprehensive when his turn came. But he walked on resolutely toward the creature looking down at him from the counter.

"Yes, what can I do for you?"

"Err… Hello? I am new to the whole magic thing. Can you tell me what you are?"

The creature scowled at him, but answered nonetheless. After all, this wizard asked politely. "We are of the goblin race, sir."

Harry nodded. Goblins! Who knew they were real. "Thank you. I need some wizarding money to shop in the alley."

The goblin pointed to another goblin with a longer queue. "That is the counter where you can exchange muggle money for wizarding money. Thank you."

Harry guessed muggle money to mean, normal money and was about to leave toward the line, when he got an idea. He stopped in his tracks and looked back at the goblin.

"I am sorry to bother you, but I have a question."

The goblin was clearly irritated. "Make it quick. In Gringotts time is money."

"Thanks. I know my parents were wizards and I was wondering if they had any money here…"

"What is your name?"

"Harry James Potter."

The goblin was surprised to hear this. It looked down at the boy before him more clearly. The goblin finally nodded and produced a parchment and a heavy quill. "Please write your name in full."

Harry took the quill in his hand and signed his name. Harry James Potter in some dark red ink he couldn't see.

The goblin took the parchment back and waved a hand on it. "Please wait here, Mr. Potter."

Harry waited patiently and the goblin came back within 10 minutes and handed over 2 keys to Harry. "You have two vaults Mr. Potter. One is a trust vault setup by your parents and the other the Potter family vault."

Harry took the keys in wonder. One is a small bronze one and the other a larger gold one. He guessed the larger one belonged to his family vault. "Thank you. May I ask how much I have available?"

The goblin looked back at his records. It waved its hand creating a duplicate and gave it to Harry. "Your trust vault hasn't been used since it was setup by your parents ten years ago. It has thirty thousand galleons. The only withdrawals from your family vault these past ten years have been made to St. Mungos in order to support your parents. It now has little over a million galleons."

Harry's eyes widened. "Is St. Mungos a hospital, sir?"

"It is. Though I do not know where it is located."

Harry nodded glumly. "How much does a galleon equal in moggle money?"

"It's muggle Mr. Potter and approximately 7 pounds to a galleon."

Harry couldn't believe his ears. He is a millionaire.

"How can I withdraw money from these vaults?"

"I will have someone take you down to the vaults. Brimspear!"

A second goblin arrived a few seconds later and Harry followed him. "Where to first, sir?" asked the goblin.

Harry thought about it for a second. "Which is the closest vault?"

"That would be your trust vault. Please climb into the cart."

Harry climbed into a mining cart and was carted off in a wild ride to his vault. By the time the cart came to a stop he was laughing in delight. He had enjoyed that thoroughly.

Brimspear opened the door to the cart and beckoned Harry to follow him. "Key please."

Harry gave him the key and the goblin opened the door for him. They were stacks of gold, silver and bronze coins in there. Harry never saw such wealth before and it was all his. He wondered how much 2 million would look like if 30,000 would look like this.

He walked into the vault and stared at the coins again. "What's the difference between the coins?"

The goblin looked at Harry strangely before it explained. "The gold ones are Galleons, Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty- nine Knuts to a Sickle."

Harry did a quick math in his head. If his parents setup 30,000 galleons for his education, or at least that's what Harry thought, then he will need to spread it out over 7 years. That would come to 4,285 galleons an year approximately.

"Can I have 4,285 galleons please?"

The goblin took an empty bag lying inside and then levitated the required galleons into it. Harry was impressed with the first serious bit of magic he saw and the goblin was able to do it without a wand. Brilliant!

Soon he got out of the bank and looked around. He saw a wizard appear out of thin air and another shrinking a trunk with his wand. It seemed wizards need wand to do magic, though Harry wondered why he could levitate the leaf without one, even if it exhausted him. He decided to get his wand first before he could enquire about his parents. Then, if he had to come back to the alley he can do that without depending on anyone.

He looked at the parchment listing the shops in the alley and saw the place he could get a wand is called Ollivanders. So he searched for the shop until he found it. It was a narrow shabby shop, with peeling gold letters on the top reading: Ollivander: Makers of fine wands since 382 B.C. To tell the truth, Harry was not impressed by it. But then, it must be a very old shop.

Harry shrugged and slowly opened the door and stepped inside. He stood there for a few minutes before he called out. "Hello!"

That's when he sensed he was being observed. He didn't know how, but he knew where the person was hiding and turned to face, what looked like an empty corner. But soon, an old man with silver moon eyes faded in looking curious. "Curious… How did you sense me Mr. Potter?"

Harry shrugged. "Just a feeling I had… How did you know my name sir?"

Ollivander approached him slowly. "I remember every wand I sold Mr. Potter. You look just like your father, but you have your mother's eyes."

This was the first bit of information Harry ever had regarding his parents other than their names. "Really?"

"Yes, Mr. Potter, though it is surprising you know not about them?"

Harry face twisted into a bitter sneer full of contempt. "I was living with my relatives and until today I was told they were dead. I don't even know how they look like."

Ollivander now stood very close to Harry. He reached out with his hand to feel the air around the boy. "How very curious…"

"Sorry, but what's curious?"

"Tell me Mr. Potter, did something change recently in your life? I am not talking of the letter you got today… But something about two months back?"

Harry was taken aback that this old man new about that. It must be something common in this world he thought. And so he told the wand maker about waking up one day and feeling more confident, sharp and the feeling of expectancy he always had since then. He told him of the incident with the lion and floating the leaf. He ended with what happened today.

Ollivander listened to all of it with patience. At the end he simply smiled. "You are a child of destiny Mr. Potter. That is the air of expectancy you carry with you…"

"Destiny?"

"Yes, destiny! Though I regret to say it is not the right time for you to know what it is…"

Harry bristled at that statement. "Why not?" He asked hotly.

"Because Mr. Potter, you are not prepared." He paused seeing Harry's confusion. "Magic is great and powerful Mr. Potter. It can do good deeds as well as terrible deeds. And when the time is right you will know what your destiny is. Magic itself will see to that…"

"You speak as if magic is alive?"

Ollivander smiled. "And so you have taken the first step in your education. Magic is indeed alive Mr. Potter. You will be taught many things at Hogwarts. But always keep this in mind. Magic is all around us. It governs us and it leads us. It connects us all in it's intricate web."

Harry absorbed this. "Thank you. I will remember it."

"Good… good… Now we must find your wand."

Soon Harry was trying wand after wand with no luck. At last Ollivander smiled to himself. "A tricky customer I see… No matter… I will find a wand for you."

Harry, who was getting impatient, voiced a question. "But Mr. Ollivander, why do I need a wand?"

"You yourself said it, Mr. Potter. It took you a long time to levitate a simple leaf and you were exhausted after that. There are many types of magics. Some need a focus and some don't. Doing magic without a wand is possible. But it will take much practice and patience and as you learn more complex magics, you will come to appreciate your wand even more."

With that he walked inside leaving Harry to his thoughts. He waited for a few minutes before he saw Ollivander walking toward him carrying a single box. And he got that feeling of expectancy back again in full force on seeing the wand. It felt like it was calling to him. Like it was his and his alone and wanted to be with him.

Ollivander saw this as well. He set the box on the table and opened the lid. Harry gazed at the beautiful wand inside it. He reached inside and grasped it. He breathed in suddenly. His entire body felt like it was on fire… not burning… but warm inside. He opened his eyes and swished the wand like he did with the previous wands. Pure brilliant white light flooded out lighting up the shop like sun lighting up a planet.

Finally when the light died down, Harry looked at his wand in wonder. Ollivander clapped his hands in applause. "Bravo, Mr. Potter, bravo. You bonded with a wand like none other I have seen and what a wand it is…"

"What is it made of Mr. Ollivander?"

"Ahh… That's a story Mr. Potter and I shall tell you what I can. That wand you hold in your hand has a long history, one that tells tales of great tragedy and great success. There is a wand of legends that has had many names in the past, but one name that would be the most proper would be the 'Elder Wand', and that wand is the wand you hold in your hands right now," he began, in a grandfatherly 'story-telling' voice.

"If you are to believe legends, and in the Wizarding world, one will learn that to every legend, there is always some semblance of truth, then perhaps this story may interest you," he said. "There was once three brothers who were walking, and in time, came upon a river too deep and dangerous to swim or wade across, but because the brothers were learned in the magical arts, they produced a bridge over the river. At the middle of the bridge, they came across a hooded figure, Death himself. Death was enraged, for the clever brothers crossed over the river unharmed while the previous travelers drowned in the dangerous waters. Death pretended to congratulate the wizards and told them they each deserved a prize for their marvelous magic," Ollivander paused there to gather his thoughts.

"The oldest of the brothers, who was a combative man, asked for a duel-winning wand, also worthy for a wizard who conquered Death. So Death retrieved a branch from an

Elder Tree and fashioned a wand to give to the oldest brother," he explained, motioning to the wand in Harry's hands causing Harry's eyes to widen in shock "The second of the brothers, who was arrogant, wanted to humiliate Death further and asked for the power to recall the dead. So Death picked up a stone from the riverbank and gave it to him and told him that the stone had the power of resurrection. The youngest brother was the humblest, the wisest, and did not trust Death in the slightest. He asked for something enabling him to move on without being followed by Death. So Death most unwillingly gave up his Cloak of Invisibility to the brother. After this, Death moved out of the way, and the brothers discussed their recent adventure," Ollivander was pleased to see that he had Harry enthralled by his tale.

"In time, the brothers separated towards different adventures. The oldest brother engaged in duels, which he always won, boasting about his invincible wand from Death. One night, however, when he was asleep, a jealous wizard crept up on him, slit the brother's throat, and took the wand for himself; Death then took the first brother for his own," he said to Harry's surprise.

"The second brother had a home where he lived alone; he got the stone out one day and turned it thrice in his hand. The woman who he hoped to marry, only to have died previously, appeared before him. She was separated from her deathly world and was sad and cold. Driven mad, the second brother killed himself and rejoined his love in death;

Death then took the second brother for his own," he paused, his eyes looking into the distance, seeing into a past all but forgotten.

"Death never found the youngest brother until he took off the cloak and passed it to his son. Death appeared upon the youngest brother who greeted him as an old friend and they departed from the world as equals. The three objects that death fashioned for the brothers were forever known as the Deathly Hallows. It is said that whoever wields all three of the hallows will be considered the master of death."

Harry who was enthralled by the story looked at his wand again. "It feels so right, like a long lost brother and when I first touched it… It felt warm… I don't remember how it feels, but it felt like a mother's hug…"

As it should be, thought Ollivander. "That wand has bonded with you completely Mr. Potter. I don't think you need to worry about anyone stealing it from you."

Harry looked confused. "Does it mean that if I loose a duel then it will still be mine? Why though? What's special about me?"

Ollivander chuckled. "Oh! You are plenty special Mr. Potter and in due time you will know why. A destiny like none other awaits you. And as for loosing a duel, let's try it now shall me."

He took out his wand and fired a quick spell at Harry, who being close to Ollivander didn't have the time to dodge the spell. It struck him right on the chest, pushing him back a few feet. The wand flew from his hand toward Ollivander, but stopped mid way and went back to Harry who caught it cleanly.

Ollivander shook his head in amazement. "A complete bond Mr. Potter. That wand will serve you and only you. It shall live with you, protect you and its powers will end with you. The spell I fired at you is called the disarming charm. Look it up when you have time. It disarms a wizard of his wand. If you didn't bond with your wand, at this point, as the story goes it would only work for me, which is clearly not the case."

Harry looked at his wand in amazement. He didn't know what he did to deserve such a brilliant wand, but he will make the best use of it.

"Thank you Mr. Ollivander." Said Harry sincerely.

The wand maker waved him off. "Not to worry Mr. Potter, I will always help you to the best of my ability."

"How much do I owe you, sir?" asked Harry.

"For the wand, nothing; as it was not made by me. But can I tempt you with a wand holster and a wand care kit? It is important to take care of one's wand."

Harry immediately nodded. Ollivander produced a selection of wand holders and Harry selected a black dragon hide holster. Ollivander showed him how to put it on his wrist and get the wand out with a flick.

Harry practiced it a couple of times and nodded in satisfaction. He paid Ollivander 48 galleons. "Mr. Ollivander… I never met my parents before and I want to visit them today. Can you tell me where I can find them? Someone mentioned a place called St. Mungos…"

Ollivander sighed in sadness. "Your parents were good people Mr. Potter. I remember the first time they came to buy their wands… Your father's was good for transfiguration, while your mother's for charms… The last I heard, they were indeed admitted into St. Mungos. I wish I can take you there myself, but now is the season for first years to get their wands… and I cannot leave my shop."

Seeing Harry's crestfallen face, he quickly continued. "But, I will show you a method to get you there. Have you ever used a floo before?"

Harry brightened up and shook his head. "Very well, follow me and I shall show you."

Ollivander then explained how the floo worked. "Make sure you pronounce the words clearly Mr. Potter. It is very important. After you are done at the hospital, you can floo back to my shop. My floo address is 'Ollivanders, the Wand Maker'."

Harry nodded his understanding and took the floo powder in his hand. "Thanks again, Mr. Ollivander." He threw the powder into the fire, which immediately turned green. He stepped into it and shouted. "St. Mungos."

Ollivander saw Harry being whisked away and smiled. It was too bad he couldn't accompany the child, but the child must learn to be self-sufficient and depend on himself more than anyone else. He was after all the child marked by destiny to fulfill the prophecy of old. "A key forged through time and space indeed." He chuckled to himself. "Interesting times are afoot…"

Harry stumbled out of a fireplace into a crowded reception area where rows of witches and wizards sat upon rickety wooden chairs browsing through magazines. He joined a queue in front of a young brunette witch seated at a desk marked enquiries.

Soon it was his turn and he approached the desk. "I am here to see the Potters please."

The witch looked up startled at the proclamation. "The Potters? Oh my! What's your relation to them? They don't get many visitors."

He answered back emotionlessly. "I am their son."

She stared at him in shock. "Oh!" She paused as she gathered herself. She shuffled through a few papers and looked up again. "Right, fourth floor, Janus Thickey Ward."

"Thank you."

Harry turned around and walked away from the desk. He entered the elevator and waited along with a man who had a 3-foot long nose. The man glanced at Harry and laughed nervously. "Spell damage. Misuss was angry you see." He continued to stare at the door gulping nervously.

Finally the door opened and Harry stepped in to the Spell Damage ward. He walked steadily, with a racing heartbeat as he followed the directions to the long-term spell damage section, the Janus Thickey ward. There was a matron waiting for him.

She smiled kindly at him as he approached. "Hello! You must be here to see the Potters. You are their son?"

Harry nodded silently. She put an arm around his shoulder. "I know this might be hard for you. But you must know that they can't recognize anyone. Not even you."

He nodded again. He didn't know what to expect. He didn't even know how they looked. The matron sighed loudly and pointed her wand at the door. "Alohomora!" The door opened and she led the way inside. She stopped a few feet into the room. "They are on the farther end of the room on the right." She gave his shoulder a final squeeze and left him.

Harry stood there realizing that he will be seeing his parents for the first time. He looked around to see three more people in various states of disaster. There were many personal belongings around their beds.

He walked toward the beds blocked off from view by a flowery curtain. He stood before the curtain unsure of what to do. He slowly parted the curtain and entered inside. What he saw brought tears to his eyes.

His mother and father lay on two beds staring into space, lost in their own minds. Unlike the other patients, they had no personal belongings near them. Harry stepped closer to see them more clearly through his tear stained eyes. His father's hair had reseeded and gone gray. His face was nothing but a hollow husk. But he can see the resemblance. He did look exactly like his father. His eyes met Harry's for the first time and Harry's breath hitched as hot tears rolled out of his eyes on seeing his father's empty stare. "Hello dad."

James stared at him unnervingly for a whole minute before he smiled and went back to staring at the ceiling.

Harry turned to face his mother to find her already staring at him. Her hair had dulled to a dark gray much like his father. Her once vibrant green eyes were pale and blank. Harry reached out and touched her cheek. "Hello mom."

He openly cried on seeing his parents in such a helpless state. He kissed his mom on the cheek and hugged her. If he was expecting some kind of reaction, he was disappointed to get none. He kissed and hugged his father as well before he stepped back.

"I love you mom, dad. I love you so much. I miss you a lot. I didn't know you were alive until now. Please forgive me for not visiting you earlier."

They both stared back at him as he talked, but as soon as he finished, they went back to staring at nothing. Not able to see his parents in their condition, Harry quickly walked out of the room, rubbing the tears from his eyes.

He saw the matron waiting outside and approached her. "Thank you Madame."

She smiled kindly at him. "Not a problem, dear. This is your first time here?"

"I have been living with my muggle relatives and only learnt today that they were alive."

She teared up. "You poor dear. It must be horrible for you."

"Can you tell me what happened? I only came to know of the magical world today."

She sighed and asked him to sit. "You see Harry, until a decade back, there was war in our world. A wizard by the name you-know-who gathered a group of people under him called the death eaters. They wanted to keep magic between those of pure origins, the pure bloods. And so they waged a war against all the others including the ministry of magic. And when it looked like they were going to win the war, you-know-who attacked a boy called Neville Longbottom. He first killed his parents and then went after him. No one knows what happened, but when he fired the killing curse, instead of killing the one-year-old boy, it backfired killing you-know-who instead and young Neville became the boy-who-lived."

Harry listened to her closely, though he was getting lost with all the abbreviated names. The matron continued her tail. "That happened on 31st October 1981, on Halloween. That same night, when some of his followers realized that he was gone, they went after a few prominent families known for fighting him. One of those families was yours. Four of his followers, I don't know their names, attacked them and tortured them until their minds broke. The Aurors caught them and threw them in Azkaban, the wizarding prison."

"And they were like this since then? For ten years? With all the magic there was no cure?" asked Harry incredulously.

She sighed. "Magic has its limitations to Harry. The healers tried everything they could, but without success."

Harry got a determined look in his eye. If none of these people could help them, he would. Then, another thought stuck him. There were no personal belongings near their beds. "Has anyone ever visited them, Madame?"

"I don't know if you know him dear, but Rubeus Hagrid shows up every year at Christmas. He is the only one I know of. If you are going to Hogwarts this year, look him up, he is the gamekeeper there." She paused thinking. "And I think Severus Snape visited once or twice since the incident. He's the potions professor at Hogwarts."

Harry absorbed the information with mixed feelings, happy that his parents had at least one or two friends. After that he gave his mom and dad a goodbye kiss and left after thanking the matron.

He flooed back to Ollivanders, where he found the wand maker waiting for him. "Today is your birthday is it not, Mr. Potter."

"Yes, sir."

"Then, accept this humble gift from me, " he said giving Harry a book.

Harry was stunned by his actions. "But... But… I can't sir…"

But Ollivander shoved it in Harry's hand. "Nonsense lad. Take it."

Harry took it hesitantly and read the title. "The power of mind – A book on Occlumency." He looked back at the wand maker. "What is it sir?"

"It's an important skill you must master, Mr. Potter. There are people who can see into your mind using a skill called Legilimency. A few of your professors at school can, including the headmaster Albus Dumbledore. This skill, Occlumency will help shield your thoughts from them. Especially with the wand you have, it is most important for you to learn this skill."

Harry promised the old man that he would do as he asked and left the shop. He quickly went to a mail service and owled the deputy headmistress Minerva McGonagall his acceptance letter. He still had much shopping to do. But first, he stopped for a quick lunch at the Leaky Cauldron.

He went to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and purchased a set of plain black school robes, a set of white shirts, a black cardigan, a scarf, slacks and several ties for school. He also purchased a set of casual robes and cloaks for everyday use.

From there he went to a trunk shop. He looked at the different trunks and chose one with three compartments in it. One for clothes, the second for books and the third for any miscellaneous items he might have.

From there he went to Apothecary where he stocked up on the required potion ingredients and cauldrons and the Astronomy store where he bought the top of the line telescope.

He looked at the Eeylops Owl Emporium eagerly. He never had a pet before and wanted to get one. He stood outside the store for a few minutes and finally gave up on it. As sad as it was, he had no one to write to with an owl.

Harry's final stop was the bookstore Flourish and Blotts. He purchased the required first year texts as well as the rest of the 'standard book of spells' series. After learning from Ollivander about his dad specializing in transfiguration and his mother in charms, he decided he would do them proud by being the best in those subjects. So he bought a wide variety of books in these two subjects from beginners to advanced. He also added a few books on defense and hexes and curses. Who knew what was out there?

He bought Hogwarts A History to know more about the school, a beginners guide for muggleborns, and a few books on wizarding history, which included Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century.

And lastly he spent the most time picking books on healing. He wanted to understand the subject better. The key to his parents cure lies somewhere out there and he would find it even if it meant the end of the world, even if it meant he had to somehow reverse back time. Because, for them he will do it.

AN: The next chapter will cover summer and the journey to hogy hogy warts.