Clueless

by Lythanie

The green eyed wizard lowered slowly his wand-arm. It was done. Voldemort was dead. But the price for the victory was high. What has the future in store for them now?

2. Chapter 2

Title: clueless

Author: Lythanie

Pairing: none yet

Warnings: none yet

Summary: clueless

x-x-x-x chapter 2 x-x-x-x-x

The Friday morning was dull and grey. It was four o'clock in the morning and the daily traffic had not started yet. Though it was not quiet at the airport of London.

A young man armed just with his hand luggage stepped into the building and checked in. He ruffled his black strands nervously. It was his first plane journey. The older man at the service point smiled encouragingly while he explained the procedure. He had already seen a lot of first timer and would see even more till his retirement and a nine hour travel was quite a big journey for a start. Patiently he talked the young man with his unusual bright green eyes through his next steps with a calming voice. The young man reminded him of his own children.

"There you go, Mr. Prince. Your flight leaves in an hour. You can take a look around while waiting or perhaps buy a book at the shops."

"Thank you, have a good day." Mr Prince smiled politely and walked over to the waiting area. He had already enough reading material. The countless meetings with his bank had left him with enough information to go through by the time he had reached America.

And then he sat finally in the plane. He sat first class and the seat next to his own one stayed unoccupied. He pulled out a few folder and started reading.

Prince properties.

Prince... He was not quite used to his new family name. But it was the closest he could get to Severus Snape. Harrison -short Harry- Galan Prince could remember quite well his surprise when the goblins of Gringotts had told him that he had been bestowed with the Prince heritage that had belonged to Snape. The deceased Potions Master had kept his other line hidden and had given Harry the means for protection once again – even dead the older wizard was protecting him.

Harry had been very surprised when Fawkes had appeared and had burnt down the hut completely with the three wands and Severus' body. The phoenix had whisked him away before the flames had been able to reach him.

The meeting with the goblins afterwards had been more pleasant than he had assumed it would be. While they were not happy about the break-in and the stolen dragon, they had covered it up as test to uncover weak-points in their security. Ragnok had explained that they owned him a bit leeway for defeating Voldemort and he had at least only taken the horcrux from the vault and despite letting lose a dragon the damage had not been that gigantic as they made it seem. They even understood his need to leave as they were quite familiar with the idiocy of wizards and witches especially their ministry and their blind faith in their leaders.

Ragnok had told him about the Gringotts' system and that wills and vaults could only be read and opened if the life magic of their owner had vanished. No matter how well someone might be able to hide there was no possibility to circumvent life magic. Magic had never allowed to let this part of magic to be exploit and everyone at Gringotts had to make an unbreakable vow to honour life magic and to keep it secret. The enchantments were a secret that was even older than Hogwarts.

The goblins had helped Harry to set a fake will in motion while transferring most of his possessions to the Prince vaults. Especially a huge amount of books. Together with Ragnok and Griphook he had planned out who would get what part of his heritage and they had pointed out that he would only need to hand out the galleons and properties that were public knowledge like the two properties, everything that Sirius had left him officially and his own trust vault. The rest would remain in his possession, disguised as compensation to Gringotts for the damage they had done to the bank, and there was still a lot. The goblins gained all Potter and Black properties on English soil but Grimmauld Place and the cottage in Godric's Hollow as real redemption. Harry had no use for the Marauder's cottage and the Black home at the Scottish coast any more. They were run down and would cost a fortune to renovate but the goblins had taken it gladly. Ragnok had told him that especially the Black home were perfect for trainees. He had also no intention to move back. In addition the Princes were a very rich line themselves and quite a few things that had been donated to the Boy-who-lived in the past.

Kreacher remained at his side. The house elf had refused to stay behind when he had a proper master to take care off and Harry had not had the heart to order him to stay with the Weasleys. So he had also chosen a new name. The house elf was called now Reg in honour to Regulus. Harry had not complained it was better than most names of house elves and if he wished to be called Reg than he would not complain.

The two goblins and Harry had finalised his new papers and new name in a matter of a few days complete with a whole background. The life magic had been changed into his new life and Gringotts had erased any hints to his old life. It had been possible because he had changed to one of his legal possibilities of names. Sure he could have also used Evans or Black but they were traceable back to him and Wizarding Britain had left him paranoid enough to avoid any similarities. It might seem strange but his appearance had been the easiest part. Harry had taken the offered blood adoption. His glasses were gone and had turned into an even deeper green than before. His hair was now tamer and darker in colour. His scar was only a faint line and easily hidden behind his midnight black hair. The goblin healer had assured Harry that with the right care it would disappear within a few months completely. Harry was now a Prince by blood but also still a Potter and an Evans. The blood adoption had not given him a living family because Severus had also been the last of his line but the Princes had properties in America and he was heading to the American main property in the heart of New York.

"Royal Letters" was an old mixed book shop with mundane and magical sections. The building was magical as well because it even had a garden (in the heart of New York quite a feat) a huge library and study and enough rooms to give a very big family a home. Harry had no idea how that could work it could not fit into the city like Grimmauld Place or the Leaky Cauldron as the shop was for mundanes as well. But like every time when you had to count in magic: logic was not required.

It seemed that an old family friend of Severus had run the shop till his death a few months ago so Harry would not have to redo the whole thing. The folder had several lists of inventory and finances along with catalogues of books. Royal Letters was known for non-fiction books and good stationary but had a good but small selection of fiction and classics as well. His main customers were scholars and students of the near universities and schools. Harry sighed. He would have to learn quite a lot to be able to run his shop. He had to know his books and the topics. But he had nothing better to do than studying, reading and running his shop while his stocks and investments would increase his wealth. Griphook had even moved to the American branch in order to stay his account manager as he was allowed to invest and increase the gold as he pleased. He was paid according to the profit he was able to gain. Harry himself had no interest nor knowledge in stock exchange and was quite happy to let him do as he wanted as long it did no damage. Ragnok had explained later that Harry had made quite an impression on the goblins. He had not only promoted Griphook from simple teller to an account manager but also the given freedom for investments was rare and a true feat for them. They even had to create a new job description for him – finance manager – because of his workload that was more than a simple account manager. Harry did not understand why no one let them made the investments. Even in the few days Griphook had been able to invest he had already made a small profit. Of course in the end Harry had the last word and he had to sign the bigger investments but Griphook was allowed to do as he pleased and he knew that once explained to Harry what and pros and cons he would sign anyway. He trusted Griphook that much. In exchange Griphook invested a huge amount of time into Harry and the young wizard would say Griphook was not a Finance Manager but his Life Manager as he had even researched Harry's options for him and was already preparing the whole paperwork for him.

Harry put his folder back and opened another book. This time information about his possibilities in education. He could take the International Common Exams – short ICE- that had mundane and magic combined. It was acknowledged worldwide in both parts, mundane and magical. It was even higher ranked than NEWTs, Advanced Levels and even higher than an International Baccalaureate (IB) afterwards he could enrol in a distance university to gain his masteries or whatever the mundane equivalent was called.

A few chapters later he thought he had been slayed. The choices were too much but online education sounded quite well for his needs. Even the magical part was covered. Magical society in USA used the internet like everyone else and quite a few specialised in Technomagic which allowed the devices to work surrounded by magic and protected (for example in the internet) real magical topics from the mundanes. There were even some places that offered a mix of distance learning and regular classes especially for praxis.

Merlin... they were even working on fusing both societies. There were already high ranked mundanes that were informed and worked together with the magical counterparts. Harry sighed. He had his work cut out for him to get up to date in his muggle education, to make his diploma while running his little bookshop. Schools and teachers were completely informed about magic not matter if squib, muggle or magical. The American ministry tried to prevent fear and mistreatment with education. Informed teachers were able to spot young muggleborns and help them and their parents through the accidental magic. Magical children in America had several possibilities:

First: they could continue their mundane education after their eleventh birthday with their mundane classmates but would go to afternoon classes for basics and control without going any further than preventing that they would lose the control over their magic.

Second: they could go to a magical school and forego the mundane education as it was usual in Europe.

And third: they could go to a mixed school and gain a mixed diploma with mundane and magical classes.

Harry was surprised to read that the first and second choice were the most chosen ones. According to the information text the parents were worried to overload their children with the double education and the afternoon classes for the basics were just one to three hours a week depending on the parents. His chosen option would be not only mixed but was also accepted internationally. But it seemed that the departments of education offered enough possibilities to gain diploma outside of the chosen school. It ranged from workshops and seminars about technology to whole diploma to be able to enter mundane or magical employment.

The reading of his files had filled just two hours. He was counting in his mind... his flight had started around five o'clock he would need nine hours and thirty minutes to arrive in New York with one stop and there was a time difference of five hours... that would make his arrival time... half past ten in the morning. He turned his mp3player on and closed his eyes. Hopefully he would sleep for a few hours he had no wish to start learning right now.

Harry snuggled deeper into the blanket that had been offered to him and fell asleep within mere minutes.

*.*

It was a sunny day in New York when Harry left the airport around eleven o'clock. The young man called a taxi and gave his new address to the driver. It was the easiest way to the American equivalent of Diagon Alley. New Diagon was not very creative but looking at a lot of American names of cities it made sense... York and London in England to New York and New London in USA. There were even several cities called Westminster.

But there was a simple reason why it was easy to get to the magical district from his new home. Royal Letters had two entries – to muggle New York and to New Diagon. According to his information texts he had only to tip on a rune before opening the door to decide on which side he wanted to leave his house. Everyone else would leave the door to the area they had come from except when the owner would lead them through. As his shop was a portal between mundane and magic he was required to take special seminars and to get a degree in teaching and a special permission to be allowed to inform parents of muggleborns and to place a charm on them to make them able to see magic or at least to let them see beyond the muggle repelling charms. He had to gain another license for oblivation to protect the still active statute of secrecy and at least another license for basic healing. Harry wondered if Royal Letters was the only mixed shop in the wizarding world with the requirements he had to fulfil or if Royal Letters had always been special.

"Hey kiddo, I hate to disappoint ya but Royal Letters is closed since a few months. Shall I take you to another place?" The taxi driver asked with heavy accent but not unfriendly. Harry had to remind himself that he was now the one with the heavy accent and probably not the other man.

"I know but I would still like to go to this address."

"Oh. Is it yours? Will you open it again. My daughter will be pleased to hear this." The taxi driver brabbled and entertained Harry with stories about his daughter who was going to college and all the things he had heard about that shop. The mundane things.

It seemed that he had quite a few regular customers who were waiting for the heir to reopen the shop.

Finally the car stopped in front of an ancient looking building. It was in top condition but the style was very old. Harry had no idea about architectural styles but it seemed to be one of the oldest building in New York or even whole USA.

"Good luck in keeping it in this condition, kid. It is a landmarked building. Have a good time in New York." The driver said goodbye merrily and left after he had been paid.

The sign over the door looked like a scroll and read "Royal Letters" with a quill on the side still touching the "s" as if it had just been written. In the windows a few selected items were displayed like books, pens and even a few quills. Mainstreamer – as the American wizards and witches liked to call muggles – seemed to like quills for collecting purpose or just for fun. He unlocked his door and entered the building. Books were everywhere. They were sorted after topic and the magical part of the shop was a half floor higher. It was bigger than he had thought.

The counter was nothing more than a comfortable looking study desk complete with office armchair and a computer on top. He would be able to study there while looking after the shop. In another corner of the shop Harry found a seating area in front of a fireplace positioned perfectly to oversee the whole shop. Wind chimes substituted as store doorbell. It was not very bright in the shop but not dark either. It was cosy for the lack of another description. More light was around the bookshelves and study for better reading.

"Welcome to Royal Letters, Master Prince." a deep but female voice greeted him followed closely by a "Welcome to your new home, Master Harry." from the former Kreacher now Reg.

Harry turned around and in front of the few steps to the magical area Reg waited together with another house elf.

"I'm Twinkle, pleased to meet you, Master." The house elf hurried to introduce herself.

Apparently Twinkle was the Prince house elf responsible for the house. She gave them a tour through the house. The few steps downstairs led to a storage area for the shop and a hidden door, protected by a magical ward, lead to the personal cellars. Storage rooms for potion ingredients and food but also proper rooms for his two house elves. Stairs led up to the rest of the house but Twinkle led him back to the shop. Behind the desk was a bookshelf that was also his door to the main part of the house – the living area. Harry had to blink and was very surprised. The bookshelf led to the library of his main wing – a very big library that reached into the second floor – and the tingle in his neck told Harry that magic was deeply woven into the whole building.

"The library and every shelf here has been spelled for centuries. It is not as powerful as old magic in Europe but powerful on its own. The magic in this room is protecting the written treasures and expand the place if necessary. Each shelf has a book with the content of the shelf. If you would like to get a book that is not on the display just tip the name three times. Princes have been collecting knowledge even before they had moved to the new lands. With your permission, Master. I will collect the books in the vaults and sort them into the shelves. Master has to broaden his knowledge to make your family proud."

Harry just nodded his consent and Twinkle continued the tour. The main wing was not as big as he had feared when he had read about the old Prince manor. It might be expandable but there were the kitchen, a potion's lab, bedroom, bathroom and a living room. Twinkle explained that the house changed to fit the needs of the owner. Harry had no family so no use for many bedrooms and he was used to less space thus Royal Letters deleted unused space – the pros and cons of older magical buildings.

A door in the kitchen, which was the only private room next to the library on the first floor, led to the beautiful garden. From this side his home looked like a small cosy cottage with garden and a greenhouse.

"Master Harry, lunch is served and you got notice from Manager Griphook to meet him at Gringotts in the afternoon." Reg interrupted Harry's exploration.

Harry thanked the house elves and ate his lunch silently. He was hungry after his already long day and it was not even over.

*.*

An hour later he left his new home through the door to New Diagon. It was much bigger than Diagon Alley in London. His shop looked on this side exactly like on the mainstream side but the quill on his sign was now actually writing the name from time to time. Right next to his shop was a wand crafter on the right and a tailor on the left side of his shop. Judging by the amount of customers around him and how they looked Harry guessed it was not the main part of New Diagon. He turned around a corner and was greeted with a very familiar white building. The American Gringotts branch looked exactly like the main branch back in the UK.

"Ah Mr. Prince, we have expected your arrival. Please come through." A goblin teller intercepted him on his way into the bank. The goblin led him through the entrance hall to the offices. They stopped in front of a door that was half-open. A sign next to the door told him that this was Griphook's new office. Harry's guide opened the door for him completely and bid him a good day.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Prince. How was your journey?" Griphook greeted him gruffly but not unfriendly.

"It was a long but quiet flight and I might have to turn in early this evening. I think the mainstreamers call this a jet leg. Royal Letters is very nice but why have you not told me about the second house elf?"

"A slight oversight of the locals. She has been most of the time under a very powerful glamour charm to be able to help your distant cousin in the last phase of his life with the shop. So she was listed as employee. Unfortunately a very uncomfortable situation for a house elf. You have probably noticed her deep voice. It's an after-effect of posing as human that long. I hope everything else was to your utmost satisfaction?"

After the first bit of small talk they covered other important points. In addition Griphook had informed himself about the different shops and their reputations and handed Harry a list with the different shops, their quality and their location together with a map of New York and especially New Diagon. It seemed his best choice were his new neighbours for mixed clothes of high quality. As Harry needed a whole new wardrobe it was a great opportunity to get known his new neighbours. The wand maker next to Royal Letters specialised in custom made wands so he had not to walk far. Other things like personal items could wait.

The only thing they had to cover the same day was the registration for his education and all the other administration things that Harry had to sign in order to take over his heritage and the shop. He had to change the telephone to his name from his cousin, same with the properties and so on. While the wizarding world still used owls and other birds they also mixed emails into their world so Harry had to learn rather fast in the following days how to use all the technology and how they worked in magical surroundings. Griphook had managed to get him a private tutor who was informed about both worlds. According to the file Griphook had handed over to Harry Mr Jason had a muggleborn brother and had already had experience to get wizards and witches up to date with the newest technology. Griphook promised him to send him the curriculum and book lists to get a head start.

Harry thought his head was smoking when he left the meeting. He was tired and wanted just to go to bed. He played with the idea to adjourn the wand and clothes for the next day and while he could do this with the clothes as he had taken one set and his toiletry bag with him to America but he was not quite sure that he should adjourn his new wand...not while living in an unknown, magical home. He was able to do a lot of things without his wand, but he neither wanted to test the limit nor broadcast his ability. It did not matter if he was in Europe or America wandless magic was still rare and mostly limited to small spells.

Zelandre's wands was smaller than his own shop but neat. Behind the counter stood an elder witch who was talking to a young man probably in his thirties which was in the wizarding world still very young.

"Ah, a customer. Let me see you." The witch coed and skipped over to him. She had her pearl white hair in a lose bun where two strands were left out to frame her face. Her robes were in a deep blue.

Gently smiling she eyed him up from hair to toe and back to his face. She was still a bit taller as Harry despite his growth spurt.

"No doubt here. You are a very fine mix of a Prince. Welcome to the US, little neighbour. I am Calliope Zelandre, wand crafter extraordinary."

"Ohhh, neighbour and what a fine creature. I'm Alexander Warder, the tailor from next door. Nice to meet you. Will you open the shop again?" The tall man pulled him into a hug.

Harry blinked a few times before gaining back his senses.

"Er...nice to meet you too, Madam Zelandre, Mr Warder... I'm Harry Prince. Yes, I'm going to reopen it. But I'd like to get a new wand."

"Cut the Mr, Harry. We're neighbours. Call me Alexander. Custom made wand, eh? Then I'm off! Hope to see you later!" With another wave of his hand he disappeared through the floo.

Madam Zelandre giggled at the bewildered face of her young costumer.

"Custom made wands are something very private, young Mr. Prince. I will have to measure your magic. I am able to make wands that are hypersensitive for very weak wizards or very robust for powerful magic. Don't worry everything will stay between us that's the reason why Alexander disappeared like this. I'm bound by an oath like a healer to keep your secrets." The witch explained softly and walked behind the counter to get a crystal ball.

"Most wizards and witches keep their first wand. Sometimes it grows with them and sometimes not but they keep it nevertheless because they don't want to get another wand. But sometimes you need another wand. Wands can only be broken when the connection to your wand weakened. Either because it was not a perfect match or because it had stopped growing with you or because your magic changed. It's possible in trauma cases for example or other dramatic changes in your life."

"What with expelled students or criminals?" Harry asked thinking back to Hagrid.

"Oh deary. I'm talking only about custom made wands. Only a custom made wand is able to match you perfectly. Anything else is just close but never perfect. When wands of criminals are snapped then because they went against the law of magic and life and so the connection weakened." Zelandre reasoned and handed him the crystal.

"So Mr Prince, ready to let your magic flow into the ball? Close your eyes and imagine that you breath into the ball."

Harry closed his eyes and let Zelandre's voice lead him. He breathed in and out attentively. Imagining how the air filled his lungs and when he exhaled the energy followed his arms towards the crystal in his hands.

He breathed in and out. A calmness spread over him that he had not known he was able to reach.

Crack!

Harry jumped and dropped the cracked ball.

"So..sorry." Harry bent down to pick up the pieces. He was deeply embarrassed. Something like this could only happen to him.

But Madam Zelandre was not angry, not even slightly upset.

"Oh dear! What a wonderful challenge! You my dear boy are very powerful but sensitive at the same time." Her eyes sparkled and with a wave of her wand she resorted her ingredients. A few vials and boxes flew over to the counter.

"Don't worry about the crystal. I got the necessary results and I have tried to convince the goblins to make me another one for years. Now I have a real reason to get a new one."

Madam Zelandre looked over the possible ingredients.

"Mr. Prince, please step closer. I'd like to see the reactions of these here to your magic... Strange combination... Mr. Prince, do you have any history with phoenix or basilisks?" She did not look at the young wizard so she did not notice his wince either.

"When I was younger... I was scratched with an old goblin made sword accidentally. It had been soaked in Basilisk blood and venom in the past. I had been lucky that my father had a vial with phoenix tears and that the venom had been very old." Harry recast the real adventure quickly.

"Severus Snape... even if his last name had not been Prince he was still a Prince to the core. Only a Prince could have such artefacts lying around. But this explains why I get identical readings from these here. A mixture of basilisks blood and venom in addition to phoenix tears and blood freely given of course. Were you tested by a healer afterwards? Rare and magical venoms cured with phoenix tears could strengthen you against poisons." She pointed to the vials in question.

"Nothing except a short check up."

Madam Zelandre nodded and stared at the other ingredients.

"I will need a few days to get the materials cooperate with each other and I have to order the wood or any other material while I got the information about the kind nothing here suited you. But the freely given blood of a Quetzalcoatl is a surprise. The shy creatures never give anything freely and if you take anything from them by force the effect of the ingredients turns negatively. Seven years ago the shy creature honoured me with its visit here. I was so surprised that I wasn't able to move. It picked a vial, scratched itself and let seven drops of its blood drop into the vial before it disappeared again. I would not be surprised if it chose you as master. You are a parselmouth after all and this wand will be perfect for you." She frowned and examined the other ingredients closely. Suddenly she grinned and ruffled his hair. Harry stared at her with wide eyes. He had nearly chocked on his own breath when she had mentioned him being a parselmouth.

"I got the readings on your magic, Mr. Prince. Of course such abilities will be listed along with your power level. I get you the list together with your wand in a few days. There are a few abilities you have to work on. Don't worry about being a parselmouth while it isn't a common ability here in America it's not completely gone or seen as evil like in Britain. I advise that you pay Kimoto a visit. He's running an antiquarian bookshop or the magical University library if you don't find anything about parselmagic in your collection. Look closely because no one beside another parselmouth will be able to read them. But now chop chop. Let me work. You can visit Alexander or go to bed early. You look a little jet-legged there." Madame Zelandre chuckled and pushed him gently towards her door.

"Yes.. got here this morning after almost ten hours on an aeroplane." Harry sighed and suppressed a yawn.

"See, go home and sleep some more. No need to stuff all errands into the very first day on American soil."

Harry nodded and walked back home. Well... he went out the building and right into the next one. It was a huge advance to have his shop/home next door.

"Welcome home, master. Do you wish anything to eat?" Reg greeted him.

Harry asked for something light and closed his shop again before going into the kitchen. Reg made him a few sandwiches while Twinkle told him about the shop and his family history.

After dinner he grabbed a book from the mainstream student section. An overview of school mathematics for exam preparation. He had to start somewhere and he had always been good at Mathematics in primary school.

Harry did not come far. Just after a few paragraphs he had already fallen asleep.

X-x-x-x-x-x chapter 2 end x-x-x-x-x-x-x