EIGHT

Harry caught the knight bus away from the Lovegood's, but didn't go straight to the Leakey, breaking his word to Fudge. Harry felt a tiny bit bad about it, but Sirius wasn't actually after him, so the risk was fake anyway, and this was important. Surprisingly (considering the time of year) he was the only one on the bus, so Stan and Ernie waited for him at the nearest corner in Notting Hill anyway. Harry knew exactly what he wanted, so it didn't take too long to come out with an absolutely ginormous bag. Harry ignored Stan's questioning stare, and just continued on his way to the Leakey Cauldron.

Apparently Fudge had organized for Harry's stay again, and Harry found himself in the same room looking over the alley. It was a lot busier now, with only two days until September first, and Harry recognized quite a few of the students milling about the crowd. Deciding to leave his shopping until the next day, Harry got a meal delivered to his room, then spent the late afternoon sitting on the windowsill and people watching.

The crowd was mostly Hogwarts students and their families, but the regular customers could also be seen making a frustratingly slow path through the crowds. Harry noticed quite a few of his year mates, but none from Slytherin, nor Neville.

As evening set in, and the main shops shut, the crowds thinned out. Harry still recognized the odd person, but this time it was more likely to be from his future. A group of curse breakers Harry had been on a mission with made a slightly crooked path towards Gringotts (Just back from a mission and spending their glory money at the pub no doubt), a young Auror that had been in Harry's squad (whose name Harry couldn't quite remember, but sat frustratingly on the tip of his tongue) was on duty with a tall, thin man Harry didn't know, and an excellent potions master (Harry had become his supplier almost straight after quitting the Aurors) hurried across to the apocathery just before it closed.

Harry treasured the relaxed evening knowing it would probably be a while before he got another one.

Harry's morning certainly wasn't relaxed. He woke up near the crack of dawn, catching an early breakfast before the rush, then heading to Madam Malkin's to get his robes before any of the girls could interfere. He had received an owl from Theo while at Luna's, organizing for the Slytherins to meet up for shopping today. Harry had every intention of getting nice robes, but none of being talked into fashionable ones. He had learnt that lesson quickly after visiting with Ginny a few times before that all went to hell. All his robes were getting on the short side, which pleased him as he was growing more than he had in the original timeline, so in the end he decided to replace all of them, getting some nice slacks and shirts as well. This time he did pay for the more expensive options (having specifically looked them up at the end of the previous year), including ironing and freshening charms, starching charms, shadow charms (for catching the light right), water resisting charms, stain-less charms and he paid a little extra for a special fitting too.

He also had all of the pockets enlarged on the inside, and in the end just had Madam Malkin include the pouches for Apep. She was surprisingly unfazed, and in fact had some excellent suggestions for keeping them clean, easier to access and pulling the fabric less. The whole thing seemed a little silly, however Harry knew this year was too important to not bother.

He would be essentially constantly in a battle of Politics, and unlike Malfoy, or whoever else went for it, Harry would be doing more than double the usual workload, as well as being on the Quidditch team and trying to track down a stray Godfather as well. He wasn't going to have time (despite the time-turner) for returning to the dorms between classes to collect books, nor spending the morning charming his clothes to be anything more than presentable. But every little bit would count, as becoming king was a house-wide choice, and he would be going against the odds as it was. An outsider wouldn't question a stray wrinkle in his robes or crooked tie, but the Slytherins were going to be vicious.

Despite arriving at Malkin's at eight on the dot, Harry only just made it back to Fortescue's in time to meet up with Theo at nine. (Not letting the boys know how long he'd spent choosing clothes had been another big reason for doing that part of his shopping alone too). He managed to arrive at the ice-cream parlor at the exact same time as Theo, and was rewarded with an interesting surprise.

'Harry!' Theo grinned, 'Have a good summer? Did you catch the Falcon's game? The stats were outrageous, but the play was excellent.'

Harry would have snorted if Theo had had his full attention.

'Hey Theo. Sadly my summer has been seriously lacking in Quidditch. I have no doubt you will fix me up with more than my share during the day. Are you going to introduce me?'

Harry saw the slight hesitation, both in Theo and his companion, but pretended not to. After all, Theo had as good as admitted that his entire family had matching tattoo's on their arms, but in this case, Harry would make an exception.

'Er, sure. This is Uncle Aloysius.' Theo said it lightly, but Harry could tell that he expected him to politely cut him out. Harry had no such intention however.

'A pleasure to meet you.' Harry said, holding out his hand.

Aloysius looked very unsure, but in the end took Harry's hand.

'Harry Potter. I'd say I was thankful for what you did all those years ago, but I'm sure you've heard it enough.'

Harry cringed internally at the snub, but didn't show a thing on his face. Like him or not, Harry owed Aloysius. Without him he wouldn't be here. Talking of which… 'Are you the uncle that coaches the small league, or the one in financing?'

Aloysius seemed rather thrown that Harry was being so friendly, and gave Theo a curious look. 'I'm the uncle who is aiming for financing, however I need a reference from a Nobel house that I'm not related to, to get the job. I thought I'd be fine, but the goblins are sticklers, and informed me this morning that they included up to three levels of separation through marriage and blood.' Aloysius let a scowl cross his face.

Internally Harry was trying not to laugh. That would suck for almost any pure-blood, and was probably why Gringotts hired mostly muggleborns. In fact, they were the highest percentage business to do so, and had remained so even after the war.

'Does it have to be a head-of-house?' Harry asked, purposely sounding just curious. It was rather important however. Harry wasn't, after all, his own head of house (though trying to claim it publicly would be fun. Rita Skeeter would have a field day. Unfortunately the penalties were rather harsh from the goblins end (Death), so best not). Harry had had a wicked idea.

'That or an heir apparent.' Aloysius shrugged. 'It doesn't matter too much, as I am eligible for a lower position, so it will probably only take me an extra year or two to get where I want.'

Harry smirked. 'I'll do it.'

Both Nott's went from jovial to suspicious in the blink of an eye.

'Now why would you do that?' surprisingly it was Theo who asked.

Harry didn't really have an answer. Or rather, not one that he could announce. After all, 'Because in a future that doesn't exist yet you were the one that led me to discovering my parents weren't as dead as I thought,' probably wouldn't go down so well. He supposed he could tell them he didn't want Aloysius to have to revert to less pleasant methods (such as the raids that had alerted Harry's Aurors in the future), but really he just enjoyed messing with Slytherins far too much.

'You can take it or leave it. I have my reasons, but they are mine to keep.'

'You're serious!?' Aloysius would never have any idea how hard it was for Harry not to answer that with a sarcastic remark about his Godfather.

'Come on then, Blaise, Daphne and Tracey will be getting here in half an hour so we best hurry.'

Harry ignored the still wary looks the Nott boys were sending him, and set off at a brisk pace towards Gringotts. Harry was quite sure that neither Nott thought he was truly going to go through with it until they lined up at a teller, and Harry asked for the correct forms, and a goblin to witness. In fact, they seemed rather stunned even afterward, the trio walking back in silence to meet up with the other Slytherins.

'So I now owe house of Potter.' Aloysius eventually managed to spit out. He seemed totally torn between being ecstatic at the upcoming promotion, and disgusted with the deal he had to cut.

At any rate, Harry had other ideas. 'No, you do not owe the house of Potter. You can owe me if you insist, but I consider it a debt already paid off.' Theo and Aloysius glanced warily at each other.

'You know I knew you'd be odd; being a Potter in Slytherin. But I don't think you quite know how to play.' Aloysius finally spoke out. Harry was mildly impressed with the privacy ward that he'd put up before talking, but was annoyed anyway.

'What on earth makes you say that?'

'The tattoo on my arm,' he narrowed his eyes further as Harry did nothing, 'and the fact that you aren't in the least surprised to hear me say I have one.'

Harry smirked lightly. 'Trust me, that has nothing to do with it.' Harry said, taking joy out of the matching confused faces of the two Slytherins. That was getting to be a dangerous habit.

'Hey look, Blaise is here. Is that his mum? It was nice meeting you Aloysius Nott. Good luck.'

Harry walked away towards Blaise without a backward glance.

Blaise looked quite pleased to see Harry at first, but then he had a similar response to Theo, glancing at his companion and sinking slightly.

'Potter. This is my mother.' Blaise indicated the woman standing next to him. 'Mother, Harry Potter.'

Harry could see why Blaise had visited so many funerals despite her reputation. Aida Zambini (or whatever her last name was now - Harry couldn't recall) was devastatingly beautiful (made all the worse by the fact that Harry was chronologically only a year or two younger than her).

'A pleasure to meet you.' Harry managed to draw a surprised noise out of Blaise as he leaned forward and kissed her thumb, following an old pureblood tradition.

'The pleasure is all mine.' Harry internally shuddered. Even her voice was deceptively sweet. She had a bit of an evil glint to her eyes in assessing him, so Harry decided he would be nipping that one in the bud nice and early.

'Blaise has nothing but nice things to say about you. You went to school with my mother and father, didn't you? Perhaps I should reintroduce you to my god-uncle, Remus Lupin.'

And Harry might, too, if it turned out Remus knew about his parents. For now, however, he was blatantly putting her in the -parent age- bracket. He was quite happy to admire her beauty, however he had come close enough to death far too many times all by himself, without needing anything at all to do with her romantically added in.

'They were a few years below me, yes. I am sorry for your loss.'

'Indeed. Are you accompanying our school outing?'

'No. Thank you. Enjoy your day Blaise. I'll expect you home by nine.'

She ran her hand through Blaise's hair, earning a scowl, then dissapperated out.

'What she expects me to do until nine Merlin only knows.' Blaise grumbled as soon as she was gone. 'The shops shut at five!'

'Oh, there are quite a few clubs open from four thirty down knockturn.' Harry said casually.

Blaise spluttered.

'Four thirty?! People really start that early?' Blaise seemed outraged, but mildly curious. After a moment he suddenly seemed to remember to whom he was talking. 'How do you know what times knockturn is open?'

Harry ignored his suspicious look, returning to his I'm-so-innocent smile he had had on after messing with the Notts. Talking of which, Theo seemed to have said goodbye to his uncle, and was looking at the spot Blaise's mother had just left longingly.

'How come your mother gets to be so drop-dead-gorgeous? My mother has wrinkles and complains about her warts in public.' Theo sounded very grouchy.

'I hardly think Blaise is the one to ask. He probably doesn't think his mother's looks are so eye-catching.' Harry drawled, making Theo blush. Blaise seemed resigned however.

'No. I know she's stunning. My mother is a true ace of Spades. I've come to terms with it. Actually, if you can stop drooling after her for one moment Theo, you can help me pick out dress-robes for her next wedding.'

The reminder seemed to bring Theo back down from his fantasy, and the spot Mrs. Zabini disappeared from seemed to loose a little luster.

Harry didn't comment, and as an unspoken agreement, the three of them turned and made their way towards their school supplies.

'We will start with books. Daphne, Pansy and Tracey all got theirs last week. I hope you brought your trunks, as I will not be designated carrier again.' Blaise stated. He seemed to startle himself at the aggressive order, and Harry noticed he looked to him for approval before moving forward. Theo rolled his eyes and grumbled about wanting to get to the Quidditch store before the girls arrived too, but followed on.

Harry frowned as they came within sight of the bookstore. Instead of the usual display of gold-embossed spellbooks the size of paving slabs, there was a large iron cage behind the glass that held about a hundred copies of The Monster Book of Monsters. Torn pages were flying everywhere as the books grappled with each other, locked together in furious wrestling matches and snapping aggressively.

'Bother.' Harry said, watching as a particularly aggressive looking pair of books ganged together and tore the front cover off another. The other didn't seem to mind, as it just picked up the cover and started attacking the first one with it's own skin.

'Bother indeed.' Blaise smirked, watching the fray with glee. 'I am very glad I chose not to do Care. Daphne had to tie her book shut with three hair ribbons. It broke the original one.'

Blaise sounded gleeful, and considering how Harry had chased his around his room at the Dursley's in the original timeline, he could only imagine how funny the prim and proper Daphne chasing around an lively book that was snapping at her would be.

'Taking Care are you Harry?' Theo teased.

Harry laughed at their smirking faces.

'Maybe. Hey, want to see a trick?'

Their faces deflated a little as Harry showed no obvious signs of distress. The store manager was already making his way over looking frazzled.

'Hogwarts?' he said abruptly. 'Come to get your new books?'

'Yes sir. I see you have the Monster book of Monsters, I-' Harry started.

'Get out of the way,' said the manager impatiently, brushing Harry aside. Harry contemplated not saying anything after all, considering the man's rudeness, but as the man picked up a large, knobbly walking stick and approached the cage cautiously Harry felt a swell of pity for him.

'I was just wondering why you haven't put them to sleep, sir?'

The manager had been muttering under his breath about not having had a disaster like this since getting the Invisible Book of Invisibility, but gave Harry his full attention straight away.

'To sleep!' he choked out. 'I've been bitten eight times just this morning. The damned things never sleep!'

Harry ignored him (and Blaise and Theo's protests when they realised his intent), and stuck his hand into the cage. The manager let out a startled yelp, which turned into a strong expletive once the book turned to putty under Harry's relaxing stroke.

Harry managed to catch most of the books in a few minutes, until they were almost all inert except for one or too broodily watching from the corners of the cages.

Harry turned to find the manager and Theo staring at him with dropped jaws, and Blaise giving him a calculating look.

'I-… I-… I-' The manager couldn't drag his eyes away from the cage.

Harry ignored it and pulled out his school list, being careful to turn it so only he and the shop manager could see. 'Do you have Unfogging the future? We're all taking Divination.'

The manager seemed to snap out of his shock, and turned his gaze to Harry with a look of worship. The tension seemed to leak out of him, and he stepped forward eagerly and held his hand out for their lists.

'Follow me boys, I'm sure we can find what you need immediately.'

What followed was a rather amusing visit.

For every book they bought, the manager seemed to find one more that Harry simply MUST take. He was rather upset when Harry mentioned that he had already got some of the books on the list, but ecstatic when Harry mentioned looking for some extra curricular tomes.

Harry managed to shake Blaise and Theo off in the sports section, and could get the remainder of his schoolbooks without question.

When the three boys put their piles on the counter however, it became very clear the difference in quantity.

'Have you decided to start your own Library, Potter?' Blaise laughed, picking up Two thousand and thirty six reasons not to mix Runes and Alcohol, and flicking through to a section in the middle with photos.

'Something like that.' Harry muttered.

He had just caught sight of a book he'd noticed in his original visit.

Death Omens — What to Do When You Know the Worst Is Coming. Was sitting on the top of a lacy tablecloth that had tea splattered all over it. The Grim was growling up at him. He had never noticed before, but Sirius (or rather Padfoot) did look amazingly like a Grim. Only Harry had thought that it was impossible to become a magical animal as an Animagus (rumors of Merlin aside). On a whim, Harry added the book to the pile, earning a laugh from Theo as the pile tottered from side to side and the manager had to use magic to stop it from toppling. In the very least, there were probably plenty of grizzly things in the book to amuse Trelawney with for his homework.

To be fair, the pile was rather large. On top of every subject for school, Harry had also added the ministry suggested texts for someone wishing to study healing, politics, ritual studies, weapons training, dueling, magical traveling, and warding OWLS; all the subjects Belleza had mentioned. He wasn't sure if he would (or could) study all of those, but he didn't want a record of the books he was reading in the Hogwarts library if he did. It was already outrageous that he would be studying all of the subjects Hogwarts offered (although not as unusual as Hermione had originally thought. Usually a student came along every four or so years), he didn't need anyone to know he would be sitting extra exams until he did.

As well as all of the textbooks and related reading, Harry grabbed a French-English, and Bulgarian-English dictionary. He almost certainly wouldn't have time to learn the languages the normal way, but he was certain he'd seen a dark arts ritual that gave you the ability (although he would have to look it up to check it wasn't an external sacrificial one).

Needless to say, Blaise and Theo didn't look very impressed. Neither of them were particularly academically inclined (outside of wanting the prestige of high-scores), Blaise being more interested in people and politics, and Theo more interested in Quidditch currently. Harry ignored their jeering as he struggled to fit all of the books he bought into his trunk, and simply smirked at them once they were out of the store. At the last minute, the manager had added a forty percent discount for Harry, meaning that his whole library came in costing only a little more than only their school books.

'Prat.' Theo eventually settled on, before dragging them across the alley to Quality Quidditch Supplies.

** THE FIREBOLT **

THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART RACING BROOM SPORTS A STREAM-LINED, SUPERFINE HANDLE OF ASH, TREATED WITH A DIAMOND-HARD POLISH AND HAND-NUMBERED WITH ITS OWN REGISTRATION NUMBER. EACH INDIVIDUALLY SELECTED BIRCH TWIG IN THE BROOMTAIL HAS BEEN HONED TO AERODYNAMIC PERFECTION, GIVING THE FIREBOLT UNSURPASSABLE BALANCE AND PINPOINT PRECISION. THE FIREBOLT HAS AN ACCELERATION OF 150 MILES AN HOUR IN TEN SECONDS AND INCORPORATES AN UNBREAKABLE BRAKING CHARM. PRICE ON REQUEST.

'Have you seen it then?' Drawled a voice from behind them, as Theo and Blaise jostled each other to get a better look at the display in the window. Harry glanced at the sign on the window, then back at a newly arrived Draco.

'Are you planning on buying the whole team one of these too?' Harry smirked.

Draco flushed.

'We won, didn't we?' He complained.

Harry nodded. 'Yeah, but we could have lost. The broom doesn't make the player.'

'Easy for you to say.' Grouched Theo. 'Come on Harry, aren't you even a little curious? The Irish International Side played a pre-season match on theirs and they trounced the Swiss.'

'You are only making my point stronger.' Harry sing-songed. The Swiss Side was terrible. They would, in fact, remain terrible for another six years, until Dianne Fassnacht-Elmer would take over as captain, at which point Harry had every intention on putting quite a lot of money on them, as they would rocket to the top of the leader board.

Theo and Draco both winced, acknowledging the point.

'Father said he would buy me one if we win the first two matches by more than one hundred points each.'

Harry couldn't help but notice there was a little bit of childish excitement in amongst the bragging.

'Still wouldn't beat me to a snitch.' Harry teased. 'Come on, if Draco's here then the girls will be too. Besides, I'm hungry.'

'But-' Theo looked longingly back at the Firebolt before dramatically sighing and trudging along with the group.

'Stop being a bloody Gryffindor.' Blaise whined, causing Theo to take outrage and bickering to start up.

The group was thoroughly distracted, as Vince and Greg took this opportunity to show up as well and join in on the argument about Theo's true house. Harry, as a result, was the only person to notice the flash of red hair in the crowds.

A very freckly Ron Weasley was standing at the front of theMagical Menagerie, eyeing off the rats playing jump-rope with their tails in the window. Harry missed a great deal of the Slytherin's conversations watching as Seamus tried to point Ron towards the displays of cats instead. Ron looked annoyed, and shook his head angrily, dragging Seamus away from the whole store in obvious frustration. Harry frowned at the rats thinking.

It was a constant thought on his mind really - Scabblers, Pettigrew and Sirius. He had thought about it almost non stop since his birthday. He still couldn't figure out any reason for Sirius to have broken out without seeing Peter in the photo of the Weasley's in Egypt. However if the timeline was going to continue, then Harry really needed to find a way to bring Peter back, without risking actually bringing Peter back.

Harry drifted away from the Slytherins towards the spot Ron and Seamus had just vacated.

Harry looked at the glass cage where the rats had moved on to playing tag.

'Can I help you?' the salesman asked.

Harry frowned at the rats again.

'Do you have any live rats for eating?'

'Eating?!'

It took a great deal of self control for Harry not to roll his eyes. 'For my pet to eat.'

'Oh. Right, er-…' the man glanced at the rats in the cage, who were now either sending death glares at Harry, or quivering in a pile at the back.

'I guess you could take this one. He's a bit docile to be sold regular.' He placed a fat, brown rat down on the counter. It had a block of cheese and didn't seem interested in much else.

'How much?'

'Twelve sickles'll do. It's more than you'd pay for a frozen one, but less than for a pet.'

'Excellent.'

Harry paid the man and collected the rat before running to catch up with the Slytherins.

.:Did you buy me lunch, Harry?:. Apep stuck his nose out of the pouch trying to get at the small cardboard box. Harry rapped him on the nose.

.:Head in. And quiet, I'm in public:. Harry hissed quietly under his breath.

.:Hmph!:.