(Disclaimer in chapter 1)
One Plus One Equals One
by novacarta
※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※
Chapter 05
※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※
[…Mental conversation…] "…Verbal conversation…" '…Thoughts…'
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Harry slept through the yelling from Petunia next morning and only woke up when his stomach rumbled with hunger. He opened his eyes and closed them with a groan immediately as sunlight was shining right into his eyelids. The sound coming from his stomach got louder, Harry tried to recall when and what had he last eaten. Oh right, that hamburger in Paddington station yesterday. All Hagrid had feed him before that was some leftover ham and an ice cream. The man might be a great guy, but he definitely didn't know how to take care of a growing child.
[Good morning, Harry.] Daniel greeted in soft voice, not wanting to startle him.
['Morning.] Harry replied after a long yawn. He peeked at his watch and found it was half past ten already. Normally he would have been dragged out of the bed already. He wondered why his relatives allowed him to sleep in today.
He pushed himself off the bed and walked to the door. When hie twisted the door handle, it did not open.
"Oh no, they lock me up again." Harry whined. It was an unwritten rule in this house to have the freak locked up whether the Dursleys were out. Luckily this time he was locked up in a room instead of his cupboard as usual, it also meant that he would be Dursley-free for the whole day until dinner. However his bladder was now painfully full and if he couldn't get to the washroom anytime soon…
Daniel snickered and flicked the door lock open with ascended power, then busted out laughter when Harry dashed out with his hands pushing down his pants and boxers.
Finished his morning rituals, a refreshed Harry Potter went downstairs to the kitchen. He made himself a sandwich and looked around the house, confirming that the house was indeed empty of the Dursleys. He settled on the couch in the living room and chewed on his food absentmindedly. Then his eyes landed on a white feather half hidden between the gap of the wall and fireplace, memories rushed back into his mind.
His owl Hedwig was dead, its neck snapped by the hands of his obese uncle. His school stuff was burnt down to ashes. The meeting with Dumbledore was the last straw on camel's back. Harry had hoped for a brighter future in wizarding world, yet his dream was now diminished into doubt and distrust.
Stonewall High might not a bad idea after all.
[I don't think Dumbledore would let you go so easily.] Daniel signed darkly then changed the subject quickly. [Anyway, do you have any money?]
[Yeah, but not much. What for?] Harry asked as he picked up the feather and pocketed it. He intended to keep it as a memoriam for the lost pet.
[Obviously, you are a celebrity to all wizards and witches. Everyone knows about your mighty self while you know nothing about them or yourself.] Daniel urged him back to his bedroom for the money and explained along the way. [We need information, but we surely can't find it in Waterstones.]
[So, the Diagon Alley?] Harry half asked, half stated. He climbed up to the stairs and made a beeline into his bedroom, reaching behind the bookshelf to dig out a pouch. It was filled with coins in varied sizes and colors that he picked up in school playground or the park for years. He reserved the money for emergency and had only used it once last year to bought some food after being starved for 3 days.
[Yep.] Daniel said, satisfied with the amount they've got. [But before we go. do you happen to know where your auntie put her cosmetics?]
# # # # # # # #
Sutton Station, Surrey – August 1 1991, 11:03am
5 seconds before the train left for London, a small boy ran across the platform, passed the closing doors and slumped on an empty seat at the end of the compartment, breathing hard. The train pulled off as scheduled, and by all appearance the boy leaned against the windows and closed his eyes for a nap.
Unknown to outsiders, the boy was now gasping at his own mindscape, open-mouthed and wide-eyed.
[We have 40 minutes before we change at Bridge, then it would be another 10 minutes to Charing Cross.] Daniel said as he considered the shortest route. They could otherwise change for a Tube at Victoria, but then they would need to buy another ticket. He was deep in thoughts and missed the shocked look on the youngish face.
[Is that a pyramid?] Harry looked around stunned and baffled. A golden pyramid that he had only seen on Discovery Channel suspended in the air as if stationed on some invisible ground.
[Well, an ascended being apparently does not require sleeping. It leaves me much leisure to wonder around this world. Frankly I was bored.] Daniel looked slightly embarrassed. [As I recalled that obliviate spell took a physical form when attacked, I tried to materialize something out of nothingness. It seems that as long as my visualization was firm and detailed, which require a great deal of effort, the substance would remain solidified. It took me the whole night of trial-and-error, and, it is what I've got.]
[But..a PYRAMID?]
[An exact copy of the Pyramid of Khufu, the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in Giza Necropolis.] Daniel told him proudly, as if it explained everything.
[Are you going to add a sphinx then?] Harry asked weakly.
The question was answered with great enthusiasm and a triumphant smile.
[Of course! I could always put the Great Sphinx there, slightly behind the Pyramid of Khafre.]
In the end, it took Harry the whole trip to Bridge to persuade the eager archaeologist that: even thought the pyramids were fascinating, it might not be a good idea to use them for a floor plan because he would literally "lose his mind" in those remarkable antiquities.
Daniel agreed to build the Tower of London instead.
# # # # # # # #
Leaky Cauldron – August 1 1991, 12:15pm
Serving as a gateway between Muggle London and Diagon Alley, the dark and shabby bar was the most famous and popular place for witches and wizards. Although it was a weekday, Leaky Cauldron was still packed with customers for lunches and drinks. Tom, the bald bartender, was dashing here and there to fill the incoming orders. No one noticed a boy sneaked in from the muggle side and sneaked into the courtyard.
[Harry, breathe!] Daniel told the nervous boy. [Without your scar no one will know you are Harry Potter!]
The famous scar was indeed well hidden under his fringes. Just before they left No.4 Privet Drive, Daniel rummaged around the master bedroom and managed to find a tube of concealer. The color tone matched Harry's skin perfectly and his forehead was now bare without a hint of disguise.
Harry stood in front of the trash can and stared at the wall above it, trying to recall the way Hagrid tapped on the bricks.
[Here, here, and….yes, here!] He tapped the wall three times with his fingertips. The bricks twisted and wiggled aside to reveal an archway and a street busting with people.
[WOW!] Daniel gaped with amazement at the magical street. After visiting planets over the galaxy, in the end it was a hidden community on the mother Earth astounded him most.
[Welcome to Diagon Alley.] Harry smiled at the excitement coming from his companion. He too was excited to visit here again after the brief tour yesterday. While he was not a fan of shopping, it would be nice to stroll around the street at his leisure.
Shops of all assorted business stood at both sides of the street. Parents were shouting and yelling, children was running around and chasing each other. Diagon Alley was overflowed. Harry had to weave his way through the crowd for half an hour before he reached the snowy building of Gringotts.
[What are these little fellows?] Daniel wondered loudly when he saw the uniformed guard standing beside the bronze doors. The creature looked like a hybrid from an Unas and a Asgard, might be he was a offspring of some alien races.
[They are goblins.] Harry said as he walked into the main hall. [I know nothing about them, but the one I met was quite helpful.]
There were about a hundred goblins serving behind a long counter in the vast marble hall, but most of them were working with a client already. Harry walked further into the hall until he spotted a free one.
"Excuse me, sir." Harry spoke up to get the goblin's attention. "I have lost my vault key. Is it possible to get a new one?"
The goblin leaned forward and sized him up with narrow eyes for a moment, then said. "It could be done. The inheritance test costs 20 galleons and each vault key costs 5 galleons." Seeing Harry nodded his acceptance, the goblin handed him a knife and a piece of parchment. "Please pick your finger to drop your blood on this parchment. If you hold ownership of any vault, the information will show up on this parchment."
Harry grimaced at the bloody way of identification but he complied without complaint. The knife was sharp enough to make the cut almost painless. He squeezed his finger and a few drop of blood fell, which was soaked into the parchment and disappeared immediately. The goblin snatched it out of his hand before Harry could take a peek at the result. He pouted and put the knife back on to the counter.
"Let's see. One Mr. Harry James Potter." The goblin murmured in affirmation. "Owner of the Potter Family Vault, Vault 687. Subordinate owner of the Black family vault, Vault 711. Owner of the Peverell Family Vault, Vault 45..." He shut up abruptly and looked up at Harry with a dumbstruck expression.
"Yes?" Harry stared back blankly.
The goblin scrolled the parchment hurriedly and hustled Harry to follow him with a sharp "Come". He jumped off the high stool and trotted down the hall, with a Harry Potter jogged behind to keep up the pace. At the far end of the hall there stood a giant door carved out of marble, giving out a sense of supremacy. The goblin did not stop or hesitate. He pushed the door open and hastened in.
"Lord Ragnok." He greeted the other goblin with a respectful bow.
"Something happened?" It was the goblin who Lord Ragnok spoke to, though he glanced curiously at Harry who looked back at him with same amount of curiousness.
"My Lord, a inheritance test revealed that Mr. Potter is to be claiming the heirship of Merlin."
"WHAT?" [WHAT?] Both Lord Ragnok and Daniel shouted at the same time. Their voices echoed in Harry's eardrums and brain, made him dizzy for a short while.
The goblin lord jumped out of his chair to grab the parchment, all his dignity forsaken in a matter of seconds. He finished reading quickly, then barked at his inferior sharply. "Out! Now!" The marble door opened and closed, leaving Harry alone with the excited goblin lord.
"Please have a seat, Mr. Potter." Lord Ragnok turned his gaze back to Harry, his mouth curled into a beaming smile and revealed a row of pointy teeth. "So many things yet so little time. We had better get your affairs in order before this day ends."
Harry swallowed hard. He had a feeling that something big was going to happen, and he could do nothing to stop that.
※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※
AN1: Sorry for the long wait. Obviously my computer decided it was time to resign and it didn't even give me a 2-weeks notice. Poor me needed to save up my allowance for a new one.
AN2: Thanks to all my reviewers. Your support helped me to get through the re-typing thing after my computer broke down. (^3^) ~Kiss
Next Chapter: The Merlin Vault