Disclaimer is in chapter 1. So apparently Tenhawk has resumed posting fanfiction on one of his own sites ( t . evancurrie . ca ) and on patre on (username tenhawk).
Hermione amused herself with the books in the corner while Harry tried to pry information out of the magical imprint on the book. Xander, for his part, watched on with a certain… directed curiosity.
By rights, there was no way that the imprint of Lilly Evans in that book should have any information to help Harry, and Xnader knew it. However, he was also quite aware that the personalities in the book were behaving… oddly. He'd noted it, Harry had questioned it, and even Narcissa Malfoy had admitted that something was amiss that she didn't understand.
That was why Xander had been willing to suggest the book to Harry, as much in the hopes of figuring out another data point in the puzzle that was the 'Malificum Maraudette' as actually getting any information about the Potters.
So he was surprised to get both when Harry lifted his head and looked around.
"Mum… uh, her… imprint?" He stammered out hesitantly.
"Close enough, bud, what did she say?" Xander asked.
"She couldn't tell me directly, but said that I could find it in a Potter Tome that should be here. It's a big leather bound book with Potter embossed on it in gold," Harr said with a shrug.
"Oh! I think I saw that," Hermione said, looking around her. "There!"
She dug through a stack of other books until she located the tome in question, fetching it out and passing it over to Harry, who nodded gratefully.
"Thanks Hermione!"
The three of them crowded around the book as Harry cracked it open, flipping through the director and groaning as he realized just how much information was in there.
"Most of this looks like a copy of what the Goblins gave me when I claimed my majority," He grumbled, still flipping. "Why wasn't the location of Potter Keep in there?"
"Likely your parents removed it," Xander said, "During the war the Goblins weren't exactly a source for airtight security. Lot of hard feelings in the Nation when it came to wizards."
Harry sighed, but nodded, "I guess that makes sense. Ok, let's see… properties, right. There's the entry for the land down around Australia."
"You really need to take some time and check that out," Xander chuckled, "I really want to find out if Luna is right about Tazmanian Devils."
Hermione rolled her eyes, but managed to refrain from ranting at him… mostly because she caught the smirk he sent her way and realized he was baiting her.
"Potter Keep." Harry said as a page fell open. "Here it is."
"Does it give a location?" Hermione asked, leaning in.
Xander leaned in, eyes scanning the page as Harry was reading as well.
"Umm… what the heck?" Harry blurted, confused as he looked at the strong of symbols there.
"Portkey coordinents," Xander said, grimacing as he run the numbers in his head, "I think it's in the… South… West?"
Hermione nodded, "Believe you're right… We need a map."
The three exchanged glances before nodding in agreement and getting up.
"Ok, we'll grab a map out in the Alley," Hermione said, "the magical maps will have the portkey system set into them. Non Magical maps are more accurate, but… well…"
"We could just put the coordinates into my Bike's portkey," Xander suggested.
"We are not doing that," Hermione huffed as the three of them left the vault, walking past the waiting Goblin, who was watching with some bemusement. "For all you know those numbers could lead… anywhere!"
"I'm pretty sure they lead to Potter Keep actually." Xander said casually.
Harry winced as Hermione growled, turning apologetically to the Goblin.
"I'm really sorry it took us so long, Griphook." He said.
"Not a problem, Mr Potter," Griphook said, shooting an amused grin at the departing back of Xander and Hermione. "It's been quite amusing by times."
Harry sighed, rolling his eyes, "It wears off in time."
Griphook chuckled, herding them all into the mine cart and securing it before settling himself in at the controls.
"Better you than me, then." He said before pushing the lever forward. "One speed only!"
Hermione's shriek dopplered through the mine as they sped off.
Diagon Alley.
After leaving Gringotts, the trio made their way to the bookstore owned by Flourish and Blotts where Hermione quickly found a map of the Isles complete with portkey coordinates loaded in. In short order they were back at Fortescue's, this time eating light as they pored over the map and compared the numbers to those found in the Potter Tome.
"Hey, this is just north of Glastonbury," Hermione said, surprised. "I think this is the Mendip Hills nature preserve."
Harry blinked, then frowned, "I… I remember something about that. Where did I see that?"
He got out a Mokeskin bag and started digging through it, muttering to himself while Hermione and Xander exchanged glances and shrugged while they waited. Finally he pulled out his family Ledger and started flipping pages.
"Aha! It was in here."
"You own a Nature Preserve?" Xander blinked, confused.
"I… well, maybe? I'm not sure, actually," Harry admitted. "Potter do have entailed lands there, though, maybe part of it? They're on permanent lease to the muggle government… let's see… here we are. See?"
Hermione and Xander leaned in, reading the information.
"This says that your family signed it over to the government on a permanent lease for one dollar every ninety nine years," Xander blinked. "That doesn't sound right."
Hermione gasped out as she read on farther, "This was signed in nineteen seventy two, on the condition that the land remain designatied as an area of outstanding natural beauty. That specifically prevents any development, and I think… I need to check something."
She grabbed Harry's ledger without another word, snatching it from him before he could do more than blink. In another swift action she had the map laid out beside it while her eyes flickered back and forth between the two.
"We need a muggle map," She said a moment later, expression excited.
"We're in the center of London, I'm sure we can find a tourist map somewhere," Xander offered.
"No, we're not far from a public library, let's go there."
Harry and Xander looked at one another and shrugged.
"Sure, I guess?" Harry said as Xander nodded in agreement.
Once more dropping their coins on the table, the trio waved to Fortescue again as they left. The aging propieter of the ice cream shop watched them go bemusedly before he walked over and cleaned up, pocketing the pay for the ice cream and noting the nice tip the three had left.
"Good kids," He said, chuckling to himself. "Don't know what the Ministry is on about. Bloody fools, the lot of them."
Public Library, #4 Charing Cross Rd.
"Why does it not surprise me that the librarian recognized Hermione?" Xander asked dryly as they grabbed a table with enough room to roll out the large map Hermione had managed to get out of the back room.
"Honetly, Xander," Hermione rolled her eyes, "Do you really think I wouldn't have looked into the closest library to Diagon Alley?"
"Now that you put it that way, I guess not."
Harry just grinned, shaking his head, but knew better than to comment.
Hermione leaned over, laying out Harry's ledger on the map as she looked at the map of the nature preserve, comparing the information within. In a moment she ran off, talking excitedly to the librarian, who just smiled indulgently and helped her locate a sizeable book that Hermione lugged back.
A few minutes of confusion later, Hermione quietly crowed as she pumped her fist.
"I knew it," She said in a hushed voice.
"Perhaps you'd like to share with the rest of us?" Xander suggested bemusedly.
She rolled her eyes, but quickly pointed to the Ledger and then back to the book she'd just gotten.
"The government registers the area as being two hundred square kilometers," She said, "but Harry's Ledger is almost twice that. Someone warded off a lot of land right there, I'm guessing the Potters."
"And they signed over the rest to the government, with those conditions, in order to keep the area from being developed," Xander said, suddenly understanding.
"Exactly, a lot of old blood homes were swallowed up by muggle expansion," Hermione explained, "Anyone living around London a couple centuries ago would probably be surrounded by suburbs today."
Xander snorted, "Oh God. How in the world has that not turned into a massive clusterf…"
"Xander Harris," Hermione hissed, "Don't you dare."
"…udge," Xander finished after a brief pause. "What? What did you think I was going to say?"
Cheerfully ignoring the glare of promised retribution, Xander clapped Harry on the shoulder, "Ok, let's get the book and map back in place and go take a look. Sound good?"
"Yeah," Harry said eagerly as Hermione started rolling the map back up. "Yeah it does."
"We'll need to take the Knight Bus," Hermione said, shooting a warning glare at Xander. "I am not trying to fit three people on that monstrosity."
Xander shrugged, "We can do that I guess. I was thinking about tying Harry over the fender, but you know… the Knight bus works too."
Harry just glared at him, but refused to rise to the bait as they got up and cleared off the table before returning the reference materials to the front desk with a cheerful thank you to the librarian on their way out the door.
Cheddar, South England.
Tumbling out of the Knightbus, the three friends all had a tinge of green on their faces as they seriously contemplated kissing the ground at the magical busstop.
"I don't care if there isn't room," Xander said, "Next time I'm taking my Bike. Portkeys suck less than that."
Hermione took deep breaths before answering, "You have a point. Harry, we need to figure out a better way to get around."
Harry nodded, though he looked better than either of his friends, "I really want a bike. Maybe we can get a couple?"
Hermione grimaced, "I really don't know if I want one of those… but as much I hate to admit it, that is probably a better option than the ones I can think of. A magical car would be nice, but we'd stick out far more in one until we get older."
Xander finished sucking in fresh air, "I'll check with Sirius. He'll be happy to make one for Harry, I'll bet. Won't take much to convince him to help harry's friends too. There's tons of old bikes in the junkyard we can pull for parts."
"Brililant," Harry grinned, now looking around, "but for now… where to next?"
Hermione, looking through his ledger, then at the signs around them before she pointed.
"That way, Cliff Road to the Black Rock hills. It's not far, we can walk it," Hermione said confidently. "There's a walk path through the woods."
"Well," Xander looked up, "We've burned up half the day just getting this far. Let's not waste much more."
Harry agreed and the trio set off amid the occasional groups of tourists apparently intent on doing much the same as them, albeit for vastly different reasons.
