Months passed by, Harry finding refuge at the Grangers' home every weekend and his relatives not minding at all. 2 weeks into their friendship, the kids revealed more about themselves, mainly their abilities that no one else could do, noticing that they could do a lot of the same things. Hermione was able to breathe underwater, something she hid from her parents but showed Harry in her backyard pool, while Harry could jump really high, giving him the sensation that the air was actually assisting him in doing so. They could also do things that the Granger adults had told their daughter was called magic, and they weren't alone in that, there were thousands of people in England and the rest of the world that could do the same things.
Harry spent Christmas with the Grangers while the Dursleys went on holidays, celebrating the holiday instead of just doing all of the work without any reward. He saw Kelly and Wade as adoptive parents also, Hermione had told him that she was adopted when very young, and they saw the boy as another child, even letting him call them Mum and Dad. In class, the friends were ignored, left to go it alone, which they liked as it gave them the freedom to talk in their special language as often as they wished.
Severus would watch on from the outskirts, not wanting the pair he cared for to be placed in danger should Albus be able to read their minds, though his own subtle attempts had failed, leaving him with a migraine for over a week. He was pleased that they were training their talents on their own, and it was giving him somewhat of an idea as to who their parents could be but as there were many Greek gods and goddesses that were able to manipulate water and air, he was still left with a large list of suspects.
Months turned into a year and then another and so on until it was Harry's 11th birthday, and as it was summer holidays, he was camping out in Hermione's bedroom once again. He was sleeping peacefully when suddenly a weight was on his torso. The vibrant green eyes shot open and groaned as he saw the brown/green eyes of his friend, "MIA! Get off me!"
"Happy birthday Harry!" The overly excited girl laughed from her perch on top of him.
Hearing that stopped the boy's struggles momentarily, "Birthday? I'M 11!"
Hermione rolled her eyes and got off of him, embracing her friend as he rose, "Yes you are, now get dressed. Mum's made your birthday breakfast and you have presents to open."
As soon as the girl was gone, Harry was getting dressed; he always loved the breakfast that he knew was awaiting him. Despite it happening like this every year the past 5, he was still surprised when he got a birthday celebration or gifts at Christmas, Easter and his birthday. Racing into the dining room, following the delicious smells, Harry came to an abrupt halt when he saw an oddly familiar man standing there.
Cautiously making his way over to his friend's side, the boy asked, "Who's that Mia?"
"Mum and Dad's friend Severus, he's the one who told them that I'm a witch. He just got here," came the answer.
Severus looked over at the pair and smiled, "No speaking like that you two. Happy birthday Harry."
"Do I know you from somewhere sir?" Harry asked politely.
"Possibly, I knew your parents and swore that I would keep an eye on you. I apologise for not intervening with the Dursleys but that was out of my hands," Severus said honestly, "Now, how about you both eat? I have a present for you both."
Breakfast was consumed quickly, and the two Muggles kissed the kids goodbye, work waited for no birthdays, much to the quartet's dislike. Severus arranged the pair on the lounge and cleared his throat, "I'm here in an official capacity to deliver you both your acceptance letters to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." He had actually asked Minerva McGonagall for the boy's letter this morning, knowing that Harry would be at the same place as Hermione, not that Minerva had minded, she never wished for Harry to be placed with the Dursleys to begin with.
Taking the letters into their hands, the duo opened them and read together, helping each other when needed, what they said. When they were finished, they were astonished and ecstatic, quickly doing as the man said to accept the enrolments, "How do we get all of these things sir?"
"We take a trip to Diagon Alley, and you can both call me Severus as long as we are not at the school, okay?" At the nods, the tall man removed a piece of rope from his pocket and tapped it, "Hold on tight and don't let go until I say."
With one hand holding the rope and their other entwined with the friend's, the two tweens were startled at the tug behind their navels and even more so at the sensation of flying off somewhere. When they landed, and let go of the rope, what they saw was amazing. They were in a busy alley filled with people rushing around, many with children of their own screaming that they want to go back into a store.
"Wow," the friends gasped together.
"Definitely, come on, we have to go to Gringotts Bank before we can go shopping," Severus was grateful that he had placed the Image Altering Charm on Harry before leaving, with this many people around someone would no doubt spot him, that scar, and the almost perfect spitting image of James Potter with more vividly brilliant green Lily eyes.
While Harry and Hermione would peer into any windows or shop fronts that they passed, they kept up the pace with the adult wizard, but what they saw had them incredibly interested. After climbing the many stairs up to the large white marble building, the trio entered and made their way over to a free teller.
That is where the two children got their first look at a goblin; peach skin, thinning white hair, pointed ears, dark eyes and extremely sharp looking pointed teeth. They could both sense that this race was not one to be on the wrong side of, and that respect was something that they should forever be shown.
So before Severus could say anything, both tweens bowed in front of the teller and held out their hands on rising, "Good morning, we are Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. May we enquire as to your name?"
If Severus was shocked he had nothing on the goblin, or those seated on either side of him, he was gobsmacked. It took a few moments but he did pull himself together and shook the offered hands, "My name is Bogrod, how can I assist you this morning?"
"Good morning, we need to go to Vault 687," Severus handed over a key.
The goblin checked it and nodded, "End of the foyer."
As soon as he was gone, Severus bent over to the pair, "What was that?"
"We got the sense that you should always show a goblin respect," Hermione answered, knowing the race from what some other customers were saying.
The man just shook his head in amazement and joined the young pair at the end of the foyer. Bogrod wasn't there so Harry asked, "Whose vault is it that we are going to?"
"It's yours Harry, left to you by Lily and James," Severus didn't bother saying his parents, he would only get more confused later on when they were both informed of what they were, "They left you a lot of money and had me put in charge of it until you were older."
"Really?" The boy whispered, the only new things he got were bought for him by the Grangers.
Hermione was pleased; she knew her friend hated not having anything that had to do with his parents, "Severus, how are we buying my things though? My parents aren't like us."
"I started a bank account here for you years ago, and your parents have contributed greatly over that time. I drew some money out yesterday for your items but figured you would both want to experience Gringotts so didn't do the same for Harry."
Both kids were happy at that, they were having so much fun already, and when Bogrod finally appeared in front of a cart and a track that looked like a roller coaster, their happiness sky-rocketed. While Severus went between pale and green, the two demigods were whooping and laughing in the back of the cart. When they arrived, the older human just passed over the key and waved them off, "I'll just stay here for now."
"Ok Severus"
When the vault door was opened, neither child could talk, they had never seen that much money before in their life, nor had they ever seen the type of money. Hermione came to her senses first and politely asked Bogrod, "Sir, could you tell us what this money is please? We don't know."
"Very well. The gold coins are called galleons; one of them is equal to £5 depending on the exchange rate. Next down are the silver ones, called sickles, and 17 of them make a galleon. Then are the bronze knuts, and 29 knuts make a sickle. I would suggest taking mainly galleons but also a few of the others in case," Bogrod answered.
"Thank you," the brunette found a pouch hanging near the door and pulled her friend to the nearest pile, "Help me out Harry."
The boy came round and did that, helping her place coins into the bag. They had nearly 500 galleons and about 50 of the others by the time they were done and back in the cart. Severus was a normal colour again but that changed as soon as they were speeding away again. At the surface, the older wizard called out thanks as he raced outside, leaving the young pair with the goblin.
Bowing once more, Harry spoke for them both, "Thank you for your assistance Bogrod. I do hope that we see you once again."
"As do I Mr Potter, Miss Granger, good day," Bogrod watched as they left, making sure they were safely joined by the adult, before going back to his teller.