EPISODE 1:

HEARTH AND HOME

In all matters, before beginning, a diligent preparation should be made.

-Cicero

CHAPTER 1:

DIAGON ALLEY

Harry Gainsborough, once Harry Potter, stared at all the sights and wonders all around him, his green eyes wide with astonishment. Even after his adventure back home (or where he considered home now) on the Planet, he was still amazed by the experience that was Diagon Alley. To think that such a place existed in London, and he never knew about it.

Of course, he had his relatives to thank for that. The Dursleys had never told him about his magical heritage, and indeed, went out of their way to try and squeeze and beat the wonder and fantasy out of the boy. His aunt had done it out of jealousy and spite. Why did his uncle do so? Was it just because Harry happened to be a convenient target to vent hate and spite on?

It was a moot point. He was free from them now, and hopefully forever, unless he chose to speak with them. And at the moment, he wasn't sure he wanted to.

It was a strange and rather large entourage he was going through Diagon Alley. The Weasleys, a clan of redheads and pureblood wizards, made up a large part of it, at least in numbers. There was Molly, a formidable woman who was both indulgent and strict. She was a bit like Elmyra, if a little more mercurial. There was the frankly somewhat officious Percy Weasley, thin-faced and bespectacled. There were the mischievous twins, Fred and George. And there was Ron, of course, Harry's age. They had taken the Floo (a marvellous transport using a fireplace to travel) from the Burrow to Diagon Alley that morning.

Of course, a significant chunk of the physical bulk of the party was made up by one Rubeus Hagrid, the Keeper of the Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, a huge man with a shock of wild hair and an even wilder beard. Rough of speech, and a bit simple, he was nonetheless a kind person, as far as Harry could tell. They had met up with Hagrid at the Leaky Cauldron, the premiere pub of Diagon Alley.

Perched on Harry's shoulder was a cat, albeit one wearing a crown and a cape. Cait Sith was the semi-autonomous creation of Shinra executive Reeve Tuesti, and his accompanying them to Diagon Alley was partly a test of the toy's shielding. He was already shielded against Mako Energy, so it was a calculated gamble to check whether it could withstand magic. So far, so good.

Near Harry was an elegant woman dressed in a white suit, with a thin, cruelly beautiful face, framed by long tresses of blonde hair. Of course, this wasn't her normal appearance, but Jenova knew better than to look too inconspicuous. She was probably conspicuous enough, blatantly dressing like a non-magical, or a Muggle as they were called here.

Finally, right next to Harry and holding his hand tightly, was a young woman with brown hair and eyes as vividly green as Harry's own. Her pink dress was supplemented with a mahogany-coloured jacket. Aerith Gainsborough was as amazed as Harry, drinking in the sights and sounds and smells around them.

They had arrived on Earth last night, at Hogwarts itself. After taking the Floo to the Burrow, they had made themselves at home in the admittedly shambolic house. Harry had barely slept, he was so excited. And he got to meet the other Weasleys for the first time, like the twins, and Percy, and of course, Arthur, the patriarch.

"It's like Wall Market," Aerith muttered, looking around.

"A bit more cramped than Wall Market," Jenova remarked. "I wonder if there's anyone like Don Corneo around here?"

Aerith grimaced. As much as it was her idea to infiltrate Corneo's mansion with Cloud in order to get information and find Tifa, she never cared for the man himself. Which was why she meant every word when she threatened to rip his most precious possessions off his body.

Their first port of call was Gringotts, the goblin-run bank. Hagrid had the key to Harry's vault, and Aerith had managed to browbeat Molly into allowing the Gainsboroughs to pay for some of what the Weasleys needed. The twins and Ron looked at Aerith with more than a little awe: very few people won an argument with Molly Weasley, after all, or have her overcome her pride where money was involved. Hagrid also mentioned he needed to do business at Gringotts, Hogwarts business.

Harry, Aerith, and Cait Sith boggled at the poetic warning at the front doors. Jenova, however, merely smirked. Not that she would actually try to steal something from Gringotts, but it sounded like a challenge to think about it.

Sirius had tutored Harry on how to deal with goblins, the ones that ran Gringotts: "Always show them the utmost respect. Most wizards forget that the goblins are the ones who hold the money for them. They show contempt towards the goblins, despite that. Show the goblins respect, and they will remember you for it."

Harry did so, as much as he could. The goblins were somewhat intimidating, but they were soon ushered to a cart. The Weasleys stayed behind to use another cart for their vault (Molly refused to let Harry pay for everything), but Hagrid, Jenova, Harry and Aerith were soon in the cart, going through the caves deep in the depths of Gringotts. And there, when their goblin attendant Griphook opened up the vault (which was, incidentally, Harry's trust vault, to pay for his educational supplies at Hogwarts), the trio stared in wonder. Sirius had told them that James Potter and his family were pretty rich, but to see the reality, gold, silver and copper coins piled to the ceiling…

Harry had to smother a sudden desire to dive into the mass of coins, Scrooge McDuck-style. Instead, under Griphook's guidance, and with Aerith's help, they raked a number of coins in. Enough, according to what their correspondence with Dumbledore said, to pay for Harry's school stuff, plus some extras. Not just helping out the Weasleys, either.

Hagrid wasn't looking too good once they came to the vault he had needed to come to. Griphook had opened the door with some magic, and had explained to the curious onlookers that if a non-goblin would try it, they'd get sucked in.

"How often do you check for intruders?" Aerith asked.

"Oh, about once every ten years or so," Griphook said with a vicious grin.

In the silence that followed, while Hagrid went into the vault and picked up a rather non-descript, even grubby parcel, Jenova grinned herself. "I love your style," she purred to the goblin.

After emerging from Gringotts, Hagrid excused himself: he needed a pick-me-up at the Leaky Cauldron, given his dislike of the carts. He'd catch them later once they'd dealt with their robes.

Harry, Jenova, and Aerith waited for the Weasleys to emerge, and made their way to Madam Malkin's for their robes. Just as they finished, Hagrid turned up. They then went to Flourish and Blotts for the texts. The bookshop, however, was for all kinds of books, and Harry scowled when Ron showed him the large shelf of various fictional exploits of himself. He was surprised to see a small section of Muggle books, and added, to the texts, a copy of Shakespeare's works, as well as The Hobbit, and The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Sirius had extolled the virtues of Douglas Adams(1), and Harry wanted to give it a shot. It was interesting trying to explain the concept of science fiction to Ron, who was amazed to learn that Muggles had landed on the Moon.

Hagrid then took Harry to Eeylops Owl Emporium, and within twenty minutes, had given Harry the birthday present he promised: a beautiful snowy-white owl. Harry thanked the large man profusely.

It was time, now, for the wands. Although Molly had originally given Ron his older brother Charlie's old wand, because Aerith had offered to supplement the budget of the Weasleys, it was decided to get him a new wand, alongside Harry's. And in order to blend in, Aerith and Jenova needed wands as well.

It was time, then, to go to Ollivander's. A dusty and cramped little store, filled with silence and solemnity.

Not long after they entered, Jenova suddenly whirled, her arm transforming into the bladed appendage she habitually used when fighting an adversary. When she saw her target, however, she sniffed. "I suggest you be careful in future, sneaking up on people like that," she said to the old man with pale, silvery, wide eyes.

The old man seemed startled by Jenova's near-attack, but recovered. "An interesting reaction. And an interesting instinctive transfiguration, if I may say so. I am familiar with many here, but I do not know your name, Miss…?"

"Jen Calamitas," Jenova said, using the alias she had agreed to go to Hogwarts under. The name Jenova was known in the legends of the Cetra Heritage, after all, and it wouldn't do to have people make connections. She realised that there was something vaguely familiar about the old man, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Aerith Gainsborough," Aerith said, introducing herself. "And this is my adoptive brother, Harry Gainsborough, though you may know him as Harry Potter."

"Indeed. I knew I would be seeing him soon, though not under a new name," the man said. "I am Garrick Ollivander, the proprietor." He smiled when he saw the Weasleys. "Ah, and Molly Weasley. I was hoping you would bring your youngest son to my establishment."

"We also need wands," Aerith said. "Jen and myself."

"You do? Oh my, what have you been doing with your magic? Well, I suppose it is not my place to ask questions," Ollivander said, before he approached Harry. He frowned at the faded scar. "I'm sorry to say," he muttered, "that I sold the wand that did that. Thirteen and a half inches. Yew. With a phoenix feather core. Powerful. Very powerful. If I had known…"

"Mr Ollivander," Jenova said, "we have had a long day, and we have one ahead. Could we please get on with this?"

"Sorry, sorry," Ollivander apolgised, before setting to work, using an enchanted measuring tape to measure the four who needed wands.

It was Ron who got his first, a fourteen-inch willow wand, with a unicorn hair core. Aerith, surprisingly, got hers next: Pear, with a unicorn hair core(2). Jenova was next after a lot of tries: Hawthorn, with a dragon heartstring core(3).

But what of Harry? Wand after wand was tried, until finally, Ollivander tried one last one: an eleven inch holly one, with a phoenix feather.

The results were amazing, a fountain of golden and crimson sparks spraying out like a firework. Everyone was so excited, none more so than Harry himself. Even Ollivander was caught up, saying 'Bravo' over and over…until a shadow came over his features. He took the wand from Harry, replaced it in its box, and began wrapping it up. "Curious," he muttered to himself as he did so.

"What's curious?" Harry asked.

Ollivander fixed Harry with his strange stare. "I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr Gainsborough. Every single wand."

Jenova raised an eyebrow. "Really? You must have one very good memory."

"I do, Miss Calamitas. And it so happens that the phoenix whose tail feathers reside in that wand gave another feather, just one other. It is very curious that Mr Gainsborough was chosen by this wand, when its brother…"

"…was Voldemort's," Aerith realised. "You said it had a phoenix feather core. I'm right, aren't I?"

"You are indeed perceptive, Miss Gainsborough. Yes, you are right. Curious indeed how things like this happen. I think we can expect great things from your adoptive brother. After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things too. The most terrible of things, true, but great."

Unnerved, Harry and the others paid for their wands. But just as they left, Jenova's eyes met Ollivander's. "Stay safe, Miss Calamitas," he said in his quiet voice. "I would like to have a Reunion later."

Jenova blinked, and realised what there was about the man that seemed so familiar. He reeked of Jenova cells, her own cells. Oh, they felt as different to her as those controlled by Sephiroth did, but there was no mistake.

It seemed that she had a presence here after all.

The surprises didn't end there, though. When they got back, it was the afternoon, and a blonde-haired girl with pale eyes was playing with Ginny in the garden. Harry and Aerith didn't notice the strange expression that came over Jenova, however, when she saw the girl.

Ginny looked up. "Harry! You're back! Oh, this is a friend of mine who lives nearby. Luna Lovegood, this is Harry Pot- I mean, Harry Gainsborough, and his big sister, Aerith."

The girl got to her feet, and skipped over to them. There was something vaguely ethereal about the girl. "Hello, Harry," she said, in a dreamy voice. She looked at Aerith. "Nice to meet you, Aerith. You smell nice. Of flowers blooming in a church."

Aerith blinked at the girl's odd and eerily accurate pronouncement. "Thank you," she said, a little uncertainly.

But before she could continue, Jenova all but stammered out, "What…what are you?"

Luna looked at Jenova, and smiled, a strange, dreamy smile. "You should know that, mother of my blood. I have waited long for this day." And then, if her words hadn't caused alarm in Harry or Aerith before, her next ones did. "The time is long overdue…for our Reunion."

Her blonde hair became silver, her eyes gained slitted pupils. It was like looking at Jenova's daughter…or Sephiroth's…

CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS:

Well, the standard Diagon Alley chapter, albeit a bit rushed, but with some interesting revelations. And a big cliffhanger at the end regarding Luna. But also a big revelation with Ollivander, too.

1. I mentioned in Harry Potter and the Cetra Heritage that Sirius had read, at least, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.

2. Pear was chosen because, according to the Harry Potter Wiki, the perfect owner is an even-tempered, friendly person with hidden steel. Perfect for Aerith.

3. Hawthorn, according to the Harry Potter Wiki, is a wand wood good for those who are complex and conflicted, and adept at both healing and cursing. Draco has a wand like this, and I thought it would be perfect for the morally complex Jenova.

CHAPTER 1 SOUNDTRACK:

Diagon Alley: Vivi's Theme from Final Fantasy IX, composed by Nobuo Uematsu.

The Brother Wands: Trail of Blood (FTG).

Luna: Terra, from Final Fantasy IX, composed by Nobuo Uematsu. I wanted a theme for Luna that was eerie, but not sinister. Given that I chose a music piece by the same name (but from Final Fantasy VI) for Harry's theme back in Birthday, it seems particularly apposite.