AN1: Alright, this is probably the last chapter of the Shards of tales before I upload the rewritten version of the Star Wars Legends: Beginning.
AN2: When I was younger I didn't noticed this but Rowling didn't really showed us anything aside of England and focused on Europe. I mean seriously? Ten dragons and only three is not of Europe? (I revised it. I am currently at 22 and only 9 European, if you want i can upload that as something of a codex entry.)
AN3: The site was nice enough to clear my formating. I'm sorry if some of it will remain as it is. i will try and make it readable.
AN4: As always reviews are welcome, but flames will be either ignored or deleted. Thank you!
Chapter I
Return
It was a nice summer afternoon near the sunset actually, with soft breeze. It was a perfect time for a walk or a jog in the park. Few residents of Privet Drive took up the offer. After all most were either too old to do something like this or worked all they long and had no energy for it.
Save for two people: Claire Denning, young police woman and Harry Potter a fourteen year old boy. The boy was there just as yesterday, though now it was for different reason. He walked home from his friend's house where they celebrated their basketball team winning a practice match against their rival school.
Harry wasn't a member of the team because of his height even when it was a maybe the most important factor for player. He was there because he was always aware of his surroundings, namely the players making him an excellent point guard. Not only that but his reflexes and agility enabled him to play as a small forward if needed.
Everyone who had seen him and his relatives could hardly believe they were related. His aunt, Petunia was also lean, but where Harry was muscular she was thin. Her husband, Vernon and son, Dudley were the opposite: huge bodies ideal for wrestling, rugby, boxing or the like. The only problem was that they didn't moved, only when necessary. Though Dudley will be going to a gym at the start of the school year. Maybe even take up boxing.
Harry didn't only stood out with his lean body, but with the color of both his eyes and hair. The Dudleys, even his aunt had blond hair against his raven locks. His deep, almond shaped green eyes also set him apart from them as they all had the most common brown eyes. Yet, his most distinct feature was a thin lighting bolt shaped scar on his forehead. His aunt said he got it in the car accident which killed his parents.
The young teenager waved at Claire who still jogged around the park. The young woman waved back with a smile, but didn't slowed down. Harry could only shake his head at the girl. He could hardly believe that she had enough energy to jog as many laps as she did after doing long hours of work.
When Harry stepped in the Privet Drive 4, a two storey house nearly identical to the others next to it, his uncle sat before the television while his aunt was in the kitchen making tea. He didn't need to ask were Dudley was. He knew that he was with his band smoking and drinking on the streets.
His uncle didn't noticed him, too engrossed in the news (and grumpling about them). Though his aunt noticed him both only greeted with a tense nod. Harry quickly grabbed a sandwitch and made his way to his room upstairs.
It was a little agreement between the two: Harry tries to stay out of their way and they won't speak with him. It worked pretty well, so he had no reason to complain. His aunt and uncle never lied about it: only because it was their duty, dictated by law did they took him in.
His was the smallest bedroom in the house. The furniture: his bed, desk, wardrobe and a single bookself took up most of its space. He gone to his wardrobe wanting to take a towel out, but a sound, screech really, had him turning to his desk. There was an owl, a very big, brown owl. He looked at the open window wishing he didn't opened it before the game. How could he guess that a bird, an owl at that would find his room so relaxing to fly in?
Harry got used to strange things happening around him. His hair grew back once when he was eight overnight. Once he 'teleported' onto the top of school while being chased by Dudley and his friends. Another time he was late of his basketball match and 'teleported' to a nearby alley, nearly two miles away as he later estimated. Speaking of basketball: he caught balls he shouldn't be able to, sometimes as if the balls fall was delayed. Not to mention that he always had a strange affinity to animals. He could easily read their moods and get them to do his requests.
Trying to connect to the owl as he called his abilty he found out that he couldn't do it. It was like something was preventing him to do so. Well, he never tried to do it with an owl so maybe he couldn't? Or the owl was strange: owls usually didn't flied until dark as far as he knew.
Being in a room with an animal where he could only guess if it was hostile or not wasn't reasuring. It didn't seemed as the owl wanted to attack him, but it did screeched at him.
He looked at the door, it was three meters away and he instinctly closed it behind him stepping inside. He quickly started to guess how fast he could open the door and how fast could the owl attack him. He half prayed that his aunt would come up to see what was the noise before, but knew it was unlikely. Even if she heard it, doubtfully as it wasn't that loud, she most likely just shook her head and turned back to her tea. Why would anything screech in her house after all?
He looked at the owl again and his jaws dropped. The owl held out his leg to wich a letter was attached. Who thought it would be funny to do a prank like this? Not only that, but the owl looked at him like he was an idiot. He didn't know how he did but the bird big yellow eyes conveyed the meaning quite well.
It was maybe a stupid move, but he inched towards the animal hands reaching for the letter. He hoped that there was a signature as he wanted to have a few words with whoever came up with this. The owl let him take the letter. On the cover there was a crest of a lion, a snake, a hawk and a baddger surrounding a big H letter. Opening up he slowly started to read the first page.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Seeing a second page he quickly run through that. It was, just as the first page said, the list of the needed equipment. He sat down the chair before his desk, thinking about it. It was impossible: magic simply didn't exist. But the owl was unusually intelligent and it was too elaborated prank to be done by his friends. More so for his cousin: Dudley was always a straight thinking boy, when he thought on anything.
"Can you wait for a minute?" he asked the owl, feeling a little silly for doing so. The owl bobbed his head. Realizing that maybe he should give it something he asked again "Would you like some water as you wait?"
After getting a much more profuse head bobbing he quickly made his way down to fill his mug with water and running back to his room, gaining Aunt Petunia's disapproving glare but he paid it no mind. Placing the mug before the owl he sat down again at his desk getting a paper from one of the drawers. He wrote a few lines before attaching it to the owl's leg.
"Can you take it to Ms. McGonagall?" the owl looked at Harry like he insulted the animal before taking off. "Alright, it's just crazy. An owl don't understand speech. Maybe he recognized a few words like watter and McGonagall."
Harry didn't slept well on that night he read the letter again and again, until he memorized both papers. It was stupid but he couldn't help but wonder what would it mean if it is real? If magic truly existed? There were a few things that happened around him that he had no explanation for. He fell into slumber with these thoughts.
Unknown to Harry the owl made his way to a great castle on the Scottish Highlands. It was dark by this time but many of the castle numerous windows showed light behind the glass. The owl flew towards one of those windows on a higher floor of the castle. Landing on the window-sill without being noticed from the inside he tapped the glass with his peak.
Only a few moments passed until the window opened up to allow the owl inside. It was a fairly large room, the wallls filled with bookcases the room dominated by the large wooden desk and two comfortable chair before it. In the chair behind it sat a woman of her early fifties. She looked at the owl landing on her desk (luckily not on the paper he just signed) with a frown as she removed the letter from the owl's leg. Minerva McGonagall knew the owl, it was one of the most experienced and reliable they had. And it was this owl who delivered the acceptance letter to Harry Potter today if she remembered right.
She looked at the letter, a simple paper folded up, she will need to speak with Mr. Potter how a letter should look like and started to read.
Madam McGonagall,
I received a surprising letter from you this afternoon. I'm afraid I require more information about some of the claims of the letter. Even if what you wrote is true (which I'm doubtful of,) I know no place where I could acquire the equipment described on the second page. I ask for another letter to clear things up.
Yours sincerely,
Harry J. Potter
The witch felt her eyes widen as she read the letter. It seemed that Harry Potter didn't really believed in magic, like a common muggle. This was impossible. She was there on that night when Dumbledore placed the young Harry Potter on the doorsteps of his mother sister with a letter placed on his chest explaining everything.
And when she said everything she meant it. From the predicted accidental magics to how to reach the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley, the locations of each shop and a warning against going into Knockturn Alley. She was honestly looking forward meeting James and Lily Potter's son in the upcomming school year, but it seemed her curiousity will be sated well before that.
She will need to speak with Albus about going over to introduce the wizarding world to Harry. She won't be there to met the Flamels as Dumbledore asked for the members of the faculty to met the two legendary alchemists. She wasn't entirely sure what will be said. She hoped that Dumbledore persuaded them to keep lectures about alchemy or honestly any field of magic. They lived for more than five hundreds years, most spent with studying the different magical disciplines.
The next morning was normal in Harry's opinion. He worked on his aunt's flowerbed, got a shower and had a snack. He didn't exactly know what did he except to happen after he sent the letter, but he knew deep down that something should have happened. Either those who organised the prank coming out or this McGonagall writing back. He constantly watched the sky for another owl, but none came.
Dudley was already in his room, presumedly playing one of his many computer games. It was funny as his cousin started eating his own snack well before him, yet only finished a minute earlier. Dudley was well on his way to reach his father size around his belly, which wasn't something anyone would envy.
As he made his way out of the kitchen the doorbell rang. He went up the stairs only to stop at the middle as his aunt screamed after opening the front door. Harry could hear that Vernon already came from his seat at the table. Harry himself also run back to the front door. They might hold little feeling for each other but Petunia was his aunt.
Stopping next to his chalk white aunt he looked at their visitor. The woman was in her fifties, wearing a black robe. She must have been a striking beauty in her younger years. Even if some of her beauty faded she still held herself in a regal manner. She had her black hair combed back into a tight bun. Her severe expression relaxed sightly at seeing Harry.
"Mr. Potter! A pleasure to finally met you. I'm Professor Minerva McGonagoll. It seems that the two of us have much to discuss. And I would like to have a few words with your relatives as well." she said as she stepped inside the house looking at Vernon standing at the kitchen and Dursley who stood at the top of the stairs disapprovingly.
"What do you think you are doing, coming here in daylight?" Petunia seemed to come out of her shock as she hissed at the older woman. Who looked her in the eyes as they were on the same height, Harry noted with such a look that it didn't surprised him that his aunt shut up.
"I cast several charms on me. They won't notice I was there at all."
"You say you use magic but I would like to see solid proof of it." Harry interfered, before his aunt could retort as they made their way into sitting room. McGonagall took out a stick, a wand. With an elegant flick the table between two armchair and the couch turned into a pig. Before they could get over their shock another flick transformed it back. Harry could only look between the woman and the table, dimly noting how she only used three fingers to hold her wand.
"I think we should sit down, Mr. Potter." McGonagall said gently. She and Harry seated themselves on the two armchairs while the Dursley family took up the couch, barely fitting it thanks to their son's size. "I believe your aunt and uncle never told you about magic, is that right?"
"Yes, ma'am." Harry replied casting a glance at his relatives. Dudley of course looked completely lost, while his aunt was white as the walls while Vernon seemed to shocked into silence. Not many were able to silence Vernon Dursley, his uncle took great pleasure at roaring his dissatisfaction with anything.
"Mrs. Dursley could I ask you why did you not talked about magic with your nephew?" the Scottish woman turned to his aunt. Which prompted him to ask.
"She knew about magic?"
"Of course." McGonagall voice was calm, but Harry suspected from how thin her lips became that it was only forced calmness "Your parents were both magical after all. After they were killed we thought it was best for you to grow up with your aunt. We left a letter with you explaining everything."
"Burned it as soon as I found it on him." Petunia said nodding to Harry, her voice full of defiance and anger "We, Vernon and I, wanted a simple life. I wanted no part of my sister weird things in it. Then you dumbed a baby on us! You didn't even asked us if we wanted to take him in!"
"And no day pass without you making it clear that you don't want to see me." came the dry reply from the young man "I assume the story of my parents dieing in a car accident was false as well."
"Car accident?!" McGonagall didn't scream. "Perhaps it would be better." Harry thought. The hiss which those two words came out of her and her green eyes staring at them in rage was far more intimediating them any shouting. All members of the Dursley family shook as leaves.
"Miss McGonagall, ma'am." while Harry could be careless about how much she scared them, the witch seemed close enough to curse them. Or transform them into pigs. "Though it would matter little in the case of Vernon and Dudley."
"My apologies, Mr. Potter." she came back to her senses at Harry's timid adress. She mentally flinched at how close she came to curse the two adult in front of her. Not because they didn't told Harry about magic. There were many reason some could do it. Not because they told him that his parents died in a car accident. If they didn't explained that magic indeed existed they couldn't just tell him the whole story without spells.
What angered her so much was the clear disregard for both Harry and his parents. The clear disgust on their face. It was too much for her.
"It may be best if we continue our conservation in my room." Harry suggested. McGonagall nodded, sending him a slight smile, showing that her temper wasn't directed at him. Harry quickly stood up lading her out and up the stairs. The witch, after one last withering look at the family on the couch, followed him.
Harry let her in first as he opened the door of his witch curiously looked around before looking back at the young man closing the door. The boy awkwardly gestured to the old chair before his desk. McGonagall gracefully sat down, paying no mind to the soft sound comming from it.
"I will be honest with you, Mr. Potter. I feared that your relatives would be more abusive towards you but your room tells a different story." the woman looked around her eyes finding the only picture in the room at the desk right corner. There were a group of kids on it with a pair of adult.
"They won't want to ruin their image as the "perfect middle-class family" built up in their entire lifes, just because of me. If physical discipline was still accepted I think they would love to use it on me, though." Harry shrugged.
"Are those your friends, Mr. Potter?" McGonagall asked pointing at the picture.
"Yes my basketball team." Harry smiled "Playing as a point guard and small forward if needed for nearly four year now. They are my best friends."
"Basketball?" Harry couldn't help but chuckle at her frown. She was obviously trying to remember if she ever heard of the game. Confidant that she didn't, he explained the sport in a few sentences. "Remind me of Quidditch. It is a bit more complicated than this basketball thing." she said at last, before smirking a little "Or did you simplify it to me?"
"Maybe a bit." Harry grinned. It seemed that if you found her at the right moment McGonagall was fairly lively. "If you want I can tell more detail at a later date."
"I would like that very much, thank you. I'm afraid I'm not very well-informed of today's mundane culture." she admitted. Then the next moment she became all businesslike. "You must have a lot of questions, but first let me explain the general things. If you have any question during it or after I'm more then happy to answer them."
"Alright." it seemed reasonable enough for Harry to just go with the flow. "First allow me to introduce myself again. I'm Professor Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts and head of House Gryffindor. I teach Transfiguration. I ask you that you use the correct adress for me and my collegues: Madam or Professor McGonagall."
"Madam for when we aren't at school?"
"Precisely, but most student wait until they finish Hogwarts to use it. Some never does." she replied. Harry nodded at that, but had to ask about one of what she just said.
"What is Gryffindor?"
"Hogwarts' studentbody is divided into four Houses: Slyntherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor to which I'm the head of as I said before. Each house has it's noble history and produced many exceptional wizards and witches."
"How will it be decided which House should I belong to? Or is it our choice?" Harry asked intriqued by it.
"It will be decided on the welcoming feast. I won't say how exactly it will be done though, it's a surprise." she replied, then said mostly to herself "It is interesting: I never once thought about letting the students decide it for themselves. Maybe because it is tradition, but even so..." Harry softly coughed causing McGonagall to snap back to their conservation.
"There are bound to be some difference between the Houses or they wouldn't be there at all. Could you explain it to me?" he asked.
"Of course. Each House represent a few characteristics which are said to be prominent in their members. Slytherins are ambitious and cunning, Hufflepuffs are loyal and hardworking, Ravenclaws are studious and resourceful, while Gryffindors are brave and daring. Of course it's only their more prominent trait. I have seen many clever Hufflepuff and brave Slytherins." seeing Harry's nod she continued "The four House compete for the House Cup each year."
"Doesn't it results in rivalries?" Harry asked, if the House Cup was a point of honor it could easily cause not so gentle rivalries between them.
"Most often it is friendly. Each classes are held for two Houses at a time allowing them to form connection with each other. There are a few more serious cases, but most near entirely leave the House boundaries after their fourth or fifth year." McGonagall replied with a shrug, then added Harry may just imagined it, with a rather smug little smile "They have too little time apart from studying to cause trouble."
"I see. How do you know that I have magic?" he asked. Yes, there were unexplainable things occurring around him, but he never showed something like her transfiguration.
"We knew it as Lily was quite proud of your first show of magical talents." McGonagall replied with a soft smile, remembering the brilliant young woman "But to answer your question I'm sure that there were incidents which there were no answers. You did something that you couldn't explain." she said, closely watching his face.
"Yes, some... and some to which I don't know if it was magical or not." he replied.
"Maybe I can help."
"I think I can control animals. Birds, dogs, cats, snakes..." McGonagall was impressed Harry could tell.
"How long have you been able to do that, Harry?" he raised an eyebrow at the first name, but answered anyway. "I don't remember exactly. I know I used it when I was about six-seven?" if it was possible McGonagall looked even more impressed, Harry had a feeling that it was rare to occur.
"That's very impressive Mr. Potter. It is very rare to somebody to be able to do this, let alone so young. You should be proud of yourself!"
"Thank you." Harry was happy that he showed some aptitude for magic as he wasn't that talented in most subjects. He got good grades but it was mostly because of hard-work and Claire, a genius in her own right, helped him. Thinking of that made him think about the future and the problem he may face... "Professor I don't know how to tell you..."
"Simply if you can." the woman dryly replied with a raised eyebrow, though with a small smile.
"I don't have money." Harry said, not really embarrassed as he was in his younger years, having years to adept to it "Well, I have money. Just not enough to allow me to buy me who knows how much magical equipment. And as you could guess my aunt and uncle wouldn't give me money, let alone to spend it on magical tuition."
"But you said you have money. If they didn't give it..." she replied thoroughly confused.
"I'm doing odd jobs in the neighborhood for a while. My relatives only allow me to stay because the law makes them responsible for me. As soon as I'm eighteen and I'm no longer welcome in their home."
"Those..." McGonagall started to say, eyes wide with rage, but Harry stopped her.
"I wouldn't stay until necessary as well, so it isn't something to complain about."
"I see." McGonagall quietly replied "You don't need to worry your parents left you a sizable amount of money. A little fortune all things considered. You will be only able to access a small part of it, but it is more than enough to fund your education." Harry was surprised at hearing that. He suspected that some of his aunt tales of how his parents had nothing on their name was a lie, but it seemed that they were at least of the higher end of the middle-class.
"One more... I mean two more things." McGonagall said as she glanced at the picture of his team "The Wizarding World is a secret. You cannot tell anybody about it only your relatives. Your blood relatives. So to your friends and... well, female companion you should just tell that you go into a Scottish public school."
"What? I don't..." Harry looked at the picture and noticed that he was hugging Kate Brown from behind "We aren't together anymore."
"Oh, I'm sorry." McGonagall coughed, obviously uncomfortable speaking of his personal life, before speaking up again "Our last topic is a bit hard to speak about. You may want to sit down before I begin."
Harry raised an eyebrow before sitting down on his bed. Not only did McGonagall strike him as someone who knew when to be serious, but he himself felt a strange uneasiness in the air.
"I think I will start at the beginning. I don't believe that I need to say it but there are some who doesn't hesitate to use anything to archive their goals. Magicals and mundanes both." McGonagall said. Harry just nodded, resisting to roll his eyes "There were two in this century who tried to grab absolute power in the wizarding world: Gellert Grindenwald who was defeated in 1945, by Headmaster Dumbledore. Yes, our wars often correspond to each other." she said seeing that Harry connected the date to that of the end of Word War II "He was fearsome, many died at his hand. All hoped that we look forward to peaceful decades even century."
"I guess it didn't happened." Harry said seeing where the professor was going with this little speech.
"No, it didn't." McGonagall confirmed "Only three decades later another Dark Lord surfaced. We thought Grindenwald was terrible, but... He was beyond even that. " she shuddered "I don't think you can truly understand it. He was so terrible that few dare to utter his name even today."
Harry was stunned. At first it seemed very foolish to do. After all why could even saying a name invoke fear? Then he remembered that he knew nothing of the magical world. Maybe it was considered bad luck to invoke the name of the evil?
"We don't know how did they knew, but those who said it during the war were often found dead. Only a few could do it without repercussion. It became a polite thing to not to say his name. We call him You-Know-Who."
"So you can't tell me his real name?" Harry asked. It would be uncomfortable not even knowing the real name of the man.
"I don't know it." McGonagall replied "He called himself Lord Vo-Vol-Voldemort." Harry was good at judging a person and McGonagall didn't seemed easily frightened. If she was this skittish of this Dark Lord he at least could understand why many feared him. She continued "Only the Headmaster was able to stand on equal ground with him. He gathered those who were willing to fight against the Dark Lord. Your parents were among them." despite not remembering them Harry couldn't help but feel proud of them "They were good people Harry and very talented. On October 31 of 1981 they were attacked by You-Know-Who. Sadly, they were no match for him. But, when he tried to kill you something happened. The curse rebounded from you onto him destroying his physical body."
"I don't know if I understand it, but you make it sound like I defeated him." Harry was not overly modest, but knew that the probability that a one year old baby could do anything to a grown wizard was ludicrously low.
"We don't know for certain what happened there on that night. It could be you, your father, your mother... But You-Know-Who was defeated and that what mattered to most. You were the only one left alive, with only a scar on your forehead... That was enough for the public. You are the Boy-Who-Lived the only person to ever survive the killing curse cast by wizard."
"Are you saying that I'm famous for something I don't even remember?" Harry asked, but something nudged at his mind. Before she could respond he asked about it "Professor the curse, the one that was used on me... Could it be green by any chance?" There was a moment of silence before a horrified McGonagall replied in a shaky voice.
"Yes, pale green."
"I thought it was a nightmare. I only see a green flash and hear a scream, a woman screaming." Harry replied back softly.
"I... I don't know what to say Harry. I'm sorry."
"Thank you." For a minute neither said anything, both thinking over their conservation. Finally McGonagall stood up. She knew that some of what she just said must have been difficult to deal with even if the boy showed nothing outwardly. Yet, they needed to get going, buying the equipment for Hogwarts could take up most of the day.
"Mr. Potter... Harry we need to go and purchase your equipment for Hogwarts."
"Alright. How do we travel there? And where exactly are we going?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I think we should use apparation. It is a near instant method of transportation. We will be going to London." the witch replied raising her arm "Please take my hand and you must not let it go during our travel." Harry firmly took hold of her hand, maybe a little more firmly than necessary. McGonagall didn't commented but gave a reassuring smile before they apparated away. It was uncomfortable to say the list, as his body was twisted into different positions as it gone through a small hole. He let go of McGonagall's hand as soon as his feet landed, sinking to his knees.
"Are you alright?" came the worried voice of his companion.
"I will live. Thank you." he said slowly getting back on his feet "This was unpleasant."
"For the first time it is for everyone." McGonagall reassured him "Those who tried after lunch often leave some of it on their destination."
"Lucky me." Harry dryly replied.
"Lucky you." McGonagall said with a slight smirk "Let's go."
That was when Harry noticed that they were in an alley. McGonagall went towards one of its end without hesitation, Harry closely following her. Stepping on the pavement McGonagall directed his attention to the pub on their side. It was an old building, Victorian style. The Leaky Cauldron the trade-sign read. Harry looked around. It wasn't the most used street but there were a fair amount of people walking around. What caught his eyes was that none seemed to look at the building. Even he and the professor only got a few quick glances.
"Are they not seeing us? Or the pub?"
"No, that would be very crude method." McGonagall said with a grimace at the thought "It is made so they can see us but don't take notice. It is amazing just how much we don't notice of our surroundings and if we add a bit of magical help into it..."
"They wouldn't even remember the pub. Maybe for a moment or two but no more" Harry finished. McGonagall nodded approvingly "But what about us?"
"We are inside the magic's range." McGonagall replied "That's why I used the alley behind us as our destination. It is one of the safe points to use. Even if most think it is beneath them to try and be discreet from the mundanes."
Stepping into the pub Harry was assaulted by the smell of the smokes, pipes mostly, alcohol and loud talking. He closely followed McGonagall, as the crowd seemed to open for the witch. The pub was nearly full. At least fourty-fifty men and women were there. The bartender gave a smile to McGonagall. He was old, smallish, a little below Harry's height with bald head.
"Professor McGonagall! Welcome! It has been a long time since I last saw you." his voice was a little coarse, but otherwise friendly.
"Tom! How have you been?" Harry started to suspect that they were more familiar with each other than other patrons.
"Good! I have been busy as of late thankfully. Many try and get to the Alley before the first years show up. Of course most will need to come back. I heard that some of the books still hasn't arrived."
"Just as the year before." McGonagall sighed "I've tried to speak with them but they said they need the booklist earlier if we want all of them to be avaible in July. Well, I hope we can find everything for Harry."
"Merlin's beard! This is Harry Potter!" Tom wasn't that loud, but instantly the entire pub become silent as a graveyard. Harry could only think of one course of action.
"Nice to meet you, sir. I'm Harry Potter." he said as he raised his hand to shake.
The pub exploded. Every one rushed to get close to Harry. Tom was still shaking his hand while others just shouted to Harry.
"Welcome back Mr. Potter!"
"It's an honor to finally meet you Mr. Potter!"
There were dozens, each asking question, each wanting to shake his hands, pat his shoulder or speak with him. McGonagall stepped in as it was clear that Harry couldn't respond to all of this even if he wanted to.
"Please be gentle! Mr. Potter only joined our world today. Let's make a good impression on him!"
It was like a spell. All of them calmed down as if fearing him disappearing righ under their nose for another thirteen years. After a quarter hour they made their way to the back of the pub, McGonagall having enough of the patron's demeanor.
"Please, pay attention. " she said as she tapped a brick, the one three up and two across from the trash can, with her wand. The brick wall seemed to came alive as it molded itself into an archway. "Mr: Potter, welcome to Diagon Alley."
The alley mostly went straight with cobblestones covering it. On the two sides there were all kind of buildings: most of them shops selling all kind of magical items, but there were restaurants, apartments, publishing houses. Before several shop there were stalls with vendors trying to sell their goods.
McGonagall didn't seemed to make any detour as she walked towards a large, white building, the largest in the entire Alley by far. It was made of marble and above the entrance golden letters proclaimed proudly: Gringotts Wizarding Bank.
"This is Horizont Alley." McGonagall said as she pointed to the Alley crossing Diagon Alley. "And this is the Gringotts. Be on your best behavior: it is run by goblins and they don't like rude people. Neither overly nice ones."
"Why?" Harry asked as they took the steps leading up to the door of the bank.
"For they it means that the person wants to hide something." McGonagall said.
Harry's first impression of the goblins was dual. The pair at the door wore a red uniform, were of about fifty inches in height. They had brown, 'earthy' skintone, long fingers and pointed ears and nose. Their cunning black eyes and pointed teeth however made them seems less friendly. Inside there were dozens of goblins in uniforms, most behind desk with a few standing around as security with only half as many customers.
McGonagall didn't paid any attention to them or the decour as she made her way to the nearest free teller.
"Yes?" the teller seemed old and a bit unfriendly.
"Taking money out of Mr. Potter's vault as well as placing an item into Vault 713. We would like to purchase one of your pouches as well. " McGonagall said taking out a little golden key with the number 687 engraved in it and a letter.
The teller first examined the key, running his clawed finger on it. Not finding anything wrong with it he nodded and gave it back to the witch. He then opened one of the drawlers on his desk and took out a little, dark leather pouch. McGonagall put a few silver coins on the desk which the goblin quickly took away.
He then turned to the letter, which Harry noticed bore the Hogwarts crest just as his admittance letter. Quickly reading it he nodded his hand a second time before using the bell-button. Only a few moments latter a younger goblin in uniform.
"Griphook take Mr. Potter and Madam McGonagall down to the vaults."
"This way please." the younger goblin's voice was less deep and a touch more polite than the teller's. T
he vaults were accessed by mine carts. They were going at incredible speed taking turns, sometimes going nearly horizontally up and down. Harry immensely enjoyed the way and had a feeling that McGonagall also did. Stepping out in front of Vault 687, which was Harry's vault.
Taking the key Griphook opened it up. Inside there were a large amount of coins. Large gold ones in neat stocks, a bit smaller silvers in equally neat stock if larger and small coppers in heaps. Looking around he could see that there were several heap of all kind.
"How much should I take out?" Harry asked the witch. She handed him the pouch. Harry stared disbelievingly at it. He estimated that only a dozen or so from the gold or the silver ones could fit in it.
"It is charmed to be expanded on the inside." McGonagall said "It can take much more than you think. For your question about ten golden, twenty silver and fifty copper should be alright. There are some automated teller machine in Diagon and Horizont Alley."
Taking a small ride they arrived at Vault 713. Unlike Harry's vault Griphook used his finger to open it, running it across where the two half of the door met. Seeing Harry's dumbfounded expression he smugly said:
"Goblin magic. Anyone else try to open it up and he finds himself in a security vault."
"How often do you check them?" Harry asked as the goblin stepped out of the way.
"Every decade or so." Griphook grin turned nasty. Harry rather focused on the vault trying not to shudder at the thought of starvation. To his disappointment the vault was empty save a simple pedestal. McGonagall stepped in placed a small package, maybe six or seven inch long and half across wrapped in old, brown paper, onto the pedestal.
Harry didn't asked McGonagall about the mysterious package on their way back. He knew that she wouldn't answer it and honestly after stepping out the prospect of finally be able to explore this place diverted his attention.
"The gold coins are called galleons and each worth a hundred silver coins, which are called sickles. The sickles also worth a hundred copper knuts apiece." McGonagall said as they made their way down the steps of Gringotts.
"It's rather simple." Harry commented as they made their way towards the first shop, thankful for that fact.
"It is much better than what we had. Before 1801 each galleon worth 17 sickles or 493 knuts. It must have been maddening for wizard kind."
"Why those numbers?" Harry asked confused. Those numbers seemed totally random for him!
"Because it was decided by goblins and they don't think like us." McGonagall replied as they stepped into Flourish and Blotts, the largest bookstore in the Alley.
Purchasing his equipment with McGonagall was different compared all the time he went shopping with the Dursley. Not only did the witch explained things to him and adviced him, but she wasn't complaining of the prices all the time like his relatives. It wasn't that lonmg before they made it trough the list with only the robes and the wand remaining.
McGonagall directed Harry towards Madam Malkin while she went on another errand. Stepping inside the shop Harry noted that there were only a few customers, most without a guide. There was an older female fussing around them.
"Welcome! Sit down overthere." she said pointing a chair next to a young redhead. Harry noted that she hit puberty already with a hourglass figure already forming. In a few years she will have an incredible body. "Hogwarts dear?" she asked as she fitted another girl with black hair and shockingly vibrant blue eyes across them.
"Yes, ma'am." Harry replied as he sat down. "Hello, I'm Harry."
"Susan." the girl replied with a smile "Are you also a first year like me?"
"Yes. I'm fairly excited about it!" Harry replied with a grin. The girl smiled back. "Yes, from what my aunt told me it is amazing.""Lucky you, I only know about for about five hours." Harry replied.
"Mundane parents?" Susan asked back interested.
"Orphan. Lived with my mundane aunt and uncle."
"Oh, I'm sorry!" the girl was morified at her blunder.
"You couldn't know of it." Harry shrugged. "I'm very interested this House system I heard about." he said trying to deter the conservation.
"I'm fairly certain I will be a Hufflepuff." Susan said. Seeing Harry's questioning glance she elaborated "It is said that some family usually go into one particular house. My parents and aunt were Puffs along with the majority of my family."
"Interesting. I heard we are going to selected by our talent, but what you said doesn't sound exactly like that." Harry said with a frown "Do you know anything how we will sorted?"
"No. My aunt said it was a 'surprise'." Susan replied with an adorable pout "I dodn't know much about the mundane world..." she probed.
"I would be happy to tell you about it." Harry grinned as they started to tell each other of their respective worlds. "Mada Malkin is very talented." Harry thought as he joined McGonagall at the front of the shop with a final wave to Susan, who also joined an older woman, preassumably her aunt. "She easily fitted us even as we continued our discussion without bothering us."
"It seems that you acquired your first friend in the wizarding world, Mr. Potter." McGonagall observed with a smile on her face.
"Yes, Susan is very nice." Harry nodded looking back at the girl.
"I have a gift for you." McGonagall's words caused him to whip his head towards her. In her hands there was a cage and in it there was a beautiful snow owl, her amber eyes gazing at him. Harry recalled a section of the second page of his admittance letter where the pets were discussed.
"Thank you, professor." he said, his soft voicce full of emotion. McGonagall silently watched as he gently touched the owl's head, to which the animal responded by gently nipping at his fingers.
Their last stop was the Ollivander wand shop. The doorbell clearly rang out, yet no one came to welcome them. The shop was full of narrow boxes on dozens of selves along the walls and standing in the middle as well. Harry could only guess as he stepped to the middle of the room, but he was certain that the numbers were in the several hundreds easily maybe thousands. The only other furniture was a plain, old desk with a lamp and parchment on it.
"Welcome." came a ghostly voice behind him, making him jump a little and turning towards the speaker. Ollivander was a tall, old man with fuzzy, greying hair and soiul reaching silver eyes.
"Mr. Potter, so enough year passed... It was just like yesterday when your parents came in for their first wand. Every wand crafted in my hands use one of these three as their magical core: phoenix feather, dragon heartstring or unicorn tailhair. Your father was eleven inches, Mahogany with dragon heartstring as the core. It was a powerful wand, excellent for transfiguration, in which your father had a exceptional talent." Harry looked back at McGonagall who nodded at him. This caused Mr. Ollivander to also turn towards the witch.
"Minerva McGonagall. Nine and half inch, with Fir wood and dragon heartstring as ?" McGonagall nodded "I hope you take great care of it." the professor handed her wand to the wandmaker who turned it around before taking a whisk making a bouquet of roses appear out of thin air. "It is in excellent condition my dear." he said handing it back to the professor, before turning back to Harry
"Where was I? Ah, yes. Your father's wand... Well, your mother chosen a ten and quarter inch Willow wand with the core being unicorn hair, swishy, nice for charms." he said as he walked around Harry. "Of course I said she choose it. It isn't that simple, it's the wand that choose the wizard and not the other way around. Every wand is unique Mr. Potter, just as every witch and wizard is unique. You can use other wands of course but you will never get the same result with them. Now, Mr. Potter which is your dominant hand?"
"Right, but I can use my left nearly as well." Harry replied.
"Interesting." Ollivander said as he took out a measuring-tape. The wandmaker disappeared between the shelves as the tape did its job on its own, measuring both Harry's arms then started on other parts of his body.
"That's enough!" Ollivander said, returning with dozens of boxes. He handed the first wand to Harry, but nearly instantly snatch it from the young man's hand. Harry didn't understand what Ollivander wanted to see or if he even wanted to see anything. McGonagall seemed resigned as if it happened often, but became more and more agited as the pile at Harry's side started to grow. Ollivander on the other hand seemed to be happier with each failure. They tried everything from seven to thirteen inches, all three cores and dozens different wood.
"Tricky customer, eh? Don't worry, everyone has a wand that suit him or her! Let see.. Yes, why not?" the wandmaker returned but only with one wand this time "Please, try it Mr. Potter. It's a strange combination Holly wood with phoenix tail as the core and eleven inches long, but nice and supple."
When Harry finger touched the wand he could feel some kind of warm feeling travelling through his arm. He made a gentle sweep with it causing gold and silver glimmer to appear.
"Bravo, Mr. Potter. Bravo! You found your first wand! " Ollivander said politely clapping just McGonagall did. "Please, come to the desk. It will be seven galleon."
"Maybe Mr. Potter will want a wand pollishing kit as well." McGonagall said "If you take careof your wand it will repay you with affection." Harry just nodded.
"Here you go!" Ollivander handed him the wand and the kit after taking the seven galleon and ten sickles for it. The wandmaker hesitated for a moment before speaking up "I maybe shouldn't tell you this, but I feel that you need to know of the strange Fate you seem to carry."
"What do you mean?"
"Your wand... there were two tails that that phoenix gave to me. Only two. They are brother wands. And you encountered the other as well." McGonagall suddenly looked very pale "Yes, it was me that sold that wand as well. The wand that made that scar on your forehead."
"Thank you for telling me, sir." Harry said automatically.
Stepping outside the two of them were silent for a minute before harry spoke up. "Do it always take that much time to find your wand?"
"No, but it can take quite long. Your maybe the one of the longest, nearly two hour." McGonagall said before asking Harry "If I'm right you don't wish to go back to your relatives."
"No, but I will need to because of my things." Harry said with a grimace before he could control himself.
"No need. I will make a quick stop at there if you want and send it to where you stay. Speaking of which if you allow me I could introduce to someone who could help you fit in the magical world." McGonagall said.
"Thank you."
They headed down to Horizont Alley without a word. Harry was busy looking at the people, shops... everything really. They stopped in front of a three level, cream color house between a restaurant and a herb-shop. McGonagalldidn't hesitated to knock on the brown front door. Before long it opened up, revealing a tall, black, silky haired woman with aristocratic onyx eyes looked happily on the duo.
"Minerva! How nice to see you! Come in!" she stepped out the way to allow them entry. After the door closed behind them Minerva coughed, but the woman didn't wait for it.
"You must be Harry. You look just like James, only you have Lily eyes." she smiled at him and Harry could feel his ears burning. She was one of the prettiest woman he had ever seen. Then she gently hugged him "I'm Andromeda Tonks, but please call me Andy."