AN: Before we begin I would like to point out that with the Omake from the last chapter that it is NOT canon for this fic. In the first version of the story Harry had a t-rex form but now he doesn't due to a chapter rewrite and I just wanted to add that in for laughs.
Harry Potter and the Heart of Power
Chapter 8
-Harry-
"Come on Su," he said with a grin as he cast a feather light charm on their trunks and lifted them up "let's go grab a compartment.".
"Alright," Susan said with a smile as she cuddled a happily purring Canus "is there anyone else who's going to join us?".
"I didn't invite anyone," he said with a shrug "you?".
"No," Susan said shaking her head "I'm friendly with a few other heirs from other houses but I haven't spent enough time around them to be really close. In the past few days we've spent together I've gotten closer to you than I have then the others in our year.".
"Well at least we have each other," he said with a grin as Susan blushed at his choice of words before he selected an empty compartment towards the end of the train and held the door open for Susan "after you my lady." He said with a playful grin.
"Why thank you kind sir." She said as she giggled and entered the compartment while he stacked the trunks up top.
"So Susan," he asked as he got settled and his friend immediately started snuggling into his side, his arm reflexively wrapping around her as she did so "what class are you looking forward to the most at Hogwarts?".
Before Susan could answer the door was forced open as a rather gangly first year stepped in. Instantly his training kicked in as he began sizing up a potential threat before noting that the first year in front of him wasn't a danger and began inspecting him up in a more political sense. The first year had red hair that was a darker and duller color than Susan's vibrant fire like red and the newcomer had blue eyes that shone with more greed than a goblin. The boy's clothes were patched and frayed, clearly hand-me-downs that had been handed down more than once. Finally he saw the tip of a wand with the unicorn hair core sticking out of a pocket and the sniffing nose of a rat as a lump in a different pocket shifted about.
"Hey," the newcomer began "mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is full?".
"Yes I do mind actually," he said in a controlled and neutral tone "as I do not wish to be around someone who lies to me, let alone someone who lies so poorly.".
"W-what?" the boy asked, recoiling back in shock but he could see the panic in the newcomer's eyes "I'm not lying! Everywhere else really is full!".
"The Hogwarts Express has been a fixture of Hogwarts since the first one was commissioned in the year 1863," he informed the newcomer while Susan watched him wide eyed "and its enchantments have only been improved upon since then. Thirty years ago an enchantment was added that would tie the number of train cars added to the number of students attending so that, should they wish it, every student could have their own compartment and this is not counting the compartments that were expanded by older students wishing to sit with a larger group of their friends. If you are going to lie to me at least put the effort into getting your facts right. Anything less is rather insulting as it shows you don't believe me intelligent enough to see through a poorly fabricated tale. Now if you would kindly remove yourself from this compartment, I was attempting to enjoy quality conversation with a beautiful woman.".
The liar spluttered and stuttered for a minute before turning a rather impressive shade of red and stomped off, muttering about 'showing up that stuck up, arrogant, greedy, bastard'. Sighing stood up and closed the door before turning back only to stumble when Susan leapt into his arms with a squeal "That was awesome Harry!" she said excitedly as Canus mewled happily as the little kitten ran about the compartment.
"Glad you approve," he said with a laugh as he hugged her back and kissed her cheek as her face turned redder than her hair "but that was really insulting of him, thinking that I wouldn't see through a lie that weak.".
"It was rather bad." Susan giggled as he sat back down and instead of snuggling into his side she sat on his lap and snuggled into his chest while Canus jumped up onto her now empty seat to steal the patch of warmth.
"Luckily it looks like he's going to go sit somewhere by himself to stew for a while," he snickered "he's probably going to turn into those ridiculously broody teenagers.".
Probably," Susan agreed with a nod as she wiggled to get comfortable in his lap "but let's talk about something more fun. Have you come up with anymore inventions or business plans?".
"Yes actually," he said with a grin as he reached down into a satchel bag he had with him and pulled out a small digital camera "this is a new experimental camera that I've been working on.".
"But it looks like all the other cameras in your shop," Susan said in confusion as she stared at the small device "what's' different about it?".
"The ones in my shop can't take moving pictures," he explained they have to be taken, printed, and then soaked in the potion that will allow them to move. This camera is tied to a special printer that uses the potion along with its ink so not only will the pictures move right away, we can make it so that the picture even has the sentience and speech capabilities of a wizard painting.".
"That's awesome Harry!" Susan exclaimed in awe before she grinned "Can we take a picture?".
"Of course," he said with a nod "but it will only be a regular wizard photo instead of the fully talking ones. The printer and camera is still a work in progress and we've only gotten it to add speech to the loop of the image. Makes our newspaper pictures even better but it isn't up to our goal yet.".
"It's still amazing Harry," Susan assured him "but how are we gonna take the picture?".
A knock interrupted him before he could answer as he turned and said "Come in!" as a rather nervous looking boy he recognized as Neville Longbottom entered.
"H-have either of you seen a toad?" the boy asked, ringing his hands in nervousness.
"I haven't' but I do have something that can help," he said "what's your Toad's name?".
"T-Trevor." Neville said in confusion.
"Accio Trevor the Toad!" he called out, flicking his wand out as he cast the spell while Susan and Neville gaped at its unique design before a loud croak drew their attention to the flying amphibian. "There you go," he said with a grin "one Trevor as ordered.".
"Thanks!" Neville exclaimed "I don't know why he keeps running away from me like that.".
"Maybe it has something to do with his species," he suggested "it might be that his species likes certain things in their habitat and they aren't in whatever you keep him in so he goes out to look for a better habitat. I'd recommend that you go to either the care of magical creatures teacher or the library, maybe both, try and find out what would be the ideal habitat to keep Trevor happy.".
"Thanks you." Neville said gratefully while trying to adjust to hold the wriggling Toad before getting Trevor into a different position where it seemed to fully relax.
"I guess he wanted to be held differently as well." he noted in amusement before turning to their guest "Hey, could you do me a favor and take a picture of me and Susan?".
"Sure," Neville said with a nod as he handed over the camera "hey, is this from 'Lightning Strike Electronics? I haven't seen this model in their stores yet.".
"It's an experimental new model," he explained "I have it here to tinker with to try and improve.".
"Why woul-" Neville began in confusion before freezing when he revealed his scar "Oooh." Neville said in understanding before turning on the camera as he and Susan snuggled up for the shot.
"Thanks," he said with a grateful smile as he took back the camera a moment later "we were trying to figure out how to take the photo and your timing was pretty helpful."
"Well you helped me find Trevor so I should be thanking you." Neville said with a shy grin.
"Boys," Susan said with a giggle "just thank each other and be done with it.".
"As beautiful as she is intelligent." He said with a grin to Neville as Susan flushed brightly enough that he could feel the heat coming from her skin.
"Anyway," Neville said with a small grin "I've got to go. Another first year was helping me ask around for Trevor and I need to go tell her that the search is no longer necessary.".
"See you at the sorting then my friend." He said with a small wave which Susan copied and Canus mewed in goodbye.
"So we've had one irritating idiot and one sort of friend," Susan said as the door closed "who do you think's next?".
"Well there's a good chance of Draco Malfoy trying to track me down," he said thoughtfully "after all his father is…less than pleased about my Guardian's closeness with Anastasia Malfoy.".
"Speaking of," Susan said with a small thoughtful frown "I didn't see him at King's Cross. Where was he?".
"He had a lot of things to do for the company so we said our goodbyes before I left for the station." he explained, having to tell half-truths and lies to Susan leaving a bad taste in his mouth despite the short time he had known her. 'At this rate she'll know the secret by Christmas' he thought with a small snort of amusement.
"Ah, okay." Susan said with a nod, accepting his answer as she returned to using his chest as a pillow "So any other fun projects you've been working on?".
"A new broom design, a possible quiditch team after making said broom functional, and also a new magical village with several new businesses and even schools so that magical people can get an education to survive in the muggle world and become programmers and inventors and the like." He said, rattling off a few of his plans that he trust Susan with as they were already spoken about in Rumors with the general public.
"Seriously?" Susan asked in shock "That's awesome!".
"I know!" he grinned "The village is being designed by the best architects in Gringotts and Anastasia's looking around for the best plot of land to buy to begin construction on the new project.".
"You'll have to give me a tour when it's finished," Susan said excitedly as she bounced up and down in his lap which was having…interesting effects on certain parts of his anatomy "I can't wait to see it!".
"It's a date then." He said with a grin as he kissed her cheek as she froze and blushed brightly at his words before burying her face in the crook of his neck.
Before he could continue, or hear a response, the door to their compartment was slammed open forcefully as he turned to see Draco Malfoy glaring at him hatefully, two hulking gorilla like first years flanking the son of Lucius Malfoy. "Potter," Malfoy snarled angrily "You're going to pay for the insult you've made towards my family.".