Harry stretched as he walked out of Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, gazing around at his surroundings, so different from the ones he'd just been in a mere five hours before, before he went looking for a taxi.
He had spent the last hour of his flight on his laptop, researching what he wanted to do in Amsterdam during the two days he planned to spend there. He didn't want to spend too much longer in Europe, as there was plenty more of the world to experience beyond that relatively small corner of it, but that didn't mean there weren't some things he still wanted to see.
He had, however, been struck by how erratic his traveling had been so far after a brief look at a map of Europe. He wasn't far from the UK now, geographically. He probably should have planned the trip out better, but originally he'd only really wanted to get the hell out of Britain. After that he'd simply let his whims and instincts guide him.
Not that he was complaining much. If he hadn't traveled the way he had, he wouldn't have been in position to help Flamel, or Davis and Greengrass.
He did hope he wouldn't run into further trouble, however. The entire point of this vacation was to not worry about any life threatening situations, after all. Thankfully his last couple of stops hadn't been all that eventful, if one ignored surprise appearances by strange, possibly divine beings.
Glancing at his phone he saw that it was about ten in the morning. As he got into the taxi that answered his hail he told them to take him to a good hotel near the city center, wanting to be able to get pretty much anywhere he wanted to go easily.
The hotel he was taken to was quite nice. Not the most luxurious he'd been in during this trip, but that wasn't what he was looking for in the first place. It wasn't like he tended to spend that much time in his hotel rooms when he visited someplace new.
After checking in and leaving his things in the room he headed out to begin his tour of Amsterdam. Deciding to continue indulging his new interest in the arts his first destination was the Van Gogh museum. He remembered hearing from Hermione on one of those times they just talked about random topics around the fire that Van Gogh was her mother's favorite artist, and she admitted she liked him quite a bit as well. So that made him quite interested in seeing more of the man's work beyond what he'd already caught in other locations such as the Louvre during his trip.
Walking into the museum he was struck by the man's style. Gazing at one of the landscapes on display he could almost imagine that the scene was moving like one of the paintings in Hogwarts. The soothing works of art helped him finish relaxing from the visit to Auschwitz, and by the end of it he'd decided to see about buying some replicas of the ones he liked most. He smiled at the thought of his dormmates' surprise and confusion when he hung them up in the dorm.
Once he'd finished his time at the museum he decided he needed some time among nature, and thus made his way to the Vondelpark, the largest park in the city. Stopping at a cafe near the entrance he got himself some coffee before beginning to leisurely walk through the many green spaces and ponds that dotted the area, passing groups of other people, including couples and families, who were also enjoying the fair weather. He stopped near the well known rose garden housed at the park, sitting on a bench and enjoying the sight of the seventy different varieties, all of them creating a beautiful mosaic of color. He made sure to take several pictures, primarily for Neville's enjoyment, though he didn't doubt he had other friends that would like to see them.
After an hour or two of just enjoying the serenity of the park he regretfully left to head towards the destination he'd read was nearby, which was one of the reasons he'd chosen to enjoy the park. Discreetly glancing around he made his way to a monument to Johan de Witt that sat on a relatively non trafficked three way intersection a ten minute walk from the park. After one last glance around he stepped through the statue's tall base much as he would the portal to Platform 9 ¾, emerging into a much busier road that followed the path parallel to the other three of the intersection, completing the shape.
This was Verbazen Weg, Amsterdam's primary magical district. There were other, smaller areas for more 'local' shopping, but this was the city's equivalent to Diagon Alley.
Looking around he saw that the architecture resembled some of the pictures of what he'd seen of the more historical sections of the city, looking like it all would have fit in rather well with the rest of Amsterdam, if not for the wares on display in the various shops, from the various odd reagents in the apothecary to the Firebolt being ogled over by some kids in the Quidditch supply store.
Feeling thirsty again, and needing directions, Harry headed into the closest cafe to the entrance of the district, curious as to whether the coffee from a magical cafe was any different than that in a mundane shop.
The cafe wasn't very busy, most people currently shopping, but there was a decent amount of customers for the time of day. A few teens that were either simply hanging out or on dates, an older man reading the local paper, and a more elderly woman sitting near the counter while filling out a crossword puzzle.
"How may I help you?" The barista behind the counter asked, his smile professional and welcoming.
Harry looked at the chalkboard hanging on the wall behind the counter, taking in the drink options before deciding. "Can I please have a cinnamon and caramel cappuccino, and directions to the local Gringotts branch?"
"Certainly." The man, who's name tag read 'Daan', wrote down the order. "That will be five sickles, Meneer…"
"Black." Harry responded with a smile as he handed over the money. "Hermes Black."
Daan nodded. "Meneer Black." He promptly began to make the drink. "The Gringotts branch is near the far end of the weg, close to the entrance to the magical red light district. Simply keep moving through till you spot it. It's almost impossible for you to miss it."
Harry tilted his head, slightly amused. "Did they place it there so people could keep withdrawing money to spend in the district, or was the district placed there so people didn't have an excuse of not having money on them for not going?"
Daan smiled, amused, as he put the finishing touches on the drink. "Who knows? It's a true chicken and egg question." He set Harry's drink on the counter. "Will that be all?"
Harry picked the disposable, lidded cup and took a sip of the hot coffee after blowing on it a few times, enjoying the taste while being a bit surprised that a magical shop had seen the advantages of such drink containers. "Yes, thank you." He dropped a couple of sickles as a tip with a smile before leaving while enjoying his drink, completely unaware of the eyes that were following him out.
Harry didn't hurry to Gringotts, simply continuing to walk in a leisurely manner, gazing around at the various shops to see if any offered any interesting souvenirs to buy his friends. It seemed like a relatively normal magical district, much like Diagon Alley, but he did spot one or two things that might make a good gift, which he reminded himself to come back for. The local joke shop, for example, would definitely be of interest to the twins, much like the one in Paris.
By the time he'd finally reached Gringotts he'd finished his coffee, throwing the cup away in a bin outside, as he doubted the local goblins would be amenable to having him walk in with a drink in hand. Thankfully the lobby of the bank was relatively empty, and he was able to see a teller soon enough. After stating what he needed her was led to a side office, a series of events that reminded him of the moments before he left Britain.
As he entered he was indeed met by another goblin that peered up at him shrewdly. "I am Sharptalon. I understand you wish to discuss issues with documentation, Meneer…?"
"Potter." Harry said. "And yes, that's correct, Sharptalon. I am simply wanting to ask some questions and potentially make some adjustments to some documents I received from the Gringotts offices in London."
"Very well. Before we begin, remove your disguise." Sharptalon said with his fingers steepled in front of his face.
Harry nodded before using a brief application of will to do so, allowing the goblin to see his true face. Sharptalon simply raised an eyebrow. "I see… Well then, what exactly is the nature of your inquiry about your documentation?"
"I'm wondering if there is any way to make it so my mundane identification will show my age as being greater than it actually is, at least when being examined in person." Harry asked, trying to keep his tone calm and even.
Sharptalon's eyebrow rose again. "You want to be able to make the mundanes think you are of legal age when interacting with them?"
"Essentially." Harry said with a nod.
Sharptalon eyed Harry for a moment before responding. "There are ways to do that. For a fee…"
Harry smiled. "Excellent…"
"You are certain he said Hermes Black."
"Yes sir." The old woman told the hooded man over the floo. "I was right next to them, doing my crossword. I could hear it clearly."
"Well done. You will receive your compensation once we've dealt with this blood traitor. Let us know if you see him again."
As the woman nodded and ended the connection Travers left to go gather the Death Eaters that would be part of the assault. It had taken some time to locate their target, considering how much he moved around and how little information they had on him, but fortune seemed to be favoring them, as it should.
It was time to teach Hermes Black a lesson about interfering in the Dark Lord's plans.
Harry arrived at his hotel room as the sun was setting, having just enjoyed a good, hearty meal after touring the Rijksmuseum. He was thankful that his business at Gringotts hadn't taken long, so he'd still had time to hit one of the destinations he'd intended. After all, he planned to only remain in Amsterdam another day, so the more sightseeing he could get in, the better.
After setting his things down and relaxing he found himself staring at his computer, biting his lip as he looked at the website he'd seen advertisements for while out and about. This was one of the main reasons he'd come to Amsterdam, and the entire reason he'd gone to Gringotts earlier in the day, but now that he was about to do it he found himself hesitating.
He imagined Hermione's scandalized reaction if she learned of what he planned on doing, or Ron's jealous surprise. Then he remembered Davis and Greengrass, and their parting kisses.
In the end he finished setting things up on the website before heading to take a shower, his nervousness telling him to get ready as best he could.
There was a knock on the door an hour later, and Harry promptly opened it, revealing a beautiful woman standing there. She seemed to be in her early twenties, with blonde hair, blue eyes, and pale skin, much like most Dutch natives that he'd seen. She had an amazing body in some nice clothes, and her smile seemed to be both teasing and inviting. "Meneer Black?" She asked.
"Yes, that's me." Harry said, stepping aside to let her into the room. "Please, come in."
She walked in with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Sophie." She glanced around the hotel room as he closed the door before setting down her purse and turning to him. "Before anything else, please show me your identification. I need to make sure you aren't underage."
"Of course." He said, reaching for his just modified ID. The age of consent in the Netherlands was sixteen, but unfortunately Harry was a few weeks short of that, which was why he had bothered going to Gringotts. Besides which, the enchantment on it would serve him in other countries where the age wasn't as generous.
After she'd studied it she smiled lightly. "Just became of age, then?"
"Is that a problem?" He asked as he took the ID back and put it away.
Sophie shook her head. "Not at all. It isn't rare for young men to do what you're doing as soon as they can. And I trust you saw our rules on our website." She slid off her small bolero jacket. "So, is there anything in particular you want me to do for you?" She asked, still smiling.
Harry nodded slowly, heart hammering. "I wanted you to teach me."
Sophie blinked. "Teach you what?"
Harry shrugged. "How to be a good lover, I guess? I go to a boarding school, and I've heard pretty often about how guys humiliate themselves when trying to sleep with a girl." Rumor and gossip were universal forces, especially in a school like Hogwarts, and most of the castle's residents were teeagers, after all. Even when not actively listening for scuttlebut, you couldn't help but catch wind of certain things. It made him wonder and fear what gossip queens like Lavender and her friends heard about.
Sophie studied him for a moment before smiling wider. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise. A boy who doesn't just assume he'll be good at it and dives in without thought." Her eyes twinkled. "With the obvious caveat that all women are different and enjoy different things…" Harry nodded in understanding, not stupid enough not to get that. "I can teach you the basics, so you can at least have a grounding from which to be able to learn your partner's preferences. If you're attentive, then hopefully no girl will ever call you a bad lover."
He smiled at her. "I'm ready to learn." Then he gulped a bit as Sophie began approaching him sensuously, eyes promising things that made his heart race again.
Sophie would find him an extremely attentive student that night.
Harry woke up the next morning feeling tired but relaxed, unable to keep from smiling a bit. The previous night had been amazing, and he'd learned quite a bit. He was in such a good mood that he decided to try practicing on his piano before he had breakfast.
He soundproofed the room before he began with a training booklet, more than sure his initial attempts would be god awful and not wanting to disturb the other guests. And he was right. He spent a half hour learning the notes and positions, and even with how little experience he had, he could tell this was going to take him a while to figure out. And that if he hadn't soundproofed the room he wouldn't be surprised if the police would have been called on him.
After an excellent breakfast and a long shower he found himself heading back to Verbazen Weg, wanting to buy magical souvenirs to supplement the mundane ones he'd picked up during his explorations the previous day.
He was walking through the street in a leisurely fashion with another coffee from the same shop in hand, still feeling good from the previous night's events, when he became aware of something off, a pricking in the back of his neck. As he window shopped he surreptitiously took in his surroundings, using the reflections in the windows when he could in order to not make it obvious he was looking around.
There were just as many pedestrians as there had been the previous day, but something was off. Then he noticed the people watching him. They were standing in places that would allow them to blend in, but they were keeping their eyes locked on him whenever they thought he couldn't see them. If he 'just happened' to turn his head in their direction they looked away before immediately beginning to stare at him when they thought he was no longer looking.
The good mood he'd been enjoying died a swift death as soon as he realized what was happening, and he carefully got his wand in hand without being obvious, twirling it in what he hoped seemed like a random, idle habit as he stared at a shop window displaying some rather out of fashion dresses, trying to seem like he was considering them. Now that he'd pegged his watchers he was trying to evaluate the rest of the area, looking for some place with less people so that there wouldn't be much collateral damage when he was attacked. Spotting an area that fit the bill he carefully pulled a pain numbing potion out of his expanded pocket, glad he'd decided to keep one in his person at all times just in case, along with multiple other useful potions. He was considering creating a sort of medical kit and disguising it as a small pack so he'd be prepared at all times.
He carefully disguised drinking it with the motion of taking a sip from his coffee, hoping they hadn't noticed. He didn't want to let on that he was preparing himself for a fight. Then he cast Regen on himself, this one a more powerful version he recently learned that would last longer. Then he cast another spell, this one from The Battle Mage's Compendium, which would make his clothing more resistant to any attacks, serving as a form of armor. It wouldn't be an incredibly strong protection, but it should hopefully stop any shrapnel or debris launched from impacts or spells, which could only be a boon. Unfortunately it wouldn't do anything for direct magical effects, but he'd take what he could get.
He'd disguised his casting through continuing his twirling and fiddling with his wand, making the movements seem part of it, as he'd kept the motions random and chaotic. With any luck they still hadn't realized he was getting ready for their attack.
Eventually, as he was looking in the window of the Quidditch supply shop, the attack finally came. Seeing the spell that had been launched at his back in the window, he managed to dodge to the side. When the spell hit the shop the front of it exploded, sending shrapnel out in every direction, making Harry grateful for his foresight when he felt the glass and wood hit him, though his face still gained a significant amount of scratches and small wounds. Thankfully Regen got to work, and the pain was unnoticable thanks to the pain numbing potion.
As the people around him began to scream and flee he turned with his wand at the ready, finding that eleven Death Eaters now stood in the middle of the street, their wands aimed at him. The one he assumed was the leader of this little band spoke as his fellows moved to surround him. "Hermes Black. You have defied the Dark Lord multiple times, and now it is time you paid the consequences."
Harry bared his teeth. "If your master wants me, little slave, he'll need to come get me himself."
"We'll see how long your bravado lasts…" The leader said, before everything promptly erupted into chaos.
I was stuck on this chapter for ages before something finally clicked. Over half of it was written in the last two hours. And that's after I rewrote part of it multiple times. I'm still not completely satisfied, but I think this is as good as it'll get, for the moment.
The main point of this chapter is to give Harry some important life skills thanks to Sophie, and to set up for the confrontation with the Death Eaters. Next chapter ought to be interesting.
In other news, another reason this took so long is that I'm prepping to put my stories on AO3 as well. I'll be starting with Brightest in Shadow, so I've been proofreading it and cleaning it up. Don't know when it'll be up there, as I've had other demands on my time, but it'll be posted eventually. I'll let you guys know my penname on there when I can, though it should hopefully be the same thing.
I can't think of anything else that needs to be said, so here are my usual reminders.
As I've stated previously my best friend and their roommate have a biweekly podcast. Yes, I know, everybody and their mother has a podcast these days, but I beg you to hear me out. It's called 'Two Idiots and a Dog', and they talk about pop culture in general with different shows for different topics. So far they've done 'Idiots on Film', talking about classic or important movies (or movies they just like), and another one called 'Idiots Unleashed', where they just take a topic their Discord members vote on and talk/argue/rant about it without a filter. Their latest episode of 'On Film' was on the new 'Sisu' movie, while their latest 'Unleashed' was on 'Antiheroes and Villains'. So if you're interested, that's 'Two Idiots and a Dog' on most podcasting resources, including Youtube, now. Please check it out. For me? *puppy dog eyes*
Secondly, I am, as always, truly grateful for those of you who are willing to send a buck or two my way out of the kindness of your heart. I relied on all of you when I wasn't working, and it definitely still helps even now that I'm gainfully employed. Thanks to you I have more of a cushion to get things I still need or pay essential bills. Like Final Fantasy XIV. (Speaking of, Ryuma Hyurinmaru on the Coeurl Server, Crystal Datacenter, North America, Astral Prime FC).
I used to have a poll on what to update there to incentivize donations, but I recently realized that part of the reason I have trouble motivating myself to write is that I've been letting others dictate what I write, so that's no longer a thing. I apologize, but as of now, I don't have anything to really reward patrons with other than my gratitude.
If you'd like to send a few cents my way anyway, I'm at Pat A Ron dotcom /athanmortis. However, if you'd rather donate a one-off amount rather than a monthly sub, I also have a Ko-Fi. That's ko-fi dotcom /athanmortis78653 .
I think that's all I have to say, so I'll go ahead and sign off. Thank you all for reading, and your patience, and I hope to see you all next time!
