"Well isn't this nice. Fresh air. Teeming crowds of excited children. And.."

"And constant reminders that this society is built on nostalgia and corruption. I'm sorry, but why couldn't we have just done all this by mail order?"

While he full-heartedly agreed with Via's viewpoint, Harry nevertheless had too much respect for his teacher to voice this support since it was obvious that Stolas was having a great time hanging out with his daughter and his student.

The divorce, and Blitzo's continued inability to admit that he wanted a healthy relationship, had taken their toll on the lanky Goetia.

Which meant that any moment where he wasn't reminded of the current shit show that was his life was to be protected.

Even if it meant dealing with a public who he didn't really give two shits about.

"Look on the bright side Via. You only have to put up with this…atmosphere one day a year. Whereas I have to spend the next ten months living with them in an environment that doesn't exactly support my preferred methods of stress relief."

While the beanie-wearing Goetia understood his misery and was well aware that he was being genuine with his feelings, the same could not be said for Stolas.

"Oh now Harry you shouldn't think such negative thoughts. I know the previous years' experience was somewhat…disappointing. And even though you'll be starting this year without one of the friends you managed to make, I'm confident that this year will be different. I mean, just look at your reading material for this year. The fact that your school understands the importance of using fiction to entertain young minds is definitely something that makes me wish that I too was attending Hogwarts."

Though both Harry and Octavia rolled their eyes at Stolas's enthusiasm, with Harry frowning a little since he was reminded that Tonks was no longer attending Hogwarts, they nevertheless had to concede his point.

Of course, Harry didn't really learn anything new in his Defense Against the Dark Arts class since Stolas, and to a lesser degree Andrealphus, provided him with a deeper understanding of the Dark Arts and their counters than he would ever learn at magical boarding school.

But considering Dumbledore's newest DADA teacher was a fan of trashy novels of an obvious narcissist, the young dragon Demon was certain that the year, at least in that class, would be..

"Hullo Harry! Fancy seeing you here!"

Fighting the urge to laugh at the way both Via and her dad flinched at the loud, but nevertheless cheerful greeting, Harry allowed a hint of dryness to enter his tone as he addressed one of the few adults at Hogwarts that he wasn't indifferent or outright hostile too.

"Well it was bound to happen eventually Hagrid since Hogwarts seems to have an arrangement with only a small number of merchants. But I suppose that…what the hell is that?"

While his question caused the enormous Hogwarts groundskeeper to frown in slight disapproval, for he wasn't the type to tolerate profanity no matter how mild, Hagrid was nevertheless willing to answer the question.

"Oh this? Its just.."

"Flesh-eating slug repellant if I'm not mistaken. An adequate defense against the more stubborn pests one can find in the garden. Though I hope you forgive me for asking this my good fellow, but are you using this to protect vegetation of an edible or artistic nature? Because of it's the latter, I'm afraid that you are more likely to ruin all but the hardiest of foliage in your efforts to destroy those that view it as a source of nutrition."

Though Harry could tell that Hagrid hadn't expected to be engaged in such a topic of conversation, especially since Stolas's currently looked like the type of upper-class snob who would sooner be dead than talk to someone who wasn't of their class, he wasn't surprised by how quickly the giant of a man recovered.

For if there was one thing Hagrid appreciated it was having someone who he could talk 'shop' with.

"Ah, its just for the school cabbages. And truth be told I'd prefer to use something else that doesn't harm the little buggers, but nothing else seems to work."

"Hmm. Well in that case might I suggest a touch of lavender oil mixed with a sprinkle of salt? For the quantities you require it might be insufficient, but I can guarantee that I have never had issues with my own botanical collection when I use it."

Seeing that his mentor's attention was now elsewhere, Harry was more than happy to simply nod his head as Via asked a question that would allow them the small chance to have some fun on this trip.

"Uh Dad, do you mind if Harry and I go off on ourselves for an hour? I promise we'll stay in the alley."

The hesitation on Stolas's face was understandable.

But the black-haired twelve-year-old already knew how to convince his mentor to let them go off on their own.

"Why don't you tell Hagrid about your collection Master Stolas? Considering Hagrid is fan of dangerous/misunderstood creatures, I'm certain that you'll have lots to talk about."

Though he could tell that the disguised Goetia was still reluctant, Harry was nevertheless pleased to earn an accepting nod from the human-shaped prince.

"Well…I suppose that will be fine. Provided of course that you stay on this street and don't wander elsewhere."

Nodding his head to show that he would obey this instruction, Harry waited until they were out of earshot before he turned towards his friend.

"You do realize there's nothing really interesting on this street right? I mean, from what I heard all the cool stuff is in Knockturn Alley. And even then, most of it is just overpriced stuff we could pick up back home for cheap."

Plus, he doubted that he could get away with buying such products without earning some unwanted publicity. Downside of being a local celebrity and living in a society where giving weapons to kids was frowned upon.

As if sensing the direction his thoughts were taking, Via flashed him a smirk before offering up a more verbal reply.

"True, but at least this way we can finish up you're shopping early instead of spending hours on end listening to dad chat up anybody who thinks botany is cool."

Accepting this answer with a nod, Harry quickly found his face sporting a grimace as his attention was directed towards one particularly crowded store.

"That's fair. But let's leave the book shop til later. The last thing I want to do is spend my day surrounded by middle-aged women fangirling over the only wizard in Britain who knows how to use Photoshop."

Pleased to see that Via shared this aversion, the black-haired Hufflepuff looked around for a descent/less crowded store to begin with.

Only to scowl as he heard his name being shouted by one of the more tolerable nuscances he had to put up with.

"Oi Harry! Harry mate! Over here!"

If he was alone, or at the very least with Loona, he would have walked away as quickly as possible before circumstances forced him to socialize.

But thanks to Via staring in the direction of the now-approaching ginger, Harry had missed the opportunity to escape without causing a scene.

"Friend of yours Harry?"

Though her tone was dry, and carrying a noticeable amount of amusement, the twelve-year-old dragon Demon could nevertheless tell that Via's curiosity was genuine.

So it was with a much put-upon sigh that he introduced the second friend he had ever made to the freckled second-year Gryffindor.

"Octavia, this is Ron Weasley. An… acquaintance of mine from school."

….

She knew this day would come.

Ever since she had learned how close they were in age she had dreamt of the day in which she would get the chance to meet the Boy Who Lived.

Of course from what her brothers had told her about her hero, his personality was loads different from what she envisioned it. Less quintessential Gryffindor hero and more like a more personable version of what she envisioned her soon-to-be potions master to be like.

But she wouldn't allow that to tarnish her belief that he was a good person.

People didn't just save the world from evil and then become bad, after all.

Only her enthusiasm to rush out and join her brother in greeting his year mate had been greatly reduced thanks to the presence of someone already filling the role she had often fantasized herself being in.

Oh her brothers, and to a much louder degree her mother, had talked about the surly, older girl who had worn clothes that revealed far more skin than anything she owned.

But considering the greater age difference between the two, she doubted that the tall pale girl would be a serious contender to become Mrs. Harry Potter.

However, her confidence in obtaining that position had taken a severe blow as she took in the appearance of Harry's companion.

Her form was tall, thin, and undeniably aristocratic, with eyes that reminded her of pink jewels. And she was wearing clothes that no one would ever mistake as hand-me-downs.

With such a girl at his side, there was no way on earth that Harry would ever dream to give her a second lo..

"Well well. What do we have here? An impoverished group of blood traitors conspiring with a filthy, yet financially well off half-blood? Honestly Weasley, I knew you and your family were pathetic. But to publicly beg for money is a new low."

Her face flushing in anger, and a little bit of embarrassment since she knew her family wasn't exactly rich, Ginny felt her mood sourly further as Harry's companion managed to open her mouth in their defense before she could.

"And I would have thought that making a public spectacle for no other reason beyond petty jealousy was something most civilized beings considered to be rude. But considering what Harry has told me about you're kinds penchant for inbreeding, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised by such juvenile displays."

While she enjoyed seeing the blond kid's gob-smacked expression, for like the rest of her family, cept her mum, she had a strong dislike for anyone with the name Malfoy, the fact remained that it had been Harry's companion who had put the blond Slytherin in his place.

Not her.

But whereas her intervention would have caused Malfoy to merely sneer in derision, the older girl's words merely caused the blond ferret to act in a manner that strongly reminded her of the time Percy had first been introduced to one of their dad's ministry friends.

"I…I apologize for my words. Had I known that Potter here was associating with someone of your class, I would have done my utmost to refrain from such juvenile behavior."

She could tell that the apology didn't really have an effect on the tall, pink-eyed teenager since all she did was raise an eyebrow and make a noncommittal hum.

Harry's reaction however was more verbal.

"So, you would have still felt the urge to act like an asshole? Well, I suppose that's progress. Not much mind you, but considering you're more or less a lost cause, anything step forward is to be celebrated."

Laughing at Malfoy's anger-filled expression, though she soon bore a milder version of it when she heard the almost hoot-like giggling of the older woman, Ginny felt her irritation morph into nervousness as she heard a voice that carried more than a touch of disdain and warning speak up from behind her.

"Thank you Mr. Potter for pointing out the flaws in my parenting style. Though considering the status of your parents, both the deceased and those that adopted you, you should think just a bit more carefully before casually insulting something you are too… inexperienced to understand."

Stepping closer to her brother, who had the good sense to take a step back as the patriarch of the Malfoy family moved to stand behind his son, Ginny felt her eyes bug out of her head as she watched her hero say something that was both courageous and confusing.

"Oh I think I understand just fine. I mean, if you want to brainwash someone into believing a bunch of racist and outdated crap, the best way to do it is to teach them from birth. Though considering you are such an upstanding member of society and have publicly declared to have been magically coerced into serving the asshole who got defeated by a toddler, I have to wonder why you're allowing your son to act like a skinhead."

She didn't know what skinhead was, but it was obvious that the elder Malfoy did.

"You should be careful when making accusations Mr. Potter. One day you might end up saying something that others will come to regret."

"In which case I will take precautions to ensure that those who would cause such actions receive their just reward."

Happy at the timely arrival of an adult who wasn't scared to stand up to Malfoy, even if it was obvious that he was a close relative of Harry's friend, Ginny was greeted to a sight that greatly reminded her of the time when her dad had been forced to conceal his dislike for a woman that bore a strong resemblance to a toad.

"Ah Lord Goetia. I trust that…"

"I do not care what you trust Mr.Malfoy. I do however trust that you possess the capacity to understand that I will not tolerate such declarations in such a public setting. Do you understand?"

While she had caught Malfoy's look of anger before it had quickly disappeared into a more composed expression, Ginny was still caught off guard by how quickly the two blondes made their retreat after nodding their heads in acceptance.

"Blimey, that was wicked mate. You have to teach me how to do that."

Unsurprised at Ron's attitude, the only daughter of Arthur and Molly Weasley felt herself frown a little as she heard the slight, but unmistakable tone of condescension in the lanky nobleman's face.

"Some other time. But for now, I'm afraid that we have other errands that require our attention."

Doing her best to ignore the look of hurt that came over her as she watched Harry's expression morph into one of relief, Ginny summoned her courage as she looked towards her green-eyed hero.

"Bye Harry! I…I'll see you at school!"

….

Though his expression was one of puzzlement, for he couldn't really recall if he had learned the girl's name before Malfoy had revealed that he would be requiring further 'lessons' to remind him of his place, Harry nevertheless responded to the girl's farewell with a mild wave.

'Yeah. See you."

However, considering the increased noise level of the lined-up witches, and a voice that boomed with the same type of narcissism as Via's Uncle, he wasn't sure that she heard him.

"HULLO HULLO EVERYONE! APOLOGIES FOR THE WAIT, BUT I ASSURE YOU THAT YOUR PATIENCE WILL BE REWARDED! FOR TODAY IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE RELEASE OF MY LATEST BOOK, BUT ALSO MY ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE CONFIRMATION FOR THE NEXT GREAT ADVENTURE IN MY LIFE! FOR YOU SEE LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, I, GILDEORY LOCKHART, HAVE GRACIOUSLY ACCEPTED THE OFFER TO TE…"

Blocking out the irritatingly smug voice with his headphones and the help of ACDC, Harry couldn't help but be grateful that he wouldn't have to put up with such nonsense when he got to Hogwarts.

For while the teachers were confident in their ability to pass on their teachings, with a certain big nosed bat crossing the line into arrogance and assholeness whenever someone didn't meet his biased standards, at least they didn't spend entire lessons talking about how great they were.

If they did….well its not like anyone would really care if another ghost was added to the castle's population.

And if they did, he knew some spells to send a disembodied spirit packing to the great basement in the ground.

….

Hermione was conflicted.

On one hand one of her teachers was the type who appreciated the value of imparting information into book form.

But on the other hand, the knowledge that was contained with the pages of such works like Year with the Yeit and Voyages with Vampires was complete and utter garbage.

Thanks to the knowledge she had gained from her magical companion, who oddly enough had informed her of the upcoming need to limit their interactions to once a week, Hermione knew that the feats that Lockhart claimed to perform were both nonsensical and completely inaccurate.

Vampires were unable to survive on anything other than blood. With humans and other sentient creatures being their preferred food source due to some complex and abstract ideas on how they had stronger souls.

And Yetis were highly territorial creatures that would act violently towards anyone they considered to be an outsider. Which coincidentally explained why there was a tendency for Muggle mountaineers to vanish when they tried climbing the more remote regions of the Himalayas.

So the story of how he had managed to change a Vampire's dietary habits without killing them, and befriended a family unit of mountain-dwelling creatures was, at best, just a work of fiction.

It made her wonder as to why the headmaster, the smartest and most powerful wizard in Great Britain, if not the world, would ever consider to hire someone whose exploits were the product of either an active imagination or exaggerations at best.

Luckily her tome had indicated a continued willingness to help her in her studies.

Which meant this year she would be able to not only continue her academic pursuits, chief among them being the ability to surpass the arrogant Hufflepuff whose departure from Florish and Bolts had indicated that he too recognized Lockhart as a waste of time, but if push came to shove be prepared for anyone that meant her harm.

….

Savoring the aroma of his beverage, for it would not do for a gentleman of his rank to show ingratitude for the lengths his hostess had gone to to make him feel comfortable, Alastor took a slow slip of his tea before he flashed a more genuinely friendly smile towards the Queen of Hell.

"A delicious blend your majesty. I dare say that it is perhaps the most exquisite cup of tea I've managed to have since I became a patron to your daughter's little project."

His words earning a smile from one of the few beings he both respected and admired, the Radio Demon nodded his head in gratitude as Lilith engaged him in pleasantries.

"Thank you Alastor. It's a pity that neither my husband nor my daughter are open to experimenting when it comes to tea, but I suppose that I should be grateful since it means that I always have enough on hand for my use."

"Then I shall merely ask where I can contract a ready supply for my own personal use instead of hoping to be gifted a sufficient amount from your own supply."

His smile widening just a little more as the First Woman chuckled good-naturedly before sliding across a folded piece of paper that he hoped to contain the information he sought, Alastor's grin gained a more predatory edge to it as he moved the conversation to a topic that he knew was of importance to Hell's royal family.

"Thank you, your majesty. I can already envision myself enjoying a cup or two for each 'episode' of the coming 'season'. Especially since, at the end of last 'season', you decided to introduce something that will ensure one of the 'actors' will enjoy a little bit of character development."

In truth, he should have anticipated that his comment wouldn't be well received due to the fact that the now frowning monarch was the first woman in creation to actively challenge the 'role' that had been assigned for her.

Luckily however, his standing was high enough with the Queen of Hell, despite his status as a 'mere' Sinner, to avoid the fate that would usually befall an individual who made a comment that could be interpreted as being in favor of a more patriarchal society.

"To be honest with you Alastor, I find myself a touch disappointed by how quickly the little Witch has embraced my teachings. The girl, while intelligent and eager for knowledge, is a touch too…clingy for my tastes. I can appreciate the need for validation of one's efforts after a sufficient amount of struggle, even if I don't necessarily agree with it, but the girl is still too dependent on the approval of others. Even if I have managed to get her to begin questioning on whether or not an authority figure is deserving of respect."

Nodding to show that he agreed with this line of thinking, Alastor took another sip of his tea as Lilith continued to criticize her 'protégé'.

"Honestly, if it wasn't for her potential, I probably would have moved on to another outcast to help 'inspire'. Great thing about segregated boarding schools is that there is always an outcast who can be recruited for one purpose or another. But since the girl has shown the ability to change her habits, for the time being I will continue to mentor her. At least until someone more interesting and capable comes along."

Once again nodding his head to show that he agreed with that line of thinking, for if one grew bored with a particular character it was always wise to switch focus to another if one didn't want to give up on the 'program', the Radio Demon hummed in consideration.

"Well with the school year starting anew, bringing new and fresh talent to the 'series' I'm certain that you will have ample opportunities to find a new 'leading role' for your endeavors. Though if I might be so bold to make a suggestion, perhaps ensure that your next 'protégé' enjoys a more amicable relationship with the 'star' of the show. If only because years of childish animosity antagonism begins to grow stale after a while. At least until they start trying to truly harm one another. At which case it becomes ever so delightful."

For another moment, Alastor thought he had over stepped the bounds of propriety since the expression that was currently being worn by the Queen of Hell was one that couldn't exactly be called friendly.

However, said moment quickly faded as he received a smile that was reminiscent of the one he flashed a certain moth Demon upon their first meeting.

"I'll keep that in mind Alastor. I'll keep that in mind."

…..

ANNNND that's another chapter down

Believe I did an admirable job here laying the foundations for how the second year will/could go. More open disdain of Lockhart, Ginny perhaps being a more verbal presence since she is still in hero worship/crush stage but now knows Harry has good-looking female friends, and of course Hermione's 'issues,

Apologies if everyone was hoping for a Birthday/House Elf intro chapter. But in grand scheme of things, the former can be done with Harry having a 'thinking back' paragraph, while the latter is due to the fact that Harry's mailing address is a little difficult to get to. Rest assured will be address in next chapter.

Anyways, pleased with the time it took me to write this chapter. Hopefully I can finish/start other chapters for my other stories, but the enthusiasm is kinda low right now lol.

As always plz review. No flames.

Til next time.