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Here's the next chapter. Harry plans his workshop and continues to build stuff.
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Chapter 7
"Aren't you going to put your things away first?" Minerva asked with an arched eyebrow, interrupting Harry, who was deep in thought about his plans for the workshop.
"Do I have to?" Harry grumbled.
"Yes," Minerva said in a no-nonsense tone.
"Hey, where should I put my power tools?" Harry asked. "Can I even use them?"
Minerva pointed to a small shed off to the side of the house. "You can keep them there for now. The shed has electricity, so you can use your tools as long as you are careful. The last thing I want is to have to rush you to the magical hospital in Paris in case you have severed your finger or limb."
After a horn sounded, all three turned around to see what was going on. There was a truck waiting outside the gate, and Charlus's expression brightened when he saw it. "That would be the other truck with the building supplies."
Charlus walked off to open the gate, and Harry turned to his grandmother with a confused expression.
"Your grandfather went overboard when he shopped at the building supplies store. Remember, they are Muggles, so don't show any magic around them."
Charlus guided the truck to a stop next to the piles of timber. Two men hopped out of the truck and said something to Charlus in French, and he replied in kind. The men started unloading everything off the truck and onto the ground.
"While you are waiting for them to unload everything, you can sort out your bedroom and put away your clothes," Minerva said to Harry.
"I guess so," Harry said, before moving towards the house.
Harry looked around his bedroom with a happy expression.
Although they had only been together for a short amount of time, his grandparents understood him quite well. The bedroom measured about four hundred square feet, and it had hardwood floors and plain walls. It was a sparsely furnished room. Among the few pieces of furniture, there was a bed, a dresser, a bookshelf, and a desk. Although it may seem like his grandparents did not make any effort to decorate his room, in actuality, it was just the way he wanted it. They purposely left it as a blank canvas to allow him to design his bedroom in any way he wanted.
Harry put his clothes away in the dresser. Next, he grabbed all the items from the junk store and placed them in the wardrobe to sort through later. His small book collection was placed on the bookshelf, and the gifts he received for his birthday were placed on the desk. Jumping on the bed, he rolled around on top of the covers, amazed at how soft the mattress was. This was far better than the lumpy mattress he slept on in the orphanage. He lay down on his back and stared at the ceiling, thinking of how his circumstances had changed in just a few days.
Although not all of his problems were solved, Harry still felt happy about his life at the moment. The coolest thing about it was having a family of his own. He already liked his grandmother a lot, but it was almost impossible not to when she kept constantly hugging him. He was more reserved about his grandfather, but he was beginning to realise maybe he had misjudged him. The gruff, stern man didn't know how to communicate well, but that didn't mean he didn't care.
Harry got up and approached the window. His bedroom overlooked the backyard, and he could see that the truck had been fully unloaded already. A loud beep accompanied the truck's departure. They must be thrilled to have sold so much in a single day.
Harry looked at the hundreds of items on the ground and shook his head in amazement. It was too much really. No longer able to hold in his excitement, he ran out of the room and down the stairs.
Outside, Harry circled the pile of newly acquired supplies in a daze. There was a huge selection of building supplies like brackets, fasteners, fittings, hinges, locks, hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches, chisels, tool belts, hand tools, benchtop power tools, and safety equipment. It would take him time to inventory everything here.
"This is fucking way too much," Harry said as his grandparents approached.
"Language," Minerva scolded him, before glancing at her husband. "Did you leave anything behind in the store?"
"You're exaggerating," Charlus protested. "I didn't buy that much."
"Thanks, grandfather," Harry said absently as he dived into the pile of goodies. It was the first time he called him that way, though he wasn't aware of it. Charus was though, and he seemed to derive a lot of pleasure from that, judging by his smile. Maybe it wasn't the most effective way to gain the boy's affection, but he needed to start somewhere.
McGonagall rolled her eyes and muttered to herself as she walked away.
Charlus coughed and regained his serious expression. "Hang on. I didn't say it was yours yet."
"What are you talking about?" Harry looked up at Charlus with an outraged expression.
"I have a small task for you," Charlus smirked. "You need to move all of these supplies that have just arrived to the shed. Anything left behind by nightfall, I will take away."
"That's easy," Harry said as he gathered a few items in his arms. "It's not even mid-morning yet."
"Hold on," Charlus summoned his wand and pointed it at Harry. The items zoomed out of his arms and rejoined the pile on the ground. "Who said anything about carrying them?"
"What are you talking about?" Harry asked.
"I am interested in seeing how strong you are magically," Charlus said. "I will show you how to cast the Levitation Charm. Then you will use it to move these items to the shed."
"How troublesome," Harry muttered. "There's no way I can move all these items in time. I will run out of magic before then. Does it even matter how powerful I am?"
"Not really, but indulge my curiosity," Charlus said. "Now summon your wand. The incantation is Wingardium Leviosa and the wand motion is a swish and a flick." He demonstrated the spell for Harry.
Harry took out his wand and aimed at a small package on the ground and performed the wand movement.
"Wingardium Leviosa."
It flopped around like a fish but didn't rise into the air. Harry glared at the offending package.
"There is no use getting frustrated," Chalrus said calmly. "That was a good first attempt. Another key component of casting spells is intent. You have to visualise the outcome you want, not just wave your wand around."
Harry raised his wand again. This time he imagined the package floating upwards before casting the spell. The package jerked again, slowly rising into the air. It was a little wobbly at first, but it continued to rise until it was above his head.
"All right," Charlus said. "Now try manipulating it in the air. Use your wand to direct it where you want it to move. I find it easier when first starting out to do this than to just move it with your mind."
Harry started moving the item with his wand, and soon it flew in all directions. He grinned, enjoying himself immensely. Now, this was what magic was all about.
"That's enough," Charlus said. "Start moving them now. You don't want to waste your magic."
Harry walked towards the shed with the package floating behind him. After placing it in the shed, he returned to find that his grandfather had conjured a lawn chair and was lying down in it. He sipped on a glass of orange juice while watching Harry work. He scowled at his grandfather before picking up another package.
Two hours later, Harry was tired. He felt like he wanted to close his eyes and sleep, but there were still plenty of things left to move to the shed. He was about to pick up another item when his grandfather stopped him.
"That's enough," Charlus looked at Harry with a serious expression. "If you continue, you will succumb to magical exhaustion, and it is not something you want to experience, believe me. You must recognise when you are at your limit."
Harry collapsed to the ground in relief. "So, how did I do, grandfather?"
Charlus looked at him with a complicated expression. "You should not have been able to last this long. I did not expect you to be this powerful at your age. Especially because she would be..."
"Who?" Harry asked after Charlus trailed off.
"I suppose it doesn't matter. It may just be a fluke," Charlus muttered to himself, before raising his voice, ignoring Harry's question. "Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised, considering you are an Animagus. Let's go inside and have some lunch. You can continue when you recover your magic."
2nd August
Early the next morning, Harry was in his bedroom. He slept in late because he was exhausted from all the magic he used yesterday. Despite his tiredness, he did not forget to give his grandfather a smug expression for beating him. Only to lose it when his grandfather told him he wasn't taking anything away from him in the first place. He would never believe anything his grandfather said again.
Harry sat at his desk, writing some goals he wanted to achieve on a notepad. This way, he could think about how to accomplish them in the most efficient manner possible. In the short term, he needed to prioritise completing the workshop as soon as possible. He knew it wasn't the best way to gain experience. It didn't really matter because he liked the idea of building his own workshop from the ground up. Although he wanted to start building his workshop immediately, there were some obstacles in his way. He pondered these problems yesterday as he moved his building supplies to the shed yesterday.
The first issue was that he needed building specifications for his workshop. He could not build it on the fly as he would inevitably make numerous mistakes, lose time, and end up with something he didn't even like. So, first, he needed a plan. He wasn't an architect, or experienced in constructing large buildings, so designing something himself wasn't a wise idea. The best solution was to find something similar to what he wanted and make some minor adjustments if need be. So at breakfast this morning, he persuaded his grandfather to find some architectural plans.
"Where am I supposed to find things like that?" Charlus grumbled.
"Probably in the archives of any local council office," Harry replied helpfully. "I'm thinking of building a barn with a lot of space, so any country town with a lot of farms may do the trick."
So far, based on what he had determined, the most beneficial aspect of the Construction skill was its ability to eliminate mistakes, which made it a valuable skill to have. If at any point in a project, he made a mistake, or there was another unknown factor, he would intuitively understand that something was not right. It could be as simple as an incorrect measurement or something more serious like a huge design flaw that affected the entire project. By continuing to level the skill up, he will be able to manage more complex and larger projects without worrying about screwing them up.
He looked down at the list he had written down. At the very top, he wrote down a new goal.
Level up the Construction skill before building the workshop.
To give him a better chance of getting his workshop right the first time, he should level up the skill. The secondary benefit would be that he would level up his general level, and unlock more features and rewards. One of his goals was to create cards, or talismans, to replicate Gambit's mutant power. To do that, he needed to start with runes. There were a number of ways he could get information on the subject, like the lesson he received from Sylvia Greengrass. However, he felt that the Source would be a better, well, source of information, for lack of a better word. Still, he may need information from the library downstairs soon.
Harry got up and left the house. He decided to build some furniture for his room. The first thing he wanted to build was a trunk that would lie at the foot of his bed. He always liked using the one at the orphanage, except it was too plain. To make it more interesting, he would design it to look like a treasure chest with a huge padlock on the front. It was not really necessary, but it added to the aesthetics.
Harry opened the shed's double doors and pulled out the supplies he needed. There was a long wooden table outside that his grandmother had transfigured for him to use for his various projects. He would need to build more at some point, but he figured it could wait until the workshop was built.
Before he began the project, he looked at his watch. He was interested in how long it would take to build the treasure chest. Would his skill help him at all? Harry wanted to see if he could finish it before his grandfather returned.
First, he would have to determine the dimensions of the chest he wanted to build. He compared it to his old trunk and decided it should be two feet high and three feet wide. He measured out all the pieces he needed for the box and base. The lid pieces would be measured later. Next, he grabbed some timber from the pile and started cutting the pieces he needed with the Jigsaw. It took him a couple of minutes to figure out how to use it since he hadn't used one before. After a few mistakes, he had it under control.
Harry started by pre-cutting all the tongue and groove timber to length. Six front and back boards, six sideboards, and four baseboards. Then he used an orbital sander to sand all the boards down until they had a smooth finish.
Once he had all the pieces, he started assembling the first layer. First, he pre-drilled holes in the front and back boards and glued them together with PVA glue. Next, he added the sideboards. He now had four pieces of wood assembled in a square frame. He finished it off by securing it with screws next, and the first layer was complete.
The next thing he needed to do was build a chest base. Harry flipped the frame over and retrieved the four baseboards. He cut the tongue off one of them, ensuring that the boards sit flush with the outside edge of the box. He pre-drilled holes before attaching the boards to the bottom of the frame with glue. After all the pieces were secured, he hammered nails into the wood to finish it off. He lifted it up to inspect the results and nodded with satisfaction. Now he had a shallow square box, and it felt very solid.
He flipped it back over and added two more layers to the box to finish it off. To make it look even better, he added a skirting to the base of the chest. He grabbed the precut wood pieces and secured them to the base with glue before installing screws.
Now he had to build a lid. This was not something he prepared beforehand, as it would have been difficult to measure the pieces accurately. Harry began by checking the box's internal dimensions by measuring from front to back. He added a couple of inches to ensure clearance at the front and back of the chest.
Now he had to build an arch for the lid. This was the most technical part and not something he had any experience with, so it took him a while to figure out how to achieve it. First, he cut out a side panel with an arch and then used it to measure out a second one. He measured and cut out a front and back panel, then nailed and glued all four pieces together to create the frame for his lid.
Now he could start working on the slats for the lid top. He used a bench saw to cut them out and laid them down across the lid frame to determine if they would fit. To ensure it sat flush, the first slat was cut at an angle. For the remaining slats, he used a bench saw to undercut the edges at a shallow angle to ensure they fit as well. He glued and screwed in the screws to the side panels to finish off the lid.
Now it was time for the finishing touches. Harry added corner boxes to the three layers to ensure their integrity, then secured the lid to the box with hinges in the back. After combing through his supplies, he found a huge padlock that was appropriate for the chest. He fixed a hinge and lock to the front of the chest so he could thread the padlock through it. As a final step, he grabbed a can of stain and coated the entire chest in the rich shade of mahogany.
Harry stepped back and grinned. It was a simple chest with no extra embellishments, but it looked amazing considering it was his first time building one. He declared it complete in his mind, a necessary step to let the Source know the project was finished. For any original item he built from scratch, it was difficult to determine when it was truly done. So he had to state it clearly so the Source could calculate the experience he would receive for it.
Harry retrieved the book and opened it to read the new messages he received.
The host has built a 6ft² storage treasure chest.
General Exp: + 250
Skill Exp: [Construction 1, Dexterity 1] + 125
Progress to level 6: 414/2400
The player has received a new task.
Task #2 - Bedroom Furniture.
Objective: The host must build five pieces of furniture for his bedroom.
Reward: 200 general experience, 5 Shop Points for every furniture piece built.
The experience he received for building the treasure chest was less than the model house he made in the junk shop. However, the treasure chest took only a few hours to build. It did not require a lot of skill or effort on his part, so it was not surprising that he received less.
The new task was a nice addition since he was already planning on building some furniture. He wondered if tasks were more dynamic, and not just predetermined. It is possible that his desire to accomplish something could create tasks on its own. Perhaps he would receive a task to construct the building when he got around to it.
Charlus returned an hour later with copies of hundreds of architectural plans and building specifications. It was way more than Harry expected, and he thanked his grandfather profusely, which eased his grumpy expression. Charlus had spent a lot of time on the task after all. Maybe he would build something for his grandfather in thanks. Come to think of it, he needed to thank his grandmother as well.
Harry spent hours looking at the designs until he found something close to what he wanted. It was a huge forty-by-sixty-foot barn which would give him plenty of space inside to work in.
It would be a traditional stick frame building with full-width trusses. Additionally, there would be a second floor, smaller than the first, so attic trusses were added to the roof system to allow for the space. There would also be a lean-to attached to the right side of the barn, which he could use as a second bedroom, or perhaps a storage area. It was a massive project, and he didn't know how long it would take, but he was eager to get started. But first, he will finish the task first, and earn some experience.
3rd August
Harry placed the last piece of furniture next to the bed and nodded in satisfaction. He had just finished building five original pieces of furniture that replaced those he already had in his bedroom. Now, he had two new bookshelves, which he considered better crafted than the one they replaced. He built a solid oak desk, wider and sturdier than the old desk. Next, he crafted a pair of dressers that gave him more room to store his clothes. Finally, he made a small side table to place next to his bed. As a result of his efforts, he received substantial rewards.
Task Completed!
The host has built five pieces of furniture for his bedroom.
General Exp: + 2600
25 Shop Points were obtained.
Skill Exp: [Construction 1, Dexterity 1] + 800
The player has reached Level 6!
The Construction skill has levelled up!
The Runic Languages Book was obtained.
The Magic Emporium has been unlocked. It has been added to the index page.
Level 7 Unlocks:
Skill: Steady Hands (Passive).
Item(s): Basic Rune Sequences (Book).
His first thought was to check out the Magic Emporium, so he opened his book to the index page and selected it. The pages flipped over until he saw two adjacent pages that looked similar to his inventory. Except, the slots were filled with a variety of items, each with a number beside it, which he guessed was the cost of each item. On the other page, there was space to display the item in further detail. In addition, there were two symbols to select the quantity and purchase the item.
Harry browsed through the items. There were only thirty items to choose from at the moment, and they were all related to inscribing runes. In particular, specialised runic pens, inks, and parchments. The majority of items cost only one point, with some pens costing more. He currently had thirty-five points, so he had more than enough to get started. However, he would hold off until he started practising inscribing runes.
Harry retrieved The Runic Languages from his inventory. This book was surprisingly thick and had a black cover with a number of different runes carved into it. Opening it up, he perused the index page and was surprised at how in-depth it delved into the different runic languages.
Harry read the introduction on the next page.
In contrast to modern alphabets, runes are symbols with meanings and are associated with universal forces that constantly change and evolve over time, making them just as relevant today as thousands of years ago, when they were first created. Rune meanings are subjective and interpreted differently depending on how they are arranged. There is a near-infinite variety of Rune Sequences that can be constructed. However, finding the right combinations for a specific task or application is one of the most difficult parts of Enchanting. This book is a guide to translating the most commonly used Runic languages into English, and not a guide on how to construct Rune Sequences. The book is the most comprehensive and accurate representation of the Runic languages. You should consult this book before considering any other forms of literature out there since they have inconsistencies that can affect your understanding of the subject.
Harry put the book back in his inventory. The first part of the book was devoted to Elder Futhark, the most commonly used runic language in Enchanting. He would first learn the alphabet and its meanings, and proceed from there. Harry felt his symbol light up, so he retrieved the Source and read the new message.
Task #3 - Build a workshop.
Objective: The host desires his own space to practice his craft. Build a workshop worthy of his ambitions.
Reward: 10000 general experience; 300 Shop Points.
Task #4 - Learn the Elder Futhark skill.
Objective: Master the Elder Futhark language sufficiently to acquire the skill.
Reward: 500 general experience; 10 Shop Points.
So he received a task related to building a workshop. Therefore, it meant he could gain tasks based on the actions he took in the future. He would have to experiment with it further to understand its limitations. Obviously, he wouldn't be given a task for every little thing since that would be overwhelming. Now that he had finished the furniture, and levelled his Construction skill, it was time to start on his workshop.
4th August
The next day, Harry was up nice and early, and standing at the site where he would build his workshop. His grandparents left after breakfast, saying they had business to handle. He felt that the warning to stay out of trouble was unnecessary.
His first task was to strip the top layer of soil for the foundation and map out the footprint of the entire workshop. Honestly, he probably should have had an excavator and bulldozer for the first part, but he wanted to do everything by himself. He was certain his grandparents wouldn't allow him to operate heavy machinery, so he would have to do it by hand.
He thought of using magic to speed up the task. When he asked his grandparents, they said there was the Gouging Spell, but it was a sixth-year spell. It is possible that he could learn it if he practised it enough. However, he would not be able to cast it more than a few times before he became completely exhausted. So it would be old-fashioned digging until he came up with a better solution. At least he may be able to get into some shape at least.
Harry dug the shovel into the ground and lifted the first shovelful of dirt and threw it aside. Soon after, he developed a natural rhythm. It didn't take long before he felt his arms aching from the repetitive action but he continued digging with determination. After another ten minutes, he stopped as he couldn't continue any longer without a break. His arms and lower back were sore and he sweated profusely. This was going to be harder than he thought. Why didn't he pay more attention to his fitness in the past?
Two hours later, Harry stopped to take a long drink of water. As he looked back at the progress he had made, he couldn't believe how tiny it was compared to how much he still had to finish. He sat down on the ground and rummaged in a bag at his side, pulling a muesli bar out. If he was going to be here all day, he would have to keep his energy levels up.
"What are you doing?" A lilting voice asked, and Harry stiffened, turning around.
Standing in front of him were two of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen in his life. They both had long-silver blonde hair, large blue eyes and stunning figures dressed in light blue robes. They were obviously sisters. One was older than the other, judging by their height, but their bodies were already well-developed. The youngest must be at least a couple of years older than him, although she was about the same height as him.
The older girl stood protectively in front of the younger girl as if she was afraid Harry would hurt her in some way.
Harry frowned, feeling a tugging in his mind. A beautiful song played in his head, both melodic and enticing, and he felt himself falling under its spell. It was telling him that he should do something to impress these girls and win their affection. He was about to take a step forward to perform some stunt to show off when he paused. Something didn't feel right. Harry shook his head vigorously to rid himself of the alluring song, and it stopped.
"Who are you?" Harry asked suspiciously, taking out his wand.
Upon hearing his response, the girls relaxed, which was confusing. Did he seem welcoming? They sat down in front of him, and he tried not to notice how their robes tightened around them, revealing their alluring curves
"We are your neighbours," the older of the two said. "Papa asked us to come and introduce ourselves. You're Harry Potter?"
"Yes," he replied, surprised that his grandparents had revealed his identity to his neighbours. "You can speak English?"
"That's right. My name is Fleur Delacour," the elder said, before pointing at the other girl. "This is my younger sister Gabrielle."
"Hello," Gabrielle said, examining him closely. "I was worried about meeting you. I expected a different reaction, but your grandfather assured my Papa that you would be safe."
Fleur had a strong accent, but Gabrielle had none and spoke flawless English. He thought it would have been the other way around. Maybe she was more motivated to learn the language than her sister for some reason.
"What are you talking about?" Harry asked. "Are you referring to that song I heard in my mind? Was that some sort of spell?"
"Your grandparents didn't tell you?" Fleur asked, surprised. "We are half-Veela, a magical race with an allure that passively attracts males. Most of them cannot control themselves around us, and turn into drooling idiots."
"Oh," Harry put his wand away. "I am glad I could shake it off. I hate not being in control."
"Me too," Fleur nodded.
"So what are you doing?" Gabrielle asked, gesturing to the soil he had dug up from the ground.
"I am building a barn to use as a workshop. First, I have to build a foundation," Harry said. "Unfortunately, I have to do the first part by hand as the gouging spell is too taxing for me."
"A workshop?" Gabrielle asked curiously. "What is it for?"
"I like to build things," Harry shrugged. "I would like to become an Artisan."
"Really?" Fleur said, looking impressed. "You certainly don't lack ambition."
They continued to talk for the next ten minutes, and Harry was surprised by how well he got along with the two girls. If you managed to ignore how beautiful they were, they were interesting to talk to and seemed really intelligent. He was more drawn to Gabrielle than to Fleur. It might be because they were the same age or because Fleur seemed more reserved. They reminded him of Daphne and Astoria a lot.
"So are you going to Hogwarts this year?" Gabrielle asked. "It will be my first year at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic."
"Is that a magical school in France?" Harry asked, and Gabrielle nodded. "Wait, this is only your first year? How old are you?"
"Thirteen," Gabrielle asked confusedly. "Why did you think I was older?"
Harry looked away in embarrassment. "No reason."
Fleur raised a hand to her mouth and giggled. "Gabrielle only awakened her Allure a few months ago. She is still naive about some things."
"No, I'm not," Gabrielle pounced on her sister and tickled her, and the girls rolled on the ground as they tried to gain the upper hand over each other. Harry wouldn't lie and say he didn't enjoy the spectacle. They got so absorbed in their playfight that they knocked him over and Gabrielle landed on him, laying him flat on the ground. Before he could even register how amazing it felt to have her pressed up against him, they were interrupted.
"We left you alone for a couple of hours and you are already causing trouble," a voice said from above him.
Harry looked up to see his grandmother standing there, with his grandfather beside her, smirking. "Care to explain yourself?"
"I'm good," Harry replied.
So, what do you think? Next chapter, Harry learns about his grandparent's plan to get rid of Dumbledore.
Thanks for reading.