Welcome to another chapter…yeah. Burning the candle on both ends here. I am in 4 D&D campaigns, DM another. Volunteer on Sundays. And somehow managed to get caught up on all my paperwork for my MEB (Medical Evaluation Board). Enjoy.
Dec. 2023 Addendum to the AN. All done and out of the Army now. Fully applied for college in Fashion Studies. Singing and helping take charge of music for 2 Masses on Sundays (Hello Christmas) and teaching Catholic Confirmation (Senior Year for Catholic Religious Studies). All on top of working part time hours at a beauty store. I have been busy. Updates will continue to be slow.
Chapter 3
A Wonderful Shopping Trip
"You look weird grandmama," Harry observed.
"Well, you insisted on continuing to call me grandmama," Diana countered looking somewhere in the 50s to 60s range. (A.N. Just look up a picture of Linda Carter. She is 71 at the time of me typing this.) "The disguise was necessary."
"It wasn't at Aunt Martha's." He argued.
"She raised Superman," Diana replied with a deadpan look and flat tone. Harry looked like he was about to protest before a look of sudden realization came over his face then shifted into an embarrassed grin. "Come on," Diana said smiling, "We agreed to meet with Minerva at the Café across from the Leaky Cauldron." She took his hand as they walked and asked, "So, what do think of London?"
"It's big," the boy paused, "and it smells."
"Yes. Well, pollution does that Harry." Diana said as she laughed. They continued down the avenue as Diana pointed out the various changes to the city over the last century. "I remember a bakery here." And other such things often found on the proverbial Memory Lane. Some good, some bad, and others simply different. They wound down as they reach the small café.
"Now remember Harry," Diana said, "You have to start calling Minerva Professor McGonagall now."
"I know," Harry seemed to wilt slightly.
"I will also be by once a week if there isn't an emergency for sparring sessions." Diana reminded him. This perked the boy up.
"Excuse me," a young girl's voice interrupted, "but did you say Professor McGonagall?" The two looked in the direction of the voice to see a young lady with bucked teeth and a wild mane of bushy hair that would shame a lion.
"Why yes," Diana answered politely. "Are you meeting her here as well?"
"Oh, yes!" She exclaimed and stepped a few feet away to drag a couple over. "Mum, dad," She began gesturing wildly at the same time. "They are here for Professor McGonagall too!"
"Hello there," the woman greeted, "I am Emma Granger. This is my husband Daniel, and it seems you have already met Hermione." Mr. Granger began to calmly sign 'It's good to meet you.' Diana smiled and replied both verbally and in BSL "It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Diana Prince. This is my grandson, Harry." Harry waved, smiling brightly.
"Ah good, everyone is here." McGonagall said walking up. "Come now, we must not delay," McGonagall and Diana help show the Grangers how to enter the Leaky Cauldron and soon the group found themselves in an alley. McGonagall showed the children the sequence to tap the bricks and Harry and the Grangers got their first view of Diagon Alley.
The group walked through the bustling street as they tried and failed to take in every wonderous sight in the area. Emma Granger was the first to find her voice.
"It's like stepping back in time." She said/signed.
"I find a lot of the muggleborn families say that." McGonagall sighed.
"Mum," Hermione said while signing for her father. "With how many times the Justice League fights Supervillains, and Zattarro the Magician uses magic and is a part of them…."
"Hermione," Harry interrupted, "he tells interviewers it is a rare meta-ability in his family. Along with smoke and mirrors, sleight of hand, and other tricks. Yes, magic is real, but villains do not care about secrecy. So magic heroes' step in to stop them and make it seem like it is a super rare thing that cannot be relied on."
"An apt description young man," said a male voice. They turned to see a tall man with long blonde hair leaning on a cane. The man stepped up extending a hand, "Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy." Harry took the hand and replied.
"Prince, Harry Prince."
Lucius looked at Diana quizzically, "and you must be…"
"Diana Prince, museum curator," she extended her hand. "After all someone has to keep the more…volatile artifacts out of the non-magical populous."
"Enchant," Lucius took her hand. "And quite the…noble profession as well. Well, seeing as you are with Professor McGonagall, I shall leave you to your business." He nodded towards McGonagall, "Professor."
"Lucius," McGonagall nodded back stiffly. As he walked away, she stated, "That man is dangerous."
"I'm friends with one more so than he." Diana said with a sly smile as Harry started choking trying not to laugh.
"Anyways," McGonagall composed herself, "first we must head to Gringotts." She gestured to the large marble structure at the end of the street.
They shifted their way through the crowd eventually reaching the front of the marble steps. Diana and Harry seeing the guards at the door put their fists against their chests to salute the guards.
"Noble warriors!" Diana called out. "How fare the walls?"
The goblin warriors saluted back and answered, "The walls are strong and tall. Long unbroken and safe for passage for those with peaceful intent."
"Then fear not noble warrior," Diana answered once again. "My intentions are peaceful, and my blade is sheathed."
"What was that about?" Hermione asked as they entered the bank.
"Warriors have certain common courtesies to avoid any…miscommunications." Diana explained.
"Okay then," Hermione went silent and tilted her head observing Diana. She squinted her eyes as if solving a puzzle. Her eyes went wide with realization. Diana seeing this smiled and put her finger to her lips. Hermione nodded then looked to Harry who also nodded as if confirming what she figured out. (1)
After making their withdrawals and exchanges they went to get their robes. Upon exiting Hermione exclaimed, "That boy was awfully rude."
"Yes, he was," Harry answered back, "he seemed jealous of my custom robes too. That might have contributed."
"Why did you get those by the way?" Hermione inquired.
"Easier access to my sword and better mobility in a fight." Harry explained.
"Well, I suppose that makes sense." Hermione agreed.
Hermione's eye went wide and sparkled a bit as they enter the bookstore. They stopped in front of a book display and Harry frowned. The display was a series of books titled, 'The Adventures of Harry Potter.' With a green-eyed boy and a lightning bolt scar on his forehead depicted in various settings on the covers.
"I thought I took care of these things." Diana snipped coldly.
"Magical Britain has…loopholes." Minerva stated, "And they love to exploit them."
Diana raised her brow and pulled out her phone, snapping a photo and typing a message. "Not for long they won't."
Minerva looked at a pocket watch. "I best be off. Being Deputy Headmistress leaves me extraordinarily little time I am afraid. Diana? If you could."
"Of course, Minerva," came the reply with a warm smile. "I can finish guiding the Grangers for you."
They left the bookstore with all their purchases to finish buying their supplies.
Daniel began signing. "What was that about with the Harry Potter Books?" he asked.
"Well, it started over a decade ago," Diana began. "A war between the Ministry for Magic and a Terror Group called the Death Eaters led by a sociopath who called himself 'Voldemort.' The group had the ideal that only those descended from pureblood ancestry were worthy of using magic let alone living. Albus Dumbledore the Headmaster of Hogwarts led another group of Vigilantes against them."
"The ministry wasn't doing much I take it?" Emma inquired.
"It's hard to fight a terror organization when its high-ranking members are also in key positions and heavy influencers within the ministry trying to stop them." Diana snorted.
"What does Harry Potter have to do with it?" Hermione asked. Already seeming to have figured out the answer but wanting it verbally verified.
"Well," Diana took a breath. "The Potter family was one of the biggest obstacles in a final takeover. The Potter family having been longtime practicing Roman War Mages and having the brains to use it effectively. His mother Lily also studied and mastered Ancient Greek War Magic. The two together wiped out roughly three-quarters of his entire army when he tried to take Hogwarts hostage once." She paused again as if in pain from a memory. "When Lily conceived Harry, they went into hiding to protect him. Their location was betrayed, and Voldemort ambushed them in their house killing them. However, Lily had a contingency and invoked an ancient ritual that asked for divine intervention. When Voldemort attacked Harry, the magic was reflected and destroyed his corporeal form, killing him. But since Lily was a first generation magical in their eyes, they placed all the credit onto Harry."
"People got greedy and started making any money they could off of a baby, didn't they?" Emma said with disgust.
"They did," Diana nodded, "luckily, I had power of attorney over the family and family assets. I would have had no problem if it were all being sent to actual charities and the like. I took offense and won a lawsuit on the family's behalf."
"They can't even get my looks right," Harry grumbled.
"I'm so sorry," Emma gasped, "Here we are talking about a tragedy you went through, and you just stood there silently."
"It's okay Missus Granger." Harry smiled. "I have grandmama and her sisters."
They finished getting everything and ended up in front of the wandmakers shop, 'Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC.'
"Well let's get Hermione's wand, shall we?" Diana said opening the door.
"Is Harry not going to get his wand?" Hermione asked with concern.
Harry smiled and withdrew an 11-inch pale colored stick with fancy engravings and a bronze handle. "Have mine already."
"What a fine wand," a voice piped up behind him. Harry instinctively attacked with an elbow strike. Hitting nothing but air.
"Hmm," the old man giving Uncanny Valley vibes stood in front of the group observing them, "have not had that reaction in a while Mr. Potter. Ollivander at your service." He finished with a bow.
"Hello Garrick," Diana greeted kindly. "This is Hermione Granger she is here for her wand."
"Hermione Granger," Ollivander said with a curious voice. "From a Winter's Tale. Both Courts highly favored Shakespeare when he made A Midsummer Night's Dream. They find it…amusing."
"Sir," Hermione stepped forward cautiously.
"None of that sir stuff," Ollivander waved his hand. "And worry not about the name dear. I just need to borrow it long enough to match you to your wand." Snapping his fingers, a tape measure floated in front of her measuring as if she were at the tailors. He wandered the towering shelves of boxes and plucked one off the shelf. "That will do Tailor." The measuring tape flew off into the drawer it came from. "This wand I believe will choose you."
"Choose me?" She inquired.
"Yes, wands are very picky about their partners," Ollivander said, "Vinewood and Lightning Dragon Heartstring, twelve inches. "Go on, give it a wave." He said gently placing the wand in her hand.
Hermione raised the wand and a zap of electricity sounded and the smell of ozone filled the air.
"She likes you." Ollivander smiled. "You are bound for remarkable things. When you advance in your studies. Look up storm magic."
"Yes sir," Hermione replied meekly replied.
As they left the store Diana reached into her handbag and gave Hermione a decorated hair band, "Here Hermione, use this. Your wand seems to have given you a…makeover."
Hermione reached up to touch her hair and groaned, "I could barely manage it as it was." The poor girl's hair seemed to be even bushier than it was before.
"Here," Diana said taking the girl's hair. She tied it back in a high pony with a leather cord then clamped a decorated bronze ring around it, causing the hair to shift itself into neat fizzy waves. "There, all better," she said with a smile.
"Thank you, ma'am." Hermione replied. She made her way over to Harry who was looking at a display for brooms.
Diana went over to Emma and Daniel. "Well, I believe our shopping is done. So how about a bite to eat?"
"Oh, we wouldn't want to impose," Emma tried to argue.
"I insist," Diana countered, "After all, it looks like the children are enjoying each other's company." Pointing over to the two talking and smiling.
"We accept." Dan signed.
They left Diagon Alley and made their way to a small American Style diner down the road. After dinner they exchanged contact information and went their separate ways.
"Did you have fun today?" Diana asked Harry as they got into Diana's car.
"Yes grandmama." Harry answered with a yawn in the passenger seat of the car.
See you next time in Chapter 4. Terrific Train Rides and Super Sortings.
Footnotes
(1) If you've ever seen thepandaredd on TikTok or YouTube. Hermione just did the Tim Test. Diana failed. She also would probably figure out the other hero's identities if she met their civilian personas. LOL. In other words, "Alfred, call the guy."
