Disclaimer: I own nothing other than the plot. The original concepts belong to JKR and Warner Brothers. Any concepts brought from other fictions are either coincidental or will be used in their own way, and no plagiarism is meant.
A/N: I did not forget about Dobby, that part was intentional.
Chapter 5: A Trip Down the Alley
July 29th, 1993
Diagon Alley, London
Harry woke up feeling more energized than he ever had and hungry too. It was a warning on the notes the healer gave him, that he would be more hungry and want to eat more often. So making his decision, he got out of bed, intending to get dressed, when he noticed for the first time that there was a guest in his room. Said guest also had bandages on him.
"Dobby?" Harry asked. The elf immediately shot up from the chair, becoming really excited.
"Great Master Harry Potter Sir! Dobby is glad he could find you!" The excitable elf shouted. "Dobby went to the muggle house, but yous weren't there, so then I started searchings for you, and found yous here!"
"Well, now that you found me, what can I do for you?" Harry asked. Dobby's ears dropped some as he looked down.
"Dobby was freed from his masters after they discovered I's helped you, they are sure that Dobby won't find a new master, and that he will die like all free elves do." The elf said sadly.
"Elves die when they are free?" Harry asked, shocked.
"Wes need the bond with a wizard to keep our magics stable. Without the bonds, we slowly lose our magics and die. Tis takes roughly two years, but it happens Harry Potter Sir."
Harry pondered that. He knew, after reading about elves in the library last year, that they were sometimes comparable to slaves. But if it was the wizards providing their magic, or the stability of their magic, then it was symbiotic, and necessary for them to live, so they in return work for the family.
"So why did you come to me?" Harry asked. Dobby looked down, before quietly speaking.
"Dobby hoped that Great Master Harry Potter Sir would bond with him, and Dobby could serve the House of Potter!" Dobby said nervously.
Harry thought about it. On one hand, he knew he already had an elf, but that elf probably had duties at the cottage to care for it. Then he wondered if he could have Dobby work at Hogwarts while he was in school, and look out for those possibly after him. He knew Hogwarts had one of the largest contingents of elves in Europe, so one more wouldn't be suspicious.
"Alright, but there are a few rules-" Harry started, before he was interrupted by the elf taking his hand. He felt a warmth, before he noticed there was a small tingle in his mind that slowly faded away. Looking at the elf, he noticed that Dobby looked healthier and more full, not so much as skinny and weak.
"Great master Harry Potter sir is a strong wizard. Dobby feels much better" Dobby said.
"Thank you Dobby, now for a few rules. Firstly, call me Harry, or if you must Master Harry." He watched the elf nod, before continuing. "Second, you are not allowed to punish yourself. If you think you did something wrong, then come talk to me, and we will discuss it. Thirdly, I want you to wear something more presentable, unless I need you to not be noticed."
The elf nodded, and Harry asked what all he could do. Dobby said he could go to the bank, do any form of house work, run errands, and take Harry to and from his properties if needed, though the last would leave him tired afterwards. After a few more words, along with instructions on waiting for him in his room, Harry got dressed in his baggy clothes one last time, and left to eat, as he was more than famished.
After eating two full meals worth of food, varying between eggs, toast, bacon, and hashbrowns, he was finally ready to get a start on his day. First up was a trip to Ollivanders. He had grown extremely concerned about his wand's match after the chamber incident, and the Healer also mentioned that it was a possibility that it would no longer be the best for him, so he made his way through the wall again, before wandering down the Alley to the shop.
Entering it for the first time since his first year, he first noticed it was empty, before he also realized he hadn't heard the wandmaker in the shop. Seeing a bell on the counter, he tapped it, before waiting patiently. It was only a minute later that Ollivander appeared, looking much like Seamus did when learning a spell.
Covered in soot with frizzled hair.
"Ah, Mr. Potter! You're back, what a wonderful surprise." The oddball man said, waving his wand to clean himself up, "What can I do for you?"
Harry explained what happened in the chamber, and how the wand hadn't worked for him properly since, and that he was having to force magic through it, or at least that is what it felt like. Ollivander nodded, and requested the Holly and Phoenix wand. He examined it, before frowning.
"Well, there are obvious signs of the core starting to burn out, as your magic is heating the core from resistance. The two clashing are why you are struggling to use the wand, and the wand quite clearly is no longer willing to work with you. I daresay that the wand should never be used again, as too much magic might cause a core failure, and cause it to explode." Ollivander said.
Harry sighed. He had a lot of sentimental attachment to that wand, as it made him different from his relatives, and helped him connect with his parents more. He also remembered he needed to make a trip to Gringotts after this, both for gold and the trunk, before shaking his head clear of those thoughts.
"What should we do then, because I have to have a wand." Harry replied.
Ollivander thought for a moment, before speaking. "I don't believe I will have any wands ready made for you. You were a difficult match the first time, and the wand you got was the only one that had a positive reaction with you. I daresay we will have to make you a wand, Mr. Potter. This will be quite exciting!"
Ollivander slid the Holly wand into a pouch on his belt, before indicating to Harry to follow him. Harry walked past the isles of shelves that were burdened with wands, before walking through a door in the back of the shop. It seemed to be a workshop that smells heavily of polish and wood, with tools and equipment on one side of the room, and several sets of shelves on the other. Ollivander walked to the left where the shelves were, before turning and speaking to Harry.
"Alright, Mr. Potter. What I want you to do is walk past the shelf with wood on it, while holding out your wand arm. I want you to grab whatever wood reacts with your magic, which I am sure you will feel. Don't be afraid to make multiple passes either, or grab more than one wood." Ollivander said.
Harry frowned, focusing on the instructions, before slowly approaching the shelves. Turning his body to put his hand closer, he walked past dozens of woods, ranging from whites, to browns, to the darkest blacks and oddest reds. At first, he felt a small tingle, but walking through a second time, he closed his eyes, focusing on the feeling. Slowly, he walked through, before feeling the tingle, that then turned warm. Waving his hand in the area, he finally reached up a shelf, and felt the near-burning heat of magic.
Grabbing it, he felt warm run up his arm. It was powerful, and alone felt equal to his Holly wand. He continued on, before finding a second, that was nearly the polar opposite. It was like a cold rush, and it radiated power, but it wasn't of rejections, but of acceptance. He grabbed that one, enjoying the second rush, before continuing through the remaining woods. On finding nothing else. He opened his eyes, and looked in his hands.
Both woods were radiating their power, but it was comfortable. The wood that burnt hot was near black, while the other was a reddish tan, neither of which Harry recognized. Looking up at Ollivander, he saw the man smiling, clearly excited about what was happening.
"Those two woods call to you?" the odd man asked. Harry nodded. "Very well. Onto the cores then. You will do the same thing you did before. Grab the ones you feel a good connection to, and afterwards, we can narrow it down to which ones feel the best."
Harry followed the instructions, and closing his eyes again, he began to walk through the two shelves of cores. Most had no reaction, or seemed repulsed by Harry, but after only a minute of walking, he found one that was quite warm, though not nearly as much as the woods. He grabbed the glass vial it was in, and continued walking, before finding a second. It wasn't until his third that he felt the same nearly intoxicating power.
Slowly reaching out, he picked up the vial that weighed almost nothing. He could feel the magic though, it was incredible. Sighing, he slid the vial into his other hand, before continuing. It was only a few feet later that he felt a cold power, one almost perfectly matching the second wood, just inches away from his hand. He reached out and took it, and was surprised at the weight of the vial. Not deterred, he walked through one last time, before opening his eyes and returning to Ollivander.
The man was beyond excited, nearly jumping up and down at the five vials Harry held. Guiding him to an empty table, Harry sat the cores down. Quickly, he moved the two over with the woods that felt the same. The hot core was a bright blue feather, while the cold core was a massive meaty string. Harry was almost scared to know what it was, though he was confident it was a heartstring of a beast.
"Those three didn't feel as strong as those two, but something is missing, I can feel it." Harry said.
Ollivander sat in thought, before grabbing the three vials, and returned them to their shelves. Upon his return, he spoke, "Mr. Potter, you said you killed the basilisk that bit you?" Harry nodded. "Was it rendered down?"
"Yes, it should be in my vault. Why do you ask?" Harry replied.
"Well… though it has never been done before, I believe the Basilisk Heartstring would be capable of being the wand core you feel is missing. It's size should have provided more than a few heartstrings, and it would be magically sufficient, and magically symbolic, for it to be one of your cores." Ollivander replied.
Harry immediately called Dobby, as the elf said he was able to access his master's vaults. It was only a few minutes later when the elf returned with a heartstring, which was just as large as the one on the table. As Harry grabbed the vial, he felt the near-scalding heat of magic from it. He immediately looked at Ollivander and nodded.
Ollivander gestured to the table as Dobby disappeared with a loud crack, and Harry sat it with the dark wood. "What are all of these, Mr. Ollivander."
"The two woods are Ebony and Cherry. The Ebony is one of the oldest pieces I have, while the Cherry was found in a tree near Hogwarts, which is heavily saturated in magic. Ebony often favors transfiguration and combat based magic. Those who possess an Ebony wand are amazing duelists and fighters, but also non-conformists, and are more of an outsider. Ebony has been seen in a number of your family's wands. Cherry on the other hand is known to be an extremely powerful wood, especially when paired with a dragon heartstring." He stopped, eying the core next to it, before continuing.
"Cherry is harder to control for those with a weak mind, as the power can escape them, and often favors charms and offensive magic. Both of these woods, and their symbolism, match what I know of you." He said, stopping to give Harry a moment to think.
"Now, the cores, well, they are incredibly interesting. The bright blue feather you see is that of a Thunderbird. It was kind enough to grant me one when I healed its wing. Thunderbirds are often loners, preferring their bonded ones or other Thunderbirds and Phoenixes. They are powerful, but rare cores, and the few that have been used often are capable of elemental magics and incredible feats of Transfiguration. The other core is one of my family's most prized cores. It is that of a Great Targaryen Dragon, one of the three great dragon breeds hunted into extinction during the time of Merlin, before the Statute of Secrecy. My family was given fifteen strings, and that is the third used. What we know of the core is intense power, often capable of powerful offensive and defensive magic, and that any fire based spell is amplified with this core." Ollivander looked at Harry.
"Why did you arrange the cores like this?" He asked.
"It felt right, the feelings… they seemed to match." Harry replied.
"Hm… interesting. Well, dual core wands are incredibly rare, as they have very low stability. I will need some blood to help encourage the stabilization, and I will destroy any blood not used." Ollivander said.
After giving the blood, and told to return in three hours time, along with the near thousand galleons, Harry left to go to the bank. He made a stop at his trust vault, and grabbed the trunk, which was shrunk down to the size of a deck of cards. Then he made his way down to the vault Sirius made for him, vault number 969. The goblin escorting him gave him a security bag. It was bound to his magical signature, and could hold ten thousand Galleons. After filling it with a hundred rolls of ten, for Ollivander, he added in another hundred rolls for his shopping.
As it was only 10:30, he made his way to Wiseacres' Wizarding Equipment, which is where he had gotten his first trunk. Talking to the salesman, Harry bought a new trunk. It had three compartments, all expanded. One was meant for books and stationary, along with potions ingredients. The second was meant for clothing and armor, should he have any. And the last was a large compartment, roughly twice the size of the trunk itself. It was entirely empty, and meant for whatever else the person would have. The trunk itself had a magical signature lock, a voice lock, and was charmed featherlight, fireproof, unbreakable, and shrinkable with a touch of the hand. Harry had the man add his family crest and his name to the top of it, before shrinking it down and putting it in his pocket. It cost him 250 galleons, but it was worth it.
His second stop was Madam Malkins, who, after explaining what he might need, turned him into a life sized Barbie. Harry tried on probably three dozen outfits, and bought at least twice that. Most were gray, green, reds, but there were some blues and blacks. There were muggle clothes, normal wizard wear, and formal dress robes. He even had new boxers and socks, and it felt amazing having things that fit him properly. All of them were charmed to be anti-wrinkle, smell-fresh, and temperature controlling. Along with that, they were all charmed to grow up to five sizes, and though it cost more, it would save him from coming back. He also bought new shoes, a pair of dragonhide boots in a dark red color, Hogwarts robes, and winter gear. Overall, he lost another 300 galleons, but he was pleased, and knew it to be a worthwhile purchase. Harry called Dobby to have him take everything back to his room, and handed him his new trunk to put it in.
Wearing a new set of robes, dark gray with dark red undershirt and matching gray pants and the Dragonhide boots, Harry stopped for lunch at the Leaky cauldron, and quickly scarfed down two plates worth of sandwiches. Whether it was the potions or the shopping that made him hungry, he didn't know, but he ate it like he hadn't eaten in weeks, and didn't even feel bloated afterwards.
He walked back to Ollivanders feeling excited. He had missed having a wand on him, and felt defenseless without one. The oddball shopkeeper was standing behind the counter, and lit up at seeing Harry back in the shop. "Perfect timing Mr. Potter, I finished them just fifteen minutes ago."
The man disappeared, before returning with two boxes, and a leather item Harry did not recognize.
"Here we are, Mr. Potter. Firstly, I must ask, have you claimed your inheritance?" Harry stilled, and the shopkeeper sighed, "No one, including even the headmaster, will hear anything you have told me, or know that you were even here. I hold complete discretion for everything with my customers. Wands are something important and personal."
Harry nodded, and lifted his hand to show the Potter ring. "Good, then it is legal for you to have two wands. As your thirteenth birthday is in two days, and as the last of your line, I am not required to put the trace on your wands as you will then be legally immune from the law for underage magic, though most have forgotten that law, and am only to inform you that you are not allowed to break the Statute of Secrecy."
That news excited Harry, as he could now practice magic. "I would avoid casting any magic in a muggle dwelling, as they may still attempt to try you for it. So long as you are in a wizard's dwelling, you are free to do magic. Now, without further delay. At thirteen inches exactly, with Ebony wood, Basilisk Heartstring and Thunderbird feather. It has runes with golden filling to encourage heat dissipation, and unbreaking runes for the wood. Due to the use of your blood, this wand will never work for another"
Harry was barely listening as he stared into the now open box, showing his new wand. It was a masterpiece, the rune on the hilt of the wand was like an artwork, the gold contrasting perfectly with the smooth black. It had a small lip where his hand would stop, and small waves from the wood going up the length. Harry slowly reached out, and wrapped his fingers around the wand, causing the wand to spit golden, Lightning blue, and green sparks. A fire spread up his hand rapidly and into his chest, and left him breathless. If he had been paying any attention, he would have noticed Ollivander take a step back from the magic he was radiating, that some of the dust had risen off the shelves, or that his eyes were glowing a bright green.
The feeling settled after a few moments, and the room returned to normal. Harry looked up as Ollivander started clapping. "Magnificent! I haven't seen a reaction like that in a very long time!"
Gesturing him to set the wand down, he opened the other box. "Again, this wand is exactly 13 inches, and your blood was also used to stabilize the wood and heartstring. I present to you, Cherry with a Great Targaryen heartstring. It was hard to stabilize, but it worked perfectly with your blood. With the same runes inlaid with platinum, it provides the same benefits as your Ebony wand. I also stained it a dark mahogany red, for visual effect. It will be hard to control, but once you learn control, it will be perfect in a duel where you would want the benefit of defensive and offensive magics in balance, where the Ebony wand would be less suited for Defensive magics." Ollivander said.
Harry slowly reached out, and as his fingers connected, he felt the cold power rush through him, making his knees weak. The reaction was almost identical, but the sparks from the wand were mostly red and white, and Ollivander was left stunned once more, at the power the soon-to-be 13 year old would possess.
As things calmed down, Harry looked back to Ollivander, his eyes still glowing slightly. "How much do I owe you?"
"Before we cover the cost, there are two things I wish to discuss. Firstly is wand registration. For the Basilisk Heartstring wand, I will 'accidentally' forget to register it, though still have it documented. Instead, I will only register the Cherry and 'Dragon' Heartstring wand, and list your holly wand as broken beyond repair. This means that if you ever go to the ministry, you must present only your Cherry wand, and if you ever end up on trial, leave your Ebony wand somewhere safe as you will be searched. I believe this is something I won't regret, as you may need the advantage one day. In most situations, I would suggest using the Cherry wand, and only use the Ebony wand in private or when you must, as the Ebony would be more powerful, and a good secret weapon to have." Ollivander said, emphasizing 'dragon' and 'accidentally'.
Harry didn't quite understand the reasoning, but was sure later he might. If it was an advantage, he wasn't going to refuse it.
"Secondly, I have provided you with a two-wand holster, made with Ukraine Ironbelly hide. These are the same that unspeakables use, and no one should know exactly what it is, as it is illegal to have, though there is no punishment for it. Pointless law really. It sticks to the forearm of your wand arm, and works on intent to drop the wand into your hand. It has disillusionment, making it invisible, an obscuring charm, preventing detection of it, and anti-summing, to prevent it or the wands from being summoned, to list a few." He explained.
After teaching him how to use it, and giving him care manuals for both wand care and holster treatment, along with polish and leather treatment, Harry paid the man an even thousand galleons, tipping him a hundred and twenty for the holster, advice, and perfect craftsmanship. Besides, it wasn't like Harry would go broke from it.
Leaving the shop, he made his way down the alley to Scribbulus Writing Instrument. Neville had told him he had bought the cheapest set, and he should buy better, especially as he could afford it. Harry bought some nicer quills, including one linked to be self inking from a specific inkpot, along with new ink and parchment. He also saw a nice notebook there -dark green and enchanted to be never ending, multi-subject, and locked with a magical signature lock, which was something he realized was common security- and he bought it too.
Leaving there, he stopped at Slug and Jiggers, Flourish and Blotts, and The Healers Apothecary. He bought a full new potions kit, along with new potions books on ingredient usages, interactions, preparation, and storage. Another on cleaning and equipment care, and another called Advanced Potion Making, which was the NEWT potions book. At Flourish and Blotts, he bought books on A Master's Guide to Dueling by Antonin Dolohov, Advanced Transfiguration by Alder Evartos, Advanced Charms by Filius Flitwick, Protecting the Mind by Unknown, and 100 Useful Spells by Obscurus Books. He also got the third year mandatory texts, and a few other books on nobility and wizarding governing that he thought he should have. At the Healers Apothecary, he bought the scar ointment that was recommended to him, as he was far too excited at finding out he could be rid of the scar on his forehead, along with the other scars.
Returning to his room, he found Dobby excitedly putting away his newest purchases, though how the elf opened the trunk, he didn't know. He was glad that he could though, and when he asked, he was told it was elf magic that allowed him to bypass his master's trunk, though it wouldn't work for other elves, or trunks that didn't belong to Harry.
He went for his dinner meal in the Leaky Cauldron, eating two orders of meatloaf before some treacle tart. After his meal, he returned to his room, wanting to head to Potter's Cottage. His parents suggested it, and he wanted somewhere to go to test his wands out and not be overly concerned about breaking something.
"Dobby, I was told that I have a property in Alford, Potter's Cottage. Are you able to take me there?" Harry asked.
The elf closed his eyes, before nodding. "I's found it, I can take you there using elf apparition. I's already have everything packs up."
"Let me tell Tom I am checking out then, and I will have you take me there." Harry replied. After a quick trip downstairs to the barkeep, and a few sickles to pay his balance, he returned upstairs to the elf. Noticing that Hedwig wasn't around, he assumed the owl was out eating, and he knew she would find him later. "I am ready."
Dobby snapped his fingers, causing the trunk to shrink down and fly towards Harry, who using his quidditch reflexes, caught it and pocketed it. Dobby reached up and took Harry's hand, before a loud crack echoed around the room, and the two disappeared.
A/N: So I went a bit more lore-friendly with the wands, as dual core wands were unstable in canon, and I wanted it to be a bit more realistic. I know some of you were probably concerned that Harry hadn't freed Dobby, but that was an intentional change on my part. As they had not returned to the Headmaster's office, Lucius wouldn't have charged in, and Harry wouldn't have met the man. In this line of thinking, Lucius was instead in the Headmaster's office waiting on Dumbledore's return from talking with Harry. A small change, but it mattered.
Feel free to leave comments, and if anyone notices errors outside of my poorly written elf-speak, let me know! Cheers!