Conquering Magic
Chapter 2: Diagon Ally
We wrapped up the meeting quickly. Goldtalon informed me about my properties, the state of my businesses and the contents of my vaults. Sadly, I could not access the Family Vault before claiming the Potter heir ring.
The ring could only be claimed by the heir if they were older than eleven. Goldtalon explained that it was for safety reasons. No one wanted a squib to inherit the family fortune, therefore this safety measure was invented.
I was allowed to visit my trust vault though. After being cut again to prove that I was Harry Potter, the person the trust vault was keyed to. Of cause, Goldtalon knew that I was Harry Potter, cutting me a second time was not necessary. I guessed that the goblins were a bunch of sadists that liked to cut and hurt each other in their free time.
After my blood proved me to be Harry James Potter, I was given a key to my trust vault. Naturally, I requested all existing keys to be destroyed or inactivated. I did not want Dumbledore to steal from me in the future.
The ride to the Trust Vault was quite exciting, even though a easier mode of transportation would probably be faster and less vomit-inducing. After arriving the goblin that Goldtalon sent me as my guide, requested the key and opened the door to my vault.
Inside I saw a big pile of neatly stacked gold coins, a big trunk, a small pouch and a … robe? It was no ordinary robe, but the fabled invisibility cloak of Ignotus Peverell.
One of the Deathly Hallows had already fallen in my grasp. I couldn't believe it. I quickly put on the cloak and knew that I was completely invisible. The smooth and silky feel of the cloak felt amazing on my skin. The cloak being here meant that my parents probably left it here for me before they died, I thought to myself.
In the original timeline, Dumbledore must have retrieved it shortly before Harry turned eleven. The old goat then used the family heirloom to strengthen his relationship with the original Harry.
Not even James would be dumb enough to leave this powerful artifact with someone outside of the Potter family. In the original, this always seemed fishy to me. Now I had the confirmation that Dumbledore was really the meddling old man that some people in my old world recognized him as.
The trunk with the initials "HJP" was made out of dark leather, and it did not seem to be enchanted. The pouch seemed to be expanded on the inside, because it did not fill up after I placed a large handful of Galleons inside. I filled it up with half of the total coins that were in my vault and placed the cloak and trunk inside it too.
After I finally left the bank, I put on my hood again and headed to the bookshop, Flourish & Blotts. It smelled of fresh parchment and ink in the shop. I immediately started to browse the books, and I took almost all of them. Books on etiquette and politics, magical hygiene, creatures, plants, potions, magic theory, charms, defense, transfiguration, elemental magic and even a guide for apparation were selected by me.
Even though I found a great number of interesting books that I intended to buy, there was only one dedicated to the mind arts. It looked dark and gloomy and was titled: "Security and Protection for the Magical Mind by Jace Gunham". I flipped through the book and noticed that it only contained knowledge on protection and practices regarding the own mind, but not techniques for reading or manipulating the minds of others.
"Protection is still my top priority", I muttered to myself. Happily, I approached the counter and paid for the total of 76 books I selected. The cashier gave me a confused look as he rang me up. „Your total is 406 Galleons and 11 Sickles", he said, with a small smile on his lips.
After paying and leaving the famous bookshop, I deposited all of my new books in my pouch, except a small booklet titled: "Magical Makeup for Marvelous Witches". I sat down on a slightly less busy spot in the alley and began to read. The book informed me about the usual means of makeup in this world.
Potions that were condensed into pastes or other forms and were the most popular form of makeup. Makeup through spellwork allowed less individuality and therefore wasn't as popular. But it did exist.
This little book detailed the spells used for hiding small blemishes, brightening teeth or lengthening hair. I naturally focused on the spells that had a concealing effect. Finding a spell I liked, I used it on myself without much difficulty. Getting the hang of it was slightly challenging, but it wasn't very hard after finding out how I needed to guide my magic to achieve results. As I looked at my reflection in one of the glass windows, I noticed the missing outline of my scar. Happy with my work, I went to Madam Malkin's.
Asking for a full new wardrobe certainly shocked the cheerful Lady, but she was happy to take my measurements. The concealment spell luckily worked just as intended and, apart from a complement about my eyes, the woman did not comment about my appearance much. "Well, what should the main colors of your wardrobe be?" The witch asked after she was done. Thinking back on the Potter Family Crest, I selected black, dark red and dark green for my wardrobe.
"Your clothes will be ready in 2 hours, thank you for your visit!", the witch said to me after I paid. After I left the shop, I again moved to a secluded spot of the alley and shouted "Dobby!". A three-foot-tall, thin house elf appeared in front of me, he was looking around curiously.
"Sir, is you the kind sir who called Dobby?" the male elf wearing a dirty cloth asked curiously. He stared at me with a surprised look in his big, round eyes. "Yes, I called you here to ask for your help. I'm the heir of a noble and ancient family of wizards, sadly our household does not possess any house-elfes anymore. You, an elf of the most esteemed Malfoy family, are the most qualified to help me recruit my own loyal elf." I proclaimed.
Dobby's eyes widened comically. "Dobby be happy, that the kind wizard chose Dobby for this work!" the excited elf shouted. "You can feel my magical signature, Yes?" the elf nodded at that. "Then, find me when you meet an elf that is in need of a master" I said. Then the elf disappeared. „It's too easy" I said to myself, thinking about the absurdness of the situation. The loyal elf of my would-be schoolyard bully, did my bidding without batting an eye, only because I claimed to be an important wizard. "Maybe he doesn't understand the concept of lying", I chuckled.
After I left the secluded spot and noticed that I still had a lot of time remaining before my clothes were ready, I headed for a restaurant. But before I arrived, a sign caught my eyes. "Healthy Potions for Healthy Wizards", it read in bold light blue letters. Curious, I headed into the shop. Inside there was a large collection of boxes. The boxes were stacked on top of each other and every stack of boxes was a different color.
"Hello young man, are you in need of a healthy potion today?" a strange-looking witch asked me. She wore a pink smock and her grey hair was bushy and wild. Her glasses were far too big for her face, causing her to look like an owl. "What are they?" I asked with curiosity, playing the role of an amazed child. "They have a great many effects, young wizard!" she proclaimed proudly. "They can heal ailments, cure bad eyesight and heal damage made my curses! Are you interested?" she continued with a manic glint in her eyes.
"Do you have some for curing malnourishment, maybe even a few that boost growth?" I asked, still playing my role. She nodded quickly and took me to a huge stack of pink boxes. „These are our *Get well, grow strong* packages! Each box contains enough rations for a month. Usually, customers request these after an accident involving their gut. They serve as calorie-dense meals with the added benefit of healing any damage caused by continued starvation! Usually treatment is advised for three months." the magical pharmacist explained. "I'll take three", I said immediately. Those would serve me well in fixing any potential damage the Dursleys icaused through their neglect, I thought to myself.
The witch explained that I should take one potion per day before eating breakfast for the best results and sent me on my way. Finally, I entered a restaurant and ate lunch.
I entered Madam Malkin's, and came face to face with a character that seemed familiar.
She had dark red hair and a heart-shaped face, the girl was a little bit taller than me and wore a flowery dress. "Can I help you?" she asked after she noticed me looking at her. "Maybe, do we know each other? You look kind of familiar" I answered with a smile. "I don't think so. My name is Susan, Susan Bones. What is your name?" the now-identified girl asked.
Susan Bones, was a target of mine, with her aunt in a powerful position and her family established as an old pureblood house, with a long history and power in the Wizengamot, she was a perfect opportunity to further establish myself as a powerful figure in Britain.
"Can you keep a secret, Susan?" I asked with a smirk, making the child nod eagerly. „I'm Harry, Harry Potter" I said while I lifted my fringe and dispelled the makeup charm on my face, revealing my faded scar to her. Her honey-colored eyes widened comically, and her mouth was gaping.
Sensing the opportunity to gain an ally, I asked "Would you be interested in being my friend, Susan?", causing her to nod quickly. "I will send you a letter then, Susan. See you around!" I said and quickly turned around to search for the Madam.
I reapplied the concealing charm before approaching her and asked if my clothing was finished. She gave me 7 bags filled to the brim with high quality clothing. "Heating and resizing charms are applied and only the highest quality materials were used. The bags contain 9 dress shirts, 9 trousers, 4 Acrumantula silk robes, 7 sweatshirts, 14 T-Shirts and twenty undergarment packages. Please visit again soon" she explained quickly, before helping the other customers.
I packed the bags into my trusty pouch and left the shop. Now I only needed to return to Privet Drive. After I thought about the best course of action, I decided to buy a broom.
Entering the shop and deciding quickly, I bought myself a Cleansweep Ten. It had a thick handle and was made out of beautiful, bright birchwood. Although I never tried to fly a broom, I remembered Harry's natural talent in the movies and books, and hoped that it stayed in this body after I took over.
Following my arrival at the designated Apparition spot, I donned my invisibility cloak, made sure that it was secure and wouldn't fall off, and then climbed onto my new broom. Reaching out to feel it with my magic gave me an almost instinctual knowledge of the broom's mechanics.
I pushed off the ground. Luckily, the talent of the original Harry seemed to have transferred onto me. I took riding the broom, like a fish takes to water. It was amazing. Rising further upwards, until the people in Diagon Alley were smaller than a rice grain, I tried to orient myself. "Point me southwest" I whispered quietly, while concentrating my magic on finding the direction.
Soon I felt a pull coming from my left. I decided to trust my magic and flew in the direction of the pull. I was amazed by the scenery below me, as I was zipping by. The cities, towns and fields seemed so small from up here.
About 20 minutes later, I arrived above the town I knew to be Little Whinging. Deciding to try something fun, I nosedived. I quickly approached the ground and only pulled the broom up in the last possible moment. The feeling was both elating and terrifying at once. Upon descending and storing my broom and cloak in the pouch, I made my way to 4 Privet Drive.
Entering the house, I saw Petunia and Vernon unpacking a cake, balloons and candles among other items they have bought. Deciding to change my situation, I approached them and greeted them in a sing-song voice. "Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, how are you on this magical afternoon".
This caused Vernon's face to change color. "There is no magic, brat!" he began before I cut him of. "Don't lie, my dear uncle. Or you might find yourself in a horrifying situation!" I answered. Following my bold declaration, every knife and fork in the kitchen began to float, surrounding them both menacingly. Petunia gave off a scared screech and Vernon froze on the spot. Their expressions caused me to laugh.
"Well, looks like magic does, in fact, exist!" I said while laughing. Turning serious, I regarded them with a cold look in my eyes. "Because of the … changed circumstances, we find ourselves in, it is only natural that our living arrangements change as well", I explained. "I will now occupy Dudley's spare room, we will furnish it and I will use it as my room from this moment on. I will not do any work around the house anymore. This will from now on be your own responsibility. And last, but not least, I will have full access to all of our food. Understood?" I told to them. They both nodded, frightened.
I then ascended the stairs and locked myself in my new room.