Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the intellectual property associated with Harry Potter.

Hi all,

Here's the second chapter for today. An unusual piece of furniture piques Harry's interest in the Room of Hidden Things, and he finally earns enough points for the Workshop Trunk.

Chapter 48

20th March

Harry stepped out of the floo and into his grandmother's office effortlessly. He had improved his ability to control his momentum when exiting the floo and was no longer making a fool of himself. After stepping to the side, his godfather followed him outside.

Fawkes called out a greeting from his perch by the window. He was tired of spending time in the headmaster's office and decided to spend it with Minerva.

"You certainly took your time," Minerva commented from her seat behind the desk. "I trust you didn't encounter any incidents while you were out and about."

"You worry too much, Minnie," Sirius said, putting his hand on Harry's shoulder. "He didn't even need me to accompany him. Didn't you hear? Harry is a badass now. He can take care of himself."

"Even against someone like Dumbledore?" Minerva raised an eyebrow.

"There are some moves I would like to try on him." Harry smirked. "I wouldn't even feel bad for beating up an old geriatric."

Sirius barked out a laugh. "I would love to see that."

"Yes, how amusing," Minerva said, unimpressed. Standing up, she reached out to gently touch a minor cut on Harry's cheek. "How did you get this?"

"From sparring with my teacher," Harry explained. "He was so impressed with the improvement in my physique since the last time I took his class that he felt compelled to put me to the test."

He suffered a significant defeat because he was unable to use his Velocier skill against his teacher. At the very least, he was granted permission to train with staff the next time. Finally, he would learn bojutsu.

He had earned the status of artisan, which came with some benefits. One of these advantages was that he was allowed to leave school on weekends as long as an adult accompanied him.

He enjoyed getting away from the castle because the students could be annoying at times. Lauren wrote an article about him becoming Europe's youngest artisan in the history of the guild. That drew even more attention to him, so he avoided places like the Great Hall more and more. Had he known this would happen, he might have become something more mundane. Perhaps a janitor like Filch.

Every day, he received more mail, but this time it was from people other than his fans. He had to spend a significant amount of time reading and responding to them. His friends came to the rescue, and he paid them to respond to his letters. He didn't want to take them for granted, and he trusted him not to do anything to ruin his reputation.

Several artisans wrote to congratulate him on his accomplishment. Some even gave him advice, which he appreciated. He enjoyed reading these the most. But some sounded suspicious, questioning him about his methods and any ideas he had. He threw those letters away.

Even with his friend's assistance, dealing with the mail had become overwhelming. He needed a more permanent solution and came up with one. All he needed to do was find the right person.

Harry was also getting a lot of attention from Quidditch. They had just completed another match against Ravenclaw. Gryffindor had won by a landslide after Harry captured the Snitch. They were only twenty points behind Slytherin in the standings, with one game remaining.

Oliver had kicked Marcus off the team for refusing to play before, so Harry was now the permanent Seeker. While his grandmother initially opposed the idea, she eventually gave in. She hoped that Gryffindor would win the cup.

"Maybe I should go talk to this teacher," Minerva suggested. "It seems too unsafe to me. Sirius, why didn't you heal the cut on his cheek?"

"I told him not to," Harry said, grinning. "It's my badge of honour."

"Boys," Minerva sighed and rolled her eyes. "Perhaps I should accompany you next time so there is someone trustworthy to watch over you."

"Are you implying that I'm not responsible?" Sirius pouted.

"Sure you are,' Minerva assured him, patting his cheek. "When your immaturity doesn't get in the way."

Harry snickered. "Does that mean he's never responsible?"

"I am leaving," Sirius exclaimed. "The two of you are ganging up on me."

"Thank you for taking me, Sirius," Harry said, giving his godfather a hug.

"No problem," Sirius said, approaching the fireplace and grabbing some floo powder from the mantelpiece. "See you later."

Sirius disappeared, and Harry turned back to his grandmother. "Is grandfather still busy at the ministry?"

Minerva nodded. "Lucius Malfoy is on the warpath. He is using all of his connections to get a new policy enacted that puts Hogwarts under the Ministry's control."

"Do you think he will achieve it?"

"No. Even without your grandfather in the way, he will fail. Hogwarts predates the Ministry and is like an independent country in some regards."

"Not for a lack of trying, though," Harry pointed out. "Hogwarts only regained its independence when the original school charter was found."

"We won't lose it again," Minerva replied.

Harry doubted it would be that simple. All it would take is another selfish headmaster to misplace the charter, and they would be back at square one.

"It looks like Fudge isn't working with Lucius this time."

"It's because of your grandfather and the alliance," Minerva explained. "And, to some extent, you as well. Your popularity is at an all-time high, so Fudge is trying to use you to strengthen his position. He is a savvy politician who recognises that the power dynamics within the Wizengamot are shifting. Although I believe Lucius is still attempting to influence him through galleons, he may distance himself from the man in the future."

While he didn't like the minister, it was a good thing that Fudge wasn't working against him. He already had too much drama in his life.

Harry approached Fawkes and lightly stroked his feathers. He cooed, repeatedly nudging Harry for more attention.

"Hello, Fawkes. I see you have been lazing around while I was away from the castle. Will you finally tell me why you can't take me places with your flame travel?"

Fawkes sent him a look of reproach.

"I can understand why you don't want to be used as a courier service, but I think there must be a deeper reason you aren't willing to take me places."

Fawkes huffed and looked away from Harry. He assumed the phoenix would not respond at first, but he then sent Harry a series of images that took some time to interpret.

Harry gasped as soon as he realised what Fawkes was trying to communicate. Harry hugged him, feeling sorry for him and guilty for ever bringing the subject up.

"What's the matter, Harry?" His grandmother asked.

"Fawkes said there was something wrong with him." Harry sighed. "Ever since he broke free of the dark artifact, it really hurts him whenever he uses his flames to travel. He is concerned that I may experience the same pain if he brings me along with him."

"That's a concern. But didn't he have a burning day soon after escaping from Dumbledore? That should have fixed any issues."

Harry frowned. "I don't know what to think. I would have never imagined that a bond like ours could exist. It goes deeper than a mere familiar bond."

"Well, it's not like you need him to take you places,' Minerva said. "While it may be more convenient than other methods, it doesn't mean that they are slow themselves."

"You're right. I was just being selfish," Harry admitted. "Fawkes, you should have told me sooner. There's no need for you to keep it to yourself."

Fawkes nodded before sticking his head in Harry's pocket, searching for sweets.

"Get out of there, rascal!" Harry laughed. He reached into his pocket for a bag of fruit candy and offered one to Fawkes.

Harry said his goodbyes to his grandmother and left her office. His plans for the remainder of the day were unclear. Daphne and Susan were spending time together with the other girls.

Another idea occurred to him. He turned around and climbed to the seventh floor, which housed the Room of Requirement. Since the danger had passed, the club could now use the room once more. The Room of Hidden Things had changed significantly since they finished sorting the items, and all the cursed objects were removed. The room now appeared empty, save for a few damaged pieces of furniture and a handful of items that piqued his curiosity.

Tonks had finished checking the books for curses and was now ready to read. They added a library room to the Room of Requirement and arranged all of the books on shelves.

Harry entered the Room of Hidden Things and approached a cabinet against the wall. It was a rickety-looking piece of furniture, but it served an important function. Curiosity drove him to use an appraisal scroll on the piece of furniture, particularly because he was fascinated by the intricately etched arrays on the cabinet's bottom.

The vanishing cabinet was an artifact that, when combined with another cabinet, allowed a person to travel between two locations. Even Hogwarts' protective wards were unable to stop them. When he asked the house-elves about the cabinet, they explained that they had moved here the previous school year after Peeves damaged it.

Harry needed to solve a few issues before he could use it. First, he needed another vanishing cabinet, but due to their rarity, it would be difficult to find one. During the first war, many wizards and witches used them to escape the Death Eaters. Despite their effectiveness, the Death Eaters destroyed any they discovered to prevent them from being used again.

A second issue was that the vanishing cabinet needed to be fixed. Some runes were completely destroyed or severely damaged. He would have to either re-inscribe the runes or find a repair spell to complete the task for him. He attempted to use the Reparo Charm, but it was a complete failure.

To repair the object, the spell used the caster's magic to fill in the gaps in their knowledge. The less you know about the item, the more magic it will take to fix it. Despite nearly exhausting his magical reserves, he received no results. Either he found a more powerful repairing charm or he had to figure out the cabinet's array schematics and repair it himself.

Once he had two functional vanishing cabinets, he could leave one here and place the other anywhere else, like his home. He didn't know if there was a limit to how far apart they could be, but he assumed that there were no limitations. A sudden thought arose in his mind. If he had access to this when Hogwarts was in lockdown, would he have been able to use it to bypass the wards?

Harry took out a parchment and began copying the array schematic onto it. Although some parts were missing, if he could see the overall design, he might be able to fill them in. Unlike most artefacts, this array didn't have an obscuring sequence to conceal its secrets, but it was complex. If he had to guess how long this thing would take to make, he would say at least two days. Did the method on how to make them disappear, or did people stop buying them because there was no war happening?

Harry stood up and checked the time after he had finished tracing some of the runes. He would come back and continue working on it over the next few days.

27th March

The following Saturday, Remus met him in his grandmother's office to accompany him back home for the weekend. He and Sirius had planned to keep an eye on him while he worked in his workshop. Once they reached home, Remus followed him, curious to see his workshop.

"So, what are you up to these days?" Harry asked.

Remus playfully nudged him. "Are you asking me if I have a job? I work at a restaurant in London. Because the shifts are flexible, I can take several days off around the full moon."

"Do you enjoy it?"

"It pays the bills. Sirius thinks I don't need a job, and that he can just give me an allowance."

"You sound like a mistress he keeps on the side."

Remus laughed. "That is exactly what I thought. For years, the subject of my job has been a point of contention between us, but he has never won the argument."

"I have a job that you might be interested in," Harry told him.

Remus reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, bringing him to a stop. This allowed him to make eye contact with Harry. "Did Sirius put you up to this?"

"No," Harry replied. "I need someone to manage my business interests and other aspects of my life, such as my mail, so you will be my personal manager. My grandparents don't have time to deal with it themselves, and I don't want to deal with the bothersome details. I want to concentrate on schoolwork and making things."

"I have no experience in managing somebody's affairs."

"Experience isn't necessary. I know you are intelligent, and I need someone I can trust."

"It doesn't sound like a full-time job," Remus contended.

"Not now," Harry said, shrugging. "But it will happen soon. The guild handles the business using my appraisal scrolls, but I am thinking about opening my own store in the future once I have more products to sell."

Despite Remus' efforts to hide it, Harry could tell the offer tempted him. It sounded more appealing than working in a restaurant, after all.

"I will pay you four thousand galleons per month," Harry said, attempting to close the deal. "I am sure you don't make that much money working in a restaurant."

"That is too much," Remus said, raising his hands in protest. "That is the kind of salary that your grandfather makes by working as a professor at Hogwarts. I will only accept half of the salary until I become a full-time manager."

"Deal." Harry reached out and shook his hand.

Even if his salary was cut in half, Remus would still most likely earn more than a restaurant employee. Because Harry earned twice as much from royalties alone, the galleons were insignificant to him, and they would only grow as the appraisal scrolls entered the American market.

"I will have to work out the details with your grandparents," Remus explained. "Because you are still a minor, you cannot sign an employment contract."

"Alright."

"I have something to give you before I forget," Remus said, removing a small handheld mirror from his pocket. He handed it to Harry, who looked at it curiously. As he flipped it over, he noticed a complex array engraved on the back.

"What is this?"

"This is a two-way mirror. It belonged to your father. The mirrors connect to one another, allowing you to talk with the receiver as if they were standing right in front of you. Sirius has the other mirror."

"This is so cool," Harry said, tracing the array with his finger. "Why is there no obscuring sequence to protect the array schematic?"

"There were only two ever produced," Remus replied. "It was something your mother made for James' seventeenth birthday, and she never considered marketing it."

Harry's eyes widened. "I didn't know that she had an interest in enchanting."

"She dabbled in it, but it didn't interest her as much as charms and potions."

Harry clutched the mirror to his chest, overcome with emotion. The fact that it was made by his mother gave him a bittersweet sense of joy, forging a bond with her based on their shared interests. What would she think of him and the career path he chose? He wished she were with him right now so he could see her reaction.

What had she been thinking of when she created it? What had inspired her? The mirror was a representation of the love she had for her boyfriend. His father was the luckiest guy in the world to have been with his mother. It amazed him that she could create something so easily, even though it wasn't her primary area of interest.

His mother's actions were inspiring him to make some artifacts for his girlfriends, and he knew where he wanted to start. But he had no idea if it was even possible, because it had never been done before, despite many artisans' efforts. He would need to do some research.

Remus noted the range of emotions on his face. "Why don't you try it out? The password is Padfoot."

Harry nodded. Holding the mirror to his face, he spoke the password. A few seconds later, Sirius' face appeared in the mirror.

"Didn't I see your ugly mug up at the house a few minutes ago?" Sirius joked.

"I'm not sure," Harry replied. I swear I saw a mongrel rummaging through the garbage. Was that you?"

"Funny." Sirius grinned. "What do you think about the gift? You will be unable to forget my handsome face because I will bother you at all hours of the day."

"Do that, and I will stick the mirror in one of the boy's toilets and leave it turned on," Harry retorted. "I'm sure you'll be treated to some beautiful scenery."

Sirius grimaced. "I concede defeat."

"Thank you for the gift. Is it worth studying and making more of them?"

"It's up to you. But, if I were you, I would make the design more functional. Lily wasn't interested in improving upon it."

It wasn't a terrible idea. The mirror wasn't considered an artifact, but it was really useful. If he could improve upon the design, then it would become even more so.

Harry continued to his workshop after turning off the mirror. He started working after giving Remus a tour of the workshop. Remus was impressed by how much work had been done on it since the last time he visited the place.

His goal for the weekend was to build another room, install another crafting station, and learn the equivalent skill. This time around, it would be a woodworking crafting station. Even after building the workshop, he hadn't learned any woodworking skills, so he assumed he needed to pursue something more specialised.

The Artisan's Guild had a number of commissions that involved woodworking. The commission's varied from crafting items with minor enchantments to creating something more elaborate. There was even a commission for an artifact, which was worth a lot of galleons to whoever completed the task. Because the guild only had two artisans who were experts in the craft, there was a backlog of commissions.

To advance his rank in the guild, he had to complete commissioned tasks to earn points. To become a journeyman, he had to create at least three artifacts and earn a thousand guild points. That would provide several additional benefits. The guild only had two other artisans of that rank, besides the guildmaster himself, and both joined after Harry did.

He wanted to earn the remaining points needed to acquire the workshop trunk. Once he had it, he could access his workshop from anywhere.

Harry spent the rest of the day constructing the room and setting up the crafting station. Unlike the others, he had the majority of the supplies needed on hand. He would use most of the power tools to do the big projects, which is why he wanted electrical outlets for the workshop. He purchased additional tools required for smaller and more intricate projects.

To accommodate all of his tools, he had to make the room larger than his blacksmithing room. He arranged the bigger equipment along the walls, and he set up a table in the centre so he could design his creations and work on smaller projects. There were also several bins full of various pieces of wood, which he had admittedly purchased in excess.

Once he had completed his task, he retrieved the Source and read the new message.

The Host has completed a task

Task #8 - Build crafting stations for the workshop (ongoing).

General experience earned + 1000

Reward: Wood Blemish Eraser

Progress to level 11: 18800/76800

Level 11 Unlocks

Feature: Increased range of items in the Magic Emporium.

Item: Double Tier Array schematic.

The Host has completed a Workshop Task

Build a woodworking station: 200 points

Workshop Level: 1 Next [4500/5000]

Wood Blemish Eraser (Artifact)

The eraser can remove blemishes from a variety of wood materials, including magical wood that is nearly impossible to treat. Rub the eraser over the affected area, and the blemish will disappear almost instantly. It can also be used to smooth out any imperfections made by the host while crafting an item, though its effectiveness is limited. The eraser is permanent and will never run out.

This was unquestionably an unusual artefact, but its uses were limited. He only needed to buy wood with no flaws, but it could be useful for rarer varieties, such as magical wood. Nevertheless, he wasn't going to complain about receiving another free artifact.

Harry called it a night and returned to the house for dinner. Tomorrow, his primary goal was to learn woodworking skill. If he worked fast enough, he would earn the necessary points for the workshop trunk by the end of the day. He was excited to finally receive the item after being teased about it for so long.

28th March

Harry got up early the next morning and went back to his workshop. He chose a piece of basswood from the bin, along with a set of carving knives. Different knives were required, depending on how you wanted to cut and shape the wood. Taking a seat at the table, he stared at the wood, trying to decide what to make for his first project. As a beginner, it didn't matter what he created because the end result would most likely be crude.

After deciding to go with Hedwig first, he began cutting slivers from the wood. Because he was unsure about anything else, he began with an owl shape with closed wings, as a design with open wings was too complicated for him at this point. He was extremely dexterous, but he doubted his artistic ability.

After spending thirty minutes carving the piece, he realised how true that statement was in practice. Even though he had only shaped half the wood, it already looked lopsided. Achieving a figurine with the precise dimensions would probably require multiple attempts and a generous dose of patience. He finished the figurine anyway since it was good practice.

After finishing it, the owl ornament looked even worse than before, and he was unable to acquire the woodworking skill. Disappointed, he set it aside, attributing it to a valuable learning experience. He carved four more figurines until he was satisfied with the end result. The Source recognised his efforts and rewarded him with a new skill.

The host has created an owl figurine.

General Experience: + 150

Skill Experience: [Dexterity, Whittling] + 75

The host has learned a new skill!

**Whittling 1 [75/1000] - Whittling is the process of carving off bits of wood in order to shape the material into a variety of ornamental products and accessories. Mastering this disciplined art requires keen eyesight, steady hands, and a great deal of patience. As the skill level increases, it becomes easier to visualise the end result and make fewer mistakes.

Whittling recipes have been added to the Crafting Book.

The host has completed a workshop task.

Learn the Whittling skill: 100 points.

Current Points: 4600

Workshop Level: 1 Next [5000]

Even though he expected it to be this way, the skill surprised him. Woodworking could be considered part of the construction skill, like carpentry, so it wasn't surprising that there was no specific skill for it, and he learned a more specialised skill instead.

Because some enchantments work better with natural materials, woodworking was considered an artisan skill. Consider the vanishing cabinet as an example. An object of that size would be unable to hold such intricate arrays, so it required a natural material capable of storing more magic. The cabinet was made from a rare and expensive wood with magical properties.

Harry examined the figurine. Should he show it to Hedwig?. After a brief consideration, he decided against it. When his skills improved, he could make an even better figurine. In addition, he could also make figurines for Fawkes and the people closest to him.

For the time being, he examined the Whittling recipes in the Crafting Book. To earn more shop points and workshop points, he would focus on crafting items from the book.

By the end of the day, he was two hundred points short of earning the workshop trunk. He would have to return the next weekend to earn the rest.

3rd April

Harry's eyes fluttered open, and a smile graced his face. Finally, he had completed the second stage of a level two occlumens. It was a double blessing for him today, as he also received his workshop trunk after earning the remaining points.

He closed his eyes and returned to his subconscious, observing the surroundings. The void had consolidated, shrinking into a smaller and more manageable space. There were tens of thousands of twinkling lights that looked like stars in the night sky. After finishing the second stage, his memories appeared. Now that he had them, the next step was to create a setting for them.

With a thought, he formed a solid mass from the void and shaped it into a miniature replica of his workshop. He added definition, colour, and depth to it, giving him the ability to enter inside the building. Manipulating his subconscious had become a breeze after consolidating it. He was mentally patting himself on the back when the structure collapsed. It was unable to hold its shape for more than a minute.

Harry frowned. That was an unexpected wrinkle. He hadn't read anything about that happening in the book, so he was perplexed as to what was going on. Something to look into later.

As soon as he exited his mind, he retrieved the Source and opened his inventory. One of the slots now contained an icon for a trunk. When he selected it, a description appeared on the adjacent page.

Workshop Trunk

A trunk that has an expanded space inside of it. The workshop is perfectly replicated, including all of the necessary crafting stations, equipment, and materials. In terms of the latter, if they are used in one workshop, they disappear from both because their inventories are shared. From the outside, it appears to be a normal trunk, and it can be expanded so the host can climb inside it. It can only be opened by the host, although others may enter with their permission. While it's resistant to various forms of damage, it's not indestructible. The trunk is equipped with a console that monitors its health and alerts the host when it's under attack.

He had tested the trunk earlier, and it worked as advertised. The trunk was just as functional as the real workshop, complete with the ability to use electricity. His second-floor bedroom was also replicated, allowing him to sleep there when he desired more privacy.

The workshop could now be accessed from anywhere, whether he was at Hogwarts or somewhere else. If he needed a place to hide, he could enter his trunk, and no one would know he was there.

Harry was excited to show it to his friends. He had no reason not to tell them about the trunk. Expanded trunks with living spaces were not new; there was a shop that made them in Diagon Alley. The only issue was that even the smallest ones were prohibitively expensive to manufacture, which is why they weren't more widely used. If you needed somewhere to sleep while travelling, a magical tent was a much cheaper option.

There was nothing inside the trunk that could reveal his secret concerning the Source. Although his friends may wonder why he had such an expensive item made, his obsession with making things could explain it.

5th April

When Harry emerged from the bathroom after his usual shower before bedtime, Hedwig made a noise that alerted him to something wrong. She was perched on the stand by the window, a recent addition that allowed her to be closer to him. Fawkes had his own stand next to her, and he was currently sleeping.

"What's the matter, Hedwig?"

She stared fixedly out the window, which overlooked the Hogwarts grounds. He walked over to the window, looking for the source of her interest. With only a sliver of moonlight, he took a moment to recognise the figure in the darkness. The man was heading towards the forbidden forest.

Although he did not recognise the man, he recognised the armour. It was one of the runic knights. Only a few knights had remained behind to continue their search for Quirrell and Peter. Why was the man going into the forest alone? To his knowledge, the knights never ventured inside alone; they always preferred to pair up with another knight.

Despite knowing it was stupid, he was determined to follow the man and see what he was doing. Nothing should go wrong as long as he uses his demiguise form and takes precautions, right?

Harry took some clothes from his dresser and quickly put them on. He made his way downstairs to the common room. He was able to leave uncontested because there was still time before curfew. But Aurors were still patrolling the castle, and he didn't want to attract their attention. He changed into his demiguise form, became invisible, and dashed through the castle to the ground floor.

He left the castle and crossed the grounds to the forbidden forest. Although the man had a head start on him, he was aware of where he had entered the forest.

After a few minutes, he located the man. He held a torch in one hand, which provided some illumination while navigating the forest. Even though the knight did not appear to be in a hurry, he looked around furtively, as if he was up to something. Despite knowing he was invisible, Harry hid behind trees and foliage while following the man.

Harry spent the next half hour following him deeper into the forest. The sounds of various creatures roaming the forest reached his ears as he moved, which caused him to be even more cautious. They made him much more nervous than any human, as they would more likely be able to see through his invisibility.

Just as he was deciding whether it was worthwhile to continue following him, he came to a halt inside a small clearing. What was he doing in this place?

There was a faint rustling, and a figure emerged from a bush. Harry almost revealed himself when he let out a surprised squeak.

What was Peter Pettigrew doing here?

So, what do you think? Harry has found Peter Pettigrew, but what is he up to?

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