- So, Severus, what does the ritual reveal?
- The results are disconcerting. See, Albus, if he were alive, the orb would be completely white and emit a bright beam of light in his direction. If the orb had remained black, it would have meant his death. As you can see, the coloring is ambiguous and although a ray of light appears sporadically, it is relatively faint and never appears at the same point.
The Headmaster smoothed his beard, thoughtful. He knew this ritual and, above all, he knew his Potions professor and knew that he had made no mistake.
- Odd. The good news is that Harry is not dead. Perhaps he is behind powerful barriers that interact with the ritual? In any case, we can't do more at the moment, I'm afraid. We will be fixed when sending acceptance letters in a few years.
Severus nodded grimly, this ritual had been their only hope. Which didn't mean he wouldn't spend his free time searching all of magical and muggle Britain in the hope that he might turn up somewhere in the meantime.
.oôO 8 years later Oôo.
-Albus! Albus!
The Deputy Headmistress rushed into the Headmaster's office in a hurried manner very unusual for this usually distinguished woman.
-Minerva?
Professor McGonagall held an envelope in her hand which she placed on the desk without further ado.
Dumbledore leaned over and his eyes widened when he read the address written on it.
Mr. Harry Yama Potter-Peverell
Peverell Manor
Heir's Room
Unmappable location
- That's not all Albus, I received a request from Lord Peverell himself to ask for us to send an escort to purchase Harry's supplies on his birthday. I would have taken care of it but, with the start of the school year approaching, my entire schedule is full. The same goes for the other heads of house.
- Hmm… This is also my case. If only we had known sooner, I would have made arrangements but Hogwarts and the Wizengamot are taking up all my time. I know it's unusual but I'm thinking of sending Rubeus, I have complete faith in him.
- Is that wise, Albus? Rubeus has a good heart but is known neither for his discretion nor for his pragmatism.
- I know Minerva but I don't have anyone else available who I trust. Can you inform Severus of this development? The poor man spent eight years looking for Harry without ever losing hope, it's time to reassure him.
- Of course, Albus.
The Deputy hurried towards the dungeons. She had seen her colleague exhaust himself visiting Muggle orphanages, combing the streets of the main English cities, exploring the squats where children were taking refuge. Every time he came home empty-handed, Minerva saw his colleague withdraw into himself. He, who was not cheerful by nature, seemed to sink more and more into depression with each of his failures to find the son of his childhood friend and with each child in an unfortunate situation that he encountered.
She entered his quarters without preamble. Fortunately, he was there, leaning over a cauldron.
-Minerva? What is this visit about?
- Harry Potter admission letter has been edited. He apparently lives at Peverell Manor in the company of Lord Peverell himself.
-Lord Peverell? It always seemed to me that this name had died out.
- It seems that this is not the case. It is commonly accepted that the Potters are the last descendants. It's a relief, Harry must not have lacked anything and especially no security, the manor is unmappable.
- Aaah. Of course I should have known, it seems so obvious now. A mansion this old must have incredibly strong wards. Let's just hope that we're not going to welcome a child as spoiled as his father was at the same age.
- Severus, I warn you, do not start the year with prejudices. Harry, so to speak, never knew James.
With a nod, the Potions professor agreed. After all these years of looking for the child, he had lost the animosity he might have had if he had not encountered so many children in distress.
He had done what he could to help the children he met in the squats and had discreetly cared for a few children in bad shape in the orphanages, but seeing all this misfortune had opened his eyes. Yes, he himself had had an unhappy childhood but he had seen so much worse during his research that he had put things into perspective a lot.
.oôOÔOôo.
Following the Deputy Headmistress's response, Lord Peverell had arranged an appointment with Hagrid to wait for Harry at the Leaky Cauldron.
So it was a very nervous half-giant who was waiting at the bar. The Headmaster had given him fairly strict instructions which he had noted on a paper so as not to forget anything. Rubeus was grateful for this because he had been afraid of forgetting something.
First, a visit to the bank to withdraw funds for their purchases then the list of shops and the order in which they were to visit them in order to optimize the few hours between Harry's arrival and the time at which Lord Peverell had requested that he was to return.
He didn't know if the young boy was going to come through the door or the floo so he sat strategically between the two.
A soft chuckle right next to his ear startled him. It was then that he became aware of a slight weight on his shoulder. He looked up and was extremely surprised to see a young boy with long, jet-black hair sitting quietly on his shoulder, legs swinging childishly.
-Hello Mister Hagrid! I hope you didn't wait too long for me!
-Ha… Harry? Is that you?
- Yup, it's me.
The boy jumped down and stood in front of Rubeus who observed him for a long moment. The completely black hair, perfectly straight, contrasted greatly with flawless alabaster skin. He didn't even have the scar on his forehead that he had seen when he brought baby Harry to his aunt's place. His green eyes were not Lily's emerald shade but the vibrant green that reminded Hagrid of the spell that had killed her. They were surrounded by long, thick eyelashes which reinforced their depth.
- Mister Hagrid?
The man shook himself.
- Sorry Harry. It's just that you don't look like what I expected. I was sure you'd look like your father, at least for the hair. Every Potter have had mop of hair, impossible to keep in place. I'm surprised to see your hair so straight. Come on, let's not hang around, Lord Peverell gave us three hours to do everything.
The man motioned for the child to follow him into the backyard of the bar. Once the entrance to the Alley opened, the two headed towards the bank.
The goblins guarding the entrance to the building were surprised to see a child wizard bowing to greet them before feeling the magic emanating from him. A fierce grin appeared on their faces before they greeted the boy with respect, surprising Hagrid who had never seen the creatures act this way.
It was still early in the day so the bank was relatively empty, which allowed Hagrid and Harry to quickly find a free teller.
The half-giant searched his pockets for the key given to him by Dumbledore for a few seconds before the boy informed him that a new key had been made a few years ago at the request of his guardian. They were thus quickly accompanied to Harry's vault where the child enthusiastically filled a small bag.
- Yama usually never lets me buy what I want but he allowed me to take the best items today. According to him, it is better to spend more the first year to have equipment that will last a long time rather than buying less but having to replace everything before the end of my studies.
Once out of the bank, Hagrid took a look at his list and took the child to Madam Malkin's shop so that she could take his measurements. On the way, the man observed the child. He seemed to hop when he walked, like a much younger child would. He also noticed that he seemed to avoid areas with too much sunlight, skirting walls and moving mostly in the shade. With skin as fair as his, maybe he was afraid of sunburn.
Hagrid ushered Harry into the shop before telling him that he had a quick errand to run and that he would be back in time to pick him up at the end of the measurements.
Madam Malkin put the boy on a pedestal and asked him to wait because she had another young man to measure.
Harry turned to the blond boy who was standing tall on his own pedestal.
- Good morning ! Are you going to Hogwarts, too?
The blond turned towards him and looked at him from head to toe with a critical eye. He seemed to stop at his clothes which, without being extremely expensive, were of good quality.
- Good morning. Yes, I am entering first year at the start of the school year. My name is Malfoy, Draco Malfoy.
- Oh, would you be a descendant of Armand Malfoy? The one who arrived in England with William the Conqueror?
- Yes, absolutely, replied Draco, surprised. May I know your name?
-I'm Harry Potter-Peverell! Say, do you think we can fly on broomsticks outside of flight lessons? I know we can't bring our own brooms but I love flying around!
- Pev… But I thought there were no more Peverells in England since the line only produced girls who lost the name when they married?
- It's super complicated but there always remained someone to carry the name and title when only girls were born. It's how it is.
- If you say so... And to answer your question, I don't know at all if it's possible to fly if you're not on a Quidditch team. Personally, I find it ridiculous that you can't bring your broom when you're in first year. All because of Muggle-borns, I'm sure.
Harry didn't respond and seemed lost in thought. He looked everywhere while rocking on his heels. Draco watched him. It seemed that young Potter-Peverell couldn't hold still for more than a few seconds.
Madame Malkin quickly finished the measurements of the blond who left, greeting him politely. He didn't even see the gigantic man who was waving at Harry through the glass, he was so lost within his thoughts about the very strange boy who looked nothing like what anyone imagined Harry Potter to be.
When Harry finally emerged from the shop, Hagrid presented him with a cage containing a magnificent, all-white owl.
-Happy birthday Harry. When I saw her, I immediately thought of you.
- Oh! That she is beautiful! Thank you Mister Hagrid! Hello you, the boy hummed as he leaned towards the cage, gently extending his finger.
- Be careful, the seller told me that she tends to pinch those who pass their finger… Oh.
The owl looked at the finger that had passed through the bars of her cage before tilting its head so that it could pet it.
The shopping was done quickly. First, they went to buy a trunk in which Harry invested a large number of galleons. Hagrid wanted to protest that the trunk the boy had selected was far too expensive but the boy explained to him that he was taking an expensive but useful one. It had multiple compartments, had a permanent lightening spell, and could be shrunk and expanded without the need for a wand. The half-giant admitted that it was much more practical than the basic trunks which quickly became bulky and heavy.
They then went to purchase the rest of the first year materials. Harry insisted that he take double the potion ingredients in case he needed to practice or re-do any potions he had failed. He also insisted on buying more books than those on the list, even going to the second-hand book store looking for books that would no longer be published.
When the three hours granted by Lord Peverell were up, Hagrid accompanied Harry to the Leaky Cauldron. The boy happily said goodbye and walked towards the fireplace.
Hagrid watched the boy leave in the green flames before going to the floo to return to Hogwarts. He knew he would have to tell the Headmaster, Minerva and Severus about his excursion. All three had been sorry not to be able to accompany Harry on his first visit to Diagon Alley.
Only a few weeks until school starts, Rubeus thought. He couldn't wait to see which house Harry would be sorted into. He had the impression that he wouldn't follow his parents into Gryffindor.