[003]

I flushed the loo and exited the stall, stumbling my way to the sink to wash my hands. I looked up at my reflection in the mirror and my red embarrassed face stared back. Going to the bathroom had been enlightening to say the least.

This was the first time I'd actually gotten a look at myself since I'd had my gender and species changed. I stared at my now very feminine face and felt… annoyance. There was a disturbing lack of dysphoria at having my gender forcibly rearranged. That's not to say I was happy with it. I most certainly was not ok with this change. But… I wasn't disgusted with it on a psychological level. I didn't feel alienated from my own body. I still wanted my dick back though.

I could only assume that the Celestial Grimoire had some sort of hand in preventing issues like that when pushing transformations on the recipients. I could admit I was begrudgingly grateful for that as tired acceptance was a better mental state than shocked despondence.

'Still want my dick back.'

I tilted me head and examined my face in the reflection. I still looked like me… sort of. I still had my messy black hair but now it reached down to my shoulders and my green eyes almost popped now that I had such full lashes. My ever-present lightning bolt shaped scar was still there but now it looked long healed rather than red and inflamed. You could hardly seal it as a pale line on equally pale skin. Despite the Celestial Grimoire saying something about being a little girl until puberty; I appeared to still be thirteen… fourteen now given that it was my birthday.

Looking at my reflection there was one thing that I did find disturbing and that was that I found myself attractive. Was that narcissistic? It felt so.

+200 CP

600 CP - Rolling…

Silent Stalker (Peter Pan) – 100 CP

The natives of the island are masters of stealth, and can creep around through the underbrush without making a sound. It is almost as if you have blended in with the forest. Unless you intentionally make yourself noticeable, those without significant perception skills will not spot you until you attack. In addition, you can leave small clues behind you to alert companions – and only them – of your trail so they can follow in turn.

Accepted.

500 CP Banked.

I blinked the stars out of my eyes.

Well… that was fast. I felt like I had only just recently missed something and here the Grimoire was rolling again. Not that I was complaining mind you. Oh, and it looked like I had somehow gained more points than before. Why?

Along with the words in my head I got an impression of the ability gifted to me and felt that this applied in more than just a woodland setting. Which was incredibly helpful as this ability should help greatly, at least in not being stared at by every and anyone sexually attracted to women. Oh… wow, yeah, that's definitely narcissism. Is it a Veela thing or would that be racist?

I finished washing my hands and took the opportunity to quickly drink some water from the tap like the heathen Aunt Petunia would accuse me of being before returning to the library proper and sitting down at one of their public computers.

I fired the blocky thing up then waited for it to boot, followed by waiting for it to load Explorer (eww) and then waiting through an obnoxious dial-up tone for the internet to connect. I missed my smartphone.

There was no google. That almost killed me right then and there but I was able to find the most common search engines by going through the browser's history. Unfortunately, 'Yahoo' didn't solve my problems either. In another year or so I was willing to bet that searching for a private dental practice in London with the last names of two of their dentists would have been easy. As it was now, there were only a few actual practices with their details online. There didn't seem to be any published dental or orthodontics journal articles from any doctors Granger either. It had been a long shot but I guess not all doctors are that academically inclined.

While it looked like my hope of somehow tracking down Hermione was dead before it had really gotten off the ground, I was able to find some interesting chat forums deep within the yahoo search pages.

The magical world was a hidden secret from the mundane population but the technology seemed to just be too new for the magical government to have twigged about how dangerous it was for them. Already there were copious forums and discussion groups talking about magic and the magical world. Which was a great relief because it proved that I wasn't insane.

Some looked to be the rantings of muggles who had seen too much and those sounded like the rantings of conspiracy theorists even if they did hold nuggets of truth. 'Wizards turned me into a rabbit and impregnated my wife while forcing me to watch!' was an insane forum heading but… not improbable given the setting. God, wasn't that something to fear, cuckolding wizards transfiguring husbands and charming wives. I shivered. NTR was a trash fetish.

But ignoring the creepy acts of immoral wizards being posted, of greater worth to me were the youth forums where young witches and wizards — muggleborns and halfbloods all, I'm sure — were sharing information while only being barely discrete about it.

Most of the discussion was about how backwards and prejudiced the magical world was which didn't fill me with confidence. There was mention of Hogwarts and that the starting age was eleven which doubly confused me as I had never received the invite even when I knew I was still expressing 'accidental magic' at that time. The accidental magic forum was a hoot to read by the way.

Voldemort was apparently still a thing yet he had disappeared over a decade ago thanks to the 'boy-who-lived.' I was annoyed that the forum post about that didn't go into much greater detail but I guess that a bunch of kids weren't so into discussing history over their attempts to magically enlarge their cocks… Wow, the internet really hasn't changed that much.

Still, from these discussions, I was able to work out the location of the Leaky Cauldron and thus the entrance to Diagon Alley. I hadn't remembered the location from the books and had doubted just wondering London looking out for a decrepit pub would have gotten me anywhere but now I had directions and a goal. At the very least I would hopefully be able to answer more questions.

I left the library and attempted to use my latest ability. Immediately I felt a difference as my gait changed and I began to prowl more than walk. The few people who had been looking my way seemed to lose interest and as I continued walking less and less people seemed to notice me until I was like a passing shadow. Not literally, just that no one really paid any attention to what I was doing unless I called attention to myself. Something I tested by pretending to accidently walk into someone which caused them to immediately notice me.

Still, Silent Stalker coupled with me holding in the Veela alure meant that no one cared when I slipped behind another traveller to skip the turnstiles to catch the train into London proper. I would have paid for my ticket if I had the money…

The train ride was a long one. Almost two hours from Surrey to London proper and I amused myself by playing with the allure and the stalker ability. It was actually kind of funny to watch as I suddenly became the centre of attention on the scarcely filled train-car only for everyone to slowly loose interest again. Was it a smart thing to do? Probably not. But I needed to learn and refine my control somehow.

Eventually though, I reached my stop at Kings Cross and then only had to walk a few blocks to get to my destination and I wasn't impressed. The Leaky Cauldron had to be at least runner up for the dingiest sorry looking pub in England. The green paint was peeling and the gold embossed lettering of the name was flaking away and the windows were stained yellow with smoke and grime that I couldn't see into the dark interior. If the mundane people walking by could actually have seen the place they would have complained to the council about the eyesore long ago.

I had just stepped through the creaky door into the dark and smoky interior when I felt the Celestial Grimoire this time before it rolled. A feeling of stretching outward as if reaching for a star in the night sky.

+100 CP

600 CP - Rolling…

Enthralling (Marvel Magic) – 100 CP

Not all tricksters and rogues use words and guile. Some are simply so stunning that words are often unnecessary. And now, you count yourself among these. Your appearance is far beyond the norms of your race, forever freeing you from worries of minor blemishes or bad hair days. A smile from you can make the average person weak in the knees or beside themselves with jealousy. The only question lies in how you will use your great beauty?

Accepted.

500 CP Banked.

The perk streaked across my mind in a line of sparkles and settled into my soul right next to me Veela heritage and I felt the two circle each other, sizing up the other up before smashing into each other and then settling, synergising together into a sort of spiritual binary star. The whole process took but an instant and the upheaval within me of their combining distracted me enough to lose touch with my stalker ability.

The low murmuring of conversation petered out and I looked up at the room and the handful of patrons who were now staring right at me with barely hidden awe and attraction.

"Shit." I cursed and tampered down the flaring allure that had been released in my distraction but it was already too late.

"Now this ain't no place for a lady like you. Why don't you come with me and I'll take you to a restaurant of refined tastes?" A man who had to be at least fifty by the looks of him and therefore even older given the decreased aging of wizards had strolled over to talk.

He wore expensive looking robes of layered dark green, grey and black with minute and tasteful embroidery in silver thread. Yet his air of smarminess and greasy smile detracted from his admittedly good fashion sense.

"Ah, thanks, but no thanks. I've business to get to in the Alley." I edged around him.

"Hah! Fine lass like that knows better than to follow you anywhere, Rosier." A voice called out from the few other wizards at the table he had come from and a portly man in navy-blue robes stood. "Now, myself on the other hand, I'm a man of sophistication."

I tried to give an awkward smile but I'm sure it came out as a grimace as I replied while tugging firmly on my Stalker ability yet it seemed slow to respond given how much attention was already on me.

"I'm sure you are, but I have someone I'm already meeting at Gringotts and wouldn't want to be late."

I kept trying to make my way through the room under the appreciative eyes of the male patrons and the envious glares of the few women in the pub. I had a new and real appreciation for those girls who complained about pushy guys and the fear of saying no. These were trained wizards and I wasn't sure I could defend myself from their magic even if I was fairly certain I could use my Variant Detonation to blow one or two of them up before they overwhelmed me with spells.

Still, it looked like Silent Stalker was having an effect and while my Veela allure was annoyingly effective I was both only half vela and actively supressing it right now. I gained a new-felt sympathy for what Fleur must have gone through in her life.

"Stop making a fool o' yer'selves and sit down, Rosier and Nott, the both of yer." Another from their table piped in and with extra namedrop I felt my stomach drop. Why the fuck were there multiple ex-death eaters having lunch at the pub today of all days.

"Very well, I wouldn't want to keep you from your business, lass." The first man, Rosier, said yet stepped into my personal space. "But do think on my offer of a good night out. Send an owl my way, Rosier, Maddox Rosier." He took my hand and kissed it and it was all I could do not to throw up.

"Ah, yeah, sure. I'll, ah- keep that in mind, yeah?" I pulled my hand back and backed away as he smirked before returning to his table.

I turned away, hating actually turning my back on them, and walked to the bar. The few eyes I caught still looking my way were now more filled with sympathy than interest but most seemed to have lost notice of me. I approached the bartender; Tom I think his name was.

"The alley, just though there?" I pointed to the door opposite the entrance I used.

"That's 'ight miss. Jus' through the back there, three up and two across." He answered with a toothless grin.

"Thanks." I fled the room and the pub through the door and into the back yard of the pub.

"Fuuuuuuck" I let out a long-drawn-out curse once the door was shut behind me. I really didn't want to be coming to the attention of the fucking dark families, especially now that I was one of the discriminated against half-breeds that they generally saw as sub-human.

I shivered and tried to shake of the cloying 'ick' that seemed to clung to my hand and walked over to the stone wall at the back of the yard. I didn't have a wand and for a moment thought I might have to go back inside and ask for someone to help. Which I really didn't want to do. But, touching the correct brick in the wall and bringing some of that raging storm of magic up to the surface and the wall folded away with the clink of stone on stone, opening to reveal the Alley beyond.

'Wow.' My thoughts ground to a stop and the sheer magical wonder that was Diagon Alley. It was like a scene out of the movie combined with a low-level acid trip. Wooden signs flashed with neon splashes of colour. Strange animals squawked and squeaked from cages. Bells, whistles, bit and bobs, spun, glittered and danced in the windows. And among it all, strangely dressed witches and wizards wondered about in flowing robes and leathers… a lot more leather than you would have expected actually. Corsets seemed to be a bit of thing still.

I blinked the pixie dust out of my eyes — literally, actually as one of the nearby stores was selling the blue-skinned little bastards for two sickles each and their dust was heavy of the wind outside their cages — and stepped into the alley proper, the brickwork wall closing behind me.

I made sure my Silent Stalker ability was wrapped around me and my allure was pulled in tight and started walking down the street while trying to look in every window I passed without bumping into anyone.

Now that I was here, I realised that I still didn't actually know what I was doing. I had no money, no magical education and no contacts. I didn't know enough about the political and social landscape to just walk up to someone and ask if they knew about Harry Potter and how might I go about talking to someone about my missed Hogwarts letter. For all my luck I would approach someone like Malfoy without meaning to and end up Imperiused into a dungeon somewhere.

+100 CP

600 CP - Rolling…

Mental Fortress (Libriomancer) – 400 CP

You have a very special tattoo on your left temple. This particular mark shields you from all forms of magical, psychic or supernatural means of detecting or tampering with your emotions and thoughts. It also makes you immune to possession or any means of divining or changing your thoughts or actions by any means other than mundane ones.

Accepted.

200 CP Banked.

This time the falling star seemed to come out of nowhere and smacking me right in the metaphorical head.

I slapped my hand to my forehead as a stinging pain traced lines of magic on my left temple. The feeling was uncomfortably similar my old lightning bolt scar through not even a fraction as painful. I moved aside my bangs to look at the Grimoires latest violation of body autonomy in the dark glass of a nearby shop window.

The rune tattoo wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. It was small, only about the size of my thumb, and traced in a silvery ink that blended in with my own pale skin, sort of matching the lightning bolt scar in the centre of my forehead. It did glimmer slightly as it caught the light though and that made it easier to make out the runic pattern.

With the perk had come a basic understanding of the design and I knew that this one spelled out 'Hugin' and 'Mugin' in Elder Futhark as it tapped into a sort of conceptual protection of 'Thought' and 'Memory.' I also knew how to recreate it.

I couldn't help but wonder at the serendipity of this roll. As I worried about my mind being taken over by an unforgivable cure, did the Grimoire respond with this gift or was there something else at play… or was it just pure happenstance? The Enthralling trait wasn't something I desired or considered a boon especially given the timing of when I received it.

I shook my head. There was no point in questioning when or how I got what I get. I should just be thankful that I got something so useful.

I stepped away from the window glass and looked up and down the street trying to determine what I should be doing when I caught sight of the marble façade of Gringotts further down the street. I had told the creep in the pub that I was going to the bank because I hoped the banks reputation would get him to back off but maybe I really should go to the bank. I should have vault there after all and with money I could get a wand and some better clothing than Dudley's cast offs.

Mind made up, I walked with purpose toward the tall marble doors and entered the bank. Still maintaining my burst of confidence, I approached a teller as it freed up and spoke softly yet with a certainty of purpose from reading hundreds of Harry Potter fanfictions before.

"I'd like to speak with the Potter Family account manager, please."

Next Chapter I start lumping accumulated CP together when I've gone too long between rolles because three rolles in a 3000 word chapter was too many.