A/N: Hello again everyone! I took another look at the reviews and saw that I missed one so I will include my response in this chapter.
SkylerHollow mentioned that there was a timeline error in that the Weasleys wouldn't have gone to Egypt quite yet. He is correct. The photo that prompted Sirius to escape was the Weasleys in front of the Pyramids. In my story just to prevent any mix-up the prompt will be simply a family photo that was released to the Daily Prophet about a week before end of term. Sirius escaped about 2 days before end of term. This should line up the timelines a little smoother and I'll try to be more attentive in the future. Thank you, Skyler for your support!
I started writing this chapter immediately upon submitting Chapter 4 to FFnet, so if any questions are not answered in this chapter I will address them in the footnote.
On we go.
Updated: Removed the Hermione equation for the moment, looking to focus more on Harry's growth and his interactions with Hagrid as those have been very fun to write. Also cleaned up some stuff.
***Break***
Chapter 5: Hogsmeade, Hogwarts, Hagrid, and Help
Hogwarts reigned high over the skyline as Harry took in the fresh Scottish air. The wind drifted through the quaint village of Hogsmeade and Harry decided to limp his way over to the Three Broomsticks. Pushing open the door he saw few patrons enjoying the tavern's fare as it was only around 4:30 in the afternoon. He knew the place would get a little more crowded as the village only had around 75 residents, many of whom enjoyed Rosmerta's cooking instead of their own. He selected a seat at the bar as the height of the stool allowed his sore leg to rest. Maybe Harry could get Pomfrey to spot him some Skele-Gro for a faster heal. Checking his Crafting Menu he saw that the potion was a good bit above his skill level at the moment.
With a mental grunt, he picked up a menu and decided on some beef stew, breadroll, and a nice cold pumpkin juice. Rosmerta smiled warmly at him at first but was shocked when she recognized who it was that was sitting at her bar.
"Well, I'll be damned. Didn't expect to see you quite so soon Mr. Potter. You're looking a little rough around the edges. Run into a bit of trouble?" the kindly tavernkeep asked, a bit of concern tinting her tone.
Harry smiled at her. In his past life Rosmerta was always incredibly nice, to him as well as everyone else, and there was a good reason that her pub maintained a better reputation and turnout that old Aberforth's did down the road. She was a handsome woman of just above middle age, still maintaining an attractive figure and smooth face with just a hint of crow's feet and laugh lines on her face. Her cooking was damn fine too as Harry could attest. The pub's stews, roasts, and home-brewed ales were all top-notch.
"Ah, I'm fine. I don't run into trouble so much as it slams into me. Interrupted a press conference at the Ministry and had a run-in with some Death Eaters at Diagon. Normal day" Harry chuckled at her horrified expression "I promise its not as bad as all that. You'll probably see it in the morning papers though. Could I grab a bit of stew, bread, and a pumpkin juice though? I'm famished"
"Of course, dearie. Let me whip that up for you and you can tell me all about what sounds like a crazy day" She said as she bustled off to the kitchen, whipping her wand to and fro to service requests for refills and fresh bottles from the patrons further down the bar "Better pay for that Stan!" she yelled at a man who resembled Mr. Filch at the other end of the bar.
A few minutes later she came back with a steaming bowl of stew and oven-fresh bread. She floated over a pitcher of pumpkin juice and poured some into a glass that she slid over to him "Okay now what's all this nonsense about Death Eaters and press conferences?"
Harry held off from speaking to dunk a large chunk of bread into the broth of the stew and nearly moaned as he took a bite. Wiping his face with a napkin he replied "I went to the Ministry today to go over the rest of my Inheritance. I was recently emancipated you see" he flashed his ring which she merely glanced at, bless the woman for her ability to ignore hoity toity affairs "The Minister saw me passing through as he was addressing the press and called me up to the stage. I held a bit of an interview for a moment to say hello and as I was leaving might have insulted Voldemort"
There was a gasp down the bar that got ignored "When I got back to the Alley where I was staying at there were 4 Death Eaters fully geared ready to receive me. Managed to keep them busy long enough for the Aurors to come but caught a Bonebreaker to my shin for my troubles. No one else was seriously injured so it's a good end to an eventful day I'd say"
With the over-simplified explanation of his day complete Harry occupied himself with getting a few more bites in as the woman responded "I'd wager a fair bit of luck went into all that, but good to know tragedy was avoided. Scary to know that some people still hold to those beliefs though"
Harry nodded and chewed for a moment on a juicy bit of meat he found in the broth "Quick side-note this stew is absolutely wonderful. But yes there was more than a bit of luck involved. If there's one thing I have besides dashing good looks, a wealthy inheritance, great flying skills, amazing fighting skills, a beautiful woman giving me food… well actually I guess all of that is just sheer luck isn't it?"
Rosmerta chuckled at him, she got flirted with on a daily basis she was used to much more overt descriptions of herself "I guess it could be, at that. Now you finish that stew up and I'll see about getting you a slice of some fresh apple pie I have in the back. Stan looks like his arm is about to fly off the way he's waving at me. I'll be right back dear"
Harry appreciated the sway of her hips as she made her way down the bar to address Stan's dying need for another beer. Puberty = Truck was really living up to its description he thought. Deciding he could do nothing about it he quickly finished off the rest of the stew and savored the cool pumpkin juice as he studied the patrons at the bar. A few more had trickled in but it seemed like most of them were content to ignore him in favor of their chosen drink or food.
Suddenly the door slammed open in the way that only Hagrid could unintentionally do. The half-giant thundered into the room with the grace of a boulder rolling down a hill.
"Good Af'ernoon Rosie. Hello Stan, Gene, Frank. No' been up to any trouble I hope?" Hagrid greeted what Harry guessed were a few regulars as he strolled up to the bar. Not missing a beat, Rosmerta enlarged and reinforced the stool next to Harry but it still groaned slightly under the large man's weight.
Three of the same bowls Harry just finished slipped out of the back and through the air in front of the groundskeeper and the man dug in with a vengeance. 2 bowls and 3 slices of bread later Hagrid glanced over at Harry just in time to catch the young boy's expectant grin. This unfortunately led to a coughing fit and a firm request for the same story Harry had just told Rosmerta.
"Emancipated. Well I'll be damned. Bet yer glad to be rid of tha' Vernon fella though. Seemed like a right twit 'e did" Hagrid said as he chomped through the last of his meal. With a loud belch and a request for a large butterbeer Hagrid turned his body towards Harry and rested a large arm on the bar.
"Still, Its good ta see ya, 'Arry" Hagrid smiled at him and reached out to ruffle his hair, this jostled his leg and damn near knocked him off the seat and broke his neck but Harry couldn't help but smile back at the affable man that had introduced him to the Wizarding World. First real friend indeed.
"It's good to see you too Hagrid. I'll be staying in the area for the rest of summer most likely, unless I go to visit Hermione. Ron's already left for Egypt with his family to go see Bill. So I'll be seeing a lot of you I'm guessing?" Harry asked as the smell of freshly baked apples reached his nose just before a slice of pie appeared in front of him. He caught a glimpse of Rosmerta's smile as she glided through her patrons with practiced ease just as the cinnamon smell caught up to him and he couldn't resist a big bite of the pie. It was divine.
"Prolly. I come here pretty often 'less I'm tendin' to the Forest or catch a juicy doe on my rounds. You'll have to come visit Fang, I'm sure the mangy mutt would love a newer face comin' roun'" Hagrid ordered half of a pie to himself and they both settled in to enjoy their drinks and dessert. Sporting matching bulging bellies the two moved away from the bar and settled at a table nearby.
"You mean I can go onto the grounds even though it's summer? I didn't expect that" Harry said.
"Well o' course you can. I'm the Keeper of the Keys ya know. Mos' of the other Professors tend ta head home for the summer themselves. Even Albus is usually away mos' days. Ain' no rules about students not being on school grounds durin' the summer" the large man said and Rosmerta dropped off another mug of beer for the giant much to his appreciation. Seems Harry wasn't the only one who enjoyed the bartender's backside either and Harry hit him with a knowing look and a smirk as Hagrid's attention came back to him.
"Oh shut up, you" was all Hagrid said on the matter and they both laughed.
***Break***
Harry slid his mother's trunk into the corner of the rental home he had secured for himself in the village. Seemed a family was more than happy to rent him the home for the Summer as they were away visiting family in Ireland. He would have to thank Rosmerta for arranging it. Opting for a bedroll and pillow in front of the fireplace instead of sleeping in a stranger's bed, Harry chose to Rest until 4 AM as he had a bit of exploring to do on his final day of the Tutorial.
Waking up, Harry noticed two things. One, his puberty was raging at him as only a morning could. Two, his leg had no pain. Indeed upon standing up he noticed that he could easily bounce on his previously injured leg. It had been muted previously which is why he could function as well as he did with a freshly broken leg, but this was showing signs of complete healing. Checking his Character Sheet he saw that his previous status of (Broken Leg) was gone from the effects list too.
"Tyran?" Harry asked the Construct.
"Resting, even the minimum of 1 hour will completely heal any Health, Magicka, Stamina, or broken bones you currently suffer from. Certain Curses and spell damage cannot be overcome this way, but standard broken bones are easy for the game's functionality to overcome" was the simple explanation. Harry's grin was immense as he thought about the strength of that ability.
Soon he was freshly showered and opted for a pair of jeans and a sleeveless shirt under some open robes. Not stylish by any means but he intended to go exploring today. With his hair though Harry went with a simple slicked back look which irked him a bit, but he knew he pulled it off better anyways. Casting a few hair trimming spells he knew from his previous life the young man trimmed off the few hairs that were beginning to show on his face and elsewhere. Puberty = Truck was living up to its name if he went from no hair to needed trimming charms in just a couple days. The hope was that he would be through the awkward voice cracking stage before term began.
Finally, he shifted around his Hotbar and added a couple Potions just in case. A few Healing Potions and Salves were the welcome addition to his preparations. First Harry made his way to the village's bookstore as he wanted to browse a few compendiums on local flora and fauna in case he ran into anything useful, then he was going to raid Zonko's as he knew that some of their products were very useful if he ran into something he needed to distract.
Preparations completed the young Lord went to Honeyduke's and loaded up on sweets to keep in his Inventory as he had no worries of rotting teeth or weight gain. Tyran had helpfully explained that anything kept in his Inventory would come out the same as it was put in. He had tested this with a lit candle vs. an unlit one and was excited to see that it was true. Not sure what he would do with the information Harry still filed it away for future reference. Slipping between the houses of Hogsmeade and heading towards the path into the forest his day had fully begun.
***Break***
Birds chirped overhead, leaves rustled overhead, and Harry struggle mightily in the fight to get enough air into his abused lungs. Spiders were all around him, large and small, and Kijani hissed in his ear as Harry sprinted through the brush. In hindsight he should have realized something like this would happen. It always happened.
-Flashback-
Harry smiled as he made his way into the Forbidden Forest. An aptly named stretch of woodland that he had probably spent more time in than most students. Already his Inventory had a few extra bits of Potion Materials as the underbrush was practically glowing in his eyes. Stopping again he took the small shears he had brought along and Clipped another bush.
Clipping skill increased by 1. It is now 7!
After only 2 plants he had received the first notification, according to Tyran he had been close to the threshold of acquiring the skill. 2 years in Herbology was good for that it seemed even if they typically left the Harvesting to upper years. And he had discovered early on that as his skill grew so did his yield. Already Harry was getting more trimmings from some of these plants than he would have in his previous life and couldn't wait to get a few Boons on his Sheet.
New Plant Type discovered! Fenley Fern! +20 Exp.
Herbology Skill increased. It is now 25! 1 Skill Boon available.
That was the other reason Harry was moving through the area so quickly without succumbing to the urge to Clip everything in sight. As he discovered new plant types they would glow in his eyes thanks to his newest Boon and appear on the Mini-Map at the edge of his vision that until now he hadn't really needed. Though it did help when he was running from the Death Eaters in Diagon.
Currently he was strolling through the forest and Clipping plants that weren't glowing but after realizing that just about every plant in the magical Forest was indeed magical he opened his Settings Menu for the first time. Tweaking the way his HUD worked Harry realized he could change Notifications, Mini-Map size and orientation, and a slue of other useful features. He now permanently knew where North was which meant he never needed another Point Me spell. He could also use his knowledge of Potion Materials and sort the flora and fauna that would appear on his Mini-Map to reflect that. Snape would die of jealousy if he knew of this ability as Harry collected another rare sample of plant. 8 more and he could Craft a rather useful Magicka Potion that was like a Health Potion for Magicka, and Harry was getting about 3 usable samples per plant.
In his excitement Harry was not paying attention to where he was going and the only warning he got that he had delved too far into the forest was the click-clack of large pincers above him.
Combat Started!
Rolling by instinct and managing to Dodge out of the way, Harry looked up and saw 3 Acromantula spiders bearing down on him. Cursing his stupidity, he fired off an Incendio spell but bit back a groan as his Skill was too low in Charms. Utilizing his Hotbar he spit onto the Wet-Start Filibuster Firework and threw it under him as he rolled away from another strike.
The Firework lit up beneath the spider and the screech that the creature let out as the Fountain firework burned its thorax was well worth it. Harry took off back towards the path he could still see on his Mini-Map and drew the Sword of Griffindor with his left hand. Luckily he had turned on the display that showed active enemies, despite not really understanding what that meant. Now Harry knew that the feature allowed him to track enemies that were in combat with him. This was how he realized he was running straight into another 2 spiders.
"Massster. Turn East" Kijani hissed from hood of his jacket. Harry had moved the snake up there earlier and had been talking to the young Boomslang just before the attack. He felt the snake slide around his neck and slither down to one of the pockets linked to his Inventory. Sure enough Kijani appeared on the slot of his Hotbar that was designated for him. When Harry had asked about what it was like in there Kijani said it was peaceful and dark and quiet, no jostling or anything really hurt the snake.
Not bothering to question his snake Harry barreled through a patch of thorns and half-noticed that though he saw his Health Bar move a sliver there was no Notification this time of the minor wound. Kijani slithered his little green head out of the pocket and guided Harry for a few more turns, not really explaining himself but that didn't bother Harry as even though he saw that there was still quite a few spiders and webs around Harry the area was beginning to thin out and he had avoided any more packs of spiders, just having the 8 or so that were now chasing him from the trees above.
"Jump!" hissed the snake and Harry obeyed, clearing the small creek just on the other side of the brush that he had been about to go through. That would have hurt had Harry fallen in it.
Acrobatics Skill increased. It is now level 19!
Ignoring the notification Harry rolled as he hit the other side and leapt to his feet again without breaking stride "Turn South, I smell it!" Kijani hissed again and Harry smoothly turned again but a rock slid on the dirt as his foot settled on it and he was sent tumbling through the brush. He lost the lead that the creek's break in the trees had given him while he struggled back up to his feet and started sprinting again. Kijani's head poked out from his pocket again and flicked out the small red tongue.
-End Flashback-
"Straight ahead, the Great One's smell is still fresh in this area!" Harry heard over the birds beginning to chirp as the area finally lost the sense of doom and gloom that came with a certain depth into the Forest. Realizing now that the Boomslang was guiding him to an old trail of the Basilisks Harry whipped his head left and right a few times before he saw it. A large grate, half covered by ivy and rust, with a larger creek coming from it.
"OPEN!" Harry yell-hissed into the air and thanked the gods that Slytherin didn't bother with more complicated passwords. The grate screeched in protest and Harry sloshed through the opening and hissed it close behind him. Just in time too Harry thought when he heard a loud clang as the nearest spider had slammed into the grate. Luckily it held under the abuse and Harry took a brief moment to breathe deep gulps of air. The young boy turned to the spider, seeing that it and the 7 behind it were still trying to get through the grate. He smiled and walked up still breathing heavily, easily stabbing the Sword of Gryffindor into the large arachnid.
Morbid fascination occurred as the Basilisk Venom infused into the Goblin Steel took effect and the Arachnid screeched as the venom burned through it with a gross sizzling sound. The other spiders ignored the death of their ally, and Harry was able to kill 4 more before they wizened up and scurried away from the grate. The brief hope Harry had was short lived though as they settled a few feet back and began building large webs around the area.
Sword Skill increased. It is now 10!
Combat Complete! +1,250 Exp.
Loot: 5 Acromantula Carapaces, 3 Acromantula Venom sacs, 100 Raw Acromantula Silk.
Sloshing to the side of the tunnel Harry leant again the cool but grimy stones as he finished catching his breath. The spiders outside were chittering between themselves and not for the first time in this chase Harry envied Hagrid's friendship with Aragog.
Harry glanced outside and watched the spiders build their webs, but ultimately decided he couldn't come back this way when 8 more spiders showed up from the depths of the Forest. He glanced apprehensively at the grate near him and saw that the spiders had succeeded in loosening a few of the grates edges.
Transfiguration Skill increased. It is now 29!
Harry had utilized a few rocks that he had found beneath the water and shored up the integrity of the grate a little in case the spiders decided to follow him. Glancing deeper into the tunnel behind him Harry sighed and began sloshing deeper into these tunnels that he knew to be last used by an 80-foot Basilisk.
*** Break***
"So why is there no Cooking skill?" Harry asked Tyran, sloshing deeper into the tunnels. He had been going for about 30 minutes now and would have gotten lost of Kijani hadn't been guiding him. The water was a little stronger here, but Harry was still able to make his way through. The water had risen above his knees now too and he could tell the area was sloping down. The tunnel itself had gotten a bit bigger luckily and he was keeping close to the sides where the slope of the circular construction meant the water was a little lower.
"There is, but you have had no need for it, so it has not appeared in your Skill list. Your time with your relatives will probably carry over into a relatively high Skill level though so when you make your first dish you will see" Tyran explained from inside his mind. Harry figured he'd probably be in these tunnels the rest of the night and wanted to pick the Guides brain one last time before the end of the tutorial.
"My Inventory has some Raw Acromantula Silk now, is there a Skill for making that usable in Crafting" Harry cursed a bit as his foot slipped beneath him and the water reached above his waist in this section. The Lumos Spell flickered a moment as his concentration wavered but retained its brilliance once he recovered. It was floating above his head as a globe of light and only cost 1 Magicka per second without stopping his Regeneration. In essence he could keep the spell up indefinitely which was good news but he had to allocate at least a bit of his focus on it or it would go out.
"There is. It is called Refining. It can be used for any Raw Material, whether it is organic or inorganic. It's really quite a useful skill once you get the basics down and is fundamental to any aspiring Crafter" that bit of information got filed away in Harry's mind as well.
Up ahead there was a bend in the tunnel and the young and shivering hero could see that the side tunnel had a platform for him to stand on. Finally he could get out of the water. He had to swim about 50 yards to get up to it.
Swimming Skill increased. It is now level 4!
Swimming Skill increased. It is now level 5!
Swimming Skill increased. It is now level 6!
Swimming Skill increased. It is now level 7!
Battling heavily against the current of the tunnel's water Harry was able to drag himself up onto the platform and flop onto his back. Swimming would probably be a necessary skill investment for the Second Task he thought.
"I'm still not sure why you didn't just hop onto your broomstick during any of that, Chosen" Tyran supplied just then and Harry took a few satisfying minutes cursing as loudly as he could.
"FUCK! I hate not thinking" Harry said as he glared at the broomstick taunting him from his Hotbar. It had been right there too.
Giving it up as a bad job Harry stripped off the wet clothes he was wearing and hit them with a few Drying Charms before tossing them into his Inventory and selecting a fresh pair of everything. Finally dry he slumped onto the floor and browsed through his Inventory for a moment. If he had flown he could be safe and sound eating stew and laughing with Hagrid right about now. The clock he now had beneath his Mini-Map indicated that it was around lunchtime so he took the mess kit he had acquired in Diagon out of his Inventory and laid it out before him. It contained a pan, pot, a deep plate that could double as a bowl and a spoon, knife, and fork. There was also some simple spices in the kit but he had acquired a better supply of all of those as well. Scrolling lower in his Inventory he pulled out a tinderbox and kindling, happy that he had bought them anyways despite thinking that Incendio would work.
Casting his eyes around Harry saw a wooden door behind him and got to his feet. The door was heavily rotted and a quick glance inside showed him a spiraling staircase leading down. Hoping that nothing down below could hear him he kicked the door from the hinges more easily than he was even expecting and made short work in breaking it apart into enough for a fire.
It took a few moments for the humidity saturated would to catch and Harry had to regularly cast Ventus at the pillar of thick smoke it produced but he was able to whip up a simple eggs and toast luncheon. It might not be necessary to eat Harry thought to himself but the routine was nice as was the notification of his Skill and the surprisingly tasty bit of food he made.
Cooking Skill Unlocked. It is now 52! 2 Skill Boons available.
Harry selected the Boons without much care and glanced back at the door. He could either go down the stairs and try to come up into the school from below or he could fly back the way he came and blast open the grate in a surprise exit and try and get away from the spiders.
His internal debate was interrupted by the sound of cloth rippling through the air and only the notification warned him of the danger.
Combat started!
A Darkcloak drifted down where Harry had been sitting a moment ago and Harry wondered how he knew what this was before he remembered a book on Magical Creatures he had studied in Flourish and Blotts. Thanking his new bibliophilic tendencies Harry shot a few Diffindos at the creature and made short work of it.
Combat Complete! +30 Exp.
Loot: 1 Darkcloak Scrap.
Harry glanced up and shot a Lumos towards the ceiling and sent another Darkcloak scurrying deeper into the darkness.
"Well that decides that" Harry said and mounted his broom. He'd take his chances with the spiders before they settled in anymore before he went traipsing through a dungeon full of monsters during the tutorial. He vowed to come back when he was a little stronger and fully explore this area though. Maybe after his summer plans were completed.
***Break***
"FUUUUUCK YOOOOOUUUU!" Harry screamed as he blasted the grate off the entrance, laughing wildly when the metal shot through one of the spiders that had stationed itself nearby. The +125 Exp. Notification was pretty nice he thought as he took a corner at breakneck speed and shot towards Hogwarts. The spiders chittered maniacally behind him but couldn't match the speed of his Nimbus and were soon forgotten as the trees cleared around Harry.
Banking left towards Hagrid's now visible hut Harry alighted onto the ground with a flourish, almost catching a crossbow bolt through his chest for his efforts as Hagrid had not been expecting anyone to be falling from the sky like that.
"Blimey 'Arry don' do tha'!" Hagrid said whilst clutching his fragile heart.
Harry chuckled as he slipped the broom into his Hotbar with a thought causing a raised eyebrow from Hagrid that he met with a shrug.
"I mastered the Switching Spell wandlessly. I'm awesome I know" Harry joked and turned to meet Fang's greeting charge as the large hound realized there was company. Giving the loving animal a few pets Harry grinned at the large man and Hagrid couldn't help but grin back.
"Well at least I went wi' a warnin' shot" Hagrid quipped as he collected his bolt from behind Harry. The 'warning' shot had given his robe a new hole, but Harry just thanked his dumb luck for that one.
Eyeing the crossbow with a look of envy Harry asked "How did you make that thing anyways? It seems really useful for your line of work"
"It is at that. I didn't make it though, Albus gave it to me. Said he had acquired it from a talented engineer in Switzerland during his campaign against Grindlewald. Got me some silver-tipped bolts fer ornery werewolves in me hut too" Hagrid answered. The man thumbed some dirt off the tip of his errant bolt before tossing it into the quiver strapped onto his thigh. More easily than just about anyone else Hagrid reset the crossbow and put a fresh bolt into the slot before pushing the safety and strapping it to his back.
"Heading out?" Harry inquired. Fang was now religiously playing fetch with the stick that Harry had thrown over the hound's head.
"Yeah, I wan' ta see if I can find the 'erd of deer I saw signs o' the other day. I actually just go' back from tendin' ta a bit o' work by the Lake so I'm runnin' behin'" Hagrid collected a few more pieces of gear from beside his hut that Harry had never paid attention to before. The 'knife' that Hagrid slipped into a holster on his belt was easily 2 thirds as long as the sword Harry had on his Hotbar.
"Neat. Can I come?" Puppy dog eyes more effective than anything Fang had used in recent years accompanied the request.
Hagrid tapped his chin for a moment before letting out a huff and indicating Harry to come along. Fang caught up to them with the stick still in the dog's mouth from the most recent toss.
***Break***
"You gotta look fer signs o' disturbed foliage. A snapped twig, a bent bit o' brush, those will usually lead you to the next print or bit o' dung that marks the passage of an animal. This don't apply ta all animals o' course, but the docile ones like a deer usually leave traces li' tha'" Hagrid explained to the fascinated boy beside him as they crept through the brush.
Harry was amazed at Hagrid's woodsman skills; the man hardly made a sound despite being so large. Indeed Harry sounded like the giant once they made their way into the underbrush of the outer edges of the Forest.
Hunting Skill Unlocked. It is now 1!
"How do you do that with your feet? I'll step in the same spot you just did and snap twigs you didn't snap" Harry complained after the loud snap of said twig caused him to jump slightly.
Hagrid chuckled as they stopped and scanned the nearby tree line "Practice. Mos' times people walk wi' a heel-to-toe stride. Tha' means their weight settles almost immediately 'fore they realize what exactly their steppin' in or on. Out here 'tis best to go with a toe-to-heel step. Minor difference in practice, big difference in results. Toe-to-heel lets ya feel with yer feet and turn yer foot if ya feel somethin' like a branch beneath ya"
Stealth skill increased. It is now 25! 1 Skill Boon available.
Harry smiled at the explanation and nodded in respect as he saw the Boon option of Toe-to-Heel in the list of options. Selecting it, Harry saw Hagrid turn to eye him as Harry took a few significantly quieter steps.
"Thas' the way, Harry. Good job. Now les' see if we can't bag us a nice bi' of dinner. I'll even teach you how to field strip an animal" Hagrid smiled at him and they continued on.
***Break***
Skinning Skill Unlocked. It is now 1!
Harry wiped his sweating forehead and cursed as he got blood on his face. Field stripping apparently consisted of slicing the animal long ways up the belly and burying the innards "Makes 'em easier ta carry tha' way" Hagrid had said. Hagrid kept the liver and heart, saying they were delicious bits of the animal, but buried the rest or chucked it into the Forest depending on his desire to be out in that area of the Forest again soon.
His bruised shoulder should be bothering him, but the game easily kept the pain at an ignorable level. Shooting the crossbow had been really fun though and the Notification of a Critical Hit had caused Hagrid to guffaw in amazement as Harry bagged their 3rd kill of the day, Hagrid having taken down 2 already which he had tied to his back with little to no effort. It was getting later though, and they were on their way back to the hut.
"Fine bi' o' work Harry. I still can't get over tha' sho', right through the neck clean as coul' be. Poor bugger was dead afore she hit the ground" Hagrid chuckled again and tied the twine through the legs of the recent kill. Harry grunted as he lifted the corpse of the admittedly smaller deer onto his shoulders.
"Stronger than ya look, aren't ya Harry?" Hagrid joked as they stepped through the Forest. They had barely made it 100 yards before Hagrid took pity on the huffing and puffing Boy-Who-Lived and easily took the deer off Harry's shoulders with one hand and tossed it over his own. The man had to be carrying at least 600 pounds of deer! Harry thought in amazement.
"Anyone who says that Rubeus Hagrid isn't amazing can eat shit" the amazed and sweaty dark-haired boy said. This prompted booming laughter from Hagrid that made the birds in the area scream out in protest and relocate.
***Break***
Skinning Skill increased. It is now 2!
Harry smiled at his finished product. It wasn't nearly as nice as Hagrid's, but it was functionally the same if you squinted. Tyran had told him that he could use the game's functionality to do the skinning work for him but Harry had wanted the experience of Skinning his first kill to be authentic. He might have felt bad but he had seen the 200 strong herd that they had been following so Harry knew that there were plenty of other deer at the edges of the Forest.
"Nicely done Harry, you'll be a fine woodsman yerself one day if ya keep that up" Hagrid said from his position by the drying racks. The man was stretching and treating the recently acquired leather and Harry had asked if he could learn the process from the obviously skilled man.
"Thanks. You do this sort of stuff all the time?" Harry asked. He sipped from the waterskin that Hagrid had tossed him in appreciation and sat back from his work.
"Not durin' the school year much, the smell o' the tannin' mix can get a little ripe fer the students. But it keeps me busy if I'm ahead on my other duties" Hagrid picked up Harry's leather and taught Harry how to string it up and treat it in short order.
Tanning Skill Unlocked. It is now 1!
Harry smiled at the Notification, which Hagrid took as Harry smiling at the completion of the task. That Learning bonus from his Apprentice specialization was paying dividends Harry thought and could hear Tyran's acknowledging response.
The two woodsman went into the hut and stoked the fire in the fireplace a little higher "Now we just gotta chop up tha' meat and we'll have us a fine stew for dinner" Hagrid said and Harry agreed. Luckily Hagrid let Harry do most of the cooking to avoid a rock cake scenario.
The smell of the stew bubbling away above the fire, the warmth of Fang's head resting on Harry's thigh in the hope of receiving idle pats and pets, Harry sighed in contentment. It had been a full day for sure. Hagrid laughed, joked, and told stories of his work in the Forest for an hour or so before they both savored the completed stew in happy companionship, a lifetime away from the blubbering and depressed half-giant who had carried Harry through the Forbidden Forest during the Battle of Hogwarts.
***Break***
Cracking his back and neck Harry stood up from the bedroll in his rented home and glanced at Tyran's Bracelet. Sometime during the wee hours of the morning when Hagrid had walked a surprisingly active Harry back to Hogsmeade Tyran had bid goodbye and good luck to Harry. Harry was sad to see his Guide go but knew that the tutorial had come to an end. It had been some of the most fulfilling 3 days anyone could have asked for and Harry smiled as the Bracelet had remained as a Magic Item for his equipment.
Congrats! Tutorial Complete! +2 temporary Learning Bonus lost. Previous Life detached. Tyran's Bracelet added to Inventory. Player's Handbook added to Inventory. Skill Points Awarded. 103 Skill Points unspent. Stat Points Awarded. 10 Stat Points unused. Feat Point Awarded. 1 Feat Point unused. +5000 Exp.
Ding! Level Up! You are now Level 7. Skill points awarded. 131 Skill Points unspent. One Home Token unused. 1 Skill Boon unused. 12 Stat Points unused. 2 Feat Points unused.
Harry had decided to deal with the levelling and Notifications in the morning and opted to Rest until 6 AM like usual. Showering and such was completed first and now he was enjoying breakfast while he browsed his Character Sheet. Kijani was on the table next to him sniffing at his sausages and complaining that he hadn't had a juicy mouse in a few days.
Promising to swing through Diagon today and get the Boomslang some mice caused Hedwig to hoot in contempt from where she was perched at the window. Harry eyed the letters before turning back to his Player's Handbook and Character Sheet. The Player's Handbook was a useful little book that explained the 'What' if not the 'How' and 'Why' the way Tyran had and Harry was grateful for it as it explained that Skills above 25 took 2 Points to increase, above 50 took 3 points, and above 75 took 4. He had not expected such a large boost from the end of the tutorial, but he supposed it made sense. His new bracelet also had the functionality of narrating any pages from a book internally much like the Construct had done previously. Harry planned on utilizing this with the Player's Handbook as the book was unfortunately immune to any of the Gamer bonuses for reading. This would allow him to do other tasks while he studied the manual for his new life.
The Previous Life Notification had confused Harry immensely as he still remembered all of the life, but upon reflection he realized that he truly felt like a 12-year-old Harry who merely had knowledge of another Harry's alternate timeline. Wow 3 days can change a lot Harry thought.
Starting with his stats Harry brought Strength, Constitution and Willpower up to 10 points each, brought Charisma and Intelligence up to 20, and sank the last 3 points into Dexterity to bring it up to 17. He was happy to see that Stats worked a little differently than Skills and would provide additional bonuses to the Skills under their jurisdiction at 20, 40, 60 etc. It wasn't much but Harry knew that it would add up as he got it going. The bonuses that Stats offered to Skills were passive, and merely affected growth rate, success chance, and capability with the skill. Someone fully versed in Swimming would not receive all of the benefits of such if their Strength and Constitution were not up to snuff. Knowledge of a subject did not necessarily confer ability to do the task as Harry had already learned in his attempts to cast certain Charms.
Going to his Feats Harry smiled. On the first day of the tutorial Harry had been determined to get to Level 7 before school. Now, at the rate that he had grown in 3 short days, Harry was determined to get to Level 9.
Eyeing the options Harry eventually decided on Crafty after all the work he had done with Hagrid, and reread the description.
Crafty: +5 Learning if it involves Crafting or Harvesting Skills.
It was short and really sweet Harry thought, as he pondered what other Crafts he could pick up. Deciding that Blacksmithing might be fun, Harry switched over to his Skills list and sighed. There was a lot of options which is why he always saved this for last when he leveled.
Combat seeming to be a pretty large part of his new life Harry decided to bring Dueling up to 25 to prompt a Boon, of which he chose one to help his magical shields. He still had 112 Points though. With a grumble at his lack of clear decisions Harry decided to save the points for emergencies like the one at the press conference and put it out of his mind for now.
The letters went a long way to improving his mood and gave him a much clearer idea of what to do with his day. Ron's letter had arrived fairly easy, and the Player's Handbook explained that Owls were trained to go through permanent Floos at post offices throughout the world to drastically reduce trip times. This went a long way to explaining why the Wizarding World hadn't progressed towards a more modern system as when you took that into account Wizard's methods were actually as fast or faster than Muggle methods.
Hermione's letter was much longer, and she displayed worry at his new emancipated status. The worry was outweighed by her excitement at his freedom though and she had extended an open invite to come visit her house and had provided a phone number and address. The letter went on for a few paragraphs about school, homework, and excitement about the new term and trip to France that her family had planned, which was slotted to begin tomorrow.
Harry slipped the letter into his Inventory in case he needed to reference it and pulled out a parchment and quill of his own, never ceasing to be in awe of his Inventory system and the usefulness of it. Quickly he detailed a few of the happenings since his last letter, but opted to keep some of the more worrying circumstances omitted. He also still refrained from telling her about his recent desire to take all of the electives this upcoming year until he had it all worked out with McGonagall. He was surprised that Hermione hadn't sent him a letter about his recent run in with the Death Eaters but remembered that she didn't have an owl and she had only subscribed in his 5th year during the debacle about Harry and Dumbledore being complete nutters.
Deciding that that might actually work in his favor Harry gave Hedwig the letter and a few treats, including a bit of his leftover sausage, and the bird nipped his fingers lovingly with a hoot before she flew off. Letting Kijani slither up his arm Harry headed to Diagon for a bit of shopping and yet another visit to the Bank.
***Break***
Harry left the Bank quite a few thousand Galleons lighter and quite a few thousand Pounds heavier. In money, not weight he joked internally. Stopping by the Menagerie to keep his promise to Kijani, soon Harry was up Charing Cross in the Muggle world in a phone booth on the phone with his best friend.
"Hey Hermione! Yeah, I got your letter, I just passed a payphone and thought I might call for a minute to catch up. Yeah, it is a bit faster than a letter and with you leaving tomorrow I didn't want to accidentally sign Hedwig up for international journeying. I wonder if there's a magical equivalent besides Floo calls. I'm sure the Library probably has a book or two you can read in the upcoming year about it. Hedwig is on the way with a letter that should explain a bunch more stuff so I don't want to dive too deep into it at the moment, I don't have the phone for much longer. Yeah you'll have to get a few pictures for me France definitely sounds like fun. Museums aren't my definition of fun Hermione. Yeah I'll make sure that my homework is done, thank you Mum. I gotta go though this guy outside the booth looks like he's ready to have kittens. I'll be safe don't worry, you'll give yourself wrinkles. Bye!" Harry hung up the payphone with a smile and sauntered past the older gentleman that had been trying to rush him.
With a few steps back up the street and through the door of the Leaky Cauldron Harry was back in the wizarding world and ready to take it by storm.
-Fin-
A/N: So yeah, been a while since my last update. Between losing my job, trouble in the family, and Covid doing terrible things globally I have been away far too long and failed to deliver on far too many promises. I will be continuing work on the chapters, just finished rereading and getting myself back on track. Chapter 6 has been removed to make way for edits and such and to take the story back in a direction I like as Chapter 6 was what had caused a big block before. Hoping for a much better product this time around
The tutorial is complete! WOOOOOOOOO! I know that Tyran didn't make many appearances, but the Guide was basically a speaking and thinking alternative to the Player's Handbook, much better for the tone I was trying to use. Tyran's voice at least will make an appearance again but at this point I highly doubt the character will return, hope no one is too bummed about that but I was never attached to the character.
Hermione has joined the battle! Relationship scores are for me to know and you to wonder about as tracking those will get tedious as hell. Just keep in mind his various bonuses. Yes he is a 12-year-old Harry with knowledge of a 17-year-old's life but lets be real, that offers him what sort of life experience? 2 snog sessions with Ginny and a sad kiss from Cho? Other than torture sessions from Voldemort and a sad abusive childhood Harry doesn't know much about life. If one motherfucker comes into this story telling me that Harry's a pedo for dating anyone, I'll find you and laugh in your face.
I made some balancing changes to the sheet below to reflect the recent story progress that I have planned.
Harry James Potter
Age: 13
Class and Level: Apprentice Wizard 7
Health: 180
Magicka: 500
Stamina: 205
Stats
Strength- 10
Dexterity- 17
Constitution- 10
Perception- 1 (+10 with Glasses)
Intelligence- 20
Willpower- 10 (+5)
Magic- 20 (+15)
Charisma- 20
Luck- 31 (Locked)
Perks:
Fated Luck: +10 to Luck always, -40 to Luck in certain situations.
Magical Powerhouse: +10 to Magic, +5 to Willpower, +10 to Magicka Regeneration, +5 to Learning when it involves Spells. Magicka now grows at a 1.5 rate vs the standard .8 of most Wizards.
Flyer: +20 Broom Handling, +10 Creature Handling if creature has wings.
Parselmouth: +35 to Parseltongue.
Family Heritage: +5 to Broom Handling, +5 Transfiguration, +5 Charms, +5 Potions.
Puberty = Truck: Puberty is going to kick your ass and put hair in so many places. I won't go into details. Affects 3rd year Summer.
Linguist: +2 to Learning when it involves Languages.
Represent: +5% Reputation Gains, -5% Reputation Losses.
Disadvantages:
Poor Eyesight: -8 to Perception without glasses or similar device. +10 with them on.
Chosen One: -20 to Luck in certain situations. +5 to Magic. Certain events are unavoidable. +25% Reputation Gains, +25% Reputation Losses.
Feats
The Wand Chooses the Wizard but the Wizard Chooses the Spell: +3 to Learning when it involves spells.
Magical Aura: +5 Damage Reduction to Spells. +10 to Social Skills against sensitive targets.
Motion of the Potion: Potions no longer require a 3 second Drinking Action.
Crafty: +5 Learning if it involves Crafting or Harvesting Skills.
Magic Skills
Transfiguration – 29
Boon: Size conversion ratio of Transfigured materials increased by 10%
Animagus Transformation – 1
Herbology – 25
Boon: Flora and Fauna that are Magical will glow in the Player's eyes.
Charms – 27
Boon: Charms Spells cost 10% less Magicka to Cast
Potions – 27
Boon: Splash Radius of thrown Potions increased by 25%
Astrology – 16
Defensive Spells – 26
Boon: Maxima Variant now able to be applied to Defensive Spells.
Care of Magical Creatures – 14
Divination – 8
Ancient Runes – 8
Arithmancy – 10
Dark Arts – 19
Alchemy – 2
Enchanting – 1
Physical Skills
Quidditch – 7 Keeper, 7 Beater, 12 Chaser, 47 Seeker
Boon Seeker: You are able to track the Snitch more readily! Snitch will give an indicator when it is about to change direction.
Running – 16
Jumping – 1
Weightlifting – 4
Swimming – 7
Acrobatics – 19
Climbing – 15
Sword – 10
Cloth Armor – 33
Boon: Regular Clothes Shmegular Clothes. Any cloth is armor! +1 to armor per slot if equipped item is Cloth. Robes provide +2 per slot.
Social Skills
Diplomacy – 25 (+5)
Boon: Heir to an Empire. As the youngest Lord in recent years people are eager for your attention. +5% Relationship Gains.
Intimidation – 25
Boon: Flux. You may now consciously flare your magic to those around you. Doubles effectiveness of Magic Aura Feat. Cost 2 Magicka per second. Stops Magicka Regeneration.
Performance – 4
Etiquette – 25
Boon: Now you're forked. Your skill in formal settings is improved! Delivers notification prompts in formal dining.
Flirting – 26
Boon: Lost in your eyes. Making direct eye contact will improve your chances of success when engaged in Flirting. -5 to DR rating of target.
Sense Intention – 10
Chess – 13
Pranking – 20
Stealth Skills
Disguise – 3
Sleight of Hand – 5
Lying – 6
Escaping – 21
Stealth – 25
Boon. Toe-to-Heel. Your steps are now 50% quieter!
Hybrid Skills
Dueling – 25
Boon: Magical Shields are now 10% stronger
Broom Handling – 51
Boon: You have a need for speed and your broom realizes it. +10 MPH to max speed regardless of model!
Boon: While on a Broomstick, gain +10 to Dodge!
Mental Skills
Parseltongue – 100
Boon: Snakes have a predisposition of +2000 Reputation when you reveal yourself as a Speaker
Boon: Spells with a 'Sss' sound may be cast in Parseltongue for +5 Difficulty Rating to overcome
Boon: The nuances of Parseltongue make other languages seem easy. +1 to Learning if it involves Languages.
Boon Mastery: May have a magical snake as a Familiar that does not count against your familiar slot.
English – 70
French – 4
Gobbledygook – 2
German – 8
History – 15
Science – 9
Mathematics – 10
Harvesting and Crafting Skills
Clipping – 7
Skinning – 2
Tanning – 1
Cooking – 52
Boon: Live and Learn. You may recreate most meals that you have tasted or modify it as you see fit. +2 to level of meal benefits
Boon: Eye for Quality. You have a discerning eye when it comes to the freshness of ingredients. Less like to find or use expired or stale ingredients.
Unspent 112
Class Specialization Apprentice chosen: +5% Exp Gain. +2 Learning. Unlocks Specializations Sorcerer, Mage, and Archmage at further levels.