Chapter 19: Dobby's Determination, Harry's ResolveChapter Text"No offense… But who and what are you?" Harry asked.
"Dobby is named Dobby. Dobby is House Elf," the small creature answered.
Harry knew a little bit about house elves, but not much. He did know you had to be careful with what you said to them. They would feel compelled to help a wizard, even if they weren't a part of the family the elf served. This could lead them to taking drastic actions if you were asking them to go against their family. The action they took could vary greatly depending on their family's rules and the Elf's interpretation on how to obey them.
"Can you tell me what family you belong to?" Harry asked carefully. His thinking was a yes or no question would be best. He was not forcing Dobby to say who his family was.
Dobby seemed relieved by the way Harry asked the question. "Dobby wishes he could tell Great Harry Potter Sir what family he works for, but he cannot," the small creature answered.
Harry accepted that answer and figuring pushing further would be bad. "Why are you here?" he asked. This felt safe to ask and allowed Dobby to work within his family's rules.
"Dobby wishes to save Harry Potter Sir. Dobby wants to warn you there be danger at Hogwarts this year," Dobby said.
"More so than usual? We did have a troll break in last year. My friends and I also took on a lot of tough magical challenges the staff created. We even had a professor possessed by Voldemort who we faced at the end of the year," Harry said.
The creature flinched at the name of Voldemort. Harry was disappointed even magical creatures acted in such a way because of the name.
"Dobby… Is not sure… Dobby does know this danger be terrible and be very dangerous! Harry Potter Sir could die from it! Lots of good witches and wizards childs could die from it. Mister Harry Potter Sir's friends could dies from it," Dobby said.
"Can you tell me what this danger is?" Harry again asked carefully and managed to keep calm. He wanted to lash out and get defensive with Dobby saying his friends could die, and expecting Harry not to be there for them. He had a feeling that wouldn't work out either though. All of those lessons from Boss kept paying off it seemed.
Dobby looked disappointed in himself, but answered the best he could. "Dobby cannots say! Dobby tells Mister Harry Potter Sirs it is really terrible! Harry Potter Sirs must not die!" he said.
"Why are you saying I in particular must not die?" Harry asked.
"Harry Potter Sir is too great too wonderful to dies! Harry Potter Sir beated bad dark lord wizard, but he is still in danger from this. Sir means a lot to House elves! Sir means lots to plenty of peoples!" Dobby said.
"Does this danger have anything to do with You-Know-Who?" Harry asked.
Dobby looked to mull over the question. He shook his head after a moment. "No, it does not do with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Bad dark lord wizard is not only danger in magical world... There's others befores him," he said.
Harry almost would have sworn Dobby was trying to tell him something here with the way he answered that question. It was like he wanted to give Harry a hint.
"What exactly are you asking me to do here?" Harry asked.
"Dobby is askings Harry Potter Sir not return to Hogwarts! Dobby knows Harry Potter Sir great wizard. Great person! He would not lie and tricks Dobby. He would not breaks his word! Dobby wants Harry Potter Sir to promise he not returns to Hogwarts until it is safes!" Dobby said.
"Safe is rather vague…" Harry started.
"Safes from this dangers. It be bads! It be closings Hogwarts maybes!" Dobby said trying to further emphasize his point.
Harry thought what to say here. He could tell the house elf was earnest in his request. If it wasn't for his friends at Hogwarts, he might agree to it just to be done with this and simply go to one of the other well-known magical schools to finish studying. He was pretty sure he could manage that if he wanted.
Harry sighed. "I do appreciate your concern, Dobby. You are right about how I wouldn't go against a promise I made in earnest," he said.
Dobby looked hopeful. His large lamp like eyes seemed to glow. His large bat like ears seemed to perk up.
Harry hated he would be crushing the house elf's hopes.
"However… I can't turn my back on my friends there. I'm both a Street Knight and a Hufflepuff. Leaving them like that would go against everything I stand for," Harry said.
Dobby frowned and large tears seemed to well up in his eyes. He sniffed and frowned deeper. "Dobby was afriads of this. Dobby hoped he could do somethings about Great Harry Potter Sir's connection to friends. Dobby couldn't finds Harry Potter Sirs soon enough. Great Harry Potter Sirs is too wonderful. Too great. To leaves them. Dobby asks once more. Will Harry Potter Sir please not return to dangerous Hogwarts?" he asked.
"I can't and won't make that promise," Harry said seriously.
"Then Dobby must dos this. Harry Potter Sirs won't be betraying friends... If he's kicked outs of Hogwarts!" Dobby said.
Harry narrowed his eyes as the elf snapped his fingers. Harry's eyes widened as a few things on one of his shelves started to float up and hover above the floor. Harry's jaw opened as he watched them fall to the floor seemingly in slow-motion. They bounced back up a couple of times, in a way only magic could accomplish, before safely settling on the floor.
Dobby looked regretful as the things harmlessly landed on the floor. They wouldn't break, but they didn't need to break. Dobby was sure he accomplished what he wanted. "Dobby is sorrys!" he cried before snapping his fingers again and disappearing. He had to hope that was enough. Dobby wouldn't be able to return anymore this summer. There was only one last plan he had. Dobby hoped it didn't come to that.
Harry could only stand there in shock for a moment. He then jumped and frowned as he heard an owl hoot from nearby. It dropped off a letter before leaving again.
The young wizard held the letter in trembling hands. He feared what it meant. He was curious as to why there wasn't an official seal on the letter though.
Harry swallowed and opened it.
"Dear Harry. My father wishes to formally meet with you next week. He's also hoping to meet with Jett unofficially as well…" Harry read aloud.
He sighed in relief as he slumped on to his bed. He suddenly sat upright again and waited in silence. He was wondering if maybe it would take a moment for the Ministry to send him a notice regarding what just happened. Dobby used magic and Harry was sure he had done so in a way it would be detected.
Dobby's plan was obvious. Get Harry expelled for breaking the laws about underaged usage of magic and doing so near muggles. Harry wouldn't have betrayed his friends, but couldn't return to Hogwarts either. Had the house elf not wanted to force Harry out of Hogwarts, he would have appreciated the manner Dobby used to accomplish his goal.
[-] [-] [-]
Harry relaxed a little after an hour passed. He hadn't received any notice from the Ministry of Magic or Hogwarts. He was curious about that. He doubted Dobby messed up in what he planned to do. He could tell the elf was determined to keep Harry from returning and knew what he was doing. Harry did know the trace on his wand didn't trigger since it wasn't used. " Is that enough to keep me safe though? " Harry thought.
Harry doubted that was the case. The magic should have been sensed by the Ministry and there weren't any other magic users in the area, so they would assume it was Harry. Maybe the fact he wasn't with the Dursleys, where he was believed to be, meant they didn't know any magic had been done around him.
"Not likely…" Harry said to himself. He had a feeling sensing magic was a lot more precise, impersonal and couldn't be tricked so easily. He supposed there was a slim chance it wasn't precise enough to sense his magic compared to when Boss used his enchanted sword, but that probably wasn't it either. There would have been some problem with Boss using his sword sooner if that could be sensed at all. Especially, given how many enchanted items were rather illegal from what Tracey told him.
The only explanation he could think of was the Rust District was in a dead spot regarding the Ministry's magic sensing abilities. He wasn't sure about that either though. He decided to just take it as a stroke of good luck and leave it at that. " I'm not about to try using my wand to see if the Ministry picks it up or not," Harry mentally told himself.
He had a feeling he wouldn't be immediately expelled, but it could be possible. If it was only a warning he received the first time, he would rather not waste it. He had no need to use magic here. Using up his warning or getting in worse trouble was too much of a risk for something so trivial.
Harry instead sighed and relaxed fully. He was even more ready for sleep after the encounter with Dobby. He would read the letter from Tracey more thoroughly in the morning and speak to Boss about it before replying.
[-] [-] [-]
"I do like the sound of that," Jett said as Harry finished talking to him about Tracey's letter. "It would be nice to see him again. In a way, part of me wants to know what he thinks about how I've turned things around here. Go ahead and make the arrangements, Harry. We'll set up an appropriate place for such an important meeting," he said.
"Thanks, Boss. I feel this meeting will be key in what I do with my future in the wizarding world," Harry said.
"Making alliances is important if you intend to do more than just survive," Boss said in parting. He was impressed with Harry already taking such steps. He hoped he could help Harry in the ways he could. Some believed he was raising Harry to take over the Knights in the future. That was never his intention, but it wasn't something he discounted either.
[-] [-] [-]
Harry felt a little nervous as he made his way to meet Lord Davis. The Davis family may not be as powerful and wealthy as say the Malfoy family, but they were still one of the ancient and noble houses. Since this was an important meeting with allies, Harry wore some nicer clothes. He wasn't wearing a full-on suit or anything like that, but he was well dressed for someone his age.
"How may I help you, young man?" a well dressed man asked as Harry entered the place where the meeting was. It was clear the man was being polite, but didn't think Harry belonged there. Harry supposed this was understandable. He was alone in such a place.
"I'm Harry Potter. I believe you're aware of why I'm here," Harry said carefully.
The man's eyes lit up in recognition. "That would explain it," he said to himself. He turned and spoke to Harry, "If you will follow me, Young Mr. Potter." He then led Harry from the entrance Lobby.
The meeting was being held in a country club of sorts. It had a golf course and even a really nice pool. The place was usually seen as a finer dining establishment that occasionally held events for members. It also had plenty of meeting rooms that could be used.
They were going to have some lunch as part of the meeting so this was a great location. This decision was more of a business tactic and Harry did feel uncomfortable about it. At the same time, he was determined to get more used to such things. He was the heir to two, possibly three, houses that were very important.
If his parents were still alive, he would never be doing something like this so young, on his own. If he was just a regular kid, he would never be doing something like this period most likely. As Harry told Dumbledore though, any chance he had at being a regular kid ended when he was placed with the Dursleys. He may not be able to take up his lordship yet, but he was still the head of his family and had to start acting as such in some ways.
As the two walked through the halls, Harry was soon greeted by Tracey. "Good to see you made it," she said as she came up next to him. She looked to the man leading Harry and said, "I'll take him from here."
The man nodded in understanding. This whole thing was weird, but the club was loyal to the Knights. It seemed fitting to him in a way the Little Boss was involved in such situations. It was just hard for the man to wrap his head around how different some children could be. He was used to children either being nervous or the parents desperately trying to keep them under control. Two children arranging for some kind of fancy meeting was very different.
"Father is happy to have this meeting. Your dealings with him today should go well. I'll still help where I can, but while I will be entering the room with you, I will stay mostly quiet during the proceedings. I am to mostly be an observer as Heiress Davis today. As such, do not take offense if it seems to my father as if I'm not there. I felt I should warn you of that," she said.
"Thanks for the warning. I guess I should act the same way. Is that correct?" Harry asked.
Tracey nodded. "In the case of this meeting, Yes. You are Heir Potter the unofficial head of your house. My dad is Lord Davis, Head of his house. My getting too involved with such a meeting would be seen as an insult to you. You requesting I be more involved, would be seen as an insult to him. My father wouldn't take insult, but he sees it as his duty, through our alliance, to help prepare you for such things. So, he would lecture for such a thing," she said.
Harry nodded to that. "That is a bonus I had kind of hoped for," he admitted.
"Good to hear," Tracey said as she opened the doors.
Lord Davis was tall and fit for a wizard. He looked to be in his early forties, but still had the air and dignity of someone far older. This was something Harry had noticed seemed more common in the wizarding world. It seemed magic slowed the aging process in some ways after a certain point. The man gave a smile that was the right amount of approachable and polite. He was wearing dark blue and green dress robes designed to pass in both worlds, even if it meant he would extraordinarily well dressed in the muggle world.
Harry came forward and offered a hand to the man. "It is good to meet you in person, Lord Davis. Your Daughter Tracey, has told me about you," Harry said.
Lord Davis shook his hand firmly and smiled more friendly. "I'm glad to meet you as well, Harry Potter. May I refer to you as Heir Potter?" he asked politely.
"That will work fine in such a setting, Lord Davis," Harry said. The man nodded to him and the two took their seats at the table as Tracey took her own seat.
"I will admit I'm impressed with the setting for our first meeting. I expected to meet somewhere in the Rust District," Lord Davis said.
"Jett felt it was best to use something more appropriate for meetings that required formal or business settings," Harry informed him.
"I look forward to meeting Mr. Manton later. I could tell there was something about him back then. As I can tell there is something about you, Heir Potter. That is part of the reason I was keen on meeting like this so soon. I do admit I look forward to the meal first though. I kind of prefer muggle food," Lord Davis said with a slight smile to ease the atmosphere.
"The food here is rather excellent I'm told," Harry said as Tracey opened the doors for the staff to enter.
[-] [-] [-]
The meal had been pleasant enough. Tracey was more actively participating during that, even if she was partly in charge of alerting the staff when they were needed. It was a strange set up, but it allowed them to have more relaxed conversation without having to worry about keeping within the Statute of Secrecy as much.
Once they were finished, a pitcher of ice water was left and Tracey informed the staff she would let them know if they were further needed. This was also a bit of real practice for her duties as a future Lady of her house. Given her family's situation, she had to fulfill a bit of both roles as Lady and Heir in wizarding society.
"Now then, let us get to business," Harry said as Lord Davis nodded.
"I am here to formerly solidify our alliance. I am aware you have many questions and I will do my best to answer them. I do plan to leave some of it for future to my daughter though. She will be the primary contact between us, since you are both at Hogwarts and established as friendly with each other. I'm also here to formally thank you for how you helped her and her friend during their visit to the Rust District those years ago," the Head of House Davis said.
Lord Davis then stood up and gave a slight bow to Harry. "Thank you for your aid during that time. The Knights have treated my family well and we wish to do the same in return," he said as he sat back down.
"What do you wish to ask first?" The lord asked Harry.
"I would like to better understand why you wished for this alliance and what you hope to gain from it," Harry said.
"I will not lie. We do hope this alliance will be very beneficial to us. We will do what we can to aid you in what you hope to accomplish in the future," Lord Davis said.
"Tracey tells me your family is in the neutral camp," Harry said.
Lord Davis nodded to that. "We are. We do tend to lean a little towards the Dark Alliance at times, depending on if what they are wishing to accomplish is actually for keeping traditions or not," he said.
"I'm under the impression a good number in the dark alliance are of similar stance. It seems some feel they have no other choice in the matter," Harry said.
"That is rather astute of you, Heir Potter. Sadly, much of the neutral camp are mostly there to protect themselves from having to choose a side though. We sort of see it as a place for those who don't see the world as just black and white. We wish that was how most in the neutral camp treated it," Lord Davis said.
"I prefer that interpretation. That is how we in the Street Knights see the world," Harry said.
"I wish to ask where you feel you will end up aligning yourself politically. You need not answer yet, but it would be good to think on it and start acting accordingly," Lord Davis said.
Harry gazed at Lord Davis thoughtfully. The man wouldn't admit it, but he felt as if Harry was reading him. It wasn't in the way of Legilimency, but he could tell Harry was thinking on something he seemed to see. It partly terrified Lord Davis someone so young could do that. More than that it impressed him and made him feel even more certain aligning with Harry Potter was for the best, even without the prophecy.
"I am not familiar with such proceedings, but I do know vows and oaths exist in the magical world. How are such things handled when it comes to alliances usually?" Harry asked.
"It depends, but usually just a verbal vow with no magic is used. Some cases a vow or oath with magic may be used as a way to protect information. In very rare and usually frowned upon ways, a more permanent and deeper vow is made. There is what we call the Unbreakable Vow. These are rarely used and it is seen as very aggressive and even insulting to require such a thing. The Unbreakable Vow will take your life if it is broken. Magical binding Contracts can be similarly nasty, but those are more flexible in their use. If anyone ever asks you for such a contract, read it very carefully and have an expert you trust look it over as well," Lord Davis said.
Harry nodded to that.
"That all said. Vows and such can be used and worded in a way that simply protects those involved and does not result in harm to either party," Lord Davis further explained.
"Something of that nature may be best later on. I do intend to do some things that might require such protection. I have some plans I do wish to achieve in the magical world and feel I must do so as a Street Knight. There are problems I have already noticed I wish to fix," Harry said.
Lord Davis gave a slight grin to that. "As I said before, I knew there was something about you, Heir Potter."
Harry nodded to that. "To answer your question earlier, I plan on being a part of both the Light and Neutral Camps. I also plan on hopefully working with some in the Dark Alliance who feel it is their only choice and truthfully have more neutral leanings," Harry said.
"That will be tough," Lord Davis said.
"I feel Boss has taught me a lot to help with that. I am also hoping, given our alliance and others I may form in the future, I will be capable of doing so," Harry said.
"I do believe you could possibly learn to do such things from the shadows. I'm aware of how the Knights operate after all. Publicly, you will have to choose a side though. That will limit how much you can do and how much you will have to leave to others. House Davis can help with the neutral camp at least. It will still be tough though," he said to Harry.
Harry nodded to that, but then grinned. "I believe I am in a position that will allow me to be an active and open part of both the Light Side and the Neutral Camp," he said.
Lord Davis raised an eyebrow to that. Tracey blinked in surprise at Harry's claim. She knew his family was powerful and he did have the weight of his status as The-Boy-Who-Lived, but that would more or less force him to pick the light side. Picking the neutral camp would limit what he could do. It is hard to explain and mostly just works due to the mental gymnastics the wizarding world takes, but if he could indeed be in both, that could work for the best and make him very powerful.
"That is a very unusual claim. What exactly do you mean?" Lord Davis asked.
"Before we move forward, is there anything we need to do to officially become allies? There are some big implications to the answer of your question," Harry said seriously.
Lord Davis would admit he was intrigued by this. He also felt maybe it would require a lighter form of a magical oath. He thought carefully on how to word it, but this was something he had prepared for. He nodded and spoke. "I do think I have an oath that will suit this situation. You do have your wand correct?"
Harry nodded. "I do," he answered.
"I will give you a magical oath. Raising your wand and accepting it will not break any laws or rules. Giving an oath in return can be done, but I would have to use my own magic to first secure this room from detection. I could get away with it, but doing such an action too often would cause a few eyebrows to raise in the Ministry. I will word the oath in a way that is rather open and only requires your acceptance. Keep that latter information in mind for the future," Lord Davis said.
He was really taking a big risk here, but he doubted Harry would abuse what was about to take place. He also thought again over the prophecy for his family. Many would say he was being reckless, but he felt the rewards in this case would be more than worth it. Harry was a Street Knight and a Hufflepuff, so loyalty was not something he would take lightly or abuse.
"Thank you for explaining. This gesture means a great deal to me," Harry told him.
Lord Davis raised his wand and said, "I, Lord Nathaniel Davis, do hereby pledge to keep Harry James Potter's, Heir to House Potter, secrets so long as they do not harm my family magically or physically. My family and I will do the best we can to aid Heir Potter in his future endeavors. So, mote it be."
Harry raised his wand and said, "I, Harry James Potter, Heir to House Potter and Heir to House Peverell, do accept Lord Davis' oath."
There was a flash of light showing the oath was accepted by magic as well. When the light faded, Lord Davis sat still in shock but didn't show it. Tracey wasn't as practiced as her father, so her eyes widened and her mouth hung open in surprise. "That is an old and powerful name… Is it true? No Potter has used that name in the past," she couldn't help but ask.
"I went to Gringotts recently and spoke to my family's account manager. I took an inheritance test as well. Goldbite informed me I was heir to both houses and what it entails. He also explained to me, since none of my relatives in the past have taken up the name of Peverell, I have no choice in the matter for the sake of keeping the house alive," Harry explained.
"Oh…" was all Tracey could say in response.
Lord Davis couldn't help but smile in triumph. Harry having both of those names really did put him in a very strong position. "You could pull off what you said earlier with both of those names. There will even be a good few in the Dark Alliance who will not shy from positively interacting with you. You will still have to prove yourself, but I feel it won't be any more than you already would. With the right people, you could turn this world upside down and easily bring about change," Lord Davis said. Harry could probably even become Minister if he wanted with a few short years of political experience, if even that.
"That is part of what I plan to do eventually. Before that though, we will have to deal with Voldemort and his Death Eaters," Harry said.
"I've heard you already have some ideas on that. It is an interesting approach. Has there been any progress on that front?" Lord Davis asked.
"I have already gotten in contact with someone who I feel would be the best choice for looking into it. Not much other than that yet though. Not surprising with the little amount of time that has passed," Harry said.
"The fact you already have some ideas and started acting on them, puts you ahead of most of the magical world in that regard. There are some tricks I can use that would help with those plans and won't draw attention to me," Lord Davis said.
"That is more than I had hoped for at this point. I will keep you informed on my end," Harry said.
"I will do the same. I feel this is a meeting that will determine the fate of the magical world. The-Boy-Who-Lived not only intends to be active in our world and make changes, but he has even more tools at his disposal than most know," the older man said.
A part of him felt excited about this and couldn't help a smile forming. "I really look forward to how a magical, raised by the Street Knights, changes things up. I will start looking into others who can join us and keeping tabs on those who might be the biggest obstacles," he said.
"I appreciate that. I do hope to keep this from Dumbledore as much as possible. I don't feel he is truly an enemy, but I would prefer he not have an excuse to turn his eyes on us," Harry said.
"That will be a challenge, but it isn't impossible. I will keep that in mind. I can see him trying to reign you in if he learned too much too soon. I do hope you have a chance to get it across to him you aren't an enemy, but you aren't his tool either. He is a great man and very respected. He won't mention it and he tries to avoid it from happening, but he has a much larger ego than people realize. I fear that is what happens with old wizards like him," Lord Davis said.
"I agree with you on that. I've figured that since I first learned of the magical world and how he wished for me to stay with my relatives. They hated me in every way and my aunt despised my mother. Yet Dumbledore believes it was best for me to be raised by them and he wouldn't budge on matter when asked," Harry said. There wasn't anger in his voice it was just a fact.
"If you ever did wish to fight against him politically, that information could be a useful tool. That would be a fight best saved for after dealing with the Death Eaters and their master completely," Lord Davis said.
"I will keep that in mind. Though hopefully such a fight won't need to occur. Thank you, Lord Davis," Harry said as they started wrapping up the meeting.
[-] [-] [-]
"I must admit I'm really impressed with all you've done, Mr. Manton. I knew there was something about you and that's why I gave you the strength you needed to accomplish your goals. I did keep in touch and informed the best I could, but you still have impressed me. You've done a lot more than I thought you could by this point," Lord Davis said to Jett with a fond smile.
Jett smiled back. "It means a lot to me hearing you say that. A part of me felt I had to accomplish all I could and then some, so you wouldn't regret the chance you took," he said.
Lord Davis gave a chuckle. "I wish even half of the magical world had such a drive,"
Jett chuckled to that as well. "Harry's told me much about the magical world. I feel I can understand your sentiment," he said.
"Speaking of Harry. I had no idea you would end up being so important in his life. You've done more good taking him in as you have than you know. I've heard you saw him as a protege of sorts. Is that true?" Lord Davis asked.
Jett gave a fond smile. "I would have helped him as I have many others after meeting him and learning of his situation. However, just as you sensed something in me. I sensed something in him. I wasn't sure if he would end up leading the Knights one day or anything like that. But I could tell teaching him all I could was important. Learning of his position in the magical world. I feel the lessons I've taught and plan to teach to him, are even more important," he admitted.
Lord Davis nodded to that. "I think you're right there. I'll be helping him how I can, but learning from the leader of the Street Knights will give him an edge the magical world isn't prepared for. And that is a good thing. I'm not saying I wish we were like the muggle world, but we definitely need a kick in arse, as they say. We are too stuck in our ways. I don't want to get rid of our traditions or heritage, but we need changes for our world to survive. The lessons you've taught Harry will only help him in that regard. I can tell he has big plans, even if he doesn't fully realize how big they are yet."
"I hope he brings the Street Knights' way to the magical world," Jett said.
"I do too," Lord Davis said gravely. Knowing how the Street Knights work, he felt the magical world could benefit from learning those ways as well. Harry was the only one at the moment who could accomplish such a feat.
The Head of the Davis Family then brightened up and said, "Let's continue. I feel there is still a lot you wish to show me."
Jett nodded to that. "There is," he replied.
The two men continued their tour. Lord Davis was grateful Tracey was staying with Harry currently. He just knew she would be too bored otherwise. She would never show or admit it to him, she took her position in the family seriously. He was still glad she got to hang out with a friend who wasn't in Slytherin over the summer break. He wanted her to experience as much as she could as a child.
[-] [-] [-]
"This place really is something," Tracey admitted to Harry. He gave her a short tour of the parts of the Rust District she hadn't seen last time. They also made a few stops as well on the way. One of those stops was the Arcade he and his friends liked to frequent.
That had been as amazing to her as learning of magic was to muggleborns. When she was here with Pansy, they had thought about going to the arcade before they ran into the trouble they did. After Harry and the others rescued them, the group did other things instead. She really did love going to that place to have a milk shake.
"I'll take that as the good kind of 'something'," Harry said with a chuckle.
"Well… I am a Slytherin. We always have to keep a certain distance from others. Seeming impressed, even around friends, is a big no-no," she explained with a smile.
"Does it get exhausting?" Harry asked.
Tracey was in thought for a moment. "It does. That's just how it is though. You get used to it and learn how to deal with it all in an appropriate manner," she said.
"I don't think I'd like being in Slytherin. I don't think I could handle it," Harry said.
Tracey looked him over intently. "I think you could. Merlin help the magical world if you had ended up there. A Slytherin you… Is kind of scary. Most would figure you were the next Dark Lord. If you still got on people's case for using less than polite language regarding muggleborns, then the magical world wouldn't know what to do with you. If you ended up in Slytherin, you would also clearly have the ambition and cunning to use that to your advantage. If others knew what your plans were, they might think you actually were more of a true Slytherin than any others," she said.
Harry nodded to that. "I guess I could see that. There is reason to argue a truly ambitious and cunning person would avoid going to the House of the Cunning and Ambition. People would underestimate you if you weren't there and that could be very useful," he said.
Tracey gave a smirk as she said, "I'm beginning to think that you really are a true Slytherin, Harry Potter."
Harry frowned a little. "I wouldn't have admitted it, if that was my true character," he said flatly.
"Is that so?" Tracey started.
Harry remained impassive.
Tracey couldn't help but give an amused smile as she said, "Maybe you're admitting it to throw me off."
Harry chuckled and shook his head. "Try not to get too carried away with the Slytherin thing. That would lead to a life of paranoia," he said.
Tracey giggled. "Yes. It would," she said as they continued their way.
Chapter 20: Shopping and Book SigningsChapter TextHarry was both excited and worried about shopping for his school supplies. He was excited because he would be doing so with his friends from school. He was worried because said friends were all girls and everyone knew girls were extra crazy about shopping. They never let guys know why either.
Harry tried asking Davey for answers, but she would just giggle and wink as she said, "We have to have some secrets. I can't go and expose every female secret to a boy. Even if he is like a brother to me."
Harry vowed to one day find a means to figure out all of these female secrets just because Davey said she wouldn't tell him.
Harry was a little disappointed he wouldn't be able to meet Tracey during the trip. She was busy with family matters the day they were going to do their shopping. " I really don't envy Tracey. She has to learn how to be a proper Pure Blood Lady and how to be the Head of her family, " Harry thought to himself.
He figured it would be difficult enough with what he had to do as Head of the Potter and Peverell families. He really hoped he wouldn't have to add Head of the Black Family to that list. He will be getting help from Lord Davis, but it is still a lot work. Harry couldn't even imagine what it would be like to learn all of the things a Pure Blood Lady learns on top of everything else. Especially after the conversation with Draco on the train after first year.
[-] [-] [-]
"Hello Harry!" Hermione said happily as she met him in the Leaky Cauldron. It was the obvious staging area for this shopping quest. Hannah and Susan would be joining them soon enough. Susan's Aunt, Madam Bones, was going to be their escort for the trip.
"Hey Hermione," Harry said in reply. She gave him a hug before breaking it off quickly, for her at least. This caused Harry to raise an eyebrow in question. Hermione loved hugs and he loved her hugs. It was odd for her to break them off quickly like this.
"My parents are right outside. I told them I wanted to first check if anyone else was here real quick," she explained quietly with a smile.
"How was the calling thing?" Harry asked.
"Not too bad. It was manageable. Probably because we already met up earlier this summer," Hermione said.
"Good to hear. I've missed you obviously, but it wasn't anything uncontrollable for me," Harry said.
"I wonder why it doesn't seem to affect you as much," Hermione asked mostly to herself.
Harry gave a shrug. "Maybe it's because I hold on tight to bonds anyways, so it is already natural for me to feel connections to others and I have experience with them and somehow that carries over to the magical world. I don't really know. I'm just guessing," he said.
Hermione placed that idea in the back of her mind for later. It wasn't a secret she didn't really have any friends or people she was close to outside of her parents before Hogwarts. Maybe Harry was right. Maybe it was more of a deep crush and she just wasn't used to it. It could be possible these things were different in the magical world. Whatever the case, they could look more into it this school year.
"Well then. Shall I meet your parents? Get your dad's whole overprotective dad routine out of the way?" Harry asked half-jokingly.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "My mom keeps him in check. Even so, I think if you are just you that would be enough," Hermione replied. Harry nodded.
"Lead the way," he said with a small smile.
[-] [-] [-]
"So, you're the reason my daughter decided she wanted to learn cooking?" Hermione's mom asked, causing Hermione to frown in response. The mother hid a laugh in reply to her daughter's expression.
Hermione then blushed a little as Harry looked to her quickly. She cleared her throat and said, "Mom. We discussed this. I'm a Hufflepuff. We have a kitchen in our dorm rooms."
"So, you've told me," Hermione's mom said causally. It was obvious she wasn't buying that excuse.
"It is nice to meet you, Mrs. Granger. What Hermione says is true," Harry said in greeting.
"I'm happy to meet you as well, Harry," she replied.
Harry then continued his point in defense of Hermione's words. "Some of the students make it a tradition to host a meal in their dorm rooms a couple of times a month. Professor Sprout has even said she might start up an old Hufflepuff tradition again."
Hermione nodded to that and smiled. "Our Head said Hufflepuff used to have a big potluck feast each semester where every dorm room cooked enough to share with the others," Hermione added.
"Fine," her mother relented with a smile. She then whispered to Hermione, "The fact he so quickly came to your side is a good sign. I'm rooting for you, dear." Hermione blushed again. She was thankful her dad was meeting Harry at the moment. They were too busy to see her blushing so much.
[-] [-] [-]
Mr. Granger looked the boy over. Harry was pretty strong looking for his age. He could see why his precious little girl might have one of those terrible and damnable crushes on him. He really didn't like it though. He still reached out a hand to shake Harry's in the way a real father would when meeting some boy that might get ideas.
"I've heard a lot about you, Harry," he started with a neutral smile. "My daughter is very important to me. She hasn't had a lot of friends and such before. I'm so glad you're a friend of my daughter's. You better not hurt her though. Of course, a real friend would never do that to someone they were friends with. I hope you will always be Hermione's friend and never hurt her," Mr. Granger said. He was placing a lot of emphasis on the word 'friend' each time he said it. He squeezed Harry's hand a little harder each time as well.
Harry showed no signs of weakness. He had no problems with the extra tight and strong handshake either. He gave a friendly smile and said, "I'm glad to meet you, Mr. Granger. Hermione is very special. A real Hufflepuff will always be sure they don't hurt their fellow Hufflepuffs. Even if I wasn't a Hufflepuff, I would never hurt those I consider important to me."
For some reason, Harry felt he should avoid using the term 'friend'. He didn't want to limit his relationship with Hermione by using such a word. He also felt it showed he would remain strong, even under a protective father's gaze. He held the handshake firm and didn't relent. Harry didn't see a need to tighten it in return to prove something either.
Mr. Granger looked the boy in the eyes. He couldn't help but feel both annoyance and respect towards Harry. The boy wasn't hiding that there might be something more than just friendship between him and Hermione. This annoyed Mr. Granger. At the same time, Harry had a strength to him that few had, let alone at his age. Mr. Granger could also tell Harry meant what he said. The father felt respect towards the boy as a result. It was still annoying though.
"When are the others due to arrive?" Mr. Granger asked after a moment.
"They should be here soon," Harry replied.
"I'm still worried about this whole magic shopping thing," Mr. Granger casually admitted. The magical world made him feel more than a little uneasy.
"If it is any help," Harry started. Mr. Granger looked to him. "Susan's aunt, who is escorting us, is the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," Harry said.
Mr. Granger nodded to that. "That does help a little," he admitted. That also meant Harry wouldn't try anything with his precious little Hermione either. The boy wouldn't dare do something so heinous as looking at his daughter too long, or with too much interest under the watch of such a person.
It was then the doors to the Leaky Cauldron opened and a severe looking witch and two girls walked inside. "Hello Harry! Hello Hermione!" Hannah greeted them cheerfully as did Susan.
"It is good to see you both again," Hermione said with a smile as she gave them both hugs in greeting. Both girls happily returned the tight hug. Seeing this interaction made both Mr. and Mrs. Granger happy. They had heard about their daughter's other friends as well, but it was nice seeing them in real life with her. Their daughter had already gained so much in the magical world.
"I'm Amelia Bones. Susan's Aunt and the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," the severe woman greeted the Grangers politely.
Susan told her aunt it would help put Hermione's parents at ease knowing such a person was helping their daughter today. They would be staying for some of the trip, but sadly not all of it. They had a business appointment they needed to make in the area after lunch. They would return to take their daughter home after spending time with the others in the Leaky Cauldron at the end of the day.
After the Grangers greeted Madam Bones and the other two girls, the Head of the DMLE turned to Harry. "I'm glad to meet you in person, Mr. Potter. You have been a great friend to my niece," she said with a fond smile.
Harry smiled in return. "She has been a great friend. She has also been very helpful in explaining things about the magical world to both Hermione and I," he told her.
"As a model Hufflepuff should," Madam Bones said proudly. She then gave a slight frown. "I am sad I didn't get the opportunity to meet your guardians though. Not only do I want to make sure those around my niece are being properly taken care of, but your whereabouts and who is looking after you, are both big mysteries."
"From what I have been told, that is for good reason," Harry said.
"True. I don't think it should be such a mystery to the DMLE though. At the same time, I can understand why it is," she said.
The truth was it might be for the best so few knew where Harry stayed. The boy looked healthy enough and seemed to have been well cared for. She still wanted to know more as the head of the DMLE and an ex-Auror. She could appreciate the secrecy tough, even if she didn't like it.
"Can we get going?" Hannah finally asked after a moment.
"Yes, we can," Madam Bones replied as she led the way.
[-] [-] [-]
Shopping had been very successful so far. The kids had most of their supplies already. They would be getting books last for the day. Susan told her aunt of Hermione's habits regarding shopping for books. She even mentioned Harry could take plenty of time as well.
Lunch had been wonderfully pleasant. The Grangers really enjoyed the place Hannah picked out for them all. It had more choices than the Leaky Cauldron and the muggles loved seeing the variety of food.
"I had kind of feared the worst after what Hermione said about the meals at Hogwarts. I'm glad they feed the students well, but it sounds like the selection is rather limited and on the heavy side," Mrs. Granger said.
"Hogwarts' food is very good, but I agree with you. It would get old if all of our world's food was the same," Madam Bones said.
The kids were having their own conversation during the meal. In the meantime, Hermione's parents asked Madam Bones plenty about the magical world. She helped put their minds at ease with her answers, while also worrying them in other ways. They both accepted there wasn't much they could do about that though. Hermione was a part of the magical world now. Seeing how happy she was, they understood she couldn't go without it anymore.
Once lunch was over and the Grangers left, the remaining group headed to Quality Quidditch Supplies. Harry was very insistent on getting a broom. Hermione seemed curious about them as well, but it was obvious she didn't really have plans of getting her own. She wouldn't say 'No' to riding with Harry though.
Harry loved seeing the store. It was really cool seeing all of the Quidditch stuff. He never knew there was so much to it. He didn't really know about trying out for the team though. He didn't know what position he would be suited for and the team was pretty good already. He still made sure to look at everything in the store. He looked at each of the brooms carefully. He even managed to get a fact sheet which explained all the details for the different brooms on sale.
The boy did surprise Madam Bones when he actually went for last year's broom model. The Nimbus 2000 was really good, but she figured he would pick the newest and most recent broom. She learned he could easily afford it.
When she asked Harry why he chose the Nimbus 2000, he actually had a very well-reasoned answer. "The differences aren't that significant. I'm not on team where even the slightest edge would be beneficial to me. I just want to fly for fun," he said to her. This answer actually earned some respect from Madam Bones. It wasn't often you would come across people with such self-control and logical reasoning, especially if they had plenty of money and were young.
[-] [-] [-]
"All that's left are books," Madam Bones said once they finished up the rest of their shopping. Hermione and Harry both seemed to brighten hearing that, Hermione especially so. The girl was bouncing on her feet in eagerness. Madam Bones was wondering if she might have to drag the girl out of the store herself before they finished for the day.
When the group arrived at Flourish and Blotts, Madam Bones frowned. The place was jam packed. It seemed there was some kind of event going on today.
"I think I'll wait outside for this one. If you need anything, I'll be right out here. I'll come and get you all if you take too long," she said.
The place was too crowded for her liking. She was tempted to give the store a citation for breaking fire code, even if it was rather lax. She at least knew the kids were trustworthy enough to handle one store on their own. Plus, given Hermione's love for books, Madam Bones doubted the frizzy haired girl would let her friends do anything that might endanger the precious tomes. She just might have to be personally dragged out of the store at the end of the day.
"Okay, Auntie. I don't blame you… I would ask Hannah to grab the books for me, but I know she wouldn't let me get away with that," Susan said with a giggle as Hannah nodded in reply while grinning.
Once Madam Bones left, Hannah turned to the others. "I wonder what's going on today?" she asked as her friends shrugged in reply.
Harry decided to politely ask one of the people waiting in line. "Excuse me, ma'am. What's going on here exactly? If you don't mind my asking," he asked.
"Oh no worries, dear. It's a book signing. Gilderoy Lockhart is here himself!" she answered without looking.
"Really?" Hermione asked in surprise.
The woman turned to look at them and nodded.
"That's surprising…" Harry started. "He's the author of all our school books this year. I wonder what he's like."
The woman blinked and looked to him in disbelief before smiling. "He is amazing! He's been all over preforming great deeds and writing about them. He's got the best of smiles as well," she said dreamily. She then looked at Harry closer and blinked. "Wait a minute! Aren't you… Harry Potter?!" she asked in surprise this time.
Harry gave an almost unnoticeable sigh to that. "Yes. I am," he replied. He was about to leave it at that and slip away to look at the books, but it seemed her words got the notice of the other people in line.
"It's really him!" one lady said to another. More started to whisper to each other, which in turn got more people's attention.
Harry still might have been able to slip away, but just then a pompous voice spoke up. "What is going on here?" a man asked. He made his way over to the commotion.
The man was wearing rather extravagant and flamboyant robes. He also had wavy blonde hair and teeth so white and straight his smile could only be accomplished through magic. He gave a gasp and his eyes widened. "Is that you, Harry Potter?" he asked almost as if he knew Harry personally.
Harry didn't even reply before he was swept up by the man and posing for a picture. Harry didn't even know where the cameraman had been hiding until then. "Harry Potter! It is so good to see you. Together, you and I are front page news!" Lockhart said giving a big gleaming smile at the camera. Harry was still surprised, yet appeared neutrally polite to the outside observer.
Hermione and the others were shocked by the way things turned so quickly. They weren't sure what to do here to help. Hermione additionally seemed to be a bit starstruck at Lockhart's appearance. Harry wondered about that and part of him didn't like it.
Before any of them could regain their bearings, Lockhart spoke up clearly to all of the gathered people. "Ladies and Gentlemen. This is the perfect chance to let you all know a tiny but wonderful secret I've been desperately keeping," he said as he moved a little away to better stand out on his own.
Harry frowned to all that just happened. He needed to get a better hold on his celebrity status in the magical world. He thought he would be okay given how some people saw him in the Street Knights and how people acted at Hogwarts. It seemed; he underestimated the people at large. He was not happy someone just took advantage of his presence to improve their own status like that. He took a little solace in the fact it was mostly harmless and Lockhart had moved on already. The man unwittingly gave Harry a reprieve by speaking to everyone again and drawing their attention.
All of the people were whispering to each other as they wondered what Lockhart was about to say. "No doubt Harry Potter came here today, like all of you wonderful people, to buy my new autobiography. Magical Me! However… he will get more than just the book for free," Lockhart said as a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"He's so generous…" one of the fan witches said to another quietly.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! I am very pleased to announce to you all first! Harry, all of his friends, and fellow students will be getting the real magical me in person," the man said with a gleaming smile.
The gathered people gasped in excitement as Lockhart smiled to them all.
"That's right! I am very pleased to announce I will be taking up the post as Professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts!" Lockhart said.
The gathered group cheered happily to this news.
Lockhart gave an amused laugh before quieting them all down. "I felt it was only right that I better help our young and promising witches and wizards. They are our future, even I should do my part to ensure they can be the best they can be. My books are wonderfully detailed and very authoritative in how to deal with all manner of threats in our world. But there is little that can replace personally sharing our experiences with the witches and wizards of tomorrow!" he said.
"He's so wonderful! He's always thinking of the children and our future as a society," another older witch said with a dreamy sigh.
"Yes. Yes. We are all excited," Lockhart said with a chuckle. He then clapped his hands together and said, "Now then. Let us all get back to the reason we have gathered here today. On with the book signing!" People cheered to that as well.
Harry took that as his cue to fade into the background and go get his school books. He probably wouldn't spend as much time as he usually would in a bookstore. There was no way he wanted to chance Lockhart swooping him up into something else.
[-] [-] [-]
Harry had his books and made his way to the exit of the shop. He was going to wait there for the others.
"Bet you loved that, Potter," Draco started from where he was sitting on a set of stairs with Pansy by his side. Harry gave them a nod in greeting. Draco then gave Harry a smirk. "Famous Harry Potter. Can't even go to a book store without making the front page of the newspaper and getting his picture taken," Draco drawled out in a tone Harry knew well enough showed the boy was joking.
Harry gave a scoff and looked over to Professor Lockhart briefly. "Such publicity could be a handy tool, but I would much rather it be on my own terms. Not so some peacocking buffoon of a wizard could prop himself up," he said.
Draco gave a chuckle to that. "Yet that peacock is to be our new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. Clearly, Dumbledore couldn't get anyone else," he finished with a scoff.
"I bet a sixth-year student could do a better job instructing than him," Pansy said with a frown at the man. He was smiling brightly as he signed a witch's book while she gushed over him in front of everyone.
"All they'd have to do was read from the books without stuttering and demonstrate a spell or two and be deemed DADA Professor of the decade," Harry said earning laughs from both Draco and Pansy.
"Even given who they are… I still find it surprising he has so many fans. Maybe he should instead teach a class on being a mundane celebrity," Draco said as he looked over the gathered witches.
"I doubt he'd be good at that. Just look at his fans," Pansy said with a disgusted look on her face. "Bored and lonely house wives who probably haven't felt an intimate touch in years. It shouldn't be surprising they all seem to be… shall we say… rotund?"
Draco laughed to that. "No wonder Molly Weasley is here in that case," he said darkly while smirking again.
"Hey!" a voice shouted from nearby. "You take that back! Slimy Snake," Ron said with a glare. His face was matching the color of his family's trademark hair.
"Oh? Heard that did you? So sorry… I didn't even notice you were there. The scent of these books must have surprisingly covered up your stench, Weasley," Draco said in the tone he always reserved for Ron personally.
Harry mentally sighed. Ron and Draco were about to go at it again. He doubted Draco hadn't noticed Ron was nearby. Ron was far from stealthy and the two loved going out of their way to get into a row with each other. They were both always surprisingly aware of the other's presence when they were nearby. Most of the time Ron and Draco were the first to notice the other.
They didn't get the chance to continue their fight though. For better or worse, it was Ron's dad who cut them off. "What's going on here?" Mr. Weasley asked as he came over to them. He was carrying a cauldron stuffed far more than was probably safe. "Oh… Draco. Come on Ron. Let's get going. We still have a lot to do and you know how your mom gets," he said to his son.
"Yes. Please do stop pestering your betters, boy," a new voice said.
Draco's dad came forward. He looked almost exactly like a spitting image of Draco, but older. Judging by the barely contained contempt on the elder Malfoy's face, it seemed Draco shared his father's dislike of the Weasleys.
"Come along Ron. We don't have time to waste," Arthur said ignoring Lucius Malfoy's comment.
"Can't even get a break when outside of the ministry? I do hope they at least pay you extra for such… pointless devotion," Lucius said. He picked up a book that was about to fall from top of the stack Mr. Weasley held. He gave the book a disgusted look before placing it back in the cauldron. "Clearly, they don't. Why even bother working so hard in such a department? The Ministry doesn't actually care much for muggles. Why do you? No proper wizard should," he said with a sneer.
Mr. Weasley looked livid now. Harry guessed Ron inherited his dislike of the Malfoy family from his father. "Some of us have a different opinion on what makes a proper witch or wizard. Muggles are still humans and should be treated as such," he replied.
"If you love them so much… You should do us all a favor and snap your wand to join them. We'd be even better off if you took your brood with you," Lucius said with a dark smirk.
"That's it!" Mr. Weasley said before he shoved the cauldron over to Ron, who barely managed to save it from crashing to the floor. Mr. Weasley lunged at a surprised Mr. Malfoy who quickly responded in kind. The two men started throwing fists at each other and glared at one another while calling out rude names.
Draco was actually appalled by his dad's behavior. He still hoped his father won. A Malfoy shouldn't lose to a Weasley. Ever!
Ron was cheering his dad on. "Give him a left, dad! Give him a right! Give him the old Weasley one-two!" he cheered as he tried to keep the cauldron and books steady. Harry thought it was actually impressive how well Ron succeeding in that task.
The fight didn't last long.
"What in the?!" a voice growled out as a giant of a man picked them both up by their robes. "Arthur?! Lucius?!" Hagrid asked. "What are ye doing?! In front of the children no less," he said with a shake of his head.
The two men looked like overgrown children who had just been forced to break up a quarrel with each other. Both men were small compared to Hagrid, but they were fiercely glaring at each other.
Harry only didn't laugh because he knew it wouldn't go over well. The scene looked like something out of a cartoon to him. If they each took a Pepper Up Potion, causing their ears to steam, it would be a live action version of a cartoon fight.
"Ye should both be ashamed of yerselves," Hagrid chastised them before placing them back down.
Mr. Malfoy tried to smooth out his robes and pretend he hadn't just been easily manhandled by Hogwarts' Keeper of Keys and Grounds. "Come, Draco. There is much we need to do and your mother will be expecting to take you and Pansy robe shopping," Mr. Malfoy said as he tried to save some dignity and left with the two following him.
Harry could tell Pansy was using all of her Pure-Blood Princess training to keep from laughing as she walked with Draco and his father.
"Come on Ron. Like I said… We shouldn't keep your mother waiting," Arthur said as he took the cauldron back from his son and they left as well.
Hagrid shook his head at the lot of them. "Can't believe they did that in a bookstore of all places. See ya at Hogwarts, 'arry," Hagrid said with a grin before leaving. He would have stayed to talk to Harry a little but he was very busy himself.
[-] [-] [-]
"Done!" Hannah said cheerfully as she suddenly came up to Harry with Hermione and Susan in tow.
"I'm surprised you finished already," Harry said to them with a teasing grin as he looked to Hermione in particular.
"We had to pull Hermione away from an aisle displaying previous editions of the same book next to each other," Susan said with a giggle.
Hermione blushed and looked away as she said, "I'm surprised you're ready, Harry."
Harry nodded in reply. "After the whole Lockhart thing. I wasn't really in a browsing mood," he said.
"Oh…" Hermione replied. She gave a frown. "I can see that," she admitted sadly.
She had thought Lockhart was interesting and kind of handsome, even if Harry was more so in her mind, but now she didn't like the man. If he caused Harry that much trouble, she couldn't really like him. Harry loved books too and Lockhart ruined a part of the trip she knew Harry was looking forward to along with her.
Harry squeezed her shoulder and smiled. "I did at least get to see something very entertaining," he started. He didn't want her or the others thinking the day was ruined.
"What happened?" Hannah asked.
Harry's smile grew. "Hagrid handling Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy like naughty school boys," he said now laughing like he wanted to earlier. The girls were stunned for a moment as they pictured that. They soon joined him in laughing.
"Let's get going," Susan said after their shared laughter. "My Aunt won't like us keeping her waiting a moment longer." The group followed her out of the store. None of them wanted to keep the Head of the DMLE waiting, even if she was off-duty.
"I was about to go inside and see what all the ruckus was about, but it seems Hagrid took care of it. Mr. Malfoy looked unusually pale when he noticed I was waiting out here though," Amelia said as the group came over.
The four children looked to each other and snickered. "What did I miss? " the Head of the DMLE wondered as she led the children back to the Leaky Cauldron to finish out the day.