CH1

Magic

Harry rubbed his rapidly bruising shoulder and knew his head would be aching soon from being slammed into the cupboard as Uncle Vernon slammed the little door and locked it. "There's no such thing as magic!" he bellowed as he stormed into the kitchen leaving Harry alone to ponder if there was no magic how did the glass on the snake's cage disappear and then reappear.

Harry spent hours long after everyone went to bed thinking about it. Finally as the sun was just starting to rise he had an idea why not try it again, but this time use one of his three army men, they used to be Dudley's but they were each missing an arm or leg, lost in battle not in honorable battle with fellow soldiers but with his big fat cousins abuse, the only thing his cousin was good at.

Harry placed the army man on the shelf the thought about it, trying to remember everything just before the glass disappeared and Dudley ended up trapped in the cage. He remembered feeling something, but wasn't sure what it was. He was angry of course and hurt, Dudley was banging on the glass annoying the nice snake when he wanted Dudley to fall in, to break through, something and that's exactly what happened. We he did so it must have come from inside, whatever it was; Uncle Vernon said it wasn't magic, well if uncle Vernon said there was no magic then that's just what it was, magic. Quickly deciding that from now on doing and believing the exact opposite of anything uncle Vernon said or did.

Harry thought about the magic inside himself picturing it moving out like an invisible arm. Harry believed so much he could almost feel it there reaching out towards the army man missing its head. As the magic touched the army man Harry opened his eyes and found the army man gone. Just like the glass. Harry was still in shock when a minute later the army man reappeared like it never left. Excited Harry reached out again and this time watched as the army man disappeared. Harry went to grab it with his real hand and it truly wasn't there. Harry found he was tired, probably because he'd been up all night so he laid back and waited. The wait was much longer then the first time but finally the army man returned and Harry smiled as he closed his eyes and slept.

Harry tried many things with his army men. He soon found he could make them float and fly around as if they were supermen flying to save the day, but it wasn't till three days later that he learned some truly new. No matter how good you become cooking bacon sometimes you still get burned and that's what he did. A slice of bacon popped and almost got him in the eye and when he jerked back he knocked a plate off the counter breaking it.

Harry of course was frightened and just wanted to fix the plate before uncle Vernon saw it and suddenly it was fixed, unfortunately Dudley who waited excitedly for Harry's punishment for breaking the plate paled worriedly as the plate fixed itself but he came to his senses and knowing Harry would now be in more trouble for fixing the plate then breaking it in the first place ran faster than he ever had to fetch his father who unfortunately had his belt in hand and murder in his eyes.

Harry spent the next three days in his cupboard and most of that time with his back bleeding. The first day he couldn't even think about trying more magic, the pain was just too unbearable but the next days he spent thinking of new things for his magic to do making a game out of it.

Life became bearable at privet drive until the letter came addressed to him under the stairs but Uncle Vernon took it, soon more letters and after several days he found himself in a shack on an island wishing himself a happy birthday when a Hagrid came and told him he was a wizard, being taken to Diagon alley and receiving his wand and more importantly his snowy white owl Hedwig. Unfortunately he found himself back at Privet Drive again with a whole month before the train would take him away to his new school and as soon as he walked in and Vernon had made sure Hagrid was gone Harry was grabbed forcefully by the arm and shoved into his new room and was told to stay, while some things had changed others had stayed the same. The cupboard under the stair didn't remain empty it was now the home of his new truck with his school stuff that were now locked inside.

By the second day even the extra room his new room provided became boring, haven seen the outside, he needed to get out if only a little while, so he spent hours thinking until he remembered the time he had magically ended up on the school roof.

He spent another hour just trying to remember everything about the time, he had been scared, running from Dudley and his gang when he turned the corner he knew too late that it was a dead end and he would be trapped with no teachers insight to curb Dudley or his gangs playtime of beating up Harry when Harry glanced up and just wished he was up there among the pigeons Dudley couldn't get there and suddenly he was there looking down safe from his tormentors but not from the school or Uncle Vernon when he got home. Unfortunately he had been suspended for a week and it took that long to recover.

Shaking the painful memory away Harry thought only of ending up on the roof and tried copying those feelings from that day and suddenly he was on the roof of the school, just like that day years ago. Luckily it was late at night and no one saw him. At first he was excited but then fear started to creep in, what if he couldn't get back, what if this was the only place he could go, but after a few long minutes Harry calmed down enough to "jump" to his room, jump was a good enough word to use whatever he had done, with no one the wiser so Harry laid down and thought of a plan for the next day.

After he had fixed breakfast but was only given bread and water before being sent to his room Harry's plan wasn't working. Thinking on the bank and "jumping" wasn't working, in fact thinking of anywhere in Diagon Ally wasn't working, even "Jumping" to the Leaky Caldron wasn't working not that he wanted to show up there and be mobbed again anyway. Harry was about to give up but remembers a small alley just a few doors down from the Leaky Caldron it's was just big enough for a few large trash bins but if he could jump there it would work.

Harry "jumped" to the alley and was assaulted by the smell of rotten trash, but the smell would make sure he wasn't seen easily, Hagrid had said muggles weren't to know about magic. Harry walked quickly into the Leaky Caldron following a mother and daughter with brown bushy hair. As the mother stopped Harry quickly continued on keeping his head down so the bartender that had called him out last time didn't get the chance this time. Coming to the brick wall leading to the alley Harry pulled his wand and then thought for a second before imagining his magic flowing into his finger and touching the brick just like Hagrid had done only with his umbrella and the bricks started to move.

"How'd you do that?" Came an overexcited voice all too close behind him, making him jump almost out of his skin.

"Hermione, don't scare him like that!" The Harry was met with the smile of the bushy haired girl's mother while the girls looked meekly at the ground between them.

"I'm sorry," she said before looking up. "I just didn't know you could do that without a wand."

Harry smiled at the girl. "It's ok, I just didn't know you were there, but you can do all sorts of things without a wand, I'm not even sure how to use my wand."

The girl's eyes widened. "Can you show me?"

Harry smiled kind of mischievously and watched as the girl he thought her mother had called her Hermione bounced on the balls of her feet in excitement. Harry led them through the open wall and waited for it to close again. "I'm Hermione Granger by the way." Hermione said as the waited.

"Oh sorry I'm Harry!" he smiled back a looked expectantly for the wall to close. Hermione eyebrow rose questioningly and Harry turned back somewhat sadly. "Harry Potter." He finished in an almost whisper.

"You are?" Hermione took a step closer inspecting him. "You are!" She said in awe but Harry started to back away fearfully as he looked around to see who heard.

Mrs. Granger noticed. "Hermione dear I think your scaring him again." She didn't know what was going on but she was going to keep a closer eye on the boy in several sizes too large clothes with fear in his eyes. Fear of what she felt she needed to know.

Harry stood straighter. "No I'm not scared," he said looking around again. "It's just that the last time someone heard my name I was practically mugged by people wanting to shake my hand." He looked at Hermione who only had a sad and confused look on her face. "I don't even know why, Hagrid didn't tell me much."

Hermione wanted to ask who Hagrid was or why he didn't know why witches and wizards wanted to shake his hand but decided on the more important question. "Show me how to do that," she nodded at the wall behind them. ", and I'll tell you everything I know."

Harry thought about for a moment and frowned. Hermione saw the frown and started to frown herself and look at the ground sadly. "How about I tell teach you everything I know and you tell me everything you know. I think that's farer."

Hermione looked up at his smiling green eyes and gripped him and bear hug. Mrs. Granger noticed Harry tense up, now not having a little boy but remembering her days as a little girl who loved her hugs as much as Hermione. She knew while it was normal for boys to shy away from such hugs but Harry seemed fearful, the abused kind of fearful. "Honey let him breath." Mrs. Granger said trying to laugh it off while secretly fearful for the nice young man.

When Harry was released by a blushing Hermione he turned to the wall and a bouncing Hermione followed. "Touch the wall right there." Hermione looked at the wall and narrowed her eyes at Harry but he nodded so she did but nothing happened, Hermione turned back almost triumphantly but found Harry still smiling. "Think of your magic as a light in your chest." Hermione looked confused Harry nodded for her to continue and she closed her eyes and sighed after a minute. "Use your imagination Hermione."

Hermione opened her eyes and stated matter of factually. "I don't have an imagination."

Harry looked confused but Mrs. Granger saved him. "Hermione all those books you read, don't you put yourself with the characters?" She asked taping the side of her head.

Hermione thought for a moment and nodded closing her eyes again and soon she smiled. "Oh I have it."

Harry smiled at Mrs. Granger and she smiled back. "Ok now imaging you can feel that light and let it spread throughout your body all the way to your finger tips." Hermione's face scrunched up and she bite her lower lip before she nodded. "Good now push more of your magic into your finger and touch the wall." Harry and Mrs. Granger watched as Hermione took a deep breath and touched the wall and the bricks started to move and soon the path was open. Hermione jumped up and down and hugged Harry again who Mrs. Granger noticed wasn't quiet as fearful this time and even had a small smile.

The second part of Harry's plan after getting to Diagon Alley was to get an ice cream and that's what he did ordering a banana split. "What do you want Hermione?" Harry asked pulling out several galleons from his pocket.

Hermione looked at her mom who nodded she didn't have any galleons on her; their first stop was to be the wizard bank with all the strange Goblins. "Can I have a banana split too?" She asked the waiter who happened to be the owner.

"Sure of course you can but might I suggest the extra large, it has five kinds of ice cream, plus more banana's…well it just plane has more of everything… it's made to share, it might be a bit much for three people but I think you can handle it." Everyone nodded and he went to get the drinks and the mountain sized banana split. None of them had ever seen ice cream in some of those colors but as they each took their own bit from their own side of the mountain they found it no longer mattered.

While taking their first break Harry pulled out his headless army man and Hermione looked at it confused. Harry smiled and set it down. "This is how I learned." The little green soldier started to walk across the table towards Hermione who giggled.

"That's amazing. How do I do it?"

Harry laughed but suddenly there was a ruckus in the street with a large family of redheads. Two who looked to be twins were throwing something between them as their mother yelled and screamed for them to behave, while an older one walked ahead oblivious to what was happening behind him, or more like ignoring what was happening behind him and trying to distance himself from it. While the two youngest a boy and an even younger girl straggled behind until the boy caught sight of something in a store window and ran towards it knocking over his little sister. Harry jumped up followed by Hermione to help her up.

"Are you OK?" Harry asked as she was righted on her feet.

She looked up just as Hermione arrived at Harry's side her smile faded when she realized who Harry was. The little redhead looked to be in shock. "Are you ok?" Hermione asked putting a hand on the girls arm.

At the touch the girl looked to Hermione and leaned to her ear and whispered. "That's Harry Potter!", in an awed timid voice.

Hermione giggled. "Yes it is but he doesn't like to be recognized, he's very nice though, maybe you

should say hi."

The girl turned timidly back to Harry. "Hi."

Harry smiled trying not to laugh. "Hi, that's Hermione." Harry nodded to Hermione she was also trying not to laugh. The girl turned to her. "Hi, I'm Ginny, Ginny Weasley." Ginny turned to tell her mom who she just met but now none of her family were anywhere to be seen. "They left me." She said sadly but then a mischievous smile played across her face and her eyes opened wide. "They left me!"

"Oh dear you seem to have been lost in the shuffle my dear," Mrs. Granger said with a sad smile as she walked over. "It's always best to stay near where you were left so when it's found your missing they can backtrack to find you." Hermione took Ginny's hand and led her towards the table.

Soon Ginny now sharing the banana split was amazed at the little walking muggle toy; she was even more amazed when Harry taught her how to do it in just a few minutes. "I can't believe we aren't getting in trouble doing this." Ginny said as her little army man stood on its head for her.

"I think it's because you're not using your wands." All three kids looked at Mrs. Granger confused. "Well from what you say and what Hermione has read, wizards only use a wand, but I know Hermione did lots of strange things long before we heard of magic."

"Yea but that's accidental magic, that's different!" Ginny chimed in as the little man stopped moving because she's lost focus.

Harry's eyes lit up as Hermione took her turn and put her magic into the little man and picked up his spoon. By then he's had enough ice cream to last a week anyway and it started to move like a worm across the table to join the army man. Ginny got the idea and did the same with her spoon and soon three spoons were racing around the table around the forgotten army man.

"Ginny!" a cry rang out from down the alley and Ginny stood up and waved to her mother. "MOM!"

Mrs. Granger recognized the stalk of an anger mother and went to head off Ginny's mother off. "Hello Mrs. Weasley I'm Emma Granger, Hermione's mom." She head indicating her bushy haired daughter beside the woman's own.

"Oh hello." Her rant stalled as Mrs. Weasley looked at her daughter hold the older girls hand with a dark haired boy on her other side looking slightly fearful. Mrs. Weasley turned back and shook Emma's outstretched hand. "Please call me Molly." before turning back to her daughter. "And where have you been?" She asked as her four other watched silently from behind.

"Oh well Ginny here was sort of knocked over," Emma answered glancing at who she now knew was Ron from Ginny's description, Molly turned briefly and noticed which son she had looked at and Ron stepped back to hid slightly behind one of his twin brothers who promptly pushed him back out not wanting to get in the way of his mothers glare. Trying to defuse the situation Emma added. "When my daughter and her friend here helped her up she seemed to have been lost in the shuffle and was left, we kept her here to she wouldn't go racing off looking for you and getting further lost. She's been truly an angle." Emma beamed down at Ginny who smiled back brightly before grabbing Harry's hand on her other side and pulling him and Hermione forward with her.

"This is Hermione and this is Harry." She said proudly naming her two new friends before introducing each of her brothers starting from the top who took turns shaking their hands. The twins were funny and made them laugh, that is until coming to Ron who having waited impatiently pushed past his little sister to shake Harry Potters hand, first ignoring Hermione and proclaiming that he and Ron were going to be best friends not seeing the glare he got from either Harry, Hermione or his sister behind him.

Mrs. Granger was watching as Harry grimaced when each of them of Weasleys eyes went to his forehead and the scar openly displayed there.

As the Weasleys left to continue their shopping Ginny called back. "Owl me at the Borrow."

Harry looked to Hermione hoping she knew what the "Borrow" was but she didn't have a clue either lucky Mrs. Granger did. "The Borrow is what they call their home, We've been invited to a dinner, Mrs. Weasley also said to Owl, I think we may need to get one." She said scan the store fronts hoping to find a place to buy them, and seeing a pet store a few store fronts down, she sat back down to finish her tea, that somehow was still hot. It was then she noticed that the ice cream still hadn't started to melt and they'd been there almost two hours. Mrs. Granger watched the pair race their spoons around, seeing Harry was much better but with each lap Hermione was gaining. It appeared to her that while Hermione's was actually gaining speed with each turn Harry's was continuing at a constant, she couldn't tell if Harry was doing that on purpose or he was at his limit. "Harry, maybe you should wear a hat, to cover that scar if it bothers you so much when people notice it?"

"Yea a disguise." Hermione said as her spoon lost speed briefly as she lost focus to add her two cents in. Harry's eyes went wide and noticing Harry's look Hermione's spoon stopped completely as the game was forgotten. "What?"

"Aunt Petunia always hated my hair, and one night she cut all off and my cousin teased me, saying how everyone was going make fun of me at school and such and I got enough of that already." Harry lowered his head so he missed Hermione's knowing nod and her mother sadness at the cruelty of his family and kids in general.

"That's terrible how could she do that to you?" Hermione said taking his hand and squeezing. Hrs. Granger still noticed the slight flinch at the sudden contact but Harry looked up and smiled thankfully.

After a few moments Mrs. Granger had to ask, the kids seemed to be lost in each other's eye; both saw a connection kindred spirits and all that. She could see that this relationship whatever it ended up being would be good for both of them. "Harry what does that have to do with a disguise."

Harry looked up and smiled shyly. "Well when I woke up my hair was like this," he pointed to his hair almost disgustedly, ", like always."

"Hey! Don't talk about hair!" Hermione piped up twirling a piece of her bushy hair sadly.

Harry narrowed his eyes. "Why what's wrong with your hair?" he asked truthfully and he watched in amazement as Hermione beamed happily at him.

Mrs. Granger smiled her daughter just got her first boyfriend even if neither of them knew it yet. She hated to break the mood but she still hadn't gotten an answer so she nudged him a little. "Harry, are saying you did something to your hair…magically?"

In answer Harry closed his eyes and thought of that night he had stayed up worrying, about all the hurt and feelings of that night and pushed his magic into his hair, imagining it growing longer until there was a gasps from both mother and daughter. Harry opened his eyes and had to push the hair out of his eyes, it was a good two inches longer.

"Wow!" came from Hermione and Mrs. Granger took a deep breath. "Now can you do something else with your hair color, all the stories Hermione read shows you with that hair color."

Harry frowned for a moment but then looked intently at Hermione making her blush before she gasped again as his hair not only changed color to her hers but became bushy like hers too. "You could be my brother!" Hermione grinned and looked at her mother for her approval who nodded encouragingly but then she took a long look at the new Harry.

"I love your eyes Harry but anyone who see's those beautiful green eyes might just suspect." Harry smiled and looked back a Hermione, directly into her eyes, making her slightly uncomfortable with all his scrutiny before he closed his eyes for a moment before opening them receiving the biggest gasp of all, his eyes were now chocolate brown just like hers.

Hermione smiled radiantly before she started to worry. "You can change back right?" when she saw that he was about to do just that she stopped him. "Not right now!" and Harry looked at her sheepishly, there was a point to all that in the first place and changing back right then wouldn't have helped it.

"Right then let's go look at some owls before we go to the bank." Mrs. Granger said interrupting the two kids from staring into each other's eyes; they certainly had found kindred spirits, her husband was not going to be happy.

"Well that was easy." Mrs. Granger said as she told the Snowy White owl their address and told him to wait that they'd be home in a while.

"Oh Harry your Hedwig must just as beautiful, and you said this Hagrid bought her for your birthday?" Hermione said petting the large white owl on her mother's arm.

"Yea, but I didn't know she was that expensive." Harry said looking worried and amazed at the same time.

"Well if he knew you as a baby like he said," Mrs. Grangers face clouded over at the thought how anyone could have left a baby at a door step like Hagrid had described to Harry, "He was probably making up for lost time, I'm sure he planned on that amount and was happy for it."

Hermione gave a slight sneer also at the thought of being left at a doorstep like a package but she continued to pet the soon to be named owl. "I bet Hedwig and he will get along famously." Hermione turned to her mom seeing the worried look as she watched the owl fly over the buildings and gaining height before turning in the general direction she knew was home. "Mom I'm sure he will find home, the shop keep said he would, it is their job."

"I know honey, just I don't see how he could." She said shaking her head, "Well that was all the wizard money I had, so I guess to the bank." She said looking down at her daughter and noticing that she looked half asleep while standing.

Harry looked too and smiled at Mrs. Granger. "I think she's just tired, I slept a lot the first couple of day's but it gets easier."

Hermione looked up at her mother and smiled, "Yeah I'm just a little tired, my muscles aren't tired but I feel like I ran a marathon."

"Hmmm, maybe it's like a muscle, I guess you have to practice a little a day to build of those magic muscles." Mrs. Granger said looking towards the bank. "We should probably head home though if you're tired." Both Hermione and Harry looked worriedly at her mother and she laughed. "I take it you still want to go back to that book store?"

Hermione nodded enthusiastically. "And Harry said he had to go to the bank too."

Mrs. Granger thought for a moment, the boy was here by himself. "There's no one to meet you at the bank, this Hagrid fellow?" she asked hopefully but she there wouldn't be, an eleven year old would think of having anyone meet him at the bank, they may just turn an eleven year old away anyway but at Harry's shake of his head and Hermione's pleading look, she couldn't let an eleven year old to talk to those Goblins by himself. "Harry would you mind I we went along with you, I may be able to ask questions you wouldn't know to ask?"

Harry looked back at bank and gulped before turning around, he didn't fancy going in there alone and he hadn't thought of that when making his plan. "Thank you Mrs. Granger, I don't know anything other than I have a vault."

Just down the step leading to the bank they found two young girls, a thirteen and a five year old being surrounded by five young men ranging from 16 to 23. As they watched the men started to close in, they looked to be in some sort of trance. It was like some old zombie movie. Both Hermione and her mom started to get worried but Harry stopped. "I feel something; it's the older ones magic, I feel a pull."

Mrs. Granger turned Harry to her while continuing to watch the boys approach the two terrified girls. "If you can feel it can you block it?" Harry closed his eyes and felt the magic and then tried to use his magic to block hers. Mrs. Granger was amazed how no one was going to help the girls, wizards just seemed to pass as if nothing was wrong, leaving it up to one muggle mother and her witch daughter and her friend to stop the entranced boys. After a few seconds he was able to do it and he opened his eyes and ran past the men sending his magic out in a sphere around the three of them. The men seemed to wake up and look around confused before continuing on their business like normal. "Are you two OK?" Mrs. Granger asked the visibly shaken girls.

The girls looked at each other and then nodded as the older one spoke. "Yes we are fine, I'm sorry but my English is not so good. I'm sorry I lost control." The girl opened her mouth to say more but stopped. "Come we must find my father."

Inside the bank the girl's father was found. "Father!" the older one exclaimed as her little sister jumped into his arms on the verge of tears. After a lengthy conversation in rapid French the Harry understood none of and the two Grangers only understood a bit, the father turned to them.

"Thank you for helping my daughters. I am Sean-Claude Delacour and these are my two daughters Fleur and Gabrielle." Both girls curtseyed as their names were said. "Fleur seemed to have lost her control momentarily." He said specifically to the older one and she bowed her head in embarrassment. "They were both told to stay within the bank about apparently Fleur had to chase her sister out the doors and during the excitement for forgot about her allure, then when she realized what she was doing to the local boy she panicked."

"Allure, is that the magic that Harry felt."

Sean-Claude looked at Harry who needed to look like Harry for bank purposes. "My daughter said you were able to stop the boys can you tell me what you did?" Harry did his best to explain and Mr. Delacour went away confused but happy none the less, and Harry and Hermione came away with two new friends, unfortunately they would only be in England for another few more days but they promised to write.

After the Delacour's left Harry and the Granger girls were left standing in line to see the Goblin at the desk that Hagrid had talked too about Harry's vault. Harry and Hermione started to get bored and started floating a crumpled piece of paper that was made into a ball between them and batting it back and forth between them. "Ok you two this is a bank, stop." Mrs. Granger said. "Besides Hermione you'll tire yourself out more, you need to rest unless you want to go home without those books?"

Hermione stopped immediately and was hit in the chest with Harry's next bounce back. Hermione glared at him while he laughed it was then that Harry noticed that they were being watched by another girl with long jet black hair. "Hi!" Harry smiled at the girl.

The girl looked at the two of them almost with a sneer. "How were you doing that?"

Both Hermione and Harry was taken aback by the abruptness of the question but smiled anyway. "Harry taught me, and I'm Hermione, Hermione Granger." Hermione answered politely holding out her hand.

The girl looked at the hand as if leery of getting bit but her curiosity seemed to get the better of her, "I'm Daphne…Greengrass." She said holding her hand out to Hermione almost daintily making Hermione accept her hand instead. "And your Harry Potter, so you will be going to Hogwarts this year?" she didn't say his name with any of the same awed recognition as everyone else had, it was nice but disconcerting also. Harry nodded before picking up the paper ball.

"Yea I guess. Here can I see your hand?"

Daphne looked suspicious and glanced behind her to make sure her father was close, he was turned talking to another older wizard, but he was close enough incase so she held out her hand.

Harry put the paper ball in it and she looked at it dubiously but after following Harry's instructions and some encouragement from Hermione Daphne was amazed when the little paper ball started to float above her hand, completely by her own magic and she was genuinely smiling and talking excitedly.

By the time it was Harry's turn at the Goblin desk both Hermione and he had made a new friend in Daphne who promised to write often.

"I'd like to go to my vault please." Harry asked looking up at the imposing Goblin as he held out his key.

"Very well." The goblin said but then his eyes looked to Mrs. Granger and Hermione. He could obviously tell they were muggles. "Are these your guardians?" Harry started to get worried, he hadn't thought of it before but now that Mrs. Granger was here he didn't want to be here alone.

Mrs. Granger stepped up and placed her hand on Harry's shoulder. "No we're friends his guardians couldn't come; I'm just here to ask questions that an eleven year old may not think of."

The Goblin thought for a moment then nodded. "Very well if Mr. Potter wishes you to accompany him them so be it. It is always good that someone looks out for the young." The Goblin picked up a small bell. "I will call for an attendant to take you."

Before the Goblin could ring the bell Harry spoke up. "Could Griphook take us?" The Goblin look down at Harry confused. "He took me down the other day."

"If he is available." The Goblin said as he rang the bell.

The harrowing ride down to Harry's vault had Hermione gripping Harry arm for dear life with her head buried in his shoulder. While Hermione didn't scream there was a lot of whimpering at each turn. From the row behind them Mrs. Granger seemed to enjoy the ride. Harry helped steady Hermione when they finally exited the cart.

When Mrs. Granger saw the piles of gold she had to ask. "Harry do you know how much is here?"

Harry turned back and shrugged. "Sorry I have no idea. Do you know Griphook?"

The Goblin shook his head. "No, Mr. Potter, I do not but I can take you to the Potter account manager, he can tell you all you need to know."

"Thank you Griphook that would be nice." Mrs. Granger said as Harry left the vault with a bag full of money.

From the back row Hermione found the cart ride back up just as harrowing finally the cart stopped again and Harry helped a shaky Hermione out of the cart and held her hand as they followed Griphook back into the back proper and down a long hallway lined with doors with names on them. They passed very few wizards or witches but Hermione pointed to one as he came towards them when she noticed the red hair and he looked familiar too. "Didn't Ginny say one of her brothers worked for the bank?"

The red haired wizards stopped at the name Ginny. "Did you say Ginny?"

"Yes, are you one of her bothers, we met her today in the alley." Hermione said quickly a little embarrassed about being heard before.

"Hi I'm Bill I'm her oldest brother." He said holding out his hand first to Hermione then Harry and then finally to Mrs. Granger. "Did you say you met her today," he looked confused then it clicked. "Oh right, school supplied for this year."

"Yea, she's not too happy about not being able to go." Harry said.

Bill gave a big laugh, "No I bet not, she'll be stuck with mom all by herself." Bill seemed to shake the thought from his head.

"We're going to owl her, lots." Hermione spoke up excitedly.

"Good she'll like that." Bill smiled at each of them but when he got to Harry he stopped and narrowed his eyes just of a moment before suddenly turning to Griphook and speaking Goblin. They spoke back and forth glancing at Harry every few seconds and finally Griphook nodded. Bill turned and smiled but this time it seemed faked or forced as he pulled his wand and flicked it towards Harry. Bills eyes showed shock before he turned to Griphook and spoke several words making Griphook jump and yell in Goblin. Suddenly five goblin guards appeared each holding a weapon pointed at Harry.

Mrs. Granger grabbed a stunned Hermione to her before she did the same to Harry. "What are you doing?" She screamed.

Bill jumped in front of Harry and raised his hands speaking in Goblin quickly and finally the guards had lowered their weapons but didn't put them away. Another much older Goblin ran up and spoke to both Bill and Griphook while glancing several times at Harry still being held protectively by Mrs. Granger. Finally they stopped speaking and Bill turned to Mrs. Granger. "Sorry about that, they got a little over excited, Harry unknowingly brought something into the bank that normally would have meant his beheading." Seeing the outrage and realizing what he had just said he held out his hand to stop her. "They are not going to, they understand that he didn't bring it on purpose, in fact he didn't even know he had it.

After the few words from the oldest Goblin all the guards turned as one and Harry along with the Grangers were led deep into Gringotts, to a part that older then the tunnels leading to the vaults. Hermione took Harry's hand and they kept flashing each other worried glances. Finally they were led into a large room with a large stone table with five Goblins, all looked extremely old. They neared Harry and Bill turned to Hermione and Mrs. Granger. "These are the wisest of the Goblins, they need to examine Harry." Bill said in almost aww, he apparently had never seen these Goblins and may never have expected to.

Harry was led away from a worried Hermione and Bill had to hold her back from following as they led Harry, kept his head turned to look behind him at his friend, he tried to put up a brave smile, but he knew it wasn't any good.

Laying on the table the Goblins started to chant and circle the table which started to glow starting with the carved runes before the glow took over the whole table. Within moments Harry screamed in pain and his whole body started to twitch and spasm. Hermione burst free of Bill grip and ran to Harry's side taking his hand Harry turned slightly to her. He would have smiled if the pain wasn't making him scream. Part of him felt weak at showing her his cries of pain but he couldn't help it. The pain was everywhere especially his head, and he could not, not scream. Mrs. Granger started for the table but Bill caught her. "No, you can interfere, it's very dangerous."

"And that's why I have too." Mrs. Granger screamed trying to free herself to go to her daughter who needed her.

Bill turned her around to face him as he tightened his grip. "The Goblins will do everything they can to protect her but it's too late." When Mrs. Granger turned back terror stricken she was a shimmering field encapsulating the chanting Goblins, the table and her daughter. Suddenly Harry's screaming stopped but the Goblins chanting increased as a black mist or smoke started to float above Harry and Hermione. Hermione buried her head in Harry's arm but tightened her grip on his hand.

Bill and Mrs. Granger watched in horror as the smoke moved closer to Hermione but the Goblins chanted even more and seem even to Mrs. Granger to direct their magic at it, having seen the kids do similar things, pushing it away. Then a new scream was heard, an older, deeper, almost inhuman scream as the smoke started to be encased in what looked to be a black glass ball the size of a large marble, held in place by the Goblin magic.

Finally after twenty minutes after it started it was over, Mrs. Granger watched in excitement and the shimmering field faded and Bill released his hold on her allowing her to run to her shaking daughter who still had her head buried.

Mrs. Granger engulfed her daughter in a bear hag and was about to berate her for doing something as stupid as to interrupt whatever just happened but Hermione spoke first in a soft fearful voice that begged it to be true. "Is Harry OK?"

She couldn't answer she daughters question but turned to Bill who just came from speaking to the Goblins and his smile gave her relief. "Harry will live; they had to weaken him so that the bond that the creature had with him would fail. Basically the creature was living off him. The Goblins don't know why the creature could only live off his magic and not take him over..."

"You mean possess?" Mrs. Granger interrupted fearfully looking down at her daughter who still had her head buried in her stomach and her arms in a death grip around her, she could well imagine what would have happened if that creature had touched her daughter. She didn't need his answer she knew she was right. "What was it?" She wasn't sure she really wanted to know the answer but if it almost got her daughter she needed to know.

When Bill shook his head she knew what his answer was. "I have no idea," Bill glanced at the Goblins conferring in whispered tones behind them. ", but I think they do." Bill suddenly looked towards Harry then back to Mrs. Granger. "Mrs. Granger you're not…"

"Emma Please."

"OK Emma, who is Harry's guardians, I was only a kid when Harry disappeared."

Emma saw the worried look in his eyes and knew something wasn't right. "Sorry Bill we don't know much, we just met him here in the alley today."

Hermione sniffed and stepped back from her mother. "Their names are the Dursleys, their, his Aunt and Uncle, but he came here on his own." She added not understanding what the real question was but she found out when Bill took them over to seemingly sleeping peacefully Harry and pulled up his sleeve showing a dark bruise on the elbow, where someone had obviously had grabbed him forcefully within the last day or two.

Mother, daughters and even Bill's eyes, whom had only heard of the obvious abuse but hadn't seen it, yet, bulged in alarm and sadness. "The goblins detected more, abuses some from the far past going back as far as almost ten years, over most of his body, broken bones healed incorrectly and such. The oldest of the old wise Goblins stepped forth and talked to Bill, speaking Goblin the Grangers didn't know what was being said but considering the old Goblin would motion towards Harry indicating certain points throughout the child's body like they were discussing Harry's injury's. Neither knew Bill well, only meeting him just an hour or so ago, but they could see Bill was becoming more and more infuriated.

Finally the Goblin nodded to mother and daughter before moving back to the group of whispering Goblins and Bill turned to Mrs. Granger. "The Goblins say he almost died, they actually shared some of their own magic with him which is unheard of." At the Grangers confused look, to them it shouldn't have been a problem, if it was possible, to share magic to help another, Bill added. "Goblins just don't do that for wizards, there's just too much distrust between Goblins and Wizards spanning hundreds if not thousands of years, but they felt Harry was important enough to do it." Both the Grangers could tell that Bill was impressed. "Harry will continue to sleep for several hours in not till morning he will be a guest of the Goblins until then." Bill saw the look of worry and tried to smile to calm their fears. "Any guest of Goblins would be treated like a prince, I assure you. The Goblins promise to explain everything to you tomorrow, they promise to even repair what damage has already been done to him, he'll leave here better then new, they've even given me leave to be his guide, I was just about to leave to go back to Egypt but this gives me a little time to spend with my family before he wakes up. The Goblins are asking for some help from of you."

Emma looked up him confused and wholly intending to help Harry anyway she and her family could. "What do they need, I assume they understand we are…" she looked down on Hermione. "You said Muggles?" when Hermione nodded Emma looked up and Bill. "Muggles?"

Bill laughed. "Yes they understand and that is why they need your help. They are angered that Harry has been treated like he has, especially since he is considered a Hero in our world, they want you to look into these guardians of his." Bill spat out the word guardians like it was afoul tasting word. "The goblins don't have much leeway in wizard affairs either, I don't know if you want to try and contact Amelia Bones of the DMLE. You have an owl?" At Hermione's nod he continued. "Good! If you don't want to pursue or don't feel comfortable I could ask my parents, my father works for the ministry."

"I'll have to talk about this with my husband but I have a friend in the legal world also," At hearing her mother say this she looked up excitedly and her mother looked down. "Yes Aunt Connie." Hermione knew Aunt Connie wasn't a real Aunt but she's been a part of the family since before Hermione was even considered. "She'll be willing to look into Harry relatives from the muggle side of things I think we could also send a letter to this Bones woman, to see what she can do."

Harry woke up in a large ornate bed quite comfortably; he'd never woken so comfortable before. The room he found himself in was huge, with thick red drapes covering all the walls hanging from gold rods like shower curtains. "Ah you're awake. How do you feel?" Harry found Bill in a chair just sitting up from apparently just waking up, in a large red comfy looking chair.

"Ah great but where am I?" Harry answered hesitantly after another quick look around.

"Your still at Gringotts, in a guest room, do you remember what happened yesterday?" Bill asked standing up and stretching.

"I remember a lot of pain." He remembered more, like lots of pointy weapons being pointed at him and being led into a large room and being placed on that large table, it was then the pain started but nothing after that.

Bill nodded. "Well the pain was unfortunately necessary, that will be explained later when the Grangers arrive," Bill smiled as Harry's face light up at that. ", but I can promise there will be no more pain, not from Gringotts at least. It's almost seven you must be starving."

Harry was a little hungry it had only been 18 hrs or so since that ice cream but shook his head. "No not really I don't need to eat much."

Bill frowned; he knew it was more likely that the boy was never given enough food then him not wanting to eat. "Well I spent several hrs at my parents last night so I'm not hungry much either but I could go for a little something so I just go and bring something back. Why don't you go get cleaned up," Bill motioned towards an open curtain. ", and I'll be right back, the Grangers should be here about ten."

The large cart Bill brought in was filled with food, more food than his Uncle or Cousin could hope to eat in one sitting, but that wouldn't have stopped them from trying. Bill made a point of filling his plate high and encouraged Harry to do the same. "Ginny said you and Hermione plan to be pen pals."

Harry nodded, his mouth being full, Bill seemed to have timed the question that way and he was glade the boy didn't have any of his brother's unfortunate table manners, to answer until he swallowed. "Yea, She said for us to owl her, but I'm not sure how. What's the Burrow?"

Bill laughed, "Let me guess mom pulled her away before she could explain." Harry nodded with another mouth full of food so Bill continued. "The Burrow is our Family home, I don't currently live there but Ginny, Ron," Bill noticed the slight sneer at Ron's name but didn't say anything, knowing his youngest brother; it was most likely his own fault. "Percy, and the twins, Fred and George, Charley moved out a few weeks ago and moved to Romania." Noticing Harry seemed to be finished eating, but hadn't made that much of a dent, but Bill also knew his idea of a proper meal was a bit skewed with his mothers' tendency to stuff a person much like a turkey before roasting. "But all you have to do is address the letter to Ginny Weasley and your owl can find her; they are very smart that way." Harry nodded in understanding and thanks. "So what would you like to do for the next hour?"

Harry's eyes widened, "Yesterday we saw a store that sold enchanted stuff, could we go there?" Harry was thinking of one of Dudley's games that had a character buying enchanted armor and weapons.

Bill followed an excited Harry through the door of the Enchanted Emporium three doors down from Gringotts. "I've never been in here." It was a small store with the first display consisting on a formal silver tea service that said the teapot would keep the tea hot and the creamer cold, even the four tea cups had an enchantment to keep the tea hot until empty. When Bill saw the price he understood why he'd never been in there, the tea service was worth more than his yearly salary. "They should teach enchanting a Hogwarts." Bill said absentmindedly.

"It's more of a family art now, besides wizards find they have charms or house elves for everything now days." A young attractive woman who had seemingly appeared beside Bill said, ", but enchanted things like this tea service are well worth it, it was my great grandmothers it's over three hundred years old she received it as a wedding present from her husband. She's the one that started this store, how can I help you?"

Bill smiled young woman, "Oh we are just browsing neither of us has ever been in here before."

The woman smiled back. "Then please take your time, and if you come across something just let me know, I'm sure "we" and can find a fare trade." the young woman winked at Bill and turned away.

Bill choked back a laugh, "Ah yes maim I'll be sure to." Bill noticed Harry watching the girls hips saunter back towards the sales desk and grinned.

It didn't take long for Harry find something of interest. A table of communication mirrors. They came in all sizes from something that could fit in a palm of Bills hand like make up mirrors to standing size like the kind used for dressing. "We are getting rid of this display." The sales lady said from behind them.

Bill turned and smiled. "Why?"

"The price! No one buys them." She said sadly. "No one see's the benefit when it takes only second to apparate to someone's home or even floo and that's free or almost free, why spent the galleons for one in fact your need two or already know someone that had one."

"Well I think it's brilliant but why do you make them then." Harry asked.

"My father didn't make the first one, he bought in a junk shop, the shop keeper said it was a little mousey man sold it, said he had to get rid of it fast. He bought the hand mirror for me, I was about seven but when my father found the enchantments he was able to duplicate them and these are the result but I don't even think one has been sold."

"How much?" Harry asked holding one of the ones that would fit in Bills hand and would fit easily in Harry's back pocket.

The sales girl looked at the mirror. "Well that one would be thirty-five galleons, but unless you only wanted to look at yourself you would need two."

Harry looked down for a moment. "You said you were getting rid of them all." Sad eyes would never work with the Dursleys at least not for him, Dudley on the other hand it did and if it didn't came the tears and on the rare time that didn't work tantrum would come until they said yes.

Unfortunately while it looked to be working on the girl it didn't work on Bill. "No Harry I think two of those hand held for now, maybe we can come back, besides you don't have a place to put them." Reluctantly Harry saw the logic of that and left with just two of the mirrors after being shown how to link the mirrors to talk to each other.

Bill was quite until they entered the Goblin director's office. "Harry I'd like to show the director those mirrors." Harry nodded and handed the mirrors to Bill. Harry watched Bill talk to the Goblin in his strange language for several minutes then watched Bill leave with one mirror only to return after a few minutes and the two talked excitedly for a few more minutes before Bill motioned Harry allow the director to speak to Harry.

"Hello Mr. Potter first I would like to say thank you for finding such interesting things. The wizarding world may not see the advantage of such things but Goblins do, I wish to ask you if we could barrow these two for three days and we will make you new ones, any size you wish Mr. Weasley tells me you wanted the whole lot?" the Goblin crossed his long fingers and waited patiently.

Harry nodded. "She said they were getting rid of them, but I wanted a small one for Hermione and one of the largest ones for her mom, she's going to be far away from her parents and I thought she would like that plus I wanted another for Ginny she can't come to Hogwarts till next year and when we were here yesterday we met a girl named Daphne so figured another for her, she has a little sister that she will miss." Harry noticed Bill smile at him at the mention of his sister but Bill didn't comment.

"That's very commendable Mr. Potter." Just then there was a knock on the door and Harry was almost bowled over by Hermione.

"Are you OK! They made us leave." Hermione glared up at the director clearly she blamed him but he just chuckled, this little girl had guts and would make a good friend if not mate for the young Mr. Potter.

When Harry nodded Mrs. Granger asked. "Is everything alright?" She glanced at Harry but faced the director and the Goblin doctor that was one of three goblins that had followed them in and was now standing off to the side of the director awaiting for make her report.

She started when the director nodded for her to proceed. "As you can see Mr. Potter has made a complete recovery, he has been given what potions we can to help repair the damage that years of malnutrition has caused. We have also repaired the damage done by broken bones that had healed incorrectly; we were also able to repair his eyesight. That was relatively easy just needing a potion and a few hours sleep which he was doing already."

The goblin turned and bowed to the director and stepped back as the director nodded to the next goblin in line. The next goblin stepped forward before bowing to the director. "First the removal of the foreign soul fragment of Tom Riddle went as planned."

Mrs. Granger stood up. "Are you saying almost killing him was planned?" Her anger was evident and the director could see the same anger in her daughter.

The goblin in question had taken the smallest step back which was unheard of, but goblins also understood you did not endanger a child without seriously upsetting the mother and an upset mother was a force to reckon with. "If Mr. Riddles soul piece had continued to stay even just a few more years it would have been impossible to remove without killing the host."

Mrs. Granger's hands were now balled up into fists. "Host." She yelled. "He's is an eleven year old boy, not a host."

The Goblin lowered his head. "I am sorry for my choice of words. Of course he is more than a host, but having an essentially living soul fragment to examine we are now able to detect others of the same soul and even have a way to detect another's if the need should arrive again. We have never had this knowledge before. This is the foulest magic that we Goblins can think of and we will do everything to eradicate any of these abominations we find." All the Goblins in the room nodded at the sentiment. "To that end we found one of them here in the bank."

Bill straightened up, and spoke up quite unintentionally. "Where?"

Bill lowered his head as soon as the words were out of his mouth expecting at least a reprimand but the Director chuckled, it was one of the few times Bill had heard a Goblin chuckle much less the director. "In this we are friends, Mr. Weasley, no offense is taken. When it comes to the abominations we are all one, but I would like the answer to that very question my-self."

The Goblin bowed to the director again. "In the vault of Bellatrix Lestrange." The Goblin produced what look like a golden cup.

"Is that?"

"Yes Mr. Weasley, it is the challis of Helga Hufflepuff."

"I'm sorry but do you know how many of these abominations this piece of… sorry Mr. Riddle would have made?" Mrs. Granger asked turning red herself at the almost use of foul language, while her daughter looked horrified but was still trying not to giggle.

The director was smiling at the Muggle, he had the same sentiments for Mr. Riddle but he couldn't express them even that much. He could only turn to the Goblin and wait for the answer to a question he very much wanted to know but knew he wasn't going to get an answer that he wanted and he was right. "I'm sorry Mrs. Granger but it was believed impossible to create more than one but we believe he could have made at least three from what we learned from the cup." Having finished his report the goblin bowed to the director and stepped back.

"So two are destroyed?" Mrs. Granger sat down looking pleased. But the Goblin looked down obvious not wanting to upset the muggle but she noticed and stalked over to him. "What. Spit it out man!"

The Goblin looked to the director but the director wasn't going to be any help he was having fun, plus she asked the questions that he wanted answers to. The goblin gulped. "There are still two left."