AN: Hello all. Long time no see. I know, I know. Thank you for keeping on me to continue this. I truly enjoy writing this fanfic and plan to continue. Real life just keeps getting in the way (new job, health issues with the doggie, writer's block blah blah blah) but alas, this is no excuse for my extreme tardiness in updating. I have read everyone's reviews and am willing to take in to account what people want. I have heard clamoring for some of the future teens to make an appearance physically. While I don't intend to write them in for the main part of this first book, they may make some cameo appearances towards the end, say. No promises though, we will see how it all flows out.

Warning: This chapter is looooong. By far the longest I have written. Also, it is unabashedly sugary sweet in places. Just saying.

And now, on with the show!

Chapter 6: Diagon Alley

Previously in our saga-

"Severus?"

Snape looked down from staring at the cloudy sky of the enchanted ceiling towards his childhood friend and love of his life. He quirked an eyebrow at her in an invitation to continue.

"I just wanted to say how glad I am that we're getting this chance to be around each other and reconnect." She fidgeted and looked down at her feet. "I know I can hold a grudge and I will probably get angry at you for other things in the days to come based on some of your responses toward the book so far," at this Snape looked down and Lily shook her head. She breathed in and out before continuing, "Look, I understand that you are going to probably be horrible to Harry in the book. And that makes me sad. But I want you to know that, well, he is a part of me. You know?" She stepped closer to the taciturn man. "Harry is a continuation of me and I know that it broke my heart when we grew apart, and – I guess I would like you to see Harry as much a part of me as you so clearly see James in him." She hesitated in front of him before throwing her arms around the Potions Master and kissing him gently on the cheek. She smiled up at him briefly before turning to leave the Great Hall. Just before exiting the Hall, Lily turned back to Snape, who had remained planted where he was in shock. "It's good to have you back again, Sev."

Snape watched red hair whip out of sight. He could still feel her warmth and smell her shampoo that lingered after her embrace. Closing his eyes he pushed away the what-ifs and should-haves that sprung to his mind. Finally shaking himself, Snape made for the doors and the dungeons absently rubbing his cheek where Lily had kissed him. "It's good to be back, Lils."

The next morning dawned bright and sunny, if cold. The snow-covered grounds of Hogwarts sparkled in the sunshine like glass. The members of the Order of the Phoenix found their ways back to the Great Hall more or less by eight to find breakfast waiting for them. Chairs were resumed although some people changed where they had been sitting, choosing to sit next to different people than the day before.

The Weasleys and Prewetts all sat together again around one arc of the large circular table. A family known for healthy appetites, all members tore into the provided feast with gusto. Fred sat next George and waited until he had taken a few big gulps of food before bringing up he topic he had stowed the previous evening.

"So, you're not sure about the shop, huh?" he asked as casually as he could. George nearly choked on his bangers causing bits of sausage to spray everywhere and his still present hoop earrings to jangly loudly. Fred hid a smirk at his brother's discomfiture. He continued to eat, though, allowing George to regain some semblance of dignity before looking him in the eye and raising an eyebrow at his other half.

George finished wiping sausage bits off his chin and turned to glare at his brother but had to look down quickly at the serious questioning look sent his way. He opted to stare at his plate and push his eggs around dejectedly instead. "Erm, yeah. I'm just not sure about-" he took a long fortifying breath, "not sure about going on with the shop without you there, you know? It's just – just not the same." George finished quietly, all joviality gone from his voice.

Fred just blinked at his brother for a few seconds before leaning so as not to be overheard by everyone sitting around the table. "After everything we worked on, all the money we spent, and made might I add, you are going to give up because one of isn't there in the physical sense to help out?" he hissed in an anger whisper. George shot him another glare before quickly glancing around at his family. The other Weasleys were either engaged in their own conversations or were studiously not looking at the twins, giving them some amount of privacy.

"That's not – well, not all of it. I mean, it's a lot of work, you know, and I would have to clean out the shop and basically start everything there from the beginning. The Death Eaters did a number on the shop and I swear there were some half-troll squatters holed up in the back room there. Anyway," George looped a finger through one of his earrings and tugged distractedly at it, "I don't know if I can face it." At Fred's audible scoff, George amended, "Not, not without you."

Fred sighed. This was not how it was supposed to be. That last thing he remembered before a loud noise and then nothingness was laughing with Percy during the fight. He had no idea what was going to happen to him after they finished reading, but he knew what his brother should do. What he wanted his brother to achieve in his namesake. Looking up, he made a decision. "Er, excuse me, Li – Mrs. Potter?" he called across the table to Lily who had just arrived with little Harry and Alice and Neville, the babies having been fed separately for privacy's sake. After handing the baby off to James who was carefully eating toast around an armful of Harry, Lily was currently plowing her own way through a generous heaping of breakfast. She looked up at Fred and smiled encouragingly. "Please just call me Lily, much easier on the tongue."

"Thanks," Fred grinned, "would you please send over the note from the future? I have a little something I need to discuss with the future folks."

Lily looked down at the piece of parchment resting innocently in front of her plate. The text about the Dursleys had disappeared leaving the back of the note blank and waiting for something else to be written down. She pulled out her wand and sent the paper towards Fred with a well-placed wind Charm. George snorted into his pumpkin juice before muttering, "You couldn't remember a simple Accio?"

Fred smiled again at Harry's mother in thanks before taking the quill and ink from his father's place and jabbing his twin in the side for his comment.

Harry,

It's Fred. My git of a brother is saying he doesn't want to reopen WWW. Convince him this is the stupidest thing he could ever do and I will never haunt him if he goes and becomes boring.

Sincerely Forge

"You're an idiot," said George, reading over his brother's shoulder.

"Takes one to be related to one," shot back Fred who stuck his tongue out. George was about to reply in kind when messy writing appeared underneath Fred's message.

Forge,

It's nice to hear from you, or read from you, or whatever. You can tell your brother that he isn't alone. We all miss you and wish things had turned out differently. Maybe they can if everyone there that has the power to do so changes a few small things after reading the books. Ron and I have decided against going into the Auror corps for the time being. Hopefully we will be able to return and finish our final year at Hogwarts in some capacity, but we will have to see about that, I guess. The point it is, we are all ready and willing to help out in the shop. I think now, more than ever, people need a good laugh. Especially Gred. Of course it won't be the same, but life has to go on, you know? And if you could come and haunt the place, that would be brilliant! Scare those little buggers with sticky fingers right off.

Miss you,

Harry

Fred looked up triumphantly. George looked down and rubbed his face with his sleeve. After a bit, he nodded almost reluctantly. "Mind you, this isn't a definite, but I'll think on it, alright?" Fred nodded and gave his brother a playful punch in the arm.

On the other side of the table, the Order members had changed their seating slightly. Snape now sat sandwiched between McGonagall, who refused to sit next to Dumbledore, and Dedalus, who was happy to sit just about anywhere. He had spent a surprisingly acceptable half hour discussing the new Hogwarts with his former colleague and giving his own views and advice on improvements. McGonagall proved to be an interested party and an eager listener and before he knew it they had both finished their breakfasts and were on to discussing the best way to incorporate eight years of students into what would surely be demanding exam schedules.

"It might behoove you to integrate all of the 8th years into one large class as it seems you will have fewer numbers there than in 7th and 5th years," said Snape leaning towards McGonagall who was nodding with enthusiasm and scratching quickly on a parchment.

"Yes, I thought that as well." She reached up to tug a stray hair back into her tightly wound hair at the base of her neck. "The real trick, besides the added numbers and what to do with all of the students who received only half a year of education, not to mention those awful Muggle Studies and DADA classes," McGonagall sighed tiredly and Snape was somewhat thankful that he didn't have anything to do with the upcoming year at all. "The real trick is going to be re-integrating the returning Slytherins into the school as a whole. Those that actively participated with the Death Eaters have been doled out punishments ranging from time in Azkaban to a type of magical probation," it was Snape's turn to sigh. He had failed those students somehow and that failure did not sit well on the proud man's shoulders.

"Well, at least Draco Malfoy and Gregory Goyle will be coming back for their final year. I believe they will be able to lead the younger Slytherins." Snape blinked up at her in shock. McGonagall smiled kindly and patted Snape on his cheek in a very maternal fashion. He opened his mouth to question her but she spoke before he could. "Young Mr. Malfoy had a trial along with his parents, Severus. They gave themselves up at the end of the Battle and were tried within two weeks. Malfoy senior confessed to a number of crimes for a reduced sentence. He will spend the next thirty years in Azkaban." At Snape's raised eyebrows, McGonagall continued in an amused tone, "Yes, he accepted this punishment as it would get him out in time to spend time with his grandchildren and by then, maybe great grandchildren."

Snape looked down at his ink stained fingers. "It seems like such a short sentence for all of the atrocities that man committed. I witnessed a great many of them myself. He was not merely a passive observer, Minerva."

McGonagall nodded knowingly. "I know, and I agree. However, the newly reformed Wizengamot felt that since he gave himself up freely, confessed to his crimes without provocation, and showed some remorse, he deserved some leniency."

"In other words, the man is still filthy rich and that money could serve the Ministry well in years to come regardless of Malfoy's checkered history?" asked Snape, slightly disgusted. McGonagall nodded her head slightly but made a non-committal noise in response. "You mentioned Draco. What of him and Narcissa?"

"Ah, well, their trials caused rather a stir, I must say." McGonagall cleared her throat uncomfortably but continued, none-the-less. "It seems that in forest, where Voldemort was camped after, er-" she gestured uncertainly at Snape who nodded curtly once, understanding she was referring to his own rather grisly death, "well, apparently, at a critical point in the forest, Narcissa Malfoy managed to deceive Voldemort thereby saving Harry's life."

Snape literally felt his mouth drop open in shock. Narcissa had knowingly deceived the Dark Lord. Narcissa had willingly done so in order to save Potter's life. What had possessed her to finally show a backbone and do something about the pasty, red-eyed parasite that had been suckling off her family for years? She had been like a whipped dog, rolling over and allowing the Dark Lord to do as he pleased with the house, with her husband, with- "Ah, Draco," said Snape, hitting on the only thing that would cause Narcissa to defy her Lord.

McGonagall nodded. "Yes, it seems that during the initial Battle at some point, Draco attempted to apprehend Harry, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger with the help of Messrs. Crabbe and Goyle." Snape snorted, he could imagine the cluster that turned out to be. While Potter was adept at getting himself into life-threatening situations, he was also rather skilled at getting out of them as well, as much as Snape was loathe to compliment the impertinent brat. "Well," here McGonagall sighed and gazed sadly down at the table, unable to meet her colleague's eyes, "after a skirmish somewhere on the seventh flour, Vincent Crabbe let loose with Fiendfyre."

"What!" Snape snapped out. He ignored those around the table that turned to look at him. "What was that troglodyte doing using a spell that advanced and dangerous?"

"The Carrows," replied McGanagall disapprovingly. Snape put his head in his hands and groaned.

"I tried, Minerva, I swear to you I tried to curtail their influence over the students." He ran his hands through his hair and sat back up to give her a look pleading for her to understand. She leaned over and patted him on the cheek again.

"I know." At his look, she corrected herself, "Now. Anyway, they were bound to spread their filth to some of the students unfortunately. Crabbe used the Fiendfyre and of course it got away from him. To make a long story short, Harry, Ron and Hermione ended up flying out of that room on old brooms and saving both Draco and Goyle to boot. Alas, they were not able to save Vincent Crabbe from his own spell and he joined the depressing number of current Hogwarts students to perish in the final Battle."

Snape leaned back in his chair, which he had attempted to change at once when he came down to breakfast in the morning (he thought maybe one of the squares of the plaid had turned black, but couldn't tell). "So, Narcissa was paying Potter back for saving her son."

"Mm, not quite. She only inquired as to whether her son was alive, apparently, not how he remained that way. But, Harry showed up at her trial and testified what I just told you. Narcissa was given thirty years house arrest with the aid of House Elves and the privilege of visitation, both with her husband at Azkaban and to have people call on her at Malfoy Manor." McGonagall looked around the table and continued quickly noticing that most everyone was ready to resume reading the book. "Harry attended Draco's trial as well and stated what happened on the Astronomy Tower. He said that Draco was lowering his wand and that he also tried to help them somehow at Malfoy Manor. Since, Draco had not actually participated in a crime besides being peripherally involved or being a pawn, he will be under house arrest for the next five years but will attend his final year at Hogwarts."

Snape shook his head. He was glad that Draco would continue his education and hoped that the Malfoy heir would grow from these experiences. He was saddened by the loss of Crabbe, even if the boy had been thicker than brick. Snape leaned forward to continue the discussion but was cut off by Dumbledore clearing his throat.

"Ah, as it seems we have all quenched our voracious appetites perhaps we should begin reading again." The room quieted as everyone eyed the book sitting innocently in front of James. "Well," Dumbledore clapped his hands together excitedly, "who would like to begin this morning, hm?"

After a rather pregnant pause, Tonks leaned across both Remus and Sirius to snatch the book up before the silence continued to make everyone uncomfortable. "I'll read. Might as well, as that's the only way I'll get to say anything with these two chatterboxes around." She gestured at the two men she had just leaned over and sniffed imperiously before opening the book to the correct page. "Chapter Five: Diagon Alley," she read.

Harry woke early the next morning. Although he could tell it was daylight, he kept his eyes shut tight.

"It was a dream," he told himself firmly. "I dreamed a giant called Hagrid came to tell me I was going to a school for wizards. When I open my eyes I'll be at home in my cupboard."

"Why would the poor child try to convince himself of something so depressing?" asked a confused Hestia.

"Coping mechanism." Eyes turned to Snape who shrugged nonchalantly. "It is a common coping mechanism, along with the questioning of good things and the distrust of authority figures, to seemingly hope for fortunate events to have been a dream. That way, if those events do not come to pass, the child has not set themselves up for disappointment and further abuse."

McGonagall sniffed next to him. "You were an excellent Head of House, Severus, I'm glad the children had you for support."

A few others nodded in agreement. Lily, who had her head resting on James shoulder and a hand on Harry's back as he dozed off his full belly, simply looked at her childhood friend with sad knowing eyes.

There was suddenly a loud tapping noise.

And there's Aunt Petunia knocking on the door, Harry thought, his heart sinking. But he still didn't open his eyes. It had been such a good dream.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"All right," Harry mumbled, "I'm getting up."

He sat up and Hagrid's heavy coat fell off him. The hut was full of sunlight, the storm was over, Hagrid himself was asleep on the collapsed sofa, and there was an owl rapping its claw on the window, a newspaper held in its beak.

Harry scrambled to his feet, so happy he felt as though a large balloon was swelling inside him.

James smiled down at his son who was currently drenching his chest in drool as he slept.

He went straight to the window and jerked it open. The owl swooped in and dropped the newspaper on top of Hagrid, who didn't wake up. The owl then fluttered onto the floor and began to attack Hagrid's coat.

"Don't do that."

Harry tried to wave the owl out of the way, but it snapped its beak fiercely at him and carried on savaging the coat.

"Hagrid!" said Harry loudly. "There's an owl."

"Pay him," Hagrid grunted into the sofa.

"And just how is the sad little boy who only found out wizards exist a few hours previously supposed to know our money let alone where in the blazes it is hidden in your coat of never ending pockets?" asked Dorcas in consternation.

Hagrid scratched his beard and shrugged self-consciously. "Er, guess I weren't quite awake yet."

Dorcas huffed and crossed her arms, rolling her eyes at the half-giant.

"What?"

"He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper. Look in the pockets." Hagrid's coat seemed to be made of nothing but pockets - bunches of keys, slug pellets, balls of string, peppermint humbugs, teabags... finally, Harry pulled out a handful of strange-looking coins.

"Och, honestly, Hagrid!" exclaimed McGonagall in her most disapproving tone.

"Give him five Knuts," said Hagrid sleepily.

Fabian broke out into giggles. "I can just see Harry finding a load of cashews or something and handing five over to the owl."

A few others got the joke and chuckled as well but most of the Order members just sighed and turned back to Tonks.

"Knuts?"

"The little bronze ones."

It was Gideon this time who giggled. "Little bronze 'knuts.' Heh."

Harry counted out five little bronze coins, and the owl held out his leg so Harry could put the money into a small leather pouch tied to it. Then he flew off through the open window.

Hagrid yawned loudly, sat up, and stretched.

"Well, why-" Dorcas threw her hands up in annoyance.

"Best be Off, Harry, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school."

Harry was turning over the wizard coins and looking at them. He had just thought of something that made him feel as though the happy balloon inside him had got a puncture.

"Well, that's never a fun feeling," said Dedalus sagely.

Caradoc turned to the little wizard in surprise. "You, of the perpetual giggle, have felt this way?"

Dedalus nodded, "Oh yes, quite a few times. This past year tested me sorely, in fact."

Caradoc raised his eyebrows. "What in Merlin's name were you doing? You'd be cheerful shoveling dragon's dung. I know it, because you were once."

"Guarding the Dursleys," answered the other man, simply.

"Um - Hagrid?"

"Mm?" said Hagrid, who was pulling on his huge boots.

"I haven't got any money - and you heard Uncle Vernon last night ... he won't pay for me to go and learn magic."

"Pfft. Like the Potter moneys wouldn't be used to help my son attend school," said James in tone that stated how obvious this was. He blinked and looked at Dumbledore with a sudden thought. "Speaking of that, how come none of that money was used to help my son growing up, you know paying for his food and clothes and housing? All things we have read that he was lacking in besides emotional stability and a loving household?"

Dumbledore looked uncomfortable again as everyone turned to him, interested in the answer. "Actually," he said sadly, "the Dursley's received a monthly stipend meant to help with those costs you just named. I felt it irresponsible to leave the boy with a family with only one working parent and no source of real income to raise two small children without some sort of compensation."

Silence filled the Great Hall as the Order members processed this.

"You mean to tell me," growled Mad-Eye into the stillness, "that you basically paid these Muggles monthly to do as they pleased with a child who was a hero to most of our world?"

Everyone swiveled back to Dumbledore like spectators watching a cricket match.

"I wouldn't quite phrase it that way, Alastor," said Dumbledore in a disapproving tone, "but, they were compensated for having to take care of an extra child, yes." He held up his hands to stave off the onslaught of outraged yelling that erupted at this. "I was unaware of the conditions at Number Four and had thought they were using the money appropriately."

Aberforth snorted. "Or, it helped shape the boy the way you wanted and worked into your plans for all of us, oh Master Manipulator."

"Anyway," interrupted Tonks looking at all the darkening faces around the table, "back to the reason we're all here, yah?"

"Don't worry about that," said Hagrid, standing up and scratching his head. "D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anything?"

"But if their house was destroyed -"

"Why would all of your money be gone if the house was destroyed?" asked a confused Dorcas.

"It is possible," said Elphias, "that the boy had never been to a bank and knew nothing of proper banking for either Muggles or wizards."

"They didn' keep their gold in the house, boy! Nah, first stop fer us is Gringotts. Wizards' bank. Have a sausage, they're not bad cold - an' I wouldn' say no the a bit o' yer birthday cake, neither."

"Wizards have banks?"

"Just the one. Gringotts. Run by goblins."

Harry dropped the bit of sausage he was holding.

"Goblins?"

Charlie chuckled. "I suppose it is a bit surprising to someone raised outside of the magical world."

"Yeah - so yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it,

Fred and George burst into laughter followed by amused chuckles from a good number of those from the future. Snape blinked and realized what was so amusing and could only shake his head. Trust Harry Potter to learn this and manage to do the exact opposite in a rather spectacular way seven years later.

Those from the past and those who died before May 1998 looked on in bemusement. "Why is that line so funny!" Mad-Eye finally yelled over the peals of laughter.

McGonagall, who managed to contain her mirth to a rather proud smile answered. "Well, the day the Final Battle began started off with news that Harry, Hermione and Ron had, er, broken into Gringotts and escaped in a very," here she pursed her lips, "visible way."

"What!" shouted Lily, James and surprisingly Sirius. Others from the past looked horrified and maybe just a tad impressed. Dumbledore broke into a smile. He may have had to see the forest instead of the trees for the last twenty years, but he still appreciated a good prank especially perpetrated in the name of fighting for the Light, which he was sure was behind the stunt.

McGonagall nodded but it was Kingsley that answered around a large smile, "Apparently they needed something from Bellatrix Lestrange's vault and the only way of getting it was to befriend a rogue goblin, use Polyjuice, some well done glamours, and an invisibility cloak to sneak in and take it." At the flabbergasted faces of the Potters and Harry's godfather, Kingsley's smile grew impossibly wider. "Then of course, they had to escape."

Sirius leaned forward, now starting to smile himself. "And just how did my godson-turned-criminal do that?"

Kingsley shrugged with an air of nonchalance. "They freed one of the guardian dragons and rode on its back out of the bank, over London and north to safety."

Lily and James blinked at the man. "He rode a-" started Lily faintly. She couldn't finish. She looked at the now awake baby settled in James' arms. Most of the Order members followed her lead and looked at little Harry as he stared back with wide green eyes. He seemed unaffected by all the attention and continued to fist holds of his father's shirt and gum his own tongue, the tip poking out of his mouth. He noticed his mother looking at him finally and broke into a wide, toothless smile with a delighted squawk. Lily seemed to get over her shock. She smiled and waved playfully at her son before looking back to Kingsley and the others.

"Won't the goblins be angry now? What happens now, he won't go to Azkaban for breaking into a bank will he?" asked Lily, now worried for Harry's future.

Both Bill and Kingsley shook their heads. "No. Well, I will admit that at first they were quite bent on taking out rather physical punishments for all three of them." Said Kingsley loosing some of his joviality from earlier.

Mad-Eye nodded. "Disembowelment," he stated with a twisted grimace of a smirk.

Kingsley looked at the man. "Er, yes, that might have been suggested. However," he rushed to continue after Lily's horrified gasp, "after some negotiations," he nodded in Bill's direction, "and the goblins finding out exactly what Harry and company took and why the charges were dropped."

"Actually," Billed cleared his throat, "the goblins formally and publicly thanked Harry, Ron and Hermione for removing a Dark object from the goblin's domain. The goblin that helped them get in was fired from the bank but made a hero for his part by the goblin council. So, it was rather a win all around in that respect I guess."

"Well, that's good, I suppose," Lily said uncertainly.

I'll tell yeh that. Never mess with goblins, Harry. Gringotts is the safest place in the world fer anything yeh want ter keep safe - 'cept maybe Hogwarts. As a matter o' fact, I gotta visit Gringotts anyway. Fer Dumbledore. Hogwarts business." Hagrid drew himself up proudly. "He usually gets me ter do important stuff fer him. Fetchin' you gettin' things from Gringotts - knows he can trust me, see.

"Got everythin'? Come on, then."

Harry followed Hagrid out onto the rock. The sky was quite clear now and the sea gleamed in the sunlight. The boat Uncle Vernon had hired was still there, with a lot of water in the bottom after the storm.

"How did you get here?" Harry asked, looking around for another boat.

"Flew," said Hagrid.

"Flew?"

"Yeah - but we'll go back in this. Not s'pposed ter use magic now I've got yeh."

"Not that that stopped you earlier, eh?" growled Mad-Eye.

They settled down in the boat, Harry still staring at Hagrid, trying to imagine him flying.

"Seems a shame ter row, though," said Hagrid, giving Harry another of his sideways looks. "If I was ter - er - speed things up a bit, would yeh mind not mentionin' it at Hogwarts?"

Snape rolled his eyes while McGonagall huffed "Hagrid!" under her breath and Dumbledore smiled brightly at the half-giant.

"Of course not," said Harry, eager to see more magic. Hagrid pulled out the pink umbrella again, tapped it twice on the side of the boat, and they sped off toward land.

"Why would you be mad to try and rob Gringotts?" Harry asked.

"Spells - enchantments," said Hagrid, unfolding his newspaper as he spoke. "They say there's dragons guardin' the highsecurity vaults. And then yeh gotta find yer way - Gringotts is hundreds of miles under London, see. Deep under the Underground. Yeh'd die of hunger tryin' ter get out, even if yeh did manage ter get yer hands on summat."

Hagrid barked out a laugh this time. "Unless 'o course yer 'Arry Potter."

Harry sat and thought about this while Hagrid read his newspaper, the Daily Prophet. Harry had learned from Uncle Vernon that people liked to be left alone while they did this, but it was very difficult, he'd never had so many questions in his life.

"Ministry o' Magic messin' things up as usual," Hagrid muttered, turning the page.

"Hey," scowled Kingsley good-naturedly, "I resemble that remark." At the looks of confusion from the past folks and amusement from the future he raised his right hand, as though he were in a support meeting of some kind and stated solemnly, "My name is Kingsley Shacklebolt and I lost my mind and accepted the position of Minister of Magic some months ago." He shook his head sadly before grinning at the shocked silence around the table.

"And a finer Minister we haven't had in nigh fifteen years either!" stated McGonagall strongly inducing those from the future to stand and clap towards Kinglsey who looked slightly embarrassed but stood and bowed to them, none-the-less.

Sirius got to his feet and clapped the man on the back. "Thank Merlin for intelligent Ministers and congrats!"

The congratulations were given for the next few minutes finally winding down enough for Tonks to continue reading.

"There's a Ministry of Magic?" Harry asked, before he could stop himself.

"'Course," said Hagrid. "They wanted Dumbledore fer Minister, 0 'course, but he'd never leave Hogwarts, so old Cornelius Fudge got the job. Bungler if ever there was one. So he pelts Dumbledore with owls every morning, askin' fer advice."

Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling again after a long absence. "Not quite, Hagrid, but very nearly."

"But what does a Ministry of Magic do?"

"Ha!" laughed Caradoc, "And, isn't that the eternal question!"

"Well, their main job is to keep it from the Muggles that there's still witches an' wizards up an' down the country."

"Why?"

"Why? Blimey, Harry, everyone'd be wantin' magic solutions to their problems. Nah, we're best left alone."

"Not that Muggles haven't invented ingenious contraptions to emulate magical effects and such," said Arthur. Lily, Tonks and even Snape nodded in agreement.

At this moment the boat bumped gently into the harbor wall. Hagrid folded up his newspaper, and they clambered up the stone steps onto the street.

"Wait, how did the Dursleys extricate themselves from that rock then, if you took the boat?" asked Emmeline.

"Oh, that creepy little feller was there and we tol' him 'bout them and he said he would go an' get 'em," said Hagrid with a shrug that clearly stated how he felt about the Dursleys and them not getting off of the rock.

Passersby stared a lot at Hagrid as they walked through the little town to the station. Harry couldn't blame them. Not only was Hagrid twice as tall as anyone else, he kept pointing at perfectly ordinary things like parking meters and saying loudly, "See that, Harry? Things these Muggles dream up, eh?"

Arthur turned excitedly to Hagrid. "And what is a parking meeter?"

Molly sighed and tapped the piece of parchment with all of the other Muggle terms. "Arthur, dear, perhaps you should just write it down with the others." Her husband looked at her and then peeked at the others around the table and sighed, pulling the parchment towards him and taking up a nearby quill.

"You're almost as bad as that one," Mad-Eye jabbed a finger in Dedalus' direction, "with keeping the Statute of Secrecy."

"Hagrid," said Harry, panting a bit as he ran to keep up, "did you say there are dragons at Gringotts?"

Dorcas snorted. "Not any more, evidently," she said smiling at the baby who continued to be endlessly amused by the faces his mother was making at him.

"Well, so they say," said Hagrid. "Crikey, I'd like a dragon."

The former and current Hogwarts staff either rolled their eyes or chuckled at the half-giant.

"You'd like one?"

"Wanted one ever since I was a kid - here we go."

Charlie grinned up at Hagrid who went red and looked down at his hands.

They had reached the station. There was a train to London in five minutes' time. Hagrid, who didn't understand "Muggle money," as he called it, gave the bills to Harry so he could buy their tickets.

Arthur laughed, "I did the same at the Quidditch World Cup."

James and a good number of the folks from the past perked up at this. "You took Harry to the World Cup? What was it like? Who played, did Harry enjoy himself? I remember going with my parents when I was really little, we had the best seats and we-" he broke off, looking at the slightly glazed gazes from his wife and many others. "I, erm, I'll ask you about it on break, shall I?" James asked Arthur who smiled and nodded.

People stared more than ever on the train. Hagrid took up two seats and sat knitting what looked like a canary-yellow circus tent.

Hagrid chuckled, "It was a throw fer Fang's dog bed, actually."

"Still got yer letter, Harry?" he asked as he counted stitches. Harry took the parchment envelope out of his pocket.

"Good," said Hagrid. "There's a list there of everything yeh need."

Harry unfolded a second piece of paper he hadn't noticed the night before, and read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings) Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emetic Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

wand

cauldron (pewter, standard size 2) set

glass or crystal phials

telescope set

brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

"Can we buy all this in London?" Harry wondered aloud.

"If yeh know where to go," said Hagrid.

Harry had never been to London before. Although Hagrid seemed to know where he was going, he was obviously not used to getting there in an ordinary way. He got stuck in the ticket barrier on the Underground, and complained loudly that the seats were too small and the trains too slow.

"Perhaps Hagrid was not the best choice of a guardian who was supposed to, er, blend in, as it were?" said Hestia, trying not to laugh out loud at her friend's behavior in the Muggle world.

"I don't know how the Muggles manage without magic," he said as they climbed a broken-down escalator that led up to a bustling road lined with shops.

Hagrid was so huge that he parted the crowd easily; all Harry had to do was keep close behind him. They passed book shops and music stores, hamburger restaurants and cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it could sell you a magic wand. This was just an ordinary street full of ordinary people. Could there really be piles of wizard gold buried miles beneath them? Were there really shops that sold spell books and broomsticks? Might this not all be some huge joke that the Dursleys had cooked up? If Harry hadn't known that the Dursleys had no sense of humor, he might have thought so; yet somehow, even though everything Hagrid had told him so far was unbelievable, Harry couldn't help trusting him.

Hagrid smiled at the book in Tonk's hands then at the baby who turned to look at him, then pointed a chubby little hand and squealed at the top of his lungs.

"This is it," said Hagrid, coming to a halt, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place."

It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. If Hagrid hadn't pointed it out, Harry wouldn't have noticed it was there. The people hurrying by didn't glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big bookshop on one side to the record shop on the other as if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all. In fact, Harry had the most peculiar feeling that only he and Hagrid could see it. Before he could mention this, Hagrid had steered him inside.

Dumbledore nodded, eyes full on twinkling. "That would be the anti-Muggle wards and other charms meant to hide the place. Quite useful and effective, except when we have Muggle parents who need to bring their children to Diagon Alley, alas."

For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut.

"Ha!" Aberforth let out a gruff laugh at the description of his fellow bar tender and friend. "Dead on- toothless walnut indeed." Many others chuckled at the mental image the words invoked.

The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Everyone seemed to know Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and the bartender reached for a glass, saying, "The usual, Hagrid?"

"Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Harry's shoulder and making Harry's knees buckle.

Mad-Eye frowned. "You should have just gone through and not brought attention to the boy." His magical eye swung towards Hagrid rotating wildly in the socket. "It is much harder to protect him there with everyone knowing that Harry Potter is in Diagon Alley. Why not just walk him up to the nearest sketchy figure and thrust the boy at him and say 'here take him?'"

Hagrid looked down at the tabletop again in embarrassment. "I jus' was proud o' bein' asked ter do the job an' all." Dedalus patted him comfortingly on his arm. Others didn't seem to be able to decide to feel bad for Hagrid or annoyed that he had so blatantly called attention to Harry in the Leaky Cauldron of all places.

"Hmf," said Mad-Eye as he crossed his arms and scowled at the book with his real eye, the other staying fixed on the half-giant.

"Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at Harry, "is this - can this be -?"

Snape couldn't help the sneer that spread across his face as he muttered, "Here we go."

Lily didn't here him, but noticed his darkening features and narrowed her eyes at her friend suspiciously.

The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent.

Caradoc whistled and leaned back in his chair, impressed despite himself.

"Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Harry Potter... what an honor."

Snape snorted and the sneer grew larger as he eyed James Potter smiling proudly at his little clone in his lap. Pathetic. McGonagall now noticed her colleague's attitude as well and lifted an eyebrow at the man. He did not notice as he was too busy scowling at a baby. McGonagall caught Lily's eyes, however and the two shared a look at the growing tension in the Potion's Master.

He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Harry and seized his hand, tears in his eyes.

"Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back."

Harry didn't know what to say. Everyone was looking at him. The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out. Hagrid was beaming.

Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Harry found himself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron.

Snape actually rolled his eyes in disgust. James laughed out loud and patted his son on the back proudly. "That's my boy! Famous before he even gets to school. You know he could really- Ow!" James rubbed the back of his head carefully and leaned away from Lily, who had just smacked him. "What was that for?"

"Because you are celebrating something Harry may not appreciate not to mention he is famous because WE DIED!" She smacked him again and took the baby from his arms. James used both arms to rub his head. He looked up into the stormy eyes of his wife then down at his child who was staring at him in confusion. Harry seemed to pick up on his parents' moods and his bottom lip puckered out slightly, a tiny crease appearing in his small forehead.

"Oh," was all James could muster. "That."

Across the table, Alice and Frank leaned against each other in comfort cuddling their own baby between them.

"Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last."

"So proud, Mr. Potter, I'm just so proud."

"Always wanted to shake your hand - I'm all of a flutter."

"Delighted, Mr. Potter, just can't tell you, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle."

Everyone looked at the little wizard who giggled at the attention and turned a bright pink in response.

Snape crossed his arms over his chest and muttered "Pathetic" while giving Dedalus one of his most sour looks.

"I've seen you before!" said Harry, as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off in his excitement. "You bowed to me once in a shop."

The man in question gave another little giggle.

"He remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. "Did you hear that? He remembers me!" Harry shook hands again and again - Doris Crockford kept coming back for more.

"You know, that would get really annoying very quickly, actually," stated Benjy with a slightly disturbed look.

"Not to mention the safety risk," said Mad-Eye irritatedly. "Imagine that any one of them could have simply shook his hand and then apparated them both somewhere unknown in a heartbeat." Lily pressed baby Harry slightly more firmly to her chest as Alice and Frank unconsciously did the same. Everyone else stared at the ex-Auror in dawning horror.

"Ah," said Hagrid quietly, "hadn't thought o' that."

Mad-Eye nodded in satisfaction at the fear in many of the Order members' eyes. "Good, maybe you all will start taking the safety of those around you more seriously in the future." He looked at James and Lily and shrugged, "Or in the past, as the case may be."

A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching.

"Professor Quirrell!" said Hagrid. "Harry, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."

The sneer left Snape's face to be replaced by a look of dawning knowledge. McGonagall caught his eye with the same look. The two of them turned as one looked at Dumbledore who had lost some of the twinkle in his eyes once more. He shook his head at his two former colleagues as if to say, "not now."

"P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Harry's hand, "c-can't t-tell you how p- pleased I am to meet you."

"What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?"

"D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it. "N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?" He laughed nervously.

"What? Why wouldn't Harry need it? Wouldn't he need it more having grown up away from the Magical world and all?" asked Arabella.

"He is implying that because of what happened on Hallowe'en 1981, young Potter is an expert on the Dark Arts…which is incredibly stupid," said Aberforth with a look at the Potters. It was interesting meeting those people along with the baby Harry who was quietly sleeping in his mother's arms. How that baby grew up to be the determined young man he met at the Hog's Head with everything that happened, Aberforth didn't know. He was simply grateful to the young man for all he had done for the Wizarding World.

"You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself." He looked terrified at the very thought.

But the others wouldn't let Professor Quirrell keep Harry to himself. It took almost ten minutes to get away from them all.

Lily noticed Snape's ever increasingly sour face as the book described Harry's fame more and more. She pursed her mouth and narrowed her eyes, trying to think of a way to break past Snape's mask and get him to see her son as an individual.

At last, Hagrid managed to make himself heard over the babble.

"Must get on - lots ter buy. Come on, Harry."

Doris Crockford shook Harry's hand one last time, and Hagrid led them through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.

Hagrid grinned at Harry.

"Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh - mind you, he's usually tremblin'."

"Yes, and I'm sure all the adulation and ego stroking did not go amiss. Because what we really need is an even bigger-headed idiot boy swaggering down the halls of Hogwarts thumbing his nose at authority and making sure to look the epitome of cool doing so," growled Snape, forgetting finally where he was and who he was with.

Dumbledore frowned and sighed. McGonagall shook her head reproachfully and said, "Severus!"

"That's it!"

Everyone turned to Lily as she abruptly stood up startling the baby in her arms awake. She marched over to her former friend and looked down on him. Snape's face morphed from extreme disgust and dislike to one of slight shock and wariness.

Lily took a deep breath so she wouldn't scream in the man's face. "You are talking about my son, Severus. MY son." He quirked an eyebrow at her as if to say, "and?" Lily huffed and shifted Harry in her arms as he looked on with a crinkled brow and a puckered lip. "He is not James. And I would have hoped that you would see that, or at least see that this child came from me as well, or have you completely decided to hate me and everything connected to me?" Snape opened his mouth in a little "Oh" before shutting it again and looking down at his lap, unable to keep Lily's angry eyes any longer.

Dumbledore grinned under his mustache watching the scene and everyone else looked on in awe as Lily Potter laid into the dour Potion's Master. "Well, I think the solution is that you see Harry as not a miniature James, which I assure you he isn't anyway. And, not as a mini-me either. We are all individuals, created by two people, but by no means replicas of those people. How would you feel if people treated you as though you were your father?"

At this Snape snapped his head up, eyes stormy. "My father was nothing better than a mongrel. A beast of a man and you know this." Lily nodded even before he finished.

"Yes, I know this, and I have never treated you like you were his clone. So, you will not be treating Harry as though he were James' or my own clone either." With that, Lily handed Harry over to Snape who had stuck out his arms automatically to receive the baby. He looked down at the now unhappy child in consternation, as though wondering how on Earth he got in that position. Finally he looked up at Lily.

"And what exactly am I to do with," Snape shifted the frowning baby in his arms awkwardly, "this?"

Lily gave the man a smug smile before turning around and marching back to her own chair. "You are going to hold him and take care of him," she said as she sat down again, "At least until lunch." Snape looked down at Harry and frowned again causing the little boy to frown in return.

James leaned over to whisper in his wife's ear while watching his rival hold his son warily. "Lils, are you ABSOLUTELY sure about this?" She simply patted him on his cheek and smiled innocently giving him his answer.

"Is he always that nervous?"

"Oh, yeah. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some firsthand experience... They say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag - never been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of his own subject now, where's me umbrella?"

Harry shifted uncomfortably in Snapes arms, squirming in a way that the man was forced to bring the baby closer to his body or drop him. And that was not an option. Lily might be peeved now but he knew if he dropped her baby, Snape would be in for a world of pain and extremely loud yelling. He remembered Lily Evan's temper well and really did not want to get a dressing down again in so short a time in front of a good number of people.

Vampires? Hags? Harry's head was swimming. Hagrid, meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall above the trashcan.

"Three up... two across he muttered. "Right, stand back, Harry."

He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella.

The brick he had touched quivered - it wriggled - in the middle, a small hole appeared - it grew wider and wider - a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.

"Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley."

He grinned at Harry's amazement.

Hagrid chuckled. "His eyes looked 'bout ready to pop out his skull an' he turned his head every which way he nearly gave himself a crick." He smiled fondly at the baby still frowning up at Snape. "Twas damn adorable at the time, too."

Snape resisted making a face at the Care of Magical Creatures teacher and returned his concentration to not dropping the small, squirmy living thing he was holding.

They stepped through the archway. Harry looked quickly over his shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall.

The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons - All Sizes - Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver - Self-Stirring - Collapsible, said a sign hanging over them.

"The collapsible ones are a joke, they are leakier than a sieve and a waste of money and potion's ingredients," said Snape with conviction. Lily nodded as did a few others who could brew potions without blowing themselves up regularly.

"Yeah, you'll be needin' one," said Hagrid, "but we gotta get yer money first."

Harry wished he had about eight more eyes. He turned his head in every direction as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping. A plump woman outside an Apothecary was shaking her head as they passed, saying, "Dragon liver, seventeen Sickles an ounce, they're mad..."

"Why didn't that witch just say a knut? I mean, they're the same amount..sooo," said Charlie. Most people just shrugged.

A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium - Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy. Several boys of about Harry's age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. "Look," Harry heard one of them say, "the new Nimbus Two Thousand - fastest ever -" There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Harry had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon...

"Gringotts," said Hagrid.

They had reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was –

"Yeah, that's a goblin," said Hagrid quietly as they walked up the white stone steps toward him. The goblin was about a head shorter than Harry.

"Which is impressively short since Harry was always on titchy side," laughed Fred.

He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, Harry noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:

Enter, stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed,

For those who take, but do not earn,

Must pay most dearly in their turn.

So if you seek beneath our floors

A treasure that was never yours,

Thief, you have been warned, beware

Of finding more than treasure there.

"Except if you're Harry and his friends," said Caradoc with a smirk, "and do the goblins a service in removing a Dark object…"

"And one dragon!" Someone shouted in contribution.

Caradoc's smirk grew into an almost smile as he nodded in agreement. "And one dragon for unselfish and certainly non-greedy purposes. Just goes to show," he shrugged, "Even when something's written in stone, its not written in stone."

The Prewett and Weasley twins laughed uproariously while most everyone else sighed and shook their heads while trying to hide smiles.

Little Harry, reacting to the atmosphere, squawked happily and wriggled himself finally into a comfortable position in the Potion Master's arms. He gave a small sigh and leaned into the black clothed chest. Snape looked down at the baby with a frown. He attempted to remove the infant's slimy hands from his many buttons before one broke only to have Harry grab hold of his forefinger in a surprisingly strong hold. When he tried to draw away, Harry held on tightly and scowled up at the man. Snape sighed and decided his finger would be less likely to break in the baby's grasp than his clothing. Rolling his eyes in mild disgust, he looked up only to meet highly amused green eyes twinkling at him from across the table.

"Like I said, Yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it," said Hagrid.

"Noted," Gideon stated solemnly nodding his head.

A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a

vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Hagrid and Harry made for the counter.

"Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta Mr. Harry Potter's safe."

"You have his key, Sir?"

"Got it here somewhere," said Hagrid, and he started emptying his pockets onto the counter, scattering a handful of moldy dog biscuits over the goblin's book of numbers.

Fleur and several others wrinkled their noses at this.

The goblin wrinkled his nose. Harry watched the goblin on their right weighing a pile of rubies as big as glowing coals.

"Got it," said Hagrid at last, holding up a tiny golden key.

The goblin looked at it closely.

"That seems to be in order."

"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid importantly, throwing out his chest. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."

Lily perked up, interested in the mystery. "What is the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen? Is important to the story? What do you need with it Albus? Why so secretive hmm?" asked Lily in rapid succession.

Albus blinked at the onslaught of question before answering, to the amusement of everyone else around the table. "I believe, Lily," he started.

"Mrs. Potter."

Albus raised his eyebrows at the red haired witch. "Excuse me?"

"I'm still angry at you for your poor choices regarding my son and his childhood. So you may call me Mrs. Potter," said Lily crossing her arms and quirking an eyebrow at the former Headmaster.

Albus stroked his beard distractedly. "You told the Weasley twins to call you Lily and you do not know them, yet you refuse me the privilege?"

Lily scooted her chair back from the table. She re-crossed her arms and swung her trainer-clad feet to rest on the edge of the round table, leaning back in her comfortable chair. "Technically, I only extended that privilege to Fred here, although is most welcome to call me Lily as well." She nodded and smiled at the two sitting near their family. They smiled and waved back exaggeratedly at her.

Albus attempted to smile kindly at her. "But…"

"But, they're not you," interrupted Lily, looking back to Dumbledore with a harder gaze. "And you haven't answered my questions," Lily pointed out, settling back in her chair with an air of control. James blinked at his wife, looked over to Dumbledore, then scooted his chair back to join his wife in repose. She smiled at him and patted his arm encouragingly. The rest of the Order members around the table all tried to suppress chuckles at the antics of the Potters. It was supremely satisfying for some to see Albus Dumbledore pitted against Lily Potter and come out the worse for wear.

Sighing, Albus shrugged uncomfortably. "I believe your answers will be revealed in the course of the story, Mrs. Potter. Please forgive me if I seemed to be evasive on the matter."

McGonagall snorted outright and muttered under her breath something sounded suspiciously like "Evasive my arse." Snape continued the whispered diatribe with what sounded like "Darn right vague and misleading as always." The two former colleagues shared amused looks before paying attention to the room at large again. Tonks just shook her head at her former professors' behavior and continued reading, while McGonagall absent-mindedly began playing with Little Harry's tiny kicking feet.

The goblin read the letter carefully.

"Very well," he said, handing it back to Hagrid, "I will have Someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"

Griphook was yet another goblin. Once Hagrid had crammed all the dog biscuits back inside his pockets, he and Harry followed Griphook toward one of the doors leading off the hall.

"What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Harry asked.

"Ha! He sure doesn't show a resemblance to you, does he Lily?" asked a laughing Marlene.

Lily turned slightly pink but stuck her tongue out at her friend in good-natured childishness. "Why, Marly? What gave you that impression? Just because Harry shows himself to be just as curious as his mother doesn't make us related or anything. Nope, absolutely not."

"Can't tell yeh that," said Hagrid mysteriously. "Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that."

"Hagrid! That's as good as inviting Potter to go ahead and stick his nose in things he ought not to," admonished Snape, unconsciously holding baby Harry closer to his body as though to protect him from his future self's foolish curiosity and the results of investigating dangerous things. The action was not lost on the current Headmistress or Harry's mother, who both shared a look and a small smile.

Griphook held the door open for them. Harry, who had expected more marble, was surprised. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them. They climbed in - Hagrid with some difficulty - and were off.

At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Harry tried to remember, left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, but it was impossible. The rattling cart seemed to know its own way, because Griphook wasn't steering.

Harry's eyes stung as the cold air rushed past them, but he kept them wide open. Once, he thought he saw a burst of fire at the end of a passage and twisted around to see if it was a dragon, but too late - - they plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor.

"I never know," Harry called to Hagrid over the noise of the cart, "what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?"

"The spelling," said Sirius knowledgably. Then, "Ow!" after Remus smacked him on the arm and muttered "Idiot" good-naturedly.

"Stalagmite's got an 'm' in it," said Hagrid.

"See?" said Sirius appealing to the werewolf. "Hagrid agrees with me." Remus just rolled his eyes wacked Sirius in the arm again for his troubles.

"An' don' ask me questions just now, I think I'm gonna be sick."

Benjy nodded at this looking a little green at the thought of the Gringotts carts. "Oh, me too, Hargid, I hate those things."

He did look very green, and when the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Hagrid got out and had to lean against the wall to stop his knees from trembling.

Dedalus patted the half-giant sympathetically on the hand as the Hagrid listening started to turn the same shade described in the book.

Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Harry gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts.

"All yours," smiled Hagrid.

Benjy whistled. "That's a lot of easily accessible funds for an eleven year old. You sure it is a good idea to allow a child that kind of access to such a large sum when he comes with no previous experience of budgeting or money management?"

"Spoken like a true accountant's son, Benj," Hestia said fondly. The man just shrugged and looked to Dumbledore to answer the question.

It was James, however, that spoke up. "Hmm, actually, from the sounds of it, that is Harry's trust vault. That is what was set aside for Hogwarts tuition and supplies. So really this should teach him to budget properly and all that. Not that he really has to worry, as he is heir to the Potter estate and all of its holdings. And no matter how much…certain parties," James looked briefly towards Dumbledore with a slight sneer, "wish for more monetary contributions to the war effort, the Potter estate is quite vast and will all go to Harry at some point. Better he start off with the trust vault then ease into the rest when he hits his majority."

A lot of thoughtful looks and "hmms" met this statement before Dumbledore sighed and signaled for the reading to commence again.

All Harry's - it was incredible. The Dursleys couldn't have known about this or they'd have had it from him faster than blinking.

"Impossible," James spoke again, this time with a bit of steel in his voice. "The Dursleys could not get access to those vaults for many reasons, the more prevalent being they are Muggles and have no access to Gringotts itself. Secondly, it is a Potter vault. Only Harry or his Magical guardian can access the vaults at this point and that doesn't even begin to take into account all of the anti-theft and coercion spells the goblins have placed on the account itself. So, no, those…those…Where are we in this insult thing?" asked James looking to Sirius who shrugged and looked to Remus who frowned and scratched his head.

Snape sighed and adjusted the precarious bundle of baby Potter in his arms. "'N' Potter. We lasted used the letter 'n'."

James blinked at the man before half grinning, half grimacing at his former childhood enemy. "Er, cheers, then, I suppose, Sni…Snape." Snape sneered at James and unconsciously tightened his arms causing little Harry to grunt in protest. A small fist wacked him in the chest. Looking down, Snape saw green eyes squinting up at him in protest of the tight hold. He loosened his arms slightly and watched somewhat bemusedly as the baby burrowed contented into his robes again. The same small hand that had hit Snape snagged a swath of black robe and brought it to his toothless mouth. Snape's lipped curled watching (and feeling) his robes soak with baby spit but he was loath to move or disengage his clothing from the slimy mouth of the infant as the infuriating thing finally stopped squirming again. He rolled his eyes at his own softness and looked up, catching Lily's blinding smile directed at him. Well, if putting up with slimy, wet clothing, squirming infant, and a host of other annoyances was going to get him that smile from Lily, perhaps he could put up with for a little while longer.

James nodded then and continued his thought. "So, anyway those, erm, obscene, obese, obnoxious, offensive, odious organisms will not and could not get any of your money, Harry."

Quite a few people snorted in amusement at the term "organism."

How often had they complained how much Harry cost them to keep? And all the time there had been a small fortune belonging to him, buried deep under London.

"Those utter and complete fu-" Bill started before his mother covered his mouth. She too looked angry but maintained the need to keep language as clean as possible.

Hagrid helped Harry pile some of it into a bag.

"The gold ones are Galleons," he explained. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough. Right, that should be enough fer a couple o' terms, we'll keep the rest safe for yeh." He turned to Griphook. "Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?"

Bill shook his head and gave Hagrid a sympathetic look. "One speed only, mate. Sorry."

"One speed only," said Griphook.

"Oh dear-"

"Brother ours-"

"You've been working with the Goblins so much-"

"You're turning into one!" Fred and George grinned at each other before backing away from Bill in mock horror.

"See? You're going a bit-"

"Green even as we speak!" Fred pointing a shaking finger at his brother and gasped before putting his hand to his forehead and pretending to faint in floppy mess in his chair. George was about to do the same when Bill's wand appeared and sent a spell at his "unconscious" brother, causing a matching pair of hoop earrings spring forth on his freckled lobes. George laughed when Fred jumped up with a squawk. The twins looked in Bill in accusation before turning to each other and laughing. "We match again!" They said in unison.

"Not yet you don't," growled Mad-Eye as he rolled his own wand menacingly in hand, " but I am more than willing to blast off an ear and make you a true matching set again of you two don't SHUT UP!" The last was yelled and the twins both made motions of zipping their mouths shut before saluting the ex-Auror and sitting quietly at the table with their hands clasped in front of them in poses of attendant pupils.

Mad-Eye grunted and put his wand away again looking slightly disappointed.

They were going even deeper now and gathering speed. The air became colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners. They went rattling over an underground ravine, and Harry leaned over the side to try to see what was down at the dark bottom, but Hagrid groaned and pulled him back by the scruff of his neck.

Lily covered her eyes. "Thank you, Hagrid."

"Not'a probl'm," mumbled Hagrid, turning a bit pink under his beard.

Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole.

"Stand back," said Griphook importantly. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it simply melted away.

"If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there," said Griphook.

"How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Harry asked.

"An astute question," nodded Kingsley.

"About once every ten years," said Griphook with a rather nasty grin.

"Er…Nice," commented Mundungus, looking a bit green at the thought.

Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top security vault, Harry was sure, and he leaned forward eagerly, expecting to see fabulous jewels at the very least - but at first he thought it was empty. Then he noticed a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor. Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat. Harry longed to know what it was, but knew better than to ask.

Aberforth snorted. "Yet," he said under his breath.

"Come on, back in this infernal cart, and don't talk to me on the way back, it's best if I keep me mouth shut," said Hagrid.

One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts. Harry didn't know where to run first now that he had a bag full of money. He didn't have to know how many Galleons there were to a pound to know that he was holding more money than he'd had in his whole life - more money than even Dudley had ever had.

"Good," muttered the Prewitt twins together.

"Might as well get yer uniform," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, Harry, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts." He did still look a bit sick, so Harry entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, feeling nervous.

"Hagrid!" admonished McGonagall before loudly sighing and putting her head in her hands in an effort to not yell further.

This did not stop Snape from snorting quietly and muttering "idiot" to himself. From the light smack he felt from his right he guessed Minerva had heard him but from the small curve of her lips that he could see, she did not entirely find fault with his assessment.

Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.

"Hogwarts, dear?" she said, when Harry started to speak. "Got the lot here - another young man being fitted up just now, in fact. "

In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him) slipped a long robe over his head, and began to pin it to the right length.

"It is rather a strange experience if one has not had occasion for one of these fittings before," stated Marlene knowledgably. Many around the table nodded in agreement and slight discomfort remembering their own experiences with pins and magical tape measures zipping around unpleasantly.

"Hello," said the boy, "Hogwarts, too?"

"Yes," said Harry.

"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy.

"Pfft, what for when it's the wand that chooses the wizard. Prolly this kid's father just wanted to be rid of him for half an hour," said Caradoc with a sneer.

He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then I'm going to drag them off to took at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."

The Hogwarts current and former employees laughed at this knowing it was not really all that probable. Sirius and Remus laughed for a different. "Whoever this kid is, he kinda sounds like you Prongs," said Sirius as he good-naturedly smacked his friend's arm.

"Hey! I was not that bad."

Lily and Snape both snorted derisively. When James turned wounded eyes to his wife, she simply folded her arms, rolled her eyes and said, "Please," before smirking and turning back to Tonks. James stuck his lower lip out in an absurdly exaggerated pout.

Harry was strongly reminded of Dudley.

"Wha…hey! I was nothing like that!" yelled in outrage at being compared to the boy who had beat his son and caused him so much pain.

"Hmm, you are correct Potter." All eyes turned to Snape. "You, are in fact, far skinnier than this Dudley appears to be." James blinked at the man, a developing habit, it seemed. "Other that the issue of accumulated fat deposits on one's body, however, I see no difference in the description," finished Snape with a particularly vicious glare.

"Why you-" James drew his wand quickly but was stopped by Lily's hand on his arm. She merely pointed to his chair in a very clear "sit" gesture. He was about to protest but complied with one look at his wife's face.

"First, husband mine, were you going to curse Severus while he is holding OUR baby?" Lily asked in quiet voice that was no less intense for it. James frowned then looked at Snape. He opened his mouth but shut it again quickly his eyes going wide. James looked down at his own hands then unable to look Lily in the eye.

"I forgot," he quietly murmured, as though he was trying to explain it to himself.

"I can see that," snapped Lily. James shrunk a little more in his chair. "I also agree with Severus' assessment of your character at the age of eleven." At this James turned brown eyes on his wife, real hurt showing in their depths, his face morphing from contrite to anger quickly. Lily held up her hand to stave off the imminent explosion. "I said I agree with his assessment of the child you were," at James growingly angry posture, Lily squeezed his arm. "BUT…but, James, you have since grown up. The child you were acted very much like my sister's son, but the man you've become is so much more. I would not have married you otherwise. You are a good man with a good heart and I would hope that you know how much I love that about you and how much I love you now." All anger vanished from James features as he smiled lovingly at his wife. She reached up and caressed his cheek. "It doesn't make your younger self any less obnoxious, love, but you learned from those mistakes thankfully and know that I accept your childhood and all of your faults and love not in spite of them, but because of them. So stop acting like the school boy you were and start acting like the man I married." James simply nodded and leaned into his wife. A quiet "Yes'm" was heard only by Sirius and Lily. This didn't stop him from peering over Lily's shoulder giving Snape a brief glare.

"Hmm, yes well, as much as I feel the need for popcorn right now, how's about we press on, yah?" asked Tonks as she picked the book up from the table where it had rested.

"Awkward…" muttered Charlie before Tonks started causing a few chuckles from his family members around him.

"Have you got your own broom?" the boy went on.

"No," said Harry.

"Play Quidditch at all?"

"No," Harry said again, wondering what on earth Quidditch could be.

"Oh, you wound me, Prongslet," sighed Sirius. Remus leaned over and flicked his friend in the forehead. "Ow! What is with the violence around this table today?"

Remus just smiled at the man, "Harry was Muggle-raised, Paddy, which means he has all the knowledge of our world that Muggle-borns have. He wouldn't know anything about anything magical, including Quidditch."

"Still," pouted Sirius rubbing his forehead.

"I do - Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?"

Minerva scoffed at this. "No one does and whoever this child is thinks he knows a great deal but truly is showing his ignorance, at least to those of us reading." Many nodded in agreement.

"No," said Harry, feeling more stupid by the minute.

"Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been - imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"

Snape's eyes narrowed at this. So, this irritating child was one his snakes, or was convinced that he would be, in any case. That narrowed the suspects of who this child was considerably. The prospects did not fill him with hope, however.

"Mmm," said Harry, wishing he could say something a bit more interesting.

"I say, look at that man!" said the boy suddenly, nodding toward the front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and pointing at two large ice creams to show he couldn't come in.

"That's Hagrid," said Harry, pleased to know something the boy didn't. "He works at Hogwarts."

"Oh," said the boy, "I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?"

Hagrid frowned slightly at this while Aberforth snorted. "Who is this kid? There are more people in this world that Spoiled brats and their servants. This kid needs a swift kick."

"He's the gamekeeper," said Harry. He was liking the boy less and less every second.

"Agreed," said Molly folding her arms and looking disapprovingly at the book.

"Yes, exactly. I heard he's a sort of savage –

"The two words 'gamekeeper' and 'savage' are in no way synonymous, young man," said Dumbledore with a frown. He too had a good guess as to the identity of the boy in the book whom progressively showed himself to be ever more repugnant.

lives in a hut on the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic, and ends up setting fire to his bed."

"I think he's brilliant," said Harry coldly.

"Thanks, 'Arry," said Hagrid, sending the baby representative of the boy in the room a beaming smile. Snape found it slightly disturbing having smiles sent his way even if they were aimed at the baby currently working on soaking the entire front of his robes in slobber.

"Do you?" said the boy, with a slight sneer. "Why is he with you? Where are your parents?"

"Nosy little git," muttered Fred to his twin who grimaced but nodded in agreement.

"They're dead," said Harry shortly. He didn't feel much like going into the matter with this boy.

"Ha! Jilly, I am liking your son more and more. 'They're dead'… priceless!" Caradoc laughed while others looked slightly nauseated at the reminder of James' and Lily's death.

"Oh, sorry," said the other, not sounding sorry at all. "But they were our kind, weren't they?"

"What, pretentious little snots?" asked Aberforth.

"They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean."

"I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. What's your surname, anyway?"

"Ugh, I'm having flashbacks to my own childhood now. This kid just keeps getting better and better," said Sirius with disgust.

"Just think what a shame it is that this child probably learned this from his parents. Despicable," commented Hestia.

But before Harry could answer, Madam Malkin said, "That's you done, my dear," and Harry, not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to the boy, hopped down from the footstool.

"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," said the drawling boy.

"You know, it's rude to start a conversation with someone you don't know and never introduce yourself," stated Molly reprovingly.

"And did that boy give you any evidence anywhere in that conversation that he was anything but rude? Fitting isn't it?" asked Emmeline.

Harry was rather quiet as he ate the ice cream Hagrid had bought him (chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts).

"What's up?" said Hagrid.

"Nothing," Harry lied. They stopped to buy parchment and quills.

"You fell for that, Hagrid?" asked Arthur disbelievingly.

"Nah," said the half-giant, "But I only really jus' met 'im tha' day, so I didn' really want ter push, yeh know?"

Harry cheered up a bit when he found a bottle of ink that changed color as you wrote. When they had left the shop, he said, "Hagrid, what's Quidditch?"

"Blimey, Harry, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know - not knowin' about Quidditch!"

"Don't make me feel worse," said Harry. He told Hagrid about the pale boy in Madam Malkin's.

"Didn' tell me about tha' savage part though," said Hagrid once again frowning at the book.

"-and he said people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed in."

"Yer not from a Muggle family. If he'd known who yeh were - he's grown up knowin' yer name if his parents are wizardin' folk. You saw what everyone in the Leaky Cauldron was like when they saw yeh. Anyway, what does he know about it, some o' the best I ever saw were the only ones

with magic in 'em in a long line 0' Muggles - look at yer mum! Look what she had fer a sister!"

Lily smiled at Hagrid. It was nice to be recognized for one's skills not dying at the hands of a mad man.

"So what is Quidditch?"

"It's our sport. Wizard sport. It's like - like soccer in the Muggle world - everyone follows Quidditch - played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls - sorta hard ter explain the rules."

"No it's not!" exclaimed Charlie, James and Tonks at the same time. All three looked at each other and laughed.

"Fer you lot, maybe," muttered Hagrid.

"And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?"

"Ayayay, he really doesn't know anything does he?" asked James forlornly.

"You wouldn't know anything if you were raised by Muggles, too, you know," said Lily looking a little irritated at the way her husband was talking about their son.

"You knew plenty," James threw back in rebuttal.

"I had help in the matter, Harry does not."

James still looked slightly sad and confused. "So?"

Lily turned to her husband and narrowed her eyes. He leaned back slightly warily. "So shut it."

"School houses. There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers, but -"

"Hey!" cried those from the aforementioned house in outrage.

"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff" said Harry gloomily.

"We would have welcomed you and let you thrive," stated Hestia firmly as Benjy, Tonks and Dedalus nodded in agreement.

"Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin," said Hagrid darkly. "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. You-Know-Who was one."

"That is patently untrue Hagrid," said Dumbledore slightly sadly. It seemed that Hagrid was spreading prejudices that he had hoped Harry would not be privy to. "We have many fine examples of good Slytherins here at this table." He nodded at his brother who grunted and crossed his arms and Snape who simply glared at the half-giant.

"Sorry, sorry," said Hagrid holding his hands up in a helpless gesture.

"Vol-, sorry - You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?"

"Years an' years ago," said Hagrid.

They bought Harry's school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all. Even Dudley, who never read anything, would have been wild to get his hands on some of these. Hagrid almost had to drag Harry away from Curses and Countercurses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue- Tying and Much, Much More) by Professor Vindictus Viridian.

"I was trying to find out how to curse Dudley."

"Unfortunately while I applaud his efforts to expand his magical knowledge, he cannot curse his cousin and not be reprimanded for magic use outside of Hogwarts," said McGonagall sounding slightly disappointed at the prospect being unable to curse Dudley Dursley.

"I'm not sayin' that's not a good idea, but yer not ter use magic in the Muggle world except in very special circumstances," said Hagrid. "An' anyway, yeh couldn' work any of them curses yet, yeh'll need a lot more study before yeh get ter that level."

"Mmm, maybe yes and maybe no. Remember how young Harry was when he mastered the Patronus. He might actually have the power needed to perform complex spells that early on," said Remus thoughtfully.

Hagrid wouldn't let Harry buy a solid gold cauldron, either ("It says pewter on yer list"), but they got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope. Then they visited the Apothecary, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible smell, a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages.

Snape felt his eyebrows inch up in surprise. The brat had been in potions, at least ingredients-wise? Lily positively beamed. "I'll bet he takes after me in potions with a budding interest like that," she stated proudly. Snape looked quickly down at the table before she could see the beginnings of disquiet on his features.

Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots, and bright powders lined the walls; bundles of feathers, strings of fangs, and snarled claws hung from the ceiling. While Hagrid asked the man behind the counter for a supply of some basic potion ingredients for Harry, Harry himself examined silver unicorn horns at twenty-one Galleons each and minuscule, glittery-black beetle eyes (five Knuts a scoop).

Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked Harry's list again.

"Just yer wand left - A yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present."

Harry felt himself go red.

George snorted, "That's a strange medical condition, Harrikins, turning different colors, maybe you have that checked out, hmm?"

"You don't have to -"

Molly sighed. "Only Harry would get embarrassed over a birthday present."

"I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at - an' I don' like cats, they make me sneeze. I'll get yer an owl. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry yer mail an' everythin'."

Twenty minutes later, they left Eeylops Owl Emporium, which had been dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel-bright eyes. Harry now carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing. He couldn't stop stammering his thanks, sounding just like Professor Quirrell.

"Thank you, Hagrid, that was very nice and thoughtful of you," said Lily smiling at the man and James game him a thankful little smile of his own for the man who showed his son such kindness.

"Don' mention it," said Hagrid gruffly. "Don' expect you've had a lotta presents from them Dursleys. Just Ollivanders left now - only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand."

A magic wand... this was what Harry had been really looking forward to.

The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.

"I've always wondered why that wand was on display," said Benjy. "Do you know, Dumbledore?"

"Alas, I do not. I would hazard a guess that it is one of the first wands made by the Ollivander family, but I do not believe it is a famous wand or that it belonged to a famous person as it is not marked thusly," said Dumbledore stroking his beard thoughtfully.

A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Hagrid sat on to wait. Harry felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library; he swallowed a lot of new questions that had just occurred to him and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of his neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.

"Hmm, now that is an interesting reaction," said Mad-eye leaning forward slightly.

James looked at the ex-Auror suspiciously, "Good interesting or bad interesting?"

Mad-Eye focused both eyes on the man briefly before muttering, "Neither, or both depends on the outcome, doesn't it, Potter?"

"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Harry jumped. Hagrid must have jumped, too, because there was a loud crunching noise and he got quickly off the spindly chair.

An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.

"Hello," said Harry awkwardly.

"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter." It wasn't a question. "You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."

Lily held her wand up proudly and displayed his swishy quality for all to see.

Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry. Harry wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy.

"Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it - it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."

Mr. Ollivander had come so close that he and Harry were almost nose to nose. Harry could see himself reflected in those misty eyes.

"And that's where..."

Mr. Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Harry's forehead with a long, white finger.

"Well that's not creepy at all," said Fabian who turned to his twin and began exaggeratedly reaching toward him only to then poke Gideon in the forehead. Hard.

"Ouch, prat. Keep your creepy fingers and moony eyes to yourself, thanks."

"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands... well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do..."

He shook his head and then, to Harry's relief, spotted Hagrid.

"Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again... Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?"

"It was, sir, yes," said Hagrid.

"Good wand, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got expelled?" said Mr. Ollivander, suddenly stern.

"Here's what I don't get. Why was your wand snapped when you got expelled, Hagrid?" asked Charlie. "I mean, getting expelled is one thing, but that doesn't make you a criminal, you could have just gone to another school of magic on the continent or across the pond, you know?" Hagrid looked at his fellow dragon enthusiast for a second before slowly turning his head to the former headmaster with a look of dawning understanding and anger.

Dumbledore sighed. "It was part of the terms we agreed on with the ministry at the time, Hagrid to keep you out of Azkaban."

Sirius snorted in disgust. "So the lovely United Kingdom's wizarding Ministry judicious system strikes again. Again we have a wizard accused of a crime and without very much investigation and no trial he is treated like the scum of the earth and his wand is snapped. Nice, so glad I live here and vote here, does a world of job for all of us tax paying citizens, yah?"

Everyone was quiet at this, thinking of their own times when the ministry had failed in some way or another. It did not speak well for the purity of the wizarding governing body over the last century.

"Er - yes, they did, yes," said Hagrid, shuffling his feet. "I've still got the pieces, though," he added brightly.

"But you don't use them?" said Mr. Ollivander sharply.

"Oh, no, sir," said Hagrid quickly. Harry noticed he gripped his pink umbrella very tightly as he spoke.

"Nice way to be subtle, Hagrid," chuckled Caradoc.

"Hmmm," said Mr. Ollivander, giving Hagrid a piercing look. "Well, now - Mr. Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"

"Did he just ask an inappropriate question? It's none of Ol' Ollie's business which arm gets more of a work out when he thinks he's alone," scoffed Fred in mock indignation before ducking his mother's hand.

"Get you mind and mouth out of the gutter before I take you over my knee like the child you are behaving like."

"Er - well, I'm right-handed," said Harry.

"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Harry from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."

Harry suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring between his nostrils, was doing this on its own. Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.

"That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Mr. Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. just take it and give it a wave."

Harry took the wand and (feeling foolish)

"We all do, no worries," said Emmeline with a smile.

waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once.

"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try -"

Harry tried - but he had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander.

"No, no -here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out."

Harry tried. And tried. He had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.

"How many did he eventually try, Hagrid?" asked McGonagall.

The half-giant simply shrugged. "Loss count after ten," was all he said.

"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere - I wonder, now - - yes, why not - unusual combination - holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."

Harry took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls.

Lily smiled and clapped her hands. "Excellent, Harry, that wand sounds lovely."

James just cheered that Harry had produced Gryffindor colors until Remus pointed out that those were actually phoenix colors, not necessarily the lion House's.

Hagrid whooped and clapped and Mr. Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well... how curious... how very curious... "

He put Harry's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious... curious…"

"Sorry," said Harry, "but what's curious?"

"Indeed, we all would like to know," muttered Mad-Eye suspiciously.

Mr. Ollivander fixed Harry with his pale stare.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather - just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother why, its brother gave you that scar."

"Oh, just that," said Mad-Eyed a bit disappointedly.

"What? Just that, what? What does that mean?" asked Lily, looking to her son in her friend's arms worriedly.

"It will be revealed in the books, my dear, I am sure, but rest assured it is not a bad thing," said Dumbledore soothingly.

Harry swallowed.

"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember... I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter... After all, He- Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things - terrible, yes, but great."

Harry shivered. He wasn't sure he liked Mr. Ollivander too much. He paid seven gold Galleons for his wand, and Mr. Ollivander bowed them from his shop.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Yes, Garrick has a tendency to leave many of his customers with the same feelings for him."

"Who's Garrick?" asked Fred looking confused. "I thought we were talking about Ollivander's."

Snape rolled his eyes in annoyance. Idiot.

Dumbledore merely chuckled again and leveled his former student with a twinkling gaze. "They are one and the same, Frederick, Garrick is Mr. Ollivander's first name and since the two of us have known one another for many, many years, we have allowed ourselves the privilege of informal address."

"Huh, you learn something new everyday, I suppose," said Fred thoughtfully.

The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Harry and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty. Harry didn't speak at all as they walked down the road; he didn't even notice how much people were gawking at them on the Underground, laden as they were with all their funny-shaped packages, with the snowy owl asleep in its cage on Harry's lap. Up another escalator, out into Paddington station; Harry only realized where they were when Hagrid tapped him on the shoulder.

"Got time fer a bite to eat before yer train leaves," he said.

He bought Harry a hamburger and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. Harry kept looking around. Everything looked so strange, somehow.

"Yes, I always felt that way going from the magical world to the Muggle. Of course, I felt that way after a trip anywhere a bit different and then returning home," said Marlene looking a bit nostalgic.

"You all right, Harry? Yer very quiet," said Hagrid.

Harry wasn't sure he could explain. He'd just had the best birthday of his life - and yet - he chewed his hamburger, trying to find the words.

"Everyone thinks I'm special," he said at last. "All those people in the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr. Ollivander... but I don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I'm famous and I can't even remember what I'm famous for. I don't know what happened when Vol-, sorry - I mean, the night my parents died."

"While I disagree about being special," said Kingsley, "The argument that he is famous for his parents dying and something happening that he can't remember is valid. And also rather insightful for an eleven year old."

Hagrid leaned across the table. Behind the wild beard and eyebrows he wore a very kind smile.

"Don' you worry, Harry. You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you'll be just fine. just be yerself. I know it's hard. Yeh've been singled out, an' that's always hard. But yeh'll have a great time at Hogwarts - I did - still do, 'smatter of fact."

Hagrid helped Harry on to the train that would take him back to the Dursleys, then handed him an envelope.

"Yer ticket fer Hogwarts, " he said. "First o' September - King's Cross - it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with yer owl, she'll know where to find me... See yeh soon, Harry."

"Hagrid, you did not explain how to get onto the platform from the Muggle entrance, nor did you explain about wearing the proper Muggle clothes to the station or any other number of useful items that really ought to have been discussed at this juncture," admonished McGonagall.

"Forgot, sorry P'fessor," said Hagrid in a small voice. McGonagall simply shook her head in exasperation.

The train pulled out of the station. Harry wanted to watch Hagrid until he was out of sight; he rose in his seat and pressed his nose against the window, but he blinked and Hagrid had gone.

"Whew! Well that's that, thank Merlin," said Tonks putting the book back onto the table.

"Wait, how did Harry manage his trunk and all his purchases, plus the owl all the way on the train and then to his house?" asked Emmeline. "And for that matter, how did he get from the train station in Surrey to his house in the first place? And why did you not see him safely home, Hagrid?"

Hagrid just blinked at the witch. He had never thought of those things before. He figured Harry would have just gotten off the train and made it home alright.

"And while we are asking those questions, we might ask about an eleven year old getting into the house and staying by himself at all," said Marlene, warming up to the idea. "I mean, it took the Dursleys at least two days to reach that little shack so did Harry stay at number 4 by himself for another day or so? Is that really safe?"

"I assure you all that Harry was just fine and managed his new possessions very well. I had ordered Hagrid back to Hogwarts so do not blame him for negligence that I rightfully should shoulder," stated Dumbledore firmly to increasingly agitated gathering.

Aberforth snorted. "Too right."

Kingsley clapped his hands excitedly. "Well, should we press on then? Perhaps lunch after the next chapter?"

"Excellent, Kingsley. Who would like to read next?" asked Dumbledore.

"I weel read, eef no-one objects," said a dainty voice. Everyone looked in shock at the blonde haired woman sitting next to Bill.

"Blimey, Fleur, I totally forgot you were there," muttered Fred, looking as shocked as anyone seeing that he had been sitting next to her as well. "It's not like you've said much before this."

The petite French woman shrugged daintily. "I deed not know 'Arry at thees point, and saw no purpose een my speaking out of turn."

Fred and George both made a "huh" noise and head nod. Tonks got up and handed the book to Fleur with a quiet, "have fun," before taking her seat next to Remus once again.

Fleur was about to begin when little Neville let out a cry. Frank apologized and went to change his son's nappy. Little Harry simply snuggled closer to Snapes chest and worked to soak a new patch of black robe. Snape sighed as he watched the infant make contented little movements. Really, the brat wasn't so bad when he couldn't talk back. A bit slimy, but still, not utterly obnoxious as his future self.

Frank finally came back in with a much happier Neville in his arms. Fleur smiled at the man before opening the book to the next chapter. "Chapter seex; ze journey from nine and three quarters," she read.