"With such an attack on your home, I couldn't help but be concerned Commander Bishop. I think some firm guidance is required to ensure the security of you and your family going forward." Despite the almost involuntary dislike Harry had for this Magister Roux given his 'Dumbledore tone' and his Mum's clear disapproval, Harry was impressed at the man's cool and tempered response.

Given that Freya was at least three inches taller than Magister Roux, and she was currently hefting her 'favourite' double handed hammer on her shoulder, even the Black Boot guards behind Roux were clearly nervous as they gripped their undrawn weapons.

"Perhaps that should have come to your attention on one of the previous attacks Magister, rather than waiting until my son is forced to risk his life to save those that are meant to be protecting him." Harry was about to try and protest, as Freya was levelling her anger in the direction of Team Rex, but the frown that crossed the Magister's face and his question stopped him for the moment.

"What do you mean, previous attacks? The last reported attack on you or your family was the unfortunate incident in Diagon Alley, but before that it has been years…" Either the Magister was an excellent liar, or his confusion was genuine.

"Years? There was an open Pocket Portal within the boundary of the forest, that my children discovered despite the fact your men are meant to scout it regularly for threats! There have been 3 attacks in the last two years that we know of, and several cursed items intercepted by the Auror team on guard that the Inquisition either missed or deliberately ignored!" Not that confusion, genuine or otherwise, would protect him from Freya's eruption.

To his credit, the Magister didn't waste time asking questions or offering excuses, his face transforming from the genial bureaucrat to something matching the sharp and cold features of a tombstone.

"Knights Elias, Sera, return to Headquarters. I want two extra squads posted here from the reserves by the end of the day, full armament. Notify Inquisitor Reilly that I need to speak to him urgently, it might be best that he comes here to see for himself." Two of the remaining six Black Boots, two of the original eight having left with the Commander of Squad Rex, moved away from the Magister.

They paused momentarily however, as he spoke up with a tone that could well have frozen ice.

"Also, make sure the others know that Commander Rostron is to be kept… entertained in my quarters until my return. I will need to question him about these… irregularities compared to the glowing reports that he has been giving me."

Even as the two Black Boots moved away once more, Magister Roux's face turned back to the jovial and gentle expression that he had first used when introducing himself. There was a slight intake of breath from more than one person as he bowed in their direction, even Freya seemingly slightly taken aback by the action.

"Now it is somewhat clearer to me why you have been so… combative whenever I have made requests of you Commander." Magister Roux straightened up with an apologetic expression on his face.

"I would request time with both you and Lord Black to determine quite how many… incidents I need to be made aware of, preferably before Inquisitor Reilly comes to pass his own brand of judgement." Freya's expression was unreadable as she and the Magister stared each other down, before she pushed Harry lightly in the direction of the house.

"Harry, go tell your Father that we need to talk to him. Briar can look after you and the others whilst the good Magister and I...talk." Harry thought about protesting, he had already heard what was in effect the worst of the conversation after all.

Willpower Test (Very Hard): 22 Required

Willpower value- +13

High Wisdom (5)- +2

Familiar Person- +3

Target Personality- -10

Luck Bonus (0 - +5)- +4

Effective Willpower Skill Value- +10

Willpower Test Failed

Freya cast him a stony look when he didn't move away straight away, one that was usually reserved for Sirius when he had done something unbelievable on a night out. On second thoughts, perhaps it would be better to let Sirius deal with the aftermath of this particular revelation.

"Yes Mum. Magister." Harry moved away from the pair quickly, determined to get away from the discussion that would no doubt involve raised voices as a minimum.

Though that wasn't the only reason, he needed to get somewhere private as soon as possible. The pop up screen that had appeared after Freya had started shouting at Magister Roux was still off to one side, but whilst Harry hadn't read the details of the text, the title was ominous enough to prompt a certain level of urgency.

Secret Quest Unlocked- United we Stand… :

!"£$%^&*()_+

"Father, thank you for protecting those under this roof, and blessing us with good health. As we begin this meal, please provide us your blessing, and allow us to continue doing good in your name. Amen."

"Amen."

Daily relationship quest completed: +1 relationship (Freya Bishop-Black)

"Mommy's boy!" Harry did his best to ignore Arya's whispered insult, the Black Heiress having been even more volatile than normal in the week after the attack on the house.

Harry hadn't quite worked out how, but Arya had somehow come to the conclusion that it was his fault she had missed out on 'the action', having gone through the floo to the ministry ahead of Sirius, so therefore had missed the wards going off. That particular 'gem' had cost him -500 Relationship points, though thankfully it hadn't caused her to drop a relationship level… Just.

"Thank you Harry… It's going to be very different with so many of you going to Hogwarts…" Looking over to his right, to where Aife was grinning impishly even as she piled more meat and gravy onto her plate, Harry was still not entirely sure what to make of the fact his 'familiar' was coming to Hogwarts with him.

That Sirius, of all people, had arranged it with Snape in a single meeting was nothing short of baffling to Harry. Obviously something in the pair's history was different, but Harry hadn't worked out the right way to ask what.

"Severus was particularly interested in your interaction with one of the 'Pocket Portals', a nice name for them by the way squirts. Given the number of portals that open around Hogwarts on a regular basis, Snape was so pleased with the idea that someone could close them that he smiled…" Sirius shuddered at his last comment, but Harry could tell that it was a joke rather than an actual horrified response.

"I'm still not sure I'm okay with this Sirius, it's bad enough everything he's been through in the last few months…" This was hardly a new argument between the Black parents, Harry remembering the muffled shouting match that had been audible even from the other side of the house a few days earlier, before Sirius remembered there was such a thing as silencing charms at least.

"Mum, I promise not to go off looking for portals by myself, Dad said that the Headmaster would protect me personally if I was needed." It was good that Freya looked away after smiling at his promise, as she missed the pointed look and wink that Harry sent Arya's way.

+30 Relationship points (Freya Bishop Black)

+100 relationship points (Arya Black)

It took the girl a few moments, before her scowling expression morphed into the biggest smile Harry had ever seen on the heiress. Harry knew Arya was going to go hunting trouble regardless, at least this way she would hopefully bring him along so he could keep an eye on her.

"It's just like his Beastspeaking Love, except this power is even rarer. No one in the Ministry has heard of anything like it. Anyway kids, you better hurry up with your breakfast, otherwise we won't have time for that trip to Ollivander's before we need to get to the train." This announcement brought much grumbling from both Lyra and Corvus, as they weren't going with them to Ollivander's and would come with Freya and Briar directly to Kings Cross.

"Think I can get the old man to take me on as an apprentice as well Kal-El? Rumour has it that Ollivander's shop is the only one the Inquisition didn't storm during the occupation after the Grindel War…" That was new information to Harry, and was very different to what had happened in the World of Grey.

Was Ollivander that much more powerful in this world? Or had the Inquisition just not tried that hard?

[]{}#%^*+=

It was questions like these that were still filling Harry's head, as he followed Sirius through the mostly empty streets of Diagon Alley. Given it was only 8:30, and the Hogwarts Express was leaving in less than 3 hours, many wizards and witches were probably getting ready to see their children/relatives off for the year.

Without the hustle and bustles of the crowds, Harry was able to actually pay attention to the streets and buildings around Diagon Alley, which were… Brighter than he remembered them being in his original world. The gas lights were replaced with electric style lamps, a level of technological innovation that seemed to have been far too much effort for the Wizarding World in the World of Grey.

The cobbled streets were replaced with marble paving slabs, which had a sheen to them that should have been impossible, given the amount of foot traffic that carried over them on a daily basis. The slabs were aligned in a way that would have any muggle architect jealous, the magically driven carts full of supplies and wares that occasionally passed them not even noticing the gaps between the slabs.

The Inquisition were still out in force of course, there had been two other attacks on places like Diagon Alley during the time Harry had been grounded, each with a much more extensive casualty count than the Gaunt attack, though according to the newspaper articles Harry had been reading there had thankfully been no more deaths on either side..

"Stay close kids, no wandering off regardless of how bored you are…" The fact that Sirius was being… Serious made even Arya behave, the three of them stepping aside to let an Inquisition patrol pass before crossing the street to Ollivander's.

"Huh, it's locked…" Sirius rattled the door handle a few times, his wand hand twitching ever so slightly, in a way that made it clear what Sirius' usual response to a locked door would be.

"Maybe the old man forgot we were coming?" Arya's slightly snarky comment made Harry shake his head after a moment of thought, his 'Dumbledore alarm' ringing quietly in the back of his mind.

"No, this is probably a prank disguised as a test…" Taking a deep breath, Harry activated Magical Observation with a whisper.

Squinting slightly, as the amount of magic around him was greater than usual, Harry saw at least two dozen spots of concentrated magic on the front of Ollivanders, most of them in the form of small statues or other objects that made up some of the exterior of the shop. On cue, a small *ding* noise brought his attention to the quest pop up that had appeared in front of him.

New quest: Full Circle-

Ollivander is obviously keen to test your Magic Sensing skill, in a manner of speaking, of course. Given the old wandmakers original 'test/trap' involved a priceless historical artefact, it should not come as a surprise that he would turn visiting his shop into a challenge.

Examine the different sources of magic on the exterior of the shop, and use your own magic to 'activate' the ones that are required to unlock the door. Of course, picking wrongly will have its own dangers, as well as disappointing your tortu-mentor.

Main Objectives:

Identify the sources of concentrated magic (25/25) - +200 xp

Identify the correct sources of concentrated magic (0/?)

Bonus Objectives:

Identify sources of weak magic (0/?)

Identify sources of hidden magic (0/?)

?

?

"How's he got a test set up in front of his shop?" Arya had heard his muttered complaint evidently, the girl frowning for a moment before twisting her head one way and then another.

"The place looks the same as it did last year, or at least I think it is… I don't remember that Ram's head being by the door though." The small Ram's head, barely larger than Harry's fist, was one of the sources of Magic Harry had already picked out, but Harry's attention was elsewhere at the moment.

The mention of weak magic, as well as hidden magical items/areas, made Harry's sense of adventure salivate, especially as the last 'test' had ended up giving him Saladin's gauntlet. So he was ignoring the obvious for now.

He spotted the first area of hidden magic immediately, but it wasn't on the shop front as he expected. Instead, it was at the top of the single lantern about 4 meters from the door…

Now Harry thought about it, why was there a lantern there at all?

The small ding and appearance of a small window provides insight into his confusion a moment later

Willpower test passed

Full Circle quest update: sources of hidden magic (1/?)

Some kind of befuddling spell, or a modified notice-me-not that only worked on those unaware of the lamppost itself? Something Harry could work out later, or ask Ollivander about directly.

Now that he could focus on the lamp itself, Harry could see the distortion in the

Ambient magic he had seen before was actually a Vortex of energy being sucked into the Lantern itself, providing light in a single direction, down towards the shop entrance itself. Harry guessed that whatever the lantern's magic was doing, it was probably one of the defences that Ollivander had on his shop.

"Dad, can you get that lantern down? I think it is meant to help us get in?" For a moment both Arya and Sirius looked at him as if he had gone more than a little crazy, before Sirius' eyes sharpened and he shook his head for a moment, obviously trying to shake off the effects of befuddlement.

"Damn, that post wasn't there last time we were here… Only Ollivander would erect a lamp post in a public street for a 'greeting'... Good catch pup." With a quick levitation spell, the lantern slowly descended to the ground, where Arya picked it up with a sarcastic grin on her face.

"A magic lantern? Think there's a genie here Kal-El? Can't see how else it's going to help us." Then she frowned as the light from the lantern began to dim, the vortex reducing in intensity to a bare tug on the Ambient Magic around it.

"I doubt it, Djinn are very proud beings, which will be a good thing for you kids to remember in case you ever encounter one. Contrary to the children's stories, Djinn tend to be employed as guardians of well visited buildings with a large amount of footfall or areas built directly over leylines, as this allows the Djinn to take in the magical power of their surroundings rather than directly from their masters." Grabbing the lantern in his free hand, Harry lifted it up to look at it more closely and cast a silent Observe.

Tonberry Lantern (Average Quality)-

Taken from a Tonberry during a Pocket Rift Incident that occurred directly after Dumbledore's Stand, this lantern serves as a tool to illuminate the wielder's path forward, even through the most trying of terrain. In addition, the body of the lantern is enchanted so that the light of the oil lamp casts aside illusions and shadows that attempt to hide things from the user's sight.

Level 4 Magical Lantern-

Properties-

+4 (Searching) skill when equipped

+4 (Tracking) skill when equipped

-10 (Stealth) skill when equipped

Item traits-

Part of Equipment Set: Tools of the Tonberry (1 of ?)

Unshackling the Truth- Under the light of the Lantern, Illusions and other spells aimed at hiding things will be dispelled if weak enough. In addition, secret passages and hidden treasures are easier to find with the Lantern equipped. (Max Level of Illusion spells affected- Level 16)

Stored magic (MP 30)- This item has its own way of drawing and storing the natural magical energy of the world, giving it a pool from which it can power it's inherent spells and abilities.

Active ability unlocked - Light of Penance

Light of Penance (level 1 0%)-

By calling on the hatred of those that stand against the wielder, the light of the lantern can magnify a hundred fold, blinding anyone who isn't the wielder in a wide area.

To activate- Raise Lantern and Focus on emotion of hate.

Cost- 30 mp (64 mp for external magic usage (Once per day))

Effects-

Blind Effect on all within 20 metres.

Dazzled Effect on all within 40 metres

All Shadow/Illusion based spells damaged (Level 5 Counterspell)

The Lantern was certainly useful as a tool, but the fact that it's active ability relied on Hate and would affect allies as much as it would enemies meant that Harry couldn't envision using it very much. Outside of Death Eaters and Voldemort himself, Harry couldn't honestly remember feeling hatred towards anyone to the level this item seemed to be expecting.

It would also counteract his Shadow Gauntlet, calling it 'Gauntlet of Saladin's Shadow' had gotten old even inside Harry's head, if he tried to use them at the same time. But... If he used them one after the other, it would be a very effective way to lose enemies or gain an advantage in combat.

As he raised the Lantern, the light emanating from the front of it increased in strength, the beam of light expanding forward to illuminate the front of Ollivander's shop.

Illusion Magic Dispelled

Full Circle quest update: sources of hidden magic (2/?)

"That door wasn't there before…"To the left of the main door, set into what Harry had known was a semi-circular bay window only a minute before, was a smaller red door that also led into the shop.

"And more importantly, I can now see the magical connections that are probably going to allow us to open that particular door." Three of the concentrations of magic, conveniently all placed at a height that Harry would be able to reach, were tethered to the door handle.

"Show-off…" Ayra was obviously frustrated by Ollivander's methods of 'testing' Harry, which was something that older Magicals seemed to enjoy doing greatly.

A few minutes later, Harry worked out how to manipulate the Ram's head, the brass knob set into the window frame and one of the cobbles set into the ground to open the door.

Quest Completed: Full Circle.

Main Objectives:

Identify the sources of concentrated magic (25/25) - +200 xp

Identify the correct sources of concentrated magic (3/3) -300 xp

Bonus Objectives:

Identify sources of weak magic (0/?) -Failed

Identify sources of hidden magic (2/2) - +1 (Illusion Magic)

Find the Hidden Item (1/1) - Item obtained (Lantern of the Tonberry)

Solve the puzzle in less than 10 minutes - + 50 Relationship (Ollivander), +10 Relationship (Sirius Black)

"Well done Mr Potter, I see that my confidence in you isn't misplaced." Stood almost directly inside the door, unseen until now despite the full bay window next to the door and the glass sections on the door itself, Ollivander gave his usual all-knowing smile down at him.

"YOU WERE STOOD THERE THE ENTIRE TIME!" Mt Arya blew its top in spectacular fashion, drawing the attention of two separate Inquisition patrols and the few denizens of the Alley that were out and about in the street.

"Ms Black, how good to see you again. Phoenix Feather and Dark Yew core, 8 inches and very flexible. Is your partner performing well?" Ollivander's cheerful greeting seemed to diffuse the worst of Arya's temper, allowing the wandmaker to usher the three of them into his shop.

Quest Progressed- Ollivander's Shop of Many Things.

Quest (3 of ?)Complete- Becoming the Wandmaker's associate

Main Objective:

Return to Ollivander's before the start of the next Chapter. (1/1) - +200 XP, Quest 4: Learning the Basics of… Magic? Part 1 (Unlocked)

Bonus Objectives:

None

There were additional pop up screens and notifications, but Harry didn't bother focussing on them for now, as Ollivander led the three of them through the front of his shop.

"That Lantern will serve you well in your years at Hogwarts Mr Potter, it's ability to aid in the finding of hidden places and unearthing secrets is a very useful tool for a child of your… upbringing." Ollivander pointedly avoided looking at Sirius as he protested the allegation about his parenting style, though the amused grin and ruffling of Harry's hair a moment later didn't really help his position.

"But now we get onto the reason I had you visit today of all days. The path under my tutelage will not be focussed on a single topic or even a single discipline of magic, such limitations to a student's understanding would cripple your creativity." Ollivander pointed to a dozen tomes, each similar in size to the 'Hogwarts: A History' that Harry remembered Hermione lugging around in their younger years.

"But I realise that I cannot simply start you on the Arithmetic impact of the time of day, as well as ambient temperature and pressure, on a tri-anchored multi-purpose ward scheme implementation." Ollivander's smile became a little sharper at this point, and Harry got the feeling he would be asked to answer that particular question at some stage, probably when he wasn't expecting it and without any time allocated to looking up the theories in question.

"So we will start with a simple project during your first year at Hogwarts, focussing on the topic of Wandcrafting and magical properties of their components. You will analyse the wands of every one of your classmates, determine their components, key properties and the optimal methods and materials for maintaining each piece of equipment. I also expect suggestions of any combinations that might be a better fit for some of your classmates and why."

That… that was quite a large ask, certainly if this was Harry's first time going to Hogwarts. But, it was something that would be quite a lot of fun, especially if he could use it to make some new friends amongst the different houses.

Now, he just had to work out how he was going to fit them all in his trunk…

!"£$%^&*()_+

"HARRY! You made it, not that I thought you wouldn't, it's just so great to see you again… I'll be quiet now…" As Lily threw herself at him, in the full body tackle she obviously thought was a 'friendly hug', Harry managed to brace himself enough to avoid falling over and continue looking around.

The actual platform for the Hogwarts Express was pretty much the same as he remembered it, the gleaming red locomotive sat as if on display at the far end of the line of carriages they were currently standing in front of.

What was different was the number of carriages, and the design of some of those carriages was very different from anything Harry remembered. Most of the carriages were the same 'traditional' passenger carriages, but every fifth carriage or so was more reminiscent of a tank than a train carriage.

There were no weapons visibly extruding from it, which given the number of non-magical parents and first years present was definitely a good idea, but each of these carriages was covered in metal plating and rune arrays that glowed strongly under the quick glance Harry gave them with 'Magical Observation'.

"Big Bro… Who's this?" He would have to see whether he could investigate them when they got on board, but for now he had more important things to worry about.

Looking over to where Lyra was obviously torn between confusion and absolute betrayal, Harry was reminded that the Black siblings hadn't met Lily or Hermione before now, and the twins were remarkably possessive of him when they felt their 'position' was being threatened.

"Mum, Arya, Lyra and Corvus, can I introduce you to Lily Rose, the friend your Dad and I rescued from being lost forever in the terrible bookshop in Diagon Alley." Switching to his 'spooky bedtime reading voice' Harry even finished up with wiggling all his fingers and moving his arms around, causing the twins to laugh at the reference to Sirius' hatred of bookshops and libraries.

"So you're Yang's sister? She wouldn't shut up about you last year." Lily groaned, her face flushing red as she seemed to realise she was still hugging Harry in front of his family.

"I'm Black baby!" Lily's woes were made all the greater a moment later as the girl in question appeared over the top of the crowd, waving her hands and pointing in their direction.

Her sudden and impossible growth spurt was explained as she made her way through the crowd towards them, revealing she was sat on Jaune's shoulders and leading the rest of the group Harry had met earlier in the summer.

"And 3,2,1…" Arya crossed her arms and stepped to the side just as Yang springboarded off Jaune's shoulders in her direction, sending the poor boy careening to the floor in the same motion.

As such, Yang instead found herself slamming into Freya and Briar, the two women shrugging off the physical 'assault' with the experience of parents used to dealing with rowdy kids day in day out.

"So this is the friend you tried to tell us all so little about when you got home for the summer Arya? She seems… energetic." Freya's tone was clearly not all that happy as she pulled the erstwhile Inquisition trainee from where she had rather bodily crashed into her, and Harry was amused to see the seemingly unflappable Yang somewhat cowed by the woman holding her up by the scruff of her neck.

"Ah, sorry about that, Mrs Black. Let my excitement at seeing Ickle Arya get the better of me…" Giving the blonde girl another second of squirming under her motherly gaze, as Arya growled at the clearly 'affectionate' nickname, Freya then grinned and dragged Yang into a hug.

"Snape didn't say anything about you other than you being an Inquisition trainee, and trying to get information out of Arya was quite literally like trying to draw blood from a stone without magic. Now, let's have a proper look at you." As Freya began her interrogation/introduction to Yang properly, Harry decided to be nice and go help Jaune up from where he had tripped and slammed into the floor with no small amount of force.

"You okay there Jaune, looked like quite an impact?" The older boy looked up and nodded gratefully as he accepted Harry's offered hand, though the weight of the boy and his armour nearly overbalanced Harry for a second.

+10 Relationship (Jaune)

"Tell me about it, Yang never does anything by half, though I know at least part of it is because she's worried about Lily." Harry's questioning look caused Jaune to chuckle even as he caught Lily by the back of the cloak as she rushed over to escape Yang's attempts to use her as a semi-human shield.

"Lily's one of only two descendents of the Inquisition Task Force members to develop a sufficiently powerful magical core, which means she will be joining Hogwarts to become part of the student body, not as part of the Inquisition Training Academy." Another distinction that Harry didn't quite understand yet, but as Lily tried to protest while her cheeks exploded into red once more, Jaune continued.

"So that means after dinner, she isn't going to have the rest of us there. Now, having five sisters means I have no doubt she will do fine on her own, but that doesn't stop Yang from being a little… clingy while she can be." Unfortunately, before Harry could continue the conversation further, an alarm bell sounded from somewhere towards the front of the train.

It wasn't a piercing sound, and it wasn't loud enough to make Harry panic, but Jaune's face twisted into a cautious frown.

"A portal, there must have been too much magic in one area, you'll learn about it in class. Best we get on… Where are you going?" Separating himself from the almost painful grip of Lily, Harry was already moving back over to Sirius, who was talking to his patronus as Freya moved Yang and Arya towards the Hogwarts Express.

"Get aboard Lily, I just need to go help Dad and then I'll catch right up with you…" With a cheeky grin that he flashed in Arya's direction as she shouted at him something that was lost in the hubbub of the platform, Harry started prepping himself as Sirius grabbed his arm.

It was time for another little adventure, and this time he had back-up from the start!

A/N: This story sits for almost two years at less than a thousand words, and then I finish it up in less than a month? That's the problem at the moment, I know roughly what I am wanting to do, and then twenty words into a session I think 'Oh, what about if I did this?' and run off to research for the rest of the session rather than writing anything.

Managed to stop myself this time though, and we've finally got to the stage where we're on the Hogwarts Express (well, everyone bar Harry will be).

I've tried to make it less 'Game Heavy' as that seems to be a fairly consistent complaint in the reviews. I mean, it surprises me, but I do what I can.

What are the strange cars that have been added to the Hogwarts Express?

What is Ollivander's game?

What strange and wonderful creatures/plot will I throw at you all next?

Lets see what I come up with and find out!

If you can find it in your heart to support me a little, as this Covid thing has knocked about 25% off my income with more probably to come, that would be most appreciated as always.

Leave a Review, let me know what you think!

Defias Out!