Chapter Text
“Wake up.” The voice seemed to be coming from his right, but Harry shrugged it off and sunk back into sleep.
“I know you’re awake, don’t ignore me.” He grabbed the pillow next to him and covered his face. He was about to fall back asleep when something wet flicked in his ear. The motion was so fast and shocking that Harry jumped out of bed. The covers followed him to the floor and dropped on him as he tried to get up.
Harry laid still underneath the mess and tried to think about why the universe hated him when he heard Gwyn.
“I know you’re not dead so get up, or I'm going to lick your ear again.” Harry didn't feel like moving an inch but Gwyn seemed to be real on her threats. He took off the heap on him and stared at his snake.
“Why did you wake me up?” Harry looked outside and whined. “It’s still light out!”
“No, it's been a day. You've been sleeping for a whole day!” He had slept through the day? That didn't seem likely, but the Durselys had been working him silly since Aunt Marge came over. It felt like he had no time to sleep.
“I thought you were dead.” Gwyn’s voice was small and Harry looked at her. Snakes couldn’t convey facial expressions but she looked gutted.
“I’m sorry, i'm not dead-”
“I can see that much. I just thought - my mom never woke up. ” Harry had asked Gwyn about her life before he met her, but this had never come up in conversation. He leaned over and picked the snake up and placed her on his lap and started to stroke her scales.
“I'm sorry I didn't know that. I was just tired, I hadn't been sleeping much back ho- with the Dursleys.” Harry wanted to say home, but for the 12 years he lived at No. 4 Privet Drive, it had never felt like a home. Harry doubted he ever had one, the year with his parents wasn't something he could recall. The only place that felt even like it was Hogwarts. The smell of pine trees in the common room and the soft green lights from being underwater were the only thing that felt like home.
Why did he have to go back to No 4 every year? Why did he have to tolerate people that didn’t even like him? He was rich, he could buy a house and stay there, or stay all year at Hogwarts. But the second Harry thought of that he scoffed. Dumbledore was annoyed by Harry staying at Blaise’s for a few weeks, he’d say no…
But what he knew was that he wasn't going back there willingly. They'd have to drag him back there.
Harry stood up and looked around, the room looked even better in the daylight, the view was stunning and Harry vowed to see the sun rise up here.
He walked to the bathroom, and looked at all the bottles near the bath. He picked up a bottle. “Ethereal days” was written in a fancy font. He opened it and caught a whiff of lavender and something else. He grabbed another bottle “Blinding lights” and that smelt even better, with hints of jasmine and honey. He thought about what to use when he just dumped them both in the bath.
Harry sat on the edge of the tub and drizzled in some more soap, staring at his face. He wondered if he should get a trim? Harry reached down to touch the sparkling water, weaving his hand through the glitter when his reflection contorted into a familiar face.
Tom Riddle.
It was looking back up at him, a manic smile on his face. Stunned, Harry pulled his hand out and the reflection rippled, returning back to normal.
“It's not real, he’s not here.” Harry repeated the words over and over. Even when he was doing the most mundane of things, he always saw Tom's reflection looking back at him, always saw him in the back of his mind. He remembered his words, remembered how they looked so alike, remembered him telling Harry that they could be great together. Harry knew he would never turn out to be like Tom, but the thought was always there, always lurking beneath the surface. Tom must have seemed normal in the beginning, what if Harry was exactly like him? What if it was only a matter of time?
The feeling of water on his thigh had him look down, the tub was dangerously close to overflowing. Harry slammed the tap shut and got ready to go in, hoping he had enough self preservation to not drown himself.
After one of the best baths he had ever had, Harry got ready to go see the Alley, he was wearing muggle clothes: a plain green shirt with jeans. He looked at his trainers fraying at the seams and made a note to buy some new ones. He grabbed Gwyn and placed her around his neck as usual and headed out.
The hallway was vacant except for a group of four walking towards the elevators. The father was carrying a small girl who was talking animatedly with her hands and the mother was walking alongside a boy who seemed to be a year older than Harry at most. He was walking till he found his laces had come undone. He groaned and pulled out his wand, and cast a spell on his shoes, the lace tying up instantly. Harry froze, waiting for his parents to scold him, but the mother just patted his shoulders and they left.
Harry stood still for a while, trying to figure out what just happened.
“Why are you so still?”
“That kid just used magic.” Harry gasped out.
“That seems normal, you are aware there are more wixen than the ones that go to your school right?”
“Of course I know that!” H arry scowled at his pet, “Underage magic is prohibited and that kid doesn't look a day over 14!”
“Then what’s so wrong? If anything, you can use magic.” Gwyn didn't seem so bothered about it, but she was right. If that kid could use magic then so could he. He pulled out his wand and thought for a second.
“Lumos.” A soft blue light emitted from his wand and Harry waited… he actually didn't know what he was waiting for. A letter? A voice from above warning him? A person to appear and send him to jail?
After a few minutes had passed and nobody had come for Harry, he tried another spell. This time he used the full body-bind spell on a portrait but nothing happened other than the man inside yelling at him.
“Young man, what is the meaning of this?” he shook his cane.
“My apologies sir, I won’t do it again.” he walked away and a smile split across his face. As he got into the elevator, he twisted his hand to look at Gwyn. “Looks like we can use magic here.”
“That's great, now you can heat up my bed for me.”
“Out of all the things we could do, heating up your bed is the first thing?” Harry shook his head as they went downstairs. They ended up in the same lobby and the witch at the front desk smiled at him.
“Mister Potter, how lovely to see you. We had a few people come to bring you food but it seemed your door was locked.”
“I'm sorry, I was sleeping.” The witch smiled in a way that made Harry’s heart race.
“It’s fine sir, you’re just in time for Breakfast.” She flagged down a busboy and instructed him to guide Harry to breakfast.
The hall was large, one section dedicated to tables filled with food and drinks, the other half tables and chairs. Harry grabbed a few different pieces, and some bread for Gwyn and sat down.
He was about to give Gwyn some bread when he paused. Harry slowly pulled out his wand and cast the warming charm. The bread grew hotter but nothing happened to Harry, he did magic in full view of people but nothing happened. The possibilities came crashing down on Harry, he could do so much. He fed Gwyn a piece of bread, grining the whole time.
Diagon Alley was as busy as usual: vendors trying to get people to buy their products, kids running around looking at stuff, and a bunch of people shoving others around. It was a lovely day out and people were taking advantage of it, even though a killer was on the loose.
Harry looked around, thinking about what to get, when a poster caught his eyes.
It was Sirius Black looking at him, and Harry counted more plastered over lampposts and doors. Harry could see why people were scared of him, he looked like a vampire, no thought behind his eyes. Harry still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that his Godfather had murdered a bunch of people, and how he was insane. Was he getting back at someone? Harry could have stood there the whole day trying to find out why Sirius Black turned out the way he did, but then he decided on what to get.
Flourish and Blotts wasn't busy this time around; school kids hadn't gotten their letters yet, and Harry was browsing the defensive spell section. Last year was a severe wake up call for him and he knew that he had to up his game. He couldn't fend off the Dark Lord and his supporters with a simple Expelliarmus, he needed something more aggressive but not too much that he’d get sent to jail.
Harry bought a small book on spells and a notepad, he'd have to rank the spells and figure out which ones seemed like a good fit. He could also write some extra notes about the spells. Then Harry popped down to the Magical Menagerie. The store was dim and packed with cages of all sizes, a few others were inside looking around and Harry started to look around.
“Don’t tell me you’re getting another pet? What is it with you taking in animals?” Gwyn whinged as Harry entered the store.
“No, I'm getting you and Hedwig somethings, but I could leave if that’s what you want…” Harry trailed off.
“Absolutely not! I want a gift!” Harry laughed at Gwyn and he wandered around. There were a bunch of cool looking animals but Harry was drawn to the snake tank. Around 14 snakes were lounging at the bottom and 2 more were sliding up the equipment they had. Harry got closer and surveyed the tank.
“Why is that kid so close? Can I bite him?” The snake closest to him said.
“NO! How many times do I have to tell you that!” a large snake on Harry's right snapped as it raised its head.
“But muuuum!!” The smaller snake whined.
“Um, maybe don’t bite me?” Harry offered and the whole tank looked at him.
“What?”
“Is he for real?”
“Are you speaking to us?” Harry nodded and one snake got closer, it was blue with silver streaked through it.
“I don’t think I've met a speaker before, how do you do?”
“Very well thank you. How about you?” Harry smiled at the snake.
“Fine. Though a word of warning, don’t buy the food from here, it sucks.” the other snakes echoed the statement.
“Oh I was just here for some bedding, for my snake, say hi Gwyn.” Gwyn popped her head out and a snake came to speak to her.
“I’d say this store has some nice ones, now Timmy, apologise for wanting to eat him.” the smaller snake squinted its eyes.
“But-” the snake shut up as his mother glared at him. “I’m very sorry for trying to eat you.” its head dropped comically. Harry laughed and shook his head.
“It’s cool, but I have to go. Have a lovely day.” The snakes bid Harry goodbye and he found a large bed for Gwyn. The bed had a warming charm on it that needed redoing every 3 weeks but Harry was fine with that. He also got Hedwig a new perch and a toy mouse for her to play with. He was about to leave when he looked at the clerk.
“Um sir, are you able to tell me the species my snake is?” Harry grabbed Gwyn and placed her on the counter. The man frowned and pulled out a looking glass. He got close to Gwyn, looking at her scales.
“It seems like a black mamba and a boomslang cross breed. Not all that common on this side of the world.” he looked at her once more. “She should be reaching her first shed soon, make sure you rub her with a warm towel, it helps the irritation.”
“Oh, that's cool. Do you know what kind of venom she has?”
“No,” the clerk looked at him. “She hasn’t bitten you? At all?” Harry shook his head and the clerk laughed.
“That’s something you don’t see everyday. It seems like it could be either hallucinations till the victim dies, or they grow numb all over.” Harry nodded, looking at his pet. She was looking at a small mirror on the table and twisting her head, admiring her scales.
“Okay thank you.” he left the store.
“Hey quick question, when you eat your prey do they die all of a sudden or act crazy?”
“Don’t know, I just swallow them whole.” He sighed and headed back to the hotel and dropped his stuff on the radio table. He re-arranged the sitting area and started to push all the chairs and tables on one side creating some space for practice. He pulled out his wand and started to skim over the spell book, trying to find a decent spell.
The spells in the book were great but they seemed a bit too extreme, removing someone's tongue or swelling someone's eye shut. But what if he faced Voldemort again, or one of his minions? Would they hold back on him?
Harry flipped through a few more pages when he came across the finger removing curse. It - well it removes a person's fingers at the base. It was harmless and they could fix themselves by placing the finger on its stump, but if you - say, held on to the fingers - they'd just grow back overnight.
The spell was great, and not too rough. Harry read over the movements again, half trying to understand and half hesitation. What if the Ministry was waiting for Harry to do enough spells and then get him at Platform 9 ¾, sending him to jail.
No, he doubted the Ministry would do that, they'd just grab him straight up.
Harry stood up, wand in one hand and notebook in the other. He took in a deep breath and focused on his magic, he could feel it moving around, and he grabbed it, willing it to move to his hand and down to his wand.
“Depello Articulus!” Harry watched the spell hit the chair and… nothing happened.
“That was a waste.” Gwyn hissed, which sounded like a laugh. Hedwig tilted her head and looked at Harry.
“Of course it wouldn't do anything, it's for removing fingers, not chair legs.”
“Then why would you use that spell?”
“Because it seemed better?” Gwyn just looked at him, unmoving. Hedwig looked at Harry as if to say: you’re acting stupid, stop.
“OK how about…” Harry flipped through pages, looking for a spell that had an effect, and found the Summoning charm.
“How about one that summons stuff to you?”
“Good enough.” He studied the spell, looking at the instructions. The spell did look like it was quite useful. He could summon his invisibility cloak when he needed it.
Harry looked around the room and settled on a pillow. He aimed his wand.
“Accio pillow!” Nothing happened. He tried again, but the pillow remained still.
“ACCIO PILLOW!” He shouldn't have done that. All the pillows in the room came hurtling to him and he was hit 7 different times.
“Is that what you wanted? To be attacked?” Gywn asked from above him.
“Yes, this is what I wanted all along, to be hit with pillows.” Harry sat up and looked over the spell book, where did he mess up?
The spell said to be precise with what you want, and you have to want to want it. It didn't make sense but Harry gave it another go. He placed all the pillows back in their places and held up his wand.
“Accio Pillow.” Harry held the image of the pillow he wanted, it was the pillow closest to him on the bed. The pillow flew to Harry, and slammed into his chest, and it hurt more than he expected it to. He tried the spell again but this time it landed at his feet.
“The spell works. But it could use some improvement.”
“It seems to be fine to me.” Gwyn was looking at her reflection. “You should do another spell, maybe one with sparkles.” Harry laughed as he flipped through the spell book.
It had been a week since Harry arrived at Diagon Alley and he had grown very familiar with the street. For starters Diagon Alley wasn't the only wixen street, there was also another called Knockturn Alley, and a different section which had more high-end stores. After lunch Harry would pursue outside and look around the area, finding new places to go. He had even grown familiar with some store owners.
Harry had sent out letters to his friends telling him that he was in Diagon Alley 2 days ago, and so far he had only gotten responses from Hermione, Blaise, Pansy, and Daphne.
Harry was also thankful for his spell book, he had learned a handful of spells, even the tongue removal jinx, and was feeling better with a wider arsenal in his belt. Harry had even gone and bought a wand holder, a deep green that was almost black. One would attach it to their forearm and release their wand at the flick of their wrist. Granted it took him far longer than he would have liked to get used to it, but he felt even more protected.
It was midday and Diagon Alley was a bit more crowded now and Harry saw a crowd hovering over the Quidditch store. A square faced wizard came out carrying a broom and placed it on the display table
“It’s the fastest broom in the world, isn’t it, Dad?” squeaked a boy younger than Harry, who was swinging off his father’s arm.
“Irish International Side’s just put in an order for seven of these beauties!” the proprietor of the shop told the crowd. “And they’re favorites for the World Cup!”
A large witch in front of Harry moved, and he was able to read the sign next to the broom:
THE FIREBOLT
This state-of-the-art racing broom sports a streamlined, superfine handle of ash, treated with a diamond-hard polish and hand-numbered with its own registration number. Each individually selected birch twig in the broomtail has been honed to aerodynamic perfection, giving the Firebolt unsurpassable balance and pinpoint precision. The Firebolt has an acceleration of 150 miles an hour in ten seconds and incorporates an unbreakable Braking Charm.
Price on request.
Harry could understand why it was price on request because looking at it, Harry truly felt like he was falling in love. Sure he already had the Nimbus 2000 in his trunk and the Nimbus 2001 that Draco's father gifted him (taking money from Lucius's vault made the Nimbus 2001 even sweeter). So in all honesty Harry didn't need the Firebolt, there was no point in buying it. I mean sure it wouldn't make an effect on the Potter vault, but Harry already had two state of the art brooms, he did not need the Firebolt. But every time he walked past the store he felt his eyes drift towards the broom.
The school stationery list had been released so Diagon Alley was even more packed than before. And forms had been sent asking the student to send back their Hogsmeade approval list, which stung. He had held his tongue for so long and for what? He didn't even get the stupid form.
But the defense book that was recommended lifted Harry's hopes a whole lot. This year's defense teacher could not be worse than the last two. Harry was still wondering which one was worse: Quirrell with Voldemort on the back of his head which Harry killed, or Lockhart who was so stupid that it was painful to listen to him.
Harry headed towards the stationary store, wanting to pick up some more ink, and Gwyn wanted to look at the fancy pens that shimmered.
“They’re soo lovely.” she said as her head brushed against Harry.
“If they're that pretty. I'll get you one for Yule.” his snake just hissed, when Harry heard a familiar voice.
“Harry is that you?” He turned his head to find Theodore Nott in front of him. Theo had hit another growth spurt and was a few inches taller than Harry. His face was tanned, which made his blue eyes stand out, and his face was split in a grin.
“Theo!” Harry walked to him and Theo clapped him on his shoulder.
“Only you would blow up your aunt. Classic Potter!” Harry scowled and looked at Theo.
“How do you know that?”
“Father. A friend of his works at the Ministry and told him. I got your letter this morning and tagged along as Father got a few things, I was hoping I'd run into you.” but as if Theo had summoned him, a man called out his name.
The man was tall, and that answered the question of where Theo had gotten his height from. Silver streaks peppered through his brown hair and he had aristocratic features. He stood with a type of authority that practically yelled: “You are beneath me, get out of my way.” The man towered over Theo and had a very annoyed look.
“Why have you decided to walk around?”
“My apologies Father, I was only hoping to speak to my classmate. Harry, this is my Father: Lord Tiberius Nott. Father this is Harry Potter, Heir to the House of Potter” Surprise flashed across Mister Nott’s face and Harry remembered that he worked for Voldemort before he fell, he probably still did.
“Mister Potter, what a pleasure.”
“The pleasure is all mine Mister Nott, Theo speaks highly of you.”
“How are you fairing, Mister Potter? I doubt you're too happy about Sirius Black’s escape from Azkaban.”
“I doubt anyone is.” Harry saw Theo tilt his head but Harry ignored it. But before Tiberius could speak, the store clerk called him over.
“Harry,” Theo said as his father was out of reach, “Have you done your shopping yet?”
“No, I was about to go today, why?”
“Pansy wanted all of us to meet up and do it together. She said in a week's time since she’s still in Paris and Blaise is still in the Alps.”
Harry smiled, he had never hung out with his friends after school but the idea felt exciting.
“Sure, what time should we-”
“Theodore.” Tiberius was at the entrance and his eyes were piercing into Harry.
“Coming Father,” Theo looked at Harry. “I'll have Daphne owl you the details. Bye.” And with that, Theo left.
“Something’s up with his father,” Harry had said when he had returned home, pacing his room. The sun had dipped below the horizon a while back, but Harry was still hung up on the conversation.
“You said his father worked for this Oldemort person?” Harry almost doubled over.
“Oldemort is hilarious but no, his dad just seems weird, and they way he talks to Theo too.” Harry dropped on his bed and looked up at the ceiling.
“I wonder what’s his deal?”
“Maybe he needs some bread, that helps me out.” Gwyn nuzzled up to him.
“I'm sorry about today, I never knew that about your mother.” He ran his hand down her green scales.
“She was nice, and my brothers and I were well cared for. But one day she laid down and didn't wake up. I didn't want that to happen to you.”
“I don’t plan on leaving for a long time, don't worry about me.”
“You better not. Who will feed me and tell me how brilliant I am?” Harry let out a laugh and nuzzled close to Gwyn, letting his eyes fall shut.