Chapter 5 – Introspection of the Broader Hogwarts. Part 1

"Great and Noble Master Harry Potter sir, Her Highness, Hedwig brought a reply back."

Harry whined, "Would you please stop me calling that?"

Dobby wore a million-watt smile. "Great and Lovely Master Harry Potter sir, I think you must have had some of Professor Greasy Bat's alcohol. But then again you keep asking me to stop. Were you dropped pretty hard when you were just born?"

Harry groaned and banged his head against the desk. Dobby burst into laughter and Harry could not help but smile at the antics of the house-elf. This little skit has been happening on repeat for the past few days, but Harry would not have it any other way. I owe the little guy far more than this, I can take a little ribbing.

"And Hedwig?"

Dobby shivered, "Her Owlness commands the roost and would not be referred to with anything else. She was in the roost waiting till breakfast to give you the letter, Dobby went and took the letter. Her Owlness made Dobby regret his audacity."

Harry's eyebrow twitched with mirth. I have such strange people and creatures around me. He opened the contents of the letter, and when he saw some of the numbers, his eyebrows shot up in surprise.

Salutations Mr. Potter,

Let me introduce myself to you. My name is EverSharpe and I am the current Lead Account Manager for the Potter Family holdings. My responsibilities lie in maintenance, security and other financial matters pertaining your family wealth, from your family vault, investments to your individual trust vault. Since the death of your father, myself and several other goblins and wizards have managed your wealth. Our team manages not only your gold stored within but also other assets you hold, for a ten percent commission of your monthly capital gains.

Below is a summary of your holdings:

Current Assets: 5 million Galleons

This includes investments, financial instruments and other assets that take less than year to liquidate

Long Term Assets: 50 million Galleons

This includes investments, properties, and other assets that take more than year to liquidate.

Short Term Debt Obligations: 0 Galleons

Debt and other financial obligations you owe with a duration of within a year.

Long Term Debt Obligations: 0 Galleons

Debt and other financial obligations you owe with a duration beyond a year.

We can send a more detailed list of what each line item contains, but for now, I thought I would be best to send a more general description of what your holdings are. Although I would say that Potter Family holdings currently hold one million in cash.

I am pleased to inform you that our team records a twenty percent growth annually on both your current and long-term assets before fees or taxes. The account rate is significantly higher than the market rates. Since we are operating only on assets held within the Potter Family holdings, we have not needed acquire any leverage. Our current monthly fee is 42,000 Galleons

As far as withdrawals and other transactions, no withdrawals were made till July 1991. Your school fees were paid prior to the start of the year, amounting to 500 Galleons.

We can provide you monthly statements if you wish. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me.

May Your Gold Grow by Every Passing Day,

EverSharpe,

Lead Account Manager of Potter Holdings.

P.S. As of today, a Galleon is worth 53.9 Sterling Pounds.

Harry's eyes grew comically large. Circe's wrinkly nose! That is lot of money. Good thing I do not have to much work there, although I think I will have to start learning about both wizarding and muggle finance. Still a little bit of a daze, he composed a quick response thanking EverSharpe, asking for a list with a detailed description for all line items, and asking for monthly statements. He inserted the letter in an envelope put and tucked away the letter into his robes and had Dobby pop him over to the statue of Barnabus. As he opened the door to the Room of Requirement, he found The Hat waiting for at the center of the room.

"Ah Mr. Potter, let us start our session today."

Much like the first session, The Hat had him navigate his mind with his magic. When he repeated the process today, he could discern out details in his memory he could not recall in the first session and he felt that he delved deeper into his memories. As the session ended, Harry's mind went back to the phenomenon with his wand yesterday.

"Hat, I have something I need your opinion on. Can you look at the memory and give me your opinion?"

"Put me on, and I will try my level best."

Harry strode to the pedestal where The Hat was situated and put him on. Harry though back to the memories of his wand and his training session. Several minutes went by and it seemed like The Hat was replaying his memories to carefully analyze what happened. The Hat gave a grunt as Harry placed him back on the pedestal

"I could be wrong, but I think the cause of that phenomenon was because you were perfectly compatible with your wand thus your magic perfectly resonated with your wand."

Harry was puzzled by The Hats answer. "I thought that wands were perfectly matched when they chose you?"

The Hat chuckled, "Not necessarily. You see wands choose a wizard. Not the wizard. If a wand chooses its master, then the chances are that the master could have merely met the bare minimum threshold for acceptance. You and your holly and phoenix wand were such pair."

Harry directed his gaze towards his wand. "Are you saying that the wand chose me because it had no other choice?"

The Hat tilted his tip slightly, "It is a possibility though I doubt so with your wand. Wands can be temperamental nature. However, a holly and phoenix feather wand are usually amongst the hardest wands to match as they usually have stringent requirements for their masters. Holly and phoenix feather wands resonate well with those who are on a spiritual quest, some wandmaker circles call your wand combination a Hero's Wand. My theory as to why it did not perfectly resonate with you would have to do with the presence of the horcrux in you. Although, I am not even too sure of that. You may have to talk to a wandmaker to get a more accurate deduction."

"So, a better match leads to better casting?"

"Given all else equal between two wizards or witches, the witch or wizard with the better matched wand tends to produce better results."

Harry rubbed his chin. "So, what else do you think matters in spell casting?"

The Hat chuckled. "I know that you have some questions about your magic based off yesterday's results. But for the sake of your sanity, let us postpone this lesson for a later day. You just came back in time and despite the nature of what we are about to face, we have some time before we can delve much deeper into magic."

The Hat paused for a bit, as if in deep thought. "I do have an exercise you can do in the meantime. Cast every spell that is taught here in Hogwarts and try to cast at least nonverbally. Push the envelope where you feel comfortable and try to accomplish a few of the spells without your wand. Start with year one spells and move forward from there."

The Hat tilted slightly to the right and chuckled. "Now then, I think it is about time you headed back to the dorms. Until next time Mr. Potter."

Harry nodded and Dobby popped him back to his bed. He spent the next several minutes meditating. He opened his eyes when he heard someone getting up. To no surprise, it was Neville.

"Morning Neville."

Neville sat up in his four-poster bed, bleary eyed. "Blimey, why the hell are you up so bloody early?"

Harry let out an impish smile. "Come now Neville old chap, early wizard gets the snitch and all that. Or at least that's what Mr. Weasley told me once."

Neville grumbled, "The only thing you are getting is my pillow on your face."

"I will have you know that I have excellent reflexes."

"And I have thrown fully grown mandrakes."

"How does that even ap- "

Dean snarled, "Would you two shut up and let me sleep? You ladies can talk somewhere else."

Harry gasped, "Dean! If Hermione heard you, she would skin you alive. Degrading females and all that."

Neville added, "Or turn him into a pig. Can she turn him into a pig?"

Harry shrugged, "Seems like some advanced stuff. She probably will figure it out within a day. Or turn his ears in to rabbit ears."

"Or turn his hair into worms."

"Or make him- "

A pillow approached Harry's face at a rapid pace. With his quick reflexes, Harry ducked under the incoming barrage and reached out for his own ammunition. Only to be hit in the face by another pillow. One quick look at the smug Longbottom confirmed who the second attacker was. Oh, this means war boys.

Before Harry could pull out his wand, the door to the dorm opened and Percy Weasley stood at the entrance with a pillow stuck onto his face. Harry looked around quizzically while the other two hooligans looked like they bit a lemon. How did on earth did that pillow hit him?

Percy threw the pillow away and threw a disapproving gaze at the trio. "That would be 5 points from Gryffindor. Now get ready for breakfast if you have time to goof around like imbeciles." He inclined his nose up slightly and turned around with a sniff and walk away with what Harry would recall as the most pompous walk he as ever seen.

Dean blinked twice and tilted his head slightly. "You reckon he is a poofter?"

Harry and Neville looked at each other and shrugged. Harry replied, "I saw him awfully cozy with a Ravenclaw prefect a few days ago, so maybe not. Let's not talk about this while his brother is asleep in the same dorm as us."

Neville and Dean gave him a nod. Harry sighed, "Well gentleman it has been fun, I am going to go down to the common room." With a wave, he turned around and went down to the common room. Fifteen minutes later Harry, Hermione and Neville went down to the Great Hall for breakfast.