Second Year

When Alex exited the 'Leaky Cauldron' back into the non-magical side, he was still using his disguise as an adult man. He hailed for a taxi to go to Covent Garden where he still had some chores to do.

When he arrived, he went to a branch of HSBC Bank. He talked to an account manager and said that he wanted to create a new account with the bank. He was escorted into a small office where they could conduct their business in private.

Alex filled out the paperwork required of him, falsifying every information except for his name. Alexander Grey was a pretty common name, so he didn't feel that he needed to change that. The fact that he was still 12-years-old should keep anyone from tracing the account back to him. When he reached his majority, it would be a simple matter for him to transfer the account to his legal identity.

He was using his magic to subtly influence the account manager to wave any need for proof of identification. With eye-contact, a skilled Legilimens had limited power to influence the mind of the target, similar to a weak 'Confundus Charm'.

The non-magical world really liked their paperwork. Everything was gospel as long as it was written on paper. The only person who could bring suspicion to his application was the account manager in front of him. He could expect no problems in his accounts unless it was specifically being reviewed.

Even if, somehow, he was found out, it couldn't be traced back to him. It wouldn't be the first time ever to an account had some false information in their records. He left the bank after depositing ₤120,000 in his account. That should have raised some concern, but for the bank employee, everything was regular.

After that was over with, he went to the nearby investment firm that he had learned from the account manager. It was only a small firm managed by a father and son, but all investments were handled personally by the owners.

He created a portfolio and bought ₤80,000 worth of stocks of companies that made auto-mobiles and computers. He knew that these industries would experience a boom in the coming years. He also made an investment worth ₤20,000 in more stable stocks and government bonds as his broker suggested.

He wasn't very worried about losing money in his investment. Although his wealth in the non-magical world would be convenient to have, it was not essential to him. His real power base must be built in the magical world, that was the only way he could make a difference in it.

***

After he received his Hogwarts letter in the third week of July, he went back to Diagon Alley for his school shopping. When he arrived in the Leaky Cauldron, he heard Tom, the barman, called him discretely.

"Hey there, young man," said Tom. "I have something to give you, something that can help you."

"What is it, mister barman?" asked Alex pretending not to know.

"This book here can be very useful indeed," said the hunched-back, taking out a small booklet from the pocket of his robes. "This book was written to help out muggle-borns like you in adjusting in the Wizarding World."

"Oh, how much is it?" said Alex, sounding suspicious.

"Don't worry. It's completely free. But, don't go telling everyone. You hear? I don't have many copies, so let's keep it quiet, okay?"

Alex was glad that Tom was doing his best to deliver his end of their deal. Not that the man had a choice, since he had taken a magically binding oath. But, it was good to see that Tom was being proactive about it.

Alex had taken the book, then he thanked the barman sincerely.

He went through his shopping like the numerous other students in Diagon Alley. He recognized all the other students that he saw and he made sure to say hello to the ones he was acquainted with, mostly other Hufflepuffs.

One, in particular, that he was glad to see was Bill Weasley who was shopping with his father and his brothers, 10-year-old Charlie and 7-year-old Percy. Mrs Weasley was probably staying in their home with the younger children. If he was remembering it correctly, their youngest sibling, the only girl, had just been born.

"Hey, Bill!" Alex yelled out. The Weasleys really stood out in a crowd. Their red hair couldn't be missed.

Bill and Alex got acquainted in this timeline during their flying lessons with Madam Hooch. They were the two students in their year who were the best at flying. They also bonded when they shared their plans to join the respective Quidditch teams of their houses.

"Hey there, Alex. Dad, this is my friend from Hogwarts, Alexander Grey," Bill introduced him.

"Call me Alex," he interjected.

"How do you do, Alex? I am Arthur," said the Weasley patriarch. "And these here are my other sons, Charlie and Percy. Say hello, boys."

"Wotcher, Alex!" greeted the excited Charlie.

"Hello…" said Percy simply.

Then, Mr Weasley turned to greet one of his superiors in the Ministry leaving just the children on their own.

"Are you finished with your shopping for the day?" asked Bill.

"I'm done with books and potions supplies," answered Alex. "I still need to buy some ink and parchment. Also, my grandfather asked me to buy an owl, so I could send some letters the wizard way."

"What kind of owl are you getting?" asked Charlie.

"I don't know," said Alex. "I will have to see what's there first. But any kind of owl is good, I guess."

Charlie nodded in agreement, but Percy clearly had a different opinion.

"Don't get one like Errol," said Percy. "The stupid bird keeps making a mess every time he delivers a mail."

"Errol is just getting old, nothing is wrong with him!" defended Charlie.

"He's not that old, he's just clumsy!" Percy fired back.

"Well, he had been in the family longer than you, so show some respect!" said Charlie.

Bill just laughed at his brother's antics. "We're done with books, too," he told Alex. Then, he turned towards his dad and asked, "Can we join Alex to get his owl?"

"Go ahead, but come back here in ten minutes!" Mr Weasley said before turning back to the man he was talking to.

Ah, the difficulties of a Ministry employee, Alex pitied the man. Mr Weasley was probably spending most of his time in his job smooching the arses of his superiors.

He and the Weasley children entered 'Eeylops Owl Emporium'. They had everything a wizard might want if he wanted to keep an owl. They went around the shop for a bit, checking out every owl that they had. Charlie and Percy arguing about which owls were better in their opinion. But Alex's interest was caught by a particularly large owl.

It had grey feathers, pointed ears and a pair of fierce-looking orange-coloured-eyes. Alex thought that the owl had a look of intelligence about it. It simply acknowledged his presence and it wasn't cautious at all when he approached. It had a very regal air about it.

Alex had a good feeling about the owl, even though it could probably kill him with its talons.

"Can you tell us about this one?" Alex asked the shop-keep.

"Oh, what we have here is a female Eurasian Eagle-Owl. She's 8-months-old now and fully trained as a post owl. But she can be feisty."

"I'll take her," said Alex. He didn't need convincing.

That got a reaction from the Weasleys.

"Are you sure, kid?" asked the shop-keep. There was a warning in his words, but the shop-keep was not going to stop a sale.

"I'm sure," said Alex. "Can I also get a cage for her and some treats?"

"Of course, the bird is 15 Galleons and the cage is 2 Galleons and 10 Sickles. I'll give you the treats and a grooming tool-set for free. You take good care of her, kid."

Alex paid the man, satisfied with his purchase.

"What are you going to name her?" asked Bill.

"She looks like a great hunter to me. What about Artemis, the goddess of the hunt?" suggested Charlie.

"Artemis the Owl? …I don't know about that," said Percy. "I'm not sure what it is, but there is something off there."

"Let's see here. She is definitely a goddess… I think I'll call her Selene…" Alex decided.

"Selene, the goddess of the moon…" explained Percy.

"Yes, I think it fits her," said Bill.

After finishing up in the shop, they found Mr Weasley standing outside, waiting for them.

They finished up their shopping in the alley. Mr Weasley showed him some other shops were they could find cheaper things. Alex didn't mind, but he had to carry a big birdcage with him. So he had some difficulties following the Weasleys in the narrow branch alleys that they went through.

"Well boys, it's time for us to go home," said Mr Weasley after they bought the last item on their list. "Your mom will kill me if we're too late."

"Can we get ice cream?" asked Charlie.

"Hold on now, I am sure Alex is expected home soon just like us, isn't that right?" asked Mr Weasley.

"I could go for some ice cream," said Alex pretending not that he didn't catch Mr Weasley's not so subtle cues. "Carrying all these is a bit tiring, really."

"Yes, dad. Charlie and Percy had come with us all this way. They were looking forward to it since this morning," said Bill.

Children, Alex realized, were devious. He watched the Weasley patriarch capitulated in the face of synchronized puppy-eyes from his sons.

"Well, okay then," Mr Weasley said as he sighed. "We'll get ice cream now. I'll worry about my life later. Oh! But don't tell the twins! Okay?"

"Okay!" answered the Weasley children at the same time. Then they looked at one another with big smiles on their faces. Mission accomplished, it seemed.

They got a table in Florean Fortescue's and they had a great time. Mr Weasley kept asking him about things about the muggle world that mystified him, like the yo-yo and rubber ducks.

Alex joked that rubber ducks were made to comfort the mother ducks who lost their ducklings. The children understood his joke, but he wasn't sure about Mr Weasley.

***

When Alex finally got back home, he had to convince his grandfather that Selene was a tamed owl and that the Wizarding World uses owls for sending their letters.

His grandfather relented after he promised that Selene would not be killing the neighbourhood pets. With the help of the old man, he built a proper perch for the owl, one in the backyard and one in his room.

He spent the rest of the summer by staying at home and exchanging letters with Clay. He was also catching up with his studies. He had a complete set of secondary education level textbooks. He didn't want to abandon his non-magical identity like he did in the other timeline. He knew he could get certification in the future if he wanted to go to college.

On the 1st of September, Alex and Clay met inside the Hogwarts Express like they agreed to do. They shared a compartment with their other dorm-mates.

"How was your summer?" asked Alex.

"I had to help in the gardens all summer. Can you believe it? Mother said that I should start learning about the family business from now on," Clay said.

The Rosewoods had specialized gardens for different types of magical plants. They are one of the few suppliers in Britain of exotic plant-based potion ingredients. Clay was the only child in his family, so it would be up to him to take over when he was old enough.

"I studied all summer," responded Alex. "So I also stayed at home, mostly."

"Ugh… I don't understand how you can study all the time. Are you sure you are not a Ravenclaw?"

The other kids teased him for that.

"I'm glad to be worthy of Ravenclaw. The best Hogwarts students are the ones who have the traits of all the houses."

"Even Slytherin?" challenged Clay.

"Even Slytherin…"

When the trolley lady came along, he spent about 20 Galleons in treats. He got several boxes of chocolate frogs, every-flavour beans, and other popular snacks.

"Why are you buying that much?" asked Clay. "We can't eat them all."

"These are not for today. I will bring them into Hogwarts. These things can last a long time, you know."

"Good idea, that way we'll know where to get sweets in the castle."

"You can't have them for free, you have to trade for it," said Alex with a grin.

"We gotta pay!? No friends discount?"

"Not with money, they could trade for it by doing some chores for us."

"Sometimes, you're pretty scary. You know that, right?"

"In a castle full of children, he who has sweets is king."

The other kids laughed at that.

***

The start of the term went by without a hitch. Alex made sure to greet Prof. Flitwick in their first Charms class of the school year. The professor was also glad to see him.

Two weeks later, the Quidditch try-out was being held on the grounds behind the castle.

Alex was among the youngest hopefuls that year. He was carrying his new broom in the field and some students had noticed it.

That year, the captain of the Hufflepuff team was a sixth-year boy, Ernest Gosling. He was one of the Chasers on the team, a decent flyer from what Alex could remember from last year.

"Settle down, people!" yelled the Team Captain. "This year, we are looking for a Seeker and a Beater. We will conduct the try-outs for those first, then we'll have some time for challenges later on.

There are 7 members in a Quidditch team, 3 Chasers, 2 Beaters, a Keeper and a Seeker. 4 balls are used in the game, a Quaffle, 2 Bludgers and the Golden Snitch. To explain it simply, the Chasers score using the Quaffle, the Beaters attack the other team with the Bludgers, the Keeper defends their team's goals, and the Seekers catch the Snitch, thus ending the game.

Alex thought about which position he would fit in the best. He played as a Chaser in the other timeline, so he knew he would be great at that. But considering his current size, he could play as a Seeker. He was confident of his flying ability, and he knew that he could even be better with practice.

A Seeker's position was a high-risk, high-reward type of position. It is the role where the player's flying ability had the biggest impact. But there was no guarantee of winning since the Snitch could be very unpredictable.

Alex was competing against a fourth-year to see who between them was the better Seeker.

His opponent was using a 'Cleansweep Six', one of the fastest model in the market. But his 'Comet 260' was clearly superior. It may not be as stable as a 'Cleansweep', but it was faster and more agile in turns. With an experienced flyer, it could be the most suited broomstick for the Seeker position in the market.

Team Captain Ernest released the Snitch first, giving it a head start. This Snitch would not go very far, unlike an official game Snitch. When he gave the signal, Alex and his competition lifted-off from the ground as fast as they could.

The fourth-year was fast, but Alex was faster still. He was faster on the straight and he could make sharper turns. He caught the Snitch on a quick dive and everyone on the field applauded. Even his competition had congratulated him.

A fifth-year ended up with the vacant Beater position. They conducted the challenges for anyone feeling confident to replace the current members of the teams. But in the end, no challenger was successful. The captain had chosen four other players to be in their reserves based on their performance. After that, he handed out the practice schedule to every member of the team.

They would be practising twice a week before their first match with the Ravenclaw team.

***

Aside from Quidditch practices, Alex stuck with his usual routine, studying topics that would not be covered in the school curriculum.

One afternoon in the library, he noticed that some muggle-born students were reading about the history of the Wizarding World. Perhaps, this was the effect of the book he made, he thought. These students were probably among the smarter ones if they wanted to confirm what they read in the guide.

Alex thought about the implications of making a new club for muggle-borns, but that would be too direct and it could bring more attention to himself than he would like. If someone else could start it for him, he would be glad to join them. If not, he would have to see what he could do next school year.

The history professor, Binns, wasn't a good source of information for anyone to learn about their society. Firstly, he was a ghost who had been stuck inside Hogwarts for an uncertain number of years. Secondly, his lectures were always about the Goblin Rebellions, the last of which was two centuries ago. Binns was probably still alive at the time of the rebellion led by Urg-the-Unclean.

Alex laughed at that idea, but it did make him think about it some more.

Urg-the-Unclean was said to be the goblin who rebelled after he was dunked in a dirty pond by some wizards. Although anyone would be expected to get angry after that, especially a goblin, was it really what ignited the rebellion? But there must be some other reason for a large group of people to go to war.

But with this anecdote, the historical records were effectively showing that the Goblin Nation had reacted poorly to some pranks. The Goblins, he learned, were very misrepresented in the Wizarding World.

This was just one of the blatant propaganda in their society that everyone just took for granted. How could the Ministry do this? The bigger question was, how could the rest of the people allow it? Was the whole Wizarding World incapable of admitting their flaws? Were they just avoiding their responsibilities?

That couldn't be it. Alex knew enough now to see that the Wizarding World was actually paying for the consequences of the rebellions. The goblins had taken control of the economy of their world after the Goblin Wars.

There were three Ministers of Magic during those times. The first one resigned, the second one was removed from office, and the third one negotiated the peace. Somehow, the Ministry appeared faultless after the wars, even after surrendering its sovereign rights to issue its own currency.

In some ways, Alex could understand what the Ministry did. No government could readily admit that they were wrong. Their authority over their subjects relied on the idea that they were always doing what was right for everyone.

The problem, he found, was there was no one there to hold them accountable. No one questioned the historical records when it was first printed.

All that mattered were that the goblins were back in their caves and that Wizards were proven superior once again.

One could argue that this way of thinking was a way to cope with their anxieties regarding how outnumbered they were. Somehow, they had to see themselves as the selected few, superior above others, to alleviate their fears. But when baser emotions triumphed over rational thinking, we were left with this fragile society where good sense was in short supply.

This was the enemy, he thought. It was fear and hatred of the non-magical world. It was their pride and desire to be the superior kind that was so systematically ingrained in their culture.

This was the enormous task in front of him. He let himself feel helpless for a minute.

Hogwarts, in general, was not educating the muggle-born students about the imperfections in their society. Sure, most of the professors were nice, decent people. And the Headmaster Dumbledore always kept the school out of the politicians' agendas. In fact, to many young wizards and witches, Hogwarts was a safe haven, regardless of blood status. But that could be misleading to muggle-borns whose only exposure to the Wizarding World was the school.

How would they learn that not every place in the magical world was like Hogwarts? That the Headmaster would not always be able to shield them?

But it wasn't really Hogwarts' fault. Despite his dissatisfactions, the school was performing its intended purpose. What kind of school would scare their students about the realities of the world?

Maybe, education was simply not enough.

He had a feeling he would have to take control of the Ministry of Magic. It would be a daunting task for sure. But if he wanted to make lasting change, it would have to be done through their governing body.

Winning the popular vote was not enough if he did not have the support of the rest of the Ministry of Magic. That was the lesson taught by Nobby Leach, the only muggle-born ever who became the Minister for Magic.

The man spent his short term in office while listening to the Wizengamot protesting his appointment as Minister. He couldn't get anything done in his position until he was kicked out of his office in 1968 after contracting some unknown disease. He died shortly after that.

Alex felt that the Ministry was too big to be held accountable. It was very set in its ways and it had too much power and control over their lives.

One should not forget that, despite spanning over the U.K. and Ireland, the population of the British Wizarding World was comparable to that of a small town. Alex was sure that there were less than 4,000 wizards and witches in the whole of the British Isles. About 150 of those people worked in the Ministry, around 4 per cent of the population.

Was it worth it all to be part of this society? What if all muggle-borns just decided to abandon the Wizarding World and go back into the non-magical world? Surely, they would have a better chance of living in contentment.

"No…" he told himself. Magic was essential to them. It was biological. It was in their very instinct. Surrendering magic would be like cutting one of their senses.

They had to change their world from within and carve out their place in the Wizarding World. No one but themselves could help them.

He sighed. The task before him was getting more daunting each day and he was getting nowhere with this line of thinking. One part of his brain was arguing for a more conservative approach. Another was calling for a more extreme method.

The only clear thing for him was that he could not put his faith in the current system. Somehow, he had to work outside it. Whatever he decided on doing, he could not do it alone. Soon, he would have to find a way to gather some like-minded people.

He was feeling tired all of a sudden, so he decided to go back to his room. Maybe things would be clearer for him after some meditation.