chapter 5:To Diagon

"…how?" Hermione asked as she stepped out of the small room into a completely different place from where had been moments before. "And where?"

"Welcome to Diagon Alley." Harry grinned, motioning to the small flat they were standing in. "The room we were just in is a large version of a Vanishing Cabinet. One of my ancestors noted down the runic arrays needed to transpose the insides of two cabinets. I just had the runes placed in the walls of that room and one exactly the same size back at the Pottery so that when both doors are closed, the rooms switch over. Much easier than using the Floo… cleaner too."

"I agree." Ronald said as he stepped past his daughter and looked out of the window, down at the bustling street below. "But, isn't this a weak point? If anyone breaks into here, they can get into your home through that room."

"Yes and no." Harry admitted as Joan joined her husband by the window. "While the Switching Room is a technically weak spot, the room it opens into has more security wards, spells and other stuff than any other room in the Pottery. Not surprising, since that room is also the Floo room. Plus, simply leaving the door open prevents the switch from occurring."

"Ah, that makes sense." Hermione admitted. "Okay, so what's the plan?"

"I have a couple of trunks I need to put in my vaults, so I think visiting Gringotts first may be a good idea." Harry suggested.

"I can swap some Pounds into Galleons while I'm there." Hermione agreed. "Sounds like a plan… but where are these trunks of yours?"

Harry tapped his pocket and Hermione face-palmed.

"Shrunken. Why didn't I guess that?"

Harry simply smirked as he walked to the door and Hermione caught a brief flash of light as Harry touched the handle.

"What was that?"

"Security ward." Harry explained, opening the door. "I've set it so that only those I've attuned it to can open the door. That's you and Neville, by the way. Hmmm, now that I think about it, do you want a new wardrobe? If we put a second one in the Pottery just off the Floo Room, all you'll need to do is climb inside it and you can then use this flat to visit Diagon any time you want."

"It'll also give Hermione twice as much space for her clothes." Joan laughed, causing Hermione to blush.

"I'll make sure the wardrobe in question is warded so only you can access it." Harry continued, then he grinned. "Think of it as a delayed birthday present since I missed yours last year. Hmmm, maybe I should offer the same to Neville too, although I'd have to sub-divide that room somewhat… then again, I could probably have it done within a week or so. Just say yes and I'll have the wardrobe sent over when it's done."

Hermione nodded, unable to form an actual sentence and Ronald gave Harry a quizzical look.

"Out of curiosity, why are you doing so much for my daughter?"

"Because she's my friend." Harry said firmly. "My first friend. Ever. I look after my friends."

"Admirable." Ronald nodded. "I approve. Now, I believe we have some shopping to do and a massive battle ahead of us."

Hermione face-palmed as Harry gave Ronald a confused look.

"Battle?"

"Dragging Hermione out of the Bookshop with less than fifty books."

"Daaa-aaad!" Hermione protested as Harry started to laugh. "Ha-aarry! It isn't that funny!"

"Sorry." Harry apologized as he managed to stop laughing. "But given you can out-bookworm most of the other Ravens…"

Hermione huffed at him before stalking to the door.

"Coming?"

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"Seven books by the same author?" Harry mumbled in disbelief as he re-checked his list. "Who is this Gilderoy Lockhart person, anyway? Is our new teacher a fan of his?"

Hermione sighed at the sight of the sign adorning the front of the bookshop. "We're a day too early to get the books signed. Look."

Harry followed her gaze and his eyebrows lifted slightly at the garish sign with the letters flashing almost randomly between gold, silver, blue and red.

'Tomorrow, World-Famous Author Gilderoy Lockhart will be signing books here for his fans'.

"He must be raking in a fortune." Harry shook his head. "I mean, seven books per person for the entire year? Plus replacements as people lose the books or have them damaged…"

"Blasphemy." Hermione muttered, causing Joan to muffle a giggle.

"Something like this would allow this Lockhart to live comfortably for several years at least." Harry continued as he followed Hermione into the shop. "I hope the books actually hold information. I'll have to have Jor-El check them over for me when I get back. He's good at things like… the heck?"

This time, it was Hermione who followed his gaze to a large bookcase in the far corner, one adorned with the legend 'The Adventures Of The-Boy-Who-Lived!'

"Those are our best-selling lines." One of the shop assistants smiled at him from where she was re-stocking a shelf. "All the children nowadays have been raised on these books."

"Heh, those look almost like the books that Hermione used to read when she was very young." Ronald mused, walking closer for a better look."

"Shouldn't we get the books that Hermione needs first?" Joan asked as Ronald ran a finger along the spines of the books, humming thoughtfully. "What were they again?"

Hermione fumbled for a moment as she unfolded her list. "Umm, Break with a Banshee, Gadding with Ghouls, Holidays with Hags, Travels with Trolls, Voy…"

"Ah, the First to Fifth-year books for Hogwarts." The assistant noted. "We have the sets over there, but you know that Gilderoy Lockhart himself is signing copies tomorrow?"

"First to Fifth year?" Ronald asked suspiciously. "Surely the higher-year books should be more advanced?"

The assistant shrugged as the four followed her to the table piled high with books arranged in packages of seven, each small pile wrapped in a silver ribbon. "We just stock the books we're asked to." She noted. "The books are five Galleons each, which means that each package costs…"

"Thirty-five Galleons." Ronald winced. "Sorry, Hermione. Looks like you won't be able to stock up on books as much this year."

As Ronald picked up one of the stacks and carried it towards the counter, Harry tapped the assistant's arm to get her attention.

"Can I place an order for one of each of the books from that collection?" He asked, pointing to the Boy-Who-Lived shelves. "To be picked up in about an hour?"

The assistant's eyes widened as she realized who he was. "O… of course!"

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"Aaaaaand sorted." Hermione sighed as they exited Madam Malkin's, having had their robes re-sized (or replaced) as needed. "I think that's it. Anything else on the list?"

"I need to pick something up, so I'll meet you back at the Pottery." Harry said and Ronald nodded.

"Okay. I'm partway through a chess game with that ghost-butler of yours, anyway. He's incredibly good at it, although his overly-logical approach means I'm slightly in the lead."

Hermione smiled, stroking the larger-on-the-inside-and-magically-lightened bag in which her new books resided. "I'll see you soon."

"In the library." Harry joked, learning an eye-roll and a significant lack of denial. "Have fun."

"I intend to." Hermione stated as firmly as she could, causing her mother to hastily lift a hand to her mouth in an attempt to muffle her giggles.

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"I'm back!" Harry called as he entered the library. Hermione waved at him without looking away from the book she was engrossed in and Harry pulled out a shrunken truck from his pocket. Placing it on the ground, he tapped it with his wand to unshrink it, then opened it up.

"Jor-El, unpack and shelve, please."

"Of course, sir."

"Oh, that is so unfair." Hermione grumbled as she watched the books rise out of the trunk and fly to their positions on the shelves. "Automatic sorting?"

"You can simply ask Jor-El for whichever book you need and it'll come to your hand." Harry supplied and Hermione sighed.

"So unfair." She repeated, then she looked quizzically at one of the books that instead of flying onto a shelf, had settled in the hands of the statue of a robed woman standing in one corner of the room, the pages almost blurring as they turned. "Um, what's going on with that?"

"Oh, Jor-El's just using the statue of my mother to read the new books." Harry replied as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "Since he remembers everything he reads, he can compare things for me, or look things up."

The book lifted out of the statue's hands and a second book moved in to replace it, opening up and the pages turning rapidly.

"That is just so unfair." She repeated again, then she ostentatiously turned back to her own book. Harry smirked, then walked up one of the stairs to the Restricted Section, passing between the Warding Posts and feeling the Wards briefly passing over his skin. Once inside the protected area, he sat down and Jor-El manifested in front of him.

"How are the projects coming along?"

"Kelex and Kelor are both on-line and ready for deployment, sir, while work has resumed on the training areas." Jor-El reported. "The Trunk-rooms have been confirmed as active. The Vault Trunk link is located in the Armory while the School Trunk links to a re-purposed storage closet in the Floo room."

"Excellent work." Harry nodded. "And the wardrobes?"

"They will be completed within three hours, sir, and the relevant storage closets have been modified accordingly. When do you wish to present them?"

"The day before we go to Hogwarts would probably be best, so the day after tomorrow." Harry decided. "What are their designs like?"

"I took the liberty of sending a probe to scan the Granger House and Longbottom Manor, sir." Jor-El stated. "The wardrobes will match the existing furniture of the recipients rooms."

"Excellent work." Harry congratulated the AI.

"I exist to serve, sir."

"You may need to add a one-time shrinking charm to Hermione's wardrobe, one deactivated easily by someone without magic so that her father can take it back to her home for her." Harry mused, earning a nod of agreement from Jor-El. "And have you scanned any of those Boy-who-lived books yet?"

"I have just finished scanning the final one and am processing the file, sir."

"How bad is it?"

"Those books are… less than good, sir." The AI said disapprovingly. "Several of them are effectively copies of non-magical books with the name of the hero changed while others… the writing style is sadly lacking. Most of them are even below the writing of the amateur author known as TheBeardedOne."

Harry smirked at the damning comment. "And according to the books, what have I done?"

Jor-El paused for a second as he correlated the information. "Would you prefer the list randomly, by publishing order, story chronological order…"

"Sure, go with that." Harry sighed.

"Very well. Age one, defeated the Dark Lord Voldemort. That is the only verifiable story, although the actual means remain unknown. Defeated a vampire, defeated three ghosts, competed and won in a broomstick race…"

"When I was one?" Harry interjected. "What the hell?"

"…confronted a Sphinx and won the battle of riddles, used magic to build a castle in the clouds to live in. Age two, defeated a trio of Dark Lords, confronted and tamed a rampaging dragon. Rode a Unicorn and a Pegasus while locating a magical relic. Defeated a Dark Lord duumvirate. Defeated…"

Harry groaned at the seemingly endless list.

"Harry Potter is truly a great wizard." An unfamiliar voice marvelled and Harry's reflexes slammed into life. The world around him stopped briefly as he grabbed the short being that had appeared.

"Who are you!" He demanded and the being stared at him with bulbous eyes.

"Harry Potter must not go to Hogwarts! There is great danger!"

Harry looked at the small being and then it vanished from his grasp.

"How did it do that? What was it?"

"Checking wizarding databases." Jor-El said, referring to all of the wizarding books that Harry had acquired and had the AI scan. "Intruder identified as a House Elf. A race of beings who rely on a symbiotic bond with wizarding families to exist. They require ambient magic to sustain themselves and in exchange, they perform menial tasks such as cleaning."

There was a pause, then Jor-El spoke again. "I have tracked down a document in the archives that indicates that the Potter Elves were seized by the Ministry of Magic after the deaths of Lily and James Potter, and reassigned to the home of the Minister of Magic."

Harry frowned. "Did we receive compensation?"

"Excluding the single Galleon received for the house in Godric's Hollow, no, sir."

Harry's frown deepened.

"Okay… so any ideas how we can get them back without turning Fudge against us? They'd probably reduce the workload for you quite a bit. And while I'm considering that, how did that elf get through your wards?"

"I am analyzing the sensor data as we speak, sir."