A New Potter v2 - Chapter 2

I strolled down Diagon Alley trying to keep my gawking to a minimum. Harry may have seen this place a few times, but I hadn't. It was an odd mix of Victorian Architecture and Dr Seuss. There weren't any weird swirly bits on the roofs, but the buildings seemed to avoid right-angles. The crowd of people wore an eclectic mix of muggle and wizard fashion. Robes were worn casually open with t-shirts and jeans underneath.

My wonderment was only further inflamed by the feeling of magic in the air. It was a warm caress on my skin, a pleasant energy pumping through my veins, and I loved every moment of it. I wondered if everyone felt like this, or if it was because I was coming from a world without magic.

The world I came from did not have magic.

I shook the thought from my head. While an interesting puzzle, that was my old life. This one, as Harry, was the one I needed to focus on. I closed my eyes for a moment and felt the currents of magic around me. Each person had their own little ember of energy. It became obvious that the stronger the person was the bigger it was. Except for children. They fluctuated from moment to moment. No wonder Accidental Magic was a thing.

My breath caught in my throat when I opened my eyes. I could see the swirls of magic in the air. It took focus, but I could trace the spells back to the source. Enchanted items had a glow to them as well. I couldn't tell what they were, but the fact that I could see them was amazing.

No one paid too much attention to me. I was just another face in the crowd, which I was thankful for. I didn't know if I could pass for normal Harry if I ran into someone that he knew. The bookstore was swarming with people as well as the other shops that focused on school supplies. Thankfully, Madam Malkin only had a few people casually wondering the shelves.

"Hello." The bored woman behind the counter said.

She was attractive brunette and looked to be in her mid-thirties. Her hair was cut short in a bob that just barely reached her shoulders. Considering how magic slowed the aging process that meant she could actually be in her thirties or somewhere near sixty. She wore a light blue robe that could have passed for a dress with minor adjustments.

"Hello." I smiled at her. "Busy day?"

She sighed and casually closed the book she had been reading.

"That bad?" I chuckled.

"Just browsing?" The woman said with a forced smile.

"No." I shook my head. "I need some clothes. A full wardrobe actually."

That seemed to perk her up.

"Please." She stepped out from the counter. "Follow me."

She led me over to a fitting area. I adjusted my guess at her age. She looked much younger now that she wasn't bored out of her mind. Maybe even a recent graduate. A snap of her fingers summoned a measuring tape to hover in the air before me.

"Usually." She started her measurements. "I'd use the enchantment to do this, but I'm bored. I hope you don't mind."

"No problem." I shrugged. "I didn't know there would be so many people."

"Independents." She rolled her eyes.

"Independents?" I asked.

"Students who don't go to Hogwarts." She clarified. "Their business is great for the other stores, but they don't need uniforms, so they just browse. The hours just drag by. Next week when the Hogwarts students come I'll be out of my mind with work. At least it makes the day go faster."

"Are you the only one here?" I asked.

"Yeah." She nodded. "Why am I telling you all of this?"

"I'm easy to talk to." I winked at her.

She blushed and focused on her work.

"What style are you looking for?" She after a moment of silence.

"I need school robes as well as some casual outfits." I paused. "Do you know muggle styles? I'd love some pants and shirts instead of just robes."

"Yes." She nodded. "We have a line of muggle styles. Would you like to see out catalogue?"

"Sure." I nodded.

She stepped out of the way to show me a mirror that had been set near the raised platform. My reflection waved at me. I flinched which made the clerk laugh a little. My reflection mocked my surprise. I flipped off the mirror to earn another laugh from both of them.

"Behave." The clerk tapped the side of the mirror with her wand.

My reflection nodded then started to model a variety of clothing. The muggle style clothing was close enough to the stuff in the mundane stores. My reflection even did a couple of slow turns to show me how they would look.

"Did you see anything you liked?" The clerk asked.

"Yes." I nodded. "Could I get three pairs of jeans in blue, black, tan, and grey. Four pairs of slacks in black and grey. Ten or so short sleeved shirts in a variety of colors. Same for long-sleeve button downs. Do you have shoes as well?"

"We do, but they aren't the highest quality." The clerk explained. "There's a cobbler a few stores over that have a better selection. Tell them I sent you and you can get a discount."

"Nice. Thanks." I smiled at her. "I didn't get your name."

"Tulip." She held out her hand. "Tulip Karasu. My friends call me Tully."

"Nice to meet you." I shook her hand. "I'm Harry." I had a brief internal debate if I should tell her my name or not. "Harry Potter."

"Harry Potter?" She asked raising her eyebrows.

"It's what my parents named me." I shrugged.

"You don't have to give me a fake name." Tulip rolled her eyes. "You look nothing like Harry Potter."

"You've met him?" I asked with a small smile.

"Not really." She shook her head. "I was a seventh year when he was a firstie. Never met him, but I saw him in passing."

Tulip paused and looked at me a bit closer. Her eyes went wide when our eyes met. She squeaked and finished her measurements.

"The order will be done tomorrow." She stood and looked everywhere but at my face. "You can either pick it up or we can send it to you. Via owl. I'd need your permission though."

"Figured it out, eh?" I teased.

She nodded.

"Do you work tomorrow?" I asked.

She nodded again.

"Then I'll pick it up." I winked at her and stepped down.

Tulip blushed before she hurried off back to the counter. I followed a few steps behind. The smile on my face widened when she held the ledger up to hide her face.

"That will be three galleons and five sickles for all of it." Tulip said from behind the book.

"Thank you, Tully." I winked at her.

I put my last three galleons on the counter. She gave me my change. Her face had an adorable blush. I was going to have to stay in my uniform for now. At least there was the option for a change of clothes tomorrow.

After that pleasant experience I decided that it was time to face the goblins. I just needed to make a withdraw from my trust vault. Hopefully I wouldn't have to go down to it to personally get it myself. Riding the cart sounded fun, but I had stuff I wanted to do. Once I stepped through the doors I was greeted by a long line of people. Thankfully, goblins were efficient and so the line moved quickly. I opted to pay a fee to get a pouch that connected to my trust vault rather than carrying around a pocket full of coins. The goblin didn't care who I was, simply that they were able to extract a fee for the transaction.

With the clothing and a trip to the bank completed I moved on to the trunk store. It was another place that was a bastion of calm among the crowd. This stop went a lot faster. No names were exchanged, which made things less awkward. It helped that the clerk was an old guy that had no interest in conversation. Unlike Tulip, he was perfectly fine to spend his day reading rather than helping customers. My new trunk had an expansion charm complete with a small studio apartment with a bathroom and kitchenette. I paid extra for an attached library. It had multiple options with more expansion charms that I could cycle between a few compartments. My favorite feature was the automatic sorting function.

I stopped by the cobbler to get a pair of boots, oxfords, and even sneakers made of dragonhide. No clue how they did it, but I wasn't going to argue. I did remember to mention Tully, which gave me a little discount. Apparently, the clerk there was one of her roommates. He was pleasant, and admittedly, handsome, but I didn't swing that way.

Once that was done, I decided it was time to make some progress on the Voldemort issue. Unfortunately, Diagon Alley didn't have any shops that sold weapons. The goblins probably had access to them, but I doubted they would sell them for a reasonable price. My only hope was Nocturn Alley.

I didn't have cloak or some way to cover my identity, so I chose the other option. Without glasses and my scar practically gone, I walked in like I was supposed to be there. Sometime in my last life I had learned that attitude made all the difference. You could walk into just about anywhere if you pretended that you belonged. Unfortunately, I didn't have overalls or a clipboard, but I think that would only work in the muggle world.

Nocturn Alley was somehow dark even in the middle of the day. Oddly enough, the streets were busier that I had expected. The 'independent' schools didn't appear to have the same hangups. I was the only teenager that didn’t have an escort, but I mixed in with the others well enough. The crowds thinned out the farther I went.

I paused in front of a familiar store when I caught sight of the connecting cabinet. This year wasn't when the Death Eaters attacked Hogwarts. The prophecy was Voldemort's goal. Lucius failed, then Draco was punished for the failure. I could put a stop to that right now. It was amazing I could see it from the street, the windows were murky, and the interior was dark.

Standing around outside wasn't going to do anything. I stepped into the store and the room darkened the moment I crossed the threshold. Another step brought me into a brightly lit area. The dour, dusty view from the street was a façade. If anything, this looked closer to a muggle antique store. Some of the items were glowing and others were emitting multi-colored smoke, but it wasn't all that odd considering. I lazily strolled down the isles making my way toward the cabinet. Showing too much interest would definitely bump up the price. Plus, I wanted to take a look at the other items that were on display.

I was half-way through the store when I came to a glass display for weapons. They were more ornate than I was looking for, but it was an option. The glass was practically brimming with magic, and I wasn't stupid enough to touch it.

"Did you find something that catches your interest?" A reedy voice spoke from behind me.

I suppressed the urge to jump to the side and start casting. The clerk had been silent in their approach. Thankfully, I hadn't drawn my wand or that would have been a bit embarrassing. I turned to face the clerk and raised an eyebrow at him. The man didn't look healthy. In fact, I could have sworn he was dead. I squinted my eyes, feeling the magic around me. The man was a blank spot in the ambient energy.

"Vampire?" I asked.

The clerk nodded. He smiled, flashing his fangs.

"Hm. Are any of these goblin silver?" I motioned to the row of daggers.

"Yes." The clerk pointed to the daggers on the right side.

I turned my attention to them. They were all a bit gaudy for my taste with intricate filigree and jewel encrusted grips seemed to be a requirement. The least objectionable one had a curved guard shaped like a mermaid for some reason.

"Do you have any that are simpler? One for use, not display." I clarified.

"Quite a request, young wizard." The clerk wiggled his eyebrows at me.

I kept my expression neutral as I stared back at him.

"For engraving." I sighed. "I need something that won't break or contaminate the material."

"Whatever you say, young wizard." The clerk flashed another fang-filled smile.

"Do you have it or not?" I asked.

"Follow me." The vampire clerk turned and began to walk toward the counter.

I followed, glad he wasn't trying to take me in the back or out of sight. Vampires were something I had zero reference for in this world. Even if they had the classic weaknesses I was completely unprepared. He stepped behind the counter and pulled a shimmering silk cover away to reveal a glass case. This one held tools of various sorts, but all were high quality. My attention went to a selection of small knives that almost looked to be pairing knives found in a kitchen.

"Potions?" I asked pointing to the knives in question.

"Yes." The clerk nodded. "All of these are goblin silver."

"I might get one of those simply to have." I muttered.

"Of course." The clerk oozed an attitude I wanted to smack. "The engraving kit is here."

I followed his guidance to a wrapped kit of small tools. They would not have been out of place in a dentist's office.

"I'll take it." I said. "And one of the potion knives."

The clerk didn't say anything else as he removed the items. I let my attention wander as he wrapped the knives in silk. My eyes fell on the reason I had initially attracted me to the store.

"What's this?" I motioned to the cabinet.

"Vanishing Cabinet." The clerk replied. "Very popular in the last war. You could step inside and hide until the danger had passed."

"It turns you invisible?" I asked.

"No." The clerk shook his head. "It's connected to another. Anything you put in this one will appear in the paired cabinet. Unfortunately, we don't know where the other is. Any attempts to use it have not ended well. The only explanation is that the paired cabinet is broken in some way."

"How much for it as well?" I asked.

"Why would you want a broken cabinet?" The clerk paused as he prepared the other items.

"To study the enchantment." I lied easily.

"Hm." The clerk looked from me to the cabinet. "I'll throw it in to round out the purchase."

"How much?" I turned back to face the clerk.

"Three hundred galleons even." The clerk's eyes flashed in delight.

Either he got a commission for the sale, or he really wanted to get rid of the cabinet.

"Fine." I grumbled.

The clerk watched with barely contained excitement as I counted out the coins. Once that was finished, I turned my attention back to the cabinet. How was I going to move this thing?

"Allow me." The clerk stepped over.

He activated a something by pushing in a bronze strip along the side. The cabinet shrunk down to the size of a matchbox.

"The shrinking enchantment is interwoven with the others." The clerk explained. "Do not use any other sort of resizing charms. It will make the array unstable. You do not want that to happen."

"Thank you." I picked up the cabinet and put it in my pocket. "Anything I should know about the knives?"

"They are knives." The clerk shrugged. "Goblin silver will absorb any sort of magically infused liquid it comes into contact with. A potion will fade after a period of time, depending on the quality. However, poison will remain unless it is purified or encounters something stronger. This includes the blood of a lycanthrope, which cannot be removed."

"Would that mean a blade with lycanthrope blood could infect others?" I asked.

"That is a thought." The clerk shivered. "A bunch of smelly mutts running around." He shuddered at the thought. "I have no clue. The curse is known to be passed through the teeth, and to a lesser extent, the claws. I would assume the blood would as well."

"Huh." I didn't know where this line of conversation had come from, but it was thought provoking. "Thank you for your assistance."

"Thank you for your patronage." The clerk inclined their head.

I needed to imbue the knife with basilisk venom to destroy the remaining horcux. There should be plenty in the Chamber of Secrets. I didn't like the idea of waiting until I got to Hogwarts, but it was either that, or find somewhere that sold it. Basilisk venom wasn't something that could be picked up at the corner store. It would raise a lot of questions that I didn't want to answer.

Learning how to apparate would be a good idea. I'd have to learn on my own. Waiting for another year or so wasn't going to cut it.

A movement brought my attention to a streak of blonde hair out of the corner of my eye. There were only three people I knew of that had that hair color, all of which had the name Malfoy. While I had never met, or interacted with any of them, Harry had. With the goblin silver my next move was to get some basilisk venom. Still, I wasn't going to pass up the chance to mess with Malfoy.

I tucked the knife and engraving kit in my magical pouch. The shop wasn't all that big, so it only took a moment to find my target. I paused when my eyes rested on Narcissa Malfoy. She was taller than I was expecting, slim but not too skinny. Not to mention she had a wonderful ass.

Damn teenage hormones. She was the wife of a Death Eater. I couldn't think of anything about her aside from lying about Harry being dead in the last book. She had a brief appearance at the Quidditch World Cup, so we had met, but everything else was a blank slate. Other than that, I knew she was Sirius' cousin and had two sisters.

If my plans were even slightly successful the story going forward was going to change. Maybe she would turn out to be an ally. She could just as easily be a thorn in my side. Standing here staring at her wasn't going to answer those questions.

As silently as I could I approached her from behind. No wonder the clerk did it, this was fun.

"Lady Malfoy." I said once I was just out of arms reach.

She jumped and spun to face me. Unlike me, her wand was out and at the read. Her gaze settled on me. The wand in her hand disappeared with a flick of her wrist. She had a holster; I'd have to keep that in mind.

"And you are?" She asked with a glare.

I desperately wished I had my glasses to dramatically reveal who I was. Instead, she saw a boy around her son's age that had the cheek to speak to her. I settled for slipping my hand through my hair to flash the scar on my forehead. It wasn't as noticeable as it had been, but it was still there. She took a sharp breath that sounded like a hiss.

"Potter." Her face went passive as her Pureblood Society mask slid into place.

"See." I gave her my best roguish smile. "My name sounds so much better coming from your lips."