Chapter 16
It was almost time. Soon Harry could sneak back into the Chamber and ask Salazar what he knew about Rowena's room. Harry was hoping that Salazar knew of a way to connect the two rooms and create something like a bridge between them.
But could the room truly defy space as a dimension like that? The Chamber and the ROR are literally located on opposite sides of Hogwarts: One on the seventh floor and the other even lower than the dungeons. Could magic overcome this distance?
Harry checked the Map to see if there was anyone in front of the room or patrolling the seventh floor. Dumbledore was still in his office, as were Snape and McGonagall. Some other staff members were in the staff lounge and Filch was down on the first floor. It was time to go.
He put on his cloak and exited the room, carefully making his way down to the bathroom. He ignored Myrtle and opened the sink to step down into the Chamber.
"There you are! You have been gone for some time!" Salazar greeted him.
"I found Rowena's Room, Sal. I have to say… it's even more impressive than yours." Harry chuckled.
"I don't care how impressive you find it. The fact that my heir discovered another founder's room before any of their's discovered mine is satisfying enough. Tell me about the room!"
Harry explained how he found it and recounted the most important parts of the manual and the room's features. He also told Salazar about the imposing threat that is Albus Dumbledore.
"That room sounds truly spectacular. It will be great for dueling exercises. You can also just use its resources. I could imagine that it was used to hide illegal items or anything a student quickly wanted to get rid of, very often over the last 1000 years. Is there a way to make the room show you everything that it has collected so far?"
"Yes, there is!" Harry replied excitedly. "According to the manual you simply have to ask for 'The Room of Hidden Things' to see it.
"That is indeed very useful. You should take a couple of hours and wander through that room. Who knows what hidden treasures you might find there!"
"What about Dumbledore?"
"Your Headmaster, yes… Well, you could always just use one of the other two entrances to the Chamber, if you are worried about him blocking the one in the bathroom."
Harry stared at the portrait, dumbstruck.
"Are you kidding me… There are other ways to enter the Chamber and you have never told me? You had me go into a girl's bathroom for over three months?"
Salazar chuckled: "I think it's a very humbling experience. Why else do you think I created it in the first place? But yes, there are two more entrances you can use. One is located outside the Castle on the grounds. How else could my basilisk defend the school, if it killed half its students leaving the bathroom already?
The last entrance is in a broom cupboard around halfway along the corridor on the first floor. To open it, simply say 'Open' in Parseltongue. The staircase will directly take you to the ante-chamber."
Harry just shook his head: "You could have really told me this earlier, Sal. Nevertheless, thank you for sharing it with me. I will make sure to use a different entrance from now on. How would I find the one leading out to the grounds?"
"It is located at the bottom of the west wing, hidden by the vegetation. It has very strong notice-me-not charms put on it. The entrance will only reveal itself after the passphrase has been spoken."
"Defend the School, Slytherin! For Magic is in Danger!"
They drifted off-topic and Harry started telling Salazar about his preparations for the end of the year exams and the Dueling Tournament.
"Right now, there are 50 competitors from all over Europe. Flitwick explained the procedure for me: During the group stage, I will have to win at least three out of my four matches, to progress into the next stage. There will be five competitors per group and the groups are randomly matched.
From there on, it's direct elimination until only one competitor is left. The winner will be given the chance to challenge the champion of the Under-16 Championship for a friendly duel, just to gain some additional experience."
"What about rules? What kind of spells are allowed?" Salazar asked.
"No Unforgivables and nothing that is instantly lethal. For example, no bone breakers or piercing hexes to the head and chest. Also, no blood boiling courses. The competitors are checked for illegal potions before each duel and only one wand is allowed." Harry briefly repeated what Flitwick had told him.
"That's quite a lot of rules… None of that will be forbidden in an actual fight." Salazar frowned. "Talking about your wand. You have never told me what it's made of. It looks very interesting!"
"It's made of elder and redwood. The core consists of Thestral hair." Harry explained proudly, flicking the wand from its holster.
"That is a combination I have never heard of. All of those are strong ingredients, however, I have a suggestion."
Harry eagerly leaned forward and Salazar continued: "You are a Parselmouth already, but now the venom of the King of Serpents is flowing through your veins. You should use it to your advantage and build an even greater affinity for your Parselmagic!"
"How can I do that?" Harry asked excitedly.
"Take a vial of Basilisk venom to your wandmaker and ask him to liquify your current wand core in it. For that, you simply mix a couple of drops from your blood with the venom and inject it into the core of the wand.
The Thestral hair will be liquified by the mixture and but not fully destroyed, since your blood lessens the potency of the venom. Finally, you could also paint your wand with a very thin layer of the same mixture. It would be enough to irritate the skin of anyone that is not you, holding it for a longer time.
An already powerful wand like that, with such a personal connection to you as its wielder, will make an exceptional weapon and tool for any task."
Harry was fascinated by that possibility. The idea of personalizing his wand even further sounded promising. He would also like to delve deeper into Parselmagic. Maybe a wand infused with Basilisk venom would aid him in that endeavor.
Harry nodded: "I will talk to Ollivander as soon as possible. Maybe I can even accomplish that before the school year is over. Dobby could take me to Diagon Alley and back here. I just hope it does not take too long.
Would Dumbledore notice my absence If I let Dobby take me from the Chamber?"
"No, the Headmaster won't even see you leave. Rowena and I created the wards around the Castle. My Chamber, however, acts as a loophole around it. Whenever you go down the Chamber the wards don't recognize you leaving the school. They assume that you are still somewhere on the grounds.
Only my blood can apparate or use a Portkey in this Chamber. You could therefore let Dobby take you to Diagon Alley from the Chambers while the wards tell the Headmaster that you are still somewhere on the grounds. It's pretty ingenious if I may say so myself."
"That is indeed brilliant. Well… I have exams in the coming week. But next weekend, I will ask Dobby to take me to Ollivanders and get my wand upgraded."
With that, Harry went back to the Ravenclaw dormitory for some sleep. He was more than prepared for his exams this week and would make plans for the summer soon after.
3rd of June 1993
Today was Monday and he had his practical and theoretical exam in Herbology. The theoretical questions were no problem for him and he breezed through the practical exercise of transplanting a Mandrake without hurting himself or any other students during the task.
Tuesday was Charms and Harry truly enjoyed going all out and holding nothing back during his practical. Flitwick clapped frantically when Harry absolved the most difficult second-and third-year spells with ease and gave him a wink and a grin on his way out while Granger was seething in the corner.
Transfiguration on Wednesday morning was similar. McGonagall treated him a touch colder ever since their confrontation but still gave him a rare smile as Harry animated some chairs around him and performed a perfect vanishing charm for her.
On Wednesday afternoon, Harry sat his DADA exams. The Seventh year that was supposed to be evaluating him looked perplexed as Harry demonstrated perfect execution of some fifth-year spells, including the Protego, Stupify, and Reducto. He offered Harry a small duel for some extra points and Harry enjoyed trading some spells with the older student before coming to a stop.
He struggled with none of the questions for his theoretical potions exam and breezed through the practical with ease, completing it in less than half of the required time. To his surprise, Snape did not even make an attempt at a nasty comment, instead only mentioning that he was free to leave.
Friday brought History of Magic and later at night Astronomy. He felt decently prepared for both of those exams. Learning History from Salazar was a lot more entertaining than Binns. Just like last year, he bought some upper-year's notes on both subjects in exchange for some small favors. A deal, Harry was more than happy with.
Finally, the weekend had arrived and Harry was down in the Chamber with Salazar.
"Dobby!"
The elf appeared with a POP: "What can Dobby do for Harry Potter, Sir?"
"I would like you to take me to Ollivanders in Diagon Alley, do you know where it is?"
The elf nodded and held out his hand. Harry grabbed the vial of Basilisk venom and the vial of his blood. Dropped his hood lower down and took the elf's hand.
With a small pop, they appeared in an unoccupied corner in Diagon Alley.
"Go back to Hogwarts and wait until I call you. Do not tell anyone where I am!"
The elf nodded and disappeared with another soft pop. Harry pulled his hood even lower over his face, he did not want to be recognized out there. Then he made his way into the main alley.
A couple of people were doing their regular shopping, none of them were any students or children his age. Harry walked straight to Ollivanders, hoping that it would not take the old wandmaker too long to upgrade his wand.
The shop was open and Harry entered. The inside was seemingly empty, but Harry could tell that there was someone here. Was Ollivander using a disillusion-charm?
"I do not need to see your face to know which one of my customers you might be. Your wand and its ingredients call out to me, like none I have created before, Mr. Potter."
The wandmaker appeared behind a corner with a slight smile: "Tell me, have you accomplished great things with your wand already, just as I expected?"
"Greater than you could ever imagine!" Harry replied with a knowing smile, as he flicked his wand into his palm and held it out for Ollivander.
The wandmaker took it, analyzing it with his long fingers and putting it next to his ear, seemingly listened to it:
"It appears in excellent condition. Its allegiance to you is strong, but I can sense something like anticipation coming from it? Tell me, Mr. Potter… Why would you step into my shop on such a beautiful day, when you should be at school right now, enjoying the end of your exams?"
Harry chuckled: "I had an interesting encounter a couple of months ago… it left me with a gift, so to say, and an even stronger pull to a certain kind of magic, Sir. I was hoping, by making a few additions to my wand, I could fully exploit this new connection."
Ollivander seemed curious: "Adjusting a wand in later stages of life is not unheard of. It can be necessary after heavy emotional experiences and life-changing events. However, I am at a loss at what could have possibly brought such a drastic change during the two years since this wand is in your possessions?"
At that, Harry pulled out the vial of venom and held it out for Ollivander: "I am sure you will recognize what this contains, Sir."
Ollivander took the vial, his eyebrows rising up in surprise: "How did you come by this, Mr. Potter?"
Harry grinned: "I am afraid that is, as you put it, a story for another time. Rest assured it is pure and very lethal. However, that is, why I brought this as well." He pulled out the second vial with his blood and continued explaining.
"I was bitten by a Basilisk and came close to dying. Phoenix tears saved me and now circulate in my blood to counteract the still active venom. I was hoping you could inject some of this mixture into my wand and add the liquid to my current core.
If you agree, we could also paint a faint layer of this mixture over my wand. It would lead to unpleasant experiences should anyone besides me attempt to cast spells with it."
Ollivander listened intrigued, his grey eyes never leaving Harry:
"The venom is certainly a very powerful ingredient Mr. Potter, but so is its destruction capability and volatility. To my knowledge, it has never been used in a wand before. What makes you sure adding the Venom of the King of Serpents will indeed upgrade your wand and not worsen your connection with it?"
"Because I speak the tongue!"
Ollivanders eyes widened, not in fear, as Harry noticed, but in amazement:
"Incredible, Mr. Potter. And a brilliant idea to strengthen the relationship to your ability. This wand was already anything but ordinary. The final product, if we were to be successful, might outclass any wand on earth, at least in terms of magical potential."
All but one wand, Harry thought, as he handed over the two vials: "How long do you reckon it would take?"
"Infusing the mixture won't take long, I might have to update the runes to add some further stability. Come back in two hours, if I am not done by then you have earned the right to watch my work."
Harry nodded and left the shop. He could do some light shopping while Ollivander was busy. Due to his growth spurt after the ritual, most of his robes were too short. He made his way to 'Twilfitt and Tattings' to get some new pairs and also bought some new dragonhide boots.
He felt vulnerable without his wand. So, he would certainly not enter Knockturn Alley. Instead, he went to Gringotts.
"Good morning, Teller Gribhekt, may your gold flow and your enemies crumble beneath your heel!"
Harry greeted the Goblin, who was too dumbstruck for any reply. Harry continued:
"Could you take me to my Account Manager Ragnok, please? I have urgent business to discuss with him."
The teller nodded and gestured for Harry to follow him the familiar way to Raknok's office.
"Mr. Potter, a pleasure to see you again, how can Gringotts be of service to you today?"
"Greetings Account Manager Ragnok, may your Galleons multiply and your enemies fall to your blade!"
The Goblin laughed as Harry continued.
"I am here to discuss potential investment into the muggle-word and the current asset portfolio of the Potter's."
The goblin was impressed. Obviously, this young wizard knew a great deal about finances, judging by his vocabulary:
"Very well, Mr. Potter. I am glad you take an interest in your family's finances. What exactly are your ideas?"
"I would like you to take 50% of the generous donation Mr. Malfoy had made to the Potter family and diversify it over several muggle businesses. I would like you to invest in small companies or "Start-Ups" as the muggles call them, that perform research on new technologies and disruptive innovations."
"What shall we do with the other half of the 'Donation', as you called it, Mr. Potter?" The goblin grinned.
"Leave it in my trust vault, please. I might find myself in need of liquidity soon and I would rather not liquify any investment that might become profitable in the future."
"Very well, Mr. Potter, is that all?"
"That is all Account Manager, Ragnok. I bid you farewell!"
With that, Harry left the office, following the Goblins' custom of not wasting any time with small talk after the business has been dealt with. He had another 30 minutes to burn until Ollivander allowed him to pick up the wand or watch his work.
Harry made his way over to Fortescue and ordered a small cup of ice cream, simply relaxing a bit and thinking about the upcoming weeks. His exam results would be posted next week and he was expecting something vaguely similar to last year.
Academics had not been on his list of priorities this year. Not with the opening of the Chamber, battling giant snakes, discovering the most hidden secrets of the Castle, and learning from one of the founders. If anything, he would be surprised if he still managed to secure the first spot for his year.
Sure, he aced the exams in his core classes. But his performance in subjects like History of Magic, Astronomy, and probably even Herbology would negatively influence his overall positioning. He could only hope that Granger wouldn't overtake him, but at least that was even more unlikely since she had been petrified and missed classes for months. It would most likely be Daphne Greengrass from Slytherin or Padma Patil from Ravenclaw.
"Who really cared though?" Harry shrugged.
Two hours had passed by and Harry made his way to Ollivanders. The sign at the entrance to his shop read closed, but Harry knew, it was just so Ollivander could focus on upgrading his wand. He entered the store and made his way to the back of the shop and Ollivander's crafting area.
"Ah, Mr. Potter, you have excellent timing. I am almost done; you see me just giving a finishing touch to some of the runes." Ollivander said, as he carved some complicated-looking runes into the handle of his wand.
Harry noticed that he was wearing Dragonhide gloves. The infusion of the core of the wand with the venom must have been successful then.
"I noticed your eyes drifting to my gloves, Mr. Potter. Unfortunately, they are necessary for me and anyone else that decides to hold your wands for a little longer than a minute. One of my most complicated pieces of work."
He finished the last rune, spoke some words in a language unknown to Harry, and watched as the wand glowed in a faint golden light.
"It's done. Take it and give it a try."
Harry grabbed the wand and felt the familiar rush of power after being apart for too long from it. However, there was something else. He held the wand closer to his face and watched curiously. The wand, or at least its core, felt alive…
He put it close to his ear, and asked Ollivander to be completely quiet, as he listened for a couple of seconds:
A low, very faint whisper was coming from the wand, it sounded almost like a continuous hissing… Like Parseltongue.
"Would you mind trying something out for me, Mr. Potter?"
"Sure!" Harry agreed.
"I would like for you to levitate this box here. But! But, I would like for you to say the incantation in Parseltongue!"
Harry was perplexed. He had tried performing random spells in Parseltongue, but so far, they have never worked: "Sure I will give it a try"
"Wingardium Leviosa!" Harry hissed.
The box shot up from the table and collided with the ceiling before Ollivander and Harry could comprehend what had happened.
"Incredible!" Ollivander exclaimed: "This is almost unheard of, young man!"
Harry frowned. This could be incredibly useful in a confrontation. He might not be able to cast silently yet, but if he hissed the incantation in Parseltongue, the same effect could be achieved now. His opponents would not know what spells they should expect from him.
"Use this ability to your advantage, Mr. Potter, but don't expect the public to receive it well if they ever encounter you hissing spells in the tongue of the serpents."
"I don't care what they think about me. This is another advantage I will make use of when the time is right. How much do I owe you?"
"As always, it was a pleasure to delve even deeper into the magic of wand lore. This experience itself is payment enough, Mr. Potter. I would advise additional caution when taking care of your wand from now on. The polishing kit, I sold you two years ago, will still be useable. Just be very careful around the runes.
I should also mention that tampering with a wand, as I have just done, is highly illegal and not permitted by the ministry. You have my discretion of course. Just try not to reveal the true materials when asked."
"Thank you for everything, Mr. Ollivander!" Harry bid the old wandmaker farewell, pulled his hood back down, and stepped into the alley. He went back to the same spot Dobby took him to and called the elf.
Dobby took him back to Hogwarts where Harry went straight down into the Chamber.
"I've got the wand!" Harry greeted Salazar as he stepped into his Quarters: "And check out what we have discovered!"
"Incarcerous!" Harry hissed the Incantation and watched as thick black robes slithered around the leg of the table and held it in place. He noticed that the robes behaved a lot more snake-like than any previous attempt of the spell.
"Very nice! Performing your spells in Parseltongue will make a fine addition to your current repertoire, my heir! You need to practice your control though. Go to Rowena's room and blow off some steam, it will do you good!"
Harry agreed and made his way up to the ROR. The rest of his weekend was spent performing spells and getting accustomed to his 'new' wand. Next week was the last week of school before he returned back to Privet Drive for the summer.
June 13th, 1993
Today was the last day of school. Tomorrow, the Hogwarts express would take them back to London for the beginning of summer. Harry missed the Castle already and if it wasn't for the upcoming Tournament, would not want to leave at all.
He was on his way to Dumbledore right now for their 'End of the Year' talk and to organize his affairs for the summer. Dumbledore granted him entrance to his office and welcomed him:
"Good morning, Harry, I hope you are well! How did your exams go last week?"
"Very well, Headmaster, thank you."
Dumbledore nodded:
"I called you into my office to discuss your summer and where you will be staying. I of course know about your participation in the European Championship under the guidance of Professor Flitwick. You are very lucky, Harry. Filius has never before taken any apprentices and taught them in the arts of dueling."
"I am honored to have been given this opportunity. I will do my best in the tournament and bring fame and glory to my name and my ancestors."
"And Hogwarts, Harry! Do not forget you are representing our school as well. None of your peers have received any invitations to the championship this year, but I am sure you will be more than enough to represent our school adequately!" Dumbledore added with a genuine smile.
"Thank you, Headmaster. For the time leading to the championship, I was hoping to have a similar arrangement as last year. I would like to be allowed to spend some time in Diagon Alley each day to familiarize myself with the Wizarding World outside of Hogwarts."
Dumbledore regarded Harry for a couple of seconds:
"I will allow it, Harry; however, I want you to be careful. Stick to the shopping areas of the Alley, maybe Ollivander is in need of some help just like last summer."
"I will consider it, Professor, was there anything else?"
"Yes, Harry, I took the liberty to seal the entrance to the Chamber of secrets."
Harry felt his anger building up… How dare the old fool deny him access to his heritage!
"And why is that, Professor?"
Disappointment surfaced in Dumbledore's expression:
"I had always wondered why Tom changed the way he did after the incidents in his fifth year. He grew even colder, isolated himself, and stuck to a very small group of people. I would not call them friends; they were more like servants."
"What does any of this have to do with me?" Harry replied coldly.
"Tom changed a lot the following year, not just emotionally, but physically as well. Now you tell me... what do you both have in common? You both have, or should I say had, access to the Chamber.
Whatever it is you found in there, I cannot allow you to keep learning from it. One day you will understand, Harry… I myself cannot access the Chamber and I doubt you would take me down there. Therefore, I did my best to block the access for anyone that isn't me.
I would advise you not to try to undo the wards and protective charms around it. It will not be a pleasant experience for you."
Harry just listened to the old man's story. Not letting any emotion show and betray what he was feeling:
"Once again, you must do whatever you think is best for your students, Headmaster," Harry replied neutrally.
"I am glad you agree, Harry. My offer still stands. If you take me down there and show me exactly what other knowledge the Chamber holds, I might reconsider my decision." Dumbledore all but begged Harry.
"I am afraid I cannot do that, Headmaster…I suffer from severe PTSD from my experiences down there and would not like to return anytime soon." Harry replied with as much sarcasm as possible.
Dumbledore frowned and the grandfatherly smile vanished. His eyes became a cold and piercing blue, no more twinkling could be seen in them:
"Be careful, Harry… I have been more than lenient with you so far. I would hate for us to be at odds."
"I will consider your advice, Professor. Will that be all?"
"Indeed, you may leave, Harry…"
Harry left the Headmaster's office and made his way down to the Chambers entrance in the first-floor broom cupboard. He was enraged at the Headmaster's attempt to block him from entering the Chamber.
At least the old man was not foolish enough to put any tracking charms on him, as Harry checked quickly. He briefed Salazar on the developments with the Headmaster and they talked for a bit. He would miss Salazar over the summer.
Unfortunately, Dobby still couldn't apparate to the Chamber with Harry, otherwise, he would be spending the majority of holidays down here learning. It was time to leave for dinner.
The yearly rankings should have just been posted and the students could pick up their scorecards. Harry was admittedly somewhat excited to see how he had done in his second year.
This time the grades would be more specified as well. In addition to the general grade, they would also get a note and the tendency by a + or – after each grade.
He entered the Great Hall and picked up his score form from Flitwick:
Grade Report, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Harry James Potter archived the following grades in his second year at Hogwarts:
Astronomy: Exceeded Expectation -
Herbology: Exceeded Expectation +
Defense against the Dark Arts: Outstanding +
Potions: Outstanding +
Charms: Outstanding +
History of Magic: Exceeded Expectations -
Transfigurations: Outstanding +
That was not too bad, Harry thought. He had done slightly worse Astronomy, Herbology, and History of Magic compared to last year.
However, for all the other classes he got an outstanding +. He was more than happy with that. He went over to the blackboard to check the Top of the year ranks.
Top of the year ranks: YEAR TWO
Astronomy:
Daphne Greengrass
Padma Patil
Hermione Granger
Herbology:
Neville Longbottom
Ernie MacMillan
Padma Patil
Defense against the Dark Arts:
Harry Potter
Susan Bones
Daphne Greengrass
Potions:
Daphne Greengrass
Harry Potter
Padma Patil
Charms:
Harry Potter
Terry Boot
Daphne Greengrass
History of Magic:
Padma Patil
Michael Corner
Hermione Granger
Transfiguration:
Harry Potter
Daphne Greengrass
Terry Boot
Overall first-year ranking:
Harry Potter / Daphne Greengrass
Padma Patil
Terry Boot
Not bad... He was still in the first place, even if he had to share it. Daphne Greengrass was starting to become tough competition, especially in the subjects Harry did not invest any time in. He might just have to keep an eye on the pretty blonde Slytherin.
The next day, Harry sat on the Hogwarts Express and wrote a letter. He still had one and a half months this summer with nothing to do. Therefore, he started drafting a letter that would hopefully lead to an interesting learning experience.
Dumbledore allowed him to go to Diagon Alley but asked him to stay away from the shady areas… Well, he was about to write an application to the most respectable shop in the entire Alley.
Dear Mr. Borgin,
I find myself interested in the services you provide and the items you offer for sale. I am looking for some work this summer and was hoping to intern at Borgin & Burkes for the duration of one month.
I am one of the two top students in my year and placed first in subjects like Charms, Transfigurations, and Defense against the Dark Arts.
With me supporting you over the summer, you might find the time to increase your business relations with important clients, suppliers, and further stakeholders.
I feel confident to complete tasks, such as basic accounting, doing written correspondence on your behalf, managing the inventory, and helping with day-to-day customers.
While I already had the pleasure of meeting you, I would prefer to personally introduce myself during a job interview at your earliest convenience.
I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Harry James Potter
Chapter 17
June 15th, 1993
Dear Mr. Potter,
Once again, I must admit that you are a surprising individual, certainly unlike anything the wizarding world might have expected from the Boy-Who-Lived.
I am well connected to some of Hogwarts's Governors and besides telling me some interesting tales about you, they also added credibility to the grades you claimed to have achieved.
As we actually do need a helping hand this summer, my Business Partner and I decided to give you a chance and invite you to a, as you called it 'Job Interview', if you may.
You shall meet us at our shop in Knockturn Alley tomorrow at 11 am.
In high hopes of a successful working relationship,
Borgin & Burke
Harry refolded the letter and stored it in his trunk. The reply came only two days after he had sent his own letter. This was a great opportunity for him.
Besides earning some small pocket money, Harry might be able to make some good connections, learn more about the wizarding world, and perhaps discover some treasures like the Parselmagic book, which he had finally been able to understand.
The other letter was from Hogwarts. The parchment described the new electives, second-years may choose, and for what career paths they might be useful for. Harry had decided a long time ago which classes he wanted to take.
Ancient Runes was a must-have:
With the rituals and his entire wand covered in Runes, the branch of magic was already a deeply embedded part of his life. It only made sense to take Runes to get an even better understanding of the magic.
The next logical choice was Arithmancy. Due to the numbers and charts, it might look complicated at first glance, however, it might just be one of the most useful branches of magic if you have potential, such as Harry.
Besides playing a large part in his rituals, Arithmancy could be used for spell creation. Something that Harry became familiar with, after reading about a spell Herpo the Foul had created and described in his book.
"Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them. I have encountered them on several occasions and found myself self-forced to retreat every single time. So far, the only method of defending against them is the Patronus charm.
Unfortunately, a corporeal Patronus is not something I am any longer capable of. I sacrificed being able to perform such feats of magic for certain other abilities I am much more drawn to. However, there is another charm that is not only able to repel a dementor but deals physical damage or even kills it. Fiendfyre, the Demon's Fire, has enormous destructive capabilities and destroys everything in its path. Not even my glories creation could withhold its devastating power.
However, Fiendfyre is incredibly hard to cast and even more difficult to control and tame. Only the greatest sorcerers could ever hope to achieve it. Therefore, I began thinking. Why not take the best of both worlds and combine them? The Fiendfyre's potential to destroy dementors with the efficiency of the Patronus Charm. I studied both charms for years trying to combine their properties when I finally managed it.
A spell of my creation. I call it the Inimicus. The common tongue would call it 'The Attacker'. Similar to the Patronus it takes the shape of an animal the caster may identify with. In my case, a serpent. However, unlike the Patronus, it is not a bright white light, but a dark blackish flame. Due to the inherent nature and the origins of Fiendfyre, it is also a lot more volatile. In extreme situations, it may even turn its aggressions against humans or the caster himself. That is the price, for it possesses the same destructive capabilities to a Dementor as pure Fiendfyre itself.
Whereas the Patronus requires a positive memory to replicate the feelings of joy, happiness, and love, my Inimicus requires the opposite, similar to its destructive brother spell. The caster must feel the hate flow through his entire body and must truly and utterly wish to destroy whatever is in front of him with every fiber of his being. Then and only then, one may speak the Incantation and expect a result.
After almost another year of testing, I found that 'Elicio Tenebris Inimico' works the best. The common tongue shall translate it to 'I elicit a dark attacker'. For me personally, it worked best when performed in Parseltongue. As previously described the spell will conjure an animal or magical creature that reflects the caster's spirit and soul. The first time I tested my creation against some Dementors, my Snake Inimicus bit the first one to pieces while his companion fled from the scene. A very successful test run I would say.
Harry was amazed at Herpo's story. To create one's own spell seemed like one of the utmost successes to him. Especially a spell as useful as the one Herpo created. He would have to try the spell himself as soon as he was back at Hogwarts. He didn't know much about Dementors, only that they guarded the wizarding prison, Azkaban. However, he had read that Dark Lords throughout all of history easily gained their allegiance. Even Voldemort had, during the last war. Harry needed to be prepared in case he ever met those foul creatures.
Anyways… to conclude, Harry would definitely take Arithmancy as an elective. Divination was a no-go. Harry might be a child of prophecy but that did not mean that he would sit in some classroom interpreting tea leaves.
Something must be seriously wrong with a student that comes to Hogwarts and is invited into the greatness of the magical world, only to choose to study Divination.
He did not need Muggle Studies either. He himself grew up with muggles and had no desire to pick a career someday that had anything to do with them. The class was just laughable compared to something useful like Runes and Arithmancy.
Finally, there was Care of Magical Creatures, which did sound promising. Learning more about the ingredients he uses in his wand or even for his rituals might be beneficial. He could always take the class and just drop it after a semester if he decided he didn't like it. So, Harry put a tiny cross next to that box as well and send the letter back to Hogwarts.
He was excited to try the new electives next year. If only he could drop History of Magic and Astronomy a bit earlier. Those classes were useless to him as well.
June 15th, 1993
Today was Harry's very first job interview. After waking up, he showered, tamed his hair, and dressed in his best robes. He called for Dobby, who dropped him off at the Leaky Cauldron so he could enjoy some light breakfast. He also needed to talk to Tom.
The Summer Solstice was around the corner on June 21st. That means another opportunity for a ritual. Luckily the next ritual on the list was not too complicated. The Physical Appearance / Puberty- Ritual only required the blood of a female virgin and the kidneys of a goat, as well as a bit of his own blood as a sacrifice.
The virgin blood, Harry bought at a somewhat darkish apothecary in Kockturn Alley. Harry could swear that the owner was a vampire himself. The kidneys of a goat were even for sale at the main Apothecary in Diagon Alley.
Since Harry still did not want to perform the Ritual at Privet Drive, he would book a room at the Leaky Cauldron and carve the runes there. He already collected all the necessary ingredients and practiced drawing the runic scheme with Salazar several times back at Hogwarts.
Tom had no issues providing a room for the day and did not even ask questions as to what Harry would be doing. The Interview would start at 11:00 am. Since it was 10:30 already, Harry slowly made his way over to Knockturn Alley, doing some light window shopping to pass the time.
Finally, he stood in front of Borgin & Burke's. He took a deep breath and entered. Everything looked the same just like last time he had been here. Borgin stood behind the counter and looked up briefly as the bell rang, signaling that a client entered the store:
"Ah, Mr. Potter. A pleasure to see you could make it. Let me put the sign up at the door and then you can follow me to the back of the store. I have prepared a room for us."
Harry nodded and waited as Borgin put up a 'closed' sign before turning around and gesturing for Harry to follow him. They arrived in something like an office, similar to what the goblins used at Gringotts. Borgin sat down behind his expensive-looking mahogany desk and motioned for Harry to take a seat as well.
"Very well, Mr. Potter let us begin. I am afraid my Business Partner will not be joining us today. He is on a house visit at one of our most esteemed clients, due to a very urgent call. I would like you to start by telling me about your motivation behind applying here in the first place." Borgin says with a calculating look.
"I love magic." Harry simply explained. "All branches off it. When I first came to Hogwarts people started talking about light and dark magic… Some even called me a Dark Wizard simply for being better than them. It was all rubbish in the end, anyway. There is no light or dark magic, only intent."
Borgin nodded at this, seemingly agreeing with Harry. Harry continued:
"I want to learn about all aspects of magic, not just those the ministry approves of and the rest of the magical community finds agreeable. I also want to learn more about the wizarding world outside of classrooms, homework, and the familiar environment at Hogwarts.
What better place to encounter many branches of magic, knowledge, and practices long forgotten and rare magic items, than by working at a shop such as yours and gaining hands-on experience?" Harry finished his explanation.
Borgin watched him for almost a minute:
"I don't believe for a second that this is your true motivation, Mr. Potter…"
Harry's eyes narrowed and he got ready to flick his wand into his palm.
Borgin, however, continued as calmly as ever:
"No worries, Mr. Potter. I am only intrigued by you. Let me tell you about a recent business transaction. It was a very profitable venture for us…
A couple of months ago, a letter arrived, asking for me to facilitate the exchange of two very rare magical ingredients. One of them, so rare, it has not been seen in Britain for almost 50 years."
Harry's face remained motionless, listening to Borgin's story seemingly interested.
"Now, this is where it gets interesting… only a couple of weeks prior to that letter, some of the governors I know, told me a ridiculous story about how you and Albus Dumbledore slew a Basilisk in the Chamber of secrets at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
He also told me that you claim to be a Parselmouth and used it to your advantage to fight the Basilisk, Mr. Potter."
Harry still did not show any visible reaction, but he was curious as to where Borgin was going with this.
"I of course knew that the anonymous owner of Basilisk Venom must have been you… Quite a treasure you managed to secure there. Did you not say it was what? 50 feet in length?
Now Mr. Potter… So, there I was, thinking about hidden Chambers, secrets, and snakes and all of a sudden, I remember you buying a book here at my store, but not just any book.
My great-grandfather managed to collect that book from an old Greek wizard. The wizard claimed it were the personal notes of Herpo the Fool, one of the most notorious dark Lords that ever existed in Europe.
I never believed the story. To me, it was just an incredibly old book someone scribbled random signs in. But my grandfather told me to always keep it in the store and never underestimate its value.
And then you came… and you bought the book for a couple of hundred galleons.
The book must have been written in Parseltongue, is it not?"
At this Harry nodded.
"Well, that explains of course, why you were so interested in it. Back then I was more than happy to get a couple of galleons for it…but now that I know it's actual worth…
The book was priceless, Mr. Potter. And I practically gave it away for free. Now, I do not hold a grudge against you for getting the better of me back there. I believe the compensation I revived for facilitating your trade was more than generous to me. I only have a request for you…"
"And what would that be?"
"Many years ago, my father employed a student… A brilliant boy, straight out of Hogwarts. Just like you, he was the best in his year, Headboy as well. He rented a small flat that my father owned and started working for him for a couple of months.
Some… let's say unpleasant things happened to a regular customer of ours during his employment and my father and I believe they were connected.
Now bear with me, because this is where it gets interesting.
All of a sudden that boy left. No one knew where he went. But after 20 years we found some of his notes hidden in the small office we provided for him back then.
The notes are not written in any language I myself am familiar with. There are pages upon pages on them. And I think they might be in the same language as that precious book you bought two years ago.
I will employ you here for a month Mr. Potter and you will receive very generous compensation for your work. However, besides the tasks you had managed yourself in your previous letters, I also want you to spend a couple of hours each day translating those notes into English. What do you say?"
Harry's hands started sweating slightly at some point during Borgin's story. He had a feeling of who this student might have been, but he needed to confirm it:
"The student, Mr. Borgin, what was his name?"
"His name was Tom, Mr. Potter. Tom Marvolo Riddle."
Harry barely kept himself from frowning:
"How many people know about those notes, Mr. Borgin?"
"Why, only me, my Business Partner, and two specialists for magical languages know about them," Borgin replied, confused at the urgency in Harry's voice.
Harry briefly thought about telling Borgin about who those notes truly belong to. But to what point? It would only scare Borgin and he might change his decision to hire Harry… No, he would keep quiet and not reveal the information. Like a true Slytherin.
"I thank you for your offer, Mr. Borgin. As you know, I could start immediately. What kind of compensation did you have in mind?"
Borgin grinned:
"I would like you to work four days a week, of your choosing. Each day you will work for five to six hours. You will receive an hourly compensation of one Galleon. Meaning during a full week you might be able to earn up to 24 Galleons. A very fair compensation for a student, if I may say so."
Harry nodded his agreement. He could not complain about that. At the current exchange rate of 50 Pounds per Galleon, this was equal to 1200 Pounds a week. He was not sure if even Uncle Vernon earned that much on a weekly basis.
Borgin prepared the necessary documents and Harry signed them with a blood quill. It was necessary to protect any confidential business information he might learn about, during the time of his employment. He would be starting on Monday next week.
Harry left the shop thinking about what he had learned. Tom Riddle started working at Borgin & Burke's straight out of school and was somehow linked to some nasty business with a long-time client. What actually happened there? And what could be the content of the notes? He was very interested in finding out.
July 1st, 1993
Harry woke up around 6 am, just like he had for the past week. He slipped into his workout clothes and made his way downstairs. The Dursleys were still sleeping. Harry quietly exited the house and did some light stretches on the single stair in front of Number 4. Then he started his morning workout.
25 minutes later he was back at the house and went into the garden. Dudley had found a love for the sport of boxing and had assembled a small home gym to complement his training.
Harry occasionally used the dumbbells and weights for a small workout, which he finished up with some pushups, sit-ups, and pull-ups on Dudley's pull-up bar. He wondered if the ROR could assemble a full gym if Harry asked for it…
Sweating profusely, he made his way back into the house for a shower. Getting dressed in some plain robes, he prepared some breakfast from downstairs, before heading back up to call Dobby to his room. Time to get to work.
The past two weeks since his Interview had been very interesting for Harry. The ritual happened just as planned without any further complications. Harry noticed a few of its effects already.
The broken voice he was occasionally experiencing for a couple of months, had vanished together with some of the other less pleasant effects of puberty, just as Salazar had described.
He made his way to Borgin & Burke's to start his shift. He had been helping out in the shop for a little over a week now. The work was interesting, especially the notes of Tom Riddle. The pack of notes was almost like a Diary, with entries about his life, work-related aspects, goals, and dreams.
It seems he was working on a long-term project. Multiple times Harry read the word Horcrux. According to Tom, it was the name for an item that stored a piece of a soul and bound it to earth. Therefore, should the body receive a lethal attack, one still won't die.
Was this the solution to how Voldemort had survived the night of Halloween 1981? The killing course rebound and struck him, but due to his Horcrux, he survived the encounter?
The notes held plenty of knowledge about them. Apparently, the Diary had been his first one. Created by the murder of Myrtle. Next, he also mentions some Ring, which he hid at the place where his ancestors once lived.
Where could that be? Was he referring to the Chamber of Secrets? Harry still had no idea about Voldemort's mother's family and their origins. Maybe he was referring to their house?
According to the notes, he also made plans for further Horcruxes. One of Borgin's clients is mentioned multiple times. Apparently, she had something valuable in her possession. He also mentions a Diadem that had once belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw.
Tom believes it to be hidden in some forest in Albania and plans on looking for it next. Another section of notes described a spell he was planning on creating.
A Parseltongue spell by the looks of it. Unfortunately, Harry's knowledge about Arithmancy wasn't nearly deep enough to understand the graphs and calculations that were spread over multiple feet of parchment.
It must have been a very complicated spell. From what Harry figured out, the origins of the design were supposed to be similar to the Protean Spell.
Harry did some research on the spell and found that it was supposed to mirror an action over a multitude of different items, that could be placed at different locations.
There were also some calculations concerning Portkeys, broken down into their magical properties. What exactly was Tom trying to achieve? Whatever it was, it had not been finished on these notes.
Luckily Borgin was not interested in any of the formulas and experiments of Tom Riddle. The old client and items Tom described, however, caught his interest.
Harry held back all the information about Horcruxes and Voldemort's plan concerning the items. He only shared enough with his employer, so as to not raise his suspicion.
July 15th, 1993
Another two weeks had passed, and Harry enjoyed a late lunch at the Leaky Cauldron after finishing work. He was while reading a letter from Flitwick.
Dear Harry,
I hope you are enjoying your holidays and using your spare time to prepare yourself for your upcoming matches.
I will pick you at your relatives' House on Wednesday, August first. Together we will apparate to the Ministry where we will be taking a Portkey to France. As you know the Tournament is held in Paris, so the two of us will be staying at the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris, courtesy of the French Ministry to all the competitors.
The tournament is spread out over three days. Thursday, the first day, will be the qualifications in the group stage. On the second day, you will have your first elimination matches. The quarter, semi, and final will be held on Saturday.
Finally, in case you win the Under-14 Championship, you will be allowed to challenge the Under-16 Winner on Sunday around noon.
Make sure you are well prepared and take everything you need. I also advise wearing a dueling uniform.
See you in two weeks and enjoy the rest of your break,
Filius Flitwick.
Harry frowned. He did not own any dueling robes and he also did not know about any store that sold them. He knew of one store that sold wizarding robes for athletic activities. That might be his best bet.
Harry made his way over to Chapman's Athletic Robes and entered the store.
"Hello, Mr. Chapman." Harry greeted the owner. "I am participating in a dueling tournament in two weeks and was hoping you might be selling something suitable for me to wear?"
"I might just have what you are looking for. If you would follow me, please."
Harry followed the owner to the men's section.
"This is my latest creation. It is made of Acromantula silk, combined with what the muggles call synthetic microfiber. All the big athletic wear companies produce their clothing from that material. My wife is a muggle-born and introduced me to the clothing. I fell in love with it and tried my best to combine it with wizarding materials. This is the finished product."
Harry felt the material. Indeed, it felt just like some of his athletic wear that he uses for his workouts.
"I like it. Would you be able to tailor one specifically to my measurements?"
"Of course, young man. Let's get you over here and sized up."
A measuring tape flew towards Harry out of nowhere and started taking measurements on his leg and arm length, chest width, and height.
"Would you like me to include an emblem on your chest? Perhaps your Hogwarts house, or the Crest of the School?"
"I would like an emblem, however none of the ones you mentioned. Could I return in about an hour with a design for an emblem? "
"Yes, of course, young man. What about the colors of your robes?"
Harry thought for a couple of seconds:
"Could you make them black, but throw some dark emerald green at a couple of spots? Nothing too fancy, just a slight touch?"
"Very well. Would you like more than one set?"
"Yes please, I require a spare, so I will take two."
Mr. Chapman nodded and began his work on Harry's robes while Harry made his way to Gringotts.
As per usual he was let to his account manager. After exchanging the goblin greetings, harry asked for the state of his investments.
"As you have requested Mr. Potter, we diversified 50% of Mr. Malfoy's donation over four muggle companies that met your criteria. Their names are as follows: Microsoft, Yahoo, eBay, and Apple. No worries, the last one does not actually sell apples. According to our report, they develop something the muggles call a smartphone, whatever that may be."
"Thank you, Ragnok. I am sure these investments will see both our vaults flow with gold. I have one further request. I was wondering if there was a Potter-Family-Crest. According to what you have told me, my grandfather must have been a proud man. Did he perhaps ever provide any documents to you that carried the Potter-Crest?"
"Of course, Mr. Potter. Would you like to see it?"
"Yes, please!"
The goblin opened his top drawer and took out a stack of parchments and documents. After looking for the correct one for a couple of minutes, he finally pulled one out and showed it to Harry.
It was a letter by his grandfather sent to Gringotts asking about the state of some investments. On the top righten corner sat the Potter-Crest. It showed a Griffin in front of two crossed swords, surrounded by intertwined roses. At the top of it, it says 'Natus Vincere' (born to conquer).
It was quite beautiful.
"Would it be possible to get a copy of this? I only intend to wear my family's crest on my chest when competing in the dueling tournament in Paris."
"As a warrior race, we goblins value your pride to represent your family and legacy in a fight. I will have somewhat prepared a copy for you. It should be ready in about ten minutes."
"Thank you very much. I will not waste your time any further and shall be waiting at the entrance." Harry bowed respectfully and left the goblin's office.
He waited in the lobby for a couple of minutes until a younger goblin came and handed him the crest in a detailed drawing on some parchment. With the crest in his pockets, Harry made his way back to Chapman's for his dueling robes.
"There you are again, that was indeed very quick." Mr. Chapman greeted him as he entered the store.
"I found what I was looking for. I would like you to put this over my chest and an even larger copy of it over my middle to upper back."
"My, my quite an impression you are planning on leaving there. It shall be done in two days' time. You can pick both your robes up by then."
Harry bid the owner farewell and exited the shop. He would pick up some light snacks and call Dobby to take him home afterward.
July 31st, 1993
Today was Harry's Birthday. Well not really, he celebrated his magical birthday a couple of weeks ago. But today was his birthday according to the date on the calendar. Today was not important, however. Tomorrow was.
Two more weeks have been gone by. Each morning Harry had increased the intensity of his workouts. He would be in top physical condition for the Tournament in Paris. The time of his employment at Borgin and Burke's had come to an end.
Borgin was very happy with how Harry had performed and even gave him a 20 Galleons voucher for his store and the option to continue working next year. Harry had little desire to work at the shop again. He had translated the notes from Tom and went through most of the dark books on the magic the store had to offer. There was very little more that excited him in the store.
He had picked up his dueling robes two days after dripping of the crest and immediately fell in love with them. The black material was smooth and had a stretch to it that would allow it to perfectly fit his body. Stripes of emerald green were placed at different positions. The highlight, however, was the beautiful Potter crest at the top right front and over the entirety of the back. This would definitely leave an impression on anyone that saw him in them.
Harry had tried on both sets and they fit him perfectly. He would top off the outfit with some white Nike running shoes and matching white socks. He also decided to cut his hair a bit shorter, so that there was no chance it might block his vision.
He felt prepared for whatever might come his way.
The next morning Flitwick picked him at his house, just as planned and together they apparated to the ministry. Harry still hated side-along apparition and couldn't wait to start learning the skill for himself. Maybe next year Salazar would finally teach him.
From the Department of International Magic Cooperation, they took a Portkey that dropped them off at the French ministry.
It looked very different from the British one. For one, it was not underground, so the light that shone through the windows was natural. The French also used a lot brighter materials for building and seem to favor Marble for almost anything.
From the French Ministry, Harry and Flitwick apparated to the Five Seasons in Paris. After some fancy French dinner, Harry checked into his room, which provided a level of luxury he had never seen before.
He lay awake for almost an hour before falling asleep thinking about tomorrow. Tomorrow was his chance to show the world that the Potters would not be forgotten. No matter who he faced on that platform. He would show no mercy tomorrow and finish the duels quickly and efficiently.
This was not Hogwarts, where he could play with his opponents. These people were skilled, and Harry had to outmatch them without making any mistakes himself. But he was ready. This is what he had prepared for over the last two years. It was time to show the wizarding world his powers.