Chapter Text
Harry bounced on his heels at the opening to Diagon Alley. Hagrid had told him about magic and that he was a wizard! He’d known he could do magic his whole life, but actually meeting another person like him? He was so happy that he wasn’t a freak he could burst!
Hagrid tapped on a few bricks and suddenly the wall opened up, revealing an illustrious street with many shops and tons of people bustling around. No, not people. Wizards, like him!
Hagrid brought him to one end of the alley, “this here is Gringotts! Wizardin’ bank and where we’ll get yer money.” The building in front of Harry was utterly massive and absolutely stunning. Harry beamed, he had money too?
Hagrid led them inside and walked up to a goblin high up on a podium. Well, high for Harry at least, Hagrid towered over the goblin.
“Name?” The goblin asked with a bored expression on his face.
“‘arry Potter! ‘Ere to get some money from ‘is vault.”
The goblin looked down at Harry then back up at Hagrid expectantly, “key?”
Hagrid fumbled around in his pockets for a moment before finally pulling out a large, ornate gold key as well as a crumpled piece of weathered parchment which he handed over to the goblin.
The goblin quickly read over the parchment before briskly nodding, “very well,” then he stepped off the podium and Harry bit his lips to keep in his smile. The goblin was so short! He’d thought he was tall from the podium but he reached just to Harry’s shoulders.
The goblin led Harry to one cart and gestured to a different goblin and cart for Hagrid, “Teethbreaker shall bring you down, Mister Hagrid.”
Hagrid stuttered, “I-I erm, actually Dumbledore instructed I stay with ‘arry.”
The goblin glared at him, “only those of the Potter bloodline or those with permission from Lord Potter may enter this vault. You are welcome to wait for Heir Potter here.”
“Fine.” Hagrid realized he wouldn’t win this battle and went to the other cart.
Harry climbed into the cart with the goblin in front. “Erm…I never got your name, Sir.”
“Griphook, Heir Potter.” He said as the cart started and sped up on the tracks. “And the correct address for goblins is Master, Heir Potter.”
Harry’s face flushed, “sorry, Master Griphook.”
“You do not know much etiquette for an Heir.” Griphook notes.
“I…what does that mean, ‘Heir’?”
“Your father, James Potter, was the Lord to the Most Noble House of Potter. With being Lord he was very wealthy and got a seat on the Wizengamot, the wizarding world’s government. He also got respect from those who allied with the Light and some Grey families. You are his Heir, you inherited all of his wealth and the like. However, you must earn your own respect like he did. Of course, he is no longer here.” The cart screeched to a stop in front of large quartz doors where Griphook then slid the key Hagrid gave him into the keyhole. “Ordinarily, your mother, Lily Potter, would have become Lady Potter. But due to both of them being dead you are the only one left.” The doors opened seamlessly and Harry gaped at what he saw inside. There were thousands, maybe millions, of gold, silver, and copper coins in there.
“This is the Potter Finance Vault. Here is all of your money, if you’d like we can visit some of the other vaults such as the Properties Vault, the Heirlooms Vault, the Heir Trust Vault, the Evans Vault—.” Griphook is cut off.
“Evans Vault? Who is ‘Evans’?” Harry asks.
Griphook looks at him curiously, “it was your mother’s maiden name. You did not know?”
Harry shakes his head, “I was raised by my aunt and uncle, they’re er…what do you call them? Muggles.”
Griphook stiffened, “you were raised by muggles and not your magical guardian?”
“Er…yeah?” Harry was confused, why would Griphook care?
“Get your galleons, Heir Potter. We shall visit the Evans Vault. It holds your Mother and Father’s wills.”
“Why do we need their wills?” Harry asks as he loads up the bag Griphook gives him that seems to never end.
Griphook swiftly helps Harry before locking the vault doors once more and hopping into the cart, “it is illegal in this world for an Heir to a Noble House to be raised by muggles unless they are muggleborns or don’t have a magical guardian. I know for a fact you have one, Heir Potter. So we must see the wills to properly place blame where blame must be placed.”
Then the cart stops again and Griphook opens the door to a much smaller vault. This one held a couple thousand galleons, nothing in comparison to the Potter Vault. But the main attraction was the chest in the middle of the room. Harry moved forward and opened it, inside there were two sealed letters. One labeled ‘The Last Will and Testament of Lady Lily Hyacinth Evans-Potter’ and the other read ‘The Last Will and Testament of Lord James Fleamont Potter-Peverell’.
“Open them, Heir Potter.” Griphook urged.
But Harry was overwhelmed, so much so. “I…no. Not yet.” He’d never said no to an adult without getting a beating before so he was reasonably nervous.
“…very well. But please owl them back to me once you do open them.” Griphook sighs.
Then Harry tucked the letters into his picked and Griphook and Harry took the cart back up to the top where Hagrid was waiting.
“Blimey! What took yeh so long, ‘arry?” Hagrid asked, though his whole body was tense.
“Just a talk with Master Griphook, Hagrid.” Harry smiles. Griphook hands Harry his Vault Key, death glaring at Hagrid when he tries to take it instead. “This key never should have been in the hands of anyone other than Heir Potter.” So Harry took the key and Hagrid grumbled something about ‘Dumbledore said’ and the like.
Hagrid relents and leads Harry away, “so, what’d yeh and Griphook talk about, ‘arry?”
Griphook had told Harry not to tell anyone of their conversation, “uhm…just what books I should buy to catch up on the Wizarding World.”
“Bah! Yeh don’ need al’at. Dumbledore’s got the best teachers for it.” Hagrid clamped a hand on Harry’s shoulder causing him to flinch, he was so large, he reminded Harry of Vernon. Hagrid shrugged his reaction off and led him to a run down shop called Ollivander’s Wands. “I’ll see yeh when yer done, ‘arry. Gotta go grab somethin’.” Then Hagrid was gone and Harry walked into the creepy shop alone.
A man with wiry white hair and wrinkles all over watched him, “ah, Hadrian Potter. I’ve been waiting to meet you.” Who was Hadrian? He thought his name was Harry.
Harry tensed, this man freaked him out, “look…can I just get my wand please?” He needed out.
Ollivander chuckled and started pulling boxes out and handing Harry wands, all the while he’d mutter occasionally something about ‘curious’. Then he pulled one out and handed it to Harry, “ah yes, 13 inches, beechwood, phoenix feather core, unyielding.” Harry’s hand warmed when he touched the handle and gold sparks flew from the tip of the wand.
“Curious…your wand’s brother is the wand that gave you your scar.” Harry didn’t need to ask which scar the man was talking about, he quickly pulled his fringe down to cover his lightning bolt scar. Harry paid fast and then swiftly left the shop, only to run right into Hagrid.
“Woah! Careful there, ‘arry.” Hagrid smiled down at him. “Got yer wand?” Harry nods and Hagrid grins then leads him to an apothecary next door to Ollivander’s.
Hagrid is so large compared to the small aisles that he’s forced to remain outside, Harry looks at his supply list as he finds ingredients to buy. He has his head down that he doesn’t notice a curly brown haired girl that he bumps into. “Ah! I’m so sorry!” Harry looks up finally to see the girl and she looks annoyed.
“Honestly, can’t people watch where they’re going?” She snapped. Harry flushes red, he’d already apologized, now she was just being rude.
“I already apologized, you don’t have to be rude.” Harry said calmly.
The girl gasped, “who do you think you are talking to me like that? Just because I didn’t come from a magical family doesn’t make me less than you!”
Harry blinked. What was she talking about? He instead moves past her to grab the rest of his ingredients.
“Don’t ignore me!”
Harry ignores her and buys his cauldron then checks out and rushes to find Hagrid at the entrance, leaving the girl behind.
Hagrid then brought him to buy his school books. For some reason Hagrid watched him closely as he did so. Harry got the instinct to only buy his school books, despite how much he wanted the more advanced books and the books on wizarding etiquette and the Wizengamot, he restrained himself.
Harry went to a place called Madame Malkin’s then with Hagrid once more waiting outside. Harry was shuffled onto a stool by an elderly lady who was likely Madame Malkin. A pale boy with equally pale blonde hair and striking grey eyes stood on the stool across from him.
“Draco Malfoy.” The boy introduces.
Harry reaches over a hand, “Har—Hadrian Potter.” Harry didn’t know why he felt the urge to introduce himself by the name Ollivander had called him.
“As in Harry Potter?” Malfoy asks.
“Yes.” Harry says.
Malfoy nods and they continue being measured in silence until they both finish and Malfoy helps Harry find proper Wizarding clothes.
“It doesn’t serve you to be seen wearing muggle clothes like a mudblood.”
Harry wonders, “what’s a mudblood?”
“Someone with magic with muggle parents.” Malfoy states, picking up a green and silver scarf then placing it back down with distaste. “Horrid material. The only nice thing about this shop are the robes.”
Harry frowned at Malfoy’s complaints, though he did grow up in this world so he must be right. Even if he was quite rude. “I met a mudblood today, she was incredibly rude.”
“That’s how they are,” Malfoy scoffs.
Harry left Malfoy in the shop afterwards, and Hagrid took him to his final shop, buying a trunk for his stuff. There were so many trunks, and they were all quite expensive. He ran into a mob of red headed people. Suddenly, Harry was being shuffled around and pushed back and forth. He was getting claustrophobic. Finally, Harry shoved the people to the side and got free.
“Watch it, young man!” The mother snaps causing Harry to flinch. “Now then, Ron go find a nice trunk. Remember we can only spend a couple galleons here.”
The youngest boy, Ron likely, complains, “but Mum! The cheapest thing here is 35 galleons!”
Harry decided to move past them instead and asked the shopkeeper, “what would be the best trunk for a student?”
The shopkeeper, a nice young woman, smiles at him, “first year?” Harry nods, “then I suggest you buy that one over there. It has plenty of room for school books, clothes, and the like. As well as a stand for potions.”
“How much?”
“145 galleons.”
Harry nods and pulls out the coins then pauses. “Are there any things I could add?”
“You can get it made in dragon skin with a password of your choice, ward charms, and a magic signature.”
“Great, I’ll do that”. Harry smiles.
“That adds 20 galleons to your total.” The woman says. Harry pays.
Then the red headed mum storms over, “young man! You stepped on my foot a few minutes ago! I should get compensation for that.”
Harry blinked, “Miss…your family dragged me into the center and I had to get out, I apologize for stepping on your foot but I’m not paying you anything.”
The boy from before stepped up, “come on! You’re so rich it’ll mean nothing to you!” Harry sneered at the people and quickly grabbed his trunk, pressing a button and it shrunk down so he could put it in his pocket. Then he ran out. Hagrid saw him leave and shrugged, following behind at a walking pace.
Harry finds himself in a magical familiars shop. Not many others were there except a few adults and the shopkeeper. Harry calmed his breathing and walked over to sit on a box. A caw startled Harry out of his daze. He turns his head to see a large white falcon.
“Ah, that’s an albino peregrine falcon there! Flown straight in from Arizona in the States, special breed so this one’s magical.” The shopkeeper says.
“Her?” Harry asks.
The shopkeeper nods, “yup. However she’s a bonded pair.”
“With who?” Harry didn’t even know they did bonded pairs in the wizarding world. Though it didn’t surprise him.
“This beauty,” he points to a king cobra snake, “they were in the same place and cage when they were flown in.”
“Male?”
“Yeah.”
Harry smiles, “I’ll take them.”
Harry finds Hagrid again and hides the cobra when Hagrid apparates him back to Number 4. Harry hurries to his cupboard and pulls the cobra out and unlocks the falcon’s cage.
“Ssssorry for having to be in my pocket.” Harry hisses to the cobra.
“Itsssss okay, young one. Thank you for taking ussss away from there.” The cobra says.
Harry ponders, “do you have a name?”
“I am Viro, my friend isssss Hedwig.” Viro responds.
“That’ssss a wonderful name.” Harry replies.
“What isss yourssss?” Viro asks.
Harry smiles, “I am Hadrian.”
“Why do you have bruissssesssss, Hadrian?” Viro asks.
“…my relativessss don’t like me much.” Harry turns red, he hates admitting it.
Viro slithers up and around his shoulders, Hedwig nestles into his side. “Sleep, Hatchling. We shall watch over you. No one shall hurt you now.”