Shopping
The meeting with Ragnok went smoothly after the impromptu healing session, which ended up costing almost nothing in comparison to the inheritance he received in his various vaults. Harry was confident that he would never need to worry about where his next meal would come from ever again, but it paid to be frugal. Hence the massive shopping trip with a major downer in the form of Tom Riddle, or as he was recently christened, Thomas Merope Riddle Gaunt Slitherin. The paperwork to create a new identity for Tom was long and arduous to be sure, but now should he need to interact, they were prepared in full.
Harry was excited to be able to go shopping in the magical district, everywhere he looked there were new sights that boggled the mind and filled him with a love and awe for magic.
“Harry, we have a list for a reason.” Tom said in exasperated amusement. Harry just shot him a glare. They both knew very well that Harry was going to be getting far more than what was on that list, and little to nothing was going to stop him from spending an exorbitant amount of money doing so.
First, Harry was off to purchase a trunk. The one Harry had in mind would need to be extendable, with space for potion ingredients and loads of books, as well as a full wardrobe and all his belongings that would not be safe if left out in the open. When the salesman heard this request, his demeanor became increasingly joyfull at the prospect of a large sale. In the end, Harry and Tom had agreed on one trunk that had several full rooms inside, as well as full plumbing and a working kitchen. The Idea was that this would give Harry a portable home for the summer and a place to practice magic without being caught by the ministry. This had sparked a hushed discussion of the nature of the Trace and how wizard space created by other wix would mask the signature of an underage wizard.
“If it's so easy to bypass the trace like that, why isn’t it illegal to sell the trunks to underage wix?” harry asked in a low whisper.
“Did you see how much that trunk cost? The only people who could buy one already have manors with wards that could do the same thing.'' Tom whisper-shouted. His stance on magic had been clear from day one, when he proudly stated that all muggle borns should be kidnapped and taken to the wizarding world. Harry had of course disagreed, if only to be contrary, and since then the merits had been discussed avidly and emphatically almost every evening.
The final addition to the already expensive trunk was a satchel with featherlight charms and an undetectable extension charm so he could carry all his books with him for classes.
With that purchase set to be collected in an hour, Harry ran off to buy an entire library. Tom had led Harry to a second hand book store in knockturn alley for the school books, most of them still in new condition, and any other books that caught Harry's eye. The grand total of books came to a veritable mountain of fifty-six books, each on different subjects. The store clerk seemed very happy to help Harry shrink down his purchase after his massive spending spree. Harry was nowhere near happy with the limitations tom placed on his book addiction, but was slightly mollified by the reminder of not only the grand hogwarts library, the slytherin and ravenclaw library, and the chamber’s library, but also the forgotten books in the room of requirement.
Harry then went to madam malkin’s for his new wardrobe. He was rather bored and had a hard time standing still, but Tom had ordered him to calm down while he chose out some colors and styles for harry. Finally with that done, he drug Tom from the store and into the apothecary, plucking ingredients as he went through the shelves.
“Seriously Harry, you must have a care to the way you dress.” Tom continued to lecture as Harry consulted his own drawn up list of ingredients.
“Why bother when I have you to do that for me?” Harry said, looking back at his bond mate with a mischievous grin. Tom huffed out a long suffering sigh and continued to follow the little missile through the shop. Harry continued to prattle as he looked around for his goods, “I really don’t mind the clothes Tom, I just don’t know the fashion. If we were in the muggle world, I would know exactly what to get and where to get it, but that shop was not only extremely boring, but it had no style more current than the dark ages. I mean, robes and dresses would totally make any wix stand out in the muggle world, not to mention how loose garments could get in the way of casting and potion making.
Of all the subjects, Harry was the most excited for potions, and it showed. Not only did he buy a comprehensive gathering kit, a set of rather nice scales, and the standard pewter cauldron, he also bought extra vials and flasks, extra stirring rods in various materials, an extra cauldron in silver, and a travel size trunk for all the materials he just bought.
“I’ll probably set up a lab in one of the corners of the chamber, I have so many ideas to test.” Harry said as the duo left the shop for the menagerie, and a little owl order pamphlet in one hand.
“You should get a snake or spider that gives you potions ingredients. A snake could be particularly useful as not many are able to safely gather an abundance from dangerous specimens. You could make a fair sum of money should you wish to sell potion ingredients.” Tom murmured to Harry as they walked the isles.
Harry nodded absently as he came across a beautiful black snake, one single stripe of silver running down its back, and eyes the color of steel.
[Hello little one, do you have a name] harry asked
[speaker…I do not. I would like one, if you would be so kind] the beauty replied
[how about Ivory, for your beautiful contrast and elegant appearance] said harry
[yesss… that is good. You will be mine?] Ivory asked
[I will be yours and you will be mine] Harry concluded as he reached into the cage and let his new familiar, the product of a horned serpent bread with a boomslang, wind up his arm and off he set for his second familiar. Snakes werent exactly allowed, but that mattered little if he wasn’t caught. Harry simply bought a public familiar to use when classes would demand it, and what better familiar than an owl. He bought a snowy white owl, while Tom bought an average brown barn owl.
With that done, there was just the wand left on the list, so tom went to gather harry’s purchases from madam malkin’s and the trunk shop, while harry himself went to Ollivanders to get his wand. The subsequent meeting was very odd, but it pleased Harry that he should have a wand that tied him so closely to his closest friend.
"Are you ready to go home?" Tom asked Harry as they left the alley.
Harry huffed and smacked his arm. " Ha ha, Tom. Remind me why I can't just leave the Dursleys?"
"Because a manipulative old coot and his flaming chickens would lose their heads looking for you."
"And we don't want that because?"
"The law would be on their side, because they’re corrupt bastards, and they would find you. Besides, it would amp up security and you would never have any fun."
" Ugh your right. Stupid flaming chickens and their head goat." Tom smirked as harry tromped back inside the empty house. That evening they went about setting up the trunk space and reading up on the different courses for the year. In total it was a rather relaxing evening with just the two of them, even if Mrs.Figg came over smelling of cabbage and fretting over her cats. That night it was hard to sleep though, Harry was too wound up with the thought that only one month was left of his summer at the Dursleys.
___
While the Dursleys were still away, Harry and Tom took their time to return to Diagon Alley and the other shopping districts in the area for more activities. One such excursion led to Harry buying a set of daggers for himself to train on.
“Oh come on tom, they're so cool! Please just teach me some… pretty please?'' Harry hounded with his expert level puppy eyes. Tom could feel his composure slipping and his will crumbling under a reasonable request and the addition of the indescribable cuteness that was harry in his curly haired, big eyed, bloodthirsty glory.
“Fine. You will learn them though, if I am to teach you. I will not let you be merely mediocre. Too many wix rely on their wands, plus you have a speed advantage that could let you get in a quick swipe of a blade and have possible assailants choking on their blood before they raise a wand to you." Little of what Tom said seemed to be heard though, as Harry had bounced off to get the dangerous looking daggers. Tom followed behind with a fond smile picking up sharpening tools and holsters for the various weapons that he thought would be fun to teach harry.
Not many wix seemed to make the connection, but it was known that exercise and physical well being helped a developing core. Those wix that led sedentary lifestyles lent to their own mediocre magic, but the regular exercise of strenuous activity, eating good meals, and sleep helped develop a larger and more flexible core.
Though the idea of Harry walking around Hogwarts armed did conjure a few interesting images in his head, mostly of his fiendish friend cowing his schoolmates like Tom himself had done in his own school days.
—
Harry and Tom had been walking around the second hand book store again when a family of red haired boys came in. Harry paid them little attention until one of the kids, a twin to another, broke off from the main group trying not to be seen. Harry of course followed, watching from afar as the tall boy pulled various books off the shelf, took a few looks, and replaced them with a frown. Harry was about to interrupt this little oddity when the other twin coughed and Harry startled nearly out of his skin.
“Well, Fred, looks like we found a little spy.”
“That we did, George, I wonder what the ickle spy is up to?”
“What, me? A spy? You wound me, sirs."Harry said, raising an arm to his heart in feigned offense.
“My, my, dear brother mine, it seems that we made a grave error.” said the one called fred.
“Indeed, brother of mine, it seems this imp is no spy.” added the one called george.
“Maybe the little imp is simply curious, it does happen.”
“My curiosity did get the better of me, I'll admit, good sirs. I give you my humble apologies for intruding on your private business.'' Harry said with a smirk and a bow.
“Oh dear brother, this imp is simply too interesting to let go.”
“Indeed, me thinks this little mischief maker could be a rather good acquaintance.”
“Oh, sirs, you flatter me with such high praise. What purveyors of chaos have I the pleasure to meet?" Harry asked.
“Oh, our dreadful manners! This is my dear brother fred.”
“And this is George.”
“Mesers Weasley at your service” They finished in a chorus and an exaggerated bow.
“It is a great pleasure and an honor to meet you Mesers weasley. I am called Harry.”
“Well little imp, am I to assume that you are a first year?”
“Indeed sir.”
“Well, it seems we will see you on the train, little mischief.”
And with that the twins snuck off into the recesses of the library to rejoin their family. Tom who had been listening a few shelves away burst into quiet laughter.
“It certainly seems you have found some rather interesting friends.” Tom finally got out.
“Indeed, I may have to call on them should I get too bored. I wonder what kind of chaos I can unleash with them beside me?” and as Harry trailed off with a thoughtful look, across the distance of many miles, Severus Snape felt a shiver run down his back with unexplainable foreboding.