Harry Potter and the Dawn of a New Age

Chapter One: Letters

By fbline

Harry lay flat on his back staring at the ceiling above him. He was likely the only person on Privet Drive that was still awake, but he was used to be unique by now. Being a wizard meant standing apart from the crowd. When you threw in that Harry was possibly the most famous wizard in the world, well, Harry was truly one of a kind.

He didn't feel very special at the moment, however. In fact, he felt wretched at the present. The events of the previous school year ran through his thoughts constantly, and even the usually welcome escape of sleep did nothing to relieve him. In fact, he was actually worse off when sleeping. In his hellish nightmares, he not only replayed the actual events in his mind of what happened, but also macabre variations. He would wake up in a cold sweat with his heart racing and his breath coming in erratic gasps. He often wondered how long it would take before he went truly mad, and in turn thought he may not care if he did. Anything would be better than reliving the worst moments of his life over and over again.

The year had begun well enough. He had won his chance to go back to Hogwarts, and once there he felt he would be safer from the constant threat of Voldemort. But, soon enough, things went so terribly wrong. First was the horrible Professor Umbridge, who from day one had been intent on making life miserable. Even now, the white marks on the back of his hands were still visible. And then there was Cho. For the first time in his life, he had allowed himself to truly care about someone, and she had only succeeded in making him feel worse about himself than he already did. He swore to himself after that happened that he wasn't speaking up ever again. But the truly horrible memory always waited until the last. It waited until he was at his weakest state and then reared its ugly head to strike. The memory of Sirius being blown back into the black veil never ceased to cause Harry's throat to constrict and for heavy tears to fall from his eyes.

The memory was especially powerful because Harry believed that he was the cause of his godfather's death. Despite what other's tried to tell him, he bore the sole responsibility on his own narrow shoulders. He kept telling himself that Sirius would still be alive if it wasn't for him, and that there would almost certainly be even more deaths because of him. The faces of his friends would then flash in his mind, and he would envision them all falling victim to Voldemort, all because they were connected to him. This image always made him bury his face in his pillow and wonder how one life could hold so much misery in it.

A rapping sound from his window broke Harry form his somber reverie. The pink color of dawn was filtering in his window, casting the background for the snow white owl that was looking directly at Harry from behind the plane of glass that separated them. After opening the window to allow her inside, Harry noticed four letters attached to the leather thong on her leg.

"Wow, thanks, Hedwig. I guess begging for people to write me really paid off."

Hedwig, after being relieved of her burden, gave Harry's finger a little friendly nip and then lit onto her perch to get a little nourishment and then have a nice kip.

Harry immediately took the letters over to his desk and sat down to read them. The first one he came to was addressed to him in a helter skelter style of writing that he immediately recognized as Ron's.

Harry-

How are you holding up with the Muggles? Things here are in a right state. Dad is putting in really long hours, and mum is really worried about him. I keep asking her when we can send for you, but she just smacks me on the head and tells me to make myself useful. I don't know why she bothers; nobody ever tells me what's going on. I asked dad about it, and he said we'd have to wait a bit more. I still don't understand why we can't just take you here straight from school. Have you heard anything from Hermione? Has she said anything about me? I mean, has she mentioned coming to the Burrow? Anyway, hang in there, mate! Hope to see you soon!

-RBW

ps: this is what this part of the alphabet would look like if there was no q and r.

Harry chuckled at Ron's letter. His question about why he couldn't just come stay with them was one that he himself had often wondered. That was before he knew about the prophecy and knew that there was a very good reason why he had to spend time on Privet Drive every summer. It also didn't surprise him to hear that Mr. Weasley was very busy, since the Ministry now knew that Voldemort was very much alive. What made him laugh though was Ron's asking him if he had heard anything from Hermione. Ron was getting less and less subtle with his feelings for their mutual best friend, and Harry couldn't help but enjoy watching Ron struggle. It took Harry a few moments to understand what Ron had meant in his ps, but he then realized that it was his attempt at humor. He put the letter to the side and reached for the next parchment. This one was addressed in obsessively neat calligraphy and had little hearts that dotted the i's.

Dear Harry-

How are you? I must admit that I've been very worried about you. I've been reading every book I can get my hands on to find out if there's anyway to protect you from Voldemort. From what I've managed to learn so far, Dumbledore has done about everything he can. I know the two of you have had your differences this past year, but I really think he's got your best interests at heart. We should be getting our OWL results soon. Are you as nervous as I am? I had a nightmare the other night that I had flunked all my subjects. It was awful! For some reason, I also had to build a sailboat out of Popsicle sticks with Ron and Viktor. What do you figure that means? I bet Trelawney would say it meant something blithering. I really miss you, Harry. I keep your picture in a frame next to my bed, and I say a prayer for you every night. Hope you are doing well, and I promise I'll see you really soon!

All love always,

Hermione

Harry smiled as he finished reading Hermione's letter. As close as he was to Ron, there seemed to be a special bond between himself and Hermione. She was the one person who had always been in his corner, and he had grown to rely on her a great deal over the years. He knew it was no use telling her to stop worrying about him, he knew better than that. Hermione worried about everything, himself and his OWL results included. Her nightmare sounded fascinating. Harry thought he would much rather build a boat then think of Sirius being blasted into the unknown. He thought that the dream probably had something to do with the fact that Ron and Viktor fancied Hermione, and perhaps she was subconsciously trying to determine who she might care about more. He then realized that he was straying into Divination territory. He certainly wasn't going to miss that class this term. It also warmed his heart to know that Hermione prayed for him. He had to admit, there were times that he had a hard time believing that there could even be a god. There just seemed to be so much evil in the world. Still, he had to keep the faith, and Hermione thinking about him made him feel better. He couldn't wait to see her again, either.

The next letter was written in a slightly more casual manner than Hermione's, but still appeared to be rather formal. Harry didn't recognize it immediately, but did soon after he started reading the letter within.

Dear Harry:

How are you doing? Are your relatives treating you well? Remember what we told you, just say the word, and Mad Eye and me can be there in an instant.

Sadly, I have other matters I need to inform you of. Tomorrow, July 30th, the will of Sirius Black will be read at Gringotts. Being the chief heir, you will need to attend the reading. I will come and pick you up at ten tomorrow morning. I'm sorry this is such short notice, but it's taken this long to have him legally declared dead.

I would suggest that you pack up everything you will need for the coming school year. After the reading, we will provide your accommodation until term starts. Everyone is very anxious to see you, and Molly had prepared an all out gala for your birthday. Considering her "average" feasts, I can hardly wait myself. You should have received your list of books you'll need for the year by now. You can pick those up while we are there.

I'll see you soon, Harry. Don't think too much about tomorrow. We'll get through it together.

All my best,

Moony

Harry let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He had wondered if Sirius had made out a will. It was all well and good for Remus to tell him now to think about it, but the actual practice of it would be another matter entirely. Yet another knot formed in his stomach at the thought of hearing the words of his godfather again. The only thing that he could see as a positive was that it might possibly bring some sense of closure to it all. But, most likely he thought, it could possibly make things even worse. At least he would be leaving Privet Drive, so that was something to look forward to. He decided to pack his things in the morning, so that he would be ready when Remus arrived. The sooner he was away from his relatives, the better.

Harry nearly forgot about the fourth letter in his rush of emotions from Lupin's letter. This letter was addressed to him using what could have been crayon, with a miniature snitch zooming around between the four corners of the front of the envelope. From the childlike scrawl he was now accustomed to, he knew immediately who the sender of the letter was.

Salutations Harry!

How are you? Finland is lovely! Daddy and I decided to come here after we gave up on finding a Crumple Horned Snorkack in Sweden. Helsinki has a very nice wizarding section of town and I've been checking out all the cool shops. Do you like the snitch on the envelope? They have a huge store over here that stocks all sorts of things like that. I wasn't surprised to find out that you are as well known here are you are back home. When some of the people here found out that I went to Hogwarts, they all wanted to know about you. Some of the girls were quite ridiculous. A few of them offered me an awful lot of galleons to get your autograph for them. I told them you aren't that kind of person. Nobody seemed to want to talk about the Crumple Horned Snorkacks, so I figure that there must be some kind of conspiracy. Daddy is looking into it. Tomorrow we are going to visit my cousin in Iceland. She's a professor at their magic school. Thank you for your package! That portable CD player has been really wonderful. Sitting behind bushes waiting for a Snorkack can get a bit...boring. Thank you for the loan of the CDs as well. I really like them! I see now where you get your poetic nature. I wish you could have been with me in Sweden; we would have had such fun! Daddy is rather upset that we didn't see any Snorkacks. According to him, it may have been because they are deathly afraid of blonde hair. He said that's what makes them hard to find in Scandinavia. Anyway, I listened to the song you suggested, and I found another one that I thought reminded me of you. I will write you the lyrics.

Angel

You sounded so good on the phone

All moved up and all moved on

Me and gravity we never could agree

But I can almost see the sky

When I need to I close my eyes

You're the only thing that's worth holding on to

Angel you sing about beautiful things

And all I want to do is believe

But I traded my dreams for this mess of memories

And they just stopped working for me

Now I'm not a monster

I believe like a liar would believe

Helps me navigate the wooden smiles, the raging seas

And all my heroes pull their heads

Like a fighter would I guess

No one ever really likes getting older

Angel you sing about beautiful things

And all I want to do is believe

But I traded my dreams for this mess of memories

And they just stopped working for me

You see, Harry, what you need is an angel to remind you of the goodness in life. Until you find one, you know that I'm here if you need me. Well, daddy says that the boat is here, so I'd better go. Hope you are well and I'll see you soon.

Write back soon!

Luna

Harry smiled at Luna's name. Just the memory of the conversation they had at the end of last term made him feel more at ease. Luna always seemed to make him feel better about things, whether it was the death of his godfather, or his own uncertain future he was worried about. He was glad that he had decided to send Luna his old cd walkman. Since Dudley had received a new stereo for his birthday, Harry was given the old one. Which itself had been bought for Dudley's previous birthday. Since he would no longer then need his portable player, yet another cast off from Dudley, he had sent it to Luna to use, along with batteries and a full explanation of how it all worked. He had also sent her a few of his favorite CDs, so that she could have something to listen to. He would have never imagined it a few short months ago, but he was really missing Luna. She was completely unlike anyone else he knew.

Getting out his own parchment and quill, Harry set about writing his own quick responses to his friend's letters. He wanted to make sure everyone knew he was all right.

Ron-

Cheers, mate! Thanks for the letter. Things with the Muggles are ok, but things will be better tomorrow! I'll tell you more when I see you, which I hope will be soon. Sorry to hear about your dad working all the time. With everyone knowing you-know-who is back, I bet the Ministry is feeling pretty stupid. I have heard from Hermione, actually. I hope she'll be joining us soon too. Anyway, I'm going to be coming to Diagon Alley tomorrow, and I don't know where I'm headed from there. Hope to see you soon!

-Harry

Dear Hermione-

Thanks so much for writing! I'm fine, so you can quit worrying! Just kidding. I'm going to be leaving here tomorrow, I guess. I have to go to Gringotts with Remus. I haven't gotten my OWL results either, but I'm not nearly as anxious about it as you are, so I'm not that fussed. You couldn't possibly have flunked any of them, so don't get so worked up about it. Did you, Ron and Viktor ever get that sailboat finished? I don't know Hermione, maybe it was something you ate before you went to bed. Ron says hello, by the way. He was wondering when you would be coming by the Burrow for the summer. I really miss you, too. I've got your picture right by my bed, also. It's that one Colin took of us in fourth year. Thanks for keeping me in your prayers; I need all the help I can get! Oh, I also heard from Luna. You won't believe the reason she says they can't find any Snorkacks in Sweden. She's really something. So, hope you are doing well, take care, and I'll see you soon!

Love,

Harry

Remus-

Thanks for your letter. I'm doing fine, but am glad to hear that you are coming for me in the morning. My relatives aren't being mean to me; actually they aren't acknowledging my existence at all. I feel like the invisible man. Still, it's better than before when they treated me like dirt. I had wondered if Sirius had a will, so it's not that much of a shock to hear about the reading. I am a little surprised about being the primary heir, though. It seems like I barely got to spend any time with him at all. Still, I'm glad you'll be coming with me. Can't wait to see you. I'll be sure to pack everything I need.

See you really soon!

Harry

Harry yawned and stretched at as he sealed his letter to Remus. He felt rather tired, but he didn't want to put off his last reply until morning.

Dear Luna-

Thanks for the letter. I'm doing ok, I guess. I'm going to be heading to Diagon Alley tomorrow for some business regarding my godfather. I do miss him still, but talking to you about it has really helped me. Glad to hear you are having fun on your holiday. I do like the envelope you sent me. Sorry to hear about the girls hassling you. Just think if they ever met me in person they'd be so disappointed. Why in the world would anyone want my autograph? It's all so stupid. I'm glad you set them straight for me. You ought to be careful, though. The Rita Skeeter of Finland (if there is such a person) will be writing up a story about the two of us. You're going to Iceland? Wow, that should be interesting. Be careful of the geysers! I'm glad you like the music I sent you. I listen to music all the time. It helps me take my mind off of things. So, you think I need an angel? Well, if you come across one in your travels, ask them if they'd like a job, I really like that album too. I think there's a more appropriate song for me, though.

I Saw

It's amazing the look in your eyes

Like you could save me

But you won't even try

Then you tell me again

How everything will be all right

If I told you that I'm sorry

Would you tell me you were wrong?

Or would you hold me down forever

If I came to you for answers

I saw pictures in my head

And I swear I saw you opening up again

And I would be heavenly if baby you'd just rescue me now

When I'm surrounded, you spill

All alone and brand new

And I'll forget about you long enough

To forget why I need to

I saw pictures in my head

And I swear I saw you open up again

And I would be heavenly if baby you'd just rescue me now

The days are just drifting away from me

I still wake up burning through everything

It's all I know

Somebody save me now

I saw pictures in my head

And I swear I thought I saw you opening up again

And I would be heavenly if baby you'd just save me now

I wish I could be with you in Sweden, too. You could have showed me around. Sorry to hear that no Snorkacks could be found. I never knew they were afraid of blonde people. Maybe you could wear a hat? Thanks for offering to help me; I hope you know that I'm here for you as well. Can't wait to see you again. Have fun in Iceland!

Love,

Harry

Once Harry had sealed Luna's letter, he placed all four letters inside the leather thong on Hedwig's leg and patted her on her head. With a small yawn, her amber eyes opened and looked up at her master.

"Ok, girl, you know what to do. After you've delivered all of these, you'll need to find me. I'm leaving here later this morning to go to Diagon Alley. I'm not really sure where I'll be after that. I'm sure you'll find me, though. You always do."

Hedwig thrust out her chest and gave a dignified hoot. It was true; she had never failed to find Harry, no matter where he was. He couldn't help but wonder where she would find him next. But, anywhere had to be better than hanging out here any longer, he decided.

After Hedwig had flown off into the night, Harry decided to throw some of the larger items he would need into his trunk. There were still a few odds and ends left to get, but he would deal with them later. It sounded like it was going to be a long day, and he could use some rest. As he closed his eyes that night, a small smile crept across his face. Despite his lingering anxiety of the reading and everything else, at least he would be going back where he belonged.

**********

The full fledged light of day greeted Harry as he awoke later that morning. He wanted to make sure that he couldn't hear the sounds of anyone else being up before he did anything. It was a little before eight on a Saturday, so he knew the rest of them would not likely be up yet. Once satisfied that they were still asleep, he got out of bed and set about getting ready to go.

After checking and double checking that he had everything that he would need for the year ahead, Harry brought his things down the stairs and set them next to the front door. Once that was completed, he entered into the kitchen, where the Dursley family was already sitting around eating breakfast. Once Harry was seated, all conversation stopped and they all went into the by now familiar mode of ignoring him. Normally, Harry ate his breakfast and quickly went back up to his room, but today he had to talk to them.

"I'm going to be leaving today. Someone is going to pick me up at ten this morning, and I'll be gone until the end of term. I won't need you to take me to the station this year, but I'll still need picked up when term ends...unfortunately."

The only affirmation Harry received that he had said anything at all was a grunt issued by his uncle Vernon from behind his copy of The Times. Dudley merely made a swipe at his father's grapefruit, and Petunia kept her gaze intent on her copy of The Daily Mirror, Realizing that this was as much as he was likely going to get from them, he ate the last wedge from his own pitiful grapefruit quarter and went upstairs to get a shower to be ready for when Remus arrived.

As the clock in the living room struck the last chime of ten, a knock sounded upon the front door. Still a bit jumpy from his previous experiences with wizards, Dudley immediately raced up the stairs two at a time. Unfortunately, as his coordination was not very good, he managed to fall down several times, causing the whole house to rumble. Trying hard not to laugh out loud, Harry opened the door to a concerned looking Remus.

"What was that noise? I was about to blast the door off its hinges. I thought you were being attacked by a giant, or something."

Harry finally let out the laughter that he had been holding in.

"Nope, that was just my cousin, Dudley. Ever since Hagrid gave him that pig's tail when he picked me up that first time, he's been a bit twitchy around wizards."

Remus's brows furrowed.

"Hagrid did what? He shouldn't have done that, you know. Still, I don't think any court in the land would blame him from the sounds of your cousin. So, are you ready to go?"

Harry nodded and grabbed Hedwig's empty cage and his cauldron. Remus cast a lightening charm on Harry's trunk and tucked it under his arm. Satisfied that he had everything, Harry turned around to say good bye to his aunt and uncle and found that they were no longer there. This didn't bother him, since he knew that they were just as happy to be seeing the back of him as he was being away from them. Pulling the door shut behind him, Harry allowed himself a contented sigh before noticing that there was no visible form of transportation for them to use.

"Professor, how are we getting to Diagon Alley? Are we taking the Knight Bus?"

Remus smiled at him.

"It's Remus, Harry. No, the Knight Bus isn't one of my favorite modes of transport. Dumbledore has provided us with a Portkey. Fudge wouldn't approve, of course, but what he doesn't know won't hurt him. It's set up to take us to The Leaky Cauldron. I thought we could have a sport of lunch there before going to the reading. I think if we avoid the pea soup we should be ok. How about it?"

Harry nodded. The food at The Leaky Cauldron wasn't exactly fine cuisine, but after a few bits of grapefruit, anything would be good. After making sure that they were out of sight, the two of them grabbed hold of the Frisbee Portkey and disappeared.

Having become more accustomed to Portkey travel, Harry remained on his feet when they appeared in front of the entrance to The Leaky Cauldron. Remus had used his hand to steady Harry, and the two of them walked into the bustling pub inside.

During lunch, Remus asked about Harry's summer, and about his expectations for the coming year. Harry knew that he was trying to keep his mind off of the reading. After they had discussed everything else they could think of and Remus had paid the tab, the two of them made their way down the road to Gringotts.

Once inside they walked over to the main desk where they were then directed to a side door by a goblin who bowed them both inside. The room that they entered reminded Harry of one of his classrooms back at Hogwarts. There were rows of seats directly set in front of a large oaken desk. Paintings along the wall depicted the various former heads of the bank, along with the images of persons who had large amounts of money on deposit there. Harry had never been in this room before, but he instantly recognized some of the people in the paintings. The cold gray eyes of Lucius Malfoy peered down at him from a prominent position towards the front of the room. There were a few other witches and wizards that Harry could remember hearing about, along with a few he remembered seeing pictured in the Daily Prophet. He came to a halt at the mantle in the room. Directly above the large stone fireplace hung a large ornate frame that hung completely empty, which struck Harry as odd, since it was a very nice frame to have nothing inside it. As Harry turned to ask Remus about it, a door opened and closed behind them both.

At first, Harry couldn't understand why the door had opened and closed. After a few seconds, a goblin's head appeared in the chair behind the desk, carrying a dusty envelope and a small golden key. Harry recognized the key as the same kind used to open the vaults here. The goblin, who introduced himself as a Mr. Turncrank, motioned for them both to sit down. After adjusting his reading glasses on his long carrot like nose, he began to read from the last will and testament of Sirius Black.

I, Sirius Black, being of sound mind and body, do hereby bequeath the following items to the following people:

To my last remaining friend, Remus Jerome Lupin, I leave half ownership of the Black estate at Grimmauld Place. I also leave him a stipend of five thousand galleons a year for the rest of his life.

To my godson, Harry James Potter, I leave the remainder of my assets, including the half ownership of the Black estate, along with Remus Jerome Lupin.

In the event that I should perish while Harry James Potter is still a minor, the money involved in his inheritance will be held in a trust until he is of age. Money can be obtained for the payment of school or other essential expenses. In addition, being the godfather of Harry James Potter, I would relegate the position to Remus Jerome Lupin, since he is now the last remaining friend of his parents.

The above is in accordance with the verbatim dictation given at the time of intake of one Sirius Xavier Black into Azkaban wizard prison, and witnessed by Bartemius Judas Crouch Sr.

Harry sat in total shock. He didn't know how much money Sirius had, but he had been told in the past that the Black family had been one of the most prominent wizarding families in all of Europe. At least they had been before most of them had been killed or thrown into Azkaban. Harry felt he already had more money than he would ever need, and now he had even more. He decided that one good thing had come out of this; Remus would now have a place to live, and money to live on. Harry knew that Remus had been having a very hard time finding employment due to his suffering from lycanthropy. He was just about to get up to leave when Mr. Turncrank produced a second piece of parchment from the envelope. Harry wondered if this was a breakdown of his godfather's assets, or perhaps something for him and Remus to sign.

"Is that something for us?" Harry asked.

Mr. Turncrank cleared his throat.

"In a way, yes. It's something that Mr. Black wished to be sung at the time of the will's reading. At the time that he wrote it, Mr. Black wished for a Muggle by the name of John Lennon to sing it, but I have been told that Mr. Lennon has since passed on. I will therefore have to do.

Keg on My Coffin

Put the keg on my coffin

And think of me every so often

Have a loser's day parade

For all my friends

Drink up life like a river

'till the pizza man delivers

And smile and know

I loved you 'till the end

Here's what you do when

My time has come to pass

Charlie told me through the reflection

In his glass

Don't waste time praying

'Casue I'm never coming back

Just throw a party in my name

Here's what to write

On the stone over my grave

His friends were earned

And not a penny saved

Don't waste time crying

'Cause you too are on the way

To meet me at the pawn shop in the sky

Put the keg on my coffin

And think of me every so often

Have a loser's day parade

For all my friends

Drink up life like a river

'till the pizza man delivers

And smile and know

I loved you 'till the end

Harry and Remus both laughed. It sounded like something Sirius would write. It was almost as if he knew what Harry and Remus would be thinking about, and that they would both be missing him. Harry made a mental note to make his birthday party a tribute to Sirius as well. If Sirius wanted a party in his name, he would get one. After getting out of his chair, Mr. Turncrank replaced the papers into the envelope and picked up the golden key from his desk.

"Now, Mr. Potter, here is your new vault key. You can continue to hold your present vault as well, of course. This key is the key to the Black family vault. It is number 813, and it is located in one of the most closely guarded of all our vaults. Seeing as your school year is approaching, you may go now and take some money for whatever you may need. Oh, and there is just one more little thing I must ask of you."

Harry took the key from the goblin and put it into the pocket of his jeans. He then suddenly remembered what Hagrid had told him about goblins during his first visit to Gringotts and tensed up at the thoughts of what might be asked of him. He wasn't going to be asked to submit to some kind of blood test or anything, we he? Mr. Turncrank smiled at the obvious nervousness of the boy in front of him.

"Yes, Mr. Potter. It is my very great honor to ask you to sit for a portrait for us. Since you now have the largest amount on deposit with us, your portrait will be placed above our mantle. I must say, I never thought I would see anyone replace Mr. Malfoy. Mind you, I can't say I'm disappointed. Now, if you'll follow me, I'll take you to your new vault. Mr. Lupin, you can come with us and I'll extract your five thousand galleons for the year. As you'll both soon see, it will be a bit like taking a handful of sand from a beach.

Harry and Remus then followed the goblin through a series of doors to the now familiar track that lead to the underground vaults. Climbing into one of the carts, the three of them sped off for vault 813.

Harry remembered going this deep under Gringotts only once before, back when he and Hagrid had taken the Sorcerer's Stone from Vault 713. This time, the cart whizzed by that particular vault and descended down a steep ledge and passed a line up of mean looking trolls that stood sentry under a sign bearing the legend:

"The 800 Vaults: Unauthorized Persons Will Be Terminated. No Warning Shots Will Be Fired In This Area."

Once in front of vault 813, the cart stopped to allow them to alight. Harry gave the key to Mr. Turncrank, who placed the key into the lock and turned. The sound of countless bolts slid back, and a rush of stale air caused both Harry and Remus to step back. Once the door slid open, the sight before them caused them both to gasp in disbelief.

Harry's vault was piled high with countless galleons. He figured that there were possibly millions of them lying around. He could also remember seeing into the Weasley vault once. It was a pitiful sight to behold. Where Harry had a hill of galleons, the Weasley family had perhaps a hundred, maybe even less. Compared to the amount before him now, Harry's amount now seemed pitiful. It would be impossible to count them all, he thought, as the vault seemed to go on forever. Harry was quite sure that if Hogwarts ever needed an indoor venue for a Quidditch match, they could easily use this place. He wondered how anyone else could have any money of any kind, since it seemed most of it was heaped up in here. Mr. Turncrank grabbed one bag and filled it with a few scoops of galleons before handing it to Remus. He then got a slightly smaller bag and filled it for Harry. As he had said earlier, the extraction of the galleons didn't seem to make any dent in the amount at all. Harry could now understand how Sirius had been able to buy him his Firebolt. A couple thousand galleons was nothing in the sea of coins around them all. Once they had taken their sacks, Mr. Turncrank took them back to the surface and out into the foyer.

"Well, gentlemen, that concludes our business I believe. Mr. Lupin, Mr. Potter, it has been a pleasure to serve you. Mr. Potter, a representative from Gringotts will be in contact with you about your portrait at some point. So, thank you again, gentlemen. Do let us know if there is anything else we can do for you. Good day, gentlemen."

With a slight bow, the goblin then shook both the men's hands and walked back towards his office. Adjusting their respective sacks of money, Remus and Harry went back outside into the now late afternoon of Diagon Alley. Remus let out a little sigh and turned to face Harry.

"Well, I guess that wasn't too bad. Sirius never mentioned about leaving me any money. I guess he knew that I wouldn't want it. Still, a place to stay and an assured income will certainly make my life a lot easier. More than that though, the best thing he did for me has nothing to do with money or property."

Harry turned to look at him, wondering what he could mean. Remus smiled and placed a hand on the young man's shoulder.

"Looks like I'm your guardian now, Harry. And it looks like you and I have our own bachelor pad. You're very fortunate; my first flat wasn't nearly as grand as Grimmauld Place. It was a horrible little squat that Sirius and I rented after we graduated Hogwarts. We had wanted your dad to join us, but he was getting serious with your mother, so he decided to look for a place for the two of them. Oh well, it looks as if I'm getting my second chance now. So, why don't you run along and get whatever you need for school, and I'll meet you back at The Leaky Cauldron in about an hour or so? It's still early, so there shouldn't be much of a crowd. I could use a drink myself. Now that I've got some galleons to my name, I can branch out from water for a change. I've always wanted to try a bit of Ogden's Gold Label. So, off you go, Harry. And don't spend all your money today! That's for essentials only. Besides, you'll want to save a little bit for Fred and George's shop, won't you?"

Remus smiled at Harry as he turned to go back to The Leaky Cauldron. Harry reached into the pocket of his robes and found the list he had of the required texts for his sixth year. He had received the list only a few days ago, and had been worried at the time if it was his OWL results. He was perfectly happy that they weren't, since he didn't really want to know any sooner than he had to.

Remus had been correct; the shops weren't very crowded at all. Stopping first at Flourish and Blott's, Harry picked up the texts he would require for the following year, which included: Intensive Study of Defense Against the Dark Arts, by Horatio Hornbeam, Horribly Difficult Potions for Sixth Years, by Artemius Beaker, Passing Your Apparating Tests Without Splinching Yourself, by Lucretia Vapor, Transfiguration For The Very Serious, by Conrad Switchfinger, Herbology For The Green Thumbed, by Rapunzel Creeper, Charms For The Charming, by Amuleta Hexalot, along with a book that Professor McGonagall had written in herself, called Elementary Auror Training, by Alastor Orwell Moody. Harry also stocked up on extra rolls of parchment, a few more quills, and a few ink bottles. Once done there, he then wandered over to the Potion ingredient shop to stock up on the various things he would need for the coming year. He was greatly tempted by a new cauldron that was on display in the shop window. From the description on the card in front of it, the cauldron had a charm placed on it that prevented the user from combining the wrong ingredients. Harry could remember dozens of times in the past when Snape had made him so angry that he had messed up the potion he was working on. Harry certainly could afford it now, but he decided that Snape would almost certainly ban them from use in his class, especially by Harry.

Once all his purchases were made, Harry started on his way back to The Leaky Cauldron. He did end up running into a few other Hogwarts students on the way who waved to him as they went on their own way to stock up for the coming year. At one point, Harry was fairly sure he saw the top of Cho's head over a crowd of first years but if it was her, she must have gone the other way. He wasn't sure if he would have wanted to talk with her nor not, but he felt bad at the possibility that she might want to avoid him. Harry still firmly believed that he hadn't done anything wrong, and that it was her problem and not his. Still, he did feel bad that she might purposely avoid him.

Once back at The Leaky Cauldron, Harry found Remus sharing a drink with a red haired man with bags under his eyes and an overall look of exhaustion. Ron was right; it looked like his father was putting in some long hours.

"Mr. Weasley! It's great to see you, Sir. Where's everyone else at?"

Arthur Weasley smiled at Harry and shook his hand. Remus took the opportunity of the distraction to slip a few galleons onto the table and stood up to take one of the bags that Harry was weighed down with. Arthur took one as well and took a last drink from his frosted mug.

"Hello, Harry. Everyone else is waiting on us at home. Remus told me that he'd be bringing you to Diagon Alley today, so I thought I'd meet you after work. I've got to go back in later, but I wanted to make sure you made it to The Burrow safely. Molly's been looking forward to your party all summer. Did you get everything you'll need for next year? Molly is going to be coming tomorrow to get the stuff for the rest of the group. Hermione is due in later tonight, as well as a few other people. So, are you ready to go?"

Harry smiled and nodded. He'd been ready to get to the Burrow since the summer began.

"Are you coming to the Burrow, pro...I mean, Remus?"

Remus shook his head looking disappointed.

"No, not yet, I've got a few things I have to take care of for the Order first. I'll try to make it to your party, but I can't guarantee it. Arthur has my present for you, just in case."

Harry was also disappointed, but understood by now that Order business took precedent over everything else. Remus then handed him back his bag and held out a hand for him top shake. Harry looked at it for a moment before pulling the man into a hug. His new guardian was a little surprised at first, but hugged him back before saying that he didn't want Harry to be late for dinner. Arthur clapped Harry on the back and smiled at him.

"Right then, ready to go, Harry?"

"Am I ever! What about my trunk and things?"

"Remus and I saw to that before you got here. We've got you all set up in Ron's room. We'd better floo back now; I've got to be getting back to the Ministry soon."

Harry nodded.

"Right, let's go. Thanks for everything today, Remus. I couldn't have gone through that without you."

Remus smiled.

"I should be the one thanking you, Harry. Have fun at the Burrow. Oh, and as your new guardian, I expect to hear what you get on your OWL's."

Harry groaned as he stepped into the fireplace with Mr. Weasley.

"Those should be coming soon," Mr. Weasley said. "Molly told Ron that if he doesn't at least get as many as Fred and George did she's going to hex him bald headed. I do believe she would, too. Oh well, it would grow back. I'll talk to you later, Remus. Do stop by if you get a chance tomorrow. Molly is making her famous meat balls."

And then, with a flash of green flame and shouts, "The Burrow!", Harry and Arthur disappeared from the fireplace of The Leaky Cauldron, leaving behind a waving Remus Lupin who sighed deeply and lowered his own empty glass.

"Damn. Maybe I could switch patrol duty with Kingsley. Molly does make the best meat balls."