Harry Potter and the School of Change

Chapter 2: A Visit from Someone

The next day, Harry finally replied to the letters, asking Dumbledore and Ron if he was allowed to stay at the Weasley's. He then got dressed and began his daily run.

As it was Saturday, today he would be going to his weekly karate class. Harry seemed to have a talent for karate and was already going for his red belt. Also, on Saturdays and Sundays, he didn't have to work at the library, so he would have the whole day to organize his new books and start fixing the other objects. He also decided to buy the rest of what he needed that he could get in Whinging Way.

When he arrived at the community centre, he ran up the front steps and found that the doors were locked. He saw a notice on the board and began to read.

Closed on Saturday and Sunday for readying of the Peterson Reception. All Classes Cancelled

Cancelled?? But the tests were today! Ah, well. Harry turned and started running into the little town.

When he got to the entrance of Whinging Way, he pressed the tongue of the decorative gargoyle blocking the space between a dingy restaurant and a smelly antique store. The gargoyle stepped aside and revealed a set of stairs going into the ground. Walking down the staircase and through the dark passageway, he soon met another set of stairs going up. Going up the stairs, he emerged into a small alley looking a lot like a small Diagon Alley.

There was the Whinging Way's equivalent of Flourish and Blotts, Vexed Volumes, Phyllis' knick-knack store, and a strange looking booth that connected to the Diagon Alley stores and to Gringott's. This booth, looked like one of those Muggle photo booths in malls from the outside, but inside, there was a large screen and a basket on the side. To work it, you tapped what you wanted with your wand. This is where he went now.

When inside the booth, he pulled out his Gringott's key and placed it in the keyhole. As soon as he did this, the blank screen before him lit up and asked him if he wanted to deposit or withdraw. There was a flashing sign that asked him to sign up for the New Gringott's Charge Card, No more having to stop for that extra couple of knuts! He decided to sign up for the charge card and soon a slot appeared and his new charge card appeared. On it, he could see a picture of raining money bouncing around his name.

Next, he decided to but his potions refills. He exited the Gringott's screen and tapped the screen with his wand where it said Apothecary. The word glowed and the screen switched to a list of the items sold at the store. He tapped Year 5 Hogwarts Refills Kit and it came up with a list of the items in the kit and a list of different ways to pay. He tapped ok and them placed his new charge card into the slot. The screen started flashing Thank You for Shopping with the Diabooth, Please Use Again! Harry waited a couple of minutes and in the basket on the side of the booth appeared a wrapped package. Knowing that was the refills package, he placed the package into his bag.

Deciding to buy the rest in Whinging Way, he pulled his card out of the slot and stepped out the booth. He looked at the card closely and read that the card could also be used in Muggle stores. He walked out to Muggle Whinging. Walking down the street into the cleaner part of town, he saw an old knick-knack store that looked like Phyllis' except it was all Muggle. He wandered in and began looking through the narrow aisles. He soon found an old silver bracelet that looked like silver tree branches twirling around his arm. He also found a mirror that matched it, tree branches twirling around the round mirror. Harry walked to the front and met an old man that looked ready to keel over at any moment. He quickly bought the bracelet and mirror and walked out.

Then he walked across the street to a clothing store. Looking around, he saw a teenage girl looking at him. He decided to walk over and ask where the exercise clothes were.

"Excuse me, can you tell me where I can find the exercise clothes?" Harry inquired.

"Oh, aren't you cute! Come along, I'll help you choose." She then grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him over to a large rack of clothing in assorted colours. She started mumbling to herself, sometimes looking over at Harry and finally, she pulled out a giant stack of clothing.

"Hmm...those should be good. Go try them on. The dressing room is right over there." She handed Harry the stack of clothing, which showed she was much stronger than she looked, as Harry sagged under the pile and he had been lifting boxes of books all summer. He staggered over to the dressing room and started the long process of choosing his new clothes. Every time he changed, he had to show the growing number of girls how he looked. They told him their opinion, then shoved him back into the dressing room. This process took well over an hour and when done, Harry looked quite tired. The troupe of girls took the large pile of clothes they chose for him to the cash and another took an equally large pile into the forest of clothes. He quickly paid and went outside, where he stuffed the many bags of clothing into his bottomless bag.

Deciding to take the bus home, he took some Muggle change from his pocket and stood at the bus stop until the bus came. He clambered on and paid for the trip. Sitting on one of the benches, he took out the old bracelet and began to examine it closely.

When the bus stopped at the bus stop nearest to the Dursleys, he placed the bracelet back in the bag and clambered off the bus, which drove away promptly. Harry started walking back to the Dursleys home, while he reminisced on the day the Dursleys stopped bothering him.

* * *

"Boy! Get down here at once! What's the meaning of this?? Tell me boy!" Vernon Dursley screamed upstairs. A raven-haired 15-year old ran down the stairs and stopped in front of Vernon's red face.

"Tell you the meaning of what?" The boy asked, sounding slightly nasty toward the man.

"This...This letter! Who is this Voldiemort and what does he have to do with you??" Vernon fumed, holding a crumpled letter in his fist, which he threw at the boy.

"Voldemort? Why do you want to know about him?" The boy calmly read the letter and started to talk to the red-faced man.

"I see. Let's see...Voldemort's the most feared wizard in the wizarding world right now. He was the one who killed my parents and he tried to kill me. He failed and almost killed himself. I'm really famous in the wizarding world and everyone knows my name. He's been recuperating for the past 13 years and has been trying to kill me since I was 11. I've been the only one who isn't his follower to face him and live. He's the one who got me stuck here. Is that enough?" The boy nastily said.

Vernon, who was extremely shocked, thinking of how he had been treating the one of the most famous wizards alive, simply waved the boy off, who ran straight back upstairs.

* * *

By the time he was finished with the memory, he was just passing a house that was still being built. In a pile by the street, he saw many pieces of scrap wood. Deciding to build a couple of bookcases, he grabbed the largest pieces and stuffed them into the bag. He waved to the work crew and started walking toward the Dursleys again. Trying to remember his lessons on enlargement, he didn't notice that he was already in his room.

Dumping everything out onto his bed, he began by dumping the wood in one corner of his room and carrying the bracelet and mirror to his desk. Then he started sorting the huge pile of clothes taking over most of his bed. He was interrupted by a high shriek and a large thump, which must have been Aunt Petunia fainting. His door started opening and he saw a clump of white hair through the keyhole.

Dumbledore opened the door enough to squeeze through, then closed the door behind him. Harry looked up at him with a confused look on his face.

"Ah, Harry, I just wanted to check on you personally to see how you were doing. How are you doing?" Dumbledore asked as he cleared some room on the bed, piling the clothed dangerously high.

"I'm doing fine sir. The job you got me at the library is great. I didn't know that Whinging had a wizarding population at all. I've already gotten everything I need, well, more than I need, as you can see." Harry waved his hand at all the clothes overtaking his bed.

"Everything you say? Even your sword?" Dumbledore's eyes seemed to twinkle more as he said this.

"I forgot the sword! I completely forgot! I can't believe it. How could I forget something that big?" Harry smacked his head and looked up at Dumbledore. "What's the sword for, anyways?"

"Our new DADA teacher enjoys sword-fighting and it's gotten her out of trouble several times. As a saying I know goes, He who is prepared for everything meets nothing. She's the one who told everyone to get exercise clothes too. She's going to teach many different methods of fighting and duelling too. I suggest you bring your karate clothes too. I think she will be teaching martial arts too. "

"But aren't swords dangerous?? What if someone stabs themselves?"

"That's why she asked for magically enhanced swords. Those swords accept some charms that Muggle swords don't."

"Ok, I see. Will I be able to go to the Weasleys soon?" Harry switched to another topic.

"Yes, you can go next Sunday." Dumbledore answered, then swiftly changed the topic,

"Harry, I don't think you would have found the right sword for you, even if you tried. That is why I brought this." Dumbledore revealed what he had been holding the whole time. Harry gasped. It was Gryffindor's sword, which he had pulled out of the Sorting Hat in his second year.

"The hat told me that you were chosen by the sword to be it's carrier and that I was to give it to you when you were ready. As you will be learning how to use a sword, I decided it was time for you to have it. " Dumbledore handed the sword hilt-first to Harry, who carefully took it, like it was made of glass.

Dumbledore smiled and said good-bye, which went unnoticed by Harry. There was a pop! and the spot Dumbledore had been sitting became vacant again.

* * *

The next day, Harry went to work as Justin asked him to fill in for him, since he was going to a Wizard's Library Convention. The library didn't usually have many people visiting on Sunday, so he began looking up several books on sword fighting, both Muggle and magical.

Magical sword fighting differed from Muggle fighting in several ways. The swords could act like very weak wands, sometimes sending spells at the opponent without initiation from their wielder. Some swords could heal during battle, while others reversed the healing process on their opponents, spreading virus through their system during the duel. Some swords could de-materialize themselves, letting the other sword pass through without blocking, then quickly re-materialize to stab the opponent.

When Harry finished, he went to Vexed Volumes and browsed through the books, not finding anything he really wanted. He walked around Whinging Way for the next couple of hours, eating at a cute little café, and then deciding to go back to the Dursleys to work on some spells.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, Harry first locking the door, then going into the room in his trunk, just to be safe. While he had been sorting the books he had found a large old tome earlier full of dart arts spells and counters to them. This'll give me the jump on Malfoy. Heh, imagine the look on his face when I counter one of his father's pet spells.

He quickly mastered a basic shield spell, and counters to several dark arts spells that seemed to be ones that Malfoy was guaranteed to use. He then went to the book Sirius gave him and searched through it for spells to transfigure the boards from the construction site into some bookcases, and maybe a chair to sit on, as the floor was rather hard.

Harry quickly found what he was looking for, so he started transfiguring the boards into bookcases.

5 hours later, he had finished the 2 bookcases, even though they were rough and quite ugly, would serve well until he bought some real ones.

Realizing it was very late, he climbed out of the trunk and onto the old bed, where he promptly fell asleep.

* * *

The next day, Harry quickly ran through his morning routine, since he had slept in a bit late. Justin, who just came back from the convention, waved happily, looking through some of the books he must have gotten at the convention.

Harry waved back and got to sorting the books that had been returned. After he finished this, he walked to the counter and sat there, waiting for someone who needed any help.

Over the course of the day, he had helped a group of small boys, a kind old lady, and a very stern business man, who looked like he had better things to do than sit in a library.

When Justin let him go, he walked through the Muggle section of Whinging, where he had a mocha latte at a small coffee shop. He had developed a liking for coffee and hoped they had good coffee at Hogwarts. When finished, he continued to wander through Whinging, enjoying the lethargic pace of the town.

He was soon at the Dursleys, and quickly locked the door with his wand. Walking to his trunk, he climbed into the room and began sorting the books. He soon finished and sat on a block of wood. He looked though Sirius' book for cushioning charms. Quickly finding it, he attempted it on several smaller blocks of wood, which became spongy after several mistakes, one of which turned the block into an electric blue mouse, which he took out and left outside.

Finally succeeding on his large block of wood, he sat on it and began reading about foe-glasses, planning on fixing it before going to the Weasleys. After an hour of reading, he decided to finally sort and pack all the clothes he had gotten. When Dumbledore had left, he had shoved all the clothes into a pile taking up almost a quarter of the room.

This alone took the rest of the day; he thanked the Weasleys again, this time for the expanding compartments. Even then, Harry was surprised the clothes all fit in one compartments. When he finished packing, it was already almost midnight, so he climbed into the bed and slept.

Over the next couple of days, he went through the same routine, the only notable things being getting the port-key to the Weasleys and fixing the foe-glass.

Now, he was waiting for 10:00, as Dumbledore told him in a letter that the port-key would activate precisely at 10 am. He looked up at Dudley's old alarm clock, but before he could read the time, he was jerked from behind the navel into a swirl of colour.

When Harry landed, he looked up, expecting to see the cozy living room of the Weasley's, but instead, he saw he was in a small stone room with one ancient wooden door in front of him. On instinct, he took out his wand. No way Voldemort's getting me unarmed this time... He looked around the room for anything else and his eyes landed on the trunk. He started walking over to the trunk and opened it as silently as possible, looking for his invisibility cloak. Pulling it out, he covered himself and shrunk the trunk with a murmured spell.

He put the trunk in his pocket and walked to the door, suddenly remembering that it might squeak, so he put a quick silencing spell on the hinges and sneaked out the door.

Once out the door, Harry crept along the dark corridor and stopped at a non-descript door. He could hear a murmuring of voices inside and he began to silently open the door a creak and saw...

* * *