Rita stood in the muggle playground watching the children play wistfully as she waited for her contact.
She had put her career ahead of everything else for a long time, and she never regretted the decision, but part of her would always wonder what would happen if she chose a normal career. Would she be married? Would she have had children?
“Hello Rita, thank you for meeting me,” Cornelius Fudge said as he walked up beside her.
“Fudge?” Rita said, surprised. “You’re my anonymous contact? We could have just met in your office or at the Leaky Cauldron.”
“What I have for you is far too sensitive to chance anyone overhearing us,” Fudge replied.
“What do you have for me?” Rita asked, intrigued.
“First, when you publish this article, it can not lead back to me. You need to credit it to a confidential informant,” Fudge replied.
“So does that mean you’re calling in your favor?” Rita asked.
“Yes,” Fudge agreed. “I need this article to appear in the Daily Prophet, and if it turns out the way I think it will, you will have a lot more articles to write after that.” He said as he handed her a large envelope.
Rita took the envelope from Fudge. Her career had actually taken off since the museum. They had republished her interview in wizarding newspapers around the word leading to the largest payday of her entire career.
It gave her the validation and respect from her peers that she had craved so much from when she first became a reporter. She wasn’t just a gossip columnist anymore. She was a respected journalist now.
“I’ll look into it,” Rita agreed. “But I want you to know I will follow this wherever it goes. I won’t name you as my source, but you can’t dictate what I follow this up with.”
“That’s all I ask, Rita,” Cornelius smiled as he walked away.
Rita spent a few more minutes watching the children play before she left as well. All this subterfuge and secrecy must mean that it was something big.
~***~
Harry sat on his bed, considering what to do. He had been discharged from the hospital a couple of days ago, and what he had discussed with both Ben and Merlin weighed heavily on his mind.
If what Merlin said was true, how could he possibly be ready for something like that?
Ben had told him to trust his instincts, and right now, they were telling him that Merlin was telling the truth about the threat he mentioned, but he was also hiding something big from him.
The doctor had also told him he was malnourished, and he needed to eat properly, which was exactly what Merlin had said as well. It was a regular occurrence for him to be sent to his room without meals as punishment from his parents. It looked like it had finally caught up with him.
Harry closed his eyes and concentrated on reaching out to Merlin, just like he did when he needed to help Ben.
When he opened them again, he was back inside the stone room again. It looked just like it did the last time, but this time Merlin was sitting at the desk.
“I was wondering when you would return,” Merlin said as he stood up. “I trust your friend is alright now?”
“Yes, he’s going to be ok,” Harry nodded. “Thank you.”
“Then there is no time to waste. We have a lot of work to do,” Merlin replied. “Using that spell nearly killed you. You were far from ready, even with my help to cast it.”
“The first thing we need to do is fix the damage to your body. Luckily for you, I know of a few nutritional potions we can make to do just that.”
“I don’t know how to do that,” Harry admitted. “I only read the first year potions text so far.”
“Your magic has recovered enough for me to see through your eyes and speak to you mentally,” Merlin explained. “I will guide you on how to brew them.”
“How do I know I can trust you?” Harry asked.
“You don’t,” Merlin admitted. “But what you can trust is that I don’t want the world to end, and that the strongest possible version of you is the most likely one to stop what’s coming.”
“I’m not the person I used to be, Harry, and I will do everything I can to prepare you,” Merlin promised.
“Alright,” Harry agreed, deciding to reserve judgment. “How do we start?”
“Open your eyes and get us to an apothecary,” Merlin instructed. “We need some ingredients.”
When Harry opened his eyes, he was back in his room at the Leaky Cauldron. Donning his cloak and ring, Harry left the Leaky Cauldron with a quick wave to Tom as he made his way to Mulpepper’s Apothecary. It would also be a good time to pick up his potions supplies for the year.
When Harry arrived, it wasn’t very busy. There were only two other customers milling about.
The first one was a tall man dressed in black with greasy hair and the other was an old woman that was looking through the potions ingredients.
Harry went to the front counter to talk to Mr. Mulpepper. “Hello, I need to get some potion ingredients.”
“Certainly, what can I get you?” Nicholas Mulpepper asked.
“I need a basic potions ingredient kit, a set of glass vials, a set of scales, and 1 standard size 2 pewter cauldron,” Harry remembered from the school list.
“The standard first year Hogwarts kit,” Nick replied. “Not a problem. We still have quite a few sets left,” he said as he placed a small box on the counter. “Just tap it with your wand to enlarge it.”
“There are also a few other things I need as well,” Harry said as he repeated the things that Merlin was saying to him.
“Alright, that’s quite the list,” Nick said as he gathered the ingredients for him.
Neither one of them noticed the man in black that narrowed his eyes at Harry, gazing at him.
“For the whole lot, it will be 150 galleons. Can you afford that?” Nick asked expectantly.
Harry thought about what he had spent so far, with his new robes, wand holster and potions ingredients. It was a little more than half the galleons he had with him, but there should still be enough left over to cover his school books.
“I have the galleons,” Harry said as he counted out the coins and put them on the counter.
“Alright then,” Nick said as he packed up the ingredients, shrank them, and handed them to Harry as well.
Harry pocketed his ingredients and walked out of the apothecary, passing the man black on his way out the door.
“Mr. Mulpepper, who was that?” The man in black asked.
“Oh, hello professor. I don’t rightly know, he had some type of glamor covering his face, but he bought a first year Hogwarts kit,” Nick replied.
“He bought more than that,” the professor snapped. “What else?”
“Well, let’s see,” Nick thought out loud. “There was some unicorn horn, mandrake, wormwood, salamander blood, and some lionfish spines-”
“So he’s attempting to brew healing potions,” the professor surmised. “Did he say where he was going?”
“No,” Nick shook his head. “What’s all this about, professor?”
Rather than answer him, the professor quickly walked outside, looking for him. Catching him out of the corner of his eye, he followed.
Whoever they were, they were heading towards the Leaky Cauldron. But Tom had already said that Harry wasn’t staying there, but when he pushed the door open and walked inside, it became obvious.
Tom must have lied to Albus. ‘The boy probably paid him off,’ the professor thought as he turned on his heel and returned to the Apothecary.
“Mr. Mulpepper, I will need to use your fireplace,” the professor said.
“Yes, of course. It’s just in the other room, professor,” Nick pointed at the door.
“Hogwarts, Headmaster’s office,” the man said as he threw a pinch of floo powder into the fireplace.
“Ah Severus, hello,” Albus greeted the potions professor and head of house Slytherin.
“Albus, I think I just saw Harry Potter in Diagon Alley,” Severus revealed.
“Harry Potter? How can you be certain it was him?” Albus asked.
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“His face was obscured, but he ordered the first year Hogwarts potions kit,” Severus answered.
“Did you see where he went? Were you able to follow him?” Albus asked.
“He went into the Leaky Cauldron,” Severus said.
“Then he must be staying in the muggle world,” Albus sighed. “That will make it more difficult to find him.”
“I don’t think so,” Severus disagreed. “He bought more than the standard potions kit. From the ingredients, it was likely for some healing or restorative potions. He would need a clean, temperature controlled room to brew those.”
“And you don’t believe he will do that in the muggle world?” Albus asked.
“He’s still a minor in the muggle world. He can’t buy a house or even rent a hotel room without an adult.” Severus explained.
“So, you believe he is staying in the Leaky Cauldron, despite what Tom has already told us,” Albus surmised.
“The boy probably paid off Tom to keep his secret,” Severus explained.
“Very well, I will send an owl to the Leaky Cauldron to set up a meeting with him,” Albus said.
“I doubt it would do any good,” Severus shook his head. “That whole family is too arrogant for their own good. They think they can just throw around their money and influence and get away with whatever they want,” he said as he cut the floo connection.
~***~
Harry set up the cauldron in his room as Merlin instructed and prepared the ingredients to Merlin’s specifications.
“Alright Harry,” Merlin instructed. “The first potion you will need to brew is the healing potion. It should make ten doses which you need to take every morning for the next 10 days before breakfast.”
“You should feel the effects almost immediately. More energy, faster recovery, increased strength,” Merlin rattled off.
“Start by pouring in the first vial of salamander blood, then stir until it turns orange.”
“So this potion will help with my malnutrition?” Harry asked as he followed the instructions.
“Yes,” Merlin replied. “It’s something I learned about forty years ago, my time. I imagine it would be fairly common knowledge now, expense notwithstanding.”
“Alright, now add the second vial of salamander blood, but don’t stop stirring. We have to wait until the potion turns yellow.”
“What else can you tell me about the threat you mentioned before?” Harry asked.
“Not much. The man who told me called himself the Ancient One, and he seemed to know who I was, even though I had never met him before.”
“Add the next vial and keep stirring.”
“Was he like us?” Harry asked.
“No, not as far as I could see. He couldn’t re-incarnate, and he wasn’t a wizard, at least in the way the wizarding world is. The magic he could use differed greatly from ours.”
“Is there a way we can find him if he’s still alive?” Harry asked. “Maybe he knows more about what’s going to happen now.”
“Stir in the five lionfish spines now,” Merlin instructed.
“I met him when I was traveling through Zhongguo, but he was the one that found me.”
“I tried to find him again many times over my lifetime, but I never saw him again. All I could find were myths and legends.”
“Then what can we do?” Harry asked.
“The only thing we can, train and prepare as best we can,” Merlin replied.
With Merlin’s help, Harry completed the last steps of the potion and left it to simmer.
Harry was startled a moment later when an owl arrived, carrying a letter. It surprised him that the owl could even find him. The only person who knew he was here was Tom, and he doubted the man would have said anything now.
Harry took the letter and watched as the owl flew off through the open window.
Harry opened the letter, pulled out the envelope, and read the letter.
Harry Potter,
I hope this letter finds you well. I have been trying to find you for quite some time now.
There are a few matters we need to discuss of the utmost importance.
When you receive this letter, come to my office at Hogwarts.
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Order of Merlin, First Class, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot.
“How does he even know I’m here?” Harry asked.
“That’s the least of your problems,” Merlin replied. “There’s a compulsion charm on the letter to trust the sender. If I hadn’t protected your mind, you would be on your way to his office right now.”
“Compulsion charm?” Harry asked.
“Yes, it’s very subtle. It’s not quite mind control because it affects your subconscious more than your conscious mind, but can be very effective.”
“Even the way the letter is written, it’s with the aim of getting you to do what you are told.”
“This Dumbledore isn’t asking you for a meeting. He’s demanding it. The way he writes all his titles at the bottom is to inform you he is your superior, not just as the Headmaster of Hogwarts, but also a high-ranking member of the government.”
“A little ham fisted in his approach, but it should be quite effective on children.”
Harry remembered his interactions with Dumbledore. Both after he opened the vault, and the way he ignored him when he came to Potter Manor. It was like he was invisible to him.
That was enough to put him on edge around the headmaster, and the compulsion charm only added to that.
“Do I even need to go to Hogwarts?” Harry asked. “I’m already emancipated, and you can teach me a lot more than I could ever learn there.”
“This is where you need to be the most careful, Harry,” Merlin advised. “Your emancipation was granted at the whim of the Minister of Magic. If he chooses, he can rescind the emancipation, along with any other minister that replaces him.”
“Is there a way I can stop that from happening?” Harry asked. He thought he was finally free of his family, and the last thing he wanted to do was go back to them.
“It’s unlikely for the current minister to rescind it,” Merlin explained. “It would reflect badly on him, as he was the one that decided it.”
“However,” Merlin said as he noted the feeling of relief from Harry. “It will also reflect badly on him if you appear to be unhinged, or too immature for the responsibility you have been granted, and he will move against you before your actions affect his reputation.”
“There has to be something I can do,” Harry said. He was tired of living under the thumb of other people and did not want to go back to that.
“You need to build your own power base,” Merlin explained. “You have already made a good start by solving my cypher, so you are already well known in the international wizarding community.”
“Build on those achievements. Use some of the money in your vault to help the less fortunate. Perhaps food for the homeless, or some type of scholarship to help those less fortunate attend Hogwarts,” Merlin suggested.
Harry remembered what Gringott had told him about finding someone to manage his fortune. Was this what he was trying to tell him?
“Be careful with Goblins,” Merlin said as he read his thoughts. “They are far more civilized than in my time, but no less dangerous.”
“When you met with their king, you observed he gave the outward impression of hoarding gold, but that was only an image he wanted to project. I believe your instincts were correct.”
“The Goblins are no longer interested in hoarding gold, but they want something. They always do, and they think you can help them get it.”
“What do they want?” Harry asked as he went over his meeting with Gringott in his mind, trying to find some clue.
“I don’t know,” Merlin admitted. “They have always been mischievous and clever creatures, but considering the gifts they gave you, it’s only a matter of time before they arrange for you to meet with them again.”
“We have strayed off topic. You need to focus on building your reputation and adding to your list of achievements so that if anyone challenges your emancipation, you will have a defense.”
“Dumbledore knows where I am now,” Harry said. “If I don’t meet with him, he’ll just come here.”
“You’re not prepared for a meeting with him, at least not yet,” Merlin replied. “This place is no longer safe, and you need to leave before he gets here.”
Harry quickly gathered up his belongings and put them in his trunk, taking one last look at his home for the last few days before leaving.
On his way out, he slipped the galleons he owed to Tom into his palm, before quickly leaving for the muggle world.
~***~
Cornelius Fudge walked into his home after a tiring, but productive day at the Ministry. He walked up the stairs to Isabel’s room and sat in the chair by her bedside.
‘She looks so peaceful,’ Cornelius observed as he looked at his wife. Some days he could even convince himself that she was just asleep, and that she would wake up in the morning like nothing had happened.
But those moments were fleeting, and every healer that he had brought to see her had said the same thing. She was in a coma, and unlikely to ever recover.
“I’m getting closer, Isabel,” Cornelius smiled at her as he took her hand in his. “I finally got Potter to admit what he did.”
“I even found a reporter that is going to write an article about it. He won’t be able to hide behind the reputation of the girl-who-lived, or his family name for much longer.”
“I had to use his son a bit to get to him, though,” Cornelius admitted, feeling guilty. “It was the only way. Dumbledore blocked every attempt I’ve made to confront him through the normal channels.”
“His boy, Harry,” Cornelius sighed. “He’s a good kid. That’s the only thing I feel bad about. I could tell right away he’s nothing like the rest of them.”
“The way he acted, I think Potter knocked him around growing up,” Cornelius said as he remembered his own upbringing.
“I’ll do what I can to keep him out of it,” he promised, as he reached out, taking his wife’s hand in his.
Cornelius was so lost in thought he didn’t see the beetle crawling on the ceiling above him and making its way to the window, fitting through a crack.
~***~
Harry stood outside, waiting for a cab. He needed to put as much distance as he could between himself and the Leaky Cauldron. But where could he go now? The campgrounds again?
“No,” Merlin denied. “We still have one more potion we need to brew, and a forest is not a clean enough environment for that.”
“Then where?” Harry thought.
“Perhaps an abandoned building?” Merlin suggested. “At least until I can teach you a passable glamor charm to make you look older.”
“What about Ben?” Harry thought. “They’re letting him out of the hospital soon. He’ll need some help until he can get back on his feet, anyway.”
“Very well,” Merlin agreed. “He at least knows part of the situation.”
Harry quickly waved down the cab coming down the road and quickly got inside. “I need to get to the Royal London Hospital, please.”
“Right away, kid,” the cabby said as he drove down the road.
A short cab ride later, Harry walked into Ben’s hospital room.
“Hello Harry,” Ben smiled. “This is a pleasant surprise.”
“Hi Ben, how are you feeling?” Harry asked.
“A lot better thanks to you,” Ben replied. “The doctor told me I can check out tonight if I’m feeling up to it.”
“Where are you going to go next?” Harry asked.
“Well,” Ben sighed. “I’ve had to cancel the rest of my vacation. The money I saved up for the rest of my vacation went to medical bills. I’m going to rest for a couple more days in London, then head back to the States.”
“Was it that expensive?” Harry asked, in concern. “I can pay-”
“Stop right there, Harry,” Ben interrupted. “You did more than enough for me. Heck, as far as I’m concerned, you performed a miracle. I can’t take your money, especially after everything you did for me already.”
“Honestly, I don’t mind,” Harry insisted.
“Harry, this is a lot of money, and you need to be careful how you spend it,” Ben insisted.
“I will,” Harry promised. “But this would be a big help for me, too.”
“What do you mean?” Ben asked. “Are you in some kind of trouble?”
“I think so,” Harry replied. “The headmaster of the school I’m supposed to attend this fall sent me a letter… He shouldn’t have been able to find me, but somehow, he did. And the letter had a charm on it to make me trust him.”
“Those kinds of things exist?” Ben asked in surprise. “Aren’t there laws preventing people from using them?”
“There are for some of them,” Harry agreed. “The charm he used isn’t outright mind control. It’s more like a suggestion.”
“Even then, it doesn’t seem right.” Ben shook his head. “I assume that’s the reason you left?”
“Yes,” Harry replied. “In the magical world, I’m emancipated, but not in the muggle world. If I try to stay in a hotel, they won’t rent to me.”
“So, you’ll need a place to stay until September 1st, then?” Ben asked.
“Yes,” Harry nodded. “I’ll pay for the hotel for the rest of the month.”
Ben looked at Harry. In a lot of ways, he reminded him of his own nephew. A good kid that got dealt a bad hand, but still tried to do the right thing.
“Alright Harry,” Ben agreed. “What are your plans until the start of the month?”
“There’s actually a lot I have to tell you,” Harry answered. “I can speak with Merlin now, or at least his memories. He showed me how to create some nutritional potions and was going to train me.”
“Do you think you can trust him now?” Ben asked.
“I believe it when he says something is coming, and that being prepared for it is better than not being prepared for it,” Harry replied.