Chapter 4

When she'd finished she told him the total value. While he was withdrawing the correct number of galleons from his pouch she drew her wand and caused the whole pile to be bundled and tied together in two packages.

After pulling out the correct number of galleons Harry was able to watch the clerk give a last few twitches on her wand while his packages looked to do a merry dance and they were tied.

'Okay!' thought Harry. 'That's what it looks like to perform magic.'

He handed over the galleons and received his change in sickles and knuts, dropping them into his pouch.

"Would you like me to shrink them for you, dear?" she asked.

Harry frowned at her and asked back, "Shrink?"

Looking back in confusion for just a moment the clerk suddenly brightened. "Oh? Of course. You'd be a muggle born. That's why you bought, amongst other things, the book 'An Introduction to the Wizarding World'. I'm sorry, I should have realised."

Harry just frowned back, not considering correcting her.

Blushing a little, the clerk said, "Watch." And she caused the two packages to shrink down until they were about equal in size to a matchbox each. Tucking her wand up her sleeve she said, "Now, to unshrink them, all you need to do is press firmly on the knot of the string." And she demonstrated before reshrinking the package. "See?"

Harry just nodded, though he was quite surprised by what he saw.

"The clerk, taking pity on him, said, "Now, as you don't seen to have purchased any other things of your school supplies, I suggest you head down the Alley to Porter's Portmanteaus to purchase your school trunk. Ask Mister Porter to place a featherweight charm on the trunk. That way, you'll have something to carry all your purchases within while you shop." And she smiled at him.

Harry thanked the young woman before picking up the shrunken packages and dropping them in his pocket.

On his way down to the shop the clerk directed him to, Harry found a cafe. One look at the sign saying 'Hot Food' and Harry's tummy growled. So, he decided to stop first and see and buying some lunch. Besides, he also wanted to read the two letters that were left to him in his trust vault.

After placing his order for lunch he sat in an inside booth and withdrew the two envelopes. Hesitating a moment, he gave a mental shrug and opened the one on top first.

Inside was a letter written in the same flowing script in which his name was written on the front of the envelope.

My Dearest Harry,

I hope by the time you read this you've grown into a wonderful young man under the care of either your godmother, Lady Alice Longbottom, and her husband, Lord Franklin Longbottom; or with your godfather, Sirius Black, if dear Alice and Frank weren't able to take you in. If you've grown up with the Longbottoms then you would have also grown up alongside young Neville, a boy who is only a few hours older than you. If you were raised by Sirius (you used to call him 'Pa-foo') then I hope you're not getting into too much mischief with pranks.

No matter who raised you I hope your life to the day you read this letter has been a happy one, and that it will continue to be so. Know that your father and I love you and will continue to love you from 'The Great Beyond'. 

You are my darling baby boy.

Your Mum,

Lady Lily Potter

After reading the letter, and not knowing whether to be happy to have read a letter from his own mother, or be angry he didn't grow up with his godmother or godfather, he put the letter back into the envelope and set it aside.

Picking up the second envelope he already guessed it would be from his father.

Hey Prongslet (yes, that's you, Harry),

If you're reading this letter it means I wasn't there to help you grow up; and I'm really sorry about that. However, I hope you still have had a happy childhood with the Longbottoms or one of the other magical persons we specified in our wills with whom you were to be raised.

For your information, here is the order of people written in your mother's and my Wills who should have raised you:Lady Alice Longbottom and her husband Lord Francis 'Frank' Longbottom - Lady Longbottom is your sworn godmother as your mother is sworn godmother of Frank and Alice's boy, Neville.Sirius Black and his wife (if he finally finds someone to settle down and marry) - Sirius is your sworn godfatherLord Cygnus and Lady Isabel Greengrass - dear friends, plus you're betrothed to their daughter, Daphne (see below)Amelia Bones and her husband (if she marries) - a dear friend from within the DMLE

Now, about Daphne; your mother tells me I need to apologise. When you were born I was so happy that I called some friends over to the Manor. Your mother was still in hospital, at this time, otherwise she would have stopped things before they got out of hand. You see I, together with Sirius, Remus, Frank, Cygnus and a few of the chaps from within the DMLE we could trust, decided we had to celebrate your birth while the ladies were all with your Mum at the hospital with you. It was also a bit of respite for us from the horrors of the war. As you can guess we got a bit carried away. 

The next morning Cygnus and I discovered we had signed a betrothal contract between you and his new infant daughter, Daphne. Your mother, nor your 'Auntie' Isabel, were happy when we finally admitted it to them. Nor were they happy when they discovered we signed it with a blood quill, and that it was unbreakable. If Daphne's looks, when she grows up, are anything like her mother's, then I hope you wont be too angry with me. There is a copy of the betrothal contract in the Potter heirloom vault in the filing cabinet. Ask Bloodfang, the Potter Account Keeper (or his replacement, if there's been one since I wrote this letter) for a copy of it. And please forgive your dear old departed Dad for being an idiot (even if your mother hasn't yet).

Once you turn eleven you will become the new Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter. You will also take up your Lordship when you are of age or are legally emancipated, whichever comes first. Potter is a very old wizarding House that traces its roots back many, many centuries. It's something for you of which to be very proud, as am I. 

I don't know when you will read this letter. But, hopefully, it will be well before your eleventh birthday so you will have time to adjust to this news. Plus, you will need time and training to learn what it means to be the Head of such an Ancient House. Your guardians and Bloodfang (or his successor) will be able to help you with this.

You also need to know that the Potters are openly in alliance with the Houses of Longbottom and Bones; and are secretly in alliance with the Houses of Black and Greengrass. If you haven't already done so you need to contact the Heads of those Houses at your earliest opportunities, once you take up your Headship of House Potter, after your eleventh birthday. This is very important. It can be viewed as a snub to their Houses and the alliances if you don't. But, your approach to the Heads of the Black and Greengrass families must be done carefully and in secret if you already are not in contact with them.

Now that the scary official stuff is out of the way, I want you to know that I love you with all my heart. I want you to have a very happy and long life and have lots of sons and daughters of your own, so you can experience just how much we love you. 

You are also the son of a Marauder, so I expect to be watching you pull lots of pranks. I will be laughing with you when you pull them.

Your loving father,James 'Dad' Potter(Still sleeping on the couch due to that marriage contract)

Harry placed that letter back in it's envelope and wiped the tears out of his eyes as he did so.

While enjoying his lunch at the cafe in Diagon Alley, Harry spent quite a bit of time thinking about the two letters from his parents. He didn't know what he thought about being 'betrothed' to this Daphne Greengrass girl, other than it annoyed him. However, he also understood from what his father explained, it couldn't be broken. And, therefore, there was no use getting all upset about it. He promised himself he wouldn't be angry with the poor girl as she was just as obviously stuck with him as he was with her. But, all bets were off when it came to this Cygnus Greengrass man when Harry finally met him.

Finishing his lunch and tucking his letters away in his new document pouch, Harry headed down to Porter's Portmanteaus.

He found the shop as described and entered to find a man similar in stature to his Uncle Vernon. However, this man seemed like a much more placid individual. The shop appeared empty of customers.

Seeing the young boy walk in, the man walked over to him and said, "Hello, young sir. Here to purchase your school trunk, I suppose? I'm Waldo Porter, by the way."

"Yes, sir," replied Harry. "I'm told I need one."

"That you do, young sir," said Mister Porter. "Follow me and we'll soon get you sorted." And he led Harry to a wall where were stacked quite a few trunks all appearing identical.

"Now," said Mister Porter, gesturing, "These are the standard school trunks I sell, designed to the specifications required of a Hogwarts student. They don't have any special charms on them other than a standard Anti-Unlocking Charm charm, and have standard key locks. Part of the purchase price includes having your name printed centre on the top of the trunk near the front edge. That way it's easily identifiable as your own."