Mystique Soldier Ch.11 (Patreon)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Chapter 11– Shopping and Quidditch

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12 Aug, 2007,

Diagon Alley, London

Their trip to Gringotts's proved to be a quick one.

They entered the bank, passing the little goblin guards who bowed at their presence. James alone went ahead, the rest waiting at the bank's counter.

"So prongslet," Sirius started, leaning his elbow on the bank counter to look at him. "I heard you're experienced in fights and stuff. Think you'll enter some dueling tournaments?"

Harry looked at the man, causally standing with not a worry in the world...but there was a certain darkness behind his eyes. The kind he'd seen in some traumatized people...a similar kind of spark James and Lily had.

Whatever he could say about this wizarding war, it had definitely left some scars. And no matter how much this man acted like a clown, he couldn't hide them all.

"Perhaps." He answered the man. "I've heard Hogwarts has these tournaments as well."

"Oh yeah, curtsey of our valiant minister, the great Albus bloody Dumbledore!" The man exclaimed, though there was a nasty sarcastic bite in his words. "A piece of advice, prongslet."

The man leaned closer, his eyes grim and serious, quite like his namesake. "Make sure to enjoy your time in Hogwarts. No matter what dragon dung that old man spouts in the newspaper, make sure to enjoy."

He straightened back again as James came back from behind the bank's counter.

Harry glanced at Sirius, working through his words before replying. "I intend to."

And he did. The amount of fun he was going to have at this Hogwarts, learning magic and becoming stronger...yeah, he simply can't wait.

The other kids were staring at the two of them weirdly, even Rosalia, who had a strangely calculating look in her eyes. He shook his head and ignored them as James quickly approached.

"All sorted out and done." He announced, jingling a small pouch of coins. "Now comes the fun part. Let's go kiddies, we've got some shopping to do!"

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Their first stop came as no surprise to anyone; Quality quidditch supplies.

"Mom isn't going to like this." Dorea muttered from behind as James led them through the shop's entrance, passing by multiple prop brooms kept on both sides behind glass panes.

"Oh don't you start too Dora. Didn't I get you the latest comet for your first year?"

The shop was completely filled to brim with brooms. There were 6 glass shelves at the very front, filled with different models of brooms that looked to be on display. Each one of them had their company's nameplate stuck at the top; Cleansweep broom company, Comet trading company, Ellerby and Spudmure, Flyte and Barker, Nimbus racing broom company, and the last, Universal brooms Ltd.

Though the last one only had a single broom on display and looked more like an antique piece rather than something they wanted to advertise.

"Ah welcome, honoured customers!" Barked out a jovial old man from behind the counter. "It's such a pleasure to see young ones getting their first...James? Is that you lad?"

"Sir Wimberley." James greeted with a smile. "Always a pleasure."

"Indeed indeed. Which one's getting a broom then? I must say you're very lucky." The man came out from behind the counter, waving at us to follow "The latest model of Nimbus just hit the market, and believe me, it is dominating the sky. A little costly, but well worth it. Very well worth it indeed."

He came to a stop in front of the nimbus shelf, opening it with a wave of his wand.

"Nimbus 2000." He announced. "Top of the line. Goes from nought to hundred miles per hour in ten seconds. Got the best braking charms, enabling you to make the sharpest of turns that you've never thought possible. Slick, comfortable, and very precise. Oh, and the brakes come with an year of warranty by the way."

James and Sirius had the biggest shit eating grins on their faces by now.

"What do you think, Harry?" James asked, turning to him with a smirk. "Think you can handle it?"

"Harry...?" The shop keeper cut him from responding, his eyes widening like saucers as he looked him up and down. "Dear lords...could you be?"

James cleared his throat. "Would you mind keeping it low Mr. Wimberley? We don't want to cause a scene."

"Hmm?" The man shook his head. "But of course, of course! No problem at all! Just...would you mind giving an autograph? My daughter's a huge fan."

Harry looked on, slightly bewildered. He'd never imagine his midget of a sister to be right. It seems he truly was quite famous.

James looked at him imploringly, his eyes silently urging Harry to say yes.

"Sure." He agreed with a sigh.

Not what he was imagining his trip in the magical world to go like...but hey, at least he got a fast broom.

He'll take what he could get.

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Their brief foray into shopping came to a quick and tragic end when they were caught red handed by Lily and Amelia. With seven brand-new Nimbus 2000s in their hands.

"I knew it was a mistake to trust you with kids." Lily sighed in disappointment, not even angry.

"We have a lot to discuss, Sirius." Amelia stated, brows arching down at the man. "Especially the sanity behind your decision to even think of placing a racing broom in our daughters hands."

The two men flinched, and the children quickly changed sides, moving to stand behind their mothers. Their Nimbuses were still clutched in their hands, but the ladies had eyes only for the two men.

Harry carefully slipped away from the entire group, not wanting to get into... whatever mess this was.

After a few minutes of berating in the middle of the road, the group of 11 restarted their shopping. Thankfully the ladies seemed to save the worse of their wrath for behind closed doors, and they quickly moved on.

Their next stop, Ollivanders: makers of fine wands since 382 B.C.

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The large group of 11 entered the store, making a tinkling bell sound deeper inside. It was a tiny place, not large enough to contain all of them. But even their presence couldn't manage to shoo away the silence that dominated the shop. He felt like he'd just entered the Potter library again.

His eyes took in the thousands of boxes neatly stacked in shelves that touched the ceiling, each with with a serial no. on them.

Another presence entered his range, and Harry turned to the side just as a moon-eyed old man silently creeped up beside the children.

"Good afternoon." He softly announced himself, making everyone in the room save Harry to jerk upright.

"Merlin, Mr. Ollivander." James swore, calming himself. "Do you always need to do that?"

The man pinned him with his eyes before a smile lit up on his face. "James Potter...how nice to see you again. It seems only yesterday you were buying your own first wand. Eleven inches, pliable, and made of mahogany. A powerful wand, perfect for transfiguration. I take it you still take care of it?"

"Of course."

"Good good." He nodded, getting back behind the counter. "Now I would ask you to not crowd my little shop, if you will. Take a seat by the door, those who are not here for their wands."

Sirius waved his wand towards the back, creating multiple chairs for them to sit.

The time for wand selection varied a lot for all the kids. Andrea Black got hers on the first try and quickly ran back to sit with Dorea. Her adopted sister Susan on the other hand, took a few minutes and multiple wands to find a suitable one.

Then came his and his sister's turn.

"Ah, Rosalia Potter, The-Girl-Who-Lived...or so they say. I was wondering when I will see you, I already know just the wand that will fit. But first, your arm?"

Ollivander's tape quickly took her measurements while he himself brought back a long black box, blowing away the dust on it. "Ten inches, unyielding, made of Alder wood and unicorn tail hair."

She held the wand, but it didn't produce the same golden shower that it did for others.

"Worry not, Ms. Potter. The wood is clearly receptible to you...the core however. I wonder..."

He went back in, climbed one of the ladders, and brought back another box. "Ten and a half inches, Alder wood but with a phoenix feature. Best for non-verbal spells and suited for only the most advanced witches and wizards."

And sure enough, the moment she took ahold of the wand, it let loose a golden fountain of sparks.

"Yay!" Rosalia squealed. "Mom look!"

The girl ran back, holding onto the wand as if het life depended on it.

"Excellent! That will be another successful match up. Now, the last one."

The man then turned to him, a smile on his face.

"Welcome back, Mr. Potter. I'm pleased to know you will be attending Hogwarts this year." The man said, before waving at him to come forward. "Your wand hand please."

"I'm ambidextrous." Harry replied, before raising his right hand. "But I prefer my right one."

The man's magical tape measured his arm length, then wrist, shoulder, waist, legs... everything. It even tried to measure his ears. And all this it did on itself as Ollivander searched for wand boxes behind his shelves.

"That will do." Ollivander snapped out, and the tape dropped to ground, suddenly losing life.

He came back with 3 brown boxes from behind his counter, before opening and presenting one of them. "Twelve inches, beechwood and dragon heartstring. Hold it tight and give it a wave."

But Harry already knew it wasn't for him. This was the exact combination of wand he'd received from his Hydra teacher.

He was surprised when he held it though, because it shot a few half-hearted yellowish sparks.

"She senses your hesitation, Mr. Potter." Ollivander said, eyeing him critically. "Wands are the one who selects their wizards, but not if the wizard himself is reluctant."

"I've used this exact same wand before." Harry dismissed. "It didn't do well for me then either."

"Every wand is unique, Mr. Potter. Just like every tree of beech is different, and every heartstring of a dragon is unique. You should not judge them based on your prior experience. But then again, it is clear that this one is no longer for you."

He took the wand away, and packed it back in the box before moving to the next one.

"Thirteen inches, Alder and dragon's heartstring." He said, presenting another wand.

This time it didn't even give a spark, and Harry quickly observed the thing in curiosity.

Alder wand

Wood: Alder

Core: Dragon Heartstring

Compatibility: 54%

Loyalty: 5

Versatility: 4

Power: 4

Even worse than his first beech wand. The other two followed the same example, having no reaction in his hands. Ollivander didn't seem to mind. The more wands he pulled the more he became excited.

"A difficult customer." Ollivander declared happily. "Very tricky. Not to worry though, we'll have a right match for you here somewhere."

The man made him try 6 more wands, and the only one with a hint of success was an Elder wand with pheonix feature as core, granting a 79% compatibility rate. It was a very powerful wand, but a wand's stats varied with compatibility, so any wand with less than 90% will be weaker in his hands.

Elder wand

Wood: Elder

Core: Phoenix Feather

Compatibility: 79%

Loyalty: 3

Versatility: 6

Power: 7

Still a powerful wand, but not at its peak in his hands, and certainly not trustworthy. Obviously, neither Harry nor Ollivander were satisfied with it.

"I wonder..." The man stared at the ceiling, looking lost in thoughts.. "...Holly and Phoenix? Unusual, very unusual...Yes, why not. It's worth a try..."

This time he took several long minutes before coming out with a single dusty case, spider webs still clinging to it. He blew the webs off of it, and opened the case, presenting to him a chocolate coloured wand with a uniquely rough handle.

"Holly wood with phoenix feature as core. Eleven inches and supple. Very powerful. One of the most deadliest wands I've ever made. A shame it has been sitting in my shop for more than five decades. Perhaps you might prove...worthy."

Harry cautiously took the wand in his grasp, and he knew; He'd hit the jackpot. The most fiercest warmth spread through him, comforting and powerful. So lost was he in the sensation of power that he almost didn't notice the volcano of sparks that ignited the air around him.

It was beautiful.

"Bravo Mr. Potter! Would you look at that!? Seems likes a perfect match. It is curious though. Very curious."

He looked up at the man. "What is?"

Ollivander stapled his fingers under his chin, looking mysterious under the low light as he fixed Harry with an intense gaze. "I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single one. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather — just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when it's brother...Why, it's brother gave you that scar."

His long spindly finger pointed at the lightning scar on his forehead, which was usually hidden beneath his long hairs.

"I see." That was certainly curious. Did this mean the wands were alive in some capacity? The way this guy talked about them, Harry feared he'll need to feed them.

...Maybe that was why his previous wand didn't work well. Perhaps it was hungry all the time...?

"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember. … I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter..… After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things — terrible, yes, but great."

"I'm sure I won't disappoint." Harry answer with a snort.

Voldemort will only be a stepping stone for him. A good bag of Xp that will help him on his path. Nothing more, nothing less.

He didn't wish to be overconfident, but now that he had a wand...magic has opened its doors for him.

And he absolutely intended to make full use of it.

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After the four new Hogwarts students got their wands, they left the shop in silence. It was a grim sort, where the adults seemed lost in thought. The children didn't know what caused it but they knew it was something serious.

"Don't think too much of his words Harry." Lily suddenly broke the silence. "You don't owe this world anything. You too, Rose."

Harry glanced at the woman, taking in her fretful expression. She was hiding something. Both of his parents were. But it definitely wasn't malicious. Atleast towards Harry. So he didn't care.

"Sure." He answered with a shrug.

"What did he mean mom?" His midget sister wasn't content to let go. "The creepy guy in that shop. Why is Harry's wand special?"

"It's nothing, Rose." James answered. "The poor man's going senile with age. How about this? After getting your uniforms we'll go buy you your choice of pets, alright? And then, in the evening, a full quidditch match! With our new Nimbus! Who's excited for that?"

A cheer went up from the kids, already forgetting about the earlier incident.

Harry didn't join them, ignoring the lot in favour of observing his wand.

Holly wand

Wood: Holly

Core: Phoenix feather

Compatibility: 97%

Loyalty: 9

Versatility: 8

Power: 8

It fit almost perfectly. While it may not be as powerful as that elder–phoenix wand in its peak, Harry still preferred this one. He felt an... unusually intimate connection to this wand and he wasn't going to give it up for anything. It's loyalty stat spoke for itself.

There were very few things Harry trusted in his life, but one thing he genuinely put his faith in with his whole being, was his gamer system. And if the system itself said that his wand was loyal? Then he believed it completely.

He'd rather have a trustworthy wand than a powerful one. Power he can get, loyalty he cannot.

"Don't think too much about it, Honey." Lily softly stated, having dropped behind to walk with him.

He realized he'd been staring at his wand for too long and shook his head. "I'm simply glad to receive this wand. My previous one had been less suitable."

"Very well." She smiled down at him, a hand coming to wrap around his shoulder slowly and cautiously.

He nodded, stopping the tension in his body from building.

He was getting quite good at this physical stuff. As long as they weren't sudden. With 0 accidental murder so far, his tally was looking splendid.

Though a share of credit went of his mother as well, who'd realized he did not appreciate over clinginess and was making considerable efforts in being...normal.

Lily's shoulders sagged, looking relieved at his acceptance. "Have you decided what pet you would like? Maybe an owl?"

He frowned, remembering the memories of squeezing the life out of his poor puppy. "I don't have a good experience with pets."

"Is it the dog you mentioned?" She asked carefully.

He hadn't been very open with the information he shared about himself, giving just wide strokes and a shallow summary.

"Yeah." He admitted. "His name was Larry."

"What happened?" She asked, holding her breath.

He turned to stare up at the woman, looking at her expression closely. "I killed him."

To her credit, she didn't flinch. She seemed to almost expect that answer and just smiled sadly at him.

"I'm sorry for you loss." She said, squeezing his shoulder in comfort.

He gave an absent nod, his mind shifting back to the day ahead.

"Come on." Lily guided him. "Just a couple more things then we'll be back home. You're excited for quidditch aren't you?"

He stared at the sky, cool and clear, looking perfect for soaring free..

"Yes." He replied with a smile. "Yes, I am indeed."

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The rest of their trip passed without any other surprise...until they reached the pet store. While everyone was busy selecting their pets, Harry found himself wandering towards the deeper section of the store, where a hissing conversation seemed to be taking place.

Curious, he'd wandered towards the area, only to find cages full of snakes hissing at each other. The unusual part? He could understand them perfectly.

He blamed magic for it.

He'd tried speaking to them experimentally, and lo and behold, created his second language skill.

[Skill Created: Parseltongue] Lvl 1

Talking to snakes...who would've thought that wizards were capable of this. Though it was confusing that he'd never heard his teacher speaking with a snake. Then again, Hydra wouldn't allow some random reptile to stay in their facility, or maybe the skill was a secret and shouldn't be disclosed to others.

Who knows. Harry couldn't careless. All that mattered was that he had a potentially useful skill that might enable him to gain information around an area. Though he would first have to research this skill to see if there were any side effects or other utilities for it.

But as cool as talking to snakes sounded, he was more looking forward to using his brand new wand and broom for the first time.

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12 August, 2007,

Quidditch Pitch, Potter Residence

Quidditch had the potential to be his favorite sport, Harry decided, catching the Quaffle with a single hand.

"Amazing catch Harry!" James cheered from the other side of the pitch, speeding through the air on his own broom.

Harry pushed down his Nimbus 2000, sliding under Dorea's hasty tackle before blasting through the air. His aim? The three hoofs guarded by a single goalkeeper; Sara Lupin.

It was a girls vs boys match; with James, Sirius, and Harry on one side. Dorea, Rosalia, Andrea, Susan, and Sara on the other.

And they were leading 90-60. Even being two players down. Why? Because Harry was an utter menace on broom. James and Sirius were already supposed to be the best riders in the whole pitch, and the main reason they were in same team was so they can carry Harry along, what with him being a new player.

But it didn't go as planned. It had only taken three matches for Harry to reach Level 30 in Broom Riding. Just three hours for 30 levels? This was, without a doubt, the fastest growing skill out of any that Harry currently possessed.

He was simply a natural in the air; even in the first match he'd quickly come to fly competently.

Two games later? He was dominating the sky.

He was fearless in the air, brave and reckless, and wasn't scared of making the sharpest of turns, trusting his Nimbus to keep up. No matter what position he played; he was simply a natural.

Chaser? He never missed a pass or shot, his marksmanship Level 73 giving him a ridiculous advantage. Seeker? The only game they'd played with a snitch ended in 5 minutes so it wasn't counted. Beater? He was thrice as strong as the strongest man on pitch. He was banned from ever touching a bat after he hit a Bludger so hard it twisted the entire middle hoof at straight 90s. The only reason Sara was alive was due to her own reaction speed. And the fact that he'd realized the consequences and purposely missed at the last second.

His natural talent, coupled with his superhuman physique and gamer's abilities, made harry a legit monster.

"Long pass Harry!" James called out as harry dodged away from Andrea's Bludger. He didn't think much, throwing the Quaffle overhead to chip over Rosalia and reach directly in James's awaiting hands. It was such a perfect throw that James didn't even have to deviate from his flight path to catch the Quaffle. And of course, James scored.

He always did. If Harry was a monster on broom, James was a god. An entire stage above Harry. Then again, considering how many offers he'd received to go professional, it wasn't that surprising.

But Harry was sure he will surpass him. One day.

"And that's hundred against sixty, another win for the boys!" Remus announced from the ground as rest of the family cheered.

Lily had a small red flag saying 'Go Harry Go!'.

He had to admit it was very...cute.

Amelia had the two twin boys on her side, and cheered for any team that scored. Remus was commentating, which he wasn't very good, while also taking care of his three kids. All of whom were drooling on their seats; too young to stay awake for long.

"Alright, let's call it a day!" James waved everyone over. "Sun's almost set and I've got to prepare for tomorrow's Auror training program. So do you Sirius."

"Aww man."

They ended the game soon after that, flying down to the ground. The quidditch pitch was built just behind their manor, ranging around a hundred meters long and 30-40 meters wide. But according to James this was actually much smaller than the official pitch, which was quite surprising.

After the game, the families soon departed for their homes with a few hearty praises at him. And an awkwardly shy goodbye from Susan.

Though his eyes were on Rosalia, who looked uncharacteristically quite. Normally he would've counted it as a blessing, but she simply wasn't one to cry over a quidditch loss.

So when they finally climbed up the stairs, he came to walk beside her.

"Spill." He commanded. "What happened?"

She seemed startled at his presence, looking at him with wide eyes before shooting a nervous smile. "Nothing! How could anything happen to me?"

He could see the subtle shift in her expression, turning from almost mournful to comically panicked.

Still, he decided to play along.

"Why do you look like a lonely puppy then?" He asked, entering her room alongside her.

"Wha–!? I don't!" She vehemently denied. "I'm not a puppy!"

"A lonely puppy." He reiterated. "A lonely wet puppy who looks like she couldn't find shelter in rain."

She huffed, throwing herself on her bed.

He looked around the room curiously as he came to sit beside her. It was the first time he was visiting a fellow non-Adult's room, what with Hydra not having given him any missions to kill a sleeping child.

He wasn't impressed.

The room was as large as his, but with an almost disgusting level of colours. There were red and gold wallpapers, with an image of a man spinning his sword in the air comically. Another poster of a female quidditch player in dark green robes with a golden claw emblem hitting a Bludger with her club.

"Who's that?" He asked, pointing at the woman.

Rosalia sniffed, and he leaned down to see a trail of tears tracing a line along her cheeks.

"Now what happened?" He asked in exasperation.

Why did people's mood behave like a whiplash?

Though to be fair to her, Harry was having hard time deciding if they were genuine or not.

"They're wrong." She sobbed out.

"What?"

"A-about me being the g-girl who lived." She turned away, facing the wall while covering her face with a pillow. "I'm n-not good at...ANYTHING. But you are. You're strong a-and smart, Just like a hero should be. I thought...I thought maybe I'll fly around and f-fight you-know-who on my broom. But you'll also do that better than me. I'm j-just...I'm just...not needed."

Her words seemed to have kernels of honest dejection in them, mixed with her usual childish bullshit.

Harry scratched his head, totally out of his zone. He'd never been trained on how to comfort a crying sibling. So he just tried to make sense of her words.

"Well...if you're worried about being weak then why don't you try and become stronger?"

It seemed simple enough to him.

"We are going to a school of magic. Surely there are plenty of ways to grow more powerful."

He leaned over her, staring down at her hidden face from above. "And why would you ever care about being needed? Needed for what? To save a bunch of scared wizards?"

"That is... simply idiotic. I have no intentions to save anyone, and neither should you." He tried hiding his contempt for such notion but from the slight flinch on her face, he most likely failed.

Still, he completely intended to follow after his words. There was simply no way he would risk his life for someone else. Atleast, not for free.

"If you wish to become stronger then do it for yourself." Harry continued. "Did you not hear Lily? We owe this world nothing. If I ever fight this Voldemort it will be purely for my own enjoyment and progress."

He stared down at the silly girl still hiding beneath her arms, hoping his speech would push some common sense in her.

Usually, he would never choose to deliver such a long speech, valuing his time and peace too much for that.

But the girl reminded him of his cute puppy that he'd mourned so long ago, and he felt just the slightest of urges to guide her away from the self-destructive path that she was on currently.

"... mum...name.." Rosalia finally mumbled out softly.

"What?"

"You shouldn't call mum by name."

"...Did you hear a thing about what I just said?"

She nodded her head, let go of her pillow, turned around, and then threw herself at him.

"I shouldn't care about others." She mumbled into his chest, not sensing his arm that was an inch away from her throat. "I won't, I promise. I'm just happy you're here. Thanks."

Harry hesitantly let his arm move away from her throat, instead moving it to pat the girl's shoulder as she wrapped her arms around him.

Weirdly, he felt quite comfortable being in such close proximity to the girl. Even his instincts were silent when it came to her. She just wasn't threatening enough to get tense about.

It didn't help that the girl's affection now sat firmly in loved, above even James, almost closing in on Lily.

Harry didn't know when sleep caught up to him really, but the next thing he knew, he was opening his eyes as he lay beside his sister in a tangled mess, with the newly arisen sun glaring through her window.

It was, without a doubt, the most comfortable sleep he'd gotten in a long long while.

As the birds chirped up in the sky, and the comfortable heat of his twin lulled him in relaxed meditation, he realized he was truly looking forward to Hogwarts.

His path to greatness was about to start...and Harry intended to walk upon it steadily.

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AN: Phew, chap done.

So the shopping plot is now over, next is Harry's Hogwarts trip and then will be the true start of his adventure.

I know some of you might be confused with Rose' growing relation with Harry, instead of Dorea, but trust me. I know what I'm doing. I don't want all of his relationships to be straight forward, slow built-up kind. It's just too normal and expected. I'll be taking a little risk with Dorea's plot, and I actually don't know if it'll be as well liked as it is in my mind. But hey, if I don't take risks I'll never grow as a writer.

Hopefully you guys will enjoy it.

Thnx for reading, see ya in the next chap.