Diagon Alley
Summer was almost at its end, and Tom was somewhat excited to meet whoever was supposed to take him to see the wizarding world for the first time. He was intrigued by the thought of being allowed to ask the questions he had bubbling up from within his mind at a young age, but wasn't entirely sure which professor would be the one assigned to come pick him up.
From what he remembered of the books, McGonagall would likely be the most willing to answer questions about wizarding sports and transformation-based spells, but she would also be the most strict about what was and was not allowed to be mentioned otherwise. Snape would probably not be willing to help beyond what his job demanded of him, honestly, and Sprout seemed like someone who would simply drag him around like a whirlwind and get it done as fast as possible so she could go tend to her plants.
If he had a choice in who would be the best professor to introduce him to the wizarding world, only Flitwick would be the most willing to go over his questions in full detail and answer them with any sort of enthusiasm. Because of this, he truly hoped that he would be received by the half-goblin charms professor, if he was being honest. It would make things a lot easier for him at least.
A man in a black business suit with a green tie appeared directly at their doorstep as he thought about these things, and rang the doorbell without a moment's hesitation, exactly on the minute he was supposed to arrive. Was he, perhaps, running a bit late?
When his father opened the door, Tom noticed that the man's black hair was slicked back with a professional grease of some sort, likely done in a way to keep it out of his face when it came time to do work or business. His crooked hook of a nose was likely the result of it having been broken a few too many times, but he didn't seem to bother with the magical cosmetics he could have had to remove such things from himself if he deemed it necessary.
"This is the residence of Tom Dick Harry and his father, I presume?" the man asked them, receiving a nod from his father and a blank stare from the young reincarnation. Was the man trying to start a fight with the amount of snark oozing off of him, like some edgy teenager from the depths of angst and despair?
"… Yes, it is," Jerry told him, unable to keep himself from smiling at the man. Was there history there or was it just nostalgia his father was showing in his expression; because it seemed like something strange was going on between them, and he wasn't sure he could put his finger on it just yet.
"Well I would normally go over the demonstration of magic and display the veracity of its existence, but your wife's family was quite well known in the fields of potion making, even if she herself was from a branch that had been disowned, so I'm sure she has at least explained its existence to you before?" he asked Jerry with a hint of a frown on his face, as if he wasn't sure what to make of the man. This was kind of ridiculous, and also entirely news to Tom.
"Not in depth, beyond that she had left that life behind her due to a lack of funds to finish her schooling at the time," Jerry said with a shrug, not bothering to elaborate on it. He was the type that never truly pushed for answers for things unless they were truly necessary, so Tom understood the reasons behind it and could respect the sentiment. "I've always wanted to go take a look into getting her some sort of courses to finish it up for a gift one year, but we didn't manage to save up enough before, well…
"Ah, yes. I understand," Snape nodded, his eyes oddly unfocused for a minute as if he was feeling a strange sense of disappointed loss himself. Something like the loss of a particularly good apprentice, potentially.
Seeing that as a potential avenue of approach, Tom tried something that he figured might help gauge the professor a little in his mind. "Doctors said mom has a year to live at best," he said, brushing his black hair from his eyes with a small frown. "She ate some really bad meat, and got very sick from it. I don't know what we can do…"
"Call me Professor Snape. I'll see if Saint Mungo's has anyone available later today to take a look at her. It would be remiss of me to ignore this when it could affect your grades poorly on your first year at Hogwarts," Snape told him with a firm look, seemingly ready to help. It was quite telling that the man had jumped straight to offering support, despite his portrayal in the books. The man may have had his reasons for it, but Tom felt he could use this if he played his cards right.
Tom nodded at Snape, grateful for the fact that he'd at least try to help. Not everyone he knew of would be so willing, especially not for someone they hardly knew. "Thanks, Professor."
"I would prefer if you didn't mention it. I can't help everyone, but I can at least see what can be done for your mother while I am at my meeting later today," the dark-haired man told him with an almost bored tone. Tom wondered if that tone was simply a result of some sort of physical malady or disfigurement, rather than a personality trait, because Snape didn't actually seem to be as much of an ass as the books said he was.
"Well, we should be off. There is very little time today, and much that needs to be done," the Hogwarts professor told him in no uncertain terms. A moment passed where he held out his hand, likely ready to apparate them to their destination.
"One minute, I should probably bring my blood sugar tester and grab my car keys, so you don't need to waste your gas," Jerry told them with a sigh, his hand going up to rub his beard. That would probably have been nice, if it wasn't for the wizard's ability to teleport.
"That won't be necessary," Snape told him with a sharp look at his watch. "Also, I highly recommend you leave any muggle electronics behind; unless you feel the need to both claim injury to miss work for a while and feel the need to replace whatever it is you bring with you if it contains any sort of battery."
Tom looked between them with a sigh, as Jerry gave him the most confused look he had ever seen on the man. His digital watch and blood testing device both worked off of batteries, so he would have to leave both of those behind.
Jerry seemed to recover after a moment, his expression morphing into one of slight embarrassment. "Ah, I can't go out without my blood tester, not if I want to be sure that I can make it through the day," he told the professor, a sheepish grin on his face.
"Then perhaps it would be best if you didn't come this time. There will be plenty of chances later once your health and wellbeing can be assured," Professor Snape noted with a raised eyebrow, as if daring the man to try to tell him otherwise. Tom really hoped that the professor was aware of how he looked even when he was trying to be helpful, because this had to be deliberate.
"Oh, well I suppose I should send some money with you and Tom so he can afford to buy the things he needs." Jerry noted, looking as though he felt a bit lost. It was only natural, as the man likely wanted to support his son more directly during his school shopping trip, having set aside the whole day to do so.
"If you wish to help provide your son with extra spending money in the wizarding world for extra things he may wish for, that would be fine. Though his scholarship and grant should be enough to cover the basics at least," Snape told him with a smirk, allowing himself to enjoy the man's willingness to help his son by the looks of it.
"Of course, but my son might want a few extra books or things not on the list, so it would be best if I gave him enough to play with," Jerry chuckled, fishing his wallet out of his jacket to retrieve some money. "How much do you think he will need to buy himself a decent set of books to last the year, and somewhere to store them?" the man asked with a jolly grin, having already taken out several hundred pounds from his wallet due to not quite knowing how much a decent trunk would cost.
"With the school grant already paying for a standard trunk, and the Current exchange rate from Muggle currency to Galleons, that amount in your hand would be enough to afford a locked and protected magical trunk with an extra storage section he can fill with books, and a few extra books he can peruse for whatever purposes he may desire," Snape told him with a nod of respect. "Anything further would likely be better purchased next year when he decides what subjects he wants to focus on the most."
Passing Tom the money, Jerry patted his son on the head. "Well, I'll see you when you get back, Tom!" Jerry said with a wave and a smile, allowing them to go on without him. At the very least, Tom knew that his adopted father could be very reasonable and rather helpful in most situations. It was one of the reasons that Tom respected him so much.
With that, Tom nodded, brushing his black hair out of his face and taking Snape's hand. "Bye dad. I'll be back as soon as I can," he said with a small smile.
"Very good. Now don't let go of my hand until I say so," Snape told him as he prepared to leave. "There have been far too many children going missing in Diagon Alley for my liking these past few months."
Tom nodded, and then with a sharp twist, they were in an alley nearby the place he himself had nearly been kidnapped. The Leaky Cauldron.
If Snape noticed his slight fear as they left the back alley and made their way through the front of the building, he didn't comment. The young man was grateful for that, because even if he was mentally old enough to know how to deal with such things, he was still small and weak and was smart enough to know that this was all that mattered in the grand scheme of things, if someone was determined to kidnap him. Such fears would be natural in a scenario like this, so he didn't know if he could keep himself from being slightly rude if the man tried to comment on it at all.
After a moment or two of them passing through a busy and crowded pub, they made their way back into another alley, where Snape pulled out his wand and began to point it at the brick wall. "There are a few ways to get into Diagon Alley from here," he told the young boy with a tilt of his head towards a particular brick in the wall. "Most are told that they must press the bricks with their wand in a particular pattern to get in, but the truth of the matter is that you need only to push your magic into the wall and you will be let in much faster, without the need to remember a silly passcode."
"…Thanks." Tom told him as the wall melted away, the bricks seemingly folding in on themselves and disappearing from sight in a near instant as they entered the alley. Once they were there, Professor Snape began to guide him over to a large, opulent building made of marble and gold, and inlayed with many shimmering runes and crystals.
As they approached, he took note of the vague threat carved into the doors of what must have been the bank, below the sign that specifically noted it as 'Gringotts Wizarding Bank'. 'Enter stranger, but take heed, of what awaits the sin of greed. For those who take but do not earn, must pay most dearly in their turn. So, if you seek beneath our floors, a treasure that was never yours, Thief, you have been warned, beware, of finding more than treasure there.' He found it slightly amusing that they felt the need to make it rhyme, and rather cheeky at that, but he knew that he would never have to worry about finding out about such things first hand in his mind, simply because if he was going to steal from someone, it wouldn't be the place where he did his own banking.
That simply screamed stupidity, if he was being honest. Anyone who attempted such things deserved what came to them as a direct result of their actions.
They slowly walked through the building, approaching one of the empty tellers as they could with a sign that said 'Premium Clients and Businesses' hanging above it. Snape rang the bell and waited for the goblin seated there to stop grumbling about his paperwork and look up with the most depressed face Tom had seen on anything, even one with long, pointed ears, balding white hair, and likely the most ugly face he had ever seen on any being in either of his lives!
"Ah, Severus Snape. It's good you came in today, because your bank manager wants to set up an appointment regarding some of your potion services as soon as possible," the grumpy and tired goblin told him with a slight sneer. "Let's get your business here dealt with but be sure to send an owl with your available times tonight. I refuse to be held accountable if you are late with your response."
"Understandable, Rotgut. I'll be brief," Snape told the teller with a look of derision. It was almost as if he didn't like the goblin, and he could understand why. "I have a Hogwarts student in need of his grants as well as an exchange from Muggle pounds to Wizarding currency before I conclude my business with a small withdrawal of my own for some personal purchases I need to make for the year."
The goblin nodded, holding out his hand to receive the money. His nails had been sharpened into long yellow claws by the look of things, and it was with a grimace that he tapped his fingers on the desk first and pulled out a sheet of paper to put on it. "Very well, let's make this quick," he told them with an annoyed frown.
And quick it was. They exchanged the currencies and received the scholarships and grants for the things they needed and were on their way before long.
"Professor," Tom began as they approached the first shop of the day, the robes shop. Something that made him wonder, as not every wizard in the area seemed to be using robes in the first place. "Are there any special books or things I should be aware of that might help learn the customs and etiquette of wizarding society, so that I don't make an utter fool of myself when I get to Hogwarts?"
Raising an eyebrow at the youth, Snape nodded in approval. "Yes, I will point them out to you when we arrive at the bookstore. The best of which, was in fact written by one of the former professors at Hogwarts during his tenure, Professor Horace Slughorn," he told Tom as they entered the clothing boutique: a large store with a flowing fabric sign that stated its name in bold, slightly stylish font. Madame Malkin's was the name emblazoned on the cloth, showing the professionalism and skill the creator had in one advertisement.
"Hogwarts?" a rather large lady at the counter asked with a small grin, waving them over to sit on the chairs next to someone with bright, bubblegum pink hair. "I'll be with you in just a moment, I'll be needing my attention for this one as much as possible."
When the girl turned and grew two inches on the spot, her hair switching to a deeper red and lengthening as she saw him, he instantly understood why. "Wotcher mate! Just about finished here," the girl claimed with a bright, cheery grin, her British accent thick enough to make him pause for a moment just so he could process what it was she had said.
"Right. Don't mind me then, I'll just wait over here," Tom told her with an awkward smile, scratching his cheek lightly as he sat on the indicated stool while he waited for his turn. He took a brief moment to look around the room, but his attention kept wandering back to the girl, who seemed to be shapeshifting to make silly faces at him in an attempt to make him laugh.
"Oh come on then, no need to be so serious! We're going to the same school after all!" the girl told him with a laugh when he finally turned to look at her properly. Tom was almost annoyed that she was taking up his time by making the wait longer with her constant shapeshifting. "You can call me Tonks!"
"No offense, but I'm on a tight schedule, and I didn't ask," Tom told her, feeling a little bad about bursting her bubble in such a way. In an attempt to soften the blow, because he knew just how that sounded the moment he said it, he continued in a lighter tone, "Maybe we can talk some other time, when I'm not in a hurry?"
"Ah! Yeah, no worries, mate! Sorry for the hold up!" she told him with a wink, not taking it to heart in the slightest. At least that was settled nicely, and she was able to get the rest of her fitting done without issues.
"Alright, thank you for waiting patiently, dear, I am Madame Malkin, and you are here to get your first set of Hogwarts robes, yes?" the proprietress asked him while she started on his measurements. "I'll get you measured in a jiffy, Mister… What was your name young man?"
"Tom," he told her with a small frown. "Tom Dick Harry."
"Cute, but I'll need your real name for the order, not a pseudonym," the woman said with a groan. Was this woman serious?
"I'll have you know that that is his real name, despite any thoughts you may have on the matter," Professor Snape told her with a sneer, daring her to say otherwise. He seemed just as annoyed as he was about it, and was ready to demand her to get working. Though that may have just been because she was wasting their time.
It took her a minute to realize what that meant, before she blanched. Apparently, she realized her mistake and was quick to correct herself from the rather dumb mistake she had made. "Oh. Oh you poor thing."
"Just… Can you please just take my measurements and let us pay, so we can get the rest of our shopping done for the day?" Tom asked with a hint of annoyance. He might not have been whining, but it was damn near close with how embarrassed he was by the woman's blundering social mistakes.
"Right! Of course. Hold still and I'll have you sorted out in a jiffy." Madame Malkin told him with a light grin, her magic curling as she waved her wand at a length of cloth and a set of needles. At the very least, she was professional in the quality of her work, if not her ability to converse without saying something mildly offensive.
After about half an hour of getting proper fitting for all of his needed clothing, he sighed as Severus paid the woman the gold, silver, and bronze coins she had asked for, and they went on their way while she worked on fully making the clothes he would need for a year at Hogwarts.
"Next, we will need to acquire you a wand," Professor Snape told Tom with a slight tug at the boy's wrist. He seemed rather impatient, which was understandable considering how much time had been wasted working with the clothing shop lady. "The wand shop, Ollivander's is just down the street," the professor claimed, pointing to it as they walked as fast as they could to avoid the oncoming crowds.
After a moment of consideration while they made their way to their destination, Snape sighed and seemed to decide it was best to explain why they were going there next. "Selecting a wand for people is usually rather… messy when it comes to first years, so it is prudent that we shop for one before we gather volatile ingredients or fragile books and writing instruments, lest we find ourselves in need of replacements before we have even begun."
"Right. Sounds reasonable enough." Tom agreed, making his way up to the door with the professor's guidance. The entrance looked like it had seen better days, likely the result of various explosions or other such incidents over the course of the day, yet it still opened for them properly and without injury nonetheless.
When they opened the door, a man with frazzled white hair sticking up in all directions zoomed out from where he was working on a tall ladder, scaling down it in an instant to gaze into Tom's eyes with a small hint of something there. "Ah, yes. An old soul. Flexible and easily corrupted at that. You'll need one of my Beech wood wands then…" he said gently, turning around to reach behind him with a small smile."
How the bloody hell did he figure that out. Did he read his mind? Was he using mind magic?
As he attempted to calm himself, the wand maker took a wand out of its box, and handed it to him with a smile. "Try this one. Beech wood, Dragon heartstring, twelve inches and quite supple as well," the man said, not bothering to introduce himself as he let the child hold what was essentially a deadly weapon.
When he finally began to lift it, allowing his magic to reach out to it in full, he could feel the connection it made with him. It felt like a friend or a partner, ready to coax out his magical energy and help him control it for a bit of true magic.
The tip lit up with a brilliant kaleidoscope of colors, reminding him of what he had decided to study for, why he needed to leave this world. Something in his eyes — or perhaps his mind — as he thought of the possibilities caught the attention of Garrick Ollivander at that very moment.
"Well now. I have high hopes for you," he claimed with a small grin, allowing the boy to see that yes, he was in fact reading his mind the entire time. "If you happen to take an interest in wand lore during your time at Hogwarts, or how to make them, you can come to me during the summers. I happen to have plenty of experience on the subject, as you can see."
Snape merely raised an eyebrow at that as he handed the man the necessary coin to pay for the wand and a maintenance kit. "We shall be taking our leave for now, Mister Ollivander. I'm sure he can give you an answer when he doesn't look like a deer caught between a Gryphon and a Manticore," Snape told him with his nose slightly upturned. It was clear that there was something going on there that Tom wasn't ready to poke at, no matter how curious he was.
"Of course. It's an open offer either way," the wand maker smiled, accepting the money and providing the necessary items and receipt. It wasn't every day that one received offers of apprenticeship as a first year, but Tom was still unsure it would be wise. He didn't know the man after all, so he could be after something entirely horrifying with his knowledge.
The encounter with the old wand maker only reminded him that he would need to learn some mind magic of his own to keep himself guarded. Something to protect him against those who wished to steal his secrets.
"Very well," Snape acquiesced, before tugging on Tom's wrist to guide him out of the shop and back out onto the street once more. "We shall acquire your trunk before we go any further on this trip. It will save us having to arrange delivery and is a rather simple process."
Tom nodded, slight wariness and exhaustion starting to kick in from the day thus far, yet not enough to cause any true issues quite yet. His mind focused on the thoughts of wizarding logistics for a moment, the odd image of an owl carrying what was likely several pounds worth of potentially dangerous potions ingredients and trying not to accidentally jostle them too much as it flew. "Yeah, that would make a lot more sense than trying to buy everything without something to hold it," he noted, very much aware of how ridiculous that could end up being.
Professor Snape guided Tom to what appeared to be a narrow building sandwiched between two other buildings, a small sign held up by the doorframe that had the words 'Bags and Trunks' written on it in bold letters. Once they opened the door and made their way inside, however, Tom realized something simply magical was at play there.
"Huh. It'sbigger on the inside," the young man remarked, drawing a small smirk from Snape, though it was quickly removed, as though it reminded him of something he would rather not think about after a moment of reminiscence. Tom knew better than to ask about the professor's personal life when he hardly knew the man though, so he wisely chose not to.
"Right you are chap! This store is made in the same way as all of our best expanded magical trunks, which you won't be needing quite yet as young as you are, but that are still very handy later on!" the salesman claimed as he made his way over to them in a hurry. His average height and looks made the man seem almost unassuming, or even mildly friendly, despite that not usually being a good indicator, so Tom knew there was something up with the man. Unfortunately, he wasn't versed enough in magic to figure out what exactly it was, and he was unwilling to pry when he wasn't strong enough to protect himself from the repercussions.
"He will be needing a trunk with an anti-unlocking charm-charm, preferably one with multiple compartments for things such as potions and books," Professor Snape told the man with the tone of someone who would much rather be done with shopping in this store. It did somewhat make sense, as the man's bright and cheery attitude did come across as mildly grating, if you had other things on the mind. Also, why did he need to say the word charm twice? It was so redundant.
"Right-o then! Let's get started, shall we?" the man asked, guiding them to the counter near the rear of the store, where a large catalog was situated. "I reckon you won't want something too fancy today yeah? Probably something reliable but on a budget," he confirmed with them, getting a nod from Professor Snape before he continued. "In that case, might I recommend a refurbished trunk? Those will have a much lower price tag and will be able to hold much more due to having absorbed the ambient magic in places like Hogwarts, which we then use to re-enchant the trunk."
"Sounds like there is a catch," Tom told him outright, knowing full well that when something sounded too good to be true, it usually was. He had dealt with such things multiple times in his previous life after all.
"Ah yeah. You'll not get as much life out of them, because they don't have compatibility with preservation charms directly on the wood. Not much of an issue if you just take care of your trunk, but if you're going on an adventure in the desert or some other risky place, it's best to get a new trunk that's made for that."
"You won't need to worry about preservation charms all that much, dearie," An older woman near one of the shelves told him with a small smile. "Just learn the repair charm and have a bit of material nearby to fix it with. You'll be fine to repair it yourself as long as you don't get a multi tiered expanded trunk." She brushed a lock of curly blonde hair out of her face and smiled at him. "At that point, it's probably best to leave repairs to the professionals."
The vaguely friendly seeming man sighed, as if about to deal with something even he wasn't sure he could handle. He gripped the catalog with both hands and made sure to flip the pages gently over to the section of the book that they needed without tearing the pages out by mistake. "Ah right, Miss Umbridge. I will be right with you once I am done over here."
Tom realized that these two must have had a history between them. Something that might cause friction that he didn't want to be around for.
"Perhaps we can hurry," Snape demanded, checking a fancy watch as the man reached the page he wanted. "I don't have all day." Honestly, neither did Tom. He wanted to go back home and take a nap after all of this so he could be refreshed for his studies, so he had very little interest in seeing how this would play out.
"Right. Well, this should be the selection of trunks that fit your needs. All you need to do is pick a color really, because these ones are all the same," he told Tom with a frown, allowing the boy to go over his choices.
Brushing the dark hair from his blue eyes as he looked over it, Tom absently decided to go get his hair trimmed when he arrived at home, even as he selected the average looking dark gray trunk that would blend in with its surroundings well at night, reducing the risk of theft while he slept. "I'll take that one," he told the man gently, enjoying the look of approval he got when the salesman realized immediately why he wanted it.
"Solid choice. Let's get that one out for you, shall we?" he asked, pointing his wand at one of the drawers on the counter, and withdrawing a small trunk, which he then unshrunk as he put it on the counter. "That will be…"
Once they had paid the man, they went on their way to the potions store, as it was harder to store potion materials than it was books, and the compartment for potions in the trunk was a sealed compartment that was lower in the box than the expanded bookshelf when opened. It simply made more sense to go there first than it did to go to the bookstore, especially with how Snape had managed to somehow force the man to lower the price of the trunk by half the amount that he had expected Tom to need to pay by sheer value of glaring Umbridge into leaving the store when she tried to but in on the quality of the trunks and apparently of the salesman's blood, leaving him with plenty of money for ingredients and books.
Well, to be fair to the witch, she was just trying to help in her own way, it's just that the way she went about it was fairly rude and unnecessary. It was fine though, and since they had finally arrived at the potions shop despite the busy day, Snape seemed to perk up a little.
As they entered the store, Snape made a beeline straight to the potions kits, still guiding him around so that he wouldn't be snatched away by some stranger. The professor took his job seriously, that much was certain, but he most definitely had a passion for potions.
After a moment of looking through them, he turned sharply, wheeling on the shop owner with a furious look on his face. "What. Is. This?" he asked, holding up what looked to be the high-end potions kit based on the tag. "Why are almost half of the ingredients of sub-par quality in the most expensive potions kit you sell?" his voice contained such disdain for the man that it was almost amusing to watch, honestly.
"Surely you jest, Sir. Those are premium quality, I assure you," the man claimed with a smirk, as if trying to challenge the man. This was going to be a problem. "I am one of the foremost potion masters in Britain, I can guarantee that if these ingredients do not give you the results you desire, then you are the problem, not my ingredients."
Snape looked at him as if he was the scum of the earth, his dark eyes narrowing on the shopkeeper as he continued to dig himself deeper and deeper holes. "I see. Then perhaps you would like to explain to me why the toad liver is stored in olive oil instead of a proper toad oil from the very toads it they were taken from? Or why the horned slugs are dried and salted instead of being preserved alive by non-magical nutrient slime? That's without getting into the other, more concerning mistakes you had made." The professor was furious. It was clear to see in his eyes that this man likely wouldn't have a job within the week.
"Heh, what would you know. You're just a muggleborn and his brat. I have a signed business license and trade endorsement from Severus Snape and Horace Slughorn themselves! The world's greatest potion masters ever seen!" the man claimed with a triumphant grin, enjoying himself far too much.
He seemed to think he had won, even as Severus Snape, who was standing right in front of him, raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "I think not," Snape told the man with a snarl. "Come, Tom. I will report this fraud to Dumbledore before he can poison the youth any more than he already has. Preferably before he causes my students to wreck their cauldrons with trash."
They left the store in a hurry, leaving the potion kits behind as he brought Tom to Flourish and Blotts "It will cut into my budget for the year, but it seems I will need to put out a letter to boycott that store and simply have the students take the ingredients I can provide to them from my supplier for now," he grumbled, likely calculating how much it would take him to get potions ingredients for the entire school with his potions budget. "It's a good thing I received a large donation for my work on other things I have completed this year, otherwise I likely wouldn't have been able to afford it."
"That man seemed like a real piece of work," Tom agreed, frowning at the sheer idiocy of the other man. He was definitely not going to enjoy dealing with shopkeepers in the wizarding world, as the majority of them seemed to have various issues he would really rather not deal with. Still, he did appreciate the professor's help. "I'm glad I came here with you, and didn't get scammed because you caught it before it could happen."
"Yes, well it was rather enlightening to discover why there were so many reports of faulty cauldrons as well as why so many students were having nearly fatal accidents almost every single time the class was held," Professor Snape told him, a grimace on his face as he brought several books to Tom's attention. Things he would need at Hogwarts to succeed, along with books on several other topics such as magical plants and creatures and how to harvest them, along with a copy of a book called Potions for the Absolute Dunderhead volume one, by The Prince of Potions.
That last book had been hiding on a shelf in the back, nearly forgotten for some reason, but Snape assured him of its quality, and showed him how it broke down the steps involved in potion making for those who didn't have prior experience with such things in an easy to read format with instructional pictures. Why this was in the most forgotten part of the bookstore, he had no idea, but it certainly seemed useful after looking through it, if a bit condescending and rude the entire way through. If you could put down your pride, however, it seemed like it was probably the best book on the shelves for explaining what he needed to know about how and why things needed to be done a certain way, and how to fix it if it went wrong.
After they collected the last of the books needed for the year, including several books on mind magic that he had managed to haggle for with the bookstore owner, he filled his trunk with his purchases, and then they were off. Of course, they stopped to pick up his new clothing and other supplies he needed from elsewhere, but nothing out of the ordinary — or even all that interesting — happened during the rest of their allotted time.
"I better get you home now so I can finish with my appointments for the day," the exhausted looking Professor Snape told him with a sigh. "I'll be sure to inquire about what can be done for your mother while at my first appointment at Saint Mungo's before I leave for my meeting with Gringotts bank, so you needn't worry about that any further."
"Thanks, Professor. You've been a great help." Tom stated, just before the professor apparated them back to his home from a safe apparition spot.
Snape paused before he knocked on the door, showing that he did, in fact, hear the child. "Think nothing of it, I am merely doing my job," he claimed, though his appreciative nod seemed to tell Tom that he was pleased with his politeness.
At that, Tom rang the doorbell instead, and they were greeted by Jerry with his phone in his hand, and a pizza menu in the other. "You're back! And right on time. I was hoping to ask you what pizza you wanted, but my blood sugar was getting rather low, so I ordered two of your usual favorites for us to enjoy when they get here."
Tom grinned a little. Pizza was always fun. "Thanks dad."
"I see you're ready for me to leave. I'll talk to you when you arrive at school for any updates on your mother, Tom. Even if you don't end up in my house, my doors will be open at regular times." Snape told him with a sharp nod, stepping back away from the house as he let go of Tom's hand and handed him the trunk. It would be a few more weeks until he saw the man again, but he had a decent amount of hope growing within him that everything would work out fine for now.
Once he had apparated away, Tom realized that he was still standing outside with his trunk and brought it in with a wry grin. Hogwarts would be both his greatest challenge in this world, and his greatest asset, and he couldn't wait to get started.
"Well, shall we?" Jerry asked Tom with a smile.
"Yeah, let's go get the pizza."
~~~~
AN:
Kitsu: This was a long one! I finished it in a few days, only taking as long as I did because I wanted to make sure I got it just right for Asdo, but I had a lot of fun with this one so far!
Asdo21: Thanks Kitsu for being patient about it all! Was a fun read for me as well as we worked out the details in the chapter. Looking forward to the comments from everyone since this is the first of the longer chapters to come.
Kitsu: I have plenty of ideas myself for things that could be good to have in the story, and even set up a few potential points of conflict, and a potential plot thread in the first true chapter of the story.
Well, my commissions are open still, and I don't mind doing some funny shenanigans at times as needed for people that konsistently feed the foxxo, so don't be surprised if you find yourself being offered a discount or bonus words at some point for helping me out!
My website can be accessed at aiko akiyoshi dot carrd dot co so don't be shy! Come chat on my socials!
Thanks for reading and stay fluffy!