"Money is a terrible master but an excellent servant." — P.T. Barnum
Mid-July 2005, one morning in the past
When she was little, Harriet hadn't exactly been thrilled about spending time at the Dursleys'—and really, who could blame her? So she found ways to keep herself busy. Sometimes it was sports—going for runs—but more often, it was video games, especially online ones, just to feel a little less alone during those long stretches.
It's worth noting that, at this point, the world was still in its early 21st century and technology was roughly on par with what Harriet had known in her previous life up until 2025. In other words, 2025 there felt about the same as 2005 here. And yet, somehow, even with all that tech, the mundane world still hadn't realized that magical beings literally existed. What were people even doing online?
Anyway, she spent much of her time in a tiny library with a couple of computers—two hours of access for just 1 pound, paid with money she had cleverly swiped from the biggest, nastiest Dursley. Later, she even got to play at home after Dudley's parents bought him a laptop—which he broke in less than five minutes. Harriet fixed it without much trouble and quietly claimed it as her own.
If there was one form of entertainment Harriet had truly enjoyed growing up, it was online games.
And that was where she had met her—a player with the username ReincarnatedAsAKuma.
At first, they had simply ended up in the same group during a dungeon run. Nothing special. Just two players clearing content together.
But Harriet noticed something immediately.
Kuma played differently.
While most players rushed, panicked, or spammed abilities, Kuma was calm. Methodical. Efficient. She never wasted a move. She rarely spoke, but when she did, it was usually something that solved a problem instantly.
Over time, they kept running into each other online.
Same servers. Same hours.
Eventually, they started talking more.
Harriet learned that Yuna was her real name, that she was from Kyoto, Japan, and that she was five years older than her. She also learned something else.
Yuna was absurdly good with money.
Not just "good."
A genius.
From the bits and pieces Yuna had casually dropped over the years, Harriet understood that the girl practically treated financial markets like a puzzle. Stocks, investments, currency shifts—things most adults struggled to understand were, apparently, as simple to Yuna as drinking water.
She had gained financial independence at a young age, mainly to keep her controlling parents at a distance. She simply paid them to stay out of her life—funding their vacations and whatever else kept them busy—while she did as she pleased. If she wanted to live like a hikikomori, staying home all day, then she could.
So, on a quiet summer morning in mid-July, after finishing her analysis of the Potter and Black finances, Harriet logged into MSN Messenger from a small computer in a London cybercafé.
Her contact list loaded.
There it was.
10:25 AM — MagicalCat232: heyy! been a long time.
10:27 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: lol of course. you disappear all year and come back with just "hey"? (¬_¬) yeah no, we're not besties anymore
10:27 AM — MagicalCat232: stop I don't even have internet at my school
10:28 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: "school"… you sure it's not a cult?
10:28 AM — MagicalCat232: honestly? still debating that
10:28 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: you could've picked a school less prehistoric
Harriet chuckled.
10:28 AM — MagicalCat232: yeah yeah I know… Hogwarts doesn't exactly believe in technology
10:29 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: obviously. you disappear 10 months a year. suspicious.
10:29 AM — MagicalCat232: I'm mysterious like that
Harriet leaned back in the chair, smiling slightly.
10:30 AM — MagicalCat232: btw Yuna you're actually insane with money
10:31 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: that sounds arrogant. I probably said it. why?
10:31 AM — MagicalCat232: can I ask you something?
10:31 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: go on
10:32 AM — MagicalCat232: I need your help
10:32 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: interesting. you vanish all year and the first thing you ask about is money
Harriet smirked. Fair point.
10:33 AM — MagicalCat232: yep. need help managing something
10:33 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: define "something"
Harriet stared at the screen for a moment. Then she typed.
10:34 AM — MagicalCat232: a lot of money
10:35 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: inheritance?
Harriet blinked.
10:35 AM — MagicalCat232: how did you know that?!
10:37 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: probability. you're fifteen. the only way someone your age suddenly has money problems is inheritance or crime. and you're too lazy to run a criminal empire
Harriet laughed out loud.
The guy at the computer next to her gave her a weird look.
10:38 AM — MagicalCat232: heyy I can if I want! that's rude
10:38 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: accurate
10:39 AM — MagicalCat232: anyway yeah. big inheritance. problem is having money and controlling money are two different things
10:39 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: correct
Harriet continued typing.
10:41 AM — MagicalCat232: you like independence, right? same as me. but the world's not that simple. when money moves, people notice. there are strange transactions and outcomes that even you can't always predict. you should know that better than anyone
The typing bubble appeared immediately.
10:45 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: continue
10:45 AM — MagicalCat232: let's say I know things. and I need answers. to get answers, we need information. and information costs money. a lot of it—just sitting there doing nothing
Harriet paused before writing the next line.
10:45 AM — MagicalCat232: so. you in?
The chat went silent.
For nearly five minutes.
Harriet waited patiently.
Finally:
10:52 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: you're being extremely vague. which means either
you're paranoid
or
the situation is actually serious
10:53 AM — MagicalCat232: a little bit of both
10:53 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: expected
Another pause.
Then:
10:54 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: if I help you, I control the money
Harriet smiled.
That was exactly what she wanted.
10:55 AM — MagicalCat232: obviously. it might sound strange, but I have faith in you. no point asking a genius and then ignoring them
10:56 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: sensible. also surprising, coming from you
10:57 AM — MagicalCat232: hey. I can be both sweet and smart sometimes
10:57 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: sometimes
Harriet rolled her eyes.
10:57 AM — MagicalCat232: anyway. we should meet
The answer came instantly.
10:59 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: agreed. online conversations are inefficient for financial discussions. also I want to see if you're actually real
10:59 AM — MagicalCat232: what do you mean?
10:59 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: you disappeared into a school that apparently has no technology. that sounds fictional
Harriet smirked.
11:00 AM — MagicalCat232: you'd be surprised
11:00 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: I expect I will be
A few seconds later, another message appeared.
11:00 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: I'll come to London. last week of August
Harriet nodded to herself. Perfect.
11:01 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: we'll meet somewhere quiet. not a business district. too many eyes
Another message followed.
11:02 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: Hyde Park. near the Serpentine café. 11 AM
11:02 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: public enough to be safe
11:02 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: quiet enough to talk
Harriet typed her answer immediately.
11:02 AM — MagicalCat232: works for me
A final message appeared.
11:02 AM — ReincarnatedAsAKuma: good. but now shut up and play
11:02 AM — MagicalCat232: k
The chat window closed.
Harriet leaned back in her chair.
Well.
That had gone easier than expected.
If there was one person in the world she trusted with something like this…
It was probably the strange, quiet girl she had met years ago in an online dungeon run.
And in a little over a month, they would finally meet in person.
Now let's play for a bit.
25 August 2005
Now that all the occupants of Grimmauld Place—whether temporary guests or quasi-permanent residents—believed Harriet to be nothing more than a reclusive girl, quietly recovering from the trauma of the events at the end of the Triwizard Tournament, things had become… significantly easier.
No one questioned her absence anymore.
No one knocked on her door.
No one paid attention.
It was the perfect cover.
And aside from one person—her ever-serious accomplice, Sirius—no one even realized she had been coming and going as she pleased.
Which was how she found herself walking through Hyde Park on a mild late-August morning.
London greeted her with a sky caught somewhere between overcast and clear, pale sunlight filtering through drifting clouds. The air carried a faint freshness, touched by the scent of grass and distant water. Hyde Park stretched wide and open before her, a rare pocket of calm within the restless pulse of the city.
Tall trees lined the pathways, their leaves whispering softly in the breeze. Joggers passed by at a steady pace, headphones in, lost in their own worlds. Couples strolled lazily along the gravel paths, while tourists lingered near the edges, maps in hand, trying to make sense of it all.
Closer to the Serpentine, the atmosphere shifted.
The water reflected the muted sky, rippling gently as swans drifted across its surface with quiet dignity. The occasional laugh echoed from nearby benches, where people sat enjoying coffee, conversation, or simple solitude.
Harriet moved through it all with an unhurried pace, hands tucked into the pockets of her coat, her gaze sharp despite her relaxed posture.
The Serpentine Bar & Kitchen came into view soon after—a modern structure of glass and wood, blending almost seamlessly into the natural surroundings. Large windows allowed sunlight to spill into the interior, while the outdoor seating area was scattered with simple tables and chairs, occupied by a mix of early lunch-goers and casual visitors.
The faint aroma of coffee and baked goods lingered in the air.
Harriet slowed slightly as she approached, her eyes scanning the area.
She didn't know exactly what to expect.
Yuna had always been… difficult to read. Even through a screen, her presence had been sharp, controlled, deliberate. The kind of person who didn't waste time—or words.
So Harriet watched.
And then—she saw her.
At one of the outdoor tables, slightly off to the side, sat a girl who immediately stood out.
Not because she was trying to.
But because she simply couldn't help it.
Long, teal-green hair fell smoothly down her back, catching faint hints of blue under the sunlight. Her skin was pale, almost porcelain-like, contrasting softly with her hair. Her reddish-pink eyes—large, striking, unmistakably sharp—were focused on the small handheld console in her hands.
A PSP.
She sat with one leg casually crossed over the other, dressed in everyday clothes, her posture relaxed, completely absorbed in whatever game she was playing. There was no tension in her movements, no unnecessary motion. Every input was precise.
Efficient.
Controlled.
Even at a glance, it was obvious.
Yeah… that's her.
Harriet slowed to a stop a few meters away, studying her for a moment longer.
Then her lips twitched slightly.
Natural, huh…
Harriet had seen many strange things since coming to this world.
But hair like that—perfectly smooth, unnaturally vibrant under the light—paired with those large, almost anime-like eyes…
That still felt like it belonged more to fiction than reality.
Because really—hair like that, perfectly smooth and unnaturally vivid… statistically, it shouldn't exist.
That was pushing it.
Still…
It suited her.
Annoyingly well.
Harriet exhaled softly, then walked forward.
No hesitation.
No second guessing.
She approached the table directly—and, as any perfectly normal person would, she crouched slightly, leaning in just enough to bring her face closer to the girl's line of sight.
Close.
Very close.
Close enough to be annoying.
"Mmmh," Harriet hummed, tilting her head slightly as she examined her. "I thought you had just dyed your hair, Miss Kuma. Who would've thought it was natural… and that it'd suit you this well."
For a brief second, nothing happened.
Then—
The girl's fingers paused.
The PSP screen reflected faintly in her eyes as she blinked once, twice—processing.
Then she turned her head.
Slowly.
Her gaze landed directly on Harriet.
Sharp.
Assessing.
For a brief moment, nothing happened—long enough to feel intentional.
And in the next instant, she pushed her back lightly—but firmly—creating just enough distance to breathe.
"No need to ask who you are," she said, her tone flat, laced with mild irritation. "There aren't that many annoying brats like you."
A pause.
Then, almost imperceptibly—
Her shoulders relaxed.
Just a fraction.
"…MagicalCat."
Harriet grinned.
"ReincarnatedAsAKuma," she replied just as easily.