My apologies for being late. I actually wanted to update last month, but Harry got stuck in Gringotts. So if you're mad about my tardiness, blame the goblins. And Rowling's gigantic plot hole regarding how vault access is regulated. The lack of explanation really was an eyesore.
I used a little of the dialogues from the book. Obviously, these are not mine.
Enjoy!
As it turned out, Sougyo no Kotowari loved the idea of magic even more than Harry did once Hagrid had convinced them he was really speaking the truth. Which was really saying something.
Though it might have something to do with Dudley's new appendage. His Zanpakutou had never forgiven his cousin his bullying, and had vindictively approved of Hagrid's actions.
:We knew of the magical peoples,: Sougyo no Kotowari told him excitedly from within his Inner World. :Very odd Humans, they are. They can use ambient reiatsu in a really weird way, without ever gaining the ability to see spirits. As if they channel it without ever touching it. And the ways they use it are highly diverse. More diverse than Zanpakutou or kidou, though the effects are far more watered down. One of their weirdest ability is that when they die their souls can, upon the moment of their death, create something very much like an incorporeal gigai and bind themselves to it. Why or how no one knows, though we heard that Kisuke has been trying to find out after he got exiled. Something about interesting potential applications. But that you are one- This is gonna be so much fun!:
Fun. Harry smiled. Trust his twin spirits to look at it that way. Not that he didn't agree – being able to turn Dudley into the pig he was sounded great – but even more, Harry believed it would be very useful. The Dursleys hated magic – and now the shock had passed he certainly wasn't surprised that they'd kept his heritage secret; finally the remarks about freaks and normal people made sense – but maybe, if he was careful, he could use it to cheat when doing chores. There had to be household spells that he could use to lighten his workload.
And maybe he could use it threaten Dudley into leaving him alone.
Harry shared his spirits' grins. Oh, they couldn't wait!
He had never wished for daybreak as fervently as he did now. Sleep refused to come.
Luckily, Hagrid made a very good conversation topic. What on earth did he mean by gamekeeper? The image of a huge room full of games, meant to be borrowed from Hagrid by bored students, had immediately supplied itself. Sougyo no Kotowari laughed and remarked that they didn't think that was what Hagrid had meant. Harry shrugged mentally. He liked the idea regardless. Sougyo no Kotowari agreed that it sounded fun.
And once they'd decided to leave the subject of magic and Dudley's charming new tail for what it was, Hagrids enormous height sparked a discussion that entertained Harry for quite a while. It was about who was taller: Zaraki, Komamura, or Hagrid. Harry and the twins agreed that Zaraki's hair didn't count.
It was difficult to judge with Harry's own height being so different from what Juushirou remembered, but Harry had fun nonetheless. Since the Eleventh Division Captain was just a tiny bit shorter than the wolf Captain, Zaraki had almost been kicked out of the contest, until Harry reminded the twins that Zaraki might be shorter than Komamura, but the question was whether he was shorter than Hagrid. In order to decide who was taller between the three, Harry and Sougyo no Kotowari came up with the most outlandish measuring methods – one of them went like 'we know the height of a teacup, so if you watch the memories and measure in numbers of teacups stacked upon each other, you can get an estimate of the person's height' – but were in the end forced to admit defeat because they really needed to see them next to one another to make a proper judgement. By then, it was very late; Harry guessed it was about half past three in the morning, if not later.
Regardless of their lack of conclusions, Harry thought the discussion had been well worth their time, if only because some ideas had been so hilarious he'd had to bite down on Hagrid's coat to muffle his snickers. The tufts of tiny hairs in his mouth were worth it, even though it took him the better part of an hour to get them out again. He only hoped Hagrid wouldn't notice the teeth marks in the morning.
Absently Harry wondered if Sougyo no Kotowari would have been that eager to participate in the discussion had their forms been adults. From what he'd seen and heard at school, adults could be right harpies about going to sleep on time.
Harry grinned to himself. Good thing they were kids then. He thought they were a lot more fun this way.
He sobered a little. Took a deep breath, and scrapped his courage together to ask the question that had been on the tip of his tongue all night. Hey, Sougyo no Kotowari, Harry thought, directing the question towards his spirits. What do you think about what he told me about my parents? Do you think it's true?
The twins thought it over. :We're not sure about all of it, but there might be a memory here that resembles what Hagrid says happened,: one of them replied unhappily. :Some of your earliest ones feel very sad.:
:It wouldn't be very clear though,: the other added. :Memories from that age rarely are.:
Harry was quiet for a while. Do you think I should watch it? he asked hesitantly.
:It's up to you to decide whether or not you want to,: Sougyo no Kotowari replied. :Though we'd first need to find it. Once found… we don't think it would harm you to put it off for a while. It wouldn't be a happy one.:
Harry stared at the floor and bit his lip. On one hand he wanted to see. Wanted to remember his parents' final moments. But on the other hand he was scared of what he might find. What if their deaths were really painful? He didn't want his only memory of them to be about them screaming.
Then again, he might just have a good idea...
Hey, do you think there are more memories? Harry inquired. Memories from before the attack?
He could almost feel the twins sharing a look, their excitement at the idea almost palpable. :We'll look,: they promised. :We'll look while you're sleeping. And we'll also look for the sad one.: Harry could feel their sly smiles.:It may take more than one night though.:
Harry nodded agreeably, taking their hint for what it was and snuggling deeper into Hagrid's coat. Maybe he could have some memories of his parents. He really hoped he could. He had always wished he could remember them. Harry smiled, wide and anticipating, and closed his eyes in an attempt to get some rest this night.
He was asleep within seconds.
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The next day he didn't have time for any kind of memories. During breakfast and the boat trip Hagrid kept up a steady stream of conversation, and Harry had no intention to miss anything the older wizard told him, no matter how cold the water was when he splashed it in his face to wake himself up. It was all way too interesting.
Harry and his spirits soon discovered that Hagrid – who had lost his terrifying image forever the moment he blushed and fretted when he guiltily asked Harry not to tell anyone about the magic he'd used on Dudley – was friendly, chaotic, and clumsy. Harry and Sougyo no Kotowari soon decided they liked him.
Then came the public transport, and between suffering from the effects of sleep deprivation, trying to keep Hagrid from embarrassing himself, and looking his eyes out at the unfamiliar sights, Harry was too preoccupied to even think of what Sougyo no Kotowari had promised.
And then they were finally at the magic place where they would buy his stuff. Harry was so full of excited anticipation he couldn't stand still, and Sougyo no Kotowari were no better.
However, things went a little differently than he'd anticipated.
Meeting the people in the Leaky Cauldron had been oddly frightening, and Harry trailed after Hagrid towards the back of the establishment feeling distinctly nonplussed. Why were they so enthusiastic about meeting an eleven year old kid? Now if they had been a bunch of Shinigami who knew he was Juushirou's reincarnation then their reaction might have been justified, but they were not! What the hell was going on?
:It does seem suspicious,: Sougyo no Kotowari agreed.
Harry frowned. He had the feeling Hagrid had severely understated exactly how famous he was. Random people didn't go cuckoo over someone who was just a little well known. This was more what you'd expect for... for a superstar or something.
:Kinda like having multiple Sentarous and Kiyones, only without the arguing,: the twins observed, amusement spilling from them in waves.
Harry was horrified. Bloody hell, he didn't even want to think about that! He still hadn't actively accessed Juushirou's memories, but a few memories of the two eternally-bickering Third Seats had surfaced in his dreams once or twice, and those had been enough for him to decide he never wanted them to find out he was Juushirou's reincarnation. They would kill him with their enthusiasm.
Gods, what did it say about magical people if their behavior could be compared to Juushirou's Third Seats?
… Nothing complementary, that was for sure.
And they were focusing on him.
Sougyo no Kotowari giggled, utterly unsympathetic. Scowling, Harry wondered whether they had laughed at Juushirou too whenever his Third Seats had come to bother him. Harry suddenly felt a deep sympathy for his previous incarnation.
Then Hagrid tapped a few bricks, and the wall moved, and Harry was too distracted to keep dwelling on his overly enthusiastic reception.
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Diagon Alley was, in one word, Amazing. With a capital A. Harry wished he had four extra pairs of eyes so he didn't have to miss anything of the wonder that was Britain's most important magical shopping district.
There were people in weird clothes, and odd moving trinkets, and animals he'd only ever seen in pictures, and so many other things Harry had never seen, and he almost sprained his neck turning it this way and that way in an attempt to see it all. In the back of his head Sougyo no Kotowari kept up a steady stream of excited comments. Harry didn't bother to listen, too caught up in the new world around him.
It was a good thing Hagrid was so big. With how distracted Harry was, he would have lost the man in seconds if the guy hadn't stood head and shoulders above everyone else.
In the end, after a lot of staring on Harry's part and a lot of gentle ushering on Hagrid's, they reached an enormous white building.
"Gringotts, Harry!" Hagrid exclaimed, pointing out the huge building. "Best bank there is. Ye'd be mad ter try an' rob it." Had Hagrid been a less-straightforward man Harry would have thought he pointed it out in the hope to get Harry to walk faster. However, Hagrid seemed genuinely happy that Harry was taking such an interest in his surroundings, plus the man was honest to the point of putting his foot in in his mouth every time he talked, so Harry promptly binned his speculations regarding ulterior motives.
Instead, he took in the enormous bronze doors and their clearly non-human guard in with wide eyes.
"Yeah, that's a goblin," Hagrid confirmed quietly. Or as quietly as someone like him could. Deep voices always carried, and Hagrid's was no exception. The goblin was very professional and didn't offer any indication that he had heard.
At Sougyo no Kotowari's urging Harry returned the goblin's bow when they walked through the doors. The looks of surprise on both Hagrid's and the goblin's faces were not what they'd aimed for, but they were priceless nonetheless.
The twins were still giggling when they arrived in the great hall, despite the somewhat ominous message on the second set of doors and Hagrid's indirect confirmation of the warning it held. :It's not as if it applies to us,: they pointed out between their snickers, which, okay, was reason not to be concerned by the grim warning. Harry put it out of his mind. If they could ignore it, he could too.
Instead, he focused on the people, the goblins, and the riches that were casually displayed on the goblins' desks. Well, maybe the goblins had reason to put a warning against thieves on the door. Was it arrogance or confidence that made them handle gems and other valuables as if the idea that someone unscrupulous might take interest hadn't even crossed their mind?
:The latter,: Sougyo no Kotowari judged after a few moments of observation. :Their warriors are well trained, and there are probably all kinds of magical security measures in place. Though there might be some arrogance as well, or at least pride. They are showing off after all.:
Well, it sure looks impressive, Harry replied, pausing to watch a goblin examine a sparkling stone the size of an adult man's fist. Flecks of light danced across the desk and the swarthy, clever face of the creature every time the goblin moved the diamond a little.
"Come 'ere, Harry," Hagrid called, and Harry hurried to catch up with the giant man when he noticed that Hagrid was already standing at the counter.
"Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta Mr Harry Potter's safe."
Harry stared at the giant in confusion. His safe? Since when did he have a safe?
"You have his key, sir?" the goblin asked.
"Got it 'ere somewhere," said Hagrid. He promptly started emptying his pockets on to the counter, scattering a handful of moldy dog-biscuits over the goblin's book of numbers. The goblin wrinkled his nose. Harry however, was more interested in the key. If the safe was indeed his – he kinda doubted it, since he had never been here before – why would Hagrid have his key?
:Ask him,: Sougyo no Kotowari urged. :If it is indeed your key, then you have the right to know!:
:And the answer better be good,: one of them muttered darkly. Harry was a bit startled at the twins' vehemence. A mental prod from twin fingers had him return his focus to reality, just in time to see Hagrid fish a tiny golden key out of one of his pockets.
"Got it," Hagrid said, offering the key to the goblin. Harry looked at it curiously.
The goblin accepted the key and looked at it closely before handing it back. "That seems to be in order."
Harry pulled on Hagrid's sleeve. "Excuse me, but if that is my key, why do you have it?"
Both Hagrid and the goblin focused on him.
"A fair question," the goblin concurred once it became clear Hagrid wasn't going to speak. He glanced at Hagrid before continuing. Hagrid seemed temporarily unable to find his voice. Harry was sure the goblin would have rolled his eyes hadn't it been rude. "We of Gringotts had assumed you were already aware of this, but as this is clearly not the case, I will summarize the circumstances that lead to this situation. You are aware of the way your parents died?"
Harry bit his lip. "I only know that they were murdered," he mumbled.
The goblin nodded. "Apparently the one informing you has been a bit too concise then. Allow me to elaborate. The oddness of your current situation has to do with the way heritages are regulated in magical Britain, the circumstances following your parents deaths, and several concomitant events. Under ordinary conditions, magical folk keep the original copy of their will at home and leave two copies with family and friends whom they trust will take care that the will is properly executed after their death, with the names of the keepers recorded at the Ministry of Magic."
Harry blinked. There was a ministry of magic?
"However," the goblin explained, "much of your parents' house was destroyed, and no will was found at the property. Furthermore, of the people your parents entrusted their wills, evidence suggested that one was a follower of the Dark Lord, while the others were attacked by Death Eaters shortly after the death of your parents. Both copies were declared null and void due to the risk of them having been altered by unauthorized parties. As a consequence, the Wizengamot decided to entrust responsibility for your welfare and your assets to the one person whose affiliation has always been without question. Albus Dumbledore had to swear strict oaths that he would not abuse his privileges, and that upon your eleventh birthday he would turn the key and the authority regarding your assets over to you. Conform his oath, today is the day of the exchange. Since you have not been informed of the situation yet, I would advise you to review the current situation in private."
:Accept!: the twins hissed. :Who knows when you'll have the chance otherwise?:
Hagrid spoke before Harry could. "'Scuse me, but we can't. We still gotta get all his stuff," Hagrid told the goblin apologetically.
To Harry's surprise, the goblin didn't acknowledge Hagrids words, instead keeping his piercing gaze focused on him. Harry swallowed, gathered his courage, and looked pleadingly up at his escort. "Um… Hagrid? Can I please take a look? If the safe is mine then… then I need to know, now don't I?"
Hagrid sighed. But it was a sigh of acceptance, not irritation. "S'pose so. Try keep it short, 'kay? We got a lot ter do today."
"I'll try," Harry promised. "Where could I review the situation?" he asked the goblin.
The goblin nodded approvingly. "I will have someone take you to one of the account managers," he replied. "Afterwards he will take you down to your vault. Griphook!"
The goblin turned to address Hagrid. "You can wait here until your charge returns. Was there anything else you needed me for?"
Hagrid perked up. "Now yeh ask, I've also got a letter 'ere from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid importantly, throwing out his chest. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred an' thirteen."
While the goblin read the letter carefully, they were joined by another goblin. Harry assumed that the newcomer was Griphook.
"Very well," the first goblin said, handing the letter back to Hagrid. "Griphook will take you there after Mr. Potter has visited his vault." He gave Griphook his instructions.
"Follow me," Griphook requested brusquely. Harry quickly obeyed, walking behind the goblin as he was guided through one of the many doors of the great hall. Behind it was another room, only a little smaller than the one they had just left. There were about a dozen desks manned by goblins, each far enough apart from the others to give their clients the privacy they required.
Griphook swiftly approached one of the free goblins. "I need the records of Harry Potters accounts," he told his colleague. The goblin nodded and disappeared through one of the smaller doors.
Griphook turned to Harry. "Wait here," he said, gesturing at the chair in front of the desk. "Steelmark will be back shortly."
Harry nodded and sat down. "Thank you, Mr Griphook."
The goblin regarded him for a moment. If he was surprised by Harry's words he didn't show anything. He only said, "I will return once you're done," before leaving.
True to Griphook's word, the goblin Steelmark soon returned, carrying two ledgers. One was so thin that Harry was confident he could get through it in just a few minutes, but the other was hefty enough to make his eyes bulge.
:Oh, joy,: one of the twins remarked sarcastically. :Paperwork.:
Why on earth is it so large?! Harry sputtered mentally.
"The Potter accounts," Steelmark stated gruffly, depositing the ledgers on the desk with a heavy thud. "Small one is your personal vault, big one is the family vault. Your personal vault contains only money that was previously set aside for you by your parents. The family vault contains the rest of the fortune and any remaining personal assets. Your personal vault is the only one currently accessible. An annual deposit is made from the family vault to your personal vault to ensure it remains stocked."
"… Thank you," Harry said, dazed by the information. He stared at the ledgers, before picking up the smallest one. What on earth am I supposed to do with this?
:Don't worry, Harry. We'll help you,: Sougyo no Kotowari assured him.
The records his personal vault weren't very complicated. The annual deposit was clearly documented, and there really hadn't been any other activity there. The only thing they did regarding his personal vault was change the settings regarding who was allowed access. At the moment Dumbledore had the authority to grant someone access and was the one who monitored the activity of the vault. On Sougyo no Kotowari's advice Harry switched the monitoring to himself and made sure that anyone who wished access would need to have his explicit permission every single time.
Then it was the turn of the large ledger. Harry grimaced, but started reading it nonetheless. From the records it was soon clear that nothing had been removed from the family vault since a year before his parents' deaths. When he reached the list of the deposits however…
"Bloody hell!" Harry exclaimed. Immediately he slapped his hand over his mouth, guiltily checking whether or not he had disturbed someone. No one was glaring at him, though he was pretty sure Steelmark was laughing on the inside. Harry's Zanpakutou spirits certainly were.
"Something amiss?" the goblin asked.
Harry felt heat rise to his cheeks. "Sorry. It's just.. where did all this money come from?" he asked, sounding lost as he stared at the sheer number of deposits in the years directly following after his parents' deaths.
The goblin peered at the record he was looking at. "Ah, yes. Those were mostly from admirers who wished to support you after your loss. Though there is also a sum from what remained of the house of your parents. Mr. Dumbledore had us move what was left of your parents' possessions before he sold the house and the accompanying land to the Ministry. He deemed it too expensive to restore it to its former state. Justly so. Dark magic tends to do deep, long lasting damage, even to inanimate objects. The Ministry turned the house into a monument, I believe. Your parents' possessions were also deposited in the family vault. You can access it once you are of age."
"I… see," Harry replied. He just went from penniless less than an hour ago, to absolutely loaded, even though he couldn't access most of what he owned yet. It was almost impossible to wrap his mind around.
One thing was for sure: there was no way the Dursleys had known about this.
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Fortunately for his mental wellbeing, the rest of the visit was a lot less world shaking. The carts were a blast, and there was something incredibly funny in a bad sort of way about seeing someone as imposing as Hagrid shake from a simple cart ride.
"Um, can I ask you something, Hagrid?" Harry asked the trembling man while Griphook busied himself with opening the vault. Hagrid grunted something intelligible. Harry took it as permission. "What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?"
Hagrid shook his head, still looking a little green. "Can't tell yeh that," he said curtly. "Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that."
Reluctantly, Harry accepted that answer. He was distracted by the sound of the vault door swinging open. What followed made Harry cough and effectively took his mind off Hagrid's letter.
Urgh, why the smoke? Harry complained mentally, trying to wave the green fumes out of his face.
:Dramatic purposes?: Sougyo no Kotowari guessed with an inappropriate amount of good cheer. Probably because they didn't have to suffer the smoke.
Their cheerful quips died when Harry caught sight of the contents of the vault. He felt his jaw drop. His Zanpakutou spirits were similarly affected.
What in the world…?
:… That's a lot of shiny stuff,: the twins muttered as they looked at the piles and piles of gold, silver, and bronze before them.
Harry agreed with that assessment. It was one thing to see the numbers on paper. Quite another to see it in reality. And here he had thought that 'swimming in money' was just a metaphor. Considering the size of the piles, Harry probably could do just that. He turned to Hagrid and Griphook, not able to believe this really belonged to him.
Hagrid seemed to have recovered from his nausea and was smiling, amused by his reaction. "All yers," he told Harry cheerfully. Griphook just looked mildly annoyed.
It took a while, but once Harry had stopped gawking at the piles of money and had gotten an impromptu lesson on magical currency, they were off to Hagrid's mystery vault.
His curiosity spurred him on, and he made sure to be the first to look into the vault. He imagined all kind of riches, or hefty tomes of forgotten lore, but reality proved to be different. Harry would freely admit he was disappointed.
That changed when he noticed Hagrid's reaction to the tiny, paper-wrapped package.
His mental eyebrows jumped up all the way into his hairline. Why on earth is he so nervous? He was pretty sure there was nothing that the package could contain that required such secretiveness. Not if it was meant for a school.
But if it wasn't really Hogwarts business-
He blinked as realization hit. Was I just…?
He could feel Sougyo no Kotowari's bemused surprise. :… He used you as a cover.:
I wonder whose idea that was, Harry remarked. Hagrid didn't seem the type to be that sneaky.
:Well, if it really was noted as school business, it probably was someone from the school,: Sougyo no Kotowari concluded. :Probably Dumbledore, given the letter. Hagrid may be nice and friendly, but we don't think sneakiness is his forte.:
Harry nodded thoughtfully. Yeah, that sounded probable.
But if it's important enough to require a cover, what on earth can it be?
Sougyo no Kotowari perked up and immediately came up with the most outlandish suggestions. Harry had to fight to keep from laughing out loud. He supposed he didn't really care what it was as long as it wasn't something like the Hougyoku.
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The rest of the Diagon Ally trip was a lot less mysterious, but as fun as Gringotts had been shocking. The meeting with his future classmate had been somewhat odd, but Harry had put it quickly out of his mind so he wouldn't miss a second of the magical spectacle that was the Ally.
Currently Harry found himself in a dark and cluttered shop. He slowly blinked. Dozens of round, staring eyes blinked back.
"There yeh go, Harry," Hagrid said cheerfully, oblivious to Harry's bafflement. "Just pick one yeh like."
When Hagrid had said he would buy Harry an owl for his birthday, Harry hadn't really believed him. But it looked like the man was serious. Wide eyed, Harry let his eyes rove over rows upon rows of birds. There were more than thirty! Harry wandered closer, and spotted one owl near the back that immediately drew his attention. A beautiful white owl with little black flecks scattered over its head and wings.
Sougyo no Kotowari fully agreed. :Oooh,: they clamored enthusiastically. :Pick that one, pick that one!:
Why do you like that one? Harry asked them, curious, peering up at the regal bird. He gasped softly when the owl turned its head in his direction and returned his gaze with the haughty stateliness of a queen.
:It's pretty and got Juu's colors,: the twins answered, just as excited as Harry at the owl's show of interest. :Except the eyes, but that's okay.:
Harry quirked a mental eyebrow at them. Juushirou's colors?
:White with bits of black!: Sougyo no Kotowari chorused, before bursting into giggles.
Harry smiled and picked the white one.
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Mr. Ollivander, Harry had decided shortly after entering the wandmaker's shop, was creepy.
Mr. Ollivander, Sougyo no Kotowari had decided in the same moment, was funny.
Harry had rolled his eyes. He hadn't expected anything else after the man had managed to surprise Hagrid and him. That the old wandmaker was evidently unfazed by widespread destruction had just been a bonus.
"Can people have more than one wand?" Harry had asked during the long time it took him to find the right one, thinking that a spare would be handy if something ever happened to his wand. They looked awfully brittle for such an important piece of equipment.
"Very rarely, Mr. Potter, and trying to find a second would be quite inadvisable," Mr. Ollivander had replied, pausing his search for the right wand to give Harry a severe look. The kind that Aunt Petunia had used when telling him what not to do with the vacuum cleaner when she was teaching him. Don't be foolish, his Aunt's had said, and don't you dare ask again. Mr. Ollivander's look was a bit gentler, but no less serious. "The wand chooses the wizard, and seldom are they willing to share," Mr. Ollivander had explained, his tone cold with warning. "Those who try to force a bond with a second wand that does not immediately respond to them may end up unable to perform any magic with either wand at all. Only when a wand is broken or lost forever may a new one take its place."
Startled by the unexpectedly stern rebuke, Harry had apologized for the – apparently – rude question, and had instead politely inquired about the possibility of a holster to keep it safe. That had mellowed the wandmaker, who clearly appreciated such thoughtfulness towards his crafts.
Harry sighed as he followed Hagrid through the streets. His eyes were drawn to his new wand, which was safely sheathed in a simple wood-and-leather holster that was currently attached to his belt. He barely noticed Sougyo no Kotowari falling silent.
The wand chooses the wizard...
Harry couldn't help but wonder what else the wand did.
:You'll find out,: Sougyo no Kotowari murmured confidently.
Harry smiled. I know, he just wished he could do that now.
Sougyo no Kotowari laughed. :So impatient.:
Harry grinned, and then had to put their conversation on hold because Hagrid looked mildly thrown by how Harry appeared to smile and laugh at random.
"It is nothing, Hagrid," Harry reassured the giant. "I was just thinking about Hogwarts. I wish I could go right away."
Understanding flooded the large man's face. Hagrid smiled. "Aa, I know. It's a great place. Yeh just wait. Yeh'll like it there," he promised.
Harry nodded. He was sure he would.
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All things come to an end, and Harry's shopping trip with Hagrid was no exception.
Naturally, Harry had been worried about the reception he would receive at the Dursleys. But against all expectations, getting his magical stuff past the Dursleys suspicious eyes turned out to be remarkably easy. They were scared stiff that Hagrid would turn up again the moment they tried anything and therefore made no move to stop him from carrying everything upstairs, which suited Harry just fine. Harry had made preparations in case they would try to lock his belongings away, but not having to test them just yet was a relief.
It also spared him a lot of worry. If what he suspected about his wand was true, then he really wanted to keep it close.
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"So what do we name her?" Harry wondered half an hour later, after he'd been almost thrown into his room. He wanted to visit his spirits, but first things first. The owl needed a name. Which was more trouble than it should be, given that he had zero experience naming something.
He scrutinized his new companion, speaking out loud to his spirits since there was no one to hear him anyway. "The shopkeeper said she's a girl, so we can't call her Juushirou," he said, ignoring the disappointed 'awws' from his spirits.
The owl stared imperiously back. Harry wondered if she was smart enough to understand what he was saying. She got to be able to deliver mail, so she had to be quite clever. Plus, she came from a magical shop. Could you make animals smarter with magic?
"You guys got any ideas?" he asked his Zanpakutou. As old as they were they were bound to know something nice. He didn't have the slightest idea what might be a good name for a pet like her, and digging through Juushirou's memories was still not something he wanted to try. Especially not when Sougyo no Kotowari were perfectly capable of thinking of something.
:Yuugao?: one of them suggested after a second of contemplation.
:Means Moonflower,: the other added helpfully.
Harry looked at his owl speculatively. "No," he decided. "A flower sounds too… nice. Or gentle. She got huge claws and a really wicked beak. She isn't a flower."
The bird made an odd, rattling sound. Somehow it sounded like agreement. Harry blinked, taken aback. Did she just understand him?
:Gecchouseki? Sekkei? Hyouden?: one twin offered, amused by Harry's surprise but for once staying on topic.
:Moonstone? Snowy Valley? Field of Eternal Snow?: the other translated.
Then the twins grinned mischievously. :Or we could call her Sode no Shirayuki.:
Harry snorted. Hell no. No matter how nice Kuchiki Rukia seemed in Juushirou's memories, he was not naming his owl after her Zanpakutou. Who knew what her reaction would be if she ever found out?
Ignoring his Zanpakutou's moues of disappointment, Harry studied the regal bird. Their last suggestion aside, each of the names fit rather well. He thought for a moment and shrugged to himself. Might as well see if she really was as smart as she appeared to be. "What do you think girl? Sougyo no Kotowari suggested names that mean Moonstone, Snowy Valley, and Field of Eternal Snow. Which one would you like?" He paused, and then added, "Click once for the first, twice for the second, and three times for the third name. Four times if you don't like any of them."
To his surprise the owl actually seemed to think it over, before clicking her beak three times, clearly and deliberately.
He blinked, bemused and amused in equal measures. Wow. That was just- Wow. Sougyo no Kotowari agreed, awed and more than a little excited.
"Field of Eternal Snow, huh?" he finally said. He gave his owl a quizzical look. "It is pronounced as 'Hyouden'."
She made a soft sound, more a bark than the hoot he'd expected, but it sounded satisfied.
Harry huffed a laugh, shaking his head at the weird situation. "Well, Hyouden it is."
Sougyo no Kotowari cheered gleefully. And somewhere, on the edge of his hearing, Harry thought he heard a whisper of a third voice laughing.
XXX(xxxx)XXX(xxxx)XXX(xxxx)XXX
As it turned out, he didn't have to keep wondering about his wand. That night, when Harry visited his Inner World, there was another spirit waiting for him, sitting at a low table with Sougyo no Kotowari as if she had always been there.
For a long moment, all Harry could do was stare. Even the twins' greeting him with enthusiastic hugs didn't drag his eyes away.
The spirit was a girl and she looked as much as a child as Sougyo no Kotowari did. Apparently that was a trend for his spirits. Briefly Harry wondered what it said about him. A none-too-subtle poke from the twins pulled him out of his reverie. He felt himself redden. Ah, yes. Staring was bad. Yet he couldn't really help himself.
The new spirit's skin was the same shade as his Sougyo no Kotowari's, but her hair looked like red copper, glowing ruby and gold in the sunlight, part of it twisted into a knot at the back of her head before it spilled like a curtain of flames down her back. She was wearing a dark carmine kimono, an obi the color of the wood of his wand around her waist, decorated with a delicate, golden, feather-like pattern. Clusters of scarlet berries and tiny white flowers were woven through her hair and embroidered on her clothes, accentuated by gleaming, deep-green leaves. From all her features her eyes were the most startling of all, with pupil-less irises that glowed like embers from beneath her demurely lowered lashes.
Sougyo no Kotowari were talking a mile a minute to her even when they were dragging their wielder to the female spirit, much to her quiet amusement. Harry was quietly grateful. Trust the twins to break the ice just by being their normal, overly exuberant selves.
Harry hesitantly sat down and observed her for a while, trying to find something to say. She observed him in return, her intense gaze showing an equal amount of interest. In the end he decided on a simple greeting. Clearing his throat he held out his hand. "Um, hi. I'm Harry."
Her lips curved into a pleased smile as she took his hand, giving a small shake as if she didn't really know how much was required to complete the gesture. Her voice was soft, like a breeze rustling through leaves or feathers, but when he strained his ears a little he didn't have much trouble discerning the words of her greeting. "Pleasure meeting you, Harry."
Cue awkward silence. Harry shot the twins a look, but they only smiled encouragingly. He let go of her hand and ran his fingers through his hair. Holding a conversation was incredibly difficult, especially because the only meaningful conversations he'd ever had had been with Sougyo no Kotowari, and they had gotten to know each other without ever having to talk about it.
"Um, so... are you my wand?" he asked, wanting to have it confirmed just in case he was wrong.
She nodded, the gesture almost formal. "I am," she whispered."At least as much as those two," – she gestured at Sougyo no Kotowari – "are your blades. Though from what they've told me you have not manifested them yet."
Uh, no. He hadn't. Mainly because he didn't feel ready yet to face his soul's Shinigami past, but also because he had learned something about asauchi during the memory-dreams, and Sougyo no Kotowari would be stronger if they had a solid anchor outside his soul. It would make their manifestation more stable in the long run. Not to mention that it would be pretty difficult to manifest them when he was still in his body. Harry didn't mind. He was perfectly content to put manifesting his Zanpakutou off until after his death, and preferably until he was ready to enter the Academy.
"No, I haven't," Harry admitted. And then, to move the conversation away from his previous life, and because he was curious, he asked, "do you have a name?"
The spirit's smile fell, and she shook her head.
Harry bit his lip. Well, names were as good a start as any if he wanted to get to know his wand-spirit better. "Do you want one?" he offered.
Her eyes lighted up – like, literally; it was a little creepy – and she nodded, her smile returning wider than before.
Harry scratched his head. Hmm, maybe he shot himself in the foot with that offer. "Any preferences?" he inquired, because let's face it, he had no idea how to go about naming someone. Hyouden was his first time ever, and Sougyo no Kotowari did the bulk of the work for her name. And Hyouden was a pet. He reckoned that the name of his wand was even more important.
The spirit tilted her head, looking thoughtful. Then she ran a finger over some of the crimson berries on her sleeve. "Something with this color," she decided. "But not the color itself."
Harry sighed. Damn. Of course she wouldn't make it easy.
He stared at the berries for a while. "You wouldn't like the name 'Holly' now would you?" he asked rhetorically.
She gave him the deeply unimpressed look he deserved.
Yeah, okay. It was a very uninspired name. 'Phoenix' wouldn't be on the table then either.
Harry sighed again and cast an inquiring look at Sougyo no Kotowari. They were smiling in a way that immediately told him he would get no help from them. Apparently they'd decided they had already helped out enough with Hyouden. Harry wanted to scowl. He was pretty sure they had gotten the easier deal.
Gits.
A name, a name... something with red. What were the red things he could think of?
Dudley's old ball came to mind. As did Dudley's broken bike. Phone booths. The roses Uncle Vernon had once gotten for Aunt Petunia...
Hey, now there was an idea.
"Rose?" Harry suggested.
His new spirit thought that one over, but then pursed her lips. That was a no then.
"Is it okay if it's a flower?" he asked, because, hey, there were a lot more flowers that were red too. He was sure he could think of some if she didn't mind having a flower name.
She smiled at him, mild as candlelight. "If you can find the right one."
So not a yes but not a no either. Well, he could work with that.
"... Poppy?" he suggested, looking at Sougyo no Kotowari for a translation, because let's be honest; he didn't think 'Poppy' as a name suited this spirit.
"That would be Hinageshi," one of the twins supplied helpfully. Harry tilted his head in thought and decided it sounded nice. He turned to his new spirit. "Would you like to be called Hinageshi?"
The girl considered it a while, but then shook her head.
Harry ran a hand through his hair and looked outside for inspiration. And blinked.
Quickly he got to his feet, throwing a fleeting "be right back," at the spirits as he rushed through the door to the garden, where he quickly sought out a distant patch full of large, delicate clusters of bright red flowers on long, thin stalks. He picked one and returned to his spirits, offering the flower to the girl.
"I don't remember what it's called," he said. "But Sougyo no Kotowari should know. Do you like it?"
The twins cast a quick look at the flower and grinned. "It's a manjushage," one of them supplied dutifully.
"A red spider lily," the other added.
Harry's new spirit accepted the flower and studied it for a while. Whispered the name as if tasting it. Ran a finger over one of the curved petals as if judging the delicate texture.
A pleased smile curved her lips, and her eyes lighted up in delight. "Yes," she said, satisfied, and suddenly her voice was no longer just a whisper. Instead it was as clear as Sougyo no Kotowari's.
"Manjushage," she repeated, cradling the flower in her hands. "That is my name."
Harry's chest glowed with warmth, even stronger than when his wand had chosen him back in Ollivander's shop. Sougyo no Kotowari's smiles were as bright as Manjushage's, and their cheers almost rattled the shingles off the roof.
That night, three became four, and the welcoming of Manjushage in the House of his Inner World swiftly became one of Harry's most precious memories. He couldn't be more happy, and already loved being a wizard.
And another chapter finished. Finally! Coming up next: Harry goes to Hogwarts! Oh, how time flies...
So, how do you guys like Manjushage, and the idea of wand spirits? Personally, I'm already pretty fond of her.
In regards to her name, I have to admit that at first I was going to call her Shinkou (deep crimson). Looking back, I'll admit that was pretty uninspired, even though there are some interesting additional meanings.
And then I remembered the red spider lily. The bit of trivia that caught my attention: the red spider lily is a Japanese member of the Amaryllis family, and is also known as the red magic lily, the resurrection lily, and the flower of the dead, among other names. Quite fitting I think, for a spirit born from holly and phoenix feather, who belongs to a wizard who is the reincarnation of a Shinigami (and who is likely to become a Shinigami again, given that he already knows the name of his Zanpakutou).
Other things that are associated with red spider lilies is the loss of memory, and meeting someone you will never meet again. Which is also fitting, especially if you apply it to his connection to Juushirou. In a way they met, but they will never meet in person. And so are forever separated by time, which matches the Japanese story about the Manjushage.
(And yes, she would know this, at least subconsciously. She is connected to Harry's soul, including the parts he doesn't want to acknowledge. And Juushirou would have known these little bits of trivia, given how long he'd lived and had a skirt chaser as a best friend. In my opinion, spirits get their names based on the meaning their wielders/owners ascribe to it. Which is why Harry's wand spirit chose Manjushage.)
Please let me know what you thought!