Harry let that thought percolate in his brain slowly as several things occurred to him, Perenelle and Nicholas both seemed content to wait for an answer from him. Finally Harry spoke. "I have a place or two I want to check for things. If I'm going to stop Voldemort, a second rise to power and the destruction that goes with it… whether or not my Voldemort is here… then I need to get close to Hogwarts. That's where events are centered this year as much, if not more than as any other year."
"Why do you think it is centered there?" Perenelle asked, her voice carefully neutral. She could see by her husband's stance that the wheels were turning in his head.
"That's where the Tri-Wizard Tournament happened. That was the first step in his resurrection plan. If a fourth name comes from the cup, we'll know that events are still on track. There is also… the possibility of one of his horcruxes being hidden there." Harry replied.
"Not to mention it's one of, if not the, most powerful magical spot in the world. How are you going to keep an eye on things there?" Nicholas interjected.
Harry frowned and tilted his head curiously, "Getting in and out shouldn't be any problem. I ought to be able to flame past the wards. I haven't yet found something that could block that method."
Perenelle laughed a bit, "Well, that's because it's not well known, and no one else has ever been able to study it. This house has wards to prevent unwelcome visitors or phoenixes from flashing in without permission. They're not up at the moment, but I developed them after the first time we encountered Herpo. Something about him just gave us a bad vibe, even before we knew just how bad he was."
Nicholas shook his head, cutting off the coming discussion, "That would be great if you wanted to just get in and out. But how are you going to keep an eye on things there that way?"
Harry frowned, "I could try and find a place to crash in Hogsmeade. Or I could hide out in the area, I know of a few caves. Worst comes to worst I could probably get by in the Forbidden Forest. I should be okay."
Nicholas was silent for several long minutes as he stared out the window lost in thought. Harry shot Perenelle a puzzled look, and Perenelle just shrugged, it was obvious her husband was working out an idea.
"What if I said, I had a better idea?" Nicholas asked, turning to face them. When Harry saw Nicholas face, he had to restrain a groan. On Nicholas's face was the sort of grin he had only seen before on the faces of Fred and George Weasley right before they pulled a big prank. Only this smile, was the smile belonging to a man about to pull a big prank. A man who had a few thousand years more experience than Fred and George. Harry found himself unaccountably nervous. "What did you have in mind?"
The grin on Nicholas face just deepened and got wider.
Both Harry and Perenelle had been wary of the look on Nicholas face. When he began to outline his plan Harry had been suspicious both to the reasons behind the plan, and as to whether or not Nicholas was entirely sane. and Perenelle had just been outright shocked.
However, somehow, Nicholas had persisted and convinced first Perenelle and after a hand full of oaths on his part and then Perenelle's part Harry hadn't so much agreed with their plan, as he agreed to accept their help, which was at the core of Nicholas' plan.
Now, after a ton of preparation, with stops that criss crossed the country, a little over a week later, here he was at King's Cross Station. Harry had watched for the past half hour over the top of a newspaper as a handful of people began to cross the barrier at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
He was wearing a simple, albeit expensive pair of slacks and a button up shirt, both in black. His hair, longer than he was used to, was in a ponytail, giving it a smoothed out look, rather than the perpetual bed head he was used to. It would even hide the faint outline of the scar on his forehead. However, it also changed his look enough that it would not immediately evoke images of James Potter in anyone that looked at him, especially without glasses, since he didn't seem to need them. His shoulder was still a little stiff. It didn't hurt any longer, and he had full functionality but Harry knew it would still be another two or three days until the muscles felt comfortable attached to the newly regrown bone.
The Flamels had sifted through some old newspapers, to show him a picture of his father, in this world. Thankfully he looked nearly identical to the handful of pictures Harry had of James from his world. Harry had to admit the resemblance was uncanny to himself as he had looked without the long hair and with the glasses.
Harry was preparing to go to Hogwarts for the first time… again. Only this time he wasn't going as Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived.
~Mini Flashback~
It had only taken one quick, and almost offhand message sent by Hedwig from Nicholas Flamel to his old partner Albus Dumbledore about the possibility of enrolling someone in Hogwarts for the upcoming year. Hedwig had taken the note to be delivered.
The Flamels had both been very shocked and then amused, as not long after they had agreed on a course of action and were getting down to discussing details, Hedwig had soared in through the window with a loud "preeecck!" and then began to berate Harry. Making her discontent known with not only a stream of hoots, but several swats from her wings and several pecks on the top of his head before finally settling in on his good shoulder with a huff; but only after repeated apologies by a protesting Harry.
Perenelle had instantly identified Hedwig as Harry's familiar. When Harry had asked how she knew that, Perenelle had explained that it was the only way she would have been able to get through the powerful wards surrounding the house. "She is a part of you, and you are a welcome guest, so the wards admitted her."
Hedwig had insisted on being the one to deliver a letter from the Flamel's the instant she had heard it was regarding her foolish master.
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