Harry had told her about him detecting a diary as a very dark and dangerous object in the school, that he made a small trap to find the purpose of whoever it possessed, and that he thought that Lockhart might have been involved because of his sudden change in personality, but that he was wrong. He told her about his game of shadows with the Heir, of losing his encounters with the heir until he got desperate and successfully figured out that Luna was the one being possessed. That they had fought, and he had won, setting his enemy back a few months, but that the heir had hidden the diary, that the attacks would continue again. He told her that he figured out what the monster was quickly enough but that it was Longbottom using Parselmouth that cemented that clue. He confessed to creating goggles that should protect against the Basilisk's glare, but that he hadn't tested it. All this time, the Greengrass scion had remained supportive and impassive, that was until he told her that the heir of Slytherin was Tom Riddle, a sixteen year old version of Lord Voldemort.
Yeah, the girl had freaked out there. The Dark Lord really made himself into a figure of fear in this country. It was merited, of course, since the man was a psychopath who wanted nothing more than to see the world burn and rule over the ashes. The monster was unpredictable, and unstable, and could honestly wipe out an entire family line on a whim.
But his damage paled in front of what Grindelwald had done. Voldemort had terrified a nation, but Grindelwald had divided the entire magical world on an issue that they didn't even know they had. When Grindelwald walked a battlefield, all that remained was ash and death. The duels between Dumbledore and Voldemort were short, which made sense considering the guerilla attacks that the heir of Slytherin assigned. Lord Voldemort attacked people in their homes, and overwhelmed them quickly, before getting away and leaving only his cursed Dark Mark. However, Grindelwald, the real Dark Lord, just faced entire legions of opponents head on and came out the victor without issues. In the battles between him and Dumbledore, no one got involved, because that would spell certain deaths. Voldemort thrived on fear, which was so engrained in everyone's mind that it passed down to the next generation. He was the boogeyman who could attack at any time for any reason, while Grindelwald thrived on his ideology of creating a new world for the greater good.
So, the bottom line was, the moment Harry told her that he was fighting a younger version of Lord Voldemort, the girl started trembling in fear, with tears in her eyes, as if Harry was fighting to his doom. Honestly, Tom Riddle wasn't that big of a deal compared to the fucking Basilisk. It was funny how the idea of fighting a weapon of mass destruction was more appealing to Daphne than just duelling a teenager with prodigal magical talent.
It took the girl a few days to calm down before she finally decided to go back to Harry and speak about their plans forwards. At this time, Harry started to build a new pair of goggles for Daphne. If she was going to get involved with the mess concerning the Basilisk, then it was only right that she be protected adequately.
Of course, when the Greengrass scion realized that Harry couldn't do anything about the issue until Riddle resurfaced and the attacks started again, she almost had another breakdown. Of course, Harry didn't tell her about the Colt. He wasn't going to tell anyone about the weapon. It was his ace, and he wasn't going to risk someone stealing it or try to use it for a useless reason. The Colt was insurance if things went to shit, and Harry wouldn't use a bullet unless he was forced to do it, because he felt deep down that he was never going to replicate this feat again. He couldn't explain it, only that he could feel deep down that making more bullets or another gun would be out of his hands.
This brought them to the current situation, where they were both in a classroom on the third floor. The Greengrass scion gave him a wary look, "Are you sure about this?"
Harry rolled his eyes, "Of course, I am. I'm just sneaking out of the castle and meeting someone at Hogsmeade. The Weasley Twins do it all the time."
"Fine, but don't come to me and whine when you get caught. I don't think that Snape would be understanding if your only justification is that you 'had business in Hogsmeade'."
"But that's the truth! He should be appreciative of my ambition, not try to stifle it" Harry protested with a teasing smile on his face.
"Dork," Daphne muttered back.
The Potter scion snorted and put on his invisibility cloak, "Wish me luck!"
He turned and left towards the statute of the one-eyes witch, tapping it with his wand while muttering, "Dissendium!"
The statue creaked to the side, revealing a narrow passage, and he slipped inside. The tunnel was dank and musty, and the air was thick with an earthy aroma. Torches lined the uneven walls, casting flickering shadows that seemed to come to life with every step Harry took. Cobwebs brushed against his face, remnants of the many years that the passage had gone unnoticed, but there were obvious signs of someone having cut up a path forward, it was probably the Weasley twins.
The tunnel twisted and turned, leading him deeper beneath the castle. He walked for what felt like hours but after a quick 'Tempus' he realized was just thirty minutes. The passage began to rise. Panting, Harry sped up to find himself at the foot of some worn stone steps, which rose out of sight above him. Careful not to make any noise, Harry began to climb.
He really needed to exercise more.
Finally, the stairs seemed to end, revealing a trapdoor above the Potter scion, which he opened very slowly. He found himself in a cellar, which was full of wooden crates and boxes. Harry climbed out of the trapdoor and crept slowly toward the wooden staircase that led upstairs.
He had never been to Honeydukes, but it smelled wonderful. Still, he had a meeting to get into. Harry exited the cellar, emerging onto the familiar cobbled streets of Hogsmeade. The village was quiet, the buildings bathed in the silver light of the moon.
The Potter scion walked towards the location of the Three Broomsticks. This was technically his first time in the village, and it was a shame that he was coming here for Business and not pleasure.
The bell above the pub's door jingled softly as Harry stepped inside, greeted by the cosy atmosphere, the chatter of patrons, and the crackling fire. Harry slowly surveilled the room and found his target. It was a somewhat young man, probably in his late twenties. He looked unassuming from afar, with his brown hair and brown eyes.
Harry slowly walked forward and sat at his table. The man protested, "I'm sorry, but I'm waiting for someone."
"Yes, I know. I'm the one you're waiting for, Mr. Smythe. My name is Harry Potter, and I'm the potential investor in your company."
"You? But you're so young." The man protested.
"Yes, I am. But gold is gold, and we wouldn't be breaking any laws. Now, I don't believe in idle chatter, so let's get right to business. Tell me why I should invest in your broom. Tell me why I should invest in your Firebolt."
.....
Want to read ahead by more than 60 chapters. Then join my p@treon Right Now.
Link: p*atreon.com/BookReaderBoy (Remove the *)
Also Free members get 2 advanced chapters for Free as well.