Chapter 37

The chapter was named Diagon Alley Pile Up and was the first chapter in the third book of the DP&SW novel series. The book was named Nature Red in Cloak and Dagger and it contained a prologue
== Prologue plot ==
Harry Potter as Lord Slytherin was trying to set up more fidelius locations within Hogwarts. He tried to mask all entrances towards Salazar Slytherin's chamber, but noticed he could only set up a maximum amount of fidelius locations. When leaving the castle he met Severus Snape. Severus promptly apologized for dismissing him at the beginning speech in the Slytherin dorms last year. He also thanked him for getting the Defence position, he tried to get for several years.
Severus also offered his services to him as a Gray spy, theoretically making him a spy for all three political sides, no one exactly knowing where his real alignments laid. Harry told him to first teach Defence to the best of his abilities, before he would decide what to do with the proposition. Following he went to Slytherin manor to his laboratory to read a bit in the book "Black Magical Theory", before moving out to the Grangers, who also had currently their home being built on Gairsay Island.
Harry met Daniel Granger and together they went down a long staircase until they reached an alcove with access to water. Harry asked whether they could make a commercial submarine and Daniel answered, a prototype might be working around Christmas. They also got their first Nimbus broom delivered with a workable ring and Granger wanted to check how exactly it worked under a CRT scanner. Lord Slytherin asked whether it would be possible to save their own devices from such re-engineering, but had to find the answer himself.
Emma Granger next asked how people would react to Hermione reaching her 13th birthday in September, and if a lot of people would actually try to start court-shipping her. Harry answered that she was very desirable due to a lot of positive traits and should expect a lot of offers. Last he promised that he would soon reveal his real face to both parents and went of the Greengrass Manor to a Gray meeting.
There 13 out of the 29 Gray Lords were already discussing the finalized appointment of the next headmaster and were in awe because Lord Slytherin managed to get Lucius Malfoy to announce the position in person. Parts of the discussion also deteriorated towards Harry Potter, the "insane duelist" and Lord Slytherin announced that he would present him at the upcoming Gray Winter Festival gathering to all present there.
Next to the meeting, Lily Potter was invited and had a small talk with Lord Slytherin. She wanted to have the Potion professor position and all applicators had to go through Lord Slytherin himself. He first asked her whether she would find time for it, since she used to be on Charms admission committee and taught the Light children. She rebuffed any accusations from him that she would find enough time as well as having adequate replacements. 
He next asked if she could stay unbiased while teaching, and met a backhanded reference towards Harry, to which Lily strongly rebuffed. In the end he agreed for her to become the Potion Mistress for the following school year. 
== Plot ==
=== Future planning ===
In Potter manor Harry was using his wand less magic skills to impress his parents at every opportunity whenever his parents came around, but used the time otherwise to check for the hidden Potter magic library. He needed new magic to surprise Lord Voldemort in upcoming confrontations, since he knew he now would do the same. John in the meantime hated that Harry was there and sucking up to their parents, who were very infatuated with Harry. Harry also made John look bad in front of his parents at every possible opportunity.
Harry was allowed to visit Sirius Black at any time and he used that permission extensively to get out of Potter Manor and go out to do stuff in the wizarding world. Moreover he used the fidelius location within the Black library as a room of operation alongside Alexandra Black, Hermione Granger, Daphne Greengrass and Luna Lovegood. They discussed stuff for the immediate future like bringing Draco Malfoy to the Gray, expanding the muggleborn project as well as getting the muggle guardianship to Lord Slytherin, acquiring or destroying the Diary, getting Ginny properly equipped, sealing off the Chamber of Secrets and doing the animagus project.
The girls have been discussing strength and opportunities, so that Alex would be prepared for her role to lead the Dark children. At the same time they still kept the the time traveling over Alex a secret because she didn't show the same devotion towards either Harry or Lord Slytherin. When Harry arrived he explained to Daphne alone, that he could not put the Chamber of Secrets under a fidelius and could not ward off all 14 entrances because Harry was only able to anchor seven fidelius secrets to his soul. He needed the other existing fidelius locations more than those temporary ones at Hogwarts.
He instead warded each entrance heavily in hope that no one would be able to breach it. He then was told by Daphne that Arthur Weasley wanted a meeting with Lord Slytherin and that she herself wanted some one on one time with Harry in general. He agreed to a spend her birthday weekend on October 24th with her exploring. Next Harry greeted the whole group and explained that they would not register their animagus forms, depending on how useful they were. He followed it up by announcing group training, so the witches could together handle stronger and older wizards. 
=== Diagon Alley shopping ===
Ginny has been spending her time still grounded, and some days before she was to buy her stuff for Hogwarts with her family, her father Arthur Weasley approached her. He told Ginny that the ban had been lifted and he also gave her some additional spending money for the upcoming shopping trip. Some days later at the shopping trip Daphne, Hermione, and Luna were already in Diagon Alley on a balcony from the Quibbler printing building surveying everything happening. In an offhand comment Luna mentioned that Hermione was already in their group of Harry confidants, before leaving of to meet Ginny. 
Daphne explained the inquiring Hermione that Harry would most likely start to court her on her upcoming birthday, which Hermione did not want to believe in yet. They also talked about Harry wanting to start a book explaining the life of Lord Slytherin. It was only a matter of time before Lord Slytherin's heritage would become public and they would slowly bring in more and more people in the know.
In a second hand shop Molly Weasley was out-fitting Ginny for Hogwarts robes and in the dressing room she used polyjuice with the awaiting Luna Lovegood, so she could do her Slytherin purchasings as Luna. Luna in the mean time would impersonate Ginny. Ginny as Luna went to Ollivander's to purchase a "second" wand, which incidentally had the same specifications, yew with phoenix feather core, as Lord Voldemort's. At the same time Luna as "Ginny" came into the shop and took out a stylistically identical wand from the same box as Ginny's and found immediately a perfect match for her. 
While observing everything happening on the balcony, Hermione spotted an unknown girl with the Malfoy's. That girl, Virgo Malfoy, met the now un-polyjuiced Ginny Weasley at Madam Malkin's, where Ginny explained, that a patron was sponsoring her since her family did not have the money for it. Virgo, who wanted to know who the platform was, tried a passive Legilimency probe, but Ginny rebuffed her easily due to Harry's training. Afterwards Ginny met with Luna in Flourish and Blott's and simply switched places again.
In the bookshop Lockhart was already preparing his show and important announcement. Harry and John were also there and both wanted to acquire the diary. John quickly realized what Harry wanted to do and explained him vehemently, that he should not change the timeline. While the both were arguing, Virgo overheard them, that Harry wanted to destroy the diary and John to keep it. Due to fear of being "destroyed", Virgo had formed a red and gold plan for Hogwarts.
Next Gilderoy Lockhart was announced by Lucius Malfoy as the Hogwarts headmaster for the upcoming school year. During that moment Harry also learned about Virgo Malfoy and was surprised, that they had a daughter since he was pretty sure they did not. He then had a suspicion that she might be the diary, but didn't know any ritual which could be used in such a short time notice to achieve it. He then remebered a passage in a Black Magic library book where it was stated how to do it and Narcissa Malfoy nee Black having access to perform it.
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Category:Nature Red in Cloak and Dagger