The Boy Who Never Was - A Harry Potter Fanfic

The day had barely begun, and already I felt like a man with a mission. A mission to convert Galleons into British pounds, expand my library, and—most importantly—not get caught pilfering things I definitely should not be touching.

With Hermione, the Grangers, and Tracy Davis in tow, I set off toward Gringotts with a spring in my step and a mischievous glint in my eye. This time, however, we were joined by Tracy's parents, Alden and Marianne Davis, who were both eager to see what their daughter had gotten herself mixed up in.

"You look far too excited about exchanging money," Hermione remarked, giving me a side-eye.

"Ah, my dear Hermione, money is power," I said dramatically. "And power lets me buy books, which makes me even more powerful. It's an endless cycle of greatness. Also, it allows me to attract certain intellectually-inclined females—one must lure unsuspecting bookworms into their clutches with vast knowledge, after all."

Hermione, who had been nodding along up until that last bit, suddenly stopped and turned to glare at me. "Excuse me?!"

Tracy snickered, leaning in with a teasing smirk. "Oh, so that's your master plan? Collecting bookworms like trophies?"

I put a hand over my heart in mock innocence. "Tracy, please. I am a scholar, a man of learning, a connoisseur of wisdom. I simply appreciate the company of brilliant minds."

Hermione crossed her arms, face slightly pink. "You are unbelievable."

Alden Davis, listening in, chuckled. "At least he has a type."

Dan Granger chuckled. "At least he has priorities."

Marianne Davis smiled politely. "It's nice to see someone so… motivated."

"Motivated? More like obsessed," Hermione muttered.

Inside Gringotts, I made my way to the exchange counter and heaved a hefty bag of Galleons onto the counter. The goblin's eyes widened as he took in the sheer volume of coins before him, his normally impassive face betraying a flicker of shock. He gave me a long, appraising look before weighing the coins carefully, muttering something in Gobbledegook under his breath—likely something about 'young hooligans with far too much money.'

After what felt like an eternity, he finally handed over a stack of crisp British pounds, still eyeing me with suspicion. "An unusual amount for a student," he commented dryly.

"What can I say? I believe in financial independence," I said with a winning smile.

The goblin gave me a long, considering look before nodding slightly. "Ambition is an admirable trait, even in one so young. Use your wealth wisely, wizard, and perhaps one day, you will hold more than just gold."

"You are unusually prepared for this," Tracy noted, eyeing my neat stack of currency.

"Business, my dear Tracy," I said, tucking it away safely. With an exaggerated flourish, I pulled out a moleskin pouch, loosening the drawstrings just enough for the goblin to glimpse the hefty pile of Galleons inside. His sharp features twitched in shock, his eyes widening slightly as he assessed the sheer volume of wealth at my disposal.

I smirked at his expression. "One must always be prepared, after all."

The goblin, now clearly intrigued, gave a slow nod. "Ambition indeed. Few your age wield such resources so efficiently. Perhaps you were born for more than mere commerce."

I grinned. "Perhaps. But first, let us commence the Great Diagon Alley Shopping Extravaganza."

First Stop: The Potions Apothecary

As soon as we stepped inside, the scent of herbs, brewed concoctions, and something that smelled suspiciously like burnt hair hit me. Hermione immediately began listing out various ingredients she wanted to restock.

"Dittany, boomslang skin, crushed bezoars—Sky, are you even listening?"

"Oh, I'm listening," I said distractedly, my gaze locked onto the back of the shop where a brand-new cauldron gleamed under the dim light. Inside, swirling with a hypnotic golden glow, was a batch of Felix Felicis.

I nudged Tracy. "Liquid luck, my friend."

Her eyes widened. "No way. That stuff is never in stock."

"And for a good reason. They cost a fortune, and the Ministry heavily regulates them," Hermione added, folding her arms.

I nodded solemnly. "Which is why I am definitely not getting anywhere near it."

Dan peered at me. "You're behaving suspiciously well."

"Character growth," I said proudly.

Before I could enact my carefully planned "tiny bit at a time" extraction strategy, Neville Longbottom walked in, looking completely lost.

"Neville! Fancy seeing you here," I called out, waving him over.

"Oh! Hi, Sky! Hi, Hermione!" Neville looked around, scratching his head. "I need some valerian root, but I don't know where to find it."

Hermione sighed and immediately took charge, leading Neville to the correct section while lecturing about its properties. This was perfect. It allowed me to continue very slowly siphoning tiny amounts of Felix Felicis while keeping Hermione distracted with trivia and restocking my own stocks as well.

On occasion, I would discreetly store some of the more rare ingredients from behind the counter. 

Mind you, I didn't store anything too rare but maybe a pinch here and there.

Tracy side-eyed me. "Your plotting something."

I gave her an innocent smile. "I have no idea what you mean."

After having spent at least 15 minutes in the apothecary, I noticed that I wasn't storing anymore Felix Felices.

...crap. 

This is gonna look suspicious unless...

I decide to try it out.

I discreetly extracted a drop of Felix Felices onto my tongue and swallowed it.

A sweet yet slightly citrusy taste.

I started to feel extremely confident, and optimistic for some strange reason.

Something in me told me to look near the back corner of the store. 

I noticed a squat little bald man.

I don't know who he is but I did notice him put something into his coat.

No one else seemed to see him either.

At this, I confidently walked up to the lady at the front counter and whispered in a low tone.

""Madam, if you look by the cauldrons and potions, there is a squat bald man who was slipping things into his coat just a couple minutes ago. I am pretty sure I saw him by the brewing cauldrons earlier as we..."

Before I even finished my sentence, the apothecary lady's eyes snapped toward the man in question. With the speed and fury of a seasoned shopkeeper who had seen far too many thieves, she lunged over the counter and rugby tackled him to the floor. The impact sent potion vials and ingredients flying everywhere as a startled yelp escaped the now-winded thief.

"Oi! Gerroff me, woman!" the squat man wheezed, flailing helplessly.

Marianne Davis gasped. "Wait, that's—Mundungus Fletcher!"

Tracy crossed her arms. "Oh, this is gonna be good."

While the apothecary lady rained down a series of well-aimed slaps and thoroughly searched the struggling man, I felt an undeniable pull—an itch of curiosity that simply demanded I investigate the cauldron of Felix Felicis I had so carefully siphoned from earlier.

With exaggerated casualness, I strolled over, peered inside, and cleared my throat. "Erm, excuse me, ma'am? This cauldron is empty."

The entire shop froze.

The apothecary lady—already seething with righteous fury—whipped her head around so fast I was genuinely concerned she'd get whiplash. "WHAT?!"

I took a prudent step back. "There isn't a drop of Felix Felicis in here."

Mundungus, realizing he was utterly doomed, let out a pitiful whimper.

The apothecary's face turned red with rage. Without missing a beat, she grabbed the collar of his filthy robes and shook him violently. "YOU FILTHY, NO-GOOD, TWO-BIT THIEF!"

As she proceeded to strip Mundungus Fletcher down to his last layer of dignity, at least five vials of shimmering Felix Felicis fell out of his pockets and into the light.

Hermione looked dead center at me with a suspicious expression.

Tracy was doubled over laughing.

Dan Granger, ever the composed dentist with what looks to be a beef stick in his hands, nodded while chewing his jerky approvingly. "That woman knows how to handle a thief."

I didn't dare store any of the dropped vials.

Everyone clearly saw 5 vials drop.

By the time the aurors arrived, I felt the brief luck from a single drop wear off and Mundungus Fletcher was whimpering in the corner stripped of everything on him including what may have been the last scraps of his dignity. 

I just sat watching everything.

The Front lady looking still pissed beyond reason while the aurors questioned everyone.

I just gave prompt answers after everyone inside was quickly searched.

Way more that 5 vials of Felix Felices was missing and now they were suspecting that a majority of the theft occured before Mundungus was even involved.

We were not suspected at all as we had acted as a group this whole time and no one was anywhere near the Felix Felices potion to begin with.

The store owner thanked me profusely for saving those 5 precious vials.

I suggested to her, instead of leaving the cauldron out this time, she chose to store the cauldron away and place the 5 vials in a stasis charm and leave it behind the counter to prevent thefts like today.

She saw the practicality in that and agreed.

No idea why they just left potions out anyways.

meh, at least I got a lot of luck potions now.

Fred and George are going to go nuts.

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Next stop was the bookstore. I decided to do Hermione a favor and told her she had ten minutes to pick out thirty books of her liking to add to my personal library, where she could read them at any time.

The look in her eyes was nothing short of terrifying. It was like I had just given a professional athlete the opportunity to break a world record, and Hermione Granger did not disappoint.

Before I could even blink, she was off, moving with the speed of a Seeker, darting between bookshelves like a woman possessed. Tracy, watching this unfold, raised an eyebrow.

"I think you just activated her fight-or-flight response, and she chose fight."

Dan and Emma Granger stood frozen, their expressions torn between exasperation and exhaustion. "I haven't seen her this determined since exam season," Emma whispered.

Marianne Davis chuckled. "She's in her element. This must be her natural habitat."

Ten minutes turned into fifteen—and then, suddenly, Hermione returned, staggering under the weight of not thirty books, but a full stack of one hundred books.

I blinked. "I... said thirty."

She plopped the massive pile down in front of me, her expression daring me to challenge her. "I'm negotiating."

Really, this feels like a threat.

Dan looked at me with a newfound sense of respect. "Son, if you back down now, she'll never let you live it down."

Emma put a hand on my shoulder. "You can be a hero today."

Tracy snorted. "Your funeral."

With a dramatic sigh and a look of deep, personal sacrifice, I turned to the cashier and said, "I'll take all one hundred books."

The Grangers collectively gasped as if I had parted the Red Sea.

"Oh my God," Emma whispered. "We're actually leaving a bookstore quickly for once."

Dan wiped a tear from his eye. "Bless this boy."

Tracy patted my back. "Rest in peace, Sky. You died doing something stupidly generous."

Hermione, still balancing three more books in her arms, beamed. "You won't regret this!"

I already did. But at least I had secured my title as Granger Family Savior.

"Just so you know, I am not buying you any more books till you finish reading everything in my library at least twice." I sincerely hope I have enough books to tie her down for a long while.

As rich as I am now, I don't think my wallet can take this kind of beating consistently.