Insights from Hedwig

"Yes and no. Most animals do not understand speech. Since owls spend so much time with humans, we often pick up human speech. Other animals you can communicate with in a way, by sending feelings or images. You can send calming feelings and images to an animal that is frightened if you wish to calm it down to show it that you mean no harm, for instance. Phoenixes are the only magical creatures that have their own language. We cannot understand their speech," Hedwig dutifully explained.

While Harry would have loved to be able to talk to Fawkes, this new information was still incredible and opened up many possibilities for Harry. "I wonder if I can learn to mind speak in my human form," Harry mused.

"I do not know, human Harry. I have never heard of a human who could communicate with us before even in animal form, let alone human form."

"Well, it's worth a shot at least," Harry decided. "But anyway, I should get back to my training. It was nice talking to you, Hedwig."

"It was nice to be able to speak with you too, human Harry" Hedwig replied.

Harry reverted back to human form and affectionately stroked Hedwig's feathers. She gave him an appreciative hoot in reply. Harry then turned his attention to his studies.

.....

"Do you know of any spells I could use to change my appearance?" Harry asked his godfather.

"Why do you ask?" Sirius questioned suspiciously.

"Well now that I have long distance apparation worked out, I thought it was time for me to take a trip to Diagon Alley. If I don't get some new books to study at the very least, then I'll never get anything accomplished this summer. I can't just keep re-reading all my old text books."

"Ok, I get your point. There isn't much you can do apart from the simple glamour charms most witches use to do their makeup. They work the same way muggle makeup does in covering up the surface instead of actually changing your appearance. There are charms to color your hair and some that can grow your hair temporarily as well. There isn't much beyond that you can do to change your appearance which is why a metamorphmagus like Tonks is so valuable.

"Well I can't walk around in broad daylight looking like my usual self without drawing a crowd," Harry replied.

"I agree. I think I remember the hair charms well enough. You'll want to wear a hat or something to cover up your scar. If we could get you out of those glasses as well, that might be enough for you to wander around unnoticed."

"Unless you've got a spell to fix my eyesight as well, I'll be keeping the glasses, thank you," Harry retorted.

"Have you ever heard of contact lenses?" Sirius asked.

"Of course, muggles use them in place of glasses. They go right into your eyes… oh. How do you propose I get some? I don't know of any muggle eye doctors in the area."

"There is a place in Diagon Alley you can go. If you go early enough you should be able to get the lenses before the streets become too crowded."

"Ok, so how about those hair charms?"

.....

Harry woke up with the sun the next morning. He didn't want to mess up his routine, so he went for his usual jog and workout extra early this morning. After he was finished, he showered and dressed. He performed the charms to lengthen his hair to about his shoulders and to color it a dark blond. Then he transfigured a tissue into a bandana which he wore on his head to hide his scar from view.

Harry took a good look at himself in the mirror. His face was the same, but looked so much different with his hair changed the way it was. The only telltale sign that he was still Harry Potter were his wire-framed glasses and the green eyes behind them.

Satisfied with his appearance, he apparated into Diagon Alley just outside of the Leaky Cauldron. His first stop was to be Gringotts, the wizarding bank, because he only had a couple galleons left on himself. He walked quickly through the streets and up to the large, white building. As usual, there was a goblin sentry standing at the doors. Harry gave the goblin a polite nod as he entered the building. There were several available goblin tellers, so Harry chose the closest one and walked up. "Potter vault please," Harry requested, already handing over his key.

"This is not the key to the Potter vault," the goblin stated in a no-nonsense tone of voice, clearly feeling that his time was being wasted.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked incredulously. "I've used it to get to my vault before. Griphook took me down."

The goblin looked up sharply, but his features were indistinguishable. "This is the key to the trust vault of Harry James Potter. It is not the key to the Potter family vault as you had requested."

Harry was dumbfounded. "Potter family vault? I thought my vault was my parent's vault. Can you tell me who controls the Potter vault now?" Harry questioned, wondering if it was possible that he still had some family left.

"The Potter family vault is currently in the control of Albus Dumbledore until Harry Potter, the only remaining Potter heir, comes of age," the goblin explained.

"So you're saying that I can't get access to the vault until I turn 17?" Harry asked to make sure he understood everything correctly.

"I said you could not access the vault until you come of age. You wizards may consider 17 to be your coming of age, but we goblins consider it to be 15. After the heir turns 15, the executor is required to relinquish control of the account to the heir."

"But I turned 15 last summer, and I was never given control of the family vault," Harry retorted indignantly.

"Did you ever ask Mr. Dumbledore to hand over control to you?" the goblin asked impatiently.

"I didn't even know the vault existed before today, so how was I supposed to know I had to ask for control over it?" Harry asked, annoyed.

....

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