The journey in the Gringotts cart back to the main hall felt quieter after seeing the scale of his wealth. The click-clack on the tracks, the cold air, all secondary to the knowledge buzzing in his brain, confirmed by his System. Vast fortune. An account linked to his name. Parents mentioned alongside an "unprecedented event." Goblin recognition bordering on awe or suspicion. And a new directive: Acquire External Historical Data on User Name.
They disembarked. Griphook gave him a clean, plain pouch that felt weighted despite containing nothing visible, explaining it would expand to hold whatever gold he wished to carry. "A simple convenience, Mr. Potter. A standard account amenity." He said the last with a pointed look, reinforcing Harry's sense of being unexpectedly significant.
He rejoined Mistress Vance, who had clearly handled logistical aspects – she held a small, updated list alongside her badge. "Ready, Harry?" she asked kindly, handing him the expandable pouch. "My, you were down there a while. Everything sorted? Access wasn't difficult, I trust?"
"Yes, thank you, Mistress Vance. It was... impressive," Harry replied, choosing his words carefully, using his high [CHA 20] to project quiet capability rather than overwhelmed shock. He accepted the pouch. It immediately connected to his Inventory: [Inventory: Expandable Gringotts Pouch (Tier 1)]. System prompt: Use [Observe] + [Subtle Item Manipulation] with intent to transfer Currency from [Potter Vaults (Primary)] to [Inventory]. He tested it mentally; focus on the Vault access memory + intent "withdraw 100 Galleons." The System initiated a quiet confirmation dialogue he completed internally. A soft thunk soundlessly occurred within the pouch, and his System log updated: [Inventory: Expandable Gringotts Pouch - Contents: 100 Galleons.] Success. Money acquisition fully functional via remote link, incredible.
"Good. Now," Mistress Vance consulted her list, "most Muggle-borns, and those out of loop, start with robes. It's generally the easiest place. Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Straight down the street." She pointed further into the bustling alley.
"Okay, Mistress Vance," Harry said, keeping his gaze fixed on the street ahead, but subtly activating his [Situational Awareness Lv. 7] and [Observe Lv. 6], expanding his processing parameters. Not just scanning for threats or environmental data, but specifically scanning for references to "Harry Potter," his scar, or general historical 'events' that might be linked to a young wizard boy. The System prompt was his active directive.
As they walked, his enhanced senses began filtering the overload of visual and auditory data specifically for this objective. Banners over shops? Posters on walls? Book covers? Conversations? He wasn't just seeing a magical world; he was actively searching for the anomalies related to him within it.
Most visual stimuli were ordinary Diagon Alley fare. But then, on a large poster pinned to a notice board, partly obscured by others, he caught it. Not his name directly, but an image. A stylized drawing of a small wizard boy, fighting a dark shadow. His [Observe Lv. 6] locked on it.
🖼️ [ITEM: Poster - Visual Media (Magical World Provenance).]
Description: Propaganda/Informational Poster. Image depicting combat scene. Key Elements: Depicted combatant (Stylized Human Child), Antagonist (Represented Darkness/Shadow). Notable Graphic Element: Zigzag line clearly depicted on Child character's forehead.
Analysis: Imagery aligns with potential symbolic representation of struggle against hostile force. Graphical anomaly (Zigzag Line on forehead) matches Unique User Identification Marker [Scar: Forehead].
Likely Relevance to Primary Quest [User Fame Context / Historical Significance] Status Update: HIGHLY PROBABLE LINK. Requires Confirmation via Explicit Data Source.
A drawing of a child with a zigzag scar. Like his. His hand instinctively rose to his forehead beneath his hair. He'd always known it was unusual, the System had profiled it early on ([Scar: Forehead. Condition: Anomalous - Tissue Unlikely to Form Naturally]).
They passed a bookshelf outside a shop. [Observe Lv. 6] did a quick scan. Row after row of colorful books. Titles like Break with a Banshee, Gadding with Ghouls. Then one with a large, dark, imposing cover.
📚 [ITEM: Book - Literary Media (Magical World Provenance).]
Title: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE DARK ARTS. Author: Unknown.
Content Analysis (Superficial): Appears to cover historical conflicts and magical figures.
Hypothesis Generation: Potential source for External Historical Data on [User Fame Context / Historical Significance]. Link to potential "Unprecedented Event"?
Acquisition Status: Obtainable via Commerce [Requires Magical Currency]. Relevance: CRITICAL for Primary Quest Step 4 Sub-objective: Identify User Fame Context.
A history book. Mentioning Dark Arts. His [INT 22] and [WIS 21] immediately processed the significance. Conflicts. Historical figures. Dark Arts linked to the unprecedented event the Goblin mentioned? He had to see inside it. He made a mental note: Bookshop = acquire info.
Mistress Vance stopped outside a prominent shop with a sign saying "Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions". "Here we are," she smiled, holding the door open.
The inside was lined with mirrors. Witches stood on stools having their robes adjusted by silent assistants in black robes. A stout witch in mauve, Madam Malkin ([Observe]: Person - Shop Proprietor. Alignment: Neutral/Commercial. Threat Level: Very Low), came forward.
"Hogwarts, dears? Got the lot right here – another young man being fitted up now." She led Harry to the back where a pale, pointy-faced boy was standing on a stool. Harry stepped onto the stool next to him. Madam Malkin's assistants began fitting their robes simultaneously.
Harry's attention wasn't just on the scratchy material or the measurements. His [Situational Awareness Lv. 7] processed the conversations around him. A group of older students giggling about Quidditch. An assistant muttering about sleeve length. And the boy on the stool next to him.
The pointy-faced boy glanced at Harry, seeming to sum him up with a single look. "Hogwarts?" he asked, his voice a lazy drawl.
"Yes," Harry replied.
"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," the boy said. "Then I'm going to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into buying me one and sneak it in somehow." His dialogue and arrogant tone immediately prompted a System sub-categorization: [ENTITY: Primary School Peer (Magic). Alignment: Potential Antagonist (Social/Hierarchical)]. [Persona: Arrogant, Rule-disregarding, Privileged]. Threat Level: Social - Low. Physical - Very Low.
"Have you got your own broom?" the boy asked, looking Harry up and down.
Harry suppressed a System note about potential bullying targets (low STR/physical intimidation, higher success chances on non-System kids?) and simply said, "No."
"Play Quidditch at all?"
"No," Harry repeated.
"I do," the boy said, looking smug. "Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked for House Captain. And I must say, I agree. Know what House you'll be in yet?"
"No," said Harry, his Awareness noting Madam Malkin pinning the hem of his robe. The boy seemed focused purely on himself and this Quidditch business. An opening to ask about the broader magical world, specifically related to history or 'events', within a non-threatening dialogue, perhaps leading to information relevant to his fame? A delicate social interaction, using his boosted [CHA 20], guided by [INT 22]/[WIS 21] for opportune questions, without revealing System knowledge or non-standard background.
"No one really knows until they get there, do they?" Harry prompted, testing the conversational waters. "Lots of history, I expect. Big events..."
The boy paused, seeming slightly derailed from his script, but easily righted himself. "Of course, big events. Everyone knows the really big ones. Wouldn't want to be in Hufflepuff, would you? Imagine." He shuddered. "And yes, lots of history. The biggest, of course, the one everyone still talks about, even if it happened years ago... my father says the Ministry's never been the same." He leaned closer conspiratorially. "Everyone knows who stopped You-Know-Who, don't they? Imagine surviving that. Absolute history. Pity no one knows exactly how it happened." He looked Harry up and down again, this time with a touch more curious appraisal. "You'd think they'd have books about it everywhere. Even if no one saw... You know, a living legend. The Boy Who Lived."
🔔 [Information Acquired via Peer Dialogue - Content: Direct Mention of Key Phrase 'The Boy Who Lived' associated with act of 'Surviving You-Know-Who'. Confirmation of Historical Event and User's Probable Association.]
[System cross-referencing with [Gringotts Data - Historical Event/Potter Account Transaction]. Correlation Match: HIGH.]
[System Processing Data: [User Identity: Fame Context] - HYPOTHESIS Confirmed! User Name is Publicly Known & Associated with Major Historical Magical Event via Survival.]
The Boy Who Lived. The words hung in the air, plain and simple. Utterly bizarre. He lived. Survived. An event everyone knew. History books, the boy said. History books... like the one outside the shop with the Dark Arts title. You-Know-Who. The symbol of a scar on a picture. And him. The pieces connected with blinding clarity, confirming the System's hypothesis, solidifying the vague data points into an incredible, impossible truth about himself.
The assistant finished Harry's robe pinning. "Right, dear. If you'll just step off the stool."
Harry stepped down, the world tilted slightly even on solid ground. He, Harry Potter, was the Boy Who Lived. The one the Goblins knew about, whose parents had an account linked to an event, whose face was in pictures, whose scar was a known symbol, who everyone still talked about surviving something called "You-Know-Who". All the fragmented data from his life with the Dursleys, the anomaly detections, the Gringotts interaction, the public posters, this conversation - the System integrated it all into a core truth. His fame.
The arrogant boy continued talking about getting his own owl. Harry only half-listened, his mind reeling, System logs updating his identity profile, preparing to reorganize data and prioritize new objectives related to this monumental truth. He needed information. Historical Data. That book. This explained everything and nothing all at once. The next stop on his quest was no longer just about supplies and money. It was about discovering his own history. The grinding was far from over. It had just gained a whole new layer of meaning and complexity.