Harry Potter was staring out of his dorm window out over the Great Lake trying to make sense of his life. Dumbledore was dead and he was now responsible for finding the remaining horcruxes and then he had kill Voldemort. He didn't know what he needed to do, but he knew that he needed to speak to someone. Normally, Hermione would have been his choice, but he didn't know if he could trust her anymore the way he used to. That left only one other person. He picked up the map and his cloak and made his way out of the Gryffindor tower towards the classroom he knew she would be in. He knocked on the door and waited for the shaky permission to enter. He walked in and saw an unfamiliar sight: Minerva McGonagall was crying, she had puffy red eyes and tear stains down her cheeks. He felt awkward seeing her so broken and fragile, noticing he had her attention, he started to speak. He explained of Dumbledore's plan to hunt down the horcruxes, he told her of the prophecy, he mentioned his inability to trust his best friends and is plan to leave school to finish what Dumbledore had started. Cradling her cup of tea, Professor McGonagall replied.
'Harry, the first thing you must understand is that we are not sure if Hogwarts is going to re-open next year. Hogwarts, according to the Minister, will open for sure if you come back and accept the Head Boy position. That badge would have been yours anyway as should have the prefect's position, but anyway. I would lie it if you came back for a number of reasons, but the main reason is that you could use the Library's forbidden section freely and I would give you total freedom of movements as long as I have a note saying where you have gone.'
'I know this sounds like I am pandering to your whims and I most likely am, but I believe in you and I trust you. You have never ever broken the rules for a selfish reason; it was always to help someone. So please accept this and I'll help as much as you need. Also, I think you should bring Remus and Tonks in for this as Remus has a Dark Arts Mastery and Tonks is actually an unspeakable. Tonks can use her resources to find a way to destroy the horcruxes, while Remus can help research locations as well as potential items used. He has the added benefit of being completely au fait with the muggle world so he can also look up stuff that way.'
Harry sat back and thought about it. It made sense, it all made sense and that scared him. The more he thought about it, though, the more it seemed it was the best solution. It was a plan and he needed a plan. He also needed to fund these resources.
'You are absolutely right Professor. I accept all of this is necessary and I will be back next year. Also, can you get someone to accompany me to Diagon Alley, I need to go to Gringotts. I have to find out what resources I have as well as needing to know exactly what money I have.'
After a brief discussion, Harry waited whilst Minerva (as he should now call her) firecalled someone. Scant moments later, Remus stepped out of the floo and hugged Harry. Harry explained he needed to get to Gringotts to sort out finances as well as finding somewhere to live for the summer after his birthday.
Harry and Remus made their way to the first available teller, fortunately, it was a goblin that Harry recognised.
'Hello Mr Griphook, I was wondering if you could help me with finding out about what assets I won as well as what my inheritances are.'
The goblin looked a bit shocked but responded quickly.
'Of course Mr Potter, if you would like to follow me, I will lead to Ragnok, who can help you.'
Remus' eyes went wide when he heard Ragnok's name, but said nothing as they made their way to the back of the hall towards an ornate door. Griphook knocked on the door and waited for the sign to enter. Harry and Remus entered a large room with a big desk and what could only be described as a royal goblin sitting behind. He was the same size as all the others, however, the aura of the goblin was different and he wore a thick and intricate chain around his neck. He came round the desk and made his way towards the humans. Harry moved forward and held his hand out to greet him. This made Ragnok pause in is step very briefly before he took the hand and shook it.
'Mr Potter, it is an honour for this long overdue visit. Please sit down.'
'Erm.. what do you mean overdue, Mr Ragnok? And please, just call me Harry.'
As Harry and Remus sat, Ragnok picked up a telephone receiver and gave some instructions in goblin-tongue. He then replaced the receiver and steepled his fingers under his chin and explained.
'Mr Pot… Harry, being the heir to the Potter family, you were eligible for emancipation when you turned 14, and last year, the will and testament of Mr Black also allowed for this emancipation. And please, allow me the same courtesy, it's just Ragnok.'
'I… I knew nothing of this, I've never received anything about emancipation or anything at all from Gringotts as it happens. I'd love to be emancipated, but there are things I must first discuss. I need to know the state of my finances, I also need to add some people to my account, I need a way to access money in the muggle world and finally, I need to find somewhere to live. Once all that is done, then I will emancipate myself.'
'Very well, Harry. All the information will be here in ten minutes, but first let me tell you that with the combined fortunes of the Potter and Black families, you are Gringotts' largest depositor. You also have around ten properties to choose from all around the world and we can easily provide cash and credit cards for the muggle world.'
'Thanks Ragnok, there is another issue I wish to discuss with you: Voldemort. Where do you stand on this?'
'Straight to the point; we know of the promises he makes to the other magical beings, but we do not trust him. Furthermore, he is bad for the economy. The reason we have become so wealthy as well as the Potters, is that we include the muggle world in our transactions, but the purebloods don't. They limit themselves purely to the magical world. It works well enough but they lack to the foresight to explore the potential of the stock markets around the world. Why do you ask?'
'I need help to get rid of him. It has been prophesised that only I can defeat him, but there are some obstacles to this: Horcruxes. By your faces, Ragnok and Remus, I see that you both know what they are. Two have been destroyed, which means that another 5 are missing. I need those destroyed before I can kill him for good this time.'
Remus sat back, his mind spinning with the knowledge that Voldemort had done all this, but also that Harry was the only one who could kill him. Ragnok, on the other hand, was looking at Harry with something akin to respect. Here was the chosen one asking goblins to help kill Voldemort.
'Harry, you must excuse my surprise; it is not often that a wizard asks a goblin for help. In answer to your question, we know what horcruxes are and we will help you. I'm not sure what the ministry will say to this, but…'
'Let me handle the ministry, they want to get in my good books, so I'll take care of them. I had been planning on asking Remus to help research locations and items used for the horcruxes and he knows the muggle world as well as the magical world. I trust him and I trust you. I trust you to take of my finances and you have never stolen from me, so why can't I trust you with this?'
'I'll be going back to Hogwarts next year as Head Boy, I will have the freedom to come and go as much as I need to take care of these horcruxes, I would like to take care of each one personally. I've seen the damage they can do and I don't want anyone to get hurt doing it.'
A knock interrupted the conversation and Griphook entered with a couple of folders and put them on the desk and left the office again. Ragnok looked at the folder and a frown came over his face. He picked up the receiver again and barked some instructions, then hung up.
'Harry, there is a letter on the front of the folder from your parents asking that a family test be taken for you. It appears that your mother was not related to her sister at all. She was adopted, she believes she comes from a magical family, but she doesn't know which one. We can do this test by taking a few drops of blood and our procedure will take five minutes to ascertain which family she came from.'
'By all means go ahead.'
A female goblin entered the room and made her way to Harry, she pricked his finger and dropped the blood in a runic basin. She then left.
'This basin will print off a sheet of paper with the family names you are related to and whether or not you are a direct heir.'
The next five minutes were spent muddling their way through the finances of the Potter and Black families. It was decided that all the properties would be put under the goblin version of the Fidelius Charm with Remus as the secret-keeper. The goblin version could be broken by humans so it was completely impenetrable. The Potter finances were very simple, but the Black family was a bit more complicated. Harry simplified it by asking to combine all the Black vaults into one, which would be scoured for dark artefacts by a goblin team of curse-breakers. The upside of combining everything is that it emptied the vaults belonging to Bellatrix and Narcissa. Harry added Remus, Tonks and Minerva as names of people who could access the vaults. Ragnok explained that a simple written agreement from Harry would allow the same privilege. Harry quickly obliged. Ragnok went over to the basin and picked up the list and promptly went pale. He handed it over to Harry who also went pale while Remus just whistled.
'Well pup, through James, you are the direct heir of Gryffindor and through Lily, you are related to the Flamels. Not bad at all. It also seems that magic has accepted you as being the heir of Slytherin.'
Suddenly, Harry started laughing hysterically and Remus recognised what was happening. James did the same thing and requested a calming draught be brought to him. Once Harry took it, he calmed down and stopped laughing.
'Thanks Remus, I needed that. Sorry Ragnok, just emotions overwhelmed me. Well, I know the Flamels are dead, so…'
'Harry, Nicholas and Perenelle are alive and well. Dumbledore never destroyed the stone and gave it back to them conceding that now that everyone thought it was destroyed, no-one would bother them. Would you like to meet them?'
Harry was numb, he could only nod. He felt a hand settle on his shoulder and turned to see Remus looking at him with tears in his eyes.
'Well Pup, you get to meet your family at last.'
Harry could only nod and buried his face in Remus' chest while muttering about him being family through love if not blood. This made the tears Remus had been holding fall finally. This was the scene that greeted the Flamels as they walked through the door; Harry look up and gasped seeing identical green eyes looking back at him, he reached towards them with one arm. That's all it took for Perenelle to come running towards him and engulf in a hug. This was a hug of love and pent-up emotion, it felt the same, physically, as Molly's, but the difference was that this hug was for a child who needed a family's love and was finally receiving it. Harry felt another pair of arms encircle him from behind and recognised a man's embrace.
Slowly, more tears came to his eyes and he could no longer hold them in. the dam broke and large sobs from deep within Harry's tortured soul came out echoing around the room. Ragnok was moved by this reunion, he knew how hard the Flamels had taken the kidnapping of their daughter and this was maybe the way to heal their wounds. Remus was happy for Harry, he knew James, Lily and Sirius would be looking down on this and would smiling through their tears to see their favourite person in the world start to heal.
Eventually, they all pulled apart and Ragnok waved away any apologies for the emotions. Remus was introduced to his grandparents. Grandparents!! Harry could hardly believe, here he was with his grandparents and pseudo-uncle. He was sure this memory could fuel a dozen patroni. Reus cleared his throat and got everyone's attention.
'I just realised that as Harry never received his emancipation, he must still have some blocks that James and Lily put on him as a baby. Harry was forever doing magic from the age of 3 months, he once transformed into a puppy and was always summoning his mum or cookies towards him.'
'Ragnok, we will need you to provide with the necessary healers.' Nicholas said.
Ragnok agreed and went off to leave the Flamels and Remus explain what was about to happen. Perenelle explained.
'Darling, what is about to happen is very important and painful. The goblin healers can break through the blocks put on you by your parents with a potion which will cause extreme pain. Furthermore, it will flush your system of any impurities; it will feel like a kidney stone being passed through, which is not very pleasant. A list will be made of what nutrient potions you will need to help your body develop as it should have done, the list will also explain what is in your system so that we may see what you have been subject to.'
Harry was excited about growing a bit more and receiving his full power, but remained wary of what the list would say. He didn't want his family to see what the Dursleys had done to him. He hoped they would love him the same. He agreed to undergo the procedure and a few minutes later, more goblins came through with Ragnok to start.
Harry was lying down on a table with his arms and legs tied down to stop him from hurting himself if he thrashed about too much. The goblin healer poured the potion down his throat and Harry could feel the effects straight away. He managed to not scream for the first minute or two, but it eventually became too much and let out a loud scram of pain and despair. After five minutes the effects started to subside, but then he started getting an intense pain starting around from his kidney slowly moving its way to his bladder. The pain wasn't as bad as the potion but it still hurt like hell.
In the meantime, the other people in the room were amazed that Harry had held for so long from screaming at first, but when it started, only the barrier erected stopped his grandmother from reaching him and stroking his brow. The list started appear and small frown appeared on the healer's face as she called over Ragnok. His face on the other hand became set in stone. Neither Remus nor the Flamels noticed this, until Ragnok called for their attention.
'The list has revealed the extent of the abuse Harry's body has endured, but there are two worrying potions within him at the moment. Please look at the first two lines.'
He handed the list over and staring everyone else in the face was the following:
Love Potion attuned to Ginevra Weasley – 11 months ago
Disinterest potion towards Hermione Granger – 35 months ago
