THE PRIDE

Chapter One: Meeting Goblins

-Regular Thought-
-"Speech"-
-"Parseltongue"-
-'Mind Speak'-


~Harry's POV~

Contrary to popular belief, after the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, I did more than just brood over Sirius's death. I was actually planning on expanding the DA and making them into something more. It was proven in that fight that we were still hopelessly outmatched by the DE's, and they were going to stop at nothing to get what they wanted. The only reason they didn't use the Killing Curse was that we had something they wanted. It also proved that my friends would not just sit around while I went off and fought Voldemort and his DE's, and I'm not going to let my friends get killed because they don't know how to properly defend themselves.

So I've decided that I'm going to train us all. I'm going to ask Remus to help, and I'm going to continue doing it all in secret. I'll invite a few people I know are trustworthy. I've already had some help from the more neutral Slytherins, like Daphne Greengrass and Blaise Zabini. I think they can be trusted. I know for a fact that Draco Malfoy doesn't really want to be a DE, but he has to because of his parents. That could be really helpful.

I have been stuck at Privet Drive for the past two weeks, but what everyone else doesn't know is that I have snuck out of the house several times. I've gone into Diagon Alley and at Gringotts, I found out that I not only inherited a trust vault for my school years, but also several Lordships and several more estates. After I learned that, and took up those positions (which I was able to because I'm fifteen, and Bonded with Ginny). Then I used the portkeys to go to the estates and check them out. I learned that I also have several abilities that are unavailable to me until I turn either sixteen or seventeen. I've also spoken telepathically with Ginny for the past two weeks.

FLASHBACK

I walked into Gringotts, still hiding my identity from everyone around me, which is very hard to do.

I walked up to a goblin I recognised as Griphook, the goblin I met the first time I entered the bank.

"Excuse me. You're Griphook, aren't you?" I asked.

"Yes," he sneered hesitantly, as if confused.

"I'm Harry Potter, and I wanted to know if there was anything left to me by my parents."

"Follow me to Inheritance Offices. I'll take you to Master Banker Rockgrinder," he sneered.

We walked several hallways in a different direction than I was used to going. We reached a corridor of offices with strange names like Roric and Eitis. The final office we came to said 'Master Rockgrinder.'

"Master Rockgrinder, Harry Potter is here for his inheritance."

"Excelent. I'll take him from here. Summon Senior Ranok," the new goblin said. "Come in, Mr. Potter."

"Hello, sir."

"There's no need to be nervous. We will do the Inheritance Test and then we can proceed. We need Senior Ranok for this and then we will be able to take you to your vaults. Part of the test is to confirm your identity. We must ensure that you are who you say you are before we can give you access to the family vaults."

"Yes, sir."

A knock sounded on the door.

"Master Rockgrinder, I was told you had an urgent matter to discuss with me," the new goblin said.

"Yes, it seems Mr. Harry Potter wishes to speak about his inheritance," Rockgrinder said.

"Ah, I have the Inheritance Test here with me. I anticipated this and have already gotten everything."

"Excellent. Now, Mr. Potter, please take this dagger and make a small cut on your finger, then put three drops into this potion and then shake it please. Yes, very good. Now pour it on this parchment and it will spread to mix with the potion and act as ink. It will give you the results of your inheritance."

"Excellent, it will show the results in a moment. It is spreading into the parchment now. And there are the results."

Inheritance Test for:

Harold James Potter

Father: Lord James Charlus Cameron Potter (deceased)

Mother: Lady Lillian Marie Evans-Potter (deceased)

Godfather: Lord Sirius Orion Black (deceased)

Godmother: Lady Alison Natalia Fortescue-Longbottom (incapacitated)

Current Guardian: None

Inheritance: Lord Potter, Lord Peverall, and Lord Gryffindor-Ravenclaw (paternal), Lord Slytherin-Hufflepuff (maternal), Lord Konners, Lord Montain, Lord Jaques, and Lord Black

Estates: Potter Manor, Potter Castle, Potter Cottage, Potter House, Potter Resort, Peverall Home, Godric's Glen, Raven's Refuge, Snake's Lair, Black Manor, Marauder Resort (full list and locations in ledger)

Vaults: Potter Family Vault, Potter Treasury, Gryffindor Vault, Ravenclaw Vault, Slytherin Vault, Hufflepuff Vault, Konners Vault, Montain Family Treasury Vault, Black Family Vault

Investments: see ledger for full detail

Heirlooms: see ledger

Monetary Assets: see ledger

I sat confused by what I had read, but I knew one thing for sure: I needed to check out these estates.

"Now, Mr. Potter, you can take the rings that show you are a Head of House and accept your position. You will also need to take the test to see if there are any hereditary abilities you may have like a talent for a particular branch of magic or a special ability. You add another three drops to the remainder of this potion and pour it on this other parchment. Then it will sink in just as before and the enchantments will cause it to act as ink. It will show your abilities," Ranok said.

I did and then the ink sunk into the parchment, reminding me of Tom Riddle's diary from second year, when the ink would disappear into the pages and it would write back. I knew it wasn't like the diary though. Then the writing reappeared.

Ability Test for:

Harold James Potter

Abilities: wandless magic - sixteen, wordless magic - sixteen, occlumency - sixteen, legilimency - sixteen, parseltongue, mage sense - sixteen, mage sight - sixteen, voice magic - sixteen, partial Metamorph - sixteen, partial Seer - sixteen

Magical Core Level: 324 (high)

Special Talents: offensive/defensive magic, transfiguration, charms, potions

Special Details: blocked Soul-Bond, earth and air elemental

"What does it mean, 'blocked Soul-Bond?" I asked.

"It means, Lord Potter, that you and your Soul-Mate have a connection that is very special and very rarely seen. It means that you are one soul in two bodies almost. You will have the ability to share senses, speak telepathically, and teleport to each other. It must first be connected."

"Can you tell who the person I'm Bonded with is?" I asked.

"It is possible to tell. I know how you can find out. There is a book in a special part of one of our research departments that shows all Bonds and the ones they are involved in. Until they are Bonded, it is counted as blocked, so to speak. I'll go get the book."

"Thank you, sir."

When Ranok returned, he carried a large book that apparently had information about all Soul-Bonds. Ranok opened the book and flipped through the pages until he found the 'P' section. He kept searching through until he found my name, and right beside it was the name Ginevra Molly Weasley.

"It appears that the new Lady Potter will be Miss Ginevra Weasley. If you contact her and you have some kind of physical contact, you should connect and unblock the Bond. This also, along with the fact you are now Lord Potter, makes you both emancipated and counted as adults in the Wizarding World."

"Thank you for telling me this Senior Ranok. It was very informative. Can I visit my vaults?"

"Yes, though I would recommend not visiting them all today. We will go to the Potter, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin vaults. We will go through the Black vaults to remove anything that could be dangerous or harmful, free of charge, for all of your business here today. Now that you have the rings, you will be able to portkey to any of your estates. The majority of the estates have been kept up by house-elves, with the exception of Black Manor, Potter Cottage, and Snake's Lair."

"Thank you for the information. I will likely visit again sometime in the next few weeks."

"Goodbye, Lord Potter. Good luck with Miss Weasley and your Bond. I must return to my office," Ranok said.

"Right, follow me, Lord Potter. I shall take you to the vaults myself. I wish to inform you of a few other things," Rockgrinder said.

"Of course sir."

"Now, you noticed on the Abilities Test that it said that you have earth and air elemental powers, correct?"

"Yes."

"Well, the elemental abilities are actually what gave your family it's name. They used their earth powers to create elegant designs out of clay and rock. Then they used their air powers to dry them."

"I think I understand where this is going. Is there a way for me to train with these?"

"Yes. I believe that there are currently only three other elementalists, but none with more than one power. They are an American witch with mastered fire elemental powers, a French witch with adequately mastered air elemental powers, and a Bulgarian wizard with mastered earth elemental powers. I would recommend that you meet with each of them, including the fire elemental in order to gain an understanding of your new powers."

"But I wouldn't be able to get away from my relatives to be able to master my powers."

"Ah, I can help you there. It's a very closely-guarded secret, but the goblin nation works with Unspeakables with their time magics. We are actually able to back further than the few hours the ones the ministry has available go. I can give you one and you can go back in time to have the time to master your powers. You can slip away early in the mornings and go to meet with the other elementals, then at night you can travel back in time to that morning and have been home all day."

"That's very cool, but are you sure it's okay?"

"I'm positive. I also think that Miss Weasley or rather Lady Potter might want to go as well."

"I'll think about it, and if we agree, we'll both be here two weeks from today."

"I look forward to seeing you then. I'd suggest asking the elemental masters to teach you sword-fighting. You may find a few swords in your vaults. It will help in dueling and if you have the patience, in some aspects of your elemental powers."

"Thank you. I'll see if I can find a sword balanced enough for me in one of the vaults."

END FLASHBACK


AN: This story basically diverges from canon after the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. Instead of moping and brooding over Sirius' death and the prophecy, Harry becomes resigned to the fact that his friends and the other DA members aren't just going to sit around waiting for him to defeat Voldemort. They're going to fight too. So he decides to make a bigger and better DA.