DISCLAIMER: Okay, people... if I were JKR (if only!), would I need one of these disclaimer thingies? No. If I were JKR, I would announce my authorship with trumpets, cymbals, and fog horns. I would also sweep in riding a fiery chariot or a gas-guzzling Hummer. Do you hear any trumpets? Cymbals? Fog horns? I didn't think so. And if you are seeing fiery chariots... well, I'm not here to question your sanity. I'm just here to tell you that I do not own Harry Potter. Got it? Oh, and fiery chariot seers: please go see your local eye doctor, hypnotist, or psychologist, preferably in that order.
Chapter 2
Black Revelations, Part I
The peculiar sensation of being cast through space by magic ended abruptly as Harry slammed into a remarkably shiny hardwood floor. He still had not mastered the technique that would leave him on his feet after using a Portkey, so Harry found himself laying face down, his glasses skewed, but miraculously unharmed.
Getting up and straightening his glasses, Harry studied his surroundings. He was in a spacious, professional looking room. The walls were a rugged red embellished with a golden fleur-de-lis pattern that gave an air of sophistication. There were no windows, so the light that reflected softly off of the polished wooden floor must have been magical, though Harry couldn't see where it was coming from. One end of the room was completely taken up with an ornate marble fireplace.
A chuckle from behind him brought him out of his inspection. Harry whipped around, his wand drawn, to see a goblin sitting behind an enormous oak desk that had not been in the room moments before. Stacked on the desk were piles upon piles of what must have been legal documents.
"Welcome to Gringotts, Mr. Potter," the goblin said. "That was rather a spectacular entrance."
"Er... thanks," Harry said uncertainly, letting his wand drop several inches. "But you are...?"
"Beg pardon. I am Snapfang, Head of the Department of Inheritance. Please be seated, Mr. Potter," the goblin said, motioning to the red-cushioned chair sitting in front of his desk.
Harry returned his wand to his back pocket and sank into the designated chair with a questioning look on his face. "Uh, I got a letter this morning and-"
"Yes, yes. You're in the right place, Mr. Potter. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get moving, we have much to discuss," Snapfang said.
"Right," Harry said, and settled into his chair. "So what is this all about, exactly?"
"As we both know, your godfather Sirius Black was murdered not too long ago." Snapfang paused. "I offer you a goblin's sympathy, for what it's worth," he said in a lower voice. "I knew Mr. Black. He was a very clever man."
Harry was puzzled by the comment, but then concluded that cleverness must be highly thought of in goblin society.
"But what does Sirius have to do with anything?" Harry asked after a moment of silence.
"Well, you see, the Gringotts Inheritance Inspectors found Mr. Black's will yesterday. Here's a copy of the document." Snapfang handed Harry a sheet of parchment. It read:
I, Sirius Orion Black, Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black and all that rubbish about being the sole surviving male heir, etc., the Marauder known as Padfoot, and the sometime Dog called Snuffles; being of sound mind, body, and magic, hereby bequeath in the event my death (which has already occurred if you're reading this) the complete and considerable estate of the House of Black, as well as my own personal effects and the responsibilities that go with it all, to a one Mr. Harry James Potter, my godson and only heir.
To keep the legal crackpots from getting their knickers in a twist, I, Sirius Orion Black, also hereby adopt Harry James Potter posthumously, giving him the name of Harry James Potter-Black, although he should only use this ridiculous surname at parties when he's trying to impress girls. Jointly, to avoid making him wait for all the goodies mentioned above, I, Sirius Orion Black, hereby propose -- actually, I order -- the immediate emancipation of Mr. Harry James Potter-Black if he is still underage, believing him to be completely capable of shouldering an adult wizard's lot.
Signed,
Sirius Orion Black
Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black
Harry hoped the goblin didn't see his tears as he read the signature he had always looked forward to see on letters the previous year. After scanning the will again and finding himself bogged down by all the legal language, Harry looked up at Snapfang. "Er, so what does this actually mean in plain English?" he asked.
Snapfang replied, "This document states that you are the adopted son of Mr. Sirius Black, his only heir, and officially emancipated. Congratulations, Mr. Potter-Black!"
"Me? Sirius's son?" Harry said.
"Yes indeed, Mr. Potter-Black. And, as of your emancipation, you are now qualified as a full-fledged wizard."
"So I can do magic outside Hogwarts?" Harry asked, trying to process the information.
"Naturally. I would go into further detail as to the particulars of your emancipation, but we need to keep moving." The goblin pulled out a large envelope from one of the piles on his desk. "As stated in your godfather's will, you have inherited everything possessed by the Black family.
"We honestly don't have time to review all of your assets because it is an exceptionally substantial amount, but let me give you a quick rundown: included in your newfound wealth, you have gained the Black town house at 12 Grimmauld Place, London, as well as the Black ancestral home of Sable Seigniory located in the British countryside, along with several prominent wizarding businesses, priceless art-related heirlooms, and a dozen or so smaller residences scattered throughout Europe.
"If you have any questions about your material inheritance specifically, feel free to ask."
Harry opened his mouth to say something, but Snapfang continued to talk.
"As the adoptive son and only heir of Mr. Sirius Black, you also inherit the title Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. As your godfather mentioned in his will, this position comes with several responsibilities.
"Firstly, as Head, you are therefore the Magical Patriarch of the House of Black, meaning you wield enormous power over the members of your family and it is your job to act in a manner fitting to represent them. The post allows you to make decisions for the Black family as a whole."
"Um, so who are the members of the Black family, exactly?" Harry said.
Snapfang smiled, showing all of his pointy white teeth. "There are five people other than yourself who can claim the honor of belonging to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. The first of these is Bellatrix Lestrange."
Harry's blood boiled. "Her?! I'm her Patriarch?! SHE KILLED SIRIUS!!"
Snapfang blinked. "Yes."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'YES' ?? YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!! SHE-she... she killed Sirius..." Harry's voice became muffled as he buried his face in his hands.
"Oh, I do understand, Mr. Potter-Black. The woman you know as Bellatrix Lestrange killed my family, too, many years ago."
Harry looked up, seeing the ugly little goblin in a very different light. "What?"
"Yes. Rather a tragedy. But, Mr. Potter-Black, you are Mrs. Lestrange's Patriarch. Do you have any idea how much power you wield over her?"
Harry shook his head, but his green eyes became greedy. "What kind of power are we talking about? Could I order her back to Azkaban?"
"Unfortunately, Patriarchs do not yield that particular brand of power over their family. No, I am speaking of something much more subtle. Patriarchal power lies on the civil plane of a family's affairs." Snapfang smiled his pointy smile once again. "For example, as Ms. Lestrange's Patriarch, you could order the nullification of her marriage to Mr. Rodolphus Lestrange, which would cause her to revert to her previous identity of Bellatrix Black, making her your legal charge. And of course, if she was your legal charge, it would be a very simple matter to have her arrested." Snapfang winked. "Just a suggestion."
Harry leaned forward. "How do I do that?"
"Oh, it takes a Herculean amount of paperwork and the proper authorization is an absolute nightmare to procure. The process could last for years, with all the legal hoops you would have to jump through to get anything done."
Harry's face fell.
"On that note, just sign on the dotted line, Mr. Potter-Black." Snapfang pushed a piece of parchment towards Harry and offered him a quill.
"You mean...?" Harry began.
"I foresaw this development and pulled a few strings in the Department of Birth, Marriage, Death, and Subsequent Haunting at the Ministry to speed up the process. As soon as you sign this document, Bellatrix Lestrange will cease to be and you will be the legal guardian of a Miss Bellatix Black."
Harry grinned and grabbed the quill from Snapfang, signing his name on the line at the bottom of the parchment with gusto.
Snapfang took the page back and, after briefly looking it over, nodded with satisfaction. "Everything seems to be in order." Then, lowering his voice, he said, "Thank you, Mr. Potter-Black. You and I are now one step closer to justice."
Harry said, "Cheers."
Snapfang cleared his throat. "As I mentioned before, there are several other Black family members apart from yourself. Aside from the newly reinstated Miss Bellatrix Black, they are Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy, her son Draco, Mrs. Andromeda Tonks, and her daughter Nymphadora."
"Wait a minute. Why do Malfoy and Tonks -- I mean, Draco and Nymphadora -- count? Their last names aren't Black," Harry said.
"Ah, but they do have Black heritage through their mothers. Magical law states that a Patriarch has civil authority over anyone who shares the family blood, which includes Mister Draco and Miss Nymphadora," Snapfang explained.
"Right," Harry said.
Snapfang rustled a pile of paper in front of him. "Mr. Potter-Black, I would like to suggest to you the nullification of Narcissa Malfoy's marriage to Lucius Malfoy. You yourself know better than anyone that Mr. Malfoy is a Death Eater, a fact that the public at large is now aware of since his arrest at the Ministry. This is an ideal rationalization for breaking up the couple. He, being a criminal, could not possibly be providing your cousin Narcissa with a safe and solid home, especially now that he's been sentenced to a lifetime in Azkaban."
"Okay... but what's in it for me?"
Snapfang's eyes glinted with a cruel sort of satisfaction. "Nullifying the Malfoys' marriage would cause Mrs. Malfoy to once again become Narcissa Black and Draco Malfoy would be considered the illegitimate son of a single parent. Both Narcissa and Draco would be filed into your protective custody. Now, with Lucius Malfoy locked safely away and his only heir under your guardianship, you, Mr. Potter-Black, could make things happen. The Malfoy estate represents a significant amount of money, influence, and notoriety. For the time being, you could use the Malfoy name to exert a radical amount of political power in the wizarding world."
Snapfang paused, but seeing Harry's riveted stare, continued. "You will only be able to claim this power while Draco is underage. As soon as he turns seventeen, young Mr. Malfoy will be able to reclaim the estate. This means that the time to act is now. A couple of years should be enough time for you to turn around the Malfoy reputation and affect some major changes in areas of your choice." Snapfang handed another sheet of parchment to Harry. "All it takes is your signature, Mr. Potter-Black."