Hello! Many thanks to everyone who added Shades of Grey to Story Alert! Extra special thanks to Ambie-chan who was the first reviewer, Thank you Ambie-chan!

Now, an Author's Note: I'm not going to be a very regular updater. I'm graduating in less than a month and am scrambling to finish everything in time. If you want a reply to your reviews please send them with an email address, or PM me so I can respond privately, and promptly, I don't have the patience to respond to reviews at the beginning or ends of new chapters.

I don't own Harry Potter or Associates

Harry stumbled as he landed clumsily in the reception hall of Gringotts. He quickly whipped off his cloak and stuffed it back into his bag, keeping his wand in his hand. He looked to the clock above the arched entryway to the main hall of the building, it was only 10:15, he had nearly an hour before the scheduled time of his meeting. Flattening his hair onto his forehead in an unconscious gesture, he strode toward the nearest free goblin.

"Excuse me," he said politely, catching the goblin's attention.

"Ah, Lord Potter," the goblin replied dipping his head in a gesture of greeting, "You are expected, I am Grizzleshank and I will lead you to the conference room where your meeting will take place."

"Thank you, Grizzleshank," said Harry returning the gesture with a slight bow and following the diminutive creature through one of the doors in the back of the hall.

"If you will be seated, Lord Potter, the Vault Keepers should be here in a few minutes," Grizzleshank said stiffly, turning and walking out of the room. Harry bowed slightly and sat in the leather backed armchair situated in front of the desk. The room looked to be an office, there were two chairs tall stools sitting in front of the footwell on the other side of the desk, and there were numerous shelves, and file cabinets lining the walls.

Half an hour later, two goblins walked into the room. Harry stood and bowed lightly waiting for acknowledgement. The two goblins walked around the desk taking seats on the stools and motioned for Harry to sit.

"Hello, Lord Potter, I am Grumbleguts, the Vault Keeper for the Black Vaults, and this is Wieldhammer, Keeper of the Potter Vaults," Grumbleguts introduced in a gravelly voice, inclining his head to indicate the other goblin.

Harry nodded, "Thank you for getting in contact with me. I'm afraid I don't know what this meeting entails…" he trailed off. Wieldhammer looked shocked.

"You mean to say Young Lord, that you never heard the content of your parents' wills?" He asked incredulously.

"No, Dumbledore never told me they even had them let alone let me hear them."

"Dumbledore? You mean that barmy old fool of a headmaster?" Grumbleguts asked, furious.

"Yes," Harry replied, his curiosity peaked. He knew Dumbledore had kept some important information from him, but was now curious just how much had been hidden. Grumbleguts spoke to Wieldhammer gruffly in gobbledegook, Wieldhammer stood up and rifled through one of the many file cabinets resting against the walls. He pulled out three sheets of worn looking parchment from one file and another two sheets from a different file. Wieldhammer returned to the desk leaving the parchments from the different files in two separate piles on the desk. Grumbleguts turned to speak to Harry.

"Lord Potter, this pile," he turned to indicate the stack of three, "contains the wills of your parents and a letter to you, to read them you need to drop three drops of blood on each parchment. In the next pile," Grumbleguts indicated the other pile, "is a letter to you from Lord Sirius Black, and his will, which he indicated must be seen by you before it is distributed. He charmed both pieces to the same password of the 'Marauder's Map,' Lord Black assured me you would know what that meant," the goblin finished, eyeing Harry oddly. Harry nodded, I think I'll start with Sirius' letter, then my parents', I'll deal with the wills afterward. I want to know what they wanted to tell me, he thought, moving to pick up the parchment that had been indicated as Sirius' letter. He pulled his wand from his pocket startling the two goblins, then tapped it firmly in the center of the parchment as he whispered "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good." Sirius' scraggly script bloomed across the page from the tip of Harry's wand.

Pup,

If you're reading this, it means I probably did something monumentally brave or monumentally stupid or both and ended up dead. That being the case I need you to promise me that you won't blame yourself.

Harry nodded after reading this, he knew it wasn't all his fault; however, he had yet to decide at whose feet to place the blame.

Moving on, pup, I want you to know that I loved you like a son, even though I often treated you more like an adult than a child. I realize that you haven't been a child in a long time. The blame for that lies entirely at the feet of one Albus Dumbledore. I don't know how much you know of the night James and Lily died, but I was the first to arrive on the scene after the incident. I picked you up in my arms, and you looked at me with those intelligent green eyes and I knew that I would love you as my own. I wanted to raise you, and had the headmaster not taken you from my arms the moment he arrived I would not have chased after that lying, corpse muncher scum Pettigrew. Dumbledore knew of my innocence and as the Chief Warlock of the Wizengammot he could have called for a trial for me. He didn't.

Pup, don't trust Albus Dumbledore. I may be a hardcore Gryffindor but my entire family is made of Slytherins. I know how they think I know how they plan and I know how they hide. Pup, your secret isn't much of a secret to anyone observant, and or not a Gryffindor. Pull out your Slytherin side, pup, use that hidden cunning to pave your own way. Dumbledore (the manipulative old coot) is going to use you as a weapon; your personal welfare is of no importance to his scheme. You have allies, contact them. The Black family will always stand for their own, even if their name is no longer Black, well, except my psycho cousin Bella, she doesn't count. I'll tell you now, so there's no shock later. You are my heir pup, make use of your position. There are those in the Order who may not like me or you but like Dumbledore even less. They are only there because it's the better of two bad options. The Wizarding World is running itself into the ground. You can rebuild it.

Pup, you know better than anyone the world is not white and black or light and dark. The world is made of shades of grey. Exploit the shades of grey; you could be a great leader pup. Make it so.

I love you, pup,

Toujours Pur, Yours,

Padfoot.

Harry wasn't as surprised as he thought he should be. He had known that Dumbledore wasn't as light as he pretended to be, just not that some of the Order wasn't as happy with him as they pretended. Harry nodded sagely, making a mental note to contact those he thought were more loyal to him than Dumbledore. He then laid the parchment on the table and picked up the parchment that was supposed to be the letter from his parents. Grumbleguts and Wieldhammer were conversing lowly in gobbledegook, while they waited. Wieldhammer turned to Harry and pushed a silver pin across the table indicating that it was to be used to draw the blood. Harry poked his left thumb with the pin and let three drops fall on the parchment. He saw two distinctly different handwritings scroll across the parchment.

My child,

As I'm writing this letter I'm watching you sleep in your crib. I know bad things are coming. The Headmaster insisted we go into hiding here in Godric's Hollow. I feel in my heart this is not the right choice but he holds your life over our heads. The man wants a "savior" my child; a marionette hanging from magic strings attached to his fingers. Both James and I know Potter Hall is much safer than here, the blood wards would be safer than the flimsy Fidelius he carelessly casted. I fear the headmaster wants neither James nor myself alive.

We're not his most staunch supporters, but unfortunately he's the least poisonous snake in the pit. Don't put your whole faith in him. He will put you in the way of danger one time too many. We fear that the best interest of his "savior" is not the most important to him.

The headmaster will probably place you with my sister Petunia. I apologize now, your life, child, will not be pleasant. However there is someone who will support you at Hogwarts. Severus Snape can help you. The man has probably antagonized you enough that you don't like him much, but he is strong, and despite Dumbledore's confidence does not wholly believe in his "greater good."

As much as admit disliking the man, son, he will protect you. Lils was quite good friends with him and did end up making up with him before we went into hiding. He and I also came to a truce, but Dumbledore doesn't know that. Sirius might, though. If Snape has been a complete bastard to you, don't think it's your fault. It's probably Dumbledore's. If you're anything like your mother, you probably would have done well in Slytherin. Use your wiles, son. Dumbles won't expect it.

There is one last thing, your inheritance, child mine. Although Dumbledore has probably told you that I am muggleborn, I am not. My mother after Petunia's birth, had an affair with a Woodland Elf, who claimed she was his mate. My mother refuted the claim causing the poor creature to die, since the bond formed during intercourse was denied. When my mother found she was pregnant, she claimed I was her husband's and I was raised completely muggle. I also believe my grandfather on my mother's side was a squib from the Black family, his name was Marius, I believe. So when the Elf magic and recognized the wizard magic in my core, it was augmented and grew enough that I could be recognized by the Hogwarts registry. Child, when you reach your sixteenth birthday, do not be afraid of what will occur. Dumbledore doesn't know you will come into creature inheritance. I hope you will keep it that way. You will probably experience some physical changes, including enhanced senses, and a magical boost. You may also inherit the mating call, which will lead you to your soul mate, should you be blessed with one. I did not inherit this call, but the more powerful a wizard you are the more likely you will inherit more traits.

I love you my child,

Stay safe, son,

Lillian Evans Potter

James Charlus Potter

Harry was shocked; being a quarter Woodland Elf was certainly not even on his radar. He checked the time on the clock sitting on the desk. It was nearly noon, and he was beginning to get hungry. He politely asked Grumbleguts if there was a possibility of dining together before continuing the meeting, and when the goblin responded with an affirmative, Harry sat back to absorb all had learned from Sirius and his parents' letters.