Second chances don't work...?
Disclamer: I do not own either Harry Potter nor Inuyasha, well only in my dreams...
So here's my new story, for the moment the rating is T but I might change it to M in further chapters. Enjoy and review :)
Chapter 2: Well damn
It was deep in the forest that Harry re-awoke, head pounding but otherwise fine. Night had fallen again. Looking around himself he could see that he hadn't moved an inch, instead he lay in a patch of soft grass encrusted with his own dried blood. This observation left Harry with mixed feelings. For one, he was relieved because if he hadn't moved then that meant that his meeting with death might have been a dream or a hallucination his tired mind had come up with. But at the same time he was worried because if he hadn't moved that meant that he was still in the Forbidden Forest and Dumbledore must be searching for him relentlessly. Sitting up Harry waited for the pain to assault him but nothing came. With trembling hands he touched his stomach where he had been blasted. The clothes were destroyed but the skin was smoother than he ever remember it being.
'Okay, so it wasn't a dream. Now what do I do' he thought brining his hands to his face, but then something made him pause. Rubbing his eyes with a resigned groan, Harry confirmed that he wasn't wearing his glasses which were lying on the grass beside him. He could see every single tree around and as he concentrated he realised that he could actually hear the forest.
'Amazing' he thought as he heard an owl shifting on its perch three miles away from where he was. As he tried to search for the eventual research team which Dumbledore had most likely sent to find him, he was assaulted by multitude of overlapping sounds, making him cover his ears.
'Okay maybe I am not ready to use this gift just yet' he said wincing. He got unsteadily on his feet, which puzzled him; he felt completely fine, why unsteady? Looking at his feet he felt like they a little more far away than usually. Shaking his head he let it go. Now wasn't the time to check his body, he had to get as far away as possible from Hogwarts.
"Dobby" he called. Immediately the house-elf popped beside him, huge eyes widening to impossible lengths as he took in the man before him.
"Master Harry Potter, Sir! Why you be here? Everyone be thinking that Master Harry Potter be dead." Dobby said hugging Harry's leg.
"Well as you can see I am alive my friend and I already told you to call me Harry" he said petting the elf's head awkwardly. No matter how much he tried, he was still uneasy with physical contact.
"Dobby must tell them that Master Harry be still alive" the house-elf said letting go of Harry's leg, but Harry stopped him from popping into the castle.
"No Dobby, no one must know that I am alive or that I am here. You must promise me that you won't tell anyone Dobby" Harry said to which the elf immediately nodded.
"Dobby obey only Master Harry, Dobby will do as Master Harry says." the elf answered and Harry let go of his arm.
"Good. Can you tell me what is happening at Hogwarts? What has Dumbledore say about me?" he asked the elf
"Headmaster Dumbly say to Professors yesterday that Master Harry attacked Miss Weases with dark magic and that he try to stop you but Master tried to resist and he blasted you into the forest." Dobby said wringing his ears.
"I see." So Dumbledore was telling people that he had gone dark. 'What a liar.' "Now I want you to go to my room and take my trunk. I know you can find everything that belongs to me so even if it is with my 'friends'" Harry spat the word with disgust "you can take it and bring everything here. But be careful, no one must see you." he instructed to the elf who nodded and popped away leaving Harry alone once again to ponder on what would happen next.
He needed to get out of the forest. That would be easy as he had his cloak. Then he needed to get to the goblins before Dumbledore managed to freeze his vault. But then what? Where would he go? Death said that he had freed him from all his old bonds. What did that mean? He could only thank the Being - maybe - for healing his body, such a gift was quite valuable as Harry would have had to stay in the forest for at least a month for them to heal. Fishing in his pocket for the cloak, he came across the Gaunt ring. Taking it out Harry examined it.
The bumps on the ring were no longer visible and the stone which was no longer cracked, shone eerily in the dark. Harry felt the urge to put the ring on his finger but he held back. With his 'the impossible is possible' record something strange might happen again and he couldn't afford being found. As he slid it back into his pocket Dobby appeared carrying his trunk.
"Dobby brought Master Harry's trunk. Master Harry's friends be taking Master Harry's stuff but Dobby take it all back" the elf said and Harry felt his chest constrict. It hadn't even been a day and they had already shared his stuff. He took a new robe from his trunk and changed before handing it back to Dobby.
"Good, now I am going to Gringotts, stay hidden until I call for you." Harry said taking out his cloak. Dobby nodded and popped away. Harry put on his cloak and took out his holly wand.
"Point me Hogsmeade" he said and waited but nothing happened so he tried again but the wand stayed stubbornly still.
'Now what' he thought. Harry knew that he still had his magic, he could feel it pulsing through him but why didn't the spell work? Sighing he put his wand back into his pocket.
"Dobby" he called and the house-elf popped in right next to him.
"Yes Master Harry?" The elf sounding not at all surprised to be called so quickly.
"Can you tell me which way Hogsmeade is please?" he asked. The elf nodded and pointed to the north. Harry thanked him but didn't tell him to leave this time. After all he was vulnerable without his wand and even if Dobby couldn't apparate him away, he could still do magic. So he asked the elf to put a silencing charm on his feet and a notice me not in case they came across wizards or the other inhabitants of the forest who - Merlin be thanked - had stayed away from him until now.
They then started walking. Harry felt like he was guided by magic as he walked through the night; telling him to turn right or even to turn back on his steps. It was as if magic knew just where he wanted to go and was helping him getting out without meeting anyone. Harry followed the pull guiding him and never stopped even when his feet hurt and he started feeling drowsy and exhausted. He had to get out of the forest before they found him. He had to escape.
The thought made him want to laugh. He had just saved the wizarding world once again. For that he had sacrificed everything precious to him to do so. His family. His childhood. His happiness. And just as always they were turning their backs on him; rejecting him as if he was nothing more than puppet who once it had serve its purpose was disposed of without regret.
'Well, maybe that's exactly what I am for them." Harry thought bitterly.
Thinking over every time he had faced death in the wizarding world and every time he was rejected after saving them, not to count the defence teachers which seemed to always go for his head and all the misfortunes he encountered in the wizarding world, Harry decided that for his safety he must go away from them. But then where to go? He wasn't going to live in the muggle world, that was for sure. Even if he didn't want to kill them like Voldy, he still hated them for what they did to him.
Just because he was different from them his 'family' had despised him, belittled him, mistreated him; and everyone around always believed their lies and instead of trying to help the child he was, they had turned a blind eye on the bullying and the clear signs of child abuse. They all made him sick with their insincerity. So no, he wasn't going to live in either the wizarding world or the muggle world. Then where?
Absorbed by his musing Harry didn't notice they had reached the edge of the forest until Dobby held onto his leg to stop him. During their walk, the sun had risen and was shining brightly onto the village not so far from them. Before going any further, Harry turned to Dobby.
"Can you cast a glamour on me Dobby?" he asked the elf who nodded.
"Yes Dobby can" he answered and lifting his hands he cast the spell making Harry's black hair lengthen and turn brown and his green eyes blue. Once they were close to the village Harry took off the cloak and stuffed it in his pocket. They made their way to the Three Broomsticks where Harry flooed to Diagon Alley. As he entered Gringotts, he went to the closest goblin which he recognized.
"Thy gold flows forever Griphook, I wish to speak to my account manager please" Harry said to the goblin who knew immediately who he was. After all there was only one wizard who was able to actually tell goblins apart, and he was the one who taught him that goblin greeting.
"This way" he said leading Harry to an office. "Please sit down while I fetch him Mister Potter. Don't worry, no one can see, nor hear what happens in here and the goblins are sworn to secrecy about their clients' business. You can drop the glamour." he said as Harry entered the office. Once he was gone Harry sat down with a relieved sigh.
"Dobby!" he called and the house elf popped in. "Can you take down the glamour please?" he asked which Dobby did happily before popping away just as Griphook entered followed by another goblin.
"Thy gold flows forever" Harry greeted politely.
"And your enemies suffer thy wrath" the goblin answered looking quite surprised. "I am Ragnok, account manager of the Ancient and Noble houseof Potter. Griphook here says that you wish to talk to me Heir Potter?" he asked taking the sit facing Harry's. Griphook made to leave but Harry stopped him.
"Please stay Griphook" he asked the goblin who simply nodded and stood by them.
"Well, first I wish to know how much there is in my vault" Harry said turning to Ragnok who once again looked shocked. But then his expression turned to confusion.
"Your vault?" he asked.
"Yes, you know, my trust vault, the only vault I have" Harry said his voice dripping with sarcasm. So what if he was irritable, he had walked for Merlin knows how long, he was tired and stiff and this goblin wasn't helping at all.
"Your trust vault isn't your only vault Mister Potter, as the last heir to many Ancient and noble families you have multiple vaults" Ragnok answered.
"Huh?"
"I see that you don't believe me. We can do an inheritance test if you wish. It will show you which family you are heir to and the vaults you will own when and if you can claim the title of Lord" Ragnok said pulling out a parchment and a dagger. "All you have to do is prick your finger on the dagger and smear the parchment with your blood" he said handing them to Harry who took them his eyes blank from shock. Carefully, he made a small nick on his left index finger and smeared the fresh drop of blood on the parchment. The parchment glowed brightly before fading to words, lengthening to fit in everything. You could read
Hadrian James Potter
Father: James Charlus Potter (deceased)
Mother: Lilly Potter née Evans (deceased)
Godfather and father through blood adoption: Sirius Orion Black (deceased)
Godmother: Alice Longbottom
Blood brother: Neville Longbottom
Heir to the Noble house of Potter by blood
Heir to the Ancient and Noble house of Black by blood
Heir to the Ancient and Noble house of Peverell by Blood
Heir to the house of Gaunt by conquest
Heir to the most Ancient and Noble house of Gryffindor by blood
Heir to the most Ancient and Noble house of Slytherin by conquest
Master of Death
Assets
Noble house of Potter; vault numbers 90, 96, 110 and 31. Liquid assets totalling 50 million galleons 700 thousands knuts and 80 hundred sickles; other assets worth 500 million galleons.
Ancient and Noble house of Black; vault numbers 31, 45, 46, 71, 90, 150 and 710. Liquid assets totalling 6 million galleons 8 hundred knuts and 72 sickles; other assets worth 50 billion galleons.
Ancient and Noble house of Peverell; vault numbers 20, 21 and 22. Liquid assets totalling 50 billion galleons 844 thousands knuts 989 Thousands sickles.
House of Gaunt; vault number 210. Liquid assets totalling 0 Galleons 0 knuts 0 sickles, other assets worth 5 million galleons.
Most Ancient and Noble house of Gryffindor; vault numbers 4 and 8. Liquid assets totalling 8,000,000 billion Galleons 900,000 Knuts 400,000 sickles, others assets of inestimable value.
Most Ancient and Noble house of Slytherin; vault number 3 and 5. Liquid assets totalling 495 million Galleons 768 Knuts 79 Sickles, other assets of inestimable value.
'Wow' was the only word Harry could think of as he stared with wide eyes at the parchment
"Since your birthday, a monthly allowance of 5000 galleons is deposited in your trust vault from the Potter main vault. According to your guardian's wishes, since your second birthday, every month from your trust vault 100 galleons are deposited on your muggle family's account and 2000 galleons in vault number 311 belonging to Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Also, since your eleventh birthday, following your wishes, 500 galleons are deposited in vault number 691 belonging to Miss Hermione Granger, along with 500 galleons in vault number 692 belonging to Mister Ronald Gideon Weasley, 500 galleons in vault number 701 belonging to Miss Ginevra Weasley, and 1000 galleons in vault number 690 belonging to Molly Weasley née Prewitt. Also, every month, 10,000 galleons are deposited in your trust vault from vault number 748 belonging to the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes since last year. There is also an engagement contract between you and miss Weasley" Ragnok said which made Harry utterly furious.
"My guardian? What do you mean according to my wishes? I didn't even know I had that much money on my trust vault and I was not aware of the existence of the other vaults. And what do you mean my family was receiving money? They always said that they didn't receive a penny to take care of me which is why I had to wear my cousin's hand me down until fourth year." Harry continues hissing, slipping into parseltongue un his rage.
Both goblins were outraged by then. They had been played by mere wizards who were stealing from one of the rare wizards who respected them and whom they respected. That was not possible.
"It is impossible, we received notes in your hand writing; notes containing your magical signature!" the goblin said searching in a drawer and took out several parchments handing them to Harry who read them one after the other.
He couldn't believe it, they had managed to copy his hand writing, and were stealing from him since the beginning. Everything had been a lie. Every freaking second of it had been faked. Harry wanted to scream in pain, rage, frustration and shame. Frustration because he hadn't seen anything and shame because he had given them every ounce of his love, of his trust. How stupid he had been. But then Harry thought about the twins, he hadn't known that they gave him money. No doubt they didn't tell because they knew he wouldn't have taken it. Maybe he could trust them? Maybe they really loved him? Blinking away the tears, he handed the parchments back.
"It certainly is my hand writing but I can swear that I never wrote this." he said as calmly as he could. "If it possible I want the money to be retrieved and if it was spent then take everything of value until the debt is paid. Cancel the engagement contract after all that, there is no way that woman is becoming my wife." Harry snarled at the end.
"We can do it" Ragnok answered as he shook with anger at the humiliation and prejudice. "Don't you want to press charge?" he asked with shining eyes
"No, I won't stay in the wizarding world for long enough for that" Harry answered
"Right." Ragnok said a little disappointed. With a wave of his hand he summoned a silver casket which he put on the table in front of Harry. "This casket contains several lord rings. The houses mentioned on the parchment are only those you inherited as a direct descendant of the bloodline or by your magic. There are also some family who died out which were distant relatives of yours or who wished for the Potter line or you specifically as the boy who lived to inherit their titles and fortunes. While you try them on with the assistance of Griphook while I talk with the managers of those who dared to steal from goblins." Ragnok said his tone vicious.
Harry nodded smiling a little. It warmed his heart that some people cared about him enough to name him their heir in case something happened to them. Still smiling, he started putting on the rings. He started with a gold ring which held the Potter's crest. The ring hummed along with his magic resizing to fit his right middle finger. Next was the Black ring, a simple silver band which pulsed with magic. He slid it on his right middle finger where it merged with the Potter ring.
"The rings are charmed to merge together when they are put on for practical purposes." Griphook explained and Harry nodded. He put on the Peverell which sung to the very core of his being awakening a primal instinct in Harry which he had lost, the survival instinct. Now more than ever Harry wanted to live and be free. The feeling was exhilarating. Shivering a little he then slid on the Gryffindor ring which was a white gold signet ring with a ruby. Then Harry took the Slytherin ring which he surveyed with more attention. The ring represented a silver snake wrapped around a gold band with an emerald between its jaws.
"Beautiful" Harry hissed not realising that he had slipped into parseltongue. As he uttered the world, the snake's eyes opened and it hissed back without dropping the stone.
"Thank you long lord, your compliment honours me. Your predecessor never once talked to me, forgetting about me right after putting me on. My name is Eleana" she hissed and slithered from the band to Harry's right middle finger where she wrapped herself around the combined rings without becoming one with them. Harry put on the gold band which merged with the others. Confused Harry turned to Griphook.
"It is said that each founder created a familiar for their heirs in order to guide and protect them. Each founder had two vaults; the first contained money while the second contained their possessions, artefacts which are inestimable such as legendary wands which are said to be more powerful than the elder wand or grimoires which hold Ancient forgotten magic. The familiars protect their second vault from falling into ill-intentioned hands. Gryffindor descendants were particularly vicious against one another for succession. It escalated to a point where Azaela - Gryffindor's familiar - refused entrance to the two vaults to any heir who had hurt another being, human or not, for his own benefit. And so the Gryffindor vaults haven't been opened since the fourth generation, hundreds of years ago" Griphook explained.
"Does that mean that I am a suitable enough heir?" Harry asked Eleana directly.
"We shall see" she hissed back before closing her eyes.
Then Harry started putting on random rings. Some reacted to his magic and merged with the others. When that happened Griphook would tell him which family it was, who were their closest relatives on their family tree and the state of their vaults. Others didn't move and Harry would put them back in the casket.
After trying on 198 rings and being accepted by three fourth of the number, Harry was exhausted. But then he remembered the gaunt ring in his pocket so he took it out. Griphook looked at him puzzled.
"Let's say Snakeface gave it to me." Harry answered the unasked question with a wry smile. Griphook nodded grimly and motioned for him to continue. Harry put on the ring and immediately it felt as if hell broke loose. A violent wind started howling inside the office and the cloak and the elder wand which were in Harry's pockets floated out glowing.
"I accept you as my Master as long as you respect the laws of the universe" a voice thundered. "My wand be thy wand, my power be thy power, and as proof of my sincerity I break all bonds placed on you by wizards and non-wizards alike, may their blessings become one with your blood and the blood of your descendants, may their curses make you stronger. May your soul find happiness for as long as you will live" everything then stopped. The room was back to how it was before as nothing had happened. Leaving a gob-smacked Harry and an even more shocked Griphook. Death had blessed a mortal.
"Well damn" Harry whispered
TBC
AN: And here's chapter two, hope you like it and sorry for the delay