Hello, all! Welcome to the third chapter of Inheritance! I hope that you all like the new chapter and I thank you for all your kind reviews!
Disclaimer: My name has not changed, and still is not J.K. Rowling. So, I don't own Harry Potter...woe is me...
Severus Snape was having a bad day. Not just a bad day, a horrible day in which was caused by the Brat-Who-Lived, and oddly, Sirius Orion Black. His morning had started out fine, particularly good actually. He should have known that it wasn't going to last, and sure enough the rest of the day went downhill from there.
Dumbledore and Remus Lupin (thought Severus wasn't sure where the wolf had come from, having been missing since the death of his pack-mate Sirius Black) barged into his room during his quiet and very good breakfast. The two were out of breath, but what really caught his attention was the stunned look on Dumbledore's face. Dumbledore was almost never stunned, and this was a curiosity in itself, on that would have to be investigated.
"What?" He snapped in irritation.
"Veil...ministry, gotta see!" The wolf panted, seemingly having trouble at explaining himself.
"Sirius is alive," Dumbledore finally got out. "He was found laying just outside the Veil in the Department of Mysteries and has been transferred to Saint Mungo's for treatment."
Snape stared at them, not really believing what he was hearing. The infernal mutt was still among them? He couldn't help, he really couldn't
He snorted.
Remus jerked back and stared at him, before realizing what must have been going through his mind. He chuckled.
Dumbledore, in his pinstriped robes colored a putrid green, seemed more confused than anything else at the reaction the two men were showing. It seemed the scenario going through the Potions Master and Werewolf's mind had not even crossed his own.
"The mutts so annoying that not even Death wanted him," Severus snickered, feeling more amused than he really should by this.
They were interrupted by an owl, of all thing, flying into the dungeon room. Severus blinked at the rather annoyed looking animal, taking in the rolled up paper and the small box that was accompanied it. Another owl also flew into the room, caring only a parchment that was also rolled.
Severus noted that the wolf was the one that the parchment was meant for, before going to his own delivery. Unrolling the parchment, Severus felt like his world was ripped from right under him, and he looked down at the box, having the strangest feeling that his had been shrunken. Knowing Lily as he did, it really must have.
The wolf had begun growling. Severus read the rest of the Will, taking in every word, before realizing that this would have made it clear that Black was innocent and the man would never have been sent to Azkaban.
There was also the matter of what Dumbledore's part read, which didn't look good for the old man with an enraged werewolf in the room. Then again, Dumbledore was supposed to have carried out the Potter Will, and this clearly showed that he'd done nothing of the sort. The man was lucky his Potions Master hadn't already hexed him dead.
"Get out, Albus," Severus glared at the man. Dumbledore moved to say something else, but thought better of it when Remus' growling got just that much louder. The wolf might be useful after all, Severus mused. The old man quickly fled, no doubt trying to figure out what had caused them to react this way.
"I'll kill him," Remus snarled. "Better yet, Sirius will kill him. Thirteen years in Azkaban and a simple Will reading would have freed him! Damn that meddling old coot!"
Severus merely watched the wolf fume, waiting as he calmed down so that he could point out the obvious.
"The mutts about to be kissed if we don't get this to the Minister," Severus drawled, rolling up the Will once more. He placed a few spells on the box containing the potions materials, making sure that only he could open it without severe repercussions. Severus wouldn't put it past Albus to do such a thing.
Severus glanced at the letter attached and read it over while the wolf went to prepare the Flew. His eyes narrowed, his master had said that the Potter brat had been emancipated, but he'd never thought it would have this kind response. According to this, Potter had read his parent's Will and ordered that it be fulfilled, as Gringotts had been previously unaware that it hadn't.
Now he had to go save the mutt, an apology from a dead man fifteen years later, and the guilt from picking on a dead mans son when the boy could have easily kept Lily's last gift from him.
And it had been such a good morning, too.
Surrounded by Auror's, the stuttering apology of the Minister of Magic, and the gleeful faces of Remus and Snape, of all people, was not how Sirius expected to wake up. Then again, he'd apparently been dead over a month, having fallen into the Veil because of Bellatrix stunner.
He would never forget the frightened look on her face as he fell backwards, or the distressed look on that of his godson. Bellatrix had always liked him the best of their cousins, and she must have been killing herself with grief at having thought to have killed him.
Sirius would have to make sure that she didn't keep going down that lane, as he was pretty sure that was what had happened to Frank and Alice. The LeStrange's hadn't had anymore of a trial than he did, and Sirius was skeptical to think that they'd actually tortured Bella and Rabastan's old crush's into insanity. One did not go from making ogly eyes at a person to torturing them, not even a Black.
Then there was Harry, his little godson, who thought he was dead. Not that he was going to let him think that for long, but Harry thought he was dead!
According to Snape, he'd also been emancipated and was now the new Lord Potter and Black. Sirius decided to let Harry keep the title, he'd never wanted it in the first place. It would be nice to have no responsibilities.
It would also be nice for the Minister to shut up, but Sirius didn't think that was going to happen anytime soon.
"As compensation to wrongful imprisonment, I give 3,500 galleons from the Ministries vaults to a private vault only accessible to Sirius Orion Black." The Minister read off a parchment sheet, obviously being coached by someone else in the Ministry.
"What about the others?" Sirius knew Bella was going to owe him for this one. "I was imprisoned with my cousin and the LeStrange's, our trial set for the same time. As you can gather, they got just as much of a trial as I did."
The Minister stared at him in horror, probably having never known that. "Beside's," Sirius continued airily. "One does not go from ogling a person to torturing them into insanity."
The realization on the face's of the Auror's trumped the horrified look of Minister Fudge. 'Fudge indeed,' Sirius snorted to himself. 'He does certainly mess things up enough.' He wouldn't be able to cover this one up, either, as there were too many people who now knew that not one, but four people had been thrown into Azkaban without a trail.
The LeStrange's better be thankful for this one, they really had.
Remus was looking at him in amusement, and Sirius winked at the werewolf. If he'd thought pranking had been fun, causing mayhem by speaking the truth was even more fun!
Now, to sit back and watch the fireworks, as Lily would say.
Harry yawned, blinking awake to the face of Missy. The house-elf had gotten into the habit of waking the winged boy up each morning at exactly nine. Harry hadn't minded, really, since he was an early riser, but there was only so close that he wanted his house-elf. Standing on his chest and leaning over his face was not one of them.
It had been three days since he'd come to Potter Manor, and the twins had been forced to return to their shop. They promised to return and visit as soon as they could, but Harry had insisted that their business was much more important. They'd still been reluctant to leave him, and Harry was very grateful to that.
Harry had focused on nothing but having fun since the Dark Lord had replied and told him that he would not longer hunt for the sixteen year old's death. He'd been learning to fly with Hedwig, as his muscles had finally been able to support his body weight. It seemed the reason his Majority was so painful was because his bones needed to be hollow so that he could fly. Magic or not, nature still deemed that those without hollow bones could not fly.
Harry shuddered, remembering the pain caused by the changes in his body. He would never be affected by the Cruciatus like he had been again after that. What's a little nerve pain to having the center of your bones carved out? Nothing, that's what!
Harry sighed, he really should write another letter to the Dark Lord, replying to some of the questions that the elder wizard had asked. He really should, but he was just so happy to be free and to be able to be a normal child, that he wasn't sure he wanted to risk it all disappearing so quickly. There was also a chance that the lack of reply would piss the older wizard off as well, and that was the last thing that Harry needed. 'Damned if I do, damned if don't,' thought the very over-stressed boy.
Harry was about to go get the parchment and quill for the letter when a very tired owl pecked on his window. Glancing up, he saw something that he never would have thought he'd see again. Harry ran over to the window and retched it open, Speckle jumping onto his arm immediately.
"Hey, there," Harry stroked the owls feathers, glad that he'd had the sense to leave the pendant on this morning. It really wouldn't do to scare the poor exhausted owl before having a chat with him.
*Water,* Speckled hooted tiredly.
"Thirsty, huh?" Harry chuckled, he should have remembered that the only owl aware that he could speak to them was Hedwig, who was enjoying herself in their new home.
*Very,* the owl agreed. *I wonder how you seem to read us so well?*
Harry gave the bird a secretive smile before summoning Missy to get the owl some water. The house-elf was delighted to, and disappeared before reappearing with a rather large bowl of water. Harry didn't even have time to wonder how the elf had managed that so fast, before Speckle was drinking as much water as the owl could.
Harry absentmindedly untied the letter from his leg. He nearly had a heart attack at the writing.
Dear Pup,
I bet you never thought you'd read that again, right? Hah! Guess what? Death didn't want me a spit me back out! (At least, according so Snape, that's the reason that I'm now once again amongst the living). I went to Gringotts, nearly gave the goblins a heart attack. I talked to a goblin name Griphook, ring a bell? Told I never wanted to be Lord Black and that you could keep the Lordship. I think he went into shock...I seem to be doing that to people lately.
I be you nearly had a heart attack yourself when you recognized the writing! You'll be glad to know that you're the first person I've written. You'll be even happier to know that I've been completely cleared of all charges due to a Will that you had mailed out. I actually owe Snape a favor now, can you believe it? Snape of all people! Geeze pup, see what you do to me?
Anyways, beside's being in shock at the fact I'm writing you and alive, how are you? Remus hasn't been able to find you (I think he forgot about owl post somehow) and Snape couldn't care less. Though, the apology from James has him a lot less hostile towards me and Remy. I guess miracles do happen, huh?
I'm assuming that you're at Potter Manor, right? I've never been there myself, only Potter's have ever been at the Manor for the last century, I think? James always thought that was too bad, as he would have loved to have us over during the summers. Even when I ran away, it was to the Marauder's hideouts and not the actual Manor.
So, how was your majority? I've been wondering about that since I learned what the date was. Anything special happen? What blood abilities did you get (beside's parseltongue which you already had. Didn't think I knew about that, did you?)? How's you summer been? Bet you're relieved not to be stuck with those muggles, right?
And about Bella, I think you already know that her spell was a stunner and not supposed to kill me. Bad timing and horrible place to be standing on my part, I must say. Oops. I don't even want to know what she's going through, as I always was her favorite cousin. I tried sending her a note saying I was alive, but the owl came back a day later with it not having been touched...
Did you know that Bella and the other LeStrange's were given about as much of a trial as I was? I bet you didn't, and thought that they were guilty as well. Seems that everyone has a habit of that, but since I vouched for them, they should be getting their trial. I always thought it was weird that people thought they'd torture their old boyfriend and girlfriend.
I guess that not many people knew that Bella had dated Frank and Rabastan, Alice. Go figure. They feel really stupid now, I must say.
Well, I'll end this letter here. Love you, pup! Write back soon!
Padfoot
Harry stared at the letter in shock, not sure whether he wanted to believe it or not. Sirius was alive, he was really alive. No one else would know the things that the letter spoke about. Tears fell down his face, and his wolf side whined with longing at for their pack-mate. He and Remus were both fine, and in the same place. Harry's wolf wanted to be there too, and Harry himself was in perfect agreement.
*The human shouldn't cry,* Speckle landed on his shoulder. *The dog human is well and happy.*
"Thanks Speckle," Harry muttered, still numb from shock. He started walking to the study, he had a few letters to write.
Lord Slytherin,
Alright, so I wasn't sure if you wanted a response or not. I decided to risk it due to certain recent events.
The Veil in the Department of Mysteries spit my godfather out, and he's well and among the living. He's worried about his cousin, Bellatrix, since his letter to her was returned without being read. I figure this is the best way to make sure she knows that she didn't actually kill him. He's also gotten her and the LeStrange's a trial, since they never had one, so I thought that was important to pass on as well.
To answer your question, no, I haven't. Remus was MIA until Sirius came back. There was no way to contact him, and I've only been a magical creature for three days. Give a teen a break.
You're welcome? I don't know why you needed me for proof, when you could have just gotten it by test the blood of a muggleborn, but hey, whatever works.
You mean the Gray Lady, don't you? I did notice that the Bloody Baron avoided her at all points in time. You would think that would be hard to do, what with them both being bound to the same place for centuries. Whatever works for them, I guess. You're probably right, and I am forever grateful to magic. It's hard enough to write down four last names already, and Sirius won't take the Black Lordship back...
That I do, but I'll keep that to myself for now.
Yeah, he does, I think he just ignores it though.
Really? I would think casting deadly curses at a person mean that they want you dead. The Wizarding World is really backwards if that what concern and lack of killing intent is. Yes, my Aunt wouldn't mind if I kicked the bucket. She'd probably celebrate, really. My Uncle would probably dance, as would my cousin. How is that concerning, anyways?
Ugh, we are? Damn, that sucks. Any idea of how closely related?
~The-Wolf-Who-Lived
Lord Harrison Potter-Evans-Black-Gryffindor (wow, my initials are going to suck, now).
Padfoot,
You are is so much trouble when I get a hold of your skinny furry arse! How could you worry me like that, you mutt! I thought you had died!You better hope I don't skin you alive when I see you next time, because I'm very tempted to do so, you mutt from hell!
There, I feel better now. Most of your letter will be talked about in person. I assume you're at Grimmauld Place, so I'll be there shortly after you get this. This is just a warning for Remus, so he doesn't freak out when I get there.
I had a creature inheritance, so my smell is different. Make sure he knows that any creature he smells on me is actually my new scent.
See you soon!
Pup
Remus glanced at the note in surprise, it was strange that Harry felt the need to warn them of his new scent. Maybe he was a creature that was related to a wolf? The foreign smell wouldn't react well with Moony, who would have taken it as a betrayal to the pack.
There weren't many magical creatures out there that were related to wolves, however, so this was a little strange and very intriguing.
"When's he going to get here, Remy?" Sirius whined. "I can't wait to see what he is!"
"Be patient, Padfoot!" Remus groaned. "You just can't wait to decide on a nickname for him."
Sirius gave him a ruggish grin. "I wonder how he reacted to the letter?" The dog animagus mused curiously.
"Probably thought that he was hallucinating," Snape muttered from his corner. The two Marauder's had forcibly dragged the poor man back to Grimmauld Place, saying that they needed him on hand in case Sirius had poor reactions that required certain potions after his 'death' and return to life.
The flew flared to life. Remus smiled and Sirius bounced at his godson stepped out, looking no different than he had when Sirius had last seen him. Remus was confused for a minute, before the scent hit him. He gasped, drawing Snape's and Sirius' attention to him as he covered his nose.
"Sorry, Remus." Harry apologized.
"It's fine, though you should probably take that glamour off," Remus groaned as Mooney howled in discontent.
Harry nodded, reaching up and unclasping the necklace. The effect was immediate, and his image melted away into that of a magical creature.
Remus stared at the wolf ears, tail, and most importantly, the wings. The famous lightning bolt scar was now almost like a tattoo, with a beautiful design of vines and flowers flowing down the right side of Harry's face. The entire thing was a vivid emerald green, matching the slit green eyes. Remus raised his eyes when he noticed Harry's pupils were silver instead of black now.
"Wow pup!" Sirius muttered, looking over his godson. "Guess that name fit you more than I thought it would."
Harry grinned, canine teeth flashing in the light. Remus noted that he no longer had hair, but fur that covered his head, tail, and wings.
"So what are you?" Remus asked, his wolf content that there cub was now an actual cub. Remus felt himself agree, it was much easier to think of Harry as a cub now.
"A Pennatus Lupus," Harry smirked as Sirius gaped. "Apparently, mum as an actual Evans."
Sirius felt like smacking himself, "How did the Wizarding World miss that one?"
Remus shrugged, he wouldn't know. He was a muggleborn himself, having been accidently bitten by a werewolf who thought he was an actual muggle.
Snape was in shock. Potter looked nothing like his father anymore. In fact, he looked like neither of his parents, even without the wings and wolf features. Potter truly looked like his own person, and Snape found, to his annoyance, he could no longer think of the boy as a carbon copy of his father. It wasn't even a possibility with the way the boy looked now. The new look of Potter's scar was also something that was surprising, though it looked much better than it had previously.
Harry sniffed the air, frowning at the scent of his Potions Professor. Remus grinned sheepishly and Harry knew immediately why the man was here. Remus was worried about negative affects that being dead had on Sirius' health.
A distinct whistle of appreciation caught Harry's attention as well as the other's in the room. Walburga was studying Harry intently, nodding to herself. The other three looked a little put out at the lack of yelling coming from the portrait.
"I knew your majority would be something to look for," She nodded to herself. "I did not expect you to be a extinct magical creature. You're going to have to beat girls off with a stick this year, sweatie."
Sirius was gaping at his mother. Harry snickered, as Remus slowly closed his own mother. Snape seemed as if he didn't know whether to be shocked or not.
"Thank you," Harry smiled at her, and received a smile back in return.
"Sirius Orion Black, close your mother right this second!" Walburga snapped. Sirius complied. "Don't you look at me like that, young man! Just because I approve of your choice of heir does not mean I have forgiven you! Running away, like that, do you know how worried I was!"
Sirius looked as if he didn't know what to do next. Remus was back to gaping.
"I thought you might have died! And then, I find that you're fight for the old coot, Dumbledore? How dare you worry us like that! Then, you go and disappear for thirteen years, and I find out from someone else you were thrown in Azkaban? AZKABAN!" She screamed back, pissed as hell. "I should have been the first to know! Not to mention, you never bothered to introduce me to your godson! I had to talk to him myself to know he was your godson! Have you no sense, boy?"
Sirius seemed to have been broken, as if he couldn't comprehend what was going on at the moment. Harry patted the animagus on him back, offering him some reassurance.
"I think you broke him," Harry commented to his great aunt.
"Would serve him right, worrying his mother like this!" Walburga sniffed. "It's bad enough that little Reggy never came home, I only know from the Tapestry that he's dead."
Sirius winced, his little brother's disappearance was a sore spot for him. He hadn't looked at the Tapestry in fear that was what he would find, though his mother had just taken care of that for him. Regulus was thing that had tore the pureblood family apart. Sirius had never agreed with the ideals, but he would have been fine with staying with his family before Regulus had vanished. Orion had begun drinking, Walburga had recoiled into herself, and Sirius had been over-stressed that he'd ran away to escape the memories.
Walburga studied her oldest son, noting his reactions. It was then that she realized why he'd run away. "Oh, Sirius." She whispered.
Harry ushered the two other men from the room, waving at his great aunt and godfather as he left with them.
"Family reunions," Harry grimaced. Remus winced, and nodded in agreement. They were never good things.
Snape was still in a state of shock to do much of anything.
Voldemort read over the letter with interest. He had not known that the Veil had spit out Sirius Black, though Bella would be ecstatic her cousin was alive. In fact, she was still staring at him in a state of shock from the news. Rodolphus and Rabastan were also shocked at the fact that they were getting a trial. Bella started grinning, before she just started laughing.
Those gathered where rather afraid for her sanity. Voldemort was sure that she'd finally lost it. That was when the tears started streaming down her face, making all present Death Eaters and their Lord very uncomfortable. The Dark Lord decided to ignore it, in favor of reading the rest of the letter.
His eye began twitching, apparently the boy didn't understand that testing the blood of a witch or wizard was something that only a goblin could do. Muggleborns never really used this method, as it was thought that there was no inheritance for them to have. With news of Potter's true heritage and hi mother's true lineage, many more muggleborns would discover their connections to the Wizarding World, perhaps from family's that had disappeared centuries ago. Many of the previously lost family magics would be brought back by the Lordship and Ladyship rings that declared one the head of a family.
'This could prove useful,' the Dark Lord smirked at the letter. If anyone had told him that he would be writing the Boy-Who-Lived on friendly turns, Voldemort would have hexed them before having Lucius check them into Saint Mungos. With Potter no longer being the subject of the prophecy, Voldemort was free to court the boy to his side (not as a lover, get your heads out of the gutter people!).
The brat being a third cousin was just that much of a bonus. Family was important in the Wizarding World and second and third cousin were much more important than in the muggle world. It was bad enough that his Father's family hadn't wanted him. They'd threatened to kill him, pointed a gun at his head! It was only natural that he defended himself. With his mother's brother (he refused to think of Morphin as his uncle) trying the same thing, Tom had felt framing the man was a perfect way to get his revenge.
Voldemort frowned. At first, he had hated his name, and had come up with the anagram Lord Voldemort to escape it. Tom Riddle was a common name yet the person it referred to was far from being common. Lord Voldemort was the heir of Slytherin, the Master of the Old Ways. It was strange how his name meant next to nothing to him, was a foreign person after so many years of not using it.
It mattered not, for Tom Riddle no longer existed. Dumbledore was the only one who dared call him that, and he had changed his name after accepting his Lordship nearly 50 years ago, after graduating from Hogwarts.
Harrison Potter was an enigma, Voldemort mused. He didn't seem to be upset at not gaining the power that being a dual Lord of Hogwarts would bring. The boy wasn't power hungry, was loyal, brave, intelligent, and cunning. All four Houses of Hogwarts wrapped into one single person. He wasn't the Golden Boy that people believed him to be, or the arrogant copy of James Potter Severus had described. Not doubt the Potion's Master was getting a rude awakening at the moment. Voldemort himself was surprised at the difference between the letters the boy wrote and the eleven year old boy that he had first met over five years ago.
Yes, it would do well to get the boy on his side, for even if the prophecy was no longer valid, he had marked the boy as his equal, the only one that would ever be able to match him in power. The boy was even family, the Secondary Heir to Slytherin. He would be a great asset to the Dark and would even be able to spy on Dumbledore's must trusted circle without the suspicion that Severus had. Not that the Dark Lord would force the boy to use the option, he himself didn't like the idea of being around the old coot and Severus did manage to get them enough information that Potter might not even be needed.
'This holds promise,' the Dark Lord grinned. Plots upon plots swirled through his head, some being discarded and other's being added to. The war had just gotten that much more interesting.
Harry, meanwhile, was bored. Very, very bored. Being a Pennatus Lupus wasn't nearly as easy as he'd hoped, and his sense of smell made it nearly impossible for him to be in crowded areas for long periods of time. This, sadly, meant that he couldn't do the shopping he needed until he was able to get his senses under control, something that Remus had been trying to help him with.
It was a slow moving progress.
At the moment, Harry was practicing his flying. Hedwig had taught him all the basic's and Harry was left to his own devices on how to manipulate his new body. It was more difficult, as he had fur and not feather's covering the appendages, but he was slowly getting the hang of it. It turned out that he needed to use the appendages like a bat used their wings and not how a bird used their own.
Currently, Harry was flying over the grounds of Potter Manor. He'd yet to explore the area and was finding it interesting, to say the least. Potter Manor seemed to be located on a Unplottable Island in the Tropics. This made the weather ideal for Harry's creature, something Harry was grateful for. While he wouldn't have said no to visiting the other Potter Family Properties or even those of his other inheritance, he much preferred to remain on the estate of his father's family's ancestors. It just felt right, and the land sung to him, as if greeting him.
The island was small, Harry noticed, and it was covered in woods, with a small mountain range. The edges of the island were covered in sand, indicating that Harry would never have to go far to find a beach. The wards that covered the island extend three miles off-land, which would prevent any large sea animals from approaching the beach or the unsuspecting wizards that would be in the water. Harry was rather relieved at this foresight, as muggles were frequently attacked by sharks when visiting open water beaches. Harry felt that it was their own fault for not protecting against it, as they had against with other thing that had become a problem.
It was now nearly a week since he'd left the Dursley's. Harry scowled at the thought of his relatives, but contented himself with the fact that Petunia and Dudley were squibs and he was not. He was even Lord Evans, something that Petunia and Dudley would never be granted the title of. The would forever be only the branch family, and even if any of Dudley's children were magical, they and their descendants would never be able to inherit the Lordship from Harry's descendants, who would become the primary heirs.
'Serves them right,' Harry hissed to himself angrily. Their treatment of a child would forever condemn them and would punish those who carried their blood until the debt was repaid. Since Harry felt vindictive, he would make it a stipulation that their relations would never be able to repay their debt for as long as they lived. Their children would be known as blood traitors for the rest of their family's existence.
That wasn't something that he wanted to be thinking about, however. He had decided to practice his flying in an effort to clear his mind of his raging emotions. Sirius and Remus were now staying in the Manor with him, something he had insisted on. He had immediately let them know of his correspondence to the Dark Lord, and that said man no longer would hunt for his death. Sirius had been ecstatic, although he was uncomfortable with the idea of writing to Voldemort. The fact that Harry's parent's portrait had okay'ed the interaction had calmed the man.
Remus had been torn. The fact that Dumbledore would do that to his cub had Mooney foaming at the mouth, but the deep ingrained loyalty to the man hadn't liked to think of Dumbledore in a negative way. It had taken at least two days before the man had decided that his wolf was right, but the hesitation was something that Harry was concerned about. Remus should have had an easier time accepting things, and that he didn't spoke of possible compulsion spells and maybe a few subtle potions. Harry made a mental note to see if there was ways to detect such things, as it would be very bad if Dumbledore was controlling people in such a way. The things he had done already would put him in Azkaban for at least forty years.
That was another thing Harry had yet to decided on: Whether or not to press charges against Dumbledore and the Dursley's. It would be easy in the muggle world, as he was considered an adult. He knew for a fact that social services had been contacted about his relatives before and Harry knew that it was Dumbledore who kept saving his relative's hides. Petunia probably hadn't even noticed the inquiries from the school, and since nothing was ever done, she had probably ignored it. Harry was distinctly aware that the teachers had called child services at least ten times before he'd left for Hogwarts. Hell, they probably thought his family had killed him when he seemingly disappeared from the muggle world.
He had an appointment with Griphook to discuss a solicitor for muggle and magical problems. Harry also wanted to press charges against the Ministry for Slander and the illegal stunt they pulled with the Dementors and the Underage Magic trials the summer before, not to mention the blood quill, attempted Cruciatus curse from Umbridge, and the illegal attempted use of Veritaserum that Umbridge had tried to use on him when he'd broken into her office
"This summer's going to be long," Harry muttered to himself as he descended onto the balcony that led to his room. Sirius and Remus were staying in the guest rooms down the hallway, and Harry didn't want to alert them to his flight. Both his godfather's were well aware Harry flew when he had a lot to thing about.
Harry made his way inside, rubbing his temples in attempt to relieve the on-coming headache his situation brought him. Being considered an adult was coming to be much more strenuous that Harry had planned on. Potter Manor seemed to be the only thing that Harry had really gained that he didn't ever want to give up. He could deal without the other responsibilities it had brought him. He couldn't even go to his godfather, as all of this would go way about Sirius' head.
"I just can't win," Harry muttered to himself. It was a good thing that he had completed his homework already, or else he might have gone nuts from unrestrained frustration. Of his other projects, Harry wasn't sure where to start. It would probably be wise to start 'Pennatus Lupus-A Study of the Noble and Extinct Clans' and get a better idea of what he was.
Mates
A Pennatus Lupus is one of the few magical creatures that do not have to worry about having destined mates. While their distant cousins, Veela, are destined for one person and one person only, the Pennatus Lupus chooses their mate on their qualifications. A female Pennatus Lupus will nearly always be paired with a magically strong male, or else their own magics will decrease and they may suffer adverse affects. This is because a female is a natural submissive in relationship and a Pennatus Lupus is submissive on instinct. They are a kind and gentle creature, and though they are alphas of the Creatures of the World, they long to be cared for and protected by their chosen. Female feel the affects more than the males of the species, and may even die if their mate is not a certain strength of magic.
Males are much luckier, and while they are negatively affected by having a weaker mate, they are in no danger of perishing because of it. The male of the Pennatus Lupus has an easier time picking a mate due to their higher awareness of the magic that a person possess and not just the magic of the world around them. A male will pick their mate based on strength of magic, personality, and the ability to bear cubs. In most cases, their mate will either be another Pennatus Lupus, or a different variety of magical creatures. An extremely powerful Witch may even catch their attention, but this is very unlikely.
Mates are tested by being forced to undergo various different trials that are set up by the Pennatus Lupus to judge their character and abilities, as well as their strengths. Remember, a Pennatus Lupus likes to be cared for by their chosen partner and not have to protect them instead. This usually cuts down on potential mates very quickly. The trials that have been chosen by the Pennatus Lupus are very guarded, and usually they don't even inform their potential mates of what they are. This is done to get a more honest response from the candidates.
In all, mates are not a important part of the life of a Pennatus Lupus, as they can easily live without ever mating.
Harry sighed in relief, he wouldn't have to worry about being forced to be with someone that he didn't honestly like. It was something that had been a nagging worry since he had found out he would have a mate, and not a wife or girlfriend. It was something to think about, as he didn't find many of the witch's in his school as fitting to these specifications. All the girls in Hogwarts that he had met wanted to be taken care of, not the other way around. Honestly, Harry didn't understand why they thought that the male was allowed to feel the same way, while insisting that both genders should have equal rights. It seemed stupid and selfish to him, not that he'd ever say that to their faces. He liked living, thank you very much.
It seemed that this was only a small aspect of what he was. Which was probably why the massage was small and in the front of the book, making sure that it was out of the way of the more important matters, such as abilities, history, instincts, and other information the author (who was unknown) had managed to find about the species. Harry was surprised to learn that the Pennatus Lupus dated back to A.D. and B.C. times. Drawings of creatures that could only be them had been found by very early times before muggles and wizards had been able to understand that they were different from each other. They appeared again in early religions as different sort of monsters that came from Hell.
Harry grinned, as he skimmed the passage on the abilities he would have. It seemed, that as a male, he would be far more in-tune with nature and would be able to manipulate a certain element at will. Depending on personality, he would either be able to control Fire, Water, Air, or Earth respectively. The only way to find out which element it would be was to look deep into his mind and to try and locate his magical core. Depending on the color that his core was (blue green for water, orange for fire, silver for air, and emerald for earth) would be the element he was aligned to.
The claws on their hands and feet were there for up close defense, when nothing else worked. It was their last resort, and enemies usually would never get close enough to them for Harry to need them. Their wings could be used to weapons, if the struck a person, they could easily break bones. Harry found out that his strength could easily rival that of a werewolf (Remus would be happy to hear that) and their sense could detect danger for miles away. Magic would come more easily to him than it had before now that he had gained his inheritance.
According to the book, the reason that Harry had such problems with his magic before his Majority, was because his magic wasn't suited for a human body but the body of a Pennatus Lupus. It was more wild than a normal Wizard was supposed to have in their core, which was why Harry could barely control the raging inferno during his classes. Now that he was in his correct natural state, his magic would bend to his will much easier than it ever had.
Another thing that surprised him was when the book recommended that he get a new wand. It explained that any previous wand would have bonded to only half his magic and not the nature magic that now also accompanied his core. It was also explained that any wand core that his wand held would no longer work for him since he was now a creature. The wand would have to be powered by either one of his fangs or some of his fur. The fur of a Pennatus Lupus was the only thing that would properly channel their magic, Harry was annoyed to find out. It certainly did explain why his wand no longer felt right in his hand. He could still cast with it, but the wood seemed to offend his senses and the phoenix feather was fighting the push of his magic.
Harry sighed, closing the book and setting it aside on his beside table. There was no putting it off any longer, Harry would have to go to Diagon Alley (as well as any surrounding Alleys that branched off) and begin his shopping.
This was going to be fun...not.
Well, there you all go, chapter three. I meant to have this out a day ago, but I had a migraine, and I'm sure you can all agree that staring a bright screen when you have a migraine is not the best idea out there. In fact, it's a distinctly bad idea, no matter how bright you set the screen to be. Ignoring that, I want to clear something up : Harry is not going to be with Ginny. I do not support that pairing, because really, the books emphasize that she's had a crush on him since before she met him. I like her better in the sister role than the lover role. I haven't decided who is mate is going to be yet, and I may never decide, as the relationship isn't the important part of this story.
Anyways, to those who reviewed, you are all awesome! Usually, I would try and answer reviews and such, but I've got no time to really do that lately. I apologize, and if you feel that you don't understand something or that you noticed so spelling issues (I have not beta) please let me know, and I'll try and answer you review privately.
Please review and let me know what you all think! I hope that you enjoyed the chapter!
~JFHBT
