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Please remember that this is AU, the characters don't belong to me, and I only wish I was making money from my writing…

PART 4

The next morning, Harry was up early to shower and dress for their trip to Gringott's bank. He spent some time studying his reflection in the mirror and found that he liked the sparkling grey in his eyes and the fact that his black hair now lay flat rather than sticking up everywhere. He still looked like a mixture of Lily and James Potter, but now he had a little of his new father in him as well. He really was Harry James Potter-Black.

He stepped out of the bathroom and found Sirius lounging in the window seat waiting for him. The smile that greeted Harry was one of a father pleased to see his son after a long separation and he couldn't help but beam in response. Rising gracefully, Sirius approached the teen and pulled him in for a hug, "When I first got up this morning, I thought that it might have been a dream. Then I looked in the mirror and saw a glimpse of you in my own eyes; that's when I knew for sure that it was real and you truly are my son."

Returning the hug eagerly, Harry tried to blink back sudden tears as the realization that he officially had a family now hit him. To his horror, the tears began flowing faster and he couldn't get himself under control.

Sirius felt the moisture seeping through his shirt and the hitching of the boy's shoulders gave the silent sobs away. He tightened his grip and began carding his long fingers through the teen's dark hair, "Everything's alright now, pup, just let it go. I'm here, and I've got you safe."

As if he had been waiting for that reassurance, Harry did indeed let go and his entire body shuddered from the force of his cries. For so long, Harry had been alone. He didn't remember James and Lily at all other than pictures and the memories of others. Aunt Petunia had hated him from the day he was dropped on her doorstep and encouraged Dudley to do the same. Uncle Vernon had tried to be there for him a little, but even he couldn't stand against the rage of his wife, plus he hadn't actually loved the orphaned boy so much as he pitied him. He had his friends in Hermione and Ron, but they were kids like him and he desperately needed a grown-up who was there for him and only him.

The past year had been one of discovery and delight for Harry since he'd had Sirius at the school teaching Transfiguration. Whenever he needed someone he knew that the man was there for him. But there had been that terrible thought in the back of his mind that someone might come along and take Harry away from Sirius because he was only the boy's godfather and not real family. Or even worse, that the man might someday grow to resent him for some reason and banish him from his life.

Now, he didn't have that fear. Sirius was his father, both by legal adoption and by blood through the potion. The adult wizard had chosen of his own free will to not only raise a child not his own, but to adopt and love that child unconditionally. Harry couldn't find the words to express his own love and gratitude to his new father, but he tried to through his embrace and brokenly whispered, "I love you, dad; so much."

That soft whisper brought Sirius to tears himself. Never in his wildest dreams had he ever pictured himself being a father. He had always been too much of a rebel and daredevil to tie himself down with a wife; but he had found that he was a trifle envious of what James and Lily had found with each other. The first time he'd ever held Harry as an infant, he realized just how deeply someone could love another person and as he had rocked the sleeping baby Sirius had whispered, "My little pup, I will love you forever as if you were my own child. I promise that if you need someone, I will be there for you to talk to. You are a huge part of my world and life now, pup, and I vow to love you always, no matter what may come."

Those words replayed themselves in his head as he held the teenaged Harry in his arms and Sirius was filled with regret that he had allowed his grief and rage over the Potter's deaths to rule him just when the baby had needed him most. If he hadn't gone after Pettigrew, the miserable rat, he wouldn't have been thrown into Azkaban and his godson would never have been sent to his aunt. He had been given a second chance and he was not going to let it pass him by.

Slowly, gently, Sirius began to sway back and forth and murmured, "My little pup, I will love you forever, and now you are my own child. I promise that I will be here for you whenever you're in need. You are my world and life and I vow to love you as my son always, no matter what may come."

Harry's grip tightened as the words flowed softly over him and soothed his aching spirit. Under his ear, he could hear the strong reassuring beat of his father's heart and felt the power of his love as he spoke his vow. The teen let his own love try to find words, "Sirius, you are my father. I know that James helped bring me into existence, but you are the one who has given me my life. I promise that I will come to you when I need someone to talk to or just because I need to have someone close by. You are my world and I will love you and honor you as my true father always, no matter what the future may bring."

"Merlin, Harry, I don't know what I did to be so blessed with you, but I certainly won't pass it up." He pressed a rough kiss on the top of the boy's head and chuckled, "You realize that anyone who saw us acting like this would think that we had both lost our minds."

When Severus appeared in the doorway of Harry's bedroom to find out what the holdup was, he was startled to find the two hugging, laughing, and crying all at once. He lifted one black eyebrow and drawled, "So we are sitting around, twiddling our thumbs, while the two of you are up here bawling like a pair of pre-teen girls who haven't seen each other for months?"

Turning to face his friend, Sirius grinned at him, "I have a son, Onyx, and when that son is in need of a hug then by Merlin he's going to get it!"

"I will be sure to relay that to the goblins when Remus and I arrive at Gringott's; I'm sure they will love knowing that they set aside an entire morning to stand around and wait for you to get done hugging the stuffing out of your son."

Looking down at Harry, the man's grin softened, "Yeah, my son."

Severus rolled his eyes, "Sappiness doesn't become you, Padfoot. If the two of you are done pledging your undying devotion to each other, may we please go?"

Laughing happily, Sirius released his son and bounced over to Snape, wrapping his arms around the stunned man as he cooed, "Aw, does the poor wittle puddy tat feel left out? Does him need some love, too?" He pretended to give Sev slobbery kisses with as much noise as possible.

"Eeewwwww! Sirius, behave yourself for once in your life! Merlin's beard, now I'm covered in dog germs!" He pushed his friend away and brushed irritably at his hair, trying to straighten it back out.

Harry couldn't repress his snickers as he watched his professor attempt to regain his dignity as Sirius drew the boy out of the room and raced down the stairs to the parlor to escape retaliation. They found Remus sitting quietly in his favorite chair reading a new book as he waited. When they entered, he looked up with a smile and bookmarked his place as he rose to greet them, "I was beginning to wonder."

Snape entered the room in time to hear Sirius announce innocently, "We would have been down here sooner, Moony, but Sev delayed us."

"WHAT?"

Before Sev could inflict bodily harm, Sirius grabbed some floo powder and threw it in the fireplace yelling, "Diagon Alley!" As the flames changed colors, he grabbed his son and pulled him into the fire with him and vanished; leaving behind them a confused werewolf and an infuriated potions master.

The walk through Diagon Alley was a bit uncomfortable for all of them. Three handsome male wizards in their mid-thirties drew the admiring gazes of many a witch, and even a few warlocks, as they strolled along, keeping their teenage charge in the middle of triangle. Sirius walked in front of Harry while Remus and Severus took up points slightly behind and to either side of the boy. Even though Harry had defeated Voldemort, there were still some of his Death Eaters floating around that they were concerned about.

On top of everything, this was Harry's first actually outing into wizarding public since his destruction of the dark lord. They should have known that they weren't going to be able to simply wander through to the bank without being stopped.

The sudden squeal of, "Merlin! It's Harry Potter!" brought everyone's attention to the small group as the people who were out and about doing their shopping turned to stare and murmur. Several began trying to get to the young wizard to thank him, shake his hand, touch his clothing, and whisper their thanks and adulation to him for setting them free.

Feeling hands pulling at him and trying to get him away from his father, Harry started to panic and jerked away from the mauling, "Stop it, just leave me alone! Quit grabbing me!"

Furious, Sirius raised his wand and cast a spell that immediately ringed the four of them and pushed everyone else away. He then pulled the teen back against his chest and glowered at the mob, wand throwing off sparks and eyes blazing as his lips drew back from his teeth in a snarl of sheer rage, "Back off, you bloody pack of vultures, before I hex the lot of you!'

The other two men situated themselves in front of Harry and Sirius, wands at the ready and fire in their eyes as they stared down the horde. The boy remembered another situation not too long ago when he was being overwhelmed by people eager to meet him and shake his hand. He wondered if the Aurors would appear in time to prevent his father and uncles from injuring the gathered people in their zeal to protect him.

He needn't have worried. Even before the thought finished forming in his mind, a shout followed by a brilliant shower of red sparks scattered the crowd surrounding them and allowed Kingsley Shacklebolt and his team of Aurors through to the bubble of magic. They swiftly disbursed the throng and acted as escorts for the quartet to get to the bank.

Before they entered, Harry reached out to touch the lead Auror's arm, "Thanks for getting us out of that."

White teeth flashed as Kingsley smiled down at the child, "The pleasure was ours, Mr. Potter-Black. Remus sent us an owl yesterday to let us know that the four of you were going to be here and at what time so we could be nearby to help." He gestured towards the doors of Gringott's, "Good luck to you in there, Harry. I know you have much to see and learn about."

With a nod, Harry turned to his father and uncles and followed them through the doors. Sirius placed one large hand on the back of Harry's neck and gently steered him away from the large, high wall of seats the goblins sat on. The boy was used to coming in and going to one of the tellers behind that wall in order to get into his vault for school money. He was surprised when Sirius approached a desk that sat in a corner by itself with a stuffy-looking goblin scribbling quickly on a parchment bearing the seal of the bank. He raised dark eyes with a slight sneer in place as they neared, but when he saw who it was, the goblin hastily rose and bowed, "Good morning, Lord Black, welcome to Gringott's. If you will wait but one moment, I will inform Master Darkstar that you have arrived."

Sirius nodded, "Thank you, Deeprock."

The goblin disappeared through a barely noticeable door on the wall by his desk and returned moments later with another goblin, the largest Harry had seen yet, though still not very tall by human standards. He approached the small group and bowed deeply, "Lord Black, welcome. If you please, step into my office and tell me how I can serve you today."

Harry frowned a bit in confusion; anytime he had come into get into his vault, the goblins had been coldly polite, nothing like this almost fawning servile attitude to his father who merely nodded in response. He followed Sirius into a large office decorated in dark cherry wood and heavy leather; the rug was done in mostly dark shadings of blue with lighter blue runes along the edges. Floor to ceiling shelves were filled with books bearing titles in a language Harry couldn't even begin to decipher and parchments stacked neatly in piles. There was a large desk at one end of the room and a table at the other where Darkstar directed them as he held the door.

Once everyone was in the room and the door closed and sealed by the goblin, Sirius turned to him with a wide grin, "Darkstar, old friend, how are you?"

The goblin approached him with a smile of his own as he extended his hand, "It's good to see you again, Sirius; especially under better circumstances. I am well, thank you, and I hear that congratulations are in order on becoming a father?"

The canine animagus gripped the other's hand firmly, "Thank you, thank you; yes, the adoption came through very recently. Allow me to present to you my son, Harry Potter-Black, Heir Presumptive of the House of Potter and Heir Apparent to the House of Black."

The goblin offered a bow to the teenager, "Felicitations on your adoption, Master Potter-Black, I'm sure you will have many questions and I hope that you will send me an owl if there is something your father is unable to answer for you."

Harry bowed back automatically, though he was very confused at to the change in the goblin's manner of address and how friendly Sirius suddenly was behind closed doors, "Thank you, sir, I'll do that."

Sirius settled himself into one of the dark leather chairs at the table and gently tugged Harry into the one next to him, "Darkstar and I go way back, Harry. I've never held with many of the pure-blood families who treat the goblins like dirt. While in public however, it is best if others don't see just how friendly I am with them, they might start to think that I get special favors or treatment and will want it for themselves."

The goblin chuckled, "But, Sirius, you DO get special favors and treatment, so why wouldn't they want the same?"

Cocking one dark brow, the man queried, "The question really is, do you and the other goblins want to have every witch and wizard bouncing in here demanding that you dismiss loans or grant them items they have no business getting their paws on?"

"Titania have mercy, no! That's the last thing I want." He turned to the other two men watching the interaction between himself and Lord Black with amusement, "Severus, Remus, it's good to see the two of you as well, would you care to join us at the table?"

Snape merely nodded and murmured a words of thanks while the werewolf smiled, "Thank you, Darkstar; it's a pleasure to visit with you again."

Once everyone was seated, the goblin beckoned to one wall and three huge tomes slipped off their shelves and floated over to rest on the table with a soft thud. Darkstar whispered something in his own language and each book opened obediently, pages flipping rapidly, until they finally stopped on pages dated only ten months ago. A twitch of a finger caused the books to spin from the goblin to Sirius, "As you can see, this is an identical list of what was sent to you earlier, detailing everything contained in the Black, Malfoy, and Potter vaults."

Sirius nodded, "It was a complete list in accordance with the other accountings in my possession, Darkstar, thank you for putting them together for me."

"Of course, old friend, it wasn't a problem." The goblin motioned and the books closed and twisted slightly into a position in front of Harry, "Master Potter-Black, as the Heir Apparent and Heir Presumptive, we will need a drop of your blood on each of the books to allow you to have access to them should the need arise." He pulled out a small, sharp blade and held out his hand over the tomes.

The teenager started to extend his hand to Darkstar, then hesitated and shifted back some, "Before we do that, may I ask a couple of questions?"

The goblin lowered his own hands and nodded immediately, "Of course, Master Potter-Black, you may ask anything you wish and I will do everything I can to answer."

"First off, could you just call me Harry? Master Potter-Black is such a mouthful."

Darkstar chuckled softly, "It would be an honor to address you as Harry; but until you invited me to do so, it would have been bad manners to simply assume. You may, in turn, call me by my name when we are in private like this."

"Thank you, Darkstar, it makes things easier." He slanted a look at Sirius to see if he was irritated that Harry wasn't complying with the blood thing and found his father nodding at him to ask his questions. The young wizard turned his focus back to the goblin, "Since I'm not the Malfoy Heir, why do I need to have access to that particular book?"

"You are the Heir to the House of Black and, at this time, Sirius is the Lord of both the Black and Malfoy families. This means that he is the one overseeing all financial transactions, both coming in and going out, and is the only one who can have free access at any time to any of the vaults related to those Houses. As the Heir, you also need access so you are kept apprised of all dealings with the money and anything being moved within the vaults themselves." Darkstar smiled at the boy, "Even though you were kind enough to erase the Dark Lord from the face of the Earth, these are still uncertain times. Should something happen to Sirius, you need to be able to have access and a strong understanding of your inheritance, in all its myriad forms. Did that answer your question?"

Harry nodded slowly as he processed everything, "So, if something happened to Sirius, I would be Lord until Draco Malfoy comes of age?"

"You would be Heir Presumptive if it occurred before you reach your majority," Darkstar corrected. "However, it would mean that you would be the one to access the vaults and money for all three families in conjunction with whomever would be your regent."

"Okay, that leads me to my next question, what is the difference between Heir Presumptive and Heir Apparent?"

Sev chuckled softly, "I've been waiting for that question to come out."

The goblin smiled briefly at the potions master before returning his full attention to the teenager, "You are Heir Presumptive to the Potter Family because you are currently under-aged and it is presumed that you will become Lord when you come of age. Sirius is the current Lord of the Black Family and, since he is still living, you are his chosen Heir, apparently." Remus nearly choked as he struggled to contain his laughter and Darkstar smirked slightly, "Yes, I know. A horrible play on words, but a good explanation, none the less."

The youngster had caught the slight pun in the word usage, but it helped him understand better exactly what each meant. After a few more moments of considering, Harry reached his hand over the tomes to the goblin, "Thank you for explaining things to me. I think I'm ready now."

Gently taking the slim hand in his own gnarled one, Darkstar nodded his approval, "It is my pleasure to be able to explain these things to you, Harry. I hope that should you have any further questions, you will not hesitate to ask me." With a swift, practiced movement, he made a shallow cut to the tip of Harry's middle finger and allowed a drop of blood to fall on the face of each book in turn. After the third drop, he made a simple gesture and the cut healed as if it had never been.

Once each tome had accepted the blood and glowed briefly to show it acknowledged the young Heir, Darkstar sent them back to rest on their respective shelves as he rose to his feet. He walked over to a second door, one barely visible to the eyes of humans, and touched a small knot in the wood it was made from. As he swung open, he invited, "If you'll come with me, I will start your tour of the family vaults."