Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or his characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.
Secrecy
Home to Potter Manor
Harry hurriedly made his way out of the bank after stowing away the necklace because he still wanted to check out Flourish and Blotts and he needed to get back to the Dursley's house and cook. Not that he was all that eager with all he had learned today.
He walked into the bookstore and began to browse the isles as he looked for books on magical bonds. He grabbed some books on defense, transfiguration, and charms before he finally found a small section on magical bonds. He carefully looked over the books and found one called Bonds: Magical Links Between Witches and Wizards. He thought it was what they were looking for, so he grabbed two copies and went to the register.
Once he had paid for his books he left the store, and the alley altogether, before heading back to his relatives house.
Inside he found out that his Uncle Vernon was still at work, which was a good thing since just the sight of the house was enough to enrage him all over again. He wondered angrily if his family's money, his parent's money had paid for it since he remembered his uncle talking about house payments when he was little.
Considering how angry he was he decided to inform his Aunt Petunia about his magical problem. He didn't want her to be able to say she didn't know something could happen if he was angered.
"Aunt." Harry said as he walked into the living room. "I know you don't want to hear this but I need you to know that my magic has increased. It's tied to my emotions so it wouldn't be a good idea to anger me since I don't have enough control yet." He explained and he could see that she didn't believe him.
"A boy at the school that likes to taunt me for fun and a professor that doesn't exactly like me learned that the hard way. They both ended up in the hospital wing." He said bluntly with a frown, and saw her eyes widen slightly. Good. At least she's taking this seriously now. He thought, his frown still in place.
"Can you tell Uncle and Dudley about this? I don't want it to be a surprise since it's dangerous." He said and watched her nod with pursed lips and a frown of her own. "Also I'm going back out tomorrow, so I'll be leaving early like I did today." He informed her before heading up to his room.
As soon as he opened the door he found Hedwig's eyes on him. He greeted her softly, stroking her soft feathers as he showed her his Lord ring, and quietly exclaimed that his father had worn it and how it could take him to his family home. He then pulled out the necklace he had found for Ginny and presented it to Hedwig for her inspection as he explained that it was for Ginny when they officially started dating.
Once he finished showing Hedwig his jewelry he put all his new things away in his trunk and began his letter to Ginny. He decided right off not to put in all the new things he had learned, because he wanted to tell her about it all in person.
Instead he described his trip to Diagon Alley, going into detail about the bus ride, and told how well it had gone. He said that he had learned some very important things but that she would have to wait until he saw her in person to learn about them. He then wrote that he had managed to stop at Flourish and Blotts before leaving the alley and found a book that he thought would help them. He added that he hadn't started reading the book but probably would sometime that night or the next day.
He was just starting to describe how he had warned his Aunt about his issue with his magic when she came in and told him it was time he get started on dinner. He sighed and got up to head down stairs without complaint since he didn't want to do anything that would cause him problems later.
He was halfway down the stairs when he heard Dudley talking to someone and a male voice reply in turn. He realized that his cousin had a friend over, and he went back to his room and firmly closed the door. The last thing he wanted was Dudley's muggle friend to see his magical items or even be in his room to begin with.
A little while after starting dinner he began to hear noise from upstairs and frowned as he tried to figure out why it sounded familiar. Within moments it dawned on him that it was Hedwig rattling at her cage. He literally dropped what he was doing and ran from the kitchen and up to his room to see what was wrong since he knew she wouldn't make noise unless it was important. Especially with his relatives being the way they were.
When he arrived he found the door open, and Dudley's friend in his room looking in his trunk and holding the bonding book he was sending to Ginny.
"Hey!" Harry snapped, understandably upset, before he snatched the book from him. "Get out!" He nearly shouted as he pushed the guy out of his room and closed the door just before his magic became visible. His eyes began to glow and his magic began to swirl around him, giving off visible evidence of his anger.
He moved over to his desk and sat down as he put the book on the desk, deciding to send off Ginny's letter right then to make sure a similar situation didn't happen. He decided not to add anything else to the letter except to finish off what he had been writing before, and to explain that he had just found one of his cousin's friends looking in his trunk.
When he finished he sealed the letter, wrapped up the book, and sent Hedwig off with them to Ginny. He then moved to sit on his bed as he roughly ran his fingers through his hair in his anger.
Harry tried to calm himself down, especially since he could sense Ginny's rising concern, and wondered what he was going to do about keeping people out of his trunk. It was something he had also wondered while at the castle since he didn't trust any of his roommates. He had looked up different spells, but they could all be countered somehow.
I wonder if I can somehow use my magic to lock and unlock it. That way no one could get in without my magical signature; like a fingerprint. He considered thoughtfully before he concentrated on his magic and what he wanted.
He then got up and knelt in front of his trunk, not all that convinced his plan would work, and touched the center clasp keeping his trunk closed with fingers. He held his breath as he felt his magic flow out of his finger and into his trunk. He tried to open it but the latch wouldn't budge, so he tried to open it with his magic and it opened up just fine.
Harry nodded in satisfaction and sighed gustily. That distraction as well as the release of his magic helped to calm him down, but not quite enough to where he felt comfortable to leave his room. To try and calm himself further he settled on his bed, and began to read his copy of the book on bonds.
A few minutes into the first section of the book his Aunt came into the room and tried to order him back to the kitchen to continue fixing dinner. He told her bluntly that it wouldn't be a good idea. He explained that he was still angry after finding Dudley's friend in his room looking through his things, and that his magic might have an effect on the food. He told her that if she wanted it to be eatable she should do it herself.
His Aunt pursed her lips and left his room, slamming the door behind her. He shook his head slightly and went back to his reading. The book wasn't thick and he finished it fairly quickly. It only listed the different types of known bonds, and the little that was known about them. He didn't see anything in the pages that was like what he and Ginny had, but he noticed that nearly all of them automatically made the couple married.
Once he had stored the book away in his trunk he began to make a mental list of what he wanted to get when he went shopping the next day. Clothes were first on the list, both wizard and muggle clothing, a wand holster, something he had heard was useful for keeping your wand from getting misplaced, and a muggle book on the human body for Ginny.
Those were the things he definitely wanted to get, but he was sure as he started to visit the stores his list would grow.
When dinner came around he didn't even bother to leave his room and try to join his relatives. He didn't want to deal with their looks or whatever they had to say, so he ate the snacks he still had from the house-elves.
While he snacked he began to mentally compose a letter to the lawyer his parents used. He was going to take his time with it and make sure it was worded exactly how he wanted it. It would be short; just telling the man who he was, how he knew about him, and ask him to meet with him at Gringotts at his convenience so they could meet and get familiar with each other.
After he finished eating he decided he should go to sleep since he would be getting up early. He quickly readied himself for bed and just as he was about to turn off the light Hedwig returned with a letter from Ginny. She thanked him for the book on bonds, and wrote that she was going to start on it as soon as she sent off his letter.
She went on to say that she didn't mind waiting for him to tell her what he learned, she was just glad all had went well. She also wrote how she was concerned with the anger she had sensed from him twice that day and how intense it was. She worried about what would happen with his magic if he kept getting so angry, and to whoever or whatever he was angry at. To end her letter she described how things were going at the Burrow, which was the same as usual with everyone.
Ron was his usual loud self and ignoring her when he wasn't trying to be in her business whenever Harry sent her a letter, the Twins were their usual pranking selves and keeping a subtle watch over her, Percy was always studying in his room, and her parents were the same as always. She still couldn't see any differences in either of them, even when she got his letters.
Harry refolded the letter and decided he would write her back when he got back from shopping the next day. He put the letter on his desk and put his glasses on top of them before turning off the light and going to sleep. At least he tried to go to sleep.
He tossed and turned repeatedly as he listened to the sounds of the house settling for the night, but sighed as he still found himself awake after one in the morning. He sat up and sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. He needed to do something to make himself sleepy, so he searched his mind for an idea. He eventually decided it was a good time to check out his family home without being missed.
He put on his glasses, grabbed his wand, and focused on the phoenix lord ring he wore and watched as it immediately became visible. Take me to Potter Manor. Take me home. He thought as he gazed at the silver ring, and in the blink of an eye he was standing in a large dark entrance way. He looked behind him and saw a large door with intricate windows at its sides and above it, which let in the moonlight and allowed him to see it in the first place.
He turned back quickly at the sound of quiet pop, his wand, already in his hand, coming up from his side, only to see a house-elf with big gray eyes, in a tattered cloth that appeared extremely happy to see him.
"Master! I is Dinki, the head elf of Potter Manor." The little elf introduced himself.
"Hi Dinki." Harry said as he lowered his wand.
"I is sorry for the state of my dress and the manor." Dinki apologized as he wrung his little hands together. "You sees, without being bonded to a master house-elves magic wills leave and they's die. We's been without a Potter master for nearly thirteen years. I is the only one left, and I needs to bond soon or I's die as well." He explained.
"How do I bond with you?" Harry asked as he knelt in front of the little elf.
"Just takes my hand. I was already bonded to the Potter family, so nows I is only needing it to be renewed." Dinki explained.
Harry nodded and took Dinki's small hand in his and squinted his eyes as a bright light enveloped Dinki. When it cleared the little elf looked more vibrant and wore a clean white cloth like a toga with a blood red phoenix in flight, just like the phoenix on his ring, near his shoulder.
"Feeling better?" Harry asked as he released his little hand.
"Dinki is better. Thank you master." Dinki said happily.
"Please, just call me Harry." He said quietly.
"Harry sir?" Dinki asked hesitantly.
"That's fine." Harry said with a nod, and watched Dinki nod.
"I's be right back Harry sir. Dinki will go find more help fors you and the manor." Dinki said before he snapped his fingers and disappeared.
Harry sighed and glanced around the dark space as he stood up. He considered exploring but he had the feeling the place was rather large, and thought it best to wait for Dinki to return to guide him. He would have to wait for a time during daylight to go explore on his own.
A few minutes later there were a series of pops and Harry turned from one of the side windows and saw Dinki standing with six other house-elves who wore dirty tattered clothes.
"They's need a family Harry sir." Dinki said and Harry stepped toward the line of elves.
"Would you all like to join my family?" Harry asked and listened as the elves all eagerly said they wished to serve him. "So how does this work?" He asked as he looked to Dinki.
"All's you has to do is touch each of them and say 'I's welcome you into the service of the Potter family'." Dinki stated and Harry nodded.
"I welcome you into the service of the Potter family." Harry said to each elf as he grasped their hands. Each elf glowed blue with the words and Harry took on a green glow, and watched as a bright yellow light flared from their connected hands and enveloped the elves. When the light cleared each elf wore a white cloth like a toga with the Potter family crest in bright red.
Once all six elves were bonded to Harry Dinki thankfully instructed them not to call him Master but Harry instead. They all understood and seemed to automatically settle on 'Harry sir'. Dinki then instructed them to start cleaning up the manor, and once they had all disappeared he began to show Harry the major rooms in the house.
Little balls of light illuminated the way as Harry was shown the study where all the Lords of the manor did business or relaxed, the spacious library, the potions lab, and the defense room. They glanced briefly through a few bedrooms before Dinki ended the tour with the master bedroom.
"Dinki, can you please clean the library and master bedroom, and make sure the kitchen is stocked?" Harry asked who he now considered to be the head elf of his family. "I'm going to be here as much as I can during the summer."
"Yes Harry sir. I's make sure it's done." Dinki said with a nod.
"Does anyone know about this place and how to get here?" He asked and Dinki nodded before disappearing. He returned within moments and handed him a piece of parchment.
"This is a list of all who's allowed access to the Manor by apparition and floo." Dinki explained.
Harry looked at the list in the light that Dinki provided and frowned in surprise and confusion at what he saw. The list included: Albus Dumbledore, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Frank Longbottom, Alice Longbottom, and Peter Pettigrew. Instructions suddenly appeared below the list on how to add and remove people, and he immediately removed everyone on the list and added Ginny so that she was the only one who had access.
Remembering the names he obviously knew who Dumbledore was, and he assumed that Frank and Alice Longbottom were Neville's parents. If Neville's parents were close enough to his parents to be given access to the manor then he was more determined to become better friends with him.
The other three names he was unfamiliar with, and Dinki explained that those men had been his father's closest friends since their time at Hogwarts. He informed Harry that he was unaware of where Remus Lupin was, and that Peter Pettigrew was thought to be dead. He then explained that Sirius Black was his godfather and was currently in Azkaban prison. He was accused of being a death eater, betraying Harry's parents which led to their deaths, and killing Peter Pettigrew even though there was no body.
Harry took in all the new information and knew he was going to have to think it all over, because some of it didn't make sense and he already had questions. Not to mention he had already learned from first-hand experience that in the wizarding world things didn't always appear as they seemed.
He sighed and thanked Dinki for the tour, and told him he would be back in the coming days before he used his lord's ring to get back to his room at his relatives house. He settled back in bed and was asleep fairly quickly even with all the new information swirling around his mind.
