AN: In a recent review I had a person complain about Harry getting the guns he did when he did as well as how quickly it took for him to heal. I would like to point out that the healing was aided with magic, I just didn't want to do the whole 'ten second potion heals ten years of abuse' kinda thing so I did the three years of healing and training. As for the guns…they give eleven year olds deadly weapons with wands so why not a gun, it's just as dangerous as a wand, hell, it's arguably even less so. I will agree though that Harry did, perhaps, trust the goblins too quickly but also please keep in mind, this was one of my earlier started works when I was still a rookie.

Harry Potter and the Heart of Power

Chapter 9

-Harry-

Staring calmly at the enraged Malfoy he asked "May I ask to which 'insult' you are referring Heir Malfoy?".

"You know damn well what I'm talking about Potter," Malfoy snarled "you banned my father from your stupid Casino, claiming he broke some stupid 'rules' that your pathetic business had.".

"Your father attempted to use Felix Felicis to cheat my Casino," he said calmly at the raging Pureblood heir "an action which is banned within the walls of my business and your father signed a contract upon entering the Casino stating that he would not use that potion to attempt to cheat me among other things. We let your Father's plot fail and then simply banned him from returning. If anything you and your family are the ones giving insult to mine as you seem to view the businesses that I worked hard to build as your own personal playgrounds, crying like a small child who lost their favorite toy when I don't let you have your way.".

"Added to the face that you have refused to address him by his proper title as the Lord Potter can also be seen as an insult." Susan added "He at least has shown the proper etiquette by addressing you by the title of 'Heir Malfoy'.".

"Oh shut up you stupid bint," Malfoy snapped "before I make you.".

Reacting quickly he shot to his feet, having shifted Susan off his lap, and had his wand drawn and pointed between Malfoy's eyes while also fingering his pistol within his jacket "I would recommend you apologize to the Heiress Bones Heir Malfoy," he said coldly "you wouldn't want to start a blood feud with the houses of Bones, Potter, and Peverell…now would you?".

Paling a cross-eyed Malfoy forced out between gritted teeth "I…apologize Heiress Bones. I shall take my leave now." Before quickly backing up and slamming the door shut, the fool's footsteps echoing down the hall as the pale ferret and the two gorillas bid a hasty retreat.

"My hero." Susan said softly as she hugged him gently, trying to convey how much his action really had meat to her.

"For as long as you need me to be my lady," he promised her as he returned the embrace "and perhaps even after.".

"Hey Harry," Susan began as they sat back down "what was it that I saw you fingering inside your jacket? I saw the outline of your hand but couldn't tell what you were holding. Was it a second wand?".

"Actually," he said slightly sheepishly as he pulled out his Smith and Wesson 22A "it's a pistol. They're a kind of muggle-".

"It's a gun." Susan interrupted as she looked at the weapon wide eyed "How the hell did you get permission to bring it anyway?! And is it even safe for you to have that?".

"It's less dangerous than a wand," he said with a shrug "a lot of the darker families are known to teach their heirs dark curses before they come to Hogwarts and during their years here. A bullet hole can be healed if it isn't an instantly fatal shot…a dark cutter or a killing curse can't be cured quite so easily. As for permission that's actually thanks to a loophole in the school charter. You see, the four founders, when they established the school, figured that their family lines would always exist and so they made several 'high rules' that could only be changed by a three or higher vote of the current Lords of the four families. The problem though is that the Ravenclaw line died off with Rowena, the Hufflepuff line is dead in name and only a few people left 'claim' descent but even then they don't have proof, nobody knows what happened to the Gryffindor Line and the only recently 'known' heir for Slytherin was Voldemort. Due to this the 'High Rules' can't be changed by anything and one of the rules allows for students to bring weapons so long as they are only used in practice, self-defense, a class on how to use them, or an official sanctioned duel in which they are permitted.".

"How did you know that about the Founder's families?" Susan asked in surprise "And how did you know about these 'High Rules', I've never heard of them.".

"My Guardian and I have a good relationship and alliance with the Goblins," he explained "they were able to explain the High Rules to us and tell us about the current known 'status' of those Houses when we tested ourselves to see if we were the descendants of any of them. How did you know about guns anyway? Your Aunt?".

"Yeah," she admitted with a small blush "she wanted me to be aware of what could kill me so she makes sure to study up on Muggle weapon advances herself and has me join her. She wants to make her auror corps do the same but Fudge won't allow it.".

"Ah." he said with a nod before humming thoughtfully to himself "Hey Susan, how would you like to learn how to shoot a gun?".

"Really?" Susan asked in surprise "You'd teach me?".

"Sure," he said with a grin "I'd have to ask your Aunt for permission first but I think it might be a good idea and we can also ask Phoenix and Manticore to help if we really need to.".

"Would it just be the pistol?" Susan asked "And do you have any other ones besides that one?".

"Well along with this," he said as he holstered his pistol "I have an M249 light Machine Gun," he reached over to his trunk and opened one of his more securely locked sections and reached in, pulling out said weapon from the expanded compartment "and an M54 Tactical Shotgun." He finished as he put the machine gun back to bring out the shotgun. "I'm also planning on eventually getting a sniper rifle, an assault rifle, and a regular riffle as well if possible. I'd recommend that we start you out with a pistol and maybe move on to a riffle if possible. It takes a good bit of practice to get used to the recoil of a machine gun or a shotgun so those, if we choose to do those, will come later.".

"I'll write a letter to Auntie when we get to Hogwarts," Susan said eagerly "do you think Hedwig can deliver it for me?".

"I'm sure she'd be thrilled," he said with a grin "she likes you so she'd be more than willing to deliver the letter, especially if you bribed her with some bacon.".

"She does love her bacon." Susan nodded with a giggle.

"I wonder what would happen if we gave her a bacon wrapped turducken." He mused thoughtfully as Susan looked at him in confusion.

"A what?" she asked perplexed.

"A duck, stuffed inside a turkey, and all of it wrapped in bacon." He explained "I heard about it from one of the Security Forces I employ who learned about it from a friend of his from America.".

"She'd probably go on an eternal bacon high." Susan said laughing. For the rest of the journey they talked and joked, enjoying some lunch that Natalie had cooked for them as well as some Chocolate Frogs for dessert.

"Come on Su," he said as the train slowed down to a halt at the station "let's get going. We have a House to Join.".

"Right behind you Harry." Susan said with a smile as she linked her arm with his and they walked out towards the platform, seeing a giant man ushering them on towards a set of small boats where they were told to sit with no more than four people for each boat.

"Yo Neville!" he called out to their friend as they made their way over to an empty boat "Come on and join us!".

"Hey Harry, hey Susan," Neville said with a grin as the slightly pudgy boy walked over, a bushy haired girl with him "this is Hermione. Is it okay if she joins us as well?".

"Sure," he said with a small grin "there are a few people I'd rather not have in our boat to be honest."

"Our other visitors?" Susan asked with a raised eyebrow as he nodded.

"Other visitors?" a confused Neville asked them as he helped Susan into the front of the boat and sat next to her as Neville did the same for Hermione in the back.

"Draco Malfoy and a rather rude red haired person." He explained.

"Really tall, blue eyes, dull red hair, and a rather…low intelligence?" Neville asked as he nodded. "That's Ron Weasley, he has five older brothers and one younger sister. Two of his brothers are already graduated with one working at Gringotts as a curse breaker and another in Romania on a dragon preserve. The other three brothers at the school are Percy, who is this year's Gryffindor Prefect, and the twins Fred and George, who are pranksters. The sister comes next year.".

"Well you sure know a lot about them." He said in surprise as Neville shrugged.

"The Weasley family Matriarch sees me as a 'second option' for her daughter's betrothal, behind you I believe, and is constantly trying to worm her way into my grandmother's good books.".

"Betrothal?" the bushy haired girl, Hermione, asked in shock "there are still arranged marriages in this world?".

"There are arranged marriages all over the world…Hermione was it?" he explained "But only some of the more 'die hard' pureblood families do it anymore, that or those who are trying to gain something.".

"So," Susan asked after he had given his little explanation "what houses are you two hoping to go to?".

"I'm hoping for Gryffindor as it clearly sounds like the best one," Hermione said bossily "Dumbledore was in it after all.".

"I'm hoping for Gryffindor as well," Neville said shyly "like my parents were. I…I want to make them proud of me.".

Sighing he turned to Susan and asked "Do you think I should turn my little 'spiel' into a brochure?" before giving his two new companions the same speech he had given Susan about the houses, hoping that it would be taken to heart.