AN: This isn't going to count to the update cycle, the next story to be updated will be 'Son of the Moon', I just wanted to give you all a bit more time to vote on the poll should you wish to as once I update 'Son of the moon' it closes.

AN2: I got this idea when I realized that the Potter family weren't considered in the top families of Wizarding Britain and why. This is a Harry who is out to get payback for those who wronged his family and showing the world not to mess with a Potter.

AN3: Current pairing is undecided but the options are Tracey Davis, Lilith Moon, Susan Bones, and Tonks. This is a WBWL story with a Harry who doesn't stand down and is proactive about getting what he wants.

Fall of the twenty-eight

Chapter 1

-Harry-

With an eager grin and letter in hand, Harry waved off the cabby as he stepped out in front of a building marked as 'The Leaky Cauldron'. Growing up with the Dursleys had given him several important skills as well as the knowledge of when to hide things and bide his time. Slipping the letter into his cupboard had been easy given that the pigs he lived with never expected their 'slave' to dare to defy them. After that it was a simple matter of reading the letter when the others were asleep, stealing cash from Vernon's wallet when the walrus sent him to fetch his jacket and keys, before calling a cab once Dudley had left to spend time with his friends and Petunia had gone to tea with a neighbor.

Stepping inside the dimly lit pub he looked around, nobody sending him a second look as he walked up to the bar tender as the letter mentioned to do for those living in the muggle world. "Excuse me sir," he spoke up as the aged man behind the counter smiled down at him kindly "could you open the path to the alley for me?"

"Right away young master," the man said with an overdramatic flourish, happily leading the way and tapping a specific brick with a wand "you know your way around young sir?" the man asked with a frown upon realizing that no guardian had walked over with him.

"I have my list and it shouldn't be too hard to figure things out from there." He said with a grin "I'm pretty resourceful and there was a note with my letter that my family had money at a place called," fishing out the letter he double checked it "Gringotts."

"Your family has a vault?" the man asked surprised before frowning puzzled "What's your name young sir."

"Harry, Harry Potter." As he spoke the man's eyes widened before dulling slightly with sadness.

"Ah, I suppose you would have some gold there wouldn't you? Your parents were good people young sir, your mother was kindness herself growing up. She actually worked here for a couple summers to get some spending gold." His eyes widened at someone talking about his parents without the words 'drunkard', 'whore', or 'freak' being thrown in. Seeing his glee, the old man smiled and ruffled his hair "You come by when your shopping's done and I'll tell you all about them, how's that sound lad? If I'm not there just tell whoever's at the counter to go fetch Tom." Nodding happily, he waved at the kind man and walked down the alley street to the large marble building labelled Gringotts.

Glancing down at the letter he patted the key in his pocket and read the small note added to the bottom of the letter from the Deputy Headmistress. Stepping inside, and pointedly doing his best not to stare at the heavily armed beings who guarded and ran the bank, he approached a teller. "Um…excuse me?" he asked nervously as the little figure looked up from a stack of red gemstones "I was told my family had an account here," he placed his key on the counter "under the name of Potter."

"One moment." The being said neutrally, putting the key into some sort of machine, maybe to check if it was real or a fake, before frowning.

"Is there a problem with my key?" he asked nervously, images of the armed figures at the doors dragging him off running through his mind.

"Not with the key no," the figure handed it back "the key is authentic. You have however been summoned before senior account manager Bloodquiver." The teller snapped his fingers and another being approached "Griphook here will take you to Bloodquiver's office."

"Thank you, sir." He said with a nod to the surprised teller before following Griphook, again leaving a surprised Goblin with a 'thank you' before knocking on the door.

"Who is it?" a rumbling voice growled out in irritation.

Gulping he steeled his nerves, "Harry Potter sir," he was rather proud that he didn't stutter "the teller up front said you wished to speak with me?" at that the doors swung open revealing a rather scarred little being sitting behind a desk waving him in.

"Ah, was wondering when you'd show up." The little being nodded, "Sit down and we can begin." Eyes flitting around to search for possible escape routes if needed, a habit picked up from years of 'Harry Hunting' he took a seat as the account manager looked at him critically "First I'm going to need you to put her hand on this," he slid a small metal plate forward "it will prick your finger and take a drop of blood to make sure that you really are who you say you are and not an imposter." Putting his hand on the plate he didn't even blink at the small prick of his finger, the feeling not even able to compare with his aunt hitting him in the head with a frying pan as she was wont to do.

"Why was I called here sir?" he asked as the Goblin relaxed slightly when the plate flashed white "I thought I just needed to get money from my parent's account."

"It's about you're the account of your godfather's family." Bloodquiver spoke up as Harry's eyes widened, "Once Lord Sirius Orion Black is no longer able to hold the Lordship of the Black family due to his recent infertility because of his 'living conditions'. This results in his title passing onto his named heir, you."

"You've lost me." He frowned "If I have a godfather why wasn't I raised with him. And wouldn't I need to be an adult to be the 'head of a family'?"

"Muggle raised?" the short figure asked and, when he nodded, scowled "Basics are that your godfather was sent to prison for selling out your parents to the last Dark Lord who attacked and killed them before attempting to kill your godbrother and yourself. Your godbrother was given credit for destroying the Dark Lord. The problem is that since your godfather was never given a trial he technically isn't a convict and thus could inherit the title. He has become infertile in prison and so the title passes to you. You want to know more, then find out on your own."

"And the age thing?" he asked, his mood darkening as he absorbed what was said, the story not sitting right with him in any way.

"The Black Family, as one of the sacred twenty-eight, normally would require you to be of age before taking Lordship yes but you are an exception." Bloodquiver nodded before brining out a pair of ring boxes and a letter "As the last of the Potter family who do not have such a rule you are able to be emancipated and with your emancipation are able to also take the helm of the Black family." Quickly taking the rings, he put them on, knowing what emancipation meant and willing to do almost anything to get away from the Dursleys. "The only other matter is this letter from your godfather." He slides the envelope across the desk, "If you have any question about your family's finances you may arrange an appointment via owl. Griphook will take you to your parent's vault to get your gold now."

Nodding in a daze he followed Griphook down to the vault of his parents and idly scooped several coins into a bag before walking out. Noticing a book shop, he entered, instantly going to the section on recent history and picking a couple books that looked helpful, as well as a political book on the sacred twenty-eight, a term he remembered Bloodquiver mentioning. Paying for them he quickly went back to the Leaky Cauldron and rented a room from Tom. Inside he opened the letter from his apparent godfather.

Hey Pup,

I know you don't know me and I know you have no reason to trust me but I promise you that this is all the truth. Your parents were some of my best friends, your grandparents actually took me into their home when my mother threw me out. The day you were born and I was named your godfather was the single happiest moment of my life. I swear to you, I never betrayed your parents, I wasn't the secret Keeper like everyone things I was, I was just a decoy. The real traitor was a man named Peter Pettigrew who framed me for his murders and his death before going into hiding. He's a rat animagus and will be missing a toe. He may not have been the best wizard but he was still fully trained and you're only eleven, I don't want you getting hurt by going after him or trying to fight him if you stumble across him.

Now if you had been taken in by Alice, your godmother, like you were supposed to have been then I wouldn't need to explain this next bit to you; the problem is that the goblin who came to tell me of the change in Lordship, and the one who agreed to take this letter, mentioned that nobody had seen you with the Longbottoms so I have a horrible suspicion that you're living with your mother's foul relatives the Dursleys. Maybe they've gotten better since I last saw them but I really doubt it. Anyway, the sacred twenty-eight are the most powerful families in Wizarding Britain, holding the judging seats in our court along with certain individuals who have high ranking positions in the government. You'll probably need a proxy to handle the seat while you're at school so I would recommend my sister, Andromeda Tonks. She's a good person and you can trust her.

Harry, my biggest regret in life was not being able to see you grow up, not being there for you. I was given a life sentence in Azkaban so it may not be possible for me to ever see you but know this. I am proud of you, your parents would be proud of you, you are loved and I just know you'll do great things.

Your Dogfather,

Sirius 'Padfoot' Black

Mischief Managed

Not even bothering to halt the flow of tears he read the letter again and again, soaking in the words from someone who could have raised him, who could have been his father. After the fourth read through he sniffled and put the letter up, mentally swearing to do all he could to get his godfather a trial of not freedom. Pulling the books to him he started reading and with each sentence his anger began to grow, eclipsing the joy from the letter he had just read.

The sacred twenty-eight, the houses deemed 'the purest of purebloods' by Salazar Slytherin long ago. The Potter family had been removed from its ranks, back when the number of members was much higher than twenty-eight, due to Potter also being a common name in the Muggle world. Every Lord Potter since then had petitioned to have their family reinstated at some point but each attempt failed, the act of adding a family to the twenty-eight requiring at least three fourths of the members to agree.

Making a list of the twenty-eight families currently on the list he scratched off the Blacks. Tomorrow he would be going back to Gringotts to see if they could to a lineage tests in case he had any claim to some of the other houses. "You thought to shun me," he hissed as he glared at the list of names. Each vote and the tallied results. Almost every member always voted no, during the last election when his father made an attempt the only ones who voted yes were the Blacks, who he now controlled, the Longbottoms, who he now knew abandoned him and that was it. Well, he would make them regret that, "One down, twenty-seven to go."