A/N:
Heavy influence from J.K Rowling's work in this chapter, all rights go to her.
Sorry for the long weight, I got a bit stuck on this part. All the positive feedback from the last chapter made me stress to polish this up as best I could, yet it still could be better. Still, I hope you enjoy!
Happy Birthday Excursion:
~ Black manor, July 31st 1990 ~
Dawn. The first light of the new day.
In many ways it was symbolic to Harry, as he lived in perpetual torment for years after that night, barely surviving the days, living off of potions and spells and his sheer will to survive. Things had not gone to plan to say the least.
The cursed scar had been worse than they all thought. It prevented his magical core from regenerating by parasitically feeding off of his power. What was supposed to be only a month of recovery turned into years, only abating after Dumbledores solution came to fruition.
Nobody knows of what he did; the power that he invoked, the spells he used or the method of doing so. However, when Harry finally opened his eyes after a two year coma, nobody even cared. What was most important, was that he survived.
Harry relished every waking moment, and had developed he a phobia of sleeping. He'd think that he'd never wake up, so he spent as much time awake as possible - often until he collapsed. Not a single minute was wasted. He was always on the move; playing, studying, living. It was a struggle for both of his guardians to keep up with him.
Sirius and Remus knew that it wasn't healthy, especially when they'd retire for the night wake up the next morning to find the exact same position as he was when they'd left him. They worked tirelessly to ease him out of the habit. To this day they could not get more that six hours a night of rest out of the boy. However, Remus - always looking on the bright side - suggested that this could actually be a good thing.
Despite the negative side effects of sleep deprivation, Harry was at a Hogwarts second year level of knowledge by the time he was nine. Nothing was off limits to the boy. Whether it be charms, transfiguration, potions, defence against the dark arts, runes or magical creatures - he loved it all. Even subjects not taught at Hogwarts such as magical languages and Wizarding law. With access to the many thick tomes provided by their lodgings, Harry's thirst for knowledge was unquenchable.
However, this amount of work was unhealthy for a child, so Sirius made it his mission to add a little fun to the boys life.
Commence the prank wars.
From stink bombs in the parlour to shaving your sleeping uncles head and having a few games of naughts and crosses on his scalp, the house fell into chaos. Sirius was frightened by Harry on more than one occasion: 'I've created a monster…' he thought as he stroked his purple beard, which was long enough to rival Dumbledores.
It was all so strange yet so natural now. Each of them had a way to grieve for their losses, but as Dumbledore had hoped, they had all done well to move on. They rose out of the ashes of misery and woe, and into a new life. A dawn of which of which they'd only dreamed of, yet none of them were truely prepared for.
Slowly opening his eyes, Harry awoke to the warm glow of the suns first rays streaming in through his window and the pleasant sound of birds chirping on the sill.
He loved the beautiful Scottish mornings. He could see sun rising over the distant rocky mountains that surrounded the large estate that he called home. The gardens were in full bloom at this time of year showing off all of their colours and majesty while the creatures - both mundane and magical - were enjoying the brisk and crisp air.
He'd kindly ask the house elves - pleasant and diminutive creatures that usually bonded to households as servants - to open his window every summer morning in order let in a gentle breeze. He liked the way it made the white silk curtains sway.
He breathed a deep sigh of contentment, barely registering that it was his birthday. All he cared about was what was coming in the mail. As tradition had held it, every Hogwarts student received their summons during the celebration of their eleventh year of life.
Grabbing his circular gold framed glasses and whipping of the blankets, he crossed his room towards his connected bathroom. He rushed through his morning rituals, finishing by brushing his teeth - using regular muggle equipment since he couldn't use magic yet - and changing into muggle sweat pants and a baggy black shirt.
As he left the bathroom, he spotted a bowl of smouldering ashes sitting below a beautifully shaped golden perch, which he looked at with a small sad smile. He went to make his bed before moving to one of the massive bookcases on the opposite side of the room and retrieving a thick tome.
He strolled over to his second story bedroom window and just stood there for a few minutes admiring the view. He usually took a book with him everywhere - usually in case things got boring - but what he was seeing was something that would never get old. No matter how many times he saw the sunrise over the mountains, he would still be awestruck. Yet something made him pause.
Focusing more out in the distance, he noticed a small brown dot gradually getting larger and larger. Eventually, the dot grew wings as it soared towards the house. Soon enough the image of a barn owl could be seen barreling towards the window, forcing Harry to jump aside with a surprised grunt.
Harry smirked amusedly at the erratic bird before the expression turned into one of concern. The poor thing was going nuts. It was squawking up a storm and trying to regain control of its wayward wings only to get caught in the freshly made sheets on Harry's four poster bed.
Rushing over to stop it from hurting itself, he gently took hold of the bird and managed to detangle the poor thing from his bedding. He relieved it of its burden - which was a cream coloured envelope with a red seal - and let the bird fly over to the window sill.
It sat there looked rather ruffled, much like Harry's bed hair yet with feathers. However, it seemed to be waiting for something.
"I can deliver it myself, thank you. You may go." He told it receiving a hoot as it fluttered out of the window and took off into the horizon.
He smiled amusedly at the retreating bird before looking down at the letter in his hand.
'To Harry James Potter,
Heirs quarters, Black Est.'
He grinned broadly at the parchment and seal before running out of the room. He sprinted down the quarters wing hallway and slid down the staircase railing towards the parlour. Once at the bottom, he took a left turn into the informal sitting area and then out another door into the family dining room. It was there that he spotted Remus reading a news paper and holding a steaming mug of what he already knew to be extremely strong black coffee. It was that time of the month again and he was getting rather fatigued.
"It's here uncle!" He said excitedly to the man that raised him properly as he slapped the letter on top of his reading material.
"Yes I see that…" he mumbled having been reading an interesting article about some 'Rotfang conspiracy'.
Regardless, he got up and hugged the now eleven year old boy tightly. In only a months time he'd be off to Hogwarts, James and Lily's boy all grown up. It nearly brought a tear to his eye as the boy hugged him back. He knew they'd be proud of him… of all of them.
"Happy birthday Harry." He said softly as he let go. "Why don't you go ahead and open it then." Remus suggested as he sat back down, motioning to the envelope.
Harry had not asked for gifts this year, much to the shock and worry of Sirius. He'd thought Harry was barmy. Harry explained however that receiving his Hogwarts letter, shopping for all of his school supplies and finally buying his wand was presents enough for him. That was one of the things that Remus admired about the boy, his sheer lack of greed.
"Shouldn't we wait for Sirius?" Harry asked, not wanting his godfather - the man that raised him improperly - to miss out on such an important occasion.
"I'm right here." Sirius grumbled, entering through the same door that Harry came through wearing a bright pink night gown. "I was woken up by what sounded like two owls having sex." Sirius continued with a yawn for emphasis.
"It was just one owl and it brought this." Harry replied holding up the letter.
"Well what are you waiting for then? Open the bloody thing!" Sirius exclaimed excitedly seemingly forgetting his tiredness as he barrelled over and crushed Harry in a hug, gaining a slightly startled grunt from the child.
Somehow with a clingy Sirius grappling his back like a over enthusiastic sumo wrestler, Harry managed to free his arms and break the Hogwarts seal. He opened the envelope and pulled out the letter, reading through it carefully with an ever-expanding grin on his face.
"I feel like there should be some dramatic music or something." Sirius whispered to Remus who promptly told him to 'shut up'.
H
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, first class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards
Dear mr. Potter,
We are glad to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
H
Harry handed the paper over to Remus before breaking out of Sirius's grip and running up to his room. Remus breezed over the parchment, smiling at the memories of when he received his own letter. He frowned not knowing why Harry had run off, but he decided to put that aside for now while he looked over the list of supplies.
"When does his acceptance letter have to be in by?" Sirius asked trying and failing to catch a look over his friends shoulder. Remus shrugged and looked at the date.
"It says today." He said, though it sounded more like a question.
"Well that's completely fair isn't it." Sirius snorted sarcastically.
"There seems to be a flaw in the system. What if Harry was a muggle-born with no access to magical postal systems?" Remus asked thoughtfully. "It might be something to bring up with the headmaster."
He had no more time to puzzle over it as Harry came rushing into the room with a scroll of parchment, ink and a quill. He quickly scrawled down his acceptance letter through a huffing chest and somehow managed to keep it neat and legible. When he was finished he handed the letter to Sirius with an expectant look in his eyes. Sirius dried the ink with an 'ink drying charm' then put the letter in an envelope.
"I'll take this to Professor McGonagall later." He said as his face morphed into one of his shit-eating grins, warning the other two about the oncoming mischief. The look caused Remus to sigh and rub his forehead in consternation.
"What?" Harry asked, getting a feeling that he'd made a mistake.
"Oh nothing, just that old Minerva's going to have the fright of her life!" Sirius foretold in glee as he crumbled into a laughing fit.
Harry tried to look ashamed at even thinking giving his godfather the letter was a good idea, but all he managed was a cheeky little grin. He'd probably get a good grilling when he got to school but he honestly didn't really care at the moment. Today was the day he'd be reentering the wizarding world.
It would be the first time he's ever been to Diagon Ally and he was beyond excited, if also a little nervous. He knew of his supposed fame, but how long can fame last when you haven't even shown your face in ten years? Soon enough he'd find out just how important his 'victory' over the dark lord was.
"Well then, we've still got a few hours to kill until we meet Amelia at Diagon, what do you feel like doing?" Remus asked Harry.
"Wait, Director Bones is coming?" He asked back in surprise.
"Certainly. She's taken one of her very limited days off to take her niece Susan shopping. Sirius then suggested we go together, which she of course agreed to. It should be better with a friendly face on our first excursion back to magical Britain. She'll be able stop any fanatics with her badge if need be." Remus reasoned soundly, more to himself than anyone else, however he still earned a nod from Harry.
"It doesn't hurt that she's as scary as shit either." Sirius commented offhandedly.
"Language Sirius!" Remus admonished though he was clearly trying to hide his smirk.
"Since when have you been in contact with madam Bones?" Harry asked Sirius curiously.
All he got was a cheeky wink as Sirius left the kitchen with a skip in his step, Remus shouting 'tramp!' at his back. The old wolf sighed once again in frustration at his friends antics before looking over to Harry.
"Come on, lets go feed the Abraxans." He said, strolling off to the kitchen to retrieve the single malt whiskey.
Harry followed his uncle excitedly. Abraxans where awesome! Despite that though, he couldn't get the thought of returning to the magical world out of his mind. He also couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding. He tried his best to stuff down those feelings as he walked alongside Remus into the woods.
~ Diagon ally ~
Harry, Sirius and Remus appeared in an alley off of Charing Cross Road. The air was humid in the English summer as they all stretched out after the long apparition journey, Harry taking some extra time to retched a little - he was never good with magical transportation in general but apparition made him feel especially awful. Remus patted him on the back while Sirius looked around for any muggle witnesses.
They each wore a set of long pants and boots - as was normal attire in the magical world - and Harry and Sirius were also wearing light formal robes over the top of their buttoned up shirts. It was after all, Harry's first time ever in the public scene and he was a little self conscious of what people would think about him. In Sirius's case, he was obliged to be presentable due to his… ah, 'status', you could say.
Remus had decided to just wear a simple shirt and brown robes, because he simply didn't give a shit.
The boy and his guardians walked down the street, catching some weird looks from the muggles they passed. That was probably due to Sirius screaming like an eight year old girl every time they passed the numerous record shops along the street.
Sirius had become a massive music fan after Lily introduced him to the much better muggle styles. He'd even bought a motorbike during his little rock 'n roll phase, as he'd apparently related to the 'nature' of the culture.
Harry was starting to feel a little uncomfortable at all the people staring at them when he spotted a small grubby looking pub. Looking towards the sign, he read 'The Leaky Cauldron', he blanched a little when he realised this was their destination. The entrance to Britains largest magical shopping district.
He observed as people hurried on past, not taking any notice of the out-of-place building at all, as if it wasn't even there. Harry was once again awed by magic, fascinated by its effects even if it was just a simple muggle-repelling ward.
Arriving at the door with Remus dragging a whining Sirius by his collar, Harry took a moment to take a deep breath. He was about to enter a world that believed him to be their saviour. He was famous here, and there was a high chance that a crowd or even a mob would form trying to get a good look at him, or that's what Remus had warned him of anyway. He felt Remus put his hand on his shoulder reassuringly as he grasped the handle. Summoning his inherent Gryffindor courage, he turned the knob and strode in.
He kept his head down and tried to not garner any attention to himself. Unfortunately, Sirius didn't get the memo. He walked in straight backed and confident, alerting the bartender to their presence.
"Good morning gentlemen." The old, bald and wrinkly man called over the din of the cauldron.
It was a relatively full space yet seemed strangely quiet. People were having whispered conversations that gave the room a buzzing feel, like a bees nest. It allowed the bartenders voice to echo slightly in the hushed atmosphere. Harry suppressed a groan but prepared none the less for the onslaught.
"Mornin' Tom, how goes it?" Sirius greeted back.
Everyone stopped at the sound of his silky voice - somehow remembering who it belonged to even after all of these years - and looked in their direction. Harry stood tall and weathered the stares as people started to connect the dots. It was well known that Sirius Black and Remus Lupin took him in and have been raising him god knows where for the past decade, yet neither hide nor hair had been seem of any of them on British magical soil for years.
However, everyone knew of the new 'lord Black', even if they couldn't they could see the crest on his robe. The other adult in their clique must then be Remus lupin. Then there was a boy that they'd never seen before. Raven hair and emerald green eyes… this must be Harry Potter, the miracle child… the 'boy-who-lived'.
As if the bees nest was punched, kicked and set on fire, an explosion of noise erupted throughout the dark and shabby establishment.
Almost at once, the whole cauldron burst to feet, pushing and shoving to get close to the 'wonder-boy' Potter. The trio were mobbed by the patrons who all wanted to shake their hand or yell some thank you speech over the top of everyone else who was trying to do the same.
A colossal boom erupted from the back of the crowd, causing the room to go deafly silent as people clutched at their poor ear drums. The crowd parted to allow an intimidating woman with a square jaw, close cropped grey hair and monocle through.
"What is all this nonsense about? We are wizards and witches, not savages!" Berated the commanding woman as she stopped just two meters from them, her booming voice resonating off of the walls.
"Hello Amelia, long time no see." Said Sirius as he locked eyes with the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
"Sirius?" She asked in slight surprise as she glanced over their party. She stopped on Harry and seemed taken aback by something.
"Sweet Merlin you look like your father…" she mumbled earning a barely perceptible grimace from Harry before she continued, "Perhaps you need an escort, Mr. Black? We wouldn't want another mob to form in the alley now do we?" She suggested with a severe look at the patrons, acting like this wasn't planned in the first place.
"Splendid idea, and thank you for your assistance." Remus jumped in, not a little relieved. First time back in years and they get mobbed in the first five seconds.
She nodded and lead the way out to the back of the pub with a girl Harry didn't even notice following behind her. Sirius and Remus both took one of Harry's shoulders as they escorted him out as well. Once in the back room the woman turned to him and presented her hand.
"Amelia Bones, It's a pleasure to finally meet you Mr. Potter." She said strictly as she looked him over with a critical eye.
"Um, the pleasure is mine, madam Bones… thank you for stepping in back there, I knew I was supposedly famous but not to that degree." He said thankfully yet noticeably shaken. Madam Bones continued quickly, noticing his discomfort.
"This here is my niece, Susan. She's also going to hogwarts this year, you might just be classmates." She introduced the shy girl behind her. She had long deep red hair in a plat running down her back and a face still chubby from baby fat. Surprisingly, she was a few inches shorter than Harry, who was average height at best.
"Hi Susan, it's nice to finally meet someone my own age, being forced to live with two middle aged men leaves much to be desired." He snickered jokingly as he held out his hand, finally managing to get back some of his composure.
She blushed a deep crimson and she took his hand. Sirius snickered at her reaction already guessing that Harry will be a hit amongst the ladies. Madam Bones also noted the reaction in her niece, and although she didn't see any hidden motives in the boy, she decided to keep an eye on him. He was after all raised by Sirius Black, who often bragged about his dallying with witches when he was a part of the Auror force.
"We should put some 'glamours' on you, that way nobody would recognise you." She said.
"I'll do the honours!" Sirius grinned as he stepped up, wand out.
He was quickly disarmed by Remus, "Honestly Sirius if I'd have known I was going to babysit you all day I would have left you at a daycare." He said, catching on faster than everyone else to Sirius's devious plans.
Sirius pouted as Remus cast a few spells on Harry. The young man now had longer brown hair so his bangs could cover his scar - which never went away no matter how hard you tried to cover it up - and stormy grey eyes.
Harry turned and saw that Sirius had done his own. Short, almost bald blonde hair and a thick dirty blonde goaty. He was eternally grateful Remus had done his instead. Speaking of Remus, he had simply conjured a bowler hat and thick bug-eyed glasses. His uncles were a weird bunch that was for sure.
Madam Bones nodded in amusement - the first real expression other than stoic indifference that they'd seen so far - and tapped one particular brick on the wall. The bricks then started wiggling and twisting, forming a large archway that lead to a cobbled street.
"Where are you off too first?" She asked them in an effort to plan their movements to get them around as quietly as possible.
"We should probably get some more money out, we don't have much at the moment, just enough for the listed items." Remus answered holding up Harry's acceptance letter.
Madam Bones nodded as she started forward, "Gringotts it is then, how long do you think you'll be?" She asked again knowing it could be quite a while when working with goblins.
"Shouldn't be too long." He responded, neither of them realising they were leaving part of their entourage behind.
Harry stood deathly still, enraptured by the beauty that was around him. He'd never seen such an amount of magic in one place before. Hundreds of magical people crowded the cobbled streets, socialising and shopping, wearing strange robes that wouldn't be out of place in the eighteen hundreds.
The shops themselves were architecturally odd and were eccentrically painted in bright colours. Some sold cauldrons of all different materials and uses. One lumpy building was full of crates that housed various dissected creature parts. An armourer was housed on the left side of the Alley selling robes made out of dragon hide and other strange creatures pelts. Another rather open yet strangely sark structure had deafening noise escaping out through its doors as countless owls roosted in its nooks and crannies.
The magic that saturated the area filled all of his senses and overwhelmed him. It was like a churning river of the arcane… it was suffocating.
Just as he was about to start hyperventilating from overstimulation, someone smacked him upside the head. It wasn't forceful or anything, but his legs were starting to fell weak anyway and he buckled onto the stone. Thankfully enough, the smack was the perfect wake up call. He looked up to see Sirius smirking at him.
"I had the same reaction when I was just a tyke, you get used to it." He said as he lifted the boy up.
"Huh?" He said not knowing what else to say. The blonde Sirius chuckled at his 'oh so intellectual' response.
Gradually catching up to the others, Remus finally noticed that they'd gone missing. He saw the look on Harry's pale face and in his entranced eyes.
"Are you alright pup?" He asked gently, slinging his arm around the boys shoulders.
"Yeah, I've just never felt anything like this before, like everything's all flowing and pulsing, it's weird." He said as they continued walking.
"You can feel it? Very few people can actually feel magic Mr. Potter. Sensing magic is a very valuable skill, how did you come to possess it?" Madam Bones asked curiously. He just shrugged in response, an image of a smouldering ash pile coming into his mind, but he chose not to mention it.
"I find it best not to question what Harry is capable of. He makes a living off of surprising people, as I'm sure you'll no doubt find out over the next couple of years." Sirius sympathised with the woman, who looked at him doubtfully.
They eventually made it to Gringotts, a snowy-white stoned building who's pillars where tilted and seemed unsteady. It was massive - at least according to the sizes of the other building in the Alley.
Walking up the steps, Harry didn't notice the first diminutive creature that stood guard and blended into the outer wall of the building. He was too transfixed on the inscription written on the massive silver doors.
Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn,
So if you seek beneath our floors,
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, we do so warn,
Death is what you'll find,
Cut, quartered and drawn.
Harry read the inscription on the door and glanced at the two guards stationed. Short and clever, their long-fingered hands clutching viscous halberds, their red and gold armour imposing authority. He gulped slightly as the bearded left goblin caught his eyes.
He bowed sincerely, a gesture of peace. The reaction was brief and barely perceptible, but the shock was undeniable. The goblin warrior nodded back as he opened the grand silver doors.
"We're going to Fortescue's for a treat instead of just waiting around. I'm sure you'll be able to find us their when you get out." madam Bones suggested.
"You don't have to stay that long for us." Harry said, confused as to why she would take that much time out of her day.
"There's nothing else to do." She responded before nodding and leaving them at the foot of the intimidating building.
They all turned around and walked up to the doors. Harry had been told by Remus about how to deal with the goblins. As an outcast himself, he understood at least in some aspect of the discrimination the goblin nation faced. He thus taught Harry how to act around them. Be direct, show some courtesy, and above all else, do not be condescending. You may find your business going extra slow otherwise or you might just simply die in the spot.
As soon as they entered through the doors, the 'glamours' were stripped away. The closest goblin looked at them suspiciously, fingering his dangerously sharp weapon as he sized them up. Sirius put his hands up in a surrendering gesture, lest he be impaled in his pretty face. The goblin nodded, sensing no threat coming from them, and allowed them to continue onward.
The marble hall was vast and majestic, screaming if wealth and professionalism. There was a long counter running the length of the massive room, with hundreds of goblins on high stools spanning its width. Some were counting coins of gold, silver and bronze, others were filling out thick ledgers and most remarkably, a few of them were examining massive fist-sized gemstones.
Thoroughly in awe of the wealth on display, Harry walked up to the first free teller. He was an elderly looking goblin with copious amounts of wrinkles. Long white hair fell from his head and chin while small wire glasses covered his beady black eyes.
"I have an appointment with accounts manager Barchoke." He said as soon as he arrived at the tellers seat, trying to be as direct as possible but ending up sounding rather rude.
The goblin looked at him sternly from over the bench and looked to be measuring him up. Harry felt a quite a bit of caution at the gaze, thinking that he might have done something wrong. The goblin then broke into a sharp toothed grin that looked more like a snarl on his wrinkled face.
"I assume you've been taught to be direct, but weren't you also taught to be polite?" He asked and turned to stare harshly at Sirius and Remus.
"My apologies sir, of course I was. This just happens to be my first time speaking to one of your people, and thus I am inexperienced." He replied with a bow, trying his best to take the heat off of his uncles.
"Indeed. Your mistake, it is understandable, but do not make it again." He replied sternly.
"Now, what is your name so I can confirm your appointment?" He asked, beady black eyes now boring directly into his own emerald green pair.
"Harry James Potter, heir apparent of House Potter and heir presumptive to House Black." He stated with a wince, not really enjoying his titles.
The heir titles differ only in that a heir apparent's claim is absolute, while a heir presumptive means that he is the most likely successor out of multiple possible candidates. Harry is apparent to the Potter fortune because he is the last known descendant of the Potter family, and he's presumptive to the Black fortune because his godfather - lord Sirius Black - named him his heir.
The old goblin looked at him with a single raised eyebrow and held out his hand. Understanding what was about to happen, he moved closer and held his hand out as well, to which the goblin directed over a piece of parchment.
He procured an ornate knife from one of the draws in his desk and promptly sliced it across his palm, producing a long thin line of blood that dropped onto the parchment. He winced slightly in pain as he watched the blood form letters and eventually his name and titles. The goblin nodded and let his hand go.
"Doesn't this usually heal?" He asked as he looked at his still bleeding hand. Sirius had told him it would.
"Payment for your first mistake in goblin business." He simply replied as he yelled 'Griphook!' At a smaller and younger looking goblin.
He bowed in angsty recognition and farewell as he and Sirius followed this new goblin. Remus was nowhere to be seen.
"He's gone off to stock up on parchment and quills for your school supplies. You know he can't be in the meeting." Sirius said, noticing his worried expression.
Remus wasn't technically one of his guardians, he remembered now. Sirius was his godfather and thus his only guardian. If he had a partner then they would also be considered one of his guardians. Remus being neither his godfather nor, Merlin forbid, Sirius's partner, made him just a family friend, despite Harry seeing him as an uncle.
They were lead by Griphook through one of the many doors leading out of the main hall. They entered a narrow and steep tunnel lit by larch bronze horns with a light charm in their openings. They walked in silence as the soft breeze grew hotter the lower they went. This was a far cry from the ornate decor of the hall.
In the distance, he heard growling unlike anything he'd heard before. It was deep and rumbling, the walls shook with its power. Harry briefly thought of when Remus mentioned that dragons sometimes guarded high security vaults. Secretly, he hoped they were walking towards a dragon, that would totally be awesome.
He was shocked out of his thoughts by the sharp rapping of the small goblins bony knuckles.
"Enter!" Shouted a gruff male voice through the door that Harry swore wasn't there seconds ago. Griphook quickly opened the door and ushered them in. Harry trailed slightly, a little bit disappointed about not seeing a dragon.
The room was ornate with rich dark wood furniture gracing the corners and a giant fireplace at the back of the room with golden inlays in the marble. If fact everything had gold in it, like they carved the office out of an actual underground gold vein. It was tastefully ostentatious.
A large walnut desk sat in the centre of the room with two guest chairs sat in front of it and a beautiful throne like seat sat behind it. There was a large - almost human sized - ancient goblin sat behind the desk. He had scars everywhere and looked to be the most battle hardened thing harry had ever seen as he gestured to the chairs opposite him.
The two of them sat there awkwardly for a minute, just staring at the goblin as he continued to work, not at all encumbered by their presence. The elderly creature was bald with loose skin and a gnarled face with half of his right ear missing and his entire left eye replaced with a giant scar. He eventually looked up with his single dark eye looking deeply his soul.
"What can I do for you today, Mr. Potter?" He asked surprisingly polite.
"I've just turned eleven. If I understand correctly, then as last of my line i am able to take headship of my house?" He said as a question that he knew the answer too.
"Indeed, though that will still get you little privilege with us at Gringotts, as you are not yet of age and cannot enter your family vaults." He responded nonchalantly, which confused him as goblins were usually no nonsense and spiteful of humans.
"I understand, however you may find that it does have some… tactical advantages, in the wizarding world." Harry replied, still a little cautious.
"You wizards and your politics, much easier just to battle to the death in my opinion," He grumbled. "No matter, we can get that done easily enough, anything else?" The elder goblin continued, summoning up tea and scones. He already guessed they'd be there for awhile.
"I would like access the the heir ring of the Black house. After that we'll require his current bank statements." Sirius interjected.
"I assume I'll be doing business for you as well Mr. Black? You understand that will cost you a fee?" Barchoke asked with a gleam in his eye demonstrating the stereotypical goblin greed.
"I understand, however I am Harry's guardian and - for his first time at least - we will be doing our business together." Sirius replied strongly.
"Very well." Barchoke grinned as he scribed down all of his requirements.
He called out something in the harsh dialect of the goblin language and a nervous assistant came scrambling in to get the list and quickly left to retrieve the items on it. The room fell into silence as they delighted themselves on the beverages and waited.
"I assumed that you would like to restart your accounts and investments. If you didn't already know, they had been suspended on the night of your parents deaths. I therefore sent for the appropriate paperwork for that as well." Barchoke revealed to break the silence.
Harry was startled a little at the blunt statement and his mood darkened at the reminder of his orphaning. He simply nodded his head in gratitude and looked down to stare at his suddenly flavourless tea.
The small goblin came back with a silk bag that he deposited respectfully onto the desk. He then bowed as low as possible before scurrying out as fast as his little legs could take him. Just as Remus had told him too, he didn't comment on the blatant fear in the smaller creature as Barchoke started taking out various objects and documents. The amount he pulled out wouldn't usually be able to fit in the small bag if not for the undetectable expansion charm placed upon it.
"First off, the rings." He said holding out two boxes.
Harry took the offered box's and opened them, butterflies erupting in his stomach at what he saw inside. One was a regal and wide pure gold band with small rubies forming vine like patterns along its face. Another sizeable ruby was delicately placed in the centre. Inside the shining gemstone was a pattern done in golden filigree that resembled a kite shield with a griffin emblazoned on its surface - the Potter family crest.
The other ring was a smaller dark metal band with a cold selection of small diamonds. Their was a bigger sapphire in the middle with an engraving of a B on its surface. It was the Head of House and heir rings for the Potter and Black families respectively. They represented the fine craftsmanship of the goblin nation well in their beauty.
"Simply place the ring on your finger. If they find you worthy then they will resize to fit. If not then you may find yourself missing a digit." Barchoke informed unconcernedly as he went back to sorting through the documents on his desk.
Catching Sirius's eyes in concern, the man nodded reassuringly. Harry absolutely trusted the surety in the mans eyes that told him silently that everything would be alright. Harry took a reassuring breath. He took the head of house ring for the Potters first and placed it on his left index finger. He felt a rush of magic surround him as it judged his soul and essence. He started to glow as the rings magic and his own morphed together in a bond of pure harmony before soaking back into him. The ring had resized to fit comfortably sometime during the bonding, though Harry didn't notice when.
"I, Sirius Orion Black, do proclaim Harry James Potter, to be heir to the Noble and Most Ancient house of black and wear the ring of my family as I proclaim him of age and sound mind." His godfather said with uncharacteristic gravity as he sighed a form Barchoke presented him. Harry looked a bit emotional, feeling overwhelmed with the trust this man was placing in him to carry his family's line.
Shaking his head to clear his doubts, he repeated the same process he'd done with the previous ring, only this time on his left middle finger. As both rings were now on his hand, he looked back to the goblin as they got down to proper business.
What followed was forty minutes of analysing the current worth of his account: old and newly proposed investments, estate values and property locations, and even the possibility of renovation on Potter manor.
Harry found out just how wealthy he really was. He had several properties all around the world and his newly restarted investments - courtesy of his father and grandfathers business genius - meant that he'd never have to work a day in his life. They looked to bring in a projected nine thousand gallons per year alone - which at the current one hundred and thirty times conversion rate to pounds - was a very substantial amount.
As an old family with a rich family tree of successful business men and woman, he was 'loaded' - as the muggles would say. He knew his family had been at the forefront of many magical innovations in the past few centuries, but the thought still shocked and intimidated him nonetheless.
With all of their affairs in order and a pouch full of money due to Barchokes forethought, they quickly left the old goblin with a deep bow for all of the help and advise he'd given them before quickly leaving the bank. They both felt the desperate need for sunlight and sighed graciously once it hit their faces.
"Hi fellas, how was you trip?" Remus snarked at them, holding two ice-cream cones in his hands which looked ridiculous with his bowler hat and glasses.
"Keep it down Remus!" Madam Bones hissed as she quickly recast the 'glamours' on them, this time making Sirius look like Flitwicks taller half brother.
"Right then, straight to madam Malkins then." She said as she ushered her niece towards the popular clothing store.
They reached the 'robes for all occasions' store with no trouble at all, seamlessly blending in with the weirdest of people in the magical kingdom.
Madam Malkin herself came out to great them as they disabled the glamours in order to get accurate measurements and style choices. Noticing just who her customers were, she went to shake their hands. She did however notice the slightly worn looks on their faces and thought that they would be getting sick of all the people wanting to do the same, so she when strait into business mode and ushered them into an out of the way changing room.
She got to work, pinning a very large cloak she'd placed around Harry in order to get his size. Once she'd taken all the measurements, she asked some more specific questions like material and cut.
Harry decided to splurge a little after seeing the amount in his bank account and got his Hogwarts robes in a stylish but practical cut with the robe falling just to his knees while being form fitting around the midsection, chest and arm region. He'd also decided to get them in Acromantula silk - the highest quality material - rather than regular cotton.
When he spotted the finished product, he thought he looked like a regal heir to a prominent family, which of course he was.
With the purchases made they left the store with lighter coin pouches as they moved along to the book store. Harry already had all of the books of corse - he'd finished them through about three times already - her Susan still had to get hers.
Susan was strange to Harry. She seemed adamant in not meeting his eyes. Whenever he tried to strike up a conversation it was always short; 'what's your favourite subject?' 'Don't know', 'do you have any friends going to Hogwarts as well?' 'A few', 'why are you so red? Are you hot?' '…'. She didn't answer that question.
After Susan paid for the listed course books and Sirius dragged a pouting Harry away from the duelling section, they went purchase their potions supplies and get their cauldrons. They bought a basic supply of potions ingredients, while Harry personally scooped some extras as he knew he'd probably like to experiment at school.
They went and got a standard pewter cauldron, however Harry was very interested in the golden cauldrons. Potions was the only magic he was able to actually perform, so he was always eager to set up his work station in the dungeons of Black estate. He'd never used a golden cauldron though. He read that they were fantastic for making more powerful and potent potions yet were extremely volatile if not tempered absolutely correctly.
It was Remus who dragged him away this time.
Harry also decided to get an owl for regular communication with friends if he ever made any. As soon as he entered Eeylops Owl Emporium - the really loud building he'd noticed when he first entered the alley - a beautiful snowy owl alighted on his shoulder and gently hooted and bobbed. It almost looked and sounded like an affirmative nod, as if she'd been waiting for him.
"Troublesome that one, bites everyone that gets close. Sure seems to like you though." The old man behind the counter grumbled.
Harry smiled and purchased the amber eyed bird along with a few treats for her - he guessed it was a her - and a smaller perch to go along with his larger one at home. Ordering the owl to fly to Black estate, he watched as the bird flew off over the buildings.
"We'd best be off then," said madam Bones, "we already got Susan's wand when you two were in the back." She reasoned.
"Well it has certainly been a pleasure catching up my dear Amelia," Sirius smirked with a flowing bow, "if you wand to meet up some other time, you know how to reach me." He continued with a wink.
She merely raised an eyebrow before shaking hands with Remus and Harry and stalking off, a waving Susan in her wake.
"Tough break there Siri, almost had her." Remus snarked sarcastically.
"Just you wait boys, give it a few months and she'll be begging for my touch." He replied wistfully.
"That's disgusting." Harry said before heading towards their next destination, a laughing Remus and a sad Sirius trailing behind him.
They arrived at Ollivanders wand shop - a narrow and dingy place - and walked into the dusty shop to the chime of a bell. Unknown to them, the 'glamours' disappeared just like at Gringotts. The store was old, musty and disconcertingly quiet. They walked in a little further to stand at the counter, which was dwarfed by the enormous shelves that groaned under the weight of hundreds of regular boxes.
Harry started to feel greatly uncomfortable, as if somebody was watching him looked to Sirius and Remus in question as his uncles had been here before and noticed that it was actually them there. They just shrugged their shoulders in confusion - also realising that they'd been revealed sometime. Looking back at the way they came, the two men went to see if their was a 'closed' sign anywhere
"Good Afternoon." They heard from behind them making them all jump in shock.
Harry turned and saw an elderly man with thin white hair that dangled limply to his shoulders. He was scrawny with a slight hunch back as he shuffled a little closer. His pale silver eyes like twin moons as they stared into his soul, calculating its strengths and weaknesses.
"Yes, i must I've been waiting for you to come in search of your wand." He said mysteriously, creeping Harry out. "You have your mothers yes, it seems like just yesterday she was in here buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches, swishy, made of willow. I no doubt knew she was to become a charms master with a wand like that." He commented.
Harry smiled sadly at the thought of his mother's greatness as Mr. Ollivander moved closer, his eyes never blinking as he continued, "your father differed however, favouring a mahogany wand. Eleven inches and pliable, a little more power and excellent at transfiguration."
He turned to Sirius and Remus and looked them over. He made a small hand gesture to silently ask to see their wands, to which they complied.
"Ah yes, I remember these. Dogwood and dragon heartstring, flexible, twelve inches. It has a basic ability to do all magics well, yet tends to extend into dramatics." He said looking at Sirius who nodded his head with a grin.
"Yours was a Phoenix feather wand with cherry wood, fourteen inches and swishy. Yours was greatly suited to enchanting magic and charm work." He said looking towards Remus this time who smiled in response.
"Now to you Mr. Potter. What wand would you have?" He asked rhetorically as he returned his gaze back to Harry. He gently brushed the bangs aside to look at the scar. "It pains me to say I sold the wand that did this. Thirteen and a half inches. Yew. So exceptionally powerful, and in the wrong hands… so destructive." He said in barely a whisper, his voice so soft and regretful.
"Well then, let's find you something shall we?" He asked into the dim atmosphere. Harry was shaken out of his blank stare by a misty eyed Sirius who gently hugged him before a rapidly moving tape measure intruded on their moment.
As the tape measure was sizing up hard in the oddest ways, Mr. Ollivander went to work. "Which is your dominant arm?" He asked, "the right I guess." Harry replied dully.
He barely listened to his speech as the wand maker talked about how wands had a core magical substance, how he used unicorn tail hairs, Phoenix feathers and dragon heartstrings. He stated that no wand was alike and that it was them that chose the wizard, not the other way around.
He perked up again when Mr. Ollivander came back with a broad selection of wands which either didn't work or caused something to explode when he tried them. This process continued for nigh on fifty minutes as he swore he tried every wand in the shop, yet at every failed attempt the odd man just got more exited.
Just as he'd destroyed the same ornate vase for the hundredth time, which was promptly mended by Sirius, Ollivander gained a conspiratorial look in his eyes as he strode back into the depths of his shop. He came back a minute latter with a single dusty black box. He put the box down next the the mountain of tried wands with shaking hands. Harry didn't know if the old man was nervous or excited.
"This one maybe - yes definitely - here you go." he said as he pushed the box over to the boy. "Holly and Phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple. An odd combination I must say, yet you are not quite so normal now are you Mr. potter?"
Not knowing whether that was a compliment or not, he opened the box and took out the wand. Immediately the wand felt warm in his hand before that warmth shot right through his body and to his core. He gasped out as bright gold and red sparks filled the room with their brilliance.
Ollivander stood there clapping once the spectacle had died down with Sirius sending out a whistle through his fingers in cheer. Remus clapped Harry on the back with a 'congratulations!"
"Bravo! Bravo! And how curious indeed." Mr. Ollivander exclaimed as he examined the wand in Harry's hand. Harry looked at him questioningly.
"Holly and Phoenix feather… again a rather unusual combination of wand core and wood but a powerful one none the less. I think this shall serve you well… yet curious… curious indeed" he mumbled not noticing Harry's look.
"How is it curious?" He asked wanting to know why the Wandmaker seemed so distracted.
"I remember every single wand I've sold, Mr potter. I remember one of yew instead of holly, the core a feather donated by the same Phoenix as your own. This makes them brother wands, and It was the brother that gave you that scar." He revealed causing all those in the room to pale.
"Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember... I think we must expect great things from you, Mr Potter... After all, he-who-must-not-be-named did great things - terrible, yes, but great." He finished, still gazing at the lightning bolt on his forehead.
Harry looked sick as he glanced at his wand. It felt wrong all of the sudden. It's brother murdered his parents. It was held by the most vile man that has ever lived. However, it chose him and he's not likely to get another one, so he placed it back in the box and paid for it.
They exited the shop, still a little on edge. They were grateful that they had finally left the musty air of the shop, the sun now set.
The three of them walked to the end of the alley to the Leaky Cauldron in silence - not needing to reset disguises as their were only a few people still milling about - and back out into muggle London.
They traced their steps back to the alley down the street and apparated home. Sirius gripped Harry in a tight hug, Remus joining soon after as Harry silently cried into his godfathers cloak.
"It's okay Harry, it doesn't mean anything. Like Ollivander said, no two wands are the same, okay?" Sirius consoled the boy that gripped his shirt.
All three of them were exhausted, but sleep evaded them that night. They were all stuck in a cycle of bad nightmares that where kicked up by the revelations of the day, more specifically, of Harry's wand, its brother, and the evil man who wielded it.