Author's Note:
Moving on to the summer between third and fourth year. Thanks for reading and reviews are very helpful.
Here is my disclaimer that says I do not own anything Harry Potter related. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, except in universe 47837. Probably.
Two weeks. That was how long Harry had been at Number Four, Privet Drive. They had been long, stressful tests of his patience as he adjusted to not being in the physical presence of his followers.
However, he was immensely thankful that he carried a part of them in his core wherever he went – or else he was sure he would have gone mad. For that reason the separation from them wasn't quite as bad as it could have been.
Still, it had taken a not insignificant amount effort on Harry's part to focus on some of the many, unresolved topics that he very much needed to think about now that he wasn't in the castle. Most of his attention was directed on trying to unravel the prophecy and dissect its possible meanings. One of the things that became clearer during his musings was that he soon became quite sure that Voldemort must had made several Horcruxes in which some form of Tom Riddle was now housed.
And in Harry's mind it was quite easy to make the distinction between the fallen Voldemort who had lost his way and killed his parents and the Tom Riddle that would be his equal, the one he would reunite with and together unleash their will upon the world.
Aside from that, the other thing Harry felt he knew for certain – since he didn't want to read too much into things and fall victim to sabotaging his own fate – was that the Other most likely referred to the Voldemort that was still out there.
Therefore, regardless of what the rest of the prophecy turned out to mean in hindsight, Harry just wanted to have a sense of the big and most important hints. Thus, he reasonably expected that the future he desired from Trelawney's vision would be made possible by selecting the right Horcrux to reawaken and making sure that the master soul of Voldemort was defeated.
For the moment, that was all he cared about and so he had spent a good portion of the rest of those two weeks trying to learn as much about Horcruxes as possible.
Sadly, most of the books that he owned that mentioned that term didn't describe the magic behind them and just said they were very dark magic.
But Harry knew that he wouldn't stop until he knew everything about them, and he was determined to at least uncover something useful about Horcruxes by the end of the summer. A fact that he had no doubt he would achieve since tonight, a mere two weeks after his third year had ended, he would be departing from the Dursley's residence for good to go and live with his Godfather, Sirius Black.
Shortly, a whole new world of opportunity in expanding his magical knowledge would be open to him with leaving the Muggle world behind and immersing himself in a world where magic didn't need to be hidden away.
Just thinking about how much easier it would be to see those who had pledged their lives and magic to him was enough to almost make him wish the day would go by faster so that six o'clock would arrive and Sirius could come and collect him.
Though, that reunion with his followers, while extremely tempting, sat at the back of Harry's mind for the sole and glorious reason that he had been looking forward to something else ever since he knew that he would be leaving Privet Drive for good.
He needed to say goodbye to his Muggle relatives and he didn't want to be rude and leave without a parting gift. That would have been unforgiveable and in bad taste.
Therefore, at noon, with only six hours left in the presence of the Dursleys, Harry called his family to join him in the dining room.
Petunia and Vernon came without question since his magic had been directing their behavior and actions for many years by this point. Dudley's journey to him was a bit more delayed; the Dursley heir had never been put under Harry's spell and always tried to spend the least amount of time in Harry's company.
But the boy knew better than to disobey a direct order, so by five after twelve they were all seated.
At once, Harry unleashed his magic and bound the elder Dursleys to their chairs. Then he recalled his magic from their bodies and their minds and watched their true personalities wake up.
Vernon was the first to become aware of his surroundings.
His eyes took note of the room they were in and the way his family looked.
Just under three years had passed since the last time he had been fully aware of his surroundings and while some things looked the same, others appeared quite different.
Dudley, meanwhile, kept his face neutral, staring directly at where his plate would be had they been eating. He knew better than to do anything else.
Harry simply smiled at Vernon, taking enjoyment in watching the man struggle against his invisible bonds.
It was even more humorous when the man took notice that he seemed to be missing half of his previous body weight. The last time he had been self aware they had discussed magic and then the man had spent an awful lot of time in pain, so he supposed the man hadn't made the connection then.
"Boy, what did you do to me? Something freaky no doubt."
"Honestly, Uncle Vernon, one would think of saying thank you for assisting you in preventing the massive heart attack you were on your way to having. But no… you were and are a horrible Muggle and have never seemed to fully grasp that I am your better."
"Why you listen to me you little freak, you will unhand me this instant. You… you… wait a minute," the man's face began to purple.
"Dud-, Dudley? Is that you son?"
Vernon turned to Petunia, who looked to be going through the same and disturbing awakening of suddenly seeing a teenager where her once tiny boy used to be.
"Dudekins…" her eyes began to water.
"Boy, what is the meaning of this?" Vernon's large eyes rounded on him with a renewed fury.
"What have you done to my family?" He roared. "You are not allowed to do magic outside of school! Oh, you're in trouble now."
The man's purple face looked pleased, like he knew he had just played his trump card.
"Tsk, tsk, Uncle. Do you really think so little of me to imagine that I wouldn't know what is allowed? That hurts… deeply."
Harry's green eyes blazed with vibrancy.
"If you must know, only magic with a wand is regulated. Am I using my wand?"
Harry held up his hands and waved his fingers at the man.
Vernon's face got darker and his giant vein started to make an appearance. The man seemed so enraged that for a moment he had trouble making his words understandable.
"Shh" Harry whispered when the man suddenly found his voice again.
At the same time Harry used his magic to silence the man just as a string of obscenities were about to leave his mouth.
"Apologies but with so much to talk about, I fear we must move this conversation along."
Harry then shifted to Petunia and Dudley.
"Did you two have anything to add before we get started? We may not have much time but it would be inappropriate of me not to give you a chance to say something stupid."
Dudley immediately shook his head and Petunia's nostrils flared but she kept her big mouth shut.
"Wonderful," Harry praised.
"Now then, moving on to the reason I've summoned you here today," Harry looked pointedly at each of them.
"The time has come for me to depart. You see, my Godfather has invited me to live with him and will be picking me up tonight promptly at six."
He could see immediate relief pass through Dudley's face, while Vernon quickly went from purple to a fairly normal shade. Petunia just continued to breath evenly but he could see a torn look in her eyes – no doubt alternating between joy at the thought of him leaving and shame at failing her sister.
"Nevertheless, I feel it important to make you aware of some things that will be key to your future. Understand that the person you see in front of you – no matter how much you detest me because I can assure you the feeling is mutual – is a product of two things: my experiences and every ability I have used to overcome them."
For emphasis Harry set his right elbow on the table, leaving his right palm parallel to the ceiling and his fingers slightly curved upward.
In the next instant there was a hot and intense flame dancing inches above the flesh of his palm.
"This is fiendfyre," Harry breathed with his eyes aglow in reverence.
"It's a cursed fire and normally very difficult to control. The death it would offer you would be tortuous and no amount of water could quench its flames."
Then Harry willed his magic to give the heat shape and purpose, soon taking the form of a long serpent made of searing flames that encircled the group.
"To be clear: this is not something common among wizardkind. Not everyone has the will or strength to control these flames – but I have never been normal. However," Harry smiled darkly as he looked directly at Petunia and Vernon.
"Your cruelness gave me an incentive to harness my magic before I even knew what it was. Your hate for me and my kind provided the framework that I needed to be my very best – so thank you."
The Dursleys eyes were wide and full of a terror that they had never known. Their breaths were shallow and beads of sweat began to roll down their face, sweat that had nothing to do with the scorching flames itching to lick them from behind.
"Not that I enjoyed any of my early years with you but I can't deny it made me the person I am so very happy and content with being. I know that my potential is limitless and it's quite comical that you had any hand in it at all."
Then Harry's eyes turned a dark deadly green and the fire dissipated into thin air as Harry summoned the magic back into himself.
"But you were also physically abusive to me. I was beaten and treated like a slave ever since I learned how to walk. You never cared for me as a guardian should have and there were some nights that I wished for death because of the hunger in my gut at not being allowed to eat."
Harry didn't need to lace his words with magic, the effect they had on them was quite sufficient on their own.
"And I won't even get into the psychological torment you put me through. Imagine living in a closet under the stairs or seeing Dudley being showered with love and affection for just existing while only receiving looks of contempt."
Harry took a breath, even though he had long ago made peace with those early years, his magic wanted to reach out and show them just what he was capable of.
Interestingly, while Vernon and Petunia had some mix of appropriate shame scattered in with their more dominant emotion of only being sorry they got caught, Dudley seemed truly and utterly horrified that his parents had done that.
It was perhaps not to be unexpected since Dudley had been so young at the time and all he had known was his parent's hate. The boy had managed to grow up quite well considering; no doubt he was in much better shape than he otherwise would have been.
Perhaps the boy could be useful.
So Harry decided to explore that a little and turned his attention back to his Aunt and Uncle.
"But here I am, alive and well and stronger for it. To be quite honest, I expected to live the rest of my life only relying on myself… and to some extent that is still true because there are things that I want that only I can make happen."
His voice was soft but everyone could feel the power dripping from his words.
"Unexpectedly, however, I found myself collecting people. Found myself surrounded by seven individuals, in fact. They are loyal, powerful, and have a single-minded purpose to support me in whatever ways I could possibly want or desire. They would kill – have killed – for me," he grinned devilishly at them.
"They would do anything I command!"
Just then Harry focused in on his core and touched each point, sending a tendril of his magic to mix with each of his devoted followers. He pictured them clearly in his mind and felt the tingle that signaled their awareness of the connection.
"They've pledged their lives and magic to me; they are quite something to behold in person."
Despite it being the middle of the day the room suddenly became very dark.
And by focusing his power into the middle of the table, his magic soon brought their images to life.
"Neville was the first to come. In the beginning he had problems with confidence, but now… look at the conviction in his eyes."
An image of Neville torturing Phineas and Icarus played out in the space that was only inches above the middle of the table.
"They might be older than him but Neville is so much better than they could ever hope to be."
He heard Petunia gulp and moved on to Justin.
"This one is in love with me; well, they all are I suppose to some degree. But Justin is special and very creative. He excels with Charms; I don't think there is a single thing he won't be able to achieve with them. Just look at how expertly he can use something as benign as a Cheering Charm to break someone's mind."
The image of Pettigrew being tormented by the unexpected application of happiness at Justin's suggestions that he should be enjoying the opportunity to suffer for Harry was something truly chilling.
It was comical how Vernon's eyes widened in response to the small screams that Harry's magic replayed for them.
"Moving on we have Cedric," and the image displayed through Harry's magic showed the handsome Hufflepuff dueling with Justin as a partner.
"Cedric is a genius with Transfiguration and uses it quite skillfully in situations that no one could expect. Do you see how he transfigured Pettigrew's body hairs into needles? The poor man couldn't sit or sleep for seventy two hours."
But the Dursley's didn't understand the importance of it.
"Of course you don't appreciate the significance of him. What was I thinking?"
The edges of Harry's mouth curled up in a mock sneer.
"Ginny is the youngest and her wand has an almost surgical-like precision. She can inflict pain anywhere using a wide variety of curses, spells, hexes… and she is a year younger than me. I'm so proud."
A wave of Harry's hand made Luna appear.
"This one, oh she is something else altogether! I'm not even sure I fully understand her … and she knows things … things that she shouldn't … and she is mine. Isn't it beautiful how someone so young can wield such might? Half of the time she doesn't even need her wand to cut right through a person."
Again, the screams of Pettigrew sounded in the Dursley's kitchen as Luna toyed with the man's past, understanding what made Peter tick to get underneath his skin far deeper than the Dark Lord ever had.
"Roger is like the big brother of the group. He ensures that everyone is supported and has what they need. Don't you agree he is quite thoughtful? I mean replenishing Phineas and Icarus' blood so that Neville could have more fun is so very kind."
All of the color had drained from the Dursley's faces.
"Finally we have Trelawney – a Professor of Divination. She is mostly a hack and stumbles through life making sure to always have a glass of sherry nearby."
Harry then leaned in close as the giant, bug-like eyes enhanced by the woman's glasses pushed the other Dursley's back into their chairs.
"No one will believe what she is capable of – no one will see her coming. And she is diabolical and deadly and useful to me as any of the others."
With a snap of his fingers the magic dancing along the top of the table dissipated and the lights flickered back on.
"I imagine you are curious and wondering why I introduced you to my friends seeing as how in a few hours I will be out of your lives. The truth is, though I might be willing to look the other way and forget about the trespasses you have committed against me… they will not be as easy to give their forgiveness. For you see, I am their Lord, their master, and their protector. They live to carry out my will and they are most beloved. Before anything else my wishes come before they even think about themselves. And in turn I will lead them on their way to greatness."
Harry's core swelled at the thought and another, light pulse went outwards to connect with his followers.
"So even though I will leave and never look back, it won't matter how much times passes. One day they will come for you and make you suffer like I suffered. It doesn't matter where you go or the fact that my magic has changed your lives for the better – they will come and you will beg for mercy and death."
Tears were streaming down the faces of Petunia and Dudley, while Vernon looked as white as a ghost.
It was at that moment that Harry turned to Dudley and addressed his cousin for one of the few times in his life.
"But they will not come for you Dudley. You had no hand in the suffering your parents inflicted and I've never once used my magic on you because you have given me no reason to. You are much smarter than your parents."
Dudley swallowed back the feeling that his heart was going to explode with Harry looking directly at him.
"However," Harry said in all seriousness.
"I think that you have potential and could be of use to me in the future. Which is why I will make a deal with you; I'll give you the opportunity to spare your parents from their well-deserved punishment. Interested?"
The boy's eyes were rounder than Vernon's had ever been and he briefly turned his gaze to settle on his terrified parents before meeting Harry's green eyes once more and nodding.
"W-what do I have to do?"
A satisfied grin appeared on Harry's face.
"Over the past few years I think I have done wonders for this family. Your parents have lost weight, make and manage their money better, and because of my direction have managed to amass a small fortune. What I would like is to see you apply yourself as best as you can. I would like you to go to the best schools and learn as much as you possibly can."
Dudley's eyes narrow minutely in confusion.
"That's it?"
Harry's grin widened.
"I want you to learn how to say all the right things to the all right people at all the right times. Study politics, study relationships, study people and get into government. I have no telling what the future will bring but can only imagine the benefits of that sort of willing connection."
Harry looked pointedly at Dudley. He hadn't given this idea that much thought; it had sort of just come to him. However, it never hurt to lay a foundation for the future.
"Your job will be to work your way up to as high as you can get… Prime Minister perhaps or something along those lines?"
Dudley's mouth dropped open.
"How could I possibly do that? My parents are surely doomed then!"
The boy looked like he was about to throw up but Harry nipped that quickly with a flare of power in his green eyes.
"I have faith that you have what it takes, knowing what's at stake. It's probably best not to put a time limit on it but I'm sure you can find some way to do as I've asked. After all, you wouldn't want to disappoint your parents, now, would you?"
Dudley looked again to his parents before turning back to face Harry, but not quite able to meet his eyes.
"All right," he said quietly, "but only if your promise to spare their lives."
"That all depends on you."
The room became very quiet and despite the horribleness of their situation Petunia looked ready to explode with pride for her 'Dudders.'
With that settled, Harry infused as much magic as he could to make Vernon and Petunia as compliant with the lives they had been living for as long as possible. He didn't want there to be any whispers of them abruptly changing their behavior after he had left. At the end he was very tired, but he was sure that his will would last within them for years if not decades. By the time they became themselves again Harry would hopefully have Tom by his side and the world would be at their feet.
Six o'clock arrived and so did Sirius. To Harry's surprise, his former Defense Against the Dark Arts' Professor was also with him. Apparently Remus was now going to be living with them since he didn't have anywhere else to go.
Not entirely surprised with that arrangement and playing the part of the appreciative and dutiful Godson, Harry let himself be swept up in a hug by both of them. Then he gathered his things, gave one last smirk to the Dursleys, and joined Sirius in a Side-Along Apparition to his new home.
Harry blinked his eyes open, immediately coming to the realization that he needed to learn how to Apparate as soon as possible. That experience had been overwhelmingly doused with delicious magic and he had quite enjoyed it.
However, as the high wore off Harry came to realize that they were not in a house but in a park.
Confused he turned to Sirius.
"I thought we were going to your place?"
"We are, Harry. There is just something we need to take care of before we enter."
At that, they walked into the street beside the park and stopped to stare at a row of large and very expensive looking home. Once there, Remus Lupin handed Harry a small piece of paper.
Harry unraveled it and read:
Sirius Black and Harry Potter live at Number 12, Grimmauld Place
He then looked up and watched as the houses moved apart and a new one popped into existence. Immediately Harry understood, feeling the foreign magic letting him in on the secret.
"Is this the Fidelius Charm?" Harry inquired.
"Well done, pup," Sirius preened.
"Now if you don't mind, Harry," Remus aimed his wand and the piece of paper was incinerated.
"Dumbledore wanted to ensure that you would be as safe as possible while living with Sirius and I here."
"Does that mean he is the Secret Keeper?"
Harry's voice was low on account of two things. The first was that this was obviously a delicate subject given that the last Secret Keeper entrusted with his safety had failed miserably. The other and more pressing reason why Harry kept his voice on the softer side was that he didn't trust his voice if it went any higher.
He would be furious if Albus Dumbledore was the one to say which people could come into his home.
That unfortunate restriction would certainly mean that not all of his followers would be able to visit.
"Yes, Harry. The Headmaster insisted upon that as one of the conditions that you could come and live with me. He wanted to be the one responsible for your safety this time."
All Harry could do was nod, keeping his displeasure off his face. His most patient and understanding mask that he wore instead helped him note the very telling way in which Remus had responded. Something had Dumbledore more spooked than usual.
Which was in and of itself interesting since they already knew that the other Voldemort was out there in some form. Was that the reason or had something else happened that Harry didn't know about?
With yet another thing he needed to consider, and that whole unsavory business about the old goat being the Secret Keeper out of the way, Remus and Sirius led Harry inside. Upon crossing the threshold into the regal and magnificent dwelling it became quite apparent that magic was at work, for the inside was far more spacious than outside dimensions should have allowed.
The inside was quite tastefully decorated too as Harry would have expected considering the pureblood family it belonged to, especially given Sirius' earlier description of this being the ancestral and main home of the Black family.
They walked across the expansive foyer, Harry noting how appropriate and grand the space would be for hosting large parties. On the far side of the foyer was a statement piece if Harry ever saw one. The large, ornate staircase spilt halfway up, offering two separate ways to get to the second level. Of course, right in the middle and about halfway up the wall was the Black Family Crest with its prominently displayed motto: Toujour Pur.
'How fitting,' Harry mused.
Sirius proceeded to give Harry a very brief tour of his new home, starting with the second floor that housed both a formal and more comfortable-looking dining room. This floor also served to maintain the large kitchen and pantry.
The third floor was where the library was, and from the moment that Harry saw the many hundreds if not thousands of books he knew that this was the place for him. In fact, Harry's mind was so focused on how he would be spending a good majority of his time here that he only briefly considered the study and the various guest bedrooms.
All of the other bedrooms were on the fourth floor, and then there was some attic space for storage and also where the house elf, Kreacher, slept.
During the tour Sirius filled him on some of the most important things to note. Like always being quiet around the painting of his horrible mother on the first floor who they had yet to successfully remove from the wall. Or how Kreacher should treat Harry the same as Sirius since for all intents and purposes he had been adopted into House Black.
The brief but sufficient tour led them back to the dining room as dinner was served.
"Well, Harry, what do you think of the place?"
Sirius looked a little uncomfortable with being here, and he supposed that that had to do with what he had seen from Peter's memories and the fact that Sirius had never really gotten along with his family.
"It's brilliant, Sirius. Truly!" Harry smiled back.
He didn't even have to act because all he had to do was think about what rare treasures he would find in the Black Library and that was more than enough for him. Everything else was an extra bonus as far as he was concerned, and he would use this to his advantage.
"I'll admit it's a bit weird to be back." Sirius looked around, thinking about the mostly terrible memories that tended to drown out the few good ones.
"When we first got here it was in a right state but between the elf and Remus and myself we managed to get it presentable again."
"I appreciate the effort, Sirius. I could have helped though."
"Nonsense, pup." Sirius waved his apparent concern away just as Kreacher appeared with dinner.
It was the first time that Harry met the elf and it was easy to see that he and Sirius did not get along with each other.
"What would Mistress think if she knew Kreacher was serving a blood traitor…" he placed Sirius' meal in front of him, "a half-breed." This time the elf sneered as he set Remus' food down.
"And a half-blood," the elf saved Harry for last.
"Oh, the shame Kreacher has brought upon her memory!"
Harry raised an eyebrow while Sirius barked, "Kreacher! For the last time, you will show everyone here respect you barmy old thing you."
The magic of his servitude bound the elf from replying with something no doubt more colorful.
When the elf departed Harry turned to his Godfather.
"What was that all about?"
Harry may not have given much thought to owning a House Elf but the one thing he knew was that elves would find loopholes to disobey their masters if they weren't treated right.
Like what Dobby had done behind Lucius' back nearly two years ago.
"I've never gotten along with it; that elf worshipped the ground my batty mother walked on. No matter, he is bound to carry out our wishes."
"Have you tried being nicer to him?" Harry asked and then immediately regretted it.
For Sirius just looked at him like he had grown two heads and so they quickly changed the subject and began digging into their food.
"I'm sorry what happened, Remus. You were by far the best Defense Professor we've ever had."
Remus' eyes warmed despite the undertone of sadness.
"It was never something I expected to last more than a year at – you know some people think there is a curse on the position considering that no one has lasted more than a year going back the past several decades."
Harry, like everyone else that went to Hogwarts, was well aware of that particular rumor.
Still, he was quite salty at what Snape had done.
"Do you blame him?" Harry asked, taking a gulp of pumpkin juice.
Remus exhaled in a much calmer way as opposed to the derisive snort that Sirius gave.
"There is history there, Harry. Perhaps when you are older we'll discuss it. I am just happy that I had another year at Hogwarts, and very grateful that Sirius took me in."
"Snivellus!" Sirius huffed out.
It was beginning to look like Harry would have to let more people play with Snape than he had originally planned.
"Sorry," Harry said in a controlled manner.
"I shouldn't have brought it up."
"No, Harry. Don't worry about it; it's not your fault."
"Besides," Sirius cut in, "I suppose it's the right moment to tell you that I'll be taking up Moony's old post next year. It was actually the Ministry's suggestion, you know, on account of me being an Auror, before, well…"
"Brilliant, Sirius!"
"And no, before you ask, I'm not worried about whether or not there is a curse. I'm not even sure I'm cut out for teaching. Mainly accepted just to spend as much time with you as possible kiddo. We have a lot of time to make up for."
Harry chuckled at Sirius' antics and finished his meal.
"Well, it will be interesting to see how you measure up to Remus. You really were a great teacher."
Remus' face became a little red at the praise but he paid it no mind.
"Now, who's up for dessert? … Kreacher!"
A distinct pop occurred and the elf was next to Sirius, looking at him with narrowed eyes.
"Master called?"
"I think it's time for dessert. Please clear the table."
"As master commands," the elf sneered and with a snap of his fingers the used plates and utensils were exchanged for the pudding and new silverware.
The elf gave another pointed stare before popping away.
"Dig in!" Sirius called through a mouthful of Treacle Tart.
The next several moments were spent in light discussion before Remus and Sirius treated themselves to a brandy and they retreated to the living room.
Once seated, Sirius reached behind his back and pulled out a small package for Harry.
"Here," he extended his arm and placed the present into Harry's hands.
"I wanted to get you something to mark the occasion. Haven't been fulfilling my duties you know for the past several years because…"
Remus cleared his throat, doing his best to keep Sirius on target.
"So I thought that this would be a good start to our new life together."
Harry unwrapped the small, square gift and then opened the lid to reveal a beautiful, expensive-looking signet ring. It had a black raven in the center with an oversized, flawless ruby for an eye. On the sides were labeled, 'Potter,' and 'Black' in an elegant script made of pure gold.
"It's an heir ring, Harry. Most children of pureblood houses follow this tradition, although I will be honest that the thought of carrying on my family's line terrified me. However, Remus has helped me to overcome some of my reservations with being a Black. Besides, you are also the heir of the Potter family and I think James would be most proud to see that on your finger."
Sirius seemed to run out of things to say so Remus filled Harry in on the rest.
"While it is uncommon for an individual to be the heir of more than one family, sometimes it does happen. In these cases, a special ring can be commissioned instead of having to wear two rings that instead combines the signature elements of the two families into one. The ruby is a trademark of the Potters because of its significance to a strong foundation of family support that Potters have always been known for. Likewise, the raven symbolizes the noble and regal pride with being a Black."
"Obviously Remus came up with the design. But I wanted to let you know, in case you didn't already, that you're family, pup."
Sirius then continued to explain how Harry would be able to purchase things by simply pressing his ring into a receipt that a shop owner would then be able to present at the bank to withdraw the amount from his vault. Harry was also instructed that he would be able to decide which vault was to be used to pay for the purchases and it was heavily suggested that the Black funds were to be used since, again, Sirius had many past birthdays and special occasions to make up for.
In the end, the ring fit nicely on his left hand and Harry's magic welcomed the new addition.
"Thank you," he went over and hugged Sirius and then Remus.
He even put some color in his cheeks to round out his performance. Not that Harry was unappreciative for what he was given by any stretch of the imagination.
The money he had received from his parents alone would have been more than enough to fund a good portion of his future endeavors. Who knew what the added fortune of the Blacks would enable him to achieve?
The next day both Sirius and Remus left Grimmauld Place, for what purpose they wouldn't say. Harry got the feeling it had to do with Dumbledore but wasn't disappointed in the least.
Their absence meant that he could explore the rest of the house and then settle down in the Black Library.
Normally Harry would have made a beeline directly to said library but he wanted to make sure he explored every part of the house first to make sure he didn't overlook something that would be as significant as the Hogwarts Trophy Room. Because that had led him to learn of Tom's Riddle name and so before Harry would allow himself a reward he did his due diligence.
Like before, he started with the bottom up, taking care not to disturb the portrait because he just didn't want to deal with her. Not much needed to be explored with the first floor and the second was quickly done as well. Though, Harry may have taken the liberty of raiding some of the food in preparation for having something to snack on when he ended up in the library.
Harry then moved up to the third floor. Again, not much of note was in the study, and he avoided looking in the library for the sheer fact that once he went in he was committed to staying there for several hours.
He skipped over the fourth floor since those were bedrooms and made his way to the attic, something that had not been included in his first tour.
It needed some cleaning and there were boxes scattered about and in the corner he could see the makeshift tent that Kreacher used.
On the opposite side of the attic was a large dresser and Harry carefully made his way over there, making sure to avoid some of the larger dirt piles. Knowing that it was possible for a Boggart to live in the dark drawers, Harry unleashed his magic in that direction.
However, he soon found himself on his knees because of an instant and overwhelming feeling of ecstasy. The feeling that shivered along his magical tendrils as it reached into his core was so eerily similar to what he had experienced from Tom Riddle in the Diary.
Only about one-hundred times more potent since his magic had encased whatever item housed what could only be another of Tom's Horcrux.
Without even meaning to his body began to crawl towards the locket that his magic told him he would be looking for. Slowly, Harry made his way to the bass of the dresser and had just opened the large door to reveal three shelves when an angry voice sounded from behind.
"What is master doing?"
Kreacher's shrill voice brought Harry painfully back to the present and he immediately called his magic back into his body since he didn't trust it being in contact with Tom.
All Harry had to think about was the prophecy and he forced himself to lean away. No matter how much Tom's soul sang to him he wouldn't chance anything that would prevent the future he desired from coming to pass.
"Why is the half-blood up here… near…"
The elf shut his mouth and looked at Harry in an odd, almost embarrassed manner.
"Kr-kreacher…" Harry struggled to get out, his mind reeling from the lack of euphoria.
Harry concentrated for another moment, focusing as hard on his core as he ever had, using the ties that bound his followers to him to stabilize the tumultuous uncertainty that clouded his remarkable mind.
And his followers did not disappoint, they may not have understood why their Harry needed them but he could feel their support and as the seconds ticked by he began to stabilize.
His mind was able to process things almost like normal again.
"Kreacher, what do you know of the item in the dresser? I command you to tell me everything you know about it and why it is here."
Kreacher momentarily fought against the order but he couldn't resist.
"It belongs to the Dark Lord. It is something that he made and needs to be destroyed for the Dark Lord to be destroyed."
Kreacher still tried to hold his tongue but the words kept coming.
"The Dark Lord requested an elf from a follower to hide it and Master Regulus," tears were pouring down the elf's face, "offered me. The Dark Lord took me to a cave on the coast to test its defenses. The potion it sat in was horrible and Kreacher wanted to die… the Dark Lord left Kreacher there to die."
Harry listened to the elf's words very carefully, trying and failing to stop his own shallow breaths from coming at the thought of any harm coming to Tom.
Kreacher, however, was not focused on Harry's response but on continuing the tale that his master commanded he share.
"But Master Regulus called Kreacher back and Kreacher came, oh yes. Master Regulus bid Kreacher to tell him what happened and Kreacher told him all about the Dark Lord and his secret. Master Regulus understood and ordered Kreacher to take him into the cave, to show Kreacher what the Dark Lord had hidden away."
Kreacher was now all but sobbing as he finished.
"Master Regulus begged Kreacher to make him drink to make him uncover the Dark Lord's secret object. Then, Master Regulus ordered Kreacher away, to destroy the Locket, and to tell no one."
The elf dropped to his knees, wailing in despair.
"But Kreacher failed Master Regulus. Kreacher knows not how to destroy this dark object and so the Dark Lord must still live."
Harry contemplated the unexpected turn of events as his mind calmed. He needed to do some damage control and he needed to do it quickly.
"Kreacher, who else knows about the Locket?"
The elf shook his head as his tears splashed to the floor.
"Only the two of us. Master Regulus died within the cave, for Kreacher felt his death soon after Kreacher returned home."
Well at least no one else knew. Harry couldn't imagine if Dumbledore ever got wind of this.
"Kreacher, I order you to tell no one about Regulus and the Locket or about the Dark Lord and any mention of how they are all connected. I also command you to keep what you and I talk about in regards to Regulus, the Locket, and the Dark Lord a secret unless I command you otherwise."
The elf stopped his wails and looked at Harry in a strange way.
"Kreacher, I think I know what happened to the Dark Lord and what to do with these Horcruxes."
The elf's eyes widened with awe and hope.
"But no one else can know about any of this, not yet, is that clear?"
The elf bounced up and down excitedly, his tears being replaced with the look of undying loyalty.
"Of course Master Harry, Kreacher lives to serve his master, to honor Regulus."
Harry nodded solemnly and took a last look at the Locket, desiring but trusting what would happen if he touched it again with his magic.
With difficulty, his head turned away from where Tom's soul slumbered and addressed the elf, the gears in his mind spinning fast.
"Kreacher, you can act on behalf of me in all ways, correct? For instance, you can withdraw and deposit money or objects into my vaults at Gringotts and no one else will know of the items you place there, correct?"
The elf nodded immediately.
"Oh, yes, Master Harry, Kreacher does as his master commands and no one would know what Kreacher did at the bank."
"Very well, then. Kreacher, this Locket is too dangerous to remain out in the open. I order you to place it in my personal Potter vault at Gringotts and tell no one about it. And I mean no one – not even Sirius if he commands it. Am I right to understand that you will be able to refuse his order if it contradicts mine?"
"Yes Master Harry, Kreacher will be able to lie to Sirius. However, if something happens to Master Harry – like Master Regulus," the elf's eyes began teary once more, "then should Kreacher be ordered to reveal it he will have to."
"Very good. Please take the Locket to my vault right away then and let me know the moment you have succeeded."
The elf snapped his fingers and the Locket flew to his outstretched claw before the elf disappeared and Harry sank to the floor.
He stared at the ceiling, not even caring the years of filth the clung to his body. The only thing that his mind could even process was on the seemingly impossible task that he would have to successfully complete to secure his most wanted future.
How could he possibly choose which Tom to reawaken when his magic wanted to reunite with all of them?
It seemed like such a daunting challenge but as the more time passed since the Locket had been removed, the more his magic settled into his chest.
The connection he had to his followers helped him further, giving him the strength to stand once more to willingly face his future.
By the time Kreacher returned, Harry was walking towards the library.
He had a mission, a purpose. He was going to master Horcruxes and he would study each part of Tom in depth until he knew beyond doubt that he had made the right choice.
It was unacceptable to think otherwise, not when his future, his greatness, his followers demanded it.
That's part one of the summer. There will be a second chapter and then back to Hogwarts.
Thanks for reading and let me know what you think; the increase in reviews have really spurred me to get chapters out faster!