Previously on Defiance...
"You think that there was some special reason why my dad and Neville's suddenly decided to go into hiding. A special reason why Voldemort was so fixated on killing me. I remember the night." Harry's eyes went glassy. "My dad... he tried to divert Voldemort, allowing mum to escape with me. Voldemort killed him and then went for me. Not Mum, but me. My mum wanted him to spare my life and take hers, but he would not listen. In fact, now that I think about it, it was almost odd." He looked into Sirius' eyes, which were brimming with tears, "My mum was muggleborn and yet the bastard seemed more fixated on killing me than my mum."
Sirius's face was a masterpiece. One single face, demonstrating the wide variety of emotions. There was surprise, shock, hatred, sorrow, vengeance and finally... surprise as the answer presented itself to him. Coincidentally, Harry had reached a similar answer on his own. "What if there was a-" he began, but Sirius cut him off.
"A bloody prophecy!"
The next morning...
It almost felt like ages that Harry had had a proper sleep. For some reason, the nightmares had stopped traumatizing him. Instead, he had passed into a dreamless sleep, completely at rest and oblivious to the happenings of the outside world.
"Harry!"
"Harry!"
He looked up with groggy eyes, to find his godfather shaking his arm slowly. "Wake up!"
"Huh?"
"We need to leave, remember?"
His glance darted towards the clock. "Its five am in the morning." He sat up, and rubbed his eyes.
"Of course, my bad," Sirius countered saucily, "We should just get out at eleven, have some breakfast from Molly and then say Hi to everyone and let them know we are going shopping. Who knows, even Molly would perhaps send us to buy some veggies for her? Right? What was I thinking?"
Harry flushed with embarrassment. "All right, you have made your point. Give me ten minutes." He got off the covers and ran for the shower, leaving Sirius to his trinkets. Ten minutes later, he still found the older animagus sitting on the bed, waving his wand over a piece of parchment and muttering something under his breath.
"What are you doing?" He asked out of curiosity.
"Oh, that?" Sirius deadpanned, "that is a prank."
"A... prank?" Harry raised his eyebrows.
"Yes, of course," Sirius grinned cheerfully. Harry rolled his eyes.
After five more minutes, Sirius was done. He conjured a long piece of string, tied it to one end of the parchment, and put the parchment into a conjured envelope, muttering some enchantments on it. Then, he went towards the door and locked it with a powerful locking charm, and set a proximity trigger to it.
"Just one last thing and I am afraid I need your help for it." Sirius looked at him with a scary smile. Harry gulped.
Some hours later...
Molly climbed up the rickety stairs towards the Lord's study. The bloody mansion had too many stairs, according to her. She crossed the troll's leg stand, crossed the double corridors that led to the room Harry was staying in, and entered into the tiny hallway. Why could not he room up with her little Ronnie was beyond her. It was true that Ronnie had had a bout of jealousy and misunderstanding, but then Harry had forgiven him. Yes, it was a fact that this was Sirius's house, she thought with a frown, and Harry was his godson and everything, but it did not mean that Black would enable him to stay away from his friends. They were his friends after all. In dark times such as this, friends were exactly what Harry needed. Moreover, the Black House was home to the darkest of wizards. She feared that Sirius would be a bad influence on the boy she had come to look upon as her own son. Little Ginny had had a crush on him, and momentarily, she let herself dream a little about a big, happy Weasley family where Harry would marry Ginny and Ron would settle down with Hermione. The bushy-haired girl was very enthusiastic, and passionate, perhaps her vigor would be a positive influence on Ron. Smiling at her mental image, she walked up to the door.
She ignored the pompous message on the nameplate and knocked the door. It was almost ten and Harry had yet to come down. For the matter of fact, she hadn't yet seen Sirius down in the drawing room too. The house was too big, too hideous and had too many rooms and corridors for her liking, enough for someone innocent and naïve to get lost and not be found for a long time.
Knock.
No reply.
"Harry?"
"Please don't come in, I am working on something private." Harry yelled.
Strange!
"But have your breakfast, at least." She yelled back.
"Already had, Kreacher made it."
"All right." Molly nodded her head and muttered something under her breath. "Call me if you need anything!" she yelled back.
No answer.
"Teenagers." She muttered under her breath, as she walked down the rickety old stairs.
A few hours earlier in Diagon Alley...
Harry snorted. "You actually enchanted a howler to answer for any question asked by someone standing outside the room?"
Sirius shrugged. "Had to create a diversion, didn't I? What's better than a little misdirection?" He grinned. Harry mock-bowed to him. "You win, Prank Master Black."
"Actually, I prefer Prank Lord," he gave a fake sneer, "Prank Lord Padfoot." He pointed towards the direction of the white edifice that was Gringotts. "To business, first."
The two of them entered into the pristine hallways of Gringotts, past the guards on the courtyard outside. Gringotts understood the importance of privacy and hence had no qualms about letting witches and wizards keep their glamour on. Sirius had long, blonde hair tight up to his shoulders with a pale, chiseled face, completely different from what he looked originally. Harry had simply changed the color of his hair to chestnut brown and made his face a little square-ish. Together, the two wizards made their way to the nearest goblin teller.
"How come Gringotts is open this early?"
"They are goblins, godson. They are greedy." Sirius explained.
"For gold?"
"For hoarding gold."
"What's the difference?"
"Goblins have two main ambitions. The first is to become accomplished masters in forging- artifacts, weapons, jewellery, name your choice. Anything that can be forged, they do it. The more beautiful, powerful and intricate, the more is the goblin's sense of pride in it. Goblin-forged weapons are the strongest, goblin-made jewellery are the costliest and goblin-made artifacts are the most sought after."
"What's the other?"
"Hoarding gold. They have huge workforces that work in the mines, extracting gold, purifying it, casting it into nuggets and later converting them into galleons. Worse than a niffler, they are. The original goblin wars were because they had looted all the wizarding gold and taken them away into their caves. Took wizards a long waged war to get it back, involving a large loss on either side. Almost two thousand years ago, the statute of cooperation was framed between wizards and goblins, ending the war and leading to the establishment of Gringotts. The goblins got to horde the gold in their vaults, while wizards got security of their wealth. Everyone went home happy."
Harry chortled. "So that was how Gringotts was established?"
"Yeah, back to your question. Since the goblins are now bankers and given their love of gold, every single moment that was not spent in increasing gold is considered a waste of time. Hence, Gringotts is open every time, every day. The goblins work in shifts, providing customer service all day and night."
"Thanks for the history lesson, Sirius. Binns does not teach any of this. I would have actually stayed up awake had he taught any of this."
Sirius's face darkened. "My grandfather had a suspicion why Dumbledore allowed Binns to simply do what he has been doing all these decades. According to him, it was all part of a conspiracy."
Harry's face glowed with interest.
"Something I will share with you on a later date." Sirius finished much to Harry's disappointment. "Come now, business first."
They stood in front of the teller as Sirius spoke in a low but clear voice. "I want an appointment with Axleblade, manager of the Black accounts."
"Axleblade doesn't entertain guests for trivial matters." The goblin replied snappishly.
"He has, for those of the blood." Sirius gave the goblin a meaningful stare. The teller paused for a moment before he slowly replied. "I suppose he might have." He picked up a tiny bell and rung it. A younger-looking goblin came running in, instantly.
"Snarktooth will take you to Axleblade. Gringotts hopes you have a good day of business."
"Thank you, I wish you get to horde the gold you so love." Sirius wished back as he and Harry departed alongside the younger goblin.
Sometime later...
"Mister Black, what you are asking for isn't something common. Are you sure you want to go through this course of action?" Axleblade, the old-looking goblin seated on the other side of the table, remarked.
Sirius nodded slowly. "On event of my untimely death, the Lordship shall pass to Harry James Potter," he nodded towards his godson who simply sat still, observing the situation. "However, since I am the blood heir, without my will, the Black family magic will not fuse properly with him, since him and me, as unfortunate as that is, do not share blood."
Harry glanced at him but said nothing. Sirius continued. "In order to promote complete transference of magic, powers, wealth and privileges as the rightful Lord of Black, I insist on a blood-adoption of Lord Harry James Potter, into the Ancient and most House of Black."
"Sirius, this-" Harry tried, but could not figure out what to say. The blood adoption thing had been completely new and out of the plan. Sirius had not revealed that part of his plan.
"All in good time, Harry." Sirius interrupted sweetly but Harry understood the meaning between the lines.
Keep quiet and just go with the flow.
"If that is what you wish, Heir Black." Axleblade took out a ritual bowl, and a white sacrificial dagger. Then, he handed the dagger to Sirius and nodded. "You know what to do."
Sirius nodded and slashed his palm open with the dagger, blood oozing out of it in flows. He closed his fist and let some of the blood trickle down and fall on to the bowl, which started to glow with some kind of ethereal glow.
"Exaudi orationem meam..." he chanted, "Familia magicum."
Instantly, bright dazzling flames lit up from the ritual bowl, engulfing his bloodied fist, but the fire seemed to do no harm to him. The crimson flames changed color, into black, as black as the family name.
"Quos ego placabo hostiis Meis", he paused, "eligere novum rex vester". He paused as he stared at Harry for a moment, "Harry James Potter."
Instantly the fire became white for a moment as Sirius took his now healed fist out, and beckoned at Harry. Harry took the dagger, slashed his palm, and then thrust it into the white flames, which rose to engulf it whole.
"I, Harry James Potter, by blood, by oath and by magic, take over the powers and responsibilities of the House of Black and its ambient magics. As I will it, so mote it be."
The flames changed their nature to black again as harry felt something sir deep inside him. It rose and fell, churning like the waves of the ocean, boiling, bubbling, and eager to resurface at his command. Magic as versatile as the water, shifting its form as its bearer desired, and yet powerful enough to smash the mountains into nothing but dust with the passage of time. The Black magic, coiling all around protectively like a snake, and yet cold and intimidating to its enemies.
The flames receded and Harry found a large, beautiful signet ring on his ring finger, just above where the Potter signet ring lay. Unlike the Potter ring, which had a golden capstone and had a gryffin on top, The Black capstone was created of obsidian and had an adder engraved on the surface of it.
"I pronounce thee, Harry James, Lord of Black." Axleblade declared, much to Sirius' glee and his bemusement.
"So, I am Lord Potter-Black now?" Harry asked casually.
"Why on earth would you want to call yourself that, godson?" Sirius replied cheerfully as they walked down the main street down Gringotts and stepped into Diagon Alley. It was still early morning and most of the shops were still closed.
"Then?"
"Harry Potter you are, Harry Potter you shall remain. The Lord of Potter and Black thing is only useful for the Wizengamot purposes, which thankfully, is ages far from now. At least not until you reach seventeen. Speaking of which, your birthday is round the corner, isn't it? Let's get you an early birthday present."
"Sirius I don't need-"
"Hush, Harry," he stopped him and dragged the unwilling boy down the street. They crossed the main lane of shops of Diagon Alley, took the sharp bend and then entered the lane opposite it. Harry suddenly realized where it was that the two of them were actually heading.
"Really Sirius, Knockturn Alley?" He asked with raised eyebrows.
Sirius stopped and stared close at his godson. "What's wrong with you? Where is your marauder sense of adventure? What happened to the boy, who used a time-turner, saved Buckbeak and broke me out of the cell and helped me escape?"
Harry flushed.
'My father always had us shop from here. Besides, you will get things here, things you will not get anywhere else in town. Now come on." He winked conspiratorially at his godson as he darted towards the dark alley. Harry simply smiled at his cheerful godfather and shook his head in amusement, before swiftly following him.
Knockturn Alley was a large place. On second thought, it was even larger than Diagon Alley was if one looked properly. The shops fitted between tight spots expanded using powerful expansion charms. There was a caterwauling charm for thieves with a couple of proximity and intrusion wards sprawled up here and there. The two figures stopped in front of one of those tiny little shacks as Sirius banged the door.
"Who's out there so early?" A gruff voice sounded.
"A potential customer. One that will walk off if you do not get your half-oiled arse out of bed, and open the door." Harry snorted at Sirius's reply but did not say anything. There was a sound of angry muttering and soon shoving of things from their places, and in five minutes, the door opened and they found a ragged-looking man with groggy eyes open the door. Harry glanced at Sirius who simply shrugged.
"What do ya want?"
"Some trinkets. I am told you keep quite a few."
"Yeah, only if ya pay for it. How do ya know ya not an Auror?" the man returned/
"Because Aurors don't wake up before nine. It's still eight-thirty."
The man stared for a moment, before he started laughing. "Good un, good one, mate. Come in, come in." he welcomed them into the shack, which was surprisingly large from the insides, no doubt expansion charms had been used to full effect.
"What can I do for you?" the man, who was now standing behind the counter, spoke out.
"My godson here needs some things that can help him to avoid detection," he paused, "for playing pranks of course. What kind of help do you think you can offer?"
Harry kept his face completely blank, though he was inwardly jumping with joy. Mentally, he congratulated himself for having the best-damned godfather.
"Aye, then you have come to the right place." The man gave them a toothless grin as he took out his wand and tapped at the wall behind four times. Instantly, a range of intricate artifacts and jewellery materialized. "Have to keep my stuff safe from the Aurors, ya know." The man winked.
He took out a small locket and put it on the table. "Enabled with a permanent stealth runic matrix. Keeps the wearer out of detection for five hours before you need to let it recharge itself for an hour. Scent masking, notice-me-not, and magic-masking, all of that lot in this." He pushed the locket over to Harry's side. "Seven hundred galleons."
"Yeah, too pricy. Lower it."
"Can't, took me six hundred and fifty to get it, ya know?"
"Yes, and I am Merlin reincarnated. Now, I will give you four hundred. Dead or no deal?"
"Five."
"Three hundred." Sirius bargained.
"Four hundred seventy."
"Three hundred twenty and I am not increasing."
"Three hundred ninety. Dead or no-deal." The man banged on the table, making the trinket shake.
"Great," Sirius smirked, taking out the required amount of money before handing it over to the man. "Nice doing business with you." Harry simply looked at him with his mouth open, in awe of his godfather who had just sealed his reputation as the coolest person Harry had ever met.
"How did you freaking do that?" Harry exclaimed, walking quickly to meet Sirius's quick stride.
"Being a marauder has more to do with it than pranking, godson." Sirius smirked. "Now, the second thing on the list." He stopped and calculated the way he was supposed to go. Finding it, he remarked, 'there's the shop I was looking for. An optician and he makes good lenses." He paused. "Also, he asks few questions and takes cash. Let's see what we can do about your eyes."
Harry simply shrugged and followed him.
Meanwhile at Grimmauld Place...
Molly was irritated. It was now past eleven and neither Harry nor Sirius had come down. Not that she cared about the other man, but she feared that spending so much time with him might not be the best for Harry. After all, the man had spent a better part of his life in the dingy dungeons of Azkaban. Who knew what those nightmarish creatures did to his mind during his stay there? The thought of Harry spending time alone with such a man did not feel good to her mind.
"That's it. I am going to walk straight up and tell the both of them to come out, right now. I don't care what earth-shattering business they are busy with." She muttered to herself, as she walked upstairs. She crossed the stairs, only to find the some bangs set off on the basement. Clearly, the twins had been up to their usual activities. Muttering about insane criminals, Azkaban, and idiot pranksters, she headed down towards the basement.
Somewhere in Knockturn Alley...
"How do you know that the howler will be enough?" Harry asked generally. Sirius was explaining to him various stages of the prank he had set up. Sirius chortled.
"The howler was only the first line of defense. I had programmed some bangs on the basement, some odd happenings and random events from time to time. Enough to keep that mother hen of a woman busy all day. Your cold attitude towards your friends, well I hoped that would keep them away. Moreover, a repelling ward and a notice-me-not charm on your room would be activated right after the first visit. Why do you think I locked the door and told you to escape from the window?"
Harry smirked. That had been an interesting moment. Sirius had demonstrated the Arresto Momentum spell and showed how he could use it to jump down from the window without alerting anyone. He had then gone further and applied the disillusionment charm on the two of them, and they had jumped off, walked out to the main street before Sirius had apparated them off to Diagon Alley.
Misdirection. The difference between a good prank and an awesome prank.
"So where is this optician's shop?"
"Right..." Sirius drawled the word before he crossed the lane and stood in front of another shop. "Here."
It was a tiny shack, with a signboard that read, "Sinister's optician." The door was unlocked and the two of them stepped in. The shop was open and they could spot the old man seated opposte the narrow glass counter.
"What do ya need?"
"My godson needs his eyes checked. We were looking into lenses."
The next twenty minutes were quite odd. The man had made him lay down on the bed strapping his hands and legs to the bed (precaution as he stated) before waving his wand over his eyes and muttering something obscure. After he was satisfied, he nodded as if an old elephant bothered by flies, and walked back to the counter. There he started to mix several potions into a vial and making odd sounds now and then. Finally satisfied with his creation, he looked up and forwarded the potion vial to Harry who took it gently.
"Drink this every night before bed. Your eyes should get better by the next two weeks. I will prescribe a lens to be used instead of those large flaps you call glasses." The man sneered. Sirius went over to the other side of the counter and spoke something to the man in private, leaving Harry alone to wonder what they were talking. Finally, Sirius seemed to be satisfied and passed a small amount of galleons to the man, as he walked out towards Harry.
"I have made an agreement with him," Sirius explained, "about customized lenses. He held out a tiny box, which apparently held the lenses he was talking. "Perfect vision, auto-cleaning, anti-summoning charms, and the standard protections. All of it in there." He cast a pointed glance towards the tiny contraption in his hand. "Plus, it has night vision and the ability to see under clothes."
Harry opened his mouth in surprise, and then closed it. His mind jammed for a moment, as he understood the lewd suggestion Sirius had made, before he gulped, and returned, "You are joking, right?"
"I am." Sirius continued with a straight face.
Pause.
Blink.
"Wait, what?" Then his godfather's words made sense as he flushed with embarrassment, knowing his godfather had just pranked him. Sirius could not hold up any longer and broke down into laughter. "You are too easy, godson." He snorted again.
"I will get you for that. Retribution will be mine." Harry declared.
"Promises, promises, godson." Sirius smirked.
Two Hours later...
Molly was furious. It was now noon and the blasted boy had not yet come down. She could not even believe that the two of them were still locked inside, doing Merlin-knew-what. Deciding that enough was enough, she scrambled over the stairs, and crossed the usual routes, only to walk up to the main tiny hallway where the door was, and-
Wait a minute. Where is the door? It was supposed to be here, right?
Deciding that she had taken up the wrong route by mistake, she went back and tried again. It was the same thing. She tried again, and again, until she had crossed the tiny hallway over ten times, been through every nook and cranny on that particular floor, but the blasted room was just not to be seen. Finally, unable to keep her frustrations down, she raised her hands above her head and yelled...
"What the hell is HAPPENING?"
Two doors behind her, the knob rotated, and Harry looked out. "What happened, Mrs. Weasley? Is something wrong?" Molly spun around to see Harry standing outside of the room she was searching for all this while. How she had not noticed the room so far was beyond her.
"Oh nothing my dear, are you done doing whatever you were doing?" She asked, though Harry could ascertain the forced sweetness in her voice.
"Yes, I am done, Mrs. Weasley. I just needed to clear up some things. That is all." he put his hand on his stomach, which let out a tiny grumble. "Do you have something to eat, Mrs. Weasley? I am really hungry."
His last statement seemed to erase all the thoughts from Molly's mind. A genuine smile forming on her face, she turned back. "Of course, dear. Come down and I will whip something up for you."
"You are the best, Mrs. Weasley."
Molly smiled sweetly at him as she descended the stairs. Such a sweet little boy he was!