A/N: Hello and welcome back! Yeah…still no beta…oh and yes I don't fuckin' know what my muse thinks most of the time…so don't take certain things to seriously.
So should my muse decide that it would be a good idea that Tom (Riddle not Harry) and Death together perform Romeo and Juliet in the great hall in front of everyone…that idea actually has merit…see that is what I mean my muse is just absolutely and completely bonkers!
Chapter 3: Dark Lords and other Jokes
"You're related to Salazar Slytherin?!" Severus' left eye twitched.
"Uhm yes," Harry replied apprehensively not knowing what to think about Severus' antics.
"I need a drink," Severus deadpanned before he stood up and walked over to his wardrobe and pulled open the lowest drawer rummaging around it. After a few moments, he smirked taking out a bottle of Firewhiskey together with a glass. Carrying both he walked over to the bed and sat down again before he poured himself a drink. When he the glass was sufficiently full he held out the bottle towards Harry who laughed, drained his own glass, and filled it up with Firewhiskey.
"Do I want to know why you have a bottle of Firewhiskey hidden in your wardrobe?" he wondered taking a sip of the amber liquid savouring the burning sensation down his throat.
"Birthday present but it's the first time I opened it, normally I'm not into drinking," Severus muttered.
Harry merely nodded knowing what the other teenager was talking about, his abusive father. "So, Death, what did you mean with five years?" he now addressed the entity about the one thing he was most interested in about the future.
"After your tragic demise, they continued on with their plans to reveal the magical world to the muggles. About a year later every person on the planet knew that magic existed, and it took only about half a year of trying to find a peaceful way until all hell broke loose. Most of the non-magicals feared what those with magic would be able to do, it was the Spanish Inquisition all over again. That was when somewhat a year and a half later certain governments were fed up and declared open war. After that everything went downhill and fast. Eight months later the first nuclear bomb fell hitting Diagon Alley first. The non-magicals didn't care that they were killing more of their own kind than magicals with it, in their opinion every dead magical was a win. After that, all inhibitions fell, and every kind of weapon was used…chemical, biological, atomic it didn't matter anymore. Thirteen to fourteen months after that the entire planet was only a radioactive wasteland anymore with acid swamps and lakes filled with toxic waste. The last people were struggling to survive but, in the end, they died too," Death explained.
"What about those idiots that killed me?" he inquired.
"Oh, I made sure that they survived until the very end," Death chuckled lowly.
"Good!" Harry said in satisfaction, would serve them right for what they did to him.
Severus on the other hand only sat there listening to what would happen to their world going paler with every word the entity spoke. In the end, he drained his glass in one go only to refill it and repeat the process filling it again, but this time he didn't drink it instantly but just sipped at it.
"I hope that you'll succeed with whatever you planned," he finally said.
"Believe me, I will even if it is the last thing I do," Harry declared with determination. "If I have to see those idiots' dead before they are even born so mote it be, that is also why I need to talk to the Dark Lord…I'll need help because I'm certainly not so arrogant as to think that I'll be able to do this on my own. That brings me to my next question…what about specific changes?"
Death chuckled lowly knowing what his Master wanted to know. "Don't worry this is not the past as you assumed, not entirely. I brought you into an entirely different universe where everything just happened to be the same until you arrived," he told him.
"Good! One thing less to worry about," Harry now grinned mischievously. "I would hate to create a paradox."
"What have you planned?" Severus asked cautiously.
"Let's just say that I care less about certain people becoming a couple or others suddenly turning up dead…ugh that remind me, I surely have to talk to the goblins tomorrow about a background story for me…" Harry couldn't suppress the groan.
Death again chuckled lowly. "To your fortune, I took care of that little problem of yours," he said. "Cyndia Eldrid and Alfred Eldrid, unfortunately, got caught in a Death Eater attack and were consequently killed while their sixteen-year-old son managed to escape. I can give you memories of your life with them if you want an airtight background story."
Harry thought about it, it certainly would help with Dumbledore, so yes, he was all for it. Luckily, he had been able to avoid the man's unhealthy habit of reading one's thoughts today by avoiding his gaze, but he knew that this wouldn't work in the long run. So "Do it!" was his entire answer.
Death smirked before he touched Harry's forehead with his index finger. It took a moment before Harry grunted and cringed in pain, but it stopped as quickly as it started, though a headache still remained.
"What the fuck was that?" he growled pressing his hands against his temples when suddenly memories started to flitter before his inner eye, memories about his parents tutoring him, playing with him…being killed by the Death Eaters, an entire life worth of memories.
"You are welcome," Death drawled sarcastically.
Harry glared at him half-heartedly before he drained his glass. "I think I'll go to bed," he groaned when he stood up and swayed slightly.
"That will be for the best," Death smirked.
"You take far too much pleasure out of that," Harry sneered before he flopped down on his bead not even bothering with undressing.
"I'll go now, have fun!" with that Death vanished with a last snicker.
"Oh, I will…I will," Harry muttered before he was out cold not even noticing that Death was long gone.
Severus watched Harry walking over to his own bed and falling down upon it before he was asleep nearly instantaneously. Shaking his head over the other's antics, he stood up, placed his whiskey on his bedside table and walked over to Harry and shoved him to lie on the bed properly before he pulled out the sheets from beneath him and draped them over the teenager knowing how cold it would be at night. Once he was done, he went back to his own bead and sat down again leaning against the headboard, the glass with whiskey in his hand. Whirling the content around in the glass he mused about what he learned from his new roommate and the entity Death, all in all, he thought that he was taking everything quite well but that probably would only last until he had processed everything.
Thinking what Harry had told him before lunch, he couldn't help himself but snort. Wizarding kind dying indeed…the whole bloody world would die if they didn't do anything. He wondered briefly where he had been in that future but in the end, came to the conclusion that it wouldn't matter because Harry would hopefully prevent it from happening in the first place. Severus decided there and then that he would help him no matter what and if that meant siding with the Dark Lord to achieve what Harry wanted so mote it be.
That brought him onto an entirely different train of thought, Harry and that he apparently wanted the boy. But Merlin he was thirty-five years old, not to mention Master of Death. This thought alone sobered him up. How would he ever be good enough for Harry? In comparison to him he was nothing, sure he was powerful and knew his spells but besides that? He was only a poor half-blood with nothing to his name except for pain and abuse. Staring down at the amber liquid that filled his glass he wondered what he was doing. He usually wasn't one who enjoyed alcohol, not after having to watch his father beating his mother unconscious ones to often only because he was drunk. However, at least Harry wanted to be his friend and Severus would do everything to keep it that way and if that meant to give up the hope of becoming more to him…though he wouldn't give up without a fight.
Severus swirled the liquor in his glass again before he with a sigh emptied his glass and prepared himself for bed. Not much later he laid in bed and with his last thought being about Harry he finally succumbed to sleep despite it still being quite early.
The next morning Severus woke as usual at six with a slight buzzing head. Great, he shouldn't have drunk so much the evening prior but with what he had learned…who could blame him. However, he wasn't used to drinking alcohol since never having drunk anything stronger than Butterbeer. Groaning slightly, he pushed off his bed and made his way over to his trunk to get a headache potion. Searching for it he finally found it and downed it without further thought sighing in relief when the buzzing vanished entirely.
He looked over to Harry's bed and saw the other teenager lying there spread-eagled on his blanket snoring slightly, he wondered that the teenager wasn't freezing. Snickering lowly, he went through to the bathroom to do his morning routine and getting ready for the day. While under the shower he mused about Harry wanting to contact the Dark Lord.
Would he be able to convince the Dark Lord of his view on things?
Or would he have to do everything alone?
Severus hoped not. He knew what state the world was in thanks to living in the muggle world because of his father and both the United States and the USSR were producing more and more nuclear weapons, which wasn't even putting into consideration all the other weapons. If his information was correct, there were currently something around fifty thousand atomic weapons…enough to bomb the planet to hell and back thrice. Alone the thought what could happen made him shudder and to think that the pure-bloods were utterly oblivious to that threat…it would be a rude wakeup call for them.
Shaking his head, he banned those thoughts behind his Occlumency shields not wanting to go down that particular road with his thought, it was just too depressing. When he was done showering and drying himself, he walked out of the bathroom only a towel wrapped around his midsection. It was when he became aware that Harry was staring at him that he blushed slightly. He was so used to having his room alone for himself that he hadn't thought about him when walking around only with a towel covering his lower parts.
"I could get used to waking up with such a marvellous view," Harry snickered unaware of the blush that now adorned Severus' cheeks because the other teenager stood with his back to him.
Severus didn't know what to think about it. On the one hand, he obviously fancied Harry if his feelings were anything to go by but on the other, he knew who Harry was and that worried him. What if he angered the boy when wanting to become more than being friends with him, he didn't want to die because he made such a stupid mistake thank you very much.
But then there were the comments Harry made and he apparently liked his looks, that gave him an idea, he could have one hell lot of fun with that and maybe…just maybe he could convince Harry that it was what he wanted, to be shagged senseless by him. Alone the thought about what he would do caused a reaction and Severus had to think about the most disgusting ingredients as not to go through with his thoughts. No, he would do this slowly, leading Harry to the conclusion that he wanted him. Merlin, he had to be careful, he knew Harry for not even one day and apparently already had a crush on the boy.
So, with a plan in his mind, he pulled new pants out of the drawer and donned them extremely slowly before he removed the towel and threw it onto his bed. That followed his trousers and finally his shirt, which then hid his body entirely from view. Everything he did, he did slowly and with carefully measured movements.
"What a pity, the view just deteriorated," Harry suddenly whispered in his ear making him stiffen slightly because he hadn't heard him come over, though he would never openly admit it.
He watched Harry vanishing into the bathroom when a smirk appeared on his face. Oh yes, this would undoubtedly be a lot of fun.
It took Harry about fifteen minutes to emerge from the bathroom dressed in the same clothes he wore the day prior though considering that he had nothing else it was no wonder. What Severus recognised though was that they had been cleaned and straightened out.
"Didn't you say you have no wand?" he inquired curiously wondering just how Harry had done it.
"I told Dumbledore that, yes, but it was…well it is complicated," Harry answered pulling a small bag that fits in his palm from his belt. Grabbing into it he pulled out a wand before he threw it to Severus.
Severus swiftly caught the wand before he closely inspected it, quickly recognising it.
"That is Dumbledore's wand," he said astonished.
"And that is the reason for why I didn't tell him. As I told you the tale of the three brothers isn't just a tale, this is the elder wand," Harry elaborated taking back the wand Severus held out towards him and placing it back in the small bag that obviously was larger than it seemed. "The resurrection stone," he continued pulling out a pendant from under his shirt. "And the invisibility cloak is also in my bag. But I rarely use any of these because I don't want to draw attention to my status."
"Understandable," Severus admitted nodding slowly, he didn't want to imagine what Dumbledore or the Ministry would do to him should they get to know. "It is quarter past seven, want to have breakfast?"
Harry nodded, and they both left towards the great hall. When they arrived, Harry saw that only very few and mostly Ravenclaws were already awake but considering that breakfast just started, not to mention that it was weekend, it wasn't that much of a surprise. Following Severus, they both sat down at the Slytherin table Severus pouring himself a cup of very strong coffee before offering Harry some. Grateful for the strong brew Harry took the jug and poured a cup himself. They silently ate their breakfast observing how the hall slowly filled more and more, though the most would come on the last minute to grab something to eat or forgo the meal entirely in favour of sleeping in.
Once they were done with breakfast, Harry and Severus walked outside sitting on a stone bench and passing the time until they would leave for Diagon Alley with discussing several potions and ingredients.
"I have to admit that I always had problems following the instructions in those books," Harry suddenly said. "Most of the time they are far too vague for my liking and never did they explain why an ingredient was prepared the way they described."
"So, you like precise instructions more?" Severus concluded.
"Yes, when I found your book when I was in my sixth year I was finally able to understand what I was doing," here he sighed. "I just don't know…I mean I love potions but even without my professor degrading me at any chance he got…."
"Your professor really must have hated you," Severus muttered. "Which makes him a dunderhead, in my opinion, should you really be as good in potions as I think you are, which I don't doubt."
Harry laughed at that getting a strange look from Severus, but he wasn't in a hurry to tell him that he just called himself a dunderhead, it was just too funny. "I don't know how much of it actually was hatred and how much pretence. You see he was in a tight spot, having to spy on the Dark Lord for Dumbledore while he had to pretend that it was actually the other way around, so he probably threw most of his scorn my way to keep me away from him and the potential danger he posed to me. Beside that, it looks to me that while he held some grudge against me for being my father's son and getting into trouble regularly, though it was never my wish to do so, he on the other hand also saw my mother in me and tried to protect me for her," here Harry chuckled lowly. "I don't know how many times he actually saved my life."
Severus hummed lowly when he saw Professor Slughorn walking out through the front entrance and looking around. When his gaze fell upon the two, he walked over with a bright smile.
"The other Slytherins told me where you are. Ready to go?" he asked.
"Yes, Sir!" Harry replied while Severus only nodded.
Together the three walked until they reached the end of the wards from where Slughorn then apparated them all straight to Gringotts.
Tom Marvolo Riddle was sitting in his study at a large desk reading reports from his followers while a mug with strong and hot coffee stood next to him when suddenly a knock echoed through the room.
"Come in!" he commanded watching as one of his oldest friends walked in and fell down onto one of his knees his head bowed in respect. "Enyalius Carrow, please stand up and sit down," he didn't know how often he told his inner circle that they didn't need to bow to him, that this was for his lower ranks, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears. "To what do I owe this early visit? Is everything alright? Can I offer you something? Tea? Coffee?"
"Thank you Marvolo, a tea wouldn't go amiss," Enyalius nodded in thanks when a cup with fresh black tea appeared before him courtesy of the resident house-elves. "The reason for why I came today is that my son Amycus sent me a letter that contained information I think you might find highly intriguing. So was it yesterday before lunch that suddenly a boy, sixteen years of age, appeared on the Hogwarts grounds with no one knowing how or why. The main opinion is that he and his family got caught up in an attack where his parents got killed, and he escaped through means unknown up to now."
Marvolo hummed lowly before he shuffled through some parchment pulling out the one he was searching for before holding it out to Enyalius. "Tell me, my friend, do you believe in coincidences?" he asked.
The other man carefully took the parchment and read what it contained. It was a report of a Death Eater attack the day prior, which said that during the attack on a small mall unfortunately also two magicals had been killed while a third who fitted the age of the boy, who appeared at Hogwarts, managed to escape. It had been an attack Marvolo hadn't condescended of and who made his displeasure about it clear especially when he learned that magicals had died during it.
"This certainly is not a coincidence. From the information I got the boy wore muggle clothes that certainly have seen better days which, considering that the attack has been in a muggle area, would fit," he continued his report giving back the parchment. "Amycus also wrote that the boy obviously was home-schooled but for the time being would attend Hogwarts being sorted into Slytherin. He also reported that the boy seems to stay close to Severus Snape and the two together with Professor Slughorn will go to Diagon Alley today at ten to buy the boy's equipment and other things he would need," with his report finished he fell silent observing Marvolo tapping hit mouth with his finger in thought.
"Did your son mention the name of the boy?" Marvolo asked after a while of thinking through what he just learned.
"My apology, the boy's name is Tom Hadrian Eldrid," he replied bowing his head curtly cursing himself inwardly for having missed mentioning it.
With that Marvolo's head snapped up and he looked his follower and friend straight in the eyes before he started to chuckle lowly. "This is interesting indeed. Something tells me that the boy isn't what he seems to be," he mused.
"May I ask what has your interest piqued, Marvolo?" Enyalius inquired.
Instead of giving an answer, Marvolo flicked his hand making the boy's last name appear in fiery letters next to him before he with another flick of his hand rearranged them to the name Riddle.
Enyalius drew a sharp breath. "Do you think he knows?" he wondered.
"I'm not certain, but I somehow doubt that he doesn't. It seems to me that the boy wanted to gain my attention which he certainly managed to get. What do you think about a trip to Diagon Alley today?" Marvolo now smirked, he definitely wanted to know who the boy was that so boldly tried to gain his attention without revealing anything about himself.
"Very well," Enyalius nodded standing and waiting for his lord to lead the way.
Marvolo strode out of the room with confident strides leading them towards the entrance hall of his manor where they were greeted by two house-elves with their coats. Once they donned them, they both apparated to Diagon Alley.
"I bloody hate side-along apparition," Harry cursed once he regained his bearings earning himself a low chuckle from Severus. "Yeah, yeah, you can laugh. I swear floo and side-along were only invented to be my enemy," he rumbled making Severus chuckle even louder which earned him a glare that the future Potions Master was completely unimpressed of. "Professor, I know that you have a lot of work to do so I suggest you leave us to our shopping and meet us at noon again, we wouldn't want to bore you or take more of your precious time I don't doubt would be spent far better otherwise."
"Tom, you were attacked just yesterday. I can not in good conscience leave you alone," Slughorn replied with a worried face.
"Professor, do you really think he would attack Diagon Alley in broad daylight? From what I know he never did such a thing, and I highly doubt that he will do so now only because I managed to escape, not with so many people around," Harry set up a pleading look, but at the same time he wondered exactly why it was so full in Diagon Alley, wasn't a war going on? Though then again Severus didn't mention any attacks outside of those against the opposite faction and the odd one on muggles. That was certainly something he would think about later. "Besides that, we'll probably be at Gringotts for most of the time, and this is the most secure place in magical Britain."
Slughorn looked at him seemingly unsure of what to do. On the one hand they were his students, and it was his duty to keep them safe but on the other Harry was right, the Dark Lord up to this date had never attacked a location where anyone except his intended target had been, not to mention that there was a massive pile of homework he needed to correct. "Very well," he sighed. "But should something go wrong get straight back here to Gringotts, the goblins will protect you," he said with a stern glare.
"Of course, Professor," Harry nodded with a smile. "And I'll instantly send you a message with my Patronus."
"I beg your pardon?" Slughorn suddenly looked as if Harry decided to grow a second head and even Severus looked shocked and surprised though it was better hidden.
Harry, on the other hand, looked sheepishly down at his feet as if caught by doing something forbidden. "Well, I am able to cast the Patronus Charm and know how to send a message with it," he said in a small voice.
That made Slughorn laugh and pat him on his back. "You're truly an extraordinary boy, Tom. At some point, you have to show me how that works but for now, I'll leave you two to it. I want you to be at the Leaky Cauldron at one o'clock sharp, and no minute later, Severus surely will show you the way," he told the two teenagers with a stern glare before he smiled again and apparated away back to grading papers.
"The Patronus?" Severus rose an eyebrow inquiringly while he followed Harry into Gringotts.
"Had to learn it when I was thirteen because Dumbledore thought it a good idea to allow Dementors at Hogwarts because my innocent godfather broke out of Azkaban, which he by the way knew…that he was innocent not that he broke out…well that he certainly also knew," Harry explained while he walked up to the shortest row in wait of a teller.
"Dementors at Hogwarts?" Severus asked in disbelieve though he made sure to keep his voice low.
"Indeed," Harry snickered.
"The old fool either got even more demented in your time, or he decided to take a leap into the lake of insanity," he shook his head. "What do you think the goblins will have for you?"
"I don't know but I trust Death and with how much he already did to cover my past I doubt that he'll leave me without money," Harry shrugged when the last wizard in front of them and the teller was free. "Good morning and may your weapons always stay sharp."
That certainly drew the attention of the goblin who looked at him with barely concealed interest. "And may you always be victorious," the goblin greeted back. "How may I be of assistance?"
"I hope so," Harry replied with a smirk. "However, I find myself in a highly…unusual situation and wish to talk to a goblin in private."
"And what, may you tell me, is your highly unusual situation?" the goblin asked raising an eyebrow.
"Let's just say that my past is my future and that certain items happened to end up in my possession," with that Harry pulled the chain from which the resurrection stone dangled out of his shirt so that the goblin could see the symbol of the Deathly Hallows. At some point during his days as Auror, he had learned that the goblins very well knew about the Hallows and what they mean and that they respect the owner quite a lot.
The goblin suddenly sat straighter. "Of course, if you would please follow me," he said before he hopped from the stool he sat on and walked down one of the corridors closely followed by Harry and Severus.
"May I inquire your name, my friend?" Harry asked casually while following the goblin who was surprisingly quick for his size.
"My name is Griphook, Sir," the goblin replied with a short glance towards Harry long enough to see the boy's surprise. "From your reaction, I get that you already know me."
"That I do indeed. Mr Griphook, it would be my honour would you accompany me in the talks ahead," Harry said with a curt bow of his head. Not only did the goblins know what it meant to be the owner of one of the Hallows but also time travel was not foreign to them.
"As you wish," Griphook replied when he came to a halt in front of a large and massive golden door.
A plaque to the side read Gornuk, Director of Gringotts. Griphook knocked sharply and opened the door as soon as the command to come in was heard. The three walked into an office the like they have never seen before. At each wall hang either sharp and dangerous looking weapons or tapestries depicting goblin wars. Behind a vast desk sat a goblin that seemed to be quite old but able to defend himself despite his age, Harry certainly would never want to end on the goblin's wrong side. The desk though was covered in many scrolls and pieces of parchment. Then there were also many shelves placed along the walls filled with paper, smaller weapons, books and whatever else.
"Griphook, what is it? Why did you interrupt me?" the goblin, Gornuk, snarled baring his teeth threateningly.
"Sir, this wizard," here he pointed at Harry before he continued. "Is the owner of the three Hallows."
Gornuk's eye went wide while he openly stared at Harry. "Is there any proof to your claim?" he asked Harry who walked over to the goblin and again pulled his pendant out from under his shirt to show it to Gornuk who closely inspected it. "I have to apologise, Master of Death, but we have to be careful when it comes to certain things."
"No apology needed, I can understand your suspiciousness and I would be grateful would this never leave this room, I certainly don't want to find out what happens should the Ministry or heaven forbid Dumbledore gain knowledge about my status. Though I would be honoured would you call me Harry," he told the goblin while walking back to where Severus was still standing and observing everything carefully, this was the first time Severus interacted with the goblins for more than exchanging some muggle money, and he was highly intrigued.
"That goes without saying, Harry, Gringotts prides itself with its secrecy. So, I assume that you trust your friend with this?" Gornuk spoke motioning them to sit down which they gladly followed.
"He's already in the know and yes I trust Severus," Harry replied. "I also wish for Griphook to stay as I might want to instate him as my manager."
That came as a surprise to the goblin who still stood next to the door not wanting to intrude on them or leave without the approval of his superior knowing that that would be a severe transgression for which he would probably be degraded to a cart driver. Though being instated as a family estate manager was a big thing. Usually when someone ascended to the rank of estate manager one started with a few lower family estates, but with Harry it was big…really big, especially with the boy's status as Master of Death.
"How comes it that the goblins know about the Hollows?" Severus questioned in a low voice.
"Severus, the goblins manage the wealth and properties of most of the magical community as well as trade artefacts and books for centuries now, so it is no wonder that they have accumulated quite some knowledge over time. They probably have more knowledge than the entire wizarding world together especially with how restricted certain knowledge is. Next to the house-elves, they are a race I would never want to piss off, believe me, that would be something no one wants," Harry chuckled. "I would probably have been offended had they not known."
"And rightly so," Gornuk said. "Death always has been a good friend of the goblin nation. So how may we be of help?"
"First, I would like to know whether I have access to any vaults and if yes how much money I have as well as any properties," Harry explained. "Second, I request the help of the goblin nation to prevent a future I can confidently say no one wants to see. Of course, I would repay you with invaluable knowledge about magical as well as muggle business that will probably earn you more money than you would be able to store."
"Your first request will easily be solved. We only need a few drops of your blood to confirm your identity. After that I will be able to give you a detailed list of everything you possess," Gornuk told them motioning Griphook to go and fetch one of the identity tests since he usually didn't need them and therefore had none in his office.
When Griphook a few minutes later returned with a piece of parchment and a dagger he placed everything on the desk before Harry. Gornuk motioned him to proceed, and Harry picked up the blade and nicked the skin on his left index finger before letting three drops of his blood fall onto the parchment. Once that was done he healed his wound and sterilised the dagger as not to leave any blood behind knowing what could be done with it.
Nodding in approval, Gornuk picked up the parchment to read it through.
"As I thought you have access to the Peverell estate," he said when a folder magically appeared on his desk though he ignored it for now. "The Peverell estate was instated by Death himself to aid anyone he deemed worthy though it hadn't been touched since the three brothers a few hundred years ago. This lists everything that is associated with the Peverell estate."
Harry took the parchment reading it he nearly choked, the money in the vaults was even more than he had in his previous life as a Potter, the only thing he could do was stare.
"Death gave us free rein over the money in those vaults with the only stipulation that 50% of the income we make with it goes into the vault and that we allow access to anyone he deems worthy. Over time we were able to accumulate quite an amount of money with well-placed investments," Gornuk explained when he saw Harry's reaction. "It seems that Death gave you full access."
"Is it really so much?" Severus wondered what all that was about.
Harry just shoved the parchment at him not trusting his voice at the moment. With this, he could easily fund any operation needed to keep this world safe.
Severus next to him looked the parchment over and suddenly started to cough heavily, Harry absently patting his back. He couldn't believe it, all vaults together held somewhat over 5 billion Galleons, and that wasn't putting into consideration what priceless artefacts were stored there or the manors that probably came with the Peverell estate. Again, Severus was reminded just how insignificant he was next to Harry. How could he have even a slice of hope to be more to him than a passing acquaintance?
"Do you possibly have a detailed list of buildings that come with the Peverell estate?" Harry asked once he found his voice again. "And what about taking up the title of Lord Peverell, what are the stipulations?"
"I have a list here with all buildings belonging to the Peverell estate, two manors in England, a townhouse in London, as well as several manors all over the world," Gornuk pulled out several other sheets though Harry only took the one about the townhouse.
"At the moment I'm only interested in the townhouse. What about the Lordship?" Harry said while looking over the information about the townhouse, it was two blocks from the Leaky Cauldron in muggle London and certainly would need some renovations but all in all it was perfect for now. It had three guest rooms, one master bedroom, kitchen, study, library, sitting room, just everything Harry would need.
"The Lordship can be claimed by anyone who connected with at least one of the hallows. Besides that, there are no further stipulations to who can claim the Lordship," Gornuk said after looking up the information in the folder.
Harry hummed lowly, he could take up the Lordship of Peverell but that probably will alert Dumbledore, and he somehow doubted that the old fool would not connect it back to him.
"Is there a way to do it without alerting anyone to it?" he thus asked.
"Since you're underage we could conveniently forget to inform certain people and make sure that those who must be informed don't tell either, but once you reach the age of seventeen you must come forth and announce yourself as Lord Peverell," the director answered.
Harry sighed. "One year must suffice then. Very well I'll take up the mantle of Lord Peverell, and I also want to instate Griphook as the estate manager. Griphook, if you would make sure that the townhouse is brought back into a habitable condition and heavily warded I would be grateful. I don't care what the price is I want the strongest wards possible," Griphook nodded and quickly noted what Harry said.
That followed quite some pushing of papers and signing even more. In the end, Harry became Lord Peverell though for now, he would continue to use the name Eldrid as not to raise any suspicions. He also signed the contract for the improvements and warding of the townhouse and got something akin to a credit card connected to his vaults so that he wouldn't have to come to Gringotts every time he needed money. At last, he also signed Griphook as his estate manager.
Once all the paper pushing was done, he gave the goblins the names of a lot of companies they should invest into he knew would gain them a hefty income. The goblins though stated that Gringotts was and always will be neutral territory and that they wouldn't get involved into any war physically though should specific information fail to reach certain parties or the income through investments of certain customers suddenly but subtly decline…everyone can make a mistake with investments, can one not?
When Harry and Severus finally left the bank, it was already half past eleven, and they only had an hour and a half left to get all the shopping done. Therefore they instantly walked over to the nearest shop which happened to be Flourish & Blotts. Entering they skimmed the shelves to find the books that were on Harry's list which Slughorn had given him this morning. That was when Harry became aware that someone was watching him. Feigning to read the index of a book he sneakily looked around the part of the shop he could see when his gaze fell on an older man who also had a book in hand and was reading it. Or so it should seem because every so often he stole a glance towards Harry.
Appearing as if he was interested in a book on the shelf next to the man he walked over and again feigned reading. Knowing that the boy spotted him the man didn't even attempt to leave.
"You're good," he suddenly said loud enough so that the man would hear him but not loud enough to attract any unwanted attention.
"I beg your pardon?" the man replied now openly looking at Harry.
"Your surveillance skills…you're not bad, but I have been an Auror, you know before they declared me a Dark Lord and started to hunt me. Believe me, it is hard to go undetected by me," Harry explained when he felt an even more intense and far darker gaze on himself. Reaching out with his magic he barely could stop himself from snickering, there, in a dark corner, stood the Dark Lord himself observing him, and he could even see a faint red glow at the height where his eyes would be. "I have to admit that it was quicker than I anticipated."
"Quick?" the man asked not giving what the boy said prior a second thought for now because he doubted that he would get the answer to any question related to that.
"The attention of the Dark Lord," Harry smirked.
"Why do you think that I'm associated with him? On the contrary, I could be sent by Dumbledore to keep an eye on you," the man replied.
"Highly doubtable. Your close resemblance to two of my classmates tells me that you're a Carrow and from your age, I assume Lord Carrow," here Lord Carrow snickered lowly but nodded nearly invisibly. "I know for a fact that the Carrows would never willingly associate themselves with someone like Dumbledore and the only other person that would have an interest in you stalking me would be the Dark Lord," Harry reasoned. "Since we're already at it you can give him a message from me. If he wants to meet me next Saturday, I'll wait for him at the Leaky Cauldron at one o'clock. But should he think that I'm an easy target…let's just say that I'm a boy with many talents," he said the last part in parseltongue winking at the shadow he knew the Dark Lord was hiding in even if he couldn't see the man.
With a curt bow of his head and before Lord Carrow could come out of his stupor thanks to him speaking the language of the serpents, he turned around and walked over to where Severus was waiting naturally curious what Lord Carrow wanted from Harry.
Only once the two teenagers were out of the shop having bought everything Harry needed and then some more, Marvolo stepped out of the shadow.
"What do you think of the boy, my Lord?" Enyalius inquired with a respectful nod.
Tom didn't answer but stared at the door the boy just left through, and Enyalius could clearly see what Marvolo was thinking, the boy was a complete conundrum, one his Lord would want to unravel and if he could interpret the fire in Marvolo's eyes correctly, it was a challenge he only too gladly accepted. Being honest, Enyalius had to admit that it had been a very long time since Marvolo had a decent challenge and his eyes had shone in such a way. Enyalius actually couldn't remember that it ever had happened, and he was one of Marvolo's first and oldest friends, he hoped that this unknown boy that had appeared out of nowhere would be able to keep Marvolo on his toes because he certainly needed it.
Harry and Severus walked down Diagon Alley in silence towards Madam Malkin's robes shop, when Harry abruptly stopped letting Severus also come to a halt and look at him in confusion.
"Please tell me that I imagine things and we didn't just pass a joke shop," Harry said in a near pleading tone.
"Unfortunately, then I would have to lie. Why?" Severus confusion rose especially when Harry's eyes went wide after having turned around towards the shop.
A/N: I have a feeling that if Death goes on like this poor Severus will be an alcoholic before he's even finished with Hogwarts. 'til next chapter!