See first chapter for disclaimer.
Chapter 2
Early the next morning, Harry was in the Room of Requirement trying to figure out how he was going to avoid the train. He wanted to go to Gringotts, but he didn't want to be discovered as missing for a while. He needed time to find somewhere to stay before people started looking for him. Then it came to him.
"Dobby," he said aloud. A moment later the elf appeared.
"How can Dobby help the great Harry Potter?" he asked excitedly, bouncing on his feet.
Harry shook his head at the excitable elf. "I was wondering if you could help me sneak off of the Hogwarts Express. I need to go to Gringotts, but I don't want anyone to know I've left until it's too late for them to stop me."
Dobby shook his head sadly. "Dobby cannot help the great Harry Potter because Dobby works for Hogwarts."
Harry got disappointed until he thought of something else. "Would you be able to help me if I bonded with you as my personal elf?"
Dobby's eyes widened dramatically, making Harry worry that they might fall out. "The great Harry Potter wants Dobby as his elf? Dobby would like this very much."
"Great, but I have a few conditions. You can only call me Harry, no extra titles. You are not allowed to punish yourself. If you think you did something wrong, you come to me so we can talk about it. Finally, you're not allowed to overwork yourself. If I tell you to slow down or take a day off, I need you to do so. Can you agree to that?"
Dobby nodded his head quickly before he told Harry how to do the bonding. "All Harry has to say is 'I claim Dobby as my house-elf and slave' with his wand in his hand and then wes will glow," he explained.
Harry did as he said, deciding to exchange the word family with the word slave at the last minute. They glowed brightly a second later as the elf described, but something unexpected happened. Dobby grew a few inches taller, his back straightened out, and he looked healthier.
"What happened?" Harry asked in confusion.
"You bonded to me as family instead of as a slave. It made me stronger," Dobby replied. Even his voice sounding stronger and Harry realized he elf was using proper grammar. "I wonder if…never mind." Dobby cut himself off, afraid to continue.
"Whatever it is, you can ask me Dobby," Harry pressed gently.
"I wonder if Harry would take Winky as his house-elf too. Winky is not doing very well. She misses having a family very much," Dobby said cautiously.
"Sure," Harry replied, seeing no problem with the request. Dobby called for Winky and Harry did the ritual again, getting the same results. Winky hugged his legs gratefully, thanking him over and over again until he was able to calm her. She insisted that she call him Master Harry but agreed to the rest of his conditions. Then he instructed them to wait about half an hour after the Hogwarts Express left the station in Hogsmeade before they get ready to get him and his stuff so they could take him to Gringotts. When he was sure they understood the plan, he left the room and headed toward Gryffindor Tower.
Harry packed his things up, making small talk with some of his fellow Gryffindors so they would remember he was there. When it was almost time to go, Neville and Ron came to get him, asking if he was ready. Harry said yes, agreeing to walk with them down to the station. They were joined by Hermione, Ginny, and Luna when they got near the entrance to the school. Harry caught a glimpse of Minerva, but he looked away quickly as the guilt from his words last night rose in him. Thankfully, she didn't see him, and he ushered for his friends to hurry up so he could get away before she noticed him.
He stayed with them on the train for about half an hour as planned, though he felt it took too long to come. His friends were trying to cheer him up, but he didn't want to be happy. Making the excuse that he was feeling a bit overwhelmed, he left to go "be alone," ignoring their protests. When he got to the very back of the train, he called for his house-elves and they quickly got him and his luggage, leaving no trace that he had been there.
- H.M. -
They arrived in the alley behind the bank. Harry shoved a hat on his head before walking swiftly to the bank. He went to the nearest empty teller, waiting for the goblin to acknowledge him.
"How can Gringotts help you today?" the teller finally asked, surprised at Harry's patience.
"I need to see the Potter account manager," Harry replied so only the teller could hear him. He flashed the goblin his scar as proof.
"One moment," the teller replied, touching a button on his desk. A moment later, a younger looking goblin arrived. "Take him to see Ripclaw," the teller commanded before turning back to his desk in obvious dismissal.
Without a word to Harry, the young goblin began walking in the direction of the offices, the wizard following after him. Harry was led through the hallways, taking too many turns for him to remember how to get back to the main lobby. They finally stopped at a door with a silver plaque on it that said, "Account Manager Ripclaw." The goblin knocked on the door, opening it when he received a reply from someone within.
"Thank you," Harry called to the goblin who had turned to leave without a word. His words caused the goblin to pause for a moment, the only sign that he had heard Harry. With a mental shrug, Harry entered the office, closing the door behind him.
The sole occupant inside the room, Ripclaw, sat in a chair behind a mahogany desk. He gestured for Harry to sit down in one of the chairs across from him as he put some papers to the side.
"Mr. Potter, it is good that you came to see me today. It saves me having to write a letter to request your presence," Ripclaw began in lieu of a greeting.
Harry became a bit nervous. "Am I in trouble Manager Ripclaw?" he asked cautiously.
Ripclaw shook his head slightly. "No Mr. Potter. I am simply referring to the will of your godfather, Sirius Black. He instructed me to speak to you privately before the official reading occurs." Pain gripped Harry's heart at the mention of Sirius, but he used his Occlumency to push the feeling down as Ripclaw continued to speak. "While Lord Black may have been sent to Azkaban, he was never actually convicted of a crime. This means that he was able to keep his status as Lord of the Black family and as your magical guardian." Harry gasped in shock, but Ripclaw wasn't finished yet. "Therefore, his request to have you emancipated is legal. He also named you as the main beneficiary of his estate so you will receive the Black family Lordship and all of their assets, minus what he bequeaths to others in his will. You will gain control over the Black family vault as well as his personal vault."
Harry kept his voice calm as he replied to the goblin. "So, I will be able to get emancipated and become Lord Black? What all does that entail?"
"Yes, to your first question. As an emancipated minor, the trace will be removed from your wand automatically and you will be eligible to get your apparition license. You will also be able to take up the Black Lordship. Technically, you aren't required to do so until you turn seventeen, but I suggest you do so to prevent anyone else from making a claim to it. When you become Lord of the house, you will be able to appoint a proxy to vote in the Wizengamot or do so yourself. You will also be responsible for the members of the family with the right to kick out or bring in any member you choose."
Harry was reluctant to accept the responsibility but didn't want it to go to the Malfoys. "Very well, I will become emancipated and the Lord of the Black family," he stated. Then he thought of something else. "What about the Potter family?"
Ripclaw took out a thin folder and a small ring box from his desk before answering Harry. "Due to strange circumstances, Headmaster Dumbledore was able to become appointed as your magical guardian, but only for the Potter family. Essentially you had two magical guardians. While Lord Black was able to emancipate you, he was not able to give you access to the Potter lordship. You will not be able to take up that mantle until you are seventeen or become either married or bonded, whichever happens first."
Harry was disappointed by that but understood there was nothing that could be done about it. "Okay, before we begin, will anyone be personally notified about these changes in my status?"
"No. The emancipation will be filed by magic, not by hand. Your trace will also be magically removed, so no one will be notified unless they ask about your status. Normally, your magical guardian would receive a notice from us, but because this concerns the Black family instead of the Potter family, I see no reason to inform him," Ripclaw said, something resembling a smirk appearing on his face. "As for the lordship, only the members of the family will learn about it, but that can be delayed until the official will reading."
Harry nodded in acceptance, glad that he would at least have time to figure things out before anyone else found out. "Thank you, Manager Ripclaw," he replied sincerely.
"You're welcome Mr. Potter. Now, first you have to sign this form to make your emancipation official. Then it will be sent along to the Records Department of the Ministry, though it will be filed by magic, not by hand." Ripclaw handed Harry a blood quill to use. He hated those things due to Umbridge, but knew they were used for official documents such as this. Quickly he signed where necessary before practically throwing the quill on the desk.
Ripclaw took the form and placed it to the side before handing the ring box to Harry. The wizard opened it up to examine the ring. It was a simple black band with the Black family motto, Toujours Pur, written in silver along it. "Do I just put it on?" he asked the goblin.
"Yes. The family magic will decide if you're worthy of the title. It won't kill you if you aren't, though," Ripclaw assured him.
Harry took a deep breath before slipping the ring onto his left pinky. There was a second of nothing before he felt like his entire life was being examined. It wasn't painful, just a bit overwhelming, especially since he saw the memories as the flashed in front of his eyes. He couldn't see Ripclaw or the office. It was like he was trapped inside his head as he watched from the backgrounds. Finally, after what felt like hours, but was only five minutes in reality, it stopped, and his vision returned to normal. He was surrounded by a bright silver glow to signify the Black family's acceptance of him as their Lord.
"That was intense," he muttered as he looked down at the ring that resized to fit him. Then he looked back up at Ripclaw who handed him two keys.
"Congratulations Lord Black. These are the keys to your new vaults. Is there anything you wish to get done today?" Ripclaw asked.
"I just need a list of properties that I now own, and I want to visit Sirius's personal vault before I leave," Harry requested. Ripclaw pulled out another file and handed it to him. He read through the list carefully for a few minutes. Many of them were out of the country, which while appealing, would not be appropriate for his plan to take on Voldemort and his followers. He noticed that Grimmauld Place was listed on there and wondered if he could take control of the wards on it. "As Lord Black, can I take control of all wards on the property?"
"You can. 'I Harry James Potter, Lord of the Black Family, take control of this property and the wards upon it. So mote it be,' when you are in front of it with your wand drawn. It will give you complete control and you will be able to reassign the secret keeper for the Fidelius charm on it. In fact, you can reconfigure it to decided where people can enter the house from if you so choose," Ripclaw explained.
Harry nodded in satisfaction. "Good, then I know where I will be staying. Thank you for all of your help today Ripclaw."
"You're welcome," Ripclaw said as he pressed a button on his desk and a minute later the same young goblin appeared at the door. "He will take you to visit your godfather's vault. If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to owl me."
They both bid each other farewell before Harry got up and followed his goblin guide. Unlike before, the goblin acknowledged his presence before leading him to the vault carts. Several minutes later, Harry found himself standing in front of Vault 731, Sirius's vault. He inserted the key into the door, watching as it opened a few seconds later. Taking a deep breath to brace himself for what he would find, he stepped inside. He took a moment to gaze at the contents within. There was a sizeable pile of galleons stacked to one side and two trunks on the other side. Harry put some of the galleons in one of the bags nearby before walking over to the trunks. One of them looked like a school trunk, but the other had a note lying on top of it, with his name written on it. Nervously, Harry picked up the envelope and removed the letter inside, bracing himself for what it might say.
To Harry
If you're reading this then I am dead, and the war is still going on. If so, then I am sorry for leaving you once again, but if I died fighting for you, then it was worth it. I know you will be upset but try not to mourn me too long or blame yourself for my death. I love you and I know you wouldn't do anything to purposefully hurt me. If you want to honor my death, then live your life to the fullest. Not for anyone else, but for yourself. Also, give anyone who stands against you Hell.
Now, inside of this trunk, I have a few things that I put together to help you survive this war. First, I had a bank account set up in the muggle world for you to use in secret. All of the information concerning it along with a debit card is in an envelope in the trunk. There's also a passport with a fake I.D., just in case you want to travel outside of the country. It matches the info of the debit card. Second, I had a special jacket made for you to protect you when you're in a fight. It is made of dragon-hide, has an expanded pocket to store things, and has a hood that completely hides your face and is charmed to not fall off during a fight. Third, is a pair of boots that are charmed to hide your footfalls and protect your feet from extreme environments. It will come in handy if you need to do a stealth mission or just not get caught. I also put an auror-grade wand holster in there as well as a dagger made of goblin steel. I hope these items will keep you alive to fight another day and always remember: I am so proud to call you my godson.
Love
Padfoot.
P.S. I expect not to see you until you've gotten married, had children, and lived a long life, so no dying early.
A few tears leaked down Harry's face, but he quickly wiped them away. He grabbed the trunk and the letter and left the vault. When he got outside of the bank, he returned to the back alley he used to get there and called for Dobby and Winky to take him to Grimmauld Place.
- H.M. –
When he arrived at the house, he did as Ripclaw instructed, making himself the secret keeper of the house. He also made it so that no one could apparate, portkey, or floo into the house without their names being on the ledger, something he knew about thanks to Sirius. Then he took a cleansing breath before going inside, Dobby and Winky by his side.
"Kreacher, come here right now!" Harry commanded after he put a silencing ward around Mrs. Black's portrait so she wouldn't start screaming. A few seconds later, the pitiful elf appeared, completely distraught.
"NO! Kreacher does not want to serve half-blood master!" the elf babbled over and over.
"Silence" Harry commanded, shutting the elf up. "I am now the Lord of the Black family." Harry declared, showing the elf his ring before continuing. "Therefore, you have to serve me, whether you like it or not. You claim to honor the Black family, yet you have allowed their manor to fall into a deplorable state. I expect you to start cleaning this place up, and I mean actual cleaning. You will start by removing Mrs. Black's portrait from the front entrance and placing it into your quarters. For today, focus on cleaning up the master bedroom and bathroom as well as the kitchen. You can start on the rest of the house tomorrow. Before you begin, know that you are not allowed to communicate with anyone about my ascension to lordship, directly or indirectly, without my express permission. You are also not allowed to leave this house unless it is to help me until I say so. Do you understand me?"
"Y-yes M-master," Kreacher replied reluctantly.
"Good. Dobby, I need you to help Kreacher and to set aside a room to hold any dark items you come across. Winky, I need you to go out and stock the kitchen with food. You may use this bag to get what you need."
"Yes Harry."
"Yes master."
Harry thanked them before they disappeared to start working on the jobs, he had given them. He moved to the training room he, Sirius, and Tonks had used in secret when he was at the house. Minerva had also helped him train in there when she had the time.
Being back at the house where his godfather had been kept as a virtual prisoner messed with his emotions, so he spent about two hours destroying training dummies to expel his anger. Then he sat down in a meditative pose to begin working on his next plan. Knowing that it was possible to use his connection with Tom to see through his eyes, he had decided to try and intentionally get into the dark wizard's mind to spy on him.
To begin, he closed his eyes, retreating to his mindscape. He went toward the source of their connection and began slowly trying to use it to reach Tom without being discovered. It was slow going and after an hour of work, he still hadn't made any progress. But Harry was known for his determination, so he patiently kept at it.
Harry was finally successful after the second hour. He began to hear thoughts in his head that did not belong to him and feel pain that wasn't his. Stifling his joy at his accomplishment, he began to cautiously peruse the wizard's mind, finding out that Tom's attempted possession of him hurt the dark wizard much more than he thought it had. He stayed in there for a bit longer, learning that the Death Eaters planned on taking some of their new recruits on raids soon. He promised to try again tomorrow morning to find out the dates for them before returning back into his own mind. After storing away the information he had gathered, he retreated back to the real world.
When he went into the kitchen, he found that it was much cleaner than he had ever seen it, like it was brand new. Winky, who was standing at the stove preparing dinner for him, looked up at his entrance.
"You should sit down at the table Master Harry. Dinner is almost ready," Winky stated. Harry did as she said and a few moments later, he was served a plate of roast beef with roast potatoes and green beans. "I did not know what you liked, so I made this," she said apologetically, expecting negative criticism.
"This is perfect Winky," Harry assured her. He took a bite of the meat, humming in satisfaction. "You are an excellent cook Winky," he remarked as he dug into his meal. Winky blushed at the praise, unused to compliments. Harry ate two servings of the meal, starved from his physical and mental exertions. When he finished, Winky shooed him out of the kitchen before he could wash the dishes, though he did tell her to make sure she and the other two elves ate dinner.
Dobby appeared to lead him to his bedroom when he was kicked out of the kitchen. The room was just as clean as the kitchen. He went to take a long shower in the cleaned-up bathroom, allowing the hot water to help soothe his aching muscles. Throwing on a pair of sweats, he called the three elves to thank them for their hard work and ordered them to make sure they ate before going to sleep.
When he was alone, he opened up the trunk to see the items his godfather left for him. The envelope with the bank account information and passport was there and he briefly looked through the papers to find the amount of money he had, noting that it was quite large. The photo on the passport was a good picture as well and Sirius had chosen the name James Black. Then he pulled out the jacket, admiring it. It was a loose fitting, hip length black hooded jacket. Putting it on, he instantly felt comfortable as he moved around in it to see if it hindered his movement at all. The boots were dark grey, made of the skin of a Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon. They were breathable and masked his sound, just as Sirius had written. Harry also tested out the auror wand holster until he could draw his wand in less than a second. He silently thanked his godfather for the thoughtful gifts, though he wished the man had been able to give them to him in person.
That night, Harry barely got more than an hour of sleep, plagued with nightmares about his friends getting hurt or blaming him for everything.
- H.M. –
While Harry and his elves were settling in at Grimmauld Place, many people were freaking out about Harry's disappearance. His friends on the Hogwarts Express looked everywhere for him after he didn't return to their carriage for over two hours. Unfortunately, they couldn't find him anywhere. Hermione and Ron suggested that maybe he was hiding under his invisibility cloak, so the group decided to look for him when they got to the station.
As the train completed its journey, they all got onto the platform and spread out to look for Harry. No matter where they looked, the still couldn't see him. The Order members who had come to see Harry get home looked around as well when Hermione informed them that Harry was missing. Remus went to stand by the Dursleys to wait for Harry to get to them, but it was in vain. Harry was well and truly missing. Hermione, Neville, and Luna had to leave with their guardians, but they made Ron and Ginny promise to write them when Harry was found. The rest all went to the Burrow to meet with Dumbledore, Mad-Eye having sent a Patronus message to let their leader know of the situation. Everyone, including Minerva arrived at the Burrow to discuss what they should do next.
"It is imperative that we find Harry before harm befalls him. Does anyone know where he might have gone?" Dumbledore asked the group at large when they were all gathered around the table. Ron and Ginny described how Harry had isolated himself from everyone since the Ministry incident. Molly Weasley was sobbing uncontrollably as Harry's friends looked around in distress. Others tried to make suggestions, but Dumbledore remained silent, offering nothing. Minerva looked at the man suspiciously. She suspected that he knew why Harry had disappeared, even though he remained silent.
Eventually, the Order members agreed to stand guard at several different possible locations Harry could have chosen to go, hoping they would spot him. As Minerva left the meeting, she had come to the conclusion that Harry would not be found unless he wanted to be found. She was aware of just how resourceful he was. Please be okay Harry, she thought sadly. She didn't know what she would do if something really bad happened to him.
