Let's Do It Right This Time, Chapter 6: Inheritance
"Most of the other healing will have to wait until I make the right potions," Murdock continued after Harry had finished gushing happily. "Although I can heal the infected scrape on your knee right now." She did so. "I will probably have to collaborate with a cursebreaker about the soul vessel ritual, and you will need to have bed rest and some specialized foods before I'll even think about taking off those blocks. In the mean time, do you have any more business with Sculdig?"
"Yeah," Harry glanced over at the older goblin. "I wanted to do an inheritance test first thing."
Sculdig nodded. "I believe that you said as much." He removed an enchanted roll of parchment, an engraved bowl, and a silver knife etched with runes. "You just need to cut your hand and let some of the blood fall on the parchment. It will then show you what lines you can claim and what claim you have to them."
Harry nodded, and then held his hand over the bowl, cutting it and letting it drip. After a few seconds, Murdock healed his hand. Then Harry poured the blood in a thin, continuous line onto the parchment, where it glistened wetly for a minute and then soaked in. And then words began tracing themselves on the parchment.
*Ancient and Noble House Potter- second heir by right of blood through James Potter
Most Ancient and Most Noble House Peverall- heir by blood and magic through Velika Peverall by way of James Potter, heir apparent by right of conquest by the defeat of Tom Riddle, through Asha Peverall by way of Merope Gaunt
Ancient and Noble House Gryffindor- heir apparent by right of blood through Lorelei Gryffindor by way of James Potter
Ancient and Noble House Black- heir by right of blood and magic through Dorea Black by way of James Potter
Most Ancient and Most Noble House Gaunt- heir apparent by right of conquest by the defeat of Tom Riddle heir through Merope Gaunt
Ancient and Noble House Slytherin- heir apparent by right of conquest by the defeat of Tom Riddle, heir through Jocasta Slytherin by way of Merope Gaunt
Most Ancient and Most Noble House Merlin- heir apparent by right of blood through Zelda Merlin by way of Lily Evans
Noble House Grey- heir apparent by right of conquest by the defeat of Tom Riddle, through Jean Grey by way of Tom Riddle Sr.
Noble House Reims- heir apparent by right of blood through Melissa Reims by way of Lily Evans
Noble House Starvling- heir apparent by right of blood through Calphurnia Starvling by way of Lily Evans
Ancient and Noble House Mordrake- heir apparent by right of blood through Elizabeth Mordrake by way of Lily Evans
Noble House Jones- heir by right of blood through Diana Jones by way of James Potter
Noble House Boniface- heir apparent by right of blood through Cara Boniface by way of Lily Evans
Noble House Angeles- heir apparent by right of blood through Camomile Angeles by way of Lily Evans
Noble House Anaheim- second heir by right of blood through Sarah Anaheim by way of Lily Evans
Harry was staring at the parchment open-mouthed. "Not possible," he whispered.
"Oh, it's quite possible," returned Sculdig from where he had been looking over Harry's shoulder. "As your mother appears to have been heir to Merlin, she would doubtless be related to many minor Noble Houses. Every time the all the immediate members of one of these Houses die out, the house reverted back to her. You will have a great deal of sway on the Wizengamot when you are of age. As a matter of fact, I could probably get you emancipated now, by using old Pureblood laws."
"I...I thought she was a muggleborn," said Harry shakily.
Sculdig snorted. "Magic has to come from somewhere. True muggleborns are astronomically low. However, wizards have a nasty little habit of turning out their squibs and not bothering to disinherit them, as squibs cannot inherit anyway. So then a few generations down the line, a 'muggleborn' pops up. I always wondered why so-called muggleborns didn't even try to test for an inheritance."
"I don't think they know it's an option," Harry responded.
"You could be right." Sculdig sighed. "It's just a waste. All those unclaimed vaults..."
Harry was thinking of all the lives that could be improved. Oh well, just another thing to accomplish after Voldie was dead. Evidently he had a lot of political power, and probably a lot of gold, and the Maurader in him couldn't think of any better way to spend it than on a revolution. "And then something else occurred to him, and he laughed at the sheer irony it would be. "Hypothetically, if someone forced the heir apparent of Merlin into marriage by use of the 'Pleasure law', could it be brought up in court as line theft, being as the 'Pleasure law' only applies to muggleborns?"
Sculdig nodded.
"And if the same someone were to willfully endanger said heir apparent and her child?"
"You could get them shoved through the veil at the very least. Why? I'm assuming it's not hypothetical?"
"That's what my father did to my mum. As soon as the war is over, so help me he's going to pay."
"As soon as the war is over, especially if you help win it, I will convince Ragnok to help you shaft every one of your enemies," Sculdig promised with a wicked grin. "Now, about that will?"
"Yeah." Harry was a little shaky thinking about his mum's will, but he knew this was as good a time as any to look over it, as his summer was going to be full of shopping, training, and medicines. "Yeah, I'd really like to see it."
Sculdig nodded to Griphook, who left the room and returned with a little safe and a key. Harry's fingers shook as he opened it. Inside there were seven letters, with the names Severus, Harry, James, Remus, Sirius, Petunia, and Alice, a manila envelope with a few sheets of parchment in it, a key-ring, a necklace, and a bottle of Felix Felicis. Harry stared at it for a long time. At last, he lifted out the letter with his name on it and slit it open with the discarded ritual-knife.
Dearest Harry, (the letter began)
I hope to be able to tell you all of these things myself, but I have a feeling that I will not be able to. If you're reading this, I have been betrayed killed. I am what is called a muggleborn, and if you don't know, it is a custom among the old families to marry one for "fresh blood" and despose of them later. (Harry growled.) I hope that James is more noble, but nobility is not a quality he possesses in excess. If I am gone, and you don't remember me, I want you to know that I love you more than anything in the world, and nothing can ever change that.
I could not say everything that I am bequeathing you in detail in the will, because by pureblood law James has to look over it, but I'm giving you the deeds to a little house I bought called Ravenhurst; it's unplottable, if you need to hide. I don't have many liquid assets in my vault, or otherwise James would make me give it to him, but there's gold and jewels under the mattress pad in Ravenhurst, and I left you a lot of books, a chest full of potion supplies (it's a good thing James never payed attention in potions, or he'd realize how valuable they are) and a charmed sword in the vault. The sword actually belonged to Merlin himself!
About your father. Our marriage was not one of love. A few good things I can say about him was that he was whip smart, handsome, and loyal to his friends. He was also an arrogant bully, but he did eventually mature...a little. If I had had my way, I would have married a boy I loved in school, Severus Snape, but...James, well, to tell you the truth, he had me in a corner literally and figuratively. I consider that the only good thing about our marriage is you.
About Severus. If he is still alive, please, for my sake, give him the letter I left him. James forced me by an unbreakable vow to cut all ties with him in 5th year, and as he was already bullied and deep in the Dark Arts, I think it was the final straw for him. I forgive him, I love him, I need him to forgive himself. He is not an easy man to get along with, but he is a most talented potion master, and would have been a good Quiddich player (in the seeker position) but James bribed the Slytherin Quiddich captain to kick him off the team.
About the Marauders. When your father was eleven, he made friends with three other boys: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. All of them were pranksters, and to various degrees, bullies. I know for a fact that Peter is a Death Eater, but James, the bastard, won't listen to me. I swear that he will kill us in our sleep! Sirius was a bully in school, but he's grown up since, and out of all of them, he's the only one I trust. Remmy, the other boy, has a good heart, but he is very clingy and manipulatable; he's a werewolf, and thinks that the other three boys are angels for letting him be friends with them, and that the sun shines out of Dumbledore's every orifice because he let him come to Hogwarts and be the token werewolf.
Speaking of Dumbledore, don't trust the bastard as far as you can throw him, whatever he says. Perhaps he means well, but he plays favorites, allows Gryffindor bullies to get off with lines for almost killing people from other houses, puts loyalty potion in those lemon drops (Sev tested them once) and is all about the Greater Good.
The prophecy: I doubt anyone will have told you, but the reason we went into hiding when you were born was because of a prophecy delivered to Dumbledore. It's my personal opinion that it's baloney, but just in case, here it is:
The one with the power to defeat the Dark Lord approaches. Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies, and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he shall have power the Dark Lord knows not, and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives.
The prophecy, of it is indeed a prophecy, could apply to either you or my best friend's boy Neville, but Dumbledore says that it applies to you, which I'm not happy about, especially since James is talking about using the Godric's hollow house, with Pettigrew as Secret Keeper. We could just stay at Potter Manor, which has much stronger wards and doesn't require putting our lives in the traitor's hands. I worry. I don't know what either James or Dumbledore are doing and I think they're planning something together.
But anyway, don't grieve for me! Get stellar grades, go on vacation, go shopping, just have fun! Even (God forbid) get on a Quiddich team! And seek out Alice, Sirius, and Severus; they'll always help you. And get a heritage test! I never got a chance to do mine, and you never know; maybe you're secretly Merlin's heir!
- Lily Evans
PS. I wanted to name you Aurelius, after Marcus Aurelius
AN: the multiple heirships is supposed to be a little parody; don't flame me about it being unrealistic.