The days that Harry was unconscious had drug by for the order. Albus had attempted to visit and see what was going on after 3 days. He had been told that there was no way he could be allowed to see him. He persistently had continued to arrive at the hospital every morning as a good magical guardian would however.
Today was the 12th day that Harry had been unconscious. It was now August 11th and the school term was quickly approaching. Harry being unable to spend time with his friends was putting a dent in his plans of molding the boy to fit into his views. It was starting to get on his nerves.
Sirius barked up at him from the floor. The man had demanded to come in his animagus form to try and see Harry. At the desk the healers looked at them as they once again prepared to turn them away.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, nice to see you again sir." A middle aged wizard said walking around the desk.
"Nice to see you as well Edwin. I am here to inquire as to if I may visit with Mr. Potter today?" He smiled his grandfatherly smile and his eyes twinkled.
"I'm afraid Mr. Potter is not yet awake Headmaster. We cannot allow him any visitors while he is unconscious. It could put him in an even more delicate situation. I'm sure you know that." The healer replied firmly but gently.
"I see." He looked down at Sirius "Come on Padfoot, we can come back to see Harry tomorrow maybe."
Sirius whined sadly and dropped his head. The healer looked down at the dog. He wasn't the cleanest looking and definitely needed a haircut but while a magical person couldn't be in the room there was no reason to deny the boys dog from visiting with him.
"Uh headmaster, wait a minute." The older man turned back to look at the healer. "We can't allow you in because your magic could be seen as a threat by the boys own or it could even disrupt his own magic healing him. I see no reason for his dog not to be able to go in. He clearly seems distressed to be away from Mr. Potter."
Albus smiled at the younger man before turning and looking at Sirius. The animagus was sitting anxiously with his tail wagging slightly. He knew that Sirius would tell him what was going on inside the room he couldn't enter.
"Well looks like you can go see Harry after all. Although I'm afraid you'll need a bath first. If you don't mind holding still for a moment I'll have you clean."
The dog grimaced and shook his body as a cleaning spell was shot at him. While he was cleaner that spell was absolutely gross feeling on a person. He yipped at Dumbledore in annoyance while trotting over to sit beside the healers feet.
"Very well. I shall return to collect him this evening. He is fully trained and shouldn't need anything. Will that be satisfactory?"
"Yes of course Sir." The healer smiled back at him, "Padfoot?"
Sirius turned to the man and yipped again excitedly. He tilted his head and let his tongue loll out slightly.
"Alright then! Come on boy. Let's go check on your master. Maybe you can do what we can't manage yet."
They turned and walked down the hall as Albus left with a soft pop. Outside of the door the healer knelt down beside the disguised Sirius. He scratched him behind the ear.
"Alright buddy. I'm not sure your master is quite what you were expecting. Try not to panic on me. He's gone through quite a change and is still working on getting back to normal."
The healer stood and reached for the doorknob. Sirius cocked his head in confusion at the man. He didn't know what that meant but his pup was still his pup. Those muggles couldn't have done that much…could they? The healer opened the door. The first thing that hit Sirius was the different smell. It smelt like Harry, but also not like Harry. The room seemed large compared to other rooms he had been in. And then his gaze settled on the form on the not quite normal bed.
The large bed was more of a huge mattress on the floor. The form on the bed also wasn't human. He was a very large lion. With wings. And a massive tail. That wasn't a tail. But a snake. His breathing was coming a little rapidly as he connected the dots in his head. Harry turned to look at them. His bright green eyes locked onto Sirius and he smiled. Or at least it seemed like a smile.
"Padfoot!" Harry rumbled in his now rather deep voice.
Sirius yipped at the boy before running over to him and rubbing his head against the boys shoulder. Harry lifted a paw and hugged Sirius to him.
"Thanks Healer Matthews!"
"Not a problem Harry! I figured he couldn't do much damage maybe he can help you figure out a way to turn back that we haven't yet."
The healer laughed softly and left the room. Padfoot stood and transformed himself back into the form of Sirius Black. He pulled out his wand and cast silencing wards around the room before turning back to Harry.
"She passed it on to you. She was so worried it would come to you. Damn it!"
"What are you talking about?"
"Lilly. She passed on that fucking curse." Sirius snarled angrily.
Harry felt Sirius' magic flare out and watched the glass vase shatter. Sirius turned with his wand drawn and sank down onto the couch in the room.
"Maybe I should calm down and start at the beginning." He sighed and ran a hand through his shaggy hair. "Your mother wasn't actually a Muggleborn. Her great-great- grandfather was a squib. Back in that time it wasn't something the pure blood lines acknowledged. Some of the darker families would murder the child when they realized they were a squib. The better ones would send the child into the Muggle world after obliviating them of any memory of magic. They'd be in an orphanage with no knowledge of their life before arriving there."
Harry cocked his head in interest. His tail twitched slightly in anticipation. He nodded for his godfather to continue.
"Being so far back in the line and with no knowledge of his previous life the line continued without knowing a secret that was kept very well was discovered by the boy. The line he had come from had creature blood in it. While his parents never had another child their line ended. His line continued. The family "curse" as it came to be called first showed itself to him at 15. It traveled down generationally. Some it would show in and some it wouldn't. It is now known that the appearance of the curse of theirs was only in magical wielding beings. Those squibs were so weak magically they couldn't cast magic but it did allow their creature blood to still have an effect on them. There were only a few who were ever able to achieve even a partial transformation. Lily and I did a lot of research in old family journals before she died. James was a lot of help with it but his family was so light they hadn't had much experience in getting through darker families history. The line Lily came from was an old one. She was the last living heir. Until she had you."
"You're saying my mother came from some long lost family that wasn't really gone? And they had a creature inheritance and that's why I'm stuck like this? What line did she come from?"
"You're the last living heir of Godric Gryffindor."
"I'm not a Griffin. I'm a gigantic lion with wings and a snake tail."
"The Gryffindor symbol is a lion and not a Griffin because they were Chimeras Harry. They chose a normal animal symbol closest to their own form. Lily couldn't even do what you're doing now. She wasn't strong enough to fully transform. She could partially call forth some of the forms skills to her. I remember once she slapped James and had claws she was so angry. He had a nasty scar from that." Sirius laughed softly.
"So I can change back?"
"I don't know how pup. I can't even bring you the journals that we found so you could learn either. They're sealed in Lilly's vault. I can't get them."
"My mum has a vault?"
"Yeah. She had a few. So did James. And the main Potter Vault. Plus your trust vault. You should know that. You're the Potter Heir."
"I didn't know that. Why hasn't anyone told me?"
"Your magical guardian is Dumbledore. He should have known. I can't imagine why he hasn't told you. You'll be Lord Potter in two years."
"What?"
"You're the heir. When you turn 17 you'll be old enough to claim the lordship. I imagine you can claim the Gryffindor and Black ones also. You could possibly claim the Peverell line if you wanted."
"He hasn't told me any of that."
"I'm sure he has had his reason Harry. Write to Gringotts and see how to get those books of your mums. I'd be happy to help you learn to control this however it works."
A pressure at the edge of the wards sent Sirius transforming into Snuffles. A healer walked in with a large plate of food. She sat it on the table beside Harry.
"Here you are dear! It's lunch time. I also need to check your vitals while I'm here."
Harry nodded at her and she started waving her wand. The intricate patterns and lights were fascinating to watch. She finished with a small nod and jotted down the notes.
"You're looking good Mr. Potter. Do not worry, I'm sure we will find the answers soon enough. Did you need anything else dear?"
"No. Thank you for the lunch ma'am."
"You're welcome dear. Do keep an eye on your dog and make sure he doesn't tear anything up dear."
She turned and left with a smile. Harry felt the wards shift again as Snuffles turned back into Sirius. He reached towards the platter and lifted the lid with a claw. Seeing the fruit and meat cubes he had asked for he began to pop them into his mouth using his claws.
"That's bloody neat that you've learned how to do that."
"Well it beats having to be fed. So can you write this letter and I sign it? I can't hold a quill very well like this."
Sirius laughed and set to writing the letter to the goblins. Harry went back to his food and waited patiently until Sirius was done.
"Here we are Harry. Just put a drop of blood here and they will know it is you."
Harry glanced down and read the parchment before poking his paw with a claw and letting a drop fall before putting his paw down.
"Can you get it to them soon?"
"I'll get it to them as soon as I get home. Let me have Albus come and get me."
Harry watched again as he cast a Patronus and was answered with the Phoenix of the old Headmaster.
"Alright pup! I'll be back with these hopefully tomorrow."
Sirius hugged him again before turning into Snuffles and padding out into the hall. Harry sadly looked back down and decided to go to visit Tom some more.