Chapter EIGHT

Horcrux and Healing

...

The morning of Harrison's appointment arrived with bright skies, and chirping birds. A complete contrast to how the black-haired boy, just waking up in the heir's suite on the second floor of Potter Estates found himself to be feeling. To say he had not been looking forward to this particular day would be understating it. He was utterly dreading, the results his test would reveal. Not for himself as he knew what they would say, but for Sirius. He feared the man would look at him differently, treat him as if he were breakable and in need to coddling. He was afraid they would change the dynamic in which that had built over the past couple months.

As breakfast came and went, and the two residents of the house left via Floo network, arriving into a side room of the leaky cauldron 15 minutes before they were meant to be at his appointment, Harrison took a deep breath, and steadied his resolve. He could do this… He hoped.

Nodding a quick hello to Tom as he stood wiping down the counter as they walked through the main part of the Pub and into the back and through the entrance to the shop filled street heading directly to Gringotts.

Harrison walked alongside side his godfather; head held high and trying not to fidget or stare at the ground nervously. Logically he knew everything would be alright of course, but in the wake of his nerves, logic seemed to jump right out of the window that morning.

As they passed the Goblins guarding the doors, Sirius nodded in greeting, causing Harrison -who had been watching the man from the corner of his eye- to do the same, and before he knew they were crossing the long hall and approaching a free goblin sat high up at a desk.

"Lord Black and Heir Potter-Black here for our appointment to see Healer Bogrod," Sirius stated clearly.

"Sharptooth, take them down the Infirmary," The goblin snapped before turning back to the papers in front of him.

"Follow me please," Said the Goblin as he led them through a set of doors to the left, and down a hall to a large room, decked out with beds on either side and way at the back a large sectioned off area that Harrison could just barely see marking along the walls and floor, and different colored candles strategically placed on the floor.

"Your appointment has arrived Bogrod," the goblin stated before leaving back the way they came.

HPSBHP

Harrison was directed to remove his outer robe and shoes and lay down on one of the beds by the stern looking Goblin who turned to his godfather and asked exactly what it was the man wanted done.

"I want you to run a full diagnostic on him, as strong and thorough as you can manage. He was hit will the Killing Curse when he was a toddler and neglected and abused by his previous caregivers. So, I want to know exactly what that has done to his body and magical core so we can correct it if possible," Sirius stated firmly.

"That will be a hefty price Lord Black," The goblin said with a greedy sneer. While the Potters and Black may be well respected clients of the Goblins, a lot of them were still greedy when it comes to gold.

"I don't care what it costs, you can take the payment out of the Main Black Vaults, I just want Harrison as healthy as possible," Sirius told him, just barely holding back from snapping.

"Very well, step back and let me work the Lord Black. Heir Potter, you are to stay still while I run the diagnostics.' With that Bogrod waved his hand along the length the child's body from head-to-toe muttering in a language that Harrison couldn't understand.

It took nearly fifteen minutes of constant casting before Bogrod moved back and grabbed a piece of parchment that appeared and hovered beside him as he worked.

"Hmmm." He muttered as he peered over the results. "You will be happy to know, that besides a mild strain on his magic that seems to be focusing on the area around his scar, Heir Potter seems to be quite healthy and powerful for someone so young.

As can be seen, just by his size when compared to the fact that both his parents were both rather tall, as were the older Potters, Heir Potter is severely malnourished and lacking in important vitamins needed in a growing child.

I will subscribe him a strong Nutrient potion to be taken with every meal for the next few months, that can easily correct that. Heir Potter can expect to go through a bit of a growth spurt before his next birthday, that will bring him up to the height he would have been otherwise."

"What about his scar? Do you have any idea why his magic is focusing on that area?" Sirius asked worriedly. He knew that it was a cursed scar but began to fear there was something much worse about it than originally thought.

"yes, there seems to be a sort of dark essence residing within the scar itself. I'm not entirely sure to what extent, but I can tell you this, if Heir Potters magic wasn't focused on it, it would have affected his mind and core years ago. His magic is the only thing keeping him alive and sane.

I'm going to bring in a curse breaker. He's a master in his field and highly trusted by Gringotts. You will also be happy to know that he is under oath to keep all his dealings secret, so Heir Potters identity and what we find will stay within these walls, that I assure you." Bogrod stated distractedly as he sent off word with one of the assistant goblins in the infirmary to fetch the curse breaker in question.

Sirius was just about to reply when a small and scared voice pulled his attention to the boy laying on the bed.

"Siri, what… what's going on?"

"It's alright, pup, we are just going to bring in a…a. specialist to look at your scar and see about getting you all healed up alright?" Sirius re-assured his scared looking godson. "you are going to be fine; I promise."

Harrison nodded, as he leaned into the man and rested his head on his thigh -after he sat on the bed beside him- and tried to relax as he felt fingers run through his hair comfortingly.

HPSBHP

It wasn't long after Sirius sat down to comfort his boy, when a tall red-haired wizard walked in chatting with the assistant goblin who had gone to fetch him.

When he looked over and saw exactly who it was on the bed, recognizing Lord Black from the articles that have been in the Prophet over the past couple months -and there for the child could only be one person- Harrison Potter; the boy who lived. - his eyes widened, and he stopped for the briefest of moments.

Shaking himself from his shock William Weasley, more commonly known as Bill, stepped up the two wizards and the Head Healer Goblin Bogrod, his professional mask in place ready to work.

"Mr. Weasley," Bogrod greeted in as friendly of voice as you can expect from a blood thirsty goblin. "Take a look at this scan and tell me what you think?" he said handing over the parchment.

Bill scanned the results, eyes widening before flicking up to the scar on the boy's head. He took his wand out of the holster on his left arm, and approached the occupants on the bed asking in a soothing voice, "Would you mind if I run a few of my own tests on the area around the scar?"

"Do what you have to do Mr. Weasley," Said Sirius, for there was only one family the man could be from, with that particular shade of striking red hair.

"I'll be quick and gentle I promise," He said to the child before him, thankful he was lying in a way that the scar was on the side away from Lord Black, so he didn't have to disturb him from the man he drew comfort from.

Bill ran multiple scans over the scar- each one more complex than the last- his brow furrowing in concentration as he received more and more disturbing results. He could hardly believe what he was seeing in front of him, becoming more horrified by the minute. For what was revealed to him, was far darker than he was expecting, and the blackest magic one could perform. Set inside the lightning bolt scar on the forehead of a 10-year-old child, was a Horcrux – a fragment of another being's soul.

When Bill finished his scans, he tuned to Bogrod and pulled the goblin far enough away to speak to him quietly without the fear of being overheard by the two sat on the bed.

"A Horcrux," he breathed shocked. "That scar is the house of soul fragment, and we both can guess exactly who it belongs too. Which means, he may not be gone after all!"

"Can you remove it?" Bogrod asked gravely.

"Yes, there is a cleansing ritual that can be done, its very draining on both the caster, and the person needing cleansed, however. If not done carefully can kill the caster, which is why it's rarely recommended when there are other alternatives for less severe cases.

But when dealing with something as black as a Horcrux, we really don't have any alternatives that will leave Potter alive."

Bogrod nodded before heading back over and informing his patient and Guardian with Bill following a minute after, arriving just intime to hear Lord Black strained reply, "Do it.' As he noticeably tightened his hold on the child in his arms.

Standing from the bed Harrison and Sirius were led across the room and behind the sectioned off area that Harrison had seen earlier when they first entered the Infirmary.

As it was revealed in its entirety, Harrison's eyes widened as he saw large cauldrons and bowls -though he would later learn they were used for different rituals- positioned in a circle around a runic design etched into the floor.

He didn't know what the Rune was, but due to all the reading he had done over the past few months, he recognized the design for what it was, and he was fascinated, despite the fear running through him.

Feeling a hand on his shoulder tighten, Harrison turned around and looked up into the face of his godfather. Sirius watched him; a reassuring expression set upon his face. His eyes however, no matter how hard he tried to hide it, Harrison could see the fear, and worry hidden within their depth. "Ill be right here the entire time alright? Everything will be over soon, and we can go home and just relax for a while. Maybe take a holiday somewhere if you are feeling up to it." He told him as he drew the boy into a strong hug before releasing him when he heard a shuffle of feet behind them.

Bogrod and Bill directed him to lay in the center of the circle, and with one last look at Sirius, Harrison took a deep breath and complied. After which they administered a strong sleeping draught and pain reliever and waited until they set in and his world fell into darkness.

HPSBHP

Sirius paced back and forth along one of the side walls never taking his eyes of the child he loved so much. He hated that he had to knowingly allow Harrison to go through with the ritual that was just getting underway. Knowing that it was going to hurt him no matter that he was given a pain reliever and put to sleep, Harrison was still going to feel some pain as they attacked the vermin that was inside his scar.

Yes, it would be worth it in the end, but that didn't stop Sirius from hating this entire situation non-the-less. He wasn't meant to stand by while his boy was in pain, he was meant to protect him. But in this moment a part of Sirius felt like he was failing in that regard drastically.

While Sirius paced, Bill and Bogrod got into position to begin cleansing the scar. Bogrod, was going to be standing just outside the perimeter, ready to deal with the soul fragment as it was released from its human container, and watch over the curse breaker, making sure he didn't overdo it and lose control, potentially killing himself.

Bill took a deep breath, before he focused on his magical core, and directing it outwards and towards the location he could now feel the darkness was hiding. Never taking his eyes off the lightning bolt scar in front of him, his vision tunneling until he saw nothing else but what was right in front of him, he directed his magic to forcefully attack the foreign entity and began to mutter in Latin under his breath.

The World around him lost all focus, sounds become white noise, smells withered away to nothingness as he felt his magic touch, the soul piece. This is what made this particular ritual so dangerous, by using his very core to remove 'that what which does not belong', everything else falls away, and the caster has the potential to lose themselves into the enchantments. He could lose control if he isn't careful, potentially severing his very core with no way of repairing it. A week wizard could live on as a squib, but a powerful wizard -such as you need to be to become a curse breaker- the loss of one's magic so drastically is too much of a shock for the witch or wizards' body to handle, killing them instantly.

As the minutes, turned into one hour, and then another, and another Bill fought with the soul fragment, never stopping his muttered enchantments even as he felt his body begin to weaken, more exhausted than he had ever felt before in his entire 26 years of life-and the child on the floor, finally overcome by the pain that was once dulled by the pain reliever began to scream in earnest his body arching of the ritual room floor.

Just when it seemed like the curse breaker was losing his hold on his magic, and his body was weakening too much for him to stand, he seemed to give one final pull with all the strength he possessed, and the soul piece ripped away from the scar, causing it to bleed as it ripped open, and a black wraith like creature soured through the air.

Acting quickly, Bogrod used his own magic to force the wraith into a cube like object he had placed inside the ritual bowl in front of him, and poured a few drops of basilisk venom onto its surface.

They all breathed a sigh of relief when there was a shriek of agony from within the bowl, and the venom worked to destroy the contents within. Within second, the streaking had stopped, and the cube was destroyed killing the soul held within.

HPSBHP

Once the Horcrux had been destroyed and he was given the okay by the curse breaker - who was being forced to sit down by the goblins and take a pepper up potion- Sirius raced into the ritual circle and over to his godson's side, carefully picking him up and checking him over for any other signs of distress or injuries. He sighed in relief, when he could see that the boy was sleeping peacefully, and the only thing notably wrong other than apparent exhaustion, was the lightly bleeding scar.

One of the other healers came to his side, and ran a diagnostic scan over the boy, before healing the scar, and spelling a potion into his stomach to help him restore any strain that was put onto his core during the ritual as he slept. The boy would be tired for the next few days, but with a lot of food and rest, his magical core would heal until it was back to full capacity, no longer needing to stem off the parasite that was trying to worm its way into the child's mind.

Bogrod approached the pair as Sirius stood up with his godson still in his arms and handed him a medium sized case filled with potions. "His nutrient Potions, enough for 2 weeks. Once he has taken one, place the vial back into the case, and they will refill automatically after he has finished all of them. He is to take one with every meal for the next 6 months, after which he will be brought back for a checkup and we will re-assess his treatment then." The goblin said handing over the case, which Sirius shrunk and placed inside his robe pocket.

"Thank you, for everything," Sirius breathed hoarsely, the day and all that Harrison had gone through taking its toll on the man.

"Payment will be taken out of your vaults as discussed, why don't you take Heir Potter home and let him rest. He will be tired for the next few days but should be back too normal by the weekend at the latest. If you have any concerns, don't hesitate to bring him back Lord Black" Bogrod replied before walking away to check on another patient.

Sirius made sure to check on and thank Bill -making sure the man was really going to be okay after what he did and risked for his pup and learning that with a few days of rest, to allow his magical core to heal he would be just fine – before he grabbed Harrison's robe and left for home, taking Harrison directly to his bed and tucking him in.

Once he made sure he was settled and wouldn't be waking anytime soon, Sirius went over to the sitting area in front of the fireplace to wait for him to wake. He wasn't going to leave his pups side until he was up, and he could let him know that everything was alright, just as he promised it would be.

HPSBHP

As the hours passed, as he sat waiting diligently for his boy to wake. Sirius made a mental list of all the things he needed to do over the next few days. One being to find a way to thank the Weasley heir properly for all that he risked for Sirius' boy.

He also thought about where it was, he wanted to take his pup for a few days. Give him something to take his mind off of everything, to relax and just heal. After the day they both had, but most importantly the traumatic ordeal in which Harrison, his 10-year-old pup had to go through, Sirius was determined to do everything and anything to make up for. Yule was only a few weeks away and he was determined to make it extra special for the both of them.

With plans forming in his mind, Sirius turned his attention back to the sleeping boy in bed, one thought a constant in his mind.

"Everything was going to be okay. Just as he promised."