When Harry awoke the next morning he slowly wandered to the shower to clean off the grime that was still stuck to him from the day before. He knew the elves would clean the bed sheets so there was no need to worry about them.
When his long shower was done, he dressed in his best fitting pair of jeans and t-shirt and made his way to the great hall.
As he entered, the entire hall fell silent while looking at him. Simply not caring, Harry made his was over to the Gryffindor table without giving anyone a second look, sat down and started plating himself some bacon and eggs.
The occupants of the hall slowly went back their meals and conversations, many of which involving him of course. Harry paid them no mind and continued to eat silently until when his plate was nearly empty he heard a familiar voice from behind him.
"You have a lot to answer for Potter. I shall have you expelled for your actions." Came the sickly voice of Dolores Umbridge.
Harry's jaw clenched and his eyes hardened. He stood slowly and turned to face the toad. He could feel every set of eyes in the hall on him. "No professor, it's you who has to answer for their actions."
"What on earth are you talking about Potter? I shall have you arrested for what you did." Umbridge replied, no hint of her sweet voice left.
"I doubt that. Right now Fudge will do anything he can to appease me and Dumbledore after we were proved correct. And if I mention to him and madam Bones what you have been doing to not just me, but other children in your detentions then I would think it'll be you going to prison, not me." Harry said in a voice so cold it had people backing away.
"Are you threatening me Mr. Potter?" Umbridge asked angrily.
"Not yet. If I were you madam, I'd start packing my bags and start running. Once the public know what you've been doing to children, Fudge will throw you to the dragons that are angry parents." Harry replied while staring deep into her eyes, seeing the fear grow.
As she went to reply, the one voice Umbridge didn't want to hear was heard through the room. "Ah Dolores, glad I could catch you. You are being relieved of all duties and there are aurors waiting in the entrance hall to escort you to the ministry." Dumbledore spoke as he strode into the room flanked by Kingsley Shaklebolt.
"You have no right to remove me Dumbledore." Umbridge all but screeched.
"No I do not. But these papers held by auror Shaklebolt have minister Fudge's signature, and they state that you are being relieved of all duties along with the revoking of all of your educational decrees." Dumbledore said far too jovially for Umbridge's liking.
"Looks like you'll be in prison before me after all." Harry said quiet enough for just her and a few of the Gryffindors to hear causing many to chuckle.
In a rage, Umbridge spun with her wand in hand and cast a spell none expected to hear. "Crucio!" She screamed as the maroon coloured spell shot towards Harry.
Harry, still exhausted from the day before couldn't move out of the way but still got his wand in hand and was firing his own spell at the now relieved of duty defence professor. "Expulso." Came Harry's voice before he shouted in pain.
This was followed by a screech and two thuds as Umbridge was fired into the far wall of the hall and then hit the floor.
The whole hall looked on in shock. Half at the fact that Umbridge had cast the cruciatus curse and the other half at the fact Harry had just launched her across the hall and remained standing after being hit by the curse.
"Auror Shaklebolt, if you would be so kind as to pick madam Umbridge up from the floor, then please escort her to a ministry holding cell?" Dumbledore said with anger very few in the hall had seen from him before.
"Are you alright Harry?" Dumbledore asked walking over to Harry who was getting his breathing under control.
"Yes sir, wasn't anywhere near as bad as Tom or Bellatrix." Harry said with a strained chuckle.
Dumbledore frowned slightly, realising once more that Harry had been subjected to such pain partially due to himself.
"Anyway sir, I believe we have a trip to make today do we not?" Harry said breaking the headmaster's train of thought.
"Yes indeed Harry. We shall use the floo in my office." Dumbledore sighed and turned, leading Harry from the still silent and staring hall.
"Are you sure you don't want to visit the hospital wing Harry? You were just hit with the cruciatus curse." Dumbledore asked concerned.
"I'm fine sir, to be honest I just want to try and get the Will business done with as soon as possible so I can try and move forward." Harry replied as they reached the headmaster office.
"Completely understandable my boy." Dumbledore replied.
"Are we flooing to the leaky cauldron sir?" Harry asked a little worried, not wanting to face the crowds after yesterday's actions had been in the Daily Prophet.
"No Harry, we will be flooing straight to Ragnok's office." Dumbledore assured him.
"Ragnok sir?" Harry asked, not knowing the name.
"Ragnok is one of the ten members of the goblin high council and director of gringotts in London. He very rarely interacts with humans so it is possible there are things we do not know." Dumbledore explained.
"How come you are being allowed in sir? Not to be rude." Harry questioned.
"Because Harry, until after this meeting I imagine, I am your magical guardian and need to be involved in such things. Once you are emancipated you may decide if you want me to accompany you to future such meetings." Dumbledore said before grabbing some powder, throwing it in and calling out "Ragnok's office gringotts, Albus Dumbledore." And disappeared into the green fire.
Harry followed the headmaster's example calling out "Ragnok's office gringotts, Harry Potter." And stepped through.
As usual when using the floo, Harry tumbled out onto the floor.
"Remind me to add training you to properly floo to this summer's schedule Harry." Dumbledore said with a chuckle.
"Magical travel just hates me." Harry grumbled back as he climbed to his feet.
"Wait until you try apperating my boy" Dumbledore replied.
Both men turned towards the large desk at the other end of the large white room full of weapon racks, armour stands and paintings of fearsome looking goblins, that currently had no one sat behind it.
"Remember to bow Harry, Ragnok is practically royalty." Dumbledore said just as the door behind the desk opened admitting an older but fearsome looking goblin.
Both men bowed as Dumbledore spoke. "An honour to make your acquaintance Lord Ragnok. A shame it is in such circumstances."
"Indeed Mister Dumbledore. Mister Potter, my condolences on your loss. However, my congratulations on your gains." Ragnok spoke with what was almost an eloquent voice.
"Thank you sir. Though, with all due respect, I'd rather have my godfather back than whatever he may have left for me." Harry replied as respectfully as he could.
"Of course. Now please both of you take a seat, we have a lot to get through and time is gold." Ragnok said as he gestured to two seats at his desk.
As Harry and Dumbledore took their seats, Ragnok removed one scroll and several folders from a draw in his desk, laying them out in some sort of order, scroll first.
"I have here the last Will and testament of Sirius Orion Black III, 29th Lord of the Most Ancient and Noble house Black, and 12th Baron of Blackstone. While the official reading of the Will is not set for another month, as the main beneficiary, you mister Potter, may request an earlier reading of your bequests." Ragnok said in an official voice.
"That is my desire sir." Harry replied stiffly.
"Excellent, then I shall begin. I, Sirius Orion Black, being of sound mind and under no mind altering spells or potions do hereby pronounce this my last Will and testament, leaving any others null and void." Ragnok then appeared to scan the parchment until he reached near the bottom and began speaking again.
"And finally to my dear godson Harry, I leave the remainder of my estate. This includes my titles as Lord Black and Baron of Blackstone. The Black family fortune, which is considered to be the largest in the country. Grimmauld place and the family library within. The multitude of Black residents across the world and anything else of mine I may be forgetting as I do this. I love you like my own son Harry and if you're reading this then I'm sorry I couldn't give you the life you deserve. However I can help you more now than I could trapped in that house. Taking the title of Lord Black will emancipate you, making you an adult in our world and allow you to do magic outside school. Also if you can get the place cleaned up, Grimmauld place can be your escape from the Dursley's. Or just buy a new place, you have the money for it. I do however have one request of you Harry, I would like for you to become my blood-adopted son. I know you may be thinking there's no point now but there is. For one it will mean that none can challenge your right to all that I'm leaving you, mainly the Malfoys. And for another it will mean you have an even greater connection to the Black family magic, which may be a great help in the coming war. I have already paid for the service with the goblins. And should you agree can be done the very day of this Will reading. That is all I have left to say Harry. I love you, try to enjoy your life, and for Merlin's sake have some fun with a girl or two. Can't have my son not be a ladies man. Goodbye Pup, I'll be waiting with your folks to see you again, just hopefully not any time soon."
As Ragnok finished, tears were freely streaming down Harry's face. Dumbledore looked pensive as he considered what Sirius had done. By all accounts it was an extremely intelligent plan to blood adopt Harry. It would secure Harry's rights to the Black estate as well as potentially give him a little power boost.
"If you wish to proceed with the former Lord Black's wishes then the ritual is ready for you Mister Potter." Ragnok said breaking the silence. "I shall give you a few moments to discuss things with your guardian." Ragnok then left the room through the same door he'd entered through earlier.
"What do you think sir?" Harry asked shakily.
"I think that Sirius has made the best decisions he could have in his situation. And I think you should go through with it Harry." Dumbledore replied.
"I'm not ready for all of this sir." Harry said.
"Perhaps not, and that is my fault Harry, not yours. We shall make you ready however." Dumbledore said firmly.
Harry solemnly nodded to himself. He would do as Sirius asked and go through with the ritual. If nothing else, he would now always have a connection to the only father figure he'd ever known.
Ragnok returned a few minutes later to receive the decision.
"I will be going through with my godfather's wishes sir." Harry informed the goblin.
"Excellent, please follow me Mister Potter. Mister Dumbledore I'm afraid you must wait here." Ragnok said as both men began to stand.
"Very well. It will all be fine Harry. Be strong and it'll be over before you know it." Dumbledore said placing a hand on Harry's shoulder before retaking his seat.
Harry nodded and then turned to follow Ragnok. They made their way down several long corridors until Ragnok stopped them and the walked through a plain door.
The room they entered was very simple, white and circular in shape with a single bed in the middle.
"Please remove your shirt and go and lie on the bed Mister Potter. I shall inform the healers to begin and leave you to it." Ragnok said as he left the room.
About two minutes later several goblin healers came in carrying bags of blood. The lead healer came up to Harry and began explaining to him. "Now how this works Mister Potter is that the blood of your adoptive parent will be slowly added to your body. At which time we shall begin the spell that allows them to combine. You will feel some pain in places of lingering injury as the ritual has the effect of healing serious deformities and injuries so as to create the ideal combination of the original and adoptive parents. Is that clear?" The healer asked.
Harry simply nodded, knowing he'd be feeling quite a bit of pain with his history of injuries.
As the ritual began, Harry felt light stinging from several places all over his body. His wrist, ankles, ribs and shoulder the worst. Then came the searing pain form his right arm around the scar from his basilisk bite from second year. Once the pain from that had died down Harry believed that it was practically over. Until the worst pain he'd ever felt ripped through his head coming from his scar. The room was filled with screaming, not just Harry but whatever was fighting against being removed from his head. The last thing Harry saw before he fainted from the pain was a black cloud coming from his head and being struck by several white beams from around him, dissolving it into nothing.
