Disclaimer: Harry Potter and his world belong to J.K. Rowling and her assorted publishers, not to me.
Spoilers: All five HP novels.
BLACK GOLD (Meetings VIII: Albus, Harry, Goblins et al)
(Wednesday morning, 10 July, 1996)
"Harry, are you ready?" asked Remus Lupin.
"Well, as ready as I can be for a Portkey; I really don't like them," Harry replied ruefully. He tried again to smooth down his hair, and had no more luck then he ever had. "Remus, why couldn't I have inherited Mum's hair as well as her eyes?" he added mournfully.
Remus Lupin chuckled. "Luck of the draw, Cub, luck of the draw. Look, if you'd had Lily's hair, then you would really be hard to pick out around the Weasleys!"
"I think the arrival point will be a little better than most," Albus Dumbledore assured him through his own smile. "And all of us will be there with you."
"Then where is Mad-Eye?" Harry was still a little unsure of Alastor Moody, even after signing the paperwork that made the ex-Auror his new guardian with Remus.
"He went down to the gate and Apparated ahead; he will meet us there," Dumbledore replied. "I think he's doing the advanced scouting for us."
Lupin and Harry both smiled. "Well…" Lupin began slowly, "I suppose someone has to be on-site to maintain…"
"Constant vigilance!" he and Harry finished together.
Dumbledore merely smiled. "Indeed," he responded. "Alastor is nothing if not consistent. Now, gentlemen, shall we?" He held out a small parchment from his desk; Harry could see the Gringotts seal. When they all touched it, he felt the familiar jerk and the Headmaster's office disappeared.
Seated around the long polished table in the Gringotts conference room, besides Harry, Lupin, Moody and Dumbledore, were Arthur and Molly Weasley; Andromeda and Nymphadora Tonks; a Wizard Harry didn't know but thought might be Ted Tonks; another Wizard Harry didn't know, who was quite well-dressed and had an air of superiority; Professor Minerva McGonagall; and Fred and George Weasley. At the head of the table sat a Goblin who appeared to be older and much more richly dressed than most Harry had seen at the bank; behind him a liveried Goblin stood, whose function seemed to be that of personal aide. When all were assembled, the Goblin rose.
"Welcome, all of you, to Gringotts, for the reading of the Will of Sirius Black. I am Racknar, and I am the Gringotts Estate Officer for this Estate. Are all of you acquainted?"
"Most of us are," the stranger next to Andromeda Tonks said. "I know the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall and some of the Weasleys, but I'm not acquainted with most of the other persons here, although I can make some good guesses."
"In that case, I will ask you to identify yourselves when I speak your name or otherwise indicate you. Arthur Weasley and Molly Prewett Weasley, here in your own right, and to represent your minor children Ronald and Ginevra."
"That would be us," Mr. Weasley said, indicating Molly next to him. She nodded.
"Theodore Tonks, Andromeda Black Tonks, and Nymphadora Tonks."
The Wizard Harry had suspected of being Ted Tonks raised his hand. "That would be we three," he said, as he indicated his wife and daughter. Tonks had left her hair black for the formal occasion, but Harry thought he saw a red-and-gold stripe at one temple.
"You, Sir, next to Mr. Tonks."
"Marcus Julius Montague, representing Narcissa Black Malfoy and Draco Malfoy." This was the other Wizard Harry didn't know; he supposed him to be a Wizarding solicitor.
"Minerva McGonagall, in your own right, and to represent certain underage students of Hogwarts School."
"I am she," the Professor replied primly. Harry wondered what that meant.
"Mr. Frederick Weasley."
Fred raised his hand. "And this is my twin brother George next to me." He pointed to George.
Racknar nodded. "You, Sir, next to Mr. George Weasley."
"Alastor Moody, to provide security." The magical eye was scanning the entire room, resting on Montague for a moment.
Racknar eyed Moody for a moment, and then continued. "Remus Lupin, for both yourself and Mr. Harry Potter."
Lupin raised his hand. "This is Mr. Potter next to me."
"Albus Dumbledore, for himself and as Headmaster of Hogwarts School."
"I am he," the Headmaster acknowledged.
"Very well," Racknar continued. "Since enough of the interested parties or their representatives are now present, I will continue."
The aide brought over a thick roll of parchment and set it in front of Racknar, who pressed his right thumb on the seal. The scroll opened; Racknar again placed his thumb on a seal inside the scroll, and a grey cloud arose from it. The cloud rose, grew to about two feet across, then solidified; the color deepened a little, then paled almost to white. A familiar face appeared there; Harry clenched both hands into fists under the table. Not now, he promised himself. Not while the Malfoy solicitor is here; and preferably not at all until I get out of here. I am very glad that Professor Dumbledore warned me. He forced himself to watch as Sirius Black spoke his final message.
"Hello, all," the simulacrum said, with a slight smile. "If you're viewing this, then I am legally and finally deceased, and you are here for the reading of my Will. I am Sirius Orion Black; I hereby swear that I am under no undue influence, am sober and of sound mind, and that this is my Last and final Will and Testament, revoking any others I have made before this date of 15 May, 1996. I am the eldest and only surviving son of the late Antares and Lavinia Crouch Black; my only sibling was my younger brother Regulus who died without known issue in 1980. I have never married, and to the best of my knowledge, I have no children, legitimate or otherwise; so, the direct line of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black dies with me. Therefore, it falls to me at this time to make a proper disposition of the name and assets of the House of Black.
"I reluctantly acknowledge blood kinship with a number of people in the Black family who are not, in my eyes, worthy of receiving so much as a Knut from this estate. Therefore, let it be formally known that I intentionally fail to provide for two of the three daughters of the late Altair and Vanessa Carmichael Black: Narcissa Black Malfoy and Bellatrix Black Lestrange. Bellatrix is a convicted Death Eater, as is her husband Rodolphus; she deserves nothing more or less than a one-way trip back to Azkaban, if she isn't there already. So does he. As far as I know, they had no children at all. Narcissa is married to a Death Eater, Lucius Malfoy. At the time of this writing, their son and only child Draco Lucius Malfoy is a minor; I also intentionally fail to provide for him. He'll have enough gold from the Malfoy estates when the time comes; he doesn't need or deserve mine. If there are any representatives here of either Narcissa or Bellatrix or their heirs, they are to be shown out now; Cissa and Bella are disinherited, and they get nothing more from the Black family holdings, other than the dower accounts they received on their marriages; I can't take those back. These proceedings are no longer any of their business."
Racknar touched the seal again; the simulacrum froze. "Mr. Montague, it would seem that your clients are now disinherited; you no longer belong here. Please depart now."
Montague looked as if he would protest, but instead rose and headed for the door. He stopped, looked at Racknar, and said, "Be certain that my clients will hear of this, and that there will be an appeal filed."
"You may file all the appeals you wish," Racknar replied evenly. "However, this is one case where your clients are at a legal disadvantage. As the last male Black of the direct line, regardless of his legal status, Sirius Black was Head of Family, since Alphard Black, Antares Black and Altair Black are now deceased; his wishes, expressed in this quite legal Will, are law, and thus cannot be overturned. Gringotts has already attested to its legality. In case you do appeal, I have further instructions that the most that your clients will receive is the sum of one Knut each, paid in cash, and that they will be paying the expenses of the appeal. Further, I suggest that if you can, that you also inform Mrs. Lestrange or her representatives that since she is first, a convicted Death Eater, and second, was the direct cause of Mr. Black's demise, that she gets nothing whatever."
Montague turned on his heel and left; when the door was closed, Racknar restarted the recording.
"They're gone? Good. I have a lot to give away, and a lot of people to get it.
"To the only one of my Black cousins who was worthy of anything, Andromeda Black Tonks—I, as the Head of Family, hereby revoke your disowning by the Black family; you are now my cousin again. Ten percent of the gold in my Gringotts vault number 711 is to be transferred to your vault. As the only other living Black on the side of the Light, you deserve to be rewarded, and this will make up for you not getting a Black dower account when you married Ted. This is to be shared in even thirds with Ted and Nymphadora—sorry, kid, I know you hate your first name, but this is a legal matter and I have to use it. 'Dora, this will give your family a decent fund to take care of you if you get hurt on the job—and I don't necessarily mean your current official one, either. May you live a long and happy life and find love sometime. Andy, you also get all the Black silver and china, and anything else with the family crest on it that you want; some of that is old and rare, and deserves a good home. Just because I despise most of the family history doesn't mean I can't admire pretty and well-crafted things, or acknowledge their value. If you don't want to keep them, feel free to sell them off; you can probably get a good price for them. And, if you want it, and can get it off the wall, you may have the Black family tapestry currently hanging in the London house. It is of historical interest, if nothing else. Should any of the Tonks family predecease me, the others get their shares; should they all predecease me, the aforementioned assets go into the residue estate.
"To my next nearest other relative, Arthur Weasley: twenty percent of the gold in vault number 711, to be used in equal shares for yourself, your wife Molly Prewett Weasley, and for the benefit of your minor children Ronald Bilius Weasley and Ginevra Molly Weasley. Fix up your house, retire Errol and buy another owl, buy new clothes, get the kids new brooms: live it up a little. I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am for your care of my Godson, Harry James Potter; frankly, you deserve to enjoy some of the good things in life without having to count every Knut. I'm also immensely grateful to you, Molly, for how much work you did on the Black townhouse; it never looked better, to my eyes. You came nearer to making it a home than anyone else ever did, and for that I thank you. I also apologize for arguing with you about Harry. You love him as much as I do, and I know it; I just wanted you to realize he's grown up a lot more than he ever should have had to, and deserves to be treated accordingly. Ron and Ginny, you have been good for my Godson; keep it up. If your parents do buy you new brooms, I expect them to be used playing for the Hogwarts Gryffindor Quidditch team; I like seeing the Cup in Gryffindor hands. Should both Arthur and Molly predecease me, half their share goes into a trust for the benefit of Ronald and Ginevra, administered by William and Charles Weasley until they come of age; the other half is to be split among the other Weasley children, in a similar manner as in the next clause. Otherwise, the money shall be immediately placed into the Weasley family vault, and may you all have much fun with it." Arthur and Molly sat there stunned, except for a sniffle from Molly.
"To the adult Weasley children of Arthur and Molly: William, Charles, Frederick and George will share in equal fifths in another ten percent of the gold. A fifth of this tenth is reserved in trust for Percival Weasley, when and if a majority of his family including Ronald and Ginevra agree that he has sufficiently made amends with them and is a true Weasley again. As of this writing he isn't. In case any of the Weasleys predecease me, their shares devolve to their heirs or descendants, and if there are none, to an even split among the others. The same applies to Percival Weasley's share, should he die before he qualifies for it. Frederick and George, a portion of your shares should be enough to open a branch of your store in Hogsmeade; Hogwarts deserves it, and Zonko's deserves the competition." Fred and George exchanged grins.
"Also to Frederick and George Weasley, I bequeath the Black shares in the Gambol and Japes joke shop of Diagon Alley; I can think of no better heirs for that.
"Another ten percent of the gold shall be used to fund the Black Memorial Scholars' Trust; this is to be used to pay the way for Hogwarts students or prospects who cannot afford tuition, books, equipment, broomsticks, or the many other needs of a student. No student should have to endure secondhand robes that don't fit, a wand that isn't personally fitted, a broom that barely flies, or substandard Potions equipment. The Headmaster of Hogwarts and the Heads of the Four Houses shall administer this fund jointly. The recipients shall be selected on the basis of need, as many as Hogwarts can hold, not on bloodlines or families, legitimacy or lack thereof of birth, nor on which House the said students are Sorted into. A portion of this fund shall also go to the upkeep of orphan Wizard and Witch children living in Wizard or Muggle orphanages, to find them good foster homes, and to pay their way to Hogwarts; I'd like to see the next Tom Riddle averted.
"Another ten percent of the gold is to be given to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, to be administered directly by the current Head and Deputy; at the time of this writing, those are Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall. This is for upkeep of the school, for supplies not covered in the budget, for major repairs, and for reinforcements as needed; I suggest replacing some of the school brooms as well. This is to go immediately into the Hogwarts general account here at Gringotts. Albus, I have a pretty good idea of what you're going to need to do soon; this is partly to cover that. Use it well; spend every last Knut if you need it to keep not only Tom Riddle's and Lucius Malfoy's hands off that school, but the Ministry's as well. Minerva, if something happens to Albus, I know you'll be in charge; pick a worthy Deputy to help you.
The Sirius image took a deep breath and continued. "Let's see…that adds up to sixty percent of the gold. The remaining forty percent of the coins in my vault number 711 is to be evenly split and given to my last best friend, Remus John Lupin, and my Godson, Harry James Potter, with the request that they both spend some of it on new clothes within a month of receiving this bequest. Neither of you has any business running around in rags or hand-me-downs; you both deserve better. Mr. Lupin's share shall be deposited in his vault immediately. If Mr. Potter is still a minor, as he is an orphan and as I am his Godfather, I appoint the said Remus Lupin and Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore as trustees of his share of these assets; however, ten thousand Galleons of this shall be immediately deposited in Mr. Potter's current expense account vault for his unrestricted personal use. The remainder of Mr. Potter's share shall stay in vault number 711; that will also go to Mr. Potter, under the same conditions. Should the said Remus Lupin and Albus Dumbledore predecease me, or should they both die during Mr. Potter's minority, I appoint Arthur Weasley and Minerva McGonagall as successor trustees for the duration of Mr. Potter's minority.
"That's the cash; now, to the rest of the goods. First, the London townhouse shall go to my Godson Harry James Potter, with Albus Dumbledore as the trustee for so long as he is legally a minor. I appoint Remus John Lupin as the caretaker of the house, with a salary of ten thousand Galleons per annum, plus all needed upkeep expenses to be paid from the estate. Two conditions apply to this bequest: that the said Remus John Lupin and Harry James Potter shall have immediate and lifetime rent-free residence rights in that house, and that the said Albus Dumbledore may continue using it for its current purpose until it is no longer needed, or until he is obliged to go elsewhere. All of these persons may do as they please with the furniture and contents of the house, including my clothes and anything left of my Marauders days; they have my full and complete permission to destroy or otherwise get rid of anything that they find unworthy of continued existence therein—such as the House-Elf heads and the portraits of my ancestors. I recommend a freezing charm on Mum first; I don't know if there are any other paintings of her around, and I'd really rather she not escape the house; she knows too much. The same goes for most of the others, except for that of Phineas Nigellus Black; that one has actually been helpful. As to the hippogriff Buckbeak, I recommend finding him another home; he's too big to be cooped up in a house bedroom and needs to go somewhere he can fly. Albus, maybe you will have some ideas.
"The house comes with the services of one House-Elf, Kreacher by name. He is absolutely useless as a House-Elf, and is only loyal to Mum's portrait and those of the deceased Black ancestors. A possible solution to this is to banish him permanently to one locked and sealed room of the summer cottage in Wales, with all the crazy portraits and a regular ration of food, and let him take care of them for the rest of his unnatural life. He is bound to the House of Black, but he endangers those who will be living in the London house. I cannot afford for him to go to the Malfoys or the Lestranges, I dare not free him, and I'm not going to wish him on Andy and Ted. Let him serve the ones he wants to serve, away from those whom he endangers. If he wishes to destroy himself instead, let him do so; it would be a mercy to himself and all concerned. I charge Albus Dumbledore with enforcing this, in the name of the new Master of the House of Black, my Godson Harry James Potter."
Dumbledore nodded sadly. "This will be done. Kreacher is already guilty of helping to betray his Master to death, even if it was at the hands of another Black. I will consult with the senior Hogwarts House-Elves for the proper solution."
"To Hermione Jane Granger, my Godson's other best friend: as many as she likes of the books in the Black family house, with the proviso that she catalogue them. A stipend of five thousand Galleons a year comes with this. If Miss Granger is still a minor, as her parents are Muggles, I appoint Minerva McGonagall as trustee and overseer for this bequest. Professor, I know you will help her avoid the truly dangerous books. I do suggest that you give any of the truly dangerous Potions books to your colleague, Severus Snape. While he and I have truly despised each other for many reasons from the first day we met to the time of this writing, I must still acknowledge one good thing about him: the man is the Potions genius of our generation, and he has made Remus Lupin's life much easier by making him the Wolfsbane Potion. Anything that Miss Granger and Professor Snape do not want can stay in the House; if the residents don't want them, they can go to the Hogwarts Library. I'm sure you'll be able to tell which ones go in the Restricted Section, which will be a majority of them."
"Hermione will love that," Harry whispered to Lupin, who smiled.
"One last minor bequest: there was a time when four of us held various bits of personal property in common, under the name of the Marauders. These persons were James Potter, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew and I, Sirius Black. Anything remaining of that time shall go in equal shares to Remus Lupin and to Harry Potter as James' heir; Peter is officially disinherited as a traitor and a Death Eater, and is stripped of his right to be called a Marauder. I swear on my honor as a Wizard that it was Peter who was the Secret-Keeper who betrayed James and Lily Potter to the Dark Wizard Tom Riddle alias Lord Voldemort, and not I. He framed me for the murders of himself and twelve innocent people; I denounce him as the murderer, to be taken wherever found and punished. He was still alive at last report and is a Death Eater in Lord Voldemort's service.
"The entire rest of the estate, real, personal and business holdings, shall go to my Godson Harry James Potter, with Remus John Lupin and Albus Dumbledore as trustees for the duration of his minority. I ask that the Goblin Estate Manager, one Racknar, be consulted for investment planning and advice, and that the current Wizarding legal firm be continued in employment. They know the details and value of the holdings far better than I ever did.
"As I have no children of my blood, I therefore declare my Godson, Harry James Potter, to be my full heir to the Black line. Mr. Potter shall inherit the Black family seat in the Wizengamot, the Black family seat on the Hogwarts Board of Governors, the title of Lord Black, any other titles, positions or honorifics that are inheritable in my line of the Blacks, and all the other rights and privileges that go with them. Until he comes of age, Remus Lupin and Albus Dumbledore, who shall make arrangements to train Mr. Potter in what he needs to know with regard to his rights and responsibilities, shall hold all these in trust. Should Mr. Potter predecease me, or die during his minority, the estates and titles shall revert to Nymphadora Tonks. Should the said Remus Lupin and Albus Dumbledore both predecease me or die during Mr. Potter's minority, I appoint Minerva McGonagall and Andromeda Black Tonks as successor trustees. Should Mr. Potter, Andromeda Tonks, and Nymphadora Tonks all perish without other heirs, the title and estates revert to Arthur Weasley, and after him his descendants in legal order; should all of the above die as stated, the title will be declared extinct. Remus Lupin shall then inherit the seats on the Wizengamot and the Hogwarts Board, but as he is legally barred from having children of his own owing to his condition of lycanthropy, they shall go to whomever he shall bequeath them upon his decease. Should a miracle happen and his condition be cured, or should the legal restrictions on Werewolves be lifted, then he shall be the next full heir after the Weasleys.
"That takes care of the Black holdings. Now, if you're wondering why I'm so big on successor trustees, I have a reason: I am the only trustee of the Potter estate, and it falls to me to make that disposition now as well." That got everyone's immediate attention; no one knew that Sirius would have this in his Will.
"As I was in prison or on the run for almost the entire time from the death of James and Lily Potter to the time of this writing, I have been unable to properly administer that estate, as I should have. James and Lily didn't figure on me not being around for Harry; had I been able to be, a great deal might be different. Now, I can deal with it; the Gringotts Goblins will take care of the details. So—by the terms of the Wills of James and Lily Evans Potter, both now being deceased as of 31 October 1981, their entire estate, including both joint and individual assets, is bequeathed to their only child, Harry James Potter. That includes the land in Godric's Hollow and probably a great deal more; James left the files in the main Potter vault. I am Harry Potter's Godfather. In case I become deceased, as I must be if you are hearing this, then I now declare Remus John Lupin to be my successor as Harry Potter's Godfather and Wizarding guardian. I realize that as he is a registered Werewolf, the current laws may forbid him from accepting this position alone. Therefore, I appoint Albus Dumbledore as custodian of the other position; he shall appoint a co-guardian with the consent of the said Remus Lupin, and with the consent of Mr. Potter. He may appoint himself if no one else suitable is available, but I ask him to please appoint a successor if he does; he is the oldest of all of us. Should the said Albus Dumbledore die before this appointment is made, I appoint Arthur Weasley as the custodian, with the same conditions."
Dumbledore raised his hand; the Goblin halted the display. "I have already done so," he said softly. "This is the actual reason for the presence of Mr. Alastor Moody; he is the new co-guardian with Remus Lupin. We did not wish to speak of it in front of Mr. Montague." Racknar nodded, and continued the display.
"I also appoint the said Remus Lupin and Albus Dumbledore as my successors as trustees for the Potter estate for the duration of Mr. Potter's minority, with the stipulation that Mr. Potter shall be fully informed of what his Potter inheritance entails immediately upon locating and sorting the paperwork. Should Remus Lupin and Albus Dumbledore both perish during Mr. Potter's minority, I appoint Arthur Weasley and Minerva McGonagall as successor trustees; should all of them perish, I appoint William Weasley and Andromeda Tonks. All of these appointments, save that of Remus Lupin as successor Godfather, shall expire upon the seventeenth birthday of Harry Potter, which is 31 July 1997.
"As the trustee for the estate of Lily Evans Potter, I also declare that she intentionally failed to provide for her sister Petunia Evans Dursley and her heirs; I concur. Petunia and her husband Vernon never spent a penny more than they absolutely had to on Harry's upkeep; they deserve nothing whatever now. There is one exception: that if the said Petunia Evans Dursley or her children produce a Wizard or Witch child, then that child shall be the beneficiary of a trust fund to be set up when the occasion arises, and that he or she will have the option of a Wizarding education and upbringing. I will not have another magical child mistreated by those Dursley bigots. That fund shall be administered by whoever shall be running the Potter estate; custody of the child, or children as the case may be, shall also be determined as needed.
"Should Mr. Potter die during his minority, and without a Will, the Potter estate shall revert to the next nearest of kin, other than the Dursleys; at this time, I do not know who that is. Should he make a Will, I direct that it shall be admitted as valid under the same standards as if he were an adult; I declare him able to do so. In such a case, if he then dies, then the Potter estate shall fall to whomever he shall bequeath it. Harry, if you're listening to this, do yourself a favor and make a Will; the Goblins will help you, as will the Black estate solicitors. James and Lily would not want their assets dragged into court for years." Harry nodded assent.
The image of Sirius paused, stretched and smiled. "That takes care of all the formalities. Now, I have a few informal requests. Albus, if you're here, you'll find a box of letters in the lowest right-hand drawer of the desk in my study; please distribute them as addressed. Remus, see if Hagrid ever gave back my motorbike, or if it's still put away; you and Harry can have that." Both men nodded.
"The rest of you—do what you like; spend my money and enjoy my things. I know that the war situation is getting dire; feel free to use Black money and assets to fight against Tom Riddle alias Voldemort and his allies, and help ensure that he is put down for good this time. But take time for some fun when you can, and please remember me as well as you can." The smile faded. "And while this is especially addressed to Harry and Albus, there are others who need to hear this: I know that it's likely I won't live long, and if so, I'll fall in battle, I hope. Unless you, yourself, aimed the wand and called the curse, you are not to blame for my demise. That is called the misfortunes of war; people die. I just hope I died well and took a decent honor guard with me; if I did, or even if I didn't, have a drink or two in my name, let me go, and keep up the fight until we win. Be well, all of you, and I hope not to see too many of you any time soon over here." The image smiled again, waved, and faded out.
Harry was stunned. He had known that Sirius was wealthy, and the last direct scion of a family equating to Wizarding nobility; but he had not known how wealthy. Then there were the Potter family assets…he looked helplessly at Lupin. "Moony, what am I supposed to do with all that?" he asked in a small voice.
"Enjoy it," Lupin replied gently; he was not a little stunned himself. "That is what Siri would have wished for most of all: that we enjoy his legacy and use it for worthy and happy pursuits." He took one of Harry's still-clenched fists in his hands. "Harry, because you are legally a minor, you don't have to deal with this yourself yet. Let Albus and me manage this for you; I promise a summary of the holdings as soon as I can find it. Then we can decide things such as what you want to do with them."
"But how am I going to explain things to people?"
"You don't; it isn't anyone else's affair what you do, or don't do, with what is rightfully yours."
Charlie Weasley leaned over to comment. "Harry, think of it this way: that's all that gold that the Malfoys will never lay their hands on. Think of how that's going to twist Draco's knickers. You, a halfblood, are now just as noble as he is; as the Black heir, you're his social equal. You're the next Lord Black, on your seventeenth birthday, and you're entitled to use it as a courtesy title now; Draco's still just the Malfoy heir, and won't be Lord Malfoy until Lucius kicks off." He grinned. "All you need to do is to hire someone to help you buy some fancy clothes and polish up your manners, and to teach you how to use your places in the Wizengamot and the Hogwarts Board, and pretty soon you'll be able to look the Minister of Magic in the eye and tell him to stuff it. He'll want to kowtow to you instead of the Malfoys, because you will be able to donate big sums to good causes the way Lucius does and use your image for your purposes." The others smiled at Charlie's assessment.
Tonks came around the table and took Harry's shoulders. "And don't you dare perish on us, Harry," she said softly. "I don't want the title or the estates under those circumstances."
Harry turned sad, tear-filled eyes up to her. "You know I'd gladly trade it all to get Sirius back alive."
She squeezed his shoulders. "I know, kid, I know—so would I. But now you will never have to deal with those hideous Muggles ever again. That's what money is good for: it enables you to do things."
"But right now, Harry and Remus need to sign an assortment of paperwork," Dumbledore reminded them; he was already busy scrawling his signature on parchments.
Some time later, Harry and his guardians were back at Hogwarts. Moody was the first to comment.
"Albus, now I understand what you told me yesterday," he said thoughtfully.
"What, specifically?" asked the Headmaster. He went around his desk to one side, and set up a table with a tea service; with a command, all the plates filled and all four Wizards fell to. It had been a long day for all of them.
"That I wouldn't have to support Harry on my pension: that he had enough to take care of the house, and us" replied the ex-Auror. "With him in full possession of the house, we can strengthen the wards and make it a lot safer." He sighed. "I guess I'd better close up my place and think about moving into the Black House; I'll need to be with Harry for training and lessons and that's the safest place bar here that I know of."
"Please do, Mad-Eye—if I can still call you that," Harry said quietly. "There are more than enough bedrooms. And you can help me sort through the Dark Artifacts there. Once we clear out all the stuff we don't need, we'll have enough room to have lots of people in there, for as long as we need to."
"Of course you can, lad; just because I'm your guardian now doesn't make me less of your friend," Moody assured him. "What you need to know right now, however, is that the reading of the Will has made your inheritance a binding Magical Contract. We'll all need to go over there some time very soon and formally take possession of it in your name as the new Lord Black." He gave one of his grimace-smiles. "Maybe this will make it easier to get rid of that harridan in the hallway. About all she's good for is a door alarm, and I can think of better ones."
"Severus suggested getting Bill Weasley and Filius Flitwick to try and break the Sticking Charm," Lupin remembered. "The need for getting rid of Madam Black, before someone loses their temper and blows the wall away, was about the only thing he and Siri saw eye to eye on."
"That's not enough," Moody growled. "That portrait has to be destroyed totally, not just unstuck; it's a security risk."
"I agree," Lupin replied. "I suggested to Severus that he could devise a potion to remove the image from the canvas."
"Turpentine," suggested Harry. "It's a Muggle chemical used for paint thinning and cleaning off paint. If Magical means don't work, maybe Muggle ones will. It's inexpensive, and is widely available."
Dumbledore smiled. "Then we will try whatever we need to use." He grew more serious. "I will say that you must first, however, tell Madam Black that you are the new Lord Black and the heir; this will help with the taking of possession. You will also have to call Kreacher to you, so that you can assert your Mastery. I know this is personally repugnant to your way of thinking, but it is necessary; you must command him to stay at the house and obey you as the new Master. No one else has the power, by Sirius' order, unless something happens to you."
Harry hung his head. "I know. But I'll want all of you with me when I do. I don't know if I can help my reaction when I see him next, knowing what I know about what he did; I'll need you three to keep me from wringing his neck myself."
"We will be there," Dumbledore replied gently. "I will also bring with me some of the senior Hogwarts House-Elves; I will want their advice on the proper procedure, if Kreacher refuses to accept the penalty for betraying his Master, even if it was to another member of the family."
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