Harry Potter had just closed the door to the Room of Requirement when the Castle's alarm began screaming, causing him to jump. A moment later, his scar began burning. He immediately knew what it meant, and in a few seconds had decided, that no matter what Dumbledore said about him not being ready… Come midnight, he would either be dead, or he would be a murderer.
The alarm had been added the previous Summer while school was out, and while Harry was grieving for his Godfather, and Dumbledore tried to keep him from the will reading.
-----------------Flashback-----------------
An owl flew into Harry's bedroom while he sat his desk working on his Potions homework (he had received his OWLs the week before, which informed him that he had received a good enough mark to enter NEWT Potions). His eyes shining with glee at the prospect of getting out of writing the assignment. Even if for only a few minutes.
He didn't recognize the owl, but called it over and seemed to wait for a reply. With an uneasy frown on his face, he bit down on his bottom lip, closed his eyes and opened the letter… and nothing happened.
"Well, at least it isn't a portkey!" he said to himself, sounding relieved. Pulling the letter out, he unfolded it and looked down at the Gringotts emblem, then began to read…
Dear Mr. Potter,
We here at Gringotts were sorry to hear that you were unable to attend the Will Reading of Sirius Black, though we understand that you are still grieving his loss.
However, one part of Mister Black's last wishes, he insisted should be dealt with as soon as possible. Enclosed, you will find papers which, when filed, will make you an Emancipated Adult. We had hoped to do this in person, so we could explain everything in detail, but as we cannot, I will explain what this means. As an Emancipated Adult, you would gain control of your Family's Vaults and could claim your inheritance as the Lord Potter-Gryffindor. This includes claiming your Family's seat upon the Wizengamot, as well as the Hogwarts Board of Governors upon your 18th Birthday. You would also gain full control over your other assets, which since the unfortunate death of your Parents were looked after by Albus Dumbledore.
Also, you would be considered an adult in the eyes of the law, meaning that prior to your 17th Birthday, when you would be of-age, you will be able to use magic outside of Hogwarts without Ministry intervention. On the other side of the coin, you would also be viewed and tried as an adult rather than a child, if you ever broke any laws.
Upon signing these papers, they should immediately be returned to Gringotts via the owl that should be waiting.
We hope that you feel better soon, and that you are able to talk to us about Mr. Black's will prior to your return to Hogwarts.
Yours sincerely,
Griphook Goldtooth
Head of Gryffindor Vaults
P.S. You need not worry about these papers being intercepted. This owl can only be seen, and touched by a Gringotts Goblin, or the recipient of the letter. If you change your mind, we remind you that the reading is tomorrow at 12 noon, and will be read at the London branch of Gringotts Bank.
Harry stared at the letter in confusion. Wait… What? He was unable to attend? But they'd never told him that there was a will reading! What the hell is going on?
His eye went back to the postscript… Interception? Surely… No… He wouldn't… would he? Had Dumbledore been intercepting his mail? Had Dumbledore told them that he wouldn't be able to attend without even talking to Harry? His eye then caught something else… Dumbledore was managing his assets since he was a baby? He couldn't stop the next thought, and couldn't help but think there was some truth to it… Was Dumbledore keeping these things from him, so that he would have control over Harry's assets?
Harry's hand closed up into a fist, scrunching the letter up as he let out a growl. There's only one way to find out. He stepped back to his desk and picked up the envelope, and took out another piece of paper, which he unfolded and placed on the table. Once unfolded, ten more pages appears out of nowhere, kept together by holes in the side and string through them.
He quickly read through the papers, and as he didn't find any hidden fees or demands, he took up his quill and signed. They glowed white for a moment, then a flash of light flew at him, and his bedside table, where his wand was, and hit the length of wood. It shook for several seconds before flying into his hand.
After a few moments, he decided to try out his wand, and muttered "Wingardium Leviosa"… Nothing happened, and Harry looked down at his wand, slightly paniced. Had that light damaged his wand? He tried the spell again, this time making sure he did the swish and flick right, but nothing happened.
With a panicked edge to his voice, he yelled, "Why won't you levitate?" while jerking his hand upward. He got quite a shock when a pair of Dudley's old shoes rocketed from the floor and hit the roof, rather loudly. Lucky his 'family' was out to dinner for the night.
Harry waited about half an hour, hoping that no owl would come from the Ministry… It didn't. So, with a sign of relief, he tied the legal papers to the leg of the Gringotts owl, and let it out the window. Looking down at the letter on his desk, he mumbled, "Noon, huh? Don't worry. I'll be there."
Through the night, Harry tested out the new ability in his wand. He went to the bathroom and said "Flame," then quickly shouted "WATER!" when the curtains caught on fire. With a wince and some worry, he pointed the wand at them and said, "Repair." And they did.
He used the new ability in the shower, saying "Warm water," to wash himself, and then "Dry" when he was finished. This was VERY nice. He then tried "Create clothes," and a pair of black shorts and a white shirt appeared, which he quickly put on.
But this new type of magic seemed to be rather draining, so he wandered of to bed. He also needed to go to Diagon Alley in the morning, so he couldn't afford to sleep in.
Okay… I know I said at the end of last chapter that Voldemort would die in this one… But I lost the original plot bunny, and I thought there needed to be some back story to this before I got into the death… Well, the death of Voldemort, at least. Let's just say that someone who shouldn't be will be at Sirius' Will Reading. I will try to be more punctual with the next update!
