I don't own Harry Potter, and I'll deny any accusations you make. Then I will hunt you down, and maybe do something that might possibly be unpleasant. Perhaps.
The reaction was rather comical, and if the situation was not so serious, Harry would have burst with laughter. The Weasleys gasped. Hermione gasped. Remus grinned. Snape sneered. Mad-Eye, Tonks, and Kingsley froze.
The look on Dumbledore's face was the best though. It practically screamed, 'Oh shit'.
You have no idea, old man, Harry thought to himself.
"Harry!" several voices shrieked.
A number of them rushed forward all at once, trying to be the first to reach him. They were conveniently cut off though, by the elegant looking woman Harry didn't recognize.
"Mr. Potter, I presume," the woman said. She was middle-aged, with black hair, and brown eyes. "I am Mariah Baddock, Mr. Blacks solicitor."
"A pleasure to meet you," Harry said as he shook the hand that was offered. He was still twirling his wand between his fingers, wordlessly telling them he would use it if need be.
"Likewise, Mr. Potter. I'm rather relieved that you are here. Mr. Black stressed the importance of you attending today," Mariah said. "I will need to speak with you privately after the general reading, if that's all right?"
From the corner of his eye, Harry could see Dumbledore listening intently. The Headmaster's eyes had narrowed somewhat at the word 'privately,' and Harry could practically hear the gears turning in the old man's head.
"Of course," Harry said as he smirked inwardly. He could understand the reasoning behind it.
She wanted to speak with him away from the prying ears of Dumbledore. Like many solicitors, Mariah Baddock was of a neutral family. And like many neutral families, the Baddocks had a strong dislike for the Headmaster. The old man had thrown his weight around once too often.
As he was trying to do now, Harry thought darkly, as Dumbledore approached. The old man was looking at him with an expression Harry didn't recognize.
He was saved the pain of a headache once again though, as another person arrived. From the shocked look on Tonks' face, and the disgusted looks coming from the Weasleys, he could guess who it was.
Turning around though, he was surprised to find not only Draco Malfoy, but his mother as well. She was a tall, blond woman, with the same beautiful features that all the Blacks had. There was currently a small smile on her face at the reaction their arrival had caused.
Her son though, did not seem amused. No, the sneer was obvious on his pointed face as he glared at Harry. Ignoring the pampered brat, Harry addressed Sirius' cousin.
"Mrs. Malfoy," he greeted her neutrally, to the surprise of the others. What surprised him though, was the absence of patented Malfoy sneer on her face.
"Mr. Potter," she replied. Inclining her head slightly, she walked over to Mariah Baddock, completely ignoring Dumbledore and the others. Harry and Draco were left alone by the door.
"Potter," Draco sneered in a fashion similar to Snape. Harry had never seen so much hatred in the ferret's eyes.
"Draco!" Harry said exuberantly, acting as though he had just noticed the Malfoy heir. The pale boy did not seem to appreciate Harry's greeting though. The look of disgust on his face grew.
Their eyes locked, and Harry was suddenly struck with an idea. Slowly and subtlety, he entered the blond boy's mind.
A horde of images flashed across his eyes as he went through Malfoy's memories. Ignoring them, he searched farther, looking for anything regarding Bellatrix Lestrange. If Draco was so eager to follow his father's path, he would no doubt be in contact with his psychotic aunt.
And there it was. . . .
The images slowed, and the wasted face of Bellatrix appeared. He caught brief tidbits of conversation, before searching farther. He saw Bellatrix at the Malfoy Manor, meeting with the house elf Kreacher.
More images came. Flashes of Voldemort, the Dark Mark, and a place in Knockturn Alley. He slowed down, studying the decrepit building. An address flashed before him, written on a piece of parchment. He saw the blond boy enter the building, meeting with his aunt and several other Death Eater recruits.
Bingo, Harry thought. He quickly withdrew from Malfoy's mind, leaving the blond boy to look around in confusement. His grey eyes were slightly dazed.
Harry snorted. If Malfoy was the Death Eater of tomorrow, Voldemort was doomed.
The general reading went rather smoothly, as Dumbledore had the sense not to cause a scene. Smoothly, that is, if Harry were to ignore the constant looks everyone kept giving him.
Well, not everyone looked. Snape and Malfoy flat out glared, and made no point to hide it. Ron, Ginny, and Hermione kept shooting glances at him, failing in their attempts to be discreet. Remus smiled and patted him on the shoulder, while Tonks and her Aunt Narcissa were engaged in conversation. The twins just grinned and waved at Harry, seemingly amused with the whole situation.
He didn't even bother looking at Dumbledore. He could already feel the headache coming on.
Each of the lesser beneficiaries had been left with a moderate sum of money. The lesser beneficiaries being Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Tonks, Narcissa, and surprisingly, the twins. They had each received a healthy amount of gold, whereas, Ron and Ginny had been included under their parents.
Predictably, Ron shot a jealous and slightly angry look at Fred and George, as if it was their fault they had been left separate sums.
Remus had been left a considerably larger amount, unfortunately for Dumbledore though, he was not left with Grimmauld Place. Sirius hadwritten that a room would be available to the werewolf at all times, and that the new owner would have no problems with it. The Headmaster had paled slightly when he realized his headquarters would be in unknown hands.
Or perhaps worse for him, Harry's hands.
They would find out soon enough, as Mariah Baddock finished reading the general will. To add drama to the whole thing though, the doors opened at that time, and Ripthor walked in. Several murmurs broke out as the goblin walked over to them. A few though, like Dumbledore, realized the significance of it. Ripthor was the head of the Inheritance Office.
The Headmaster paled even more when he noticed the box Ripthor was carrying. It was small, and intricately carved. On the top was the shield of the House of Black.
Dumbledore wasn't the only one who noticed the box. A smug look spread across Malfoy's face when his eyes fell upon the Black shield.
Did the git seriously think the ring would soon reside on his finger?
Ripthor stopped near Mariah, and quietly spoke with her for a few minutes. Nodding his head, he walked over to the anti-chamber, and opened the doors.
A feeling of anxiety had come over Harry as he had watched the conversation. He could feel it coming. Whatever was to happen, would happen soon. He put his hand in his pocket, clandestinely slipping the Potter ring onto his finger. He had a feeling he would need it shortly.
And he was right.
"Mr. Potter," Mariah said, getting his attention. Harry noticed he wasn't the only one. Several people got up as if on cue. "If you could come with me," the solicitor continued.
Glancing at Malfoy, Harry could barely repress a smirk at the disbelieving look on the ferret's face. The idiot.
Following the solicitor to the anti-chamber, he ignored the several people that tried to approach him. As he passed Dumbledore though, the old man spoke up.
"Harry," the Headmaster started. "I'm afraid you must return to Privet Drive. It is safe there."
Squashing the anger that boiled within him, Harry raised an eyebrow, and turned his icy gaze to the Mugwump.
"And I'm afraid your mistaken Headmaster," he said calmly. The steel in his voice was evident though. "Never again will I step foot in that house."
Everyone, including Dumbledore, appeared shocked at his words. It had never crossed their minds that he could be defiant. He usually just gave in.
"Harry, it is for your own safety," the old man persisted.
"Safety?" Harry said with a bitter laugh. "Do you consider being attacked by Dementors safe, Headmaster?"
"The blood wards will protect you," Dumbledore said, ignoring Harry's question.
"Protect me? Professor, if you were so confidant in your wards, you would not have two guards standing outside the Dursleys at all times.
"I trust you have not forgotten the ingredient that was taken from me?" he asked, referring to the blood Voldemort used for his rebirth.
Several of the people looked confused at his words. Dumbledore, though, understood what he meant immediately.
"No, Harry," the Headmaster said. "I have not forgotten."
"Good," Harry said, nodding his head. "Then you realize the wards are useless, and in effect, Privet Drive is not safe."
That said, he turned his back on the stunned crowd once more, and headed for the anti-chamber. It appeared that Dumbledore was not finished though.
"Harry, this is not the time to be rebellious."
"Rebellious?" Harry said incredulously, as he turned to face the old man. Fire burned in his emerald eyes.
"You dare call me rebellious?" he asked, his voice as hard as steel. Snape and some of the others stepped back, sensing the magical discharge coming from him.
"You have pushed me into a corner Dumbledore, and in the interests of self preservation, I have pushed out the only way I can."
"Harry, we are only trying to protect - "
"Bullshit," Harry said, effectively cutting the old man off. "If you wished to protect me, you wouldn't have left me on the Dursleys' doorstep in the first place."
"Now, Harry," the old coot began.
"Harry?" he said, cutting Dumbledore off once more. "Come now Headmaster, you spent all of last year being so formal, I see no reason to change."
It was rather funny, seeing the stunned look on the faces of the Order members, as Harry reprimanded their leader. He would need to purchase a pensieve.
"I am aware of the mistakes that were made, Harry - "
"Did you not hear what I just said?" Harry asked, cutting Dumbledore off for a third time. Snape looked like he was about to explode at Harry's blatant lack of respect toward the Headmaster.
"Of course," Harry continued, as he rubbed his chin absentmindedly. "If you are incapable of calling me Mr. Potter, I answer to Lord Potter as well."
The significance of the gesture was not lost on Dumbledore, whose eyes widened at the sight of the Potter ring on Harry's finger. The others had similar looks of shock and surprise on their faces. All except Remus, who already knew that Harry was Lord Potter. The werewolf was smiling slightly at the expressions his comrades were sporting.
Yes, a pensieve was definitely in need.
Spinning on his heel, Harry entered the anti-chamber, leaving the Bird Club behind him.
The ring fitting went as smoothly as the others Harry had experienced. Of course, that may have had something to do with thenumerous wards and locks Harry put on the door. He didn't want Dumbledore interrupting the ceremony. Though at the time, the Headmaster was probably trying to figure out how Harry became Lord Potter.
The Black ring, like that of Tenaroe, was made of silver. In the center was a regal dragon, its wings spread in flight. The dragon was engraved from a black diamond, minuscule rubies set for the eyes.
The ring had emitted a darker glow than the Tenaroe ring, showing that Harry was not a hereditary Black. A reassuring warmth had spread through him though, as it recognized him as Sirius' heir.
With the title Lord of Black, came the ownership of Grimmauld Place, and the Black Ancestral vault. There were a few other residences scattered here and there, but he didn't read into those.
Grimmauld Place was the prize. If the Mugwump wished to keep his headquarters, he better not try pulling anything. The consequences would be dire if Harry found the old coot meddling in things that ought not be meddled in. Which meant, that the Headmaster best keep his noise out of Harry's business. Though, Harry new that wouldn't happen. Dumbledore would start snooping around before the day was over, trying to learn exactly what Harry had at his disposal.
Thanking Mariah, he discreetly slipped another bag of gold to Ripthor. He doubted if Dumbledore would get anywhere with the goblins, but it didn't hurt to give them an extra incentive to keep quiet.
He walked back into the Conference Room, carrying a large deed book in his left hand. The Potter and Black rings were on their respected fingers, and his wand was in his right pocket, inches away from his hand.
There was nothing wrong with being cautious.
Ignoring the others, he walked over to Remus and spoke quietly with the werewolf. He could see Dumbledore and several others watching him intently from the corner of his eye. Dumbledore's gaze went from Harry, to the rings on his finger, to the deed book in his hand.
He knew that's what the old man would be after. A complete list of the Black and Potter fortunes, detailing everything that was related to the respected family's financial empire.
Tightening his grip on the large book, Harry shifted his body, so the deed book was out of sight from where Dumbledore was standing. He wouldn't put it past the Headmaster to flat out steal it.
The old man would go to great lengths in order to keep a leash on his Golden Boy. As he would soon discover though, that leash was broken beyond repair.
Saying goodbye to Remus, Harry walked out, ignoring the calls from Dumbledore.
The basilisk hide boots made no sound as Harry walked through the halls of number 12 Grimmauld Place. He had just arrived from Gringotts, and the house was completely empty. Empty that is, except for him, a hippogriff, and a traitorous house elf that would soon bejoining the dead.
He only had to find the little shit.
His hands were clasped behind his back, his mind lost deep in thought. He had blocked the Floo, sealed the doors, and set up an anti-apparition ward to ensure he wouldn't be disturbed. Remus was the only one who would be able to get in.
Fortunately, the Weasleys had not yet arrived for the summer. That would save him the trouble of kicking them out. He didn't want anyone living here besides Remus, and an assembly of Weasleys would definitely put a hamper to his plans.
Sirius had hated it here, yet he had left it in Harry's possession. Even in death, his godfather had given Harry the home he once promised. Sirius had hated it, yes, but Harry would turn it into something he would have loved.
That reminded him, he had to contact Dobby.
He wondered through the house absentmindedly, his feet eventually leading him to the drawing room. The tapestry still hung on the far wall, the gold thread shining brightly despite old age and poor condition. He walked over to it, examining the bottom row as he did. Malfoy's name was still there, a single gold line connecting him to his parents above. There was another name stitched just as low, though.
He froze as he studied it closely, his eyes filling with shock. After a while though, a smirk slowly spread across his face. For there at the bottom, was the name:
Harry James Evans Black Potter
Gold thread connected him to where Sirius' name had once been. Unlike the others though, his was made of three vertical lines, showing him to be an appointed Lord. The heir to the last of the Blacks.
It was rather fitting, was it not?
Harry briefly thought of ripping the tapestry of the wall, and showing it to the old hag that hung in the entrance hall. It was, no doubt, the ultimate irony. She yelled and spit about blood traitors, half-breeds, abominations, and 'stains of dishonor.' Her family had openly supported Lord Voldemort, and now the head of her house was the one who defeated said Dark Lord.
She had done everything she could to exile her oldest son. And yet, he had gotten the last laugh. He had destroyed all the efforts she had made. All the pure-blood mania, the belief of the eradication of muggles, the thought that Blacks were above all others. Sirius had destroyed it all with one move.
Fitting, indeed.
Searching the tree closely, his blood turned cold as he found Bellatrix Lestrange.
He wasn't sure how long he stood there, staring at the name. He felt something rise inside of him though. It was a feeling of darkness, a feeling of intense savagery. For the first time that he could remember, he wanted to kill.
To hold her life in his hand, and crush it.
He wanted to make her suffer for what she did. For killing her cousin. For killing his godfather. For making him an orphan once again. He wanted her to feel what it was like to be alone, unwanted, and unloved. He wanted her to feel the pain that he had carried all of his life.
And then, he wanted her to die.
"I promise Sirius, on all that I am, that I will avenge you. I will kill her, and the snake that is her master," Harry said in a cold voice.
Only the words weren't spoken in English. He spoke them in an ancient language long forgotten. The language of the Druids.
Voldemort was one of the few people alive who knew the language, and because of that, Harry knew it as well. His body glowed slightly, and the air cackled with power, as his magic accepted the Druidic words.
Unbeknownst to him, the sky above number 12 crackled with magic as well. The bright, afternoon sun faded, and clouds of blue and black power took its place. Lighting flashed across the sky, followed by booming thunder. The air sizzled with electricity, before fading once more. The whole thing happened in the span of a few seconds, and the sky returned to normal.
Harry James Evans Black Potter, Lord of Potter, Lord of Black, Lord of Tenaroe, would have his revenge. And then, he would bring about the changes that were needed. He would use his wealth, power, and fame if need be. And neither Dumbledore nor Voldemort would stand in his way.
An oath of vengeance had been taken. They wouldn't know what hit them.
Well, there it is. I try, I really do.
Kranaa: I hope this answered your question about Remus. Yes, Harry told him about Lord Potter. Though, the werewolf was smart enough to figure it out on his own.
C'mon: I am unsure as to how Severus Snape will react. Though I doubt if Harry's new power will change the way Snape sees him. The man is too angry and bitter to see Harry as anything besides James Potter's son.
Wavefuntion: I hope this chapter answered your question concerning Grimmauld Place. As for Tonks and Moody? Not sure. Though I do like them both. All I will say about multi-casting, is that it will be incredibly important.
Iwas readinga Harry Potter fic called 'The Half Blooded Prince'. I am pretty sure it was an Action/Adventure, and there was a character in it called James Kroeger. The problem is I can no longer find the story. If anyone could tell me the author of the story I am talking about, or what happened to the story, I would be very grateful.
Next chapter: The Return of Tenaroe
Please review.