Lucius fixed him with a laconic grin and shook his hand.

"Likewise, my boy. I will be in contact concerning your inheritance, so keep a sharp eye out for my owl."

"I will, sir. Thank you for all your help."

After the final round of farewells, Harry returned to the Leaky Cauldron and strode out into Muggle London where Parker was waiting to ferry him back to his grandmother's estate. Harry Potter's first real excursion outside of his sheltered lifestyle had gone much better than he could have hoped, but he was nonetheless more than ready to head back into his sanctuary now. Soon enough, he would be off to Hogwarts.

Chapter Three: A Kiss Stolen - An Estate Reclaimed

Disclaimer: If you've seen it before, it belongs to J.K. Rowling. Otherwise, it's mine. Naturally, I'm making no money off this. Am I the only one that finds these things to be extremely repetitive and pointless?


The sun was just beginning its nightly descent when a troubled Harry headed back upstairs to his personal wing of the manor. He had been immediately summoned into his grandmother's presence when the servants had announced his return from London. He had been a bit exhausted from the day's exertions, even though a few hours of shopping would hardly be enough to tire most other young boys out. Still, he would sooner share a bedroom with Dudley than disobey the old lady's request. Azalea had wanted to hear him recant the day's events, which he happily did. Meanwhile, he asked one of the stewards to take the cages containing Xiren and Disenchantment up to one of his spare rooms.

Harry had received a minor dressing down upon mentioning that he had left McGonagall's company in favor of shopping with his new acquaintances. However, his grandmother was also elated to hear that he had already made a new friend in Draco. Harry had purposely attempted to mold her into a state of good humor before breaking the news of his inheritance dispute, in hopes that it would help prevent her from losing her temper too badly. It was a rare moment of tact for the young dandy, but he was always concerned about her fragile condition. Another explosion of anger like the one from that fateful morning at Privet Drive could have disastrous consequences.

It was of no use, as Azalea flew into a towering rage upon hearing that Albus Dumbledore had shown the audacity to muddle in what amounted to a family affair. Both Harry and Parker had rushed to placate her, exhorting the old lady to think of her health and assuring her that proper steps were being taken to remedy the situation. Still, Harry's grandmother had very nearly swooned and had to be helped to her bedchambers to recuperate. The young wizard had stayed by her side until she fell into a stable rest, and then gathered his purchases and made for his own chambers. He was in a rather depressed state due to the old lady's collapse, and hoped that the comfort of being with the girls would help to clear his mind. He knew one thing for certain. He was not going to forgive Dumbledore for this. The money itself was a pedestrian concern and beneath him, but the man's manipulations had harmed Harry's grandmother, and that was unacceptable.

He arrived at his bedroom door to find it open. All of the girls were already there, apparently waiting for his return. Kim was sitting in an armchair reading and Alyssa was reclining on his bed. His other four attendants were occupied with playing a game of cards on the carpeted floor. Cheered up already, he placed his bag at the foot of his bed and walked over to the card game.

"Oh, Crazy Eights! My favorite! Do deal me into the next round."

All other activity in the room stopped, as Harry became the complete center of attention. The girls hurried him into a soft place on his bed and rushed to procure something more comfortable for him to wear. Sophia slid in behind him and gently took the plaits out of his hair, allowing his silky black mane to fan out behind him. He relaxed as four additional pairs of hands changed him into a pair of blue silk trousers and a pink satin robe embroidered with red flowers, with a yellow sash around his waist. As soon as he was dressed again, Harry reclined back onto his plush mattress, pulling Kim and Melody down with him in a fit of giggles. A pleasant mixture of chocolate and honey filled his senses as a composite curtain of shining black and golden brown covered his pale face. After a moment, he scooted back against his pillows and propped himself up, and was promptly buried again as Alyssa and Sophia piled onto him, leaving only Christine standing. The French girl raised an eyebrow at the sight and sat daintily on the far edge of the bed as Harry attempted to exhume himself from the small mountain of female under which he was buried. After a few seconds, his head poked out from inside the pile of hair.

"So, 'ow did you enjoy your first trip to 'ze big city, 'Arry?"

"It wasn't so bad. I made friends with the most delightful family this morning."

One of the other girls laughed against Harry's cheek. He thought that it was Sophia, but it was hard to tell.

"See, and you made all that fuss this morning over nothing. But it sure took you a while to get back up here. We heard you being announced, and that was hours ago."

Harry's happy tone subsided somewhat.

"I know. Grandma strained her temper and had a collapse. I stayed with her until she fell asleep."

Kim sat up and looked at Harry with concerned eyes. Being his chief attendant, she dealt with the old lady on a much more regular basis than the other girls.

"Please tell me what happened, Harry. I hope she's going to be all right..."

"Well, it's a bit complicated. I found out at the bank this morning that I wasn't allowed to take control of my parents' estate because I'm still in minority, but wizarding custom states that I should be able to unless by my magical guardian says I can't. The headmaster of my school apparently fills that role and says that I'm not allowed to inherit until I graduate or something. I personally don't think it's all that big of a deal, but grandma was naturally furious. I really shouldn't have said anything to her about it."

Harry's words caused his mood to suffer even more. It wasn't until that moment that he realized that he had been at least partly to blame for Azalea's collapse. Sensitive to his plummeting personal morale, Alyssa tried to reassure him.

"You haven't done anything wrong at all, Harry. If that man is withholding something that belongs to you, then you have every right to say something about it. I'm sure your grandma is going to be just fine, too. She's been through much worse than this. Now, show us everything you bought in the capital today."

Harry sprang up immediately, always eager for an opportunity to show off for the girls. He first showed them the robes and jewelry that he had bought, and then displayed his new wand. Harry took a moment to play with the magical focus. It was several inches longer than Lily's school wand, which he had been using for these recent years, though still quite a bit lighter due to the fact that it was constructed from bamboo. He naturally didn't show them his potions ingredients or other practical things. Harry instead excused himself from the room for a moment and returned with the pet cages. Normally he would never actually go and retrieve them himself, but he wanted to surprise them. The girls predictably fell in love with Xiren on first sight, lavishing the kitten with affection. Harry felt a twinge of envy, unused to not being the constant target of everybody's attentions at home. He put it aside, instead taking a moment to glance over his books.

He immediately noticed that there were several more books in his neat pile than he had purchased in Flourish and Blotts. He naturally wondered how they had gotten there, and hoped that he had not accidentally walked out of the store without paying for something. The very idea that he might have stolen something mortified Harry. The books were certainly not of the variety that he would have selected himself, an example being a huge black tome entitled From Bludgeoning Hexes to Unforgivable Curses: The Complete Warlock's Lexicon to the Dark Arts. Another of the books was Always Pure: A Treatise Concerning the Nature of Blood Superiority in Magical Society, written by one Diocletian F. Nigellus. Shaking his head, he looked at the rest, which included a pair of short books on Legilimency and Occlumency written by the same author, as well as a magically updating text outlining the genealogies of the old families. Putting the books down, Harry returned his attention to the girls, who were still fawning over Xiren.

"I really can't help but feel like I've been replaced."

Far from gaining him any sympathy, the whining remark only caused his entourage to laugh teasingly at him.

"Only you would be jealous of a cat, Harry."

Harry glanced caustically at Melody, who had uttered the casual remark. As he was tired and in an extremely unstable mood, even a joking rebuke such as hers could cause the naive boy to blow his stack. Kim saw his rapidly darkening expression and quickly shifted into damage control, tearing herself away from playing with the kitten and taking the boy by the shoulders, pulling him back down onto the expansive bed in a warm embrace. Harry immediately forgot his irritation with the other girl, instead relishing in the fact that his favorite was publicly paying special attention to him. She normally tended to stand on her dignity around the other girls, so a treat like this was rather rare. Her gentle voice filled his sensitive ears.

"Nobody's trying to neglect you, Harry. An animal could never compare to you. You know better than that."

Harry rolled his eyes at her soft chiding tone, but was no longer angry at all. He tolerated it when she lectured him, a luxury that the pretty young woman shared only with the old lady. He felt a bit guilty at having almost lost his temper at something as small and defenseless as Xiren, though he didn't voice it.

"You're right. I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologize, as long as you understand. Now, stay right here with me. Can I trouble the rest of you to go and bring in the surprise?"

Harry's face lit up as the rest of the girls save for Sophia got up and headed for the door with identical smiles. Meanwhile, Xiren slowly crawled over and curled up in Harry's outstretched hand, purring softly. His ill humor was by this point a mere shade of the past, replaced by childish excitement.

"A surprise, you say? Tell me what it is. I hope it's for me."

Kim ruffled his scalp as the other remaining girl responded.

"If we told you, then it wouldn't be a surprise. Just be patient."

Harry swallowed his annoyance and waiting quietly, stroking his sleeping kitten's head. The girls returned presently, wheeling in a large birthday cake. It was double chocolate with pastel buttercream icing, Harry's absolute favorite. He was ecstatic, finally having a birthday celebration that he could truly enjoy after all these years of nightmarish parties.

"Thank you so much! But I wonder how you all got this..."

"It was easy, 'Arry. We simply bullied 'ze cooking staff to baking us 'zis cake while you were out shopping in 'ze city."

"It's wonderful, but I don't have anything worthy to give you all..."

"Just listen to this boy! It's his birthday, and he wants to give gifts to everybody else!"

Harry shrugged with a grin on his face as he accepted a large slice of cake. Naturally, his piece came with most of the decorative frosted flowers. The confection was absolutely delicious. He wished that his grandmother were also there to enjoy the small party.

"But I really do. Making all of you happy would be the best present I could ever ask for."

Sophia sighed comically and kissed the boy's cheek.

"You don't need to give us things for us to be happy. Shame on you for even thinking such nonsense."

The birthday celebration continued from there. Most of the cake was eaten, and Harry asked for the rest to be stored for him to share with the old lady the next day. Overall, the evening was more enjoyable than he could ever have imagined. There were no unwanted gifts to occupy space in his quarters, though he surmised that his grandmother would have something for him the next morning. Better, there was no Petunia to look sour faced and resentful through the entire charade, and no Dudley to hog the cake. There was no Uncle Robert to constantly breathe down his neck and harangue him about all of his shortcomings. And most of all, there were none of his parents' insufferable Gryffindor friends and their frightfully dull offspring to torment him and keep him from his usual pursuits. Harry was happier than a clam at high tide.

But, as all good things do, the only party that Harry had ever actually enjoyed eventually came to an end. It was well into the night by the time that the girls finally made to take their leave of him. In one of his more ridiculous moments, Harry had innocently tried to cajole the entire group into sleeping in his bed with him. His proposal was naturally rejected, but Harry caught something strange reflected in Alyssa's eye when he asked the question. The girls then changed him into his pajamas and wished him goodnight, each giving him a chaste kiss as they left. All except the newest among them. Alyssa was the first to depart first, flashing a knowing smile as she exited.


Several hours later, Harry lay awake in bed. He had slept for a while, but then woken up again. He had always had difficulty sleeping after consuming large amounts of sugary food. His room was only barely illuminated by the moonlight and he had no desire to risk falling and hurting himself while searching for a source of actual light and a book to read, leaving him with nothing to do aside from staring at the ceiling. Just as the sheer boredom of his current predicament was starting to lull him back into sleep, the door to his room creaked open. That struck him as odd, as nobody ever entered his quarters after he had officially turned in for the night, unless he specifically called for him or her. He watched as a figure slid cautiously inside and closer the door again, walking over into the bed. The intruder took a brief step back upon realizing that Harry was awake and watching, but stepped into the moonlight after a moment's hesitation.

"Alyssa...is that you? It's really sort of late, you know."

The beautiful young woman sat down next to him on the bed. Harry was genuinely confused as to what she could possibly want, and why she was grinning like the cat that just ate the goldfish.

"I know. Are you having trouble sleeping, Harry?"

"A little. Whatever it is you need, it should probably wait until morning."

"This'll just take a second. I was sitting awake too, and I remembered that I forgot to give you a birthday kiss when I left earlier."

Harry raised his eyebrows, though the girl didn't see the gesture in the room's darkness.

"And so you wanted to come and do it while I was sleeping?"

"If I waited until tomorrow, then it wouldn't be your birthday any longer."

"It's approaching midnight. You'd better hurry it up before I turn back into a pumpkin."

Alyssa giggled furiously.

"As you wish, Cinderella. Close your eyes."

Harry complied, bracing for a kiss on the cheek or something similar, which was what he was accustomed to from the girls. What he was not expecting, however, was for his gorgeous attendant to press her lips softly against his. His emerald green eyes shot open like a thunderbolt at the contact, widening to an almost comical size. He simply sat stupefied as she moved her mouth around on his, rather passionately taking in other parts of his face. The much older girl sensually nipped at his lower lip as she pulled back and smiled, staring directly into his eyes.

"How was that for a birthday present, Harry?"

Harry blinked, his senses rather distorted at the moment. He felt extremely hot all over his body, but was gripped by a cold sweat at the same time. The strangest part of his condition was that he experienced some unexplained straining feeling in his trousers. Perhaps he would ask Kim about it during his toilet the next morning. With the way he was feeling at the moment, he knew that he wasn't getting back to sleep anytime soon.

"It w-was...nice...I...I...g-guess."

"Wonderful, I'm glad you liked it. See you in the morning."

"Tomorrow, then. If you don't mind, please turn my lights on before you go."

"Sure thing. Goodnight, Harry."

Alyssa waved flirtatiously over her shoulder as she sauntered off into the night, flicking Harry's light switch on just as she left his room. His internal systems were starting to stabilize by this point, leaving him to ponder what had just taken place. His stammered answer to her hadn't been untrue. Physically, the kiss had been very nice, and had made his entire body feel good. Emotionally, however, things were very much the opposite. Harry wasn't unaware of what kissing on the mouth signified. He had clandestinely delved into some of Christine's rather burlesque romance novels in the past. Kim had given him an unusually stern lecture when she had finally caught him with one, saying that he was far too young to be reading such filth, and had threatened to tell the old lady if she saw him with one again.

Alyssa had kissed him as she would a lover, and Harry didn't feel comfortable with that at all. These kinds of things were meant for adults and he in no way thought of himself as one. While his fanciful side found the idea of her having such feelings for him to be flattering, the rest of him found it very unsettling. And Harry was a hopeless romantic in his innermost heart, a natural result of his fascination with reading and his sheltered upbringing. He saw a person's first kiss as a priceless treasure to be given to someone special and held in memory forever. And yet, his had just been stolen away without his consent, and by somebody that he loved and trusted. The thought left him very depressed and sad. Harry sniffled and a few tears rolled down his cheeks.

He sat up and reached for his books, desperate for anything to read so that he could escape from his current misery. The large, mysterious tome was the first to catch his eye. The book itself seemed to be alive with the forbidden sorcery of which its pages told, and the addictive allure of the black magic tugged at the young Harry's senses, numbing his pain and promising even greater relief should he simply open the cover and partake. But even as impressionable as he was, the child prodigy also knew well the dangers of the Dark Arts, had read about how they twisted one's appearance and very soul beyond recognition. His soul was one matter, but to risk his handsome good looks was absolutely unthinkable. He forced all thoughts of reading the book out of his mind, instead opting for a safer diversion in the form of Gilderoy Lockhart's Year with the Yeti. He read voraciously for several hours until he finally fell asleep with his nose in the book.


Nearly three weeks later, Harry sat at the breakfast table with his grandmother, dressed in his wizarding best. In ten days' time, he would be off to Hogwarts, but today he was to make a return to Diagon Alley. Particularly, he would ascend to the rightful lordship of the Potter family and claim his lands and titles. As promised, the Malfoy family had opened the floodgates on Harry's behalf, spreading the story of Albus Dumbledore's meddling to everybody who would listen. The wizarding public was outraged upon reading of the old man's denying their hero his inheritance in The Daily Prophet. That fact, combined with the elder Malfoy's sway over both the old magical families and Cornelius Fudge, left the wizened professor with little choice but to agree to arbitration with the goblins.

The hearing in itself was largely a formality. The Ministry of Magic had staunchly taken Harry's side in the debacle, aided by the spreading of more than a few Galleons by Lucius, and magical custom and tradition were on the young wizard's side. Still, Dumbledore was determined to have his say with Harry personally, and so both he and his grandmother were headed to London. The old lady was ecstatic to finally have her opportunity to give Albus a piece of her mind. Harry just wanted another chance to go shopping for more clothes and adornments after the proceedings.

"Hurry up and finish your breakfast, Harry. We're due to meet Lucius and Narcissa in just over two hours."

Harry had been more than a little surprised when Draco's parents had come calling for afternoon tea the previous Saturday. They had seemed rather impressed with the size and layout of the manor and grounds, particularly with the fact that it was all very traditional and devoid of many modern electronic devices. It was true that the Evans estate could easily belong to an old wizarding family with a few slight changes in the interior decor. Lucius had already sent news of the hearing through Draco's owl, as he and Harry had kept up a correspondence ever since their meeting on his birthday. Therefore, the motive behind their coming had simply been to introduce themselves to the family. Both purebloods had kept their distaste for Muggles very carefully hidden during the visit, and Narcissa was able to converse with the old lady quite easily. Harry and his grandmother would meet the couple in the entrance lobby to Gringotts at noon.

"Of course, grandma. I still can't believe that we have to go to this ridiculous hearing. The old man should simply let this go."

Azalea smiled at hearing her grandson take a brief shot at Dumbledore. Harry normally wasn't one to voice such negative remarks, but insulted the man regardless to please her. She raised her walking stick and shook it.

"Don't you worry. He's a meddling old snake in the grass, but he won't get the better of us. Should he prove too much of a problem, then I'll give him a good wallop."

Harry continued eating his blueberry pastry without a word. He really wished that he could show the girls around Diagon Alley. After that somewhat traumatic night, he found it in him to forgive Alyssa. After all, she hadn't known that what she had done would cause him grief. Much the opposite, she had only wanted to show her affection for him. Besides, she had been punished for her mistake. Kim had noticed dried lip gloss on Harry's mouth when waking him up the following morning, and immediately deduced how it had gotten there. Alyssa came in later than evening with a pronounced black eye. The buxom girl accepted her reprimand without complaint, but still came to visit Harry at night periodically. After the first kiss, the others didn't bother him so much. She was much more careful about removing the evidence in those trysts, though, and received no additional bruises for her efforts. Harry was rather enthralled by the romantic aspect of having a secret lover, even though they had done nothing beyond closed mouth kissing.

With thirteen minutes to spare before noon, Harry helped his grandmother through the front doors of Gringotts Wizarding Bank. He was wearing tight black silken robes and his royal blue cape was clasped around his neck, peacock cowl proudly exposed for the world to see. His dragonhide boots clicked rhythmically against the floor at a slightly lower pitch than Lucius Malfoy's trademark cane. The knee breeches completed his aristocratic look. He was to be anointed a nobleman this day, and had to look the part. Azalea was garbed in a formal dress and hat, proper wear for a formal transaction in the Muggle world. Both Lucius and Narcissa were already present and waiting as arranged, and Draco was with them. The patriarch was the one to address Harry and the old lady.

"Harry, Madam Evans. Good morning to the both of you."

"The same to you, Mister Malfoy."

Lucius let out a soft chuckle.

"No formalities, my boy. Let us proceed to the hearing. Goblins are nastily punctual creatures, and it simply wouldn't do to be tardy."

Harry simply nodded and the small party proceeded to the conference room where the proceedings were to take place. Lucius and Narcissa led the way, while Draco fell in step with Harry, who was helping his grandmother along at his other side. The Malfoy heir cast an appraising eye over Harry's choice of clothing.

"I just knew you were going to wear that ridiculous cape today."

Harry shrugged with a smile.

"You'resimply jealous of my impeccable fashion sense. I can hardly believe school's starting in less than a fortnight."

"And you're spending every waking second bemoaning your cruel fate. Your letters always reek of optimism."

The sarcasm in Draco's voice was veiled thinly enough that the old lady didn't seem to notice it. Harry was grateful for the fact, but decided to shift the topic of conversation to something more enjoyable.

"It shouldn't be such a hardship. The school grounds are rather nice, at least from the photographs I've seen. Though the castle's architecture looks a bit too dreary for my tastes. It just seems so dark and unfriendly."

The platinum-haired boy shook his head.

"I hope you've been going over your textbooks. Professor Snape likes to grill people during the first Potions lessons. Of course we'll both be in Slytherin, so there won't be too much to worry about. He always favors our house."

"Again with that act. I swear that I'm going to get myself tossed into Hufflepuff just to spite you."

"An empty threat, Potter. You can't fool me. Besides, it's the hat that decides where you go."

"Then perhaps you'll get landed in Gryffindor. You have just about the requisite wit."

They arrived at their destination before Harry could make any retort. The room contained a rounded table surrounded by a number of tall wooden chairs. They looked rather stiff and uncomfortable. Two figures were already seated in the room. The first was a goblin, and from the looks of its dress, one with considerable rank within the Gringotts hierarchy. The other was a wizard whom Harry assumed to be Dumbledore. He was a portly little man dressed in an absolutely horrid pinstriped suit, with gaudy purple shoes and an atrocious lime green bowler hat. The man was a walking fashion disaster. A quick glance at Draco revealed that the other boy held a similar opinion. "Dumbledore" exchanged pleasantries with Lucius and then swaggered over to Harry and shook his hand excitedly.

"Harry Potter. An absolute pleasure to finally meet you after all these years."

"And you as well, Professor Dumbledore."

The man gaped at Harry as if he were insane, then burst into laughter.

"Listen to this, Lucius! This boy thinks I'm Dumbledore! I haven't heard such a good one in ages. With such a slick tongue, he's surely destined for a successful career in politics."

Both elder Malfoys looked startled and amused, whereas Draco was snickering and the old lady remained stoic aside from a small smile. Lucius strode forward to introduce them, just barely keeping his mirth in check.

"No, Harry. That is not Albus Dumbledore. Allow me to introduce you to Cornelius Fudge, our Minister of Magic. He is the chief executive of the government, and the most important wizard in the British Isles. I've asked him to be present today in order to ensure that Dumbledore makes no attempts to overstep his authority. And speaking of whom, it would appear that our esteemed headmaster is late."

Fudge was right smug at hearing his position being glorified. At that point, a serene voice spoke from the entrance, seemingly as humored as everybody else.

"Not at all, Lucius. Much the opposite, in fact. I daresay that I have arrived just in time."

Harry glanced over at the real Dumbledore. The man was the very textbook image that a Muggle fairy tale might ascribe to a wizard. Extremely tall and ancient, with long silver hair and a matching beard that hung to below his waist. He was dressed in golden robes with red trimming, with pointed shoes on his feet and half-moon spectacles resting upon his crooked nose. But his most striking feature was his eyes, crystal blue and shimmering like a clear lake on a sunny afternoon. Eyes that soothed Harry, telling him that the man could be trusted. He could almost sense the pure magic radiating from the old man's resplendent form. He had substantial difficulty believing that Dumbledore could truly be the wicked old man that his grandmother had so often warned him about. Lucius just gazed contemptuously at the old wizard, as Fudge spoke up.

"Ah, Dumbledore. There you are at last. Now we can get this hearing underway."

Dumbledore inclined his head slightly in the Minister's direction.

"Of course, Cornelius. Just allow an old man a brief moment to catch his breath. Harry, it pleases me to see you grown into such a handsome young man. Professor McGonagall has told me that you have displayed considerable aptitude in both Charms and Transfiguration. Absolutely wonderful, I am sincerely looking forward to finally having you at Hogwarts."

Harry nodded, almost too nervous to speak in the great wizard's presence.

"Y-yes, sir. Thank you, headmaster."

The goblin at the other side of the table cleared its throat audibly, simultaneously drawing everybody's attention.

"All required parties have arrived, so we shall now begin. We are gathered here today to discuss and resolve the right to inherit of Harry James Potter, sole heir of the late Lord James Potter and Lady Lily Potter. Lord Lucius Alexander Malfoy has levied on young master Potter's behalf and with his consent an official charge of misappropriation against Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Professor Dumbledore is the controller of the Potter estate, as well as young master Potter's magical guardian. Representing the Ministry of Magic in an official capacity as a witness is Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister of Magic. My own name is Mingyar. As head of the Department of Probate for Gringotts Wizarding Bank, I shall serve as both judge and jury for these proceedings. Lord Malfoy, you may present your arguments first, seeing as you are the plaintiff in this hearing."

Lucius rose coolly to his feet.

"My case is rather simple. Old magical laws and customs stand as the highest authority in the land, and they state that an underage heir of an aristocratic wizarding line has not only the privilege but also the obligation to accede to his lands and titles if no other scion can be established in regency. There are regrettably no other Potters left in existence. Every branch of the family has been extinguished as a result to the purges that took place during previous rising of the dark. Albus Dumbledore has no right whatsoever to intrude upon these precepts, and has further willfully deceived Harry Potter through establishing a fraudulent trust vault in the boy's name and passing it off as the full Potter inheritance. As chairperson of the Magical Society for Pureblooded Advancement, I demand that he stand aside and allow this young man to assume his rightful position in society."

Mingyar lowered his head in acceptance, acknowledging the validity of the accusations.

"Given the aristocratic status of the Potter line, the old laws are indeed applicable. Professor Dumbledore, unless you can provide an extremely prevalent reason as to why young master Potter should have his inheritance delayed, I will have no choice other than to rule these proceedings in favor of the accuser. Such a judgment will also render your status as the boy's magical guardian null and void, as an invested old family head is considered a legal adult regardless of his or her age. Lord Malfoy, you may be seated. Professor Dumbledore, you may now rise and answer the charges."

Dumbledore stood calmly as Lucius returned to his chair with a victorious sneer.

"I am not blind to the old magical laws and their application. However, we must also take extenuating circumstances into account. Harry Potter is a celebrity, with a name and reputation revered throughout the wizarding world. He will doubtless have considerable difficulties handling his fame and legend while studying at Hogwarts as things stand now. Surely you cannot fail to see that adding the social and political responsibilities of being head of an old family to his existing burden would not be advisable. I would prefer to see him be allowed to complete his schooling and become acclimated to our world before being forced to take on these additional duties. He is still a boy, and should be allowed to enjoy what precious little childhood he has. He is not yet ready to assume a man's role."

Harry silently agreed with the old man, but even he could clearly understand that Dumbledore's counter arguments made no stand against the old laws. This hearing was practically decided already, and the young wizard felt no particular need to speak to either side of the issue. However, his grandmother had absolutely no intention at all of simply remaining quiet.

"Do kindly shut your mouth, Dumbledore. I'll not listen to you stand there and speak as if you have my grandson's best interests at heart."

To his credit, the old wizard simply turned to regard Azalea, his eyes twinkling merrily.

"Good afternoon, Madam Evans. I had not even noticed that you were in attendance here today. Do be so kind as to forgive an old man's absentmindedness. I trust that these later years have treated you well. As for your allegations, please allow me to assure you that I have nothing but Harry's utmost well-being in mind."

The old lady glared balefully at the much taller man in response.

"Yes, just as you had my daughter's well-being in mind when you stuffed her into hiding a decade ago, for all the good it did. And I suppose you thought only about Harry's protection and happiness when you placed him in an abusive home without so much as a mention to the rest of the family. Your lies fool nobody, Dumbledore."

Mingyar looked a bit irritated at this interruption to the official proceedings, but kept his own counsel. Draco and Narcissa both stared at Harry as if asking for an explanation. Lucius scowled sharply at Dumbledore, and then glanced to Azalea.

"Please explain, Madam Evans. I believe that this story needs to be told."

The headmaster appeared apprehensive, but nonetheless determined. Harry could tell from the look on the old lady's face that she was thoroughly enjoying this moment. She had always blamed Albus Dumbledore for the fate of Harry's mother, and now she would finally have her revenge.

"Of course, Lucius..."

Azalea went on to vehemently describe the circumstances of Harry's retrieval from Privet Drive. He kept his gaze trained on far wall during the entire retelling, mortified at having his abuse talked about in front of this gathering. Dumbledore became increasingly on the defensive, acutely aware of the outraged looks being cast in his direction by most present at the hearing. Narcissa Malfoy had the most poignant response to the old lady's tale of woe.

"And we trust this man with stewardship over our children at Hogwarts. He should be facing criminal charges for such gross negligence. It leads me to wonder how many other war orphans have been forced to live in abuse and squalor due to his poor decisions. Lucius, perhaps we ought to consider sending Draco to Durmstrang after all. I'm quite certain that Igor Karkaroff would accept Harry as well."

Azalea crowed victoriously as she produced a letter from her handbag.

"I don't know about any Durmstrang, but it just so happens that Harry received an invitation to attend Beauxbatons Academy in France through owl post last week. There are still a few days left before the enrollment deadline."

Cornelius Fudge made to intercede before things got too far out of hand.

"Do be reasonable, now. The very idea of the Boy-Who-Lived not attending Hogwarts is absolutely preposterous. And come now, Lucius. You know better than I do that the Malfoys have been proudly attending the school ever since its founding. Surely that counts for something. Dumbledore, I do believe that you owe this young man as well as the rest of us an explanation for these actions."

Albus shook his head sadly, steepling his hands in front of him with a sigh. He had obviously not expected to run into a proverbial brick wall with this simple inheritance dispute. Harry stared at the old man, watching his aura of power and authority dissipate. The process depressed him for some reason.

"There was a reason, of course. I find myself disinclined to reveal the specifics of this information, out of concern that it might fall into the wrong hands. Suffice to say that despite Voldemort's downfall, there still remain many elements within our society that would do Harry Potter considerable harm given a viable opportunity to do so. Placing him with his Muggle relations was the only option available to me that would ensure his safety. I was completely unaware of any inherent dangers that Harry might have faced with the Dursleys, and I can only offer a sincere apology and hope that he will be magnanimous enough to accept. I have made a grave mistake."

Harry was genuinely torn for a moment between Dumbledore's pleading look and his grandmother's furious glare. He had no opportunity to make a decision, as the old lady went onto the offensive once more. Azalea's voice took on a cold and mysterious tone.

"Don't you dare accept that man's apology, Harry. You were never in any mortal peril, as he very well knows..."

Dumbledore visibly paled as his mind grasped the significance of Azalea's words. Lily had apparently told her the Prophecy before her death, and now this old Muggle woman in her misplaced vindictive fury was going to spew forth the Light's most heavily guarded secret in the presence of a man who had been among the most ardent and loyal supporters of Voldemort. Were Lucius Malfoy to hear the full Prophecy, the potential consequences would be catastrophic. The twinkle left the old wizard's eyes, replaced by a cold fury. Harry tensed in his chair, instinctually reaching for an object near his right hand. The headmaster interrupted Azalea's rant, his voice as hard and clear as diamond.

"Madam Evans, I would strongly advise you to speak no further on this subject."

Harry's rage ignited and began to spread and burn within his body. Dumbledore's words carried a tangible threat directed at his grandmother. Harry was a distant cry from being any sort of fighter, but the boy steeled himself regardless. What he was preparing to do was virtually tantamount to suicide. Albus Dumbledore was the most powerful wizard on the planet, but Harry didn't give a single whit. Nobody spoke that way to her. His magic responded to his desire to protect his grandmother from harm. His power increased tenfold. The boy's emerald eyes began glowing. Draco noticed the phenomenon and locked onto Harry's hypnotic stare, only vaguely aware of the events taking place around him.

"Do not threaten me, Albus Dumbledore. I will say my piece. Listen well to me, Harry. You have been protected since even before your birth by a certain Prophe..."

Dumbledore sprang to his feet and thundered in a loud voice. Lucius nodded to his wife and both reached for their wands. Fudge was a step away from cowering under the table. The goblin Mingyar signaled to another standing at the entrance to the room.

"YOU WILL BE SILENT, MADAM..."

Harry required no further provocation than that. He flung the object in his hand directly at Dumbledore's face. His aim was true, and the large ceramic inkpot shattered on contact. The black substance flew all over the headmaster's face and upper body, blinding him and choking him by getting into his nose and open mouth. Dumbledore hacked and staggered, caught completely off his guard by the sudden attack. Harry didn't wait for him to regain his bearings. He sprang to his feet and drew his powerful peach blossom wand. This would mark the first time he had ever used it, and he did so in an all-out assault on the only wizard that Voldemort had ever feared.

"STUPEFY!"

The red light exploded from Harry's shaking wand hand with the size and relative force of a cannonball. The powerful Stunner impacted Dumbledore's stomach, driving him several feet backwards and close to the wall. The force would have likely killed any other wizard. The old man doubled over as the wind exited his lungs. Rage not satisfied, Harry fired again...and again.

"STUPEFY! STUPEFY!"

The second Stunner hit the headmaster in the shoulder and sent him the rest of the way into the stone wall with enough velocity to crack the structure. The third scored directly on his sternum, crushing him against the unforgiving stone and sending him crumpling to the floor in a heap. Somehow, he was still conscious. Dumbledore rose to a knee shakily, drawing his wand and casting aside his ink-covered spectacles. He stopped short at the sight that greeted him. Both Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy had their wands trained directly onto him, and then there was Harry. The boy hero's magic was alive, his aura visible and burning hotter and brighter than the sun. A red haze surrounded his body and tendrils of raw energy snaked outward from the source. Seeing such a degree of power from a mere child caused Albus to reconsider the logic of pressing this particular skirmish, especially considering that said child also had a consummate dark wizard in Lucius to aid in the attack and a more than adequate witch in Narcissa providing support. The aristocrat addressed the compromised headmaster in his coldest tone, the trademark Malfoy sneer upon his face.

"You first threaten a defenseless old woman, and then motion to attack her grandson for defending her. A very poor show indeed, Dumbledore."

His wife provided a second remark, looking every part as disdainful as her husband.

"Perhaps you would be best served to walk away, Albus. Even in your senility, you should know that some battles are better avoided."

Harry advanced a step, shielding the old lady behind. The raw power burning through him was making him feel rather ill and overexerted, but he spoke with an uncharacteristically strong resolve.

"If you ever threaten my grandmother again, then I swear on my mother's name that there won't be enough left to you to provide so much as a snack for the crows. You've done enough harm, and I don't want you here any longer."

Mingyar, who had remained silent throughout the entire confrontation, agreed.

"Your presence is proving to be a detriment, Professor Dumbledore. I'm afraid that I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Security, please escort this man out to the lobby."

A party of security goblins came to escort the headmaster from the hearing, and he conceded and allowed himself to be led away without so much as a murmur of protest. Fudge left immediately behind Dumbledore, stammering about needing to return to the Ministry building in order to smooth over Harry's underage magic use. Nobody bothered to pay the blustering fool any notice.

With the threat of an enraged headmaster nullified, Lucius took a moment to look over Harry. His aura was now beginning to withdraw back into his body, as he leaned against the table breathing heavily. The aristocrat shared a significant look with his wife, a droll smile slowly adorning his pointed features. Draco was outright staring at the other boy with reverence. The implications were painfully obvious. An eleven-year-old boy had just soundly defeated the legendary Albus Dumbledore. The fact that Harry had done so through somewhat dishonorable means had no bearing at all upon the Malfoy family, being the proud Slytherins that they were.

"Most impressive, Harry. Most are neither able nor willing to stand up to Albus Dumbledore. You have proven to be equal to both. Now then, as the dissenting party has been so gracious as to withdraw his objections, we perhaps ought to stamp out his farcical claims permanently by conducting the ascendancy ceremony here and now."

Mingyar expressed his approval.

"I agree wholeheartedly. As it happens, I have brought the Potter family ring with me to this hearing. This entire hearing was completely unfounded. Gringotts would never rule against upholding the old customs, and I would have rejected Professor Dumbledore's proposals regardless of their validity. Young master Potter, please allow me to apologize on behalf of our entire institution for the trouble you've been forced to endure."

Harry nodded weakly, the sickness induced by the earlier manifestation of his magic beginning to take a worsening toll on him. Draco flinched at the greenish tint on the delicate young wizard's face.

"You're looking rather ill, Potter. "

Harry tried to smile, but it came out as a rather pitiful grimace. Meanwhile, the old lady hobbled over to his side looking concerned. Narcissa came over as well, nodding as she examined him. She had extensive training in the Healing Arts from her own schooling, which had been put to good use on more than one occasion with both her husband and sister as active Death Eaters in the last war. While Harry enjoyed the attention being given him, he had a more pressing desire to have this ceremony done with and rest somewhere more amenable than this hard table.

"I'll be fine, really. I'm just feeling a little bit queasy is all."

"He's more or less correct. His display against that old fool has overextended the poor child's magic. With some proper restorative potions and rest, he should be fine. The more pressing matter is that we complete this mess before he loses consciousness."

"Then let us waste no more time. Lord Malfoy, I assume that you will act as young master Potter's witness?"

Lucius nodded and replied imperiously.

"I, Lucius Alexander, Lord of the Ancient and Noble House of Malfoy do hereby recognize Harry James Potter as the rightful heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Potter and bear witness to his ascendancy forthwith in accordance with the traditions of old. May he succor and serve his bloodline with pride and honor."

The goblin rose from his seat and brought a small wooden box over to Harry's position, beckoning the young wizard to open it. The Potter family signet ring was simple in appearance, a double gold band encrusted with a large ruby. He slipped it onto his finger and gave it a casual glance. Draco appeared just slightly envious of the fact that Harry was wearing an official signet ring at the tender age of eleven.

"Not really...my color...but...I suppose it'll just have...to do."

Harry felt a tingling in his hand as the ring bound itself to his magical signature. The nausea was now starting to make his belly churn. Harry recalled nearly being sick the other time that he had visited Gringotts as well, silently cursing his fragile constitution. Lucius raised a platinum eyebrow.

"Curious. The ring is not supposed to bond to the recipient until he or she has recited the oath. At any rate, allow me to be the first to congratulate the new Lord Potter."

Harry's only response was to turn about quickly and empty his stomach all over the stone floor, finally passing out against the table. Had he been awake to see himself, he surely would have been positively disgusted at his unintentionally poor etiquette. At least he had managed not to soil his clothing or anybody else's. Narcissa cleaned the area with a few quick charms and Lucius levitated the unconscious Harry to the Malfoy family's carriage, in which he would be ferried to their Wiltshire manor in order to be treated properly. His favorite silken cape dragged unceremoniously along the dirty floor as they moved.

(End Chapter Four)

Author's Note: I'm not too sure about how well this chapter turned out. I wanted to get a scene at the end from Malfoy Manor depicting our favorite former Death Eater's motivations pertaining to Harry, but I didn't get around to it. So, that might be in the next update. At any rate, we're headed to Hogwarts with the next.

Before people cry foul about what I did with Alyssa and Harry, hear me out. First, those two are not going to comprise the official pairing of this fiction. I haven't given all that much detail about Alyssa's past, but her actions here will be better explained when I do. You'll just have to wait and see what I mean, but that particular angle hasn't run its course quite yet.

As for the "battle" with Dumbledore, keep in mind that Harry got the jump on him and just attacked like a rabid animal. He is in no way on the same level as Dumbledore, as evidenced by the fact that the old man took three unprotected Stunners from him at point blank range at the rage-induced peak of Harry's current power level, and didn't even get knocked out. In a straight out fight, the headmaster would quite easily kick Harry's ass to Edinburgh and back. Harry is stronger than most wizards, but nothing compared to Dumbledore or Voldemort.

Well, that about does it. Don't forget to review, folks.