Chapter 1

Harry woke at midnight on the day of his seventeenth birthday feeling distinctly confused. He felt, different, but he couldn't tell how. Stretching out he put his hands behind his head and tried to drift off to sleep again. Harry woke up again at eight o'clock in the morning and bounced out of bed. Today was the day that he could finally leave the Dursley's, and also it was the day that he could finally use magic outside Hogwarts. He grinned to himself as he got dressed; today was going to be fun.

Just as he was about to go downstairs several heavy things hit him in the back of the head. He spun round and saw Pig flying in mad circles, two scrolls lying on the floor and two very haughty looking tawny owls flying back out of the window. He snatched Pig out of the air and relived him of his burdens which were a brightly wrapped present and card and sent him back to the Burrow. Putting the present aside, Harry bent down and picked up the two scrolls off the floor. He sat on his bed and looked them over. One had a Gringotts seal on it and looked very official and the other also had the Gringotts seal with a symbol Harry didn't recognise underneath. He opened the ordinary one first.

Dear Mr Harry Potter.

As you have now become of a legal age please find enclosed the details concerning your inheritance and the results of the last will and testament of Mr Sirius Black.

Gnarler, Deputy Goblin of Inheritance Matters at Gringotts.

Mr Harry Potter:

From Mr James Potter – The Potter family vault, containing 27.8 million galleons with 6 interest per annum. The Potter Mansion, see list of residence addresses. Three Villa's, one flat.

From Mrs Lily Potter – Trust Fund in the name of Mr Harry Potter, containing 600,000 galleons, 10 interest per annum as of Mr Harry Potter's coming of age. Personal vaults in the joint name of Mr and Mrs James and Lily Potter, total – three with a total amount of 14 million galleons.

Harry's looked at the piece of paper in his hand with shock. He looked through the other papers to find the list of residence addresses.

Potter Mansion – Clanethll, Ireland. Total land, 167 acres with 12 outbuildings including stabling and two lakes.

Potter Villa's – South Spain, 4 floors, one indoor and one outdoor swimming pool.

Sorrento, Italy.

Austria

Potter Flat – Adjacent to Golden Square, London.

Please find enclosed Portkeys to each residence.

Harry looked through the letters and found a small leather pouch that had been attached to the scroll. He opened it and out tumbled 5 brass keys with the name of each residence engraved on them. Harry stared at them in amazement. Why on earth had Dumbledore kept this from him? Why had Sirius kept this from him? Shaking his head to clear his thoughts he turned his attention to the last paper.

I, Sirius Black, being of sound mind and body do hereby declare this to be my last Will and Testament.

To Remus Lupin, the contents of the Black Family vault no.12 and the muggle painting of Lily, James Potter and myself.

To Albus Dumbledore, the muggle and Wizarding literature section of the Black family library.

To Severus Snape, the entire contents of the Potions Laboratory at no. 12 Grimmauld Place.

Finally to Harry Potter, the property of no. 12 Grimmauld Place and it's entire contents excepting the aforementioned. The content of the Black Family vaults no's 1 to 15, excepting no.12 and the lesser Black vaults 16 to 20, also the contents of my personal vault.

Let it be so. Signed, Sirius Black.

Countersigned, Severus Snape

Harry gaped at what he was reading. Snape was a beneficiary of Sirius' will? How had that happened without people noticing as they had always been at each other's throats as far as he could tell. As he tried hard to take in the new knowledge of his inheritance he reached for the second scroll lying on his bed. As he broke the seal and unravelled the papers a brilliant white light surrounded him and he was thrown onto his back on the floor.

Harry woke several hours later to his Aunt anxiously hovering over him.

"Harry! I was so worried!"

Harry grinned,

"I take it Uncle Vernon is out of the house?"

Petunia's cheeks grew a red tinge to them. She had come to an unspoken agreement with her nephew. They had almost come to an affectionate relationship, but only when Vernon was not around to witness it.

"So what happened?" Harry asked her.

"I don't know, I heard a thud from your room and when I arrived up here you were out cold on your bed and you were like this." She gestured over his body.

"Like what?"

"Go and see for yourself."

Harry got up and walked over to a mirror that was hanging on the wall. His eyes widened at what he saw. His hair had grown longer and more manageable with white streaks all the way through it. His eyes had turned silver with green flecks in them, he was taller by about four inches and he had filled out. Harry reached for his glasses beside him and put them on, suddenly everything turned into coloured blurs. He took them off and things regained their clarity. He grinned,

"Well, it looks like I won't be needing these anymore." He said throwing them into a bin. He walked back to his bed and sat down next to his aunt.

"Here, you should read this." He handed her his inheritance letter and reached for the unread scroll lying next to his foot on the floor.

Dear Mr Potter, as you are no doubt aware the office for ancestry and lineage keeps a record of each Wizard's family tree and the titles and offices that are handed down at the appropriate time to the intended recipient. Most often this is the direct descendant, such as father to son/daughter. However in your case the ancestry is such that several of your forefathers arranged it as such that their titles and properties would only be passed down when an appropriately powerful descendant came into their majority.

From your family tree there are three such ancestors.

First, Godric Gryffindor – passes down the titles of Lord of the West Reaches with property that totals one castle, two manors and one vault in the name of Gryffindor. Also, the title of Duke of El Tureano with a total of two mansions and one vault also in the name of Gryffindor.

Second, Salazar Slytherin – Lord of Slytherin with property of 346 acres in the south of England and two vaults in the name of Slytherin. Also from Slytherin the title of the Prince of Darkness, to which all Vampyres, Centaurs, Dementors and Skariens fall under the dominion of.

Third, Lord Merlin – Lord of Avalon with the Island and subsequent Castle of Avalon, Lord of Mith with the Island and outlying colonies of Mith off the coast of China. One vault in the name of Merlin. Hereditary Head of the Wizarding House of Lords and Hereditary Minister of Magic to come into effect on the recipient descendants eighteenth birthday.

As soon as it is convenient for yourself to come into Gringotts the necessary paperwork and vaults keys will be handed over to your Lordship. Zagorin, Head of Ancestry and Lineage at Gringotts. Petunia read over Harry's shoulder and gave a small scream. "Is this real? According to this paper, you have four Lordships; a Dukedom and you're also a Prince! How on earth could you keep something like this from me!" "I, I didn't know. Nobody's ever told me about this. Well, I was going into Diagon Alley today anyway I can find it all out at Gringotts. Would you like to accompany me Aunt?"

She smiled.

"Well, Vernon and Dudley are out for the rest of the day so I suppose I could accompany you. I would like to know how all of this has come about."

"That's settled then. We'll leave as soon as I've packed my things. I'm afraid that as of today I won't be living here any longer."