Hippogriff-related injuries
Harry woke up with a stinging feeling across his chest.
"Mister Potter, you've got a new scar" said Madam Pomfrey "The hippogriff nearly cut you in half"
Next Care of Magical Creatures lesson, Professor Grubbly-Plank told the class that as he'd attacked a human, the hippogriff Buckbeak would likely be executed. That became an impromptu lecture about which creatures got executed for injuring humans.
It was educational, Harry thought; though the Hippogriff had just reacted to having its feathers pulled.
A few mornings later, Zabini stared at Harry, just out of the shower "That's a huge scar, Potter."
Harry looked down at his chest. It ran crosswise from one arm to the other. "Eh, the one on my arms' worse" said Harry "Can you not stare"
Zabini stared at Harry's arm instead "That's a cursed scar!" he said "Your arm was grown back and it's still there".
"Basilisk bite" admitted Harry "Got a heart attack out of it later."
Harry got changed into school robes.
"Potter, your famous scar, the one on your head, it's cursed too isn't it?" asked Zabini.
"Yeah" Harry admitted "Hurts sometimes."
"You're going to look like a forty year Auror by the time you get out of school" said Nott.
"Well, the scars on my bits are scarier" said Harry "And you can't see those"
Crabbe and Goyle burst out laughing. "He's funny" said Crabbe.
Zabini spoke up just as Harry shouldered his book bag "You should be careful, scars are cool, but you want to live long enough to grow up."
Harry couldn't help the wry chuckle that caused, and he crossed the common room feeling about normally doomed.
Hermione Granger's next letter told Harry he should save the Hippogriff. More time in the library reading. There was some precedent for animals to get off.
Harry was at the groundskeepers, looking at the Hippogriff that was chained up when a large black dog came stared at Harry with silvery eyes. Harry thought calmly and rationally about that, and drew his wand. The dog flowed upwards, like a tree growing, becoming a tattered black haired man with terrible hygiene.
Harry hit his assailant with a particularly nasty Sumerian slicing curse, and the man crumpled to the ground clutching his throat as blood poured out.
"Sirius Black I presume" said Harry as the man shuddered "I was ready for you."
Black died convulsing, and Harry moved the stake holding the Hippogriff so it could just barely have cut Black.
"Well Buckbeak, we're in luck" said Harry "You've saved my life from a dangerous criminal, putting me in your debt. There's precedent for dangerous beasts to be let off for injuring someone if they save that persons' life. And you just did. Well, practically."
Buckbeak looked at Harry oddly. Well it was half-lion half giant eagle, oddly was how it did most things.
Harry went and got a responsible adult. Well, Professor Snape.
The look of utmost joy on Professor Snape's face when he saw Black dead was quite unnerving. Professor Snape never smiled, and now he was grinning from ear to ear. And had yellow teeth.
"How are you Potter?" asked Professor Snape cautiously, still smiling.
"Pleased there's one less Death Eater" said Harry. Professor Snape's smile flickered, and became quite fake. "What an odd thing for you to say" he said thoughtfully.
Harry tried to just act worried after that.
Someone from the Department for the regulation of Magical creatures was called, as Buckbeak was now a heroic beast.
The next morning, Harry was reliably informed that Ron's rat had buggered off. There was a bit of a contest to see who at school had the stupidest pet. Trevor the Toad had made Neville that title holder, till well, Neville basically died. Then Ron's rat that did nothing. One of the Hufflepuff girls had a puffskien that vomited a lot and it was now stupidest pet.
A week later, Buckbeak has been let off, due to having saved Harry's life.
Harry's feeling rather pleased that there's one less person trying to murder him. And made more calming draught, in the room of requirement, just as a precaution. And took some, just … because, and the itching sensation under his skin stopped.
The year ended with exams, that Harry was quite prepared for. He finally had time to start reading languages again.
It was the last day of term when a black letter came for Harry.
'Harry James Potter,
You are a beneficiary of the will of Sirius Orion Black.
The reading of his will is on Tuesday the fifth of July at our rooms in Diagon Alley.
Snatchitt Grabbitt and Runne, Solictors
Our felicitations in this time of loss.
'
Harry read it twice. Blaise Zabini is looking casually interested.
"I'm a beneficiary of a will" Harry explained.
"Oh I know what that sort of letter looks like" Blaise replied. "Whose?"
"Sirius Black" said Harry. "Odd really."
His Aunt recognised the name.
"Black?" she said bitterly "He was the friend of your father's that rode around on that motorbike. They crashed my wedding reception. All three of them, You father, Black and Lupin; he was the one that looked old before his time."
Harry nodded "I've met Mr Lupin, he taught at our school for a year. Good teacher" he said.
"A Dull swot" said his Aunt. "Your mother was his friend. That and that dreadful Snape boy."
"Severus?" asked Harry.
"One of your lot, yes" said his Aunt.
The wizarding world, Harry thought was a lot smaller than was really comfortable.
Not having success getting forty quid out of his aunt, he took the Knight bus on Tuesday. It was eleven sickles of nausea and bruise inducing awfulness. The vial of calming draught helped.
Snatchitt Grabbit and Runne of Diagon Alley was an old firm, with a plaster and beam building and too many windows to actually fit onto the building, so they floated twisting in mid-air in front of windows in a complicated way that reminded Harry of the hard bits of arithmancy.
Harry opened the door and went in. An old witch looked at him from a chair "Harry Potter for the Black will reading" he said. The old witch perked up at that and showed him to meeting room two, which was all oak panelling and small carved magical beasts on the joints.
Professor… Mr Lupin was sitting looking despondent at a table, but cheered up to see Harry. Which was a bit unnerving really.
An old man with small glasses came in with a leather folder and sat down.
"Now you two are two the late Mr Blacks beneficiaries, we're just waiting on one more…" he said, and sat down and waited silently.
Harry didn't feel like talking to Professor…. Mr Lupin.
Finally, the door opened and a witch in a pointy hat walked in. She was clearly a witch with dark brown hair and hooded eyes. She looked, Harry thought quite sad. Her hat was very pointy.
"Mrs Tonks" said the Lawyer and the witch nodded, pulled out a black lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes.
"This is the will reading for Sirius Orion Black, and we'd best get started. I'm Phineas Snatchitt, and I'm the executor."
He took out a single sheet of parchment and cleared his throat.
"I Sirius Orion Black, being of sound enough mind and body make this my last will and testament, on this first of August, nineteen eighty. I leave five hundred Galleons to my best pal, Remus Lupin. You need it more than me now. My favourite cousin, Andromeda Tonks gets anything she wants from my estate, as long as she can bear to have it. If I'm married, I leave everything to my wife, and our hopefully numerous children, on the condition that they be brought up as proper blood-traitors. Hopefully that will annoy mummy dearest. If I am married, then my wife is left to care for all our offspring, and act for me in looking after Harry Potter when needed. In the dire event that I am unmarried, my Godson Harry Potter gets all the rest. His parents can look after all of that till he's of age. Oh all right, if you insist. If James and Lily predecease me, Harry gets everything immediately. Sorry kiddo. Well, that's all I've got. Oh and in the improbable event that I'm the head of the house of black at my death, that goes to my Godson, Harry. Andy can tell you how to do it. Sirius Orion Black."
Harry blinked. He's getting ... something?
"Now as Mr Black was indeed the head of the house of Black, Mister Potter inherits all the lands and chattels of the house, and Sirius Black's vault, less five hundred galleons for Mister Lupin.
Harry noticed Lupins' eyes were yellow again.
Andromeda Tonks sniffled, rather stagily.
"Ah Mrs Tonks?" said Snatchitt "Can you think of anything you'd like?"
"My stupid cousin back" she said. "Failing that, I'll be reinstated into the family. That's one thing isn't it?"
"And a deviously clever thing indeed" said Snatchitt. "A truly Slytherin choice" he said fawningly.
"Now Mr Potter, you have a requirement to reinstate your… second cousin" said Snatchitt.
"How do I do that?" asked Harry.
"A simple adoption form and a fee" said Snathcitt "We can have it ready this afternoon."
"And then what?" asked Harry
"You sign it" sighed Snatchitt. "Mr Lupin we have a sack for you."
"What… exactly do I inherit?" asked Harry.
"Ah. Well the townhouse in London, the manor in Chelsea, and a few properties in Europe. Oh and those two islands."
"Two islands?" asked Andromeda "We only had one when I was cast out" she said firmly, sounding posh-er.
"The later acquisition is in the Caribbean, I believe" replied Snatchitt fawningly.
"He always did want a tropical island" said Mr Lupin fondly.
"Harry, I'm so sorry he tried to kill you" said Andromeda Tonks "He seemed quite enamoured with you till the Potters died."
Harry, Mr Lupin and Andromeda decamped to Fortescues ice creams where Harry got grilled by his middle-aged second cousin.
"So I've heard you're in Slytherin?" she asked.
"Yes" said Harry tightly.
"How delightful. So was I, Class of fifty-eight" said Mrs Tonks "What are you best subjects?"
"Defence" said Remus "He's a natural at it."
"Uh, Charms and Runes" admitted Harry. "I'm trying to learn languages."
"On your own, you poor child. Were you really raised by muggles?" asked Andromeda, sipping tea.
"Uh, yeah Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon" admitted Harry "They don't, didn't like magic"
Aunt Andromeda smiled coldly "Oh really? And I don't think they were very good to you?"
"Not really" admitted Harry. "My uncle had a heart attack and died."
Aunt Andromeda winked at Harry. She winked. What?
"Harry, if you need anything at all, I can take a year or more off to help you out" said Mr Lupin.
"Nonsense" said Andromeda "Harry, hire the devoted Mr Lupin to be your steward. He's an adult, so he can do magic, and sign contracts. And protect you from trouble."
"I couldn't possibly –" protested Mr Lupin.
"Harry needs a steward, and you're a friend, you were before Sirius went bad. It was such a shock." said Andromeda.
After lunch, they went back to Snatchitt Grabbitt and Runne and Andromeda Tonks became, apparently Harry's Aunt Andromeda. She smiled "I was raised a Black, Harry, so I've got some suggestions… firstly that you hire Mr Lupin as Steward."
Snatchitt wrote up a contract on the spot. Then Harry got to go to Gringotts to get his account balance. He has… eleven thousand more galleons. He was… rich... rich enough to withdraw … hmmm Latin, Greek, Sumerian, Chinese, German and French: Three thousand galleons. Six very expensive potions from Sticklers of Diagon Alley later, and Harry's looking at the rack of vivid purple potions with small paper tags on strings. Mr Lupin was tagging along to keep an eye out and Aunt Andromeda's also got plans for Harry, apparently. Harry swilled the first potion and it tasted of liquorice. He put the vial down and said "Well, that was nothing" and then it was like a train hit Harry in the skull. He woke up on the floor.
The storekeeper was looking down on Harry smiling "They pack a bit of a punch" she said.
Harry sat down for the other five.
Feeling like he'd taken a bludger to the skull, Harry was groggily dragged by his newly acquired Aunt to Madame Malkin's for new clothes. Harry however, could hardly stand.
A silent charm from Aunt Andromeda had him ramrod straight.
After being measured he was left in Mr Lupin's hands, as Aunt Andromeda apparently needed to go back to work.
Harry explained where he lived and was taken home by Knight bus again by Mr Lupin, who followed Harry into the house.
"You!" said Aunt Petunia "You've never come here."
"Harry hired me" said Mr Lupin in a fairly friendly tone. "We had a mutual enemy."