The Apprentice
Chapter 2
Summary: Finally, after the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, Harry asks (demands) Dumbledore to train him for his inevitable battle against the Dark Lord.
A/N: The reviews are in and so far, they are looking awesome.
Jessessanto: Harry is not going to finish his friendship with Ron and Hermione, but Harry will keep secrets from them. They will slowly drift apart, but will still remain his friends. After Bill's wedding Harry will tell both of them the truth and their friendship will become stronger. There will be some changes, I have the whole plan written down and am going to strictly follow it.
Romedov: Thank you!
Datsvansh: Yes, I agree with you. I have read so many stories, both Harry Potter and not, that have a great idea and concept but are not finished or not even in the middle. I will make this story into a unique master piece, trust me I have all of it planned.
Harshit 0805: My plan is to make the Potter and Peverell family the same. There will be a Peverell Gringotts account with heirlooms and artifacts, but no money. Also, the Peverell family will not be gaining a seat in the Wizengamot. But, don't worry Harry will have 2 seats in the Wizengamot.
Also, there are somethings I forgot to tell in the first chapter. First, this story is heavily and I mean heavily inspired by another story (Dumbledore's Apprentice). The first few chapters will be more or less the same and after that I will continue on my own. Second, this story will have many ideas from other books, movies, anime and manga. So, please don't complain about me stealing ideas. Third, I own nothing Harry Potter is owned by JKR and the rest of the ideas in this book are owned their respective creators and owners.
X
Harry left Gryffindor Tower and began his walk towards Dumbledore's office, ready to begin his first day as Dumbledore's apprentice. Finally, he passed the gargoyles standing watch and knocked on the door.
"Come in, Harry," said Dumbledore from within. Harry opened the door and walked in, taking a seat in chair in front of the headmaster's mahogany desk.
"Lemon drop?" asked Dumbledore with a slight smirk on his face, pointing to the bowl of candy on his desk.
"No, thank you," replied Harry. "I've just had breakfast."
Dumbledore smiled and nodded in understanding. "Very well. I am assuming you had the chance to say goodbye to your friends this morning?"
Harry simply nodded, not willing to give further explanation.
Dumbledore, sensing his reticence, did not press the issue. "Good. Let us begin then," he said. He grabbed a large stack of papers from underneath the desk and plopped it on top of the desk in front of Harry. "Let's get through this paperwork and make it official."
"Paperwork?" asked Harry in confusion.
"Of course, my boy," said Dumbledore as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "You didn't think this apprenticeship was informal? No, Harry, an apprenticeship is something very formal. A wizard doesn't take on an apprentice lightly. It is a very serious decision. When a wizard chooses an apprentice, it basically means that the wizard has chosen his own successor."
Harry gulped. He had no idea the true significance of what Dumbledore was offering him.
"I had no idea, sir," he stuttered. "Were you ever an apprentice?"
"I was, in fact, many years ago," Dumbledore replied. "I was an apprentice under Nicholas Flamel, who you are undoubtedly familiar with. He was the world's greatest alchemist and, as you know, creator of the Philosopher's Stone. It was under his tutelage that I discovered the 12 uses of dragon's blood."
Harry could only nod. He knew that Dumbledore was a friend of the Flamel's, but he did not know the extent of their relationship.
"Sir if you said that choosing an apprentice made the wizard choose his successor. What does this mean?" asked Harry.
Dumbledore smiled and replied, "It means that if I ever die, you will be on my positions and inherit everything I own."
"So, if you die then I will become Headmaster of Hogwarts and Chief Warlock?", Harry questioned.
Dumbledore smiled and said, "If you wish to then you will."
Harry's eyes widened in surprise before he asked "What is the paperwork for, sir?", respectfully.
"Oh, this and that," said Dumbledore evasively. "It will notify the Ministry and by extension, the magical world, that I have officially chosen you as my apprentice. I also agree to take a degree of responsibility for your actions while you are my apprentice. Finally, and perhaps most importantly in your case, it will emancipate you and exempt you from the restriction on underage sorcery, so that you may train outside of the normal school year."
Harry grinned, excited to finally be free of the underage restriction. However, a thought occurred to him.
"Sir, will there be political repercussions for you by accepting me as your apprentice?" Harry asked.
Dumbledore smiled gently. "You have grown, my boy. You have begun thinking of politics already!" he said in an amused tone. "To answer your question, yes. This decision will have enormous consequences in the political sphere, something we will need to use to our advantage. But we will discuss that more later today," he promised. Harry nodded.
"First, you need to sign the paperwork," Dumbledore instructed as he handed him a quill. As Harry looked at it, he realized it was a blood quill and looked at Dumbledore in alarm.
"I understand your hesitance to use the blood quill," Dumbledore said sadly. "Madam Umbridge never should have used that on you. However, in the world of business and politics, blood quills are frequently used to sign contracts and documents. Used for very short amounts of time, they are harmless."
Gulping, Harry nodded and turned his attention to the documents. He signed all the places where Dumbledore instructed him.
"Very good," exclaimed Dumbledore at the end, clapping his ends. He tapped his wand on top of the documents, causing them to vanish in a flash. "They are now on their way to the Ministry, which means that we will be on the front page of tomorrow's Daily Prophet," he said with a smile.
However, his smile disappeared as he moved on to the next topic of discussion.
"Now, Harry, I wish to have a more serious discussion with you about the consequences of Voldemort's attempted possession," Dumbledore said seriously. "Have you noticed any changes in yourself since you absorbed the soul fragment inside of you?"
Harry thought for a moment before responding. "As I told you yesterday, my scar has not hurt since I absorbed the soul fragment, which is strange, considering how angry Voldemort must be right now."
"Good," said Dumbledore. "Have you noticed any changes in your mood, in your behavior?" he asked suspiciously.
Harry thought about it and quickly replied. "No," he said evasively.
"Harry," Dumbledore said in a disappointed tone, as if he knew Harry was hiding something from him. "When I took you on as my apprentice, I essentially promised to share all of my secrets with you, to not hold anything back. I expect the exact same from you as my apprentice. There should be no secrets between us," Dumbledore chastised. "Now I will ask you again: have you noticed any changes in yourself?"
Harry sighed and slowly began to speak. "There are a few things that I have noticed in the past day," he explained. "Last night, when I was talking to Ron and Hermione in the hospital wing, something strange happened…"
Dumbledore continued staring at him through his moon-shaped spectacles, urging him to go on.
"When I looked them in the eyes, I suddenly felt afraid. When I looked away, the feeling disappeared. It was almost as if I was feeling what they were feeling," he admitted.
"Interesting," Dumbledore murmured to himself. "Harry, I want you to look me in the eyes and try to feel what I am feeling," he instructed.
Harry nodded and looked into Dumbledore's blue eyes. Immediately, he felt a spike of curiosity, as well as worry.
"You feel curious, but worried at the same time," Harry said.
"It is as I suspected," Dumbledore murmured mysteriously.
"What, sir?" Harry blurted out.
"Just now, I let down my occlumency shields and you were able to sense what I was feeling," Dumbledore explained. "In other words, you were performing rudimentary Legilimency."
Harry's mouth hung open in shock. His earlier suspicions had been confirmed. "How is that possible?" he asked.
Dumbledore clasped his hands together before continuing. "I can only guess at why, but my guesses do tend to be pretty good," he began. "I believe that when you absorbed the fragment of Voldemort's soul, you gained some of his abilities. As you know, Tom Riddle is one of the greatest practitioners of Legilimency to ever live. You have inherited some of his ability," Dumbledore explained.
"So that means that I am a master Legilimencer?" Harry asked.
Dumbledore chuckled. "No, not yet," he said. "Right now, it is more of a latent ability. However, I believe that as you study and begin practicing the minds arts, you will learn very quickly and, I daresay, gain a mastery in a very short amount of time."
"Wow," was all Harry could say.
"Wow, indeed," Dumbledore echoed. "This has profound implications for your training and your life. If my suspicions are correct, you will be able to master new magic at an astonishing rate due to your absorption of the soul fragment. Instead of learning something completely new, it will be like relearning something that you had merely forgotten," Dumbledore hypothesized.
"I have another curiosity," Dumbledore admitted. Suddenly, he whipped out his wand and said, "Serpensortia". Suddenly, a snake shot out the end of Dumbledore's wand and began hissing threateningly at the pair.
"Stop we mean no harm!", said Harry in Parseltongue. The snake froze, and Dumbledore immediately vanished it.
"Just as I thought," he said. "You have retained your ability to speak in Parseltongue. A very useful talent indeed."
Dumbledore continued his questioning. "Harry, have you noticed any changes in your behavior or mood since the Ministry?"
Harry thought about it. Obviously, he was still upset about Sirius' death, but he knew that was not what Dumbledore was referring to. He thought back to his discussion with Dumbledore two nights ago. He had been so angry, but he had remained in control of his emotions the entire time. Instead of exploding and letting his anger out, he had kept it inside, controlled.
Then, he thought of his discussion with Ron and Hermione the previous night. He had decided to push them away in order to protect it, but now he suspected there was more to it than that. As he spoke with them, he had felt a subtle desire to be alone, to be independent. He knew they were afraid of him, so he didn't want them too close. The worst part, however, was that he didn't feel particularly bad about pushing them away.
"There is one more thing," Harry said quietly. "I feel like I have been more in control of my emotions. Instead of letting my anger and grief out, I have kept it in, kept it controlled. And I feel this need to protect people by pushing them away. And I feel like I need to be better, to prove myself to everyone. That's something that I have never felt before."
"I see," said Dumbledore sadly. It looked as if he had suddenly aged 10 years in front of Harry's eyes.
"What?" Harry inquired.
"I believe that the soul fragment has caused some changes in your personality," Dumbledore admitted. "It is my belief that you have gained some of Tom's own qualities."
"I am turning into Voldemort?" Harry exclaimed in fear, rising to his feet.
"No, my boy," reassured Dumbledore. "Rather, some of Tom's qualities have begun to mix with some of your qualities. Take, for example, your desire to push people away in order to protect them. You have always had the desire to protect and save people if I may say so myself. Tom has always had the desire to be independent and the tendency to keep people at arm's length because he was afraid of what would happen if he let them get close. When you combine those qualities, you get the tendency to push people away in an attempt to protect them."
"Not all of Tom's qualities are bad," continued Dumbledore. "He always had the need to excel, to be the best. Used correctly, it can be a very useful quality, one that you lacked before," he said with a chuckle.
Harry nodded, but he still felt sick to his stomach. "I just don't like the idea that I am so similar to Voldemort," he said.
"You have always been similar to him," Dumbledore replied. "That is why he targeted you in the first place. You are his equal, in more ways than one. Now so even more than ever."
"What do you mean?" asked Harry.
"Think about it. Both of you are half-bloods. Both of you are orphans and grew up in less-than-ideal environments. Both of you view Hogwarts as your first home. Both of you are Parselmouths," explained Dumbledore. "However, there are important differences as well, namely your good heart and your ability to love. That will end up making all the difference," he concluded in an attempt to assuage Harry's fears.
"Now," Dumbledore exclaimed, "enough with this worrisome discussion. We have much more important things to do. First, we need to pay a visit to Madame Pomfrey!"
With that, he stood up and guided Harry towards the door. Together, they began walking towards the hospital wing.
"Why do we need to see Madame Pomfrey?" Harry asked as they walked.
"I am curious as to what effects the absorption of the soul fragment has had on your body and your magic," he explained. "Also, I would like to ensure that all of your previous injuries have been completely healed before you begin training. You need to be completely healthy in order to reach your full potential."
Harry nodded understanding and they walked the rest of the way in silence. Finally, they reached the hospital wing and Dumbledore swept the doors open. Inside, Madame Pomfrey was waiting for them.
"Ah, Madame Pomfrey. Young Harry here is ready for his checkup as we discussed earlier," exclaimed Dumbledore.
"Yes, yes, sit down here," said Madame Pomfrey, motioning to one of the beds. Harry sat down and waited. Pomfrey stood in front of him and began to wave her wand in complicated motions while she muttered complicated spells that Harry had never heard before. On the table beside the bed, an enchanted quill began to write rapidly on a piece of parchment.
After several minutes, she put down her wand and the quill fell silent. She picked up the parchment and began to read. As she read, her eyes opened in shock.
"Remarkable," she said. Dumbledore came and stood beside her in order to read the parchment as well.
"There are a number of noteworthy items here," she began. "Let's begin with the older ones first. You have had a number of injuries during your life, including several broken bones and one regrown bone. Your magic has healed these injuries quite nicely, so there is no concern there."
"Interestingly, you have trace levels of both basilisk venom and phoenix tears in your blood. I assume this is from your adventures three years ago?"
Harry nodded, and she continued. "Very well. It is interesting that both substances have remained in your blood stream and bonded with your body, although this could be very beneficial for you. I believe that the basilisk venom has acted like a vaccine of sorts. In essence, it has vaccinated you and made you immune to all other snake venoms. As for the phoenix tears in your blood they give very high healing abilities with higher strength, stamina and speed."
"Curious," murmured Dumbledore.
"Also, of note – have you had any problems with your glasses?"
Harry thought about it. "Yes, actually," he said. "My glasses are a little fuzzy since yesterday."
"Try taking them off," suggested Madame Pomfrey. Harry took off the glasses and blinked a few times.
"I can see perfectly!" he exclaimed. "I don't even need my glasses!"
"Just as I thought," said Pomfrey. "The test results say that you have perfect vision!"
"It seems that the incident in the Ministry has fixed your eyesight," said Dumbledore. "That magic must have been affecting your ocular nerve."
"Indeed. Now, there are several other significant results that we need to discuss. First is your scar," she said, pointing to his forehead. "There are low amounts of dark magic emanating from the scar, but those should disappear entirely within the next day. It seems to me that there used to be a much larger presence of dark magic within your scar, but recently that magic was purged from your system."
Harry and Dumbledore glanced at each other with a knowing look, which did not go unnoticed by Madame Pomfrey. "I will assume that my predictions are correct," she said, but did not ask any further questions.
"The final issue of note is your magical core, Mr. Potter," she said.
"What? Is there a problem with it?" he asked, panicked.
"No, quite the opposite in fact. You have always had an exceptionally powerful magical core. Even as a young teenager, your core was on par with that of a typical adult wizard," she said. "That explains why you can perform exceptionally powerful spells, such as the Patronus Charm, and why you can put more power behind normal spells," she explained.
"Now, however, your core has undergone massive growth," she said. "I am not sure what has caused it, but it seems that your core recently underwent a very strenuous experience which caused it to expand. I daresay that your core is even larger than Albus's," she said with a glance at Dumbledore. "And it still has room to grow. Magical cores typically grow until the witch or wizard hits magical maturity at around 17. You still have another year of growth."
"Fascinating," muttered Dumbledore. "This seems to confirm my suspicions. Thank you for your help, Madame Pomfrey."
"Of course. There is one more thing," she said. "Your body weight and muscle mass are slightly below what I would like. I want you to take a nutrient potion every day for the next two weeks. These, combined with exercise, will help you to gain significant weight and muscle," she said as she pulled several potions out of a cupboard. "I will have the house elves give these to you at every meal," she explained.
Harry nodded in understanding. With that, he said goodbye to the nurse and followed Dumbledore out of the hospital wing.
"Life is never boring around you, my boy," Dumbledore chuckled as they walked.
"Where are we going now?" Harry inquired, struggling to keep up with Dumbledore's long strides.
"Now, my boy, we are going to make some waves, as the muggles say," said Dumbledore cryptically.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, confused.
"It means that you are going to play the age-old game of politics," said Dumbledore with a mischievous smile. "We are going to visit Gringotts. If you would kindly take my hand," he said, holding his hand out to Harry.
Hesitantly, he grabbed the headmaster's hand. Instantly, he began to spin and felt like he was being pushed through a tube. As soon as it began, it was over. He found himself standing in Diagon Alley in front of Gringotts Banks.
"Did we just…"
"Apparate? Yes. One of the many advantages of being headmaster is the ability to Apparate in and out of Hogwarts," Dumbledore explained. "Come now, we have lots to do."
They strode forward and climbed up the steps of the bank, nodding to the goblins who stood on guard on either side of the doors. As Harry looked around, everyone seemed nervous. They spoke in hushed tones and avoided eye contact.
"Do people seem… different to you?" Harry asked hesitantly.
"Indeed. The news of Voldemort's return has frightened many people. The first war was terrifying, and many people fear that it is happening again."
Their conversation ended as they reached the front desk.
"Hello, we are here to meet with Director Ripfang. We have an appointment," said Dumbledore respectfully. The goblin eyed them carefully, trying to discern if they were who they said they were.
"Very well," the goblin said after a long moment. "Follow me." He hopped down from his seat and began walking down the hall into the depths of Gringotts, not waiting to see if Harry and Dumbledore were following.
The pair quickly walked after him. After a few minutes, they arrived at a door with a sign that read Director Ripfang. The goblin knocked and opened the door to reveal a dimly lit office. At the desk in the center of the room was seated a mean looking goblin.
"Chief Warlock, Mr. Potter, I've been expecting you," said the goblin in a snarky tone. "Sit down." The pair walked in and sat down while the door closed behind them.
"There are many things that need to be discussed today," the goblin said.
Dumbledore's eyes widened slightly before he said, "Pardon. I thought this appointment was of Sirius Black's will."
The goblin looked at Dumbledore and replied, "Yes that was the main reason, but as Mr. Potter is here, we need to sort out the Main Potter Vaults."
Dumbledore nodded before the goblin looked at Harry and started speaking, "Now Mr. Potter as you have become Chief Warlock's apprentice you have become an emancipated minor. This means that the tracing charm put on your wand by the ministry is taken off and you can become the Lord of your house. Now then Mr. Potter put 3 drops for your blood on this parchment."
Ripfang handed Harry the parchment and after Harry had put 3 drops of his blood writing appeared on the parchment.
Name: Harry James Potter
Fathers Name: James Charlus Potter
Mothers Name: Lily Violette Potter (née Black)
Paternal Grandfather: Charlus Potter
Paternal Grandmother: Dorea Potter (née Black)
Maternal Grandfather: Alphard Black
Maternal Grandmother: Violette Black (née Rosier)
Age: 15
Date of Birth: 31st July 1980
Lord of:
The Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter (Birthright)
The Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black (Birthright)
The Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Peverell (Last Potter)
Assets of The Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter:
1,345,678,969 galleons
256,789,124 sickles
153,864,829 knuts
73% Shares of Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands – Since 382 B.C
71% Shares of Flourish and Blotts
70% Shares of 3 Broomsticks
65% Shares of Quality Quidditch Suppliers
60% Shares of Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions
55% Shares of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor
23 other Shares below 50%
30% Shares of Apple
28% Shares of Alphabet
23% Shares of Microsoft
Many heirlooms and artifacts in Potter Manor and Potter Vault
Property owned by The Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter:
Potter Manor
Houses in England, New York, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Melbourne, Paris, Berlin
Apartments on rent in in London, New York, Hong Kong, Moscow
Assets of The Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black:
3,145,238,189 galleons
536,765,143 sickles
335,668,493 knuts
Many Shops in Diagon Alley and Muggle London
Many Heirlooms and Black Library in Black Vault
Property owned by The Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black:
12 Grimmauld Place
Black Manor
Houses in London, New York, Moscow, Los Angles, Melbourne, Dubai, Abu Dhabi
Apartments on rent in in London, New York, Hong Kong, Dubai
Assets of The Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Peverell:
0 galleons
0 sickles
0 knuts
0 shops
Many Heirlooms and Peverell Library in Peverell Vault
Property owned by The Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Peverell:
None
The room was silent for several minutes as they attempted to process what they were reading.
"What?" Harry finally said. "My mom's maiden name is Evans! She was a muggleborn!"
"Apparently not," Dumbledore said, a look of intense curiosity on his face. "I wonder…" he said mysteriously.
"What?" Harry demanded impatiently.
"I remember Alphard Black and Violetta Rosier from their days at Hogwarts. They were good friends, but the Black Family and the Rosier Family were at war during those days. However, it seems as if they maintained a secret, forbidden relationship the entire time," mused Dumbledore.
"Who are they?" demanded Harry.
"Alphard Black was Sirius' uncle – a good man, if I may say so. Shortly after graduated Hogwarts, he left to travel the world for several years. Violetta Rosier was an intelligent, ambitious, yet sweet girl. She belonged to the Rosier family – a notoriously dark family that feuded with the Blacks for almost a century, until Alphard's brother, Cygnus, married Druella Rosier and ended the feud. If I remember correctly, she also left to travel the world after graduating from Hogwarts. It seems that they ran off together without their families' knowledge."
"Oh, how I love pureblood customers!" said Ripfang besides them in apparent glee. "There is always so much intrigue and drama!"
Dumbledore chuckled at the goblin's antics. "Indeed, it appears that Mr. Potter here is not a half-blood, but a pureblood. What more can you tell us about Alphard Black and Violetta Rosier?" he asked Ripfang.
"Alphard Black was born April 15, 1940 and died September 15, 1977. Violetta Rosier was born March 8, 1940 and died January 30, 1960."
"Incredible…" Dumbledore muttered. "Violetta died the same day your mother was born, Harry. She must have died giving birth to your mother. If I recall, Alphard was the one who found Violetta's body! The Rosiers assumed that he had killed her, which only made the feud between the families worse! But it seems he didn't kill her… He was there because she was giving birth to their daughter!" exclaimed Dumbledore.
"But why did my mother grow up with the Evans?" asked Harry, still confused and lost.
"I can only guess. The two people who truly knew are dead. However, I believe that after Violetta died, Alphard must have given Lily to a muggle family to be raised. The Blacks and Rosiers hated each other bitterly, and perhaps he believed that Lily would not be accepted by either family. Or perhaps he did not want her growing up as a Black. We may never know the real reason."
Harry began thinking back to the Black family tapestry hanging in 12 Grimmauld Place. "Wait," he exclaimed, "wasn't Alphard disowned by Sirius' mother?"
"She may have burned him off the family tapestry," Ripfang said suddenly, "but he was never officially disowned by Lord Black. According to our records, he died as a full member of the Black Family."
"It is no wonder the Black family magic accepted you," Dumbledore said. "You have Black blood on both sides of your family!"
"So does this mean Petunia is not really my aunt?" asked Harry suddenly.
Dumbledore gave Harry a pensive look. "That is correct, my boy. I always wondered why Lily and Petunia looked so different…"
Dumbledore asked, "Why does the Peverell House have no money? Where is the Potter Manor? And is Harry the heir for the Rosier House?"
Ripfang said, "When the Potter House absorbed the Peverell House the money was transferred to the Potter accounts. As for the Potter Manor when Charlus Potter and Dorea Potter (née Black) were assassinated by Death Eaters the Potter Manor enabled its security wards, went into lockdown and hid itself from the world. The only way you can reach it is by using the Lord Ring. And Mr. Potter is not the heir for the Rosier House because there are two heirs, if both of them die then Harry can become the heir and Lord of the Rosier house. But that will not be possible as the two brothers moved to American as soon as Voldemort came back."
Harry asked, "What is the Peverell House?" with a look of confusion on his face.
Ripfang sighed and said, "The Peverell House is an old family whose last daughter married into the Potter family. After that the Peverell house had no Lord till now. As there are no more Potters left and you are the last Potter you are also Lord Peverell. Now Mr. Potter would like to become the Lord of these Houses?"
Harry nodded and Ripfang produced 3 boxes out of nowhere. He then opened the middle box to show the Potter Lord Ring with the Potter Family Crest made in the middle. Ripfang then said, "Now Mr. Potter put the Potter Ring on your right hands middle finger."
Harry nodded and put the ring on and he felt the ring bond with himself. Ripfang nodded in approval and motioned to Harry to put the Black Lord Ring on, with the Black Family Crest in the middle, his right hands index finger. And to finally put the Peverell Lord Ring on his left hands index finger.
"Now then you have become the Lord of 3 Houses. With this you will gain some power." Ripfang paused to see both of the humans listening to him. "Now normally there are 3 types of houses in the Wizengamot. 1st types of houses are those without the Most Ancient and Noble or Most Ancient and Most Noble House in it. For example, the House of Roseberry. Houses like these grant 1 vote. Houses with Most Ancient and Noble grant 2 votes. For example, the Most Ancient and Noble House of Peverell. And houses with Most Ancient and Most Noble grant 3 votes. For example, Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. You Mr. Potter have 3 houses with Most Ancient and Most Noble. This gives you a total of 9 votes in the Wizengamot."
Dumbledore smiled with amusement in his eyes after seeing Harry's face. Ripfang then questions, "Now you need to decide what you will be called Mr. Potter. Will you be called Lord Potter, Lord Black or Lord Potter-Black?"
Harry asked, "Do I have to choose one? Can't I stay Mr. Potter?"
Ripfang shook his head and said, "No Mr. Potter. You must have Lord as it will show that you are a pureblood houses leader."
Harry sighed and said, "I will be Lord Potter-Black"
Ripfang nodded and wrote something down on a parchment and then said, "Now Lord Potter-Black what are your instructions for the heirlooms and libraries."
Harry thought for a moment and said, "I want both libraries of the Black and Peverell families to be joined with the Potter library in the Potter Manor."
Ripfang nodded and said, "As soon the Potter Manor comes out of lockdown then the libraries will be transported to the Potter Manor. And the Grimoires will be placed behind the table and chair in the library."
Harry got a questioning look on his face and said, "What is a Grimoire?"
"A Grimoire is a book which contains the houses spells and rituals. Being the Lord of the House means learning those spells and rituals which you will need to." Said Dumbledore.
Ripfang nodded and said, "Another thing you must know is I will be managing your accounts Lord Potter-Black. Your trust account will be closed and you will have 3 accounts. 1 of the Potter families, 1 of the Black families and 1 of the Peverell families. That is all Lord Potter-Black. You can leave now, unless you have any other business."
Harry nodded and said in perfect Gobbledegook, "May your gold flow forever".
Ripfang's eyes widended before he said in Gobbledegook, "May your enemies fall by your blade and your vault fill with gold."
Harry and Dumbledore left the room. As they walked down the hall, Dumbledore chuckled and said, "I said that we would be making waves. It seems, however, that I underestimated the size of those waves. What happened today will cause a massive disruption within the Wizengamot and the Ministry, something that we must be ready to capitalize on."
Harry nodded, not truly understanding the full meaning of what Dumbledore was saying. Before they could reach the lobby of the bank, however, they a goblin caught them from behind.
"Lord Potter Black, Chief Warlock, Ripfang wishes to see you again. They said it is urgent," wheezed the goblin.
"Thank you for returning," said Ripfang. "It seems there is another important order of business."
"What would that be?" asked Harry.
Ripfang smiled and handed him another stack of papers. "A marriage contract, Lord Potter Black…"
Harry was speechless. "A marriage contract? What is that?" he asked. He looked over at Dumbledore, who had a look of surprise on his face. After a moment, he recovered and glanced at Harry.
"A marriage contract is when two families write an agreement to bind together a member of each family in marriage," answered Professor Dumbledore. "It is a very antiquated custom. I do not think any marriage contracts have been written in the last century."
"You are correct, Chief Warlock," said Griphook, who was still in the room. "Gringotts has not recorded a new marriage contract in over a hundred years. However, it appears that the marriage contract involving Lord Potter Black was written centuries ago by the Black family."
"Who is the contract with?" asked Harry, already dreading the answer.
Ripfang spoke up. "The contract was signed by the Black family and the Greengrass family in 1683. However, I believe the contract now applies to a Ms. Daphne Alexis Greengrass."
Daphne Greengrass… The name was familiar to him. He thought of his classmates at Hogwarts and immediately remembered where he had heard the name.
"Daphne Greengrass, she's a Slytherin in my year, isn't she?" he asked, looking at Dumbledore for confirmation.
"Indeed she is," replied Dumbledore with a curious look on his face. "What a fascinating turn of events!"
"What does this mean for me?" Harry asked as he began to panic.
"It means that you must marry Ms. Greengrass by your 18th birthday," said Ripfang succinctly.
"And what if I don't?" asked Harry defiantly.
"Then you will lose your magic, become a Squib, and quite possibly die a painful death," answered Ripfang with a smirk on his face.
"How did this happen to me? I didn't sign any contract!" Harry protested.
"The contract was signed by the then Lord Black, who made it binding on all members of the family. By becoming Lord Black just now, you became an official member of the family and accepted all duties, responsibilities, contracts, and liabilities that might come with it," explained Ripfang. "The Black family magic has made it binding upon you."
At this point, Harry was in full blown panic mode. He didn't know Daphne Greengrass well, but he did not want to be forced into a contract against his wishes.
"How can I get out of the contract? Is there a buy out or something?" pleaded Harry, hoping for a miracle.
"Unfortunately, no, there are no buyouts and no escape clauses. You may peruse the contract and see for yourself, but it seems to be an ironclad contract," summarized Ripfang.
To Harry, it seemed like the whole world seemed to be crashing down.
"Why now? Why did no one fulfil this contract during the last 300 years?" asked Harry angrily.
"It was never fulfilled because the conditions of the contract were never met," explained Ripfang. "It seems that this contract acted as an emergency fallback in case the future of the Black and Greengrass families was ever threatened. In order for the contract to be activated, one of the families has to have no male heirs, and the family without a male heir has to have a daughter born within a year of a male of the other family. The Greengrass family only has two daughters, while you are the only surviving male in the Black family. In addition, you and Ms. Greengrass were born 9 months apart, fulfilling the stipulations of the contract. Over the past centuries, many pureblood families, including the Black and Greengrass families, have grown smaller and smaller in number, until they have become what they are today."
Harry put his head in his hands and sighed deeply. It seemed like there was no way out. He would look through the contract, but he doubted he would find anything. If the goblins could not find a way, he doubted he could.
"You said we have to marry by my 18th birthday," Harry said. "Does the contract say anything else?"
"I will have to read the contract in more depth," explained Ripfang. "The contract was just barely brought to my attention. However, I do know that you will be required to give your second son the surname of Greengrass."
"Second son?" asked Harry in surprise. "It specifies how many children we have to have?"
"I am not sure," admitted Ripfang. "Some old contracts do contain such specificity. However, this contract might just require you to give the surname of Greengrass to your second son if you do have a second son."
Harry was beginning to panic again when he felt Dumbledore's hand on his shoulder. He looked questioningly at the headmaster.
"Control your emotions," Dumbledore said simply. Harry nodded, trying to get himself under control. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and cleared his mind of all thoughts. Slowly, the panic and worry faded away into the background. He opened his eyes calmly and saw Dumbledore smiling proudly at him.
"That, my boy, is basic occlumency," said Dumbledore. Harry looked at him in surprise. Dumbledore's theory was right. Clearing his mind had once been incredibly difficult for him. Now, it seemed to come naturally to him. His new latent abilities were beginning to shine through.
With his emotions under control, he turned back to the goblins.
"Ripfang, are there any other portions of the contract that I should be aware of?" he asked. Outwardly, he now seemed cool and collected. Inside, he was marveling at the total mood shift he had just undergone after clearing his mind. In that moment, he realized how much of an impact the soul fragment was beginning to have on him.
Ripfang shook his head. "Beyond the standard fidelity clause, there is nothing else."
Harry nodded, but decided to ask Dumbledore about the fidelity clause later.
"Very well. Will Gringotts be notifying Ms. Greengrass about the contract, or does that responsibility fall to me?" he asked.
"Gringotts will notify the Greengrass family about the activation of the contract and the basic details of the contract, but nothing more. It is your responsibility to enter in contact with Ms. Greengrass in preparation for the execution of the contract," Ripfang explained.
"Execution of the contract? You mean the wedding?" Harry clarified.
"Precisely," said the goblin simply.
Harry mentally snorted in amusement. Leave it to a goblin to describe a wedding as the execution of a contract.
Suddenly, Dumbledore spoke up. "One more thing before we leave. Lord Potter Black will be needing a money pouch connected to his accounts."
"Of course," Ripfang said. He reached into his desk and pulled out a nondescript black bag, which he handed to Harry. "Any money taken from this pouch will be automatically withdrawn from the liquid assets in your vaults. In addition, we are providing you with a muggle debit card that will also draw from your accounts."
Harry nodded in understanding. He and Dumbledore rose and walked out of the office. Fortunately, they were not stopped by any other goblins this time. They reached the bank's entrance and stepped out into Diagon Alley.
"Before we return to Hogwarts," Dumbledore said, "there is one more thing we need to take care of."
Harry raised an eyebrow, motioning him to continue.
"I am an old, senile old man. I can get away with wearing eccentric robes in strange colors," Dumbledore explained. "You, however, are a young man, attempting to gain power and influence. You need to dress the part. I understand that much of your clothing came from your cousin. However, you have more than enough money to purchase clothing that reflects the man you truly are."
"You want me to shop for clothes?" Harry asked in absolute disbelief.
"Precisely!" Dumbledore exclaimed. "But we must do so quickly. We still have things to do back at the castle!"
Harry shook his head in amusement. Never in a million years could he have imagined that one day, he would be shopping for clothes with Dumbledore.
They quickly walked to Madam Malkin's, ignoring the stares all around them. Madam Malkin immediately recognized them as they walked into the store and came to help them.
"Mr. Potter, Professor Dumbledore, how may I help you?" she asked.
"Lord Potter-Black here needs a new wardrobe," Dumbledore said, looking at Harry. The shopkeeper's eyes went wide at the information. Harry himself was surprised that Dumbledore was using Harry's full title already.
"Yes," Harry said quickly. "I need four sets of acromantula silk dress robes. Please inscribe each robe with the coats of arms of the Potter, Peverell, Black and families. In addition, I need 8 sets of everyday robes, also made of acromantula silk, also with the same coats of arms."
Madam Malkin nodded in understanding, shocked that Harry had included the Peverell family as well. "I can have that done in a few hours," she said.
"That will be fine," Harry said. "Also, I appreciate your discretion in this matter." He did not want her telling anyone about his new titles just yet. She nodded and hurried off to begin work.
At his side, Dumbledore nodded his approval. "While we are waiting, let us venture into the muggle world in order to find some regular clothing," he suggested.
Harry agreed. They headed for the Leaky Cauldron. Just before they stepped out into muggle London, Dumbledore transfigured his robes into an old suit. They stepped out of the Leaky Cauldron and just down the street, they found a Harold's department store. Knowing they only had an hour; Harry began to shop quickly. He quickly found a number of pants, T shirts, button up shirts, and shoes that he liked. However, he was drawn to the suits. After trying on several, he selected four high end suits. Dumbledore smiled in approval when he saw the suits.
"Very fashionable," he said. "I have always enjoyed certain aspects of muggle fashion much more than wizarding fashion," he admitted. "Perhaps you will be the one to make suits fashionable in the wizarding world."
Quickly, Harry paid for the items. It was a large sum, but Harry knew he had much larger amounts in his vaults. They hurried out of the store and back to Diagon Alley to pick up his new robes. He paid Madam Malkin for the robes, left the store, and grabbed Dumbledore's hand as he apparated them back to Hogwarts.