Welcome Home, Wolf King:
A week had passed. It was now the beginning of August and the day had arrived.
Harry slowly left the Church as the service came to an end. He walked back rather slowly and recollect his thoughts. Little did he know that many of the clergy and the Father at his church had identified him. Lilly Potter during the wizarding war had explained to Father Nathaniel about the Wizarding World and the possibility of her death. Father Nathaniel had promised her, that if Harry had found himself on the doorstep of the Church that he would reach out to the boy. It was with great pleasure that Father Nathaniel looked at Harry slowly walking down the road. It had not been a moment's glance, and he knew by the boy's eyes. The boy's eyes were full of magic or as Father Nathaniel called it, God's gift. Today would make it approximately seven months he had been in attendance. Father Nathaniel hoped that the boy would continue with his regularity.
Harry arrived home and got dressed. He slipped on a jet black leather pants and then his knee-high boots. Afterwards, a black goth styled top, banded with straps and chains was buttoned. Finally, the robe followed. He then pulled the hood on his head. He looked at himself in the mirror. This was where he was pleasantly surprised. Harry realised that he had put on some size. He filled up the robe completely and his arms were just snug enough. Between the Forerunner decals, the animated atom and the arcing circles, Harry looked like a Warhammer 40K Tech-Priest. However, instead of the famous red colour, he was now sporting all black. Between the little extras like cloth faulds, the embellishments on the forearms, the presence of a thick studded belt at the waistline and the general slender fit, everything made the whole affair look like Harry was on his way to a movie scene. To finish the look, Harry slipped on his black leather gloves. He then placed a null-box apparition bracelet into his pocket and grabbed his wand. He texted Hermione and she quickly responded that the mask was ready. Harry then called out to Grace.
"Oi Gracie, time to go Wolf hunting. Hermione first. Mask pickup."
Grace nodded and sat on his shoulder. The lightning crackled and Harry found himself in Hermione's living room with a surprised Jean Granger staring at him. Hermione who knew exactly where the influences had come from, examined the complete outfit closely.
"Well, that is certainly the Mechanicus meets Commander Shepard there. Fantastic. I like how modern and slim the robe looks. Mum was helping me clean up and I decided to accent the mask, take a look. The edges really pop with the darkened lines." Hermione replied.
The mask looked spectacular. Harry took the mask and switched on all the extras. The vocoder was now running and the lighted eye sockets along with the edges that were illuminated by the EL wire made the mask look menacing look.
"Aunty Jean as you are taller than both of us, help me get this strapped up." Harry requested. Jean removed Harry's hood and place the mask on Harry's face. She buckled the mask and when Harry had nodded that he was comfortable, she slipped the hood on his face. Harry began to walk towards a nearby mirror and checked himself out.
Perfect.
He suffused magic into his voice and said with an imperious tone that would leave most purebloods sounding like a squeaky rubber ducky…
"I am Lord Peverell. Kneel before magical might. Kneel to technological supremacy. Kneel to the artificers!"
Hermione understood that Harry was all business this morning. Not even James Earl Jones, who had voiced the legendary Darth Vader, possess the intimidation factor that dripped off Harry. Suddenly, Harry in his normal voice said:
"Well, do I sound like I have a stick up where the light doesn't shine?"
It was at this point Hermione and Jean chortled. Harry was so colourful sometimes. He now considered himself adequately prepared and he then said aloud to Grace,
"Apparate me to the side street closest to Gringotts. Let us see how Wizarding England likes my robes. As soon as you apparate me to the side street, go directly to the Potter Accounts Lobby and wait until Bloodaxe lets you in his office."
Harry then felt the lightning surround him and found himself on a darkened side street. It was quite empty. Grace immediately summoned her lightning again and was easily inside Gringotts. Harry took a deep breath and ensured that his cloak was well over his face. He began to walk quickly towards Gringotts. Harry wanted to make the impression that he was storming into the bank, and there was much whispering as Harry walked towards the entrance.
The robes were so well fitted and stylish that many people stood still to admire the craftsmanship. The Atom and the Arithmantic points continued to animate themselves as they gave life to the robes. Many people attempted to get a look at the face – and those who had gotten a look began to scream. They assumed that Harry was some type of spectre or banshee.
Harry enjoyed the commotion.
It was at this point that Harry stepped in Gringotts. Unbeknownst to him, the Goblins had heard about the Master Crafted items and the large amount of gold he had acquired. The large sapphire that he had found only served to put him in the good books of the Goblins. As soon they saw the cloaked figure walk into the bank, they already knew that Lord Peverell was here today to conduct very important business. The Peverell House crest had become famous for its singular atom, which was far different from anything else. Harry walked right up to Sharpsand, and with utter fluidity, removed his right glove and spoke loudly and clearly, with the robotic voice filling the bank Lobby.
"Well met master Goblin. I hope you grind your enemies into dust and use their blood to manufacture paint for your dwelling. May your profits allow you to goldplate all your possessions. Take me to my banker, please. Familicus Magicus."
Both the Potter and Peverell rings appeared on the exposed hands. The goblin smiled and nodded. Sharpsand very much enjoyed the clothes and mask. And the voice? It had forced the whole lobby to become silent. Harry discretely pulled down his hood a little so that the mask could be seen clearly. As the security goblins opened the door to let Harry in, he made sure to walk slowly almost as if to prove that the Goblins would not tell him anything. And they did not say a word. As far as they were concerned, they were enjoying the show. After all, Harry was sometimes a drama queen.
It was indeed a fortunate day. The Lobby was filled with Lord Malfoy, Lord Nott, Lord Parkinson, Lord Crabbe and Lord Goyle. They had spent the morning catching up and remembering their glory days. The new player on the scene was now being discussed, as they observed Harry. They had always believed that they were intimidating. That was until they witnessed the exchange, the robes, the voice and the mask and suddenly felt threatened. This person was powerful enough to give them competition? His iconography and his appearance were so alien to them that they had no idea what to do. Even they had to admit that he certainly had style and flair. It had not gone unnoticed that the boy was young and a full Lord. He seemed to be comfortable with his house magic and he possessed his Lord's ring. However, he had not given his name. This was rather odd. Why would a young Lord not take delight in his name and his power? The boy did not seem to be a member of the sacred 28 either. They decided to wait a short distance outside Gringotts with the hope of speaking to him if only to low key threaten him. Of course, this opportunity would not arrive.
"Lucius, is that your possible competitor?" asked Lord Parkinson.
"It has to be? I have conflicting reports. Rumours are that he makes half as much as myself. My informants on other places are telling me that my entire salary is being spent on wand cores" answered Lucius.
"Maybe he is a redistributor. Not a local?" asked Lord Goyle.
"Perhaps. Let us invite him for dinner and see if we can unravel his motivations? If he is sympathetic to our aims, I would not mind Pansy for him. He already knows our ways and he is aligned to the darkness, I can tell." suggested Lord Parkinson.
"What if he is a mud-blood or a half-blood. Foreign ancestry isn't pure as our local lineages in England. Let us make no assumptions." Lord Nott stated.
"Perhaps he is a Wand Maker? He would be worth knowing. If his wands are like the clothes he wears, we might get better quality than Lord Ollivander. Why should we buy wands at the same places as mudbloods? Their stink is still inside that store!" muttered Lord Crabbe.
Meanwhile, Ophelia and Cyrus Greengrass who were also there looked on at the spectacle. Ophelia bent over to whisper in her husband's ears.
"That is the boy I told you about. The last time he was here with an Indian witch. It seems he got a new wardrobe and a new persona. I have always noted that his greetings are well received. Perhaps we should adopt the practice as I think he knows what the Goblins prefer. I must admit, those are fantastic robes. His mask almost looks muggle. I have seen those types of lights in the muggle world. Probably a half-blood perhaps, husband?"
Cyrus nodded. The boy easily looked thirteen but operated almost like an adult. Only time would tell his allegiance. Until then he would wait and see. Cyrus enjoyed how the darker Wizengamot Lords seemed to feel threatened. The boy had done an excellent job at creating mystique and confusion. Yet – Cyrus noticed that the Goblins seemed to like the young man? Almost as if they too were enjoying the show? Cyrus had an excellent relationship with Ironbow, his banker. One thing he knew, was that Goblins did not give respect easily. Cyrus was going to get to the bottom of the greeting that he had heard because it was well-received.
Remus Lupin who had been sitting on a bench in the Lobby knew immediately that this was Lord Peverell. Yet, the wolf in him told him that the Lord could be trusted. Something was familiar, but he could not place a finger on it. Harry walked into Bloodaxe's office. Bloodaxe was surprised by the total makeover that Harry had undergone and grinned in his trademark smirk.
"I see you hope to use all your guile today! Any preparations before we call Mr Lupin in?"
Harry replied, with the vocoder active "Hey, we should have a pensive here, right? How do I get my memories into it?"
Bloodaxe replied "Just focus on your memories and point the tip of your wand to your temple. Then imagine you dragging your memories out of your mind. Intent."
Harry considered this knowledge and actively shaped the magic as he applied it to his memories. Immediately a series of wispy white substances left his head and began to enter the pensive. He emptied the compartment in his mind and the pensive came alive.
"Summon him. Time to get the show on the road." Harry said aloud. Bloodaxe then asked Griphook to summon Remus Lupin and Harry rearranged the chairs so that they faced each other. He waited anxiously as he nudged Grace to sit on his shoulder.
Remus Lupin walked into the room. It was at this moment Harry felt a lot of emotion well up in him. This was his Unca Moona. Harry prayed to God and Lady Magic above that everything would go as planned.
Lilly and James stood beyond the Veil and looked closely at the entire situation. Lilly has been monitoring Harry's entire morning and was pleased to see her son attending church. She was quite aware that Father Nathaniel knew about Harry.
She had observed the clothes and the mask. She had to admit that Harry was truly stylish. He looked like an utter behemoth. James looked on nervously. Harry had proven that he had an acid tongue during the water bottle practice session, approximately two weeks ago. He hoped his son would not maul Remus too badly.
Harry decided to lead the negotiations, with his mask and his vocoder doing all the work for him.
"Well met Wolf King, Remus Lupin. I am Aventine Artificer Lord Hadrian Peverell."
Harry then became silent and then Grace on cue stared at Remus long enough to make him uncomfortable.
Remus replied in a mildly unsure voice, "Well met Lord Peverell, I am indeed Remus Lupin. Is that a phoenix?" he replied, to soften the conversation.
Harry replied in a rather casual voice "I wasn't aware we were here to discuss my familiar. I fail to see the relevance of that enquiry. But perhaps if it will comfort you, yes this is Grace. She certainly is my phoenix."
Harry had decided that the mask and voice were probably giving off death eater vibes and Lupin was probably not pleased that he could not gaze into his eyes. Harry was quite sure that Remus disliked having no control of the situation. Meanwhile, the other man was utterly confused. Remus had never seen robes or heard a voice like this before. He was also quite unpleased that a young man seemed to have him in an utter vice grip. And his voice? It was full of authority. The smell coming off the young man – he was enjoying this. This was amusing to him. Remus decided to collect more information before saying anything.
"I come today to offer you information that I believe will be useful. As agreed in our correspondence, I will give my oath first as a sign of good faith."
Harry took out his wand and Remus carefully observed the master-crafted object. This was no Ollivander creation. It looked potent. Remus looked on, cautiously. Phoenixes were creatures of the light and it was unlikely that he was evil. Perhaps he was naturally secretive?
Harry continued:
"I Lord Hadrian Peverell swear upon my magic and Lady Hecate herself that the purpose of today's negotiations is to decide if you are worthy of being a part of Harry Potter's life. I give you my solemn vow that I am currently working towards Harry Potter's happiness, I work towards absolutely no ulterior cause besides Harry Potter's benefit, I understand Harry Potter's issues intimately and I can verify the experiences about the Dark Lord via Pensieve. All information revealed during our negotiation is genuine. Can you handle the truth Wolf King? What if it is unpalatable? We will see if your mental constitution is as good as your physical strength. Harry Potter has suffered untold amounts of pain and injuries. We will see.
Lumos!"
It was at this point that Remus became comfortable. Remus had not believed that the offer of an oath was real. He began to scratch the stubble on his face, almost as if he was collecting his thoughts. Suddenly his face flashed a moment with a brilliant smile, and then it reverted to a questioning look.
"I see you have many questions. Speak your mind." Harry replied.
"I find myself wondering who I am speaking to. You have me at a disadvantage here." Remus replied, hoping to level the playing field. "You must understand I have carried much pain in my heart when my brother and sister died at the hands of Lord Voldemort."
Suddenly there was a pause in the old man's monologue.
"And I blamed Sirius Black! You are telling me you can prove otherwise? I do not doubt your ability to give an oath. It is that on my end, it is such a painful thing to be revealed. I have been in a place where hope sometimes causes more pain, when you must deal with the reality of disappointment down the road." Lupin replied in a rather sad voice that almost made Harry's chest crack open.
"Very well. The Peverell Family is unknown because the Lordship was reclaimed not too long ago. But I do think you are familiar with our artefacts. Have you ever heard of the Deathstick?" Harry questioned.
"That Deathstick? I thought that was only a myth. Unless your lineage is the creator of it? No that cannot be!" Lupin said with awe in his voice.
"Oh, you poor man. Yes, truly the Deathstick was created by Glaucon Peverell, my great ancestor. Indeed, along with the Death Cloak and the Death Stone, the Tales of the Beedle the Bard call them the Deathly Hallows. Supposedly, three objects made a person the master of death.
What a fucking titanic amount of rubbish. Wizards should gossip less and think more. Those skullfucks have nothing between their motherfucking ears!"
Bloodaxe winced. Yep, Harry Potter was in full sailor mode this morning.
"All that is born must die. Nature mandates it. Perhaps you can prolong your existence but as atoms and molecules march towards entropy, nature cares not for the pathetic ambitions of man."
It was at this point that Remus Lupin became spellbound. Harry had been channelling Priya's teacher energy.
"In any case, I have many newer objects that are on the way to changing the Wizarding world. My relation to the Potters is simple. The Invisibility cloak that James possessed is indeed a Peverell Heirloom that was gifted to Lucretia Peverell who married Marcus Pottarius some odd five centuries ago. Think about your lovely jaunts around Hogwarts as students. Why do you think you were never caught? The cloak is of outstanding quality. Not even a Dementor could find you under that cloak.
The Peverell clan were so powerful that they outfitted the very founders of Hogwarts with their final set of wands. It was Invictus Peverell that taught the first Ollivander. It was also the Peverell Lordship that was responsible for contributing millions of galleons in the late 1400s when the other 'Purebloods' did not dream to exist. Bloodaxe can verify, that the Peverell Lineage has always been one of the highest priority accounts in Magical England, that got the financial system started.
We are magical might personified. But make no mistake, the Peverell standing before you is very much half-blood. My motto is that the Peverell clan will represent both Magical and Technological supremacy. We welcome the monkeys that inhabit magical England to the 21st century to kneel to superior intellect. Bloodaxe, can you produce the Potter's will for me. James Potter. Let him see it with his own eyes."
Harry had wondered if Remus would be more interested in Sirius or him. This was the test. Lupin's face took on a look of pure anguish but then he contained his emotions and whispered in a croaky voice…
"No, Harry first! I Remus Lupin swear on my magic that I have always loved Harry like my own. I always tried to find him after he was sent away. Albus Dumbledore did not ever reveal the location where he stayed. I tried looking in the muggle world, but I had no idea where to start. I have begged long enough. Dumbledore promised me, he would be safe. I want to know what happened to him. I promise to honour all your conditions of silence and I can vow I have not told anyone anything of our correspondence. I am willing to pay any price, even my eternal servitude to see Harry.
Lumos!" Remus replied with tears in his eyes.
"Good man. I promise you this. All will be well. Harry is no longer in danger. He has a wonderful extended family who took the broken pieces and made him better than whole. But come, let us see some of his memories."
Bloodaxe fetched the pensive. Soon afterwards, Harry and Remus dived in.
They all silently watched Harry suffer from long chores, mental abuse, physical abuse and generally being ignored. They observed as Harry struggled to communicate because he had not been socialised properly. They observed the cold damp cupboard that Harry Lupin resided in – and Remus teared up as they heard Harry often asked what he did wrong, in the total encompassing darkness. The cold, always being hungry and running for his life at school were his existence. His cousin Dudley was a terror and a bully, and the preferred child within the household.
Remus watched Harry struggle to use hammers. Sometimes he would hit his fingers and break his bones. Yet the next day he would be ready to go and his body would heal. They observed as he learnt to use power tools, splice wires and do a lot of plumbing. They watched as his hair stood up in rebellion against Petunia's scissors. They looked at his trips to the grocery and felt his fear as he forced himself to read to avoid punishment. They observed his resourcefulness and his high alertness - something was always out to get him. Yet his flower beds were immaculate, and he was proud of them.
They also observed how much he liked his books and how when he read, he was taken away to far places. They observed his pain as all he wanted were small gifts for his birthday and Christmas. They watched as he was lied to - his mother was a prostitute and his father a drunk. They had died in a car crash. They felt his general worthlessness as he questioned reality itself in his darkest hours.
And then the foulest memory arrived.
Lupin observed as Vernon Dursley walked into the cupboard one evening holding a long metal stick. He observed Harry being beaten to death. The screaming was followed by a fading into his mindscape. They felt the entire war occur as Harry and some foul creature played tug of war for his body. Lupin could barely tolerate the echo of the pain in the memory. They saw a homunculus of Lord Voldemort, as Voldemort took form.
Somewhere in the general darkness, the mood changed. Harry Potter's blood had run cold. Harry was taking the bastard with him. The essence of Harry potter felt like rebellion. He had decided that his mind and his body were his own.
Then the pièces de resistance had arrived. Harry summoned an utter behemoth and lumbered towards the Dark Lord. They watched as Harry savagely put down one of the Darkest Lords in recent history like a rabid animal. They watched the eventual dismemberment before in a rather prophetic turn of events. Harry killed Voldemort by burning him to a crisp.
"Kill the heretic. Burn in Holy Fire!"
This sentence had ended the affair as the individuals arrived back, in the room. Lupin was crying long tears. He had always suspected that Harry had suffered but this? This was too much pain for an adult to bear and yet the boy stood as a master of his fate. After Lupin had composed himself, Harry spoke:
"So, Remus Lupin see how the boy has suffered. Where was the great Albus Dumbledore? Why did you leave the safety of Harry Potter to his brutish relatives? Why did Albus Dumbledore allow Harry to suffer such titanic abuse and then a momentary death? Do you think Albus Dumbledore deserves to be part of this conversation?" Harry intoned in his most snobbish voice.
It was at this point that the eyes and Remus Lupin glowed a feral yellow and fangs grew out of his mouth. He let a snarl out before his face returned to normal. He spoke
"Name any price. Any price. I will pay whatever you ask. All I want to do is see Harry. Please? I beg of you. Anything."
Harry paused and said "I do not require nothing as Lord Peverell. But I think Harry Potter would require your help. Not only as an uncle figure to care for him but as someone who can provide tuition. I have it on good authority that Harry wants nothing to do with the magical world until he believes he is properly prepared. He has many plans in motion."
Remus Lupin began to pay attention closely.
"He has survived, and he is thriving. So, to that effect, I as Lord Peverell, also swear on my magic and Lady Hecate that if you promise me via oath that you will help Harry Potter with his development, his unfolding of his plans, and also shield him from those who would manipulate his fate, I would be willing to let you meet him, provide evidence of the innocence of Sirius Black and even work towards a solution to get him out of Azkaban.
Lumos!"
Lupin without any hesitation began "I Remus Lupin, bother to James Potter all but in blood, and brother to Lilly Potter in all but blood, swear upon my very magic to help my nephew Harry Potter with whatever he requires no questions asked. I promise to keep everything that has been discussed in this room secret. I also promise to keep anyone, including Albus Dumbledore away from him until he can no longer be threatened or harmed by the machinations of others. I vouch to serve Harry Potter's independence. Let it be so, from this day forward."
It was at this point when Harry took down the hood, Remus began to feel a little more comfortable. Remus was quite pleased to meet Lord Peverell after all this young Lord had promised to seek Harry's interest. Lupin watched closely as the young boy began to unfasten the mask.
That was when Lupin was hit with a sledgehammer. As soon as the Mask came down, Lupin realised to a certain extent, that he had been played like a fiddle. Standing before him was a miniature James. But those eyes, those were Lilly's eyes. But more importantly, the boy easily looked thirteen. And the eyes had a dull but piercing glow. Lupin could sense raw power leaking off the boy. He should have been ten years old this year?
But more importantly, was the big smile on his face. This was a happy Harry. He walked across to where Lupin was standing and hugged him. Lupin had not moved an inch. He was still shell shocked. Harry then began
"Well, in memory of my father how good was the prank? I don't think even the Marauders were that good. I mean you guys were great but are positively toddlers against me. My glorious Unca Moona, welcome home.
By the way, I am Harry."
Remus sat down and began to breathe heavily. Harry sensing that he was stressed, leaned in on his shoulder and began to casually talk while patting his back.
"This is Grace my Phoenix. And yes, I am indeed Lord Hadrian Peverell. But more accurately I will one day become Lord Harry Potter-Peverell. Don't worry about Padfoot, Azkaban won't know what hit them."
It was at this point Remus Lupin was violently sobbing. He leaned over and gently whispered in his ear.
"No forgiveness to ask for. Don't even think about it. You were out of the picture. I do not hold you accountable. I have healed much from those ordeals. Don't think for a moment I will turn you away because of your furry little problem. My mother never judged, and I will not judge you either. You worry if you are good enough? I will decide on that. I am not asking that you stay."
Remus was now looking at Harry with a curious look.
"I am DEMANDING that you stay. I am ORDERING you to say…."
Remus thought to himself, "Like mother, like son."
Harry continued:
"You will come to realise that many other people rose to the challenge to take care of me. We have this fantastic lady here herself, Grace who saved me and healed me. I have an adoptive mother and grandparents. I also have a sister my age, an older sister and an aunt and uncle. And the Goblins have been very kind to me too."
Harry took his thumb and gently wiped away Lupin's tears. Lupin then bear-hugged Harry almost to the point of suffocation and suddenly began to laugh loudly and boisterously. He then said in the gentlest voice:
"Congratulations, you had me good. You are right Harry. We are rank amateurs. It makes my old heart light again to see you. I would ask how you have been, but it seems the answer is terrible for a while but then good enough to string me along. Please tell me what is going on?"
"Bloodaxe, will you read the will for us? Uncle Moony, I do think my prank is over. I do not mean to put you under any more undue stress, but when you find out what I have been up to, you might lose your mind. The truth is stranger than fiction. Perhaps I decided to take inspiration from both my parents," replied Harry.
It was at this point that Harry took out his phone and called Hermione. Lupin could hear some of the conversation.
"Yes, have it ready. Yes, we got him. I will message when to start, I want it warm for him."
Lupin knew what a mobile phone was from his travels but he was distinctly aware it did not work in magical places. Perhaps Harry had modified it? Harry looked at the expression on his face after he hanged up and said "Yes, Uncle Moony, I did modify it. I will show you what I did when we get home."
Bloodaxe then spoke:
"Mr Lupin, it pleases me that you have joined Harry's side. While the goblins do not interfere in Wizarding business, with the oath in effect, I will tell you that we are pushing for a revitalisation of the Wizarding Economy through Harry. You will find that he enjoys a personal relationship with me and our King. Why up to last week Friday, Harry found a sapphire the size of my head and it was presented to Lord Ragnok himself."
Lupin's eyes bulged and his face almost became still. He was waiting for the joke to be revealed. But then Lupin realised that this was no joke.
"Harry's monthly earnings outstrip any Wizard in Europe at least. Not even the Malfoys earn as much. You will also find that while Harry's story has much pain in it, he has truly become an Artificer. He will have to share the story, as it is his to tell. All I will say is most likely, the relationship will be one where you work for him. From what I have seen, if Harry tries to run any more projects he might fall into ill health. I think his work ethic could make Helga Hufflepuff frightened."
It was at this point, that Griphook entered the room with a rather pleased expression on his face. Before he could open his mouth, Harry who was quite observant laughed and said:
"Congratulation on passing the exam Master Griphook. I know the look all too well. If I had to guess you came out on top and you clobbered the competition mercilessly." Harry stated.
"Nothing escapes you, does it Lord Peverell. I did trounce them all. It was a delicious victory. I truly have some good news. I have been sent an updated balance regarding the excavation. Let us just say with the amount of wealth I received at a five per cent assistance fee, you will gain substantially. I also have correspondence for you and some of the small gems for experimentation." replied Griphook.
"Excellent. Harry's immediate associates will require your services. Onwards to the reading of the will." replied Bloodaxe.
The will was then floated into the air and Griphook only read the parts that were relevant to Lupin, although Lupin could easily see the whole document.
To Remus Lupin, I leave you 500,000 Galleons and a safe house that we had initially purchased for Petunia. It is well-fortified and warded. It is my hope that you will use the inheritance to take care of yourself. Do not consider this charity – This is a gift from your brother in magic and in blood. I only ask that you tutor Harry. Teach him what he needs to know Moony. Sharpen his mind, so that it rivals the sharpness of your teeth. Hail the Wolf King.
I request that Sirius Orion Black and Remus Lupin collectively skin Peter Pettigrew alive. We had heard rumours that he had gone dark. We did not believe them. If we are dead - Lilly and I, it means that Peter Pettigrew as our secret keeper, betrayed our location to Lord Moldypants. Remus, the switch was supposed to be the greatest prank ever – I guess it was our greatest demise."
Lupin's face took on a look of pure rage as his irises became golden. He then said "Serves Peter right that Sirius killed him. What now?" he asked Harry.
Harry instantly replied, "Did you see the corpse for yourself – Peter Pettigrew?"
"Well no, of course not" replied Lupin.
"Never assume death until you have a confirmed body. I am operating with the assumption that Pettigrew and Moldypants are alive. And based on my memories, and the fact that Voldemort likes to play with the utterly worst type of magic, it is easy to see how Pettigrew could have been scared into cooperating. Peter doesn't seem too brave. That piece of him in my mind was a piece of him that knew exactly what he was doing. He did something to himself. He plans to come back. When he does, he will show up - he likes to fight. I am going to fuck him over. He, his followers and their sympathisers, I am going to fuck the whole lot of them over."
Bloodaxe then spoke as he reviewed Griphook's ledger book:
"With what was discovered, you now have an additional 4,382,116 galleons from the minting of the gold. The gems are still being calculated. That means Griphook, his guards and myself get a 1,460,705 galleon payday. Ms Granger is now wealthier than many of the Wizarding Houses. Ha! Gringotts took the remaining forty five per cent. That gives us 13,146,345 Galleons. We managed to get 2,000 pounds of gold approximately from the entire haul. If you want to run any more experiments, let me know. They were quite profitable for all of us."
Remus Lupin sat down and listened to the astronomical number of galleons in his possession. The Peverell lineage had a large amount of inherited wealth but what was this excavation? Did Harry dig something and find gold? He would have to wait and see what exactly Harry did in his spare time. It was at this point that Remus understood that Harry knew exactly what he was doing as he issued instructions.
"Double the investments I currently have in the Technology stocks. Acquire an additional twenty per cent in Nimbus. Time to squeeze the rest of the broom manufacturers."
"This I think, will be entertaining? I take it you made many broom innovations?" Bloodaxe asked.
"I did. It is a combination of my mother's research and mine. I am looking for an August rollout for my Stormbolt."
"More profit for you is more success for me!" Bloodaxe laughed.
"About that, I am happy Hermione made some good coin. I could call her. I think she will want to know what she has available to her. I am also interested in seeing the inheritance ritual, considering that mine was so colourful. Might as well get it handled now, time is money after all."
"I like the way you think. Call her as I want to move over her account to Griphook's administration." Bloodaxe replied. Harry then called her on the phone.
"Mione, you busy? We want to sort out your banking, if you are twiddling your thumbs might as well….okay sure…pickup in ten? Yes."
Harry then hanged up.
"She is coming in 10 minutes. Uncle Moony, Hermione is my sister by magic. You can say she is my lab partner too. We met at muggle school. And yes, she is a muggleborn wizard." Harry replied.
"Might I suggest you catch your Uncle up on the events in an abridged manner while Griphook and I will get the inheritance bowl and the documentation ready?" Bloodaxe suggested.
Harry nodded and related to Remus about what happened after that horrible night. He spoke about how Grace had saved his life by helping him force a connection to his magic. He explained that he used his magic wandlessly to subjugate the Dursleys and began working towards improving his conditions. He related meeting a new teacher at school, and how she worked towards healing him. He explained how Hermione had introduced herself in a rather spectacular manner. At this point, Grace sniggered, in her signature set of squeaks and her bobbing head motions.
Lupin realised the phoenix had a sense of humour.
He spoke about the first family dinner and the revelation of who Harry Potter was in the wizarding world. He continued with his first visit to Gringotts, how the inheritance ritual had provided him with access to the Peverell Vault. He clarified his unique portable hideout allowed him to study ahead and cast magic undetected. Finally, he demonstrated some of his spell casting.
Remus was flabbergasted. Harry was approaching Auror fast. Sure, there was still some work to be done but Harry was easily a faster caster than many average seventh year students. He also knew a lot of uncommon modifications. Even he didn't know some of these. More interestingly he seemed to be able to control and shape the magic with intent. This was something Remus as an adult had now begun to explore and his ability was not as defined.
But most surprising was his demonstration of the Protego charm.
"Unlike most wizards, I know some linguistics. I understand how language developed. I was able to reason that spellcasting is intent and words just shape the thought. Observe."
Harry demonstrated the Protego spell and consciously shaped it to whatever form he desired on every recast. He looked at Grace and said, "Time to go."
Grace nodded and disappeared. Harry now had a mischievous smile on his face.
"Well, the only spell I have been having trouble with is the Patronus. I can summon a very strong shield, but I have never had a happy enough memory to summon my protector. I do feel happy right now to see you Uncle Moony. Let this be proof of your acceptance."
Lupin guffawed at this statement. He was casting the Patronus when he should only be powerful enough to change the colour of his hair?
Suddenly a brilliant pure smile overtook Harry's face and he stilled himself. He thought about one day, winning the war and retiring into his personal life to solve world problems such as world hunger and poverty. He also thought about being the first wizard to orbit Jupiter and return home. He had not shared this with anyone - he wanted to go far past the moon. His magic was satisfied. No, he didn't need a happy memory.
He needed an idealistic dream to work towards.
"Expecto Patronum" he whispered gently. Suddenly a large eagle burst forward. It was solid white and large. It evaluated the room, flew around with its giant wings and then alighted on Bloodaxe's desk. Upon examination, the features did not seem too sharp. They were more rounded. The eagle looked at Harry with an almost curious expression. Lupin had never seen a Patronus demonstrate individuality like that.
It was exactly at this time, that Hermione had arrived with Grace, bearing a basket with bottled juice and sandwiches. Hermione looked at Harry and then said "So, upsetting the public as usual. Congratulations on the corporeal Patronus. You finally got a memory then?"
"Yep? More like a dream actually?" grinned Harry.
Hermione then walked over to Lupin and handed him some turkey sandwiches and some cranberry juice. Then to Lupin's surprise, gave him a large warm hug. She spoke,
"Nice to meet you Uncle Moony. You don't know it yet, but I am your new niece. Non-negotiable.
Lupin could feel the wolf growling in contentment. This was his pack. He was home again. Padfoot would eventually join them. The Marauders were being reformed.
"Well met, Bloodaxe and Griphook. May your enemy's skull be used as a desk ornament for holding your quills, and may you have as many gems as there are stars in the night heavens."
"Oh, they just keep getting better and better!" Bloodaxe laughed.
"Don't be bashful. Help yourself to whatever you want, I packed a lot. Although honestly, Harry and I are going to eat most of this and be hungry again in a little bit I think."
Hermione and Harry burst out into peals of laughter as they started to tear through the sandwiches.
"Thank you, Ms Granger, for the food. It hasn't gone unnoticed that your little family seems to be big on feeding people. Harry, Lady Delacour has replied, and she has enclosed a vial. You can read the correspondence when you arrive home or you may read it here if you wish. As Griphook has been successful with examinations. As such I will allow him to perform the inheritance ritual for you. You will be required to cut your palm with a knife, and let the blood drip into the bowl.
"Right, well here we go…" she answered.
Hermione closed her eyes and made a quick cut. While she did not flinch, the discomfort could be seen on her face as the wound slowly healed. The blood once again diffused into the bowl and the text began to swirl on the parchment that was being levitated above the desk. The red ink then began to take form as Griphook read aloud:
Particulars by blood:
Name: Hermione Jean Granger.
Date of Birth: September 19th, 2000.
Mother: Jean Granger nee. Daniels
Father: William John Granger
It was at that point that the red text seemed to fade away….almost like it was busy. And then it stopped.
"Well, doesn't seem I am to inherit anything. But that is okay, I will build everything up from the ground, from scratch. Knowledge is Power." Hermione had replied.
"Give it some time Ms Granger. Let the magic work. We are working through all your possible ancestors." replied Griphook.
The red ink began to almost bubble and it continued to do so for the next ten minutes.
Then the parchment began to display writing again and Griphook smiled. He had been warned not to rush the inheritance ritual. Sometimes the magic would quest back as far back as 20 generations. After all, King Ragnok had touched the girl and he had suspected that she had a magical heritage. He read aloud:
Inheritance
By Blood:
· Dagworth - Granger Estate: as Lady Dagworth-Granger effectively immediately.
· Dagworth - Granger Inheritance: as Lady Dagworth-Granger. Eligible for House Rings, Family Heirlooms and Trust Account, immediately
Inherited Magical Dispositions:
· Paternal Line – Potions, Charms.
It was at this point that the blue text began to coalesce. Bloodaxe laughed. She too was going to have an inheritance ritual very much like Harry Potter.
"Oh, this is the good part. Here it comes." Bloodaxe laughed as Griphook looked on in utter confusion. The text began to swirl into the following:
Particulars by magic:
Name: Hermione Jean Granger.
Date of Birth: September 19th, 2000.
Adoptive Aunt: Master Healer Priya Singh.
Adoptive Brother: Palatine Artificer Lord Hadrian Peverell
Adoptive Sister: Apprentice Retainer Lorna Findlay
Adoptive Grandmother: Amba Singh.
Adoptive Grandfather: Ved Singh.
War Abbot: Battlemaster Dr. William Granger (Father).
In service to: Queen Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of her other realms and territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Advocate: Apprentice Retainer Lorna Findlay
Advocate: Master Muggle Healer Jean Granger
Advocate: Professor Remus Lupin.
Inheritance
By House Magic:
· Le Fey Heirlooms – as Priestess Granger effectively immediately. Eligible for personal notebooks, tools and other artefacts.
· Apprenticeship Sponsor: Baroness Persephone Claus Von Neumann by proxy, on behalf of Enchantress Morgana Le Fay, judged worthy by: Creation of a new rune schema, according to the Genesis Trials.
Inherited Magical Dispositions:
Matrilineal (20+ generations): Runic magic
It was at this point that Lupin began to lose his mind. In under two hours, Harry and his sister had turned his whole world upside down. Judged worthy by someone of Morgana Le Fay's lineage to become a Rune-Priestess? And she already created a new rune schema at her age?
Hermione looked at the plain disbelief on the face of Remus Lupin and said "Don't be too surprised. Harry has Warlock magic. I guess we do things in a big way."
Remus then nodded, in a rather unsure manner. It was at this point that the Statements arrived and Griphook continued to read:
Dagworth-Granger Main Vaults:
Loose Coinage: 713,745 Galleons
Family Heirlooms: 15,674 Galleons
Property:
· Granger Manor – Location: Whales (damaged),
· Two lots of land – Location: Hogsmeade (disrepair).
Active Wills: Last will of Hector Dagworth-Granger
House-Elfs: Two (Whootsy and Bootsy)
Von Neumann Apprentice Account:
Solid Gold: 20 bars (1 stone each by weight)
Special Contingency:
· All scrolls, notes and minor artefacts that come from those who heed the call of the runes, shall be passed to the newest apprentice.
Active Wills:
· Last will of Baroness Persephone Claus Von Neumann
"Well Miss Granger, destiny has a way of bringing like-minded people together. As the mundane saying goes – Birds of a feather, flock together. Let us get to the reading of the personal wills" replied Bloodaxe.
The Last Will of Hector Dagworth-Granger, Head of House Granger.
Parties subject to this will – My eldest blood descendant
I Hector Dagworth-Granger, be of sound mind, and body declare this my final will and testament. I, In the presence of witness Camila Pinegrew, appoint Ironbow of Gringotts as my executor in the fulfilment of my wishes, after my eventual death. I render all other wills null and void. I, as the last living male of the Dagworth-Granger of my line, I do declare:
To my descendant who qualifies by blood and magic, I hope you will continue the research that I have started. Potioneering has always been there to support the Arcane Arts – its application is primarily logic and reasoning. One must be observant as a hawk if he/she is to see the behaviours and act accordingly.
Pioneering is not like combat magic. It is subtle. It requires deeper thoughts. Not everyone is cut out for it – and yet everyone benefits from the product of our genius. Blood replenishing potions, Skelegrow and many other potions were invented by myself. And now, in my old age, they have become a standard part of healthcare. Why, the lives of many of my friends were saved by my contributions.
The appeal of potions is simple – there are many things that potions offer benefits that no spell can recreate. You will find that potions have no ability not to carry the cure within their contents, but merely provoke the body into replenishing and repairing itself.
It leads to the question of perhaps the body is much more capable than we assume. And yet the biggest question remains – just as many an alchemist set out to create their own philosopher's stone, I set out to amalgamate the hundreds of the potions in the world into a singular substance or at least as few substances as possible. But can it be truly done? I do not know. A universal elixir or perhaps five primary potions – substances that would treat all minor maladies, all poisons and all body damage would save many lives. The idea is to balance the reagents so that they all trigger the necessary responses in the human body.
The purpose of this potion is not necessarily immortality – but if a mother could be spared the pain of losing a son because the injured boy was given a potion that could guarantee his continued existence until he reached a magical hospital, surely that would be worth it. This was how I lost my brother in a terrible accident. My other sister was sadly bitten by a werewolf and continued to suffer greatly in her old age when the Canis in her body began to eat away the bone and nervous system. It is a fate that many do not know of – most never become old enough to experience the horrendous pain. And yet we owe them a cure and society ostracises them.
And I failed both of them, in spite of setting up a lucrative business and being able to afford what I wanted. Living without family is a curse from the underbelly of damnation.
For my descendant, I leave to you all my gold, notebooks and the legacy of our House magic – call upon it and you will know the essence of any magical reagent. Call upon the house magic and you will see how the reagents react in the human body. Left unfinished were many ideas that I could not bring to life. It required knowledge that I could not conceive of. Understand this. Cheap mass-produced multi-purpose potions would save the lives of so many. This is the goal. Preservation of life.
Go forth and conquer.
Hector Dagworth-Granger.
The magicals have civic obligations to all humans.
"I must say I think I like him very much, my ancestor. Notice he did not talk about only the Wizarding world. He mentioned everyone. I think I will enjoy advancing his work. I can always work with your mum Harry. She is a great healer." Hermione questioned.
"Definitely. I don't know much about biology and chemistry, but I think if it is mass manufacturing or fabrication of tools and apparatus to do investigations? Yep, I gotcha. Let us hear the other one." Harry replied.
Griphook began to read aloud:
The Last Will of Baroness Persephone Claus Von Neumann
Sister mine,
If you read this, welcome Priestess to our order. Let me explain the fundamentals of how you have come into our world. While my name is certainly Von Neumann, understand that we both are daughters of Morgana by capability. You would have probably heard the usual stories – Morgana was evil, she was a dark witch and other false statements.
Lies. All Lies.
Morgana believed that the advancement of magic was rooted in who were competent. That autocracy was the death of innovation and the eventual stagnation of society. And so, she wrought a great enchantment before her death. Instead of a magical seat of power situated in a kingly court, she asked Lady Hecate to grant her the privilege of calling forth a female witch with the mind and the capacity to understand the runes, every generation.
The genesis trial is simple – create your own set of runes from ideas that exist in your time. And if your ideas are successful, the magic is called forth. As you advance your work, the magic will grant you the correct title according to your level of refinement. This enchantment was done so that Lady magic would provide a great balance to the male-dominated houses of magic. A female is called from new blood. This witch would meet the requirements of being present in magical England and close to the male seat of power.
She would also have to step forward and attempt to claim what was hers if she wished to wield our knowledge. Initiative is important, in the work that we do.
As such you will inherit no House name in the Wizengamot, but you will inherit the ability to use the languages of your day to advance magic. As language improves and language describes new ideas, Magic will learn to manipulate these ideas according to your genius. You will find the same set of materials that Morgana used herself. You will find that because we have stayed hidden, and we use whatever technology is present at the time. The notes have been translated and rewritten as necessary. I stopped using parchment and a feather - what stupidity to embrace that standard when paper and pen will do.
As I write this letter, I am set to depart to the Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I have embraced the ideas of personal democracy and I am always armed with my wand and my shotgun. Yes, I am an English witch but nothing is more supreme than a shotgun when you may not point a wand. I certainly did modify my shells with magic. For Magical England to progress, the Wizengamot has to embrace democracy. Understand that no state or nation is perfect. America and England as of this moment (1905) maintain some form of slavery and colonisation either within or outside their nations. Yet I can see the same industrial revolution while built on the back of colonisation, will eventually lead to a fairer system.
Perhaps not a perfect system, but the Muggles will slowly improve, even at a snail's pace. And some improvement is better than none, which is exactly what magical England will bring forward.
Not a blasted inch of it.
In the trunk, you will find all the notes rewritten in standard English, along with some of the trinkets that were developed. Morgana created many amulets that protect against the pilfering of a person's thoughts by those who would use the mind arts irresponsibly. We have always worked quietly, and you will find enough items to outfit a small group of people. The personal necklace allows one to feel the magic as it courses in the nerves and the body. You will also find many new rune schemas that were created by our predecessors and myself. This will expand your knowledge and allow you to bring new items into existence.
It was us who campaigned indirectly for the right of a female heir of a house to stand in the Wizengamot. It was also us who campaigned for the right for the daughter of a magical house to ask for a child to carry her name forward, and not necessarily get absorbed by a male line. It was us, who silently raised money so that many of the female witches of our time could start their businesses. It was us, through guile and cunning who pushed for social reforms. You will hear some say that the Wizards never discriminated against females – we worked in the shadows and many aspects of female existence are still oppressive in Wizarding England.
I have done my dues. I think I will enjoy teaching now, in a place where nobody will recognise me. Go forward sister mine, Learn the runes and learn the secrets of the universe. Go forward, Priestess.
Baroness Persephone Claus Von Neumann
High Priestess of the Avalon Guild
Good deeds are not diminished by being unknown.
"Mr Lupin, I hope you are observing your young charges. This letter confirms some of the things we Goblins always suspected but had no way to verify." Bloodaxe commented.
"Ms Granger please or properly addressed Priestess Granger, please put the house ring. Also, put on the necklace please." Griphook instructed.
As soon as the necklace touched her neck, many hidden runes glowed and became invisible. Suddenly Hermione could feel as if her mind was suddenly protected by a fortress. This was an anti-occlumency necklace. This would be useful, especially when dealing with Dumbledore, when he came nosing around eventually. When she slipped on the Dagworth-Granger house ring, because of her interactions with Harry she understood that this was a special moment. In her mind, she promised Magic itself that she would be responsible, and she use magic to benefit all. She promised to contribute positively to society, and the ring glowed a pale purple. She promised that she would lead house Dagworth-Granger into a new era of discovery and productivity.
"Familius Magicus" she whispered. Suddenly a great white swan burst forward. The swan examined the environment and looked at Hermione intently. The swan nodded and dissolved. Hermione was curious as to what form the House Magic would take - she had heard the story of how the Peverell magic had morphed from a chimaera into an atom.
As the mist coalesced, Hermione could see that hexagonal rings were forming. Slowly a miniature shape that represented the periodic table coalesced. Then a shape that represented a cell, appeared in the bottom right corner appeared, flanked by the seven arithmantic points of magic. After the magic settled, the parchment suddenly glowed as the names began to change.
Dagworth-Granger simply became Granger.
"The House Magic is taking a new direction. This will work in your favour. Many people will not be able to connect your house to Dagworth-Granger." Bloodaxe replied.
It was at this point that Hermione after receiving her inheritance and the update on the excavation funds decided that she wanted the same arrangement as Harry.
"Master Griphook, I am sure the conversion of the solid gold has a fee attached to it. Take a personal cut of 5 per cent personal cut along with standard Gringotts Fees and have them minted and placed into my account. As for the trunks, I will take all of them now. Grace will zap them home for me. I already have my bank card so no issues there."
"I think Mr Lupin has some items to collect also. Mr Lupin would you like me to take over your account portfolio? Considering your new charges?"
"Yes…Master Griphook? Yes indeed. I want the same arrangements as Harry and Hermione for Muggle Plastic as it is called. I am familiar with it."
During the next half hour, Remus was provided with the keys to his house along with documentation for the bills and his Muggle ID. James and Lilly had been insistent about giving him a functioning base of operations. They then left for the vaults via a cart. Another goblin had been put in place of Griphook's previous position. Harry remembered his name from the cave and decided to chat with him.
"Master Mordak is it not? I like to remember faces. Pleased to have you carry us down to get Hermione's things. I remember you from the cave we had a good time down there, did we not?"
Hermione began to giggle.
"I had heard that Lord Peverell and Priestess Granger were honourable, respectful and brilliant – news gets around in the caves when people gossip. We had heard about your exploits indirectly from Bloodaxe, who is considered one of our elders. Of course, after making an easy million galleons and some extra, I do consider it an excellent time. The light you left down there is bright as ever. They are raiding every scrap of what you brought down and other places that they have gotten access to, with the illumination. I hope both of you will show up at our caves more often" replied Mordak with a toothy grin.
"We certainly plan to. Mistress Timilf has cut a deal with me. I give her enhanced tools for metalworking and we will freely trade information on how we approach fabrication. And if I need a guard again, I am calling for the same batch of you. Moine, we still have stuff in the basket?" asked Harry.
"Let me check."
She looked and saw there were a couple of sandwiches and a few drinks. She politely passed enough food to Mordak who was happy to have something to eat. Remus watched the interaction with a lot of curiosity. He had never seen Goblins and Wizards observe such polite interactions. Perhaps they were meant to change things. After all, he was scratching the head of a magnificent phoenix who was sitting comfortably in his lap.
When the door opened to the Von Neumann vault, Hermione gauged the weight of the gold to be probably one hundred and fifty kilograms. There were also three trunks. Hermione dragged them bodily and stacked them inside the cart. The cart then continued down to the Dagworth-Granger vault. When they arrived, Hermione verified herself, no differently from Harry by pressing her thumb into the indent as it drew some blood. Then Hermione entered the vault.
The vault did not possess many heirlooms. Most of them were paintings. Interestingly, none of them were magical. They seemed to lack the characteristic animations. Hermione did notice some chains and trinkets, but she was not interested in any of those as she dragged the six trunks outside of the vault. Remus stacked them according to Heroine's instructions. He then took out the additional trunks from the cart.
"Gracie, my living room. Hang out there until we collect the extra bits. We will call for you in a bit." Hermione instructed the phoenix.
Remus was once again surprised to see the little bird disappear in a flash of lightning as she carried everything instantly. No wonder they could get up to all types of mischief. They had unlimited transportation with no Ministry of Magic supervision. As Remus Lupin thought about these things, the trolley cart returned to the main lobby. Harry slipped an apparition bracelet on the wrist of Remus Lupin. He yelled:
"Grace! To the Mothership!"
It was one moment later Lupin found himself in a strange box that was a lab. The operation seemed rather impressive. There were textbooks and an assortment of technical equipment that was strewn all over. He even saw Lilly's and James' trunk and then the famed but familiar invisibility cloak. There was also a huge two metre portrait of a kind but grim looking man who was having a nap. Then he saw two elves that he did not expect to see. Mipsy and Tipsy stood there and began to jump for joy. But, they looked different? Almost healthier?
"Master Remus has come home! Master Remus has come home! Master Harry and Mistress Hermione have brought Master Remus home!" Mipsy and Tipsy continued to dance until they settled down a minute later.
"Does Master Harry and Mistress Hermione want something to eat also? Master Remus' favourite is ready." They both replied each speaking a piece of the sentence.
"Here Uncle Moony sit. Yes, bring his meal for him and let him enjoy himself. Moine, the usual?"
She nodded.
"Okay good. Mipsy skip across to mum's place and ask Grandma to send whatever she made for lunch. Tell her we are starving but we had a very successful day. Tell Mum that Uncle Moony, Remus Lupin is now with us."
The elves disappeared. Remus Lupin lifted the cloche to find his all-time favourite done exactly the way he liked it. He began to eat. For a long while, he had not had anything satisfying.
"You look like you needed that. They started it about a half-hour ago, and there is enough for a werewolf appetite there. You can just listen to us talk, we are up to our general housekeeping. If you hear impossible things being talked about, don't be alarmed that is usually what we do."
Remus nodded.
"Right Moine, as for breaking Sirius out, here is where we are. Grace is beginning to close in on the location of Azkaban. I think she has been probing the magical leylines and looking for where the dips are occurring. The issue is that we need more plot points to establish the centre. It seems that there is a 30 km zone where the enchantment engages and gets her sick."
"So we are pretty close then, Harry?"
"Yes, we are. I could use the invisibility cloak and get him, but a statement needs to be made. I want them to look at what we have, and then conclude we don't have to play their games because we make our own rules. Better to use what we build and have it tested and verified. If it survives Azkaban, it should survive anywhere else. After all, if Azkaban wasn't a magical sinkhole, Sirius would have become Padfoot and bust out of there." Harry said as he updated Hermione on the search.
"So after we get the location we will send a drone. Perhaps you can shield the drone and let Grace apparate it in close, and we fly the rest of the distance. We have to test if the Pulse Shotgun can kill Dementors." Hermione replied.
It was at this point that Remus Lupin stopped eating and wondered if they owned shotguns. He decided to see how far the rabbit hole went as he considered the expression 'Killing Dementors'. What exactly did these children go up to?
"Shame the wizards never figured out FiendFyre was magically controlled plasma. I am thinking I want to stack maybe three emitters in a water-cooled jacket and mount it on the drone. As long as that weapon is effective, we can clear them out for good, before I even arrive."
"If you want a bigger spread for the weapon, you will have to fab a bigger power cell. Charging those are problematic. How about the armour?" Hermione asked.
"I will have to manufacture a second set for Remus. We need to sort out the Jetpacks. Brooms aren't going to hold up to the speed of the new thruster assembly. My thruster is easily making six times the thrust of a Cleansweep. Twigs for aerodynamic surfaces, what idiots!"
Remus wondered if the word 'thrust' was related to how much flying force the broom reproduced. And did he say that he possesses sometimes, six times better? And power cells? It seemed to be some type of power runes? He continued to listen as he ate his green beans.
"I need to streamline the armour package. But so far, the Protego emitters should hold against most spellfire. While the Titanium plate should stop unforgivables I have no way to verify that. Too bad we just didn't have a spare Death Eater, we could strap him up and use him for target practice. Not too thrilled about casting the spell, but we need to know. Although Aurors at Azkaban are not likely to kill?"
Remus wondered what was titanium. What were Protego emitters? Something that generated shields? Now Hermione was suggesting her ideas.
"We also need an energy indicator. No reason the power cells won't deplete in Azkaban. You will have to learn to fly with the jetpack. Let us hope you have your father's seeker skills in your blood."
Hermione observed the letter.
"Why don't you read Lady's Delacour's response for us?" asked Hermione.
Harry read the letter. Remus wondered if this was the famed French Master Portrait Painter he had heard about. His suspicions were soon confirmed.
"Harry, why does this bottle look like your graphene flakes? This is what she wants to be analyzed?"
Harry took the bottle and uncorked it as he poured some out in his hand. He then whispered "Familicus Magicus". He seemed to fall into a trance for a bit and then came out soon afterwards.
"Moine, this is mostly just graphite powder. The graphene content is probably less than two per cent. The flakes are kind of like mine but not as small or consistent. If that is what she is looking for she just found her best friend. Let us cross our fingers. I will send a box bright and early tomorrow morning." replied Harry.
"How are sales going Harry?"
"Lorna projects that four thousand units of the product at seventy pounds gives us 280,000 pounds for the ink. The demand for this is growing. The Graphene substrate is at an all-time low, and that cash cow is all done because 500 units at 25 pounds are only a measly 12,500 pounds."
"Maybe the people who are buying are doing experiments, and they have enough. Perhaps it is a temporary market saturation?" questioned Hermione.
"Er Hermione, why is the food taking that long…unless mum is…?"
It was at this point that Priya apparated into the room with a couple of bags. She spoke:
"Surprise! Come on both of you, help me get this stuff out."
Harry and Hermione did not need any instructions. The food was already out, the Styrofoam plates were squeaking and juice was being poured out into their favourite cups.
"Hello, you must be Remus Lupin. Priya Singh, Hogwarts class of 1994. Formerly Harry's Muggle primary school teacher, now just a confused woman with an adoptive son who likes to throw all the rules out the window, make life changing discoveries and swim in large amounts of cash. Welcome to the madhouse."
Remus who was finished with the meal smiled and got up and shook her hand
"Remus Lupin, Hogwarts class of 1996. If I didn't know better, I remember your face. Hufflepuff?"
"Indeed, that is me," she replied.
"Correct me if I heard wrong. I was listening to him and Hermione speaking before their food arrived. Am I to take it he makes more money than the Malfoys? His backer claimed that was the case…."
"Correct. Harry likes to calculate his worth based on his net income. But gross worth, I don't know, it would be pretty big. We need an accountant." Priya replied with a smile.
"Who thought him to build all this stuff?" Lupin questioned.
"He and Hermione mostly taught themselves. In that regard, is very much like his mother Lilly Potter. This box allows him to practice magic without the Ministry being alerted. They are easily beyond a lot of seventh year material. Both of them." Priya responded, rather proudly.
"Truly?" Remus Lupin asked
"The evening time is lab time. Hermione comes over and they build stuff. They often have unsuccessful evenings but when they do make it, they make things that boggle my mind. It is a combination of notes from Lilly, James and Peverell Master Crafting Research. Some of my stuff is in there too, along with my friend. Other times it is the creativity that comes from both Harry and Hermione being scientifically minded wizards. I always suspected Magic had a scientific basis – I am probably sure you heard Lilly Potter make the same claims. Harry has been advancing her research.
Voldemort is alive and he will return. Harry plans to murder Voldemort and his Death Munchers one by one and I think it is time for Harry to take the trash out. I was initially reluctant, but I cannot stop him in any case." Priya replied.
"My nephew gets whatever he wants. I want revenge for what they did to my friends during the war. I take it Harry plans to storm the Wizarding world with his…..inventions?" questioned Lupin.
"Not just inventions, but also proper training. He is very powerful and Hermione is bloody fast for their age, but with your help? That is something I want to see. William, Hermione's father will take care of the guns and whatnot. Ever heard of the SAS?" asked Priya.
"I did hear about them through my travels. Highly trained military specialists. British." replied Lupin.
"That is Hermione's dad for you. He is on the reserve list. But he is hard ass as they come." Priya replied.
"They eat a lot, don't they? That is enough food for six wizarding children?" asked Lupin.
"Indeed. They exercise regularly. You will be next, they won't let you escape." Priya laughed.
It was at this point that Lupin held Priya's hand and whispered
"Thank you for looking after him. He was suffering so much. I saw the memories earlier today. It made me frightened to have that experience. To think that he had to suffer that. You were very kind, I heard your parents also adore both of them. You are his mother now, aren't you?" Lupin said, with his eyes glistening.
"I am certainly so, but don't think that he doesn't adore his biological parents. He adores Lilly Potter and James Potter through their journals and their possessions. I have a feeling that he revisits his childhood memories often. I met Lilly once when I was a final year student. I could never forget those eyes. I will have to tell you that story sometime. I knew from the time I saw those eyes, in my little humble classroom exactly who was sitting there, a year ago. He was rough around the edges and could barely speak. Now, he is a total troublemaker. I hope Lilly and James are pleased with me, I am trying my best, he is a hand full. I am sort of like a single mother, although I do not have any biological kids….."
Lilly and James who had been watching the exchange smiled.
"Pleased? If I am pleased?" Lilly said with humour in her voice. "That woman deserves the witch of the year award, for the next one hundred years."
"She is great, isn't she? We have to give credit to that woman Lorna too. She is easily the most dangerous Slytherin in existence and she is working with our boy. You always told me that Emmeline Vance was a good Slytherin, but I was reluctant to believe it during our operations with the Order of the Phoenix. My views had changed as the war got closer to home. But as always my beautiful wife, you are the wiser between us." James replied.
"It is so funny. It is Hufflepuff and Slytherin energy working to screw everyone over. The supposedly average house and the supposedly dark wizard house. You do know that Harry and Hermione are flat out claws? Fillius would adore both of them. However, I suspect that Harry and Hermione are ducking out of Hogwarts" Lilly spoke.
"The Potters were Slytherins for a while, at least many centuries ago, and then became Hufflepuffs and then from Charlus to us, were Gryffindors. So, it seems as if it is the time of the crows. I know Ophelia and you were planning for Daphne and Harry to get hitched – maybe it might happen? Think he and Daphne might be a thing?
"Yes, I do want to see it happen. Crossing my fingers, nothing is definite. We will see if Daphne can resist his charm. They would be so cute together. Let me cross my fingers and hope I get the soap opera of my dreams?" giggled Lilly.
"It pleases me that Moony is with him. I had always hoped he would get involved. I thank Lady Magic from the bottom of my heart for making that happen." replied James.
It was at this point that Lady Magic had now received her 20th coin in her jar. Many of them were Harry's coins but others were from other people around Harry. Now she had one from James Potter.
James laughed and continued:
"I get the feeling that Moony is going to have a hard time adjusting to having that kind of work ethic that Harry possesses. Harry is going to make him exercise until he reaches his absolute peak.
"Look, they are finished with demolishing that food. While they are dainty eaters, sometimes it is flat out disturbing how much food they can put away. Let us see what happens now" James commented.
"Well Uncle Moony, I see you have met mum. Let us talk about what I want from you and make no mistake, I do want things."
Remus Lupin gulped. His nephew drove hard bargains.
"I have read enough of my parent's journals to know about some of the issues you are facing. I have made arrangements with Lord Ragnok to comb magical legends with a fine teeth comb. We are going to find a cure to the Lycanthropy. If we can't find the cure in that manner, we will have to look into genetic engineering. Make no mistake, my mother right over there is a Master Healer, and between all of us, we will figure out something.
Unlike wizards, I do my main bulk of business in the muggle or as I prefer to say, the 'mundane' world. That is where the capacity to generate wealth truly lies. Magical products will be produced for Wizarding society only to cement my political and economic power when I am ready to commit to reforms.
Your salary will be 2,000 galleons a month. I expect you as my uncle and my steward to wear the best clothes, eat the best meals and put all of us through the best training you can find. Cost is not a problem. Tomorrow you have a holiday. You are sleeping here tonight and then we are going to the address listed on the parchment.
Then we go shopping. It is on me. I will be buying whatever magical products you need including robes, books, it doesn't matter. I expect you to glamour yourself and physically train with me like clockwork on mornings. After that, you will come over to the null-box and tutor Hermione and I in our magical studies. You of course know nothing about the mundane world, but we will teach you everything you need to know. Besides the shopping and the exercise, you can come and hang out with us in the evenings as we experiment.
Finally, I also expect you to learn some new skills. We are going heavily into manufacturing. I figure that you might take well to welding and machining. We have a dungeon at Peverell Manor so not to worry much about the transformation."
Lupin became rather quiet. He had dreamed of just being present in Harry's life occasionally as a blessing. But this? He did not have a single concern now. He would have spent his inheritance on Harry, but seemed Harry had different ideas about what constituted "a lot of money." This was good. Nothing stopped him from training Harry with reckless abandon. He would sculpt Harry into a powerful wizard and a master duellist.
"You are more like your father than you know Harry. He always looked after me, and here I was thinking I would look after you and you were forced to unfairly step into adulthood. I will train you to the point where they will fear you." Remus replied, with excitement colouring his voice.
"Well, let us call it an evening. You can sleep here. I will check in on you tomorrow morning I have a room in the attic upstairs. Mione, it was good you came to Gringotts today. You look tired. I suppose you have a lot of explanations for your parents. Or should I say Priestess-Granger." mocked Harry comically.
"Gracie, get me out of here before I clobber your wizard. Tomorrow, the usual mischief. Welcome to the family Uncle Remus." Grace alighted on her shoulder and Hermione then returned home. Priya who had watched the exchanged and smiled. She have Harry his customary hug and his affectionate hair ruffle. She then apparated away.
Harry spent the rest of the evening filling Remus in on the details of how the apparition bracelet worked, and what procedures they used to stay under the detection of the Ministry of Magic. He also took him through a crash course of some of his discoveries and showed Remus his production line and his various prototypes. He also demonstrated the internet, mobile phones and the tools that were available to enhance his learning. Lupin began to understand what Lilly had said so many years ago - mundanes could outthink wizards any day.
Lupin would eventually hug Harry before the night was over and whisper,
"I am so proud of you. You are truly talented. Lilly would be proud that you are advancing her work. It is your right, your inheritance. I think it is time for some shut-eye. Today was a rollercoaster. Yes, I saw one in Germany."
Harry nodded and they both retired for the night. Harry was pleased with his progress. As he went to sleep, he concocted a plan that would allow King Ragnok to get on top of the International Gringotts ratings.