So, it occurred to me that I neglected to mention how the updates for this story were going to work. Because of how my mind works I can't really do scheduled updates. I literally write the story as it comes to me. Of course there will always be at least a day between updates as even if I start working on the next chapter immediately after posting the previous one, I take a day off before editing and posting. Anyway, with all of that said, let's dive into the story.
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"Good morning teller. Due to recent events, I have been asked to bring my charge here, so that he may participate in an inheritance ceremony."
Professor McGonagall spoke to the goblin teller that they had walked up to. When the short being raised an eyebrow at him, Harry just nodded.
"Very well. If you'll give me a moment to call for the ritual room to be prepared."
Both humans nodded politely as the goblin stepped back and called over to another before conversing in Gobbledegook. After a moment they split apart, with one running towards the hallway leading to the back of the bank while the teller returned to his post.
"Helknoc will return momentarily to escort you back to the ritual chamber for the ceremony. All managers for accounts that you gain access to will be notified after the ceremony is complete should you wish to meet with them."
"Great. Thank you."
Harry commented with a small smile. Minerva nodded politely before they stepped off to the side to wait. Not quite five minutes later they were following Helknoc towards the chamber inside which Harry would go through with the inheritance ceremony. When they stepped in there was already another goblin present.
"I am Sharpknell, the goblin in charge of performing inheritance ceremonies."
He introduced himself as Helknoc left the room.
"I am Minerva McGonagall and this is Harry Potter. Due to unusual circumstances he will be taking his inheritance ceremony today."
Sharpknell nodded though his eyes were wide.
"Right. Well. Mr. Potter if you would step into the center of the ritual runes."
The goblin gestured towards the middle of the room. Doing as he was ordered Harry moved towards the spot Sharpknell was pointing at.
"As the last member of the Potter family, awaking your familial magics in this ceremony might be a bit rough. If you'd like it might be easier on you to be sitting."
Since he didn't really have a good grasp on what the goblin was talking about Harry didn't even hesitate to sit down.
"Now I'm going to start chanting. When the inner most circle of runes lights up, you are to pick up that ritual dagger by your feet. Prick your thumb and the tips of your fingers on your dominant hand, then place your palm on the only rune that isn't glowing, while making sure that your blood is touching the rune."
When harry nodded that he understood, Sharpknell began to weave his magic about the room to activate the runes. The chant sounded absolutely ancient to Harry who wasn't used to magic outside of his school lessons yet. When the inner most runes began to light up he did as he was directed and pricked his fingers with the ritual dagger before placing his hand on the one unlit rune.
The moment he did his magic pulled free from his body in a torrential storm of power. He just barely managed to grit his teeth in time to prevent crying out even as professor McGonagall gasped in awe at the sheer power flowing freely around him. He didn't notice when the rune his hand was on disappeared from view as a piece of parchment paper appeared between the rune and his hand.
Harry watched as sections of the wild magic began to shift and shape themselves even as they took on their own unique colors. It was mesmerizingly beautiful to him. After a few minutes the storm of magic subsided but the uniquely colored magic remained. McGonagall was still to shocked to explain, so Sharpknell when he noticed the confusion evident on Harry's face did so himself.
"Every wizarding family has a totem animal. This ritual, and the spell 'Magicae Familia Revelio' are the only two ways to see which totems a witch or wizard has in their magic. Basically, it's a way to determine which bloodlines your magic accepts as part of your lineage. After all if you go back to your great-great grandparents then you've already got sixteen different bloodlines mixing together in your blood. Now because some families have similar abilities, you'll find that even if you have two or more families with similar skills, only one of their totems will be active in your magic. This is because your connection to that family is stronger than it is to the others, so it will be the only dominant one."
By this time Minerva was finally able to throw off her shock at the sheer power that was released when Harry's magic was running wild as part of the ritual.
"Excellent explanation Sharpknell. I'm not sure I could have explained it better. Now, I'm not certain about all of these totems that Mr. Potter has manifested however. Do you know which families they represent?"
As she spoke the goblin looked back towards the manifested magic that was still present. The power that was present during the ritual had been impressive, but considering he saw the totems as they formed, it was expected. After all it took a strong wizard to be able to uphold and use the family magic of more than five families. In fact, Sharpknell couldn't think of another wizard to have the magical legacy of seven different families awoken and active at the same time.
"I can explain them all, but I would like you to keep this in mind. Three of these totems, we only know about because of written records. The eagle, serpent, and threstral totems haven't been awoken in a witch or wizard in roughly three centuries."
Harry who had no clue about his family history anyway just nodded.
"Very well. I'll start with the obvious. The reddish brown stag is the Potter family totem. Next to it, the black wolf is the totem for the Black family. Beside that is the pale white stallion, the totem of the Winthrop family. Then there is the golden lion that is the totem for the Gryffindor bloodline. After that, the bronze colored eagle, is the totem for the Ravenclaw family. The light green serpent is the Addlemore family totem. Lastly, the grey threstral. It is the totem of the Peverell family."
As he acknowledged each of the totems they faded back into Harry's magic. The only two names that Harry recognized and was awed by were the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor names. Of course he knew that he was the Lord Gryffindor now, thanks to bonding with the sword, but he didn't really believe the hat when it told him only the blooded descendants of Godric Gryffindor could do so.
McGonagall on the other hand was about ready to have a heart attack. It was well known that the Potters were descended from Godric Gryffindor so that hadn't surprise her. Instead the Peverell name had caught her off guard. The Peverell's were thought to be myth. They weren't supposed to exist, yet here in the flesh was someone that had Peverell blood.
"Now, if you'd like I can go over the results on that parchment with you. Or you could look at it yourself."
Sharpknell nodded towards the paper that was under Harry's hand as he still hadn't moved even though the ritual was over. A sheepish look appeared on the green eyed boy's face as he finally noticed it.
"Um. Yes please."
As he spoke Harry handed the sheet over to the goblin. Sharpknell thought he'd just glance at it and explain, but he was awed by what he saw and had to read it all the way through before saying anything.
Name: Harry James Potter
Magical Status – Emancipated Lord (through the claiming and magical bonding to the Sword of Gryffindor), Bonded Soulmate (Partially severed by magical block)
Familial Status – Lord Addlemore. Lord Gryffindor. Heir Black. Heir Peverell. Head of house Potter.
Note: See Potter family Grimiore for details about obtaining the Peverell Lordship
Familial Totems – Addlemore, Black, Gryffindor, Peverell, Potter, Ravenclaw, Winthrop
Inherited abilities – Air Elemental (Peverell), Mage Sense (Winthrop), Natural Animagus (Gryffindor), Natural Occlumens (Ravenclaw), Parseltongue (Addlemore)
Magical Affinities – Charms, Combat Magic, Transfiguration, Wards
Familiar Bond – Snowy Owl (named Hedwig)
Current Magical Issues – Mail Repelling ward (placed by Albus Dumbledore), Magic binding (mostly broken; The bindings are fading and will be completely gone by July 1st.),
Magical Titles – Archmage, Basilisk Slayer, Dual Caster, Fate's Chosen One, Goblin Friend (familial title)
Coughing to cover his surprise, Sharpknell relayed the information on the sheet to Harry and McGonagall. The poor witch acting as Harry's guardian for the process was foaming at the mouth and had nearly fainted upon hearing the information contained on the parchment.
"Um… I have a few questions."
"I will answer all of your questions later. We aren't on a strict schedule, but it would be best to finish our business today as quickly as possible."
McGonagall commented as she placed her hand on his shoulder.
The goblin looked to Harry in confirmation, and he just shrugged. He trusted the professor to answer his questions later.
"Very well. It was a pleasure meeting you Mr. Potter. If you'll step out of the room, the door to your left will lead to a meeting room where you can discuss things with the account managers that were notified by the ceremony."
Harry bowed thankfully to the goblin before he followed the professor out of the room.
"While I am here acting as your guardian, for the purposes of meeting with your account managers I will wait out here Mr. Potter. Gringotts policy would prevent them from speaking with me present. As the account managers double as financial advisors there is no need for me to be present while discussing your vaults. The only time they would be open to talking about financial matters with me present was if we were going to start a business together, or if we were in the process of making a business deal and needed to hash out the details."
The transfiguration professor told him as she stepped to the side. Despite his slight unease at handling things on his own Harry just nodded to her. Stepping into the meeting room Harry was surprised to only see three goblins. They were distracted with their own discussion and didn't notice him enter.
"Um. Good morning."
Harry somewhat shyly spoke in an effort to gain their attention. At the sound of his voice all three goblins turned their heads towards him so quickly he was afraid they would break their necks. After a moment only of them began to speak.
"Mr. Potter. About time you make your way here to discuss your family finances."
Unsure as to why the goblin sounded so frustrated with him Harry just handed the goblin the parchment from the inheritance ceremony.
"Just in case you three don't know everything, here is the full results from the inheritance ceremony."
"While we know everything in regards to your accounts, it wouldn't hurt to see just how strong your claim is in regards to some of the vaults we have under our combined jurisdiction."
The goblin replied before taking the results of the ceremony from him. A moment later the paper was offered back to him and the goblins were all looking at him in shock.
"I do owe you an apology for the frustration I took out on you for taking forever to come to the bank to discuss finances Mr. Potter. The mail repelling ward that Dumbledore had set up on you explains why you never responded to our owls."
Still a bit surprised, Harry just nodded.
"Please just call me Harry."
He commented as he sat down.
"Very well Harry. I am Ripgang, the account manager for the Potter family. On my left here is the Black family account manager Skulrag. To my right is Gnashtooth, the manager for the Winthrop family."
Nodding to each of them in turn as they shook hands, Harry returned his attention to Ripgang.
"May I ask what you were discussing when I first walked in?"
"Of course. Despite the number of accounts involved, it is normal for a witch or wizard to only deal with one account manager. Due to the strange circumstances of your inheritances, all three of us need be present for this meeting but in the future it will only be one of us. We were trying to figure out which one of us would be that one."
It made sense to Harry so he just nodded at the explanation.
"I see. Well we can make that decision later on. For now, why don't you each explain what you can about the accounts you oversee."
The three goblins shared a look before nodding.
"Very well. Skulrag why don't you start, seeing as how even if it's decided that you aren't the account manager that deals with Mr. Potter here you will still be in charge of the Black family vaults unless the current Lord Black changes that."
Ripgang motioned towards his fellow goblin with his hand.
"Of course. Well, you hold the status as heir primary for the Black family. I had to do a bit of digging through the records to find how. Your grandmother Dorea Potter, was a Black before she married, so you have Black blood but that alone wasn't enough to give you the heir primary status. Especially seeing as how, young Draco Malfoy has a stronger tie to the Black family as his mother Narcissa was a Black before marriage."
Harry frowned at that. He wasn't really sure how to take the information that he was related to Draco.
"But I did find my answer. I'm not entirely sure you are aware of his situation, but you know about your god father Sirius Black correct?"
"I know he is innocent and was thrown in prison without a trial yes."
The goblin smirked at that.
"So you aren't aware that due to a curse rendering him impotent he was allowed to blood adopt you at the same time he took the Godfather's oath?"
All three goblins let out a chuckle at the look on Harry's face.
"I was not aware of that, no."
"Well, because he was allowed to blood adopt you, it strengthened your claim to the Black family. As the last living Black, he gained the Lordship upon the death of the previous Lord. As he had made a will during the war with Voldemort, which stated should he pass everything was left to his godson and blood adopted son, magic deemed you to be his heir primary."
It was a bit of a shock to hear, but Harry managed to avoid letting it stun him for long.
"I take it because I'm only the Heir and not the Lord, we don't have too much to discuss?"
Skulrag shook his head.
"That would be the case if Sirius Black were free to manage the Black family financial matters himself. But as he is otherwise unable that duty falls on you."
"Right well I honestly don't have much of a clue about how to manage an account. Could I just say keep doing as you have been? Or would it be better to say so long as it benefits the Black family you may act as you see fit?"
Having expected the wizard to say that very thing Skulrag just nodded.
"I will continue as I have been then. Would you like me to send quarterly reports?"
Harry actually titled his head as he thought of how he should answer that question. He was hoping that they could get things sorted out and have Sirius freed rather quickly. But he didn't know how long it would take. Part of him wanted to say to hell with it and only do a yearly report just so he wouldn't have to deal with it at all. But it wouldn't help him to ignore the issue. He was already going to have to learn to manage the other accounts, so aside from the fact it was more work there wasn't really much of a problem for him.
"Yes, send me the quarterly reports. At least until the situation with Sirius is sorted out."
All three goblins chuckled at that. They knew the moment Sirius Black was free, the young Mr. Potter would hand over the Black accounts before anyone could blink.
Ripgang and Gnashtooth shared a look about who would go next. After a quick shrug the account manager for the Winthrop family spoke up.
"Now then. As was stated earlier I manage the Winthrop account. Here at Gringotts we have been trying to trace the family, because back in the 30s they were slaughtered by Grindelwald, yet the vault remained active. Thanks to the inheritance test, we can confirm the vault was still active because of a cadet line that had as the wizards say 'squibbed out'. You have access to this vault through your mother. And through the Winthrop vault, you have the Addlemore vault, as the Addlemore family was absorbed into the Winthrop family roughly 537 years ago. The monies from the two families were combined, but because of the wards and enchantments on certain artifacts the heirloom vaults were kept separate."
Part of Harry wanted to groan at the idea of having more work, despite the fact he knew it was coming. But it was overshadowed by the fact he was learning more about his family.
"Before you ask, no I cannot do the same as Skulrag. Not unless I am chosen to be your account manager. Whichever one of us you pick to manage your accounts here at Gringotts, will handle all of them aside from the Black family vaults. Though should you ascend to the seat of Lord Black, the vaults would be handed over to whoever is managing the rest of your vaults."
"Alright. Well, Given the fact that Ripfang said he was the Potter account manager, I'm going to assume that like the Addlemore family was with the Winthrop family; The Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Peverell families were absorbed into the Potter family."
"That is partially correct. The Ravenclaw family merged with the Gryffindor family when Rowena Ravenclaw married Godric Gryffindor. They only had one child together, a daughter who was the Lady Ravenclaw due to the fact the Ravenclaw line was and is matriarchal. Her grandson Hardwin, married Iolanthe Peverell. Because she was trying to hide from the assassins that killed her father, Iolanthe suggested they use a new surname. As Hardwin was a potioneer, they settled upon the name Potter, thus creating the Potter family."
Harry looked at Ripgang with a small smile. It wasn't much, but he was happy to have learned more about his family. Though it did get him thinking to see what he could find about anyone from the Potters. After all, now that he thought about it, focusing on his parents was a bit shallow.
"Right. Well, as interesting as it is to learn more about my lineage I think we need to start wrapping this up."
Ripgang and Gnashtooth both nodded at that.
"As I am not handing the Black account over, I'll take my leave now then."
Skulrag stated as he stood up. Harry shook the goblin's hand and thanked him for his time before the short being left the room. Neither Gnashtooth nor Ripgang knew why, but there was something about the wizard in front of them that made the two want to be up front and as open as possible about what they could do if put in charge of all his accounts.
Sighing heavily, Gnashtooth looked right at Harry before handing his portfolio on the Winthrop account to Ripgang.
"To be perfectly honest Mr. Potter, I wouldn't bother trying to decided between us and just go with Ripgang. He has more experience handling accounts. Not to mention investing. I don't have the head for it like he does. I can't really offer you anything unique, as the knowledge I could share about the Winthrop or Addlemore families could also be found in your history books."
Harry was stunned by the bluntness of the goblin, but he didn't let it cause him to freeze up. Instead he slowly offered his hand.
"If you are certain that is what's best. Thank you for your time today Gnashtooth."
After shaking his hand the goblin bowed before leaving the room. It was silent for a moment as Harry and Ripgang took a moment to recollect themselves.
"Well then. As I now have to go over the Winthrop accounts, I think it best if I just give you the bare bones in regards to what I can do in my position as account manager, and perhaps we can take a brief glance at your total wealth between the vaults you have access to."
"That sounds like a plan to me."
Harry told the goblin with a small smile.
"Well firstly as your account manager it is my job to ensure that the money in your vault doesn't stagnate. What I mean by that is, I do not let your money just sit there. I can invest a portion of your money into stocks or outright buying a company, which can be costly, but in the long run it increases the amount of wealth you have. Side note: because you need a certain amount of wealth to qualify for even having an account manager, there are limits to how much can be spent this way."
Nodding that he was listening, Harry gestured for the Ripgang to continue.
"Another thing I can do is handle purchases made on your behalf. For example if you wanted to buy a house, you could give me a price range to look for, and I would select the best options. You would then pick whichever one you want, and I would do all the parchment work. However there is a minimum cost requirement for me to be able to make a purchase for you, and because Gringotts has to make money, there will be a commission fee of 5% extra tacked on to account for my pay."
"Only 5%? That seems rather cheap. I remember hearing my uncle grumble about having to pay an extra 8% in commission fees once."
Ripgang smiled at that. Unlike the previous grins and smirks he had gotten from the goblin, this time Harry saw teeth. It was a rather feral image, and one that helped cement the idea of treating the goblins the way he would like to be treated.
"The Potter family has long been considered to be friends of the goblin nation. As such we do offer discounts in our services to you."
For some reason Harry felt the need to gulp after hearing that.
"I see. So investing, major purchases. Is there anything else you are able to do as the account manager?"
"Several things. As an advisor I can and will offer recommendations when you require specific professions. For example say you want a house built on a plot of land you own. I would be able to recommend a small list of construction companies to speak with on the matter. I am also able to file patents for you, should the need ever arise. Lastly, I can act as a signatory witness and or executor for any will you decide to make."
The last bit caught Harry short. He recalled that he was supposed to go and search the Potter vault for his parents will, but the idea of finding out if Ripgang had witnessed it prevented him from standing up right away.
"Ripgang, were… Were you a witness for my parents will?"
But the goblin shook his head negatively.
"No. While they did place a copy in the Potter vault, they did not actively write it here at Gringotts."
While he wanted to sigh in relief, Harry refrained from doing so. He didn't have the common sense and knowledge that was standard to the wizarding world, but he did know that the goblin's were the only bankers. So to risk jeopardizing his relationship with them over not acting on his parents will wouldn't have set well with him financially. Instead he just nodded.
"Alright, when I leave the room professor McGonagall and I will be heading down to the Potter vault to find my parents will. After that there are a few other things we have to handle today, so I will bid you farewell. But first, I need to explain what I want done with my accounts."
Knowing he was about to become very busy, Ripgang found a sheet of parchment, a quill, and some ink. When Harry saw that the goblin was ready to write things down he spoke.
"You are to go over all of my accounts in detail. When you are finished I would like a report on the total monies, a complete list of properties, either a ring full of keys for all the properties or port-keys to each one, and as comprehensive a list as possible on the items within the heirloom vaults. After that, you have free reign to handle the investing however you see fit, so long as you do not go above 30% of the combined total between the vaults."
"Mr. Potter, should you be able to do so I recommend visiting each of the heirloom vaults and obtaining the family grimoires. There is a spell that links the grimoires to the heirloom vaults. Simply cast the spell at an object, and then open the grimoire. Whatever page you open it to will fade out before all relevant information about the object and how it came to be entailed to the family will be revealed. Also the head of house rings will be in ornate boxes beside the family grimoires, at least for those families that don't predate the use of signet rings. As they offer significant protections I would suggest wearing at least one of them."
Nodding thoughtfully at that Harry corrected his wishes.
"Then you may strike the comprehensive list of items from the list."
"As you wish."
With that Harry shook hands with Ripgang and left the room.
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Roughly two hours passed between Harry ending the meeting with the account managers, and leaving Gringotts. Most of that time was eaten up by visiting all the vaults and claiming the grimoires and signet rings. Due to the matriarchal status of the Ravenclaw line, Harry couldn't find anything that would allow him to be represented as the head of the family despite being the last living descendant. Nor did he find a Lordship ring for the Addlemore family, though he chalked that up to the fact the Addlemore was merged with the Winthrop line.
He and professor McGonagall had saved the Potter vault for last, as they knew they had to spend more time there searching for his parents will. Of course he wanted to read it the moment they found it, but the professor had told him it would be better to wait until they had a place to sit down first. After all, they knew about Sirius, but they didn't know who else might have been listed as a possible choice for who to raise Harry.
Not to mention they were going to stop by Olivanders. Harry had mentioned how in the past couple of days he had felt the shift in his magic and his wand wasn't responding as strongly as it had. So it was decided to get an expert opinion on the matter.
"Ah. Mr. Potter, Holly, 11 inches, nice and supple. What brings you by today?"
The wand maker had spoke the moment Harry walked through the door. Behind him Minerva was rolling her eyes. She knew that Olivander remembered every wand he ever sold because it made for interesting and slightly amusing ways of entertaining himself when they walked back into his story.
"Well, there was an incident two days ago ever since I've felt my magic shifting. My wand hasn't responded as strongly as it did before. Professor McGonagall and I were worried that I might need to find a new wand."
Harry was hoping to get some kind of reaction out of the man, thinking it would be a bit of payback for making him jump when he walked in. But Olivander just blinked.
"I see. If you'll step over here and cast a few simple spells for me..."
The elderly man trailed off as he pointed towards a more open area of the store. Doing as was suggested Harry moved to where the wand maker had pointed and just cast a few simple first year spells. After each one he would glance over to Olivander who was murmuring to himself too softly to hear. After the fifth spell the man's hand shot out and grabbed the wand right out of Harry's grasp.
He gave it a simple once over just to make sure there wasn't an issue with the wand itself that was causing the problem. Satisfied that wasn't the issue Olivander just turned towards Harry.
"Given how tricky it was to match you with this wand, I know it'll be even more so now. I suspect that we'll have to make a custom wand for you this time Mr. Potter."
A small sigh escaped Harry's lips at that. While he understood that wands were just tools, he was attached to his Holly wand. After all, he was starting to doubt that he was magical when he had finally matched with it. The Holly wand was his tangible proof that he was a wizard, and that he was special just like his parents. Somehow knowing and understanding what was going through the boys mind, Olivander just patted him on the shoulder comfortingly.
And so began the search for a compatible wand. Thanks to his two years of learning, and his innate ability to feel his magic the process was a bit smoother this time around. When they had gone through the same number of wands he had the first time Harry entered the wand shop he let out a sigh.
"I'm beginning to think you were correct on the idea of a custom wand."
"As you have explained, your control and feel over your magic has grown yes? There is one sure way to determine if the wand for you has yet to be crafted. I want you to stand in between these shelves over here and close your eyes. Using your senses I want you to try and push your magic into your surroundings, gently mind you."
While he was explaining the idea, Olivander lead Harry to the center most point of his shop. When he saw the boy close his eyes, the wand maker stepped back to stand beside the professor, closer to the entrance. After a few minutes with nothing happening, the elderly wizard took a step forward, moving to get close enough to provide a bit of guidance in guiding magic to do as it wanted to, when it happened. From the doorway into his workshop he and McGonagall could see a glow, though strangely it looked to be coming from two different locations.
"Alright Mr. Potter you can stop releasing your magic and open your eyes. There was no reaction from the wands out here. However it seems that your magic is calling out to something that is in my workshop. It might be a wand I haven't fully finished crafting yet, or it could have been one of the components that your magic felt the strongest connection to."
Curious about the workshop Harry followed after the wand maker to see what had happened. Unsure of what his magic had done however he didn't know where to look. Olivander however was stunned when he realize what had occurred. The strange glow that seemed to come from two places, had indeed done so. On different shelves that flanked the doorway to his workshop he kept the different woods he used to make his wands. To the right of the door a block of Ebony wood had been pulled partially off the shelf, while the left side had a similar thing happen to a block of Rowan wood.
While he occasionally fashioned handles for his wands out of another material, he never used two separate types of wood when crafting. Turning to face his two guests in his shop Olivander raised one eyebrow.
"Would either of you be able to tell me why when Harry let his magic search for the most compatible wand, two different types of wood reacted?"
Harry had no clue, mostly because despite having questions about the results from his inheritance ceremony that still needed answered, the professor had suggested she would answer his questions after they returned to Hogwarts. Minerva however gasped the answer hitting her like a hammer blow.
"Due to recent events, which I cannot discuss before they are revealed to the public, I was tasked with escorting Mr. Potter to Gringotts earlier to go through his inheritance ceremony. Among the list of magical titles that he had, was the title of Dual Caster. Considering some of the other information I pushed it to the back of my mind, otherwise I'd have said something already."
While his outward appearance radiated shock, Harry could tell that the wand maker was also eager.
"Of course. Mr. Potter's magic has evolved in such a way that he can dual wield wands. It is a very rare skill, and one that should be honed in my opinion. That must be why the woods reacted as they did. Though the combination is intriguing."
As he spoke Olivander waved his own wand to pull the woods from the shelves entirely and placed them on his work bench. Part of him was already reveling in the excitement of crafting, while another was curious as to what the cores would be.
"Now then. Mr. Potter it is time to find out what the cores of these wands will be. Just like before I want you to release your magic, but I want you to focus on what your wand for the left hand shall be. After I tell you to switch, you'll focus on the wand for your right hand. This way not only will I find the which cores are suited to you, I will know which wood to pair them with."
As he spoke Olivander opened the door into the sealed room that housed the materials he used as wand cores. While he personally only worked with three different materials, he had kept them in the same room as the stock of material's his ancestors used. For some reason the wizard had a feeling that the boys magic would call out to materials he didn't normally work with.
Walking to the doorway but not entering the storage room, harry nodded that he understood. Taking a deep breath as he closed his eyes. Olivander watched on eagerly as he felt the shift in the air around him. After a moment he watched as a box towards the back of the room shifted slightly. After opening the box the wand maker was awed to see a material he hadn't read about in the journals and notes of his ancestors in regards to wand crafting.
It wasn't Threstral tail hair like the legendary Elder Wand was rumored to have as it's core, but it was still material from a Threstral. To be precise it was a heart-string from one of the strange beasts. Gently taking it in his hands he walked by the young Harry Potter who had shifted so as to allow the wand maker to pass him by and leave the storage room if he needed.
When he reached his work bench Olivander noticed that the block of Rowan wood was levitating slightly. An eyebrow raised at the strange combination of materials, though he moved the thought to the back of his mind as he made a note of the two materials being used together.
"Alright Mr. Potter, focus on your right hand wand now."
He commented as he walked back to the storage room to see what reacted next. This time another box began glowing. However as it was a box he had seen his father using when he was an apprentice all those years ago he knew what it contained. That particular box housed the talons of Griffins. As the Rowan wood was to be paired with the Threstral heart-string, that meant the Griffin talon was to be matched with the Ebony wood.
It wasn't something he'd ever done, but given what he knew of the materials, Olivander had to let out a sigh. This would be a wand fit for a warrior. The fact that it was for young Harry Potter, made him a bit concerned for the future. It wasn't that he doubted the boys abilities, but the fact that the child seemed destined to fight was a rather unpleasant thought.
"Once again, you may stop releasing your magic Mr. Potter."
Neither Harry, nor McGonagall knew much about wand materials, and even though they were curious, both felt it was better to allow the wand maker to focus on his work.
"It is going to take me a couple days to make both wands. As your current wand is not as suited to you as it once was, I suggest using as little magic as possible until you return to collect these two wands. I will Floo call professor McGonagall here when they are finished."
Harry thanked the wand maker as he and the professor left the shop.
"Once we get back to Hogwarts we will read your parents will. Then because you claimed your status as Lord of the Potter family, we will owl your family alliance members. They already know you have become Lord Potter as the charter papers would have notified them, so they'll be expecting owls explaining the situation and or calling for a meeting. Once we've sent off the owls I'll answer any questions you have."
McGonagall told him as she guided them back towards the Leaky Cauldron to Floo back to her office at Hogwarts. Luckily it wasn't a very busy day in the Alley. Of course to help keep the commotion down to a minimum the professor had cast Notice Me Not charms on the two of them. But the lack of people made it a much calmer day.
Harry didn't even notice when she waved her wand, dispelling the charm, as he was still distracted with his thoughts about everything he had learned. He was so zoned out that he didn't notice when the transfiguration professor pushed him down into a seat across from her, and then sent a message to Dumbledore so he could be present, mostly as she felt there might have been a couple things from the inheritance ceremony that Dumbledore could explain far better than she could.
It wasn't until not only Dumbledore, but the Ravenclaw house ghost joined them in her office that Harry finally pulled himself out of his mind.
"Professor, I can understand the headmaster being here as some of the things we learned he will need to know when the news is made public. But was there a particular reason for uh... I'm sorry I've never heard your name, I just know you as 'The Grey Lady'?"
A smile graced the face of the ghost as she moved to stand beside his seat.
"No apologies are necessary my Lord. Very few know my name, and even then the there are only two people that know my full name. As for why I am here, I'm sure the headmaster can explain after seeing the parchment that I can feel is in your pocket."
A startled gasp escaped Dumbledore's mouth as he quickly figured out what the ghost was hinting at. Given the fact he has lost his ability to control Harry through being his guardian and regent, he was still hoping to mend their relationship enough to be considered an advisor. But if the boy was somehow related to Ravenclaw then he would have to tread extra carefully in his dealings with Harry. After all by blood Harry would have half ownership over the school and thanks to the right of conquest he'd gain another quarter after defeating Voldemort. That would mean that Harry could use his status as the Heir for three of the Founders to remove Dumbledore should he think it was necessary.
"Perhaps the headmaster doesn't even need to see the results of your inheritance ceremony to understand why I am here?"
Shakily Dumbledore reached a hand out as he replied.
"W-while you are correct that I have an inkling, I would like to confirm my thoughts before explaining."
Knowing that the man would be trying his damnedest to get back into his good graces Harry held the parchment out to him. For some reason he felt the urge to smirk when the elderly wizards eyes went wide. He watched with curiosity as the headmaster pulled himself together enough to speak again.
"It would seem my thoughts were indeed correct. Harry my boy, as I'm sure you noticed, according to the results you have a blood connection to the Ravenclaw family, meaning you are a descendant of Rowena Ravenclaw. Which means you are also a descendant of Miss Helena here as she was the daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw while she was alive."
The ghost smirked at Dumbledore before turning to Harry. Her face softened a bit as she gave him a proud grin.
"I knew of our connection the moment the magic of Hogwarts shifted to grant you the rights and privileges of Lord Gryffindor."
A brief flash of confusion crossed Dumbledore's face at that. He wasn't sure how the ghost would have known of their relationship that quickly. As she still had magic, he assumed she felt the tug on the Ravenclaw family magic when the totem appeared during the inheritance ceremony.
Harry however understood, having heard how he was related to each of the families that were present in his magic. Given their familial connection He was curious about her. So without pausing to filter his thoughts he opened his mouth.
"I know the Ravenclaw line is matriarchal, so I don't have that title, but while you were alive did you hold the title of Lady Ravenclaw while also being the Lady Gryffindor?"
He was surprised to see her pouting just a bit at his question.
"No. Daddy wouldn't let me touch his sword, so I never gained the title. My husband didn't have the title either. Father didn't want to risk the family becoming power hungry, so he bound the title to the Gryffindor sword and hid it in such a way that only someone that was like minded to him would be able to call and gain the Lordship."
As there weren't many records from the time of the Founders, nor where they very detailed, Dumbledore and Minerva both were shocked to learn that Rowena Ravenclaw was married to Godric Gryffindor. Of course they understood why they had different last names, familial titles were important to wizarding culture after all.
It wasn't until she remembered the reason that she had called for Dumbledore in the first place that McGonagall snapped out of it.
"As enlightening as it would be to let you answer some of Harry's questions, I think we should get back to the matter at hand. We retrieved his parents will from the Potter vault. As we aren't sure how long it will be before the Ministry starts inquiring as to the new Lord Gryffindor and Harry's status, we thought it best to get as much information prepared as possible."
Harry nodded at that and placed the sealed envelop on the desk in front of his transfiguration professor. It was a small sign that he trusted her, but it made the woman fiercely proud to be allowed to read the will first. Tears sprang to her eyes as she recalled James and Lily, and her hands started shaking even as she opened the envelope. But she maintained a steady voice as she began to read the will for them.
"We, James Charlus Potter and Lily Marie Potter (nee Evans), being of sound mind, declare this to be our last will and testament.
Due to the uncertain times we currently live in, Lily and I have decided to ask that our will be made public after it has been read. There are several reasons for this, but the largest is because our best friend Sirius Black is a hot head that would rush off without thinking.
At the time of signing this will we have gone into hiding from Voldemort, so we can safely raise our son Harry. It should be noted that there is a prophecy orb in the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic that we have been warned could possibly be about Harry. Should we pass on, we would like whoever his guardian is to confirm if the prophecy is in fact about Harry. To maximize our protection as best we can we have decided to use the Fidelius charm. The Secret Keeper for us is Peter Pettigrew. Aside from Peter, the only other people that know of our location are Frank and Alice Longbottom, as Alice is Harry's oath-sworn godmother (as Lily is for Alice's son Neville), and Sirius Black as he is Harry's oath-sworn godfather and third parent as we allowed him to blood adopt Harry.
If Harry has perished along side us, then as the last Lord Potter, I, James Charlus Potter, name our closest kin to be Sirius Black. Note: The Black family WILL NOT be allowed to simply absorb the Potter estate, as he has been publicly disowned by the Blacks, despite the fact that the Lord Black has not officially done so.
Should our son Harry James Potter survive us, let it be known that he is to take the inheritance ceremony at age 15 as that is the minimum age requirement to emancipate him so that Harry may take up his titles (should he not magically be emancipated before then). As to bequeathments, there are only a few to be made.
Firstly, to Remus Lupin, we leave 150,000 galleons and the deed to a small cottage in the Welsh countryside. No it isn't pity or charity, get over your furry little problem and learn to accept gifts from your friends already! Besides we can't take it back so you just have to deal with it.
To Sirius Black, we leave our Hogwarts trunks and everything inside them with the stipulation that should Harry want to use either of them when it comes time for him to attend, he may do so. Sirius, James also leave you all of his stocks and shares in Zonko's and 170,000 galleons.
To Frank and Alice Longbottom, we leave 170,000 galleons and all of our notes about enchanting so that you may be able to start up the enchanted jewelry business that we had discussed the possibility of building. While we may not be co-owners like we originally planned, it would still be a company that we created together.
To Professor Filius Flitwick, Lily leaves all of her research notes in the hopes that you may be able to use them to create several new and useful charms. We also leave a copy of an ancient book on charms in the hopes that you may have better luck understanding and recreating the lost charms inside than we did.
The remainder of our estate goes to Harry James Potter. In regards to our son, we would like to note the list below contains the only people we approve of raising Harry.
Sirius Black – As godfather and third parent through blood adoption, Sirius is our first choice for Harry's guardian.
Frank and Alice Longbottom – Should Sirius be unable to take harry in, we would like his godmother Alice to care for him. While Augusta Longbottom may not care for Sirius we ask that you do not let her prevent Sirius from visiting with Harry as he grows up.
Isaac and Katelyn Bones – As there is a betrothal contract in place to help with the protection of our children we know Isaac and Katelyn will look after Harry should his god parents be unable to do so.
Minerva McGonagall – We know that you will look after him aunt Minnie. While you may not be related to him as closely as anyone else we have named, you are our honorary aunt and we know you will be the same for Harry.
Note: As Lily's sister Petunia told us and we quote "You actually gave birth to another freak like you? Honestly you'd be doing the world a favor by drowning the damned brat in the nearest river!" we would like to say that under no circumstances is Harry to ever have contact with Petunia Dursley (nee Evans) or her family.
Signed, James and Lilly Potter
Witnessed by, Sirius Black
Tears rolled down her face and she had almost choked up when she read that she had been included in the list of possible guardians of Harry. But she managed to get through without breaking down. A vicious glare was leveled towards Dumbledore when she read the note about how Harry was to have no contact with his aunt, but Harry wasn't looking.
Just as when he was finally able to speak with his parents, Harry was overwhelmed by his emotions. Part of him wanted to lash out because he had been raised by his aunt when he parents didn't want him to have anything to do with her. Part of him was stunned by how close his parents had been with professor McGonagall. The last part of him was ready to just break down and sob.
Dumbledore was frowning heavily, not understanding how Petunia could have said such a cruel thing to her own family. The look he saw on his deputy headmistress's face was enough to cause him to wince. Just as he lost his ability to control and guide Harry, the reading of James and Lily's will had caused him to lose the ability to command Minerva, along with her respect. Dumbledore didn't know it, but Harry's accusation of him unknowingly having a God complex was beginning to ring true in McGonagall's eyes.
The ghost of Helena used a bit of the magic she had at her disposal to temporarily maker herself tangible so she could wrap her arms around Harry in a protective and comforting embrace. It was only possible thanks to her blooded connection to the wards around the school that she could tap into the errant magic of the building even as a ghost.
When he finally was able to interact with them normally, Harry looked towards the transfiguration professor, using his eyes to question what was going to happen now. Though she had been staring daggers at Dumbledore for the entirety of the time that had passed since she finished reading the will, her mind had been working on a plan.
"For now, I'll send a letter off to Gringotts, notifying them to follow through with the bequeathments from the will. I will be your guardian while we settle matters in regards to Sirius. After that, well… We'll cross that bridge when we get there."
Satisfied with her answer Harry nodded, though there was a small smile on his face. He had a feeling that because of his parents will, the professor was not going to let him return to the Dursleys for the summer.
"Now then. Enough time has passed since you claimed your Lordship that the Potter allies will have been notified via the alliance charter. It would probably be best to ask them to gather for a meeting to explain things, but because it is your first communication with them, I'll tell you what to write since there are traditions that need to be followed. It shouldn't take too long. Then with the headmaster assisting me, I will answer your questions about the results of your inheritance ceremony."