A.N./Disclaimer: Most of the characters and the original plot belong to J.K. Rowling. I do not own them. Neither am I profiting from this nor do I plan to commercialize it. I am writing for fun.
A.N.: I apologize for the delay in updating. I did not want to upload the third chapter without the fourth chapter. I had planned to upload both the chapters together to depict Harry's stay in the Time Chamber together. I tried to finish it faster but I had a couple of papers due that were assigned to me at the last minute. I hope you enjoy Harry's stay in Time Chamber as much as I did writing it. Thank you for all the follows, favorites and reviews.
*Replies to reviews*
As I cannot reply to the reviews without sending a private message, I will try to reply to the reviews before the chapter.
Review on dialog: English isn't my first language. I know I might make mistakes and the dialogs are a bit stiff. I thank everyone for the encouragement and I hope my writing gets better with time.
ShadowStalker3424: I still plan on updating every 3 to 4 days. I may be late by a day or two when I get loaded with assignments thought.
ThunderSphinx: I do not plan on revealing Harry's lordships for a while, may be until the fifth year, nor do I plan to enforce a different heir for every house rule. I don't feel Hermione and Harry need as many kids. Rowena knows about Gringotts because her spirit is connected to Hogwarts which is how she knew about Harry's neglected state when he had entered the castle.
millerb82: I hope chapter 4 clears up why I had made Albus the executor of the Wills.
Chapter 3
Time Chamber, Gringotts
Two days into healing, Harry was spending time reading about the Potter family history when he came across the tradition of familiar egg. The Potters were staunch believers of rebirth. Each generation of Potter was taught to value two virtues. The first, omni honore, meaning, 'Honor above all', which became the family motto. The second was rebirth. They believed their ancestors who have passed on are reborn to guide the younger generation. This led to the tradition of phoenix eggs. Lord Thaddeus Reginald Potter, the Third, was the first Lord Potter with a phoenix as his familiar. After having spent a decade studying about the mythical bird, Thaddeus had come to conclusion that phoenixes were a symbol of purity of soul and rebirth. He had sacrificed his life to save his familiar, Athena. During his dying breath, he had asked for a boon from Lady Magic herself. His only son, Christopher Thaddeus Potter was eight and would not have a father or any of his ancestors to guide him. He asked Lady Magic to look after his son and guide him to be a formidable Lord. It was from this day onwards that every Potter heir, on their eleventh birthday was given the egg of a phoenix. Nobody knows where the eggs come from, but they always show up on the eleventh birthday of the next heir. There have been only three instances when the eggs showed up which weren't for the Potter heir. These were gifted to Myrrdin Emrys, Godric Gryffindor and Albus Dumbledore by the then Lords.
Intrigued by the story behind the origin of tradition in Potter family, Harry looked for the reason behind the Thunderbird egg in Peverell Grimoire. He found out that the Peverells were warriors. They were of the hex first, talk later kind. Their family motto was mors ultimus hostis, meaning, 'Death shall be the last enemy conquered'. Lord Adair Ignotus Peverell, the First, was trying to protect a house full of mundane-born children surrounded by a horde of inferi and lethifolds. He soon realized he was heavily outnumbered and even his elemental capabilities won't be able to help him. This is when a Regal Thunderbird found him. With the help of the Thunderbird, Adair was able to save the children. According to Lady Magic, this action to save the innocent children whose only fault was that they were magical, resulted with Peverells being elemental mages whose heir received Regal Thunderbird eggs when they turned eleven. The Peverells named their familiar to honor the actions of their ancestor Adair, the First. This later became a tradition where the heirs named their familiars in remembrance of their ancestors. When the Potter-Peverell lines merged, the heirs named the familiars after Potter-Peverell ancestors.
Moved by his family history, Harry proceeded to open the trunk containing his familiar eggs. Inside the trunk lay two of the most beautiful eggs he had ever seen. One egg was blue in color with patches of white and gold. The other was off-white with patches of scarlet and gold. Picking up the blue egg, he placed it on a pedestal he had the goblins make for him. As soon as he lay the egg, the shell cracked. Out of the egg came one of the most beautiful birds he had ever seen. The bird was almost completely blue in color, except for the eyes, the crown and ends of the feathers. The eyes were pitch black, the crown was a darker shade of blue, and the feather-ends were colored gold. The bird stared into Harry's eyes. Harry felt as if he was baring his soul to the bird.
'Hello, wizard', came a feminine voice in Harry's head.
"Hello, baby phoenix. I am Harry Potter. You can call me Harry", said Harry with a smile. "Why are you blue in color? I thought the phoenixes were red, like Fawkes."
'That is because I am an Ice-Fire Phoenix. I have bluish white flame. Fawkes is red because he is Fire Phoenix and his flame is red', said the phoenix.
"Okay. How long will it take you to grow?", asked Harry.
'I will be a fully grown phoenix after my first burning day, which is when I reach maturation. It should be a month from now. My bond to you reduces the time for maturation, Harry. It usually takes around half a year otherwise', said the phoenix.
"Brilliant", exclaimed Harry. "Do you like the name Rowena? She is one my ancestors and one of the smartest to have ever lived. This wouldn't have been possible if she did not ask me to get here."
'I like the name, Harry. She was a lady with wit beyond measure. Now I shall rest up while you open the other familiar egg. I am sure Hedwig will be thrilled to meet us as well. I can sense her bond", trilled Rowena merrily.
Harry saw Rowena move from the pedestal to the perch right above the pedestal. He took out the other egg and laid it on the other pedestal. The shells broke as soon as he had placed it on the pedestal. Out came a gold bird with scarlet feather-ends and crown. The bird looked regal in every possible way. The eyes were intense like a warrior that reminded him of Godric Gryffindor. Harry knew at that instant that he was going to name the Regal Thunderbird after Godric himself.
"Hello, I am Harry Potter. You can call me Harry", said Harry. "You remind me of my ancestor, Godric Gryffindor. Can I call you Godric?"
'Hello Harry. I like the name Godric. I can sense that he was a great wizard and a greater warrior', said Godric. 'Let us finish the bonding, it will help me mature faster.'
Just like Rowena, Godric stared into Harry's eyes. After a few seconds, Godric flew up to his perch.
He said, 'I will mature around the same time as Rowena's burning day. I look forward to meeting Hedwig as well. Rowena and I will help you complete your bond with Hedwig. She is a very smart owl and you will be able to feel her emotions better.'
"Brilliant. Thank you, Godric", said Harry. "I'll leave you both to have some rest. Your food is in the pedestal. If you want something else, let me know."
Rowena and Godric bobbed their heads and began to eat the assortment of fruits on the pedestal.
Over the next month of healing, Harry settled down into a rhythm. The mornings were usually spent resting and reading family history. He spent the afternoons practicing penmanship. The evenings were spent with the healers. The goblin healers had decided to remove the bindings one by one, every other day. They did not want to unleash the entire magical core and the capabilities at once to avoid any backlashes on Harry's body. The first thing they took care of was the loyalty potions in his blood. After a day of break, they proceeded to undo the cases of obliviations. Harry was warned that he may not like the things he was obliviated about. To say that Harry was pissed after the treatment is an understatement. Harry had escaped the Dursleys three times in the past. Each and every time, Dumbledore had tracked him down somehow and returned him to the Dursleys. Each time he was obliviated thereafter. He had informed Dumbledore about the strange noises he heard during this last year. When Dumbledore wouldn't take any action, Harry had gotten angry and done a bout of accidental magic and threatened to write to the ministry. Dumbledore, scared of ministry's intervention, had confirmed he knew what it was and who was doing it. He had informed Harry that he was going to stop it before the next attack happened. Before Harry could leave his office, Dumbledore had obliviated him of their conversation. Hermione was petrified months later. It took the goblin healers two days to calm Harry down before proceeding with his other treatments.
They decided to remove the traces of basilisk venom from Harry's body before removing the horcrux and bindings. It took them three days to remove all traces of basilisk venom. The healers decided to leave the phoenix tears as it wouldn't harm Harry in any way.
On the day the healers were going to remove the horcrux, Director Ragnok paid Harry a visit. "Harry, how are you? How is your healing coming along?", asked Ragnok.
Harry replied, "I am angry at Dumbledore, but I will be fine. The healing is coming along just fine, I guess. How are you?", asked Harry.
"I am good", said Ragnok. "I have come to talk about the horcrux in your scar. We believe it belongs to Tom Riddle, or as he calls himself, Voldemort. Do you know what a horcrux is?"
"No, I don't. What is a horcrux?", asked Harry.
"Horcrux is an abomination against Lady Magic herself. A horcrux is a piece of soul split to anchor a wizard or witch to the mortal realm. To create a horcrux, one must commit the most heinous of crimes. I will not go into the details regarding the creation of horcruxes. However, I can tell you that as long as a horcrux exists on the mortal realm, a wizard or witch cannot die", said Ragnok.
"That means Voldemort isn't dead", mused Harry. After a brief pause, he continued, "I believe the diary was a horcrux as well."
"What diary? Did you come across another of Riddle's horcruxes?", asked Ragnok.
"The Chamber of Secrets was opened by Ginny Weasley because a diary made her do it. The diary belonged to Tom Riddle and was placed in her cauldron by Lucius Malfoy when they were in Diagon Alley", said Harry. "During my battle with the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets, there was a specter of Riddle. He said that he was in the process of taking over Ginny Weasley. I destroyed the diary with a basilisk fang that destroyed the specter and stopped Riddle from taking over Ginny."
"That was a horcrux, Harry. Though, if there was no imminent danger of Miss Weasley being possessed by Riddle, I wouldn't have destroyed the horcrux. A specter cannot be destroyed as it is. Though a horcrux can be destroyed by basilisk venom and fiendfyre, the soul piece will search for Riddle's specter and join it", said Ragnok deep in thought. "My team of curse-breakers believe we should remove the horcrux from your scar and transfer it to another container. We will use this container to locate all other horcruxes. Once we gather all horcruxes, we will lock them away in a secure vault and wait for Voldemort's resurrection. Voldemort is out there, probably in form of a wraith. Destroying the horcruxes now will only result in Voldemort and his soul getting stronger. Once Voldemort has been resurrected, we will destroy his soul using a ritual that will vanish the soul pieces from this realm. This will make Voldemort a mortal. I think this will be the best approach."
"I don't know a thing about horcruxes. I agree to whatever you say", said Harry, nodding his head.
That evening, Harry was surrounded by eight goblins and four wizards. Out of the eight goblins, he knew four of them who had been his healers since the beginning. Ragnok introduced the remaining four goblins and the wizards as his team of curse-breakers. Harry was warned that the exorcism would be very painful. Harry screamed and writhed with pain. The procedure lasted about a couple of hours. When Harry was near exhaustion, the healers decided to continue the next day after giving Harry a Dreamless Sleep potion. The removal of horcrux along with all its traces took three days. He was allowed to rest for a couple of days before they proceeded with removal of his binds. With every passing day, Harry felt lighter as if a very heavy burden had been lifted off his mind, body and soul. He discovered that his eyesight was perfect and did not need to wear glasses anymore. He also saw that his scar had begun to heal and became fainter every day.
At the end of the first month in the Time Chamber, Harry had grown two inches taller and put on three pounds. He still had one binding to be removed before he could begin his training on mind arts, metamorphmagus and parselmagic abilities. One of the goblin healers named Kleruzz had advised him to learn to control his metamorphmagus ability and educate himself of mind arts. She had said, "Harry, you will need to master mind arts and gain control over your metamorphmagus abilities. Metamorphmagi have been known to undergo changes involuntarily when affected deeply by any emotions. A better control on metamorphmagus ability along with mastery in mind arts will avoid these involuntary changes." Taking her advice to his heart, he had called for books on mind arts using his Family Grimoires.
One morning when Harry was going through the Potter Family Grimoire, his concentration was broken when he heard a thunderous sound. Getting off the couch, he left the house to see Godric flying about. There was bright lightning followed by another thunderous sound. The weather seemed to be getting worse. With another blinding thunder, everything went calm, as if there had been no storm. Godric came down and landed on Harry's shoulder. Harry could see that Godric had gotten bigger.
"Was that your maturation, Godric?", asked Harry.
'Indeed, it was. That storm was my first creation, which brought about my maturation. How did you like my show?', chuckled Godric.
"I was scared but it was awesome seeing you create the storm. You are brilliant", exclaimed Harry.
'Ah, yes. Just to warn you, because of my familiar bond with you, I will create storms when you are angry or distressed. Be careful' mused Godric.
"I will be. I am learning mind arts. It should help", said Harry.
'It will surely help', said Godric. 'We missed Rowena's burning. She underwent her burning right about the time you came out to see me. She will be small for the day. Within a week, she will be fully grown.'
"Darn it, I missed it. I will see her next one", said Harry.
During the removal of last binding, the healers discovered something unnatural. When Harry questioned them about their confusion, Kleruzz said, "Your magical core has the essence of a phoenix. It has your mother's magical signature. The essence is waning at a steady rate, but it is still there. We believe that this has helped you during your childhood to recover from all the physical hurt and abuse hurled at you. What we don't understand is how she was able to do this."
"I came across the ritual in my Family Grimoire. One of my many times great-grandfathers, Archibald, had a son who was born very weak and would have died if not for his familiar's help. Archibald's familiar, Alexandra, guided him through the ritual. Alexandra willingly sacrificed her ability of rebirth to protect his son. In my case, it was my father's familiar who did the same and guided my mother through the ritual. It is a Potter Family Magic and can only take place between a father's familiar and his son. My parents and my father's familiar willingly sacrificed everything for me", cried Harry.
Ragnok XI, who was standing at one corner, tried to comfort Harry and said, "Your parents will be very proud of you. Let us get this done. We will start your lessons from tomorrow."
Harry spent a few minutes calming himself down. As soon as the healers began to remove his binds, Kleruzz snarled, "The boy has trackers on his core. It is illegal to place such trackers. Who in their right mind came up with such a filthy idea?"
"What kind of trackers are they? Is it currently active?", asked Ragnok.
"There are two different trackers and a ward link", said Kleruzz. She continued, "One is a life-force tracker. Whoever placed it, wanted to be informed of his death. The other tracker is a position tracker. They have been dead for a couple of months now. They recharge when he is in a certain set of wards for which the boy carries the link. The nastiest thing about the link is that when he is within the wards, the wards draw magic from his magical core."
"What will happen if we remove the trackers and the link? Can you tell me whose magical signature does it bear?", asked Ragnok.
"Hold on, let me check", said Kleruzz. "Albus Bloody Dumbledore. It's his magical signature. Just like the other bindings. I have a suggestion if you don't mind."
"Go on", said the Director.
"I say we remove the trackers and the link. The trackers and the link were bound to his core in a way that the core itself would have destroyed them under great magical duress. Dumbledore won't find out about the destruction or removal of trackers until the boy is within the wards again", said Kleruzz. "However, once the wards are destroyed, they cannot be rebuilt as they were made with his mother's blood."
"We don't need to rebuild the wards. Harry and I have been discussing where he will be going for the summer. The wards will be destroyed before the beginning of the summer. We plan to force Dumbledore's hand to reach a compromise for the time being, or at least that's what we will let Dumbledore feel", said Ragnok with a feral grin. He continued, "Make no mistake, Dumbledore will pay for his crimes. Right now, we need to ensure Harry gets freedom to spend his time according to his wishes."
"Alright, let us get done with this then. We will start with the Family Rituals a week from now", said Kleruzz and the healers got to work.
Harry spent the next couple of days reading the Peverell family history. He came across the origin of the fabled Deathly Hallows. Having read the story, The Tale of the Three Brothers, Harry was shocked to learn the truth behind the creation of the artefacts. The first Peverell, Lord Achaius Fergus Peverell was a renowned warrior. He was highly knowledgeable in most of the branches of magic. He had a Thestral for a familiar. The Thestral, Labhrainn, had given two strands of its hair, one of which was used in the creating of the Elder Wand. Achaius used the wood of the elder tree beside which he had found Labhrainn. Shocked by the power of the wand, he decided to keep the wand in his family as an heirloom. With the help of Labhrainn's magical capabilities, he created the Cloak of Invisibility. The Resurrection Stone was created by him with the help Druidic and Norse magic along with Labhrainn's magic. The wand never gave its allegiance to any other wizard or witch for many generations until Ignotus, the youngest of the Three Brothers was born. When Ignotus had told his father, Oisean, of a calling he heard every time he passed by the chamber which held family heirlooms, his father had taken him into the chamber. As soon as Ignotus had stepped into it, the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Cloak of Invisibility willed themselves to him. His father was shocked but never spoke a word of it. During a duel between Ignotus and Antioch, Ignotus was disarmed and beaten by Antioch. This resulted in the change of allegiance. Antioch, consumed by the power of the new wand, went around boasting about it. Cadmus had borrowed the Resurrection Stone from Ignotus after the demise of his fiancée. Cadmus was found brutally murdered days later with the stone missing. Fearing the loss of Cloak of Invisibility, Ignotus performed a blood entailment ritual which bound the cloak to the Peverell family. The cloak will perform like any other invisibility cloak in the hands of another but in the hands of a Peverell, it will not react to any magic and hide the user from anything and everything. Harry decided that once he recalled his family's heirlooms, he was going to perform the blood entailment ritual on the Elder Wand and the Resurrection Stone.
A week and a month after stepping into the Time Chamber, all of Harry's bindings were removed and he began with his training. He spent the mornings meditating before a lesson in swordsmanship. After the lesson and a shower, he had his breakfast where he was given lessons about etiquettes and culture. He spent an hour after his breakfast learning languages. The next few hours prior to lunch had lessons on parselmagic, magical core manipulation, harnessing raw, wild magic from the surroundings and estate management. Lunch hour was spent with lessons on etiquettes as well. The evenings were spent on mind arts and metamorphmagus abilities. The nights were for family history and political structure. Some nights were marked for family rituals. Nutrient potions were added to his meals to undo his shunted growth.
Five months into the training, one night during a lesson on political structure, Ragnok XI said, "Did you come across anything interesting in your Potter, Peverell and Emrys Family Grimoires regarding the High Council?"
"Yes, the High Council established the Wizengamot when Merlin was the Head of House of Emrys. Prior to the establishment of Wizengamot, the High Council governed the Magical Isles of Britannia. It is said that during the governance of High Council, all magical beings had equal rights and the magical community thrived", mused Harry. "During the establishment of Wizengamot, a failsafe was created by the High Council. Each of the six families have an oath of their creation in their Grimoires. When each of the members of the High Council take this oath in the Wizengamot chamber, the Wizengamot and the Ministry will be dissolved. As the Emrys Lordship couldn't be taken since the passing of Merlin, the Wizengamot has enjoyed going about its machinations without a threat. However, now that the House of Emrys has returned, the High Council can threaten to dissolve them and the Ministry if they step out of line."
"Harry, I don't think it is quite the time to reveal Emrys Lordship", intoned Ragnok.
"Oh no, Director. I am not going to threaten about dissolution or reveal about my Lordships yet", said Harry with a smile. "I am sure my allies and I will agree in keeping our cards close to the chest. There will come a time when actions need to be taken hard and fast. That is when we will threaten to dissolve the Wizengamot." After a pause, Harry continued, "Make no mistake, if my allies and I must choose between saving the magical world and certain aristocrats' egos, we will always choose the magical world. It will be a crime of the highest order against Lady Magic herself if the High Council doesn't act in her honor."
"You will be a boon to your ancestors, Harry", said a smiling Ragnok. "I remember your grandfather, Charlus. He was a formidable wizard. The members of Wizengamot respected him for integrity and feared him because of his magical prowess."
"I can only hope to live up to my ancestors before me and honor the lives they have lived", said Harry with a far-away look. "Ragnok, what can you tell me about the current Wizengamot structure and voting procedure?"
"The Wizengamot consists of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses, Ancient and Most Noble Houses, Most Noble Houses, Noble Houses, Minor Houses, Ministry Departmental Heads, Order of Merlin Holders and the Chief Warlock. The Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses have eight votes each. Ancient and Most Noble Houses have six votes each. The Most Noble Houses have four votes each. Noble Houses have two votes each. Minor Houses, Departmental Heads and Order of Merlin holders have one vote each. The Chief Warlock must be from a Noble House at the least and adds two more votes to the actual count from their House. For example, House of Dumbledore is a Noble House. Albus has two votes from House of Dumbledore and two votes as a Chief Warlock, taking his total to four. He may have other votes if he acts as proxy for any other house", said Ragnok. "Currently, excluding the Emrys, Slytherin and Hufflepuff seats, the Potter-Longbottom-Bones alliance needs four votes to get a majority. Once Lord Black is free, I am sure he will join the alliance, which will give you the majority to push for changes."
"Brilliant. I have a few things on my mind already. I can't wait for Sirius to be free", said Harry with a wide smile.
Harry carried on with his schedule and was learning about the ins and outs of the political system at a rapid pace. By the end of his seventh month, Harry had completely given up using his wand. He did not perform any magic during the six months after the removal of horcrux as the wand burned in his hand when he tried to cast the simplest of spells. Instead, he spent time studying Theory of Magic and working on his skills as a potioneer. He found it easier to study from his mother's notes than he did at school under Snape's instructions. He liked Ragnok's lessons on estate management and swordsmanship. During one of his lessons, Harry had mentioned how he was captivated by the magnificent Sword of Gryffindor. When Harry was confused at Ragnok's laughter at his admission, Ragnok explained, "The Sword of Gryffindor was crafted by one of my ancestors, Ragnuk, and now you are my pupil. My ancestor will be very pleased. I am sure yours will be as well." Harry looked pleased at Ragnok's statement.
At the end of seventh month, Tony and Star entered the residence with a blonde witch in tow. "Master Harry, you need to get new robes made. This is Madam Isabella. She is here to take your measurements", said Star. She snapped her fingers producing a stool in front of Harry.
"Good morning, Mr. Potter. Please stand on the stool", said the witch.
Obeying Isabella, Harry got onto the stool. "Thank you for doing this, Madam Isabella. I hope it wasn't much trouble for you."
The measurements were done quite quickly, and Madam Isabella left. Harry was surprised to find that he had grown five inches since entering the chamber and put on eight pounds. He was no longer scrawny and little.
On the first day of the eighth month, he entered the Heir's Trunk that his parents had commissioned for him without activating the Time Dilation Rune. He explored the apartment and was very pleased with it. It was everything he could have hoped for and more. Recalling his father's instructions in his letter, he went into the library the second day with all his Family Grimoires. He spent all his free time the next two weeks expanding the library in his trunk to include the books from the libraries of Houses of Emrys, Slytherin and Hufflepuff.
During the third week, in one of the estate management lessons, Harry asked Ragnok, "Is it possible to create an employment contract in such a manner that when the employee leaves the company or business, the employee forgets all about the technical details in the creation of the products?"
"Yes, it is possible, Harry. Most of the existing companies already make use of such contracts. It wouldn't do any good to share trade secrets with the outsiders", said Ragnok. "What were you thinking of?"
"I was thinking of commercializing the communication mirrors. The wizarding world has two methods of communication. Floo and owl. With the communication mirrors, we will be opening up a market that has a huge potential. Think about it, people wouldn't need to wait too long to get a message across. One wouldn't need to bend and go down on their knees either. It will make a good profit, don't you think?" mused Harry in delight.
"Yes, that is a very profitable venture. I think you should commercialize it", said Ragnok.
"I will. I do have certain people in mind to split profit with. We will discuss about this further during the summer", said Harry.
During the last week of the eighth month, when Harry was spending time with his familiars, Godric and Rowena shed one tail feather each. Harry collected them and placed them in a box.
Godric said, 'Use them to create your wand.'
"Thank you, Godric, Rowena. You are great friends", said Harry.
Nodding their heads, Godric and Rowena went out for a flight. Harry's eight months in the Time Chamber was coming to an end. He had thoroughly enjoyed his eight months studying about the more mundane aspects of being a Lord and different languages. He knew that the one month after his return from Ollivanders will be a key period. He will have majority of his support group with him. He was looking forward to it. He was drawn out of his thoughts by Director Ragnok's entry.
"Harry, it's time to leave. You will need to go to Ollivanders with Lady McGonagall. She's already here", said Ragnok.
"Alright, let's go", said Harry, getting off his couch and following Ragnok towards the exit.
June 13, 1993
Director Ragnok's Office, Gringotts
1:25 P.M.
Minerva was seated in the visitor's chair in the Director's office when the door opened. She looked towards the door and saw a much healthier and smarter looking Harry enter the office. Looking at him, she smiled and said, "You look much better, Harry. Much like a Lord and less like the scrawny kid that walked into the chamber." Turning to Ragnok XI, she said, "Thank you for looking after Harry, Director Ragnok. Lady Bones and Lady Dowager Longbottom will be here soon."
"I am just doing my duty, Lady McGonagall. Lord Potter isn't just politically powerful, he is one of the richest clients of Gringotts as well. There is no way I can deny my services to him", said Ragnok. "We will be waiting for your return before stepping into the Time Chamber."
"Thank you, Ragnok. Aunt Minnie and I will be back soon. I will change my looks in order to avoid unwanted crowd and delay in Diagon Alley", said Harry.
"That should help you, yes", chuckled Ragnok.
With a bow, Harry and Minerva left the Director's office. As soon as Harry stepped out, he changed his appearance. He now had long, wavy brown hair, his eyes were black, and his facial structure was more like Dudley than his own. Harry and Minerva made it into Ollivanders quickly. As soon as Harry stepped into Ollivanders, he changed his appearance back to his normal self.
Mr. Ollivander looked up at his customers and said, "Mr. Potter, I did not think I will be seeing you again this soon. Your wand, 11-inches, holly wood and phoenix feather. I hope everything is alright with the wand?"
"Hello, Mr. Ollivander. No, I am here precisely for that reason. The wand doesn't seem right anymore. It burns my hand even for the simplest of spells", said Harry, removing his wand from the holster.
"May I see the wand, Mr. Potter?", asked Mr. Ollivander, stretching his hand towards Harry. Harry nodded and handed his wand to him. "It seems as if the wand wood is no longer in resonance with the core and your magic."
"I don't understand, Mr. Ollivander. If I recall correctly, you said the wand chooses the wizard. Am I right to assume that a wand may reject its chosen wizard when the wizard undergoes a change?", asked a bemused Harry.
"You may be correct in your assumption, Mr. Potter", said Mr. Ollivander after a thought. "Very well, please follow me. The core can still be used as its allegiance lies with you. We will need to choose new wand wood for you", said Mr. Ollivander, signaling Harry to follow him. They reached a room that seemed like a workshop. Directing Harry towards a huge box, Mr. Ollivander said, "Extend your hand over the box and let your magic guide you. Favorable wood shall will itself to your hand." Harry did as instructed. After a few minutes, he felt two blocks of wood in his hand. He turned towards Mr. Ollivander and handed him the blocks of wood.
"Mr. Ollivander why did two blocks of wood choose me?", asked a confused Harry.
"Mr. Potter, the two blocks of wood that you pulled out have been in the shop since my many-times great grandfather. These are snakewood and Moriai wood. Moriai tree has been around for more than a millennium according to Greek mythology. Moriai wood, though of strong magical nature isn't strong enough on its own, which is why snakewood chose you as well. The wand to be crafted will be made using two woods", said Mr. Ollivander.
"Okay, that makes sense", said Harry. He was confused and did not know how to reply. Before he could speak any further, he felt as if something inside the workshop was calling to him. "Mr. Ollivander, pardon me, but I feel as if something inside the workshop is trying to reach out to me. Can I look for what it is?"
"Trying to reach out to you, you say? Interesting", muttered the shopkeeper. "Very well, go for it."
Harry let his magic guide. He went towards a shelf of boxes and came to a halt at one box. Picking it up, he walked towards the wandmaker, and said, "This is it. Whatever's in the box is calling out to my magic."
Opening the box, Mr. Ollivander said, "This is the feather of a griffin. It has been in the shop since the times of Godric Gryffindor. It isn't surprising that it reached out to you. The griffin who gave this feather was Godric's familiar. The griffin had given three feathers. One was used in Godric's own wand. The second was used to craft your grandfather, Late Charlus Fleamont Potter's wand. The last one will be used to craft yours. Very well, I will need to draw a vial of your blood. A dual core wand in the wrong hands can be devastating. I will bind the wand with your blood to make it unyielding."
Agreeing to Mr. Ollivander's request, Harry let him draw a vial of his blood. "It will take about three hours, Mr. Potter", said Mr. Ollivander leading Harry out of the workshop.
"We will be back around six in the evening, Garrick", said Professor McGonagall.
"Of course. I will have Mr. Potter's wand ready by then, Minerva", said the wandmaker. He continued, "It will be twenty galleons, Mr. Potter. You can pay when you return to pick it up."
With that, Harry and Minerva left for Gringotts. On the way to Gringotts, Harry thought of pulling a prank on the people who were going to join him. "Aunt Minnie, I was thinking of pranking Mr. Tonks, Lady Dowager Longbottom and Lady Regent Bones", said Harry with a mischievous glint in his eyes. He continued, "They know how I'm supposed to look like. What if I look more like my mother and less like my dad?"
Minerva chuckled, "Oh you! It will be fun to start the meeting on a light note."
"Alright, it is decided then. Ragnok can make it out any way. He can see through and identify my magical signature", mused Harry. Reaching Gringotts, they were led into the Director's office. There were two witches and a wizard besides Director Ragnok and his son. The middle-aged witch had red hair and a monocle. She had an aura of a no-nonsense witch. Harry deduced that it might have been due to this that she had been the youngest Head of Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The older witch had graying hair and wore an outlandish hat. She looked every bit the witch that Neville had described her to be. The wizard was middle-aged and had a shorter build. He looked very confident and had a calm demeanor about him. Harry could see why he was the Solicitor on Retainer for the Potters. The guests in Ragnok's office looked confused at Harry's and Minerva's entrance. Ragnok XI saw mischief in Harry's eyes and decided to play along. "Lady Regent Bones of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Bones, Lady Dowager Longbottom of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Longbottom, Law Wizard Mr. Edward Tonks, I am pleased to make your acquaintance."
"Er, Lady McGonagall, I thought we were about to meet Heir Potter", muttered a clearly confused Augusta Longbottom.
"Why, Lady Dowager Longbottom, this is Heir Potter", said an amused Minerva. "Doesn't he look every bit like Lily?"
"He looks a lot like Lily, but I know Harry looked more like James", said Amelia.
"My wife and I were there with the Potters when Harry was born. My wife was the healer on call for Lily. He looked very much like James except his eyes and nose. He had raven hair like James", said Ted.
Chuckling, Harry shifted to his original look. Minerva, Director Ragnok and his son were smiling with him as well.
"You are a metamorphmagus, like Dora", whispered Ted.
"That is correct, Mr. Tonks. I am sorry, I just wanted to lighten the mood before we got all serious. Please call me Harry", said Harry.
"You are very much like James, Harry. I am sure he would have tried to pull off something like that", said Augusta chuckling. "It is good to see you, Harry. You may call me Gran like Neville does, or Augusta. Neville and you are godbrothers after all."
"Thank you,..Gran. I would like that", said Harry.
"Hello Harry, I am Amelia Bones. I am Susan's, your godsister's aunt. You may call me Auntie or Amelia", said Amelia from beside Augusta.
"Hello, Aunt Amy", mused Harry.
"And I am Edward Tonks, though I usually go by Ted. I am your Solicitor on Retainer. My wife Andromeda is your father's cousin. You grandmother was Andi's great aunt. You may call me Uncle Ted or Ted", said Ted with a smile.
"Hi Uncle Ted", said Harry returning the smile.
"Harry", said Ragnok XI for the first time, "Before we proceed to the Time Chamber, I had taken the liberty to invite Master Irving Sato. He is a wandmaker and has crafted the Potter-Peverell wands for more than fifteen hundred years. He had taken up the role from his father who had been doing the same all those years ago. The Sato family have used Elixir of Life over the years to further their research and help the magical community. It is a boon from Lady Magic for their outstanding contribution to the magical community over thousands of years."
Nodding his head, Harry said, "Okay, let us get it out of the way. I do have a request for Master Sato as well."
Ragnok XI, turned towards the other people in his office and said, "My son will lead everyone else into the Time Chamber while Harry and I meet Master Sato. We will join as soon as we get it out of the way."
Ragnok XII, bowed to his father, turned to the visitors and said, "Please follow me."
The three witches and Ted bowed to the Director and followed Ragnok XII out of the office. Ragnok XI got off his seat and said, "Follow me, Harry. Master Sato is waiting in the antechamber down the hall." Ragnok led Harry into the antechamber.
Inside the chamber was a wizard who did not look any older than a man in sixties.
Bowing to Master Sato, Harry said, "Master Sato, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I would like to thank you for your help to the House of Potter over the years. Please call me Harry."
"Lord Potter, it is a pleasure to meet you. I have been looking forward to meet you, though you are about two years late", said Master Sato. He continued, "Don't worry, Harry. Ragnok here told me the reason behind your delay. I will help you in every way I can, please don't hesitate to ask."
"Thank you, Master Sato. I do have a request. Is it possible for you to be in Britain around the first week of July? I wanted a few of my friends to get custom crafted wands. House of Potter will cover the entire cost, of course.", said Harry.
"Of course. Just send me a mail as a reminder and I will make myself available. You can gather all your friends at a place and send your phoenix or thunderbird to bring me to you", replied Master Sato.
"Thank you for agreeing to my request, Master Sato. House of Potter will be grateful to you", said Harry.
"You are welcome, Harry", replied Master Sato with a warm smile. Clapping his hands, he continued, "Now, have you got the tail feathers?"
"Yes", replied Harry. Handing over the box with the tail feathers, he said, "Here they are. One tail feather each from Godric and Rowena."
"You received an Ice-Fire Phoenix", exclaimed Master Sato. "Wonderful." Pointing towards one of the three knapsacks on the table, he continued, "This contains wand wood. Place both your hands over the knapsack and let your magic will the required wood." Harry did as he was asked. He had two different blocks of wood. "Dodonaean oak and elder wood." Pointing towards the second knapsack, he said, "This contains materials for wand handles and marbling. Repeat the same process as with the previous knapsack." This time he pulled out a wood and something very hard. "Ash wood and the claw of an Elder dragon. Ash wood will be used for your handle and the Elder dragon claw will be used to marble it." Pointing towards the last knapsack, he said, "These contain wand cores. You already have two cores, and you might not draw any other. However, your father and some of your ancestors had drawn another core. It is just to make sure that we do not miss out on anything. Repeat the same process." Nodding his head, Harry repeated the process. He felt one orb in his right hand and nothing in the other. After a few seconds, when nothing willed to Harry's left hand, he pulled his hands out. "I am not sure if you can see it but that is the hair of a thestral tail. None of the wandmakers will ever use thestral hair in their wands because of what it represents. However, this particular hair has been in my family from the times of my grandfather. My father had said that a man with thestral as his familiar had given him the hair but he never made a wand out of it. I am sure you know the man I speak of Harry, don't you?", asked an amused Master Sato.
"Yes, I know. He was one of my ancestors", said Harry. He continued, "Can you help me with something that's bothering me, Master Sato? It is related to wandlore."
"Sure, ask away. What's troubling you?", asked Sato.
"Earlier today when I was at Ollivanders to have my wand recrafted, I could feel a calling towards another core in the workshop. When Mr. Ollivander permitted me to reach out to it, we discovered it was a griffin feather. Not just any griffin, it was Godric Gryffindor's familiar. Apparently, the griffin had given three feathers. One was used for Grandpa Godric's wand, the second was used for my grandfather, Charlus' wand. The last one is being used for mine", said Harry, pausing to gather his thoughts.
"You just saw me pull out a thestral hair for my third core. A thestral hair belonging to the thestral that was my ancestor's familiar. My question is why are these cores choosing me and haven't chosen anyone else over the years? My family history goes back to around three thousand years. I am quite sure that this thestral hair has been in your family for around the same time as the thestral that gave the hair belonged to the very first of one of my family lines", intoned Harry.
Sato thought over Harry's words and said, "We who have studied wandlore still don't have a full understanding of why certain wand objects choose a wizard or witch and others don't. We believe it is more to do with the nature and talents of the wizard. I have seen wizards and witches being chosen by wand woods and cores that do not in any way show who they were at that moment, but who they went on to be." Sato paused for a moment to let Harry comprehend and continued, "It might have been that no other wizard or witch was chosen by the said cores because there was never a match. I can say for a fact that no wizard or witch was chosen by the thestral hair because of its temperamental nature. I am not sure why the griffin feather never chose anybody, but I think I know why they chose you. Care to take a guess, Harry?"
Harry seemed lost in thought. After a brief moment of thought, he whispered, "It is because of who I will become."
"Maybe, Harry", said Sato with a shrug. "However, nobody can say for a fact who you might become. I believe the answer to that question is not that straight forward. What is common between the two cores?"
"They are from the familiars of my ancestors", muttered Harry in confusion.
"There, I believe, lies your answer", said Sato with a smile. "You see, you are the last in line of your families and have no heir. Your Family Magics are acting on their own accord to preserve the line. Your family history dates back to three thousand years, like you said. It has grown over that time. To let your family lines die will mean the end of these magics."
"I see", muttered Harry. He continued, "I had been to Ollivanders before. Why did I not hear the calling before?"
"I believe that it was because of the bindings and the horcrux", said Ragnok for the first time. "Master Sato knows about it, Harry. I explained him everything before he got here."
Harry nodded, satisfied with the answer.
Sato continued, "Now that your magic is no longer bound, it is able to reach out freely. Your Family Magic is able to mix with your magical core. I believe Albus carries a wand he has no right over."
"Yes, and I plan to recall my family heirlooms. I am going to bind them to the family line using blood entailment ritual", said Harry.
"Oh, if I am right about your Family Magic, you might not need to call for your wand", said Sato. "Albus will be in for a shock the next time he tries to use that wand around you", he chuckled.
Harry looked confused. "Er, what do you mean, Master Sato?"
"You will see, I am not quite sure myself, but I hope I am right", said Sato with an amused expression.
"Okay", replied Harry. "I read a bit about my Family Magics and was astonished how it has been helpful over years to keep my family alive. I am grateful and honored that my Family Magic is so powerful and looking after me just like it did for my ancestors."
"Perfect then, you will be very careful with the wand", said Master Sato. "I will need to draw a vial of your blood to bind the wand." Agreeing to Master Sato's request, Harry let him take his blood. "I will have your wand ready by six. Before I forget, what is the length of your current wand, Harry?"
"My current wand is eleven inches long, Master Sato", replied Harry.
"Alright, I have everything that I need over here. I will be here in the antechamber", said Master Sato gathering all the wand elements. He continued, "It will cost you two hundred galleons, Harry. You can pay me when you pick your wand up."
Harry replied, "Thank you, Master Sato. I will see you soon." With a bow, Harry and Ragnok XI left the antechamber for the Time Chamber.