AN: apologies for how long it took since the last update, and also for the shorter length. I've had a lot of problems finding time to write, and my early attempts to start the chapter saw characters acting uncharacteristically angry, so I went through multiple versions of the opening before skipping the Harry/Hokage discussion about Hogwarts. I had planned to have more happening this chapter (to the degree of actually researching what should be used in Harrys wand) but that will have to wait a bit.
Choice of Worlds
It was rare for the Headmaster of Hogwarts to have to wait to talk with someone, but he could understand it in this case.
It was the first time Hogwarts had a place for a student raised in another country (even if he was born in England), so it was his responsibility to deal with the initial meeting.
He wasn't alone of course. It had been decided that a representative of the Department of International Affairs would have to be present, and when they heard who it was he was going to meet with, the department head had been quick to volunteer.
And that led to him, the headmaster, and Bartemius Crouch (senior) sitting and waiting in an antechamber (not the antechamber but an antechamber, much like his office) to the office of the head of the village.
When he first made contact with the village head, the 'Hokage' as he was termed, he had been startled to learn that Harry had been adopted by the previous Hokage, who had given his life for the village leaving the boy in the care of his predecessor and, as it turned out, successor.
His second Godfather had been about as good at his role as the first it seemed.
That reminded him, he would have to deal with Sirius sooner or later, now that the situation had changed.
In any case, the Hokage had little idea about the outside world and Harry's importance in even just one of the nations, but had agreed with him that it would be for the best if Harry had the chance to leave and learn, not just about magic but about his family as well.
And so the two of them, important people in their own rights, were waiting so the Hokage could frame the situation in a manner to encourage him to accept.
It was almost humbling, but not as humbling as would probably be best for their egos.
"What is taking so long?"
"Patience Barty. You should know well enough how messages get lost or delayed. And then they need to talk. Or do you really think we will be able to persuade Harry by ourselves?"
"It isn't that," Barty snapped, waving a hand, "you've seen, haven't you? All these people are armed. They have weapons Dumbledore! How do you manage to stay calm like this?"
"Consider what we are capable of. Are we any less armed? The people we meet with? If anything we're safer here."
He was careful with his wording. They might have been outside the International Councils jurisdiction, but that was no reason to let slip about magic.
Given what he'd seen about what these people could do they probably had magic of some description anyway, but it wasn't a guarantee. Better not to risk it.
Barty had suggested they just leave the translation spell (hardly the most well-known of magics but being headmaster had some benefits) until they were called into the meeting so they could discuss things in private, but he didn't want to be rude. They were here as guests after all, it would have been rude to speak a language their hosts didn't understand.
The fact that it helped him overhear things they might not have intended him to hear was an added bonus.
It was also a good practise for when he would have to cast the same spell for Harry.
In any case they reminded him of some of the allies the Order had in the war.
A group of strange mercenaries with odd abilities who vanished at the end of the war. If he remembered correctly what little they told him they trained recruits young.
The war was not truly over, and such training could only be a good thing for Harry.
[*]
Harry watched the pair of representatives from the 'magical world' enter the Hokages office.
One of them was clearly very old, quite possibly older than the Hokage, the oldest person in the village.
His beard was different, ninjas knew better than to grow beards in general and certainly not one quite so amazingly long. The outfit he was dressed in was bizarre as well. The purple might not have been bright enough to spoil all hope of stealth but was still not a colour he had ever seen on clothing before, and this was from someone who wore orange.
The other looked much more normal, maybe a bit older than most people in the village, and who certainly didn't look like a ninja.
All in all he looked sort of like one of the clan heads, one who hadn't been active for years if at all.
"You knew my parents? My real parents?"
He hadn't meant to ask the question, it just came out. Not that anyone would blame him. To learn that he had been adopted by the fourth rather than truly being his son was a shock, made worse to hear that he hadn't been told because the Hokage simply forgot.
The old man nodded. "Indeed. I was their teacher. Granted, I won't be teaching you directly if you accept my offer, but there will be other teachers who knew them. Even those who were their friend when they attended Hogwarts themselves. But shouldn't we be introduced first. My name is Albus Dumbledore, and this is Bartemius Crouch. And you are, of course, Harry... Namikaze wasn't it?"
"Namikaze Harry."
"Of course, it's just that, in England, family names come last. I'll make a note to mention it in the start of year speech."
"How is it going to work getting to the school?"
"It is a boarding school, during term time you will live on school grounds. Traditionally you take a train to the school, giving students a chance to socialize outside teacher supervision, but as you will need a portkey, a magical means of travelling over great distances, to get to the station anyway, I would be willing to set the portkey to transport you directly to the school. You will also have portkeys available to bring you back for any breaks between terms."
"Normally international portkeys wouldn't be quite so easily available," the other man interrupted, "but this is the first time Hogwarts has been opened to a student who lives in another country."
"Does this mean I'll have to give up on-"
"You will only be committing to the first year if you agree. It has been agreed that you can leave at the end of any year if you want to."
Harry caught the subtext of what the Hokage was saying-he was trying to keep his ninja training (not to mention plans) secret from these wizards.
There was a similar arrangement with the civilians in the village.
They didn't precisely hide being ninja, but they did keep what being a ninja meant from them.
"If you need to be here for a specific event I am sure we can arrange something for you," the headmaster assured him, ignoring the look the ministry representative gave him, clearly disliking having his authority over these 'portkeys' ignored.
"I've arranged for an extra portkey to take you to purchase your school supplies-if you accept of course-and also deal with a few other minor details."
Crouch immediately received suspicious looks from everyone else in the room.
It was the headmaster who actually asked the question though.
"What kind of details? The ministry-"
"Isn't involved, Dumbledore. It's his inheritance." Crouch turned back to Harry. "Dumbledore didn't want to trouble you with this, but I feel you have a right to know. Your father was one of the last members of a noble house-"
"Is that like a clan?"
Crouch hesitated. "Sort of. In the past our country was made up of numerous clans and the noble houses came from the clan heads as the times changed. In any case, you are the sole heir to the house. This means you will have certain responsibilities in the future, something Dumbledore doesn't want you to worry about, but right now all it really means is that you have a lot of money in the bank. They just need to deal with certain legalities of the inheritance, preferably before one of your distant relatives tries to claim it."
"You can't come into your full inheritance until after you finish school," Dumbledore interrupted. "It isn't just a matter of age, you have to finish your time at Hogwarts, well any magical school would count, but you shouldn't feel that you need to attend just for your heritage. That is why I didn't want to tell you. In any case, your parents ensured that your inheritance would always find a way to you, as long as you survived. If you don't attend the position of head of house will wait until your next descendant to finish a magical school."
"So if I agree, one of you will take me to the bank to establish my inheritance and then get my school things?"
"No Harry, unfortunately I have too many responsibilities. Instead I have organised another teacher to take you around the alley. Have you made a decision?"
Harry considered everything he had learned. There was only one choice he could make.
