AN: This is posted elsewhere on another archive just in case you are wondering.
Disclaimer: I do not own that of Harry Potter or this incarnation of the myth of King Arthur and Merlin.
Chapter I:
The rain beat against the window as it had for most of the summer and Harry ignored the sound in favor of packing his trunk. He knew that his Order guard was soon to grace the doorstep of his relatives house and didn't want to linger at the Dursley's for any longer than he had to.
His hand brushed over a copy of the Daily Prophet, the only copy that came that summer that didn't end up in the rubbish bin and the only one that spoke a little truth. Harry's godfather graced the front of it in all the glory of an ancient house but still with the mischievous glint that made him Sirius. Just above the picture a headline proclaimed: NEW EVIDENCE FREES BLACK with the story below accounting the capture after the events at the Ministry and trial of Peter Pettigrew for the murders of Harry's parents. New evidence indeed, Harry had snorted when he first saw the article, but he was thrilled that Sirius didn't have to hide and even better, that Harry didn't have to live with the Dursley's anymore.
"... Authorities are unsure how to get rid of the skull that seemed to appear above the crime scene. While it looks like a hologram of some kind, they are unable to find the source."
Harry stopped leafing through his summer notes at the sound of the evening news. Voldemort, Harry thought. What is the Ministry thinking letting that on the evening news?
"This murder seems to fit with several that have been happening all over the country. Citizens are starting to wonder if they are the work of an ambitious serial killer or a new and highly active terrorist group. This is Anne Wright reporting."
New terrorist group? Harry snorted and almost shoved his notes into his bag until he realized what he did and placed them gently inside.
Harry turned back to his trunk and almost fell over in his haste to get his wand until he realized it was only his aunt standing in the doorway to his room.
"I'm sorry for startling you," she said. "I should have known better."
"It's okay," he managed to choke out around his surprise. He stowed his wand in his back pocket and went back to packing his trunk. He felt eyes staring at him and he looked up to his aunt still in the doorway. "Aunt Petunia? Is something wrong?"
She glared at the question, habit forcing it out of her, but then her gaze softened. "I've done you wrong, haven't I?" She waited as if she wanted an answer and Harry didn't know what to say. "Doesn't matter much now, does it?" She sighed and glanced nervously down the stairs where Uncle Vernon was. She motioned him to follow her which Harry did, curiosity winning out over caution.
Yet what Harry was expecting wasn't what happened. The ladder to the attic creaked under their steps and the humid, rain-ridden air was heavy in their lungs. Harry sneezed when he tried to breathe in the musty air. As he waved away the dust he watched his aunt pull out an ancient looking trunk from behind an old crib. She motioned him over and he knelt to get a better look.
"This trunk appeared the day after we took you in," she explained. "And it has thwarted Vernon's every attempted to get rid of it since then, always appearing at your bedside until I put it in the attic to save it from Vernon's rages. There it stayed." Harry reached out to finger the intricate carvings and wondered what they meant. "I can only assuming its the Potter crest. It was on a ring your father wore the one time I met him." Harry snorted imagining how that meeting must have went and Petunia smiled a little. "Yes, that was a most spectacular evening. I don't think Vernon ever forgave James for that prank and it wasn't even a magical one." Petunia's smiled grew at Harry's shocked face. "I believe this trunk is meant to be with you or else it wouldn't have stayed."
Harry nodded and tried to pick it up to put with his other things. He let go with a gasp from the electric shock he got from the handles. He didn't have time to think about it when from below them he heard the doorbell ring and his uncle shout, "Boy! Get the door before the neighbors see!"
Harry grabbed the trunk around the middle, thankful that it didn't shock him and as fast as he could left it in his room and answered the door. He could feel his uncle's glare from the living room and for an insane moment he squashed down the urge to tell him off, reminding him he wasn't coming back and to leave him alone for once in his life. Instead he took a deep breath and opened the door a crack in time to see Tonks reach for the doorbell again. "What is the password?" he asked and she jumped.
"Password? Dumbledore didn't say anything about a password."
Sirius merely rolled his eyes at his cousin and in a bored tone, he said, "Moony, Padfoot and Prongs are surely up to no good."
"What the hell does that mean?" Tonks asked as he swung the door open. "Wotcher, Harry," she greeted but stayed where she was waiting for an answer.
"I'll tell you the story later," Sirius answered before pulling Harry into a hug. "How are you, Harry?"
"Fantastic, now that you are here." His god-father ginned and the years melted from his prematurely aged face.
Harry didn't know why his uncle was so worried. Two people on the door step were friends with Lily Evans Potter and she would have taught them how to dress like proper Muggles. And the third was edgy enough to know just to annoy her pure-blood relatives.
"Where are the rest of you?" Harry asked ushering the three into the house. Sirius shook the rain from his hair in a decidedly dog fashion showering the spotless foyer with water. Aunt Petunia would have been livid if she had seen.
"Sirius that was rude," Remus said slapping the animagus upside the head before pulling his wand out and magicking the mess away. "They're waiting with our transport," he answered motioning behind him. Stan Shunpike sent him a little wave from the door of the Knight Bus. Harry smiled and waved back noticing the number of Order members sitting on the three levels.
"Should I be worried about the neighbors?" Harry asked shutting the door.
"Nah," Tonks answered. "Never properly look, do they?"
"And what about possible Death Eater patrons?"
"Sirius contracted it out for the night," Remus answered. "And along with it the guarantee they can't say anything. We have it to ourselves until they drop us off."
"You can do that?" Harry asked.
His god-father smirked. "For the right price." Sirius laughed at Harry's surprised face. "Anyway, Mad Eye suggested that we fly to headquarters but that was shot down on account of rain."
"Thank Merlin for that," Tonks muttered and Remus smiled.
"Where are your things?" Remus asked.
"My room," Harry said. "Upstairs."
"Why don't you and I go and get your bags, so we can get out of this dreadful place," Sirius said. Harry smiled and led the way.
"It's not that bad," Harry said. "At least this summer."
"But you like me better, right?"
Harry stopped on the landing. "You had to ask?" Harry could see the apprehension melt away and figured Azkaban had left its mark. "Come on. I'm sure Uncle Vernon wants us gone and he's just too scared to admit it."
Harry didn't even notice when his god-father stopped dead in the doorway to his room, but when he turned around and saw his ashen look, he was a little concerned. "Sirius? What's wrong?" Harry followed his eye line to the ancient trunk he hastily put on his bed. "Sirius?"
The spell was broken but Harry couldn't explain the sadness and fear in the man's eyes. "We better get going?" It shouldn't have been a question but it sounded as if it could have been.
"Okay."
... ... ... ...
Harry watched the English countryside pass by and wondered if they were taking the long way to confuse possible followers. If they could keep up with the infernal bus then they deserved to know where headquarters was, Harry thought. Throughout the ride, Harry couldn't help but watch the silent conversation between Sirius and Remus with the occasional glance at the ornate trunk in Harry's lap.
Before they had left the Dursley's, Remus looked like he had seen a ghost and then swallowed a lemon when he saw the trunk in Harry's arms. Harry took it all to mean they knew about the trunk and it's relation to his family.
Harry thought he would be happy to see the gloomy halls of number 12, even with Sirius living there, but anywhere was better than on the crazily driven Knight Bus. Harry waved at the enthusiastic Stan goodbye as the Order waited for the bus to leave. Then he turned, took a deep breath and entered the home of the Most Ancient House of Black.
He heard a shout and was enveloped in a bone crushing hug. "I can't breathe, Hermione!" he choked out. When she pulled away guilt written on her face, he smiled, "Just kidding." She slapped his arm as he shared a hug with his other best mate, Ron.
"How was the trip?" Ron asked.
"Uneventful, thankfully," Harry said leading the two upstairs.
"Dinner in a couple of hours!" Remus called after them, when he got no answer he snorted and followed Sirius into the basement kitchen.
"How was your summer?" Harry asked them as they settled into the room he shared with Ron.
"Rather boring, really," Hermione answered. "Mum and Dad are worried though, so we didn't travel much."
"What about you, Ron?"
"Quiet now that Fred and George have moved out." Ron smiled. "Almost too quiet after living so long with the pair."
"How is their shop doing?" Harry asked.
"Fair enough from what we know," Ron answered. "They don't talk about it much." Ron watched Harry unload his trunk and into the wardrobe. "How was your summer, mate?"
Harry could hear the hesitance in his voice and see this apprehension in both their faces. "It was... okay. Uncle Vernon was really the only one that tried to keep things as they were. Dudley was just grateful that he was still alive, and Aunt Petunia avoided me until right before I left."
"Avoided you?" Hermione asked curious.
"I kept to myself mostly, so it was easy for her, but, yeah, she avoided me." Harry closed the wardrobe and turned to his friends. "Then just before Sirius and them showed up, she comes to my room, apologizes and gives me this." He picked up the trunk and placed it where they could all see it.
"She said it was the Potter seal," Harry said fingering the intricate design. "And that Dad had it on a ring he wore."
"Is that a Merlin?" Ron asked inching closer, as close as he could get without actually touching the wood. When he didn't get an answer he looked up to see his two friends staring at him. "What?"
"How did you know that?"
"When I was small a traveling faire came through Ottery St. Catchpole. One of my favorite acts was the falconry and it was my dream for many years after." Ron looked sheepish. "So I looked up every hunter bird I could. The Twins teased me incessantly until I grew out of it." Ron coughed clearly uncomfortable with the attention on him. "Anyway, this trunk looks old and if what your Aunt said was true, there could be a whole host of family secrets hidden in there."
"So let's open it!" Hermione said. She moved forward as if to help, but Ron stopped her.
"Are you mad, woman!?" She bristled at the term, but Ron continued before she could start ranting at him. "It is a family heirloom that may not be able to be opened until Harry is of age. And even if he could open it, it contains family secrets for Harry's eyes only, and eventually his wife and children." Ron thought for a moment. "Well, his heir really, the wife and the rest of the kids would only be privy to what Harry chooses."
Through clenched teeth, looking upset, Hermione asked, "And what would happen if I were to open it?"
"That's even if you could open it. It may need blood to be opened and you are not of Potter blood. But..." Ron shrugged. "It really could be any number of things. Could be an Obliviate imbedded in the wood that could only be deactivated by Potter blood. A curse that could render the opener a squib. It could be a punishment chosen by the family, even death, but that I would say would be more the Blacks and Malfoy's style." Hermione glared at him and Ron sighed. "Family magic runs far deeper that any magic taught at Hogwarts."
Harry just watched his two best friends during the tirade, slightly wondering how he knew so much and then mentally hitting himself because Ron was a Pure-blood family and would know such things. "So does the Weasley family have magic like that?" Harry blurted. Ron looked startled. "Sorry," Harry said quickly. "It was the train of thought going through my head and came out my mouth."
"Uh..." Ron looked flustered for a moment. "Uh, yeah, but only Bill knows everything." Ron stopped. "I'm sorry, Harry. I'm not really allowed to talk about it."
"It's okay," Harry reassured. "I didn't really expect you to answer."
A nock sounded at the door and Sirius appeared. "Dinner's ready, you lot." The trio stood and Harry saw Sirius's gaze linger a little too long on the trunk.
They entered the nearly empty basement kitchen and Harry was nearly lost in the huge room.
"Order meeting over all ready?" Hermione asked and Remus nodded.
"It was a short one anyway and everyone had other places to be."
"Where is the rest of your family?" Harry asked Ron.
"They decided to stay at the Burrow until you settled in here with Sirius," Ron answered and Harry smiled.
"Thus we are saddled with Remus's cooking for the foreseeable future," Sirius quipped. He muttered a quiet 'ow' when Remus backhanded him.
"Don't let him kid you, Harry," Tonks said setting the bowls and plates on the table. "Remus is a wonderful cook."
"That's really for Harry to decide, Tonks," Remus said placing a pot carefully in the middle of the table. "Dig in, everybody. While it's still hot."
The stew was passed around as Remus retrieved bread from the oven. They chatted comfortably about inconsequential things.
When Harry had eaten his fill he stood and placed his dishes in the sink to wash themselves and left them to finish unpacking, but Sirius stopped him.
"Can we talk?" he asked.
Harry smiled. "Sure. Want to help me unpack?"
Sirius grinned. "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. Follow me." Sirius didn't stop on the first landing, but headed up to what Harry knew was the family wing on the third floor. "I hope this is okay. Remus helped me decorate." Sirius opened the door to the room next to his and motioned Harry to enter.
The room was decorated in dark woods and deep blues and greens. The furniture looked antique but comfortable and the fourposter bed looked like Harry could sink into it and forget the world.
"Is this okay?" Sirius asked from the doorway. "I just figured since you are living here that you'd want your own room. Especially when you share at school."
"This is amazing, Sirius. Thank you." Harry was beaming at the prospect of a space to call his own. "Help me move?"
Sirius looked relieved. "I'd love to."
It didn't take long for the pair to repack Harry's things and lug it all up the extra flight of stairs and they filled the silent halls with planning for the rest of the house, what rooms to redo and where to put the remaining 'Dark Objects' they had not gotten to the summer before. Yet the conversation died when Harry placed the trunk on the bed. "You know what this is, don't you?" Sirius flinched and that was all the answer Harry needed. "What's wrong?"
Sirius sighed, sinking into one of the armchairs by the window. "With everything that is going on I don't want this added to it."
"What's this?" Harry asked gesturing to the trunk.
"I only know what your dad could tell me as your god-father, which wasn't all that much, but last I knew that trunk was still in your family vault at Gringotts, and it would only appear when it was time."
"Time for what?"
"Your dad couldn't say, but it didn't appear for James or his dad, your granddad, and as far as anyone knew your great-granddad."
"But its still locked," Harry said trying to pry it open as if to illustrate his point. "Why would it appear to me if I can't even open it?"
"We will have to see, but part of me hopes that we won't have to find out."
"Well that is maddening unhelpful," Harry joked and Sirius chuckled.
"I know, but we could go to Gringotts and see if one of your ancestors left a journal or something about it."
"Would Dad have told me if he lived?"
Sirius nodded and bit back the tears. "The old families always have a backup plan."
Harry let the sadness take over as he placed the trunk on his desk. He whipped away a tear before turning back to his god-father. "Where are Ron and Hermione? I think that even Ron would be full by now."
Sirius barked out a laugh. "Remus is distracting them so we could talk."
"Does Ron know that you were going to change rooms on me?" Harry asked as they lounged around Harry on the bed Sirius in what Harry deemed his armchair.
Sirius leaned back in the chair getting comfortable. "He helped with the final stages after he and Hermione arrived and I think he was relieved that you had a place to call home."
Harry turned over onto his back and stared at the canopy of his bed - his bed - and he smiled despite the memories that decided to surface. "He would be relieved. I guess."
"What do you mean?"
"Did anyone ever tell you about what happened at the Dursleys?"
Sirius cocked his head, much like a dog would. "I was told enough that I want to go back to that house and give the Ministry a reason to lock me up."
Harry looked up, his eyes hard and angry. "You will not. I don't care about the Dursleys, but I need you here. Not in Azkaban." Harry sighed and looked away. "Not after I barely got out of my own prison."
"Harry..." Harry shook his head to clear it. Sirius stood and knelt next to the bed. "Harry, I promise you, I won't leave you and I will be here for you as long as you want me to be." Sirius pulled him into a hug and ignored the growing wet patch on his shoulder. "It's going to be okay, Harry." It was awhile before Harry's sobs quieted and he pulled away whipping the remnants of his tears. "Better?" Harry nodded. "Good. Just know that you can come to me if you ever want to talk." He nodded again as Sirius pulled him into another hug.
There was an audible click and they pulled apart to stare at the trunk. "You heard that right?" Sirius nodded looking rather pale. Harry stood and walked slowly toward his desk and the offending object. Lifting the lid, all he saw was a key and an ancient-looking, leather-bound book. He reached in but before he could pick anything up Remus burst in.
"There's been another attack."
"Voldemort?"
"It would seem so, this time he targeted both the Minister of Magic and Muggle Prime Minister. They're both dead."
"What the hell is he thinking?" Sirius said following Remus out into the hall and down the stairs. Harry was on his heels all thoughts of mysterious trunks replaced by confusion and a little fear.