Chapter 2: Souls and Chambers Oh My
He woke up with his head pounding. He struggled to remember where he was. That quickly passed as he remembered the weird night he had. He never expected to become a time traveler again.
He had learned his lesson after his 3rd year at Hogwarts and while he had regrets, he thought they would stay that way. Now he had a chance to make sure those he had loved would never perish and hopefully never realize how bad it could get.
Picking up a sleeping Zephyr he made his way out of what he thought was Regulus's room. Kreacher would be a big help after he destroyed the locket. First, he would need to retrieve the sword of Gryffindor. He was not looking to re-break into Gringotts.
Goblins were nasty little buggers, he hated being in their presence. While they were useful, in his own opinion they would stab you in the back for a Knut. After the war, they had barred access to his vaults for his theft, even if it got rid of a mutual enemy. They didn't care though; they just saw it as a way to confiscate the entirety of the Potter-Black wealth.
While some liked to think he was obscenely wealthy that was not the case, even before the confiscation of his wealth. The Vault that he inherited from his parents only held just over 70 thousand galleons. Most of the ancient family's money had been used in wars against various Dark Lords across the centuries.
It didn't help that his grandfather's company had basically thrown his father James out of the business when he was in hiding. He fixed the problems in his time so that he got the dividends that were supposed to go to him the whole time. While not a lot of money it was enough to live off, around 200 galleons a month. Skelegro was after all a very important potion his great-great-grandfather invented, and that wasn't even counting in Sleakeazys hair products from his grandfather.
The Blacks on the other hand were obscenely wealthy, at least until Walburga squandered the family wealth. Sirius had drained over half the available funds to buy him the firebolt in his third year, another half a million had gone to the order to finance its various members and endeavors. When he inherited it, it only had around 800k Galleons remaining.
Even if he didn't reinstate his grandfather's shares from Sleakeazys he had enough wealth to last him decades if he was frugal, not that he intended to be a layabout.
One thing that he would do to bulk up his money was to harvest the basilisk. While some parts of the ancient snake were illegal to sell such as the venom, the rest including the hide would be worth a nice sum. Hopefully, it hadn't rotted yet, it was so old that the magic should last a while before the decay set in. When Ron and Hermione retrieved the fang to destroy the goblet it was mostly decayed.
He could also go through the room of lost things and make enough money to probably live in luxury for the rest of his life. Not that he would, at least completely, he would probably take some books to bulk up his library. He wasn't looking forward to going back to Hogwarts.
Going to the kitchen to get something to eat, he paused when he hit the landing for the stairs, he thought he heard voices coming from the kitchen. Making his way there he was on guard, which was unnecessary since very few people knew about Grimmauld.
Entering the room, he spotted Albus sitting at the head of the table talking to Sirius who was on his right. Also in the room was Molly and Arthur Weasley, Ted, and Andromeda Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebot, and surprisingly Amelia Bones, and Tonks with her head down looking as if she was feigning sleep to get away from her mother's nagging.
All conversations stopped and all eyes turned to him with exception of Tonks.
He felt awkward with all the stares, he looked at his familiar and spoke in English for the benefit of his audience, "It's like they've never seen a time traveler before." He stage whispered, causing Tonks to snort and Andromeda to shake her head in slight amusement.
"Harry?" Mrs. Weasley asked, still not truly believing the events that were befalling them.
"Yep, don't ask I have no idea other than magic is bullshit."
Amelia let slip a grin as Sirius let out a bark of laughter. Albus' eyes seemed to be twinkling even more.
Running his hand through his messy hair, he morphed it into a buzz cut with streaks of silver through it. "What's the situation." He asked ignoring the reaction half his audience gave at his morphing.
Amelia shook her head before she addressed him, "The ministry is in an uproar. Umbridge wants you arrested."
He let out an angry hiss causing flinches, "I always hated that toad." He spat in anger.
"I don't think anyone likes the Umbitch," Dora added, causing her mother and Amelia to look at her in exasperation at her language.
"Is there a reason you don't like Madame Umbridge Harry," Dumbledore asked.
He looked even angrier than he did before his words border lining on Parseltongue. "She tortured me with a Blood Quill in my fifth year. Then she ran muggleborn concentration camps during the war. Altogether it was estimated that she killed over 1000 muggleborn and halfbloods."
They all looked at him in horror.
"What is happening though, am I under arrest?" He looked at the Aurors and the head of DMLE.
Amelia seemed to be broken out of her thoughts about the toad, "No, me and Albus have seen to it that you can't even be questioned on future events. The Unspeakables broke down the Goblet to make sure this couldn't happen again, they have concluded that the timeline you came from is gone, so you won't be destroying the integrity of the timeline."
He let loose a sigh of relief, he didn't want to become a guinea pig, but he did feel a tinge of guilt that his timeline was gone, "If it helps Madame Bones I'm still technically under Hit-Wizard oaths, so I'm still under the head of the DMLE's command."
Amelia looked at him appraisingly, "You don't look old enough."
He let out a peel of laughter, "That hasn't stopped me before. I killed a 1000-year basilisk when I was 12 and killed Voldemort for the final time when I was 17."
Molly let out a gasp of fear as her husband gripped her hand to keep her grounded, "He c-came b-back?"
"At the end of the Triwizard Tournament last time. He had Pettigrew kill Cedric and use my blood to re-corporealize himself. Unfortunately, to kill him for good we will have to have him reembody himself."
Amelia looked at him sternly, "What aren't you saying?"
He looked to Albus who nodded. Albus for once was happy not to have to hold the weight of the world on his shoulder, having Harry bear some of the burdens was a welcome change.
"The Headmaster and I know how he's still alive. We can get rid of one of his methods at this moment. KREACHER!" He yelled startling the room.
A loud pop sounded as a dirty old house elf entered the room, "You feel like Lord Black, why?"
He scratched the stubble on his chin, "It seems even through time I'm still recognized as Lord Black." He turned and looked at his godfather, "You still suck Sirius. Two wives Merlin help me." He finished with a mutter, causing Sirius to let out a chuckle.
He then turned back to the house elf who was looking at him in confusion. "Bring me, Master Regulus Locket, I can destroy it." He looked at Dumbledore missing the look of surprise from Kreacher, "I need the sword."
Dumbledore nodded and called his firebird. "Fawkes, I need you to grab the sword of Gryffindor." Fawkes let out a trill and disappeared and reappeared with the sword of Gryffindor.
"You can destroy foul locket?" Kreacher seemed to be asking while also pleading with him, Harry merely nodded.
He went and picked up the sword nicking himself because he wasn't careful causing Albus to look at him in alarm.
"It's fine, I'm immune to all venoms including Basilisk due to my tangle with the damn thing in my second year. Speaking of I would like to render it for parts, I need to build the Potter wealth back up. Do you know anyone who can help me?"
Kingsley chimed in, "I can, do you know how big it was?"
"About 80 feet give or take." The room looked at him in horror.
He looked at them in confusion, "It was 1000 years old, what did you expect a gardener snake."
Albus looked at him with newfound respect, "When you told me the tale, I was not expecting it to be that massive."
He shrugged, "We can go check it out after I deal with the locket if you would like. Hell, the chamber might have secret rooms and such. I would like any books on parseltongue if they have them."
Albus stroked his beard, "That would be agreeable, would you allow us to copy them for historical reasons."
He raised his eyebrows, "Why are you asking me."
Albus realized he didn't know what it meant to discover the chamber, "Harry by finding the chamber you have claimed the right of conquest, everything in it is yours unless you would rather give it to Tom?"
Harry just shrugged as Kreacher popped in with hope in his large eyes. He held the locket out in his hands shaking the whole time.
He smiled warmly at the elf, Kreacher had grown on him in the future. Grabbing the Locket from him he placed it on the table, "Everyone might want to back away."
After everyone was on the edge of the room he began. $ Open $
The locket opened and just like before he was momentarily stunned as it tried to take control of him.
I've seen your heart, Harry Potter!
You fear you will fail!
That those you love will die!
That you're nothing!
They will all die!
You can't stop me, no matter what you do!
Just like your Parents, you will die begging for mercy!
The mention of his parents had broken him out of his fears. "I won't fail Tom." Swinging the sword of Gryffindor down cleaving the locket nearly in two.
Black smoke emanated from the destroyed locket as a scream echoed around the house.
"Dear Merlin." Amelia let out a breath of terror, "That was a Horcrux." Albus looked at her sharply.
"How do you know that, Amelia."
She closed her eyes before addressing the question, "The Bones family centuries ago used to delve into the subject of necromancy. Around 700 years ago, my family turned into one that hunted those that tried to master death after the Peverells went extinct. The Peverells were our allies, hence the title of the masters of death, they dealt with false immortals. Now I know why Riddle hunted my family relentlessly."
"We didn't go quietly into the night Madam; we just changed our name," Harry said with a light voice that broke the silence.
Amelia's eyes went wide as did the rest of the room apart from Albus and Sirius.
"Peverell why do I keep hearing that name?" Tonks asked.
"Do you know the story of the Deathly Hallows Tonks?"
Tonks eyebrows scrunched up, "The story about death and the three brothers?"
He gave her a soft smile, "Yes the brothers were Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus Peverell."
Her eyes went wide, "Does that mean?"
He nodded, "Ignotus was my ancestor on my father's side and Cadmus on my mother's. Antioch never had children."
"B-but Lily was a muggleborn?" Sirius choked out.
"She descended from a squib line of Cadmus. Why do you think my eyes are emerald and I can speak to snakes, they are the signature for house Slytherin. Cadmus line merged with the Gaunt's over the years. Me and Tom are the last two magical descendants of Slytherin."
"Tom? who is this Tom you keep speaking of?" Mrs. Weasley questioned.
"Tom Marvolo Riddle is an anagram for I am Lord Voldemort. He was the son of wealthy muggle named Tom Riddle and Merope Gaunt." Just like the Horcrux of Tom did in the chamber of secrets he rearranged the letters of the name.
The room seemed to digest this news with equal parts fear and surprise.
"Chamber of Secrets Headmaster?"
He startled his headmaster out of his thoughts, "Of course. I think it's time you call me Albus though." He finished with his standard twinkling eyes.
Harry shook his head in amusement, no matter their differences he loved the man like a grandfather.
"Anyone else going to come?"
"I would like to see the chamber," Amelia said causing nods from the Tonks' and Kingsley.
"Molly and I should head home," Arthur said with a tired look.
"No, Arthur I need to see the beast that nearly took our daughter from us." Mrs. Weasley said with a hard look. Arthur let out a sigh but nodded.
"I wish I could come pup but wanted fugitive and all."
Harry looked at his godfather before an idea popped into his head, "Albus do you think we can have Fawkes flash him into the chamber once we enter it?"
Albus smiled before asking his familiar who trilled in response before settling on Sirius shoulder causing his countenance to lighten at the creature of lights warmth both mentally and physically.
Albus transfigured a spoon into a rope and turned it into a portkey, ignoring the look of annoyance Amelia shot him as he blatantly broke the law.
Except for Sirius, they all gripped the Portkey as they were transported into the office of the Headmaster at Hogwarts. Like always Harry hit the ground hard, he wasn't the only one as Tonks slammed into him causing him even more pain.
"Dammit Dora, get off!"
Tonks scrambled off him with a blush at the name, "Dora?"
"I'm tired of calling you Tonks, it's either Dora, Nym, or Vulpecula."
Her hair turned crimson red. "How do you know my middle name! I even have it redacted in my Auror forms!"
Amelia and Kingsley just started laughing, they remembered the argument that led to the redaction. After over 20 minutes of her vehemently arguing they just gave in and redacted the name except for the initial. Andromeda slapped her hand to her forehead, she didn't understand why her daughter hated her names, Andromeda thought they were lovely. Ted just watched his firecracker with amusement.
"I've practically lived with your family for over 5 years, do you think I don't know all the stories about you? Your name is trivial." Her hair turned white in fright at the blackmail material he had on her.
She let out a huff and turned away from him, causing him to let out a chuckle.
"I suppose I can call you V, or Adora also." She blushed at the Adora name, it felt like something a lover would call her.
"V, Dora, or Nym is ok." Smiling at him with trepidation.
He smiled back and then clapped his hands together, "Everyone ready?"
Getting nods he led them to the second-floor girls' bathroom where the chamber was located. He noticed a lot of students milling about. With a wandless tempest, he saw the time was 8 am. The students seemed to be giving him looks of apprehension and curiosity.
He liked messing with people so the whole trip he was casually talking to Zephyr in parseltongue. He got looks of fear from the students and looks of exasperation from his companions who knew/thought he was just trying to unnerve people.
When they arrived at the bathroom, they all stared at him confused, except for Albus.
$ Open. $ He hissed at the sink.
The sinks started to move to showcase a huge open piping. "Now we slide down."
"Nope, I'm not jumping down that. I can smell it from over here." Dora crossed her arms with defiance after throwing up a bubble head charm, something everyone quickly did.
He rolled his eyes before Albus coughed to get his attention, "Try Stairs or Steps in Parseltongue."
Letting out a grumble he hissed his command causing steps to appear, "You happy V, now we got to walk down the damn thing. It would have been faster to slide." He pouted at the woman who was giving him a grin filled with mischief.
10 minutes later they hit the landing filled with animal bones. "Ugh, this place is disgusting." Dora was holding her nose, which was unnecessary because she still had the bubble head charm active.
Walking down the tunnel he transfigured the rocks into an archway so they wouldn't have to climb through the rubble. The whole time they had been in the entrance Albus had been weaving spells to make sure there wasn't anything else down here that was a threat. Basilisks were solitaire but the headmaster wasn't discounting the chance that another one lived.
Reaching the door Harry opened it causing everyone to almost drop in shock at the sight of the snake he killed when he was 12. Remarkably the thing hadn't started its decay, though the magic that protected it was almost at an end.
"You fought that when you were 12," Dora asked in shock.
"I had help, Fawkes saved my bacon by taking out the damn thing's eyes." He muttered.
He was getting looks of admiration from Kingsley and Amelia at the feat of killing a 1000-year-old wizard killer. They hadn't truly believed his tale until their eyes had landed on the dreaded serpent.
"Speaking of Fawkes maybe you should call him." Albus nodded and they were joined by Sirius who screamed in fright at seeing the Basilisk.
"Relax Padfoot it's dead."
"That thing is huge pup! How did you survive it!"
He shrugged, "Probably like Professor McGonagall said to me once, sheer dumb luck."
Albus let loose a mighty laugh.
Harry noticed that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley couldn't tear their eyes away from the snake. Probably wondering how their daughter could survive the encounter. His surrogate parents were also staring at it.
"King, you said you can help me, how much you are charging."
Before Kingsley could reply, Andromeda did, "I can help also, for some of the parts for potion ingredients."
He nodded as Kingsley replied, "I'll do it for two outfits and some of the bones."
He knew the bones could be used in runes and warding, "I have no problem with that, how many outfits do you think we could get out of it?"
Kingsley started walking around it, "Around 60 to 70 easily, surprisingly it hasn't started to rot yet."
"The DMLE will gladly buy the skin. Basilisk hide is very protective." Amelia said then pausing, "We will have to buy it in installments, we could maybe afford two or three a year at best though." She grumbled about budget cuts. Knowing that the outfits would be a good investment as they would last decades if not centuries.
Harry knew that each outfit would go for upwards of 2 to 3 thousand galleons.
Harry had a soft spot for Aurors and Hit-Wizards having spent half a decade working with them, "tell you what if you know someone that can make them into outfits, I'll give you a finder's fee of 2 free outfits. I'll also give you a discount of half the market price."
Amelia's eyes sparkled; she was happy to keep her employees safe.
"Truthfully, I only want 20 outfits so after Kingsley's cut that will either leave 38 or 48."
Andromeda asked, "Why 20?"
"Well 3 for myself, 2 for V, 1 for Sirius, 1 for Remus, 1 each for you and Ted, 1 for Bill, 1 for Fred and George each, 1 for Albus, and 2 for my future wives." He finished with a grumble. "The rest for reserves."
Dora looked at him in surprise, "2 for me?"
He smiled at her, "Of course, do you really think I would let you die again? You were my friend. You need 2 since you're in constant danger as an Auror."
She gave him a smile that seemed so bright and happy that his heart skipped a beat.
"Why do you want to give some to Bill and the Twins," Arthur interjected pulling him out of his momentary lapse.
He regarded the man before replying, "Bill might need it in his job and the twins are mostly done growing, unlike Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. Besides I can't watch Fred die again." His face turned to one of a haunted man as Mrs. Weasley started wailing.
Dora walked up and slapped him on the back of the head, "Do you have no tact?"
He smiled at her sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head, "Sorry V, I don't interact with people all that much. I'm what Andi called a workaholic."
Andromeda smiled at him fondly, she wished that she could remember the future that the man she came to regard as a son came from. Ted agreed with his wife. They both had the thought that they hoped they could eventually form the same type of bond he had in his time.
"Don't worry Mrs. Weasley, I won't let it happen again."
Mrs. Weasley walked up to him and gave him her signature hug. "Thank you, you sweet boy."
He smiled at the woman who was like a mother to him. As soon as she pulled away, he was surprisingly pulled into a hug by Mr. Weasley.
Arthur then pulled his wife into his side, "I think it's about time you called us Molly and Arthur." The man was smiling at whom he considered a son and an additional Weasley.
"Harry what happened to Ron and Hermione." Mrs. Weasley nervously asked.
"Nothing other than I guess that they got married about a year after the war ended. Before my time jump, they were expecting their first kid." He smiled warmly at them.
Molly was elated, even if it hadn't happened yet. She always liked Hermione, always keeping her boys on the straight and narrow, or at least she tried to.
"How about you? Was there anyone special for you?" Molly wondered.
"Outside a couple of flings not really, the longest relationship I had was with Hestia Jones, but that was more of just random hookups." Molly gave him a look of disapproval.
"You slept with Hes!" Dora blurted out.
"Yes." He said slowly with an air of a question.
"B-but she's the same age as me and my best friend to boot!"
"I fail to see a problem with that V. The only negative was that she was technically my boss."
Sirius doubled over in laughter, "Pup going for the older ladies!"
He shrugged ignoring the looks of disapproval that the older ladies were giving him for sleeping with his boss.
"I didn't give you any trouble for an improper office relationship?" Amelia said once she got past the thought of the ethical dilemma.
He gave her a sad look that formed a pit of dread in her stomach, "You died before my 6th year, Voldemort personally killed you."
A couple of flinches at the name were all that happened outside of the dreaded silence that pervaded the chamber.
"Susan?"
Harry's face darkened, "She killed herself a year after the war ended."
Amelia collapsed, her niece or rather daughter was taken from the world too young.
"Why?" She managed to choke out.
Harry closed his eyes, he didn't want to explain this, it was a dark future for the House of Bones. "She was raped by Theodore Nott in what would have been our 7th year. He constantly degraded and abused her in a Death Eater-run Hogwarts." He paused trying to continue, Susan was a good friend of his, "She survived it, but we didn't realize what happened to her until after she killed herself. Me and Neville hunted Theo down and executed him."
Albus seemed to recoil at the mention of execution, "Harry you murdered someone!"
Harry grew angry at the accusation. "I didn't murder anyone; he was a serial rapist and a murderer. He deserved it! You don't understand how bad it got sir! Voldemort dying didn't end the war it just halted it."
He gave a hard glare to Albus trying to ignore the sobs Amelia, Kingsley, and The Tonks were giving out, "Me and Neville caught him after he slaughtered a family of muggles after raping a girl that hadn't even reached adulthood." He spat.
He closed his eyes to calm himself, "Theodore Nott was a Rapist, a Pedophile, and a Murderer, he didn't deserve mercy. You know what would have happened if we brought him before the Wizengatom, he would have got off for being a pureblood Lord."
"Did you make it painful," Amelia asked darkly.
"Yes, by the time we were done with him he didn't even look human. The only thing we regretted was that Susan wasn't there to see justice done."
"Good." Amelia simply said, wiping the tears from her eye.
Albus sighed, he understood vengeance, he had done worse than Harry long ago to the filth of society. He just wished Harry hadn't had to become what he did.
"You didn't get arrested." Dora wanted to know even if she agreed with his actions.
"No, King classified it and signed off on it. It was the only way we could get justice for Susan."
"Why would King be able to classify it." Amelia wondered.
Harry gave her a brilliant smile, "He was Minister."
Amelia understood now, Kingsley was Susan's godfather. He had been best friends with Susan's father, Amelia's brother.
"I was the minister?" Kingsley said in wonder.
"A damn good one too, you should run after we get that buffoon out of office."
Albus liked that idea, Kingsley had always been one of his favorite students. He had mentored him when he was younger, and he knew that Kingsley was incorruptible. He even stood up to him when he thought that he was in the wrong, one of the few people outside of Alastor who confronted him and made him want to be a better person, to not let everyone down.
"Food for thought King, food for thought," Harry said. "When do you think you two can start the harvesting."
Kingsley looked to be in deep thought as was Andromeda, "I'd say two or three days to get the stuff together to harvest." He looked to Andromeda who nodded her approval.
"Sir do you know of any way to destroy the venom, I don't want that to somehow get in the hands of the darker families." He asked Albus.
Albus nodded his acceptance at that, "I can do it, I'll also drain the Venom from the fangs so that they could be used for ingredients in potions and wand crafting."
"The tailor I know would probably accept 1 outfit for every 10 they make as payment," Amelia added.
"If we get 70 outfits that will leave roughly 35-39 outfits after everyone's cut and my portion. The standard rate for Basilisk Hide last I checked was 3k galleons. I'll sell each outfit to the DMLE for 1.5k."
Amelia smiled at him warmly, "I do appreciate that, like I said though we can only afford 3 or so a year."
Scratching his chin, "I don't want the Aurors to go without, maybe we can sign a contract that you pay for three outfits a year for the next decade or so, and then I can just deliver all at once."
Kingsley, Tonks, and Amelia let out a sigh of relief, "I could do that Mr. Potter."
"It's Harry, Madam Bones. Don't forget that I understand just as well as you 3 that this will save lives. I might not be employed even if I'm still under oath but once an Auror or a Hit-Wizard al"
"Always an Auror or Hit Wizard and it's Amelia to you, while not on duty." Amelia interrupted him.
He smiled at them. Once you entered that club even retirement didn't remove you. It was why Mad Eye was still considered an Auror even after he had retired. When you served, you served for life even if you stopped. They always had each other's back, at least the proper Auror and Hit Wizards.
Turning to Andromeda, "How much do you think the ingredients will get?"
Looking at the massive creatures she seemed to run calculations in her head, "I would estimate at least half a million Galleons, that's including my cut. I have some contacts that will pay through the roof for some of these parts."
"As would Nicholas," Albus said with a twinkle.
Harry gave him a stare of incredulity, "I thought Flamel died."
Albus gave him a patronizing look, "You didn't think that he wouldn't have more than one stone, did you?"
Harry gave him a deadpan look before he walked away and started to inspect the chamber, he tried to ignore the laughs that he left behind.
"Hey, Albus!" He yelled causing the older man to come to his side.
"I don't think that we should explore this place without a curse breaker, do you think we could get Bill's help when he's in the country?"
"It would be a smart idea, there could be countless traps that Slytherin or even Tom put down."
Harry let out a sigh, this was more complicated than he imagined. Just before he could reply he heard his godfather yell out. "Pup!"
He turned and looked and saw that his godfather was perched on the basilisk looking like he was riding it. "Pup, check out my mount Slithers!" He cackled.
Harry just gave a smile of amusement at seeing his godfather look like he was having fun. He would do everything in his power to keep it that way.