Chapter 7
After dinner at Greengrass Manor Harry spent the next few days allowing his body to rest until it was in perfect condition again. He was too worried about the new scars he received; they would just be added to the rest of his collection he accumulated over the years.
Instead of doing his normal work out routine, Harry decided he would go out and get his school supplies. He got books, pens, highlighters, and the other necessities. He refused to get a wizard's robe instead opting to get him a coat that reached his ankles. He had taken to wearing a beanie due to the weather getting colder as the school year approached.
He got a five-compartment trunk. He didn't want to risk his parents' trunk getting damaged so he would be leaving that at home. He made copies of all his parents' school books since the curriculum for Hogwarts barely changed over the years and bought the books the his parents didn't possess.
Since he couldn't do anything physically strenuous he decided to practice brewing the potions that they would be covering for first year. He found that brewing potions was almost the same as cooking food, you just had to know what ingredient to add and when to add it.
When he wasn't brewing potions he was practising the wand movements for spells he was hoping to incorporate into his fighting style when he got all the pieces needed for it. But that was still two or three years in the making.
All in all, Harry was ready for his first year at Hogwarts.
Harry stumbled out of the fireplace in Greengrass manor, grumbling curse words as he picked himself off the floor. Before he could straighten out his clothes he was tackled back to the ground by an enthusiastic Astoria.
"Hello Harry! I missed you."
Harry chuckles as he shifts her off him so he can sit up.
"Hello to you too Astoria. How are you doing today? Is your dad here?"
"I'm doing great. Spending lots of time with Daph cause I won't be able to see her until Christmas when she goes to Hogwarts. Daddy is in his office. I'll take you to him." Before he knew what was happening to him, the small little girl was dragging him through the manor.
When they finally came to a stop Harry had absolutely no idea where he was. Before he could ask Astoria, she knocked on the door in front of them and walked inside quite energetically.
"Daddy! Harry is here!"
Harry walks in to find Astoria bouncing on her feet in front of Cyrus' desk while he was reading something in front of him. Harry got the feeling that this must of have been a common occurrence.
"Thank you Tori."
Astoria smiles at her father and Harry before skipping out the office. Harry turns to Cyrus who is still reading.
"Is she always so hyper?"
"Unfortunately so."
Harry sits in the chair before the desks and sorts through his thoughts as he waits for Cyrus to finish whatever business he is busy with. They sit in a companionable silence for a few minutes, both okay with not rushing into the upcoming.
"What can I do you for you Harry? Is the a business or personal visit?"
"It's a bit of both actually. The business side of things is to let you know that while I'm at Hogwarts I have given you the Potter and Black votes for the Wizengamot. Since I am the rightful Heir to the House of Black I can choose whoever I want to be the proxy of said house. Due to growing up with my relatives I don't have a lot of trust or respect for adult. Dumbledore's manipulations have justified my feelings. I trust you because I feel like I can. Please do not misuse abuse that trust."
Cyrus nods his head at that, his mind already thinking of ways to get Harry to open up about what he went through living with his relatives.
"The personal side of things are quite a bit more serious. To explain what's happening I will need to divulge Potter family magic so please treat it with the utmost secrecy."
"Of course. You have my word as Head of House Greengrass."
"Thank you. Tell me, have you ever heard of the term horcrux?" Harry watched carefully as he saw Cyrus stiffen in his seat and watched the blood drain from his face. "Judging by your reaction I can tell that you know exactly what they are and what they do. They take a piece of the soul from the caster and puts it into an object which can then be used to resurrect said caster when he or she dies."
"How…", Cyrus is barely able to get out the words, forcing Harry to strain his ears in order to hear what is being said. "How do you know about what a horcrux is? How do you know what they do? They are one of the most obscure forms of magic in the magical world."
Harry gets out of his chair and walks towards the window. He looks out into the yard to see Daphne and Astoria running around, enjoying being around each other before Daphne has to leave for Hogwarts. The sight of the two sisters brings a smile to his face.
"You know what my biggest and most sought after dream is? Its not moving the magical world into a new era. Its not bringing the Potter House back into its former glory and beyond even that. My biggest dream is to one day have a loving family. A family where I love and am love in return, unconditionally. I know I had that when my parents were alive but I don't remember any of it. Even though I know I was loved, I still want to experience it for myself. To me, nothing is more important than family. I was forced to grow up due to how my interactions with my relatives. I may look 11 but I have not had a childhood for many years now." Harry turns away from the window and Cyrus manages to see a sad smile upon his face. "The reason I know about horcrux's is because my life is what it is today due to Voldemort turning me into one."
…
…
…
"What?"
Harry allows an amused smile to appear and for the first time since meeting him, Cyrus can see to pain hidden deep within those emerald eyes.
"Yes, you heard right. No, unfortunately I am not pulling your leg about this. No, I am not still a horcrux since Director Ragnorak's best doctors and spell casters managed to use their magic to separate the horcrux from me and then put it into another object which they were then able to destroy."
Cyrus just sat there in his chair, trying and failing to comprehend what he has just been told. One thought was running through his head that he just had to ask but was too afraid of what the answer might entail.
"No."
Cyrus snaps his head up to look at Harry. "What?"
"No, he did not die that night. From what the doctors and casters at Gringotts were able to explain to me and Ragnorak is that the size of the soul they managed to destroy was too small for that night to have been the only time he created a horcrux. We can only speculate that he has more out there. How many, where they are, and what they are, are the questions we need answered." Harry walked away from the window to sit down in his seat again, crossing his legs and intertwining his fingers. "I'm asking you for your help because you are one of the very few adult figures that I truly trust. Why that is, I do not know for certain but I have a few ideas."
Cyrus leans back in his chair and gives Harry a calculated look. "So Voldemort was never truly defeated." Harry's raised eyebrow gives Cyrus a small chuckle. "I am one of the few people out there that do not fear the name. Gives him and his Death Eaters power over others and they had plenty of that during the war. I agree with you on your statement about family. I would do anything to keep mine safe. How can I help?"
"Voldemort must have used extremely rare artefacts to create his horcrux's. From what I have read about him I gathered that he would have wanted to use items that either have a very high value, are extremely hard to find, or both. I know that your business knows of a spell that can detect 'dark magic', as our government would put it, I need you to inform Ragnorak of anything that you feel may warrant an investigation. Gringotts has already started combing through the vaults in their bank. Before you ask, no it's not illegal. It's all in the contract you sign when opening a new vault. They are allowed to take out and destroy items that are a danger to them. So far they managed to find and destroy the Cup of Hufflepuff they found the Lestrange's vault."
Cyrus writes down all the information give to him, making plans of his own.
"So we have managed to destroy two of them so far. The Cup that was in Gringotts and the one that was in your scar… which you found out about how exactly?"
"This falls into the family magic category. From what I read from dad's journal, members of the Potter family have the ability to circulate their magic through the body to enhance the physical attributes we have. Its stronger in those that are related by blood but the Head of House can bestow it upon members that are married in. Whenever I have used this ability the scar that used to be upon my head always throbbed with pain. It became so bad that I would only be able to use this ability for a few short minutes. Due to Ragnorak being the account holder for my family I brought this to his attention. When his best doctor examined the scar they found it to be a horcrux. That what began this whole crusade of finding and destroying any other horcrux Voldemort might have made."
Cyrus looked at the notes in front of him while Harry patiently sat quietly, waiting for him to process everything.
"There's more to it then just finding and destroying horcrux's, isn't there? You need me to do something else. Something involving the Potter and Black votes in the Wizengamot."
Harry acknowledges the statements made with a nod of his head before taking out a small notebook and handing it Cyrus.
"This book holds all the legislations made by the blood supremists group that give them more power over the government and taking away power from the departments that will stand against Voldemort if he ever returns. The most noticeable offense that Ragnorak and I have been able to find is the amount money being taken away from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Since the fall of Voldemort DMLE has been unable to have any major recruitment or upgrades due to the vote of sending money to charities that just fill the vaults of families like the Malfoys, Nott, ect. While I'm at Hogwarts for the next seven years I need you to work on taking power awy from Voldemort's supporters and giving it back to those who need it."
"But with your intellect and work ethic I'm sure you can finish your schooling earlier than the seven years. Why wait to graduate?"
"The Duelling circuit holds events that only students are allowed to enter. I plan on entering myself in some tournaments when I begin my second year. Once I complete my OWL's, I will be able to enter in both the junior and senior tournaments. It's a great way to meet powerful people from across the world, gain very valuable battling experience, and to increase the Potter's reputation around the world to what it once was."
Cyrus chuckles at the ambition of the young man sitting in front of him. There is no doubt in his mind that he would be the perfect fit for Slytherin house.
Thinking about Hogwarts lead Cyrus to a bit more sombre thoughts. He glanced out of his window to see his two little girls lying in the tall grass peacefully. He turned to look back at the young man sitting before.
"Harry, I have a request to make. I know you will be busy with-"
"You don't have to ask that of me, Cyrus. I will protect Daphne and Astoria without any prompting. Besides our House being allies, I have grown fond of your daughters in the short time I have known them. Astoria is what I imagine my little sister would have been like if I ever had one. Daphne is… well Daphne is Daphne. I don't know how to explain it but I just know there's something special about her."
Harry decides to ignore the knowing look that Cyrus is sending his way. He is not ready to deal with all that that certain topic of conversation entails.
He stands up and straightens his clothes before reaching across the desk to shake Cyrus' hand.
"I better be going. Still have a few potions and spells I would like to practice before getting to Hogwarts. I'll see goodbye to the girls and Bethany on my way out."
"Good luck with Hogwarts Harry." Cyrus watches Harry walk towards the door. A sudden thought makes its way to the forefront of his mind. "Harry, wait! What are your plans for Dumbledore?"
Cyrus doesn't need Harry to turn around for him to see the entire demeanour of the young man change. The feeling that his magic is giving off is less like that of a man and more similar to that of a predator. For a spilt second, he actually feels true pity for Dumbledore. That feeling is quickly washed away by the memories of all that the old man has done to Harry.
"I plan on tearing him down from that pedestal he has created. When he has lost all up, when he has lost the very thing that he loves, I will challenge him to a duel." Harry turns his head just enough for Cyrus to see the flickering emerald flames at the edges of his eyes. "And when we duel, I will not hold back. I will not play around with him. I will not torture him. Break down his confidence.
Bully him. Humiliate him. I will do none of this. He doesn't deserve any of it. I place the same amount of blame on him as a do on Voldemort for the death of my parents, so I will treat him exactly how I would treat Voldemort. When I duel Dumbledore, I will kill him… in the fastest, most brutal way I can when the time comes."
Harry opens the door and walks out the office, silent as the most skilful hunter. Cyrus releases a breath he didn't know he was holding. Walks over to his cabinet and shakily pours himself a glass of firewhiskey. He downs it in one gulp before pouring himself another.
"Merlin, help the poor soul foolish enough to ever enrage that boy."
Next chapter will have harry starting at hogwarts. if you feel like information is being missed from the story, i planned it that way. please just be patient and wait for later chapters