Disclaimer: Don't own it. JKR does. Adopted from Nia River. Only own original ideas.
Chapter 3
- Fri, 7/2/1992 -
The next day found Kyle up bright and early, though not of his own accord. Due to his stress induced fatigue the night before, he had forgotten to open the window for Hedwig, and so he was awoken the next morning to her angrily pecking at the glass pane. He'd had to spend a good half hour trying to placate his feathered companion and apologising most profusely before he was able to slip downstairs and order a quick breakfast from Tom.
The night before, Tom had been surprised when he'd seen the name that Kyle had signed on the guest register. Kyle wasn't surprised; it seemed that nobody (well except for the Longbottoms at the moment) knew about James Potter's illegitimate first born son. Tom had however promised his silence as he knew that if he were to reveal that there was a second Potter heir around then he would put Kyle in a difficult position. The name Potter was only associated with the Boy-Who-Lived right now as he was believed to be the last remaining heir of the Potter line.
All in all it was an hour after his waking before Kyle found himself ascending the steps to Gringotts, the Wizarding bank. Nodding politely to the goblins guarding the door, who merely sneered back at him suspiciously, he made his way into the resplendent hall and over to the nearest available teller. The teller raised an annoyed eyebrow at him and tapped his fingers on the desk in an impatient manner, leaving Kyle to wonder – not for the first time – if goblins had never heard of the concept of good customer service. Shaking the though aside, he got down to business.
"Good morning, sir. May your vaults overrun with gold." Kyle spoke quietly so only the goblin would be able to hear him; he didn't want his business broadcasted all about the bank after all. Ignoring the surprised face of the goblin, Kyle continued. "I would like to speak to an Account Manager if that would be agreeable. I am here to investigate my possible claims on my heritage." He passed a slip of parchment that he'd written his name on to the goblin. No matter how quiet he could speak; Kyle didn't want the risk of anybody overhearing his name before he claimed his Lordship. He didn't think that anybody could stop him but he felt that it was best to err on the side of caution; Harry's future depended on this just as much as his own did.
With a subtle twitch the goblin's eyebrow now seemed to indicate disbelief. Harry had but a moment to reluctantly admire the rather unique ability to convey so much expression with that singular body part before the creature replied. He would actually have to practice that. A well placed raised eyebrow could cause most grown wizards to squirm. It was quite funny actually, what one little body part could accomplish.
"Very well," the goblin spoke and beckoned another goblin over to where Kyle was standing. "Grux, please take him," he jerked his thumb at Kyle, "to see Elder Tekx immediately."
The stout creature bowed to his superior behind the counter and then indicated for Kyle to follow him. They made their way through a number of corridors taking many twists and turns. Just when Kyle was beginning to suspect his guide might be lost, they stopped before a door with a brass plaque reading 'Inheritance and Wills Office.' A quick knock on the door and Kyle was being ushered inside. An elderly goblin sat behind a large oak desk inside, and he looked up curiously as they entered.
"Grux, what is it?" he asked, getting right to the point. Without a word the goblin, Grux, handed Elder Tekx – or at least that was who Kyle assumed was sitting behind the desk – the piece of parchment that the goblin teller had handed him. "Grux, leave." Grux did so with nary a complaint.
"Please sit, Mr Potter." Elder Tekx stood and retrieved a stone basin from the shelf behind him and placed it in the middle of the desk before he sat down again. Kyle glanced into the basin and saw a goblin-made dagger residing inside. He looked up at the elderly goblin; confusion written clearly across his face. "Pick up the dagger Mr Potter, prick your finger and allow three drops of your blood into the basin." When Kyle didn't move to take the dagger the goblin sighed and continued to explain. "This will either verify or refute your claim on who you are. If you are the next in line for the Lordship of the Potter Estate then the Family Ring shall appear in the basin. If you're not then we shall have nothing left to discuss and you shall be escorted back to the lobby."
After weighing up his options; Kyle quickly grabbed the knife, pricked his finger and squeezed out the three drops of blood into the basin as he had been requested. The runes circulating the stone basin shimmered gold for a moment before a ring appeared in the centre. Raising his eyes Kyle saw that Elder Tekx looked pleased and dare he say it a little bit smug. "Now," he said. His voice was quite gruff. "For the final test; The Ring."
Kyle wasn't sure whether he really wanted to put on this ring due to the disturbing grins that had spread across the old goblins face. It was truly sadistic in nature. A shiver ran down his spine when he contemplated what would happen if the ring rejected him. No, best not think about that.
The Potter Family was an old and wealthy one. Apart from a very healthy amount of accumulated gold they also owned a number of other assets including, but not limited to, a great many properties, as well as stocks in both Wizarding and Muggle businesses. Due to the extent of the Potter fortune – which was probably equal if not greater than the Malfoy fortune as it had just been accumulating interest in the last eight years and not being used to grease politicians palms – the title of Lord Potter was highly protected. By the Ring.
During his research, both in this dimension and his home dimension, Kyle had learned that it was the Family Ring that decided who the next Lord was going to be. Even if it was decided who was to be the next Lord in a Last Will in Testament, if the Ring found that person unworthy of the title then it would make its displeasure known. It was quite strange actually, the fact that wizards had semi-sentient Family Rings, but, then again, what could Kyle do about that?
Taking a deep breath, Kyle reached into the basin and extracted the Ring. He frowned curiously as his fingers made contact and he felt a tingle of magic within the golden band. Deciding it must have something to do with the claiming of the Lordship he shrugged aside any unease he felt, remembering that this was his best chance of helping the young Harry Potter. The Ring itself was cast of gold with a large, flat, sapphire stone in the centre into which was engraved with what Kyle assumed to be the Potter crest.
"I just put it on then?" he asked, glancing up, "Does it matter which finger?"
"Just put it on whichever finger you prefer," the elderly goblin confirmed.
The second he slipped the ring onto his right ring finger he realised he should have given the action a bit more thought. A bright light flared in the room. Kyle tried to shield his eyes but it was useless as the light seemed to becoming from within himself. The band became progressively hotter and hotter, burning his finger. Then the heat felt as though it was moving. Two paths of fire journeyed under his skin, travelling up his hand and arm, then across his shoulder. From there one burned downwards and towards his heart and the other into his skull. He wondered briefly how he was still conscious, until he was distracted by even greater pain exploding in his head and chest. It felt as though a presence – an infinitely powerful presence – was rummaging through his mind, riffling through memories in a seemingly random but brutally determined manner, whilst at the same time his heart burned hotter and hotter. Then, just as he was sure he could stand no more – it stopped.
It simply stopped.
He lay for a moment panting on the floor with his head lolling to the side, not knowing where he was and without the strength to try and remember. At a shuffling sound his eyes opened and he found himself staring at a small pair of shiny shoes with long, pointed toes. Following the shoes up past a pair of short, pressed, black trousers and a small, black waistcoat he found himself looking into a vaguely familiar, wrinkled face. It took a moment before a name came to him.
"Elder Tekx!" He exclaimed as everything came back to him, then winced and put a hand to his throbbing head, "What in Merlin's name happened?"
"Not to worry, everything went exactly as it should," Tekx replied as if this was an everyday occurrence. "The ring was merely testing your claim in both blood and intentions."
Kyle merely nodded. He was still in no fit state to pull himself up off the floor so he just stayed there. He was recalling vividly the two paths of fire, one which lead to his heart – no doubt to test for Potter blood – and the other to his head, where his memories were riffled through – a test of intentions. He would have assumed the Ring had searched his mind to ensure he was the true Potter heir. But since he was not, and had passed nonetheless, that could not be the case. Kyle hadn't thought that the Ring would test his intentions. He had thought that it would test the worthiness of his blood. He'd had no idea that the Ring was that sentient.
As he finally dragged himself – groaning – back up and into his chair, he contemplated just what intentions could mean. Perhaps it was to test whether his reasons for claiming the ring were just. That made the most sense. Normally the rightful heir would be the just heir but he supposed in his case, he was claiming the ring mostly in order to protect the one who it truly belonged to. Then another though occurred to him. He raised his pounding head from where it was resting in his palms and looked at the elder goblin who was once again seated behind his desk.
"Wait, Tekx. What would have happened if I failed the test?"
"Well," the Elder Tekx explained. "It varies from case to case but needless to say, the results are – unpleasant."
Kyle paled, "Unpleasant?"
"Unpleasant." The sadistic smile had reappeared on the elderly goblin's face once again and Kyle found himself highly thankful that he had been deemed worthy by a Ring.
A sound at the doorway showed that the younger goblin who had escorted Kyle from the lobby had returned.
"Oh, right," Kyle said faintly before another bolt of pain struck, causing him to groan.
"Drink this. It's a pain reliever." He looked up and noticed the vial of blue potion in the younger goblin's outstretched hand. Eagerly Kyle accepted the vial, uncorking it and downing the foul smelling brew as quickly as possible. Almost instantly a tingling spread over him from head to toe, taking the pain away and leaving ease in its wake. He sighed and smiled gratefully at them both.
"Thanks, that's much better."
Seeing that he was indeed recovered, Tekx relaxed back down into his seat and his younger counterpart stood at the side of the grand desk.
"Now, usually a mere teller goblin escort would not be present for a ring claiming," the elder stated and Kyle noticed the younger shift nervously, "However, Grux was filling in today and is also – coincidentally – the current manager of the Potter Fortune."
He looked over at the goblin in question in surprise. Grux however seemed to look even more nervous than before whilst Tekx looked expectant. Unsure of what to say he asked what was wrong.
"Well, although he was appointed to the position by your father – James Potter – you are welcome to change to another," the elderly goblin explained.
He shook his head, "No, that's fine as it is. I trust Gringotts so I trust its employees."
At his statement Grux let out a sigh and relaxed. He realized abruptly that the young goblin had been nervous that he would be dismissed from his position.
"Well, if everything is in order," Elder Tekx said, straightening some parchments as he did so. Kyle thought that he was only doing that to look busy. "You can finish your business in the Potter office."
Kyle stood and nodded to the old goblin and with a word of thanks he left to follow Grux down many more tunnels. As they reached the door however, he turned around suddenly. "Oh, there was one thing I wanted to ask."
"Yes?"
"Will the Ministry know not to count me as an underage wizard?"
"The Ministry tracks underage magic through tracking charms placed on the children's wands at purchasing. When they reach their majority their Head of House or a certified Ministry wizard generally removes the charm for them."
"Damn. How will I arrange that without causing suspicion?"
"You will find, that when you claimed the ring any and all charms where removed from your person, including your clothing and wand."
"Oh, thanks."
And with that the two left. For the second time he was led down a maze of corridors. This time though, he was sure his guide knew where he was going. Eventually they came to a long corridor with a number of doors on either side. He glanced at a few as they passed. Bones, Prewett, Nott, Malfoy, Crouch, and a number of other well-known pure-blood family names. At a cleared throat behind him he turned to find Grux stopped at a door reading 'Potter' a few paces back. He smiled sheepishly and the creature rolled his eyes and opened the door, indicating he enter the room.
The office was similar to the previous one, although the furniture was perhaps a bit better quality and the carpet and other details a little more luxurious. Grux made himself at home behind the desk and Kyle took a seat before it, waiting for the goblin to speak.
"Now," he said imperiously, "This is the office of the Potter family account manager."
"So your office then?" he interrupted and winced at the glare he got for doing so.
"Yes. Now as I was saying, I am oath bound to keep your business private. This office is also warded so that everything said in it is kept confidential unless you say otherwise. Only you would be able to repeat anything heard in here.
"You also need to be aware that if you need assistance in some matter, be it financial, legal or otherwise you can come to me and be assured of privacy. Gringotts does most anything they can to keep their important customers happy."
Kyle was rather sceptical at that and it must have shown on his countenance as the little goblin merely smirked.
"Doesn't mean I have to be polite whilst doing it," he assured him.
"Ah," that did make a lot more sense.
"So, how can I help you?"
"Er," Kyle floundered for a moment before thinking of something, "Well, firstly I suppose I'd like to deposit this into the main vault." Kyle put his shrunken trunk down on the floor, unshrunk it and opened it. Grux peered over his desk to see and was unable to hide the surprise that now adorned his face. He quickly summoned another goblin to empty the trunk and deposit the gold in the vault."
"Secondly," Kyle began again after the second goblin had left with the gold. "I would like to claim custody of my little brother, Harry Potter. Where he's living now is just unacceptable. And thirdly I would like to know just what I've inherited."
"It would be easier to start with your inheritance." Kyle nodded his assent and Grux clambered down from his seat and ambled over to a filing cabinet against the wall behind him. From the depths of a drawer he withdrew a folder bearing the Potter crest and shut the drawer, returning to his chair.
"Now, this is your portfolio. As per their will, all extraneous vaults were closed and merged with the Potter family vault upon the death of Lily and James Potter. Two small trust vaults were also established for one Harry James Potter and one Kyle Ethan Potter to see the two of you through school. I assume you want to leave these open?"
"Yes, definitely," Kyle immediately agreed. While he wasn't sure about leaving his own open, he figured that he could always close it later on. It would be easier to just simply leave it open for now.
"Very well. You also own a number of stocks in various businesses. Are you interested in knowing which businesses, Mr Potter?"
"Not now," he shook his head, "Would it be possible for you to owl me a list of those businesses and all other files related to the Potter Estate, please? I wouldn't even know what to do with the businesses at the moment but I would like to learn all I can about managing the Estate. You'd be able to handle all that stuff until I get a handle on it, right?"
Grux nodded and turned the parchment skimming through the rest of the file, "I can. Now, you also own a number of properties. Apart from the ancestral Potter Manor, there is the well-known home in Godric's Hollow which is currently in ruins, and a small cottage in Hogsmeade. That is of course, excluding the business premises you own."
"Wow." It was very surprising to find out the extent of the Potter Estate.
"Indeed." Grux closed the folder and folded his hands expectantly. "Now shall we move on to the Potter child? I believe you said that you wish to take custody of him."
"Yes," Kyle straightened up in his seat, "Yes I did."
"Well, we'll need to take a look at James and Lily Potter's wills," Grux told him as he replaced the portfolio in the filing cabinet and searched for something else, "If they specifically requested the Dursleys take custody you will have to take your case to the wizard courts."
"Would I win?" he asked worriedly. Kyle highly doubted that his parents would have stated that he be sent to the Dursleys. Lily had grown up with a magic-phobic sister after all. It would be hard to imagine any parent sending their child somewhere they knew that they would be hated for simply being who they were.
"Most certainly. Wizards hold much stock in blood, especially in blood purity. A close magical relative would surely win over a Muggle one. It is however irrelevant," Grux said, still searching the cabinet, "From what I knew of your father and step-mother, I do not think that they would have specified them as guardians if their relationship with the Dursleys was what they led me to believe it to be. Most likely they indicated Mr Black should be granted custody and did not provide alternatives."
"Which is why Dumbledore was able to place my brother with the Dursleys." Kyle summarised.
"Exactly," Grux said before giving an annoyed huff, "Now where is that blasted- Aha!"
The goblin emerged from the cabinet, and victoriously placed a file folder on his desk, retaking his seat. Kyle was about to ask what it was when he found his attention suddenly diverted. Annoyed, he looked back at it and found his attention was being forced away once more. He looked up at Grux to see him gazing sharply at the folder.
"Is it just me, or is that folder-"
"Charmed," Grux finished for him, "Notice-me-not to be precise."
"Why would anyone do that?"
"Well, to my knowledge the Potter Will was never read after their deaths. Gringotts has no record of the Will reading and we were supposed to be a proxy for Albus Dumbledore to be the executor. While Dumbledore should have read the Will, Gringotts should have made sure that all requirements were met and as Dumbledore never contacted Gringotts about setting up a reading well…"
Grux trailed of, the rest being obvious. Kyle felt a sickening lurch in his stomach. No, surely not. But he had suspected something of the sort before, hadn't he? He found himself looking towards the opening of the folder with equal parts eagerness and dread.
"If you'll cast a Finite," Grux requested.
Kyle focussed as much as he could on the folder, trying to ignore the urge to look away. "Finite Incantatem." He sighed in relief as the urge to look away passed and pocketed his wand. Grux nodded in satisfaction and opened the folder, leaning over the contents, almost sweeping the pages with his long nose, much like he had with the Potter Folder.
"Hmm, a combined will, hmm, oh dear," the goblin was now frowning.
"What is it?" Kyle asked, impatient to know.
"It is as we feared. Here, read."
Kyle took the parchment held out to him, flattening it on the desk before him. Taking a bracing breath, he began to read.
This is the last will and testament ofJames Andrew Potter, and wife, Lily Marie Potter née Evans.
Both of sound and non-magically altered minds, we do hereby present this as our will, legally binding:
Should Lily Potter die first, the entirety of her estate shall be bequeathed to her husband, James Potter.
Should James Potter die first, the entirety of his estate shall be bequeathed to his wife, Lily Potter.
Should both James and Lily Potter be deceased upon the reading of this will,all our vaults excepting our son Harry Potter's and James' Potter's firstborn son, Kyle Ethan Potter's trust vaults shall be merged with the Potter family vault and the following bequeaths shall be made:
To Sirius Orion Black, we grant the sum of500 000 galleons and our property at Godric's Hollow.
To Remus John Lupin, we grant the sum of 500 000 galleons and our cottage in Hogsmeade.
To Frank Longbottom and Alice Natalie Longbottom née Smyth, we grant the sum of 500 000 galleons
To Peter Aaron Pettigrew, we grant the sum of 500 000 galleons.
Should any of the aforementioned beneficiaries be deceasedupon the reading of this will, their grants shall be split between Kyle Ethan Potter and Harry James Potter.
To James' Potter's firstborn son, Kyle Ethan Potter, we grant the Lordship of the Estate.
To our son, Harry James Potter, we grant him the Heir status to the Estate. If Kyle Ethan Potter is unable to take up the Lordship or is rejected by the Ring then the Lordship shall go to Harry James Potter when he is fifteen.
If both Lily Potter and James Potter are deceased, guardianship of our son, Harry James Potter is as follows, in order of preference:
Sirius Black, good friend and Godfather of Harry Potter.
Alice Natalie Longbottom née Smyth and Frank Longbottom, good friends, and Godmother and Godmother's husband of Harry Potter.
Remus John Lupin, good friend (Should laws change to allow).
Peter Aaron Pettigrew, good friend.
If all previously specified guardians are incapable of taking custody, Harry Potter is to be placed with an agreeable, light-oriented, Wizarding family. Under no circumstances is he to go to Vernon Dursley and Petunia Dursley née Evans.
Signed at Godric's Hollow on August 26, 1984.
Witnesses:
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore
Peter Aaron Pettigrew
By the time he had finished reading, Kyle was fuming. Cursing, he jumped to his feet and started kicking at the carpet. That not being nearly satisfying enough, he began kicking at his chair. A particularly harsh kick elicited a cracking sound and sent the chair skidding across the room, bringing him back to reality.
Kyle looked from the broken chair to Grux, who had watched the whole display with a blank face. Upon realising he now had his customer's attention, he raised a cool eyebrow. "If you're quite finished with your little temper tantrum?"
That comment almost set him off again but he managed to keep reign of his temper, if barely. How dare Dumbledore disregard his parents will? It made him sick to his stomach. "Yes, I'm done," he replied with a much dignity as was possible given the situation.
"And do you make it a habit of destroying things when you are angered?" the goblin asked sarcastically.
"No!" he shouted indignantly before remembering Dumbledore's office and flushing, "Well, not always. Don't look at me like that! The last time it was perfectly justified."
"I'm sure," Grux looked thoroughly unconvinced.
Kyle sighed, defeated, and looked at the pile of wood in the corner. He apologised to Grux and drawing his wand he waved it in the chair's direction. "Reparo." He set the now whole chair back in place and resumed his seat. They sat in silence for a long moment before he finally spoke up. "Sorry," he apologised again. It would be best to try not to anger the goblin further.
"Forgiven," the goblin said succinctly, "Now, back to the matter at hand. It seems to me that Dumbledore is in gross violation of a number of laws. Do you wish to press charges?"
Kyle's first reaction was to give an emphatic 'yes'. But then, he stopped to consider the ramifications that would occur if he did and groaned as he came to his decision. "No. As much as I want to I think I'd best not."
"And why is that?" Grux asked neutrally.
"Voldemort," he ignored the flinch the name elicited, "I know for a fact that he'll be back sooner or later. It wasn't as if they found a body at Godric's Hollow so that, to me, means that he's still out there and as much as I hate Dumbledore right now he is the only one the Dark Lord has ever feared. Having him at the school makes it safer for the children there. They wouldn't be nearly as safe if the old man was in Azkaban. And besides, I want to remain unknown for as long as I can; at least until I have Harry and there is no chance that he can be taken off me."
"A wise decision," he was pleasantly surprised by the compliment before the goblin continued, "Especially from you." Kyle sighed in resignation, deciding to take what small victories he could where his sarcastic account manager was concerned. Although, to be fair, he kind of liked the banter… a little. "This could work to our advantage anyway," the goblin stated
"How?"
"To get custody of young Harry, you need only have his current guardians sign over rights."
"How's that to do with Dumbledore?" he received a glare for the question and held his hands in the air, palms up. "Right, sorry. No interrupting."
"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," Kyle rolled his eyes at the dramatics the goblin displayed. "The only way Dumbledore could challenge this was if you were either an unfit guardian or it went against the Potters' wishes. As for the first you are quite wealthy and I have explained the blood issue to you. And the second, well it would require a court case and the showing of the will of the Potters," Grux smirked evilly, "Thus incriminating himself."
Kyle smirked back. He had been right; goblins were good to have as allies, even if they were sarcastic at his expense. He could live with the sarcasm if it meant having their devious mind at his disposal. "So I just need to get the Dursleys to sign some papers and he's mine?"
"That is all."
"Great! Where can I get them from?"
"Usually at the Ministry in the Child Welfare Offices. However, we keep copies of most forms on hand here at Gringotts. One moment." With that he pulled a small bell from a drawer in his desk and rang it twice, summoning another goblin. After a moment another goblin knocked on the door and entered, making his way over to Grux. The Potter goblin leaned down to have a whispered conversation with his fellow who nodded and hurried out of the office.
"Now, whilst Brand fetches those forms, is there anything else you need information on or assistance with?"
"Do you know what state Potter Manor is in?" Kyle asked. "I think that it would be a better option than the residence in Hogsmeade. It would be farther away from Dumbledore's influence."
"I do not know. However, all you have to do is summon a Potter House-Elf, I believe you can do this by just calling for the Head-Elf, you don't need to know his name and just ask them to fix up the Manor."
Satisfied with that idea, Kyle nodded his approval and thanked Grux. Just then there was a sharp rap on the door and the goblin – Brand – entered the office. He handed a scroll to Grux, had a brief whispered conversation with him, and exited just as promptly. As the door clicked shut, Grux extended the scroll towards him. "The guardianship papers."
"Thanks," Kyle said, taking them. He slipped them into the breast pocket of his robes.
"All pertinent details have been filled in, they need only be signed. Once that is done, simply retie the ribbon and tap it thrice with your wand. It will automatically be filed at the Ministry. Also, from what we have gathered of Dumbledore he will likely know the moment you take young Harry from the Dursleys and most probably has a variety of tracking charms on the boy."
"What do I do then?" Kyle frowned worriedly, "I don't know the spells to detect and cancel tracking charms."
"Well, I have just sent for-" there was a knock on the door, "Ah, just on time."
Brand entered the room once again. He handed a box to Grux who nodded in thanks and dismissed him. As the door closed this time, Kyle leaned forward, curious about the box which looked somewhat familiar.
"What is it?" Kyle asked and was handed the box.
He immediately knew why it was familiar. It looked like one of those boxes that he had seen in the books in the library yesterday. The ones that held the Family Rings in them. Those were used when there was no Lord. The Coat of Arms painted on the lid of the box was the same as the one that had been on the office door. It was the Potter Coat of Arms. It was wood, stained a dark blue, highly polished. However, the only difference that Kyle could see was that the Coat of Arms had a small gold painted star above it.
He opened the box. As expected it held a ring in a blue velvet bed. The ring was made of gold like his, but unlike the one he wore, the top of the ring was wide and flat. Into the surface was engraved a small version of the family crest, like on the box. Instead of a star however, a small sapphire stone topped the crest.
"What is it?" he finally asked the goblin.
"It is the First Heir's ring," Grux explained, "There are a number of rings for heirs. The number of stars crowning the crest indicates how close the bearer is to the Lordship. The bearer of this ring would be the next in line to the Potter fortune."
"So you want me to give this to Harry?" Kyle asked, closing the lid on the box and shrinking it down so that it could fit into his pocket with the guardianship papers; best to keep those together.
"Yes, it will not only make him the heir but also act as yours does and remove all charms on the boy. Every time either you or he remove and replace your rings, it will repeat the process."
"Will it hurt him though?" he asked in concern, remembering the pain of claiming his own ring.
"No. It does not need to check intentions or blood. He needs only to be given permission to wear it by the bearer of the family ring. The Head of the family can also revoke the right to wear the ring at any time and the ring will slip from the finger and refuse to be worn."
"Good," Kyle said, relieved that it would not hurt the boy, "What about mine? If I take it off and put it back on in case of tracking charms, will it hurt again?"
"No."
Kyle nodded, thinking that this ring would be very useful. "Oh yeah, one more question. How do I get to Potter Manor?" He was eager at the thought of seeing his ancestral home and angry that his Dumbledore had no doubt kept its existence from him.
"Like most old family manors, it is unplottable so I cannot tell you where it is. It can be reached by portkey." Here the goblin withdrew from his drawer an old fashioned gold key, decorated with sapphires and hanging on a gold chain. He slipped it across the desk to the dark haired boy, who immediately looped it over his neck.
"How do I use it?"
"That portkey will only transport someone bearing the Family Head Ring and those he is accompanying. Anyone else trying to use it will find themselves portkeyed directly to the Manor's dungeons. The password can be set by tapping the key with your wand and saying 'set password' and then the password, followed by 'password set'."
"What about if I wanted to let someone else in? Do I have to collect them every time?"
"You can key people into the wards. I am unsure of the method, I only know that you can find out how at the manor itself. Also, if the Head of Family does not return to the house within two years, the manor wards automatically reset. So, if the Potters had not done so personally, you need not worry about Dumbledore or someone else having access to your home."
Kyle nodded in relief at that.
"Well," Grux said, "That appears to be all. Is there anything else you need to know?"
"I'd like to visit the Potter vault. But other than that, nothing that I can think of. I'll ask if I ever think of anything."
"Very well." Grux then climbed down from his chair and led him towards the door. Suddenly a thought occurred to Kyle.
"So exactly how much money I have now?" he asked curiously
Five minutes later an amused Grux let the shocked and dazed Kyle from the office. "To the vault?" the goblin asked, shaking Kyle from his daze.
"Oh, right vault," he said getting over the shock of just how rich he now was, "Yes I need to go to the vault."
A short and heart racing cart ride later they screeched to a halt outside the Potter family vault. Kyle was by this stage over his shock. Grux advised that so long as he wore the Family Ring he need only lay his palm on the door and command it to open. The now collected Kyle did as suggested and found himself dazed once more on seeing for his own eyes the extent of his wealth.
Another ten minutes later, Kyle Potter was leaving Gringotts, his newly filled money sack jingling on his hip and, for the first time ever, eager to get to Privet Drive.
Privet Drive was exactly as he remembered it. Boring, normal, ordinary. Rows of brick houses lined the street, each one near identical to the one beside it. The gardens, although sometimes colourful, were meticulously maintained, the grass perfectly cut. Everything was overwhelmingly neat. It was sickening.
As he walked down the street, he ignored the nosy neighbours who peeked out from behind their curtains, wondering just who the new stranger was. He would no doubt make the rounds with the gossiping wives over the next few days. He felt smug knowing that he looked nothing like he usually did when he'd been dressed in Dudley's old hand-me-downs. He was wearing a pair of dressy jeans with an emerald green dress shirt. It might be over the top, what with the suit jacket he was wearing over the shirt but he took a perverse sort of pleasure at the thought of Petunia and Vernon realising that their freakish nephew came from a wealthy family. And besides, Petunia would have to find an explanation for their delinquent of a nephew being taken by his rich brother.
Perhaps he could do something stupid, like talk to the neighbours about what he knew of Harry's living conditions to send a little more negative gossip in her direction. He quickly dismissed the idea though, tempting as it may be. Although, no, Kyle decided that it would be best to just get this over as soon as possible lest Dumbledore somehow receive word about his presence at Privet Drive. He wouldn't put it past the sneaky headmaster to have some wards set for identifying wizards, not to mention Old Mrs Figg down the road.
Reaching the house whose letterbox proudly proclaimed it to be Number Four; he paused and examined the building. It was almost the same as he had left it, from the white picket fence he recalled often painting, to the yellow daffodils that this world's Harry was no doubt forced to plant, just as he had been. A few of the flowers were different. The rose bushes had not yet been planted. He was glad he'd spare the boy that painful chore. He remembered well the many scratches he had received from the thorns and his aunt's characteristic lack of care at his pain. Bitch.
With a sigh, he shook off his thoughts, unlatching the gate and walking down the pebbled path, hearing the gate swing shut behind him. Mrs Number Six was watching him avidly through her kitchen window, so he hurriedly knocked on the front door. He wanted this business over and done with before the nosy woman just 'happened' to decided today was the day to visit the neighbours.
There was the sound of light footsteps and a brief pause. He knew from experience that it was his aunt and she was pausing to paste the perfect welcoming smile on her face, not that it ever actually looked welcoming, it usually looked like she was in pain, or more often than not, like she was constipated. Sure enough, the door soon swung open revealing a smiling Petunia Dursley. Her smile faltered slightly at the sight of him however. She couldn't have seen his resemblance to her nephew and sister's husband. Nevertheless, she pasted her welcoming look back on after she caught sight of how he was dressed although it was now tinted somewhat with suspicion. "Good morning. What can I do for you young man?"
Deciding this whole thing would go smoother if he didn't have to argue with the Dursleys or endure taunts about his freakishness; Kyle decided it best to be as polite as possible.
"Good morning ma'am. Would you be Mrs Petunia Dursley?"
"I am she."
"Wonderful. I was wondering if I could have a word with you and your husband."
"What about?" she asked, suspicion leaking into her voice.
"Perhaps we could discuss this inside?" Kyle looked pointedly toward Mrs Number Six. Petunia followed his gaze and started slightly before waving demurely to the woman as though nothing were the matter. Her eyes darted about, as though looking for any other watchers, and she nodded hastily.
"Yes. Yes, do come in." She let him in and led him into the living room. As they passed the stairs, he cast the small cupboard door a brief glance. Luckily the woman did not notice, merely gesturing for him to take a seat on the couch. "I'll just go get Vernon. Would you like anything to drink?" She offered, ever the perfect hostess.
"No thanks."
Petunia nodded and hurried from the room. Luckily it was a Friday. Kyle hadn't considered it before arriving but if it had been any other weekday apart from Friday, he would have had to return in the evening to get Vernon's signature. The man worked from Sunday to Thursday instead of Monday to Friday. He had no desire to make a second trip.
There was the faint sound of voices from upstairs – if you could ever refer to Vernon's booming voice as faint – followed by the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs. Vernon entered the room, followed by his wife and stopped short on seeing him. It seemed Petunia had not mentioned his resemblance to their nephew. The large man frowned and seemed about say something when Petunia laid a hand on his arm and shook her head discretely at him. No doubt it was a warning not to go off on a stranger. At least not until they knew for sure he was a wizard, as he could tell they suspected.
The alternate version of his uncle sat in an armchair across from him, the furniture groaning and sagging under his weight. Petunia took the armchair beside him, sitting stiffly on the edge. "Well," Vernon asked gruffly, "What can I do for you Mr…"
Left with no choice, he answered. "Potter. Kyle Potter."
The man's face immediately grew red, his moustache twitching testily. Petunia had gone pale, her lips pinched as she wrung her hands. "You're one of them aren't you?" Vernon demanded.
"Yes, I'm a wizard." And that was the end of politeness. Vernon jumped to his feet, towering over him.
"I'll not have your sort in my house!" he bellowed.
"Thank goodness my Diddums isn't here," Petunia screeched.
"- get out -"
"- not have you sullying my home -"
"- abnormalness -" Was that even a word?
"- FREAK!"
At the last comment he finally snapped. "Silencio!Petrificus Totalus!"
As the two raging Muggles were silenced and then toppled over he gave a sigh of relief that he was now able to do magic. An owl flying through the window bearing a Ministry warning was not what this situation needed. "Right. Now, I'm going to remove the spells but only if you both behave. Alright?" Realising they couldn't answer, he added, "Blink once for no, twice for yes."
The immediately blinked rapidly and he released them with a "Finite Incantatem." They both scrambled to their feet, Mrs Dursley hiding behind her husband's considerable form. Mr Dursley was turning from red to a worrying purple and immediately opened his mouth – no doubt to begin yelling again – when Kyle pointed his wand at him. "You will be silent, or I will make you silent. Clear?" Kyle bit out, very annoyed with the situation.
After a moment the man nodded, although Kyle could see it cost him a great deal to do so. From the vain popping out from Vernon's temple he was sure the man would rather take him by the collar and throw him bodily from the house. Tensely, the two Muggles retook their seat with fear in their eyes. A strained silence followed. Finally, Petunia spoke up. "Why are you here?" she demanded.
Glad to get the conversation back on track, he went straight to the point. "As I said, my name is Kyle Potter. I've only recently found out about my younger brother."
"You mean the boy?" Vernon interrupted.
"If by 'boy' you mean Harry Potter then yes."
"If you're wanting visitation rights then think again," Petunia spat acidly, "I'll not have one of your lot coming and going from our home on a regular basis.
"Nor will I have you making that child any more of a freak than he already is," Vernon added.
Kyle gripped his wand tightly, trying to control his temper. It was bad enough when his version of the Dursleys talked about him this way, but he had really come to think of this world's Harry Potter as another person. Another person who also happened to be a child and was family to him. Kyle was already feeling like an overprotective older brother. He felt that he now had a whole new understanding when it came to the Weasleys and their fierce protection of their siblings. Due to these feelings that were surfacing within him it took everything Kyle had to stop from cursing them both for speaking about his little brother that way.
Taking a deep breath to get control of himself, Kyle noticed Petunia gripping her husband's arm tightly again in order to silence him. Clearly she saw the effect they were having on his temper and wanted the situation exacerbated just as much as he did – that is to say, not at all. "I don't want visitation rights," he finally managed to say, "I want custody."
Silence followed his statement. He wasn't sure how they were going to react to his request. On the one hand, this was their chance to get rid of their nephew – the bane of their existence. On the other they had promised, on taking the boy in, to stamp the magic out of him and were quite serious in this vow. Looking up he saw them staring between each other and him, and in their eyes shone a light. The light of hope. He barely restrained a smile, unbelievably grateful that they were following the former of the two possible reactions.
"You want the boy?" this version of his aunt questioned, as though needing to hear it again.
"As in, you'll take him away and he'll never darken our doorstep again?"
"Yes Vernon, Petunia. I want my little brother to come and live with me."
As he said that he heard a stifled gasp come from out in the hallway. Luckily neither of the Dursleys seemed to have noticed. Since Dudley was not home and he knew for a fact that conversations in the living room could be overheard from the hallway cupboard, he knew it must have been Harry. He allowed himself for a moment to imagine himself in the boy's place. Many a time he had laid in his cupboard, imagining that some unknown relative would come and rescue him from the Dursleys. Here and now, for this Harry, that dream was coming true.
"What do we need to do?" Vernon had adopted his business-like manner and Petunia was looking at him eagerly.
Nodding, Kyle withdrew from his pocket the scroll Grux had given him, untying the ribbon and unrolling it. He ignored the obvious distaste of the couple opposite him and the not so discretely comment of "primitive methods" as he pushed the parchment towards the two. "I just need you to sign this in the appropriate places."
"Petunia pet, fetch me a pen." The woman hurried from the room and the remaining two sat tensely, avoiding eye-contact until she returned. Vernon accepted the pen and the two sat, leaning over the parchment, reading over the form quickly but carefully. Finally the large man gave a satisfied nod and signed his name at the end then handed his wife the pen. Petunia, her face alight with eagerness, then signed her name also and handed the parchment and pen over to their 'guest'. Looking quickly at the page and the space at the bottom for the signature of the new guardian, he quickly signed as Kyle Ethan Potter and set down the pen with a smile.
In a strange moment of comradry all three of them sat happily, smiling at one another. Fortunately, the strange moment passed quickly as they all realised just who they were smiling with. Weird!
"Well," Petunia fidgeting in her seat, "I'll, er, just fetch him from his room." As she rose he realised why she was acting so awkwardly. The Dursleys couldn't bear the thought of their dirty laundry being aired. And, one of 'those sort' or not, they didn't want a stranger knowing just where it was that they had been keeping their nephew for the past years. Giving a sardonic smile, he too stood up and Vernon followed his example, shielding his wife. Ignoring the fact that the man thought he was going to attack her, he spoke.
"Really Mrs Dursley, there's no need for that. I can fetch him myself."
"No, no I'll get him," Petunia said in a strained voice.
Kyle's expression hardened, an angry look entering his eye. "There's no need. I already know where you've been keeping him." With that he pushed past them and out into the hall. He ignored the strangled sound Petunia made as he stopped at the door to the cupboard under the stairs. He took a second to imagine how Harry must be feeling, waiting anxiously behind door, before reaching for the handle and swinging it open.
Two green eyes blinked at the sudden light before focussing on the face before them. Kyle watched as the boy examined him, an awe filled look covering his face as he recognised familiar features and realised that this wasn't just some cruel joke on the Dursleys' part. Realised that this person was really his family.
The little boy was sat curled up on the edge of his cot, his arms wrapped tightly around knees which were folded to his chest. As Kyle kneeled down before him the young boy's arms twitched and he leaned forwards before stopping and holding himself tensely. The elder boy was confused by this behaviour until the reason behind it came to him in a flash of insight.
He himself remembered dreaming of some relative coming to rescue him. Sometimes it was his parents, miraculously alive. Other times it was an aunt or uncle, a grandmother or grandfather. But one thing remained the same in every fantasy. They would come to his cupboard and they would kneel down and they would hug him. The Dursleys had always told him he wasn't worthy of such things, because no one would ever love him. But whenever he imagined, they would always hug him, like he never remembered being hugged before.
He focussed back on the boy – on hopeful green eyes just like his own. With a soft smile he held out his arms toward him. "Come here," he whispered.
In a flash skinny limbs were wrapped tightly around him, a face buried in the crook of his neck. He wrapped his body around the small frame as it began shaking slightly, feeling the wetness of tears running down his neck. "Shh," Kyle soothed, running his hands gently up and down his little brothers back, rocking back and forth.
This only seemed to bring forth another torrent of tears but Kyle kept soothing and rocking him. At the sound of shuffling feet his gaze whipped towards the forgotten Dursleys. He took in the angry and disgusted looks on their faces and protectively held the crying boy tighter. In that moment something changed and he knew that this little boy was his. It was definite. This little boy was his brother, his ward, his family and by Merlin Kyle would protect and love him forever. He already did.
As the tears slowed he kissed the boy gently on the forehead, remembering how jealous he used to be when Petunia would do the same for Dudley. The small head leaned back, tearstained face looking up at him, wide eyes showing surprise at the gesture. The boy bit his lip, clearly wanting to ask something but no doubt remembering the first rule of living with the Dursleys – don't ask questions. That was one thing he wanted to change. He wanted his Harry to know that he could always come to him when he had a question.
"What is it?" at the still hesitant look he added, "You can always tell me when you have a question."
This seemed to convince the boy. "I- I'm going to live with you?"
Kyle nodded, "Yes. You'll never have to return to the Dursleys again."
Green eyes brightened and a shy grin spread across his face. "And you're really my brother?" he asked eagerly with a hint of awe shining through.
At first, remembering all the lies Dumbledore had fed him and the secrets he had kept from him, Kyle wanted to tell Harry the truth; that he was but that he would explain it properly later. But then he really thought about it. He couldn't let this secret out and if he told Harry then there was a chance that he could accidently let something slip, not to mention the fact that the boy didn't know Occlumency so he couldn't protect his mind in an attack. But then remembering how it felt to be lied to Kyle vowed to himself that this would be the only half-truth that he would ever tell the boy and that he would never to lie to this boy, his baby brother. "I am. We had the same father but I had a different mother than you did."
Harry looked at him suspiciously, the child was eight and he probably thought that it was strange to have a half-brother. The boy was not stupid; in fact he was quite perceptive. With the Dursleys he was not allowed to talk, so he spent the majority of his time listening and watching people. Harry remembered when he used to be the same, before he had gone to Hogwarts. Kyle discreetly looked from the boy in his arms over to his aunt and uncle standing nearby. He dropped another kiss on his head to hide his whispered words. "I'll explain it properly later. But I am your brother."
The boy followed his gaze and nodded in understanding. "Now, how about you get any stuff you want to take with you?"
At Kyle's suggestion, Harry slowly released him, reluctant to let go. The boy lifted his mattress pulling out a few pieces of paper and two toy soldiers. Kyle remembered that this used to be his secret place too, before he had been moved to Dudley's second bedroom.
As he turned back towards his rescuer he seemed hesitant. Taking a guess at the direction of his brother's thoughts, Kyle scooped him up, soon managing to settle him comfortably on his hip. From the bright smile he received in return and the way the little body snuggled into his he knew he had guessed correctly.
"Well, good riddance," the gruff voice caught both their attention.
The young boy burrowed deeper into his chest and Kyle squeezed him reassuringly. "Mr Dursley, Mrs Dursley. I'd say it's been a pleasure, but – well it really hasn't."
That almost set the man off again but Petunia held his arm tightly and shushed him. She walked to the front door and held it open, standing there stiffly. "Well you have the child. I'll thank you kindly to leave our home now."
Not wanting to argue further and eager to leave, he merely nodded and strode through from the house. As the door was shut firmly behind them the locks could be heard clicking into place – although how they thought that could stop him if he was determined to re-enter was beyond him. Still holding his charge, he walked down the pebbled path and through the front gate, absently noticing that Mrs Number Six was once again peeking through her kitchen window. He stopped a moment and looked back up at Number Four. If he had his way this would be the last time either of them would ever lay eyes on that house again. "Good riddance," he murmured.
The head in his chest rose at the comment and looked in the direction of his gaze before nodding. "Good riddance," he agreed with a smile.
Ten minutes later found the two boys in the local park, sitting at the picnic table. He had decided that it would be best to explain a few things to Harry – in particular the existence of magic – before whisking him away by portkey. It was a disconcerting enough form of travel as it was, without having no idea what had happened.
He knew that Dumbledore likely knew the boy had left the house. However, since Kyle knew that his Dumbledore hadn't turned up on the Dursleys' doorstep each time he left the house, any tracking charms must warn him when Harry wandered a little further from home – possibly if he left the neighbourhood. Thinking of tracking charms also got him thinking of the wards. He realised that he been lucky that there had been none that alerted Dumbledore to the fact that another wizard had entered the house let alone performed magic there. Kyle knew for a fact that if there had been one Dumbledore would have been there faster than he could say 'Lemon Drop.'
"Sir?"
The timid voice from beside him drew Kyle from his ponderings. "Sorry," he apologised, "My mind was wondering."
"That's okay, sir." Harry looked up at him nervously, obviously unsure of what to say.
Kyle scrunched up his nose. 'Sir' was for Uncle Vernon and Professors. "It's Kyle," he corrected.
"Kyle?" Harry asked, confusion in his voice.
"Yes," Kyle said hopping off the bench. He then drew himself up to his full height and adopted a posh voice, and bowing with extravagant hand flourishes, introduced himself properly. "Kyle Ethan Potter, but please call me Kyle. It's a pleasure to meet you kind sir."
Harry giggled, and accepted the outstretched hand, shaking it. Then he sat up straight and tried to look posh also. It looked to be a bit more difficult sitting rather than standing but Harry managed it with a laugh. "Harry James Potter, pleasure to meet you too. But call me Harry."
Kyle grinned and the younger boy grinned back. "Right then Harry, there's a few things I need to explain to you, so I need you to listen carefully, alright?"
The boy straightened up, looking both attentive and expectant. "Yes sir- I mean Kyle."
"Good. Okay, the first thing you need to know is this," he leaned close and looked the boy straight in the eye, "Magic is real."
The boy blinked, and then blinked again. Then he frowned. "But the Dursleys said -"
"Ah, yes. The Dursleys. The second thing you need to know is that the Dursleys are horrible people. And, for the most part, liars."
The younger seemed to consider this and obviously could find no fault with the logic. An eager light shone in his eye. "Can- can you show me some?" Well he'd obviously accepted that nugget of information quicker than Kyle had when Hagrid had told him. Then again, Harry was eight, Kyle had been eleven.
Putting that to the back of his mind, Kyle smiled and nodded, withdrawing his wand. Looking around to ensure no one was watching nearby, he pointed the wand at a nearby stick. "Wingardium Leviosa." The stick jumped into the air and began dancing around as Kyle directed it. Little Harry was staring at the display in shock, his mouth hanging open.
"Brilliant," the boy whispered.
"It is, isn't it? And you want to know the best part?" the boy nodded, "When you're older, you'll be able to do magic too."
"I'll be able to do magic?" Harry asked uncertainly.
"Yes, because you're a wizard, just like me." The look on the boy's face was hopeful for a moment, before falling.
"No, you've made a mistake. I can't be a wizard, I'm just Harry." Kyle blinked, remembering that he had said something much the same when Hagrid had told him that he was magical. Maybe two years didn't make that much of a difference after all? Kyle decided to go the same route as Hagrid had with him all those years ago.
"Well, 'Just Harry'," he said, smiling as he remembered Hagrid saying this to him before. "Did you ever make anything happen? Anything you couldn't explain, when you were angry or scared?"
Harry looked thoughtful, then surprised. "I have. But the Dursleys always got angry," his eyes widened, "They knew didn't they? They knew but they didn't like it. Didn't like that I can do magic. That's why they never liked me"
Kyle nodded sadly, "I'm afraid so. They're some of the most magic hating Muggles you'll ever meet."
The new word seemed to distract the child from his sad thoughts, for which Kyle was thankful. "Muggle?"
"It means a person who is non-magical."
"And a magic person is called a wizard."
"Yes, except for girls, they're called witches."
"Are there any other types?"
"Well, witches and wizards can be one of three types," Kyle began, deciding now was as good a time as any to explain, "There's pure-bloods, whose parents are both magical for a number of generations. There are also half-bloods. Half-bloods have one Wizarding parent and one Muggle parent or grandparent. Then there's Muggle-Borns. Muggle-Borns are magical children born from Muggle parents."
"Like me."
Kyle shook his head, "No, you're a half-blood Harry. Both your parents were magical."
"They were?" at the nod he turned thoughtful, "And that's why the Dursleys always said bad things about them isn't it?"
The kid really was perceptive. "Yes, I'm afraid so."
There was silence for a moment before Harry spoke up again. Kyle was glad he had taken his words to heart and felt free to ask questions of him when he wanted. "What about you? What are you?"
"I'm a pure-blood."
"But then how are you my brother?" Harry was obviously confused.
"Well," Kyle began. "We had the same father but we had a different mother. Your mother was Muggle-Born while mine happened to be pure-blood. Do you understand now?" Harry nodded slowly, trying to understand what he had been told. Kyle stood up from the bench again and clapped his hands together. "Right! So, I think that it's about time that we go home then, don't you?"
"Okay," Harry agreed, "Where are we living? How will we get there?"
"Where I'm not sure, but I do know how to get there. We're going to use a form of magical transport," Harry looked excited at the prospect, "We're going to get there by something called a 'portkey'. A portkey is an enchanted object which, when you touch it, teleports you to a certain location."
"But what if you touch it by accident."
"Well, some have passwords. Speaking of- now what did Grux say? Oh, I remember," Kyle tapped his wand to the golden key hanging from his neck, "Set password, 'take me home', password set."
The key glowed for a moment before returning to normal. At the fascinated look on Harry face, Kyle wondered when he had stopped appreciating magic. He remembered fondly a time when every little spell had seemed amazing to him.
"What did that do?"
"I just set the password for our portkey," he explained, "Now; magic is kept secret from most Muggles so we need somewhere private to leave from."
"Because they'd get awful suspicious if we disappeared into thin air," Harry nodded solemnly and Kyle had to bite back a laugh.
"Yes they would," he stood up from the bench, "Now, follow me."
In the end, they ended up hiding behind a copse of trees at the back of the park. Kyle, remembering unfavourably his first portkey trip, decided to warn Harry of what to expect.
"Okay, to do this we'll both need to be touching the key when I say the password. What you're going to feel is something like a hook behind your navel. Don't worry it doesn't hurt, just feels rather strange. Anyway the hook will pull you off the ground and your hand will feel stuck to the key. Then when we arrive your hand will be let go and you'll be slammed back to the ground. Most likely you'll end up falling over, I know I always do."
Harry had listened to the explanation attentively. He stretched his hand out and gave a questioning look. At Kyle's nod he held onto the bottom of the key whilst the elder boy grabbed onto the top of it. He was about to say the password when he realised he had almost forgotten something very important. "Can't believe I almost forgot."
He pulled the tied scroll from his pocket. Tapping it three times with his wand as Grux had directed, he watched as it disappeared with a puff of smoke. Happy that was done; he then pulled the ring box from the depths of his other pocket. Harry watched him as he opened it and withdrew the heir ring, before replacing the box in his pocket. He handed the ring to the boy. "Here, I need you to put this on."
"Any finger?"
"Any finger."
The boy fitted the ring on his right ring finger – the same as he, Kyle, had, he noted – and it glowed white for a moment before returning to normal.
"What was that?"
"That was removing any charms from your person." He could tell that Harry was confused but did not have time to explain. The headmaster would soon realise all his tracking charms had been deactivated, so they had to be gone from here.
"Ready to go home?" he asked, motioning for Harry to take hold of the key again.
"Yes," he said, a determined look on his young face, "Let's go."
"Right, take me home." With that a hook grabbed at them, and the Potter boys disappeared from Little Whinging, Surrey.
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