A/N First of all to clear up any questions concerning his transformation, he might have had a phoenix or a dragon or a squirrel as his animagus form. Well will never know that's gone now. While transformed he has all the powers of a dementor in addition to his normal magic. He also has all the weakness, Patroni ect, there will be more. After all invincibility takes away from the plotline. Enjoy and review. A/N
Chapter 3
Escape
Harry smiled and breathed in the air, it smelled of jasmine and some other plant he couldn't place. He was sitting on the bank of a river; small gardens could be seen in the distance. A bridge slightly down steam was filled with tourists but this area was clear of everyone. Everyone except Neri, she sat next to him looking out over the water. It was a shame they couldn't do this in real life, he thought. They were currently visiting one of the countless memories that the collective had. While within a memory is was much like a pensive, except you could change any parameters and as long as you stayed within sight of the person who the memory came from you could do whatever. There were other souls visiting this park but none of them even saw the couple, side affect of having a mind independent of the collective.
Neri described it as a fishbowl. Harry was like a diver, immersed but still foreign. Neri was standing outside looking in. He really couldn't begin to comprehend the loneliness of being able to see all of this yet never being able to do anything with anyone.
While they had known each other for close to eleven months real-time and a little over two years in the collective, this was their second official date. Maybe it was because they came from such different places, or it might be because of the fact she was a skeleton in real life. Not that he had any problems with her in this world, except that it was a fake. He turned his head; Neri looked the same as when they'd first met. Her white blonde, almost silvery, hair spilled down over her shoulders and pooled at the ground. She was looking across the river now. Neri was wearing a white and yellow sundress that loosely clung to her body. Her bust wasn't exactly what you would call large, probably only a B-cup. Still her thin and graceful body was certainly beautiful in his mind.
Sensing his eyes she turned and smiled. Before Harry would have blushed having been caught looking but know he just returned her smile.
"What's your mind?"
"Nothing."
"I know that look, it's not your ogling look." Now Harry did blush.
"I'm just wondering about what will happen."
"With the rest of the world."
"Yeah, I can't stay in here forever. No matter how many people want me to."
"Don't scowl, it doesn't suit you."
"Sorry. I just don't know if it's worth it. Why should I care about what happens to a world that cannot save itself and crucifies its savior?" They had started taking old copies of the Daily Prophet from the warden about two months ago. The paper had somehow managed to blame things that went bad now on Harry.
"If you listen to them then how will you kill him?"
"Kill who?"
"You promised someone that a certain bastard would pay didn't you."
"Yeah." The fact that he'd almost forgotten his promise to Tonks hurt.
"And you said it your self that you are the only one that can kill Voldemort."
"Neri, why do you care if he dies or not?"
"When you live as long as me you understand thing about people. Dark lords in general promise my kind the same thing. They promise us the souls of their enemies. But if we listen and help the dark lord go on a genocidal rampage in the end you end up with far to many demetors and no more enemies to feed off. Did you know that there used to be a large civilization on Antarctica?"
"No. Let me guess civil war between a dark lord and dementors?"
"Yeah. But that's just anyone in general who seeks to use us against their enemies. They don't think ahead so my support has always been lukewarm. Voldemort is a certifiably lunatic who has no problems wiping out everyone to achieve his means."
"How do you know?"
"Its just his type. If say he wanted to know everything, he would simply destroy everything else. If I am the only one alive then I know the most, therefore I know everything." Harry laughed at the fractured logic.
"So I should stop him."
"Defiantly, he's a danger to our kind as well. We may be tough to kill but we're not invincible." Growing somber now Harry sighed.
"I just don't know how I can face all those people again."
"Do you need to?"
"Yes, even with all that you taught me I'm not powerful enough to take down an army. I will need help, and as someone said once I have a huge hero complex."
"Your saving people thing?"
"Yeah. It's not right to let someone else die if I can stop it."
"So when will you go?"
"I don't know, I think that I should attempt to return to Hogwarts, that school has many problems and I think that I can do the most good there."
"Don't get ahead of your self you have to clear your name first."
"I don't think that will be too hard if I avoid auror custody."
"Well you aren't leaving right now so I think you can wait a little right?"
"Yeah…" He stopped as Neri pulled him into a kiss. Even if it was a virtual realty, she felt so real. Harry responded and when they broke for air the just curled up together and watched the sunset.
Harry drifted down the prison hallways. He had taken to masquerading as a dementor on patrol during this time of day. It was easy enough, after transfiguring his prisoner uniform into one of the tattered black robes that the dementors wore he merely transformed and floated off. A concealment charm protected his face, not that any guard dared get close enough to check beneath his hood. He had learned to control his aura to the point that no one noticed the difference between him and the normal dementors. His favorite spot to run was his old cellblock. Not only could he check in on 'himself,' who looked more than half dead, but he got to visit the death eaters who got captured at the Department of mysteries and didn't buy their way out, like Mafloy. Rookwood was his favorite to torment; he would just stop at his cell and turn up the dementor aura to full blast. He made sure not to stay to long, no need for him to go crazy before Harry was satisfied he'd paid for hurting Hermione. Not that he really cared what happened to her now but then she was his friend.
What he was really doing was trying to cope with the boredom. He'd pulled just about everything that might be useful from the collective. He still practiced for eighteen hours a day what he already learned. He was bored because he hadn't seen Neri for almost a week now. She had locked herself in her room and when he'd seen her inside he collective she'd been distracted and left quickly. He had no idea why she was avoiding him. Had it been something he'd said, or did? He didn't remember upsetting her and he couldn't think of anything. So he kept him self busy by tormenting the prisoners.
When his shift was complete he went back to the dementor's quarters. What it really was were about thirty acres of underground catacombs. The dementors inhabited a small area south of the prison. There were over two hundred down here. The ministry and Voldemort didn't realize that there were more than 100 in all of Britain. The only rooms down here were his and Neri's as none of the dementors sleep, they only went into trances at times. As they cared not at all for physical appearance rooms weren't really a necessity. Neri didn't sleep either and she used her room to store things. Well she normally did, now he had no idea what she used her room for. Harry stood in the center of the room and began to go through a martial arts form he had pulled from the memories of one of the souls. The form was designed to fight opponents carrying guns or knives while unarmed. Harry figured it would work well against opponents carrying wands, especially since while flying he could close the average twenty-foot duel range in three seconds. Having no watch he didn't bother to keep track of time and had no idea how long it was before a dementor appeared before him. He knew some watched him, an indicator they were smarted than Neri said, but this was the first time one had interrupted him. Transforming back into his human form he walked up to the dementor.
"Yeah?" It looked at him and then turned around, floating off. Harry gave chase, not that he needed to hurry it was leading to his room; he did know where that was. He was mistaken when it stopped outside of Neri's room.
"So she's finally ready to talk to me." The dementor opened the door.
"What you're not going to wish me luck." The dementor ignored him and closed the door after he entered. Neri was standing in the back of the room with her back to him. She was still wearing her robe, hood up, and looking into a full-length mirror.
Now I've been in here before and this isn't what it looked like.
The room, which was previously gray stone, was painted a dull forest green. A huge four-posted bed sat on the far wall; Neri was standing by a mirror next to that. Shelves had been set up to hold all the things that Neri had collected during her lifetime.
Was this all in here before or did she transfigure it?
Can she even cast spells?
Well obviously, strange I've never seen her do that.
"How are you Harry?"
"Fine, u-uh am I in trouble?" She laughed. It was the soft laugh that he'd come to know in the collective, not the raspy dry leaves sound that he voice was normally.
What's going on?
"Why would you be in trouble? Have you done something that I wouldn't like?"
"N-no but, I haven't seen you in a week and…"
"Do you know what day it is?"
"July 30th." What's that got to do with…"
"You have no idea what time it is do you?"
"No, I guess I need a watch."
"Its past mid-night Harry. Happy birthday." Harry suddenly felt very uncomfortable, he didn't even know when or if she had a birthday.
"I know that humans put great stock in birthdays." She continued. "So I've been busy getting ready." Now he really felt bad.
"I don't put to much stock in birthdays, I never had one until I was eleven. I didn't even ask you about your birthday. Sorry…"
"Don't you worry about that right now. I have good news and bad news, which would you like to hear first?"
"The bad news I guess."
"Voldemort is planning or rescuing his captured death eaters from Azkaban next week. You have to leave tomorrow."
"Oh."
"As he's instructed what he believes to be the head of the dementors to attack the guards I can't disobey him without letting him catch on. You need to be gone early enough so that it doesn't look like you got wind and escaped at the last minute. It's possible that he will call off his attack then I won't need to relocate."
"I can understand. Is that all the bad news?"
"Yes."
"What's the good news?"
"Presents. See that box wrapped in gold paper?" It was sitting on a shelf close to where he had come in.
"Yeah."
"Well open it, it's for you." Harry carefully removed the wrapping from the box and opened it. He was so used to not getting anything, the events of last year had completely erased the last five years of presents from his 'friends.' Inside he found a long tube, ivory in color and thinner at one end.
"What is it?" She laughed again.
"What kind of wizard can't recognize a wand? You mentioned that yours was broken. So I made you a new one. Try it out." Harry gingery picked up the wand; it was longer than his original. As he waved it silver and blue sparks shot out of the end of the tip.
"How?" Harry had no idea how she had built a wand without him knowing and it worked perfectly.
"It's fourteen inches long, the body is a dementor's bone, Tibia I believe. The core is a liquid mix of Phoenix tears, Basilisk venom, and Dragon blood."
"But how did you know that it would work for me."
"You don't think I know you enough to see what magical elements you would bond with?"
"I guess so." Harry swished the wand back and forth. It cut through the air leaving a trail of sparks. The wand seemed to fit in his hand, even more so than his old holly wand did.
"Wow, this is amazing. Thank you."
"Oh we're not done yet." She turned towards him and started forward. Letting her hood fall down as she walked towards him. He could smell something, as she got closer.
It wasn't the stale smell he associated with her, perfume perhaps.
Oh no, I know what she's thinking. I've seen that smile before, it's not like I don't like her or care for her but skeletons really aren't my thing. Actually I'd have to rank guys higher on my list than skeletons. (Mentally shudders at the thought.)
"Neri? Do it's not that I'm not flattered or anything but…" A finger touching his lips silenced him. He gasped at the touch. She didn't feel cold or bony like usually. She felt alive and she was trembling.
"You stop right there with that line of thought. You want to know what I've been doing all week right?"
"Yeah b…"
"I'll show you." She turned around. The robe dropped off her shoulders and landed in a puddle around her feet. As he expected she had nothing on beneath. She pulled his hand and motioned him to follow her.
Her hands are soft and fleshy, yet firm and warm. They feel so real, but how, and Merlin what a great ass.
"If we can conjure up a replica of you that would stand up to a medical inspection in twenty minutes, I think I could recreate my body in a weeks time."
"So your real. Not an illusion?"
"I almost feel hurt, but the soul who once lived here was quite vain and I understand. I know you have to leave here tomorrow and I wanted to spend just one night with you before then. Taking on a mortal form is a weakness, but for you it's one I'm willing to take." She stopped at the foot of the bed and undid the catch holding his robe together. Harry was still wearing the prison pants beneath. She kissed him. Harry just drank in her intoxicating scent of several seconds before abandoning all pretense of control and pushing her on top of the bed and jumping in
Ringing. Something was ringing. He knew that sound, it was an alarm clock. Harry struggled to alertness. He was lying in a bed. Warm sheets surrounded him, an even warmer figure was pressed up against him. Neri's beautiful body was pressed against him. Just thinking about her, about last night started a tingling in his loins. He, like all horny adolescents, had dreamed about women in every possible position he could think of. But, Merlin he was glad the real thing was so much better than any fantasy. The rhythmic rising and falling of her chest was almost hypnotizing, she snorted. She was starting to wake up, shit the alarm. Harry starched out his hand in the direction of the alarm, it was almost four feet away. Damn it, Harry flexed and in his anger sent the alarm clock flying across the room where it hit the wall and fell silent. But not before making an awful racket.
"What was that?" Now she was awake.
"Nothing, go back to sleep love." She turned over and kissed him.
"That's the first time you called me that."
"It's true." Harry sat up, so much for going back to sleep. She glanced across the room and frowned.
"You didn't have to break it."
"I didn't want to get up, sorry."
"You're forgiven just fix will you." Harry stood and with a flick of his new wand repaired the clock.
"I set it at breakfast time in the prison, you should go as soon as possible." Harry sighed; he really didn't want to leave. He pulled on his clothing and transfigured the pants to look less prison like and mended the tattered robe that marked him as a dementor.
"No breakfast before I go?"
"Nothing here's worth eating anyway."
"Touché." She pulled on her robe and the two rose to their expected height, then they both teleported to Harry's cell. The construct had just finished disposing of Harry's breakfast. It didn't need food, as it was magical in nature.
"How was being me?" It didn't answer; instead it walked back to its cot and laid down.
"Not the talkative sort are you?" With a gesture Neri vanished the look-alike and returned the souls to the collective.
"Anything you need to remember this place by?"
"I'd like to blow this whole cell up but that would reveal too much." She giggled, and Harry laughed.
"Enough we have a schedule to keep."
"Yeah I know." Any onlooker would have seen a pair of dementors merging into a hazy smoke and then fading out. Leaving the cell of one Harry Potter empty. They reappeared almost instantaneously under a jutting rock down by the shore. At high tide this would be under water.
"Promise to get in touch with me tonight and tell me what happened."
"I'll enter the collective as soon as I can." She kissed him again.
"Goodbye."
"Wait before you go. I never got to thank you for last night and ask when your birthday is?"
"Well as per last night, no thanks is required you preformed spectacularly." Harry blushed scarlet beneath his hood. "As far as my birthday, the elf this body was born as isn't really me and I never kept track of the day I came into existence. So I was thinking that my birthday could be the day when my body started to live again. So we could have the same birthday."
"That works for me. Then I guess I owe you a Happy birthday as well." She smirked, and kissed him again.
"Get going before I get all teary." Harry nodded and flew off, the words 'I love you' echoing across the water.
If anyone was actually watching this section of the island they would have seen a black shape speeding out towards the north. Harry stayed within feet of the water for the first hundred meters before rising up enough to avoid the spray. He stopped and hovered when he reached the two-mile mark, this was the extent of the anti-apperation wards. He had learned how to do it from one of the collective's memories and had practiced in a small room down below were the wards didn't work, but he had never apperated more than ten feet. Now he was going over a thousand miles in one jump. He let his breathing mellow out; he couldn't afford to mess up now. Concentrating on the spot he'd picked over a month ago to escape to he focused, and felt the sensation of being elongated into a rubber band. No time to screw up now, there was no one to help him should he splince himself. Then he was off, flying though the something, was it air, faster than anyone can move. He breath was frozen in his lungs and when he couldn't stand it anymore he was there. In an unused corner of Kockturn alley a black-cloaked figure appeared. The beggar he'd startled started to curse the stranger who'd just showed up but stopped and scrambled backwards as a cold hand constricted around her heart. Seeing the terrified beggar Harry sunk back down to the ground and transformed back into a human. Seeing no one who would recognize him, Harry cast a powerful paseltounge glamour spell on his face. This wouldn't fool Moody's eye but even he wouldn't be able to see beneath it. Then he walked off leaving a half scared to death beggar in the dark alley.
Harry stayed in the shadows of the alleys until he came to Gringotts. He would have to cross diagon alley to reach it. The alley had defiantly seen better days. Shops nearby seemed closed or shabby, like the owners had removed any displays to avoid attracting attention. There must have been a raid, or something like that. Few people where out and they hurried about their businesses, eyeing any strangers warily. Thankfully Harry was not challenged as he approached the Goblin bank. The line inside the building was thankfully short; he noticed that even in these dark times the bank was still displaying all of its opulence. The goblin at the counter regarded him ruefully.
Probably thinks I'm a beggar.
"Hello, may I speak with someone in your estate department?"
"Do you have an appointment?"
"No."
"Well seeing as how today is a slow day I'm sure we can work you in Mr."
"That is for me and the manger of my estate to know." The goblin looked rather perturbed at that but said nothing.
"Please wait over there, someone will come get you shortly." He gestured to a row of couches in the corner. Harry nodded and leaned on the wall by a bookcase. He would have sat down but then he was too notable from the entrance. A few wizards and witches came in, but their business was brief or they had appointments. Harry waited for almost half an hour before the goblin ushered him into an office. The goblin handed him a piece of parchment and a quill.
"If you would drip a little blood on the parchment, that will confirm whoever you are."
"Excuse me?" The goblin gestured at the parchment.
"That quill is quite sharp, prick yourself and bleed on the parchment. It is the effect of magically signing your name. No one can forge it." He turned. "The estate manager's representative will be here shortly."
"This is all confidential?"
"Of course." The goblin looked annoyed, but he left without saying anything else. Harry looked at the quill; it did have an abnormally sharp end. Tentatively he tapped the quill with one of his fingers. It must have been enchanted because he managed to prick himself with the slightest contact. Swearing Harry looked at his finger, blood was starting to ooze out of the wound and pool above the skin.
Oh well there's the blood.
Harry pressed his hurt finger to the parchment, the paper grew warm and when he removed it he saw his finger had been healed. The small dot of blood on the parchment glowed for a second and then the blood started to spread out. The small dot of blood was sucked into the sheet while lines of blood spread out until they formed a familiar signature, his.
"I see you have signed the blood script, if you'll give that to me we'll get started right away." Harry looked up to see another goblin walk in, this one sat behind the room's desk and waited expectantly. Harry was sure he'd seen him before, but facial distinctions between goblins were hard to make.
"Uh… okay." Harry stood and held out the parchment. "Excuse me, you look familiar. Have we met before?" The goblin looked at Harry, before taking the parchment.
"No I don't believe we've met Mr." He unfolded the parchment and gazed at it several seconds. "Potter?"
Now I remember, of course he doesn't recognize me. The glamour and all.
"Yes. How are you Griphook?" If the goblin wasn't already shocked at learning Harry's true identity he certainly was now.
"Sir, you remember me?"
"Yes. I'm glad to see that you are moving up in the world. This is a higher ranking job than trolley operator?"
"Y-yes." Griphook remembered the time, almost six years ago, when Harry Potter had ridden in his trolley down to his vault. After all it wasn't everyday someone famous stops by, but most Wizards didn't even learn his name. Yet alone remember it after a day.
"I thought you were imprisoned."
"Details of my escape won't be known until..." Harry looked at the clock on the wall. "Around seven. Seeing I have only nine hours before I am officially a fugitive, is it possible for me to learn of the status of my account and whether or not I can access it?"
"O-of course Mr. Potter." Griphook quickly found the files on Harry's accounts and brought back a stack of file folders.
"That much for one vault?"
"Sir this is for all of your accounts."
I never knew I had multiple accounts. He nodded. After scanning through each of the folders Griphook looked up.
"Well, it seems you have three vaults, and four related accounts."
"Three vaults?"
"Yes. Your trust vault, the Potter family vault, and the Black family vault."
"The Black family vault?" Sirius.
"Yes. Now if you would let me continue I can give you all the information you need."
"Sorry." Harry sunk back into the chair; he had almost stood at the mention of the Black family.
Sirius must have left me it.
"Now your trust vault was created after the 1946 Goblin Wizard treaty, so it is under ministry laws. As such it was frozen immediately following your arrest, as were all of the related expense accounts. After your sentencing your accounts were unfrozen and have been operating normally under the care of your trust advisor."
"Who." The goblin scanned to the bottom of the page.
"Albus Dumbledore."
"Dumbledore." Harry hissed the name, his face contorting into a scowl.
That man had the nerve to mess with my accounts after he turned his back on me. I'm certain that he's not using them for the 'Free Harry Fund.'
"What has he been doing?"
"Well the expense accounts were set up by your grandfather to allow some of his investments essay access to funds. One of the investments went bankrupt and the account has had no actively since." He riffled through some papers. "Since just after it was unfrozen, when your trust advisor was appointed to all of your related accounts and withdrew the entire amount."
"Go on." Harry hissed.
How dare he.
"During the time the accounts were frozen a second of the four investments went under. The funds from that account were also withdrawn. The other two investments are doing fine and dividends are deposited quarterly. Your trust account is a 4,000 Galleon account that is refilled every year at your birthday. Half of that amount is withdrawn each year to pay for your Hogwarts tuition. You might be unhappy to note that your tuition was paid for last year and this year."
"Figures. Have there been any withdraws from that account?"
"Well you personally have withdrawn a total of…" The goblin flipped to the next page tallying in his head. "Two thousand, four hundred and five Galleons over the past six years. Your trust manager has withdrawn the remainder of the account before it is replenished since, your second birthday."
The man had been taking his money, not since he'd forsaken him but long before he'd even met him.
"What about the vaults?"
"Well as the vaults where established before the treaty of 1946 so they were not frozen. As they are family vaults only one of blood or the heir may enter, so those vaults are not only yours but you can still access them."
"First good news, could you tell me about how I came into ownership of the Black vault?"
"Mr. Sirius Black left you sole ownership of the Black vaults and the title of Lord Black. His will left the family house at 12 Girmund place to a Mr. Remus Lupin." Griphook looked at another page and chuckled to himself. "The rest of his will leaves ten Galleons to one Beallatrix Lestrange..."
Harry gripped the edges of his chair tighter.
"Unless she had anything to do with his death, which she apparently did, in which case she got a lump of coal." Harry laughed for the first time all morning.
"That would be Sirius, funny to the end. So I have access to those vaults?"
"Yes. As you are officially of age as of, today, you have full power over those two family vaults and you have access to the titles Lord Potter and Black. Also you have ownership of the four properties listed under the Potter name."
"Really what do I own?"
"You own a townhouse in South Hampton, the Potter family estate in Scotland, a house in Godric's hallow, and a house in Hogsmead. The townhouse is currently under the Gringott's preservation and fidelus charm. The house in Godric's hallow has been abandoned since October of 1981."
Harry could feel a lump grow in his throat, that was where his parents died.
"The family estate is under a Gringott's preservation charm, and the house in Hogsmead currently has tenants in it. Would it be unwise of me to assume that you want to see the vaults you have access to?"
"Yeah, please lead the way."
Harry's head was spinning. He was rich, or at least he had two family vaults. He knew he had money but never this much. The amount of money that must have been used to refill his account for seventeen years, that was probably only a small bit of the Potter fortune. That of course led to Dumbeldore. That bastard had been taking money from his accounts since before he even came to Hogwarts. The fact that no one had stopped withdrawing funds for his tuition didn't come as a surprise, and after the trial the idea of him taking as much of my money made sense too. But he took money from me since I was a kid. He left me with the Dursely's and stole from me! That bastard had been using him, what he'd thought after confronting Dumbeldore in his office had been true.
Griphook led him down several flights of stairs to another trolley track. This time he got in the passenger compartment next to Harry and another goblin controlled the device.
"Excuse me does the cart have to go this slow?" The cart wasn't going at half the speed that it had been at when he visited the last time.
"Well as this is an older vault and most of the older families take offense to high speeds, I thought…"
"No, I don't mind. Can you bring it up to full speed?" Harry cut the driver off.
Figures the purebloods can't handle anything.
"With pleasure sir." The goblin flashed a toothy grin. Then Harry was pressed back into his seat as the cart suddenly accelerated. It turned out that their top speed was almost twice of what was used by the normal operators. Apparently humans had problems moving at such high speeds. Harry was starting to see spots by the time they came to a stop in front of the Potter vault.
"Are you alright sir?" The goblin helped Harry out of the cart, his legs were still a little unsure.
"Humans weren't meant to go that fast."
"I'm sorry sir…"
"I didn't say it wasn't fun." The goblin smiled and stepped back to his cart to wait. Harry followed Griphook towards the ancient door.
"Only members of the Potter family may open the vault door, you'll need to bleed on the locking mechanism." Sighing Harry placed his hand in the appointed spot, a sharp pain latter the door soundlessly slid open. Harry opened and closed his mouth several times as he walked into the vault looking around. The vault was about the size of Hogworts' great hall. The entire right side was filled with Galleons and the left side looked like an old attic, with artwork furniture and books stacked up.
"Mr. Potter, my I enter?" Harry turned back to Griphook.
"What, sure. Why are you waiting outside?"
"Those not related by blood my only enter if a blood heir acknowledges them."
"Oh."
"Lets take care of the tittles first shall we?"
"Ok what do I do?" Harry followed Griphook to the back of the room and stopped in front of a pedestal.
"This is the family pedestal, it never leaves the vault. Place your hand on it and state your name, it will summon the markings of your inheritance to it."
Harry did as he was told, touching the silvery orb that lay in the center of the pedestal.
"Harry James Evans Black Potter."
That would be the order of tittles and names right?
The orb shimmered and then flashed. When the light died down enough for him to see again two rings lay on the velvet potion of the pedestal. Both were oversized gaudy rings, the kind a lord would wear. The Potter ring was gold, with the family crest of two swords crossed in front of a lion on the face. The Black family ring was silver, no platinum. It had a large piece of onyx for a face, with the family crest of a therestreial reared up on his hind legs, with several stars in the background. There was some writing too but it was in Celtic. He was pretty sure at least part of it translated to turojunis pur. As Harry slipped each ring on they glowed and warmed slightly as they recognized him as the heir.
"Very good, each of those rings has several abilities. Any correspondence sealed with these rings can only be opened by the intended recipient, each ring can disillusion itself and each one acts as a portkey to their respective vaults. Also no one but you may remove them."
Harry spent the next half an hour browsing the vault; he talked to the paintings of the previous Potter lords and ladies. Sadly his parents didn't have a picture hanging on the walls. The closest he got was a painting of his grandfather, it was painted before he had even met Harry's grandmother and as such wasn't able to offer much advice. As it turned out the Potter line had many members but had been seemingly cursed with the opposite of the Weasley line. As in Harry's grandfather was the only male born into that family that generation. Because of this Harry had almost twenty distant cousins but was the last Potter. Or so grandfather said, the Potter linage tree was at the family home in Scotland. Harry found a bottomless trunk and packed any interesting artifacts and books into it, along with some of the family's dress robes. They had the colors and crest on them. As it turned out Dumbledore's cryptic statements during Harry's second year had been right, the Potters were distantly related to Godric Grypindor. Aparently one of his great grand mothers was a Gryphindor that married into the Potter line. He would have to check the family tree and see whether he was the heir or just another great-great-great-great… grandchild.
Grabbing Griphook's hand Harry portkeyed to the Black vault and continued to fill his trunk.
"Remember Mr. Potter we need to go back for Sallock when you are done."
"Right. Do you know of anyway for me to get funds without carrying it around on me? Like a debit card or something?"
"Something. Yes I thought you may want something like that and took the liberty of bringing these with me. Catch." Harry easily grabbed the small money pouch he'd been tossed, there was something inside. Harry reached in a removed a wallet.
"The pouch is connected directly to your vaults, simply think about how much you need and from which vault before opening. The same principle holds true with the wallet, but for muggle money. The wallet also has two cards, one is an all-purpose id. Its picture will look like whatever you look like and it and the name will be whatever you are calling yourself, same idea with age. The second is a credit card linked to the Potter family vault. Most muggle stores will accept it and a few wizarding ones too. There are some bank drafts in there as well."
"Thanks." Harry stored the wallet and money pouch.
"Is there anything else you need?"
"No." Harry grabbed Griphook and porkeyed back to the Potter vault. Salock was standing outside looking for them.
"Griphook, why are you helping me? Isn't adding a criminal a crime?"
"Well even if I thought you were guilty, we goblins have stayed out of human affairs for quite a while now. The fact that we turn a blind eye to those whose funds we protect has ensured us neutrality in this coming war."
"Wait you think I'm innocent."
"Well I personally looked over the facts of the case, you were convicted on a mountain of circumstance evidence and hearsay. Amazingly there was little or no physical evidence admitted. Also about three months ago the banks council came into possession of some files that implicate Minister Fudge in a variety of corruption schemes, your framing is only one of them."
"You have evidence that could free me?"
"No, the documents we have are copies of copies. They wouldn't hold up in court but the evidence that will exonerate you is around there somewhere."
"Thank you for this Griphook." Harry left the vault and it sealed behind him. "There are several things I need you to do for me. First remove the fidealus and preservation charms from the property in South Hampton. Second either close my trust account or cut it off from the Potter family vault. If you can do both of these things as close to closing time I'd really appreciate it."
"I'll see what I can do." They boarded the trolley and went back up to the surface; they were going fast, but not fast enough to threaten Harry with unconsciousness.
"Oh, and Griphook. Whatever your getting for seeing me today, double it."
"Yes Lord Potter." Griphook was grinning from ear to ear when the emerged from the trolley. Harry pulled his hood over himself and recast his glamour spell, the vault's wards' had canceled them. "Honor to your house and wealth to you clan Lord Potter."
Harry repeated the traditional Goblin blessing and left feeling a lot better.
I'm not alone. Some people believe me, they won't help me exonerate myself but they know I didn't do it.
Harry sighed and left diagon alley through the closest exit. He needed a better disguise before he traveled back into that alley. People could detect and even lower glamour charms, but he knew of no spell that would undo muggle makeup.
As diagon alley was nestled in down town London, it wasn't hard to find a department store. He figured he would need a completely new wardrobe. At first the sales clerk looked suspiciously at him, but after Harry flashed the gringotts card he was ushered in and was partnered up with a bouncy sales girl who took the time to show, and force him to try on, half the men's collection. An hour latter Harry left the store with far more clothing than he had ever had in his life, and the girl's number. He didn't know why he such an effect on women. He normally couldn't even talk to girls, maybe he was only supper suave and charming to women he didn't care about. It had taken him over six months to act romantically around Neri, and there was no point in brining up his earlier attempts at romance.
He'd gotten six pairs of jeans, three black and three blue, two pairs of Kakis and two dress slacks. He now had almost ten T-shirts, seven collared shirts and a full set of underwear. Topping everything off were two suits and three pairs of shoes, one pair of trainers, one pair of sandals and one pair of dress shoes. Not to mention all the belts and such that Gabby, that was the sales girl, had said looked adorable on him. He left the store wearing a pair of black baggy jeans that were tight around the crouch area, and a black T-shirt with the name of some rock band on it. Personally he didn't like the jeans but Gabby had insisted they made him look really hot. She picked out that shirt because she like them as a band and in her words 'you look best in black.' Truthfully he had no idea who Korn was and looking at the image on his shirt, didn't want to know. He had thrown away the robes he'd worn into the store and as soon as he was alone he un-shrunk his trunk and tossed all the clothing inside it.
People in downtown London either gave the teen a wide berth or ignored him. Harry liked the anonymity that muggle life afforded. Of course the Glamour spell that changed his eye color worked too, he had lowered it in the store so the sales girl wouldn't pick out anything that didn't work with what he really looked like. He wasn't magically covering his scar it this point but his long matted hair took care of that. Which led to his next stop, Harry entered a small hair salon off the main street. While the place said it was unisex and he would have felt more at ease in a barbershop, Harry was certain that the intensive care his hair needed would need a women's touch. The place was nearly empty and he was quickly waved over to a station. His stylist was young, maybe twenty-four, but no older. She had short stock white hair, probably dyed, and was wearing a tight blue shirt and jeans.
"Hi, I'm Suzette. What can I do for you?" Her smile was infectious and even Harry's sour mood from earlier evaporated.
"I'm Harry, and well I need to do something about this." Harry gestured at the mass of black hair that now hung down to the top of his neck.
"Eww, how long has in been since you washed it?"
"You don't want to know."
"Ok, well I can fix even this up in a jiffy."
"There's more, I need it dyed. I'm thinking white blonde, like what your hair would like if you dyed it blonde." She made a face and wrinkled her nose.
"That may be just a tad more complicated, but I can do it. Do you want me to cut it?"
"No I like longer." She leaned his chair back so his head was resting in a bowl and got to work. She hummed to a tune on the radio as she worked at washing a years worth of grime and sweat out of his hair.
"That's a neat scar, where'd you get it?" Harry scowled briefly at this.
"Car crash." He used the line his realities had used.
"Sorry." Seeing his reaction she was quick to change the subject. "Err, nice shirt. What's your favorite song?" Harry realized she was pointing to his shirt and cursed silently.
"Well I don't really listen to them, it was a gift from my ex."
"It looks new to me."
Damn she caught me in a lie.
"We just broke up."
"I'm sorry…" Her voice trailed off and she looked back at her work. "…So did I." "Well I just finished the first step." She held up a mirror. "How do you like it so far?"
She had straightened and cleaned his hair and was in the process of bleaching it. Currently it had a nasty color of peroxide blonde.
"Ok, but I hope this isn't the final result." She laughed, once again in a good mood.
I wasn't aware that what I said was the least bit funny.
She continued to ask questions while she worked but Harry deftly avoided them and asked about her life. People love to talk about themselves and Suzette was no exception.
An hour latter Harry paid Suzette and left He also learned far more than he needed to know about the stylist and even had her number and an invite to a party over the weekend. Why was it so easy for him to pick up girls when he didn't want them?
His hair was now the same type of white blonde, almost silver, that Neri had. It laid down along the back of his head. She'd cut it into a manageable length around his face but his bangs almost touched his eyebrows and covered his scar. After a short stop in an optometrist to replace his glasses with blue contacts no one should recognize him. He would have chosen gray, but he was trying to look more like Neri not Mafloy. The real test was up ahead though, because after eating he would be heading back into Diagon alley, this time he needed things from the main stretch and couldn't hide in the shadow. There shouldn't be anyone looking for him yet but he'd been spotted every other time he'd entered that place.
Harry ate at a fast food restaurant outside in muggle London but when he came in to the leaky cauldron he took a seat in the corner. People watched new faces warily and he wanted to make sure everyone had gotten used to the blond and went back to there own thing before he made a move for the backdoor. People he didn't know came and left and after ordering and downing a butter beer Harry made his way for the back. Once entering the alley proper Harry made his way to Madam Malkins. His muggle clothing would draw attention so first he needed to get some suitable and nondescript robes. Luckily the clothing store was like most of Diagon alley, half deserted. He purchased two simple brown robes and one forest green robe. He chose to done the green robe before leaving. He had no need for any of the books that Flourish and Bolts sold, yet, he instead went straight to the apothecary and stoked up on every potion ingredient they had. While he was still lousy at the 'art' of potion making, he at least knew how now.
He found himself in the pet emporium picking up owl treats before he stopped himself. Tears came unbidden to his eyes as he reminded himself that Hedwig; his always loyal, always friendly, and forever innocent owl was gone. Putting down the owl treats he walked into the reptile section to avoid the gaze of the few people in there watching a young man get teary over a bag of food.
As he'd expected the reptile section was empty. With dark wizards running around people were unnerved by anyone showing an interest in reptiles in general and snakes in particular. Right now another pet, no companion, wasn't what he was looking for but he still walked by and admired the lizards and snakes as he made a short circuit of the room. As he passed by the far wall he stopped and turned to admire a cobra. It wasn't a normal snake, probably magical as it was easily as long as a python but was currently raised up about a foot its hood fully extended. The snake bore an uncommon resemblance to Nagiri, Voldemort's pet. Out of curiosity Harry approached the snake and leaned down next to the tank.
"Thatss itss sstupid human. Put your hand in here and getsss whatss iss comingss." Harry smiled at that.
"Aren't you the nasssty oness." If snakes could show surprise this one surly did.
"You can sspeak my languagess?"
"Quite well, why are you in ssuch a bad moods?" The snake shifted in its tank and its face took on the appearance of mock outrage, well it didn't but Harry imaged that what it would do if it could.
"You try living for five monthsss in a tank sso ssmale you can't even sstreach outss." Harry chuckled ruefully at that.
"Try a yearss."
"Could you help mess?"
"Prehapess but why should Iss?"
"I'm ssure I can do ssomthing to help you if you help messs."
"You won't bite me, will youss?"
"Of coursse not, if you help me I will be in your debts." Harry didn't believe this snake in the least but decided that no one disserved to be held like that; Harry glanced around at the other snakes in the emporium. There were seven of them and it was unlikely anyone would buy them, ever. Not with the superstitious wizards that they sold to.
"Sstay here I'll be right backss." The snake looked almost insulted at that.
"Like I can go anywheress." It answered sarcastically.
Harry steeled himself and walked up to the clerk.
"Hello I'd like to buy all seven of your snakes and fifteen mice." The store clerk looked at him like he was crazy.
"Seven snakes?"
"Yes."
"You know that snakes are…"
"I don't care what they are, no creature disserves to be locked up in a tinny cage. And knowing the situation the likely-hood that anyone will help them is slim." The clerk softened, as he was sure no dark wizard would care about the well being of some snakes.
"Alright then Mr.?" Harry had deliberately not given a name but withholding a name would make the clerk even more suspicious than he was.
"Darracun." He used Neri's last name.
"Ok Mr. Darracun, I assume you will want the cages as well."
"Yes."
"Well then your total is seventy seven Galleons and six knurts. I'll get you the mice you can stack the cages anyway you'd like. Will you need a box to carry them in?"
"No I can take care of that." Harry paid the man and then returned to the reptile room and unshrunk his trunk.
"Your not putting me in there are youss?"
"Would you prefer to sstay, I'm ssure sssomeone will caress." The snake was silent and did not protest any further. Harry quickly levitated the cages into the trunk. A pair of magical snakes thanked him, but the majority only voiced their displeasure at being moved. The non-magical snakes must not be that smart, for they only talked of food. A minute later the clerk came back with the mice and Harry stored them away and shrunk the trunk again. Pocketing it he left the store and headed into Knockturn alley.
He still wanted a pair of wand holsters and a second, more normal wand. His wand was incredibly powerful but its non-wood construction and length would draw attention. Not to mention that the only place for wands on Diagon alley, Olivanders, was not a good idea. That man knows things he shouldn't and that made him dangerous. Harry vaguely wondered if he'd see right through his disguise, but wasn't going to find out. After a short stop by Borgins and Burkes he found his wand holsters, a few trinkets and the location of another wand shop, which happened to cost more than everything else he'd brought.
The place he was pointed to was a small and seedy pub, a few people were around but no one paid him any mind. Following the instructions he had Harry walked up to the bar and asked for Daniel. The barman looked both ways before leaning forward.
"What do you want?"
"I've been told that he's the man to talk to for extra or special wands."
"Ho do I know you're not a Auror." The bartender was growling.
"How bought I kill you and find Daniel myself, an Auror wouldn't do that." The man looked at him and shrugged.
"Back room, door on the far left. Knock twice." The bartender backed up and ignored Harry. Smirking he walked to the hallway in the back and made his way to what Daniel's door. Daniel was short, about five four and while he had blonde hair the gray and white locks spattered through it reveled his age.
"What do you want?"
"I need a normal wand."
"Go to Olivander, I only do custom jobs." He barked. Harry pulled out his wand, the old man reacted drawing his own, but Harry reversed it and held it out to Daniel.
"Do you think its any good?" He took it and inspected it, before returning it.
"Very interesting, and powerful."
"And noticeable, I need a wand that is simple. Doesn't need power I won't use it for that but I need something that won't attract attention."
"Hmm." Daniel muttered, he walked over to a shelf and pulled out a box.
"Take one." He was holding a box of about twenty wands. "There all ten inches, maple with a core of powdered dragon scale. Anyone should be able to use it with no problem."
"These aren't registered I assume."
"What do you take me for? They're completely untraceable and muddle your magical signature."
"How much?"
"Oh not much, 100 Galleons." The man wanted ten times as much for a weak wand.
"I'll give you sixty."
"It's not up for negotiation."
"Eighty Galleons."
"Are you deaf boy?" Harry sighed and paid the man full price.
"I can count on me never being here."
"Of course what do you take me for?"
Harry smiled and mumbled a fool under his breath, but he left. This was the last thing he needed. He checked his watch, it was only 2:30 the wards around the Hampton place wouldn't fall until around five so there was no point in going before then. Harry returned to the Leaky Cauldron, got a copy of the Daily Prophet and a drink and took a seat in one of the corners. From the shadowed both he could see most of the tavern and nursed his butter beer while skimming over the days events. Reports of disappearances and dark marks were absent from the front page. Instead it was covering some social function. In fact the only death eater activity reported was an 'unexplained' disappearance in Hogsmead. It was really sad how much the Prophet resembled a tabloid and not a respectable paper. Of course he had known that for three years now, but he'd hoped that they might change. It wasn't like he'd read paper in two months.
Harry looked up to see three very familiar faces enter the pub, two with red hair and one with brown hair. Hermione Ron and Ginny. The three teens took seats in an open table just inside of earshot.
"Remember we can't stay long we need to find a gift for Neville." Hermione said.
"Relax, the party's not until five. First we need to get some food." Ron responded.
"Ron you just ate."
"That was two hours ago, I'm hungry."
"Your always hungry." Ginny cut in. For his part Ron made a face. Hermione giggled and Harry had to stop himself from chuckling as well. He missed his friends. They talked aimlessly for several minutes and Harry started to tune them out like he used to do at school. He was glad they couldn't see him from behind the paper.
"You know it's Harry's birthday too." Ginny was real quite about it, but the heated conversation between the other immediately stopped.
"What do you think we should bother to send him something?" Ron spat out.
"Ginny we've been through this before, he betrayed us. We did nothing to feel guilty about." Hermione quieted Ron.
I could say differently!
"Besides we're out of things to burn and send him."
"We could always send his Firebolt Ron."
"No way Gin, that broom has won more qudicth games with me than it ever did with that glory seeking git."
How dare they. After leaving me to rot without any sort of trial they have the nerve to feel offended.
Harry was starting to shake in anger and decided to leave before he did something he'd regret. No he wouldn't regret anything he might do but it wasn't a good idea to stay around. Harry got up and left his bill on the table before exiting, leaving his three former friends bickering, gracefully unaware of his presence. Well two former friends, Ginny seamed sorry for what happened, he might forgiver her, in time. Harry apperated to the address of the house and sat down on a bench to wait. The town house, number 1234 wasn't there of course. It shouldn't appear between 1232, and 1236 until the fideauls was dropped.
Harry passed the time by messing with his new wand. Any muggles passing by would have just seen a young man absentmindedly waving a stick at the ground. He was using a silent version of the locomortis spell to move a leaf around. The first thing he noticed about his wand was that it was a waste of money. The wand was little more than a over glorified training wand. Training wands were toys that wizardling kids got around the age of six or seven. They functioned like regular wands except the spells that they could cast were limited. This wand didn't leave a magical signature that could be tracked and couldn't be priori incantiumed. The downside was that the wand was much weaker than an average wand, and actually worked against him rather than with him. It was easer to cast most spells wandlessly than with this wand. He scowled but put the wand away, it would do the job he needed of it, even if he had to tinker with it.
After receiving a few odd looks from passerby's he removed his robe. Of course the punk rock t-shirt received a few more odd looks from the neighbors. Finally it was five and the house waived into view, the goblins had kept their word. Harry quickly walked up to the three-story town house and tried the door. It was locked. Pulling his wand Harry tapped it to the door. Like the house at Girmund place the wand activated the locking mechanism and seconds latter the door opened.
While the house had been empty for a while the preservation charms where still in place. The entrance hallway was a light brown hardwood that led past several rooms to the staircase in the back. Each of the rooms were magical enlarged. The first floor had a large living room with a nice view of the street, a den slash library that took up most of the right side of the floor and a small dinning room. The second floor contained a kitchen and a full dining room, as well as two bathrooms and a pair of bedrooms. The third floor had three bedrooms and the master bed bathroom. The single fireplace in living room ran through each floor in the dinning room and the master bedroom, only the living room entrance was set up for floo. Most of the furniture had already been removed; the few things that were left were all covered in sheets.
After taking a precursory glance around Harry unshrunk his trunk and left in the master bedroom room. Returning to the living room Harry began to chant and draw runes into the floor with his wand, the good one. Two runes for each of the directions of a compass point. The runes scorched the wooden floor, leaving an acidic bite to the air. Completing the incantation he raised his wand towards the ceiling. A white light washed over the room, if anyone outside even saw the property through the anti-muggle charms they would have watched as the two buildings next to it reached out and swallowed it. The fiduelus charm had been recast.
Harry plopped himself down onto the covered couch, the runes on the floor were rapidly disappearing. The fiduelus charm should keep him safe from detection, for now. The books said you needed more than one person to cast a fiduels charm but that was only to increase the charms strength. If the caster is also the secret keeper, the charm can be defeated by killing the caster. Normally you'd have to remove both people to get the charm to fail. Not to mention the huge magical drain it took to hide something like a building inside yourself. At the moment Harry was exhausted and decided to take a nap, he laid out on the couch and pulled the sheet over his head. His first day as a free man in over a year, he liked it better when he was with Neri.
While Harry slept alarms started to go off in Azkaban. The guard that had brought food to Harry for the past few months found his cell to be empty. At number 12 Girmund place Ron didn't know what was going on. Professor Dumbeldore had called an emergency meeting and his mother had quickly shooed him Hermione and Ginny out of the kitchen. The imperutible charms on the doors prevented them from using extendable ears to listen in so the three had retreated upstairs to wait until they could go back and ferret what had happened out of one of the Order members.
A grave faced Albus Dumbledore addressed the assembled order members. The executive council of the Order of the Phoenix consisted of, Seuvrus Snape, Minerva McGrounal, Arthur and Molly Weasley, Remus Lupin, Alastor Moody, Kingsly Shakalbot, and Mungdamass Flecther. The assembled members watched the aged headmaster with worry, he hadn't said what the meeting was about and the usual twinkle in his eyes was notability absent. He cleared his throat and began.
"Today there was a break out at Azkaban." He began without preamble. There were gasps and growls from the council.
"Was it? You-know-who?" Flecther finally asked. Voldemort had not tried to get any of his people that he'd lost a year ago at the department of mysteries yet.
"The Dark Lord has told me nothing of a break out." Snape answered.
"This was not a mass break out and the prison was not attacked. Sometime between when breakfast was served and when they brought the prisoners dinner, one person simply disappeared."
"Who?" Molly didn't like the direction this was going. Dumbeldore gave the assembled group another long look before answering.
"Harry Potter."