Chapter 1 – The invitation and claiming of the inheritance
One day in July, Aunt Petunia took Dudley to London to buy his Smelting's Uniform, leaving Harry at Mrs Figg's. Mrs Figg wasn't as bad as usual. It turned out she'd broken her leg tripping over one of her cats and she didn't seem quite as fond of them as before. She let Harry watch television and gave him a bit of chocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several years.
That evening, Dudley paraded around the living-room for the family in his brand-new uniform. Smeltings boys wore maroon tailcoats, orange knickerbockers and flat straw hats called boaters. They also carried knobbly sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking. This was supposed to be good training for later life.
As he looked at Dudley in his new knickerbockers, Uncle Vernon said gruffly that it was the proudest moment of his life. Aunt Petunia burst into tears and said she couldn't believe it was her Ickle Dudleykins, he looked so handsome and grown-up. Harry didn't trust himself to speak. He thought two of his ribs might already have cracked from trying not to laugh.
There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning when Harry went in for Breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. He went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in grey water.
"What's this?" He asked aunt Petunia. Her lips tightened as they always did if he dared ask a question. "Your new school uniform." She said. Harry looked in the bowl again. "oh," he said. "I didn't realise it had to be so wet." "Don't be stupid," snapped Aunt Petunia. "I'm dyeing some of Dudley's old things grey for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished."
Harry seriously this, but thought it best not to argue. He sat down at the table and tried not to think about how he was going to look on his first day at Stonewall High – like he was wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably.
Dudley and Uncle Vernon came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell from Harry's new uniform. Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his Smeltings stick, which he carried everywhere, on the table.
They heard the ringing of the doorbell as someone pressed it. "Get the door Dudley." Said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper. "Make Harry get it." "Get the door, harry." "Make Dudley get it." "Poke him with your smeltings stick, Dudley." Harry dodged the Smeltings stick and went towards the door and opened it. To reveal an old man wearing an old black coat that seemed to be worn with dirt. He raised an eyebrow at Harry and asked, "Harry Potter?" Harry nodded then replied, "Yes sir." The old man smiled and said, "I am Master Iro. Are your guardians in?" Harry nodded then said, "I'll get them sir." Harry quickly went into the kitchen and looked at his Uncle and Aunt then said, "An old man who introduced himself as Master Iro is outside the door for you." Uncle Vernon immediately put down his newspaper and walked towards where the old man stood patiently.
After saying something to a now shocked looking Uncle Vernon. Master Iro stepped in. Uncle Vernon showed him into the living room and shut the front door. Aunt Petunia quickly went inside the living room. She came out around five minutes later and said, "Boy. Come inside." Harry stepped inside the living room and was gestured to sit down on the floor. He did and the old man said, "Well. Harry. I am here to invite you to Sacred Bonds Academy. My school will teach you everything your parents knew and more. But from what your guardians told me, you don't know about our world. To put it bluntly, you're a wizard Harry and a powerful one at that. Harry looked at his aunt and uncle then said, "You knew and you never told me!" Aunt Petunia scowled then said, "Of course we knew. When my perfect sister got her letter to Hogwarts, our parents were delighted. We had a witch in the family. Only I saw her for what she really was, a freak!"
Master Iro stood up and out of nowhere a sword appeared in his hands. He held the point under Petunia's neck. He continued calmly by saying, "Around twenty years ago now, a dark lord called Voldemort started gathering followers from the British pureblood regime. The pureblood regime is for future reference, is made up and pointless. Voldemort grew in power, he killed anyone, even children. Some people stood up to him, refusing to stand down – some of those people died, horribly. One of the last few places to be safe was Hogwarts and the Academy. Anyway, your parents were Lilly Evans and James Potter. Your mother attended out academy for extra training before she married James. They had their wedding at the academy's chapel. Voldemort wanted them on his side apparently. They were both intelligent and powerful, but also strong supporters of Dumbledore."
Master Iro then proceeded to make the sword vanish. He sat down again and continued his story while Harry listened eyes wide. "Voldemort killed your parents; your father was after the investigation found to have fought Voldemort. After Voldemort killed Lilly he used the same spell he had used to kill Lilly and your father, it backfired. You're the only known person to survive the killing curse. It reflected, temporarily destroying Voldemort. Many believed he died. This is the reasons Harry James Potter, son of Duke James Potter and Duchess Lilly Potter that you are famous." Aunt Petunia fainted when Master Iro said that Harry was the son of a Duke and that her sister had become a Duchess.
After this Master Iro explained to Harry about the school he helped run, "The first of the original two founders was Guinevere, wife of Arthur and lover of Lancelot. The second was Morgan le Fey. The school was built and designed to stop the war. When the school had done its original purpose, Morgan was the only of the two original founders alive; to keep the balance she let Lancelot, one of the last remaining Knights of the Round Table, become the co-head of the school. Morgan restricted the schools population to ten a year; at most she let twelve attend these years, the latter two normally transferring later on in the school years. I am glad to say that you have been offered a place at Sacred Bonds, Duke Potter." Harry looked at Uncle Vernon who scowled and said, "You won't be coming back here if you go there." Harry smiled and looking at Master Iro said, "Master Iro. I would like to attend your school. And what is this about me being a Duke?" Master Iro stood up and Harry followed. He flicked his hand and Petunia woke up in a start. Master Iro smiled and held out his arm to Harry who grabbed it securely and they vanished in a loud POP.
Master Iro appeared with Harry still clutching on to him. The room they appeared in was richly decorated; Master Iro then spoke, "This is Gringots Harry, the wizards bank. It is run by Goblins." Harry nodded and Master Iro bowed to the Goblin who bowed back. Harry copied Master Iro's bow, when he was once again standing straight Master Iro said, "Griphook. Mr Potter here wishes to claim his right as Duke Potter." Griphook nodded and bowed to Harry. Then he showed them to another room where a desk stood in the middle with three chairs.
Griphook sat on one of these chairs. Master Iro went next then Harry sat down on the last chair. Another Goblin walked in and handed Griphook a box, Griphook handed the box to Harry who looked at Master Iro who nodded. Harry took the box and opened it. Inside were two rings, one had the crest on it; the other was definitely a woman's ring. Griphook just said, "Put the signet ring on and you'll be Duke Potter. The other ring was one your mother commissioned from us. It was made as a treaty between the Potters and the Goblin nation." Harry smiled and replied, "Thank you. Griphook." Griphook merely nodded. Harry put the ring on his finger and it glowed gold then fitted its self around Harry's finger perfectly. Master Iro smiled then said, "Well. Since you are now officially Duke Potter, it seems I must now say that you need a weapon... though I'm sure one of our new students this year can help you with that." Griphook gasped then said, "The magical forger? The girl raised by Dryads?" Master Iro nodded then said, "Yes. Her blood parents are unknown but we plan on giving her a parentage potion." Griphook nodded then stood up and calmly said, "Her birth father is Tom Mavelo Riddle. The dryads that took her in also adopted her. She bares the markings." Harry was now looking curious at this topic.
Master Iro nodded and stood up, Harry followed suit. Master Iro left the room, Harry following him out, still looking slightly confused. When they walked out of the Goblin bank, Master Iro watched amused as his young charge was looking amazed at Diagon Alley. Harry looked at Master Iro who nodded then walked towards a shop which was by the look of it to Harry, a clothes shop. Master Iro walked inside followed by Harry. Harry smiled at the assistant who smiled sweetly back. Master Iro said something to the assistant who nodded and ran into another room and came back with a box. Master Iro smiled at the assistant and inclined his head slightly. The assistant inclined her head slightly in reply. Master Iro walked out of the shop followed by Harry. He held out his hand and they vanished into a room that seemed to be in Gringots.