Disclaimer: I own nothing other than the plot. The original concepts belong to JKR and Warner Brothers. Any concepts brought from other fictions are either coincidental or will be used in their own way, and no plagiarism is meant.
A/n: So I completely forgot to put the note in on the last chapter, however, I would like to say that I hope y'all enjoyed the twist in the Trial. I always thought Pettigrew, despite his faults, wasn't entirely stupid. I also thought it made him out to have more of an influence on Harry that night, compared to his original role.
The last chapters voting in the Wizengamot was changed as well. In my moment of idiocy, I didn't make it a two third's majority, and the Vote count was wrong compared to how I was intending to lay the Wizengamot out. This has been corrected, and is the only change in the last chapter
As for this chapter, there will be a bit of an infodump, but it will also have an emotional moment or two in it. Hope you all enjoy it, and don't forget to read the A/n at the end.
Chapter 18: Spring Break
March 19th, 1994
Hogwarts Express
Harry sat in a compartment on the express with Neville, Hermione, Susan, and Hannah. No one was really talking, the conversation having fallen off some time ago. Harry sat in thought, wondering about the past week and what the next would bring.
Sirius had said he was waiting until summer to free himself, but Harry was still pleased he had done it earlier. Sirius said they'd still have to return to the Dursleys one more time, to inform them that Harry wasn't returning, but then he would never have to see them again.
Even thinking about the Dursleys brought Harry confusion and conflict though. On one hand, they had abused and emotionally neglected him for nearly ten straight years, and a full summer after that. However, the other hand was it Pettigrew's fault, to a point, by applying that charm to him as a baby. Harry knew it was a pointless train of thought, but he wondered if the curse had never been applied, if he would've been cared for, if he would've been more normal and in touch with positive feelings that were overwhelming sometimes. Hell, his Occlumency was probably the only reason he never shed a tear when Sirius was freed, though it was a close one.
Pettigrew. The name brought him anger, but not just for himself, it was anger at the pain he caused everyone. The Prophet had taken very happy liberties in printing his crimes, highlighting what families he had hurt, and his punishment for them. Harry had no doubt that Mrs. Weasley was wishing to get her hands on the rat. Especially after it came out that the rat had hidden as the pet of one of her children not long after giving her brothers up to Riddle.
"Harry?" Hermione asked suddenly, "What's wrong?"
He snapped out of his thoughts as he looked to one of his best friends. She was watching him worriedly, though Harry wasn't sure what brought it on.
"I was just thinking about the trial and what Pettigrew had admitted to." He replied stiffly.
"I know it upsets you Harry, but please try and control your magic better. It keeps changing the temperature and you slightly cracked the window." She said, gesturing to the window that had spiderwebbed from the side closest to him.
Harry nodded, shocked he hadn't noticed. Neville glanced up, but went back to his book quite quickly, while Susan and Hannah stared for a moment before returning to their conversation. She repaired the window as Harry fell back into his thoughts, nervous and excited about being home again. Well, to Potter Cottage. Potter Manor was the home of the Potters, but Sirius said they wouldn't return there until the summer, if it was needed. Otherwise, they would leave the property sealed, as they would need elves to care for it if it were unsealed.
Hermione stared at Harry, having tucked her wand back into the holster Harry made her buy. She thought about the changes to her friend. Since the chamber incident, he had become more driven, more focused, and more emotionally connected with himself. Before he had gone down there, he only ever smiled or gave small laughs, and was quite recluse. Even if Ron hadn't tried to keep people away, Harry would've hidden himself. Harry had never shown much emotion, and even sometimes now, he suppressed his feelings. Nowadays, he laughed more, was more forward with his feelings, confident and outgoing, and seemed to always be at peace, or even happy most times.
Then there were Harry's academics, where she had heard whispers that Harry had passed her for the top student in Gryffindor. She wanted to refute it, but knew she couldn't. His teachings alone were something that could prove he knew more, and he didn't even recite the books, instead quoting them when needed, while putting everything else into his own words. When she had asked about it, he had explained to her that it was probably the only thing holding her back in classes, but habits were hard to break.
She glanced at the boy as the temperature seemed to drop for a second, before returning to normal. That was another thing she hadn't figured out, Harry's power. She had always known he was one of the strongest in the school, but he had never been this kind of powerful. Now, even with his emotions in control, there was a small power that radiated from him, a confidence and warmth in the air. It hadn't been there before she was petrified, but since then, she had felt it. And when Harry was emotional, well, sometimes he lost control, like now. The room had dropped down several degrees as a pressure had built up, cracking the glass. She had heard it was possible for adults to do it when they were very upset, but Harry was only a child still, and she worried that that kind of power would be dangerous. She knew her friend would never harm her, but god help whoever decided to attack him or those he cared about.
It was only two hours later that the train pulled into the platform and people began to unload. The group waited a few minutes before attempting to leave, as they wanted to miss the rush. Once they made their way off the platform, they found Amelia, Sirius, and a woman who looked a lot like Hannah not far from their car.
"Hey Sirius." Harry said, grabbing the man in a hug. "Madam Bones, Ma'am." Harry said, greeting the other two adults present as they finished greeting their own children.
"Well, my husband wasn't lying when he said you look a lot like your parents. Annabella Abbot, Lady of House Abbot." She greeted Harry, as he bowed and kissed the back of her hand.
"A pleasure, Hadrian Potter-Black, Heir to the Houses Potter and Black. And this here is Hermione Granger." Harry replied formally.
"It's nice to meet you, Lady Abbot." Hermione said formally, curtsying.
"Now that the formal stuff is out of the way, call me Anna. I am sure you know Madam Amelia Bones?" She gestured to the other woman.
"A pleasure, Madam Bones. Thank you for helping Sirius." Harry said. She just smiled
"Of course, it was my job. Besides, Sirius and I were close a long time ago. I owed it to him as my friend." She said, "And all of you, call me Ameila outside of the Wizengamot or when we meet for official purposes."
They stood and talked for a few minutes before Sirius and Harry said they needed to go. Hermione followed as they were going to the muggle world, and after a quick introduction, they made their way to a nice restaurant, where Sirius and Harry sat at a corner table and discussed an interesting event.
"Dumbledore has requested a fourth meeting. He is insistent on getting a meeting." Sirius said.
"A fourth?" Harry asked, confused. At the trial, he hadn't even spoken to Sirius unless it was for the trial.
"Yup. I've gotten a letter every day since you returned to the castle. I've ignored them so far, but it has been amusing to see his letters. "We must meet for matters of grave importance. Please send a reply immediately with the best time to meet."
Harry laughed at the voice impression Sirius had done, as it was nearly perfect. "Don't forget the My boy. I notice he says that a lot."
Sirius just grinned, "It's his way of seeming grandfatherly. He has said it to us marauders far too many times."
Sobering up, the man continued quietly, "We need to visit your relatives today. You said that Dumbledore put wards there to protect you based on blood and calling their place as home?"
"Yea. It's what he told me in my first year."
"Then we need to inform them that you will no longer live there. It's possible that intent alone is capable of breaking them, but we don't want Dumbledore using them as a reason to send you back there. Will you be ok to visit them after we eat?" Sirius asked.
Harry just nodded, taking another bite of his pasta dish. Sirius nodded, "Alright. I wanted to make sure."
"I'll be fine Sirius. I think what Pettigrew did was the cause of my bad treatment. Last year, they were better, and they were warming up even if my uncle still didn't like me."
They ate and talked about more meaningless things, friends and long term goals, before paying and heading out. Sirius held his hand out once they were somewhere alone. "I know a place I can apparate to."
Harry groaned, but reached out regardless. It was almost as unpleasant as apparating with a house elf, but he pushed his way through it, and noticed they were in a small alley only a street and some away from Privet Drive. After a short walk, they made it to their destination. Sirius stopped at the boundary, and looked around for a moment.
"They aren't as strong as they should be, and nowhere near as powerful as they could be, but they did do their job." He muttered quietly. "Come on. Nothing will tell Dumbledore we are here."
Making their way to the door, they knocked, and came face to face with Petunia. She opened her mouth, but seemed to stop before gesturing to come inside. Not even a word had been said, something still bizarre to Harry.
"Thank you for allowing us in, Petunia." Sirius said politely. Harry heard Vernon call from the kitchen, asking who it was. They followed her back into the kitchen.
"Why don't you both sit. I'm surprised to see you free, Sirius." Petunia said. Vernon looked up at her words.
"What are you doing here, boy?" He said angrily. "You said you wouldn't return until the summer."
"Well, I lied. On multiple parts apparently." Harry replied. "I won't be returning this summer."
Sirius gestured to the chair further from Vernon, and Harry sat there, as Sirius sat between the two. Dudley was out with his friends it seemed, or they weren't on break this week, so he wasn't home.
"Well then be gone. Why sit down at all?" He yelled. Petunia just gestured with her hand, silencing him.
"Vernon, stop. Why did you come? I'm surprised you didn't just write a letter." She asked.
"We thought it best to speak in person. I've taken guardianship of Hadrian, and it is my responsibility to inform you. However, he deserved to say goodbye to you, even if you didn't care for him." Sirius said, firm in his words.
"Goodbye? Are you planning on killing us or something!" Vernon shouted.
"No. However, I highly doubt Harry will willingly return to see you, given how you treated him. I understand it wasn't entirely your fault, as someone placed a curse on him to make him less liked, however, it's clear you hold no respect for him." Sirius said.
Vernon seemed unaffected by the words, but Harry didn't care about his reaction as he watched his aunt's shoulders sag. There was a stifling silence before anyone spoke.
"I'm sorry."
Harry froze, not believing he had heard correctly. Hell, he wouldn't have believed the words had been said if he hadn't seen her mouth move.
"I never should have treated you as I did, never should have left you in the cupboard, never kept food from you, or allowed Vernon and Dudley to harm you. Since last May, I've felt guilty about it, but I wasn't sure why. If you were cursed, it makes sense. It doesn't excuse our actions, and I hope one day you will forgive us. Or at least me."
There was silence in the room at those words. Vernon stared with his mouth agape, as he failed to say anything. Sirius wasn't much better. Harry just raised an eyebrow.
"Really?" Harry asked.
She slowly nodded. "I was jealous. Jealous of my sister for the life she lived. Jealous of her magic, of her willpower and determination. She was always the better of us two, better than even our parents. Sure she had some minor anger issues, but she was always honest and forthright with everyone. I was jealous of her, and I allowed it to fall to you."
Petunia refused to meet anyone's gaze as she stared at the table, a tear leaking down her cheek. "I loved her more than anything. Her death hurt but I allowed it to influence my opinion of magic even more. It took away our bond as children. We were quite close. Then it took her life. I was spiteful, but all I've felt recently is guilt. I'm sorry."
Harry stared at her for a moment, remembering the words of his mothers journal. How they had grown apart, and it wasn't until her fourth year that they started fighting, and it only worsened. They hadn't seen each other for almost a year according to what Harry had read, before she died. Harry made a decision.
"I don't know if I can ever forgive you. However, I can't say that one day I'd be against trying to have a peaceful relationship." Harry replied quietly. He was doing his damndest to hold his emotions, lest he break things again.
Vernon finally found courage to speak. "If you're leaving, be done with it. Petunia might feel guilty, but I don't. I just wanted to have a normal life and that was messed up when Doobeldore left you on our step. Please just leave and not bother us anymore."
Harry was surprised by the lack of yelling from his uncle, though it seemed even he was less angry most times since the chamber. He looked at Sirius and nodded. "I don't have anything left here so…"
"Right. Well. Just one thing to tell you. Dumbledore might have mentioned that there are wards protecting this place. I will tell you now, they will be gone soon. I'd suggest moving somewhere else for your own safety. To that end, I am sure you will find a reasonable sum in your account. I was made aware you were not compensated for what little care you provided Harry, however, you still housed him. House Black always pays debts. Consider it paid and then some. If you wish to contact either of us, just write a letter, and there is a mailbox in London by the tube stop on Charing Crossing Road. Leave it there and it will be delivered." Sirius said, before guiding Harry up and out of the door.
He had noticed that Harry seemed more than a little upset, though which way it went, he didn't know. His own childhood was far too close to Harry's, so he understood what Harry might've gone through to a point.
Once they had made it to their apparition point, Sirius stopped them both and turned Harry to face him. "Want to talk about it?"
He saw a tear on Harry's cheek, "I want to hate her, but I can't, not when I know that Peter was the one who caused it to start. Sure, I might've been less favored, but without the curse, I probably would've had at least a room and reasonable food. I wouldn't have been treated as I was."
"I know pup." Sirius wrapped his arms around Harry's shoulders. "Pettigrew hurt a lot of people, but in the end, he suffered a fate worse than death."
Harry took a moment to gather himself, before pulling himself from the embrace. Wiping his face clean, he nodded, "Let's go. I'd like some time to relax before bed, and I am sure we will spend some time talking to Dorea and Charlus."
With that, there was a single crack, leaving no trace of either of their presence. In an office far away, a small silver device made a small puff of smoke, an odd purple hue to it. Dumbledore frowned as he saw it. The machine had no reason to make purple smoke. There wasn't even a reason it could. He frowned, knowing it would need to be investigated.
March 20th, 1994
Potter Cottage
Harry had only greeted his grandparent's portraits the night before, before excusing himself. Sirius, he'd guess, would explain Harry's mood, and he knew they had been talking for a while, though he fell asleep at some point.
After doing his normal routine, exercising and showering, he made his way to the dining room, unsurprised to see Sirius sitting there eating some eggs and bacon. He looked up as Harry sat down.
"Are you doing ok pup?"
"Better. I stayed up for a while and cleared my head." Harry replied, grabbing some food for his plate. Dobby had been a bit overzealous in cooking this morning, as had Serny it seemed, as there were a multitude of items to eat. After eating a rather large breakfast, he made his way to the study, Sirius in tow.
"Ah, good morning Harry." Charlus said. "I hope you're doing better today, as we need to talk about your school year and current education. Sirius had informed us of some of it, but both of us would like it in your own words."
Harry sighed, before highlighting most of what happened through the year. He almost laughed at his grandmother's expression when he said he was learning dueling from Professor Flitwick.
"So you are training with the master of masters in dueling?" Dorea asked, shock and surprise clear across her face.
"Master of Masters?" Harry asked. That's a new label.
"It was in an article after his last win. They proclaimed him the master of masters, as he holds the record for the most dueling championship wins. He has only ever taken two apprentices in the art, and you are the second."
"He says he expects me to beat him by the time I graduate." Harry said.
"And how well have you done dueling him so far?" Charlus asked.
"Uh, broke his offhand in our first duel, and I've caught him with a few other spells since. I spend a lot of time learning spells outside of practice and class." Harry replied.
"You hit him in your first duel?" Dorea asked, "I'm impressed. His ability to dodge is renowned. Goblins are naturally far faster on their feat, and though he lacks the same amount of power you have, or will have, he has the natural ability to not be hit."
Sirius just smiled. "I was surprised at how powerful he is. Even with his Occlumency in place, I can still feel some of his aura leaking out, more than just a signature presence like normal."
Charlus frowned. "If he is that powerful, he might be capable of learning from the Potter Grimoire. Not anything on the more powerful side, but at least learning to feel and interact with the family magics."
"Feel and interact?" Harry asked.
"Family magic is different to everyday magics or even most in depth fields of magics. Family magics are sentient, and the spells cast with family magics are stronger when the caster is in tune with his family magics. For instance, some curses in the Black family are faster spreading if I were to cast them, compared to if you were to cast them, saying we both put the same effort and intent into it. That is due to me being the Lord, and me being more in tune to the family magic." Sirius explained.
"For the Potter family magic, wards would be less powerful for you now, compared to later, and some of our very custom battle magics and transfigurations would be less powerful. Sirius should begin to teach you how to learn to connect to the magic, and later, we will teach you how to use the Potter side." Charlus said.
Harry nodded, knowing that somewhere along the way, learning this mattered. "Alright. I'd be happy to learn it. But there is something you all should know, and something I am not sure what to do about."
"What is it?"
With a deep breath, Harry went through the background of the chamber incident. Though his grandparents were aware of what had happened, Sirius wasn't. Looking at the man, Sirius looked slightly horrified, and more pale, but wasn't afraid to ask, "Why is this story important."
Harry looked away, "There is something none of you know. I found out, through my inheritance test, that I am the Heir of the Extinct House of Slytherin."
Charlus frowned, "Impossible, we were not related to them, and House Black would've dragged it across every paper possible that they were related to the line."
Sirius nodded in agreement, "The Ancient House of Gaunt used to claim ancestry, but they were never able to prove it." He said, "My mother was a fanatic about the founder, and was disappointed when the family died out."
"Well. It came from my mother actually. Apparently the line squibbed out when Salazar's grandson was born, and they left the magical world. It wasn't until my mother was born was there a descendant, and since then, an heir, or heiress in my mother's case." Harry replied.
"Interesting. You should return to that chamber then. Perhaps you may find something that Voldemort- no, Riddle, never found." Dorea said, "It is possible that the heir ring would allow access. Or maybe ask the sorting hat. It would know."
Harry nodded, "Alright. I'll make time once the break is over to search for anything down there."
"Good. For now, Sirius should begin teaching you, along with continuing your education in normal magics. I hate pressing you, but I want you prepared." Charlus said.
With that, the two left the study, and Harry began the new and painstaking process of learning family magic. Though there was no casting, there was a significant amount of meditating involved.
March 25th, 1994
Potter Cottage
Harry spent a significant amount of time learning what exactly family magic was, but Sirius had also limited him to only five hours of learning each day, citing that it was break, and they deserved to have fun. That wasn't wrong, but Harry also felt the issue that he was catching up on a lot of political information and magical education that he had been missing, and was anxious to learn it all.
The two had taken numerous trips, including to places like the London Zoo, two different beaches that were still cold, but an experience all the same, movie theaters, which apparently Lily introduced him to, and a few different restaurants, much to the two elves' dismay. However, Sirius also spent many hours teaching him about the Wizengamot. While his grandparents had taught him the layout, Sirius went more in depth with how the titles were granted, and how the voting worked.
For Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses, like the Blacks and the Potters, each house was granted three votes, as they had been founders of both the Wizengamot, and its predecessor, the Wizard's Council. For Ancient and Most Noble, and Ancient and Noble Houses, they each had two votes, while Ancient Houses were each granted one. There was a seven house limit for each tier, and for them to lose their seat, there had to be no living heir or lord for five hundred years. This was to ensure that any squib descendants could have magical children and return magic to the family line.
Sirius also explained to him that the Potter family held permanent proxy for the House of Peverell, which, despite having died out in the late 900's, was still a part of the Wizengamot due to a motion that allowed their line to continue from the marriage of Iolanthe Peverell to Hardwin Potter. This meant that Harry, once he was Lord Potter, would have six votes from being Lord Potter, and once he ascended to Lord Black, would have a total of nine votes.
It was also during this time that Sirius explained that the Lordships could not be combined due to the ancient laws, and that Harry would have to take two wives. Thankfully, for that reason, polygamy was allowed in the magical world, even if it wasn't common. Sirius explained that sometimes Lords would take an extra wife, and have two lines born to expand the family, but it wasn't common nowadays, and that he would never expect Harry to have more than two women in his life.
"Thank merlin. How am I even supposed to deal with two women?" Harry asked.
"Well, despite them occasionally being a pain, as just about any person is in a relationship, I think you will do just fine. You have a far better head on your shoulder than I do, and I think you will learn how to balance them both when that time comes." Sirius had replied.
They looked at each other, and Sirius had to force himself not to laugh at the doubtful look on Harry's face.
"Are there any other surprises as a future lord that I should be aware of?" Harry asked.
Sirius frowned for a moment, before thinking, "Possibly. Though I doubt any of them are a concern right now. We do need to get you dance lessons for balls and weddings that will be hosted in the future, as attending such events is important for your image, but that can wait until summer. I will talk to my cousin Andromeda about teaching you. She is a pretty good woman and one of the best dancers in the Black family." Sirius said.
"Dancing?" Harry asked, paling rapidly, "You want me to learn to dance?"
"Yup." Sirius laughed, "Trust me, I didn't want to learn it either. I think you will pick up on it quickly though, as you are an excellent dueler."
Harry grinned at the memory. Sirius had asked for a duel yesterday, and had mistakenly underestimated Harry. At first, the duel had been a light exchange of spells, before Sirius attempted to push the offensive. He was shocked when his entire volley was dodged, and he had to shield against a piercing hex unexpectedly, before suddenly a bright flash of light hit his shield, breaking it and blasting him backward. That was the last thing Sirius had remembered. It wasn't until Harry had enervated him that he understood exactly what had happened.
Had he paid more attention, Sirius would've been able to dodge the lightning bolt that followed the piercing hex, but he hadn't. The force of the bolt shattered his shield and knocked him back, and before he was able to get his balance back, he was banished, stunned, disarmed, and bound by ropes. All of which had hit him within five seconds, courtesy of the spell chain Harry had modified for the very purpose it had been used for.
Sirius noticed the look on Harry's face, "Knock it off. You only bested me once yesterday, and that was by pure luck." He grumbled.
"And do you feel proud of yourself for beating a child in a duel?" Harry asked in an innocent voice, knowing Sirius couldn't answer.
"Well… Uh… You are James and Lily's son, and are far better than a child should be. I don't feel proud of myself as much as proud that I have to try so hard to beat you." Sirius replied.
It probably sounded better in his head, but Harry nodded, "Fair enough, I am good for someone still in school."
They walked to the Study, ready to talk to Dorea and Charlus for a few minutes before heading to bed. Tomorrow, Harry returned to school.
"So, are you planning on returning here after the school year is over?" Charlus asked, "Or will you reopen Potter Manor?"
Sirius frowned, "Probably here, unless Harry wants to open the Manor. We'd need more elves to reopen it and care for the grounds. Unlike the Black family, I don't know that there are many Potter elves left."
"There should be six at our home in France. You should be able to send four of them to the Manor if you wish to open it, and with Dobby, it should be enough. It is possible there are more there though. Unless James said otherwise, the elves were permitted to bring in more elves or have children as they saw fit." Dorea spoke.
"It isn't a concern right now, though it will need reopened if Riddle returns. The wards here just aren't strong enough to withstand a direct attack from him and his followers. Potter Manor has wards that could rival Hogwarts though, and the War-wards, meant specifically for defending the property in an emergency, are some of the best known wards. They could withstand Fiendfyre or even a muggle nuclear bomb." Charlus said.
Harry nodded, as he was raised in the muggle world and knew what one of those bombs were capable of, and it was a good gauge of how good the wards were. "I think we will wait until we have to open the property, as I quite like it here."
"Good, now, as for Dumbledore. Do you believe he is against you?" Charlus asked.
Sirius was clearly interested in how Harry would answer his question, and glad to see Harry was thinking about it before actually answering it. He was even more surprised by Harry's answer.
"With everything I have learned in the past months, I believe Dumbledore has become misguided. There was clearly something with me he was concerned about, but recently, he seemed different. At first, when school resumed, he was panicked about the changes in me, and watched me closely, but since before Christmas, he seems calmer, and even more happy for me. Recently he even discussed my parents with me, and was more open about my family history." Harry spoke, before looking at his grandfather.
"While I still believe he is manipulative, there is also a possibility that he is more innocent than I thought. He might have wronged me, but Pettigrew clearly had wronged me more. While he still kept things from me, and I believe he is keeping more from me, he seems to be more open towards me and more honest. I will still give him a chance, but I will also still be cautious about what I reveal to him."
The three sat in silence, thinking about Harry's words, before Sirius spoke, "A good idea. I don't trust him a whole lot at the moment. While he didn't know about the switch, he never asked or even attempted to get me a trial, despite the LeStranges still getting one. For now, let's agree to take a cautious approach, but allow him to be around us."
"Good. Hopefully he is the man he was when I was alive." Charlus said, nodding. After a bit more discussion, the two headed to bed. Harry laid in thought, still warring with his emotions over Pettigrew and Petunia. The only relief was that he would have his routine to return to, and his friends to support him in being happy and bettering himself.
A/n: So despite my brief explanation for the Wizengamot, there will be another post on my page about how the Wizengamot runs and was created. As the story progresses, I will add more details into it or laws that have been discussed. As it stands, it only contains the layout of the Wizengamot, how votes are counted, and how the Wizengamot was created. This Wizengamot post is only for this story, and not part of canon. If other writers wish to use the Wizengamot post, feel free to pm me and ask.
As for Sirius paying the Dursley's for housing Harry, I thought that it was important. In the wizarding world, those of higher standing, especially houses like the Blacks and Greengrass's, hate being indebted to someone. Sirius also knew it would encourage them to move for their own safety, and hoped that one day Harry would have a good relationship with his aunt, something he never had with most of his family.