Chapter 13 – I'll Make You Proud
"Wake up ghergo'ir" rang the obnoxiously cheerful baritone of Ortinoth. "The day's blessings to you! It's past time for your morning exercises. With a little bit of luck, you'll have time for breakfast if you get up now."
Harry groaned and muttered a groggy "Day's blessings" reluctantly as he tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes. His mind rang with the chimed laughter of his lowaar at his barely conscious reply. "I feel like I barely slept" he grumbled, stumbling out of bed and heading to the shower. As the hot water washed the fog away, he remembered why he was so tired. Arion had summoned him last night to help save the herd…he had been in full dragon form! He stopped in stunned memory as the lowaar chuckled in his mind.
He grinned broadly. "Transforming may be old to you, but it was magnificent to me! Thank you, Charok for directing the transformation."
The black dragon bowed his head. "A debt was owed by the Clan, ghergo'ir. It was my privilege to help repay it."
Harry dried off and heard a knock on the door. "Harry? You're running late today. Are you giving up on my eating at the Gryffindor table this morning?"
"Not a chance, Draco. I'll be ready in a couple of minutes." He chuckled at the muttered "Fine" and hurriedly dried his hair and brushed his teeth. He quickly pulled on his clothes and school robe, grabbed his book bag and headed in to the common room.
With a broad grin at the Slytherin, he headed to the door, saying over his shoulder "I wouldn't deny you a chance of eating with the Gryffindors, Draco. I know how much you've been looking forward to it."
"It is the Gryffindors who should be grateful to receive the pleasure and benefit of my company" the blonde said haughtily, ignoring the chuckle from the dark-haired teen.
As they were late, Draco's friends were already seated at the Slytherin table, but they caught his eye and nodded encouragingly to him before he mentally braced himself and headed to the Gryffindor table. Harry guided him to the seats saved across from the other two members of the Golden Trio, with Neville next to Draco and Seamus and Dean on the other side of Harry.
Hermione smiled at the blonde with a near smirk as she nodded politely. "Good morning, Draco." Neville uttered "Good morning, Malfoy" while Ron tried not to glare as he muttered something unintelligible, choosing to take a bite of his sausage rather than meet the Slytherin's eyes.
Draco's well-bred social mask was firmly in place, and he replied with the manners drummed into him from infancy as he remained cordial. He inclined his head politely as he said "Good morning, Granger." Turning to Neville, he nodded as one House Heir to another. "Good morning, Longbottom." His polite smile assumed the merest hint of a smirk as he nodded to the redhead. "Weasley."
Neville spread marmalade on his toast as he asked "Has anyone heard what happened last night in the Forest?"
Harry nearly choked on his pumpkin juice at the unexpected question and leaned around Draco to look at Neville trying to hide his shock. "Happened? What do you mean?"
"I heard Hagrid talking to Professor Sprout on the way in that many of the animals had moved closer to Hogwarts last night, and that something must have happened deeper in the Forest to account for the movement. He was going to look for the centaurs to see if he could get any information. Sprout wasn't aware of anything that would cause so many different animals to leave their normal habitat."
"If there is something important happening, I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will find out" Hermione said, although she looked interested in the puzzle.
Ron had more important things on his mind. "Quidditch practice this afternoon, Harry?" Hermione rolled her eyes and returned to her breakfast.
"Four o'clock, Ron. We need to give our new beaters as much practice as they can get. Should be a good team though." The conversation centered on Quidditch and then classes after that.
The sound of wings announced the morning mail deliveries. A dozen owls approached Harry, still delivering reader responses to the Daily Prophet article published earlier in the week. The teens around him helped retrieve the messages and gave each bird a treat as Harry sorted the missives into support, opposition and propositions again. As he finished, one large eagle owl bearing a collar with the Gringotts crest arrived and landed heavily next to Harry. He retrieved the message, but the owl waited.
"You need a response?" he asked as he gave it a piece of bacon. The owl hooted, so Harry opened the letter immediately.
Dear Mr. Potter,
This is to inform you that you are named in the Will of Lord Sirius Orion Black, Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Black. The Will was left with the Black Account Manager but was not executed as all named parties must be present or represented.
As one of two recipients named in the Black Will who attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, we propose a Saturday reading and execution at your earliest convenience. Please respond by owl with an appropriate date.
Ragnok, Managing Director
Gringotts Wizarding Bank
Harry blinked his eyes as they threatened to tear up. He hadn't realized that Sirius would have even thought of a Will, much less found the time and opportunity to safely make one. He wondered who else was named in it from Hogwarts. Hermione or Ron? He shook his head. That didn't make sense. If he named one, why wouldn't he name the other? He stopped as he saw Draco in his peripheral vision.
"Draco?"
"Hmm?"
"Your mother was a Black before she was married, wasn't she?"
"Yes, she was one of three daughters, why?" He looked and saw the Gringotts crest on the letter in the Gryffindor's hands. "Oh, you received the letter. Yes, your godfather was the Heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Black. I received a letter this summer that the reading of the Will had to wait until all beneficiaries could be present." He looked apologetically at Harry. "When I saw the article in Witches Weekly about him being your godfather, I realized that you were likely the missing person, but I didn't want to say anything until Gringott's made it official."
Harry nodded. "They want to schedule the reading. Will this Saturday work for you?" With Draco's agreement, he responded quickly suggesting 2:00 PM this Saturday and gave the scroll to the owl, who left promptly.
At the close of the meal, Hermione stepped near Draco on the way out of the Great Hall. She lowered her voice to say "Draco, I know the Veela in you has only Harry's happiness in mind. I just wanted to say that the wizard side of you would do well to have those same goals."
Draco raised an elegant eyebrow and responded condescendingly "Any relationship between Harry and I is private, Granger."
"That may be true, but Harry is my best friend." She paused and smiled at him sweetly. "If you hurt Harry, I will castrate you with a dull butter knife and feed you the results." In a louder tone she said brightly "Have a great day!" and moved off to her first class.
Draco looked after her with surprise on his face. Harry looked between the blonde and his friend, finally saying "Everything OK, Draco?" The teen looked at him and slowly smiled. "Granger can be quite scary when she wants, can't she?"
Ron, Harry and Neville all responded simultaneously. "You have no idea."
The blonde swallowed. "Right. On to class, then. I'll see you at lunch, Harry."
Harry took the opportunity during a dull lecture to write a note to Remus, inviting him to lunch on Saturday before the reading of the Will. He had responded earlier in the week to Remus' letter, letting him know that he had been safe, but inaccessible during the summer and hadn't meant to worry the other man, as well as thanking him for his comments. He hoped the older man would be available for lunch.
When that was finished, his mind wandered again. "Ghergo'ir, if you are not going to listen to your instructor, would you be interested in discussing the Headmaster's curse?"
Harry dove into his mind and looked at Charok. "I thought he was cured of the curse." The lowaar smiled. "He was, but Treith and I have been working on a process for the Headmaster to regain the use of his hand and arm again, despite the damage." Harry smiled at the two. "What have you found?"
"There is a potion that creates an artificial skin that is normally used for burn victims." Harry nodded, having seen Snape work on the Facticius Corium potion during some of his detentions in previous years. "Unfortunately, the Headmaster's arm is too cursed for the skin to be applied. There simply isn't enough healthy tissue. However, if the skin were applied to a glove made from the shed skin of a juvenile Juanth Darastrix, the hide contains enough magic to allow the skin to be applied to it rather than the Headmaster's limb."
Treith added "A charm tying the wearer's magic to the glove's magic would permit it to be used as a normal hand and arm. Also, a charm cast on the potion during brewing might be helpful to ensure the skin and dragon hide would work together."
"Brilliant! I would need a potion lab to create the skin. Trying to set up a temporary lab in an unused classroom wouldn't be effective. I'll ask Snape if he would permit the use of the class lab for the effort. If not, I'll have to make other arrangements. Perhaps Grimmauld Place…" He really wasn't ready to go there yet; it still had too many memories of Sirius. Immediately, the love and support of his lowaar rolled over him in waves and he took comfort in their encouragement.
The rest of the day passed without incident. The Gryffindors were on their best behavior with Draco, even if the younger years sent him a few glares at lunch. Quidditch practice went well, with the new beaters showing regular improvement over the course of the two hours. He showered in the locker room and returned to the shared quarters, running different strategies through his mind as he walked. He stepped through the portrait entrance and took several steps into the room before he realized Draco wasn't alone.
Severus Snape was seated in one of the arm chairs by the fire. To the Gryffindor's intense surprise, he wasn't wearing his black frockcoat, but was in a crisp white shirt and black trousers. Looking around, Harry noticed the frockcoat hanging on a hook near the entrance. At Harry's arrival, the relaxed atmosphere immediately became tense and Severus rose to take his leave.
"Professor, there is no need to leave on my account. These quarters are Draco's as well and all of his friends and family members are welcome. I will retire to my room and close the door so that you may converse in privacy." He inclined his head to both men and walked to his bedroom. At the entrance, he paused and turned back.
"Professor, would I be permitted to use the classroom lab for a special project?"
The Potions Master narrowed his eyes at the request. "What project are you working on that requires the use of a lab, Mr. Potter?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders slightly. "I would like to test a theory that might permit the Headmaster the use of his cursed hand and arm, using a variation of the Facticius Corium potion, sir."
A dark eyebrow rose in surprise and the habitual sneer appeared. "The curse destroyed too much tissue. That potion will not work."
Harry turned to face the two fully and nodded. "Yes sir, however applying the potion to a special material that contains its own magical properties, plus a charm cast on the material during application may make it possible. I will supply the materials and time to test the theory, but I need a lab for the brewing."
The Potions Master dropped his sneer and leaned back in his chair, appraising the Gryffindor silently for several long seconds. Harry maintained a civil expression and stood straight as the silence became uncomfortable. Finally, Severus replied "I would like to see the potion recipe and the planned brewing process before agreeing. I cannot afford to have the classroom suffer major damage. However, if the technique seems feasible, I may acquiesce."
Draco interjected with some surprise "I would be very interested in seeing the recipe as well, Harry. I didn't realize you had developed such an interest in Potions."
The dark-hair teen chuckled as he met the blonde's eyes. "I had a very interesting summer that caused me to re-evaluate many of my preconceptions." Looking at the Potions Master he added "The charm to be used hasn't been completed yet, but I will send it all to you for your review when finished, Professor." He smiled at Draco. "And of course you may review it as well." He nodded to them both, and entered his bedroom, closing the door behind him. He heard some quiet murmurs, but resolutely ignored their conversation.
Saturday found Harry at the Leaky Cauldron. He greeted Tom and notified him in advance to simply withdraw the cost of the meal directly from his Gringotts account. He didn't want the bill brought to the table.
He smiled broadly as Remus Lupin entered the bar. His light brown hair was streaked with gray and Harry hid a frown at seeing even more premature age lines. The older man's slightly worn robes hung on his frame as if he wasn't eating enough. However, the smile was warm and his step quickened upon seeing Harry.
"Harry! You have no idea how pleased I am to see you. How are you? I was worried when the owl kept returning my mail this summer."
Harry hugged the older man tightly before letting him sit down. "I'm so sorry, Remus. I should have written you before I left. Something came up this summer, but I swore a wizard's oath not to discuss my location or my companions. I can tell you it was an incredible experience and I was perfectly safe."
The warm brown eyes looked at him critically. "You look amazing, Harry. Taller, filled out, you look healthy. And no glasses, I see."
"My companions were able to correct the years of neglect I had at the Dursleys, and corrected my vision. Plus they made me review everything I learned in all my Hogwarts classes as well as teaching me a few things. I hope I'll be able to share it with you sometime soon."
"Considering the effects I'm seeing, your friends are my friends. Anyone who takes care of my cub that well, I already owe a debt of gratitude. If you can share more with me, I would be delighted. But you're old enough to hold your secrets if you prefer."
Harry blinked in surprise. This was the first time an adult outside of the Clan treated him as an adult, with an adult's respect. "Thank you, Moony. You have no idea how much that means to me." His lowaar rumbled their approval of his pseudo-godfather.
They enjoyed a quiet lunch, discussing a variety of topics. Harry was surprised to learn that Remus enjoyed many Muggle authors, and made a note to find out what books Remus had in his library. Perhaps he could find Muggle classics for the older man as a token of his affecton.
Eventually, they left for the reading of the Will, although Remus chided Harry for paying for the meal in such a sneaky manner. Harry grinned unrepentantly.
Arriving at Gringotts, Harry approached a goblin at a desk away from the tellers, near a side corridor as his confirmation letter had indicated. Looking at the name plate on the desk, he placed his hand on his chest, and bowed. "The day's blessings to you, FastAxe. We are here for the reading of the Sirius Black Will."
The goblin looked at his appointment ledger and straightened. "You are meeting with Managing Director Ragnok. Follow me." He led them down a long corridor, taking several turns until Harry was lost. Finally he stopped and opened a door. Harry inclined his head. "Thank you, FastAxe."
Several faces turned to them as they entered. All three Malfoys were present; Lucius was elegant in formal dark silk robes while Narcissa was both beautiful and stylish in blue robes that matched her eyes. Draco was in formal robes as well, and Harry was glad that the Slytherin had let him know to dress formally.
To his immense surprise, Severus Snape was seated between Draco and Lucius Malfoy. Dressed in his habitual all black, he sneered as Harry and Remus entered the room.
In addition to those four, Nymphadora Tonks was present, her dark eyes were friendly as she looked at the two newcomers, her spiky hair a muted brown with violet tips instead of the pink bubblegum color she normally favored. Next to her was a tall brown-haired woman with patrician features similar to both Tonks and Narcissa. "Wotcher Harry! Good to see you Remus." She paused to smile warmly at the older man, who Harry was amused to see blush slightly. "Have you met my mother? Mum, this is Harry Potter. Harry, this is Andromeda Tonks, my mother."
Harry bowed over the older woman's hand. "A pleasure, ma'am. Your daughter is a delight." The woman chuckled. "A pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Potter." The teen was pleased to see that Andromeda and Narcissa were seated next to one another, and hoped they would be able to reconcile.
A small man half rose from his seat and nodded at the two. "Malcom Shuttlecok, representing a client who is unable to attend." He didn't offer his hand, so Harry and Remus just nodded at the man. As Remus didn't seem to know him, Harry wondered who he represented.
The goblin behind the desk cleared his throat. Harry placed a hand on his chest and bowed a fourth degree greeting. "The day's blessings to you Managing Director Ragnok. Thank you for your service to my godfather." The goblin paused and then inclined his head; his eyes seemed to bore through Harry. "Please be seated and we'll get started."
Harry took the open seat next to Draco, while Remus sat beside him. Once he had everyone's attention, Ragnok brought out a Pensieve with an odd cover. He pressed his thumb into an indentation, and an image of Sirius was projected from the cover for all to see. Harry felt this throat constrict at seeing his godfather again. His grey eyes were sparkling with amusement and his dark hair had been trimmed to collar length. He was dressed casually, and sat on the edge of the desk as his image smiled at everyone.
The well-loved voice was filled with amusement as he said "Well, if you're seeing this, I obviously did something phenomenally brave, reckless, stupid or all three. If I died to an enraged husband, Remus Lupin owes the estate 50 galleons. If I died due to being reckless, then the estate owes Remus the same 50 galleons before anything else is settled. "Ragnok leaned across the desk to give Remus a small bag that jingled with coins. Sirius paused and sighed heavily. "Why do I get the idea that Ragnok is currently giving Remus 50 galleons?"
"Now that that is taken care of, I want Harry Potter to listen to me carefully. However I died, it was not your fault. You seem to think you can save the world, and it's been annoying for me to realize how many of your actions seem to have been designed to reinforce that belief. Trolls, possessed teachers, basilisks, the Tri-Wizard Tournament…bah! If I'm dead, it's because of my own choices. Don't ever think anything else, pup."
"OK, on to the reason all of you are here…what do you get?" He grinned at the room, obviously enjoying himself. "Although my delightful mother wanted to disown me, she did not do it officially. Therefore, I am still the rightful Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Black and all decrees and decisions are binding on the House and Family. These initial actions would have been performed in a full Family Assembly had I had the opportunity to call one, but better late than never."
"Firstly, I reinstate the House and Family motto to "Toujours Puissant". It was changed to "Toujours Pur" by my Great-Grandfather, but for a thousand years before, we took pride in being "Always Strong" not "Always Pure".
His face began cold and hard. "Secondly, due to actions against the Ancient and Noble House of Black and by breaking the bonds of Family and honor, I hereby declare Bellatrix Black Lestrange an Oathbreaker." Gasps were heard from those around him, and Harry looked to see everyone staring at Sirius' image in shock. "The Oathbreaker is cast out from the Ancient and Noble House of Black. She will dishonor the House and Family no more. Let all agreements be null and void, let all ties be severed, let all Family secrets and heirlooms be removed from her. Let no Black give her aid or comfort or mention her name. Let everyone know that she is named Oathbreaker, let every Black hand be raised against her and may she soon reap that which she so justly deserves."
The goblin paused the image and looked at the Malcom Shuttlecok, who still appeared stunned. "You are excused, Mr. Shuttlecok." The small wizard shook his head and stood. "Managing Director Ragnok" he inclined his head. "Ladies, Gentlemen".
As he left the room, Harry turned to the Juanth Darastrix genetic memory trying to understand everyone's shaken reactions. It was old knowledge, something that hadn't occurred in generations. Casting someone out of a Family was one thing; it removed their name and their Family ties in a shameful manner, but it left them their personal honor and respect. However, naming someone an Oathbreaker identified them publicly as without honor; someone who had so debased their mind, body and magic as to be without redemption. They would be shunned at best and reviled with every hand turned against them at worst. Harry thoroughly approved Sirius' pronouncement.
Ragnok restarted the recording and Harry watched the image of his godfather take a deep breath. The coldness of the previous announcement was gradually replaced with his normal friendly and slightly mischievous expression. "Next, I invite Andromeda Tonks to resume her rightful place in the Black House and Family. Andy, you always demonstrated the strength of the Family in your choices and ideals and the Family needs your strength. If you accept, then…" The image paused and a smirk appeared "...then Nymphadora Tonks of course assumes her place in the Family as well." Harry glanced at the young Metamorph, knowing how much she despised her given name. To his amusement, she stuck her tongue out at the image of Sirius and he grinned at the old long-standing squabble. "I hope you accept your place Andy, but regardless of your decision, I leave Andromeda Tonks one million galleons and create a dowry fund of one hundred thousand galleons for her daughter Nymphadora."
Harry tried to observe Andromeda's reaction, and was surprised to see the tears streaming down her face. "She was bereft of her Family for many years, ghergo'ir" murmured Ydraith in his mind. "Although she had resigned herself to the loss many years ago, the vindication from her cousin and Head of House means a great deal to her."
The teen returned his attention to Sirius's image as it continued "To Narcissa Black Malfoy, I leave one million galleons with the stipulation that you don't currently have and will give your oath to never receive the Dark Mark from Voldemort, born Tom Riddle. Remember, Always Pure isn't as powerful as Always Strong, Cissa. If you are unable or unwilling to give your oath, then the bequest will be returned to the Black vaults."
"To my good friend and fellow Marauder Remus Lupin, I leave one million galleons and any property of his choice. However, I was remodeling the cottage in the woods, Moony. You know the one I mean. You're welcome to that or to any property that you want. By the way, if you haven't received it yet, I gave your measurements to Andre Fournier and commissioned him to create an entire wardrobe for you. If I did something stupid before you received it, just contact him and tell him it's the order for Moony." He paused to grin. "You better set aside at least half a day when you pick it up…he'll insist on you trying on every piece to ensure it's perfect fit before he'll allow you to leave his salon."
"At the time this Will was made, I was in the process of setting up a Trust fund that I hope you will manage, Moony. If I didn't get a chance to talk to you about it, I apologize for surprising you. The initial purpose of the trust is to provide the Wolfbane potion to anyone that needs it, at no cost. In addition, the Trust will offer housing and employment for any person afflicted with lycanthropy. Finally, it will work to establish fair and impartial treatment under the law for all magical creatures. I can't think of anyone better to run it than you, Moony, but if you choose not to, then I appoint you to select the Trust Manager."
The image took a deep breath and squared his shoulders as if gathering his Gryffindor courage. "To Severus Snape I offer you my sincere apologies." Harry glanced at the Potions Master and wasn't surprised to see the sneer firmly fixed upon his face. "I have no excuse for my behavior at Hogwarts, other than I was an insufferable arse who didn't recognize the consequences of my actions. It wasn't until Harry questioned me and I saw his disgust and disappointment in my actions that I realized just how badly I had behaved." Harry noticed the sneer was joined by a slight look of…surprise? "Mea maxima culpa, no excuses. As an indication of my sincere remorse, I leave you copies of Salazar Slytherin's personal journal and his potions notebook." The sneer on the Potions Master face was replaced by surprised astonishment. Harry hid a grin, knowing that Sirius couldn't have chosen a better choice for his atonement. There was no way Severus Snape would refuse Salazar Slytherin's personal journal much less his personal potion book. It had to be priceless.
"I would give you the originals, but they are spelled to remain in the Family-only portion of the Black library. The Black Library can be accessed through any of the Black properties by a member of the House or by Harry Potter." Harry looked at the image of Sirius and frowned. He didn't know anything about a Black library other than the one at Grimmauld Place. Sirius apparently recognized that as he continued "Don't worry, Harry. I left you written instructions. Because those two items can't be removed from the Family library, there is a spell that will permit Harry to copy the books." The image grinned with amusement. "The spell is in parseltongue and was created by Salazar himself, which I found in his journal." Snape's eyes darted to Harry, and the teen briefly considered making the man ask, but instead inclined his head in agreement and received a sharp nod in return.
Harry brought his attention back to his godfather's image as it continued "To my beloved godson, Harry James Potter, I leave half of all the Black liquid assets, anything in the Black vaults related to the Potters or the Marauders and one property of his choosing. Pup, if I missed your birthday, you need to go to Phoenix Transportation. They were restoring my flying motorcycle for your 16th birthday. Even Filius Flitwick would be impressed with the charm work they were adding to it." His grin turned serious for a moment. "I love you Harry. If I'm not there, it's only because I was probably being my normal irresponsible self. You are in no way to blame for my actions. If you behave like you believe you are guilty, I give leave to Moony to prank you until you realize otherwise." The teen's eyes filled with tears at the affection in Sirius' voice and he blinked furiously to clear them. Remus put a hand on his shoulder while Draco gently clasped his arm briefly in support.
In a more official tone of voice, the image continued "If Draco Lucius Malfoy has not taken the Dark Mark and will give his oath not to receive it or to voluntarily follow Tom Morvolo Riddle, also known as Voldemort, then I acknowledge him as the Heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Black. However, if he is unable or unwilling to give his oath, then I invoke the Ritus Hereditas between Draco Lucius Malfoy, the nearest blood heir and Harry James Potter, my godson and heir of my heart. The Black Family Signet ring will choose if needed."
The image relaxed and smiled. "There, now that's all taken care of, I have to admit that I'm looking forward to seeing James and Lily again and hope I don't see the rest of you for a very long time. Ragnok has letters for each of you. Enjoy!" He winked at them and then the image faded.
Ragnok looked at Draco first. "Mr. Malfoy, are you able to give your oath?" The blonde nodded his head and withdrew his wand. "I, Draco Lucius Malfoy, do swear on my blood and magic to never willingly accept the Dark Mark or serve Tom Morvolo Riddle, also known as Lord Vol..Voldemort. So mote it be." His wand illuminated with the magic of the oath, and Harry felt a slight sense of relief at the vow.
The goblin passed the blonde a small box, engraved with greyhounds on either side of a shield with two stars at the top of the shield, a v-shaped divider and a sword at the base. Draco opened it and withdrew the signet ring of the Ancient and Noble House of Black; a gold ring engraved with runes on the band while greyhounds rampant guarded a large ruby. Engraved on the underside of the ruby, but showing through was the shield with its design clearly evident.
Draco stood and the rest of the company did as well, although Harry was a bit puzzled by the solemnity expressed by those present. The blonde moved a ring with the Malfoy crest from his right ring finger to his index finger and slid the Head of House ring on to his ring finger. A brief blue glow began at the ring and then expanded to cover his body.
When the glow subsided, Ragnok inclined his head. "Congratulations, Lord Malfoy-Black." Turning to Narcissa, he asked "Are you able to give your oath, Madame Malfoy?"
Narcissa removed her wand and stated in her clear voice ""I, Narcissa Black Malfoy, do swear on my blood and magic to never willingly accept the Dark Mark nor will I serve Tom Morvolo Riddle, also known as Lord Voldemort unless it also serves Harry Potter and the Ancient and Noble House of Black. So mote it be." Her wand lit up with her oath. The goblin tipped his head considering, and then nodded.
"All bequests will be transferred by end of business today and will be available to you tomorrow. I have personal letters to each of you from the former Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Black." Some envelopes were thick with pages while others appeared to be a single sheet. Even Severus Snape received one.
Harry's envelope also came with a small jewelry box, which he looked at in some confusion. He observed that everyone else put their letter away to read privately, and did the same. He looked at the jewelry box and noticed Draco looking at it.
"Open it, Harry" he urged with an encouraging smile.
Harry opened the box to find a signet ring similar to Draco's, but made of silver with a slightly smaller ruby. He looked at Draco in confusion.
"It's the Heir ring, Harry" the blonde explained. "Until I have a child, you are the Heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Black and Head if something happens to me. I thought as much when he mentioned the Ritus Hereditas."
Harry slid the ring on his right ring finger and a small blue glow covered the ring for a few seconds before fading. Draco added "You should have an Heir ring for the Potters. They are an Ancient Family as well. If the Heir ring was destroyed when your parents died, then a new ring should be made with the Potter crest. Normally, you would wear that one on your ring finger, but as the Blacks are both Ancient and Noble, that outranks the Potter heir ring."
"Oh, that's why you moved your other ring to your index finger?"
Draco nodded. "The Black Family out ranks the Malfoy family."
Ragnok bowed "Lord Malfoy-Black, do you wish to visit the Black vaults?"
Draco hesitated and then said "Thank you, but not today Managing Director Ragnok. I believe I will need to allocate a full day to review the vaults. However, I would like to meet the Black Account Manager if you would, and request an account summary, as well as properties, holdings, debts and liabilities.
As the others talked around him, Harry broke the seal on his letter, trying to ignore the slight shaking in his hands.
Hey Pronglet!
If you're reading this, I've probably gone and done something stupid and you're going to owe Remus 50 galleons on my behalf. Don't you dare blame yourself for whatever I did. I've always been a reckless and irrepressible Gryffindor and I likely did something stupid, but it was me doing it. Got that?
I had hoped that we would have many years together and that we could form a family. Azkaban left me damaged, I know, so other than my devotion to you and Moony, judge anything I said with a proverbial grain of the salt, OK? Moony says I'm "struggling with emotions and anger issues" and "may not exhibit the best judgment" at times. Stupid wolf; I hate it when he's right.
That said, I want to urge you to take control of your own life. You aren't the bloody Boy-Who-Lived-to-be-hyphenated, you are Harry James Potter, wizard and Potter heir. My suggestion is that you hire some tutors to train you in wizarding culture and etiquette as well as estate management. Contact some solicitors (I recall that your Grandfather used Sanders, Witherspoon and Brentwood) and get a handle on the slander the Daily Prophet publishes and anything else that might need legal counsel. Pup, stop believing the propaganda that you are the Savior of the world and that the well-being of everyone rests on your shoulders. No one person bears that much responsibility. It's about time that the rest of the wizarding world starts to take accountability for their own actions instead of relying on a Muggle-raised teenager to rescue them. They're the adults, it's time they started being held accountable as such and stopped being blindly led like sheep.
Another thing, as much as I know you love and respect Albus Dumbledore, don't fall into the trap of thinking him infallible. He's made a lot of mistakes over the years (cough – 12 years in Azkaban – cough), so don't believe that every word he utters is blessed and every opinion sacrosanct and accurate. Don't judge him too harshly for being human when he makes a mistake, but recognize that he has and will continue to make them. That's why you need to take control of your own life instead of letting others decide your path and direction.
Regarding the bequest for Severus Snape, yeah, that was a tough one. I hated him for so long and he makes it so easy to hate him…but your face when you asked me why I was such a bully, why I deliberate hurt and humiliated another student…that's a face I never wanted to see. It took some soul-searching (as well as some broken china and a fist through a wall), but I have to admit it. I was a bully and I took pleasure in being a bully and getting away with it. I knew Snape would never accept an apology, so I had to trick him into believing me.
The Black Family has roots back to Salazar Slytherin and hidden away in a vault in the Black library I found his the journal and records when I was an ickle second-year. As I was the first Black not in Slytherin, I just tucked them away again. However, any real Slytherin would sell their mother just to read Salazar Slytherin's journal and any Potion Master would give his first born just to review his potion records. In the journal, I found quite a bit of parseltongue, most of it without any translation, so I didn't know what it said. But on one page, I found "to prevail over duplication restrictions" and then what appears to be a spell. If it's not, then I'm going to ask you to fulfill my bequest to Snape and hand copy the journal and potion book, but I don't think it will have to go that far.
Any Black property with a library will have access to the restricted House Library. You either need to be a blood member of the House with permission to access the House Library or wear the Head or Heir signet ring, both which automatically give access. If Draco Malfoy is the new Head of the Family, until he has children, you are his Heir. Therefore, you may wear the Black Heir ring in addition to the Potter Heir ring. While wearing it, you will see a door that only Black Family members see. That is a direct connection to the Black Family Library from any smaller Black library. Follow the passage to the vault. There will be a place to either place your hand (for a blood verification) or an indentation for a Black signet ring. Either will open the vault. Slytherin's books are in the first room on the left.
What else? Enjoy the motorcycle! Prank many people, especially Slytherins…without causing harm or being a bully, that is. See? Even this old dog can learn new tricks. Have fun and do what you want, not what others think you should do – even me. You have the gold to live however you want in whatever lifestyle you want for the next several hundred years. So enjoy!
Much love,
Padfoot aka Sirius aka your loving Godfather
Harry held the parchment, not caring at the tears on his cheeks. He whispered "Thank you, Padfoot. I'll do my best. I'll make you proud."
Ghergo'ir = Young One
Lowaar = Indwellers
Facticius Corium = Artificial Skin
Ritus Hereditas = Inheritance Ritual
