The Half Blood Prince Revealed

Summary :

Harry's summer before sixth year is no different from the others. Around every corner surprises, good and bad, and adventure of all kind await. And it looks like the gods have finally granted Harry a possibility for a nicer life. What will this mean for his 6th year at Hogwarts ?

General Disclaimer :

I am just playing in the sand of JKRowling's literary produced beach and am attempting to build my own sandcastle for others to enjoy.

09 Meeting the locals

Harry made his way to his room and vaguely noticed his belongings had all been unpacked. Sitting at his desk Harry realized he'd have to take a little more interest in his new role as head of such an old family estate and decided to ask the goblins at Gringotts for assistance. After all Sirius, Remus and even Professor Dumbledore had already indicated not knowing much about the estate.

To the attention of

The Esteemed Head Goblin

of Gringotts Bank, Diagon Alley, London

With the death of my godfather Mr Sirius Black last month I now find myself heir to the Black family estate.

After perusal of the few available documents and advice from my guardian Mr Remus Lupin and Hogwarts Headmaster Professor Dumbledore I still lack any information whatsoever on the size and nature of the estate and its current financial obligations.

I would therefore highly appreciate your assistance to provide me with a detailed report on the current status as I was informed Gringotts has been of considerable help in managing the estate in the past.

Please advise the bearer of this message of your approval for her return at five o'clock Friday afternoon to pick up this report.

Some time in the next few weeks I will be visiting Diagon Alley for the necessary shopping. I would like to visit you on that occasion to discuss new instructions and possible future plans and projects and to visit the Black vaults. Would a two day advance notice suffice to accommodate my visit in your busy schedule ?

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

With highest regards

Harry Potter

While re-reading the letter an idea struck Harry and he was a bit ashamed for not thinking of this sooner. Would there be anything of the Potter family left in the vaults of Gringotts beside the galleons ? Could there maybe be a treasure trove of family heirlooms of long forgotten Potters awaiting his arrival to bring them out of storage ?

He would ask Remus and Professor Dumbledore tomorrow. For now, he would have a first look at the Black Book before going to bed.

So Harry called the Black Book and indeed it landed on the desk in front of him. He wasn't sure what he'd expected but the book was a bit of a disappointment. Covered in black leather and embossed with the Black family crest and motto it could just as well have been a muggle photo album. And considering how thin it was it would not go back quite that far in time.

Harry was interested to find out exactly when the Black Book had been established and turned to the very first page. Much to his surprise reading the text was no problem even though the date mentioned was May 947.

So Harry started reading hoping it would be more interesting than a history lesson at Hogwarts. He needn't have worried. The first entry was quite a surprise.

The Black Book existed because of a Potter ! Orion Black had a friend Gawain Potter who gave him a Family Book upon his marriage. The book registered all kinds of happenings in the family like births, deaths, successes and failures and allowed some control over family residences.

With a warm glow of finding something of his family's achievements Harry continued reading the ups and downs of the first recorded Black family generations and it wasn't until the death of Orion's great-grandson Gawain was noted that Harry flipped the book forward to more recent entries and read what was mentioned about Sirius.

The next morning after yet another dream-night of listening to Sirius and Remus talk of long gone days and his own tales of the Weasley twins Harry was wide awake just as the sun was about to get up, so he hurried up to the top floor to watch the sunrise. He sat there for a while, the house providing him with a warm comfy chair on a terrace to watch the surrounding area. It was shortly after sunrise he saw two men arrive with garden tools. "Must be the gardeners. "I'll go have a talk with them." Harry thought, "maybe they can tell me more about the beings out in the woods."

Harry hurried downstairs and got outside through the kitchen windows. "Hello, wonderful morning, isn't it ?" he said as he approached the two men now at work between the rosebushes.

From their looks the two were obviously brothers, and not very happy at being discovered so Harry introduced himself, and extended his hand towards the nearest of the men.

"I'm a werewolf," this one immediately claimed, "we both are."

Although surprised at the bold statement, Harry's hand didn't waver as he stated "And with the greenest fingers by the looks of the gardens."

The man looked stunned at the lack of the animosity he obviously expected, and slowly raised his hand. "I'm Joe Waverly and that's my brother David. You don't mind ?"

"Well," Harry said "I wouldn't want to come across you during the full moon nights, but otherwise no, I don't mind."

"We're not dangerous even at full moon." Spoke David.

"Ooh," said Harry "you have the wolfsbane potion too then."

Joe looked impressed when Harry mentioned the potion but shook his head. "The wolfsbane potion works OK but long term the effects are devastating to the human and strengthening for the werewolf. We use a home brewed potion with ehm leaves from one of your hothouse plants. When Neferti told us you had the coca plant in there, we started working in the garden and Blythe pays us with leaves."

"You mean you do all this work and all you get out of it is a few leaves ?" fumed Harry "That has to change. From now on I'll give you a decent pay for the work on top of the leaves you need. But would you brew a third portion of the potion for a friend of mine ?"

"There's four of us at home but an extra portion of the potion is the least we can do if you truly want to pay us for the job." Said a clearly relieved Joe.

"Four brothers ? And do all four of you work in the garden ?" asked Harry.

So Joe explained how he, two brothers and a neighbourhood friend had been bitten as youngsters while out camping in the back garden. With several other siblings around, their parents had abandoned them and since they'd had to survive alone. Fortunately they were taken in by a fellow werewolf an academic who'd been bitten late in life. Now unable to go to Hogwarts, the four friends had learned all they knew from the old Prof, as they called him. He'd passed away a while ago so now there were only the four of them : Joe, David, their brother Luke and their friend Elijah Teague. Joe and David worked as gardeners for a few muggle families to provide a bit of an income. Elijah was a potions master who taught a few pupils and took care of their potion supply and Luke was an inventor but mainly occupied his time doing the household chores.

Upon hearing about the potions master Harry's brain went into overdrive. He'd heard about people being home schooled and they then took the OWL and NEWT exams independently. If he and this Mr Teague could work together maybe Harry could finally stop taking classes with Snape.

Before voicing anything of his idea however, he invited the four men to afternoon tea and planned on having Remus and if possible Professor Dumbledore present to make their acquaintance. While he stood talking to Joe and David Lilly had made an appearance and now sat on Harry's shoulder.

Harry took the opportunity to ask the men about the others in the forest. The men smiled and said "Harry, you could meet some of them right now. They've been standing just inside the woods for the last ten minutes. When Lilly showed up they realized you probably would do them no harm."

Harry saw David make a beckoning arm gesture and from the woods came a group of unicorns, the four tallest of them a brilliant white, clearly the parents of the smaller gray and brown foals. Harry smiled as he saw them coming. Ginny would love them. The smallest of the foals was bravest and came up close to Harry. "I hope you consider the Black forest as your home. No one from the house will harm you as long as I'm master." Harry said "And should you need help, please don't hesitate to call on us at any time. I consider you as part of my family."

The four adults gave nods as if they had understood and the group returned to the forest. The littlest stopped just at the forest and took a look back before it too entered the woods. To the right of them a group of thestrals came from the undergrowth. The black horses were shy and stayed close to the woods but Harry nodded to them and expressed that they too were welcome in the Black forest.

"We are happy to have read the stars correctly. The Dog star is brighter than ever. Black is Light again and the warmth will be spreading with the hope."

Harry turned to the left and saw four centaurs standing there. "I hope you will be the voice of both the stars and the inhabitants of the forest should they need assistance. Blythe, Winky or Dobby will be able to warn me should there be any trouble for any or all of you."

The four too returned to the woods and Harry turned to look at Joe and David. Both of them looked at him in awe and Harry was a bit embarrassed at the look they gave him. "I'll let you get on with it and I look forward to seeing you and your brother and friend later this afternoon."

By the time Harry returned to the kitchen Blythe was there preparing a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, crispy bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes and freshly squeezed orange juice and a pot of tea just like Harry loved it most.

Harry was halfway through his breakfast when Remus appeared. "Well you're up early Harry, any problems ?"

"Not at all, I just woke up early, watched the sunrise and decided to take a stroll in the garden to meet the gardeners, the unicorns, thestrals and the centaurs." Said Harry with a smile.

Remus nearly choked on the tea he was drinking. "Come again !"

So Harry told him about his early morning encounters, the invitation he extended and what he'd learned about the Wolfsbane potion.

Remus nodded at this. "I noticed a slight change but was told that it was perfectly normal. I do wonder who their teacher was."

And with that thought Blythe offered him an equal size plate of breakfast. For a while silence reigned as both Harry and Remus enjoyed their meal. Harry, having polished off his breakfast, sat at the table contemplating his upcoming day when the idea of Black Island popped in his head. There would be no time like now to visit, so Harry said the Pureness incantation while thinking of the colourful birds and Black Island and suddenly found himself standing in the hall. "This didn't work as planned." thought Harry when he became aware there was somebody else with him. When he turned around he found Remus standing, mouth open, fork in hand, a piece of bacon dangling precariously from the prongs.

"I'm sorry Remus, I wanted to go to Black Island but forgot you would come too."

Remus quickly gathered his wits, popped the bacon in his mouth and followed Harry to the kitchen fully expecting to find his food on the table where he'd just left it. To his surprise the structure of the kitchen was the same only here no flowers were to be found. Instead through the windows the beauty of tropical vegetation showed and beyond the blue of open see could be seen.

Harry walked up to the windows and was hit with a wave of intense heat as he opened one. "Now if the summer turns out dismal and cold and rainy back in England, you can bet we'll be coming here instead ! Welcome to Black Island Manor, Remus"

Harry walked outside and immediately two beautiful birds landed on a shrub nearby. "Well hello my beauties. I recognize you. Sirius sent a few messages with you last year. Sorry I don't have a message for you to send out. Oh wait, actually I do. I'll be right back."

At this Harry made his way back into the house and walked to the study, hoping he'd find some parchment and quills. He wasn't disappointed finding an identical set up in the study, only with less books about and no Mr Black at the desk. Harry quickly wrote Professor Dumbledore's invitation to tea with the four werewolves and returned outside to send the letter off with one of the tropical birds.

Remus in the mean time made a tour of the house and found to his amusement a tropical version of the house he'd been at just moments before. Even the top floor was a complete room of requirements. The ground floor Remus had discovered was also identical to the one in the Manor, but for the lack of flowers. No need for plants indoor here, as the lush tropical vegetation outside offered color and scent enough. To his surprise however, the library here was just as well stocked with a complete different set of books, some of which were quite a treasure and Remus itched to get his hands on some of them.

Although the place was cared for, it looked less pristine than the Manor and Harry, now returned from the outside, investigated the whereabouts of a house elf. He found her in the cellar downstairs, hiding in a corner, shaking with fright. Aware of Blythe's presumption she would be beheaded, Harry immediately said to her : "Hello, I'm Harry, Sirius' godson and now new owner of the manor. I don't behead house elves when they are old or ill."

At this the elf visibly shook less than before and she shyly turned her face to Harry. Large watery eyes looked up at Harry with a ray of hope shining through. "Master doesn't ?" asked the elf. "You are family now and I would not do that, ever ! And please call me Harry. What is your name ?"

"I is Beatrice, Harry, how can I helps you ?"

"Well Beatrice I'm happy to meet you. Can you tell me if there is another house elf around, or any other beings, wizards, creatures that I should know ? I'm new to the Black estate so I have a lot to learn."

"Two love birds outside and me is all, Harry. And only wizard around was master last year with hippogriff beast."

"Beatrice, you must get lonely, do you ever visit with Blythe at Black Manor or does she visit here ?"

"Oh no, Harry we is good house elf. We not go visit."

"Well Beatrice, why don't you come to Black Manor with us. It must get awful lonely on your own. You can meet Blythe, Dobby and Winky."

Beatrice was visibly shaken by the invitation. Remus timed the end of his tour to perfection and just then arrived in the kitchen. Harry introduced the two and then the threesome made their way back to Black Manor.

Remus returned to the table, finishing his breakfast. Thanks to a heating charm the food was still nice and warm. When Blythe noticed Beatrice had arrived she started crying and soon Beatrice too had tears leaking from her eyes. It took some time but at last Harry understood the reason for their tears of happiness. The two house elves were sisters and hadn't seen each other for a long time.

By now it was time for Dobby and Winky to arrive so Harry headed to the Hall. After welcoming the pair to their new home, Harry gave them a tour of the house, then sat in the kitchen with all four house elves and explained the plans for the holidays and then tackled the plans for when Harry was in school. How Remus would be living in Grimmauld Place and would need some help keeping the place tidy and be able to provide the Order members with food and drinks. Harry explained that Remus may well be a regular visitor at Black Manor and the Island and how he hoped the house elves would be able to look after him. Harry suggested also that with Dobby at Hogwarts the three of them would all stay either at Black Manor or Grimmauld Place and visit the other residences on a regular basis to make sure all was well at the houses, since only Remus would be a visitor. If and when Harry wanted to go to the Island or Black Manor he would be able to tell Dobby in advance so the house elves had some fair warning of what to expect. As a last surprise Harry showed them their rooms, and after choosing a room each, the now four doors sported a plaque just like Harry's bedroom, each inscribed with the house elf's name.

Leaving the elves to organize themselves Harry went to the study and met up with Mr Black. He told him about his early morning encounter with the gardeners and a few of the inhabitants from the forest and also related him the stunned look on Remus' face when he landed in the Hall of Black Island Manor while a moment before he'd been in the kitchen eating his breakfast.

Author's Note :

Thanks for reading. Would love some feedback from you though.

If you enjoyed this (and previous) chapter(s), you might be interested to know the story is a few chapters further along on my yahoo group (for link see profile page).

Have a nice weekend all.

kadedeetje