Disclaimer: See first chapter.
Harry did not know where he was.
Objectively, if he thought about it enough, he knew he was probably exactly where he'd sat down in the park. But that was part of the minutiae, and he really didn't want to think about the particulars of how or why he was here, lest he receive a migraine for his troubles. He really didn't have the patience to deal with a migraine on top of everything else, and it was a miracle he didn't already have one, with the day he'd been having thus far.
He seemed to be inside a cloud, because there was thick fog all around him. Thick, grey fog, that didn't let him see three inches in front of his nose. The ground was dry, but not very solid, like it was gravel, or sand. The air wasn't thin, so he guessed he was not very high, and this probably wasn't a cloud. Maybe he was near a river or an ocean. That might explain the ground. It wasn't cold, but then again, he couldn't see what time of day it was here (if that's even the right word), so that told him jack squat other than the fact he had been right not to wear a sweater. Which he might not even have brought with him... Oh, here comes that migraine...
Suddenly, his instincts spiked. There was someone close. He couldn't hear them, see them, or smell them, but he could sense them. Maybe one, maybe more, but there were people close. Or not. They weren't necessarily people...
There! Someone in a loose, slightly over-sized grey robe with the low hood pulled up was coming. And on the other side of Harry, there was another one! And more! How had they surrounded him?!
As one, they spoke in an ethereal voice, like a dull roar, that seemed to have no origin, and spread in no direction, but was distinctly in his ears and not his mind:
-Heir you present yourself as, but your side you do not bear in your heart for all to see. To which direction do lean, claimant? To what affiliation would we give our legacy through you?
- I lean toward nor Light nor Dark. I am as Grey as the robes you bear, as neutral as the blade that kills for either side or the leaf that falls for none. I live and die in Twilight, nor Breaking the Dawn if Night has not Fallen, nor Falling Dusk if Day has not Risen. By the Sun and the Moon and the sky and stars, so mote it be.
Harry felt a surge of profound... "Rightness" rise within him, as if he had done what was so natural and right that nothing else would have been possible.
Andros drew back his hood, grumbling to himself that it had taken him far longer than should have been necessary.
The mist had retreated, leaving a circular space visible that probably had a ten meter radius. The ground was a sort of fine dust, gray as the robes of his ancestors and the fog around him. Around this circle stood thirteen grey thrones on the edge of the fog, forming three quarters of a circle. His ancestors (with their hoods still pulled up) headed to these thrones, where they promptly sat. Andros was in the central throne, the only one with his hood drawn back. He was clearly there to lead Harry's ancestors and act as the moderator. There was also a clear separation between three groups. The central five, the left four and the right four. Harry guessed the Grey ancestors were in the center and the other two groups were Dark and Light.
-Well, now that that's done with, let me start by saying that I'm incredibly proud of you, Harry. You truly are ly Heir, as your choice proves. I too chose Grey after that ultimatum by Ptolemy I told you about. I'm sure your parents are watching you from the veil with pride, laughing at your antics with Sirius.
Harry smiled. It felt good to hear those words.
-And now let's continue this before Dawn interrupts us. Harry James Potter, this is the moment of your Maturation. The Goblins will recognize this as the moment you become an adult, and from now on you are not a boy. You are a man. As such, the time has come for you to take your gifts from your bloodline. We, your ancestors, are here as the keepers of your gifts. Think of these as your coming of age presents. To begin with, I Andros of House Penandros, gift you the Lordship of said House. Two of my gifts you already have, your core implement that is happening as we speak, and your Choice, which you could make Grey because me blood let you. Many other would be constricted to either side by their blood. I gift you also with affinities for Charisma, Battle Instincts and Languages. So mote it be.
Harry felt a weight settle in his chest. It wasn't unpleasant, but it felt... weird.
-Because this term is going to be thrown around a lot, let me explain. Affinities aren't knowledge or power. They're... Potential. They are talent and ease, natural understanding and assimilation of certain concepts. It does not do you work for you, or give you experience. As a matter of fact, they don't teach you a damn thing. But they make you a natural at something. They also make you potential far greater, allowing you to go further in that at that something. Still, if you want to get there, you have to put in the time, effort and attention. Also, because we want you to stop hiding who you are, those affinities until you take up the Lordship and Title of whomever gave you the affinities.
Harry nodded. That made sense, and it was a great help, even if it meant working for it. Harry would honestly welcome the challenge. He had yet to be challenged by his schoolwork, which was one of the reasons it had been easy to pretend he was bored by his classes. He really was, but not because he wasn't studious like most students thought. Actually it was because he classes were too easy.
And he supposed it was time to stop letting his life be controlled by those who should have no power or control over him. It was unbecoming of him, beneath him, even. It was time to take the reins, and show those who had hurt him or betrayed him just who and what they had messed with, and why it had been such a colossal mistake.
Suddenly, Harry realized his ancestor was snapping his fingers in front of him.
-Hello? You paying attention? You've been staring into space for half a minute.
-Yeah, yeah.
-Good. One last thing from me... As the Head of House Penandros, you gain a seat in the Upper Wizengamot. Think of it as the Wizarding House of Lords. My title, now yours, is The Dragon.
-So, I'm now Harry James Potter Penandros.
-Hum... We'll get there later. But given how many titles you going to inherit, you should probably just wait to the end and pick one surname. Anyway, next you'll hear from MY ancestors, and then we'll get to your fathers - he pointed to the left - and our mothers - he pointed to the right.
"Oh, so that's why they're divided."
-Wait, which one are you?
-Both your parents were descended from me (and by extension my ancestors), actually. Hence the division I'm sure you'd already seen. Moving on... Hera, you're up.
The ancestor to the left of Andros drew back her hood, revealing a regal woman with short spiked white hair and electric blue eyes. She was smiling a Harry, and Harry thought that she was probably the mothering type. She just had that look in her eyes. Which was ironic, considering one of the myths about her said she had thrown her own newborn son off a mountain. A tall mountain.
-Hello, child.
Yep, definitely the mothering type.
-I am Hera, Andros' Great-Great-Grandmother. To you, I leave bird-tongue, which you haven't discovered yet. I also leave Elemental affinities to Light, Wind, and Lightning. Finally, I gift you with the title of the Storm. That is the title of the Original Veela Friend. That is, yours truly.
-Let me guess, bird-tongue is like parseltongue, only for birds.
-Pretty much. As for the Elemental abilities... I lived three thousand years ago. We didn't have magical foci, or much of the magic you use today. We mostly used Elemental Magic. And much like Aesculapius, who is right next to me by the way, I was legendary in my specialty, the Sky: its creatures and its powers.
-Thank you for your gifts, Hera.
-Pish posh! You're my Heir, kid. And so far, you've only done me proud. The way you've taken to the sky from your very first flight makes me scream with joy... Upsetting many of my neighbors on the other side of the veil in the process.
-Alright, alright, enough, Hera... We're on a tight schedule. Artemis, come forward if you will.
From Andros' other side came another woman, this one with long, wild red hair and fierce green eyes, much like his own. They were a couple of shades lighter, though.
-I'm Artemis. I'm also an ancestor of the kid on my left.
-Hey! I'm millenniums old!
-And I'm hundreds of years older. So shut it. Now, let's get on with this. Kid, I'm older than Hera. In my time, we prayed to the Moon and Sun and did magic through Rituals. I lived in the Wild, and as such I've passed on to you affinities with Wilderness and Rituals. I also give you predator speech.
-I talk to predators of the wilds?
-Straightforward, isn't it? Yeah, kid, that's it in a nutshell. I also give you the title of the Hunt.
-First friend of whom?
-Quick at picking things up, ain't ya? First friend of the Centaurs. They'll know just by looking at you. So will the pure Veela with the Storm title, but the half bloods and quarter bloods will just be more predisposed to like you. Who knows, kid? Maybe you'll get laid. I don't recommend it with the Centaurs, I'll tell you that much.
-...Thank you... I think.
-Don't mention it, kid.
-Seriously, don't. None of us want more of that mental picture. Aesculapius, your turn.
A tall, blond man next to Hera came forward. His face was relatively handsome, and his eyes were as yellow as a snake's.
-Hello, young one. I'm Aesculapius, The Depths, and First Friend of the Merpeople. I gift you with Elemental affinities for Water and Shadow and an affinity for Healing Magic. You've already found Parseltongue, which actually works for all reptiles. Including dragons. Keep that one in mind, it might come on handy.
-Thank you for your gifts, Aesculapius.
At this point, Harry was trying not to think, lest he become lost in his own mind with the possibilities. He might have been slightly shell-shocked.
-Finally, someone does it quickly and efficiently. Hephaestus, take it away.
A hulk of a man, with black hair and beard and orange burning eyes, came forward with a laugh.
-You know, Andros, one day soon Hera will throw lightning at you. And I won't do a thin to stop it, because I'll be too busy laughing!
Andros grumbled, while Harry mused that maybe Hephaestus was also Sirius' ancestor.
-Alright, kid, let's get started. I'm Hephaestus, The Forge, First Goblin Friend, legendary smith and Elemental of Earth and Fire extraordinaire! From me, you'll get Elemental affinities with Earth and Fire, and also affinities for Crafting and Mechanics. Tied in with this is machine-speech. You can talk to all kinds of machines and understand them, draw information from them, and assimilate what makes them "tick". Useful, no?
Harry was too stunned to answer. Useful? HELL, YES! Useful was an understatement.
-And I think I'm done. Keep up the good work, kid. Tell Ragnarok I knew his Great-Great-Grandfather. Good Goblin, great smith, and better warrior.
-Thank you for your gifts, Hephaestus. Thank you so much!
He couldn't keep the enthusiasm out of his voice, though he managed to maintain a calm face.
-You're welcome, newbie. Now go out there and knock'em dead!
-Yes, yes, thank you for your input, Grandpa. Now, the central block is finished. Which one of the other blocks would you like to start with? Your mother's or your father's?
Harry thought for a second. Maybe...
-My mother's.
-Well then, let's get started, shall we?
That had come from a man on Harry's right. When he drew back hi hood, Harry almost blacked out. Because a man does not faint.
He recognized the man from a portrait (not a live one) at Hogwarts. It was Merlin Emrys.
Merlin stood to Harry's right, black hair flowing behind him. His irises were white, almost indistinguishable from the rest of the eyes. And he was Merlin Freaking Emrys. And he was there. And he was Harry's ancestor. And this was through his mother's bloodline, which meant Merlin's line ha squibbed out and ended with him.
Holy S***!
-I think he's hyperventilating- Aesculapius said, always the healer.
-NO! No, I'm fine, it's just... Merlin's my ancestor? MERLIN's my ancestor? You get my point, right?
-Yeah, kid, we'd gotten your point before you did. Just calm down so we can get on with it.
Artemis. Direct as ever.
Okay, okay, I'm calm. Let's keep going.
-Good. I am Merlin Emrys, Head of House Emrys. I pass onto you the Lordship of my House and the Wizengamot Title that comes with it: The Druid. I also gift to you Wandless Magic and Enchanting affinities. Use them well.
-Thank you, Merlin.
-My Turn! Hey kid. My name is Morgana Le Faye.
Harry was stunned. He was Merlin AND Morgana's descendant? Through the same bloodline? Now THAT was ironic.
Morgana was a very beautiful woman with long brown hair and purple eyes. She had a very enthusiastic look on her face, but nothing like the deranged look he associated with her that he'd seen on Bellatrix Lestrange's face.
-I gift you with the Lordship of House Le Faye and my Wizengamot title, the Dementor. I gift you with Metamorphing and Mind Magics affinities.
-Thank you, Lady Morgana.
That would certainly make things easier when learning to protect his mind.
She blushed.
-You're welcome, kid. Just keep doin' what you're doin'.
-Is it our turn?
Harry saw is mother's last two ancestors draw back their hoods.
Holy crap, again?
Founders. Two of Hogwarts' Founders. The worst part was that he didn't know if he should laugh or cry... Because, as it turned out, he WAS the Heir of Slytherin... Through his Muggleborn mother.
He ended up laughing.
Before him stood Salazar Slytherin and Rowena Ravenclaw... His mother's ancestors, apparently. Salazar had blonde hair cut short and green eyes. He was pale and thin. Rowena beside him had long black hair and deep blue eyes. She was shorter than Salazar, and curvier than any of his ancestors so far. She was almost like a Veela.
-What are you laughing about, brat? - Wow, Salazar sounded so much like an amused Snape (not that he'd ever seen something so impossible) it was almost like they were related.
-Your descendant was a Muggleborn. How could I not be laughing?
-Wait. You bought that whole Pureblood supremacy crap they said I defended? All I ever said was that we should separate Muggleborns from their families because of the extreme prejudice Muggles had against us at the time. They might abuse or outright kill their magical children! Of course, I was a little extreme, I even got into a fight with Godric once because he was an idealist who believed in full integration. I left for a while, and then came back when both he and I had mellowed out a bit and could argue with our words instead of our fists.
-... Really?
-Yes, you dunderhead. Why do you think I built the Chamber? I allowed Muggles with magical children to know of our world, but I never fully trusted them. Then again, I was biased. I was an abused Muggleborn myself, you see. So In case the Muggles ever decided they should attack the school, my familiar Ouroboros was there.
-Oh, crap, I killed your Familiar. I'm sorry, but I had to, he was going to kill me!
-Calm down, squirt. You did him a kindness. That thrice-cursed spawn of mine who idiotically calls himself Flight-From-Death made him descent into madness. Blasted idiotic bigots... My House at Hogwarts lies twisted and corrupted, a deformed version of its original splendor. I hope you will fix it, young man.
-I would be honored to be given such as a task.
And he was. Harry's inner Slytherin was crowing with pride and self-righteousness.
-Good. Now, let's see... What shall I gift you with? My Lordship and Wizengamot title are a given of course... It's The Basilisk, by the way... And what else... Ah, yes, this will do. I gift you with affinities for Alchemy, Shape-Shifting and Rogue Skills.
Harry was stunned, but not enough not to ask what his ancestor meant by Rogue Skills.
-Harry, I was a Muggleborn. I was born to a gypsy couple that traveled with their troupe through Britain some twelve hundred years ago. I discovered I had Magic when I was 8, but until then I was apprenticed to basically the whole troupe. I knew how to sneak, how steal, how to act and entertain, how to convince people of anything I wanted, how to pick a lock or a pocket, how to move silently and quickly without leaving tracks, through city and wilderness alike. I could juggle before I was 7. I was a prodigy, kid. Then I was found out as a Muggleborn. My parents abused me, tortured me. Tried to beat the Magic out of me. Worst two years of my life. Finally, my Grandfather, the leader of the troupe, helped me escape. My father killed him for it. he took control of the troupe and tried to find me, but I was gone. Years later I found them and killed my parents for trying to kill a magical child. A girl they'd captured from her magical parents (whom they had already killed before I got there). I don't like Muggles, kid. But that's me, and that's a thousand years ago. Don't let that dictate your own feelings for them. But do be careful.
-Yes, Salazar. Thank you for your gifts and your wisdom. I'll do my best to restore Slytherin to its former glory.
-Good!
-Okay, it's my turn now. I'm Rowena Ravenclaw, and my title is The Morrigan.
-I know who you are, I'd seen your portrait in Hogwarts. You had a three-eyed crow on your shoulder.
-That was Muginn, one of my familiars. The other was Huginn, a white raven. Anyway, I give my Lordship and title to you, as well affinities for Rune Magic, Logic and Deduction, and Music.
-Thank you, Lady Ravenclaw. You honor me with you gifts.
-My, such a charmer. You take after your father, young man. Veela Friend, indeed...
Harry blushed and forced that comment to disappear from his thoughts and memory, though it took all his considerable willpower to accomplish this.
Okay, lad, if you're done with your mother's ancestors, would you please come this way? We only have till Dawn, you know?
Harry turned around. And wouldn't you know it, he was looking straight at the short black hair and beard and light-blue eyes of Arthur bloody Pendragon.
Before Harry stood who he assumed would be the only non-magical of his ancestors here, King Arthur Pendragon of Camelot, wielder of Excalibur. There was only one question he could ask.
-What did Excalibur look like?
Hephaestus, Arthur, Andros and someone with the hood still on laughed. Everyone else gave only a weary sigh as a response.
-It was actually called Caliburn, and you'll see soon enough. After all, it'll be in the vault you'll get to reclaim as Lord Pendragon. Another title for you, by the way: The Swordsman. I gift you with affinities for Rhetoric, Military Strategy and Weapon Wielding. I was a second generation squib, you're a second generation wizard. Funny the way life turns out.
Harry was still trying to get over the fact he was the Heir of King Arthur, so as many times before that night, his eloquence was kept to a bare minimum as he automatically said:
-Thank you for your gifts, your Majesty.
A roar echoed through the room.
-My turn!
Before Harry stood a tall and bulky man with brown eyes and long, flaming red hair. He had a fierce grin plastered on his face. Godric Giffindor in all his glory.
Harry stared at the Founder of his own House, the Original Gold and Red Lion of Griffindor. It was mind-boggling that this was happening to him. Most Griffindors couldn't even dream of this, let alone experience it! It was a truly humbling sight.
-Get your act together and let's get going, lad!-The Founder shouted, excited. The other ancestors seemed either amused by his exuberance or tired of it. - Not long till Dawn hits us! I gift you the Lordship of Griffindor, as well as my Title: The Griffin! Finally, I gift you with affinities for Summoning and Warding.
-Finally! I thought Godric would never stop shouting...
A bored voice seemed to drill its way into Harry's ears, which was disconcerting. A tall, black haired man red eyes who looked remarkably like Sirius stepped forward. His gaze was steady and neutral, as if he was still making up his mind about Harry. Which was very possible, when he thought about it.
-My name, child, is Orion Black, Founder of House Black. I pass onto you this Lordship and the Title of the Cerberus. As for the rest... we shall see. Lift up your arm.
Harry did so, trying to figure out what the Black Lord was going to do. Before he could, though, it had already been done. The man had seeped a sharp nail across the back of his elbow and drawn blood, which he quickly put to his mouth. Harry saw the slightly sharper than normal teeth before he closed his mouth around his finger, only to slide it out.
-Yes, your blood holds possibilities... very well, child. I approve of you. Try not to prove me wrong. I gift you with Necromancy, Divination, Vampiric and Lycan affinities. In your inheritance test, which you will take tomorrow before my descendant's will, there will be a surprise for. After the will, you will come to the Black Vault and speak to my portrait about it. Are we understood?
Harry shivered, his voice was so cold. Something about his ancestor was unnerving to an abnormal degree, and Harry was inclined to believe that he hadn't been quite human even before he died.
Turning to his last ancestor, he saw a beautiful purple-eyed woman, her long hair the same color as Hera's. She stood with a commanding posture that instantly demanded respect. Something about her spoke to his very soul and to his blood.
-Ah, it would seem it falls to me to gift you last, even though you bear my name. I am Diana Peverell, Founder of House Peverell. I would gift you my lordship, but your father already has. I would ask, however, that you bring its name back from Potter to Peverell. I am partial to it. I gift you with my title, The Thestral, and affinities for Blood magic and Soul Magic.
And with those closing words, all Harry's ancestors disappeared except for Andros, who approached him and knelt down as the fog encircled them again, thinner now than ever before.
-Harry, our time draws near. Soon, the rays of the Sun will wake you. But first, you should know that Dumbledore blocked some of your mother's influence on you after the attack on your parents. It has made you more reckless, and restrained your temper and determination. It has also had a physical impact on you. As a parting gift, your other ancestors and I have destroyed that block, and the mistreatment that the Dursleys have visited upon you. When you wake up, you will no longer be a scrawny malnourished kid. You will be a healthy young man. And that leads us to my next point. Harry, you may now, if you wish, pick a new name, including a surname. The Goblins and the Wizengamot will recognize this, and it will be your legal and true name. It will be who you are. But once this is done, it cannot be undone. You may choose to use one of your Lordships as a surname, but that is not necessary.
Harry thought long and hard. This was a great opportunity. He had to let go of his mask, after all. And Harry Potter was the mask.
But on the other hand, his name had been one of the only gifts his parents had ever given him. He was loath to let it go.
Inevitably, though, he was his parents' son, not his name. Whatever his name, he would still be their son. But what would he be called...
Merlin... What was that name he had been called by certain tribe that Hermione had ranted about?
Myrrdin.
-My surname is Myrrdin.
-A good name, young man. A strong name that speaks of wisdom and ancient blood.
Myrrdin felt good about it. It was his name, no way around it. But his given name (by himself) still eluded him.
Then he felt a pull towards something Orion Black had said about the surprise in his Inheritance Test, and that led him to a name he had somehow pulled from thin air in that memory. he had nothing that would suggest how he had thought about it, but it was right.
He told Andros his name, and Andros smiled.
-Yes... That is you. Goodbye, my Heir. You can find me and all of your Bloodline in the city by the Lake in your mind. Until then... Enjoy the light of your first dawn as a man and your true self.
And he vanished like Harry's other ancestors before him. Then the fog dissipated and harry realized he had been in the the center of his garden all along. The thrones were dissipating in front of his eyes. Speaking of his eyes, there was an annoying brightness beaming onto them that he couldn't find.
And then Gabriel Myrrdin woke up to his first Dawn.
A/N: Chapter 2 out of the way! I wanted to do more, but tis chapter was getting too long. Don't worry, tough, I think I can still get Gringotts to y'all by the weekend. Also, Familiar. And GLORIOUS CHAOS!
Almost no one tried to guess (which is disappointing), but the species of eagle was Steller's Sea Eagle, a Japanese National Treasure.
I'm sorry about all the dialogue in this one, but it was kind of inevitable. I hope the way I did it reassures people- I'm not trying to make Harry overpowered. He will be powerful, and might become overpowered AFTER the events of the story itself. But it's not instantaneous, it requires the work and the time to be spent. Oh, and yes, Harry will no longer be referred to as "Harry", but as "Gabriel", or "Myrrdin". Deal with it.
If you have any suggestions, feel free to post them in a review! Either way, let me know what you think! Idovelicus over and out, thank you for reading!