Warning: The base plot for this story is now completed and it will feature a Very Dark Dumbledore, as well as Dark Molly and possibly Dark Ron. It will also feature a different side to Voldemort than is usually seen, so for those who have issues with my characters being OOC I would like to quickly remind you that this is fanfiction and this story is written purely for my own entertainment and the enjoyment of others. If you don't like the direction I'm taking it, simple answer is to stop reading and go find something that is more to your tastes, as a ff reader myself I find it's by far the easiest way to deal.

Chapter 8:

Sure enough there was a house elf waiting for Harry when he reached the more public areas of Gringotts once more, a house elf which immediately bowed down to him before transporting him silently to a new location.

Looking around, Harry found himself in a large foyer of what appeared to be an expensive mansion, with wide windows overlooking a beautiful sea view.

"Excuse me, but who exactly are you, and where are we?" He asked the now bowing houseelf by his feet.

"Sir, this is Potter Mansion. It is located on the isle of Portland just outside Weymouth, on the south coast of the UK. It has been in the family for the past 10 generations and houses portraits of generations before that also. It is the traditional residence of the Potter family throughout history and where much of the family fortune is stored outside Gringotts. I am your head elf, Dinky, and I hope I can be of assistance to you today."

Harry let a half smile flit briefly across his face, before his thoughts moved to more pressing matters.

"Who else knows of this house? And how come it wasn't sold along with the others? Do you know what was lost when my properties were sold?"

A grin from the house elf, this was clearly the correct type of question to be asking of an elf of his stature.

"Indeed sir, I know all of what you ask and more, and I would be more than happy to answer you, however first I think a tour of the house and meeting your other elves might be in order?"

Harry nodded, he should have thought of this beforehand really, but hadn't even thought to. Riches and loyalty like this was alien to him, and he kept forgetting there were things outside his personal thoughts he should be focusing on, and people there who would like to help him achieve anything he set his mind to. People, because he refused ever to look upon his house elves as lesser beings, as anything other than people equal or better to him.

"That would be wonderful, thank you Dinky."

The house, it seemed, was as big and impressive as it had first appeared. Spread over three floors, the large foyer led onto an equally impressive kitchen on the left, with a staircase leading down to a wine basement, potions lab and house elf quarters. To the right a large formal seating area led back into a luxurious bathroom and large office come study with double doors opening into the gardens.

The first floor seemed to be mainly bedrooms, although there was also a spacious library containing more books than Harry had seen in his life. Easily putting the Hogwarts Library to shame, he could see instantly that many of these books were a lot more expensive and better cared for than anything Hogwarts had to offer, or was likely to have to offer for a very long time! Just looking at the library reminded Harry once again just how well off his family was, and how much had been taken from him by the actions of his so called guardians. Although this was supposedly the main family home there was no doubt in his mind that each and every one of his properties were equally as impressive.

It was upon entering the third floor that Harry instantly felt himself more at home, and knew he had found where he was going to stay. Until then the house had seemed just that, a large and over impressive house, which while reeking of magic was still just anyone elses home. He knew, logically that it was his and where his family had lived but it was hard to put it into perspective. The third floor, however, was something different. Two giant mastersuites, a large private study and a gym made up the entire floor, and at first glance alone it was clear that the Dursleys house would have fitted into each of the mastersuites alone.

"The right suite was your mother and fathers, to your left was your grandparents and so by default your own. We have always kept it in prestine condition in the hopes that you would return home to us, so it should be up to standard."

"Wow, Dinky, This is amazing!" Harry's mind was blown slightly as he opened the door into the gestured room and took a proper look around. For such a large room it was fitted extemely tastefully, and the carpet underfoot was thick and cared for to the point that his feet sunk an inch into it without him even noticing. "Is this really all mine?"

"Of course, Sir. The two mastersuites were kept for parents and their grown children, upon the death of the older generation the second suite was passed down to the generation below. This room was always to be yours in time, as the first born of this generation of the Potter line."

"So this has always been mine?"

"Indeed sir, and we have waited many years for you to claim it for your own. We understand it might not be to your tastes and that's why anything you need doing to make the whole house feel more like home to you, you just need to ask and we will see to it instantly! It would be a pleasure to make the young Master Potter feel welcome here, in the hopes that the house will once again become a home!"

Harry was overwhelmed by the amount of support and respect shown to him by this elf. After all, if he had ever met her before it would have been when he was a very young child, not nearly old enough to obtain this much respect from him! However, the constant use of sir was starting to Irk on him, and he couldn't help but mention it. He didn't believe in having slaves, and he would not have his house elves treating him like their boss!

"Dinky, I know this is awkward, but is there anywhere we can go to discuss things properly? I know as the head of this house you will understand better where my finances lie and the state of my properties than even Gringotts was able to tell me. After all, they deal only in the finance side, it is you who deals with the day to day running of the estate, a job I am sure you have done a wonderful job on if this house is anything to go by!"

The little elf seemed to glow and swell at the page, and grabbing Harry by the hand pulled him into the top floor study, before directing him to sit behind the large oak carved desk. Refusing, Harry moved instead to a comfy looking couch beside the large window, and gestured to the elf to sit down oposite him.

"We don't want to be formal right now, it's not a healthy relationship for friends to have!"

"Friends?"

"Yes. You might be my house elf and work for me, but I also want us to build a relationship as friends, where you know you can come to me at a moments notice without fear of reprocusions, and where you know I will do everything within my power to make things better. I might own the house and the finances, but its your home and you're the one who controls them. I think we will all get on a lot better if we have a pleasant relationship to base this on, don't you?"

The elf looked shocked at the idea

"But elves and masters can't be friends."

"And why not? What's to stop us being friends as well?"

"It's not the done thing!" Dinky was starting to get a bit irate now "The other elves would think things strange, and we would be mocked by the other families! The house of Potter will not become a laughing stock!"

Well that made more sense to Harry, it was an honest reason why his elves would not appreciate his alternative view to their relationships. Other peoples opinions mattering was something he had grown up with a lot as a child, surrounded by the Dursleys and their attitude that "what the neighbours thought was key". However, it didn't take him very long to come to what he believed was an adequate solution, and a way to word his compromise that was both diplomatic, commanding and friendly in one.

"I understand your concerns, after all we cannot let the house of Potter fall any further than it already has. Our reputation is already not what it was, and anything we could do to continue that downwards spiral would be far from positive. However, I don't plan to keep things the way they were within this house at least, I have principals which come from my alternative upbringing which will have to come into effect if I am ever to be comfortable being the head of the House of Potter."

"The house of Potter has always been a noble and Proud house and it should stay like that!"

"And it will, I can promise you that at least. But I grew up in a world where the idea of houseelves wasn't even thought of, and people got paid for their work no matter how menial a task it might have been!"

There was a look of utter outrage on the Elfs face, and Harry was quick to continue so as not to anger the little creature any more than he already had.

"I am not asking you to change your ways, nor am I asking you to take payment for anything you do around here. I would never ask you to change your nature or your beliefs to that level, although one day I hope you would at least consider it. However, I am asking that you at least agree to call me by my given name while in the privacy of our own home as the formalities will put me on edge, and I have a lot of important work to be doing if I want to get the House of Potter back up to the standing it should have always stayed."

There seemed to be agreement at that, at least Dinky replied without appearing too strained.

"I guess that could be agreeable, s-Harry." the quick correction caught his attention, but Harry didn't seem it worth comment, there was more important things to be getting on with.

"In the meantime, I would like to see the elven quarters so we can arrange any upgrades to your accommodation we see fit between us, and then I should be on my way for the afternoon as I have business to attend to in London. However once that business has been completed I will be returning to the house and would like dinner to be served in the upstairs study if that could be possible? Nothing too heavy but I wouldn't mind trying some of the fine food the Potter elves can offer."

"Of course! We elves will look forward to serving a Master one again"

***Diagon Alley, Several Hours Later***

Harry wandered peacefully through the crowded Alley, his thoughts wandering any way they pleased. Thanks to a slight glamor the Goblins had gifted to him complimenting his already vastly changed looks, it was nice to be able to walk down the street and not be noticed for once. Strangely, Harry could barely remember a time he hadn't got looks when out and about. Either it was because he was the "Famous Harry Potter" or because he was "That Potter Boy, always getting into trouble". Anonymity felt good, different but definitely something he could get used to. It did get annoying to be stared at constantly and never be able to go about his business without someone judging him.

And business was something he had a lot to get through before he could return to the Manor and relax. After all, mail order could only do so much to extend ones book collection, and a new wand clearly wouldn't be a quick especially if he didn't want it traceable by the ministry. Luckily, people were always willing to help if you had the gold, and within minutes of passing into Knockturn Alley he was directed towards a store that he was advised should be able to suit his needs.

The black door looked decidedly foreboding, dark and imposing against the stained wood and stone surrounds. The window to the left side of the door was crusted in dirt to the point it was almost black, leaving Harry to only wonder what he would find inside. Not to be put off though, he put his best game face on and knocked on the brass knocker.

"Yes? What business have you?" a raspy voice, sounding old but Harry couldn't be sure.

"My business is my own." He replied, his manner stiff as if he had every right to behave as snooty as the worst of purebloods. He did really, he reasoned. After all, most of said purebloods were already on his pay packet.

No more discussion, but the door slid open on unexpectedly well oiled hinges, and Harry entered.

The room inside was as dark and dreary as the outside, the shop itself seeming to consist of nothing but some battered old books and one or two clearly second or third hand wands. Maybe this wasn't the right place for him after all, he would have been better off going elsewhere.

"Mr Potter." came the same voice as before, this time from behind him. "I'm glad you finally made it to me."

Harry swung around, expecting to find a disiveled old man or possibly an old crone, but was surprised to find himself facing a woman who looked to be not much older than him.

"Who are you? And how do you know my name?"

"My name is Cassie but that is unimportant at the moment, it is who you are who matters. And as for how I recognized you, it is hard not to when our family have served yours for generations."

"No-one serves me."

"Not in the contract sense of the word no, unless you include the Potter house elves which I fear you might not, given current attitudes to those creatures. That said Mr Potter, I do serve you, me and mine have done so for many generations." then as if as a side thought "He should know this already, he should know all about us and who we are and what we do. If he had any type of upbringing he should know this."

"Serve us how?" Harry wasn't impressed by this idea that anyone should serve him. Work for him yes, being paid from his vaults for a service preformed was more than acceptable, but serving suggested no payment and an obligation to do so with no gratitude expected.

"We are Wand Creators Mr Potter, although I am sure you were aware of this when you arrived here. We specialize in creating wands under the radar so the Ministry of Magic cannot trace them, and also provide a better match than many of the ministry approved stores and suppliers."

"Yes, I was aware of this. I also wish to purchase from you today, if that's possible."

"What would make you believe it was otherwise?" again an undertone "why would he be here if he didn't want to buy something from me? He doesn't know anything about me so he can't be here to talk or find out anything so he must be here for his wand. Silly boy doesn't have a clue."

"Well, when I brought my wand from Ollivander when I was eleven it was really hard to match me to one... It took over an hour before a wand would choose me."

The woman looked confused for a moment, then rolled her eyes, and Harry was sure he heard her mutter something that sounded very like Dumbledore under her breath.

"What does Dumbledore have to do with this?" he asked, after a second to make sure he hadn't been mistaken.

"That man!" the reply was enraged. "For years we've been dealing with that man and his meddling! Over half the students he sees before they're due to start school have issues with their wands and when I inspect them I find they weren't suited at all! Most of them aren't even using something compatible to their magical core, either too weak or too strong so they can never reach their full potential! May I see your own wand, before we start finding your replacement? Although it probably won't help me to create anything."

He handed over his wand, instantly feeling naked and vulnerable. Although he had no intention of using the Holly wand any time soon it was still a part of hm and something he was comfortable with.

"Holly?" after a moments examination "and Phoenix feather. Oh I will be having words with Ollivander when I catch up with him!"

"Whats wrong?" Harry was nervous, he had never really thought that much about his wand before, just knowing that it worked and let him use his magic was enough for him.

"Whats wrong?! Whats wrong he asks, as if he doesn't know! What has that man been filling him with? Cause its definitely not what he has needed to know! Oh this is horrendous, I'm going to have some major work to do to fix this one!"

"Can you possibly tell me what the problem is?" Harry was starting to get slightly annoyed by this woman and her habits of talking to herself, she reminded him in some ways of a house elf, slightly demented and not really aware of who was around her.

"Oh, sorry I forgot you were there for a moment. So used to having this place to myself I am, I don't expect someone else to be there. The problem, well where to start with it?! Ollivander should never have even created this wand, there's nothing right about it!"

Harry was confused, and unhappy. How could there be something wrong with his wand? It had always worked fine for him before, he'd never had any real problems casting spells or doing what he needed to, he'd even surpassed his peers in some cases!

"I assume you are at least aware that every wand is made up by a Core and a Base wood."

The woman was talking again, and Harry focused on her words, this could actually be interesting and surely things he would never learn at school!

"It is a known fact among proficient wand crafters that some cores react badly to different woods, for example only a very skilled wandmaker could mix Unicorn Hair and Holly. The coldness and poison of the Holly will fight against the good of the Unicorn and cause a volatile reaction unless handled with severe care, its risky for even the best of our profession to attempt such a feat and in those cases the wand is normally kept for personal use or for experimentation!"

"But isn't the phoenix more light than even a unicorn?!"

"And there you see the issue! The core and wood of your wand should never have been mixed, let alone given to a child! And that's not even mentioning the family connection."

"Family connection?" Harry had never heard of any type of family connection to wands, unless you counted the idea of family members using the wand of a previous generation. But even that was flawed, the proof of that was with Neville, who always struggled with even the most basic of spells while using his fathers wand!

"I assume you are aware of your families totem animal?"

What was a totem animal? What did that even mean, and how was it relevant to anything in his life?

"No."

"Oh that man, he will face some hell when I get my hands on him again I swear! Your wand should never have worked for you, as your family totem, the animal you most relate to, is the Gryphon. Your wand as a focus combined with your own natural affinity to air rather than fire should have created a paradox, where you couldn't create any spells let alone do well!"

"But my wand has always worked fine for me, I've never had any problems with anything with it before. Sure, some spells have been hard first time but I've never struggled. I'm in the top 5% in my year!"

The look of shock on the womans face spoke volumes, but she didn't comment on it; instead turning quickly to the task at hand.

"Enough chattering, there will be time enough for that later! Let us create this wand for you!"

Several hours later Harry left the dingy shop tired, sweaty and thoroughly happy with what he had achieved. Under his sleeve sat his new wand, completely different to what he had before but resonating with him more than he even knew it was possible. Spells he had once had problems with seemed to come naturally to him now, there was no questions of whether or not he was able to cast spells up to his level, although having tried some new spells he had to admit they were still posing a challenge, it wasn't that the wand couldn't handle them as it clearly could but he just didn't have the magical power or knowledge yet to handle the more advanced stages of magic. That would come in time, he guessed, and he already felt more powerful than he previously had just with the new wand near his side.

He wouldn't be using it for now though, magic in public was something he would avoid in general until his emmancipation became common knowledge. After all, he didn't want to give the Ministry or Dumbledore any excuse to attempt to arrest him, although the old families had been using custom wands for years and they clearly weren't illegal without returning the House of Potter to its old levels he would have very little political standing.

authors notes:

Aaaahhh! I've been avoiding looking at this for ages because I had a really bad block on it, couldn't remember where I was going or what I was supposed to be doing with it and didn't want to depress myself by staring and not being able to write... Finally open the file to force myself to get something ready to upload (no matter how short) and discover that I actually managed to finish this chapter and it's been sitting on my hard drive for the past 3 months... I am so so sorry everybody!

In this chapter Harry found his way to Potter Manor (which I know is both located and laid out differently to cannon, but this is fanfiction so sue me). He also has a new wand, and has been introduced to Cassie, who will become very important in later chapters (though as yet I'm not certain when I'm going to explore that particular plot line as I have several I need to work into this story, I know what I want to put in and have rough ideas how they fit together but where to start is the big question).

Hope everyone enjoyed, please review and I will try my best not to make you all wait this long again!