Chapter 9:

Tired as he was, Harry still had a lot of things to take care of when he returned to Potter Manor that evening. First of all, and in his eyes most important, was the act of becoming accustomed to his new wand. While this could have been quite a complicated business, any books he had read on the matter had stated that there would have to be some bonding experiences involved and that the wand would not take to him instantly, Harry found that the wand responded to him without fault. If anything, it worked better for him than his Holly wand ever had. This had to be something to do with what the old lady had told him, that in itself was quite clear, although he knew that it would require quite a lot of research before he was confident enough in what she had told him to put his complete faith into it. After the amount of lies he was starting to uncover about his life, he was hesitant to trust anyone without definitive proof that they were telling the truth. Retiring to his study, he pulled out parchment and quill and began to write, his to do list growing fast before his eyes as he attempted to make sense of all the information he had gained recently and what he would need to do to counteract or expand on his information.

Top of his list, unfortunatly, was to respond to the letters sent him by Ron and Hermione. While he was loath to do this given that he no longer trusted them, to ignore them would raise even more suspicion and put a damper on more pressing matters. Much as he might be confused as to her roll in the lies, he knew that Hermione was the best person he knew to ask about things, and the most likely to be able to do research for him. While he couldn't ask her to do anything directly, there was always ways to subtly peak her interest in a subject. After that it was just a case of sitting back and listening to her rant about whatever it was that had caught her attention this time.

Ron would be slightly harder; while Harry wasn't certain just how much awareness his so-called best friend had with his money disapearing, it was clear the boy had benifited from it, and it would be very hard to trust him unless he could get definitive proof that he wasn't involved. It would be different, he mused, if they had just been honest and told him straight out. After all, he had offered repeatedly to share every coin in his accounts with the Weasleys and been refused. It was now becoming clear just why; they didn't need the money he offered if they were already gaining a large amount at his expense. It was a horrifying thing to realize but something that he had to face up to at some point, no matter how hard it was going to be. But not in his letters, he needed more proof and more time to get his facts straight before he dealt with that particular demon.

For now, he guessed, the priority would be to reply to the letters, and to try and gague just how much Hermione was under the belt of the professors, and more importantly Dumbledore. Hopefully, she would be easily enough swayed to the truth of matters, but her indefinate trust of authority would inevitably cause problems. Unless he could get the ministry or some of the teachers on his side there was no real chance that she would ever see his point of view and understand that just what had happened to him was anything more than 'for the greater good'.

Sighing, he lifted his paper and pen towards him, before sighing and reaching again for his quill and parchment. Oh how much he hated these things! But why he was using muggle items to write to wizarding friends was a question he just wasn't ready to explain just yet.

"Dear Hermione,

I'm fine, stop worrying about me! I'm somewhere safe and being well looked after, and I plan to stay just where I am until its time to go back to Hogwarts. Don't worry about that, I will be on the train on September 1st as always, do you really think I'd miss going back to school? You don't need to come looking for me, and there's no point trying anyway because you won't find me, all you need to know is that I'm safe and I'll tell you where I've been when the time is right.

I'm keeping happy and keeping busy where I am, doing a lot more study and I've even managed to get all my homework done already, I bet you never thought that would happen! I took your advice and wrote to Florish and Blots and they've been brilliant in getting back to me with what I wanted, although some of the books I needed just aren't in their stock. Apparently my name is useful for some things though, because they've promised to order everything in for me and have it shipped out within the next week or so... Annoying to wait but worth it at the same time.

My studies have blown up a lot of new information though, things I'm not sure we're supposed to know about or if we are, things that not many people are aware about. Do you know much about Wizarding geneology and how it works? Or how muggleborns come to be? I've been trying to find out what I can after I found more references to them in history, as everything seems to suggest they are just an alien gene. That just doesn't sit right with me though, Muggles are so much more advanced in science than Wizarding folk that they must have delevoped better ways to find out things like this, even to the point they might be able to know exactly what causes it. I'm looking forward to reading up on some science books and trying to get more details about this type of thing but just don't know where to start, maybe you would have an idea?

I'll write again soon but in the meantime don't worry about me, and don't try to look for me. I've made sure Hedwig is untracable so even if you try you won't be able to follow her back to me.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Harry."

Done, and it hadn't taken him very long when it came down to it. Reassuring and giving away no information about his current whereabouts, he knew his friend wouldn't accept this but at least it should keep her at bay until her next letter, buy him some time to come up with a more reasonable story. The last thing he wanted was to be constantly hounded by owls from her demanding to know where he was, there were too many other things he had to focus on. Hopefully his mentions about muggle science and geneology would pipe her interest too and bring up some more results. He was convinced that the answer to his mothers history lay in the muggle world rather than in the Wizarding and who better to ask than his half muggle, bookworm friend. Especially since it was something she would want to trace too, once she reached his conclusions, to try and find out which family she was connected to and how far back, how much of that blood ran in her veins too. It was something he knew she had always had some vague interest in, so him giving her a push wouldn't be too hard.

The next letter he had to face would be harder, as it was to Ron. He was still fuming over what he had discovered about the Weasley family, and while he didn't know who was involved it felt just too risky to trust any of them. Ron's gelousy had always been a problem, and now he was starting to wonder even more about him. Was it just jelousy that had caused problems with them, or was there some other deeper, underlying problem that he had never understood. After all, he and Ron had very little in common apart from the fact they were both magical, and both families were considered light. Was that really enough to base a whole friendship on, years of loyalty and trust? What did he really know about the boy other than that? They didn't share the same interests in study, or general topics of conversation, because much as Harry enjoyed Quidditch it wasn't his only interest, while for Ron it really seemed to be. He tried hard, but couldn't actually think back to a conversation about anything else, at least not one that wasn't initiated by him, or by Hermione with Ron looking bored the whole way through.

Groaning to himself, he forced himself to pick up his quill and parchment and begin to write... There was no point holding it off any more and if he didn't get this letter written soon then there would be another one coming, and another, and then another. If there was one thing Ron was it was persistent, especially when he wanted something.

"Ron,

Don't moan too much about your Mum, at least she cares about you enough to worry. You'd be more annoyed if she never showed you any attention any of the time. I know too much how she can be, and it must be stifling being stuck under her roof with no way out, but at least its only the summer and at least you can still play Quidditch and be around magic... I don't even have that privilege! I know by now you'll be flipping out that I'm not at my aunt and Uncles house... Don't worry about me and do not make too much of a fuss. Where I am is safe and I'm warm, and I am not going back to Dumbledore under any circumstances. He can try and hunt me down all he wants but it won't do him any good and you can tell him that when he comes snooping around looking for me! I'll be in contact at some point soon but don't you bother looking for me either, and don't kick up a fuss that I won't tell you where I am, its better this way for now and I'll see you on September 1st as usual.

Harry."

Yes his note to Ron was quite vague and didn't say much of any importance, but that was the way he wanted to keep it for now. He could have quite easily said more, ranted and raved and told his friend exactly what he thought of him, but that wouldn't have done any good in the long run, if anything it could have just made things worse. After all, he wasn't completely sure just how much influence and control the Weasleys actually had, he had always seen them as not that important in the grand scheme of things but how was he to know that wasn't just an act? He really didn't have a clue about the politics of the Wizarding World and for all he knew they could have been the most powerful family out there, just too modest to show it. He would really have to learn more about Wizarding politics and where each and every family stood before he could trust anyone again, or at least before he could decide who to trust with his whereabouts and the knowledge he was slowly gaining of his family.

Family knowledge was something he would need to study a lot that day, and his first job would be to talk to Binky and find out what he knew, they had never found the time to continue their discussion the night before, and so he still wasn't sure whether or not Dumbledore knew of the whereabouts of his current obode, or any other properties. His elves would also have a better idea of any family magic that could be used to protect whatever he had left, and that in itself was something he felt would be most important. The Goblins in Gringotts could do so much, but they weren't directly connected to his family and had very limited knowledge of Wizard Magic so their help for every day things would be very limited at best.

Binky was easy enough to find despite the sprawling size of the mansion, it seemed that Harry need only to think his name and the little elf appeared by his feet, a wide smile spread across his face.

"Master wanted Binky?"

Harry sighed, slightly exasperated but also amused by the bowing creature below him. It would take a lot of work to stop his charge calling him Master, but it was something he would continue to work on as much as he possibly could.

"How did you know I wanted you?" he half laughed "and I swear I told you yesterday to call me by my first name, that I don't like all this formality."

"A house elf always knows when his Master requires him." said with a half smile "and it will take some time for me to come to terms with that idea, after all it is completely alien to my people Mr Harry Sir, it doesn't come in our nature to do other than serve."

"Ah I understand that in principal Binky, but there are easier and better ways to serve than through constant formality and serverence. There are several things you can help me with today to start with, and I'm sure there will be a lot more as time goes on and I begin to require more and more information and tasks doing."

"Of course Master Harry, anything you want I shall do to the best of my ablilities, for that is Binkys job after all Sir."

"Well, could you take a seat please Binky, most of todays work is just a case of questions and answers for you, I can't make any decissions until I know the affairs and workings of my estate and what different areas need my attention. I will also, of course, need to be in contact with Gringotts at some point later, as the contents of my parents Will should be acted on as soon as possible; it won't be long until the old man gets wind of what I've done and tries to put a stop to it!"

"Of course! Anything Binky can help with Binky will do so as promptly and effectively as possible!"

The rest of the day was long and tiring for Harry, as he didn't leave his study for much of the afternoon, even staying there into the late evening. Much as he would have liked to get out and taste the fresh sea air around him, he knew that there were more pressing and important things to attend to and that his freedom could be enjoyed better at a later date.

He learned much that day through his discussions with Binky, and was able to finally build a better picture of how his affairs stood on a day to day basis, rather than a financial one which was all Gringotts was capable of supplying him with. He discovered that he currently owned 4 house elves, Binky and his Wife, as well as their son and daughter. All were currently resident at Potter Manor although at times the two younger elves would pop to the other properties in order to maintain them in good working order. Binky and his wife, who went by the name of Lula, worked souly within the Manor, Binky running the estate and Lula doing the cleaning and cooking as required. He discovered that the house elf accommodation, although sufficient by most families standards, did not reach the quality of life he wanted his employees (for that was what he insisted on thinking of them as) to live. With the help of Binky and his new wand he was quickly able to rectify that however, and was soon more than happy with the results several new beds and some decorative hangings had achieved.

He was able to learn more about his family magic too, and how the manor had stood safe from Dumbledore's hand for so long. Binky was more than happy to discuss this with him, and Harry even detected a distinct sense of pride in the old elf as he talked about the mesures put in place to ensure his masters safety.

"The manor is completely protected Sir! Noone will enter without you with them until you undo the locks; Potter blood is needed yous see sir, and only Potter blood of the last line! Distant relatives will not be able to find this place unless you tell them where it is, and only if you want them to remember it even then!"

This confused Harry slightly, he had never heard of a charm that could make people forget things as soon as they had been told them, but after more questioning he was slowly able to gain a better insight into what exactly was protecting him. It appeared both the Manor and the grounds were kept strictly under a modified version of the Findilius charm; only the current head of the house of Potter would ever know the exact whereabouts of the property, and even those with permission to enter would be blocked from knowing exactly where the property lay. From what he could make out, anyone attempting to enter the property would first be bounced through about eight different aparation points, each one with strict charms placed on them to prevent intruders from entering. There was no possibility of side apparation into the manor without Harry leading, as at every stop there were anti apparation charms designed purely to stop just that. On top of that the stops included anti intruder jinxes and hexes along the way. All of this would happen at such a fast pace that the wizard or witch trying to enter would not even register all their side stops along the way; simply if they failed any of the tests they would be bounced back to their original location and forced to start all over again. It seemed also that if someone was able to break that initial barrier, for example by somehow discovering the location of the property and arriving by foot, they would find themselves blocked before they even got near the grounds. Heavy anti-muggle charms surrounded the perimeter, as well as more mundane defenses such as keep out signs and warnings about unsafe conditions and guard dogs. The manor itself was situated in what appeared to the outside world to be an abandoned army town, known locally as the forbidden city, and the regular guards patrolling the outside boundary would be in themselves quite a large deteerant. Insisting on inspecting these guards, since he didn't want anyone else under his payroll if he could help it, Harry discovered them to be a combination of extremely well crafted charms combined with several well meaning family ghosts, becoming corporal as needed to scare away intruders. Anti theft, anti dark mark and anti intruder alarms completed the outside defenses. Knowing these details did make him feel a lot more secure in his home, and he allowed himself to play with his new wand more, letting sparks fly out of the end of it and casually levitating some items across his office and back again. Even if owls could find him, which he seriously doubted given his security, sending someone out to actually collect him would be a different matter all together!

He also managed to gather a lot about how Dumbledore had been able to get away with what he had, although it was also clear that the man had used many barely legal measures to get his own actions justified. It would be easy enough to tear him down when the time came, and for now there was plenty of evidence he could gather against him! It appeared from Binkys knowledge of the situation that Dumbledore had employed some secret charms when his parents initially joined the Order of the Phoenix, many of them boardering on dark or illegal but non that were widely known enough to register a place on the illegal spells lists. That would have to change, and given what he was starting to understand Harry would make sure it was done as soon as possible!

By the time the evening was done Harry's brain was too tired to even think over much of what he had learned, let alone get it straight enough to make sense of. It could be dealt with tomorrow, he thought sleepily as his head hit the pillow and he drifted straight into sleep.

A/N

Well, this took me a while. I'm not going to apologize, because clearly I am just incapable of updating regularly! However, updates will always come somehow, it might might take me longer sometimes than others. Enjoy, review and all that, and I'll see you next time!