Gaining Freedom, Losing Innocence

by Astiar

After his ordeal with the Basilisk Harry decides that if he can face those kind of horrors then he can leave Privet Dr. After leaving he finds himself caught in the space between wanting to be a boy and being forced to be a man. Will be a triad but haven't decided on the 3rd person. SLASH, Dumbledore and Ron bashing, possible FemSLASH

2. Chapter 2

6/2/15 edit by dianemalfoy's

An: Don't own anything but the ideas.

This is a long chapter with a lot of information that is needed as set up for the rest of the story.

All words in another language are in Greek or Ancient Greek and supplied by Google so sorry for mistakes.

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Harry was floored, shocked, flabbergasted and awed. He stood there in the room Dobby popped them to, just looking around with his mouth open. The room was the entrance to a large hotel. A hotel that Harry thought might have been made by Midas, or at least touched by him. The floor was one giant mirror, the columns were made of some kind of crystal with what looks like a flame inside as illumination. The walls were decorated in Gold and Silver. Leafed murals depicting different scenes were also dotted with copper, mother of pearl, and jade. To top off the shock, not a single person in the lobby was human.

"Where are we?" He asked after recovering a little, but his eyebrows were still raised.

"Dragon's Den, Master Harry Potter. Bestest place in plásmata katafýgio." He said smiling proudly "Is almost good enough for Master Harry Potter Sir." He added almost to himself.

"And what's that? I've never heard of it."

"That would be Creatures Haven in English sir." A beautiful woman told them coming over. She had curly red hair and 2 pair of dragonfly like wings coming out of her back.

"Huh?" Harry replied eloquently.

"Humans." She said with a sigh "If you're here to agitate our customers, you can leave. We don't take kindly to trouble makers." She told him narrowing her eyes. "If that's what you and your little servant are here for, you can floo out free of charge. This is a business not a zoo."

"We didn't come to cause trouble. I'm kinda new to the magical world and still trying to find my footing." He said trying to pacify the lady.

"I apologize then sir. Most humans that come here by mistake tend to irritate or insult our guests. How can I help you?" She asked much more pleasantly blushing lightly at her own outburst.

"Well I need to see the Goblins but it's getting kinda late. I guess I need a room for tonight and maybe a few more nights. I would also like to know where here is." He told the woman "Oh. And I didn't get your name."

"Forgive my rudeness. You should always introduce yourself at the beginning of a conversation. I'm Marina sir. We rent rooms for 1 mina a night. Gringotts is just at the end of the alley." She reached behind the counter. "Here's a map of the alley to help you get around." she circled a few of the businesses. "Some shops are labeled, but the smaller or newer ones are not. This is Dragon's Den at this end. Here on the other end is Gringotts. This one labeled Vivliothìkì is the library. Here's Wandering Souls the travel agency, that's a good place to look for answers or if you have questions about the various magical communities around the world. Alice's and Pandora's Playhouse are good places to eat, Pandora's is a tea house where you can meet lots of different people and catch up on gossip. I warn you though nothing you say there will be kept secret." Marina warned. "Oh and most of the stalls don't open till around 9 so if you're an early bird you won't see as much." Her wings were fluttering in amusement. The blank look on this little slip of a boy's face was priceless. It was taking all her well-honed practice not to bust out laughing.

"What's a mina?" He asked after a long pause trying to digest all that information.

"Mina is a type of currency. The mina and drachma are the preferred payment in the alley and most magical markets that deal with international trade. There are some places that take galleons and a few who take visa or euro. 1 mina equals 5 galleons, or 100 euro. The euro and drachma are equal. You can exchange any currency at the bank."

"Thanks for all your help. I'll take a room for 3 days then we'll see from there. And can I get some supper delivered?"

"Of course sir. You're in room 432 on the 4th floor. There's a pool on the ground floor and gardens on the roof. All room service is extra and you'll pay for that when you check out. I'll have your dinner delivered in a few minutes. Have a good night sir." she told him pleasantly, while handing over a key labeled υλβ not that Harry had a clue what it meant.

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As soon as he finished eating, Harry collapsed. He was dead tired and fell asleep, fully clothed. He woke up the next morning at 10, dressed in his pajamas and tucked into the large bed. He smiled and said "thank you Dobby." even if the elf was nowhere to be seen.

He was in a large room that was even bigger than Petunia and Vernon's room. It was decorated in dark wood with deep blue walls with darkish green and a few white fabrics. The black and white flooring that looked similar to marble completed the calm and relaxing look. He smiled, this bed was a full size and even more comfortable than the one he slept on in Gryffindor. The room also had a small sitting area, a desk and chair, and a single bookshelf with a few books and decorative items on it. After basking in the bed for a little while he got up and found a problem. There were 3 doors exiting the room. Upon investigation he found one led to the hall, one was a closet (which seemed almost the size of his room at Privet Drive) and the final door led to a 4 piece bath with double sinks. The bathroom was done in matching colors. He quickly showered, got dressed for the day and headed down to the lobby.

Last night there were very few people in the lobby. This morning was a totally different story. He had to wait on a couple with dragon like features and horns on their heads. While waiting, he also noticed some of the other creatures around the room. One family (2 adults, 3 kids) were all half snake, one man about the size of Hagrid was talking with another closer to Flitwick's size, but without his Goblin like features. Harry had to stop himself from gawking rudely as a man walked in with a goats behind. When the dragon people were gone, he approached the man behind the counter. He was very handsome and had a set of furry ears on top of his head and a tail like a lion. Harry blinked a few times before asking where he could get a late breakfast.

The man told him several stalls sold food. Alice's and Crete's Crapes were also good if he was looking for a sit down meal. Harry smiled and thanked him. 'Crapes are like pancakes that sounds good.' He thought on his way out the door.

Walking out of Dragon's Den was just as shocking as appearing inside. This Alley was a whole new world. It was as different from the wizarding world as the wizarding world is from the non-magical world. Out of what had to be thousands of people, Harry could only spot maybe 4 other humans and that was from a distance. Who knows if they were actually even human close up? The Alley was actually quite similar to Diagon in shape and construction. It was one long, wide cobblestone street with rows of shops on either side. That is where the similarities end. Whereas most of the shops in Diagon are similar in color shape and design (Old and creepy), the shops of Creatures Haven were all shapes, sizes, and colors. Some had normal looking fronts and shop windows while others had outdoor displays, dining areas in the street and still some had strange decor on the outside of their stores; though all those details were almost lost in the background. The main thing you saw when entering the Alley was the stalls. They were like an outdoor flea market, almost like Piccadilly Circus. The 100's of stalls filling the center of the street seemed to be selling anything and everything you could want, need, or even imagine.

Harry stood there open mouthed, like the village idiot, for almost 5 minutes before saying out loud. "This is awesome!" He wanted to go everywhere at once, see all the things for sell, and listen to all the different languages. He could distinguish at least 4 different languages being spoken and he didn't doubt there were more. But as he was about to race off and explore, he remembered his purpose. If he didn't become emancipated, he would be forced to go back to the Dursleys. That was a fate to be avoided at all costs. As he was looking around for a good place to eat, he also realized he would need to know how much money he had to spend. A huge pile of gold may be more than enough to buy school supplies and treats but how would it hold up buying an apartment or house? He would have to think it over and plan a budget before he could even consider a shopping spree.

Crete's Crepes was a tiny shop that sold pastries, including crapes and pancakes, as well as hot and cold drinks. Harry had a delicious and educational brunch. He learned the names of several of the different species he had seen so far. He now knew what a satyr, gremlin, dwarf and nymph were. He also heard bits and pieces of descriptions for other creatures that just yesterday he would have claimed too fantastic for even the Chronicles of Narnia.

After breakfast Harry headed to the bank. Not that he had a choice. He only had 1 galleon and 6 sickles in his pocket now. On the way to the other end of the alley he saw Wandering Soul's. He made a mental note to check it out later. His trunk had been damaged by Vernon last year and the expansion charm was starting to fail. He also saw a second hand store he wanted to check out. He was use to only having second hand things and had to admit buying only new stuff was a waste of money. Right before entering the bank, he notice the library across the alley from the second hand shop. 'I should probably stop there first, after the bank.' Harry told himself.

He noticed something else before entering. There were no guards. And no cryptic death threats either. 'I guess Marina was right. Humans are jerks. I mean look at Snape, Malfoy, Fitch, even the general public are rude.' Entering the bank didn't change his opinion any. The bank was brighter, the Goblins more friendly. But not only that the customers were also nicer and more respectful. This was like a non-magical bank. At least like the only one Harry had ever entered.

Harry walked up to an open teller. "Good Morning. I'm Harry Potter and I need to speak to someone privately about my account. May I have a list of the services you offer to look over while I wait?" He said politely but to the point.

The Goblin blinked looking up at this human. A polite human that's a rare commodity. "Of course sir. Here is a pamphlet of our services. I'll see if a manager is available at the moment. Have a seat." He told the boy waving to a row of chairs. 'Now let's see how deep this boy's good nature runs.' The goblin thought. It was Goblin tradition to test Humans. To see if they were trustworthy or if they were just putting on a pleasing vainer. It was usually the later but the rare kind human would gain much better service. Humans are one of only 4 races to ever stand their ground against a Goblin army. That garnered them some respect, but anything above tolerance had to be earned individually.

The pamphlet was like any other it was three folded with 6 columns total. The front had a picture of the bank with business hours listed. The 3 interior sides had lists of services along with their prices. They offered 4 different vault types, investments, loans and other services you would expect from a muggle bank. Then there were ritual rooms for rent, healthcare services, warding, curse breaking (charged by size of the object and the type of curses), marriage/betrothal contracts, building, legal aid and a seemingly endless list of subjects the Goblins are able to offer tutors in. There was a whole section on families. Things like wills, inheritance rituals, legacy tests and family tapestries. The last section listed international portkeys, and floo services. As well as listing the other Gringotts locations. They were in France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Russia, Japan, Egypt, and Australia along with 2 in the USA.

'I wonder what the difference between an inheritance ritual and a legacy test? And there are so many classes here that Hogwarts doesn't offer. I wonder if I can add a few classes?' Harry made a mental list of all the things he wanted done.

Harry was brought out of his thoughts by the clearing of a throat. "Griphook!" he exclaimed. "It's so good to see you again. I missed you last summer. I wasn't paying much attention. I had just taken my first floo trip and accidentally ended up in Knockturn Alley and there was all that Lockhart mania." He told the shorter being.

Griphook, and every other Goblin in the room were shocked that this young human remembered a Goblin's name and could identify him from 2 years ago. "I'm fine Mr. Potter. Thank you for asking. If you'll come this way Trilok will see you now." He replied leading Harry out of the lobby. "I am flattered that I made such an impression on you. Though I didn't work the day of the book signing last year."

"Of course you did. You were the first Goblin I was introduced to. You explained the way money worked and took me to my vault for the first time. And you were the second magical person I ever met. I'm not including the people that mobbed me in the Leaky."

Griphook nodded in acknowledgment. "Were you a Lockhart fan?" he asked making conversation.

"No." He said harshly. "That man was one of the worst kind. He was a liar, a thief and a charlatan. As far as I'm concerned he got what he deserved and I don't intend to think about him again."

"I meant no offense Mr. Potter. We Goblins like liars about as much as thieves." He replied with a feral grin.

Harry chuckled not at all effected by the smile. They walked deeper into the bank in silence for a few minutes before Harry spoke again. "Griphook why are you Goblins so much more... well, approachable on this side than with the wizards?"

"Mr. Potter, respect is earned. Wizards come into our domain, our land, and demand we show them respect. They treat us like servants and we do not appreciate it."

"Oh. That's stupid. Even in the muggle world people respect their bankers, and you do so much more than that. Wizards don't make a lot of sense to me." Harry confessed. "You can call me Harry by the way."

"Here we are Mr... Harry" Griphook had stopped at a door which read 'Trilok Account Manager' Griphook knocked. A gruff 'Enter' was the only reply.

Trilok was doing paper work so Harry took a seat in silence just looking around the room. The office was made of rough stone and decorated in dark woods. Harry's eye was drawn to one of the few decorative pieces. A red tapestry with an unusual blue symbol on it.

"That is my family crest." Trilok said.

Harry jumped lightly. "It looks interesting, but what is it?" Meaning the blue symbol.

"It is a basic goblin locking mechanism. Not many humans have seen the inside of an actual Goblin lock." the older larger goblin smirked causing the scar bisecting his right eye to move and make itself known. "Now what can I do for you Mr. Potter?"

"Harry please. I have several questions that I would like answers to. Do you have the time to answer them?"

"I am free till 2 this evening. Whatever we don't get to, you can schedule an appointment to cover later." Trilok told him. He was willing to make leeway for a polite human.

"This has little to do with business but I'm curious. Do Goblins have sir names?" Harry asked

Trilok gave a large toothy grin that would have frightened most humans but seemed to have no effect on this boy. "Yes... Harry. Mine is Lok. All of my family have Lok in their name. For example my brothers are Lokmi, and Trulok. The same is true for the brothers, Griphook and Yavhook and their cousins Deathook, and Bihook."

Harry smiled. "Thank you for telling me. What's the difference between a legacy test and an inheritance ritual?"

"Inheritance rituals tell what vaults you have access to. What age you must be to access them and what degree you can access. Some vaults you can access the items before you come of age but not the money, for example." He explained. "Legacy tests tell what blood lines you are related to and how far back that goes. It won't tell you how you're related to them. For that you would have to order a family tapestry. They vary in length from 2 generations back to 32 generations. Though the farther you go back, the longer it takes to make and guarantee accuracy. The legacy test will also tell you if you have any active creature blood and when you can expect an inheritance if you do."

"I would like to have both tests done. I will wait on the tapestry." He smiled shyly wanting to know more about his family. "What do I need to do?"

"For the legacy test you place 7 drops of blood in the basin." Trilok said as he pulled out a shallow bowl with intricate markings on it. "Afterwards, I will add a potion. For the inheritance ritual you just have to place 3 drops of blood onto this parchment." He handed Harry a dagger. He cut his hand without even flinching and dropped the blood into the bowl then on the paper. "The inheritance ritual only takes a moment. But the legacy will take about 15 minutes."

"That's fine." Harry said watching the parchment. After a moment it glowed blue and words appeared.

"Here you are Mr. Potter." Harry looked at it

Rightful Inheritance of Harricius John Potter:

Heir of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter

Heir to the Archaic and Noble House of Perciville

Heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Black

Heir to the Houses of Belix and Blush

Full access to vaults 687, 693, and 712 at age 11

Non-monetary access to vaults 7, 31, and 514 until claiming of Potter Lordship

Non-monetary access to vaults 4 and 18 until claiming of Perciville Lordship

Partial non-monetary access to vaults 2 and 39 until claiming of Black Lordship

No access to vaults 647 and 271 till age 15 or emancipation

Partial non-monetary access to vault 8

"All of these vaults are mine? I have this much family? Are any of them still alive? How much is in these vaults? What kind of vaults are they?" He asked rambling in shock. Mouth slightly open after he stopped speaking.

Trilok couldn't help but chuckle, as he poured the mixture for the inheritance ritual onto a piece of parchment and set it aside to finish. He was starting to like this boy. "Yes they are all yours. The full access and limited access until claiming of a title is self-explanatory. Vaults 647 and 271 are either willed to you or are from a common family you are related to. Vault 8 is a vault that is owned by another family which you have no claim to but due to close ties between your lines you have partial access. There are living Blacks that I know of. There may also be Perciville's but they all moved out of Britain when their last Lord was killed in the war. A tapestry will give you both birth and death dates of all your relatives. Once we are done with the Inheritance Ritual I will have those vault ledgers you have access to brought up. The ledger will tell the vault type and give an itemized inventory as well as current monetary holdings."

"Thank you." Harry said robotically. He couldn't believe this. And he thought he was rich before. If all these vaults have anywhere near as much as 687 then he was very very wealthy. Like swimming in it.

"It will take a few more minutes for the test to complete. Do you have any other questions?"

Harry sat there for a bit just trying to get his head around all this. He felt so unprepared. He felt like someone should have known all this and told him he was going to be rich. Or even told him he had 2 other vaults he could access right now. "I would like to have a full checkup and I need vaccinations. I have never had any. Not even the non-magical ones."

Trilok nodded pulling out a thick planner. "There is an opening with Ironfang tomorrow at 11 if you wish to see a goblin healer." The insinuation that he wouldn't trust a goblin with his healthcare and the look of annoyance at his lack of proper care went unnoticed by Harry.

"That sounds fine. Can I have both done then?"

"Iron fang will examine you then decide what you need done." He replied with a raised eyebrow a bit shocked the boy would have a goblin healer.

"Alright. Investments. I need to know what ones I have and if you can invest in the non-magical world."

"Investments for each house are in separate ledgers that can only be accessed by the Lord or head of a House. We do invest in all worlds, magical, non-magical and wizarding both here in Great Britain and internationally. You may however invest any money in vaults you have full control of."

"You say that like the magical world and the wizarding world are different."

"Yes. And the test is finished would you like me to explain first or read the results?"

"Explain please. I'm not sure I want to know what else has been kept form me." He replied with a bit of steel entering his voice.

"They are. Wizards, especially those here in Britain, as you may have noticed are exclusionary. They don't like to mingle with other races and species. The magical world is all the non-wizarding creatures, peoples and beings that have or use magic. The division wouldn't be so complete if the wizards weren't so rude and sometimes violent with the other people. The Goblin wars are good examples of this."

Harry nodded. The more he learned, the less he liked Wizards and the Wizarding world. They treated him like some kind of miracle messiah one day and a dark lord the next. The way they treated Hagrid and their general rudeness didn't help matters any. He was both ashamed and angry. He didn't want the goblins and all the other races he had seen in Creature's Haven to think of him like that. He was beginning to hope this test showed he did have creature blood so he could claim not to be a wizard. He liked it here. "So far here in the magical world no one has treated me odd or special, that's just what I always wanted, to be a normal boy. I can't thank you enough for your kindness and taking time to sit and explain things to me. It seems for the last 2 years I've been thrown into the deep end without being taught to swim. I was never given much explanation. 'Just you're a wizard Harry, here's all this stuff you need and classes are just as bad.' They expect us to just know things but the first time I entered this bank was less than 12 hours after learning magic was real. That's a lot to take. It seems I never have the time to absorb what's going on before the next thing is thrown at me." He sighed heavily. "I'm sorry. This is just a lot and I need to get that off my chest."

"It's alright Mr. Potter, Harry. Don't worry so much." Trilok tried to soothe the boy. His heart went out to this youth and his plight.

"I would just like to know why. Why me? What do they want from a 12 nearly 13 year old boy? I'm famous for some psycho failing to kill me after killing my parents. And every year I have been back in the wizarding world, he has tried to come after me again. Why? Why me?" He said in despair, tears beginning to leak from his eyes.

Trilok waited for Harry to finish crying and compose himself. "Better?" Harry nodded. "Those questions are not ones I can answer Harry. We goblins keep our children safe at home until they prove in a trial by fire that they can protect themselves. Goblins also don't harm one another like humans do. There hasn't been a Goblin civil war in over 100,000 years. That was when the Nation was formed by Sazane the Almighty and Melrok the Unmovable. Sazane had no desire to rule so the Rok family became our kings. Our current leader Ragnarok is descended from that most famous line. Don't worry so. While you are in the magical world you are safe. Magical races don't harm children. Unless they are their prey."

Harry couldn't help but chuckle at the ridiculousness of that last statement. Trilok smiled again, while frightening to other humans it actually calmed him some. "Are you ready to continue Harry?"

"I think so. I would really rather just have it all over with." He took a deep breath and let it out before taking the parchment.

Legacy of Harricius John Potter:

Potter: 1/2 Perciville: 1/2 Black: 1/4 Flint: 1/4 Belix: 1/8

Bulstrode: 1/8 Prince: 1/8 Malfoy: 1/16 Mazvile: 1/16

Goyle: 1/16 Ravenclaw: 1/32 Tubor: 1/32 Slytherin: 1/64

Gryffindor: 1/128

Expected inheritances:

Dominate Drake expressed age 13, Active age 15.

"What does this mean?" Harry asked looking at the results.

"You are half Potter and half Perciville. That means your mother was not an Evans but a Perciville. The 1/4 means one grandmother was a Black and the other a Flint. 1/8 is your great grandparents, so forth and so on. This isn't the most accurate. A tapestry will show the whole family even those that don't appear here. This test usually only shows back to 1/32, but stronger blood lines can show up farther back." Trilok explained. "The weaker the bloodline the closer it has to be to show on this test. Most non-magical lines wouldn't show because there isn't enough magic in their blood."

Harry nodded understanding. "What's a Drake? And what does it mean by dominant?"

"There are 3 types of magical species." Trilok began realizing a full explanation would help the boy the most. "Those Matriarchies, Patriarchies and Neutrals. In a Matriarchal species, like Goblins, the bearer of the family is in charge, or chooses the mate. For Patriarchal species the dominant is the central member. In Neutral species there are no distinctions between bearers and dominants since all members of the race are hermaphroditic in a sense. A bearer is able to have children. In the non-magical world this is only female, but in most magical people there are some males who can also bear children. A dominant is unable to have children, but instead protect any mates and children. Do you understand so far?"

Harry looked at him for a moment before he nodded. "So bearers are women and some men who can have kids and dominants are over protective males of the family. Which are the Drakes?"

"Drakes are Patriarchal, as are wizards. As a dominant it will be your job to care for and protect your family. Which is something a Drake can do very well. I don't know much about them, for that you should look in the library, or ask at Wandering Souls, the owner knows many species and could refer you to someone that can answer any questions. What I do know is Drakes are one of the 9 dragon kin. They are fiercely over protective and honorable. I know the Drakes have long memories. IF you are their ally they will be unflinchingly loyal, but betray them and they won't ever forget."

Harry looked at him. Some part of him was relieved that he wasn't really human. Being classed as rude and discriminatory didn't sit right with him. But another part of him also worried what would happen now. Would his friends still want to talk to him if they knew he wasn't human? "So what does it mean expressed and activated?"

"You will express your physical features on your 13th birthday. You will have until your 15th birthday to get use to your new form, then when your creature becomes active you will begin looking for your mates."

"Mates? You say like there will be more than one." Harry said a bit shocked

"There may be. Every Drake I have ever met has had at least 2, the most I have seen is 4." Trilok explained

"So I am going to become a creature on my birthday and then in 2 years I'm going to marry 2-4 people, possibly men. I'm not sure how I feel about that." He buried his face in his hands. He sat there in silence for several minutes. "The original reason I came in for was to ask about the Last of Line clause and to find out how much money I have."

"The Last of Line clause was created so if a Lord died and there was no of age family the government couldn't seize the child and gain control of the family's assets. Do you want to claim Last of Line, there by emancipating yourself?"

"Yes. The people I was forced to live with are awful and I want to legally never have to see them again." He told the Goblin.

Trilok nodded then called in a younger looking goblin to fetch the Potter, Perciville and Black lordship rings. "All you have to do is put on the ring and say the following: I, Harricius John Potter, claim this title as the last of my line. So mote it be."

Harry looked at him. "It's really that easy? What happens if I can't claim the title? Dobby said Draco Malfoy tried to claim the Black lordship and was rejected."

"Nothing. If you are not eligible you will glow red and receive a shock, then the ring will return to this box. If you are eligible but unable to claim the title you will glow blue and the ring will do nothing. If you successfully claim the title the ring will re-size to fit your finger and will grow with you and remain on you until you die or are properly convicted of a heinous crime. Unless you perform a ritual to pass the line on to your heir."

Harry nodded. "Alright. Let me try the Potter ring first." Harry took the platinum ring with a large ruby stone. A shield with a crossed sword and wand seemed to float inside the ruby. After he said the phrase the ring warmed and shrunk to fit his right index finger. "That was simple. I will try the Perciville ring next." This ring was much smaller. It was made of gold, with a pearl caduceus instead of a stone. On either side of the caduceus were words. He placed the ring on his left middle finger and repeated the ritual. Again, it shrunk to fit him. "What do these symbols mean?"

"They are Greek, which most magical people use. The one on the left says Prostasia which means protect. The other says Kathodigisie which means guide. The words are part of the family motto. 'Protect and give guidance to all those who seek shelter.'"

Harry looked at him in awe. "Does the Potter family have a motto?"

"The Potter's are an ancient family. They have 2 mottoes. One is simply 'Divide and Die.' The other is 'All great things come slowly.' You'll notice there are 2 linked D's on either side of the ruby. Those stand for the first motto."

"Wow. Both families seem so noble. How can I live up to that?"

"Both are noble and honorable. All 3 lines you are heir to are old. The Potters go back to times before Merlin, back before the Romans first invaded this island. The Perciville's are nearly twice as old. The Blacks are form the same age as the Potters but didn't originate in this country. Would you like to try the Black ring now?"

"Yes please." He took the ring was much wider and more ornate than the other 2. It had an onyx stone with 13 small white dots that looked like stars inside. He performed the ritual and then glowed blue.

"That should be impossible." Trilok said. "Sirius Black is in prison for betrayal. The old magicks should allow the heir to assume the title... Unless... unless his imprisonment is unjust and not sanctioned by magick. I will have to investigate this farther."

"So this man is in prison but magic doesn't recognize it and therefore he may be innocent. That's terrible. We have to do something if we can. If he is innocent and we get him released then I will have family and he can take me in as his heir." Harry smiled for the first time since the beginning of these tests.

"You are legally an adult now but you and he can live together if you wish. Once we get this sorted, that is. I will keep you updated." He handed Harry some paper work and another ring. "These are your copies of the emancipation paperwork that will be filed with the ministry. The rings and this paperwork will destroy the tracker on your wand. You still can't learn to Apparate until you pass at least 3 OWLS. You can however test for your OWLS and NEWTS whenever you like. This ring is the Black Heir ring. It goes on your right pinky finger." After Harry placed the silver ring with a small sapphire on it on his finger Trilok spoke again. "In recent years the Black motto has been twisted by blood purists. The shortened motto used by most of the family is 'Always Pure' but the full motto is 'Keep yourself pure of heart and outside influence.' The Blacks detest bowing to anyone. The only people they would bow to is their own Lord and the Sovereign kings, which have all but died out. But over the years inbreeding and poor choices have led many to bow before Voldemort."

Harry nodded. "If Mr. Black is innocent and isn't working with Voldemort then maybe we can turn the Black name around."

Trilok nodded. "You now have full access to vaults 7, 31, 514, 4 and 18. I will have all the ledgers for those brought up to us. The investment ledgers will be brought with them. Before I forget, both lordship rings act as portkeys to every property owned by that family. All you have to do to use the portkey feature is say the name of the property and 'Portus'. They will also allow you to see through and pass through any and all wards around the properties, since wards will always allow access to their masters. The heir ring will portkey you to Black Manor and will allow Lord Black to Apparate to your side through even light to moderate wards. Strong ward, like those around Hogwarts would block them but allow the Lord to Apparate just outside of the wards. Each ring offers some Occlumency, or mental defense, so that family secrets aren't stolen. They will also weaken or break the imperious curse."

Harry nodded along trying to absorb all this. He thought he was getting it but there was just so many changes in such a short amount of time that it was hard. After a few moments of sitting in silence and absorbing the information he asked, "I was reading about marriage contracts and betrothals. What are they?"

"A betrothal contract is given to a prospective husband by the father of a bearer. These are reviewed by the parent or guardian of the intended male. They list the bride price, dowry and assets of the offered bearer. These can be easily modified or rejected. But if accepted then they become marriage contracts with agreed upon perimeters that are difficult to break. There are various types of these contracts. Some sit unfulfilled in the families' vaults for generations."

"How would that happen?"

"The contract between two families could say. 'Your first born daughter will marry my first born son.' Or something. If the family has no daughters, only sons then the contract would go unfulfilled. Would you like to see if you or your families have any contracts?"

"Yes please." He asked praying that they didn't. He wanted to marry for love not because someone had sold off a child, like livestock.

He called in the young Goblin again. They spoke for a few minutes before the goblin left leaving behind 10 black ledgers with 3 golden numbers on the front of each, and 4 dark blue ledgers with Potter, Perciville, Belix and Blush on the fronts in silver. "These are your copies and you can review them at your leisure. The black ones represent each vault you have full access to, the blue have all the investments of the families you are now head of."

Harry nodded and placed and placed them in his backpack, which he had brought thinking that after getting money, he could go shopping. They waited for a few minutes until the goblin returned with 3 folders, an accordion case and a key ring with one silver key, one gold and one bronze.

Trilok handed Harry the keys. "The golden one will allow you access to any of the 10 vaults you have full control over the silver is for vault 8 and the bronze is for vaults 2 and 39. Now on to the contracts." He pulled out the thinnest one. "This is for the Black family." He said handing it over.

It was a simple sheet of paper, with 2 sentences and a list of 3 names

No Black shall ever be controlled by a Non-Black unless they are the sworn King and of the Sovereign line of Ravenclaw or Pendragon. Any attempting to do so will be the enemy of the House of Black for 100 years.

Lestrange: 88years

Dumbledore: 100years

Riddle: 88 years

He thought it was kinda funny that the Black family and Tom were enemies. But Dumbledore was a shock. He would have to find out why, and just who the Lestrange are. They may be a danger to him.

The next one he was handed was the Potter's. It contained 2 contracts. One was swearing allegiance to the Ravenclaw family and the other was allegiance with the Longbottom family but they were different. "What do these mean?" Harry asked confused

Trilok took them and looked them over. "The one with the Ravenclaws is swearing allegiance to them as their eternal subjects. The one with the Longbottom's swears fidelity and allegiance to each other. So while you are the subject of the Ravenclaws you and the Longbottom's are allies and the 2 families will always stand beside each other."

Harry smiled at that. He really liked Neville. He would have to get together with his friend this summer. "Alright let's move on."

The Perciville folder had 5 contracts in it. One was like the Ravenclaw contract, swearing service to the Slytherin family. That seemed strange to Harry, Voldemort is such a terrible person. 'Maybe he isn't a good example of a Slytherin.' Harry thought. 'Now that I think of it neither are any of the other Slytherin students. They are supposed to be sneaky and sly, but they are so obvious and easily caught. Fred and George are so much better at subtle than any Slytherin I have ever met.'

The next one was like the other 2 but the De'vale family was swearing allegiance to the Perciville's. The 3rd was a protectorate for the Delacore family. "Trilok? What is a protectorate?" Harry asked after looking over the contract a few times.

"The protectorate is a contract that says in exchange for something, in this case loyalty, one family is protected by an others name and influence. The Perciville's are an ancient and very powerful family. The Delacore's will be under your protection as long as they remain loyal to you. Recently the Delacore Lord has married into a peck of Veela. To many blood purists this would greatly hurt their standing in society if not for the continued support of the Perciville family."

"So if I was to revoke the protection then they would be treated like the Weasley's?" He asked curious to how wizarding society worked.

Trilok chuckled lightly. He didn't know what is was about this boy, but the longer they sat in his office the farther he wormed himself into the gruff goblin's heart. He's such a sweet honest child trying to deal with things a boy his age should never have to. And he was doing so well. Harry was taking these shocks and revelations better than many 'pureblood princes' would have. "Not exactly. The Delacore's would still have their fortune, but they would be snubbed much like the Weasley clan."

The fourth document was some kind of contract but was unlike any of the others. "What is this one about?" Harry asked

"Ah this." Trilok said looking it over. "If I am not mistaken this is the only contract of its kind in existence. This says that the Lord of the Perciville family must approve any heirs to the Slytherin Line before they can take the title High Lord Slytherin."

"High Lord? What's the difference between a High Lord and a regular Lord?"

"In ages passed there was a hierarchy of Lords and wealthy families. You can find full list and more complete descriptions of how it works in the library. The basics go the King, or Sovereign families are the highest, followed by the next oldest and most powerful family names in the wizarding world. Such as the Slytherin's and Gryffindor's. They are now called High Lords. Next come those that keep the deep knowledge such as the Le Fey family. Their full title is Archaic and Honorable Lords or Archaic and Noble. Then follows the sequences of Lords from Ancient and Noble down to just Aged. Followed by the Noblemen, and finally the commoners."

Harry nodded. That was something else he needed to learn about since 3 of the 5 families he had inherited or was heir to were Lords of some kind. He also guessed that the Slytherin's couldn't be all that bad, since his family was so close to them that they put their family succession in Harry's hands.

The final contract in that folder was a courting contract. "Can you explain this one too?"

Trilok looked over the paper. "Well you won't have to marry into this family unless you want to. But this contract states that you must choose one bearer of the Dubear family and court them for a minimum for one year. You can then break it off with no reciprocations. You can find more information on courting and contracts in the library."

"Oh. So I just have to date them for a year. OK. Can you get a hold of the head of the Dubear family and set up a meeting?"

"Of course. This is the last of it." Trilok said opening the accordion case. "This is a list of all the bearers who have been offered to Harry Potter between Samhain of 1981 and yesterday." He handed Harry the list, there were 5 pages front and back, there had to be 1000's of names on there.

His eyes nearly fell out of his head. "What do I do about this?"

"I would suggest nothing." Harry looked at him like he was crazy. "I mean you should ignore them until you have come into your full creature inheritance at least. Afterward, if you fall in love with someone and they are on this list then you can use the contract to take them as your bearer with less hassle. Whether you like it, or approve, as long as you are available as a potential mate the fathers of these bearers will hesitate to arrange other contracts for them. If you reject them now, later if you become interested in someone they may be otherwise engaged and unavailable."

Harry nodded after a moment. "I think it's crazy, but I guess that makes sense. Is that all that's in this case?"

"No, there are copies of all the individual contracts that are listed there. There is also this." He said pulling out a VERY official looking piece of parchment, and 2 envelopes. He handed the contract over to Harry.

"This doesn't even begin to make sense to me. Can you explain it?"

Trilok read over the page his eyebrow ridge rising higher and higher. "This is not something I expected to see in your file. I recall the fire in Lilly Potter's eyes when your father's list of betrothals was brought out. I thought she was going to spit fire. But I digress. This is a very old and very, very powerful type of contract. It is called an Absolute Contract. I've only seen 3 in my life time, this one included. It was once very popular, but as equal rights gained ground this kind of contract lost favor. It basically gives you ownership of the bearer. You will have control over every part of their life, even who can touch them. No one can even shake their hand without your permission. They will also be marked as under an Absolute Contract by the collar that will appear around their neck, and remain there for the rest of their life. The contract activates the moment you are informed that it exists. This says that you must bond with in a year of becoming a Lord, or the age of 15, whichever happens last. It also states the bearer must be with child by 6 months after bonding."

Harry's face flamed red at that. He wasn't ready to get married or even think about it. "Can I reject this one? I don't want to own anyone, that's... it's awful." He said shaking his head in disgust at the thought.

"You can, but due to the power of this contract the bearer would die. The cost of breaking this contract is their life."

Harry looked at the goblin horrified. "I... I... I would rather marry someone I didn't love than sentence a stranger to death." Harry said with tears in his eyes. 'How can a parent sell their child like that?' He thought. Harry was very distressed by this news, and Trilok gave him time to compose himself. "Who is it? Can you tell me who I have to marry?"

Trilok sympathized with this poor child, but nodded. "It says Theodore Nott. There were 2 letters with the contract. Would you like to read them?"

Harry looked at him for a moment. "Yes." He said with determination. "I want to know why someone one would do this to their child."

He took the first letter and read it.

My Dear Pup,

If you are even reading this then something has gone horribly wrong. Your parents were targeted by the Dark Lord because of some kind of sensitive information that one of his minions over heard. They wanted to leave you in my care, but the Dark Lord has so many allies that some think I should give you up. I would never, EVER do that on purpose. But you were kidnapped that night before I could even get there to take you.

The plan was to tell you about this contract when you turned 14. We also planned to have the 2 of you meet and get to know each other long before that. I look over at your crib some times and what I have done makes me sick. But please believe I had no other choice. There was no other options. I just hope your mother knows that and doesn't skin me when I finally cross over.

Before the fall of the Dark Lord, my good friend came to me begging for help. Her name is Angelina Malfoy, not to be confused with her dick of a cousin Lucius. She was heavily pregnant with her second child. She had already learned that it would be born a male bearer. She was forced to marry a cruel, abusive man who was also one of Voldemort's followers. He has already tainted her firstborn's mind. She was terrified of what he would do to her second child.

To protect the boy she decided to put his life and future in your hands. Harry believe me when I say I wish there was something else we could have done. The reason we used such a powerful and harsh contract is that it is irreversible form the bearer's side, and it only needs the blood of one parent to seal it. It was the only binding contract that didn't require the father's approval.

I fear what that Nott bastard will do to Angelina when he learns of this. Please try to understand why I agreed to this. I know you pup, even as a baby you are so good and pure. You would never hurt anyone without just cause. I know you will take care of this boy even if you can never love him. But I hope you can, I hope that out of this terrible choice you find true love and happiness.

I love you Pup. With all my heart, and soul. I would give you the moon, stars, and all the rest of the known universe if it would make you happy.

Love Always,

Padfoot

Sirius Orion Black

Harry had tears running down his face after reading that. To know that he was loved was a precious thing. As he thought about it he could understand. If he was right then they had no other choice and this was the only available option. He opened the other letter to see who it was from.

Dear Mr. Potter:

I have asked Sirius if I could add this so that if the worst should happen you will understand why I have done this. I learned 6 months ago I was expecting my second child. 5 months ago I watched as my son Dominic was branded with the mark of that sick psychopath. I cannot allow that to happen to baby. I would abort this child and end both our lives before I allow my husband to corrupt this baby.

My husband is almost as bad as the man he serves. I wake screaming, thinking of the things he would do to our son and have him do when he finds out he is a bearer. Thadius sees women and bearers as little more than animals and would not hesitate to use my son for his own gains. This way my son is protected. I just hope that you truly are the saint Sirius portrays you as.

Angelina Nott nee Malfoy

Harry couldn't imagine what this woman had to go through. From the sound of it, it was give Theodore to Harry or kill him to protect him. There really were no options available to her. He sighed thinking this woman had to be as brave as his own mother. She was willing to do whatever it took to protect her child. "What should I do now?" His voice was tight with emotion.

"I will send out notice to Mrs. Nott along with that to Nobleman Dubear asking for them to set up a meeting as soon as possible."

Harry nodded. "If I have to marry him, then I want to get to know him first. I think that's all. Well that's all I can take for today. I'll be back tomorrow for my appointment with Ironfang."

"Have a good day Mr. Potter. Try not to dwell on all this. It will work out in time. You are young yet. If you need to meet with me again just ask for me at the teller or set up an appointment. I will get back to you on the dates for the meetings."

"Thank you so much. Not only for the help but for the education. I am staying at Dragon's Den for a few days you can reach me there." With a nod, he left the office in a bit of a daze. Harry made it back to counters and asked to be taken to vault 687. He didn't want to deal with any of the other vaults on top of everything else.

"Griphook will escort you." The teller told him.

Griphook nodded to the visibly stunned boy. "How did your meeting go?" He asked politely.

"Informative, stressful, and exhausting." Harry replied with a sigh. "Who knew knowledge was so shitty at times. I almost wish I was still ignorant."

"Bad news?"

"Not really. Most of it was good news I guess. I found out I have enough money to live on my own and can do so legally. It's really the absolute contract that I wish I didn't know existed. A collar sounds kinda attractive but I don't want to mate with someone who has no choice in the matter. I don't want someone who has to obey my every whim."

Griphook smiled lightly. "I'm sure it will work out. You are a good person who will not take advantage of this situation." He told the boy trying to make him feel better.

Harry looked at Griphook as he got out of the cart not even registering the ride down. After a moment he smiled at him. "You're right. I'm going to treat the Nott and Dubear contract the same. I will court him as if we were dating and not forced to marry each other by my 16th birthday. I will prove that I am worthy of his trust and love. And if he is like Draco then we will have one kid as the contract says and then I will send him to live on the other side of the world." Harry nodded feeling so much better now that he had a plan to deal with this situation.

Harry got a good amount of gold out and once they got back to the surface he had it split into thirds, one he kept in galleons, the others he had transferred into pounds and drachmas. He headed straight back to the hotel afterwards. He barely finished eating and changed before he fell asleep due to information overload.

Unbeknownst to him, the dramatic changes that he sent into the Ministry that would normally cause a huge uproar were completely ignored. They were over looked because everyone that worked in the ministry was too busy worrying about the escaped mass murderer, Sirius Black.

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AN: yes Harry is rich and will have voting seats on the Wizengott, but he is not all powerful or super smart or anything. Some details are not fleshed out yet but they will be as the story progresses. Sorry for the information over load but I decided to have it all done at once and not draw out over several meetings with Trilok.

Yes I changed Harry's name to Harricius John. I'm sorry if that bothers you.

I would like to thank Bittersweet Alias and her fic "Absolute Promise" for the idea of the absolute contract, Angelina Malfoy and the pairing of Harry and Theodore. I am sad that she (he) hasn't updated