Harry has a different reaction to his near death experience at age nearly seven and become a right little Machiavellian Prince and, as his relatives tell everyone he's a hooligan, he starts bringing their falsehoods to life.
I don't own or derive any material benefit out of Harry Potter or Stargate. This story is not a crossover, though it will feature a certain general from Texas.
Sure enough Susan and James (Harry) got into the school Hermione attended. According to the Inspections, it was the best primary school in England. Their joy was muted somewhat by the return of Piers, Malcolm, Gordon and Dennis. The four were members of Dudley's gang. Their broken limbs had repaired, but their anger at Harry had been building with each day in hospital.
The first break on their first day back, the four boys saw Harry and Susan talking together. They pushed Susan to the ground and tried to do the same to James, as Harry was now known. Harry knew he could not let himself ne pushed ot the ground. He knew from bitter experience that he'd be kicked black and blue. He burst out between them and sprinted towards a big stick. Piers was closest to him as he grabbed the stick and swung it, connecting to the side of Pier's head. Piers crumpled to the ground. Soon after the other three joined him as heaps on the ground.
Naturally, the new headmaster blamed Harry for his vicious attacks on the four boys. Petunia stood there in stony silence, not enjoying the fact she had been forced to come down to Harry's school.
"You are suspended for two weeks for your vicious assault."
"Are you mental, headmaster?" Harry asked. " Four boys push a girl to the ground and try to do the same to me. I manage to get away and find something to help defend myself and it's me you want to suspend. I refuse to be suspended." Petunia could see that Harry was about to do something freaky. She hoped Harry would control himself. Harry hadn't finished. "In what universe is four against one a fair fight?" Harry sat down.
The headmaster grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him across the room leaving the imprint of his hand on the arm and crushing the bone beneath. Harry grabbed an open biro with this other hand and stabbed the headmaster's hand. The headmaster screamed and let Harry go. Harry used his magic to heal his bone. He was still close to letting fly with accidental magic. His usual emerald green eyes were jet black.
At this point Susan walked in with Amelia Bones. She backed Harry up. A couple of police constables turned up to take statements. The male constable asked Harry, " Don't you feel bad about about attacking four boys?"
"Don't you feel bad about being so incompetent at you job?" Harry asked. Rudely. "Four boys push a girl to the ground and then try to do the same to me. I know from bitter experience what those four boys will do to me, once they have me on the ground. I grabbed a big stick to help me defend myself. Each of the four is heavier and bigger than me. I'm pressing charges of assault on the four. I'm pressing assault and actual bodily harm charges against the headmaster. Take a look at his hand's imprint on my arm." Harry showed them the imprint. The headmaster was arrested and lead away in handcuffs.
"Where did you get so knowledgeable, James?" Susan asked. Amelia wanted an answer to that one, too. Petunia just wanted to get back home.
"After being attacked so much, I wanted to know what I could do about it. I researched it in the public library over the holidays. I found what charges I could bring and what acceptable self-defence is."
"Is that why you only hit them once, each?" Susan asked.
"Yes. Any more than one blow and it's not self-defence anymore, according to the books I read."
Susan was impressed. She had Harry attended classes for the rest of the day. Harry was less than impressed when two different police officers visited 4 Privet Drive, just after they had finished eating dinner. The police asked to come inside for a chat. This quickly deteriorated into them accusing harry of slashing all the tyres on the headmaster's car and scratching it all around the paintwork with a key. Harry decided there and then that police idiocy was institutional.
"I've got the headmaster dead to rights on assault and ABH charges. Why would I put his conviction in doubt by damaging his car? I didn't even know that the headmaster has a car. I don't care how he gets to school," Harry said.
Vernon asked, "When is James supposed to have done this?"
"Half an hour ago." The female constable said.
"He was here with us, eating. As you can see, we've just finished and have the washing up to do," Petunia stated.
The police wrote notes into their notebooks and left. Harry cleared up. He had a good idea who had done the nasty deed. There were four families he needed to force out. Molotov cocktails would be just what he needed. He needed to research them. That was his Saturday afternoon sorted for the next few weeks. He also needed a cover project to be working on to give him something to say to the police as an alibi. He would be a suspect given his dealings with each of the families. He was supposed to be a hardened criminal, according to the Dursleys, and he'd been so since he was 5 years old. No wonder the police had come round.
Harry continued to go to school. His friendship with Susan continued. Harry was happy. He was friends with the heirs of three Noble and Most Ancient Houses. He knew magic was real. He was running tests on magic. He had his parents' trunks and books. Their wands, too. He liked Hermione. He'd not told her about his resources. He would. He knew that. His house in Godric's Hollow would be repaired by the end of the month. There was a section on portkeys he knew he'd need her help on. Harry needed to send a letter to his solicitor telling him to vacate Snape's tenancy and sell the Cokesworth property. Snape wouldn't be needing it whilst he was staying in Azkaban. Selling the place and business out from under Marge Dursley caused Harry to grin and evil grin. Yes that is what he would do. One letter later and Harry was ready for sleep. He posted it on the morrow.
Cartwright was pleased to receive instructions from Harry Potter, no James Evans as he had to call him these days. There'd be a good bit of commission for the firm, too. That should get his partners off his back. At 10% fees, selling the properties for a combined 100k would be worth £10000. Okay, not goblin level 'fees', but not to be sneezed at. The Lily Evans portfolio was making a great deal of money. It was like she'd seen into the future and made her choices accordingly. Since the Potters messed around with time that might not be too far from the truth. Seven years after setting it up with £100000, it was now worth a million pounds. He'd baulked last year when he'd followed the instruction to invest half the fund into Microsoft. It was all the things Cartwright hated American, an IPO, computer sector and tech. £1 had bought $2.802. Lily had left instructions in 1981 to invest $1,401,000 into Microsoft shares. The IPO had been $21 a share. 66,714 shares had been bought. The partners had made $6. They'd laughed at him for a month. James and Lily had paid £30000 to make the deals commission free. The partners had a reciprocal arrangement with an American company not to charge commission on the deals or currency. It usually worked in the Americans favour. Not that time.
Cartwright was feeling his age. He was 80. He'd been adopted out for being a squib to a man named Cartwright who designed and built carts. He'd married young and his wife had been a bit older. She'd got into legal work and soon he'd begun his legal career as a solicitor. It helped that she'd been the daughter of the lead partner, at the time. She'd died a decade ago. His eldest worked as manager at Barclays Bank to look out for/after the Potter accounts. The town wasn't really big enough for a branch and it would close on his retirement early next year. His second son worked for him and the third designed and built stuff at some University technology park. He had 6 grandsons and 2 grand daughters all middle aged and 24 great grandchildren. Oh, and he had six great great grandsons, all younger than Harry. Fortunately, none of his progeny had received a letter to Hogwarts. That could have been awkward. The issue for Cartwright was to continue to protect the Potter/Evans investments and accounts after his death. His son could manage the legal aspects, but he had been lukewarm about doing the work for next to nothing. Isaac tended to disagree with his father one almost everything. Cartwright thought Isaac would have some interesting conversations with Harry.
Cartwright decided to write to James about the company in America. He knew the people there were squibs, too. He had found a slight discrepancy in data supplied to the American Ministry in the woman who married James Potter. According to the documents they had on file Petunia Evans married him and she was a muggle. That made Harry Potter a target in America. He was pleased James wouldn't suffer from something similar. Cartwright sent James the letter he'd felt a slight heartbreak writing. It wasn't easy to tell him that a member of his family couldn't be trusted.
Harry received the letter and made a note to reply telling Cartwright to explain that all the accounts were sealed to stop them being plundered. Any money stopped was for that reason and no other. The claimant to the accounts can't access them either. Once the accounts can be got into again, the money will resume plus money owed will be paid. The family should know. Harry was adamant that they should be told. Cartwright had been tolerated by his brother, but his family had not been given the same consideration. Cartwright had built up years of bitterness and this boy was washing those years away.
Cartwright explained the position to the rest of his family that weekend. He used the words Harry had used and that won them over as they had him. He didn't tell them that they were the words of a seven year old child. The sincerity shone through. Isaac hadn't completely come around. He was bound to want to meet the 'claimant'. That could be awkward. He wrote to Harry suggesting a date to meet. Harry had to ask the Grangers for a long drive. He explained what it was for. The Grangers had met Isaac and would like to meet up with him again. Harry was able to agree to the meeting.
The day of the meeting came around. Hermione was off to the meeting with the other young magicals. She wasn't with the pair. This gave them the chance to talk with Harry or James as they had just about remembered to call him. He told them that he and Susan had got into Hermione's school starting January. He said he was looking forward to it. They were delighted.
Conversation turned to other matters and Harry told them all about his new friends. Not too much about magic, because he wasn't sure how comfortable the Grangers were about magic. So he asked them. It turned out they had plenty of concerns. Harry tried his best to explain what he knew about their concerns. He'd be having words with Susan about this. He took out a notepad and wrote down their concerns and what he'd said in response.
In no time at all, they were at the office. Isaac was pleased to see thr grangers again. He was less so on learning the James was the claimant. James told Isaac that he was the grandson of the other brother. People thought he was dead, which was fine by him. He promised to write, if something happened. There was a wizard who seemed to have an unhealthy obsession with him and his family and to protect the accounts they'd been sealed. The one Isaac was interested in was sealed until he was 21 or 14 more years. He promised there would be a full settlement when that happened, because family mattered. He knew this, because he didn't really have one.
"Will it cover all family members, James?" Isaac asked.
"Yes, it will," Harry answered. The older Cartwright looked up. This wasn't what usually happened.
"Your mother wrote out a whole series of investments and dates for divestment. Was she a seeress?"
"That must be it," Harry said. "She seems to be pretty good at spotting the right investment."
"Yes, she is that," Isaac agreed.
"Your house is repaired."
"Excellent. I'll stop by on our way home," Harry said. "It's a shame I've no real memories of my life there."
Harry left shortly after with the Grangers. They dropped Harry off, who used his keys for the first time. He walked in and went from room to room on the ground floor and then went up the stairs. He went into his nursery and emotion washed over him. Harry tried to remember what happened that night. All he could remember of the attack was his mother without a wand, begging for his life 3 times. His mother had underline 3 in one of her books. It was apparently significant in magic for some reason that Harry did not yet understand.
What could he remember after that? Pettigrew came in, picked up his master's cloak and wand, which he pointed at Harry. Then a man with a beard who could only be Dumbledore told him how to frame Sirius. Harry heard Pettigrew leave calling out to Snape that they had to go. Then Hagrid came up the stairs and picked up Harry and carried him outside. Dumbledore told him to take toddler Harry to Hogwarts. Sirius had made an ineffectual attempt to take him off Hagrid. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Dumbledore pull back his wand. Harry went for a ride on a flying motorcycle. Harry loved flying. Seven year old Harry knew that already.
At Hogwarts, Harry remembered Dumbledore casting spells on him. The spells he had later forced off himself. Dumbledore had taken Harry's blood. Harry saw Dumbledore apply his blood to various ordinary looking trinkets. Harry made sure to fix those in his mind. Harry felt memories of the wards of Hogwarts accept him. The wards would draw more magic from him than other students. He remembered Dumbledore pick out a stone quartz, the same one he remembered at the Dursleys and some boundary stones and three vials of his blood, no Dumbledore had kept some of his blood. Harry remembered Dumbledore had carried in a stack of books and the Cloak he remembered his father wearing. Harry had gone to sleep by the Hogwarts wardstone. He'd done something with his magic, accidental magic, but he had no idea what he had done. He remembered crying for his mummy and daddy. The House-elves fed him and tended to his nappy. Several times and older Harry was embarrassed. Eventually, Hagrid had flown him to 4 Privet Drive and he'd been put under a sleep spell, for he remembered walking up on the kitchen table the following morning. He did remember a Scottish accent saying how these muggles were the worst sort. She hadn't prevented him being left there. She'd been correct in her observation, however.
When Harry had overheard his fellow younglings play rpgs as they called them at school, somebody who had your blood had a considerable advantage over you. Harry hoped that wasn't the case in real magic or he was screwed. He would need to research spells to compel stolen blood to return. That's if any such did exist. Harry was greatly distressed. The Grangers saw this, when he returned to their car. Harry asked for an hour to 'find himself'.
Harry wondered through Godric's Hollow scarcely noticing his surroundings. He found his way to a garden. He'd have noticed that it was a beautiful garden had he been aware of his surroundings. He sat down on a bench. He turned and looked up at an old woman wearing a brightly coloured shawl around her shoulders. Her gray hair straggled across a wrinkly face. She clutched a book on her knees.
"Hello, "I'm James," Harry said.
"I'm Bagshot. What brings you to this garden?" Gagshot asked.
"Oh, the usual, betrayal, loss, death and grief," Harry said, tears streaking down both sides of his face.
"Ah, yes, I remember that. I've been waiting here every evening for my love to return from the war. He doesn't come. He never has. I've an infamous nephew, you know," Bagshot said confidentially.
"No, I didn't know that," Harry said, conspiratorially.
"Oh, indeed yes. I'm the aunt of Gellert Grindelwald. He stayed here after Durnstrang kicked him out. I'm sure it was all a misunderstanding. What 16 year old boy wants to take over the world? I ask you."
"I don't think I will," Harry mumbled.
"He met an 18 year old Albus Dumbledore who lived in Dumbledore Castle with his brother and sister. His father had ended his days in Azkaban for beating up three boys who beat up his daughter Ariana. Beating up is a euphemism young James. He killed them. His mother died when Ariana had a devasting moment of accidental magic. Albus and Gellert became friends. Close friends. Albus, too believed in World Domination. The came up the slogan 'For the Greater Good'. They believed in wizard rule over Muggles, with Purebloods ruling the Wizards. Naturally, they would rule the Wizards.
Then they argued. Gellert said that would take a long war. Albus said the world would give its power to them. There was a final terrible confrontation that destroyed Dumbledore Castle in a three way battle between Albus, his brother Aberforth and Gellert. Ariana tried to stop them fighting, but was killed in the crossfire of spells. To this day, no-one knows who fired the killing spell. Albus believed he had. Gellert fled. Years later Albus imprisoned Gellert." A strange look came over Bagshot's weathered face as she spoke, "Gellert Grindelwald can be found at Nurmengard." She then continued in her normal voice, "I have a book here that I wrote in 1945. I write editions of A History of Magic. This one, I wrote in 1945. It never got printed. Things offensive to Albus Dumbledore had to be removed. This was after the world of magic gave him all that power. He goes to talk with Gellert every summer. I'm sure he takes great satisfaction in saying that he was right. I'd like you to have this book. I want what I wrote to be remembered."
Bagshot got up and gave Harry the book. She turned and left the garden. She didn't here Harry's thanks. It was a big, heavy book. A weighty tome for a weighty subject. One of the charms Harry had learned was the charm to make things light, because he had a lot of heavy stuff to move around. He had gotten quite good at it. He understood that the woman had given up the burdens of her past by giving him the book. She had perspective. What was the saying he'd heard. That was it. Don't get mad, get even. Dumbledore had served he and his family up to Moldie on a plate. His History teacher was an amateur archaeologist and he said that finds always had to be talked about in context. Harry had to put this into context. He was ready to go back to 4 Privet Drive.
The journey back was more subdued. The chat was about plans for Christmas. Harry hadn't made any, yet. The Grangers noticed Harry seemed distracted. They still talked, but Harry was no longer animated, when speaking. When he was back at his Aunts, Harry made a list of things he wanted to know.
The meeting of the Study Group that week were told news. The ICW had left London and moved to New York. Lord Malfoy had stopped funding the Ministry. Lord Black's tax proposals had been put into effect. Harry didn't know what effect that would have on the Potters. As Hermione had said, the proposals to modify the Statute of Secrecy had been laughed out of town. Ludo Bagman had lost the prepared speech. Even Dolores Umbridge thought it a good well prepared speech, though as he thought Lorde Black and Regent Bones had been responsible for it. Bagman's presentation was hilarious and everyone laughed at him. The Scots, in contrast, had taken seriously what the kids had prepared and proposed. A number of changes were made to the Scottish regulations, as a result. The Study Group had a discussion about what the Scottish changes meant. Hermione was scribbling away. They would come back to this next time. As they were within 10 minutes of finishing, Harry asked Lord Black aquestion.
"When Moldie attacked the Potters was he winning or losing?
"Up to the summer of 1981 he was winning. Then Millicent Bagnold made a speech urging the aurors be turned loose. She was the Ravenclaw Headgirl at Hogwarts. She'd finished her NEWTs and got elected Minister. The no-confidence motion against Minchum was my pleasure to move. The Aurors got the right to use deadly force and the Unforgivaeables.
The Aurors were set up into cells. Bagnold was convinced someone was leaking information. Dozens of Death Eaters were killed and hundreds were thrown into Azkaban without trial. The highest ranking Ministry Death Eater unmasked was Augustus Rookwood in the Department of Mysteries. Hundreds revealed they had been Imperiused and who had done it. All those who'd joined their Dark Lord back in school died. The effective tactics used were opposed at every turn by Dumbledore. The strongest members of his Order were targeted and killed. That included the Bones, McKinnons, the Meadowes and the Prewetts. They were also the most outspoken against Dumbledore's ineffective 'stunner only' policy. Bagnold expressed her anger that 4 final year aurors in training were kept away over some misguided intelligence that they were targets. All enemies of You-Know-Who were targets. Barty Crouch assured her that Dumbledore knew what he was doing. Fat chance.
In answer to your question, James, he was losing and losing badly. His hold on the Ministry was broken. His senior lieutenants were dead. Attacks on muggleborn were being intercepted. New leaders arose on his side. Vicious like Greyback. Insane like Bellatrix and the LeStranges. The Carrows too were defined by brutality. Barty's own son was in there. The nine who would be sent to Azkzban. The Carrows escaped to France. Greyback vanished. Others claimed to have been Imperiused.
Bagnold wasn't seen after the night the Potters were murdered. The attack on the Potters actually preserved what was left of the Death Eaters. The Aurors were poised to strike. The Order had dispersed, worried about a reprisal strike."
"Don't you only hide from a reprisal strike if you know your enemy is about to lose a high ranking member?" Susan Bones asked, nervously.
"You're quite right. Dumbledore knew the Dark Lord was about to die," Lord Black concluded. The children looked concerned as the full impact of what Lord Black struck them. Lord Black continued.
"Barty's son got caught and took with it his ambition to be Minister. Fudge got elected as Minister on the back of arresting Moldie's number 2, my grandson. Wasn't true as we showed earlier this year. At the time, I had Dumbledore's shills saying how I had supported the imprisonment of hundreds in Azkaban. How I was Dark." Lord Black's tone took on a dark tone. "Dumbledore took every chance to blacken my name, no pun intended. I was hounded out of the Wizengamot. I could not get the trial for my grandson that even my then granddaughter had had. Now, I'm on the Board of Governors. Naturally, I'm one of the Dark ones. I'm back on the Wizengamot and it's all thanks to the Potter claimant. House Crouch wronged me and I will absorb it. So long as proxy's cannot vote, Dumbledore will not be able to get in the Wizengamot again."
Lord Black was fairly contented. Walburga was out of the family and dead. Bellatrix was also out of the family and rotting in Azkaban – at least both Arctutus and Sirius hoped so. Arcturus Black walked into the Wizengamot for its November 1987 meeting confident that he would win his case against House Crouch. He did, too. The full assets of the House crouch surprised Arcturus. It had far more than he would have given them credit for. Even better, Barty Crouch Junior was found in Crouch manor. Junior got kissed by a Dementor, a horrible way to go, and Barty Senior got his old room in Azkaban. That was very satisfying. Another entry in the Black Book. Another House annexed by House Black.
Over in the United States, Fred and Claudette Hammond became the parents of James Hammond as the last bit of paperwork had been completed. Fred's job with the CIA was complicated. As far as his wife knew he was an accountant in a boring little town about 20 miles from San Antonio. His cover was pretty convincing. His wife was a school teacher at the San Antonio Christian High School. She taught Civics. James would be entering the Elementary level of the school. There were fees to be paid for a test. Fortunately, the test James had taken in England met that requirement. Now, they just had to arrange the flight for James from England and let his new grandfather meet him at the airport. Then write to his unpleasant family to set up the details and make the arrangements, all the while smiling at them, so to speak. Fred knew George just wanted to fly his jet over there right away, put James in the second seat and fly him over. Sadly, even a full bird colonel couldn't arrange his own fly away.
Albus Dumbledore didn't waste time in recriminations. He now had Malfoy and Black on the school board of governors and he could not afford any slip ups. Once Severus got out in 1990, Albus would arrange for both of them to breathe their last. The rest of the Blacks, too. He had to think of a way to get Hagrid back. Hagrid owed him. Albus had given up the Order of the Phoenix. He'd done that before and had reformed it. He'd been careless. This time he'd be less obvious. A secret order was precisely that. He'd let himself become lax. That wouldn't happen again. Snape hadn't betrayed him. He was sure of his spy, now. Dumbledore knew there were Death Eaters in the Ministry. He knew who they were. He hadn't shared that information with Amelia Bones, Head of the DMLE. It was a card he would play at the appropriate time.
Dumbledore had to admit that Lord Black and the unknown Potter claimant had played their hand well. The loss of Harry Potter had seriously damaged his reputation with ordinary wizards and witches. He didn't mind the Wizengamot not liking him. He'd had lots of experience in dealing with the members. The loss of Harry Potter had dealt him a serious blow in his fight against Tom. Augusta Longbottom had never been a fan of his. There was no way she would allow him access to Neville. The other issue was that Neville showed no magical talent whatsoever. He may be part of this so-called study group, but Albus was sure that was just afront. Their attempt to change the Statute of Secrecy had been, well, childish.
Albus had had enough, more than enough, of Minerva's 'I told you sos'. She had been right. Fawkes trilled. Gellert had laughed in his face. 'Power given can be taken away', he'd said. It could, no would, be given again.
Malfoy's attempt to dismiss him from his position as Headmaster had failed. Abbott's and Black's election made it 8 against him. The 4 who voted for him were not the most loyal of supporters. He'd have preferred that they be members of the order and he could just order them to support him.
He reviewed Minerva McGonagall's file. Muggle father, witch mother. Mudblood. Brought up subject to the Scottish Ministry. No Statute of Secrecy to bother with. Born 4 October 1921. Hogwarts 1932- 1939. Dippet had been for not sending the letter out. Dumbledore had argued for her. Argued with the Sorting Hat to send her to Gryffindor, before Sorting. He wasn't Head of House, but everyone knew he was Gryffindor's Golden Boy who'd the best results ever in Hogwarts history. He'd made sure she knew he'd fought for her. She'd been Headgirl in her seventh year. Fought against Grindelwald. She'd won and Order of Merlin, First Class for her actions fighting against Gellert's invading Knights of Walpurgis. Then she'd joined the Department of Mysteries.
At the end of the 1957-8 school year, Albus had finally got rid of, ie persuaded to retire, the Deputy headmaster and Head of Gryffindor, who also taught Transfiguration and not very well, if he was being honest. Minerva had taken all three positions on starting in 1958. She also maintained the Hogwarts accounts. He'd told her that's what the Deputy Head did. She'd swallowed that lie whole. That had been the year he'd hired Argus Filch. A squib. He had a half-giant oaf as Groundskeeper and a squib as Caretaker. If pupils didn't leave hating squibs and thinking giants weren't 'near human intelligence' he wasn't doing his job. Getting Remus Lupin to attend as a werewolf had been a stroke of genius. Albus laughed because the three thought the world of Albus Dumbledore. He hadn't counted on Remus having friends who'd learned how to transform or the general stupidity of the student body that only Severus Snape had worked out Remus was a werewolf. Remus' friends had played their part. There'd not been any student fatalities. He had despaired at getting James Potter paired together. Only making the pair Headboy and Headgirl had done the trick. Both had made well received speeches in the Wizengamot. That had certainly not been in the plan. The plan had been to further weaken the standing of the Potters by having the Potter scion marry a Mudblood. Their speeches had actually raised the standing of the Potters. Snape hated the Potters. Hated James for winning Lily, a girl he wanted. Snape had been so easy to manipulate. Yes, Albus was always going to direct Tom at the Potters. He'd come up with an elegant way to remove the Longbottoms and prevent Harry going to them. Albus dismissed the idea of going to give the Dursleys a piece of his mind. He wouldn't put it past Amelia to station aurors there who would like nothing better than to arrest him.
If Albus was right and he usually was, all of Tom's remaining soul had taken up residence in Harry Potter. That should have made it impossible for Harry to die. Only Tom should have been able to kill him. Petunia Evans shared Harry's blood. That was a loophole, Albus had not planned for. He could not believe that a relative would have hatred for a nephew. Tom had killed his family, that was true, but the Evans family were supposed to be Light.
One reason Albus had Binns teach History was to obscure certain facts. Tom, Albus knew stole things precious to their owners. He knew that Tom had gone hunting for the Founders relics, all of which were lost. Albus had Godric's sword, unofficially. He thought Tom had an item with him, when he came for his interview. He would have guessed that Tom had tracked down Slytherin's Locket, Ravenclaw's Diadem and Hufflepuff's Cup. Tom would have got the Gaunt ring and Resurrection stone. The Gaunt ring was the Peverell ring and before that the Slytherin ring. Slytherin wasn't a lord or particularly important. Ignotus Peverell had created the Peverell ring that the Potters had inherited. It wasn't a House ring, at least Dumbledore thought so. Albus knew two other things about Tom. One was that he kept a Diary at Hogwarts. Very girly. Two was that he was a parselmouth. That meant he'd have a snake familiar. Albus knew that Tom had talked to Slugthorn, so Albus would have to have a chat with Slugthorn. What had Tom used all these items for? Slugthorn could shed some light on this question, perhaps.
Albus picked up a quill and invited Slughtorn to come see him for a meeting to discuss student requirements. Fawkes flashed off. Half an hour later, Albus had a couple of lemon candy to settle his headache. That had been harder than getting water out of a stone. Slugthorn finally confessed that tom had asked him whether it was theoretically possible to split one's soul seven times. Slugthorn had eventually conceded that it was theoretically possible. The only method to destroy them that Albus had was fiendfyre. A particularly difficult spell to control. That was, if you didn't have a phoenix. Since it was thought to be impossible to use a living object as a horcrux, the snake would have been a test for the attempt on Harry. The next question Albus had to answer was where were the six items, now. Tom wouldn't have kept any of them on him, when he went to confront the Potters.
Albus had to believe that one item was in Hogwarts. The snake would be wherever his spirit was. The ring? Could that be in Little Hangleton? Perhaps the Stone was there as well. He'd definitely go there. Lucius Malfoy was his number 2 and Bellatrix his favourite. Regulus Black had vanished in 1979. That did make three. Malfoy Manor had defences beyond that permitted to a family of noble rank. Albus would guess one item was there. Would the LeStrange family permit an item given by Tom in their Manor? Albus doubted that. That left Gringotts. Black had thrown Bellatrix out of the family. That meant the item would now be in the Black vault. A way back into Black's good graces and keep him off his back. The immediate concerns were the one in Hogwarts and Little Hangleton. Would Abraxas believe him, if he told him about a horcrux in his Manor? Again, not something of immediate concern. The Hogwarts wards ought to alert him, if there was a horcrux in the school.
Over a period of 5 days, Albus turned up the power of the Hogwarts wards. Sure enough, there was one. It took Albus 2 days to find and destroy Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem. Albus felt this had verified his idea that Tom had found the three other Founders items. Albus made plans to visit Little Hangleton. If he was right, he would soon be Master of Death.