The Bonds That Tie
Eight days had gone by since Harry finally came home and got to relax with everyone, but then it quickly turned into him training Severus and Draco to manage their vampire abilities and skillset. After the two got the hang of how to walk normally without activating the speed; Harry moved onto fighting because they needed to know how to protect themselves against rogues, which were becoming a bigger problem. Harry didn't want anything happening to his mate or brother. The training session didn't last long, about an hour and Harry say they'd do this every day until he felt they were taught enough to handle themselves. So far, Severus showed he wasn't much of a physical fighter while Draco just rushed into things without thinking. The two things Harry taught them about battles with newborns were to never lose focus and never turn your back on the enemy. Aside the fighting portion of training, Harry worked with the two on activating their speed but then going into a walk or stopping before they hit a wall or objects around the room. This involved getting the two to hone their senses of sight, smell, and hearing. When not in training, Harry was reading or spending time with everyone. It seemed rare with so much going on; he felt like he hadn't seen much of the people staying in his house since they moved there almost a month ago now. It would be on July 28th. Harry still hadn't a chance to talk to Amelia, but that was understandable; she was busy. Harry knew the day she summoned him to her office; it would be a long day of explanations and decisions where he hoped it would be made that his family and friends would be safe.
As a precautionary measure, Harry suggested to Tom to remove the dark mark on his followers. Or, at least the ones who had never been convicted and served time in Azkaban. The ones who could be cleared easy and Tom took the advisement. Harry activated silver coins for him, acting just like his army coins. These silver ones acted the same way and Harry made sure his and Severus's were connected to the silver ones so they knew about meetings when everyone went their separate ways. Lucius was still an upstanding member in the community, so his and Narcissa's marks were removed too. The ones to worry about were whoever Tom had broken out of prison after coming back to a physical body. Then, of course, there was worry of Harry ending up arrested too. It's another reason Harry wanted Draco and Severus trained and if he got sent away, Sanguini would take over training them. Harry hoped for the best, but there was no telling how it would end up indefinitely. The unknown is what was fearful. Either way, everyone was going about normal for the situation they were in. Harry was the busiest, back and forth from the vampire base to his home, helping Sanguini with the newborns they brought in or going out to get more. The plan was to ensure the rogues weren't getting into their heads, trying to build an army of them. It had been Sanguini's theory anyway, but they needed to do whatever to prevent the chance from arising.
It was a Tuesday now, the 22nd of July and nearing 2:30 pm. Harry was in the middle of training with Severus and Draco when Dobby appeared in the room next to Harry.
"Dobby be bringing Lord Potter-Black's letters to him." Dobby said as he held up the envelopes.
"Thanks, Dobby," Harry accepted them with a smile before the elf popped away. "Take a break you two." He told his mate and brother before going to sit down. Severus, of course, grabbed a seat next to Harry while the man opened his mail.
"So how are you getting mail if this place is off the radar, Harry?" Luna wondered.
"Everything is re-routed to the bank and Dobby goes to pick it up from Griphook for me." Harry replied.
"Ah. That's smart." Lucius nodded.
"Can't risk using Hedwig, unfortunately," Harry shrugged. "This is a ministry letter…" He added after checking the seal on the back. "Going to take a wild guess that it's the letter of Amelia summoning me to have that chat finally." He pulled the letter out and read over it quickly.
"Were you right?" Hermione inquired.
"It's the only letter I've been expecting. Everyone else I'd communicate with is right here, 'Mione. Aside from a couple other friends from Hogwarts, that is." Harry informed. "Amelia wants to meet next Monday, 9 am to discuss things and make decisions on where to go based on the information given."
"Just you, right? No one else is required to come?" Narcissa asked.
"Just me." Harry confirmed to his adoptive mother.
"Be careful," Severus said gently.
"I don't think it'll be dangerous, Sev. More like pray for the best outcome," Harry told his lover. "It will be fine," He added, seeing the man's concern. "Nothing can keep us apart for long. I promise." Harry gave his mate a kiss. "Don't worry. Okay? Remember, I'm a survivor and things just work out. Have faith."
"I believe you." Snape nodded.
"Good boy." Harry teased.
. . .
The days went by, soon bringing them to Monday the 28th. This would be the day things got decided on what to do regarding the truths revealed during Albus's trial. Harry wasn't nervous, but he knew his family and friends were. Harry assured them before he left for the ministry to calm down and not panic. Harry left his house at 8:45 am, and went right to the ministry, then onto the department of magical law enforcement. Harry waited for 9 am before being allowed into Amelia's office.
"Mr. Potter-Malfoy…Lovely to see you again." Amelia greeted.
"You as well, Madam Bones," Harry replied.
"Please, have a seat? Tea?" Amelia inquired.
"No, thank you." Harry respectfully declined. "I apologize it's taken so long for us to have this meeting. I got called away on vampire business after the trial."
"Yes, you mentioned. I have to thank you for your work in trying contain the…What did you call them? Rogues?" Amelia said.
Harry took a seat across from Amelia, only separated by a desk. "They're vampires who refuse to be held down by vampiric laws set by England's coven." He explained. "Not to worry, Madam Bones. I promise it's being handled, though I apologize for those we could not save."
"Not your fault, dear." Amelia informed. "We're not here today for anything to do with you being a vampire. I trust you'll tell me everything, the whole truth? We don't need Veritaserum, do we?"
"No, but if you'd like assurance I won't lie to you…I consent to speaking with you under it." Harry offered.
"You offering to take it willingly is appreciated, but I know you won't lie." Amelia said. "You don't mind me taking notes, do you? For the record?"
"Be my guest," Harry said.
"Well, I'd like to start at the beginning of how all this came to occur. Starting with you being turned into a vampire. It is well known you are one, but no one quite knows how it came to take place." Amelia relaxed, her automatic quill marking something down on the notepad.
"It was during the summer after my fourth year of school. A day after my fifteenth birthday. My relatives were giving me trouble and I left the house while they were out to supper." Harry began. "It started raining and I took cover in a closed tunnel. I was attacked by someone I didn't know, and couldn't pull my wand. All I remember from that night was being grabbed from behind, arms pinned at my sides and my neck being exposed. I was bitten and couldn't struggle against the male, I assumed it was a vampire attack just based on how things went so far. I couldn't do anything, it was like being paralyzed and I got weaker. I thought I was going to die, I felt myself slipping into darkness. My throat felt on fire, and then he was feeding me his blood. As I woke up more, still couldn't move, and the vampire had left me there alone after I fed from him. All he told me was I'd need human blood within twenty-four hours or I would die." Harry began to tell the tale. "I eventually could move and went back to my relatives, and tried to ignore all the changes my body went through and the thirst. I made it twenty-three hours before giving in. I found a random muggle to feed from, but not drain or kill. They were sort of in a daze when I finished, and I obliviated them wandlessly and wordlessly. I don't even know how, it just came naturally."
"Rather impressive, if you ask me." Amelia stated. "But go on?"
"Well, I got back to the house and there was a person with red eyes hiding in the shadows. He told me I would need human blood to survive, informed that our kind didn't sleep unless weakened, and made mention that we couldn't consume normal food. That was it, then he left. Never saw his face, didn't know his name. I just went to my room and laid there awake, trying to figure out how I'd get through the next year of school as a vampire." Harry informed.
"And what was your plan for that?" Amelia inquired.
"Given the ease of wandless magic, I used a glamour to appear as I had before being turned. As for food, I survived off animal blood every few days. I'd sneak out of Gryffindor tower and go into the Forbidden Forest at night. It was never enough to satiate the hunger, but it kept me from losing control." Harry revealed. "But I never attacked anyone at school, I swear."
"I believe you. Now…How did you come to be in guardianship of the Malfoy's?" Amelia wondered. "There was rumor that you didn't get on well with Lucius or his son."
"That starts with Easter Holiday of that year. When everyone was home for the holidays and the castle was empty, I found myself unable to slip away to feed. I hid out in a hidden room of the castle. It's called the Room of Requirement and it appeared to those in need of it. So, for example, say you needed a bathroom. The door would appear and when you walked in, it would be a restroom. For me, it just gave me dark corners to hide in. But…Draco was in the castle over the holiday and he got into the room. I tried to stay quiet, but he heard me and engaged a conversation. I pleaded with him to leave…And he persisted. At first, he thought I was sick, offered to take me to the hospital wing. I refused and when got too close, I pushed him against the wall. The scent of his human blood was driving me mad." Harry admitted. "But I didn't attack him, I fought the urge and let him go. However, my glamour dropped and he saw I was a vampire. Draco used his wand to cut into his skin with a precise cutting spell, and told me to feed. He offered it and I took it."
"What happened after?" Amelia pushed. Harry went on to tell her that Draco only wanted to know how it happened, then before they left the room, offered his friendship and to be the one who let Harry feed from. So they became friends and set up a feeding schedule every three days until the end of the year when Sirius had been killed. Draco told Harry to come to Malfoy Manor over the summer if he needed to feed, and Harry agreed. "Alright, so assumingly you ended up in their care over the summer then?"
"I ended up there after Dumbledore aggravated me. I spent most of the summer at my relatives, keeping to the same thing of using animal blood…For what would have been my sixteenth birthday, I was at the Weasley's for a party. Albus started it off by telling me he worked a marriage contract with Molly for me to marry Ginerva after we graduated from Hogwarts. I refused, told him that he didn't have that power and he said he did. We argued and he tried to put a compulsion charm on me, so I fought back. Albus said he was my magical guardian, and I said it was Remus Lupin, as Sirius's will stated I'd be in his care. Albus said Remus couldn't take me because he is a werewolf. Either way, I got mad at my life being planned for me and my glamour dropped, so they found out I was a vampire. Ginny tried to say she was okay with things, but I sensed her fear…And told her I was gay. Not that it stopped her from pursuing me all last year." Harry informed calmly.
"You mentioned during trial, but proceed with your story?" Amelia nodded.
"I apparated away from the Weasley house. I know I'm underage for apparition, but I kind'a don't have control how it operates. It's not like normal apparition where you get tugged at the naval. I literally just…Disappear and go where I want. No worry of splinching. Moving on…I hid out for a couple weeks before the need to feed got too bad and animal blood wasn't working anymore, so I gave in and went to Malfoy Manor. I asked to speak with Draco and was brought inside the house, its where I learned Voldemort was, having one of his meetings. I regret that I don't know the topic of what it was because as soon as I arrived, I was angry and needed to feed. I mouthed off, he tried to kill me and it didn't work. I blasted him against the wall and no one really tried to attack me after that." Harry started. "Draco recognized the signs of me needing to feed, so he let me and that's how everyone there learned I was a vampire. I told Draco how Albus was trying to control me, and I guess Voldemort and his death eaters worked out on their own that Dumbledore was going to try and go through my vaults, claiming I was dead so my fortunes would end up with my muggle relatives and then Albus would just take them from there."
"Is this something he tried?" Amelia asked.
"According to my account manager, Dumbledore had gone to the bank after my birthday to claim I was dead, but there obviously had to be an investigation into if that was true. However, it was Voldemort and his death eaters who suggested a blood adoption, and so Severus Snape brewed the potion and a week later, I was adopted as Lucius and Narcissa's son. Draco's brother. We went right on to the bank to handle affairs, that's where I took up my lordships and beyond that, we gathered my school supplies. Went on as normal." Harry remarked.
"This is about where the partnership started with Voldemort?" Amelia questioned.
"Yes and no. Right off, Tom told me he wasn't going to try and kill me anymore. He understood Dumbledore's manipulations, we realized we're not so different and both got wrapped up in Albus's nonsense. But over last school year, we formed an alliance of sorts. Tom said he didn't want to take over the world, or kill muggle-borns. He just wanted to fix the corruption…" Harry said.
"There is quite a bit of that, sadly." Amelia sighed. "What's all this about restoring his soul?"
Harry explained again about horcruxes, that Tom had made six and Harry was an unintentional one from the night Voldemort killed his parents. Harry told Amelia what each of the horcruxes used were, where they were hidden, and how the soul was mended. The only pieces Tom doesn't have are the one inside Harry still, which is being left there for safe keeping when the danger is over, then the diary, which Harry destroyed in his second year of school. Harry talked how the only way to mend the soul was to feel remorse, and once Tom admitted that he'd go back and never do things the way he had; his soul fixed itself.
"So he truly felt remorse for the murders, wished he hadn't gone down the path he was put on?" Amelia stated, surprised.
"Still feels remorse, and had only wanted someone to care about him as a child. Isn't that what kids need, Madam Bones? Love, attention, guidance? He was abandoned at an orphanage. His mother died giving birth, not having the will to fight anymore without the man she loved and Tom's father, rejected him. It can make kids get angry and upset, then there was him being a magical child and accidental magic made kids at the orphanage treat him differently…So he fell into more anger. Dumbledore took him to Hogwarts, but didn't guide. Just left him to his own devices instead of trying to help him. And of course, every year, Tom was sent back to the orphanage where he was bullied. I get it, I was abused and bullied by my relatives, but I had what Tom didn't get…I had friends, people who cared. Albus raised me up to be his savior of the world weapon against Voldemort, someone Albus created…" Harry told her.
"It was very wrong of Albus to do. Can you perhaps tell me about this business with you being adopted by Sirius Black?" Amelia inquired.
"It happened the night my parents died. Sirius came to the house in Godric's Hollow to take custody of me, as he was allowed to as my chosen godfather…He didn't want there to be any questioning his guardianship, so it was agreed on by my parents before their deaths that Sirius would blood adopt me as his own child. This allowed me to become his legal heir to the Black name, hence when he died, I became Lord Black." Harry explained.
"And what of this you supposed to be with Remus Lupin?" Amelia urged.
"As a backup if anything happened to Sirius during the first war, he marked that his and my father's other friend, Remus Lupin, would take custody of me. Like a godfather would or uncle would. Despite werewolf status…Sirius and my father both left plenty of money for Remus to use to raise me, and pay for his Wolfsbane potions too. I have a letter here," Harry pulled it out and gave it to Amelia to read over. "From Albus Dumbledore witnessing to the setup of my guardians, that Remus was more than safe to care for me. Hence my anger when Albus claimed that Remus was ineligible to take me in, leaving Albus as my magical guardian." Harry then showed Amelia the inheritance test results. "It shows right here that Remus was to take me after Sirius was imprisoned, despite how unfair that whole debacle was, and again when Sirius was killed during my fifth year of school." Harry stated.
"I do see these changes, and a letter from your account manager stating that at no time was Albus Dumbledore ever legally a guardian of any kind to you." Amelia nodded as she read over the files.
"It was Albus who placed me with the Dursley's, told Sirius go after Pettigrew. Then when Sirius ended up framed, Albus stepped in again to ensure that Sirius got no trial and was shipped off to Azkaban for twelve years." Harry retorted.
"Yes, then he escaped in 1993…" Amelia added. "Twice. Wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you, Harry?"
The vampire sighed, but nodded to confirm that he did. "I know how much trouble I can get into…But yes, I know about both escapes and…To keep to telling the truth, I-I am the one who broke him out the second time."
"I want to know everything before a decision is made, so tell me." Amelia invited.