Petunia Dursley nee Evens puttered about the kitchen putting the kettle on the range and arranging things for tea, when the doorbell buzzed. She saw the Widow down in number eight had a bell that played a lovely tune when you rang. A little bit of footwork and inspection, Pet had found a system that would play about thirty seconds of your favorite music. She had yet to bring it up to Vernon but he owed her for the whole Marge incident last summer.

Wiping her hands on her apron, she went to answer the door. The dark haired man leaning on the door frame looked familiar, but she could not place where she knew him from.

"Can I help you?" She sneered. It was not a please, I want to help you, but more of a how can I help you to leave me alone.

"Ah, Afternoon Tuni. How are you?" He shifted to point a wand at her navel. "What? Yes, I would love to come in and join you for tea. You know how these ladies love to gossip. You can tell them tomorrow that I am here for the boy."

Her eyes went wide. "Black! I could scream."

"Yes, you could." The man grinned evilly. " That is why I silenced the porch. Now lead us to the kitchen, we have tea until the pup gets here, and I take him away. Period. Or I can show you why my family is called Dark."

Petunia snorted, before turning and stalking back to the kitchen. She plopped a second mug beside the first before dropping a bag of cheap tea into it. Not her Lady Gray blend. Over the two bags she poured hot water and carried the cups to the table, before sitting in her chair.

Black sat in Vernons seat, his wand held nonchalantly in his fingers. "I noticed that you used a different tea bag for me."

"How… "

" I ran with the pup's father. One of our friends is a werewolf. As you know the legends say a wolf will always attack any humans nearby. So we had to not be human. I am a black dog that is linked to Death by mythology. The process gifted me with an improved sense of smell and hearing. Down side, my rump twitches when I get over excited and I will chase things if they run." He sipped his tea.

Few minutes of silence, before Petunia broke. "If you were a dog, what was… "

"James? He was a Stag. A true Forest Lord." Sirius smiled at the memories, " He pranced when he was excited, lowered his head when challenged but threw his head up when he was pleased with himself. "

" And Lily? "

" She didn't join the pack until seventh year, and didn't take a second form until she married Prongs. She was an ocelot. She, like most feline types, kneaded her fists when emotional. Where I have smell, she had taste. She would often inhale to taste the air like I sniff."

" The boy? "

" Unknown. He is bound. " Sirius cocked his head to the side. "Bindings are left open so they can unravel as the child grows. But Harry is bound tight enough to limit his magic to 10 percent. When those binders blow, and he comes into his real power… " the mage shook his head.

A few more minutes of silence as the two sat quietly, sipping their tea.

They turned their heads when a car pulled into the driveway.

" Vernon is home." She sat stiffly. "The boys will be with him."

Five minutes later Dudley shouldered into the kitchen heading for a snack and froze. Sitting across from his mother was a freak, pointing a stick at her. He was followed shortly by Vernon.

The large man came to a stop behind his oversized son. He stiffened but made no other move.

The boot of the BMW slammed shut. Followed shortly by the front door as the Boy was heard swearing as he was dragging something heavy.

"Now, Tuni, call him in here."

"Boy. Come here." She used no emotion when she raised her voice.

Everyone heard him sigh, as he dropped the trunk and walked into the Kitchen. As he stepped around the hefty form of Vernon, he brought his right hand to grip his left wrist.

The Master of House Black smiled. "Hey Pup. Ready to get out of here?"

"Before I say yes… what happened last week under the willow tree.? "

" Yes. Good question. I had the rat in my teeth and the moon got in the way." The gaunt faced wizard shifted in the chair. "Is that good enough for you? "

"Yes. " the boy smiled. "What are you up to?"

Sirius pulled a folded up sheet of parchment from an inner pocket of his robe/coat. "Just need your Aunt Petunia to sign this muggle form and Vernon to witness it and then I will take you as far from here as you want to go." A street magician trick caused an ivory fountain pen to be held out to Petunia.

She snatched the pen from Black's hand and signed.

"And now Vernon."

The massive man lumbered forward and taking the pen, signed, before looking at the pen.

"Keep the pen, my grandfather won it off a chap named Churchill back during the war in a poker game."

" Winston Churchill." Harry nodded. "Nice trophy. He was the Leader of the normal military in their last war."

Greed burned in Vernon's eyes.

QTR

Some twenty minutes and signed paperwork later, Harry was walking into the Leaky Cauldron, his school trunk in his pocket, shrunk to the size of a box of matches and Sirius under the Cloak. They took their time arriving at the Bank, and queuing up.

As the teller before them yelled, "Next!" Harry stepped up and bobbed his head but never broke eye contact.

"Black and Potter to see Ashraq and Barchoke. I was informed that we have an appointment."

The Goblin sniffed before sneering. " Black bench." A thumb talon pointed across the room. "Next!"

Harry was shown to a board room where as soon as the door closed, Sirius removed the Cloak and draped it over the table in plain view. The older man caught the lad's questioning look. "Never lie to a goblin if you can help it. And confess your reasoning at the earliest possible chance you can. Their Honour is a tricky thing for humans to completely understand, but we can get the basics. Your Manager will keep your secrets unless they threaten the Nation. Then they will ask the Sovereign, to pass judgment and stand with you, be it Profit or the headsman's axe."

" So the Cloak is covered? "

" It should be, considering how long your family has had it. " the lanky wizard slumped in a chair. "You and I are going on a trip. That okay with you? "

" Where and for how long." Harry dropped into a chair next to Sirius.

" New Jersey. Was thinking for the next four years. "

" Before I go, I need to talk to Hermione. If possible I would like to invite her to join us for school."

" Is she that important to you? "

" If I disappear, she will be alone. And an easy target for arse-hats in Gryffindor not to mention what the Slytherin Bullies will do to her."

" And not Weasley? "

Harry shook his head. " Ron is the biggest threat to her in the Tower and only my anger keeps him at bay… and he has the twins to watch his back. I need her to be safe, and she is safest beside me. I would like to offer her a full ride to wherever you are taking me."

" A Squib friend of mine in New Jersey was just married before my little vacation up north, and with Mooney's help I called in a solid he owed me, and we will be with his family until the school year starts. Now I could have sent you to Ilvermorny, but that's the first place the Headbasterd will look for you. Saleem is a private girls school and any Day school that I can find is not within the reach of the House. Instead I have plans for you to go to Nevermore Academy. It has a more Mundane education and Moony and I can tutor you in Charms, Runes, Potions, and Transfiguration. "

" So… it will be easy to add Hermione to the list." Harry was like a dog with a bone.

" We will ask her about it tomorrow. "

Just then, the door opened and three goblins entered the room. Two in suits, the third leaned on an axe.

Sirius greeted one as an old friend. "Ah! Ashraq. May I present my Heir and Godson, Harkon James Potter." He dug out a key, " My key, and as I have been away so long, I will consent to a blood identity test. The Pup needs one as well."

A sheet of parchment slid to a stop before each human, followed by a jambiya style dagger. Sirius slashed his left plam just deep enough to coat his palm in blood before wiping it on his sleeve, and passing it to Harry. Then he slapped his hand, palm down on the parchment, and declared "Let Magic reveal my truth."

Harry mimicked him.

Taking their hands off the parchment, the palms were healed and clear of blood.

The parchment absorbed the blood and began to write in it across the sheet.

Black's was crisp, clean, controlled.

Potter's was not. The letters were not just written on the sheet of parchment, but burned into it.

Black, Sirius Orion the third.

Lord of Black (unRinged) (Arcturus' Heir "

Born (goblin runes)

Father: Black, Orion Arctur (Deceased)

Mother: Black, Walburga nee Black (Deceased)

Heir

Potter, Harkon James (Godson)

Malfoy, Draco Lucius (Scion of Black)

Sirius sighed as he read the sheet. Then everyone turned to look at Potter's.

A green flame followed the blood as it wrote out Harry's genealogy.

Potter, Harkon James

Heir Apparent Potter (Father)

Heir Apparent Black (Godfather)

Heir Primus Gryffindor (Father)

Heir Primus Paveral (Father)

Lord Slytherin by Conquest and Blood. (Mother)

Inheritor of minor House (gifted)

McGregor

O'Tool

McSweeny

Father : James Charles (Deceased)

Mother: Lily Rose nee Evens. (Deceased)

Heirs

Unlisted.

The two suites looked at each other. The shaved head bowed to the other, before turning to the lad. "Heir Potter. The test says you have something in your blood. It is not a potion but it is of a foreign origin. Pray tell what it is."

" No idea." Harry frowned. " Other than potions nothing has come in contact with my blood since… I was bitten."

" And just what bit you, Pup? "

Harry flinched. "Just a snake…" he trailed off as Padfoot frowned.

" I knew your father well, pup, and I knew when he was avoiding something. Spit it out. "

" Ok, it was a Basilisk." Harry watched the blood drain from the faces of everyone in the room.

Ashraq snagged the dagger and waved his hand over it . "There's a trace of venom now etched into the blade but it is countered by… "

" That might be the Phoenix tears." Harry sighed.

The guard set his axe against the wall before opening a cabinet in the wall and filling four glasses with a shimmering amber liquid. A glass was set before each adult before the guard slammed his back. " Barchoke, Ashraq. I will call a hunter team to hunt it down. "

" No need." Harry smirked. "I killed it just over a year ago. "

" And you just left it to rot in the wild? " the guard cried, " Don't you know how toxic they are? And now not only have you wasted the kill, but you left an eight foot snake to rot in… "

" Oh, there's no way I could carry Salazar's Basilisk out of the Chamber if I even knew… "

" Whoa whoa whoa. " Sirius held up both hands. "you went to the Chamber of Secrets, killed a millennial Basilisk , after it bit you, alone? And you just forgot about it? "

"Not exactly, but yeah. " Harry frowned in confusion.

Barchoke dug out a pocket watch, and popped it open. " The bearded fool should be leaving shortly for the ICW yearly summit."

Potter stood quickly and dug out his trunk. Setting it on the table, he paused. He turned to the goblins in the room. "with permission. "

Barchoke, curious about where this was going, nodded. Harry drew his wand. [Finit] and the matchbox grew the full size of the trunk. Rooting about for a bit, he pulled out a large folded parchment. Muscling the trunk aside, he laid the pack of parchment on the table and tapped it with the wand. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. "

Sirius barked a laugh. "Good idea. And it looks like Albus has left the building."

"What is this?" The goblins chorused.

" A proof of concept. It ties into the wards of the Castle and projects in real time who is where." Black preened.

" It even sees through the Animagus change. I was able to track Wormtail before I learned that he was a rat." Harry watched McGonagall still in front of a set of windows that he knew had a padded bench. He tapped her name as he grinned at his Godfather. "And the Headmistress is down for a quick nap. If we move quickly, we can be done by midnight.

" I will fetch the master of the Rendering Guild." The third goblin grabbed his axe and exited the room at a run.

"We wait for them to return, how about we handle a few things." Ashraq pulled out a small stone box and slid it across the table to Sirius. At the human's touch, it split open to show a Lord's ring.

QTR

Under the cover of sunset, a small lad, a big black dog, and three goblins entered the shrieking shack, down to the underground tunnel and up under the Whomping Willow.

There was Barchoke acting as the Potter Account Manager, Tongueripper the Rendering Guild Master and his Apprentice who was addressed as Fetch.

Padfoot pawed the gnarly root to freeze the tree, and the party scuttled from the tree to the side door that led to a stair to the second floor where they trotted to girls loo.

"Hello Harry Potter." A squeaky voice greeted them as they pressed into the room. "Where have you been?"

"Myrtle. I have been busy. I am afraid that I forgot about you." Harry smiled at the ghost girl. "But when school restarts, feel free to visit the tower. If nothing else, Lavender would enjoy trading gossip and make-up tips. Oh, and the redhead boy that is usually at my side… ignore him. He is a dunderhead."

He turned to look at the sinks."Okay, good news, bad news time. Once I open the way, it is a straight shot straight down. Last time I got covered in slime. We could just jump, but I would prefer to ride." He pulled his shrunken broom from his pocket.

The youngest goblin removed the roll from his back and released the belts holding it. Harry went wide eyed as the young goblin unrolled a flying carpet four feet by six feet. The goblins sat on the carpet, Fetch piloting. Black shifted to human and mounted behind Harry on the broom.

Once everyone was off the floor, Harry hissed $open$.

As the stonework of the sinks gave way, Myrtle retreated to the stall she preferred.

Harry waved Fetch in first, then followed as the sinks closed over his head. As the party descended to the bottom of the shaft, the goblins were admiring the stonework carving. When they landed, on the field of bone, Fetch rolled up the carpet, rebelted it and slung it across his broad back.

Conjuring a bluebell flame, Harry led the way into the underdark.

The Goblins got excited at the sight of the skin, and while it had value, it was knuts to the galleons the Beast promised to yield.

At the rock slide, Sirius stepped up and with his bespoke wand transmuted the pile of stones into an archaic arch with Prongs on one side, holding the ceiling with his rack, the other had a werewolf and a Grim howling at a moon. A block from the pile Harry had dislodged when he and Ginny were exiting the Chamber, blurred as it rose and settled into the shape of a spotted feline resting in Prongs antlers .

Huffing from the effort, Padfoot posed as he peered at the effect. "If you return, you can add yourself to the columns.

Tongueripper clicked his name sake. "Only the Stone Carvers Guild could do better. You not only made it attractive, but functional. And it will hold." The other two nodded.

" Stop it. " the ringed heir to Potter and Black sighed. "Keeping his ego in check already is hard enough."

The goblins snorted and followed Potter deeper into the cavern.

At the silver door, Harry once again hissed, and as the circular door swung open on silent hinges, the Goblins gasped. A flurry of Goblin tongue, and Barchoke asked Harry, "Would you be willing to sell the door as well?"

"If I have reason to be down here again, yes. But do I have the right to sell it?"

"This is Slytherin's Chamber, and you are now Lord Slytherin. The only reason to keep it here is to protect the Basilisk and… " He turned to look into the chamber and froze. All colour drained from his face.

"Shite, it got Barchoke!" Padfoot slammed his back to the wall beside the door, his wand in his grip.

Harry leaned over to look, "No, the eyes are still pecked out."

"Then why is Barchoke frozen like that?" Sirius looked panicked.

Fetch looked, "Dead a year and she still makes you want to shit yourself. Damn, this is going to take the full Guild to properly harvest everything. Just what are you selling and what are you keeping."

" Barchoke said you guys love Basilisk meat. So… I will trade you half the meat for the services of the guild."

"Generous. And the other half? "

" Half is Barchoke's cut. " Harry smirked as the shaven head snapped about to look at him. "half everything else is to go to the market, but the Hide. I am hoping to trade the last quarter of the meat to the Tanner's Guild."

" What makes you think we have a Tanner's Guild? " Fetch sneered at the Human.

"Your Guild handles the Dragon carcasses that die in the line of duty. So either your Guild handles the hides, or you have a Tanner's Guild."

"Well reasoned." Fetch "Must the meat go to them… could you just trade it to our Guild, and let us handle the details of the trade for the hide?"

"Yes… " Harry saw the greed in Fetch's eyes flare. "But I need to see a member of the Tanner's Guild first. "

"And of course you are going to mention that they are slated to get a fourth of that." Fetch's sneer grew.

"Of course… but only that they are slated for one fourth of a Basilisk that I killed. It is only fair. If they assume that I killed a small snake, not a millennial Basilisk… well, as the good book says 'Hear all, speak nothing.' Rule of Acquisition number 112."

The three goblins snapped about. "You know the Rules of Acquisition? " Barchoke hissed.

Harry shrugged. "a few. The rules as written are good, but a few are mistranslated. For instance, Faith moves Mountains of inventory. A good rule, but to my mind, it should read 'Faith moves Mountains, inventory needs Help'. And if you are helping, you should be compensated accordingly."

The Goblins glared at the Human. He was messing with Holy Scripture.

Harry stepped past them, into the chamber itself. Padfoot frowned at the Lad before following him.

Only to scream like a girl and almost crap himself.

"You killed that?!? " he squeaked out.

"I showed you the scar." Harry spoke as if he was asked about potions homework. He made certain to be looking away from the four behind him. He walked up and petted the nose. "Just how big did you think she was?"

"You killed that?!? " he squeaked out. Again.

" Yeah. Ran the Sword of Gryffindor up through the roof of her mouth as she tried to swallow me whole." Harry rubbed his arm.

"She?" Tongueripper hissed? "And her Eggs?"

" What eggs?" Harry was now confused.

"One reason why we don't leave a carcass like this laying about, anything over a century will spawn a fertilized egg. The egg is held in the… " Here he used his talons to make air quotes, "...Egg Chamber. The spawn is a Basilisk as well. A lesser Basilisk, yes, but something closer to a true snake. Many refer to them as Death Adders. If you don't want it, we can get you a good price."

Barchoke frowned. "they make almost perfect familiars for a Parseltongue. They are also in high demand for breeding. If I can offer you the option to allow the Nation to hatch it and breed her with a few males from other clutches… "

Harry turned to look at the snake laying dead at his feet. " What is the given price for the eggs from her clutch? Use the same figures for the last first generation Death Adders clutch." Harry paused, "Accounting for inflation."

Fetch's snort echoed in the chamber.

"Factoring in everything… fifty to five hundred galleons pending on market. Are we keeping them local or actively seeking buyers? Do we inform the ICW or do we expect Dumbledore to have?"

Black started laughing. "As the Supreme Mugwump, it is and was his duty to inform the Council of this beast and that it was killed. So if you post in open media that you have parts and eggs for sale or devices…"

The Goblins sneered as they chuckled.

"I consent to the Nation hatching and raising her to clutch once. We split the take of the eggs at fair market value. I am placing a value of 5 million galleons on her should she come to harm in the Nation's care."

The three twisted little men hissed. But Barchoke nodded. Harry clasped forearms with the shaven headed goblin.

Tongueripper hissed through his teeth as he walked around the snake. "Eyes are gouged out and ruined. The nerve fiber might be usable… the tip of the tail is hacked off, and at least one tooth is broken." He pulled a twisted three strand rope from his belt and with Fetch's help he got it under the jaw and back behind the head where the ends were tied together, and the Renderers nodded to Barchoke.

" Alright Lord Slytherin, close the door, and we will portkey out, and the body will follow in ten minutes. "

" How, the Hide is spell proof." Black gasped.

" Yes." Tongueripper sneered at the Human as Fetch climbed onto its back. "But the spell is not being cast on the beast. In fact it is not being cast at all. It is twisted into the rope." He pulled a shorter length from another pocket. "where a Wizards portkey uses the wizards magic to power the spell, our magic is woven into the tools we use. And we are not porting the beast, we are porting the rope… that just happens to be tied around the neck behind the head of the beast. Had it been a century or smaller creature, the rope could be tied off and we would collect it on the other side. With it this big, we need to pilot it in. Everyone grab on, and…

Tongueripper snapped his fingers.

QTR

Tongueripper snapped his fingers

And the four of them were in a large cavernous chamber, even bigger than the Great Hall and the Chamber of Secrets… Combined.

Tongueripper let out a sharp whistle. "EVERYONE, AND I MEAN EVERYONE, CLEAR OFF THE FLOOR, WE GOT A BIG ONE COMING IN!!!" He then looked at the Humans. "That goes double for you two."

Barchoke led the two wizards into a tunnel where they turned back to watch…

As, in a reverse pop, the dead Basilisk was there.

Every goblin froze.

A scared, one eyed goblin shuffled up and looked it over. "How long has this been dead?"

Fetch swung down from his perch and grinned at the oldder Goblin., "Just over a year, resting in a chamber caught between three nexus points, steeped in the runoff of students, staff, and Elves..."

The Elder nodded, "Well done young Ragnok. You have brought great profit to the Nation. Now… What are you not telling me? "

"Only half the meat goes to the Rendering Guild, a quarter is earmarked for the Tanner's Guild for the cost of curing the hide, but the Owner is insisting on telling them that. I can work a deal. He is promising to only say one quarter of the snake meat for the hide, and I can lock in a coin value, before they see the size of the snake." Fetch wiped the foaming drool from his lips. " Barchoke is getting the last quarter unto himself. Had I known that House Potter was this generous to their Managers, I would have challenged him for the Account instead of joining the guild."

The Elder threw back his head and laughed. "Godric Gryffindor, the only human to ever win the right to keep a goblin crafted blade in his bloodline rather than return it after he finished using it, is a progenitor of the Potter Bloodline."

The younger goblin stood up straight. "And if what I heard as we were examining her is correct, he used that bloody blade to kill this beast."

The Elder nodded.

QTR

Bach in the Boardroom, Ashraq slid over two passports, three travel VISAs and three plane tickets and travel arrangements for a caged bird of prey.

Both humans were now ringed. Sirius as Lord Black, and Harry as Heir to Potter and Black .

And Harry had one thousand galleons in a moke skin pouch that was enchanted to be 'bottomless' and 'weightless' and another thousand converted to pounds and in an American Biker style wallet. He even went a bit further and had a hundred galleons converted to US Dollars.

Twenty minutes later, the Boy exited the bank, collared grim at his heels. Padfoot, his Father's Familiar, returned as a gift from his Godfather.

They went to the Trunk and Travel shop. He bought a Scamander class three case. Like the class one, the case offered room. Where a class one offered a cavern that you could modify, and a class two was for the Witch or Wizard on the go.

The class three was more of barracks for a squad of hit wizards. The stair/ladder dropped into the galley slash kitchen where six doors lead out. Four led to Spartan Quarters; a footlocker, a cot style bed, and three shelves over a workbench/ desk. The other two led to a shower room like that from the school dorms and an armory/potions lab.

After the trunk store, Harry put Padfoot in the case with the cloak and his school trunk. A 'quick' stop at Madame Milkins for a change of wardrobe. He also bought three off the rack robes in black wool and two in black silk.

While Sirius showered and changed his clothes. Harry caught a Black Cab to Hermione's house. Paying cash and a hefty tip, Harry watched it vanish into the night.

TBC