The Dragon's Silver Flower

by TigerSwarm9122

Deciding to take control of his life after discovering his true heritage and Dumbledore's betrayal. Without the machinations of Dumbledore and the overbearing Weasley family, Harry will make a name for himself and rise. Grey/Dark is more dark than grey but still honorable. Powerful, Smarter! Mentor Flitwick. Good Snape.

6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: New spells and meeting the family

During the next several months, Nathanial, Filius, and Anastasia increased the intensity of Harry's studies and training sessions. To say that Harry was in hell would be an understatement. He knew the former would be the hardest on him, but he sometimes felt like the man was trying to kill him. Though, despite the grueling training sessions, Harry was indeed growing in his powers and abilities. One of the things he's been working on was his elemental abilities; they were all different in their own ways. However, he studied, practiced, and experimented with them whenever he had free time or under the watchful eyes of his teachers.

In addition, to his regular studies, the idea of wanting to create new spells appealed greatly to him. They would certainly have the elements of surprise and leave others speechless. Already he had been trying to work on a new spell for combat. One that could be used to turn the opponent's attack against them and wouldn't require him to protect himself without having to expend much energy to maintain a shield. He quickly learned that would be a big problem against someone incredibly powerful and would use a barrage of powerful spells. A magical shield could block and deflect an opponent's attack, but if maintained for a certain amount of time, it would leave the caster drained as they would have to continuously push their magic into the shield. He learned that the hard way during one of his dueling sessions with Nathanial.

This had been one of the few spells he had been working on, and he named it Protego Ectium Ira (protect, absorb the power, redirect, strengthen). Initially, wanting to defend, absorb, and return the opponent's attack back at them, he thought about adding another function to the spell. The second one would definitely help him in combat, as it had two variations and what most would consider a one-two punch. Caligor Netatem (mist, pain, and weakness). Repoxiamus fectium (debilitate, ruin thyself, over time). Wizards and witches often take too much for granted, as they expect their spells to harm their opponents. Taken separately, these two spells would deconstruct and weaken them over time in combat but used together, they would make the opponent feel weak and cause them pain over time. In other words, they'd become their own worst enemies.

The next two spells, he was some of which he was especially proud of. Tenespirium (dark, blast, explode). This is more of an offensive spell as it has the potential to be lethal with the right amount of power added to it. Similar to the standard blasting curse but is much more powerful. Furthermore, if anyone tries to use a shielding charm to block the spell, then its effects are doubled. And finally, he created a spell to target multiple enemies at once. Stellavis meteober (stardust, meteor, storm). Unlike the other spells he invented, this was by far the most difficult and powerful spell he had ever created. He remembered reading through the parseltongue book Herpo the Foul wrote and his grandfather's notes in the Potter family grimoire.

Herpo the Foul may have been a dark wizard, but Harry found himself very intrigued by the man. He was magically powerful and extremely smart. The man wrote:

'Throughout my life, I have experienced things that would tear any normal person apart. The people of my time may have called me Dark, and that is fine, as the balance between light and dark magic must be maintained. The idea of those who are classified as Dark are often viewed as evil, which is ridiculous because magic is all about power and intent. Using dark magic or the dark arts to ensure you and the people you care for should not be a crime, as it can very well save your life. That said, the person must be cautious, for they should never abuse it, or the consequences will be disastrous. Dark magic should be used without restraint or proper mental discipline because if the person uses it excessively, they will become a nightmarish monster with no morals or honor.'

'As I look to stars at night, I can tell they hold extraordinary power. One night when I was a younger man, I witnessed the power they had when their powers were combined to destroy three of Saturn's moons. That was when I started thinking about Stardust.'

After that, he read through the section his grandfather wrote about taking out multiple opponents at once:

Grindelwald's army is full of highly dangerous witches and wizards from all across the planet. Each one of them is more powerful than any normal witches or wizards in my generation, but that will not stop me from fighting and defending the innocents. Along with my best friend and soon-to-be brother-in-law, Arcturus Black, we have managed to neutralize a great many of them. One day in the midst of a battle, we fought side by side against a contingent of powerful and ruthless individuals. Despite being outnumbered were able to defeat them by using spells designed by several members of our family to great and destructive effects. In the aftermath, the battlefield had been reduced to a broken warzone from the combination of our powers. We brought destruction upon them, similar to that of a meteor shower. Though it was extremely taxing on us, we were able to eliminate several hundred of Grindelwald's forces and later forced him out of his stronghold. This shows that even when our spells did not seem powerful, they sure as hell could bring a lot of destruction.

As Harry closed his journal, he stood up from his seat and walked out of the room, thinking about the spells he had created. They would be an extraordinary asset to his growing repertoire. Without a doubt, they leave others speechless, and more notably, his enemies would soon wish they had never crossed him. Heading upstairs, he found his teachers sitting on the living room couch, deciding their next lessons.

". . . Potter has proven to be a phenomenal student. More so than several of the other people I have trained. The boy exceeds my expectations, and sometimes when I see the fire burning in his eyes, I am reminded of both Charlus and Arcturus." Nathanial praised.

Ana laughed, "it is rare to hear you compliment someone. However, you are right, as he has come a long way and impressed me greatly. By my estimation, we have two months left before we leave." She would have said more but noticed her protege standing by the wall, "hello, Harry. Is there something you need?"

The two others looked at the raven-haired young man. "There are some things I wish to show the three of you," he coolly replied. "As you all know, I've been working on some spells and wanted you three to be the first to see them in action."

"Spell creation?" Filius enquired. He knew Harry had been experimenting with spells and had been working on creating some of his own. This, however, was not easy and could be dangerous. Whenever he would ask about the spells, Harry would say they were a surprise. "You actually managed to create a few?"

Hearing the giddiness in his voice, Harry smirked in response. "They've been tested, perfected, and will leave you at a loss for words."

"Then let's see them," Ana stood up with a hand on her hip. "And we need to discuss something with you as well."

They all walked outside; the Zone had provided them with a large meadow. Harry's grin did not fade in the slightest, "all right, for me to show the spells, I will need a volunteer."

Ana volunteered, taking her wand out and standing a few feet from him while Filius and Nathanial watched from the side. Then drawing his own wand, "let's begin. Send a blasting curse." She did as he said, and an orange beam rocketed toward him. Instead of the regular circle motion one would do to create a pale blue shield, Harry mentally said, "protego ectium ira," and waved his wand in the form of a rectangle, and a human-sized see-through blue-green phalanx shield appeared. When the beam hit the shield, it became stronger and returned to its caster with more power.

Ana's eyes widened as the shield she conjured blew away like it was tissue paper, and she skidded back a few feet.She stared in surprise as the power that was once in the confringo she used had been increased. But how? What was this new shield Harry had created as it differed from the others? Seeing the grin on his face, she decided to test his shield a bit further by sending a volley of different spells. Each time they would impact the shield, they were sent back with more power than before, and it seemed that the shield was growing stronger with every impact. When she tried to attack him from the side by manipulating the trajectory of her last spell, the shield moved with the movement of his wand to intercept the curse, thereby protecting him.

"My turn now," with a jab and a few twirls of his wand, the blue-green shield turned pink. Harry then went on the offensive by using a couple of spells through the shield that rocketed to Ana with incredible power forcing her on the defensive.

After a minute, he stopped and dropped the shield. "That was incredible," Filius exclaimed. "What kind of shield is that? None of her spells could touch you." Nathanial seemed intrigued as well.

"Furthermore, no matter how many spells made contact with it, the shield seemed to have grown stronger, returned the spells with greater power, and seemed to amplify your attacks." An impressed Nathanial grinned.

"Kinetic energy," said Harry. Seeing the confused expressions on their faces, he continued, "whenever a wizard or witch decides to conjure a shield to protect themselves, it takes a portion of their magic. However, maintaining it for an extended period of time will consume a person's magic and leave them drained. What I did was conjure a shield that requires a smaller amount of magic than the regular shields, which allowed me to conserve more of my magic, as for it growing stronger and sending her spells back with greater power than what was released. I made it so that the kinetic energy from her spells would serve as energy for the shield, and once they impacted, the shield would send them back with one and a half times more powerful than what was used to create it. And as a bonus, when it turned pink and my spells passed through it, their effects were multiplied times two. How is that for a defense and counterattack?"

"Impressive. Most impressive," Nathanial clapped. "You can defend and counterattack your opponent with their own spells. What's more, whatever power you're using would be enhanced by the effectiveness of your shield. That really is some smart thinking. A powerful defense that is virtually impregnable."

"Powerful and effective, yes. Impregnable, no," Harry corrected. "The kinetic energy that is used to strengthen the barrier will protect the caster, yes; however, a powerful and continuous shield-penetration spell could render the shield ineffective. A single standard shield-penetrating spell won't be enough as the caster will have to continuously pour their magic into the spell."

Filius looked at him with approval. Knowing that the spell had a weakness, his protege thought ahead and went to improve upon it by making sure the attacker would have no choice but to drain their magic to destroy the shield and reach him. "I like it! They must sacrifice some of their power to get through. Anything else you wish to show?"

"Indeed, I do," Harry turned back to Ana. "Can you keep going, or do you require a break?" He asked with a cheeky grin.

"Wipe that grin off your face, young man," she ordered with a mock glare, though a small smile tugged against her lips, and her eyes twinkled. She recognized the grin on his face as it was the same as Charlus'. "What's next?"

"The second spell is an offensive spell. I think you'll like it. He mentally said, "tenespirium," a large blast of black-purplish flames left his wand. She tried to block it with a shielding charm, but a minute after being pushed back a few inches, the shield collapsed, and she was thrown on her backside. "This is derived from the original blasting curse; except I created a more powerful spell. You were wrong to block it with a shielding charm, as it only increased the spell's effectiveness."

"Yeah. . ." groaning as she got back to her feet while clutching her stomach. The impact of the spell had broken three of her ribs. "I definitely felt it too." Harry walked over to help her. Throwing her arm around him, he guided her to where the others were standing. Filius conjured a chair for her.

Once she sat down, the diminutive man got to work on repairing broken ribs. "Those two spells are indeed impressive."

He smiled at the compliment. "I have three more spells that I like to show, but they can wait until later of you want?"

Before she could reply, Nathanial spoke, "no need to. You will use them on me," he said in a firm voice. "I want to see what you have been working on."

"Are you sure?"

"Mmhm," he grunted.

Nathanial took the position Anastasia once had, with Harry retaking his. Taking their stances, Nathanial kicked things off with a wide-cutting curse, a fiery comet, and two bone-exploding curses. Harry dodged and parried the spells before counterattacking with a high-pressured blast of water called aquormento (water, cannon), three fire missiles, and two diagonal air slashes.

They traded spells for a couple of minutes, with none of their attacks making contact except for in mid-air when they collided to cancel each other out. Harry then decided to reveal another of his spells. Stellavis meteober, a large multi-colored ball of light, rocketed toward Nathanial. . . but before it got close enough to be intercepted by a shielding charm, it changed directions and shot straight up. Once it got high enough, it exploded into several aurora lights that filled the sky. Thinking that it was just a he was about to start attacking again but was sent hurling back by several different colors of energy beams. Rising back to his feet, he saw more coming at him like a meteor shower. Just what kind of spell was this? He had never seen anything like this before.

Harry smiled when he saw his teacher was struggling and being pushed back by the multiple beams. He then decided to showcase what else he had up his sleeve by sending caligor netatem. A thick dark fog with purple lightning crackling made its way to Nathanial as he dodged the last few beams. The minute it enveloped him, he waved his wand, vanishing the dark cloud. Before he could use a spell, he screamed in pain from being electrocuted by a powerful surge of purple lightning and fell to his knees, feeling weak. "What in the. . . What in the hell was that? Why do I. . . Why do I feel so drained?" For some reason, he felt sick, exhausted, and physically drained. He couldn't tell why but for some reason, he was seeing double.

"We're just getting started," slashing his wand in a downward slash. Harry sent repoxiamus fectium, a magenta-colored spell that shot and nailed Nathanial in the chest, forcing him on his back. Nathanial had no idea what Harry had done. But if possible, the effects from the spell increased the feeling of him being weak; struggling to his feet, he fired a spell at Harry, who sidestepped. Not only did his attack miss, but purple flames erupted, and red lightning surged around his entire body. Once again, he screamed in pain and fell to his knees, feeling weak. "Just so you know, the more spells you fire, the more trouble you'll be in. Please put your wand away, and I'll erase the spells from your body."

Nathanial did as he asked and returned his wand to its holster. "Good. Now just stay right there and don't move." Harry waved his wand, conjuring a big rain cloud over the man, and several drops of water came out.

Strangely, he felt better as the raindrops continued falling on him. The pain and weakness he felt evaporated, and his body felt normal again. This was beyond what he expected. Raising his head, he saw Harry standing before him and offering his hand to help him up. Accepting the gesture, the younger man pulled him to his feet. "Did I pass?" A twinge of nervousness was in Harry's voice.

Nathanial then burst out laughing. "You most certainly did. If I were to grade your spells, I would give an. . .outstanding to each of them. Especially those last three spells. What were they?"

The two walked over to the others and conjured some chairs to sit down in. Harry then explained the spells he created: "the first spell I used against you was something I got from reading the book Herpo the Foul and the notes my grandfather wrote in the Potter grimoire. I created it to handle multiple strong opponents at once. It is essentially family magic now."

"That's fair," Filius said, then asked. "What about the other two spells?"

"Those two were designed to weaken and debilitate an opponent over time," Harry began. "Caligor netatem creates a dark fog with purple lightning that attacks the person's body and makes them feel weak and sick. Nothing dangerous. It just makes them feel drained of their physical and mental energy and hallucinate. The second spell is repoxiamus fectium, which debilitates the opponent even further, causing them to feel more drained and lightheaded and causes them pain over time. Whatever power they put into a spell; they feel. Even if they don't attack, they'll still take damage. While they're effective on their own, yes, but when used in tandem. Well, you saw what happened. . ."

"I like it!" Said Ana. "You're able to weaken and harm your foes over time and made it possible, so they're their own worst enemies. Smart thinkin'." She complimented, then added, "it is rare to see a fourteen-year-old accomplish something as difficult as spell crafting."

"Compared to the number of witches and wizards in the wizarding world, only a few are motivated. And there are even fewer teenagers. Plus, I am a member of the House of Black. The last of the House of Potter. I have to prove who I am and the power of my House. The Potter family will once again thrive and be feared and revered." In addition, he is also the last of the Houses of Gryffindor, Slytherin, and Peverell. The survival of these Houses rests on his shoulders, and they will not go extinct. They will rise again, and he will prove who he is and that one should rely on skills and hard work, not what they're born into.

Filius and Nathanial smiled; Harry was unlike any other student they had ever had before. He wanted to get better, and unlike many of the other heirs and heiresses, he did not want to simply use his family's wealth and position in society for selfish goals. No, he wanted to grow stronger and show the world his resolve. If only Arcturus and Charlus were here to see this.

Filius then spoke in a neutral voice; however, the smile on his face remained. "There is something we need to discuss with you. The ministry hasn't released this information yet, but there was a breakout in Azkaban." Harry raised an eyebrow. Azkaban was one of the wizarding world's magical prisons. The prison was used to house convicted criminals in Europe and was guarded by dementors. They made the prison cold, dark, and desolate. Any and all happiness was removed thanks to those foul creatures as they feed on every happy emotion, memory. . .until the victim is left with their worst selves.

Moreover, they could perform a kiss that literally sucks the soul out of a person's body, leaving them an empty shell. "Needless to say, Cornelius is very worried since this makes the ministry and, by extension, him look bad. Once the Daily Prophet gets wind that the once escape-proof Azkaban, he will do everything he can to save face. That means he'll likely have the Dementors sent to Hogwarts and Hogsmeade."

"But that's insane. Dementors are attracted to positive emotions. Hundreds of students will be at school, and several others not in school who like to visit the village. Sending them to those heavily populated areas would. . ."

". . . be like offering a free buffet of souls to the Dementors," Filius finished. "Fudge is not a leader, nor should he have been made the Minister of Magic. I remember him from when he was a student at Hogwarts, and he was only slightly above average in terms of magical abilities. Not only that, but he is power-hungry and can be easily influenced. Can you guess by who?"

"The Death Eaters who pleaded to being under the imperius curse. They also funded his campaign and are likely slipping him gold in exchange for favors or classified information. As long as they supply him with, he'll turn a blind eye to what they do or get involved in." Harry grits his teeth. Lucius Malfoy and the other Death Eaters were a cowardly and slippery lot. They used their vast fortunes and family connections to escape Azkaban and would only do something if they ensured they were protected. Fucking cowards, the lot of them. He would need to do some research on how best to destroy them. Already an idea began forming in his mind, as their greatest strengths could also be their undoing's. He then snapped back into reality, wanting to get back to the topic at hand. "There's more, isn't there?"

Nathanial gave a nod, "the prisoner who escaped is your godfather. Sirius Black. However, why now and how he escaped is unknown?"

"I have a theory on how he escaped," Harry thought. ". . . Anyway, you look at it, he was never given a trial, nor is he guilty of selling out my parents to Voldemort. Is there any way we can get him a trial?"

"Three options," Ana replied. "One: you find Peter Pettigrew himself and bring him before the Wizengamot for everyone to see or deliver him to the Director of the Law Enforcement, Madam Bones. She's a strict but fair woman who believes in law and order. Always upholds the law and is incorruptible. Second: the Chief Warlock has the power to call for a trial," she raised a hand when he was about to protest. "I know you do not like him since he was the one who chucked him into prison. But he is still the current Chief Warlock and therefore has the power to call for a trial. And third: you can take up the mantle as Lord Potter and therefore push for a trial as the offended House."

Harry knew the last option would be next to impossible as he couldn't take up the mantle as Head of the Potter family until he was sixteen, took his O.W.L.s, or if magic deemed him worthy of being an adult. He might have been allowed to live alone without any adults, but that didn't mean he was allowed to be a Lord. Moreover, he had to keep his other Lordships quiet for the time.

An idea then formed in his head. The only remaining Blacks other than him and Sirius were Narcissa and Draco Malfoy and Andromeda Tonks nee, Black. Truthfully he had wanted to get into contact with the latter and her family as they were listed as possible candidates for guardianship over him. From what Arcturus had told him, the girl's parents had disowned her for marrying a muggleborn, but they never had the authority. So, she was unknowingly still considered a member of the House of Black. Also, from what he read in his father's journal Andromeda went to work for a well-respected law firm and was a highly accomplished and damn good lawyer. Plus, it seemed like she was close to his father and godfather before and after she married Edward Tonks, and the three kept in touch.

Coming to a decision, he looked at Filius. "Can I ask you to do me a favor?"

"What do you need?"

"I would like to get a letter to Andromeda and request an audience with her. There are some things I need to discuss with her?"

"Do you want to speak with just her or the entire family?"

"All three of them."

"I can do that." Harry nodded in gratitude and left to get inside to write the letter. When Filius saw Harry get inside, he said. "I remember Andromeda and Edward from their time at Hogwarts. One was in Slytherin, the other in Hufflepuff. Both were excellent students and went to make lives for themselves. They never allowed their blood statuses to decide what they could be and do in life."

"But that is not what got you, is it?" Ana enquired.

"No." He answered. "Andromeda loved James and Sirius, and I bet you anything that she would have loved nothing more than to have raised Harry alongside her daughter Nymphadora."

"Do you think she tried to get custody of him after it was reported that James and Lily were killed?"

"Undoubtedly, Nathanial," Filius said in a firm voice. "Dumbledore had James and Lily's Will sealed, and he must have used his position as Chief Warlock to prevent her from visiting him."

Harry returned with a sealed letter in his left hand an hour later and gave it to Filius.

"I'll send this out after we get done with today," putting it in the pocket of his robes. "Now, onto the next item of business. If the Dementors are placed at Hogwarts this coming year, then it is imperative you know how to defend against them. Do you know what they are weak to?"

". . .the Patronus Charm. A non-corporeal patronus takes the form of a shield that can keep them at bay and potentially drive them away. However, a corporeal patronus is a magical construct of the caster's positive emotions given form."

Filius smiled. "Indeed. To create a patronus charm, you will need a memory. A powerful memory and let its positive emotions fill you up. The patronus can protect you for only as long as you stay focused. The incantation is Expecto Patronum," he said, explaining the wand movement.

"Watch," flouring his wand, he cast the spell. "Expecto Patronum," out came a harpy eagle that flew around the others before landing on his shoulder and faded away. "You try now. Remember, find your happiest memory, let it envelop you, and give it a form."

Harry nodded, took a deep breath, and thought about the time he saw his parents through the Mirror of Erised. It was the first time he had ever seen them that wasn't in his dreams, and it brought him an incredible amount of happiness. "Expecto Patronum," the only thing that came out was a whisp of silver vapor. Deciding to try it again, he pushed his magic and the level of emotions he felt into the spell and yelled. "Expecto Patronum!" This time, a non-corporeal shield came out from the tip of his wand instead of a silver vapor.

"Woah. . .," was all Nathanial and Anastasia said as they were rendered speechless. Nathanial then said, "for your first time, that was actually pretty good. But you will need to practice the spell more."

And practiced, Harry did. For a week, Harry had been researching and practicing the patronus charm. More than that, though, he had been researching the Dementors more thoroughly to see if they had any other weaknesses. No one knows where they came from or their average lifespan. The Ministry claims the creatures are under their control, but that is mostly a lie, as Dementors are only loyal to those who offer them the most freedom. During the last war, Voldemort made use of them on a number of occasions since he offered them the one thing they couldn't pass up: The ability to suck out as many souls as they wanted. Because they are so hard to control, the Ministry had them restricted to Azkaban, so they could suck out the happiness from the prisoners. Yet this is only a temporary solution at best. . . They will eventually become hungry for more and leave to go hunt elsewhere.

From what he could gain thus far is that they were only able to be driven off by a corporeal Patronus Charm. They also didn't like fire that much. Fire could wound and distract them for a brief minute, but it won't vanquish or repel them.

Grabbing his wand, he pictured the memory of seeing his parents again and let the happiness course through his body. A second later, he waved his wand and said, "expecto patronum." After a week of practicing the spell, it finally took a corporeal form. An ouroboros dragon by the look of it. Despite his exhaustion, he felt exhilarated when the dragon roared, alerting the entire house.

"What in the name of Merlin was that?!" Exclaimed Ana. She had her wand out and was the first in the living room. "Harry, what are you—" She didn't get to finish as her mouth suddenly became dry, her jaw hit the ground, and her eyes went wide at the sight of the dragon patronus standing next to him.

She was not the only one whose mouth went dry. Filius couldn't even speak. Nathanial shook his head to get back to reality. "Did you conjure this patronus?" He pointed to the dragon, who then vanished.

"I am just as surprised as you. It took me a week just to do a corporeal," Harry replied, taking a seat on the couch.

Filius blinked a few times. "A week? That's all it took you to get your patronus to take that form?" Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, Merlin, I'm going to need a glass of Firewhiskey tonight."

"Can I join?" Ana asked.

"Please," Filius led her into the kitchen.

(0^0)

The teachers had to admit that their pupil was improving at an alarming rate as he was becoming more stronger and smarter with each lesson. All of their tests and challenges were met and accomplished, which surprised them greatly. What really got their attention was that Harry had become extremely proficient with his silent casting, to the point where he could do it like a pro. Filius speculated that it wouldn't have been long for him to completely master the art of nonverbal casting and was proven right.

One day he found the boy reading about wandless magic and warned him of the dangers of doing it. Wandless magic was extremely difficult to master; several witches and wizards who tried it ended up dead, lacked proper control over their magic, did not have enough power, or died because their magic's turned on them. That is why he warned Harry to be careful should he attempt to try it.

Nathanial and Ana were definitely not pulling their punches as much anymore, especially the former, who had taken a more direct approach to Harry's dueling sessions. Ana was not too pleased with the man's new treatment of the boy as he was treating him more harshly than the other Mage trainees. When she eventually confronted him about it, he said, "the child shows a natural aptitude, and the other leaders are intrigued with him and the progress he's made. It stands to reason that the more we push him, the more he'll grow and might become a member of the Order if chosen."

Ana was still not happy with the man's new training regime but accepted his words. If the higher-ups were indeed impressed and were starting to take an interest in Harry, then that could only mean they were looking to recruit him. She silently wondered how Dorea would react to this? Would she want her only grandson to be a Mage?

These questions plagued her mind as she sat behind her desk, grading the young man's curse-breaking and warding exam. She had been working with him on manipulating wards to suit his needs. Halfway through grading, Filius walked in, wearing a big grin. "Hello, Filius. Do you need something?"

"Just wanted to deliver a letter to our young protege," he responded, then turned to Harry, who was reading through Slytherin grimoire again. The boy raised his head from the page he was reading. "Andromeda has written back, and she is most anxious to meet you." He took the sealed envelope from his pocket and gave it to him.

Harry accepted the envelope and opened it to pull out the letter:

Dear Harry Potter,

When I received your letter, I assumed it was a trick, but Filius Flitwick told me it was authentic. Harry, please believe me that I would like nothing more than to meet with you. You were right in saying that we have a lot to talk about. I know this is late, but I want you to know how sorry I am for not being more in your life when you were younger. Please believe me when I say that I tried to get custody or at least visit you but was unable to.

I also never believed that Sirius was the one who betrayed James and Lily to Voldemort. He loved James as much as he loved Regulus. The idea of him betraying his best friends is unthinkable and complete dragons dung, as he would have died first. And I know for a fact that Sirius never joined Voldemort, nor did he support him directly or indirectly. Since he was a child, he rebelled against the Black family, which is why at the age of sixteen, he ran away to your Dad's. His mother, Aunt Walburga, was a tyrant and a nasty piece of work; she wanted him to become a muggle-born-hating bastard and join the Death Eaters.

I look forward to seeing you on the 1st of August. Edward, Nymphadora, and I will be at Black Manor at 10 a.m. It has been a long time since I've been there. I hope to see you soon and would like nothing more than to be a part of your life again.

Love, Andromeda Tonks nee Black

A few tears rolled down the side of his face. He would finally have the chance at a real family. "I will see you soon, Andromeda, and this time nothing will interfere with our family again." He promised. Andromeda was a good and hard-working woman who would never go back on her word. Harry was most eager to finally meet her.

Filius took the seat beside him and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I'll be there if you need me."

"I appreciate it, thank you."

Then with a single nod, Filius went to change the topic of conversation. "How is your control over the patronus charm coming along?"

Smirking, he took his wand and silently cast his patronus, and the dragon appeared in the room. "Now, whenever I conjure him, it doesn't feel at all draining, nor does it exhaust me. I even made a discovery regarding the charm."

"What kind of discovery?" Asked an intrigued Ana, who put the exam on her desk.

"The patronus requires power, but that does not mean you have to push a lot of magic into it, but rather the emotions. The charm is an embodiment of a powerful memory, along with positive emotions. In other words, you need to push your happiest memory and emotions that came with it to fuel the spell rather than your magic," Harry explained.

". . .So less power in magic and more in the emotions," Ana concluded, then clicked her tongue. "I like it."

She took her quill and continued grading his exam. Fourteen minutes later, she put a grade in the top right corner and placed it face down on his desk. Placing his grimoire down, he flipped his exam over to see that he had received a hundred. "We leave in three days. So you better get packed," was all she said before leaving with a smile on her face.

His eyes widened. Wow, only three days left. Well, then, it was good that he made the most of his time while in the Zone. Rising from his seat, he gathered his things and left to go outside and do some meditation. That and flying always set his mind at ease as nothing else seemed to matter. Quidditch was fine, and all, but truthfully, he really preferred to just fly on a broom. There was something about being in the air that made him feel free.

(0^0)

When it came time for them to leave, Harry packed all his things the night before and stood by the entrance with his shrunken trunk in his right pocket, waiting for the others. Luckily, the wait wasn't long; as they approached.

"Time for us to get out of this place," a grinning Nathanial grunted.

"Looks that way," Harry agreed before taking a step forward. "Thank you—all of you for these last eighteen months," giving a respectful bow to them.

Nathanial's grin widened. "You can call me Nate from now on. Without a doubt, you have exceeded my expectations and then some. Your grandfather and uncle will be very proud of you."

"Time to leave," Ana flashed them a smile. Her eyes then settled on Harry, "better change your appearance. No telling who Dumbledore has on the outside."

As she suggested, Harry changed his jet-black hair to blonde, green eyes to light brown, and skin tone to a tan. Man, did he love being a metamorph. With his transformation complete, he exited through the vault-like door till he stood in the bowels of the Gringotts bank, waiting for Griphook to arrive in a cart. Then, when Filius stood by him, a familiar rumbling was heard; they saw their ride coming.

Griphook slowed the cart down and brought it to a stop when he was in front of them with a big smile. "Training went good, I take it?"

"Better," Filius replied before hopping into the cart. The others followed suit, and Griphook took them back up.

A half-hour later, they arrived at their destination and went to the elevator. The young wizard had to redo his transformation since the thief's downfall made him revert back to what he looked like before he left the Zone. When they reached the top floor, Harry said goodbye to everyone and walked through the lobby and outside. It might have been somewhat hot, but he relished when the heat touched his skin and the wind blew across his face. This was nice.

Before using his ring to portkey home, he needed to make a couple of stops. Walking through the streets, he arrived in Knockturn Alley a few minutes later and entered a shop. Other than the Ollivander wand shop, this was the only other place in Britain where a person could purchase a wand. For over a month, the connection between him and his wand seemed to have faded; it still worked, but the usual warmth he got from it had vanished. That is why he decided to get it modified and a wand holster. Another reason he entered this particular shop was that he seriously doubted that Mr. Ollivander would ever sell him an additional wand unless something happened to his current one. He needed a spare without the trace so the Ministry wouldn't know he was practicing or experimenting with new spells.

"Who's there?" Asked a gruff voice. A man in his late fifties came out of the storage room with a stern expression. "What do you want?" He asked from behind the counter.

"I'm here for a variety of reasons," Harry began. "My wand doesn't feel the same anymore, and I need you to modify it. You will also sell me a new wand without the trace and show me your best wand holsters." He knew how to talk to people like the man in front of him, as they meant business valuing power and a show of spine.

The man sneered at him; however, compared to Severus's trademark sneers, this was nothing and didn't faze him. "And what makes you think I'd actually do all that for you? Why not go to that spineless sack of shite, Ollivander?" He started channeling his magic, with Harry responding in kind.

"Because you're not a pussy. You actually have a pair of balls, and don't give a shite what those idiots at the Ministry say. Plus, I imagine you rather not lose a wealthy client." The two locked eyes channeling their magics around the shop, neither willing to break the stare off. As a result, of their respective powers, a handful of jars on the shelves exploded.

The older man grinned and reigned his magic back in, "you got some nerve coming into my place of business. Real nerve. But I believe I can accommodate you. Follow me," he led his client into the back, where he kept his wands, holsters, and the items he used to create wands.

"Unlike that aging swine, Garrick. I don't let people simply wave a wand to see if they match; no, I have them reach out with their magic to feel which wand calls to them," the man informed. "To modify a customer's wand is not easy unless I know what it is made of," holding his hand out.

"Not a chance," Harry glared at the man. "You'll get my wand after I find what I'm looking for."

He simply laughed, "smart. Do not hand over your only means of defense until you've grabbed what you needed. Come to the register after you've finished in here," turning around, he left the boy to it.

First, Harry went to the wand holsters and, after looking for a minute, grabbed two I.C.W agent-grade holsters off of the rack. Unlike the regular wand holsters, these had invisibility, anti-theft, and anti-detection charms built into them. Then turning his attention to the shelves where the wands, wand woods, different cores, and other necessities were, he closed his eyes and reached out with his magic to see which items called him. From his lessons with Filius and Anastasia, he allowed his magic to guide him. It took almost twenty minutes until his magic settled onto the things he would need for Mr. Allen to modify his wand. But more than that, he found the components for the man to build him a custom wand; when none of the already-made wands seemed to feel right. Quickly collecting what he needed, he left to return to the front and present the items.

Mr. Allen's eyes widened when he looked over the items that were placed on the counter. "You have got some good taste," Harry then handed him his wand to look at. "This is going to be an interesting project."

"How long will it take?" Harry asked.

"Three and a half hours," replied Martin. "You better find yourself something to do, as this will take a while."

"Then I'll be back later," turning on his heels, Harry exited the store and went to Twilfitt and Tattingsin Diagon Alley. The eighteen months he spent in the Dimension Zone had done wonders for his body; his old clothes hardly fit, and he would need a new wardrobe of muggle and magical clothes.

Arriving at the store, he walked in and went to the front desk to ring the bell for assistance. A minute later, a woman approached the counter from the back room. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, hello. I have recently hit a growth spurt and am in need of some new clothes."

"Do you need everyday clothes or active wear?" She asked, after giving him a once over liking what she saw.

"Both," Harry said. "I need the works. Shirts, shorts, pants. I have a feeling that I will be growing again soon and need clothes that fit me."

She curled her lips and gave him an appreciative look, "then follow me, and we'll get you what you need," taking him up the stairs to browse through their new collection. "I'm Monica, by the way."

"Call me Jacob," he said, figuring it would be best to use a different name than his own, as he didn't know if she could keep a secret or had any ties to Dumbledore.

The two walked over to a section full of clothes that looked like they had just come in. "This is where we put our clothes for those who like to be active. You have shirts, shorts, pants, swimsuits, boxers, and briefs. Let's start off with your choice of underwear. Which one do you feel more comfortable in?"

"Briefs," he said, picking out the underwear he wanted, then moved to the shirts aisle. Judging by the look on her face, Harry could tell that he was going to make her day. This was an elite store; several heirs, heiresses, and other wealthy clients liked to get their clothes from here. Looking over these prices, he could definitely see why, as the clothes may look good, but they were damn expensive.

"You must be from a wealthy family. These clothes are something most would kill to buy," Monica commented as they finally reached the register.

He rolled his eyes and took out his wallet when she told him the price.

Reaching inside, he withdrew the amount needed and placed it on the counter for her. "Are you the owner of this place?"

"No, I'm only an employee. Why?"

"The store here is really impressive, and I might like to invest in the establishment," he coolly answered.

Her mouth went dry at what he said. "The owner is away visiting her family in the Continent, but I can give you her name if you like?"

"That will do," he nodded.

"Give me a minute, please," she headed toward the manager's office to grab a business card. "Here you are," she handed him the card when she returned.

"Thank you for your time. Um, can I borrow one of your stalls?"

"Sure, over there," she pointed to a section on the ground floor where the changing stalls were.

Grabbing his bags, Harry headed toward one of the open stalls, closed the door, and called Dobby. The elf was excited to see him again, and Harry rubbed his head before asking him to take his bags home. Dobby agreed and apparated away with the bags full of clothes. Harry then left Twilfitt and Tattings and went to Eeylops Owl Emporium to get some treats for Hedwig and Fawkes and a new perch for the phoenix. The phoenix saved his life in the Chamber of Secrets, so this was the least he could do for him. After getting what he needed, Harry asked the manager to deliver the perch, fruits, and letter to Hogwarts while he left with the owl treats.

Later after paying a visit to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour to get some ice cream, he went to see if Mr. Allen was done with his wands. Entering the shop, he found it to be the same as when he first entered: completely empty. Deciding to finish his cone, he went to lean on the wall until the man returned.

A couple of minutes later, the man he had been waiting for came out with four items in his hands. "These two wands were a right bitch. Your primary wand," handing the box to Harry, who opened it to inspect the wand for himself. The minute he grabbed it, he immediately felt a rush of power, as the wand felt warm. . .just like it did the first time he got it. But more than that, he felt more connected to it than ever before. Seeing the impressed smile on his face, Martin explained. "Glad to see that it has met your expectations. I added the basilisk venom you provided, plus the horn of a Horned tail serpent, coated it in silver ash and had to apply some runes to make sure it stabilized and wouldn't explode. This is by far one of the best wands I have ever modified."

"Mm. Expecto patronum," the wand resonated with his magic in a way that excited Harry greatly. Out from the type of his wand came his ouroboros dragon, but this time he felt more power coming off his patronus than ever before. "Nice! And the next one?"

"This one gave me a lot of trouble. I might have to take a two-week vacation to Cancun," he handed the box over, which Harry accepted and removed the lid. "12 1/2 inches. The woods are aspen, yew, and a thousand-year-old elder tree. Your cores are of two different materials horned serpent horn and a dragon heartstring. Then comes the white-blue ash that my great-grandfather got from a Cocytus dragon. And finally, there are the silver gems and runes on the wand, which were needed to stabilize and make the wand only obey you. As you requested, the trace has not been added to it. This is perhaps the greatest wand that I or any person in my family have ever created. You better take good care of it."

Again like his main wand, Harry felt a surge of warmth and power from the wand and, with a wave, cast the lumos charm, and a big ball of blinding light appeared at the tip. Harry let out a low whistle. Then with a wave and casting the counter charm, he looked at the man. "Impressive. How much for everything?"

"Four hundred and fifty galleons."

Clicking his tongue, he pulled his wallet out and placed five hundred and fifty galleons on the counter. "Do you have another way out of here?"

"That way," he pointed to the hall. "Walk down there, and you'll find the emergency exit."

"I was never here," sliding the money over and heading toward the back.

"You were never here," Martin put the gold in his register.

Harry took his items and walked down the dark hall until he arrived at the door; pushing it open, he found himself in a back alley. After quickly checking his surroundings, he materialized the Potter heir ring on his finger, activated it, and portkeyed home.

He appeared in the living room and plopped down on the couch. It was sure good to be home. What happened next did not surprise him in the least; the elves who lived at Potter Manor along with Kreacher popped into the room. "Welcome, home, young Harry!" They all said.

"Hello, everyone, and thank you," he said and then asked. "Has anything happened since I've been away?"

Bucky replied, "the meddling aged wizard and redheaded banshee of a witch has been sending letters to you with tracking charms. We have already destroyed them."

Kreacher then added, "and good Harry has also been receiving less than pleasant letters from your former friends. They is demanding to know where you are." He wanted to call them blood traitor and mudblood, but Harry had set them with some rules. They can sneer and insult them only when it is warranted but are prohibited from using anything racial. Still, Kreacher found himself actually liking the young half-blood as he was good to him and promised to never raise a hand or wand at him. "Mistress, Hedwig has also been missing you."

A hoot was then heard, and a familiar white snowy owl came flying in and landed on her companion's left shoulder. "Hey, girl. How are you doing?" Tracing his fingers through her feathers while she playfully nipped them and nuzzled her face against his. "Okay, okay, I missed you too. I even got you something," reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a shrunken-wrapped package. Then taking his wand, he waved it to return it to normal size. Unwrapping the paper and removing the lid, he presented her with a box full of fruit. She hooted excitedly, nuzzling his face again.

"You're welcome," he put the box beside him on the couch. Hedwig immediately started going at the grapes. "All right, everyone except for Kreacher, please return to your duties."

"Yes, young Harry," they all said before popping away.

"There will be a meeting on the 1st of August at Black Manor, and our guests—one or two of them you might know or be familiar with. Before you say anything, I ask that you keep an open mind. Can you do that?"

Kreacher thought for a minute, then asked. "Who is coming?"

"Filius Flitwick and the Tonks family. . ."

(0^0)

Two days later, at 9:30 a.m. Harry and Filius were sitting in the dining room of Black Manor, finishing breakfast. The portraits of Arcturus Black and Charlus and Dorea Potter nee Black were on the wall. Taking a swig of his pumpkin juice, the young Potter heir looked up at the wall, spotting the irritated look on Lord Black's face.

"Easy, Uncle. They have a half-hour till their due to arrive," said Harry knowing why the man was scowling.

The man sneered, "still can't believe you're allowing a muggleborn into this house," pinching the bridges of his nose. "But what you do is your business." Family was the most important thing in this world—to him.

Kreacher then popped into the room, "the Tonks family has arrived and will be entering momentarily." Harry nodded, and he popped away just as the door opened.

"You're early, good. Nice to see you still remember how to behave like a Black. Andromeda," he narrowed his eyes at her.

The woman known as Andromeda may resemble her sister to a strong degree, but she was not a psychopathic murdering bitch. She stood at 5'10 with light brown hair and silver eyes. Standing beside her was a man who appeared to be her husband, Edward, who was 6 feet tall with blond hair and brown eyes. And finally, the person in front of them had to be their daughter Nymphadora. She was 5'9, her hair was bubblegum pink, slightly lower than her shoulder, and her eyes were dark silver.

Even after all these years and his death, her grandfather still looked as intimidating as ever. "Hello, grandfather," she greeted him back, then turned to her great-aunt and great-uncle. "Uncle Charlus, Aunt Dorea, it's nice to see both of you again."

"Hello, Andromeda," Charlus and Dorea gave her a warm smile. The latter then looked at her husband and daughter. "You must be Edward and Nymphadora. It is good to finally meet the two of you."

"Don't call me Nymphadora," the daughter cringed at her birth name. Her hair then became angry red.

"Be quiet," Andromeda flashed her daughter a look.

"You have got to be kidding me," Arcturus's silver eyes burned. "She's a metamorphmagus. That trait is only exclusive to members of the Black family." He seemed conflicted as none of his grandchildren inherited the ability. Well, if anyone should possess the ability to change their appearance at will, then it was a blessing that it passed to Harry and Andromeda's daughter. Thankfully, Narcissa's bastard of a son never inherited the ability. "Now, that makes two people who are metamorphs."

"Two people?" Andromeda questioned.

"He means me," Harry stood up and walked toward the family. He quickly changed his appearance to look like Arcturus, then to Edward, and transformed back.

"The boy may be a half-blood, but he shows a lot of promise," Arcturus praised.

"Har-Harry," Andromeda stuttered, quickly studying the boy. "My god, you look like your grandfather but have the Black family's high cheekbones and your mother's eyes. You definitely have the Potter's unruly hair."

"I do need a haircut, but that's later." His hair reached his shoulders. "In your letter, you said you tried to visit and gain custody of me but were blocked at every turn. But why? According to Wizarding Law, I should have gone to the closest blood-magical relative. My father wrote about you in his journal. Didn't you want me?"

Her expression then changed to one of sadness. "Of course I did. I tried to get custody of you when I heard James and Lily died that night." Her sad expression became angry, "but Dumbledore wouldn't allow it. He said you were being cared for by Lily's sister and prohibited everyone from visiting while they were caring for you. I fought him for months on being your guardian as James and Lily said they didn't want you near her sister or her family. James said that if he and Lily died, you would go to your godfather Sirius or godmother Alice and her husband, Frank. If none of them could care for you, then the responsibility would fall to me or the other candidates. I explained this hundreds of times, but that meddling idiot said James and Lily had no Will."

"Albus lied," Filius came over from his seat. "James and Lily did have a Will. He read the contents and had it sealed."

"What?!" Andromeda shouted. Harry handed her the Will from his pocket and had her read through the list of candidates. She shook with anger and rage as she read the Will twice. "James and Lily had a Will. We were named potential candidates. . ."

". . . You will even see that I was never supposed to go to that horse-neck bitch Petunia and fucking Walrus of a husband, Vernon."

"However, he sealed it, placed Harry in a magic-hating house under blood wards where they abused him for years, and made him his magical guardian," Charlus added.

If possible, Andromeda became even angrier, and she looked only moments away from heading to Hogwarts, ready to tear Dumbledore apart. No, words could describe her anger and rage as a million thoughts ran through her mind. Dumbledore had sealed James and Lily's will and condemned their only son to a life of pain and misery. He could have been raised alongside Nymphadora, and the two would have grown up as siblings.

"You three better get comfortable. We have a lot to discuss," Harry beckoned them to take a seat at the table.

A/N: Harry is now 14 years old and has become stronger and smarter under the tutelage of Filius, Anastasia, and Nathanial. This is only the start, as he will continue to grow into the man he was meant to be beyond Dumbledore's control. In addition to his growth, he had to get some new clothes since he's obviously grown taller and his old ones will no longer work for him. He even needed to get his wand modified and have a custom one built just for emergencies.

What do you think of the new spells he created?

Harry has finally met the Tonks family and reveals that he would have gone to them had Dumbledore not interfered.

Next Chapter: The Dueling Tournament begins