Ted and Harry stepped out of the fireplace at The Leaky Cauldron and dusted off their clothes. A glamour had been applied to Harry before departing home to ensure his anonymity and in Harry's shoes now stood a freckled boy with blue eyes and sandy-coloured hair. His famous scar had faded to be almost imperceptible anyway following the removal of the Horcrux, but Harry felt more comfortable under a glamour, and they passed through the pub with only a nod of recognition and greeting from Tom the bartender to Ted. Once they were both stood in the courtyard to the rear of the pub, Ted tapped the brick to open the archway and he glanced over at Harry to see he was deep in thought.
"You know, the first time I came here everyone knew who I was just by looking at me. I get that I look like my dad, but they all wanted to see my scar… How did they know I even had one?" Harry said contemplatively.
"Well, it was part of the description of you in all the Harry Potter stories that kids read growing up. Nymphadora had a full set at one point -," Harry smirked at this and stored the information away for future blackmail material. "- Now you mention it though, you're right… How did the knowledge of your scar end up in the books? Only someone that had seen you would know it was there…"
"Dumbledore." Harry scowled. "Ted, would you mind looking into who is publishing those books and try to trace back where the royalties are going? I certainly never signed off on any books about me and the money has to be going somewhere. I don't particularly want it, but I don't like the thought that someone else is profiting from me without my approval, certainly not with the amount of trouble those stories caused me."
Ted nodded his agreement as the pair reached the wide white stairs leading up to the burnished bronze doors that were the entrance into Gringotts bank. They walked into the foyer and quietly joined a queue to speak to a teller. He was currently sneering down from his perch at a tall Wizard who was getting progressively louder and angrier at the Goblin's lack of interest in whatever his current predicament was.
"I demand to speak to your superior!" The wizard raged, eliciting a groan from Harry. Didn't he realise that that sentence, spouted in anger, was the easiest way to lose an afternoon cooling your heels in one of the Gringotts holding cells? Almost on cue, two Goblins dressed in armour and carrying wickedly sharp blades appeared at the Wizard's side to 'accompany' him elsewhere for a quiet chat.
Once the squeaking sound of dragging shoes on a pristine marble floor had died away, the Goblin called out for the next customer. Ten minutes later, Ted and Harry were finally at the front of the queue. "Yes?" the Goblin snapped and before Ted could answer Harry stepped forward, gave a short bow and spoke. "Our greetings to you. May the blood of your enemies wet your blades."
The teller gave a start and looked down at the child who stood in front of him, wondering who this could be that knew this Goblin greeting. "And may your vaults be ever overflowing," he responded formally. "How may I be of assistance?" The Goblins tone and attitude was a complete reversal of a few moments ago and Ted stood and gaped at the scene in front of him.
"If possible, I would like to speak with my family's account manager, please? I don't have an appointment I'm afraid so we will be happy to wait until it is convenient?"
The Goblin hesitated, thrown by the respect and civility of the young Wizard before him. "Do you have your key?" he asked.
"I'm afraid not. My parents were killed when I was a baby, and I don't know what became of it."
"Your name then?"
"Potter. Harry Potter." He said, lowering his voice to avoid anyone who may be eavesdropping. The Goblin's eyes widened slightly, and he stepped down from his podium. "Follow me, please."
Harry and Ted followed the Goblin through a doorway they hadn't noticed before, partially hidden behind a wide pillar. The Goblin led them down a sloping tunnel, lit sporadically by flickering, flaming torches embedded in wide, ornate steel sconces. The ground underfoot changed from the marble that was so prevalent in the lobby above, to roughly hewn flagstone worn and aged by countless feet marching across them. Eventually, they came to a doorway and the Goblin pushed open the door and gestured for them to enter. A comfortable, bright room awaited them, laid out in the style of a muggle corporate boardroom and they took the opportunity to sit when their escort advised them that the account manager would be with them shortly. The door shut behind them and Ted looked in amazement at Harry.
"How on earth do you know Goblin etiquette?"
"Well… there was an… incident… in the future. My friends and I may have broken into Gringotts to steal one of the Horcruxes from the Lestrange vault."
"You broke in and stole from a high-security vault?"
"Ermmm… yeah. We may also have escaped by releasing and riding one of the guard dragons and caused a tiny bit of damage to the building on the way out."
Ted's jaw dropped in disbelief.
"After the war, there was a bit of a 'disagreement' between us and the Goblins as a result. We learnt as many of their customs as we could to try to regain some of their favour. Fortunately, a friend put us in touch with a Goblin from Gringotts Paris who was willing to help us with that, plus we also paid a huge sum to fix the damage, but they ended up barring us from the bank anyway. Had to move all my money to the Gnomish bank in Switzerland – a pain in the arse when I wanted to make a withdrawal. This is the first time I've been inside Gringotts in almost 18 years."
Ted's mouth was opening and closing like a fish out of water. He was clearly attempting to say something, but no words were forming. Just as he appeared to have finally got himself under control the door opened again, and a different Goblin entered. Harry rose from his seat and repeated the formal greeting, bowing once more and introducing himself and Ted as his advisor.
The Goblin paused. A look of surprise showed briefly on his face as he considered the boy in front of him. "And may your vaults be ever overflowing. I am Account Manager Bedlam, and I am responsible for the Potter family account. Would you please dispense of the glamour?"
"May my advisor have permission to draw his wand?" Harry queried.
Bedlam nodded and Ted removed the glamour from Harry. "My thanks. Now, I'm told you do not have your vault key?"
"No, as I explained to the teller, as far as I know, it was never recovered after my parent's death."
Bedlam indicated for them both to be seated and withdrew a piece of parchment and a small knife. "I will need a little blood to prove your identity."
Harry took the knife and pricked the index finger on his left hand. He squeezed the cut causing the blood to well into a large droplet which he then allowed to fall onto the parchment below. Bedlam took the parchment and looked over the writing that had appeared beneath the blood spot. "Well, everything appears to be in order. Welcome, Mr Potter. How may Gringotts be of assistance today?"
Ted now leant forward. "Account Manager Bedlam, we are here today for several reasons. First, we are hoping you can help us with information as to the current position of House Potter. Whilst Harry here is the last remaining Potter, I have also been made aware of the possibility that his godfather named him as his heir to House Black as well, prior to his incarceration." Harry watched Bedlam carefully for any reaction to this claim – House Potter was wealthy thanks in part to the invention of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion by Harry's Grandfather, but all the gold in the family vaults didn't come close to matching the fortune amassed by the Black family. Harry was surprised by the lack of expression from Bedlam - if found to be false the simple act of making that claim usually resulted in stiff financial penalties and an unpleasant conversation with a Goblin interrogator.
"Yes, when I was advised of your presence today, I gathered all the relevant paperwork relating to your person. I can confirm that you are indeed named as heir to House Potter and are the named heir to the current heir to House Black. As the last remaining member of the Potter family, you are eligible to take on your status as head of house on your eleventh birthday." Harry bobbed his head in acceptance. He'd never had the opportunity to formally take on his role as head of house in his previous timeline. No one had ever made him aware it was something he needed to do and by the time he realised his relationship with the Goblins was tarnished beyond repair.
He remembered his first visit to Gringotts and thinking back he now recalled how Hagrid hadn't let him out of his sight, perhaps unknowingly denying the Goblins the opportunity to discuss his private financial matters with him. After that, he rarely stepped foot into Gringotts himself. Molly Weasley usually withdrew his money for him…
"Account Manager Bedlam…" Harry began.
"Just Bedlam, please", the Goblin replied. "I'm hoping this will be the start of a very profitable relationship and would prefer to be addressed informally by one who has shown our customs respect."
It was Harry's turn to be surprised, it was rare to be allowed to address a Goblin of Gringotts without referencing his position. "Of course, Bedlam, please call me Harry." Bedlam nodded and Harry continued, "Is it possible that someone else has my vault key? I'm worried there may be things happening with my account that I'm not aware of. If so, is there a way to deny access to that key and set up a new one?"
Bedlam nodded once more. "Yes, that was the next item I was planning to discuss. We can certainly accommodate that request; a new key will be delivered to you within the next day. As for account activity, there are regular monthly withdrawals, converted into Pound Sterling and placed into the account of a Mr Vernon Dursley for the upkeep and support of yourself."
Harry's face turned almost puce with anger and his voice began to break as he raged. "You mean to tell me that the entire time I lived there they were being paid? They used to complain non-stop about how much 'keeping me' cost them. All of my clothes were handed down to me once my walrus of a cousin had finished with them and I slept in the bloody cupboard under the stairs –" Harry stopped and took a deep breath to try to reign in his temper. He apologised to Bedlam for his outburst, but Bedlam waved the apology away.
"In return for the monthly stipend, Mr and Mrs Dursley agreed to take care of your health and wellbeing. Are you saying they didn't keep to their agreement?"
Harry turned and lifted the rear of his shirt, displaying the remains of the criss-cross scarring that covered his back. "If 'taking care of my health and wellbeing' means 'being beaten within an inch of my life' then sure, they've met their end of the agreement."
Harry dropped his shirt and turned back to face the table once more, defiance glinting in his eyes. "I want my money back, Bedlam. Can you take care of that for me?" The look on Bedlam's face would have quelled a fiercer man than Vernon Dursley. The Goblins were primarily a martial race who moved into controlling the finances of the Wizarding world, chasing profits as uncompromisingly as they would face down an enemy in battle. They were also very protective of their young and seeing that one of their premier clients, a child himself, had been mistreated so was certain to raise the ire of the Goblin Nation and bring their wrath crashing down on the perpetrators.
"Oh yes, Harry. I think we can manage that."
After a pause to allow Harry to collect himself, discussions then turned to the matter of his guardians. "If you would allow us Law Wizard Tonks, I would like to dispatch a member of my office to visit with Mr and Mrs Dursley. I believe we can convince them to sign over young Harry's guardianship with little trouble." Bedlam had a dangerous glint in his eye.
"I would appreciate the assistance, Account Manager Bedlam, as long as the intimidation factor is kept to a minimum," replied Ted. "We need to make sure that everything is as kept as legal as possible in the muggle world. We can't afford for this to fall back on Harry and harm him in the future."
With Harry's agreement, Bedlam withdrew to instruct a human colleague to proceed with an initial visit. "I fully expect we'll have signed papers by the end of the day." He said on his return. "We will forward them directly to your office Law Wizard Tonks." Ted bowed his head slightly. "My thanks Account Manager, I was not looking forward to visiting the Dursleys myself. Having heard Harry's story and seen the evidence with my own eyes, I was struggling with how I would… contain… my anger once I was there."
Harry felt a rush of affection for Ted. He hadn't gotten to know him personally before, his only memory of interaction being their brief encounter on the night he fled Privet Drive for the last time. He'd been able to count the number of adults willing to offer unconditional support on one hand last time and he was already in danger of beating that number within a month of his return.
"What will your strategy be for dealing with Harry's magical guardian?" Bedlam asked.
"Based on the physical and mental abuse Harry has suffered, we will move for a change of guardian on the grounds of incompetence. It was, after all, Dumbledore who consigned Harry to a life of torture at the hands of his so-called relatives. We won't be pursuing this just yet though – we want to get the muggle guardianship issue sorted first without his knowledge before going after Dumbledore directly. The more evidence we can build against him the harder it will be to deny the application for change."
"Albus Dumbledore's fingerprints appear to be all over the difficulties in your life," remarked Bedlam. "For someone who calls himself the 'leader of the light', he does seem to have made a number of rather questionable decisions about you." He thought for a moment. "I noticed earlier you named Lord Black as 'Sirius'. Should I assume you don't necessarily subscribe to the belief that he betrayed your parents?" Harry nodded his head. "In which case, it's a pity your godfather is imprisoned. He would be your magical guardian rather than Dumbledore if he was free, but I suppose the Wizengamot found enough reason to convict him at his trial…"
"What trial?" Harry scoffed under his breath. He quickly glanced up to see if Bedlam had heard him but saw no sign that he had. Harry gave a small sigh of relief – another slip like that could throw all his future plans into doubt.
"Well," said Bedlam. "Is there anything further I can assist with at this time?"
"Just one other thing – could you please send me regular statements for my account?"
"That should already be the case… have you not received any communication from Gringotts?"
Harry shook his head once more. "Andromeda told me this morning she had tried to write to me before, but I never received a letter from her. Come to think of it I've never received mail from anyone in the magical world – you'd have thought someone would have tried to contact me…"
Bedlam hummed and tapped his chin with his long fingers. "If it is acceptable, I can check your person to see if any mail wards are present?" Harry nodded and Bedlam waved his hand whilst chanting in an unfamiliar language that Harry took to be the Goblin's own tongue and he was startled to see a faint blue glow appear around his body. "Ah, there we are. This ward appears to have been active for quite a number of years, so it's been too long to determine who the caster was. Do you wish me to remove it for you?"
Before Harry could growl out an affirmative response, Ted placed his hand on his shoulder. "My advice is to leave it for now, Harry. I think we can safely assume it was cast by Dumbledore. If he's redirecting your mail, he may become suspicious if it suddenly stops. Plus, it does have the benefit of stopping anything malicious from reaching you in the post." Harry sighed and nodded his agreement before turning once more to his Account Manager.
"Thank you, Bedlam. Let's leave it for now. Can you please send my statements via Andromeda Tonks?" Bedlam nodded in understanding. "Thank you. May my advisor reapply my glamour? I'd prefer not to be recognised in the Alley." With permission from the Goblin, Ted drew his wand once more and reapplied the glamour. "Thank you for a productive meeting. May your vaults be ever overflowing."
"And may the blood of your enemies wet your blades, Mr Potter."
The two Wizards withdrew from the conference room and, upon leaving Gringotts, headed for Ted's offices to start working on the muggle change of guardianship paperwork. Bedlam, however, remained seated, deep in thought until the door opened once more admitting two heavily armoured Goblins who marched in and took up positions on either side of the door. A moment later, a large Goblin, taller by a head than Bedlam and dressed in battle armour that had clearly seen use, strode into the room. Bedlam rose from his seat immediately and bowed his head, baring his neck in deference. He greeted the newcomer with respect. "Chief Ragnok".
"Bedlam – be seated." Bedlam completed his bow and sat at his leader's behest. "Tell me about the Potter boy. Was he as respectful as I'm told?"
"He was, Sir, and more. He treated me as an equal throughout our conversation. He was not timid or afraid to seek counsel and seemed mature beyond his years. He showed he could be ruthless, not hesitating to request assistance in recovering the money paid to his relatives and did not even ask about our fees for providing that help. Normally…" Bedlam paused.
"Go on. Speak freely." prompted Ragnok.
"Normally I'd suggest that oversight would give us free rein to profit from the Wizard's lack of attention to detail, but on this occasion, I believe we should refrain. The young man is heir to two of our larger accounts and will hold significant political power. By simply extending a measure of goodwill we could unlock a path to equality in the magical community and gain access to the investment markets we've been denied for so long. I believe that young Wizard could be the catalyst for change that we've been waiting for."
Ragnok nodded. "Continue to assist him and keep me informed directly of your plans. We cannot allow this opportunity to slip away."
As Ragnok turned to leave, Bedlam cleared his throat causing the Chief to stop in the doorway and turn to face his subordinate once more. "One thing is puzzling to me though, Sir. The way he greeted both the teller and I…" He paused and Ragnok motioned for him to continue. "He said 'May the blood of your enemies wet your blades'… that's…"
"The greeting we 'let slip' to those wizards who have wronged us…" Ragnok finished for him, frowning. "How does he know that greeting and why did he say it? It could only have come from a Goblin or someone who had been taught it themselves." Ragnok stood in silence for a moment then resumed his movement towards the door, deep in thought and missing Bedlam bowing again as he and his guards swept from the room.
Bedlam was as good as his word and, by the end of the day, Harry and Ted held in their hands signed documents removing his relatives from their position as Harry's legal guardians. Bedlam had delivered the papers personally and, when asked what he had to give the Dursleys in order to make things happen, he smiled evilly.
"I met with your mother and father many times prior to their death and gained a good understanding of your father's 'sense of humour'. When Mr Tonks here mentioned his plan to buy your uncle's cooperation with a new car, I took the liberty to do so but with a little twist that I believe your father would have appreciated." Harry raised an eyebrow as Bedlam continued, "Vernon Dursley now looks out of his living room window to see a beautiful, top-of-the-range car sitting outside his home. When our representative left, your relatives were stood out in the street talking rather loudly about their sleek and obviously expensive new motor vehicle – plainly trying to catch the attention of their neighbours."
"OK…" said Harry, trying to work out what Bedlam could have done.
"Glamours that last only a short time are challenging but manageable for most wizards. Placing a long-term glamour on a large object – a car for example - is astonishingly tricky for a wizard unless the wizard in question is prodigiously strong. Keying that glamour to only be seen by a select few people is even more difficult. Goblin magic is different to that of a wizard however and we find glamours of that type to be significantly easier to perform."
A large grin was beginning to form on Harry's face.
"In around 6 months your relatives will discover what all their neighbours are seeing already. Not a gleaming, luxurious new car but a small, slightly battered, blue…" Bedlam glanced down at a note in his hand, searching for a piece of information "…ah, yes. A 'Ford Anglia'. A gentleman by the name of Arthur Weasley was planning to make some rather questionable modifications to it but we convinced him to sell it to us instead."
Harry couldn't stop himself from laughing. "That is incredible! I wish I could be there to see their faces when the glamour drops."
"Sadly, it will probably be for the best for you to be well clear of the area when that happens Harry." Ted smirked and looked over at Bedlam, "If we could obtain a memory, however, I'm sure we could use a Pensieve…"
"I'll have to check our appointments, but I believe there may be one of our human representatives in the area around that time."
Harry wiped away the tears of mirth that had formed at the corners of his eyes. "Thank you, Bedlam."
"You are most welcome Harry. Now, I must be getting back to work. Time is money after all." Bedlam nodded goodbye to both Wizards and left the office.
Harry was still chuckling to himself when Ted spoke. "You know, even with the signed papers we're not in the clear yet Harry. The actual process of transferring muggle guardianship legally can take months. There'll be interviews, home visits and all sorts of meetings to attend before this is finalised."
"I know, but we're one step closer to breaking me free from Dumbledore's control. If my aunt and uncle are no longer my legal guardians, I can't be forced back there."
Ted inclined his head in agreement then sat and pondered the unusual situation he and his family had found themselves in since meeting Harry the previous day. With an expression of slight concern on his face, he looked up at Harry. "I know you're hoping to make it through your first few school years without too much variance from your original time but are you worried at all that the changes we're making now are going to have an impact on the future?"
Harry sat back in his chair and considered Ted's question. "I know some things will be different. How could they not be? I'll have already met some of my classmates ahead of time and when we do meet, I'll have to pretend like I've not known them for years… Plus of course, there's my personal tragedy of not being able to be sorted into Gryffindor. I mean, consider this. In my original time, Minerva McGonagall saw me catch Neville Longbottom's Remembrall during my first flying lesson. That act won me my place on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and I received my first broomstick, a Nimbus 2000. That broomstick was destroyed in my third year when Dementors made me fall during a Quidditch match and it was blown into the Whomping Willow. Sirius then gave me my Firebolt which saved my life when I went up against the Horntail in my fourth year. None of that will happen now…"
Harry trailed off for a moment, deep in thought. "Here's another one. As I no longer live with the Dursley's there's now no need for Ron and the twins…"
Harry sat bolt upright. "Oh no."
"What's the matter?"
"That Ford Anglia Bedlam has just given to my relatives… In my original time, Ron and I flew that car to Hogwarts when we couldn't get through the barrier at Kings Cross at the start of the year. We ended up crashing into the Whomping Willow and Ron snapped his wand leading to Lockhart's memory charm backfiring when he tried to obliviate us in the Chamber of Secrets. If Ron's wand doesn't break, Lockhart's spell won't fail and Ginny Weasley will die, allowing Voldemort to return as his 16-year-old self."
Harry could feel the tension building in his body. A small flicker of panic was forming in the back of his mind. How could he follow the plans he and his family had made when everything happening now had the potential to dramatically alter the future he knew?
"Calm down Harry," Ted spoke in a soothing voice. "We can deal with that closer to the time if needs be – we've got a few years to come up with options, so my advice is to stick to the current plan. We'll adapt if we have to but let's not lose sight of what needs to be done."
Harry uneasily muttered his agreement but couldn't help the feeling of nausea in the pit of his stomach. Navigating his way through the next few years without drastically changing the future would be a lot harder than he had anticipated.
That evening Harry and Ted returned to the Tonks' and were greeted by a pink-haired whirlwind that grabbed hold of Harry and spun him around before he could work out what was going on. Before he could balance himself, the pair tripped and tumbled onto the grass in the front garden where Harry had the wind knocked out of him by a stray knee to the stomach.
"Oops… sorry 'bout that. I can be a touch clumsy at times… anyway – wotcha Harry!" Nymphadora Tonks beamed as she disentangled herself from him.
"…Hi…" Harry managed to gasp out as he struggled to breathe and attempted to regain his feet.
"Nymphadora – leave the poor boy alone!" Andromeda laughed as she watched from the doorway. She gave Ted a quick kiss in greeting, and they moved back into the house.
"Nymphadora?" Harry said grinning, knowing full well the reaction he would receive by using her full first name. He wasn't disappointed as she grimaced.
"Please don't call me that. I don't know what my mum was thinking when she chose the name. I prefer to be called Tonks normally, but I guess that'd be a bit weird in a house with three Tonks' in, so I suppose I'll allow Dora as well." She held out her hand but when Harry grasped it to shake, she pulled him into a hug instead. "Awww… I always wanted a little brother. We're going to have so much fun!"
Harry felt the happiness welling up inside of him and let out a short burst of laughter. "Come on then Dora." He called as he pushed himself away from her and darted for the door.
He wandered into the kitchen to find Ted and Andi sitting at the table while Ted filled her in on the day's less confidential developments. "Did you have a good day, Harry?" Andi asked as he and Dora took their seats. "Yes, thanks, Mrs Tonks. Mr Tonks' office was a bit boring, but he said my aunt and uncle have signed some papers we needed?" Harry glanced at Dora surreptitiously to make sure she was buying the act he was putting on for her.
"We told you last night to call us Andi and Ted – no more of this Mr and Mrs Tonks business, please! And yes, your relatives have signed off on your transfer of legal guardianship. It will be six months or so before the paperwork is all finalised and you'll probably have to talk to some people to make sure you're happy staying with us. Will that be OK?"
Harry nodded vigorously. "Absolutely. I don't ever want to go back there…" Harry noticed a flash of anger cross Dora's face and he looked inquisitively at Andi.
"Nymphadora and I had a conversation about why you're staying with us, Harry. She knows you've been mistreated by your relatives, and she also knows not to tell anyone you're staying here until we've been confirmed as your guardians. We don't want any of the darker members in the Wizengamot to try to control where you live or your future. If word were to get out that Harry Potter is without a legal guardian…"
"I know mum, I swear I won't tell anyone."
Andi smiled gently at her daughter. "I know. Now, Harry, Nymphadora and I went shopping and picked you up some new clothes…"
"You can keep those pink pyjamas though if you want Harry," Dora said with a laugh.
Harry blushed while Andi rolled her eyes and continued "…they've all been put away in your room so why don't you go and change then we'll have some dinner."
Harry stood and turned but before he could speak Andi stopped him. "I know what you're going to say, Harry – we don't want you to pay us back. As I said last night, your parents would have done the same for Nymphadora."
Harry saw the determination in her eyes and changed what he was going to say. "Thank you." he said quietly.
July and August passed swiftly. Harry had thoroughly enjoyed his ninth birthday and was surprised by, and grateful for, the small party the Tonks' had thrown for him. Although they were unable to attend, both Severus and Poppy sent him small gifts. Knowing he would be eager for more knowledge about his parents, Poppy had sent him a small book containing information about how they had performed in their classes, all taken from school records, so she didn't have to let on she was providing this for their son. Whilst he'd known his mother was gifted at Charms and Potions, and his father at Transfiguration, Harry was overjoyed by official confirmation of this from their teachers at the time and found the frequent comments about James' pranks highly amusing.
Severus' gift carried a note to say it needed to be opened out of sight of unknowing eyes. He had sent a thick book written to help guide students pursuing their Potions Mastery with an inscription inside telling him to make sure to read it as he wouldn't accept Harry being a monumental dunderhead once he started his classes. Harry had chuckled at that.
Soon it was time for Dora to return to Hogwarts. Harry and Dora had spent a huge amount of time together over the summer and by the time it ended, there weren't many people that he had ever felt as close to. Early on she had made the decision that Harry was far too serious for his age and had taken it upon herself to be as silly as possible with him. What began as the odd practical joke here and there dissolved into an all-out prank war. Whilst Harry was limited in his retaliation by his need to hide his magic, he became quite adept in making use of household objects and supplies to get his own back. Dora was still unsure how he had managed to manipulate her into a position to be dowsed with water and then covered in flour, but she'd been delighted to see him rolling around on the floor in hysterical laughter. Needless to say, he was sorry to see her go back to Hogwarts but knew that they would see each other again at Christmas.
A week later Andi began Harry's lessons in earnest. His full training would take much of the next two years but for his first lessons, they covered in great detail how to greet other heirs and the protocols required when addressing his elders or other heads of houses. He learnt family history in depth for both the Potter and Black families and worked to create his own family tree, managing to document a path back to Ignotus Peverell – he had already known of his families link to the Peverells but this work now gave him cause to revisit Gringotts and ask them to investigate his claims on that house. Furthermore, Andi had begun to reach out to some of the more friendly houses to set up a meeting between their heirs and one recently returned to the wizarding world. She didn't want to make them aware of who the heir she represented was until Harry was safe from Dumbledore's grasp, but introductions had been tentatively arranged for the new year with the Longbottom, Bones and Abbott families.
In the meantime, Harry threw himself into his lessons, learning as much as he could as quickly as possible. Whilst he would be the first to admit he hadn't really applied himself as fully as he could have when he last attended Hogwarts, knowing and understanding what was at stake this time around, in addition to the promise he'd made to his mother, had the result of focusing his mind and Andi was astonished by how quickly he was picking things up.
At the end of November, it was time for another trip to Diagon Alley, combining Christmas shopping with a few tasks for Harry. It had been decided that Harry needed to start to exercise his magic so a trip into Knockturn Alley for an unregistered wand was required, followed by a visit to Gringotts to speak with Bedlam. Andi applied another glamour to Harry – this time making him appear significantly older – and the pair set out.
Both Christmas shopping and the purchase of the wand were uneventful thanks to the glamour. Harry had purchased gifts for Poppy and Severus alongside ones for the Tonks family and had taken the opportunity to stock up on prank items from Gambol and Japes for his ongoing war with Dora. He also parted with 12 Galleons for an ebony wand with a horned serpent horn core that, when he grasped it, showered him with even more sparks than his reliable holly and phoenix feather wand had when he first bonded with it. Disregarding how comfortable the wand felt in his hand, he recognised the value of having a second wand, especially one that the Ministry did not know of, and so happily paid more than he would have done for an Ollivander wand without question.
The stop to see Bedlam, however, was less ordinary. After confirming that Harry was indeed heir to the Peverell family (the destruction of Tom Riddle's body at Harry's hands as a baby had removed the Dark Lord from any potential claim to the lordship via the Gaunt's direct link to Cadmus Peverell) and that they were still working on identifying the figure behind the unlicenced Harry Potter books, Bedlam dropped a bombshell that would throw all of Harry's plans into disarray.
"Since our previous meeting, we've been carrying out our own quiet investigations on your behalf to see if anything can be done about your magical guardian problem. You mentioned your godfather's situation – "
Harry froze, eyes wide he stared at Bedlam. He hadn't believed he'd been heard when he'd muttered about Sirius' lack of trial. The Goblin's next words confirmed his fears.
" – I'm pleased to say that we've been working with someone high up in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement who has confirmed there are no records of Sirius Orion Black having ever received a trial. As such, next week he will be returned to the Wizengamot for questioning under Veritaserum. If, as we suspect, he is innocent of all charges, he will be free to take over his position as your guardian – after being medically cleared to do so of course. We at Gringotts will be happy to support him in this endeavour."
Bedlam sat back in his chair, grinning broadly and awaiting Harry's response. Harry could only sit and stare, mouth slightly open and his mind running a mile a minute, trying to unpick the consequences of this action. Andi stepped in to speak on his behalf.
"Our thanks to you and all those involved from the Goblin Nation, Account Manager Bedlam. I know Heir Potter would like to express his gratitude to you, but I think your information has come as rather a shock to him. Personally, I look forward to seeing my cousin again – I always had doubts about his guilt but believed the Wizengamot had reason to come to their judgement."
With a nudge from Andi, Harry engaged once more. Forcing a smile onto his face he tried to convey excitement rather than the abject terror of his plans crumbling to ruin around him "Absolutely. My deepest thanks to you Bedlam. I am truly grateful for this."
Bedlam nodded in acceptance. "No thanks are necessary Harry. The reactivation of the Black and Peverell accounts are thanks enough – that should prove more than profitable for all involved."
Harry and Andi glanced at each other, noting the concern in each other's eyes, and made their goodbyes as quickly and as politely as possible. They didn't speak again until they were back in the safety of the Tonks family home.
Harry broke the silence.
"I need to speak to Severus, right now."
Chapter 6 recommendation is "The Near-Sighted Basilisk" by Fairywm ( )/faewm (AO3). M rated for lots of swearing!