บท 4: Chapter 4
This was the ultimate test of his acting abilities, Harry knew as he stepped inside and glared slightly at Snape, a glance that drew a smile from Dumbledore. Snape was glaring right back at him. McGonagall was looking very impassive and a touch nervous, though the nervousness did not show unless you knew her well.
"Hello Harry, how have you been?" Dumbledore asked him softly, looking at him intently and smiling gently at him.
"Fine Sir," Harry mumbled, feeling his heart pounding in his chest as he tried to look as always.
"You have been learning Occlumency all by yourself, Harry?"
"Yes Sir. I am trying to learn so that I don't make any more mistakes." Dumbledore smiled at that remark and then spoke very seriously to Harry.
"Harry, Voldemort is beginning to come out more and more in the open. His plans to operate in secrecy, as the Ministry had refused to accept his return have now been nullified as almost everyone saw him in the Ministry the other day. He will come after you and try his best to kill you as you have been the thorn that has refused him the status of the most powerful wizard. He can hardly be one when he is defeated by a one year old baby and then subsequently by you almost every year since you started Hogwarts."
Harry nodded his head still careful not to look at Dumbledore in the eyes. Dumbledore laughed gently.
"Harry I am not going to read your mind. You may look at me." Harry blushed but looked down and did not answer.
"Harry I have taken a step to ensure that you will be trained adequately for the war that seems inevitable. These holidays you will spend only a week with the Dursleys, the rest of the time you will spend in training."
Harry beamed convincingly. "Yes Sir."
Dumbledore did not beam back. "Yes Harry. But the training will not be at Hogwarts. I have asked professor Snape to take care of your training in defensive and offensive magic as well as Occlumency and,"
CRASH Harry had stood up furious and almost shouted at his Headmaster.
"I won't do it Sir. That is equal to handing me over to Voldemort or worse. It was because of him I lost, lost," Harry stopped there unable to go on, his hands clenched and every line of his body screaming in rage.
"I am equally glad that I am blessed with this glorious opportunity to train the Golden Boy-who-Lived." Snape told him acidly before Dumbledore signaled him to stop.
"Harry I expect you to be sensible and matured. A lack of both will definitely cost us as it has in the recent past." Snape and McGonagall winced visibly as Harry stood stunned at the low blow. He did not say a word more in protest. He stood there for a long moment visibly controlling his emotions.
"Is that all or is there more you would like to inform me about professor?" he asked softly, without looking at Dumbledore.
"No Harry." Harry turned and left the room without saying a word to McGonagall and Snape.
"How could you Albus? Have you forgotten that it is not even two weeks since he has lost the only family that he had left? I had thought better of you Albus." McGonagall was as acid as Snape had been a few minutes ago and she looked disappointed as she glared at Albus.
"Harry has to learn Minerva," Dumbledore said heavily and sadly. "He cannot afford childish stand offs, that could cost him heavily. It was his reluctance to learn from Severus that cost him Sirius. I had to remind him so that he would not make the same mistake this time and lose young Mr. Weasley or Miss. Granger. That would truly devastate him. Believe me Minerva, I truly had no choice."
McGonagall scoffed at him. "That may be Albus, but for you speak so uncaringly when he is still grieving does not speak well for you. Now I hope you will excuse me." She did not wait for an answer and went out swiftly leaving Dumbledore to sigh heavily.
"She will understand," he shook his head and smiled at Severus and chatted for some time about Voldemort and then dismissed him and calling Fawkes, slowly petted him, thinking deeply.
Harry stormed out of the Headmaster's office and ran to the Room of Requirement where Hermione was waiting for him anxiously. One look at his face and her face fell as well. She waited as Harry threw himself on the sofa next to her still shaking with anger and sadness that was tearing him apart.
It was almost fifteen minutes before he was able to speak to Hermione and told her briefly what Dumbledore had said. She was equally horrified.
"I know I am to blame, but for him to say so… I felt so bad Hermione."
"Of course you are not to blame. It is all of them who are to blame. Dumbledore for not telling you about Voldemort and that he was capable of planting false visions in your head, for going away from the School and you leaving you alone, Snape for not teaching you Occlumency properly and not stressing the importance of leaning that art so much more, Harry. All of these gits are to blame, not you."
She held him tightly as he shook with so many emotions and slowly he calmed down and turned to her with a look in his eyes she could not decipher. "Well I am going to show these people Hermione. Snape, Dumbledore, Rrr...Ron, Ginny, Moody, Remus and all of them, I will take care of Voldemort and I will try to live after that, or if I can't at least take him down with me as I go and none of them will touch a pie from my account for any purpose other than what I specify."
Hermione had tears flowing down her eyes as she looked at the boy who was her first friend and who had been so abused by everyone and here he was still wanting to defeat Voldemort instead of just vanishing from the Wizarding World that had only bad things to offer him and live his life in peace.
"You will not be alone, Harry. I will be there right by your side and I am sure the Twins will also back you and so will Neville and Luna."
He smiled at her all pushing all his sorrow and buried them deep inside him and started to practice again. He studied Occlumency with new fervor as Snape would probably start off with that as a welcome to Harry Potter.
The next two days went fast in a round of practice and to Dumbledore's and Snape's shock and McGonagall surprise, Harry became almost normal. He was quieter than usual but there was no sulking and no angry hissing to Hermione and no glaring at Dumbledore or Snape.
He never looked at the Head Table and made sure he never met Dumbledore or ran into Snape. When he did bump, only once into Dumbledore, he just muttered "sorry Sir" with a small smile and went on his way stopping Dumbledore at that place for almost two minutes wondering about Harry's sudden change.
Hermione had been very busy in the last two days and she had written several letters to her parents.
They said their good-byes to Hagrid and went to a compartment at the back and sealed the doors and then relaxed.
The train journey went off without a hitch, Neville and Luna knocked on their door after some time and all of them relaxed chatting about anything and everything. Neville seemed more confident and he had also struck up a friendship of sorts with Luna who seemed just the same, sitting with the Quibbler and making wired but sensible comments from time to time.
Harry waved to Hermione who was walking swiftly to where her parents were standing and hugging them she left. Harry saw his uncle standing there with his aunt and Dudley and he walked towards them to find Lupin, Moody, Tonks and Arthur Weasley standing there to warn his uncle.
Harry did not say a word and he left with a small smile and a wave to all of them, not speaking anything to them. He got into the car and waited for about five minutes before he performed the first bit of wandless magic outside of the Room of Requirement.
He cast a mild compulsion charm at all three of them with a flick of his hand and asked his uncle at the same time, "Why don't we stop in London for tonight and leave for Privet Drive tomorrow morning. Dudley and I can explore London to day. We can leave early tomorrow morning." And waited with baited breath for what his uncle, aunt and Dudley would say to that.
"Hmm, while I hate to agree with you boy, your idea has merit. What do you say Petunia?" asked Mr. Dursley.
She nodded her head and turned to Harry, "You will not be coming with us. You will find your way around London and stay in a lodge or something? Vernon can you please give him a little money and you, boy, you will come to Privet Drive tomorrow morning all right?"
Vernon Dursley drove to a four star hotel and got down and handed a few pounds to Harry and told him to leave. Harry left the next second, dragging his trunk behind him till he came to a small alley. He flicked his hand and shrunk his trunk and put it into his robes and walking along called a taxi to take him as near as possible to The Leaky Cauldron.
Hermione was waiting there in a side alley next to The Leaky Cauldron with her parents and Harry put his invisibility cloak on and then Hermione walked inside The Leaky Cauldron to check if Moody or Dumbledore were there. Seeing the place almost empty, she signaled to Harry who came in with Hermione's mother and all of them went into Diagon Alley. There Harry once again flicked his hand and changed his hair to blond and another flick to change the shape of his glasses and he became unrecognizable.
Harry had practiced these charms wandlessly for the last so many days till he had perfected it. Now he was glad and he grinned as he saw Hermione's envious look. "I am jealous of you Harry. How I wish I could do this."
He smiled at Hermione and all of them went to Gringotts. Harry went alone slightly away from the Grangers so that no one would question them about the strange boy with them. All of them entered Gringotts and Harry went to a goblin counter that was free and asked for the procedure to access his family vaults and take control of them as his parents and godfather was dead.
The goblin stared at him, "and who might you be to come here to ask about your family vaults?"
Harry went near the goblin knowing that Hermione was watching his back and would make sure that no one would come near this particular counter and spoke softly to the goblin. "My name is Harry James Potter and I have come to talk to you about my vaults in private and in secret. I am in disguise so that no one from the School or outside can recognize me."
The goblin had been silently listening to him and now got down and asked Harry to follow him. Harry looked back for a second towards Hermione and went with the goblin.
It took Harry to a small room where Harry found to his consternation that his glamour had fallen away. The gobbling looked at him and smiled, "the glamour would come back once you leave this room, now," flicking a finger and summoning a parchment, "please put a drop of blood on this parchment so that we can verify that you are indeed Harry Potter."
Harry nervously pricked his finger and put a drop of blood on the parchment and watched it spread on the parchment and saw his name appear on the parchment and heaved a sigh of relief. The goblin left the room asking Harry to wait and within a few minutes another older goblin came in and introduced itself as Pitot. It went and sat down behind a desk and two chairs that appeared miraculously and gestured Harry to sit down in front of it.
"Now what can I do for you Mr. Potter? Have you come for Mr. Black's will or for your inheritance?"
Harry stared at him in shock, "Mr. Black?"
"Yes Mr. Potter, Mr. Black's will have already come to us and we had already sent a letter requesting your presence before the end of this month. If you do not accept it, it would go to Mrs. Lestrange as the next of kin."
Harry saw red, his grief turning to rage. He stamped down on it, "Sir I would like to see and accept both and also would like to visit my vaults as well. Also," here Harry hesitated, "Will you tell anyone that I have been here or that I have accepted my inheritance and that of, of Mr. Black?"
The goblin shook its head. "No, Mr. Potter if you desire confidentiality, it is our duty to give it to you. You may not worry about it." Harry was very relieved as he heard those words and he made a note to firmly request the goblin to make his visit and his request confidential.
The goblin summoned the relevant papers and asked Harry to go through it and then sign at the marked places. Harry laboriously went through the whole thing and then signed the papers. The goblin then handed the wills of his parents and Sirius to Harry.
Harry looked at the wills of his parents and then with a small choked sound looked at that of Sirius. Both wills were very simple and pretty straightforward. The wills left everything to Harry, the money, the Head of House of Potter and Black and all properties. He signed the wills and accepted them.
The goblin handed two rings both made of gold bands and one with a red stone in the center and the other with a green stone set in the center. The red stone had the words 'P' carved elaborately on the surface while the green stone had a gracefully carved 'B' on it. Harry placed the too big Potter ring on his hand first and that pricked him and then glowed brightly for almost a minute before sizing down and snugly fitting him.
The Black ring also did the same and the goblin had asked Harry to wear the Black ring on the same finger as the Potter ring and both rings fused with each other and then promptly became invisible.
"They can be removed separately by just thinking of which ring you would like to remove and wear on another finger. They will also become visible for a few seconds if you want to show them to anyone. Otherwise they can never be revealed by any spell. This way of wearing is merely convenient." Harry nodded feeling pleased that the rings would not show.
Harry then cleared his throat and started asking the questions that he had prepared with Hermione.
"Sir, Can I become emancipated?
"You already are, Mr. Potter. The moment you signed the wills you became an emancipated wizard."
"Then can I use my wand during the holidays without fear of underage sorcery?" Harry asked him, his eyes gleaming.
"Yes of course Mr. Potter. The spells are cast in a way that they will be automatically removed on your seventeenth birthday or when you become emancipated and no one will be any the wiser. But remember Mr. Potter, if you are in a place where there are spells to register magic performed then your wish to keep all this confidential will not materialize. I would advice you to never use your wand in your relatives' home, yes Mr. Potter I know you live in a muggle area, but to use your wand in magical places, where no one will be able to deduct anything."
Harry nodded his head thoughtfully at that. Who knew what type of spells Dumbledore had placed in and around Privet Drive. It would be better to be safe rather than to be sorry.
"Is there any way to access any money without coming here every time, both wizard and muggle money?" was the next query that Harry asked, "And can you get me a statement of the withdrawals of my account, both the main vaults and my trust vault?"
"Have you not been receiving statements Mr. Potter that we have been sending you monthly?" it asked its eyes gleaming with a slight shock and anger.
"No Sir, I have not and," as the goblin was beginning to look furious, "I don't want to take any action on anyone now, Sir, so please just tell me to whom have you been sending the statements and if I could get a copy now of all of them now?"
The goblin stared at Harry, "If you decide to take action then you must enlist our help to help you win against Mr. Dumbledore." So it was Dumbledore who never informed him about the statements, thought Harry angrily as he nodded.
"Your trust vault, Mr. Potter has an amount of twenty million galleons that was created to last you till you finish School. After that you were to take over the Potter vaults and business that are worth about twenty billion galleons today. The Black wealth is about fifteen billion galleons and all of that belongs to you along with the extensive properties.
"All the properties are under the Fidelus and are well protected. This is a list of homes you have here in Britain and all you have to do is to think of that home and hold your ring and it will take you there. Of course since you have formally assumed the Head of the Houses of Potter and Black today you get control of everything"
There were about seven homes including Godric's Hollow and Grimmauld Place. The other five seemed to be located all over Britain in very remote areas. There were three in Scotland, one in Ireland and one in England. Godric's Hollow was in Wales and Grimmauld Place in London in England.
"Once you reach there you will have to key yourself in by placing a drop of your blood on the wards and then you may use spells to key in others you may wish to allow admittance into your homes." Harry nodded once again, very bemused and shocked at the amount of wealth that belonged to him. No wonder Moody had told Albus to make sure the money would come under his control.
"Here is your statement for the last fifteen years. Out of the twenty million, hardly anything has been removed except your withdrawals and the School fees after you started Hogwarts."
So Dumbledore had not paid them with his money. Harry felt just a small bit, very small bit better. He asked for a demand draft of a million pounds to be made to one Petunia Dursley, to be posted over to her on the day of his seventeenth birthday. He also asked the goblins to place No. 4, Privet Drive under the Fidelus on the day before his seventeenth birthday and to make him the secret keeper.
Then Harry took a money pouch that changed to a wallet when removed in the presence of muggles that would provide him with the amount of money he thought. The goblin also bound the wallet to him so that it would never get stolen and also equipped with a credit card that he could use in both worlds.
"Sir is there a way I can reach you in case of any doubt, how do I prepare a will and is there a way I can remove my money from my main vaults and not my trust vaults?"
"I will give you a secure pouch in which you may submit queries and I will get them immediately and attend to it. I have been conducting your affairs for many years now since your great-great-grandfather's time and though I was not in charge of the Black accounts till now, after it has become yours; I have taken charge of it and am in the process of looking into it. Of course you may tell me anything you wish to do and I will have it done.
"To prepare a will all you need to do is to write it, date it and sign it and place a drop of your blood on it and specify at the end that it is your final will. That is all. You can remove money from any vault by thinking of that vault. If you think of your trust vault then the money will come from there, think of your main vaults or of the Black vaults and the money will come from there."
Harry nodded his head and stood up, "Thank you Sir for everything. May I see the Black and the Potter main vaults now?" he asked his voice shaking as he thought of visiting his parents' vaults and Sirius's vaults.
The goblin too stood and smiled a rare thing, "I have yet to see someone so polite for someone so powerful, Mr. Potter. A rare combination." It saw the panic in Harry's eyes and laughed gently, if ever a goblin could laugh in the first place and gently at that.
"I told you the glamour falls away. I saw your true aura. Do not worry; all glamour will be on you once you leave the room. It is a pleasure to do business with you Mr. Potter and do not hesitate to approach me and by extension the goblins to assist you in any manner."
As Harry gaped at it not knowing what to say, the goblin smiled at his astonishment, "You have powerful enemies Mr. Potter," it said softly, "the Dark Lord alone would be too much, but from your visit here, it seems that you would have to wage a war against the establishment and the so called Light as well. So do not hesitate to ask for help if you need it. I am the part of the Goblin Council and I am given the authority to speak for all of us."
"Thank you so much Sir. Thank you." Harry was overwhelmed and it showed in his eyes as he shook hands awkwardly with the goblin and then both of them went down to the vaults. Harry's glamour came back the minute they stepped out and both of them walked swiftly to take a cart right down to the main Potter vaults.
The Potter vaults were situated in the bottom caves of the bank and Harry had an exhilarating cart ride with the goblin. At the entrance of the vault, that goblin asked Harry to prick his finger and place it on the circle indicated on the door. "There are no keys to these types of vaults, Mr. Potter only magical signature and blood."
Harry did as he said and the magic that came from the door froze him as it assessed his magical signature and blood and then the vault doors slowly opened. "I will stay right here and wait for you to come out Mr. Potter." The goblin told him and Harry stepped into his family vault.
The vault was huge and was divided into caverns that housed different items. There was a cavern that was very big and deep that housed a whole library and there was another that had only magical artifacts and yet another that had jewels and four others that had money and a small one that had wizard accessories that included wands, trunks, robes and other trinkets that had been placed over the ages and a lot of portraits.
Harry went to the huge cavern that housed the library and started looking through the books there. He picked up books on all subjects that had been revealed as his gifts. Then he left the vault with about twelve books with him and met the goblin who had been standing patiently all the while.
The goblin then took Harry to the Black vault and Harry had to blink very hard to keep himself under control. He entered the vaults and to his surprise it was designed the same as his family vault. He took a walk around and picked up a few books on the Dark Arts and Blood Magic and walked out.
He intended to come back and look around leisurely later with Hermione; he knew she would drool at the sight of so many books, but now he wanted to do shopping in Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley. He left with the goblin and went up. There the goblin gave him the money pouch and the secure pouch to send queries to and statements from Gringotts and putting everything in order Harry left.
He met Hermione and her parents' in the main hall of Gringotts where they had been waiting anxiously and grinned at them, signaling them to follow his outside. There Harry used his wand and performed the first bit of magic as he added a glamour to Hermione and telling her parents' to wait in The Leaky Cauldron both of them left to shop.
Harry first dragged Hermione to the trunk shop and got himself a multi compartment trunk and a bottomless bag. Then they shopped for stationary, books and potions supplies and cauldrons, clothes and various other things.
Then Harry led the way into Knockturn Alley and went into Borgin and Burkes. "What may I do you?" soft words came from a corner where Borgin was coming out of the shadows.
"We are here to see books on the Dark Arts and also other artifacts." Hermione told him in a voice that dripped pure-blood and said don't ask questions.
Borgin was not impressed and he raised his eyebrows at both of them, "What Dark Books?"
"Listen, if you do not have dark books, please stop wasting our time. Come on Ruithe, let us go." They left and had actually closed the door and were turning away with twin looks of disgust, when the door opened and Borgin softly beckoned them inside.
"One cannot be too careful now-a-days, Sir, Madame, please forgive me and follow me inside." Harry and Hermione felt a sudden surge of excitement as they went inside and Borgin took them to a hidden staircase that led them up to the first floor that they had not seen or noticed before.
There Harry looked around stunned as he saw the books and artifacts that were filled from top to bottom in shelves that were neatly arranged. Hermione was actually drooling at all the books that were there and was itching to have a go at them.
They separated to look at the various books and artifacts and Harry slowly walked down the aisles looking and picking anything that caught his fancy. All You Need To Know About The Dark Arts, Blood Magic, The Art Of Shielding The Mind And the Art Of Probing The Mind, Runes What are they?
Hermione had picked up about twenty books for herself and Harry had fourteen books added to his collection from the vault. As he turned the last corner, Harry caught sight of a book-case that was elaborately carved and had books inside it. It was about three feet in length and was about the same in width.
Harry tried to open it but could not and before he could ask Borgin what was inside, the man himself came to him, "That has been as long as I remember young Sir and I could not open the case and I tried in so many ways."
On an impulse Harry asked him what the price was. "Well I really don't know, but I will let you have it for a hundred galleons." Borgin's eyes were gleaming with greed.
"You must be crazy. I will give you twenty and that is only for the book case. Those books may be worth less for all you know and it is a very good price for the case."
"What if the books are very worthy and valuable? There are about sixty to seventy books in there Sir. Make it an even fifty and you may take it and that is final Sir." He said hastily as he saw Harry opening his mouth to argue.
Harry considered only for a moment and then he nodded his head. The book case was beautiful and who knew the books could be very valuable for all he knew.
Harry shrunk the case and all the books that they had purchased, haggled over the prices for the other books and then finally left with an impressive collection of the Dark Arts, Blood magic and other books.
They walked out of Knockturn Alley and went into Diagon Alley and from there to The Leaky Cauldron where the Grangers were waiting for them. Harry and Hermione went out not waiting for the Grangers to join them and Hermione's parents' soon came out and followed them to a small alley outside The Leaky Cauldron.
Harry and Hermione removed all their glamour and un-shrunk the case and divided their respective books and Harry packed all of them into his new trunk and then went with the Grangers who dropped him in No.4, Privet Drive.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Granger, Mrs. Granger, Hermione," was all he said before Hermione's hand came and shut him up.
"It is a pleasure; lad, no need to worry and you only have to call if you need anything." Mr. Granger told him chuckling at Hermione's method of shutting him up and Mrs. Granger was nodding her head and smiling at Harry endorsing all that her husband had said.
"You must be very careful and make sure you use the parchment that will enable us to talk to each other." Was all she had time to say before she caught sight of the Order who was waiting on the lawns of the Dursleys?
The entire Order was waiting for him at the Dursleys, looking anxious and then relieved as they saw him with the Grangers and then angry as they saw him with two trunks and many purchases.
Dumbledore came up to him first, "Are you all right Harry? All of us were so worried. Where were you?" Harry looked sick, tired and totally down as he answered in a low voice.
"Well, Sir it was entirely my fault. I wanted to look around London and I asked my uncle if we could, he agreed only he gave me some money and told me to look around by myself and return here by tomorrow morning. He dropped me off near The Leaky Cauldron and I wore my cloak and went inside and did some shopping there by wearing my big cloak that hid my face and afterward as I came into muggle London to take the bus, I thankfully ran into Hermione who was also finishing her shopping and going home. The Grangers offered to drop me here and … I am sorry for all the trouble I caused."
Moody spoke to him then and Harry noticed Remus standing there and not saying anything to him and his shoulders sagged. "We could verify all this with your uncle, Potter."
"Why don't you and if I have been telling the truth will you give me a piece of candy for being a good boy?"
Moody stared at Harry as Harry glared back at him before turning to Dumbledore, "Sir, I am very tired and I doubt the Dursleys will be here till tomorrow, so may I be excused?"
"Potter where will you go? Have those idiots given you the keys to this house?" McGonagall asked him not minding the reproachful looks that Dumbledore gave her.
"Not to worry professor. I will sleep in the shed." Harry told her glad at least one person was there who was speaking up for him.
"In the shed?" she asked him incredulously.
Harry shrugged uncaringly. "Yeah, that is where I usually sleep, when they go away for the holidays. It is quite all right, professor."
McGonagall looked furious and for a brief second glanced at Snape who was yet to sneer or snipe. Dumbledore looked pained at this piece of information and the other Order members were shocked. Harry though had enough. He turned to the Grangers and Hermione and thanked them for bringing him here and excusing himself from the Order he left to open the shed with the key he took from where it was hanging on the nail on the wall and went inside as the Order members started apparating to Grimmauld Place.
Dumbledore waited only to thank the Grangers and then he too left with only Mundungus Fletcher standing guard.
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