Chapter 4
Ted Tonks had arrived and was swiftly filled in by his family while Harriet finished cooking the dinner while she thought to herself. She could not be this special that Death herself wanted her to achieve a goal, she was just Harry the freak and delinquent of Privet Drive. No, that was a lie her relatives told the suburban neighbourhood. She was Harriet Peverell, the chosen one by Death.
“Let’s eat” Harriet said to distract herself as she placed the plates filled with food in front of the Tonks family members.
“If you are gonna do this Harry, it will take not only Military assets but Economics. The goblins at Gringotts can tell you more but the Potter Family is one of if not the largest organisations in both the magical and muggle world. They had alliances with multiple other families to become the most feared and richest group thanks to some of their inventions and investments. Normally they are grey alignment within the Ministry’s Wizengamot until your father, James, became more to the Light and nowadays Dumbledore is your proxy which if you never met the man is proving that he is doing nefarious stuff.” Ted said to her as he cut up his minted lamb chop with his knife
“Fleamont Potter, who was your grandfather’s brother, was a potions master who invented the Sleekeazy's Hair Potion for good hair care and scalp treatment. He sold most of the company which basically quadrupled the family wealth but he still kept the largest amount of shares, something like 42% if i recall. Those are now yours.“ Andromeda said as she patted her mouth with a napkin
“You or well your family also has shares in the Daily Prophet, Madam Malkins, Fortescue Ice Cream Parlour, a few restaurants, St Mungo’s Hospital where Dromeda works, Nimbus Broomsticks company, Wizarding Wireless then muggle ones such as Microsoft, Sony, Apple Computers and some smaller ones. So you are fairly rich” Ted said calmly
Harriet thought ‘fairly rich’ was a complete and utter understatement as she knew that the muggle companies at least were globally big.
“You are also one of the Heirs for the Black Family as Sirius named you his Heir or well Heiress. This can be contested as he is in Azkaban and Lord Malfoy’s son can be claimed as an Heir” Andromeda continued to eat as she filled Harriet in with stuff “Before the first magical war, the Potter’s had alliances with Longbottom Family, the Blacks, the Bones and a few others”
“Do you…do you think I should try to use the ring at a graveyard? I need to find out how it works so that i can either do the goal Death set me or to avoid it” Harriet said awkwardly, probably not the best thing to talk about at dinner.
“Maybe after we make sure you do not go to Azkaban for Necromancy” Ted suggested as he ate some garlic bread.
The next day, they decided to do what the letter had asked and took Harriet to Gringotts to officially be recognised as Lady Peverell and an emancipated adult but also to withdraw money so she could buy some history books about the magical world. The girls floo travelled into the Leaky Cauldron. The smell of stale beer and wood smoke hit Harriet immediately. The dim lighting illuminated a handful of patrons scattered about about the musky pub’s lower floor, most of them hunched over their drinks or engaged in quiet conversation.
No one looked their way which Harriet enjoyed as the Tonks family told her she would be extremely famous. Perhaps it was because she did not look like the Harriet Potter fictional adventure books that portrayed her as a copy of her dad with his black hair, scrawny body with lightning bolt scar but her mother’s green eyes. Her features were sharper, her frame slightly taller, and her skin bore the marks of her years of hardship at the Dursleys' hands although she was hiding it. Ted is currently trying to find out who is the one who started that company at his office as they did not get her permission and likely would not be paying Harriet’s vault.
“Welcome Harriet…” Andromeda said as she tapped a brick, three up from the bins and two across which caused the bricks to scrape against each other and shift until an arch was formed “...To Diagon Alley”
A large bustling but narrow street had opened up behind the wall in the heart of London yet completely hidden with magic. The Tonks gently guided her through and made sure to stay close as Andromeda warned Harriet that her injured leg would need aid, perhaps a cane.
Vibrant shops lined the cobbled stone road and Harriet loved it. There was a large crowd of people doing their shopping with other wizards and witches of all ages, creating a lively and sometimes chaotic atmosphere. Some of the crowd were in traditional mage outfits while some had more muggle outfits.
The alley is filled with curious sights and sounds, enchanted animated signs, cauldrons of every size stacked in the apothecary and potion windows, Quidditch brooms floating, and street vendors selling all sorts of magical trinkets. The architecture is a mix of medieval, modern and Victorian styles, with crooked buildings and iron lanterns hanging from store fronts.
“Woah…” is all Harriet could say at the sight of magic. The Tonks family home did not count.
“Welcome Harry” Nymphadora says, giving her new friend a nickname as she herself requested the girl to call her Dora, Harriet seemed to enjoy it as her smile grew wider, almost forgetting everything bad that had happened this week so far. Almost.
Andromeda kept a grip on Harriet’s shoulder as she guided down the fairly busy street until they arrived at the marble building, the only one in the entirety of Wizarding Britain and Harriet noticed it towered over the rest of the shops in Diagon Alley even more as it had an extra floor built onto it. She could clearly make out the letters written in gold above the door. Gringotts Bank.
Harriet awkwardly bowed at the goblin’s in metal armor along with Andromeda and Dora who continued to escort her to the desk in the centre of the bank’s floor.
“Greetings Goblin Teller, may your gold be ever flowing in your vault and the enemies scream for mercy” Andromeda said calmly to the goblin at the front desk
The goblin’s eyes narrowed as his fangs snarled slightly “And may your enemies blood spill as you deny it. What can Gringotts do for you today?”
“I would like to access my ward’s vault and discuss with their family teller to get them an inheritance test” Andromeda gave the goblin a sneer that reminded her of the Black blood running through her veins.
“And your ward’s name?”
“Harriet Potter” The girl herself interrupted which she felt was rude but she wanted this over with as the goblin teeth and eyes scared her
“Ah…very well, follow me, Heiress Potter and co.” Another goblin arrived, he was wearing a suit with a badge emblem on his chest of a Pottery wheel with a wand crossing over it and a griffon riding on top of the wheel. As they walked past many of the doors which each had a goblin name on a plaque “Lord Potter made his great return yesterday. A surprise for sure”
“That is not possible, James and Lily have been dead for a near decade. Fleamont is not allowed to claim the title for this branch of the family” Andromeda stopped herself and then Harriet as her eyes watched the goblin
“Trust me Mrs Tonks, we goblins believed the same thing but we thoroughly checked their identity. Much like we will do with Miss Potter” Goblin entered his office and Grimshaw was on the plaque. He grabbed some parchment and a small blade with runes on it. “Please place 3 drops of your blood on the parchment and we can confirm both identity and your inheritances”
With 3 small drops of her blood on the parchment, the liquid split and soon formed multiple words and grew in paragraphs until it completely filled reading ‘Harriet Lily Potter’s Identity & Inheritance Test’ (next chapter)
Harriet’s eyes widened each other sentence as she read her paper in front of the group. Tonks was close to swearing while her mother did “MERLIN DAMN YOU SIRIUS! BASTARD MARRIED MY DAUGHTER OFF”
"Married to a girl i barely know, is there a way to break it” Tonks asked while scratching her arm awkwardly, her hair revealing her true emotions of embarrassment at being married to the girl who lived.
Grimshaw shook his head “We shall see but it is likely to be dangerous so i would not risk it. As well as this, we have the will of your parents to read as they are now alive and due to the illegal line steal of Dumbledore who sealed them however that is for another date. It says here you are emancipated, that is probably thanks to you being Lady Peverell. Your ministry might have issues with it but you are allowed your wand early because of this”
Harriet was still in shell shock, Marriage and Betrothal contract as well as a Life Debt to the Queen of England herself. Andromeda had told her that life debts are a kind of debt that the savior can ask for anything equal to that of the survivor’s life. So one for royalty and the head of a country is a lot.
“So wife, what do you make of all this?” Harriet tried to be teasing but evidence of worry, panic and being scared was evidence in her tone as she tried to talk to Nymphadora.
“Well you definitely have the money, influence and probably magic to do the goals you wished, Darling. I can not wait to check out the bedrooms of our many houses” Tonks teased back, however she was successful especially when she kissed Harriet on the cheek.
“How much would it cost for inspection of properties and repairs or enchantments?” Harriet asked as she eyed Peverell Manor.
“You have plenty, Lady Peverell. If you consent I will send goblins to inspect the ones you wish for a fee, however if I may be prudent I would also ask you to assign a proxy for your new seat in the Ministry. Perhaps Mrs Tonks here would allow herself to do such a thing so that Mr Tonks can be the family legal person?” Grimshaw spoke with Andromeda nodding, they soon began to discuss the locations of the properties in Great Britain and sending inspections to the manors and townhouses to see which is most suitable for inhibition after all these years as Harriet wanted a place to plan Death’s goals, perhaps even turn into a fortified base.
Another pressing issue outside of everything else is Hogwarts, she would be attending it as a student which means that her magic of the castle and wards surrounding it would react to her heirships and sadly no one knew what would happen. By the time she is 11 and attends, her now wife would be in her 7th year and normally Harriet would be concerned about the age difference but apparently it is normal for many Wixen to marry up to 20 years apart due to the life expectancy being longer than that of none magical humans
Soon a goblin entered with a note and then swiftly after there was a knock at the door and a tall man in a grey cloak lined with fur around the neck entered, his messy hair was black and his eyes were rich chocolate brown. He was arm in arm with a girl that looked like an older clone of Harriet, she had long wavy red hair and striking emerald eyes. Her parents. Harriet noticed both of them had rings similar to hers except red with the Potter family crest engraved
The Potter’s family goblin named Grimshaw, said with a smirk that showed all his sharp teeth “Greetings Lord and Lady Potter, your daughter and her proxy for Seat Peverell has quite a few questions for your disappearance”