Home Sweet Home
Home Sweet Home
As they entered the castle, Harry spotted more nasty looks thrown his way and even heard a “Liar!” or two.
-“Good there is no “murderer” in the mix” – he muttered to himself. Of course, Hermione heard every word and shot him a worried glance, but luckily said nothing.
Ron on the other hand acted like he didn’t hear or see anything and avoided Harrys eyes like the plague. Which to be honest unnerved him even more.
-he should have my back- he thought, slight feeling of betrayal nesting in his chest.
The trio sat down at the Gryffindor table receiving a shy “Hi” from Neville and a murderous glare sent their way; aimed at Harry, for sure; from Seamus.
-off to a good start- he sighed internally. Harry sent Neville a crooked smile, grateful that his shy friend didn’t turn his back on him.
He hated it, all the attention he was getting every time something happened. People were always a flip of a coin, depending on what stance on his person media had at the given moment. And no one ever cared to ask him, always blindly believing The Prophet or Dumbledore. Re realized now that NO ONE asked him if the “dark lord” has returned or not. Dumbledore said so, and the narrative was spun when eventually it was Harry who “said so”. Problem is he never did.
His body and mind were in survival mode, after all Cedrics’ death was so traumatic, that detains of that night were super blurry, and he couldn’t remember who exactly he saw at the cemetery.
Snapping back to the present, he felt eyes on him, from all the tables. He tried to keep his head low, not meeting anyone’s eyes. He just wanted to survive this feast and disappear in his bed, for meals he would just go to the kitchen. Be with people only for classes, and that’s it.
-Bare minimum is preferred. No one wants to be around me now anyway- he thought grimly to himself.
When conversations started to quiet down, McGonagall began the sorting ceremony. There were only a handful of new students this year. Which to be honest was sad to see. Some people probably opted on not sending their children to Hogwarts but to some different school, or just homeschooled their children. To be honest he couldn’t blame them whit what opinion on Dumbledore the media had at the moment.
-they will be probably better for it- he thought.
Speaking of Dumbledore; he just took the stand, and as every year gave his strange speech about dangers and joys. He also; traditionally; introduced new DADA teacher. This year it is pink toad of a woman – Dolores Umbridge. – Harry knew her well, after all she was the one who wanted to send him to Azkaban for defending himself.
His disgust was probably visible at his face, because Hermione leaned into him and asked.
- “You look like you know her. Who is she?”
- “She works for Ministry, She’s the one that was against me on my hearing.”- He answered.
His memory working just fine since he entered the school. Maybe excluding few details regarding relationships with people.
He felt like, he should love Ron like a brother. But he didn’t even like him right now. And on the other hand, he felt like he should dislike children in green – Slytherins, and their Head of the house. But again, he couldn’t find within him the things he felt before. It confused him greatly.
After the toad finished her bizarre welcoming speech, he distracted himself with the food he so greatly missed. To surprise not only his, but also Hermione’s, next to his plate appeared small piece of paper.
Welcome back to Hogwarts Master Harry Potter sir!
Dobby wants to say that,
Master Harry Potter can always call for Dobby and he will always come.
Dobby is a good house elf here at Hogwarts, but he is Harry Potters friend first!
He smiled to himself pocketing the little note. Ron looked at him for a minute, the look on his face wasn’t the most pleasant one, but fortunately for him, said nothing, and was back to stuffing his face with chicken and mashed potatoes.
As they were eating, people were chatting among themselves, no one talked to him, and deep down he was grateful that he was left alone. Harry looked around scanning the room in boredom. When his eyes landed on Slytherin table, he caught the same silver eyes that were observing him when they exited the train.
-Why is Malfoy staring at me? - he thought. They held each other’s gaze for a moment then Draco looked away, entertaining Pansy next to him with conversation smiling at her slightly.
-that’s a nice smile- Harry thought, and immediately was terrified by that thought.
Shaking himself internally, he scanned further. From the teacher Table someone was also looking intensely at him. Severus Snape was drilling into his head, and when their eyes met, he felt a sudden pressure in his head. An invisible lock snapped in his head, blocking the intrusion, and he heard a voice, no doubt belonging to his professor:
Good, keep your walls high Potter. Remember act naturally, you will understand in time why. Act naturally.
And with that last sentence the intrusion was gone. He on the other hand, was left with questions. And a headache. Looking slightly to the right he almost met the headmasters’ eyes, but a different, strangely familiar voice in his head shouted DON’T!
He was so shocked that the froze in his seat earning himself some confused glances from around him.
- “Are you alright Harry?” – Neville asked worried. He blinked a couple of times and looked at his friend.
- “Yes, thanks Nev, just ate too big piece, and it hurt a bit” – he smiled apologetically at him. Nevill for his part didn’t question him about it, perhaps happened to him before too. Harry guessed, feeling guilty for lying.
Slowly people around were finishing eating, and a few yawns were seen here and there. Hermione looked up at the older prefects who nodded at her in response. She then poked Harry in the side earning herself a hiss and an “Oi!” from her friend.
- “Harry, we have to escort first years to the common room, you will be fine with Neville?”
- “I’ll be just fine by myself too Hermione” – He answered rolling his eyes at her ‘motherly’ care for him.
- “ha ha very funny, now off you go. The password is “Griffin” this month” – she said and pulled a protesting Ron with herself in the general direction of the smallest people at their table.
Harry looked at Neville across from him and arched an eyebrow in silent question. Neville just nodded and they got up from the table. He didn’t fail to notice that as they did, eyes tended to fallow them all the way to the door.
- “Oh finally, no more!” - he exclaimed to the empty corridor.
- “What do you mean Harry?”- asked Neville genuinely curios.
- “Only that I will not be eating in the great hall, where everyone sees only a “freak Potter”, no thank you, I’ll pass. I can always eat in the kitchen; the house elves are a far better company.” - He explained, feeling comfortable around Neville, knowing he would never judge him.
- “Oh! That’s an awesome idea, could I maybe come with you sometime? I don’t like eating in the hall to be honest.” – Neville answered excited smiling at Harry hopefully.
- “Of course you can come with me.” – Harry answered, returning the smile.
- “Why would you ask if you can eat with me?” – Harry asked after they conquered at least two stories of stairs.
- “Well, we were never “close” friends like that, you were always with Ron.” – Neville answered blushing slightly, and instinctively rubbing his neck.
- “Last year showed me who my real friends are, did it not?” – Harry answered still smiling at Neville.
- “And you are worth 10 of Ron. I’m sorry I haven’t seen it earlier, only when he turned on me.” – Harry added patting Neville on the back with apology written on his face.
Neville perked up at that and said nothing, but a slight smile never left his face all the way to the tower.
Up in their dormitory, they were the first to enter, so they took their time to change into something more comfortable. Not thinking twice, Harry took of his robes and T-shirt right there in the room. Hearing Neville gasp he looked up at his friend in alarm.
- “W-What is that? What happened Harry?” - Neville asked, voice trembling, worry and horror clear as day.
Harry scrunched his eyebrows not knowing what Neville was about. His friend grabbed him by the wrist and stood him in front of a mirror.
His reflection was more of a war veteran than 15-year boy, but what could he do. The scars he earned from his uncle’s belt formed a net of faint lines on his back.
His forearm was marked by ragged scar from where basilisk fang pierced his skin. And on his side, spreading from middle of his back to his abs was big burn scar from first task, where the dragon got him. But all of them Neville seen already, so what got his reaction Harry didn’t know.
Neville was getting frustrated every minute Harry couldn’t find what he was referring to.
The other boy pointer to his left arm where golden and black lines were climbing from his wrist to the shoulder. It looked like a tattoo but felt alive at the same time. Harry didn’t know where it was from, he didn't remember having it, and he couldn’t see it before Neville pointed at it directly.
-huh? Strange. - he thought.
- “I truly don’t know what that is Nev. I’m 100% honest with you this is the first time I’ve seen this. And even now I didn’t notice until you pointed at it.” – Harry answered truthfully.
- “That’s not a dark mark for sure”- Harry tried to make a joke from this bizarre situation. Neville still worried sent him deadpan glare.
- “I will figure it out and let you know as soon as I know something. For now, let’s just say that I got a tattoo right?” - harry promised and Neville nodded in agreement.
- “I will write to Gran; it looks like some sort of vow or protection. Some lords have manifestations of their family magic on their skin. But again, you would have to be a lord to have something like that, and I never seen one this big.” – Neville started rambling, probably not sure that what he was saying made Harrys amnesia affected brain show him random visions.
Harry just nodded, thanked his friend and went to his bed, not putting on a shirt, as he preferred to sleep with just pajamas pants on anyway.
After drawing his curtains and warding his bed, he stared at his arm in Lumos light, that he absentmindedly casted wordlessly and windlessly. The lines seemed to shimmer in the light, almost like they were moving under his skin. He focused on the visions he got speaking with Neville.
A goblins office in Gringotts, 3 rings before him on a table and a parchment with his name on it. No not his. There was no “Harry Potter” only there in crimson red there was his real name:
Hadrian James Potter-Black
Lord of House of Peverell
Lord of House of Potter
Heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black
Parents:
Lilian Potter-Black – alive
James Flemont Potter – deceased
Regulus Arcturus Black (blood adopted) – alive
Godparents:
Sirius Orion Black III
Alice Longbottom
Remus James Lupin
Mary McKinnon
Health status:
Malnourishment – untreated – goblin magic applied in healing, will be fully eliminated before Jule
Multiple broken bones – healed unproperly – goblin magic applied in healing, will be fully eliminated before Jule
Block on familial magics – 100% - placed by A.P.W.B Dumbledore – removed
Block on intelligence – 100% - placed by A.P.W.B Dumbledore – removed
Distrust to Slytherin House - placed by A.P.W.B Dumbledore – removed
Distrust to Severus Snape - placed by A.P.W.B Dumbledore – removed
Compulsion to recklessness - placed by A.P.W.B Dumbledore – removed
Loyalty to Wesley Family - placed by A.P.W.B Dumbledore – removed
Loyalty to Albus P.W.B Dumbledore - placed by A.P.W.B Dumbledore – removed
In the memory, Harry wasn’t alone. Beside him stood a tall, thin man. His looks were a true mix between Sirius and Draco.
- So the ferret has some Black family resemblence. Not so pure Malfoy after all-Harrys thought drifting to the blonde for a moment.
He didn’t know how but he knew that this was Regulus – his apparent blood-adopted father. He was presumed dead by the sociality, but so was his mother, and he could not force himself to think that the other memory was a hallucination. He decided to take these memories at face value, and just believe.
- ”We will take those readings as evidence in the case we are gathering against him on your behalf, as we discussed before.” - said the Goblin matter of factly. Harry from the memory just nodded, too shocked to speak.
The Goblin then moved the rings closer to him, encouraging him to put them on. The first he put on was a thick gold band with a triangle carved into it and as the ring nested on his finger a thin golden line started to slither up his arm.
He jumped out of the chair like it was on fire and abruptly took his jacket off to see the line already above his elbow.
The Goblin just smiled.
- ”Congratulations Lord Peverell. It seems that familial magic accepted you and is happy to see you at last.”
Then came the Potter ring, it was slightly thinner than the first one. Was also made of gold, but here where resemblance ended. It was shaped like a snake with ruby eyes. Again, once the ring nested on his finger another golden line slithered right next to the first one.
-”Congratulations Lord Potter”- Said the goblin at the view before him.
-”Last one is Black heir ring. Remember young wizard, Black family magic doesn’t choose anyone. So be prepared to be tested.”- Harry nodded bracing himself for whatever that meant.
Black heirship ring was; surprise, surprise; black. With runes carved into it. When he put it on the runes flared with white light, Regulus next to him gasped and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Next moment the light was gone and a third, this time black, sliver crept up his arm, this time it was movin opposite the golden ones.
- ”Well, well, well, that is trully very rare phenomenon, you are a very powerful wizard, Lord Potter. Or should I say Potter-Black?”
- “We would preferer to keep the “Black” hidden for now, if it’s not an issue Master Goblin. Considering... circumstances we are in.” - Regulus answered swiftly and memory Harry nodded in agreement.
- ”Oh I absolutely understand mister Black. Secrets of our clients are looked after just like the gold in their vaults here in Gringotts”. - Answered the goblin bowing slightly to Regulus implying that silence is costly.
- ”Of course proper payment for your troubles today will be granted. Feel free to charge any of my Vaults.”- answered Harry catching what the goblin was implying.
He looked last time at his now magic covered arm and here the memory ended.
Present Harry was so taken by the memory that he failed to spot Dobby, but again he found a note, this time on his lap. But this time it wasn’t from the elf.
The note was written in distinguished cursive that he knew so well:
Come to shrieking shack tomorrow at curfew
Use our legacy “wisely” ;)
Padfoot