Blood and Trust
Number 12 Grimmauld Place loomed before Harry, its ancient wards recognizing him not just as Harry Potter now, but as Lord Black. His wings cast imposing shadows across the front steps as dawn crept over London. Inside, he could sense two magical signatures—Sirius and Remus, both awake despite the early hour.
Harry's new senses picked up their anxiety. They knew he was here. Of course, they did—his magical signature had changed dramatically with his inheritance. The front door opened at his touch, the house's magic singing in recognition of its true master.
"Harry?" Sirius's voice carried from the kitchen, uncertain in a way Harry had never heard before. "Is that you?"
Harry took his time responding, letting his footsteps echo through the house as he approached. His wings brushed the walls of the narrow hallway, shadows dancing in their wake. When he entered the kitchen, both Sirius and Remus stood frozen, staring at his transformed appearance.
"Merlin's beard," Remus breathed, taking in Harry's wings, his increased height, and the otherworldly glow of his eyes. "Your inheritance—"
"Was quite revealing," Harry finished, his voice carrying that new note of authority that made both men unconsciously straighten. "In more ways than one."
Sirius stepped forward, arms open for an embrace, but stopped short when Harry's wings flared slightly. The message was clear: not yet.
"I need answers," Harry said, pulling out the scroll from Gringotts. "About manipulation, memory charms, and betrayal."
"Harry, what are you talking about?" Sirius's confusion seemed genuine, but Harry's enhanced senses picked up an undercurrent of fear. Not guilt—fear *for* Harry, not *of* him.
"Dumbledore," Harry said, watching their reactions carefully. "The blocks on my magic. The love potions. The memory modifications." With each word, his power filled the room, making the china rattle in its cabinets. "Did you know?"
"Love potions?" Remus looked horrified. "Harry, we would never—"
"I believe you," Harry interrupted, his certainty surprising even himself. His new instincts could detect no deception from either man. "But I need to know everything. What did you suspect? What did you overlook? What did that manipulative old man make you forget?"
Sirius sank into a chair, his face ashen. "There were... gaps. Things that didn't make sense. Why James and Lily changed Secret Keepers. Why I went after Peter instead of staying with you? I always thought it was the trauma or Azkaban..."
"He modified your memories too," Harry concluded, wings settling slightly as pieces clicked into place. "Both of you?"
Remus nodded slowly. "Looking back... there were times I questioned things. Why I never check on you at the Dursleys? Why I accept that you had to stay there? But whenever I started to doubt—"
"The thoughts would fade," Harry finished. "Like a fog rolling in."
"Exactly." Remus's eyes widened with dawning horror. "Oh Merlin, what did he do to us all?"
Harry placed the Gringotts scroll on the table, unrolling it carefully. "See for yourselves. The goblins detected everything—every block, every potion, every memory charm. Including the ones on you both."
As they read, Harry's enhanced senses caught every reaction—the sharp intake of breath, the spike of anger, the scent of grief and rage. His wings curved forward instinctively, sheltering them as the truth broke over them like a storm.
"That bastard," Sirius whispered, hands shaking as he read. "He used us all. Made us... made me abandon you when you needed me most."
"The Dursleys," Remus growled, his wolf evident in his voice. "The wards weren't even necessary, were they? It was all about keeping you isolated, controllable—"
"Yes." Harry's voice was steel-wrapped in silk. "But now we're going to fix it. All of it." He pulled out another scroll, this one bearing the Potter seal. "The goblins can break the memory charms on you both. Permanently. Will you let them?"
"Yes," they answered in unison, with no hesitation.
"Good." Harry's wings relaxed fully, and he finally stepped forward to embrace his godfather. Sirius clutched him tightly, shoulders shaking with suppressed sobs.
"I'm so sorry, pup," Sirius whispered. "We should have protected you better."
"You tried," Harry assured him, his new strength evident as he supported Sirius's weight. "He just made sure you couldn't. But that ends now."
When they separated, Harry's expression hardened. "There's more you need to know. About the Weasleys. About Ginny specifically."
Remus growled again, clearly picking up on the implications. "Love potions?"
Harry nodded grimly. "Molly's work. With Dumbledore's blessing. Not all the Weasleys were involved, but enough of them..."
"We'll help you," Sirius declared, his expression fierce. "Whatever you need. The House of Black stands with you."
"As does the wolf pack," Remus added, his eyes glowing amber. "Your father would be proud of how you're handling this, Harry."
Harry smiled, though there was an edge to it that showed his fangs. "Thank you. Both of you. Because I'm going to need help." His wings spread to their full impressive span, filling the kitchen with shadows. "There's someone out there—my true mate. I can feel them. They're afraid, isolated... waiting for me."
"Your mate?" Sirius's eyes widened. "Do you know who?"
"Not yet," Harry admitted. "But I will soon. And when I find them..." His expression softened slightly, though the determination remained. "I'm going to make sure no one ever hurts them again."
Through the mate bond, he felt a flutter of response—hope warring with despair, longing with resignation. Soon, he promised silently. Soon he would find them, claim them, protect them.
But first, there were memories to restore, allies to gather, and a wizarding world to reshape. Starting with the truth about Albus Dumbledore.
"We should head to Gringotts," Harry declared. "Get those memory charms broken. And then..." His smile was sharp with purpose. "Then we start planning how to make everyone responsible answer for what they've done."
As they prepared to leave, Harry felt another pulse through the mate bond—stronger this time, almost desperate. His wings rustled with agitation. Somewhere, his mate needed him. And Harry James Potter-Black, newly come into his power and burning with righteous purpose, intended to answer that call.
Soon, he promised again. Very soon.
Suddenly, Sirius's expression shifted, grief giving way to a bittersweet smile. "Merlin, with everything... we haven't even..." He pulled Harry into another embrace. "Happy birthday, pup. Eighteen. James would be..." His voice cracked. "James and Lily would be so proud."
Remus joined them, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder. "We have something for you. Even with everything that's happened, we couldn't forget..."
Harry watched as Remus retrieved a carefully wrapped package from a cabinet. His enhanced senses picked up the faint trace of preservation charms and old magic.
"This was meant to be given to you on your eighteenth birthday," Sirius explained, his voice thick with emotion. "James left it with me... before..." He swallowed hard. "Even with the memory charms, some things couldn't be completely buried."
Harry unwrapped the package carefully, his wings curving forward protectively around all three of them. Inside was a leather-bound journal, its pages filled with James Potter's handwriting, and beside it, a delicate silver pendant bearing the Potter family crest.
"The journal," Remus explained softly, "contains everything James learned about his own creature inheritance. He suspected you might inherit similar traits. The pendant was Lily's – she wore it to help control the initial surge of power that came with her own magical maturity."
Harry traced the writing with trembling fingers. Here was proof – real, tangible proof – that his parents had loved him, and had prepared for his future. Had wanted him to be ready for this day.
"There's more," Sirius added, pulling out another package. "From us. Though it seems a bit redundant now..." He gestured at Harry's wings with a weak laugh.
Inside was a dragonhide coat, especially enchanted and expensive. "It's designed to accommodate wing growth," Remus explained. "We knew about the possibility of a creature inheritance, even if we couldn't quite remember why we knew..."
Harry's throat tightened. Even through Dumbledore's manipulations, even through the memory charms and confusion, they had tried to prepare, tried to protect him.
"Thank you," he managed, his voice rough with emotion. "Both of you. For everything you managed to do, despite..." His wings shifted, casting protective shadows over his family. "We're going to fix this. All of it."
The moment was interrupted by another powerful pulse through the mate bond – pain and longing so intense it made Harry's knees buckle slightly.
"Harry?" Sirius steadied him, concern evident in his voice.
"My mate," Harry explained through gritted teeth. "They're in pain. Isolated. Waiting..." His wings flared with agitation. "We need to move quickly. Gringotts first, then..."
"Then we find them," Remus finished firmly. "Your father's journal might help – there's information about mate bonds, how to track them..."
Harry nodded, carefully tucking both the journal and pendant into his robes. "Let's go. The sooner we break those memory charms, the sooner we can start making things right."
As they prepared to leave Grimmauld Place, Harry felt the weight of his inheritance settling more firmly on his shoulders. The journal in his pocket, his mother's pendant against his chest, his transformed magic humming through his veins – all of it felt right in a way nothing ever had before.
He was Harry James Potter-Black, heir to multiple ancient houses, blessed with power that Dumbledore had tried to suppress. And he had a mission now: protect his family, find his mate, and reshape the wizarding world into something worthy of the legacy his parents had tried to preserve for him.
The sun was fully risen as they stepped outside, Harry's wings catching the morning light. It was time to begin.