Revelations
Harry doesn’t immediately realize that something is wrong. He’d gotten distracted by the snakes in the shop and was conversing with the black and blue beauty that he decided was going home with him before he realized that apart from the animals in the store, it had gone silent, like scary silent. He tensed immediately and turns to look at Hagrid to see the giant looking down at him terrified and angry at the same time. Harry braces expecting to be hit because he’s seen that look on Vernon’s face enough times growing up before he was beaten and then thrown in his cupboard.
“Hagrid?” Harry asks timidly, knowing that he probably shouldn’t provoke the man but not getting why he’s also angry when the other few people in the shop are just staring terrified at him, not that he understands why they look terrified.
“You can talk to snakes?” Hagrid asks surprisingly with no emotion despite what his face is showing behind his beard.
“Is that not normal? There are other cultures around the world that have snakes among their gods and hold them up in esteem in the muggle world. Is that not the case in the wizarding world? Or is it something that’s not done outside of those specific regions in the wizarding world?” Harry asks despite the fact that he still expects to be hit and ignores the snake who has been spitting threats since Harry first tensed up.
Hagrid doesn’t immediately answer causing Harry to hunch in on himself and debating how far he could get if he ran since the other patrons are frozen in fear and would probably only startle if he were to run. Hagrid however could probably easily grab him due to his height so running probably would be a bad idea. Harry despairs as he’s come to enjoy Hagrid’s company in the short time, they’ve been together since leaving the rock with his relatives behind and entering into this new world that he’s only just learned about. He’s only just started his school shopping as well, so he’s mollified to find that it’s probably about to end and he won’t actually get to enjoy this new world that’s been opened up to him.
“That’s a dark ability. The last one who was known to have it was a very bad, evil man.” Hagrid finally says snapping Harry out of his spiraling thoughts.
“Who says it’s dark though? There are communities in the world that look to snakes with reverence and it’s not bad. It’s mostly muggle but probably spills over into the wizarding world surrounding those regions I bet. Am I a bad or evil person then because I can talk to snakes? I’m only eleven. Just because one man ruined something doesn’t mean the same can be said for anyone else who also can speak to snakes.” Harry says as he watches the conflict start to appear on Hagrid’s face and hear the whispers of the others in the shop begin.
“I…..I suppose not.”
“I would like to get the snake please. They want to come with me, and I want her too.”
Harry has a staring contest with Hagrid before the giant appears to wilt and agrees. They leave the shop with everything Harry will need for his pet, with said pet wrapped around his neck as they continue with the rest of his school shopping. Hagrid tells him about the man after the shop when they sit down for some ice cream so Hagrid can explain some things to Harry that he honestly isn’t that great at explaining anyway. Harry ignores the whispers that follow them as everyone else in the alley seems to find out and watch them as they shop. When Harry is taken back to his relative's house, he’s relieved to find out that they aren’t back yet, which for some reason Hagrid doesn’t even check for before leaving himself. Harry stands in the hallway with his trunk containing all his purchases next to him with his snake still wrapped around his neck. He pulls out the envelope that the goblin Griphook had slipped to him when at his vault and opens it to read. He stares at the missive before laying a hand on his trunk and whispering the word ‘ironwill’ activating the portkey and being whisked away back to Gringotts.
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Harry Potter sat in the office of the Potter account manager, Ironwill, which makes sense since the portkey, which he hated, brought him directly to the office since his manager had been waiting for him with many pieces of parchment, boxes, and other such on his desk. Harry stared at the goblin as the two waited for the blood to soak into the comprehensive test that was recommended, more like demanded, be done. When it’s finished Ironwill looks it over before handing it to Harry who stares at the parchment in shock when he vaguely hears mutters from Ironwill who is looking at another of the parchments involved in the test. He’s left to gaze in astonishment at the parchment in his hand as Ironwill leaves the office clearly angry over whatever the parchment he’d been looking at stated. It seems like so much was a lie, and he’d only learned some of what was now a lie today from Hagrid since his relatives never talked about his parents except to disparage them and Harry. He hadn’t realized he’d zoned out and had started crying until he feels something cold and wet on his face that tickles. He looks down to see his snake, who he named Nightingale, flickering her tongue on his face.
“Are you okay speaker? You’re leaking liquid from your eyes and shaking.”
Harry hadn’t realized he’d been doing either. “I will be. I just found out almost everything I knew about myself, most of which I learned today, was a lie. Everything has been hidden from me apparently.”
From there Harry, or Haedus Juniper Potter-Black, since that was actually his name, not Harry James Potter like he’s been told sat staring at the parchment in his hands stating that he had three parents, sadly all three were dead. The third that he’d never even known shared a name with a man who apparently is his godfather that stated he was incarcerated for some reason, he hopes Ironwill could tell him about whatever that issue is. Apparently, he’s heir, lord stuff is real apparently in the wizarding world, to several Ancient and Noble houses from apparently all three parents, which from the little he’s picked up, means that while his mother was what was called a muggleborn, she descended from magic that had once been prominent in the past according to the parchment. He’s also apparently really fucking rich, and while he faked being stupid due to not being allowed to be smarter than Dudley, which was hard because he’s certain Dudley has some disorders that won’t be acknowledged, this making him seem dumber than he probably is, but he can tell at least that he’s richer than all of Privet Drive by a long shot. He stares into space for who knows how long before Ironwill comes back in along with two other goblins.
“So, it seems that a lot has been mishandled in relation to the aftermath from 10 years ago. This is Goric who is the Black account manager and will be helping me going over some missives that were revealed. And this is Trac who is a healer who you will go with to our healing halls. An alarming amount of problems came up that her and the others in the healing halls will be able to help you with. From there, we will see where you want to go once, you’re healed from everything we can find out.” Ironwill starts immediately as he sits down behind his desk with Goric taking another chair that appears.
“Would that immediately be able to involve in getting me to another school and off the continent?” Haedus asks because he doesn’t want to stay in any kind of proximity to any of the people who have done nothing but harm him since apparently his parent's death and his ‘defeat’ of a dark lord. He’s able to realize that based on this, there has to be some ulterior motive to all this manipulation done.
Ironwill and Goric smile showing far too many teeth, but he knows that they’re clearly on board, so he nods his head before following Trac out to get healed for the first time in his life. He’s not sure what will all happen now, but he knows that it will change everything, but he can’t be bothered because he knows in the long run it will be for the better. He starts to pet Nightingale and hum as he walks the halls of Gringotts into a brand-new start that is even more different than what he expected when Hagrid showed up at midnight at the shack on the rock in the ocean telling him he was a wizard. He doesn’t even spare a thought to what the rest of the wizarding world will do or think when they discover his ability to speak to snakes and then his disappearance afterwards.