To you I tell every secret
Chapter 5: To you I tell every secret
Harry feels a heavy sadness settle in his chest as he stands with Luna and Blaise watching the retreating backs of Fred, George, and Hermione as they head back towards the leaky cauldron. They have to leave earlier than Harry due to the fact that they have loving parents who expect them home for 5pm and its already 5.25pm so his friends were already pushing their luck.
Looking at them leave Harry finds himself wishing he could buy a house and kidnap all his friends so they could all be together and never have to be apart. However, he knows that is wildly unrealistic so instead he pushes the sadder feelings down down and far away to the more rotting corners of his mind, and focuses on something brighter. He can admit that despite the ending of the day closing in upon him far too soon… It’s been a brilliant day, and a relief to exist outside of privet drive and with his favourite people.
Harry lets out a soft sigh before he turns his gaze to his two remaining friends, and if he’s being entirely honest the two friends that know him the best. They are the only two humans who truly know about the Dursley problem and the ones who seem to understand his brokenness. He wonders for a moment when he got so used to them understanding him.
“Well, that was depressing.” Harry huffs, rubbing a hand across his face, his fingertips brushing against the expansive raised scar on his forehead. “I've decided I don’t like the summer holidays.”
“I like the summer, but I don’t think I like all of this... leaving.” Luna says.
“Will the two of you be leaving now, too?” Blaise asks, while looking down at his nails and avoiding their eyes, in what Harry believes to be an attempt at nonchalance; but the way his shiny black shoe taps rapidly against the pavement gives him away.
“No.” Luna shakes her head earnestly and then laughs softly when Freya puts her front paws on Luna’s legs and tries to lick the twelve-year-old girls delicate face. “Harry and I have an errand to run and you are more than welcome join us if you wish.” She says, gently pushing Freya away and petting the soft fluffy head of the fox instead.
“Oh.” Blaise looks up and a small smile graces his face making him look significantly less tense. “What errand are we running?”
“We are disposing of an evil book, fox keeper.” Selena hisses at Blaise, even though the boy can’t understand a single word she says. “Although I think we should not keep it. Its magic is far too corrupt to be anything other than a threat to us.”
“Why is she hissing at me?” Blaise asks curiously as he extends a hand to where she’s wrapped around Harry’s arm so he can stroke Selena's scales.
“She’s telling you about the errand.” Harry looks to Luna; she’s rocking panda in her arms while staring at Selena unblinking. “She doesn’t approve. She wants us to destroy it.”
“We will. Not yet though.” Luna says in her misty voice, the one she always uses when she speaks about things yet to happen. “It won’t hurt us now, I don’t think. Tell Selena not to worry.”
“Luna says we will destroy it one day but now we should lock it in our Potter vault. Luna’s never wrong, she’s our seer, yeah? And she says you shouldn’t worry.” He tells Selena putting as much assurance into his voice as he can.
“I trust our seer. I still do not like the book.”
Blaise meanwhile takes his hand away from the serpent and crosses his arm over his chest and begins looking between Luna and Harry critically. “This is all very... cryptic. What does Selena want to destroy and why is Luna seer-ing.”
Harry sighs. “I’ll tell you, just wait one sec, I don’t want people overhearing.” Then he switches from English back to parsel-tongue, “Selena, can you shield me? I need to make the walls of silence.”
A faint shimmer of magic flares around his familiar, one that Harry knows only he can see. “It is done.”
“Thanks, Selena.” He says gratefully, before pulling on his magic and thinking hard ‘silence, make it so no one can hear us’ he feels a bubble of magic enclose around them and the rest of the world goes oddly quiet so Harry knows it worked.
“Did you just put a ward up, wandlessly?” Blaise asks with an eyebrow raised so high it almost disappears into his hairline. “How-”
“Yes, I did, but it doesn’t matter.” Harry waves his hand dismissively. “It's just so we can tell you about the errand, without any of my raging fans overhearing us.” Harry cast a glance around them, at the now steadily emptying alley. Most of the shops are closed now so most people tend to go home at this time.
Blaise rolls his eyes and lets out a theatrical sigh. “You and your adoring fans, Potter. Honestly, I don’t understand what they see that’s so amazing.”
Harry smirks. “It's my terrifying dark lord/benevolent saviour- depending on who you speak too –aura. Come on Blaise, you know this.”
Blaise snorts in a combination of derision and amusement. “How could I forget.” He says dryly.
“You're not that terrifying Harry or benevolent really.” Luna muses as she looks at them strangely, her eyes bright and an almost smug smile on her face.
“Why are you looking at us like that Luna?” Harry asks curiously.
Luna shakes her head and clears the expression of her face replacing it with a smile less smug and softer. “It’s nothing.” She points to a spot near his head “Just... your wrackspurts are gone.”
“Oh.” He feels around his head- accidently almost knocking Solace out of his hair in the process –as if he can physically check for the invisible and non tangible creatures. “Cool. I guess your Girdy root worked.”
“Maybe.” Luna says evasively, glancing over at Blaise. “We should hurry up and tell Blaise about the book, before we have to wander home.”
“Oh yeah, right. I forgot.” Harry says shaking his head to get his thoughts back in order.
“Foolish, Star.” Selena hisses and Harry promptly ignores her as he delves into an explanation.
“Draco’s dad dropped a book embedded with magic of untold evil into Luna’s bag, when he thought she wasn’t looking. We’re going to lock it in my Potter vault because Luna’s feelings say we should. Selena wants to destroy the book now; she says its magic is corrupt.” He says in a quick rundown of events, then reaches into his satchel and brings out the book/diary thing, and shows it to Blaise.
“Its magic is very wrong.” Luna frowns slightly, her nose scrunching up as she looks at the black leather-bound diary. “Dead in a way. Don’t you think, Harry?”
Harry turns the diary in his hands and tilts his head to the side considering the magic. It's strange, the magic to him seems... rotten, like the carcass of an animal left to decompose atop the earth. Definitely dead... but also, not? As if it's a dead thing that was brought back to exist in a zombie like state. The strangest thing about it however is the fact that it seems, almost... familiar, Harry doesn’t know why but it's almost like something inside him recognises the not dead-dead thing. “Yes. Deadish, I would say.”
Luna nods and looks satisfied at having her thoughts confirmed. “Blaise, are you okay?” She questions with a tilt of her head.
Harry tears his eyes away from the diary to look at Blaise at Luna’s words. The other boy is just standing there staring at the book in Harry’s hands, with an expression that can only be described as pure disbelief.
“Non avrò mai pace.” Blaise mutters exasperated, his voice dipping into an Italian accent as he speaks. The he points an accusatory finger at Harry. “You are a magnet for chaos. We should buy castle and put up impenetrable wards, lock ourselves away until you become, less-” he waves his hands in Harry’s general direction “-magnetic.”
Harry laughs. “That sounds like a brilliant idea. We could call it the castle of serpents and Ravens.”
“I should have a castle. It is only right for a serpent as magnificent as I to have a magnificent nest.” Selena says prissily. “You should buy me one, Star.
“Maybe one day.” He hisses back fondly.
“Ooo I love that name! We could grow flowers all the way up the outside walls and have a lake in grounds full of flying fish.” Luna says bouncing in place, her eyes lighting up with excitement, which causes Panda to make a nervous chittering sound and dive back into Luna’s skirt pocket.
Blaise shakes his head and sighs as if everyone in the world has gone mad and he is the only sane one left. “That is exactly the point I was trying to make.” He deadpans, then he rolls his eyes and gestures towards the bank at the other end of the street. “Let's go then. I don’t think it's wise to keep an artifact that both of you think is pure evil in close proximity. Some of the artifacts my mother keeps can curse or damage
a person that holds them and this one could be the same way.”
Harry frowns at that and promptly puts the book back in his satchel. “Good point Blaise, actually.” He buckles his bag shut and mentally apologizes to his mum for putting a dark artifact in her old satchel. “I’ll drop the silencing ward.” He tells them, before releasing the bubble of magic surrounding them, and sound returns as normal. “You can stop shielding me now, Selena.”
“I know, Star.”
“That is very useful.” Blaise muses, with one hand rested on Freya’s head where she walks at his side, as they wander through the significantly smaller crowds towards Gringotts. “Something that’s quite an asset with your relatives, I'm sure.” He adds with furtive glance at Harry.
Harry nods with a slight sigh. “Yeah, me and Selena have been using it loads this summer, and my invisibility cloak is an absolute game changer.” He adds, thinking of all the times at the beginning of summer where he snuck out of the house right under Petunias nose, to visit the library and Alex. “If I can figure out how to disillusion myself properly this year, then you can borrow it next summer if you want.” Harry suggests.
“Perhaps.” Blaise shrugs in his typically elegant way while looking at Harry in an evaluating manner.
Harry planned to speak with Blaise about Maria and how the summer is going for him, and now is as good an opportunity as ever. Even though Luna is here, they both know that she knows far more than either of them tell her about their relatives and the way their summers tend to go.
“How was your summer.” Luna says proving Harry’s point as she looks at Blaise with eyes that lose a lot of their usual lightness, turning heavier with concern. “Harry was worried. So was I.”
Blaise blinks in surprise, as if the concept of people being worried about his safety is an entirely new concept. Harry kind of gets it, Luna is always asking if he’s okay through the mirror when he’s trapped in privet drive, so he did have to get used to it a bit. “I... it could have been worse.” He says slowly, weighing his words as he speaks. “She was... unhappy, on the first few nights after I returned. She was still upset that I did not return for Christmas.”
“Did she hurt you?” Harry asks quietly.
Blaise waves away the question and makes a noncommittal noise. “She calmed down after that, and she has been away for most of the summer in Italia attending to business.” The he frowns thoughtfully. “Also, I think she’s found herself another husband to play with. It’s always quieter when she has a husband.”
Harry snorts derisively. “Jesus Christ.” He reaches up to his head and brings Solace down to perch on his arm so he can pet the bird's soft feathered head. “But at least she’s leaving you alone.” He says firmly, not really caring all that much about the soon to be dead husband of Maria’s if it means Blaise is left alone.
“How many husbands has she had now?” Luna asks with a morbid sort of curiosity.
“This one is number eight. It's an addiction at this point.” He sighs and rolls his eyes in exasperation. “What about you, Harry? How have the muggles been treating you, any new forms of torture they have devised, that we should know about?” Blaise asks lightly.
Harry laughs at Blaise’s blunt vaguely humours question. “I’ve become a ghost. They’ve gone for a new parenting route, which is ‘pretend Harry does not exist, keep him locked up in his room twenty-four seven, and feed him through a cat flap’.”
“Ooo fun.” Blaise deadpans, with a smirk. Though is amber eyes look to be blazing with anger.
Luna moves to walk between them, taking each of their arms and holding on to them both tightly as if she might never let go. “You should come and live with me. I have spare rooms; my dad wouldn’t mind.” She looks sad, like a bright flower that has wilted so much that the petals begin to tumble to the ground.
Harry and Blaise share a silent look over her head. “I wish I could Luna, I really do.” He squeezes her arms back just as tightly as she holds onto his. “But Dumbledore has forbidden me from leaving the Dursleys in the summer due to some bullshit excuse about my mum's sacrifice making wards that are anchored to my aunt Petunia. Until I figure out a way to leave without turning the headmaster against me... then I have to stay put.”
“And my mother would track me down and drag me back to her. I’m her only heir; she would not make it easy for me to leave. I'd have to kill her.” Blaise says casting his gaze down to the fluffy head of his familiar Freya, rather than at Luna or Harry.
Luna however does not look put out by either of these statements. “I think we could find a way to get around the headmaster's silly demands. He is not you guardian Harry; he has no true say in your life. Perhaps we could find a secret of his, a shameful one, and use it to get him to let you leave.” She muses in her typically soft airy voice, looking less sad and more thoughtful by the second.
Christ. Luna being around Slytherins all the time is really starting to take effect.
“And you, Blaise.” Luna tilts her head to one side. “We could find a way to kill her, if you want. I don’t like killing things but Maria is always trying to make you sad and hurt so... perhaps it is time for her soul to move on to deaths hands.” Her eyes go slightly misty for a moment. “I think we would make it work.”
There is silence, for a long while. Stunned silence - as they walk down the street in a tight knit trio, with a large fluffy fox at Blaise’s heels a squirrel in Luna’s pocket a snake on Harry’s wrist and a raven on his head. Silence, silence, silence, and then...
“Merlin, Luna!” Blaise lets out a sudden and very astonished laugh. “I-I don’t even know what I should say to that - but I think being an honorary Slytherin has started to take effect on you.” Blaise says, mirroring Harry’s exact earlier thoughts.
Luna smiles and shrugs softly. “I do spend a lot of time with snakes. However, I do think Ravenclaw traits tend to overlap with Slytherin ones quite a bit though.”
“I’ll say.” Blaise smirks and shakes his head.
Harry grins at her fondly. “While I don’t think either of those ideas will be worth the risk until we have strong allies... I think maybe in the near future we should consider them.” He says thoughtfully. “And there’s no harm in poking around for some dirt on Dumbles.”
“I suppose so.” Luna lets out a soft huff of air. “But the both of you will come and stay with me when we sort out Maria and Albus?”
“Yeah, Luna.” Harry nods, even though he can’t really envision a reality where that could be possible. Also, Harry does not have the best track record when it comes to the fates of adults who were going to look after him, and he wouldn’t want to condemn Mr Lovegood to an early death. Harry thinks it would probably just be for the best if he stayed away.
I don’t see why not.” Blaise adds, with a wave of his hand.
“Perfect.” Luna hums, looking pleased. “Oh, and look we’re here!” She exclaims pointing at an elegant white building with huge golden doors and a sign that reads: Gringotts Bank .
They stop speaking as they enter through the magnificent doors and into the even more magnificent bank. It’s exactly as it was last time Harry was here, with jewels and gold embedded everywhere in the floors and walls, pillars of white stone rising up from floor to ceiling, two rows of desks – a goblin behind each one.
“Oh, it's so pretty in here.” Luna hums looking at a particularly beautiful sapphire set in one of the marble floor tiles.
“Pretty, yes. But also, dangerous.” Blaise mutters, glancing warily at the goblins.
“Don’t be a moron Blaise. We’re not in danger. Not unless we did something stupid like try to attack a goblin or steal from the vaults.” Harry shakes his head and flicks Blaise on the shoulder. “Come on this way, Griphooks over there.” He points at the goblin he needs to see, and leads his friends over to a desk near the other side of the hall.
Hi Griphook.” Harry greets with a polite smile, and bow of his head, once they reach the desk. He has communicated via owl post with the goblin who Harry now knows is the Potter account manager, but he hasn’t seen griphook in person since the last time he visited Gringotts on his first trip to Diagon a year ago. “May your enemies be vanquished.”
“Mr Potter, may your coffers overflow.” Griphook nods his head back at Harry and grins a sharp smile full of lots of pointy teeth and looks at him with beady eyes that spark with amusement. “What may I help you with today?”
Harry takes the diary from his mother's satchel and lifts it up so the goblin can see. “I have a deposit to make into my vault, if it’s not too much trouble.”
Griphook chuckles. It's the type of chuckle that makes you fear for your life and gives you the desire to sprint as far away as possible from the source of the disturbing noise, but Harry chooses to ignore the instinct. “It is no trouble for me Mr potter, it is part of my job after all. Will that be everything?”
“Yeah, and is it alright if I go down to the vault with you? My friends too?” He gestures behind him to Luna and Blaise.
Griphook casts narrowed eyes towards Blaise (who narrows his eyes back) and Luna (who smiles and then curtseys at the goblin), before slowly inclining his head. “They may accompany you to your vault, but you must sign this-” he takes out a piece of paper from a draw behind his desk and pushes it towards Harry, tapping at the line where a signature should be “-it is an agreement that you shall not hold Gringotts responsible should either of your companions steal or damage any of you vaults contents.”
Harry nods and picks up the contract looking it over quickly for any tricks or lies, when he finds none, he takes a quill Griphook holds out for him and signs his name on the dotted line. “There you go.” He slides the paper back across the desk towards the goblin. “They won’t steal anything anyway but I appreciate the concern.” He says cordially, it wouldn’t be a good idea to piss of the person looking after all his treasures.
“Very good, Mr Potter. Also, I hoped to speak with you about something of importance, and I did not want to write it in a letter in case it was intercepted.” Griphook says cryptically.
“Sure.” Harry shrugs. “Maybe we can speak when we get to the vault? No one will overhear us there.” Harry suggests.
“That will be adequate; now if you wouldn’t mind giving a few drops of blood to verify your identity.” The goblin holds out a silver needle and gestures for Harry to hold out his finger.
~~~
A while later, after a short walk and bumpy high speed cart ride, they stand outside the Potter vault. Harry places his hand on the door in the place Griphook indicates with his own clawed hand, and it swings open soundlessly, revealing the Potter vault and all its contents.
“My goodness, Potter.” Blaise lets out a soft whistle of appreciation as he walks in beside Harry.
“Times that reaction by a thousand and that's how I felt when I found out about this vault last year.” Harry smirks, before turning to Luna. “Can you and Blaise put the diary somewhere while I speak to Griphook?”
“Of course, Harry.” Luna replies airily, smiling at him and taking the book when Harry holds it out to her.
“What did you want to speak to me about, Griphook?” Harry asks once his friends have reached the other side of the vault, not bothering to hide his curiosity.
“Your heirship.” Griphook says in a level but serious tone. “You are the Potter heir legally on paper and in the eyes of Gringotts but you have yet to claim its magic. Usually, heirs to the ancient houses will receive their heir rings and the rights to their family magic on their thirteenth birthdays. The lord of the heir's house will gift them the family heir ring and then they will be brought into the family magicks.”
“Right... but I don’t have any parents. Potter or otherwise.” Harry says slowly, suddenly worried. What if his family magic falls to someone else? Or to no one at all, and simply dies out with no family to guide it?
“It does not matter to much it will just look different for you, the way you are brought into the Potter magic.” Griphook says tapping a knarly finger on his chin in thought. “And... it will not be an heirship ring you receive.”
“W-what? What do you mean.” He looks at Griphook sharply, willing the goblin to just spit it out already.
“You are the last of the Potters and because your house has no lord you will be given the lordship ring not the heirship one.”
“So, I'll be Lord Potter?” Harry states in disbelief and little bit of excitement about having such a title to his name. He would have more political power if he was lord to one of the ancient and noble houses.
“You will be Lord Potter apparent .” Griphook says steadily. “Which means you will be the lord of the noble and most ancient house of Potter but you will not be able to sit in the Wizengamot until you are of age. However, you will be able to appoint a Wixen of legal age to sit in your stead until you are of age; but that is only something we can speak of once you have been gifted your lordship ring.”
“How come I can’t become Lord apparent, now?” Harry asks his face dropping into something akin to a pout.
Griphook smiles with those pointy teeth of his. “Because your magical core is not deemed stable enough to carry family magicks until you are at least thirteen years of age. Some guardians will be stupid enough to gift rings to heirs or lords apparent before the age of thirteen but then they purposely risk putting the child's magical development in jeopardy. Gringotts can do nothing to stop it if the child has a magical guardian who is of the same blood.
The magical guardian can overpower goblin account managers and their recommendation to keep the child without family magicks until they are thirteen; often guardians choose to ignore goblin advise on the basis that we know nothing of human magicks. However, in cases such as yours, with children who have no magical guardian only muggle ones who in the eyes of Gringotts do not count as appropriate guardians for Wixen children... the decisions of when the rings are given generally falls to the account manager of the family vault.”
“So, you decide.” Harry nods slowly. “Well, I don’t want to screw up my magical core and I reckon you know more about this subject than me, considering the fact that you have been managing the Potter vault for literal centuries. So, I'll take it on my thirteenth birthday.”
“You are a smarter Wizard at your mere age of eleven than many are in their late hundreds, Mr potter.” Griphook nods in approval. “I shall write to you nearer the time to confirm the date, but expect to come here on the 31st of July next year, to accept your lordship.”
“Alright Griphook.” Harry grins at the goblin who is actually a great asset to have now Harry thinks about it for a moment. “I won’t forget. Also, was that all? I need to go get some gold.”
“Yes, Mr Potter. That is all for now. I shall send you a letter via owl if there are any other matters that arise.” The goblin bows his heard and retreats to the door of the vault. While Harry moves further into the vault.
He scoops up enough gold to last way more than one school year and makes a mental note to get some of it changed into muggle money for when he’s at the Dursley’s or getting to and from kings cross. The he wanders over to Luna and Blaise who are standing in the corner near some of the less monetarily valuable objects.
“You guys ready to go?” Harry asks stopping beside Luna.
“Yes, I think so.” Luna says. “We decided to leave the diary right here.” She points to the shelf in front of them.
Harry looks to where she’s pointing and notes the small black diary that sits innocently on one of the only shelves in the whole vault that isn’t piled with stuff. “Cool.” Harry shrugs. “It will be safe here, I'm sure. The goblins would die before letting anyone steal the treasures.” He says with confidence.
“My mother refuses to keep anything here. She says she doesn’t trust creatures to look after her wealth.” Blaise says with a frown.
“Well, that’s just silly. Nothing has ever been stolen from Gringotts. It’s the safest place on earth for any and all treasures.” Luna hums. “Are you going to take any of your parents belongings home, Harry?” She asks curiously.
“Not this time I don’t think.” Harry replies eying the shelves stacked up against the walls. “I got everything I need and I already have my mum's satchel and my papa’s glasses.” He shrugs again, honestly ready to get out of the underground maze of vaults and tunnels and leave the strange diary behind.
“Okay, Harry.” She says softly. “Then we should go now. It will be dark soon and you still have to get all the way back to your relatives with muggle transport.”
Harry’s heart sinks a little in his chest at the reminder that he will have to return to the Dursley's soon.
“How do muggles travel.” Blaise asks curiously, tilting his head to one side. “Horse and carriage?”
“No, Blaise.” Harry finds himself laughing, despite the sudden burst of sadness. “They haven't done that for like... fifty years.”
Blaise frowns. “Then... what do they use.”
“Auto mobiles and flying metal birds.” Luna says simply.
Harry smiles and shakes his head. “Let's get out of here and I’ll explain on the way back up.”
Luna and Blaise listen with rapt attention as Harry explains muggle transport to them the entire way back to the leaky cauldron.