Chapter 1
Harry finally admitted to himself halfway through his eighth year that he was gay. He knew his eye strayed more towards the male form. His two failed relationships with women showed him that he was not interested in dating girls at all. He would not be getting back together with Ginny no matter what she wanted, never mind his two best friends. He had been getting more and more annoyed with how much they were pushing him to resume their relationship. Harry was tempted to tell them the truth, but he wasn’t comfortable with his newfound realization about himself yet. He wanted more time to accept his new identity. He didn’t want to have to deal with the questions and accusations yet. It wasn’t their business anyway.
He went to the Hogwarts library to find more information. He was pleasantly surprised to find that homosexuality was very acceptable in the wizarding world. He read up on famous wizard couples and even found books on homosexual sex. He almost dropped the book when he read the bit about male pregnancies. There were potions and rituals couples could use to heighten the possibility of conceiving. He was very intrigued. He was excited to learn that could give birth to his own child when and if he found the right partner. He had thought that he would have to adopt to have children, but now he could envision a family with children who looked like him! He would be able to try to pass down his mother’s eyes.
After learning about male pregnancies, Harry was more prepared to finally come out to his friends. He hoped they would support him. He also hoped this would stop them from trying to push him in the direction of Ginny.
In order to get everything out in the open, he invites Ron, Hermione, and Ginny to a private talk in the Room of Requirement. Mostly so he can control the narrative and his business doesn’t get splashed across the front page of The Prophet.
Harry asked the room for a comfortable place to have a private conversation. He was pleasantly surprised when it opened up to a beautiful living room with four chairs facing a fireplace.
After they were seated, Harry cleared his tight throat. He had to do this now before his nerves got the best of him.
“So, I brought you guys here to tell you something.”
“Are you finally getting back together with Ginny?” Ron asked.
Harry shook his head. “No. I am not getting back with Ginny.”
“What? Why not?” Ginny asked.
Harry sighed. “This is why I wanted to have this conversation. I need all of you to understand. I have been dealing with trauma and grief from the war. I finally realized something about myself that I hadn’t had time to deal with before.”
“We understand, Harry. We’re all dealing with stuff that happened during the war. That doesn’t mean you have to shut us out or stop being with Ginny,” Hermione comforted.
“That’s not the entire reason I didn’t want to resume my relationship with Ginny. I am gay.”
“No!” “What!” “You can’t be!”
Harry sighed and sagged further into his chair. “I have been soul-searching this year. I was finally allowed to think about my life and who I am as a person. I realized that I am attracted to men and I think I want to be a professor after graduating. I put in an application to apprentice under the DADA professor.”
All three of his friends gaped in horror at Harry. Harry chewed on his lip waiting nervously.
“Harry, you can’t be gay, mate. You dated Ginny and Cho,” Ron explained. Both Ginny and Hermione nodded in agreement.
Harry didn’t know how to explain this to them. He took a deep breath and tried anyway. “I didn’t have time to really figure out this before the war. I did what I thought was normal and easy. I didn’t mean to use Ginny or Cho. I didn’t mean to lead them on or anything. I just didn’t know that I could be gay or that I was gay. Just because I dated two women doesn’t mean that I am straight. Gay people do this all the time in the Muggle world to hide who they are for various reasons.”
“I just can’t believe that you are gay!” Ginny exclaimed.
“I really am sorry, Ginny. I didn’t know before. Now that I know, I can’t go back. I don’t want to go back. I am proud of who I am.”
“This will just not do,” Hermione proclaimed.
Harry frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“Harry you can’t be gay. You have to marry Ginny,” Hermione stated.
Harry tilted his head confused and a bit hurt and angry. “You can’t tell me to just not be gay. You can’t decide who I date either, Hermione. That’s not how things work.”
“Well, too bad for you, Harry, because Dumbledore signed a marriage contract for us. You have to marry me,” Ginny taunted.
Harry froze, “What?!! Can he do that?”
“He did,” Hermione admitted.
Harry started breathing harshly. He was panicking. He didn’t want to marry Ginny! Tears started gathering in his eyes. That bastard! Harry thought. How dare he do this to me? After everything I have done. Why?! WHY?! Why me? What is his reasoning for doing this? Harry couldn’t breathe. He had to get out of there, now! He bolted from the room and just started running. Without having a real place in mind for refuge, Harry went running to the Dungeons. He might be safe there. Once he blindly found his way there, he wasn’t sure he’d be welcome, but he needed someone to talk to. Someone he hoped would help him figure out this whole mess.
Harry gathered his Gryffindor courage and knocked on the door that led to Severus Snape’s office. He hoped the man would hear him out and at least have an idea of where Harry should go for help.
“Come in.”
Harry entered with his head held high after wiping away his stray tears.
“Potter! What are you doing down here?”
“I need your help. I didn’t know who else to go to.”
Severus raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps Professor McGonagall?”
Harry shook his head. “I don’t know if she would believe me. Or if she was in this plot.”
Severus furrowed his brow. “What plot?”
Harry took a deep breath, “Dumbledore’s plot to sign a marriage contract for Ginny and I, one that I did not agree to?”
“What?! Why would he do that? I don’t think that is something Minerva would agree to.”
Harry shrugged. “I don’t know why he did it either. I didn’t know if Professor McGonagall would believe that Hermione, Ron, and Ginny knew about it and were in on it as well.”
Severus’ eyes widened in shock. “I thought they were your friends? I thought you were dating Ms. Weasley.”
“I thought they were my friends, too. I broke it off with Ginny before the Horcrux hunt. I didn’t resume the relationship afterward. Mostly because I felt differently. We are different people now. I also came to the realization that I am gay,” Harry clarified.
Severus’ eyebrows shot up in surprise, “Oh?” Then his eyes roved over Harry’s face and then up and down Harry.
Harry blushed and fidgeted under his gaze, then froze. Did he just… no. That’s not possible. Harry shook off that thought. Mentally berating himself for even thinking his professor just checked him out.
“I knew you wouldn’t care. That is why I came to you,” Harry explained.
“Obviously,” Severus snarked.
Harry snorted. “I am not sure what to do next.”
Severus nodded. “You should contact a lawyer and Gringotts. I know you may not approve of it, but Mr. Malfoy might help you out. Especially since he owes you for standing up for him and his mother at their trials.”
Harry nodded, “I made a truce with Draco after the trials. I believe he would help me find a lawyer and contact Gringotts.”
Severus called for a house elf to bring Draco to his office, telling Harry this should be dealt with sooner rather than later.
Draco raised an eyebrow when he entered. “You sent for me, Professor?”
“Yes, Draco. Potter needs your help. You would know better than I on what to do.”
Draco was taken aback. “All right, tell me Potter, what’s going on.”
Harry sighed and explained yet again what transpired that evening. From telling his friends about being gay and then learning Dumbledore set up a marriage contract in his name with Ginny Weasley of all people and that his so-called friends were in on it.
“Wow. That’s a lot to process. I did tell you that some families were better than others. Didn’t I, Potter? This just proves it. I am just surprised your friend Granger is going along with it.”
Harry scoffed. “Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, Malfoy. I am genuinely confused as to why Hermione would agree to this as well. I think Ron and Ginny might be after my fame and money. Thinking about how they grew up and how jealous Ron gets sometimes.”
“True.”
“I have a theory on why Ms. Granger might agree to it. She idolizes Dumbledore and those in authority. She rarely goes against them. She also might be one of those Muggleborns who don’t agree with homosexuality,” Severus added.
Harry wasn’t sure what to say to that.
“Anyway, I can help you with your plight, Potter. First, we need to contact a lawyer. We can use the Malfoy lawyer. They will help you navigate contacting Gringotts and finding this marriage contract.”
“We don’t have to use your Lawyer, Malfoy.”
Draco held his hand up, “Please, let me do this.”
Harry nodded his head in acceptance, “Thank you, Draco.” And smiled at the blond when he heard him gasp upon hearing Harry say his name.
Once they contacted the Malfoy lawyer and Harry reiterated his story yet again, the lawyer was more than happy to help Harry out of his situation.
The lawyer took Harry to Gringotts, “We’ll get this all figured out, don’t you worry about it, Mr. Potter,” he commented.
They walked up to the next Goblin teller, “We need to meet with the Potter accountant right away. It’s an emergency.”
The goblin looked unfazed, “Gornuk will take you to see Griphook.”
Gornuk led them deep into Gringotts, to Griphook’s office.
“Griphook, these two asked to meet with the Potter accountant. They said it was an emergency.”
“Ah, thank you Gornuk. I am the Potter accountant. How may I assist you?”
“Griphook, thank you for meeting with us on short notice. Mr. Potter here needs to get a full accounting of his bank holdings and properties, an inheritance test, a health scan, and a skills test.”
“And is Mr. Potter prepared to go through this?”
“Yes, I am.”
“All right, hold out your hand and use this knife to cut your finger and drip three blood drops on this parchment for the inheritance test, and three drops on this parchment for the skills test. I can send for a goblin healer to scan you, while we are awaiting the results and going over the findings.”
Harry nodded and followed Griphook’s directions. Harry took the dagger and carefully sliced his palm, not even bothered by the slight sting, thanks to the Dursleys. Squeezing his hand over the paper, he counted the drops of blood until five had fallen and then leaned back again, watching in slight fascination as his flesh knit itself back together.
The parchment now had words forming themselves on it, in a looping blood-red ink. Blood, his blood, Harry realized. Griphook waited until it was done writing before passing it over to Harry.
It was lengthy, very much so, if Griphook’s slight look of surprise was anything to go off of.
Inheritance test:
Name: Hadrian James Potter-Black
Age: 19
Parents:
Mother - Lily Potter (nee Evans)
Father - James Potter
Blood Adopted - Sirius Black
Claimable titles:
Gryffindor (Lord)
Ravenclaw (Lord)
Slytherin (Lord by right of conquest, previously heir)
Gaunt (Lord by right of conquest)
Potter (Lord)
Black (Lord by blood adoption)
Emrys (Lord)
LeFay (Lord)
Blocks, Compulsions:
Core (40% blocked by Albus Dumbledore)
Parseltongue (100% blocked by Albus Dumbledore, 100% broken)
Parselmagic (100% blocked by Albus Dumbledore, 20% broken)
Natural Animagus (100% blocked by Albus Dumbledore)
Mage sight (100% blocked by Albus Dumbledore)
Natural Occlumency and Legilimency (100% blocked by Albus Dumbledore)
Loyalty spell (keyed to Albus Dumbledore, Weasley family, Ginerva Weasley, Ron Weasley, Molly Weasley, Hermione Granger, Gryffindor, Light)
Hatred spell (keyed to Severus Snape, Slytherin, Dark, creatures)
Love potion (keyed to Ginerva Weasley, administered by Molly Weasley)
Marriage contract signed by Albus Dumbledore, Molly Weasley, Ginny Weasley, witnessed by Ronald Weasley, and Hermione Granger (illegal)
Skills, Magic:
Core (level 162, unblocked would be level 270)
Natural Occlumency and Legilimency
Mage Sight
Parseltongue
Parselmagic
Carrier (Able to carry own magical child)
Soulmate: Severus T. Snape (blocked by Albus Dumbledore and Molly Weasley)
As soon as Harry reached the Blocks and Compulsions section, he had to forcibly repress his magic from lashing out. “Can I get these removed?” He asked, pointing to the list of things that had been done to him.
Griphook’s eyes flashed with anger at what Dumbledore had done. “Of course, Mr. Potter.” He called another goblin and told them to lead Harry to the cleansing chamber.
When they got there, Harry was asked by a goblin to disrobe except for his pants and lay on the stone altar in the middle of the circular room.
He did so, shivering at the cold stone against his bare flesh. The goblins circled around him and began chanting, funneling power into breaking the chains that held Harry’s magic and skills prisoner.
Harry had just regained consciousness when there was another pain and ears sprouted from his head and a tail from his back. The goblins finishing chanting and the goblin who had led him to the cleansing chamber took him back to Griphook’s office after he redressed.
His account manager now had a pile of folders in front of him and a grim look on his face. “You might want to sit down for this, Mr. Potter. Dumbledore has been stealing from your vaults since the day of your parent's death and using your key. He has also given money to the Weasleys and Hermione. The total sum stolen amounts to around 15,000,000 galleons.”
“Can you get it back?” Harry asked shakily, a little shocked that he’d had that much money, let alone that it had been stolen.
“Yes, we can do a recall with interest as well as an item request. Quite a few things have gone missing from your vaults over the years. I think the more important thing right now is for you to try and claim your lordships. Take each of these rings and put them on one at a time. They will either accept or reject you.” Griphook opened several boxes and handed Harry the rings.
Harry tried the Potter one first and was quickly accepted. The other rings accepted him in quick succession.
After that, the healer arrived to scan Harry. The healer swore when they saw how much had been done to Harry. They brought Harry back for several healing potions and spells. They also set Harry up with nutrition potions and advised Harry to see a Mind Healer. The healer brought Harry back to Griphook after several hours of healing.
“Now, Griphook about that illegal Marriage contract?” Harry’s lawyer asked.
“Since it says here that it is illegal, all Mr. Potter has to do is call for Lady Magic’s judgment on it. She will judge the contract and punish those who are at fault.”
Harry looked nervously at his lawyer, who told him how to word it correctly. “I, Harry James Potter-Black ask Lady Magic’s blessing and judgment upon the marriage contract made in my name with Ginerva Weasley. So mote it be.”
The contract glowed as the wording changed. Now Ginerva, Hermione, and Ron had to marry in a three-way bond, and any offspring granted to them would be born squibs. Molly Weasley would be losing her magic. Dumbledore was named a traitor to magic, Lady Magic, and the wizarding world. If this got out all five of them would become pariahs in the wizarding world! Harry laughed at that.
“Thank you, Griphook. May your enemies tremble before you and your gold flow.” Harry and his lawyer gave the formal farewell.
“And thank you, Lord Potter-Black-Gryffindor-Ravenclaw-Slytherin-Gaunt-Emrys-LeFay for trusting us enough to come to us. May your enemies’ blood flow and your gold pile high.” Griphook returned.
Harry thanked the lawyer. Harry headed back to Hogwarts and told Severus and Draco everything that happened at the bank. They were both shocked and horrified beyond belief.
“Draco I cannot begin to thank you enough for helping me with this matter.”
“It’s no problem, Harry. Friends?” Draco tentatively put out his hand for a handshake that Harry easily took and agreed vehemently.
“Friends.”
“Well, now that is out of the way, what now?” Severus asked.
Harry bit his lip. He didn’t know how to bring this next part up. He nervously looked at Draco and gave him a look. One that Draco understood. Draco took that note and left them alone.
“There was something else that showed up while I was at Gringotts. Something that I didn’t even deal with yet. I wasn’t sure how you would feel about it. Or how to bring it up to you.”
“What does your visit at Gringotts have to do with me, Potter?”
Harry debated with himself on how to tell him. “It seems that I have a soulmate. One that was blocked from me by both Dumbledore and Molly Weasley. The reason it has to do with you is that you are my soulmate.”
“You must be mistaken.”
“I’m not, sir. I can show you my results if you want. They are verified by Gringotts.”
Severus put his hand out to receive them, and Harry willingly handed them over. Harry paced while Severus read and re-read the results. Harry didn’t know how Severus would take this news. He was barely handling it himself. While he could admit that he was attracted to his former professor, he didn’t know if they would be suited as a couple. Harry needed someone who would care for him and give him tenderness. Harry knew that Severus would challenge him and match him in other ways, but the love and kindness Harry craved, Harry wasn’t so sure Severus could ever openly show, especially to Harry.
“I may need to get to Gringotts myself. If this is true, then I don’t feel the bond. It might be blocked for me as well,” Severus finally said after a few moments of pure silence.
Harry nodded. He figured that might be the case. “You should go as soon as you are able. We can discuss it when you return. I will go back to my dorm for the night. I will ignore my former friends. I also have protection jewelry the goblins gave me while at the bank. I will be safe from them. I will also warn them not to provoke me, or I will release the information I found out to the Prophet.”
Severus smirked. “Good.”
Harry smiled and returned to Gryffindor Tower. His friends did try to interrogate Harry, but Harry gave them his warning and they backed off immediately. They sputtered in non-belief, but it was enough to allow Harry to slip by them and into his bed, where he warded his curtains against them.
Harry waited patiently for Severus to contact him after that. He knew that Severus didn’t have much time to go to Gringotts. He also had to deal with the outcome of meeting with the goblins and whatever information he learned there. Harry just knew Severus would reach out to him when he was ready to discuss it.
A few days later, Harry finally received a message from Severus to meet that night.
Severus brought him back to his private quarters so they could have a discussion where no one would interrupt or overhear.
“First, let me apologize to you for taking so long to have this discussion. It took me a day to finally have a chance to get to Gringotts and get cleansed. I found some interesting information as well. I also took another day to digest everything and accept everything.”
“That’s all right, Severus. I understand.”
“Severus?”
“If that’s all right with you? Please call me Harry.”
Severus nodded. “That’s fine with me. I was just shocked by it. There is a lot we have to discuss. Dumbledore did block my soulmate, and I now feel the bond open towards you. I feel myself pulled to you. It is a new sensation that will take me time to get used to. I am not opposed to it. Don’t misunderstand me. I am just not used to it. I also had money stolen from me by Dumbledore and abilities blocked by him. I was purged and had the money returned to me. I was also granted the Prince and Selwyn Lordships. I wanted to tell you all this so that we could have an open conversation and begin a new leaf. I know that we are soulmates, but not all soulmates are romantic. I would like to start off as friends. Especially because you are still my student. I have a moral obligation to keep things platonic between us, for now. I am interested in pursuing this further outside of Hogwarts after you graduate. I find you attractive, I am not going to lie. I am open to our relationship becoming romantic later on if that is something you are interested in as well. I would like to hear your thoughts on the matter as well.”
Harry took a minute to process everything Severus shared. “Thank you for sharing all that with me. I really appreciate it. I am willing to open lines of communication and start as friends. I believe that we should get to know each other better. It will be good to start our relationship with a solid foundation of trust. We will be able to build more on that later. I agree that our relationship should stay platonic, for now. I am open to seeing where it goes after I graduate. I am genuinely attracted to you as well. I look forward to moving our relationship into the romantic side of things when we are at that point. I hope that we can discuss that when are ready and allow for a natural progression of our partnership.”
“I am glad that we are in agreement on this,” Severus concurred.
Harry smiled. “You should also know that when it comes time, I am a carrier, which means that I will be able to bear our own child if we desire.”
Severus smiled at that. “I know we are not ready for that part of our relationship yet, but I look forward to having children with you one day. It may not seem like it, but I have always wanted my own child. I thought I would have to give that up, but am lucky to have you who will bring my dream into reality.”
“I am so happy to hear that,” Harry murmured.
They continued to get to know each other better. After graduation, Harry released the information he learned about Hermione, Ron, and Ginny. He only did so because they tried to enact the illegal marriage contract and shame Harry through the Prophet by having Ginny claim that Harry broke their engagement and left her with an unborn child. He proved them to be wrong. Months later after the whole fiasco was over, Severus and Harry began a romantic relationship.
After dating for nine and three-quarters months, Severus proposed. Harry said yes! They got married in an intimate, private ceremony in Godric’s Hallow with the Minister of Magic as officiant. The only other people in attendance were: Draco Malfoy, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Fred and George Weasley, and Minerva McGonagall.
Harry kissed his husband as they were pronounced married. He could not be happier at that moment. Neither could Severus. They both hoped for a bright future with many children running around their home.
THE END