Revelation after revelation
“But I think you’re wrong, sir, for my mother’s maiden name was ‘Evans’, aunt Petunia said so. And I’m Harriet Potter, not Black, so why do you think I’m … your family?” Young Harriet curiously asked Marius with wide eyes, who for the time being had not once let his eyes wander away from hers in the time he had seen her.
And young Harriet was not the only one confounded by this sudden revelation that had come out of Marius’ mouth.
That he might be a member of her family. Godric heard him quietly say the name ‘Sirius’ before that, when Marius had taken a glance at Harriet next to him,
“That is quite true, but I am sure Marius will explain himself, little one.” Godric then calmly told the young girl. Which made his friend simply nod at him then,
“Yes, your mother’s name was Lilly Potter, née Evans, her maiden name. And your father was James Potter.” Marius then answered, which Harriet did not seem to know, her own parents’ names that is, or perhaps her fathers, for she knew her mother’s maiden name…
“...James Potter? Is - was that my father’s name?...How do you know them, sir? I only knew my name this year because of school, you see,” Harriet then said in a curious, but also embarrassed manner at the end, which confused the two sitting in front of her at the table, which made her then fidget in nervousness underneath their stares.
“What do you mean that you only just now knew of your own name , Harriet?” Marius then asked, alarmed, which made the young girl’s eyes widen in fright at the sudden tone the older man took, which Marius then noticed, and softened his tone afterwards to not frighten her so.
“Harry?” He then once more asked after she would not answer them, which made both of them worry, even though Godric knew that that she was not treated well by her own family, but not to the full extent that she did not even know her own name. She had to find out at school…
“What did you think your name was before that, did your relatives give you another perhaps?” Godric then asked, which made Harriet quickly turn her eyes to his then, before she turned her gaze once more downwards to the table.
“...Freak.” She quietly mumbled, hoping that they would not catch it, but they did, and Godric had to stop himself from reacting to it outwardly, and he had to physically put his hand on the other man’s shoulder to put him put, to not react with the anger he knew the man was feeling, for in Marius’ eyes burned a dark and fiery fire he knew very well, that of pure and unadulterated anger, which wants to set its teeth into something, its wants to destroy.
“ You should never listen to them, because you are not a freak, do you hear me, Harriet,” Marius then firmly said, all the while he pulled her chin up, to look at them, and not hide, which the young girl wanted to do oh so badly, they knew. But they would not let her hide from this.
That, and they would most definitely get her out of that house with her wretched relatives.
“and you are not going back to those people. I promise you that.” Marius then continued to say, all the while he held himself back, Godric knew, from vehemently spitting out the word ‘people’.
“... Really? ” Harriet then heartbreakingly asked in longing, all the while her eyes were looking at Marius and him in wonder, not once having ever expected that she could leave her lot in life. Which made both Godric and Marius once more hold their anger tightly back from frightening the young girl in front of them with it.
“Yes, but we’ll have to go for now, for I have to explain something very important to you, Harry, it is something the people around us cannot hear. Now shall we?” Marius then asked, all the while he then turned his gaze to Godric, who simply nodded at him to lead the way.
It seems that Marius will tell her what she is, a witch.
But while he then understood, Godric still felt she might be something entirely else…
“What do you mean that I’m a- I’m a witch? It’s quite rude to say that to someone, sir…” Harriet then blankly said, all the while her eyes turned a bit glassy at being called a witch, as though she was thrown a slur in her face, which Marius then seemed to realise in alarm, before he waved his hands to her.
“No, Harriet I didn’t mean it in that way, never that- but well, answer me truthfully, did you ever experience strange this that you couldn’t figure out how they happened, like for instance moving things that you wanted to move without ever having lifted a finger-” Marius then explained, before the young girl the interrupted.
“Magic.” She then said with an awed expression,
“It’s real then? Am I magic?” she then asked him in wonder and hope.
“Yes, you are a witch, do you understand now?” Marius then gently said with a smile, all the while Godric looked at the both of them from the passenger seat in Marius’ car. Marius was going to a destination which Godric deduced to be this Wizarding world that he was told about in the past, or a point towards it.
“Are you-are you a witch then as well?” Harriet then asked with wide eyes, which made both man and vampire then hold their chuckle in.
“A wizard, and no…I am not, but I do come from a magical family, a family which you are also a member of, which we will find out in a moment for certain, but you do share my blood either way. It’s only a block away now.” Marius then quickly answered, which the young girl did not take note of for she then excitedly asked him questions about the place he was taking them to.
“State your business.” The strange creature- a Goblin, he was told, said with a sneer.
“We would like to do an inheritance test.” Marius then answered, all the while Godric watched as Harriet took the whole place in with a widened gaze of disbelief and wonder, a feeling which he shared with the younger girl, even though his gaze was blank throughout the whole entrance into this Wizarding World.
“For who shall it be?” The goblin then asked, which made Marius then put his hands softly on Harriet’s shoulders, who then stood at attention under the goblin’s distasteful gaze.
While she reacted at the creature, she was not frightened by it, on the contrary- she was intrigued, which made Godric’s lips then unconsciously twitch in amusement and wonder at the treasure he found.
She truly was a wonder.
“It shall be for her, her name is Harriet Potter.” Marius then said, which made the goblin then react to it, his eyes especially then wandered upon the young girl’s scar which was hiding behind her fringe.
Godric narrowed his eyes at that then.
“Follow me, I shall bring you to your Family manager.” The goblin then simply said, all the while he turned to guide them towards where this manager resided in.
The whole place, this bank, Godric admits, is quite a sight, it was almost a labyrinth with the way it had many passages, when they moved to the next hallway, they then stood in front of large doors, which the goblin in front of them, after knocking, then opened, all the while the creature then announced them.
They were then met by the sight of another goblin, who was sat infront of a large desk, he had been scribbling on parchment with a quill, which made Godric quirk his brow at.
“An inheritance test for the young Lady Potter, you say? Very well, come closer my Lady. Before we begin, let me introduce myself to you, I am Fanghorn, your House’s bank manager. I wondered when I would be seeing you at last. We had asked you to come a while ago, seeing as you are old enough for a summons, but your supposed magical guardian had come in your stead.” Fanghorn said, which made Harriet and also them look at him in confusion then.
“Magical guardian?” Harriet then asked, and seeing the confusion on her face, the goblin’s gaze then hardened.
“Yes, your magical guardian: Albus Dumbledore. He came to answer in your stead for the rather large spendings which had been taken from your trust vault. That, and some artifacts, which I was under orders to keep an eye on, like I keep an eye on all of your vaults. Am I of the understanding that you have never met him, nor that you know of Dumbledore?” The goblin then sternly asked, which made Harriet shake her head at the goblin then.
“No, she knows nothing of Dumbledore, nor the Wizarding world, nor that she is a witch, and it was only this year that she had even come to know what her name is.” Marius then spat, with realisation upon his gaze, which then turned angry after he heard the name of this Dumbledore.
“Oh my, how unfortunate , we will have to remedy this then.” The goblin then stated, before he pulled some rolls of parchment upon his desk with a malicious grin.
“Punishments will be in order then, especially if it is a scion of a most Noble and Ancient House that is being treated in such a way, Dumbledore and anyone else shall be dealt with accordingly, I can promise you that My Lady.” Fanghorn then said, showing his rather sharp teeth at them then, which made even Godric look at the creature in intrigue then.
For it seemed that the creature was of a bloodthirsty kind, a fellow warrior perhaps?
“But first: an inheritance test, we shall then also come to know of the truth of the matter, especially if Dumbledore is truly your supposed magical guardian, for it is treasonous to lie about such a manner, especially if he forged the document stating himself as such. Now, my Lady, might I have a couple of drops of your blood?” Fanghorn then asked after he pulled a ceremonial dagger from on of his desk’s compartments, which Marius did not even bat an eye at, for this was an expected occurrence it seemed, Godric then realised with interest, after he forced himself not to react at it, especially because the knife was made out of pure silver.
And looking at Harriet, who was sitting beside him, Godric watched as she simply moved her hand towards the goblin without any hesitation.
The goblin then poked the sharp looking dagger into her fragile and small finger, she did not react to the pain nor the sight of her spilling blood.
Blood that smelled oh so pure and devine, if Godric had to explain it.
For it was unexplainable, what the smell was, that suddenly emerged from it.
Her blood smelt of power, something sweet and warm, and the sun . It smelled like something other…
And Godric had to force his fangs away, for they longed and burned for a taste of it.
All the while he had his inner struggle, the blank parchment from before then suddenly filled with words written in her blood.
“Here you are, my Lady, your inheritance.” Fanghorn then announced, all the while he turned the parchment over to Harriet, who had been looking at it all in clear awe.
“I was correct,” Marius then suddenly stated, when he read the parchment alongside the younger girl, who seemed to be overwhelmed by the size of the large roll of parchment. And from what Godric could read, it was obvious that the young girl next to him was of noble descent, and that she had a rather large fortune with that as well, for she was the holder of quite a many houses, one of which made Godric quirk his brow at in confusion, for he seemed to have recognised a name: Peverel, Peverii.
But he did not know why he recognised the name…
“you are a Black, which was to be expected, but you are Sirius’ daughter as well! My nephew, while your godfather, blood adopted you as well.”Marius then explained, which made Godric furrow his brow at that, blood adoption?
How.
But then again, he was dealing with witches, of a whole different kind than the ones he was familiar…
“It says here, that he’s alive…where is he? And why didn’t he want me?” Harriet then asked,
which made Marius then look at her in sadness.
And he then explained the whole situation, with the goblin adding his own knowledge of it as well. Which had then turned into a sudden discussion after Marius had spoken about the suddenness of Harriet’s godfather's (who was one of her fathers by blood adoption, Godric could still not grasp it..) trial, after the death of her parents, when the world had thought him to be the traitor who had handed them over to this Dark Lord, this 'Flight of Death', that had come to kill the child whom Godric was starting to feel very protective over.
“Is there any proof that may show that he was unlawfully sentenced to Azkaban?” Marius then asked with obvious anger and sadness in his tone.
“I was not told of a trial, nor about any proof of the Lord Black having commited the act. I will look into it, it was to my understanding that it had been a closed case, what with Dumbledore having been in attendance of the trial of one Sirius Black as well.”