Never Return

Harry put his trunk in a suitcase. He had put a spell to expand the bag to fit all of his belongings. Hedwig was already inside. Harry had made a room for Hedwig, so she can fly around without any worries. Dobby was right next to him. Harry was glad he learned the expansion spell and how to make it look like a living home. It was very useful. As Harry put on his cloak, he went out of the common room and walked into the halls. Harry left no note or anything behind. The bed was made and Harry made sure he didn't left ay trace of him behind. When they got to the Hogwarts gates, Dobby apparated them in front of Gringotts. Sirius was there in his dog form. Harry pulled off the cloak and Sirius nodded. Harry knew he was at least around ten minutes early, but he didn't want to keep Sirius waiting and he wanted to be out of Hogwarts as fast as possible.

Sirius turned back into his human form and asked. "How did it go?"

"The same," Harry answered. "I made sure to act normal."

"Good."

"Will Remus know about this?" Harry questioned.

Sirius narrowed his eyes. "Remus thinks Dumbledore had a reason why he's letting you be in the tournament. I tried to tell him that having you in that tournament is a bad idea, but he didn't listen. He thinks Dumbledore will protect you and all."

Harry snorted at that last part. Protect him? Like hell, he never protected him. Whenever Harry needed Dumbledore the most, he was always gone and Harry with his friends had to go through a lot of pain and suffering to finish the job.

When they got inside, Harry was surprised that the goblins were wide awake. Harry had always thought that Gringotts would closed at night when Sirius told him that they could get money, like a muggle atm or something like that, but he didn't expected them to be awake at this hour. Then again Harry had to remember that the wizarding world was still stuck in the fourteenth century. Even though Harry knew the the wizarding world thinks they're above muggles, but Harry knew there are some muggle technology that is very useful.

As they got up to the front desk, Sirius and Harry took out their keys. The goblin looked up at them with a mix of a bored and neutral expression. Harry had a feeling that he might know why they were here since no one seemed to be phased that Sirius Black, the most wanted man in the British wizarding world was in Gringotts.

"How can I help you two?" the goblin asked.

"I, Mister Sirius Orion Black would like to make a withdraw from my vault." Sirius said.

"How much do you want to withdraw?"

"All of it."

The goblin and turned to Harry. "How about you?"

"I, Mister Harry James Potter, would like to withdraw everything from my vault, sir," Harry said.

The goblin pursed his lips. "I'm sorry, but there is a limit to withdraw your vault."

Harry blinked a few times and Sirius frowned. The two stared at each other and back at the goblin. Limit? What limit? Harry never had a problem withdrawing his money. Then Harry remembered that every time he did spent his money, it was for school, his friends, and sometimes for himself. It wasn't that much. Harry had always gave himself a limit so he wouldn't spend too much. He had always thought money had value and was cautious enough to spend it.

"I wasn't aware there was a limit," Harry said. "Why's there one?"

"A limit was placed onto your account ever since you got your Hogwarts letter," the goblin explained. "Your magical guardian was the one who did it. He only allows a hundred galleons, knuts, and sickles, per year."

Harry clenched his fists and Sirius looked like he wanted to go back to Hogwarts and smack Dumbledore. Harry had always spend half of that amount, but he had no idea that there was a limit. That meant he was only allowed to spend his money when he's seventeen.

"Is there another vault that I can have access to?" Harry asked. "Without my magical guardian knowing."

The goblin smirked. "There is one...the Evans vault. There isn't much, though."

Harry pursed his lips. "It doesn't matter. I'll withdraw whatever is left from my mum's vault and I'll withdraw the limit that was placed on my vault."

The goblin nodded and did as he was told. He called for Griphook, who Harry hadn't seen for a while. Griphook first led them to Sirius's vault. Sirius put all of his money in a bag. It was a lot of money, which Harry believed it might be what was left of Sirius's inheritance. After that Griphook led them to Harry's vault, which he got the amount that Dumbledore wanted him to take, but when they got to the Evan's vault, Harry's eyes widened. He knew that this was his mother's vault and the goblin told him that there wasn't that much money, but to him, it looked a lot.

"How much is in there?" Harry asked.

"A thousand each," Griphook answered.

Harry nodded. He put the money into his bag and put it into his suitcase. With what his mother saved up, this should at least last him about at least a few months or maybe four. Besides, Harry wanted to pay Dobby, since he didn't know the master ownership went to him and he wanted to give Dobby an a raised for it.

"How much is for getting fake muggle identifications and documents?" Harry asked.

"That'll be four Galleons each," Griphook answered. "and I need your blood."

"I'll pay for it," Sirius said. "After that we like to turn our money into muggle money, specifically, American muggle money."

Griphook nodded. "As you wish."

With that they paid Griphook and the goblin took their blood. It only took a minute for the documents to appeared. Harry looked at his documents while Sirius was converting their money. On his muggle ID, his name was Harry Aster Evans. Harry couldn't help and smiled. Not because he had a fake ID, but the name Aster was his grandfather's name, Lily's father. Harry never met his grandfather, but from what Aunt Petunia said, he had red hair like Lily, he was a nice bloke, and he died of a stroke.

The rest of the documents was just simple ones like a fake birth certificate, social security, and everything Harry would need. There was even fake school documents were he was pulled out from primary school and was sent to homeschool until Sirius came to get him, now fighting to have custody over him. Harry had to admit, these documents looked very convincing. With these documents, it might help him to get a job...if a fourteen year old is allowed to have one.

"I converted all of our money," Sirius said. "Let's go." he turned to the Griphook and the rest of the goblins. "I appreciate that you speak to no one about this."

Griphook smirked. "We don't bother with wizard affairs. Besides, children are a value in the wizarding community. A life of a child is more important than anyone else. Dumbledore should've been aware of that. I wish the best of luck to you and Mister Harry Potter."

When they got out of Gringotts, Dobby apparated them to the airport. It didn't matter which airport they got to since the three of them were under the invisibility cloak and as long as the ride takes them to Gotham. They hid inside the plane, in the cargo holds. Sirius use a charm to warm the area they were in and the three of them slept under the cloak. The time they already got to Gotham, the three woke up and got off of the plane. Sirius apparated them to the Potter house.

The house was a two story house with a balcony. It was simple and very nice. It looked like a simple middle class house. It looked like a nice neighborhood. However, despite Harry's limit knowledge of Gotham, it was common knowledge that everywhere of Gotham wasn't safe. Harry shivered. He could see his breath. He knew sooner or later it might snow, since it's only the beginning of November. Sirius unlocked the door and the two went inside. The inside was nice too, but dusty. Dobby didn't hesitated to start cleaning. Harry took Hedwig out of the suitcase and let her out of her cage as she flew around the house.

Sirius yawned and rubbed his eyes. "I'm going to take small nap. We'll talk about more of our plans when I wake up. There's three rooms in here. You can choose your room, if you want to."

Harry nodded and glanced at the clock. It was the middle of the evening. Harry was sure that it was already late at night back at England. Besides, Harry knew he'll have to get use his jetlag, but for now, he was still wide awake.

As Sirius went to bed, Harry felt Hedwig landed on his shoulder. He put his hands on his hips and looked at his owl. Harry made a full turn and tilted his head a bit. In the corner of his eyes he could see Hedwig copying his movements.

"Want to take a look around the place, girl?" Harry asked.

Hedwig chirped.

Harry chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes."

The first room Harry picked was the one with the balcony. It was a nice medium size room, a lot bigger than the bedroom he got when he lived with the Dursleys. There was even a bed with curtains too. Harry unpacked everything or what was left he had. Aside from the cloak, he had the Marauader's Map, his Firebolt, and all of his school supplies. Harry's clothes were too big on him, since they were Dudley's old clothes, but now he has muggle money, he can buy the clothes he need for the season. He'll give these over size clothes to the goodwill. As Harry opened the balcony doors, Hedwig flapped her wings and flew around the house. Harry stared at the neighborhood he was in. It did looked like a nice neighborhood, but he knew that looks can be deceiving and since he was in Gotham, he wouldn't be surprised if this neighborhood was dangerous too. Hedwig perched on the balcony rails and nuzzled against his chest.

"You go hunt and fly for a bit, girl," Harry said.

Hedwig gave him a low hoot.

"I'll be fine," Harry smiled. "Don't worry."

Harry could've swore Hedwig gave him a look that said, You're serious? Harry couldn't blame her. He does always have trouble finding him. After a minute, Hedwig took off into the skies. Harry smiled as he watched his owl fly around for a bit. As he closed the balcony doors, Harry finished unpacking. As soon as he was done, Harry went downstairs into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Some of the food had gone bad, while others didn't. The only food that didn't rot was the ground meat, eggs, onions, spices, butter, and potatoes.

Right away, Harry knew what he wanted to cook. The first thing he did was cleaning the potatoes, peeled them, and cut them. He turned on the stove and took out a pot, pouring some oil in it. Then he fried the potatoes and when they were done, he seasoned them. Next he made some patties out of the ground beef and put some salt and paper on it. He took a pan out and put the patties on it. He put some butter on the pan and poured the melted butter on it. Once the burger steaks were done, he carnalized the onions with the juices from the patties. Finally, he cooked the eggs, by making them sunny side up.

Once he plated everything, he heard Hedwig knocking on the window. She had a mouse in her beak. Chuckling, Harry let her in Hedwig perched on a chair and gobbled her kill. Then he saw Sirius walking down the stairs and headed over to him. He seemed to be drawn by what he cooked.

"That smells delicious," Sirius said. "I knew you could cook, but I didn't know you're a chef."

"Aunt Petunia wanted to make sure I can cook for everyone," Harry commented. "It was the only thing I enjoyed."

The two sat down and ate. Harry even called Dobby over so his elf could eat too. Dobby was a bit sad that he didn't get a chance to cook for him, but Harry promised him that he can cook breakfast tomorrow and said they could take turns, which Dobby was pleased.

"So what's the plan?" Harry asked as he took a bite of his chip.

"Well, first we need to be careful in this city," Sirius answered. "Gotham is a dangerous place, no matter what day it is. We need to be careful when we look for Bernard."

Harry frowned. "He could be anywhere."

Sirius sighed. "I know, but it's for the best. I'm not sure how many magical folks live here, but I'll be in my dog form whenever we're out in public. For education, I can homeschool you for magic, at the time being. For muggle education, I think there are stores around here with textbooks and everything."

Harry nodded as he took a bite of his steak. He knew he'll need to buy a map of Gotham, but luckily, Harry knew how to read a map. There were even other places he wanted to check out around Gotham. However, Harry knew that he needed to find a job...if he could find one. He wasn't sure what was the age for teens working, but he hoped he was old enough to work. Harry knew they had enough money to last them for several months or so, but Harry just wanted to be sure that they have a stable living condition.

"I'll look for a job too," Harry said. "I don't want us to run out of money."

"I understand," Sirius pursed his lips. "but you'll have to be careful. I heard that even getting a job in Gotham...can be a bit troubling." 

"I know, but I can handle it. I've dealt with everything that had happened to me. To be honest, I'm not sure what would surprise me anymore."

Sirius laughed. "True. As much as I would like to help and work too, but I'm still a wanted man and my face was on the muggle news before. I'm not sure if it got out outside of Britain, but I'll just stay in my dog form whenever I'm outside and stay inside."

Harry smirked. "That means I'm going to take you out on walks, huh?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Yes, you will."

Harry laughed. He never thought it'll be the day that he'll have to take his own godfather out for a walk. The image of that would be very funny. He wondered if his father had done that. As Harry looked at his godfather, he couldn't helped and remembered how Ron told him how Harry was also related to a Black last year. Harry wasn't sure how he was related to a member of the Black family. Was it by blood or marriage? How distant were they? Was it centuries back or was a close? Would it still be possible for Sirius to take him out of the tournament? Harry wasn't even sure. It would be nice to be related to Sirius in a way, but Sirius had proven to him that despite of not being blood related, they are still family. However, the curiosity still lingered.

"Hey, Sirius, are we related?" Harry asked. "Ron told me last year that I'm related to a Black."

Sirius looked at him and put an arm over his shoulder. "Ron is right, but the thing is that, you and I are only related through marriage."

Harry blinked. "We are?"

Sirius nodded. "Your grandfather, Fleamont Potter and Charlus Potter are brothers. Charlus married Dorea Black. Dorea is my aunt and an illegitimate child. No one talks about her. Charlus and Dorea had Charlotte Potter. James and Charlotte are cousins, but she’s also my cousin too. She married an American muggle and move to America. After that she had Bernard. That's why we need Bernard. Hopefully we do find him before the first task."

Harry pursed his lips as he ate a bite of his dinner. As much as he wanted to keep his magic, but Harry was never lucky. He was just lucky to be alive. Finding Dowd and having him to remove Harry from the Triwizard Tournament would be very helpful, but Harry knew his luck. He knew that there is a good chance he will loose his magic. In fact, even if he did, at least whoever put his name in that goblet would also loose their magic. Would he feel bad? No, that person deserved it.

As Harry finished up his dinner, he glanced at the time and it was only seven at night. Harry put his finished plate in the sink and opened the fridge. He knew they'll have to buy some food tomorrow. He wasn't sure if they had enough for breakfast and he knew going to the American wizarding community would be a hassle since there was a good chance that they might alert Dumbledore and the Ministry to their location. It was best to get a map of Gotham, that way he'll know where he's going and where they could find Dowd. Also Harry did wanted to see the sights.

Then Harry helped Dobby with the dishes. Dobby washed the dishes and Harry helped him wiped them as he put them back into the cabinets. Sirius was interested on the muggle television. Harry explained what it does and how there are fictional shows that muggles watch. That got Sirius interested and started watching something. When Harry finished helping Dobby, he told Dobby to take a break and get some rest. Harry sat next to his godfather and hugged his legs.

"You okay, Harry?" Sirius asked.

"Did I really made the right choice?" Harry looked at him. "I left Britain and wizarding world. There's a chance I might loose my magic if we can't find Dowd on time. I abandoned my friends...or what was left of my friends."

Harry couldn't help and felt like this in the deepest part of his heart. He knew as a Gryffindor that they're not cowards. However, bravery could be interpreted different from others. Was it brave of him to leave and potentially loose his magic? Was it brave of him to find his living blood relative that could save him from not loosing his magic? Was it brave for him to stand up what he believed he didn't want to do and left without telling anyone? Would people even understand?

Sirius sighed and put an arm over him. "Harry, even if you did that tournament...I don't think it'll end well. I don't know what would happen, but I just have a feeling that if you did went through with it, it might cause you more pain than ever. I do think you did the right thing, Harry. I'm not saying it because I'm your godfather, but I'm saying this as someone who cares about you. We're out of Dumbledore and the Ministry's grasp. We can be free. Even if you do loose your magic, you are free."

Harry nodded. "If I do loose my magic...what would Voldemort do?"

Sirius scoffed. "He can try to kill you, but it'll be stupid of him to try when his greatest enemy isn't a wizard anymore." then he smirked. "Although if I do see Peter again, I would like to punch him."

"Get in line, because I called dibs."

Sirius laughed and ruffled his hair. Harry changed the channel as he watched a family comedy show he always wanted to watch. Soon, Harry and Sirius went to their rooms. The third room was for Dobby, which Dobby was thrilled to have a room of his own. Harry made a mental note that if he ever see Lucious Malfoy again, he'll punch him. As Harry brushed his teeth and put on his pajamas, he looked through the balcony window and saw a group of masked people, wearing mostly red and one blue running on rooftops. Harry knew right away it was those vigilantes. He shrugged and laid on his bed, closing his eyes. Harry knew there was no way he'll encounter Batman and his family. He had other things to worry about. Besides, what could happen?