Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Prologue

3/6/96

Gringotts

Far below the ground, in a dark and dangerous set of caverns, a clock suddenly tolled. A glance at the clock revealed thousands upon thousands of spoons. Above the clock was a plaque that read 'Death Clock'. At the last toll of the clock a rolled parchment, with a note attached, materialized and dropped into a crate that said 'Out Box', where a gnarled hand reached in to cease it. Once the note was read, owls were sent flying out to various people.

Unknown Locations

A graying, sandy-haired man in shabby clothes put his head in his hands as he wept out his loneliness and grief for the last of his best friends. On the table in front of him an open letter lay forgotten.

A clumsy girl burst into her parents' home, tears running down her face, and she waved a letter in the air as she collapsed into her mothers' arms. Her father gathered them both up and the family mourned together.

An old matriarch grimly handed a letter to her bewildered grandson. Once read, the grandson wondered at someone thinking of him in any fashion but disappointment.

In an elegant but cold sitting room an equally elegant but cold woman sat staring out the window. One lone tear traced down her sculpted cheek and dropped to the hand that held a letter. Unnoticed, an arrogant boy looked on from the doorway.

Little Whinging, Surry

A gray owl flew down Private Drive, but was stopped by a blazing shield before it could reach its destination. After squawking a protest, the owl circled around and over the shield without finding an entrance. The owl flew next door and settled in for a long wait. It was determined to deliver its burden, no matter what.

Next Morning

Harry paced back and forth across the room, trying to reign in his fury before it erupted into accidental magic. Earlier, when he had stepped outside for some air after breakfast, a most disgusting and annoyingly familiar reek assaulted him. It seemed that Dumbledore decided he needed a babysitter just like last year...Mundungus was at the bottle again.

Harry turned too sharply and banged his shin on the desk chair, but he just ignored it and continued pacing. When he passed Hedwigs cage she cooed softly as if she was encouraging him to let it all out. And boy did he! Harry spun around to face her, waving his arm wildly as he did so. "You'd think he'd learn from his mistakes like the rest of us, but does he? NO! Superior Albus Dumbledore is so far above us normal humans that he probably has brain-damage form lack of air! It's bad enough that the goon squad has me reporting in every three days, but now he has my jailors posted around just like last year! Why can't he stay out of my life? ARGH!!"

Harry's head was pounding as he had been constantly switching between rage and grief all week, and it was giving him enough of a headache that he was worried about getting a nosebleed. He wished that he could either settle on one emotion or, better yet, move on to something else.

Harry was angry with a lot of people, only one of whom was Dumbledore. The first one that he constantly focused his anger on was Bellatrix. She was the direct cause of Sirius' death, by causing him to fall into the veil. If she hadn't fought Sirius, then he might have taken the fight earnestly. As it was he had to tease and taunt her 'cause she was his cousin.

The next person he was angry with was Voldemort, who had lured Harry and his friends to the Department of Mysteries, which made Sirius come after them. If he hadn't sent the false images, then Harry wouldn't have gone there.

Snape was the next in line for his ire because he goaded Sirius about being useless and Sirius felt he had to prove something by coming to the rescue. Snape had always let his childhood prejudices get the better of him and Harry didn't know anyone who could hold a grudge the way he could.

Next of course came the great Dumbledore, who first ignored Harry all year, isolated him from his friends, ignored what Umbridge was doing to him and the rest of the students, and expected him to learn a completely new area of magic from someone who had a personal vendetta against him, and all without an explanation. Harry didn't think that it would have been that difficult to take the time to explain what was needed of him. If it had been anyone else, he would have passed it off as not grasping a kids' need for understanding what was going on in their life, but Dumbledore was the Headmaster of a school! And before that, he was a teacher; 'He interacts with kid's everyday, and has done so for over fifty years! If Dumbledore doesn't understand how kids fell or react to certain situations, then he has no business being anywhere near Hogwarts.' As for Umbridge, Dumbledore had said time and again that the Ministry had no control of Hogwarts. The only people who could give advice were the school governors, and Dumbledore could still ignore them. Every year that the Minister had butted into Hogwarts could have been prevented, but Dumbledore allowed it on the pretense of either the safety of the students, or not being able to prevent it.

On top of all that Dumbledore dropped the prophesy in his lap without taking into consideration that Sirius had just died not an hour before. For five years, Dumbledore had insisted that Harry was too young to handle hearing the reason that Voldemort was after him. '"You should be able to enjoy your childhood." Yea, like that's even possible with the Dursleys during the summer months, and Voldemort during the school year.' Tactless is the only description that Harry could think of when it came to Dumbledores revelation. 'The least he could have done was allow me to have a few days to grieve, then give me the prophesy after the reasons he made such stupid mistakes!'

The last person that Harry was angry with though, was himself...over and over, Harry's thoughts encompassed what he could have done to make things go better. He could have ignored Snapes rants about him not being able to learn Occulmency from a book, and gotten at least the background and theory. 'All he was doing was taking his anger and resentment of my father out on me. What's worse is I let him! Not ignoring him and trying my best in every way to learn in spite of him, just proved him right!' He could have confronted Snape about his grudge, and if that didn't work, then politely requested either a different teacher or a neutral party such as another teacher to be included in each meeting. Harry figured that his next meeting with Snape would either go significantly well or drastically wrong, there would be no in-between.

Next, he could have looked into legal action against Umbridge, Fudge and the slander from the papers. If that didn't work he could have done the tried and true 'fight fire with fire' and started a smear campaign of his own. 'Hey, I'm rich, if I couldn't find a decent lawyer, then I could've tried bribery.'

Finally, Harry thought that he should have listened to Hermione about the vision possibly being a trap, or remembered his mirror that Sirius had given him instead of listening to Kreacher and the dreams from Voldemort.

Harry was constantly beating himself up with all these thoughts. He couldn't seem to break the destructive loop, and his grief over Sirius' death wasn't helping. Getting letters from his friends might have helped distract him, but no letters had come so far. Harry started pacing again, swinging both arms as he started his ranting again. "What's with Ron and Hermione, huh Hedwig? I haven't had a single letter from them. Don't they know that writing to them would take my mind off of Siri..." Harry had to stop as he choked up. Flashes of Sirius' last moments ran through his mind, and a few tears escaped before he squashed the sorrow down and wiped furiously at his eyes. Sniffling a couple of times, Harry tuned back to his first and most trusted friend. "I guess, along with everything else going on, I'm a little...Okay, very lonely."

Harry walked over to Hedwig, started scratching her head and watched as she practically melted into his hand. "I don't know if Dumbledore told Ron and Hermione not to write, or if they just don't want to talk to me. Merlin knows, I was enough of a prat to them last year that they would have a reason to be mad." As Harry sighed and paused in his petting, Hedwig ruffled her feathers, puffed herself up importantly, and flew over to the window, obviously waiting to be let out. "You going to check on them form me?" A positive hoot was given. "Thanks girl, I knew you were the smartest bird ever!" Harry raised the window and, with one last caress to her head, sent her off.

Harry had hardly turned to sit on his bed when Hedwig flew back in, and along with her was a large gray owl. "Hey girl, back with news already?" His eyes widened in concern as he got a good look at both birds. "Never mind, come over here." Harry rushed over to his desk, and quickly swept everything off it to the floor. As the owls settled on his desk, Harry grabbed Hedwigs water bowl and an old shirt that was little more then a rag. Back at the desk, Harry took a closer look at the owls and his concern grew. Hedwigs feathers were steaming and the gray owl could only be described as extra crispy.

"Alright, Hedwig" Harry said as he started wiping down their feathers. "What happened? You weren't gone long enough to get attacked unless Death Eaters are right outside." He paused in slight apprehension. "They're not right outside...are they?" Hedwig was quick to reassure Harry and, after giving an approving look at his now neat feathers, the gray owl stretched out a leg to show Harry a letter attached. Grabbing the letter Harry read the Gringotts name off the seal and glanced back up to the owls, a slight flicker of anger could be seen in his eyes. "Hedwig," He started carefully, "Is there something stopping owls from getting in to me?"

Hedwig sidled up to Harry, looked at him with large, mournful eyes, and gave a low but positive hoot. Both owls flinched as the bedside lamp exploded, then looked back at Harry, who was breathing heavily and obviously struggling to control his outburst. "Okay," Harry paused as the bedside table rattled and squashed his magic down again "I can deal with this. After all, I just told you that he hadn't changed." With a sad sigh and slumping shoulders, Harry sat down and looked at the letter, confused as to why the bank would be contacting him. After a moment of hesitation, he opened the envelope, pulled out the letter, and started reading. Back on top of the desk, both owls relaxed as the tension in the room dropped abruptly.

Mr. Harry Potter,

On this tenth day of June in the year one thousand nine hundred and ninety-six, we at Gringotts are writing to inform you that, with the death of one Sirius Orion Black, you, as beneficiary, are being called to attend the reading of Mr. Blacks will on the seventeenth day of June of this year.

Should you choose to attend, this letter is enchanted to portkey you to our travel lobby at precisely nine o'clock of the date specified. Be advised, should you choose not to attend and do not have a legal representative to do so, any benefits designated to you will be given to Mr. Blacks next-of-kin, one Narcissa Malfoy and one Bellatrix Lestrange.

Any questions are to be directed to me, as manager of the Black Family Trust

Account Manger Snarg,

The Ancient and Most Noble House of Black

Seeming in a daze, Harry set the letter down. Just the thought of Sirius having a will brought all the grief and rage flooding into his mind. The pressure quickly built up until he couldn't stand it, and his mind shut down in self-defense.

Harry awoke to a sharp pain in his right hand, a throbbing pain in the back of his head, and a decidedly difficult time breathing. As he opened his eyes, Harry's view was filled with large yellow eyes surrounded by gray feathers. "That explains the difficulty breathing.' Harry thought wryly as he turned his head towards his stinging hand. Once Hedwig saw that Harry was conscious, she dropped his now red finer and his hand thumped as she sidled up to his face and started checking him over for injuries.

Both owls squawked a protest as Harry sat up fingering the knot on the back of his head. 'Why am I on the floor?' He stood up with both owls and set them on his desk disturbing the letter on top. At the site of the paper, Harry froze, and then flinched as Hedwig chomped down on his already abused finger to keep him in the here and now. "Alright already, I can take a hint. Mope on my own time." Harry glanced at the gray owl sheepishly. "If you'd wait a moment, I would like you to try taking a letter back to Gringotts. If you can get past the shield you're going to have to get someone to take a look at your feathers. I'll dampen them before you leave, but there's still a chance you'll get fried. Are you okay with that? If not, I'll try sending the letter another way." With a reassuring hoot and a friendly nibble, Harry grabbed some parchment.

Account Manager Snarg,

I thank you for sending me the notice and can say, with the portkey providing transportation, I have no problem attending the will reading of my Godfather.

Seeing as how a shield 'For My Protection' was placed around my house, without my knowledge, owls have great difficulty coming and going with letters. In fact, if you can look after my new large gray friend, I'd be grateful. Other than this letter, I will have to save any questions I have until I see you in person.

As to why I'm sending this letter, I had not known that the Families had Account Managers. Do you know if there is one for the Potters? If so, do you know why I was never informed of such? I would also like to enquire as not only to how much is in my vault, what has been taken out of it, by whom and the reason of the removal if stated and as to how my vault key ended up in the hands of Albus Dumbledore before my first year of Hogwarts, but also of the possible emancipation of myself.

I don't know if you, sir, can answer my questions, but I was hoping that, if you cannot, you would be able to set me in the direction of someone who can. If possible, I would like to speak to someone about my questions after the will reading. If not, I am willing to reschedule, but I will have to be told on the seventeenth. I would also have to be provided another portkey because I'm not only shielded but also watched.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Harry Potter

As he finished the letter, Harry wondered if the overly formal reply was too over the top. 'Na, dealing with another species, especially if they control your money, it's better to be too formal and sound stuffy than to be too casual and sound insulting.' Harry quickly rolled up the letter, then with the thought of how crispy the notice was, he put an extra piece of parchment around it. When he was done he tied it to the waiting owl, then grabbed the rag and started wiping its feathers with water again. "There" Harry said with a final pat, "that should work on getting you out. Now are you sure you want to chance this? My letters' not important enough that it can't wit a week and I can always take you to Gringotts with the portkey." With a reassuring hoot the gray owl flew over to the window and launched itself outside. After circling the house to gain both speed and altitude, the gray owl picked a spot where the shield should be and suddenly dived, ramming its way through with a bright flash.

Back in the room Harry could just make out the startled cursing as 'Dung' was abruptly woken. With a smirk, Harry turned back to his desk and the letter on top of it. Reading the letter again, the smirk was wiped off his face and he looked over at Hedwig with sad eyes. "What am I supposed to do Hedwig? As my godfather, Sirius was bound to have left me something. I don't want anything! I'd rather have Sirius back than any of his stuff!" Harry almost broke, but at the last moment, he took deep breaths and stuffed his grief and sorrow back down.

He was startled out of his thoughts by another owl landing on his windowsill. "How...are the shields still up? Or are you from Dumbledore?" Walking over to it, he grabbed the letter, thanked the owl for its service and watched as the owl flew away without even a flicker from the shields. Curiosity running at an all-time high, Harry looked at the letter and, with a sinking heart, recognized the Hogwarts seal. 'Yep, definitely Dumbledore.' With that thought Harry slowly opened the letter.

Harry,

I am aware that you have received an owl informing you of Sirius' will reading. However, I feel that you will be put through too much danger should you attend, so I have taken it upon my self to be your representative.

Once school starts I will meet with you to discuss what your portion of the will entailed.

Headmaster Dumbledore

Then with a bitter laugh and a twisted smile, he looked back up at Hedwig, "Heh, does he actually think I'll let him get away with this? With the way he's acted in the past, I don't trust him to actually tell or give me everything on the will. There is no way that I am not going. Though the only reason I'm going to collect in the first place is the money will go to those two...women... if I don't. The portkey directly to Gringotts will prevent any danger, but he should have known that." ''He's back to treating me as a little kid, someone who needs his hand held and permission given just to sneeze. I thought he was going to be treating me more as an equal. Was that just for information about Voldemort, or just to get me to cooperate? Heck, he couldn't have been more insulting if he had patted me on the head and told me to mind my elders like a good little boy.'

Harry sighed tiredly. He was tired of all the manipulations and expectations. "I'm tired of people setting me up to do something, or act a certain way, then riding roughshod over me when I complain about how they run my life." He looked up at Hedwig who stared at him in sympathy. "Can you believe it Hed? I'm almost sixteen years old with only one year until my majority, and I'm still being treated as if I was eleven. I mean, come on, how old do I have to be until I can take over my life and tell the rest of the world where they can stick their ideas." At Hedwig's dersive hoot Harry added, "Okay, maybe not the world. Only Dumbledore and the Ministry."

Harry ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "Never mind that, it's just something else to mark up against him. But what am I supposed to do after the will? The only reason I asked about a Potter Account Manager was because the thought just popped into my head and wouldn't go away. I mean, what am I supposed to do with an Account Manager if I have one anyway?"

Hedwig clicked her beak at him and flew over to where some of his schoolbooks were piled. Then, since the top book was open, she started flipping the pages with her beak. Harry just sighed, "Hedwig, we were talking about my money. Besides, I can buy all the books I want and I still won't get anywhere. No matter how much reading I do, I still need practical experience and someone to help me learn the stuff I struggle with. So what's your answer for that?" Hedwig actually rolled her eyes, flew back over to Harry's desk, grabbed a letter that he'd written to Remus as the go-between for the Order, walked over to him and looked up at him expectantly.

Harry blinked at his owl a couple of times, then a slow smile spread across his face, as he finally understood. "Yeah, I'm sure that would work. Remus could not only answer my questions, but I bet he also knows a way around the underage magic law." Hedwig slumped in relief that her wizard got her message, then she turned around, dropped the Order letter, grabbed two others that Harry had drafted and held them out to him eagerly.

"Ron and Hermione? Well, if he can teach me then he can teach them." Harry paused as an idea slowly began to form. "Hey girl, what do you think of this...If we can get a place to learn I can ask not only Remus, but some other adults to teach us. I also would need to ask Ginny, Neville, and Luna over. That way we can all learn at the same time. Hmm." Harry sat down in the rickety chair and grabbed a fresh sheet of parchment as Hedwig dropped the letters and flew to the back of the chair to look over his shoulder.

"To do this right, we would need a place to practice...in secret 'cause I'm Sure Dumbledore wouldn't allow me to do this...people to teach us what we need to know, and time to learn." As he talked he wrote down a basic list of things he would need.

House-Furnished, Fidelus, Unplottable

Classes-Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Charms, Care f Magical Creatures, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, History of Magic, Potions, Transfiguration

Adults-Remus Lupin??

Students-Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood

Once done, Harry quickly realized his main problem. "Okay Hedwig," he said looking over his shoulder. "Remus could probably give me a few names of people who would be willing to teach, but I doubt he'd have that many...any ideas?" Hedwig flew back over to Harry's stack of books and nibbled at one of them bottom ones. With furrowed brows and a growing sense of dread, Harry moved the books on top off the stack and looked at the one that she pointed out: 'Potions'. Harry closed his eyes in despair, "Please, please say you don't want me to ask Snape of all people to help me out...OUCH!" Harry's eyes slammed open and he jerked his hand to his chest as he rubbed the spot Hedwig had bitten in reprimand.

While shaking his hand, Harry sat down and prepared to write. "Fine, but you're going to be the one o deliver the request." With a sigh Harry started. "I might as well apologize while I'm at it. Be the bigger person as it were. If nothing else, Remus can mediate between us." After a little bit of thought he added, "If I write to everyone's parents and explain the situation, the guys could get free without having worried parents sending out search parties. I'll just have to ask/beg them not to tell Dumbledore or someone closely associated to him. How's this?" Harry held up his draft to Hedwig, but she shook her head, ruffled he feathers and grabbed the Gringotts letter. Harry looked at it and sighed, "I know girl, I can't really make any decisions until I know what I have to work with, but I figured I could at least write some drafts right?" At a look from Hedwig, Harry got up from his desk to flop on the bed, but was stopped by a faint call for dinner, and he left hopping that some of the tension at the dinner table might have gone away. No such luck.

When Harry arrived in the kitchen the Dursleys were all perched around the table, silent, and white knuckled. The 'talk' that the Order gave the Dursleys may have enabled Harry to eat properly and to get out of most chores, but it did nothing to improve the Dursleys opinion of Wizards in general and Harry in specific. Since the 'talk' had only stated chores, food, and Harry's personal objects, the Dursleys had taken every opportunity to inflict emotional abuse. Vernon would verbally flay Harry each time he made a sound. Petunia would make biting comments on Harry's personal hygiene and appearance. Finally, Dudley would nastily remark on Harry's friends or invite his gang over and they would all try to reinstate 'Harry Hunting'. Harry was frankly tired of all of them, and often wondered if the Order would actually intercede if her deliberately missed a three-day letter. If it weren't that he didn't want to call in a false alarm, he would do just that. Perhaps the Dursleys would have a better attitude if they saw tat the 'Freaks' would follow through with their threats.

Finally finished with diner, Harry went back upstairs to think some more. Sitting at his desk, he finally concluded that if Sirius had planned in advance for his death, then bemoaning about the event actually cheapened his sacrifice. Because that was exactly what it was. Harry didn't think that they would have gotten out of the Department of Mysteries if Sirius hadn't brought the Order. 'Sirius came to save me just as I came to save him. We both would have done the same for anyone. It's not as if I actually knew that Voldemort was tricking me. I accept the blame of not thinking ahead, but I refuse to continue carrying the burden of the consequences of other peoples actions.' As these thoughts settled in Harrys mind his eyes once again caught on the two letters that he had received. With a spike of frustration at Dumbledore, Harry was more determined than ever that if Dumbledore wasn't going to allow Harry a choice in his own life and decisions, then he was going to take it himself. 'I wonder what Sirius would have thought about me getting emancipated. If I can do that then Dumbledore will have to deal with me as an equal. If he doesn't, I can just remind him that the prophecy is about me, not him, and he no longer has a say in what I do.'

"I'll have to be careful though. If he has any advance warning, he'll cut me off and make sure that my emancipation flops." Harry glance over at the Calender and sighed, "I'll tell you now Hedwig, this is going to be a long week."