Hey everyone. Sorry for the late chapter.

Life has been a bitch lately and work got on top of me, along with looking for another job because I hate the one I have right now. I have now finally quit, after nine months of asking and have signed back on to go to college so my writing time will decrease because homework.

There was also an unexpected death in the family that took a lot of my attention and we realised that a lot of my mum's family is going to be dying now, with them all being in the late 80's, plus my dad's parents are old and my mum's mum being very ill at the moment...

Things are pretty hectic.

The Gringotts scene gave me a lot of trouble here. I spent ages on it and I'm not exactly happy. I'm so sorry.

I'll try to get chapters out faster. I've put The Art of Belonging and Centaur in Symphonia on hiatus for a while since they are getting a lot less attention from you all so I'll finish those later. I was also viciously attacked by an idea I had from a while ago that I had to write out to get it out of my head... it ended up twelve chapters and it's not done yet but I hit a road block so I can shove it aside and focus on the three I have going on at the moment.

Good news, my laptop is repaired so no problems on that end.

Chapter warnings: Minor sexual harassment (perv cops a feel)
mentions of past abuse.
Possible trigger warnings?
Mentions of past rape and suicide of an unnamed character.
Brief, HarryXKeise. (Like, one paragraph)
Brief, One-sided HarryXNeville (2-3 Paragraphs) nothing explicit
Mild, barely mentioned Nudity

Harry woke early in the morning snuggled into George's chest. He lifted his head slightly and glanced at the clock on the bedside table.

5:20

He sighed. It was too early to get up but too late to fall back to sleep. He closed his eyes and looked in on his magical core and chipped away at the silver chain. It was getting harder to break the chains the more he broke off. He pulled his mind back to the waking world and sighed when he realised it hadn't even been five minutes.

He really didn't want to get out of bed. It was warm and comfortable and it was too early to get up.

He thought about everything that had happened recently. He had never imagined that pocket dimensions existed. He supposed he should call his pocket dimension something other than his pocket dimension. He thought for a moment, trying to think up a suitable name before settling on Between, since the book that lead to its discovery was titled 'Between Existence and Oblivion'.

He glanced at the clock. Ugh... 5:26.

Harry huffed quietly, okay, he was officially bored.

Tenebrae looked up from where he was lying at the end of the bed. фYou could learn to shield your mind.ф

Harry looked down at him and whispered, "How do I do that?"

He listened as Tenebrae told him the first steps to shielding his mind from mental invasion. Harry closed his eyes and focused on an empty Quidditch pitch at night. He felt it materialise. It was a strange sensation, to be fully aware of what was in the room with him but also seeing something completely different in his mind.

He looked at the floating balls of light that represented his memories. He looked around at the stands. If anyone came into his mind, the logical place to put his memoires was in the stands or the changing rooms. Harry climbed up the stairs to the seats and looked over the pitch for a moment. His memories of his Quidditch matches floating to the forefront of his mind along with watching the other house matches and the world cup.

World cup.

Death eaters.

Voldemort.

The philosopher's stone, the basilisk, Pettigrew, the tri wizard tournament.

Quirrel, Snape, Fluffy, devils snare, the giant chess set, the troll, the potions riddle, the Acromantula, the flying car, Mrs Norris, Collin, Penelope Clearwater, Hermione, Lockhart, Myrtle, Dementors, Sirius, Remus, The dragons, the merfolk, the maze, Cedric.

Harry opened his eyes and sat up quickly, elbowing George in the stomach as he did so. He cast aside the memories and shook his head wildly to clear it.

"Harry?" George mumbled, sitting up and rubbing his stomach. "What..?"

Harry shook his head. "Nothing. Sorry."

George sighed and drew Harry into a hug. "Nightmare?"

Harry bit his lip and nodded. "Yeah..."

"Wanna talk about it?"

Harry shook his head. "Nah, go back to sleep." He slid down and off the foot of the bed. George shrugged and pulled Fred closer so Harry silently slipped into the bathroom. Just as he was stepping out of the shower the door opened. Harry squeaked and pulled his towel to cover himself. He did not want anyone to see his scars.

Keise smiled at him and Harry felt his stomach knot itself up while a cluster of butterflies suddenly exploded inside him. Harry squeaked again and Keise smirked and sauntered over. "So, Harry, that was an impressive game yesterday. You didn't hang around the party though. We missed you."

Harry blushed heavily. "Um... thanks... I'm... um... sorry? I er... I didn't want to stay at the party too long... have a medical thing soon, wasn't allowed any butterbeer..."

Keise placed a hand on the wall next to Harry's head and leant inwards and to the side. "Really now? That's a shame." Harry scrunched his nose slightly at the older boy's morning breath but felt his chest tighten slightly as he smelt the boy's natural smell rolling of his skin. Sawdust, and dirt, with a hint of dog.

The door opened again. "Keise. Back off."

Keise looked over. "Piss off George. Don't you have two girls to be mooning over?"

George made a face of utter disgust. "As if I want to make a move on my brother. But seriously, let the kid get some clothes on, can't you see he's uncomfortable?"

Keise leered at Harry. "Oh, he's uncomfortable alright."

Before either Harry or George could react Keise reached forward and groped Harry through the towel.

Harry squeaked and jerked backwards, hitting his head against the wall. He whimpered at the pain that spread over the back of his head. A sharp ringing started up in his ears which almost drowned out Tenebrae growling. Harry looked up. "Tenebrae, no." He said softly, wincing as it sent a painful shockwave through his head.

He felt a spell wash over him and the pain lessened slightly. He looked up to see Keise's face very close to his. He squeaked again and practically hid under the towel.

Tenebrae growled again and Keise stood up. "Shut it, mutt." Harry looked up just in time to see Keise aiming a spell at Tenebrae.

Harry threw an arm out and a disk of almost solid shadows appeared in front of the shadow wolf. Harry stood up. "Don't you dare attack him!"

Keise turned around and looked at the black fog around Harry's hand and then at the black disk still hovering in the air. "Dark magic?" he whispered. He then turned and fled the room.

Harry sighed and let the shield drop. "That could have gone better."

George nodded. "Was that elemental magic?"

"Yeah. You know about that stuff?"

George nodded and turned around. "Yeah. Fred, Lee and I discovered it a while back. We all did a test to see what we are. Lee is water and Fred and I are lightning. We can't do elemental magic but it's fun to know what element you are. You get changed and come on out, kay?" he walked out of the room, leaving Harry alone with Tenebrae.

Harry sighed and quickly got dressed, instantly feeling better for having some clothes on. When he walked back into the bedroom he winced as his head spun. A pair of hands steadied him and led him over to the bed. He grimaced and closed his eyes.

"Harry?"

Harry grimaced. "Head..."

"What did you do?!"

"Hey! Don't blame me for this! I didn't do anything!"

"Bullshit!"

Harry whimpered. "Loud..."

There was a huff. "I'm taking him to the hospital wing."

Harry whimpered slightly as he was pulled to his feet and slowly led out of the room. Harry winced at each sound and kept his eyes closed all the way to wherever he had been heading. Each step made his head spin and the back of his head throb painfully. It was far too long later that the almost suffocating smell of antiseptic filled Harry's nose and he knew they had reached the hospital wing.

He was settled down on a bed. The pressure on the back of his head was almost unbearable. It felt like his head was gonna burst open.

"Honestly Potter. Can't you go a day without getting in trouble?"

Harry felt a shudder run down his back. Oh, that voice. What was Snape doing in the hospital wing?

"Harry got hit in the head, sir. Keise..." Lee...

"Pray tell what did Mister Jackson do?"

"He sexually harassed him, Sir." George. Or was it Fred? Harry couldn't tell right now. "Harry had just got out the shower and Keise grabbed him through his towel."

There was a silence. "And how did Mister Potter get injured?" Madam Pomfrey.

"He jerked backwards and hit his head on the wall, Ma'am." Now that was George.

There were a few footsteps and Harry shuddered as a wave of magic washed over his head. Some more footsteps getting further away indicated Madam Pomfrey going to her Potions Cabinet. It was not long before she came back. "Only a light concussion. I've seen worse from quidditch practices. Here Mister Potter. Drink this."

A bottle was pressed into his hands and Harry quickly drank the foul tasting potion down. He shuddered in disgust but relaxed as the pain immediately vanished. Harry cracked his eyes open and smiled up at the Matron. "I think I've been in here often enough for you to call me by my first name, Ma'am."

Pomfrey laughed. "Well, I suppose I should, Harry. And I suppose you should call me Poppy."

Harry smiled. "Thank you, Poppy. And for this." He held up the empty bottle.

Poppy nodded. "You'll have a bit of a headache for the next few hours but you'll be fine otherwise." She paused for a moment before frowning. "Will you be alright Mister Potter?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, why?"

Snape huffed and crossed his arms across his chest. Harry couldn't help but notice just how broad it was. 'Pleanty of room to cuddle into... wait... what am I thinking... No. Nope. Shut up brain.'

"Mister Potter, did you not just get... sexually harassed by one of your housemates?"

Harry blushed. "Um... well... he... I..."

Snape sighed. "Did he touch you, Mister Potter?"

"Um... Yes."

"Inappropriately?"

"Yes..."

"And did you ask him to?"

"No!" Harry blushed and looked down. Not quite sure why he felt the need to defend his actions to this man. He was an insufferable git. Harry shook his head slightly. No, this man had saved him more than once. Like last year when he threw himself between me and Moony. Shielding me. Protecting me with that broad chest... stop thinking like that Harry.

"Then I don't see what the problem is." Snape unfolded his arms and sat on the side of the bed. "I will ensure Mister Jackson is punished appropriately for this, Mister Potter."

"Sir?" Why is he being nice?

"Students should feel safe here at Hogwarts. We do not, under any circumstances, accept behaviour like that. He will be punished for this." Snape stood up and walked swiftly out of the room, leaving four stunned Gryffindors behind.

Harry turned to Poppy. "Poppy?"

The matron sighed. "Shortly after Professor Snape started teaching here... a student was raped by one of her housemates. When she told her Head of House, no one took her seriously as she was known to cause trouble and lie a lot... She ended up pregnant... When I told her... she..." Poppy paused and took a deep breath. "She threw herself off the astronomy tower."

The four boys gasped. "What?!"

Poppy nodded. "Yes. None of us saw it coming. We put much stricter guidelines in after that and any kind of sexual harassment is punished quite harshly. Sexual assault is immediate expulsion. Now, it's a good thing you are here. I just got off the floo with Gringotts. They've had a cancelation so your appointment has been moved to just before lunch. I was just telling Professor Snape when you came in. He'll be waiting in the entrance hall at eleven."

Harry nodded. "Alright. Thanks."

Poppy nodded. "Also, I have some potions I want you take at every meal. I will have Professor Snape make them for you and I will get them to you. For now, you're free to go. Please don't come back."

Harry smirked. "I'm not making any promises." He slid off the bed.

"Away with you." Poppy laughed as she playfully swatted at Harry.

Harry laughed as he jogged out of the hospital wing.

Lee stretched. "So, what do guys want to do today?"

Harry shrugged. "Aren't the other schools leaving today?"

Fred nodded. "Yeah, but they're leaving after lunch. You won't be here."

Harry made a slight sound of disappointment. "Well, I might go and read for a while then. I know you all have to be studying for end of year exams."

Lee nodded. "Speaking of which..."

Fred sighed. "To the library!" He cheered with false enthusiasm.

George rolled his eyes. "Yay..."

Harry laughed and headed back up to the tower, the other three heading back off towards the library. He went up to the fourth year dorm and sat down on his bed. It was kind of strange being here after spending the last few days up in the sixth year dorm.

Neville walked out of the bathroom and nodded to Harry. "Hey Harry." He walked over and sat on the bed next to Harry.

Harry instantly felt himself relax. He smiled lopsidedly. "Hey Neville."

Neville frowned. "Are you alright? Dean and Seamus just told me Snape came in the common room just now and dragged one of the sixth years off, ranting about sexual harassment and 'being in so much trouble'."

Harry nodded. "Really? He came into the common room? I thought he would have just gone to McGonagall. Yeah, Keise Jackson. Guy groped me and I ended up hitting my head. Snape was acting so weird though..."

"Really? Know why?"

Harry nodded and told him what Pomfrey had told him. "I guess Snape took it hard. He had only just started teaching here and a student killed herself. A bit of truth serum and the whole thing could have been sorted out easily..."

Neville nodded. "Yeah..." he shook his head. "Well, I can see why he would take it hard. I would too if a student in my care killed themselves." He sighed and leant forwards, his elbows braced on his knees.

Harry eyed Neville slowly, really looking at him. He noticed that the puppy fat the boy had always had was giving way to muscle. There was a slight dusting of stubble just on the back of his jaw, a sign of his impending need to shave. Harry ran the back of his knuckles across his own jaw self-consciously. He noticed the way Neville's hair reached just shy of his shoulders at the back. It was slightly damp and Harry watched a water droplet fall from the tips of one strand and slowly make its way down Neville's neck. He'd never noticed the tone of the boy's skin before. It was a bit darker than his and tanned from all the time the boy spent outside in the greenhouses.

Even fresh out of the shower Neville smelt of earth and plants.

"Harry?"

Harry blinked and looked up at Neville's eyes. He'd never noticed before, but they were a deep brown that glowed gold if the light hit them right. "Um..."

"Were you just checking me out?"

"Um... maybe?"

Neville smirked and chuckled. "As much as I appreciate the complement, I don't swing that way." Harry blushed heavily and looked away. Neville laughed and Harry smiled slightly, completely embarrassed. Neville shook his head. "Well, I'm going to the library to study. See you later?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah..." Harry watched as Neville stood and walked out of the room. As soon as the door shut Harry threw himself down on his pillow and screamed into it. "What the hell is wrong with me?!" a flurry of feathers indicated Hedwig settling down on his headboard. A sudden weight on his legs told him Tenebrae had joined them too. Harry let out a long self-pitying moan into the pillow before sitting up, shoving the shadow wolf off his legs as he did.

"Why am I reacting like this to people?"

Hedwig ruffled her feathers. #Simple. You must have a creature inheritance.#

"A what?"

φA Creature inheritance. It's when one of your ancestors was not human. You inherit some kind of inheritance from them.φ

#A lot of them have some kind of Mate. It's different for each one. For some, they only have one Mate and will settle for no one but them. Others have one Mate but can have relationships with others if they have never met their Mate before. Another, one you must be part of, has a group of potential Mates.#

"And what does that mean? I have to be with all of them?"

φNo Pup. With the inheritances with a single Mate, both partners feel a pull to be with each other. They don't have a choice. They will feel compelled to spend time with each other and get to know each other until the bond is fulfilled. That is the one person they will be with and they won't accept anyone else, regardless of anything. A Potential Mate is different. You will only consider the people on your list as partners but you have free choice from among them. You can chose any of them and you won't feel the pull to be Mated.φ

#Usually. Some kinds of inheritance let you know your mate early but as soon as both have reached their Majority they will feel a pull to be Mated. You can cast people off the list easily but you will need to know what your inheritance is first. You can ask at Gringotts when you go later.#

Harry nodded. "Right... I think I get it... so, my potential Mates are... Snape, Neville... and Keise..."

Hedwig bobbed her head. #Yes.#

Harry sighed heavily. "I really don't want to be with any of them..."

Hedwig trilled in amusement and Tenebrae huffed. φYou will. Besides, you might find another Mate later on that you will accept.φ

Harry shook his head. "Hopefully." Harry lay back on the bed and Tenebrae settled over his legs, his large head resting on Harry's stomach while Hedwig hopped down and settled next to his head on the pillow. "I don't think I could be with any of them... I would never be with Neville. He's one of my best friends and he did just say he doesn't swing that way. I wouldn't want to destroy our friendship with this. Keise is... after what he did? No. Just no. And Snape? He hates me. He's made my life a living hell for years. And he's way older than me! Why would he want to date a kid?"

"Indeed Mr Potter."

Harry turned sharply towards the door and blushed heavily at seeing Snape standing there. "P-Professor... I-"

"I heard the part about Potential Mates, Mr Potter. It certainly explains some things. Now, the headmaster has asked me to fetch you to sort out this morning's incident, along with some accusations about Dark Magic."

Harry nodded and stood up. Just as he was about to leave the dorm Lee popped his head around the door. "Harry, if you have any way of leaving without going through the common room, do it. Keise told everyone you did Dark Magic and everyone's freaked out. They're saying you killed Cedric and made up the stuff about You-Know-Who."

Harry's knees gave out.

What...

How could they... think that he'd...

"Potter, get a hold of yourself. We'll sort this out. They have no base for those accusations."

Harry shook his head and looked up at his professor. "I'm..." his voice stuck in his throat and he looked over to Lee.

Lee stepped forwards. "He's a shadow elemental. He did some in front of Keise. If it were any other element no one would care but..."

Snape nodded. "I see..." he stood up. "If you are a shadow elemental, are you able to get us to the Headmaster's Office?"

Harry frowned slightly. "I think so... I've never tried... I've never tried to take anyone else into Between before..."

Snape rose an eyebrow. "Between?"

"Yup. Short for Between Existence and Oblivion. It's what I call the pocket space I have. I could, in theory, use it to travel from one place to the next but I've never tried..."

Snape nodded. "Well then, I'd rather not be your guinea pig. Why not make use of your father's cloak, hmm?"

Harry blushed slightly. "You know about that?"

"Of course. Your father was always using it to sneak around at school. Fortunately he never thought to step lightly, or whisper. He didn't seem to understand that invisible doesn't mean undetectable."

Harry glared at the man, feeling the familiar heat of rage flowing through him. This was better. This was familiar. He stood back up and stuck his hand into Between and pulled his cloak out. "I'll have to test appearing in other places later but it shouldn't be too hard if I can show up where I left."

Snape nodded and walked out. "I no longer care."

Harry slipped his cloak on and followed the man, trying hard not to admire the way the man's robes flowed around him as he walked, the way each footstep was punctuated by a sharp tapping, the way his robes were almost too tight across his shoulders and exaggerated the muscle built up there from hauling cauldrons around all day.

He shook his head as the stepped onto the spiral staircase leading to the Headmaster's office. How were they here already? He stuffed his cloak back into Between and stepped into the office after the Professor. He looked around cautiously. Dumbledore was standing behind his desk, Professor McGonagall next to him. Keise was seated in a chair in front of the desk with an Auror standing next to him. There was a lady with a monocle sat next to him with an Auror behind her and two empty chairs on her other side, an Auror behind the one furthest from Keise.

Professor Snape sat in the one without the Auror.

Harry walked forwards and sat cautiously in the chair. "Ha-have I... done something wrong... Professor?" he looked over to Professor McGonagall.

McGonagall shook her head. "No."

"That remains to be seen, Minerva. If what Mr Jackson has said about Mr Potter using Dark magic is true." Dumbledore looked over his glasses at Harry and steeped his fingers. Harry looked down at his lap and tried hard not to shake in fear. "Is there anything you wish to tell us Mr Potter?"

Harry shook his head. "I haven't done any dark magic..."

Keise scowled at him. "I saw you. That weird shield thing was made of Dark Magic! And you did it wandless! How long have you been doing spells like that huh? Bet you killed Cedric too! Had to take all the glory for yourself didn't you?!"

"No! No! I didn't!" Harry looked frantically at Professor Snape. "I..." his voice caught again.

"Calm down, Harry."

Harry nodded and tried to take in a deep breath. After a few moments he was able to get himself under control and looked cautiously at the woman with the monocle.

"Mr Potter. My name is Madam Bones. I am the head of the DMLE. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I am here to ask both you and Mr Jackson what happened this morning. I understand he sexually harassed you?"

Harry nodded.

"Which resulted in you receiving a concussion in an attempt to get away from him?"

Harry nodded.

She nodded. "Right. Now, the event Headmaster Dumbledore is most interested in is what Mr Jackson sais happens next. He claims you threatened him with Dark Magic."

Harry frantically shook his head.

She nodded. "Alright then. Now, we need to question you under truth serum to be sure of what happened and then it will be left up to the Board of Governors to decide what happens next."

Harry nodded and looked cautiously at the potion the Auror handed him. He looked up at Professor Snape who took it off him and checked it before handing it back. "A simple truth serum, Harry. This is one dose. Drink it all."

Harry nodded and cautiously drank the vile potion down.

His head felt funny and he slumped sideways in the chair. He looked up at Madam Bones who was now standing in front of him. She asked questions and he felt himself replying, giving his version of events. He bit his lip slightly and felt himself start to shake. He felt Tenebrae pressing up against his leg and a weight on his shoulder told him Hedwig had settled there in her owl form. A warm hand gripped his and he grasped it tightly, drawing comfort from it.

When he was finally given the antidote he shook his head and tried to focus. He closed his eyes briefly trying to remember the questions he was asked and his answers but came up blank.

Madam Bones leant back in the chair, having sat down once more. "So... he's a Potential Mate?"

Harry shook his head frantically.

The woman frowned. "You just admitted as such under truth serum, Mr Potter."

Snape tightened his grip on Harry's hand. "Mr Potter has, as of yet, to either confirm or disprove and creature inheritance. We have an appointment later today that will help to identify any creature blood in him as well as provide him a list of Potential Mates. I can assure you that should such a list come back Mr Potter will be striking Mr Jackson off of said list. After his assault of Mr Potter in the bathroom this morning Mr Potter cannot even conceive the idea of being involved with him."

Harry frantically nodded.

Madam Bones frowned. "Still, this complicates the case."

Snape growled. "How so? He indecently assaulted Mr Potter. He was not aware they were Potential Mates and you know as well as I that with inheritances like this neither party feels the need to complete the bond."

Dumbledore leant forwards over his desk. "But how can we be sure? What if they were both feeling a pull and simply didn't realise it?"

Snape snarled again. "If it was a bond like that then I'd have already claimed him. I am also a Potential Mate of Mr Potter. If it were one of the bonds that forced a consummation we'd have done it already. We had a perfect chance when I found him shortly after he came into his inheritance."

Madam Bones' eyes widened. She turned to Harry. "Is this true, Mr Potter?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah... Professor Snape, Neville Longbottom... and... him..." Harry swallowed and looked over at Keise to see him glaring. Harry ducked his head back down. "I..."

Snape's thumb gently rubbed against his knuckles. "Mr Potter had never even considered the idea that he might be gay, with everything that's been happening the last few years he hasn't had the time to question his sexuality and being Muggle raised he'd have a preconceived negative view towards homosexuals. This is all very new to him and he needs to get used to the idea of being gay before he'd even think about becoming involved with someone, let alone getting physical with them. And this creature inheritance, if he does indeed have one, has only complicated the matter."

The Auror standing behind harry nodded. "It seems pretty clear cut, Ma'am. If they were Mates or if Potter's inheritance was one of the ones with a compulsion to be completed then it would be different."

Madam Bones nodded and hummed for a moment. "Alright. As for the accusation of dark magic, I think it was understandable that Mr Jackson would mistake elemental magic for dark magic, with you being a shadow elemental, Mr Potter." She stood up. "Since you did not, in fact, use any dark magic, we can drop that charge and we leave Mr Jackson's punishment up to the board of governors."

Keise growled. "You heard him! He admitted to being a dark wizard! He's a shadow elemental! Only dark wizards can use shadow magic!"

#Stupid child. Elementals are not evil!#

Harry shook his head. #I'm not evil. I swear! Darkness makes me feel safe cus then no one can see me and I'm safe from...#

Snape's grip tightened. "Mr Potter... you are speaking Phoenixian..."

Harry looked up at him. #What?# He looked over at Fawkes who trilled and spread his wings slightly.

#You didn't even notice did you?#

Madam Boned smiled. "Well, no dark wizard can speak Phoenixian."

Keise looked frantically at them all. "But he's a Parselmouth! How can he speak to Phoenixes too?"

Madam Bones looked over at him. "Like you can speak English and French, Mr Jackson?" she shook her head. "I think we've seen enough to drop this accusation completely." She nodded to the professors and Harry. "Good day to you all."

She and two of the Aurors left through the floo, leaving the one guarding Keise still behind the chair, hand on the boy's shoulder. Keise scowled at them and Harry ducked his head.

Snape stood up and gently tugged Harry's hand, indicating him to stand as well. Harry did so and practically pressed himself into the man's side as he stared at Keise.

Snape nodded to Dumbledore and McGonagall. "Since we have so little time before we have to leave for Mr Potter's appointment, Mr Potter and I will take our leave now. We should be back before curfew, if not Dinner."

McGonagall nodded. "Yes, yes. Of course Severus."

Dumbledore leant forwards. "May I ask what appointment this is?"

"No you may not. Good day, Headmaster." Snape gently tugged Harry's hand again and Harry followed the man out. They were all the way down to the second floor before Harry tripped slightly and Snape realised their hands were still joined. The man let go and cleared his throat slightly, continuing down to the entrance hall in silence.

Harry had thought they would floo to Diagon Alley from Snape's office so he was slightly surprised when the man walked out of the main doors. "Sir?"

"The Headmaster can track floo travel. We leave by the front gate and apparate there."

Harry nodded and stood next to the Professor as he stopped at the bottom of the stairs. He waved his wand and waited. Harry looked around and tried to ignore the stiffening between his legs at the proximity to his Professor. Snape looked down at him and frowned. "Mr Potter... are you sure you do not feel a compulsion to complete the bond? I see how my presence affects you."

Harry took a deep breath and felt his cheeks flush. "I don't feel the need to... do..." he made a few choked noises and went redder. "I just... get... hard," he whispered the last part, barely managing to choke it out. "I still hate you but..." he sighed. "I don't even know anymore..."

Snape hummed quietly. "If more than your magic is bound then it would make sense that your magic is trying to make sense of your creature inheritance and is making you feel conflicting emotions."

Harry looked at the carriage that pulled up and frowned. "I thought they didn't have anything pulling them sir?"

Snape paused and looked at the creature. He reached out and petted it briefly. "It's called a Thestral, Mr Potter. You can only see them if you have witnessed someone die."

"Oh..." Harry bit his lip slightly and shook his head, casting the creature a wary look. It looked at him with big, doleful eyes and he cautiously reached out and petted its muzzle. The creature closed its eyes and nickered softly so Harry smiled and stepped into the carriage behind Snape. He looked out the window as they travelled in silence. When they got to the main gate Snape reached over and pulled Harry close to him. Harry gasped and practically went limp in the man's arms.

"I'm about to apparate us, Mr Potter. Hold on." The world became a swirl of colour and Harry felt a tug behind his naval before he felt like he was being squeezed through a tiny tube. He couldn't breathe. Oh god he couldn't breathe...

The world spun back into focus again and the magic released him. Harry whimpered and felt his knees give out. Snape scooped him up and carried him into the Leakey Cauldron. Harry was placed in a chair and he flopped over the table, taking a deep breath.

"Mr Potter?"

"I'm okay... just need a second..." he shook his head and pushed down the nausea and sat up straight, smiling up at his Professor. Snape nodded and motioned Harry to follow him. They headed straight down the alley and were able to get into Gringotts with no hassle. Harry was half expecting to be ambushed by Death Eaters.

Snape walked up to an available teller and waited. The goblin finished what he was doing and looked up, "How may I help you?"

Harry tilted his head, both recognising this goblin as the one that had served him and Hagrid on his first time in the bank and realising he was being much more polite.

"I am here with Mr Potter. He has an appointment for twelve O'clock however some new information has come to light which I feel needs to be discussed beforehand."

The goblin nodded and started moving things around on his desk. "Gagnock shall escort you."

Snape nodded and stepped back. "Thank you."

Harry followed after Snape as the man stood waiting for the runner. "He was a lot more polite then when Hagrid and I came in before..."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "You recognise him?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. He was the teller Hagrid spoke to when I came here before my first year." He looked around and spotted Griphook escorting someone towards the cart. "And there's Griphook. He's the one who took me down to my vault."

The teller looked over at him, forgetting the papers on his desk. "You remember us? And you remember his name?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

The goblin blinked. "No one ever remembers a goblin's name. Except for the account managers but most families request a human manager." His lip curled up.

Harry frowned. "Why?"

Snape looked down at Harry. "Purebloods look down on anything not fully human. Half-humans and werewolves included."

Harry was saved having to answer as Gagnock arrived. The teller told him something in goblin and he nodded before he escorted Harry and Snape through the halls. When they arrived, Gagnock knocked on the door and at the call to entre slipped in, closing the door behind him. There were several moments before he slipped back out, holding the door open for them. "You may enter."

Harry smiled and nodded to him. "Thank you Gagnock."

The goblin's eyes widened and he stood in the doorway for a moment, stunned before turning and walking off.

When they walked into the office Snape walked in so close behind him he could feel the man's breath tickling the hairs on the top of his head. He spared a moment to both hate and thank his short stature before taking in the office and the goblin sitting behind the desk. Tenebrae materialised by his side and Hedwig ruffled her feathers from where she was still perched on his shoulder, making him wonder if she had been there since Dumbledore's office.

The office was dark, the walls black with only a few silver and gold adornments. Snape winced slightly looking around. Harry cast him a sideways glance, curious to his behaviour.

The goblin behind the desk sneered at them. "Sit."

Snape winced again and Harry frowned, now slightly concerned as the two of them sat in the chairs in front of the desk.

The goblin leant forwards. "And what can I do for you today, Gentlemen?"

Snape cleared his throat slightly. "Mr Potter's magic has been bound."

"For how long?"

"Before he started Hogwarts at the latest."

"And you did not go to a wizard healer?"

"Gringotts is better. Your rituals are far better than humans at removing binds on magic as well as stripping any spells and potions from the subject and we believe this particular bind to be unrecognisable by wizard magic. The school mediwitch didn't notice anything was wrong until part of Mister Potter's magic became unbound."

The goblin nodded slightly. "And why should we perform this ritual for Mr Potter, when the both of you have repeatedly ignored out summons when we have sent them? You have spurred our bank on many occasions. Why should we assist you now?"

Harry frowned. "Summons? I've never received anything from the bank."

The goblin frowned. "We have sent them off with your bank statements, Mr Potter."

Harry's eyebrows rose for a moment before he frowned again. "I've never received anything from the bank. I didn't even know you sent out statements. I've never received one."

The goblin leant forwards. "Are you saying I lie?"

Harry shook his head slowly. "You may have sent them, but I never received them."

Snape leant forwards. "I, also, have never received anything from the bank. I was unaware you sent out statements and I have never received a summons."

The goblin scowled. "We have received a number of letters from you over the years in regards to your accounts. You have replied to each of our letters and completely ignored our summons."

Snape frowned. "I have not sent any letters to the bank, nor received anything in turn. The Headmaster set up an account for my wages and gave me access to the Hogwarts Vault for the Potions Professors to buy ingredients. I was given my keys by the Headmaster and I've always used them when I buy something so I haven't had a need to come in personally."

The goblin looked over to Harry. Harry tilted his head. He opened his mouth and then closed it again, thinking. "Hagrid brought me here before my first year... he had my key... when I came shopping for my second year Mrs Weasley had my key... she gave it to me and I kept it but I should have had it from the start right?"

The goblin nodded slowly. "One moment." He rummaged around beneath the desk for a moment before bringing up a suitcase. He pulled out several letters and handed them over. "Do you recognise these?"

Harry shook his head. "No. That's not my handwriting, or my signature, and I wouldn't write with such... fancy language. I prefer to get strait to the point." Truthfully he only understood about half of the words.

Snape leant over. "That is definitely not your writing."

Harry nodded. "Even I can't read my writing."

Snape frowned at him. "Then why not write neater?"

"No one ever taught me how to use a quill."

Snape blinked twice, thinking for a moment. "I will teach you how when we get back to school."

The goblin cleared his throat. "If you did not send these letters, who did?"

Snape looked the letters over. "I cannot say I recognise the handwriting."

The goblin leant back in his chair. "This complicates things. If someone has been tampering with your accounts, we will have to find out who. May I see your keys?"

Harry reached into between and fumbled around for a moment before he found his key and placed it on the table. Snape reached into his pockets and pulled out two keys, placing them both on the desk. The goblin took Harry's key first and put it into a block with a key hole on the top. The numbers 713 lit up in the side of the box.

Harry nodded. "That's my vault."

The goblin nodded. "Your trust vault, yes."

Harry tilted his head. "Trust vault? I only have one don't I?"

The goblin and Snape both stared at Harry for several moments. The goblin leant forwards in his chair. "Who was it that took you down to your vault during your first visit here?"

"Griphook. And the counter goblin was the same as the one we spoke to today."

The goblin nodded and leant back. "Mister Potter, you hold a number of vaults and accounts. The Potter family is one of the richest in Britain."

Harry sat back heavily. Hedwig ruffled her feathers on his shoulder. #Ronald is jealous of you for a reason.#

Harry nodded slightly. "Right..."

Snape looked at him. "Why do you think I call you spoilt?"

"I spent ten years living in a cupboard and working like a house elf to 'earn my keep'. I am not spoilt." There was a long silence and Harry blushed, realising what he just said. "Um..."

The goblin leant forwards. "Mister Potter, your family was receiving a weekly payment to help with your upkeep."

Harry sat heavily back in his chair. "W-what?"

Tenebrae looked up at him. φPerhaps the money never made it to them? If someone stopped you from knowing about your other vaults, the money might be going to them.φ

Harry nodded and looked up. "Tenebrae thinks the money might not have gone to them..." it came out almost like a question.

The goblin leant backwards and hummed slightly. "Perhaps. We will have to do a full audit of your accounts and we will have someone check your family's muggle account to see if the money went where it was supposed to do." He pressed a mechanism on his desk and a goblin came in through a side door. The two spoke quickly in goblin before the second one left again. "Now, Lord Prince."

Snape sat up straight and frowned.

"We shall check your accounts." He picked up the first key and frowned at the numbers before testing the second key. He placed both down on the table in front of him. "These keys... are both keyed into the Potter accounts."

Snape jerked backwards. "W-what?!" he turned towards Harry. "Potter, I swear I..."

Harry nodded. "I know. You said Dumbledore made the accounts for you. Since he had my key, I guess he's been taking my money my whole life..."

The goblin behind the desk nodded. "We will sort this out. In the meantime, we shall have that ritual performed for you."

Harry nodded. "Thank you."

The goblin simply inclined his head and motioned them to follow him. "Now, in regards to the bind on your magic, everything has binds on its magic. They are all there naturally. As you age and grow those binds loosen or erode completely. It is why your magic gets stronger as you age, as a young child your magic is wild and untameable so you only have access to a small amount of it, with your magic temporarily blocking the rest along with any gifts you may receive from your bloodline."

Harry nodded slowly. "I think I get it... it was kind of weird after I removed some of the binds... its hard getting used to everything..."

The goblin nodded again. "Now imagine going through that while you are unable to even think the words to describe how you feel, let alone tell anyone else."

Harry shuddered slightly. "I would have gone insane."

Snape looked sharply at him, frowning slightly in confusion. "What do you mean, Potter?"

Harry frowned and shook his head. It was not something he could put into words and, despite the deep seeded hatred he felt for this man, at the same time he couldn't bear the thought of him thinking badly of him. The rest of the walk was spent in relative silence, the sounds of their feet the only thing to break the otherwise completely silent halls.

It was slightly unnerving to Harry. At Hogwarts there is always noise, be it students chattering and laughing or the portraits talking and calling to each other. Even at night, you'd think it would be quiet but actually, the paintings took this as an opportunity to talk freely without having to shout over the noise of the students, since being paintings they didn't need to sleep.

Finally, just when Harry was going to say something just to break the silence, the goblin opened a door and led them inside. Harry looked at the circle of runes in the middle of the floor and winced as it seemed to glow slightly. He had a bad feeling about it...

The goblin turned around. "We'll do you first, Mr Potter. Simply lie down in the middle of that circle, naked if you can, and our healers will perform the ritual. This is your last chance to say no."

Harry froze and stared at the circle. Naked... he was going to have to strip... Snape would see. He'd see his scars... he'd see. He'd see. He'd see.

"Potter!" strong arms wrapped around him from behind, pulling him into the man's chest. "Calm down Potter, deep breaths. We don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"You'll see..." Harry whispered, finding it hard to breathe.

"See what?"

"Scars... you'll see..."

"Potter." Snape grabbed his chin gently and lifted his head up. "If you want, I will wait outside."

Harry whimpered and shook his head before nodding and then grasping the man's robes as if his life depended on it. "I don't even know..."

"Potter, I promise you; whatever scars you have, I have worse."

Harry whimpered as he snuggled into the man's chest, half his mind happy that it was just as good for snuggling into as he'd thought, the other half wanting call him a paedophile and smack him. He took a deep breath, inhaling the man's scent before stepping back and quickly taking his clothes off. Thankfully his body was behaving and he wasn't hard.

He lay down on the ritual circle and looked at the white robes figures that wandered in. They stood at regular intervals around the circle and all started chanting something. Harry closed his eyes against the bright light of the magic and winced slightly. He felt a warmth flow through him for a few seconds before his body bent backwards and he screamed in pain. He could vaguely hear someone shouting before he blacked out completely.

.oOo.

Harry opened his eyes slowly and squinted at the bright lights above him. When his eyes adjusted he opened them fully and took in the room. The walls were white with brightly glowing runes spread over them. Most were white but some were a pale green. There was a bed to his side and he saw an unconscious Professor Snape in a hospital gown lying on it.

Snape's eyes blinked open slightly and fluttered against his cheeks. Harry found himself abstractly noting how beautiful his eyes were, even when closed, before carefully pushing himself into a sitting position. Snape turned towards him and his eyes widened, mouth opening slightly in a near silent gasp. He propped himself up on one elbow and Harry tilted his head, wondering why he was making that face.

φLook at yourself, Harry.φ

Harry looked himself over and realised the changes. He was taller now, he could tell. His skin seemed to have an almost golden tan, but at the same time... seemed paler... his skin was softer now, smoother and unblemished by the scars he knew should be on his hands from various cuts he'd had over the years.

#Look behind you~!# sang Hedwig.

Harry turned his head and gasped at the sight of a pair of wings behind him. They were an almost black shade of red with black tips and gold flecks throughout them. They seemed to create a dark haze around them, almost like darkened heat waves.

He lifted a hand up and gently ran it through the feathers gasping at the sensation. He sat for several moments, trying to get his mind to learn the new feelings. He experimented for a moment with moving them and was soon able to stretch them out wide, looking in silent awe at the beauty of them.

"Potter..."

Harry looked over to Snape and saw the man visibly pulling himself together. "Sir?"

"I believe it is safe to say you have a creature inheritance."

"What happened after they started the ritual?"

Snape blinked twice before looking away. "A few seconds after they started you began screaming. You blacked out about two seconds later. I know that kind of ritual... it cannot be interrupted once it has begun... I... admit I shouted at them for several long moments. When the ritual finished you were trashing on the floor and... those wings began growing... it... was mildly disturbing. They whisked you off to here as soon as they finished and forced me to do the ritual as well. I don't know what the results were. I woke up several hours ago to a healer examining us both. She used some kind of spell to force me back to sleep before I could ask."

Harry nodded slowly. He looked the man over and was surprised to find the warring feeling of love and hate gone completely. He disliked the man for his treatment of him over the years, and he didn't quite know how to feel about his recent actions, but he no longer hated him, nor did he feel the need to curl up into him or confess his undying love.

"How are you feeling, Potter?"

He looked at the genuine concern in the man's eyes and smiled slightly. "Calm."

"Calm?"

Harry nodded. "I don't feel much of anything. I don't feel extreme hatred of you as I did before, but I don't feel like stripping off and offering myself to you either. I don't want to kill you because you're a Slytherin, or because of how you've treated me... I just feel... calm."

"I think you will find that describes a lot of what you feel now, Mr Potter."

Harry and Snape turned to face the door at the foot of their beds and saw a goblin neither recognised and a goblin wearing a white robe with the hood up. The hooded goblin came over and waved her hands towards them both for a brief moment before turning and saying something in goblin to the other one and leaving.

The remaining goblin stepped up towards them. "My name is Fangknock. I am the new manager of both of your accounts."

Harry tilted his head the opposite direction. "Why do we need a new manager?"

"Due to everything that has happened with your accounts Gringotts has decided to assign you a new account manager to prevent those things from happening again. We have traced every transaction that has been made in your accounts, Mister Potter, and refunded the ones not made by you, with interest. All of your old keys have been destroyed and you will be issued new ones, they are currently being forged and will be ready in about an hour. Mister Snape, we have set up an account for your personal expenses and filled it with what should have been your wages, minus personal expenses, and all of the purchases you've made as potions professor have been charged to Hogwarts.

"We've had to fix the Hogwarts funds as most of the money seems to end up in Headmaster Dumbledore's personal vault. The money is now going to where it needs to go and any changes in budget need to be approved of by all four heads of house and the headmaster."

Snape nodded. "Right... so I wasn't actually getting paid?"

"No, you weren't. In fact, none of your colleges were. All of your wages have been going straight into Dumbledore's vault."

Snape and Tenebrae both growled.

"Indeed. As is with Mister Potter, your Vault Keys will be ready in about an hour. Now, I need to know if you were aware of your Prince Vaults?"

Snape shook his head. "My mother was disowned from the family line for marrying my father."

"Not necessarily. You see, your grandfather died before your grandmother and she wrote out her will leaving everything to you, as the last living member of the Prince estate. Since you didn't know anything about it then we shall have to go over your accounts later, for now I wish to discuss what happened here today." He walked forwards and picked up a clipboard off the bottom of each bed and passed them to them. "These are the results of your rituals. What we have uncovered is quite alarming."

Harry looked down at his clipboard and went pale.

Foreign substances in blood:
Repulsion potions to Severus Tobias Snape
Loyalty potions to Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore
Naivety potions
Loyalty potions to Ronald Billius Weasley
Loyalty potions to Molly Weasley
Loyalty potions to Ginevera Molly Weasley
Attraction potions to Ginevera Molly Weasley
Repulsion potions to Tom Marvolo Riddle
Loyalty potions to Gryffindor house
Repulsion potions to Slytherin House
Repulsion potions to Snakes
Magical suppression potions
Basilisk venom
Phoenix tears

Charms
Loyalty Charms to Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore - (Cast by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore)
Loyalty charms to Ronald Billius Weasley - (Cast by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore)
Loyalty charms to Ginevera Molly Weasley - (Cast by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore)
Loyalty charms to Molly Weasley - (Cast by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore)
Loyalty charms to Gryffindor house - (Cast by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore)
Naivety charms - (Cast by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore)
Reckless compulsion charms - (Cast by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore)
Selfless compulsion charms - (Cast by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore)

Creature inheritances:
Shadow Fae
Phoenix (gained at age 12)
Basilisk (gained at age 12)

Known Familiars:
Snow phoenix – Hedwig
Shadow wolf – Tenebrae

Potential mates:
Severus Tobias Snape, Lord of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Prince.
Neville Frank Longbottom, Heir of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom.
Blaise Zabini, Heir of the Noble House of Zabini
Keise Jackson
George Aster

Abilites:
Metamorphmagus
Natural healer
Male Bearer
Beast Speaker
Shadow Elemental
Natural Occlumens
Telepath
Telekinesis

Heritage test.
Lord of:
The Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter – Father
The Most Ancient and Noble House of Gryffindor – Father
The Most Ancient and Noble House of Merlin – Father
The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black - Godfather, Blood Adoption

Blood adoptions:
Sirius Orion Black – Godfather
Petunia Dursley - Adoptive aunt

Blocks:

Magic – 95% - Albus Dumbledore (31/10/1981) - 5% (11/06/1995) 5% (12/06/1995) 3% (13/06/1995)
Familiar Bonds – 100% - Albus Dumbledore (31/10/1981) - 100% (11/06/1995)
Metamorphmagus – 100% - Natural Block - 0%
Mage sight – 100% - Natural Block - 100% (11/06/1995)
Mage sense – 100% - Albus Dumbledore (31/10/1981) - 100% (11/06/1995)
Shadow Elemental – 100% - Albus Dumbledore (31/10/1981) - 100% (11/06/1995)
Natural Occlumens – 100% - Natural Block - 100% (11/06/1995)
Beast Speaker – 99.9% - Albus Dumbledore (31/10/1981) - 99.9% (11/06/1995)
Telepath – 100% - Natural Block - 100% (11/06/1995)
Telekinisis – 100% - Natural Block - 100% (11/06/1995)
Natural healer – 100% - Natural Block - 0%
Male Barer – 100% - Albus Dumbledore (31/10/1981) - 0%
Shadow Fae Inheritance 100% - Albus Dumbledore (31/10/1981) - 0%
Phoenix Inheritance 100% - Albus Dumbledore (12/06/1992) - 0%
Basilisk Inheritance 100% - Albus Dumbledore (12/06/1992) - 0%

Harry looked the lists over several times. Apparently all of the blocks had been removed now, including the ones on his inheritance, all of the potions had been removed and all the charms cancelled. Even the natural blocks had been removed. He now had complete, unrestrained access to his magic.

It also included a list of physical injuries, including incorrectly healed bones, scars and... his bad eyesight was only half genetic... most of the problem was numerous blows to the back of the head and a small fracture in his skull. His eyesight would never have been perfect, but if the damage had been healed then it would have been at least twice as good as it had been.

His vision was now 20-20. Unfortunately the enhanced vision of his phoenix inheritance was cancelled out by the bad vision of his basilisk inheritance. Looking over the list it seemed that a lot of the advantages of both seemed to cancel each other out. The basilisk venom (poison spit in his case) was cancelled out by the healing properties of phoenix saliva. Not as potent as healing tears but it still possessed healing properties, which cancelled them both out.

He would have grown either scales or feathers on his skin, but again, they cancelled out. Same with his killer gaze and healing tears.

He did get an ability called 'Shed Skin' from his basilisk inheritance along with the ability to regenerate lost limbs... apparently a basilisk is able to drop part of its tail and re-grow it at will, one of the reasons they are so hard to kill. He also has the ability to switch his vision to 'Thermoception'. He would have to find a dictionary and find out what that was.

From his phoenix inheritance he got 'Rebirth' (which he assumed was setting himself on fire if he died and being reborn like Fawkes did), the ability to withstand intense heat (no more burns! Yay!), the wings (he could not WAIT to fly!), and the ability to zoom his eyesight in to see something further away like a telescope.

From both inheritances he seemed to have feathers on his head.

He raised a tentative hand and felt something mixed in with his hair that was decidedly not hair. He sent a panicked glance at Snape but the man was engrossed in his board. He glanced at Fangknock who smirked and pointed to the other end of the room.

Harry turned and spotted a group of mirrors in a sort of circle. He stood up and wobbled slightly at his new height before taking tentative steps forwards and stumbling his way to the mirrors. He stepped into the circle and looked himself over. Due to the angles of the mirrors he was able to see his back in the mirror in front, from the reflection of the mirror behind him. His skin was definitely paler but with a slight golden tinge, meaning he didn't look sickly pale, but he didn't have a golden tan either. The wings came down to mid calf and rose up to just above his head when they were folded behind him. He twisted them this was and that to admire his blemish free back.

He finally looked up and locked eyes with his reflection. He heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of his familiar emerald green and not the sickly yellow of a basilisk or the shimmering gold of a phoenix and his pupils looked perfectly normal, and not slitted like a snake nor was the pupil and iris as large as those of a birds, thankfully they looked perfectly normal and human.

He then took a deep breath and looked up. His hair was slightly straighter than before and now had some feathers the same colour as his wings in them, they were long and thin, curving off with the strands of hair next to them in his usual style and were barely visible, if not for the odd gold or deep red streak. He suddenly had an image of Fawkes' feathers on top of his head and let out a huge sigh, thankful not to look like a blood peacock. As beautiful as Fawkes was, he didn't really want a plumage like that on his head.

He looked himself over a bit more, noting a few more differences in his body shape. Not only was he now taller but he'd filled out more, he now looked more like what Ron, Dean and Seamus looked like, and though he admitted he was still shorter than they were he was no longer about the same height as the second years. Even some of the first yeas had been taller than him.

He was now very proud to say he was 'Just Below Average', rather than 'Unnaturally Short' and he was 'Slim' rather than 'Concentration Camp Survivor'. He folded the wings close against his back and smirked, quite liking his new look.

He stepped away from the mirrors and walked back over to the bed, sitting down on the edge. Snape looked over to him and blinked twice. "Potter..." his voice was little more than a whisper.

Fangknock sighed. "Your clothes are on a shelf under the bed, both of you get dressed and come out, I will be waiting outside. We have a lot to discuss."