(Here is Chapter 6...yay!)

Disclaimer:

Luna - "Hello you wonderful people. Have you seen a Snorckack anyone? Mmm no? What about a Wrackspurt?"

Harry- "Luna I think they came here to read this story, not hunt for creatures we mortals can't see."

Luna- "Harry, turn around."

Harry- "Wha — sweet mother of jiggling tits, what is that thing?"

Luna- "...Wrackspurt (giggles)"

Harry- "...Errr, what sorcery is this? Jk Rowling never made them real."

Luna- "Harry, Jk Rowling never made us real either."

Harry- (faints dead on the floor)

Luna- "Oh dear. Where was I, mmm oh yes, Luminatrix does not own us but I sure wish he was my master, the things we could do in the Master bedroom...(sighs)"

Review Comments:

David305 – Thank you for the feedback, I have corrected the mistakes in Chapter 2. I hope my story errors don't bother you too much until I find a Beta reader.

Aaronutte - Thanks, hope you enjoy this chapter.

Arnold DeVillena – Thank you, I am definitely excited about the pairing.

WhiteKnightofHyrule – (psss) What is Luna's favorite creatures? ~winks at WhiteKnightofHyrule~ Yeah you will like the pairing I have planned.

Mwinter1 – Hope you this chapter.

Autumngold – Thank you :)

god of all – Thank you :)

To other reviewers, I have read your reviews and I would like to thank you for your input. Even if I'm not posting chapters frequently, I am still logging in everyday to read the reviews :)

A/N: Hope you enjoy the next chapter of Tempore Cor.

I would like to thank Philosophize for editing this chapter. If you're interesting in finding more more stories about Harry Potter, check out Philosophize's stories on his page.

Chapter 6

The mischievous glint in Sirius Black's eyes did not reassure Harry. His godfather walked into his room at Grimmauld place, carrying two shot glasses and what appeared to be an old brand of Firewhiskey.

"Well pup, time to gather what dignity we have left and celebrate," Sirius said, pointing at the bottle of Firewhiskey.

"Are you Serious?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Uh, well I am ...," Sirius started.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence! That joke is so old it's not even funny," Harry groaned in exasperation.

His Godfather gave a bark of laughter before placing down the shot glasses with a clink. He began filling the glasses to the brim with Firewhisky before passing one in front of Harry.

"To be honest, you're father and Remus stopped using that joke back in fifth year. Ah the good times…" Sirius replied as he stared into off into space, remembering the past with a haunted smile on his face.

Harry felt bad for his godfather and wondered what he could do to get him out of his unbridled funk. With a grimace, he cleared his throat in vain attempt to clear the lump that was firmly lodged there and spoke.

"Hey Sirius, I imagine the alcohol is so we can forget that conversation we had earlier?" Harry asked, his face contorted as if he had swallowed a fly.

"Are you kidding Pup?" Sirius replied dubiously. "No amount of Firewhisky will make us forget that talk but since your father …isn't here, it falls to me to do it."

"But did you have to make it so embarrassing? Is this a tradition grownups have to make it as embarrassing as possible?" Harry whined.

Sirius smirked before replying. "That's for me to know and you to find out."

"Dammit Sirius…now I'll never look at girls the same way again," Harry moaned.

"Well…had to be done my lad", Sirius shrugged. "Now that we've done the birds and the bees talk, we can drink and toast to forgetting this chat."

Harry snorted at that and picked up the glass of Firewhisky at his godfather's urging. Sirius mirrored Harry's movement and held up the glass in front of him.

"To our future wives and girlfriends…May they never meet," Sirius grinned.

Harry almost dropped his glass at that. He glared at his godfather's silly antics and shook his head in amusement.

"Merlin…Sirius that was awful...wait you planned that didn't you, after our talk," Harry groused.

Sirius gave a bark of laughter and his grey eyes were alight with mirth.

"Pup, I have no idea what you're talking about. Though now that I think about it, maybe it's not so bad if they meet each other after all. Every self-respecting man likes a catfight."

"No, no more…" Harry moaned. "…my turn."

"To the future, may happiness, peace and luck find us and woes of the past forgotten. May fortune favor the bold," Harry said passionately.

Sirius gave Harry a strange look before shaking his head. "Hear, hear now drink up, pup."

Without fanfare, Harry and Sirius clinked their glasses together before gulping entire contents of the Firewhiskey straight up.

Seconds later, Harry's throat burned and his ears coughed up steam before a lungful of fire sprouted out of his mouth. The teenager began to cough repeatedly as his eyes watered.

"Ho-how can you drink this stuff Sirius?" He spluttered out.

"It's an acquired taste pup," Sirius replied with a shrug. "By the way Harry, did you know the Potter house motto is 'May fortune favor the bold'?"

"Huh, no, I didn't. There's so much I don't know about my family Sirius," Harry replied, his shoulders sagging.

"Don't worry Harry, I have a lifetime of memories of them and when you do leave the Dursleys and come and stay with me, we'll have many nights like this one to share stories," Sirius replied resolutely, flashing Harry a warm, lopsided smile.

Harry sighed as he broke out of his reminiscing. The memories pained him because, once again, he'd been denied a chance to go live with his godfather, Sirius. That night before the start of the new Hogwarts year was the last time Harry had a chance to be with him before his death at the ministry.

Harry smiled wistfully, remembering how Sirius had drawn up graphic picture charts to explain the birds and bees to him, much to his mortification. At the time, he felt so embarrassed that he just wanted to hide under a rock, but now he would gladly suffer 'the talk' if it meant seeing Sirius again.

Blinking back tears, Harry stared into the inky lake before him. The calm waters of the Black Lake rippled gently in the early morning breeze, causing a blend of foam and seaweed to float in its wake. The tranquil waves soothed Harry as the young teenager relaxed on the grass while looking out at the beautiful scene of the distant mountains. His bonding with Sinja had given him some benefits, namely superior senses and a newfound clarity which he was now appreciating as the sunrise began to light up his surroundings..

The teenager had spent most of the evening staring absently at the lake, wondering where it went all wrong. He had no compunction about gaining a new companion, Sinja, nor cursing the socks off the Ravenclaws for their part in bullying Luna. Did that make him a bad person? He couldn't feel guilty when they deserved it in the first place, but it had him wondering how far their bullying would have progressed had he not been there.

Harry sighed once more and cast a warming charm on himself, eager to fend of the chilly air. He'd been in a hurry to escape Madam Pomfrey's inquisition about his healed chest the day before, and had thus failed to grab some warm knitted sweaters along the way.

When asked how he'd been healed, Harry had clammed up, not willing to reveal Sinja's existence. Instead he muttered something about Fawkes's healing tears. Finally, when she couldn't find anything wrong with him, the mediwitch released him from the hospital wing. Unsure of how to handle Hermione and Luna, he bade them goodbye before leaving the wing.

His first thought was to find a secluded place inside the castle, but without him ever consciously realizing it, his feet eventually brought him outside.

Here he was, sitting on his favorite spot by the Black Lake at the crack of dawn, wondering and planning his newfound lease on life, though his thoughts kept drifting back to Hermione and Luna. He had known Hermione for five years, being her friend and accepting her flaws while cherishing her good qualities. At the same time, though, his mind kept drifting to Luna, whom he'd known even less but felt as if he had known her his whole life. He felt confused and conflicted. Sirius had never prepared Harry for anything like this, and he didn't know what to do about it. Would Hermione think him a pig, with a dirty mind for having feelings for two different girls?

A soft pop behind him broke Harry out of his trance. He looked up sharply to find Dobby waiting with a bundle of parchment in his scrawny hands. It took Harry five seconds to understand what Dobby had brought him.

"Ah, Dobby, I gather it was a success?" Harry asked with a mischievous smirk.

"Yes, Master Harry, I did as you asked and spied on the old goatsie," Dobby replied, bobbing his head rapidly. "Old goatsie had an early meeting with staff, and when your name came up, I activated the dicto-quill which began recording the meeting."

"So soon? Excellent, Dobby, you did well," he replied, giving Dobby a fond smile. "Let's see what the old goat is up to shall we."

He unfurled the bundle of parchment and shuffled himself further into the grass for comfort as he began to read, eager to know what Dumbledore had in store for him.

41 Minutes ago…

"Let us begin this meeting," Dumbledore announced. He glanced at every professor who silently sat down in their chairs, facing him. He noticed some had given him glares for forcing a meeting this early while others looked confused. Even Severus was subtly glaring at him from the corner, but that did not deter him in the least.

"Albus, why did you set this meeting up and so early?" Minerva protested. "We don't normally meet until the end of term, when the students return home."

"Minerva, I agree, but in this instance please consider this an emergency meeting," he replied with a gesture intended to placate her. However, his grandfatherly act seemed to do the opposite.

"Oh, this better be good, Albus!" she responded. It was well known that the Transfiguration Mistress was not a morning person, and anyone who dared to incur her wrath would be transfigured into a tea cup for her use.

He nodded slowly. "Shall we get started? Filius, you reported an incident with some of the Ravenclaws yesterday. What happened?"

"Uh, yes ,well, a student has been harassed for some time. When I questioned the Ravenclaws involved, they admitted to stealing Luna Lovegood's clothes and bullying her. To my shame, I had not noticed this occurring, otherwise I would have put a stop to it immediately." Filius replied, shifting uncomfortably in his chair.

"Surely they wouldn't…that poor girl," Minerva gasped, looking horrified.

"Unfortunately, it only gets worse. Yesterday, they cornered her outside Hagrid's hut and began to verbally harass her, which then escalated to physical assault. It seems they were angry that Luna had taken her stuff back, and one of the students, Michael Turner, broke her nose," he continued.

"Merlin's beard, those students will need to be suspended," Pomona said with disgust. It was one thing to verbally attack someone but it was another thing entirely, to physically assault a defenseless girl.

"Now, now…let us not be hasty. I am sure those Ravenclaws are repentant," Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling.

"Repentant? Albus just how many lemon drops did you have to eat to get brain rot? The Ravenclaws are anything but repentant. In fact, I am very surprised they even admitted the truth at all," Filius growled.

"Yes, although it causes me great distress to agree with the dwarf, he is correct in one thing at least," Snape drawled in a bored manner. "I find it…curious that the Ravenclaws would admit to such…transgression."

"Perhaps they were coerced?" Dumbledore suggested. The old Headmaster was eager to acquit them; after all, they were merely misguided students.

"No, I don't think so. When they attacked Luna, she became so emotionally distraught that she retaliated with accidental magic that knocked them unconscious, acquiring various injuries in the process," Filius replied, shaking his head.

"They definitely need to be suspended. If this leaks out, it would make Hogwarts look bad," Minerva stated. "I believe one term of suspension at the start of next year and a black strike on their record should be sufficient punishment."

"Minerva, I'm sure that—"

"No, Albus, it's bad enough that those students belonging to the house of 'wise'… and no offense, Filius, they not only stole her belongings, but worse they would dare attack her physically. No, I will not let this one go," McGonagall interrupted.

Most of the professors nodded in agreement, which forced Dumbledore to consider his options. As Headmaster, he could ignore their input and pretend nothing occurred, but there would be a risk of a staff revolt that could cause problems for him in the long run.

Sighing in defeat, he replied, "Very well, Minerva, please inform them of their punishment. Now, onto another matter that has been brought to my attention."

"Oh?" McGonagall said.

"I heard that Harry Potter found a way to heal the cursed injury on his chest. Is that correct, Poppy?" Dumbledore inquired.

"Yes, actually the answer was deceptively simple. All he needed was phoenix tears to heal his injury, which he received yesterday. Your phoenix was very helpful in curing Mr. Potter," the matron replied.

Said phoenix turned his head toward them from his perch and blinked. The crimson bird cocked his head to the side briefly before giving a rather human-esque shrug and returning to preening once more.

"I see. We are fortunate that Harry could think of a solution then," Dumbledore said.

"Indeed, I'm amazed that the dunderhead managed the feat of thinking for once, though there is a good chance his miniscule mind went through a meltdown," Snape spat.

"Oh, grow up, Severus," McGonagall responded. "This childish hatred and fixation on Mr. Potter has gone too far! Why your very behavior makes you look like a babbling, bumbling baboon."

Snape stared coldly at McGonagall and sneered. As he was about to retort, Dumbledore cut in, sensing a rampaging argument gathering on the horizon.

"Enough, Severus and Minerva, you must put aside your differences for the greater good. We cannot be fighting amongst ourselves and against Voldemort at the same time."

There was silence as the professors glanced at each other in contemplation, though the Transfiguration professor continued to give Snape withering glares every now and then.

"We shall wrap this meeting up; Filius please arrange the transportation of students on the Hogwarts Express on Thursday. The end of term finishes in two days, and the students will return home then, thank you," Dumbledore spoke softly and nodded to Professor Flitwick.

The professors rose and filed out of the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore motioned Snape to stay behind with barely concealed nod and customary twinkle in his eyes. As soon as the professors were gone, the old Headmaster flicked his wand and cast powerful locking and silencing charms on the entrance door to his office.

"Headmaster, it seems Potter has once again circumvented death through sheer dumb luck," Snape drawled as his mouth curled in disgust.

"Yes, young Mr. Potter does seem to have an extraordinary amount of luck wherever trouble finds him," the old Headmaster replied. Dumbledore rose from his chair and strode with measured steps toward the window overlooking the Hogwarts grounds and Forbidden Forest.

"I thought you changed plans regarding Potter when he received that magical curse?" Snape muttered, giving Dumbledore an accusatory glare. The old Headmaster sighed and nodded before turning to face Snape again.

"Indeed, I did not think Mr. Potter would be resourceful enough to heal himself with Fawkes. To be honest, it hadn't even occurred to me to use the Phoenix to heal him, but I digress..." he replied softly, pausing in thought. "This changes things, and we will have to go back to our original plan."

"To have Potter killed by Voldemort's hands?" Snape inquired, his sneer turning into something that might have almost passed for a smile.. At this, Dumbledore nodded with a slight frown.

"Forgive me, Headmaster, but that plan is far more likely to succeed in destroying the Horcrux within Potter than the dunderhead dying from that cursed chest injury. Due to my experience in the Dark Arts, I suspect that Potter's death by that magical wound would not have destroyed the Horcrux, if anything it would have taken possession of Potter's body as soon as the idiot died from blood loss."

"Yes, I suspect you're correct, but if even the chance of destroying one of Voldemort's Horcruxes was remote, I had to take it. Had the Horcrux taken possession of Mr. Potter's body I would have simply destroyed him," Dumbledore said with a heavy sigh.

Snape gave a look as if he had sucked on a ripe lemon. "Woe is me to have to suffer any more of Potter's stupidity. Can we not stun him, tie him up, and gift-wrap him to Voldemort, Headmaster?"

"No! The boy is destined to die, regardless of whether it were today or in the future by Voldemort himself. The Horcrux inside of the boy would still be destroyed, but I would prefer that Voldemort kill him by his own hands. It is better this way, at least young Harry will have a chance to enjoy what little time he has left."

"Very well, Headmaster. If that is all?"

"Yes, Severus, but before you go, how is Mr. Potter in class?"

At this question, Snape curled his lip in disgust. "The idiot is abysmal in Potions and for once, my dull colleagues are in agreement with me that he is dreadful in almost all subjects. He is lazy and has no aptitude for improving his studies."

"Very well," Dumbledore sighed, nodding slightly. "Mr. Potter will have to return to the Dursleys and we wi…."

There was a muffled thump and both professors turned sharply, looking around for the source of the noise. There was a soft pop as a neatly dressed elf with mismatching socks spun on the spot and disappeared from his hiding spot.

Harry finished reading the transcript and with an angry yell, he threw the bundle of parchment into the air. Rage blossomed inside his chest as he trembled with barely suppressed fury, and a familiar pressure in his abdomen from his magic responding to that rage was his only warning before time froze. The ripples of the lake halted, the soft sounds of trees that previously swayed in the breeze grew silent. Nothing moved, save for Harry as he stood and maneuvered through the parchment held frozen in the air until he reached the waterline of the lake.

With each second, Harry felt his anger grow. Waves of magic radiated out from his body in emerald swirls, surrounding him and wrapping protectively around him. The air was thick, heavily saturated with magic that was starting to affect his surroundings in a way that reminded him of fiery cyclones. In a flash of emerald fire, a small but majestic bird with black feathers and green highlights landed in the crook of Harry's arms.

Harry-chick, calm down. It will be alright, my bonded. I am here for you!

Harry was startled by the appearance of his bonded firebird, but quickly calmed down under Sinja's soothing tones. He breathed deeply, stilling his mind in an attempt to control his errant magic. With a monumental effort, Harry managed to get his magic under control. The green aura surrounding Harry faded, and the waves of energy stilled until the world was motionless and silent once more. Harry smiled gratefully at Sinja and caressed her silky feathers.

Thanks, Sinja, I don't know what I would do without you.

Sinja rubbed her feathered crown against his chest in response, crooning softly. The young firebird stared into his eyes with a spark of understanding. She may have been too young to comprehend what had caused Harry's outburst, but she could feel his turbulent emotions which were threatening to drown her bonded human.

Will you be alright Harry-chick?

Harry sighed deeply and nodded. I'll be alright. I just need some time to process finding out that the man I admired and looked up to does not have my best interests at heart. I guess it's just you and me against the world, hey Sinja? Oh, and Hermione…and of course Luna.

Sinja gave a tired trill and snuggled further into Harry's arms. The young bird looked exhausted after teleporting, and she slowly lost her battle to stay awake. Harry noticed that the firebird still had't fully recovered from healing and bonding with him the day before.

Merlin, I woke you up with my outburst didn't I? Let's get you back to the Room of Requirement where Iris will keep an eye on you girl.

Harry tucked Sinja under his arm and returned to the castle. He felt the tiny bird drift off to sleep as he made his way toward the Room of Requirement. No one was awake this early in the morning, so he was not worried about bumping into anyone who would discover Sinja's existence.

Once more, he paced back and forth three times while thinking of the room that he'd discovered previously. The door appeared, and he cast a glance at both ends of the corridor before entering. It paid to be vigilant, especially now that the pink toad of a woman bereft of a moral compass was back inside the castle along with her merry inquisition band.

As before, the room was a vast library surrounding a homey Gryffindor lounge setting, however there was one difference that stood out: a golden perch supporting a small nest of twigs stood next to the table. He strode over to the perch and placed the sleepy bird in the nest before collapsing on the sofa with a groan. He had every intention of joining Sinja in the realm of unconsciousness when a soft voice asked, "Still in the land of the living, Harry Potter?"

Harry jumped with a start, whipping his head around to find Iris standing behind him. Before he could reply, Iris noticed Sinja and squealed in delight.

"Oh my, what a beautiful firebird," Iris gushed as she bounded over to the perch . The Hogwart's avatar had the sense not to wake the poor exhausted bird, much to Harry's relief, but it looked like she was sorely tempted.

"Yeah, this is Sinja. She saved me by bonding with me," Harry replied tiredly. He sunk back down on to the couch with a grunt.

"A bonding? Wow, that's amazing," Iris said. "Historical records indicate there were only ever five bondings ever in history."

Harry just grunted in reply. It seemed Hermione had a kindred intellectual soul in the form of Hogwarts.

"But you're too exhausted to care, aren't you? What possessed you to stay up all night outside near the Black lake?" Iris demanded, giving a cute pout.

"I was…hang on, how did you know where I was?" Harry asked.

"Duh, my wards tell me what's going on inside and outside my walls," she replied, as if it were obvious.

"Uh, that makes sense, sort of. Look, um, can you ask me another day? It's still too raw for me to talk about it," Harry whispered, grimacing slightly.

Iris stared at Harry for a few moments before her features softened and she nodded in understanding.

"Thanks, say, um, Iris can you keep an eye on Sinja? I can't let anyone see her inside the castle…especially Dumbledore," Harry asked.

"Yep, I'd be honored to, and this room can provide for all her needs," she replied with a heart-stopping smile. "Harry, I've known about what kind of man Albus Dumbledore is ever since he took up residence here."

"Thanks…" Harry did a double take. "Wait, you knew that Dumbledore had plans for me?"

Iris nodded sadly. "I know everything that happens within my walls. Harry, I was going to warn you and break it to you slowly, but it seems you found out the hard way. Very clever using Dobby and Dicto-quills to spy on Dumbledore, by the way."

"He let Sirius die, didn't he?" Harry whispered.

"What do you think, Harry?"

"At the ministry, when we were fighting, my magic was all wonky, so I couldn't use the summoning charm reliably on Sirius. But I saw Dumbledore with his wand, out staring at Sirius as my godfather fell backwards into the Veil," he said.

Iris hummed and nodded in encouragement at Harry.

"Dumbledore could wandlessly cast 'Arresto Momentum' when I fell off my broom in third year, but he didn't bother summoning Sirius. That was when I knew something was very off about that old goat," Harry finished with a sigh.

"That's why you started spying on him then?" Iris asked. At his nod, she continued,"Harry, he is not a nice man. His plans for you are malevolent and would end with your death."

Harry palmed his forehead in frustration. The outline of the jagged scar brushed against his hand as he rubbed his brow.

"Iris, what is a Horcrux?" Harry asked, dreading the answer.

The young girl hesitated at his question before answering somberly. "It's a vile, dark piece of magic which attempts to achieve a bastardized form of immortality. Basically, a dark wizard or witch splits their soul into fragments and places them in inanimate objects which then anchor the person to this plane of existence."

"That sounds nasty," Harry replied in horror.

"You have no idea, Harry! Tearing one's soul is a taint of evil so great that there is no afterlife for those who attempt it. By placing part of your soul in a container, it prevents you from passing on into the afterlife, but it also makes you insane due to the instability of tearing your soul," Iris stated, her disgust obvious in her tone.

"Oh flabby tits, and to think I have a Horcrux in me. Wait – so Voldemort…part of his soul is in me?" Harry stuttered, feeling faintly sick.

"Not anymore." Harry looked up at her quizzically, and she reached out to put a hand on his shoulder while giving him a thin smile. "Yesterday when you left Hogwarts to find a firebird, my wards showed me that you still had the Horcrux embedded in your scar, but when you came back, it was gone. I think when Sinja bonded with you, it cleansed your body and exorcised the soul fragment," Iris grinned happily.

"Thank Merlin" Harry sighed heavily and sagged in his seat. After a moment, he cocked his head to one side in thought then nodded in determination.

"That settles it; I'm going to reward Sinja by feeding her a lifetime of bacon."

Iris for her part, just stared dumbfounded at Harry then placed her hands on her hips. "Harry James Potter, you'll do no such thing. I don't want you corrupting that poor bird and fattening such a beautiful, legendary creature…that's – that's animal abuse!"

"Ok, ok calm down…I won't, Iris," Harry replied before muttering under his breath. "I think Hermione corrupted you."

"What was that?" Iris snapped at him.

"Nothing – um nothing."

The young girl glared at him before she smiling innocently and poked her tongue at him.

"That's what I thought."

"So, how do you know all these stuff, Iris?" Harry wondered out loud.

"With a millennia of rowdy, young students studying within my walls, you learn a thing or two about magic….that and this library contains every book about every branch of magic in our world, and I can access the information directly."

"Is that why you look so young?" Harry asked.

Iris nodded. "The culmination of every student's magic, thoughts and desires inside the castle have made me sentient and shaped me to be who I am today Harry."

"Cool!" Harry responded, somewhat stunned. What could you say to that, in the face of a sentient castle?

"Yep, it's a do—"

Iris was interrupted by the sound of a soft hoot that startled Harry. He saw his faithful owl, Hedwig soaring towards him with a letter tucked firmly in her talons. Harry could already feel his spirits lifting as she landed beside him and began nibbling his fingers with affection.

"I'm not even going to ask how Hedwig managed to get into the Room of Requirement without a window, but hey, girl, I missed you," Harry whispered, stroking her snowy feathers.

Hedwig barked softly at her underling and extended her leg toward him, eager to unburden her load. Harry unfastened the envelope from her talons and gasped when he saw the Gringotts seal stamped on it.

"Thank you, Hedwig…I don't have any food with me but when breakfast starts, you can fly into the Great Hall and grab some rashers…how about that?" Harry said softly. He smiled as Hedwig nodded at him before taking flight and heading toward the Owlery.

"Nope, still not going to ask…let's see what we have here," Harry muttered, shaking his head. He paused before opening the letter and began to read.

Dear Mr. Potter,

In response to your enquiry, we can disclose the following information in accordance with Gringotts Client Policy.

To your first question, your parents did indeed leave their original will along with two copies behind to be read upon their deaths. The original will was placed with the Potter Solicitor who was to oversee fulfilling your parents' legal obligations upon their deaths. One copy was placed with the Potter vault here at Gringotts and one copy was placed at the Ministry of Magic, more specifically with the Department of Inheritance in the event of the original copy being stolen, damaged or lost. If you wish to learn of what has become of your parents will, you will need to visit Gringotts in person as this information is too sensitive to be sent by letter.

To your second question, yes your parents left three vaults to you. The main vault is the Potter vault which houses the majority of your inheritance which you will receive either upon your 17th birthday or upon the date of your emancipation. The second vault, which belonged to Ignotus Peverell before being inherited by the Potter Clan through your father's side, has never been opened nor officially claimed by a Potter since Ignotus's death. Lastly, the trust fund vault which you are currently using was opened by your parents in the event of their deaths to provide for your needs until you claimed the main Potter vault. Again, you should visit Gringotts and speak to the Potter manager regarding some sensitive information.

You should indeed have received monthly statements regarding the Potter main vault and your trust fund. Since you have not received a single statement, we believe there has been a serious breach of security. We have begun an investigation, however it will go faster if you can visit Gringotts to verify a few things.

Lastly, your parents own a number of properties which you will able to claim on your 17th birthday or upon your emancipation. This letter is a portkey designed to transport you to a special waiting room in Gringotts where you can meet your Potter Manager who can resolve these issues.

May your enemies tremble beneath your feet and your gold overflow from your pockets.

Gringotts

Harry slowly folded the letter and counted to ten. He felt elated that his parents cared about his well-being, but angry that someone had been interfering with his bank statements.

"What does it say, Harry?" Iris asked impatiently.

"Someone has been intercepting my bank statements; I apparently have three vaults and a few properties. And...my parents did have a will. I'm going to bet my entire inheritance and say that my parents didn't want me to go to the Dursleys," Harry replied with a frown.

Iris looked guilty and shifted uneasily. "Um..."

"Is there something you want to tell me, Iris?" Harry asked with narrowed eyes.

"Well, my wards are registering a Mail blocking ward around you, Harry. And, um, well, Dumbledore placed it there….among other things," Iris shifted nervously. "Harry, you need to go to Gringotts and ask if their goblin healers can examine you. They're among the best in the world."

"Fine, but I don't like this," Harry groused.

Iris looked at him with sympathy before sighing. "It's better this way. It's better if you find out yourself."

"You're making me nervous. It sounds serious…should I go to Gringotts now?" he asked.

"Yes, now would be a good time before Dumbledore finds out and stops you," she replied, biting her bottom lip. Harry gave a long searching look at Iris before nodding.

"Well, let's get this over with. Dobby!"

The jubilant house elf appeared with a soft pop, though when he saw his master's worried look, he lost his smile. "Master calls?"

"Hey, Dobby, can you take me outside the Hogwarts wards? And after that can you please feed Hedwig some rashers?" Harry asked the diminutive elf.

"Yes, Master Harry," Dobby replied with a nod. The house elf grabbed Harry's arm and with a soft pop, they appeared on the outskirts of Hogsmeade.

"Thanks, buddy, I'll see you later alright," Harry said, smiling gratefully.

Harry stumbled a bit after the Gringotts portkey deposited him in a dimly lit room. In the corner behind a worn desk sat a stout goblin with a permanent scowl on his gnarled face. The goblin glanced sharply at him before he resumed shuffling parchments, muttering all the while. Harry was unsure what to do so he tentatively approached the goblin, intent on getting answers.

"Hello, um, I'm Harry Potter," Harry said, cringing when his voice squeaked slightly.

"Yes, I was told to anticipate your arrival, Mr. Potter. Give me a few minutes to finish writing these letters, then I shall take you to your account manager," the unnamed goblin replied.

Harry nodded, although the effort was wasted as the goblin continued shuffling without giving a sidelong look at him. After a few moments, the goblin stood up and beckoned Harry to follow with an impatient flourish.

Not wanting to anger the temperamental goblin, Harry followed briskly. They strode through musky, chilly corridors until they reached an ornate door with torches cradled in iron holders on either side of the door. The goblin knocked on the door sharply before Harry heard a series of grunts and a muffled reply coming from inside.

"In you go, Mr. Potter," the goblin said, gesturing to the door.

"Thank you, Sir," Harry replied. He walked through the door to find a large office, overflowing with stacks of parchments and sharp axes hanging along the walls. He looked toward the center where a goblin of small stature sat behind a ridiculously large wooden desk.

"Come in, Mr. Potter. I have been waiting years for your arrival," the goblin sitting behind the desk spoke.

"Hello, Sir," Harry replied, smiling at the goblin. He moved toward the chair in front of the desk and sat down.

"My name is Longcock, and I have served as the Potter account manager for over sixty two years," Longcock said with smile which Harry thought looked more like a grimace than anything.

"Huh, your name is Longcock?"

"Yes, what of it?" the goblin asked, staring suspiciously at Harry.

"Oh-um…er nothing" Harry replied, desperate to hold back a chuckle. He didn't want to start things off by being rude to the Goblin.

"Very well, let's get straight to business," Longcock said stiffly. The goblin shuffled some parchment before continuing. Harry felt his face going red with restrained mirth. "I was expecting you on your eleventh birthday, Mr. Potter, but you never showed. I assume that is one of the many issues we are going to discuss today? But first, let's talk about your parents' wills."

Harry nodded. This was the moment he'd been waiting for.

Longcock cleared his throat and continued, "It seems, Mr. Potter, that the Potter wills have been locked and are inaccessible thanks to Albus Dumbledore."

What?

End Chapter.

Author's Note:

Stay tuned for Ripple Effect Part Two. After this the story will begin to pick up now that Harry is disillusioned with regard to authority figures and his lot in life. I may be swamped with work this week so the next chapter may not be up until next week at the latest.