Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's probably not mine It all belongs to JK I'm just playing in her sandbox a little. I do read a lot of Fanfiction so if you see anything else you recognize I may have accidentally incorporated something.

AN: Merry Christmas Everyone, so this is the new Rewritten chapter 1. It encompasses the former Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 I believe. So, I hope you enjoy the Chapters I have uploaded today, I think that is it. As always Read and Review.

~~~~~Power of Ancestral Magics~~~~~

Chapter 1- Magic Awakening

~~~~~Power of Ancestral Magics~~~~~

Number 4 Privet Dr, Dursley Residence

People looked at one Harry James Potter and saw many things. Many saw him as his father's exact replica but with his mother's eyes, few looked farther and realized that this was not true. For in Harry James Potter lived an amalgamation of features. For the few that looked closer, and who knew the legacy they that while Harry had his mother's bright emerald eyes and his father's unruly raven hair, he had his paternal Grandmother's high aristocratic cheekbones, and his maternal Grandmother's build. If one were to look carefully, they would almost see other features that did not to come from either Lily or James, for the originators of those features, you would have to look much farther back into his family tree.

For you see the fourteen-year-old wizard that lay fast asleep in the spare bedroom of Number 4 was not normal. Even among wizards he wasn't normal, the many adventures that took place each school year were testament of that. The boy who slept in this mundane home had over the past four years, met many new people and learned a bit about his place in the Magical world. Tonight, though that would change. Tonight Harry turned fifteen, and unknown to him this birthday was a signal of change. For tonight something would change, something that had nothing to do with his parents' death, nor the scar that had spawned the title boy-who-lived. For unknown to Harry, as the magic of his mother's sacrifice that night had wrought a change, magic of a sort connected to his father would mark this change.

James Potter had been the scion of house Potter and with his father's death he became said houses Lord. The house of Potter was Most Ancient and Most Noble, and as with all families that lived long enough to gain said titles, they were different. As a house aged special magics began to gather, this magic eventually formed into Family and even longer still to house magics. While most houses could claim to have family magic, the strength of said magic mattered. For after a time this magic gained sentience, House Potter's magic had long ago gained sentience and had guarded and protected the house for over a millennium. This was the magic that lingered over Harry this night. The magic pushed and prodded over the boy's magic, finding first the bound, then mingling with the free portions of his core, and into his mind sought out answers.

As family magic grew stronger certain rites and rituals were developed and shared among the houses, to ensure an heir could properly connect to a house's magic. This was necessary for many reasons chief of which was that without these rites being done, the houses magic could be too strong for the heir to control without them. If an heir lost control, they could lose both name, life, and magic, for not just themselves but all those in the vicinity.

As the magic sorted through Harry's magic and his memories its fury and rage grew. It found an heir strong enough to wield it without the rites being performed. But that said child was unable to as he knew nothing of said magic. He knew nothing of the history of his house, knew nothing of his houses' power, nor its position or duty. As this heir stood now the house of Potter would fall, its responsibilities would be lost, its political and social power would be taken by others, and its history would be lost.

The magic recoiled at this; its heir had been harmed but what could it do. The only access the magic had to the world was through the heir, it could communicate no other way. But how to communicate with the heir? It stopped its rage calming, its power focusing. As Harry had been born a Potter the Potter family magic knew that it was inherent and activated automatically, reaching into the boys' core into parts that were naturally bound it found what it was looking for. Here was the magic of houses that the boy was connected to but the family magic slumbered, or was not the primary magic. The Black family magic slumbered here, it would need to be activated, but that would be simple as the family still had a head. The others were houses whose magic had gained sentience but slept without heads. But here amongst them he could activate one of the two family safeguards that could be activated solely by the family magic.

But the magic hesitated, some of those that surrounded it would wake with this, others he was sure his boy would waken if only to aid in the current situation. Responsibilities came with these lines, would his boy be strong enough to carry all of them? It hesitated a moment longer before remembering the memories he had searched through earlier, his boy had faced both a basilisk and a Dragon, he had faced down lords that refused to see the power of his house in his eyes. He would fulfill his responsibilities and surpass them, of this the magic was sure. With that decision made the magic of house Potter activated the one safeguard all Olde houses had. At that moment the clock struck midnight, and it became July 31, 1995.

Inside Harry's mind the nightmare that had occurred every night since the third task faded. The nightmare memory of Cedric's death and Voldemort's return, with different endings vanished, Voldemort faded, the graveyard disappeared, and he was suddenly in a stone room. He turned to look around and saw many things, but certain things caught his eyes.

The first thing, was the room as it seemingly had no doorway. Second, the walls of the room were completely covered in vines. Vines of different shapes, colors, and varieties. Some were so tiny that they reminded him of the Ivy that grew in his Aunt's garden. Others were the width of his arm, and they all came in a variety of colors, not just in the vines themselves but in the glow of their flowers as well. One was a pale green with pink flowers another was a deep green with blue flowers, one set of vines looked almost black but had silver looking flowers coming from them. The last thing Harry noticed in the room was in the very center was an elegant marble looking table with many different lines, and grooves cut into it, sitting about waist height.

Harry was startled as he heard a voice from behind him say, "Hello, Harry." Turning around, Harry sees an oddly dressed man who could have stepped from a bygone era of knights and kings, with extravagant clothing and a sword at his waist. The man has messy black hair, high cheekbones, hazel eyes, and a lean but tall build. His eyes shine with thinly veiled laughter, but a touch of something else quite possible anger in its depths.

"Who are you, how do you know my name, and where are we?" Harry asks nervously. The man raises his eyebrows and responds.

"You ask many questions young one, but have patience, I will answer all of them and any others you may ask, but first will you answer my questions young heir?" The man looks at Harry, who finds his eyes, and his face unreadable. Harry wants the answers to his questions so much that he almost demands his answers not in the mood to be questioned but as he looks at the man, he feels that such behavior will get him nothing. There is a feel to this man, an aura of power that makes Harry first pause to think before he answers.

"Yes, at least to the best of my ability, I will." Harry answers.

The man just nods. "What do you know of your legacy?"

Harry blinks, "I don't understand, what legacy are you talking about?"

"What do you know of the legacy of your family, of the family magic, of the history of your lineage, of your power in our world? What do you know of our traditions of our victories of our defeats? Do you know of anything of the family, of your legacy of your responsibilities in our world?"

Harry just blinks, "Nothing."

The man just nods "You are Haldris Potter Last heir and noble scion of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter. Now I assume you do not understand what that means so I will explain. Please wait until I have explained."

"In the wizarding world a house or the family that you are born to, is critical. As a culture the wizarding world, treasures our past, as we treasure the actions and responsibilities of our forefathers. In wizarding society, we show this by giving respect to those that paved the way for us to be what we are today, we give them honor in many ways. The titles a house holds, can be reflected in how old they are, and how strong monetarily."

"I see in your eyes scoffing, at wealth being so valued, but wealth gives a family standing for many reasons, some of this is in historical significance and some not. However wealth without age is folly in our world. The titles of Noble, Most Noble, and Utmost Noble, are all monetary titles. However one cannot be Most Noble, before becoming Ancient, nor can one become Utmost Noble without being Most Ancient."

"Of the titles given among the wizards only two positions stand at the highest points, the royal houses, and the Ancestral houses. They are both unique and connected, the 18 Royal houses rule the 10 magical Empires and the remaining 8 rule the African Nations and Oceanic Nations as councils, 4 for each Council. The Ancestral Houses are different. There are 36 houses, who have gained the title of ancestral houses. They were the guardians before the kingdoms rose and they chose in many ways the Royal houses. For the 12 Magical Nations, each has in a way 3 houses, some such as Peverell left their homelands and immigrated to other lands before the kingdoms were established. The Ancestral houses bow to no Royal house, and few of the royal houses would dare to challenge them for in times past the Ancestral houses have disposed of the Royal houses. To become an Ancestral house is more than just age; it too requires house magics that few can achieve. For the Peverell's of Egypt, they in many ways founded the branch of magic known as Necromancy or the magic of the dead. As they founded and built the magic, they became masters of that branch of magic. Masters to the point that even if the family gift was blood magic one of the dark magic, and a child was born with a light core (meaning the dark arts would be difficult to perform and impossible to master) the child would still find Blood magic easy to perform and only slightly harder than usual to master."

"Wow," said Harry, "I didn't know any of that. But you still haven't really explained how this helps me or who you are, or where we are."

"Well, it goes back to Family Magics."

"I don't want more useless information; I want answers to my questions." Interrupts Harry losing his patience with the stranger.

"If you would learn Patience young heir, I was about to explain what I meant if you would but listen." Harry steps back from the man as his eyes go cold and the walls of the room pulse.

"Some would ask if it is worth it to go through all that trouble of tracking the generations, I asked my own father if it would not be better if the nobility gained such titles by deeds and works than age. He answered me that it was not so much about the generations that past, but the family magic that they honored. But since you are so impatient to let me answer the questions you asked me earlier. Where are we? The answer is simple in your magical core, not the part you generally use in casting magic but what, for those with family magic is called the family vault. Look at the walls you see those vines, those are the houses of which you carry their magic. Most you will never be able to access, and right now, you cannot access any of them. The smaller the vine, the younger it was when it was absorbed into the family magic, of either your mother and/or your father."

"I can see in your eyes you wonder how this ties in to what I spoke of before. At the family level, the initial magic is weak, just forming, but easily controlled. By the time a house achieves Noble status, the Family magic has gone through its first maturity and gained limited sentience. It can do a few things on its own enable the Rite, locating heirs, and of course, chooses those that should be gifted with it. But it is still young and has limited control."

"From there it grows faster and becomes surer of itself and can retain more for itself as well as replenish the magic of its family faster. Stories say the family Magic of the Ancestral Houses were so strong that the family could do feats thought impossible, or that usually took circles or covens to perform they could perform alone. As they age, the sentience of the family magic grows to, but they can be silenced as well, for example, in a situation like yours. You remember how I said that in the beginning, the magic was easy to control, but as it aged, as it was used by the family, it becomes harder to control. That is why one is usually trained in the family arts from a young age that by the time they are grown, they can use them without repercussions. You have not had that, if you were to attempt to channel the magic, it would not answer as it could not answer for to do so would kill you. The family rituals to connect you to the magic even partially have not happened, as it stands, you know nothing of what it means to be a Potter."

"Then what is the point of me learning all this if I can never use it?" Harry shouts indignantly.

"The point is your legacy, as you don't know the family Rites and traditions, as such you cannot pass them on. The Family magic knows that as it stands, it will fade as the smallest vines in this room will in time. As with any sentient being, they have a desire to continue to live, if you do not learn, it will die; therefore, it has enacted the Rite."

"The Rite, the Rite, what?" Says Harry confused.

"The Rite of Ancestry is an odd rite, and a safety measure as a magical on their own cannot enact it but can only be activated by magic itself. It is Rite that is the sole, absolute power of the Family magics. When a child comes much like you who has been betrayed by those who should have taught them, they are left with no one to guide them. The family Magic enacts the Rite of Ancestry to call forth the family vault within the child, and calls forth the ancestors of the house a minimum of three of the line are so chosen and called forth to guide the young heir in the history and power of the family power."

"To answer your final question, I am James Eridian Potter your many time's great grandfathers, and I have been called forth by the family magic to teach you of the house and legacy that you carry within you."

Harry looks uncertainly at the figure standing before him "Are you a ghost or something?"

"Not exactly but close, I am called a guardian, and I will not be the only one you have. I will teach you, as will others, in your dreams but we will also watch you in your waking life and expect you to honor your family's legacy by putting our teachings to good use. We can give advice, as we can also guide you in other things." James responds.

"Ok, what will all of you be teaching me?" Harry asks, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Our family history, spells hidden in the family Grimoire, traditions, culture, things you will need to bring the family magic from the brink of extinction and of course how to use the family magic, among other things." James answers, his mouth curled up in a smile.

"But I thought you said that I couldn't use the family magic." Harry's head is swimming in confusion but James rests his hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

"I said as it stands you could not use the family magic; you don't know-how. I did not however say that you never would. First things first, tonight is the night before your 15th birthday, tomorrow you need to go to Gringotts and ask for the Potter Account Manager. Tell him that you wish to invoke the last of line clause and take up the Potter Lordship. As you're under the age of 17, you won't be able to vote in the traditional Wizengamot, but you will be able to place a proxy there to vote for you. This will give you access to the family accounts, of which you can then request the family grimoire, ritual items and the rental of a ritual room for an hour to set up for the ritual of awakening. The ritual of Awakening will allow you to have partial access to your family magic so that I may begin teaching you. Time and other things will make it stronger. After you have performed the ritual, you will return to your account manager and ask first for a full inheritance test, a legacy test, and an abilities test. After this, and only after, are you to put the Potter headship ring on and any other heirship rings you may gain. But before any of that I need to instruct you in the proper ways to address and deal with the Goblins."

All this information did nothing to help Harry's confusion and with so much to remember, Harry had to take some time off from his learning. Little did he know of the trouble threatening to stir, caused by a simple decision made by the family magic of a dying line. Inside Hogwarts numerous devices began to flash and make high pitch whistle, and shrieks before falling silent and still. Inside the Department of Mysteries, in the heart of the Ministry of Magic, an orb, long forgotten in the oldest section of the Hall of Prophecies, glowed again and spoke.

A throne, long-vacant, once more filled

An enemy, long defeated, once more freed

Allies, long-held, now betrayed

Darkness, once banished, shall be released

Ancestral Blood, long bound, shall be released

But Rite of Blood he must pass

Lest the seals forever be broken