Disclaimer: I do not own any piece of the Harry Potter franchise including names, places, spell, etc.

Chapter 1: Ascension.

It was a record breaking hot day in Little Whinging, Surrey. Most people chose to stay indoors, seeking sanctuary from the heat within the comfort of their air conditioned homes. The people of Privet Drive were, for the most part, just like everyone else in that regard. The only difference was that there was one person who wasn't hiding from the heat. A young teen, with messy black hair and glasses, sat under the shade of a giant tree. The park, usually filled with adults walking their dogs and children playing on the playground, was completely empty. However, that suited the boy just fine who welcomed the silence as a time to think.

Harry Potter was not like anybody else in that neighborhood. One main difference was that he, Harry Potter, was a wizard or a practitioner of magic. Instead of a regular boarding school, Harry Potter went to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where he learned to control his magic and to live life as a wizard. As such, Harry Potter knew how to fly on a broom, he knew how to brew potions, and he was fairly knowledgeable in the history of the wizarding world as well as its magical creatures. However, there was a one more difference between Harry Potter and the rest of the neighborhood. It was that very difference that had dominated his thoughts since the end of his last term.

"..and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...".

Harry Potter, unlike any of his neighbors, was a marked man. It was his destiny to fight Lord Voldemort, the greatest dark wizard since the days of Gellert Grindelwald and was probably the strongest wizard alive. Harry didn't think that he himself was a powerful wizard. He wasn't the smartest wizard of his age, nor was a talented duelist, brilliant potion makers, or anything noteworthy. The only achievement that Harry really had happened when he was only a baby and, in his eyes, was a product of pure luck. Harry Potter was the-boy-who-lived, the only person to have ever survived the dreaded killing curse, and, subsequently since the spell rebounded on its caster, the defeater of the dark during the first war.

"I suppose it was too much to ask that he stayed dead," Harry muttered dejectedly with a shake of his head. "Instead, I'm going to get bloody killed by the git." In truth, Harry wasn't very optimistic with his chances. Before the end of the last school term, he had no idea of his destiny. Although he knew of Voldemort's return, he had assumed that someone way more powerful than him would fight and defeat the Dark Lord. A champion of the light, someone wise and all-knowing with a control over magic that was legendary. Someone like Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. The titles that precede him were already impressive enough. Order of Merlin first class, Grand Sorcerer, Supreme Mugwump, Chief Warlock, and Headmaster of Hogwarts, just to name a few. He was the defeater of Grindelwald, and the leader of Order of the Phoenix. In Harry's eyes, it should be this man who fights Voldemort instead of a student. However, destiny apparently didn't see it that way.

The thought of the Headmaster brought an angry grown to Harry's face. It was that man who had told Harry that it was his fate to kill or be killed. Instead of telling Harry long ago in order for Harry to train, he left Harry woefully unprepared to meet his fate. What made it worse was the death of the only family he had left, his god-father Sirius Black. Despite what they all told him, Harry did blame himself for the death of his god-father. Had he been stronger, had he been more prepared, had he known just what Voldemort was aiming for, then perhaps things would've ended differently and Sirius would still be alive. Instead he was dead and Harry had grieved for the loss of someone so close to him since the summer began. However, tears were soon replaced by anger and distrust of the Headmaster who hid everything for him. Harry had vowed never to put faith in the man ever again as his trust had all but shattered when the headmaster had revealed his secret manipulations.

As the summer went on, little pieces had begun to clink into place. Would his parents really have left him at the Dursleys knowing how they hated magic? Would Remus Lupin, one of James Potter's best friends, really have ignored him for the first part of his life? Why did each year at Hogwarts for Harry come with something life threatening? And worst of all, why did Headmaster Albus Dumbledore wait until the end of his fifth year to tell Harry it was his destiny to fight a powerful dark lord? He had asked himself these questions over and over again ever since the conversation with Dumbledore after Sirius' death. For a time, he wanted to speak to the Headmaster about it and get him to confess all of his manipulations to him. However, it didn't take Harry long to realize that Dumbledore probably wouldn't bother to answer Harry's questions. Their conversation alone was proof that the Headmaster had no problem hiding such information from Harry. As such Harry had nothing to say to Albus Dumbledore and had sincerely hoped that their meetings would be scarce.

However, it seemed that fate had a sick sense of humor when concerning Harry. This time, said humor came in the form of Nymphadora Tonks, metamorphmagus, auror, and member of the Order of the Phoenix. "Wotcher Harry," greeted Tonks with her trademark bubblegum pink hair. "How are you holding up?"

On a normal basis, her cheer was a welcoming factor in Harry's life. However, it was a tactless maneuver on her part and it took quite a bit for Harry to keep himself from retorting sarcastically. "As well as I can be given everything that has happened," he answered simply. "I was under the impression that my minders weren't allowed to reveal themselves to me; why are you here?"

It wasn't a cold tone but it wasn't overly friendly either, something that Tonks picked up instantly. She wanted to ask what was wrong but decided against it and continued with what she had come to do. "We're going to Gringotts for the reading of Sirius' will," she answered, motioning for Harry to follow her. "We'll be meeting with everyone at the bank."

Harry realized what this meant and inwardly groaned. "Oh fuck me," he thought to himself as he and Tonks continued to walk. "I didn't think I'd have to see him so soon."

With a sigh, he reached into his pocket and pulled out something that was quite shocking to Tonks. "Harry, I didn't know you smoked," said Tonks, staring at the pack of Marlboro Lights that Harry was holding as he lit one and took a drag. "Those aren't good for you, you know."

Harry shrugged and took another drag and exhaled before responding. "With my track record trust me, the dangers of smoking are the least of my concerns," he answered truthfully, taking another grateful drag from the stick in his hand. "Besides, it's a wonderful stress reliever."

Tonks looked at him strangely before, surprisingly; her face broke into a wide smile. "You really sounded like Sirius just then," she said with a sad smile before extending her hand out towards him. "Mind if I have one?" With a smile and nod, Harry picked one out of his pack and handed it to her. With his other hand he reached for a lighter and lit her cigarette for her. "Thanks Harry," she said as she took a drag. "Just don't say anything to the others okay?"

"I won't if you won't Tonksie," he replied, happier now then he had been earlier. "I'm glad it was you who picked me up today."

"By the way, how did you come across these anyways?" inquired Tonks as they continued to walk. "Isn't there an age restriction on who's allowed to buy cigarettes?"

Harry took another deep drag and exhaled slowly before turning to her and smiling deviously. "Actually, I stole them from Dudley," he answered proudly. "The best part is, even if he finds out it's me taking them there's nothing he can do about it because he doesn't want his parents to find out he smokes."

Sharing a laugh at his muggle family's expense, the two finished smoking just as they reached the house of Arabella Figg, long time neighbor, and as Harry had found out the year before, a squib placed there by Albus Dumbledore in order to watch over him. The thought of another minder made Harry angry though none of the anger was directed towards the little old lady who had revealed herself to Harry the year before. It was yet another manipulation done by the Headmaster concerning his life.

"Hello you two, I've been expecting you," greeted Mrs. Figg as she opened the door and ushered them inside. "You'd best be on your way to Gringotts, those goblins have a nasty temper especially when a client is late." With a short greeting, the two walked over to the fireplace and gathered a handful of floo powder each.

"Gringotts!" yelled Tonks as she disappeared in a blaze of green flame. Harry followed shortly and found himself barreling onto the tiled floor of the goblin-run bank.

Groaning, he pushed himself off the floor and dusted himself off muttered a string of curses as Tonks laughed at him. "Has anyone ever told you that you have the grace and agility of a cave troll Harry?" she asked through bouts of laughter. Harry gave her the finger before looking around and hoping nobody saw his embarrassing tumble. Thankfully, the branch was rather empty with the exception of the goblins who probably wouldn't have bothered to glance even if Harry had apparated and splinched himself.

"If you're finished laughing Tonks then can we please move on?" inquired Harry, turning back to his pink haired companion. "I'd rather not keep the others waiting." After taking a couple seconds to compose himself, Tonks led Harry to one of the nearby goblins.

"State your business please?" said the Goblin without looking up from his work.

"Nymphadora Tonks and Harry James Potter here for the reading of the will of the late Sirius Orion Black," answered Tonks, her cheer from earlier now replaced by absolute seriousness. "There is a group here waiting for us."

Still without looking up, the goblin pointed a long bony finger down a nearby hallway. "Down that way and four doors to your right," he instructed before finally looking up and resting his bead little eyes at Harry. "Bank Manager Ragnok will be seeing to the reading of Black's will."

With that done, the two walked briskly down the hall that had been pointed out by the goblin. "Is it normal for a bank manager to deal with will readings?" inquired Harry, breaking through the silence as the two walked. "It seems like something a regular associate could easily take care of."

"And in most cases you'd be correct," responded Tonks as they reached the fourth door. "But house Black is a rather old house in the magical world so, to the Goblins, they're more important than most families." Before he could inquire more, the door opened, revealing the one man that Harry hoped he didn't have to see.

"Ah, hello Harry," greeted Dumbledore with his customary grandfather tone and twinkle in his eyes. "I hope you are well."

"Just fucking peachy," Harry thought to himself angrily. "I'm here for the will reading of my bloody god-father, how am I supposed to feel?" Harry could feel his anger for the headmaster over the summer coming back and fought valiantly to keep his temper under control. "Greetings Headmaster, I am as well as I can be given what we are here for," replied Harry in an even tone, adopting a look of neutrality. "Please excuse me." walking around the somewhat surprised Headmaster, Harry took a moment to see who was present.

"HARRY!" squealed Hermione as she came running and threw her arms around Harry in a hug. "I was wondering when you'd get here." Harry smiled slightly at the excitement shown by his best female friend and returned the hug sincerely. For a moment, he wondered if she would catch the smell of tobacco on his clothes but, thankfully, she didn't make any mention of it.

"It's good to see you too Hermione," he answered truthfully as he noticed his other best friend coming up to them. "Hey there mate, how've you been?" As he said this, he noticed a look of jealously on Ron's face and realized that Hermione was still in his arms.

"I've been alright," answered Ron simply, once Harry had let go of Hermione. "Mum's been asking Dumbledore to allow you to come to come to the Burrow soon so hopefully you won't have to be with those muggles much longer." It seemed that his jealousy had subsided quite a bit but Harry knew that it would flare up with the slightest nudge. "So what do you think Sirius left us?" asked Ron with a surge of excitement. "I wonder if we'll get some money out of this." Harry glared at his friend with a shocking flash of anger. Sirius was dead and all this red-headed prat could think about money? He was on the verge of retorting angrily at his friend but was beaten to it by their bushy haired companion.

"Honestly Ronald how thick can you be?" she scolded angrily. "Harry's god-father is dead and all you can think about is money?" Ron was shocked at her outburst and quickly retracted his statement and apologized, though Harry distinctly felt as though the apology was aimed at appeasing Hermione rather than truly feeling apologetic to Harry.

He sent a grateful look to Hermione before excusing himself and heading over to Remus who he found sitting by himself. "Hello Moony," greeted Harry as he sat next to his father's old friend. "How are you?"

Remus looked down at Harry and graced him with a sad smile. "I guess I am still trying to come to terms with fact that he's gone," he responded in a tired voice. "Fate really is cruel, Sirius was taken from me for over a decade and when I finally get to spend more time, he's permanently taken from me." He ran a hand through his hair wearily and sighed deeply. "I'm the last marauder Harry," he continued. "Not the lively Padfoot nor the first family man Prongs, but me the cursed werewolf Moony." Harry placed a hand on Moony's shoulder, trying to reassure him as much as he could. it wasn't much, but Remus showed his appreciation by pulling Harry into a hug. "I know I can't replace Sirius as your mentor Harry." he continued as he pulled away. "But if you ever need someone to talk to like Sirius then I'll do my best to fill in." Harry grinned and nodded, not trusting himself to speak during such an emotional point.

Thankfully he didn't have to, for at that moment a goblin entered the room and got everyone's attention with a cough. "I am Bank Manager Ragnok," he said, introducing himself as he made his way to the podium located at the front of the room. "Will everyone please be seated so that we may start the reading of the will and testament of Lord Black."

It was the first time that Harry had ever heard someone he knew being called Lord [not counting the self titled Lord Voldemort] and it caused him to look around confusingly. If anyone else wasn't aware of the title then they hide their surprise well. Everyone continued to find seating in preparation for the will reading. As his eyes continued to roam, Harry's gaze landed on Dumbledore and was surprised to see him staring at him with knowing eyes. Harry's eyes narrowed as he promptly focuses his attention to the front of the room. "The old bastard knew," he thought to himself angrily. "Yet another piece of information hidden by Albus Dumbledore." Harry fumed silently, not noticing that Ron and Hermione had pulled up seats next to him and were attempting, and obviously failing, to full him into a conversation.

When everyone present had pulled up seats and were silent. Ragnok began with another cough. "Very well, onto business," he started, removing a letter from a folder he had on the podium. "This is the last will and testament of Lord Sirius Orion Black, head of the ancient and noble house of Black, head of the ancient and noble house of Black":

I, Sirius Orion Black, head of the ancient and noble house of Black, being of sound body and mind, leave the following items to the following people at the time of my death. To Remus Lupin I leave 100,000 galleons. At the time of writing this letter I have also given you a personal letter that you may now open at your leisure. Live well and happy my dearest brother Moony.

Remus smiled through his tears before buried his head in his hands. Surprisingly to Harry, he was beaten in his attempt to console the man by the pink haired auror on Remus' other side.

"There, there Remus, let it all out," she whispered soothingly as she rubbed the werewolf's back. "It's okay, it will all be okay." Harry could not help but smile at the way the young woman was looking at his father's last friend. It seemed that Sirius' words of living a happy life were already coming to fruition.

To the Weasley family, I leave 50,000 galleons. I know that you don't take charity Arthur and Molly but think of it as thanks for caring for my godson when I could not and for showing him what a loving family is all about. You have my eternal gratitude as well as Lily and James'.

The monetary amount caused Molly to faint almost instantly. Luckily for her, her husband was there to catch her, despite not looking too steady himself. "Bless that man," Harry head Mr. Weasley whisper as he held his wife tightly. Harry couldn't help but smile at the people he thought of as parents. They deserved the money and he hoped it would lessen their burdens and allow them to relax somewhat in life. Despite being his friend, Harry made a decision not to look at Ron's reaction to receiving said amount. After what the red-head had said earlier, Harry could imagine the sickly sweet smile he probably had plastered on his face.

To my beautiful cousin Nymphadora Tonks and her family I leave 90,000 galleons. I'm sorry we couldn't get to know each other cousin but, in the time that we had together, I can safely say that I am proud to call you family. By the way, in regards to what we were talking about last Christmas, I say go for it! Neither of you are getting any younger.

It was now Tonks' turn to cry and Remus' turn to comfort her. Harry picked out Sirius' words to both of them and the realization caused him to break out in a goofy grin. He wished the both of them luck as Ragnok continued with the reading.

To Hermione Granger I leave 10,000 galleons as well as numerous books from my personal will be delivered to you within the next few days. Thank you for keeping Harry in line and for everything you've done for me.

Hermione openly sobbed and Harry, not caring for any jealous looks by Ron, pulled her into his arms and allowed for her to cry on his shoulder. "Don't cry 'Mione, Sirius wouldn't want you to cry," he said soothingly. "He'd want you to jump for joy at the prospect of getting new books." She gave him a watery chuckle and punched his arm playfully before returning her face to his shoulder.

"Prat," she muttered through her sobs.

And finally, to Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, I will not leave money because I'm sure you have enough to be set for life. What I can do is leave you Grimmauld place as headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix until the war with Voldemort is over. When it is over, I ask that you vacate it so that it may return to private use by House Black.

Dumbledore bowed his head in thanks, satisfied with what he had been given by Sirius. Harry scoffed at the headmaster and wondered if Sirius really wanted to give his home to Dumbledore or if the old Headmaster had persuaded him to do so. After all he was a sly speaker when he wanted something done his way. "Besides, there probably aren't any members of house Black left besides Tonks and her family," he thought to himself. "He'll probably try to worm his way into either keeping the house indefinitely or selling it and reaping the profits."

Before he could think on it more, Harry was brought out of his thoughts by what Ragnok said next. "Thus ends part one of the reading of the will of Lord Sirius Orion Black," he said folding the letter and igniting it with a snap of his finger. The group watched as the letter crumpled and burned. No one questions it so Harry figured it was a normal practice done by the Goblins. When the letter had dissolved into ashes, Ragnok took a second letter out and placed it on the podium before lifting his beady eyes to the occupants of the room. "Part two of the last will and testament of Lord Sirius Orion Black will begin as soon as everyone vacates the room except for Harry James Potter," he said, snapping his fingers to signal a batch of guards to enter the room as escorts. "If you would all please leave the room so that will reading with Mr. Potter may begin."

Some of the occupants, such as Remus and Tonks, bowed and took their leave without a fuss. Molly and Arthur moved to do the same but stopped when they noticed their youngest boy wasn't moving. "Come on Ron," called his father, getting the boy's attention. "We were asked to leave."

Ron looked over at Hermione who still hadn't detached herself from Harry's arms and shook his head stubbornly. "If Hermione is staying then so am I," he said before quickly adding a bit more so it looked like he cared for Harry. "We're Harry's best mates, so I'm sure he wants us here." Hermione gave him a small smile, impervious to the truth behind Ron's motives, before looking towards Harry. Much to her surprise, Harry looked rather sour at his best mate as he released Hermione from his arms.

"Actually, I'd like to hear this on my own," he said, shocking them both. "Could you guys leave me for a bit?" It seemed that everyone in that room had expected Harry to cling to his friends and were more than surprised at him detaching himself from them.

"Are you sure Harry?" inquired Hermione, placing a hand on his leg. "You know we'd be more than happy to stay."

Harry looked at her for a moment, searching her eyes for something he didn't really know. Suddenly, he found what he was looking for in the form of Hermione giving a quick look to Dumbledore when she thought Harry wasn't looking. "No that won't be necessary," he responded, a slight edge to his voice. "I would like to get this done so if you don't mind please leave." With that, Harry turned his face forward and ignored all further attempts from his friends.

"Fine, come on Hermione," snapped Ron before glaring at Harry. "Obviously friendship doesn't mean much here." Giving him one more sad look, Hermione stood and followed Ron and his family out the door, leaving Dumbledore behind.

"Harry," he began before Harry could ask him to leave. "As your magical guardian I am entitled to stay for the second reading."

"Actually headmaster, you are privy only to the dealings of House Potter," said Ragnok in a business-like tone. "Therefore, you have no jurisdiction over House Black and unless Mr. Potter specifically allowed it, you are not allowed to sit for the second reading."

"Bank Manager Ragnok, please let it be known that I do not give Albus Dumbledore specific consent to sit for this reading," stated Harry with a quick glare at the Headmaster. "Please Leave Professor."

Once again, his cold demeanor surprised Dumbledore who made to speak but was stopped by Ragnok. "There you have it Mr. Dumbledore," he said with another snap of his fingers. "Guards please see Mr. Dumbledore out of the room." The guards smiled and raised their weapons menacingly, forcing Dumbledore out the door despite his protests.

When the door closed with a snap, Harry exhaled in relief and rubbed his temples. "That was quite an ordeal," he mumbled before looking up at Ragnok. "I appreciate your assistance in clearing the room Bank Manager."

The goblin flashed him a smile, revealing rows of razor sharp teeth. "Never you mind that Mr. Potter," replied Ragnok with a wave of his hand. Albus Dumbledore is not loved by the Goblin Nation but we'll go into that more at a later date." With that said he opened the second letter and watched in amusement of Harry's shock as the letter began to rise and fold and crumple into the form of Sirius' face. It is an advance letter method similar to a howler," explained Ragnok before Harry could ask. "In you godfather's case, it was probably done because this would be a long letter and he was too lazy to write it out."

Harry smiled at the good-natured dig that Ragnok made on his god-father. "That sounds like Sirius," he commented with a laugh. "Too lazy to write his own will." As he finished, the letter finished folding into Sirius' face and began to speak.

Harry my boy, a lot will be said in the next couple of minutes that will potentially be life changing. But this letter plus Bank Manager Ragnok will be here to assist you. First off, allow me to answer a question that you've probably had since the start of this reading. Yes Harry I am Lord Sirius Orion Black. I apologize for not telling you but there is a reason for that and Bank Manager Ragnok will help explain.

With that, the letter suddenly paused as Ragnok coughed to clear his throat and took a sip from a glass of water he had nearby. "Lord Black was unaware that he still held his title after his stint in Azkaban," started Ragnok. "Also, because of his status as criminal, Lord Black was unable to fulfill certain functions required of him as the head of an ancient and noble house."

"May I inquire as to what exactly is required of a head of an ancient and noble house?" asked Harry, trying to understand everything as much as he could. "And what happens to house Black now that Sirius is dead?"

"That shall be answered later," responded Ragnok simply. "Do not fret Mr. Potter, Lord Black was very thorough in his explanation so that you will be prepared for what the future will hold for you." Before Harry could ask about the meaning of his words, Ragnok continued the letter with the snap of his finger.

Now Harry, you might be wondering what will happen to house Black now that I am gone. In most cases, the headship would pass to the next available member of our house. Unfortunately, in this case that person would be Belatrix Lestrange.

"No way!" exclaimed Harry, banging his fist on the arm of his chair. "That bitch is the reason this will reading is even necessary, she can't inherit everything!"

"Mr. Potter please calm down," came the soothing voice of the Bank Manager. "Your god-father wasn't stupid and if you would settle down and be silent you'll see what he did to fix this problem." Despite the calm tone, Harry could sense the power and authority behind it. He bowed his head in apology and motioned for Ragnok to continue the letter.

You're probably infuriated by this but don't worry, I have made a move that will fix this little snag. I, Lord Sirius Orion Blackm upon my untimely demise, pass the title of headship of house Black to one Harry James Potter. May he rule long and wisely in this seat. So mote it be!

A sudden golden light engulfed Harry as the last four words were said, causing Harry to gasp in shock but not harm. "It seems Mr. Black knew what he was doing," said Ragnok who had been watching with a grin. "Despite you not having an ounce of Black family blood in you, you've ascended to head of house Black."

"I-I'm Lord Black?" inquired Harry in shock. "Is that what that blinding light was?" Ragnok simply nodded before allowing the talking letter to continue.

Now Harry, as the new Lord Black there are requirements you must follow in order to maintain your spot at the head of the family. I can only tell you so much through this letter but don't worry for I have set it up so that you will quickly learn about wizarding politics. Bank Manager Ragnok, for one, has been our family's goblin advisor for centuries and has agreed to continue as such.

"It would be my honor to continue working with the Black family," responded Ragnok. "Working alongside such a prestigious family has always been... profitable."

I assume Ragnok has said something about profit made from our family. Come on Ragnok, and here I thought all this was out of the goodness of your heart.

Harry laughed at the dig which earned him a growl from the Bank Manager.

Anyways Harry, I also want you to meet with an old associate of mine. His name is Charles Greengrass, you probably are familiar with his daughter Daphne.

"The Slytherin Ice Queen?" exclaimed Harry in shock. "He wants me to consort with snakes?"

Knowing you Harry, you're probably very astonished that I'm asking you to seek out a Slytherin family. Let me tell you Harry, you'll soon learn that the world is not completely black and white. Despite the family name, we Blacks have always been on the grey fringe of life with only a few outcasts going either fully dark or fully light. Therefore, seek out Charles and speak to him Harry, he has been a steadfast companion and I am positive that you can trust him.

"If I may Mr. Potter," interrupted Ragnok, pausing the letter for a bit. "The Greengrass is an old family but does not claim lineage as far back as the Black family." Out of nowhere, he brought out a piece of paper and read its contents. "Charles is a politician and, although he is a pure-blood he does not believe in blood supremacy; Aurora Greengrass, his wife, is a healer at St. Mungos," he began, reading down the list. "They have two daughters, Daphne Alyssa and Astoria Marie, and have never been death-eaters, neither now nor back during the first war against Lord Voldemort."

The information given to him by the Bank Manager was extremely surprising to Harry. The attributes didn't fit those of Slytherin at all. "I figured everyone was just like Malfoy," he thought to himself before grimacing at his ignorance. "I suppose it is rather ignorant of me." Sighing, he rubbed his temples wearily and looked up at the Bank Manager. "I thank you Bank Manager for helping me see the truth," he said with a hint of a smile. "I will speak to Mr. Greengrass and hope he could assist me."

"That is very mature of you Mr. Potter," responded Ragnok. "May we continue with the reading?" With a slight nod, the letter resumed speaking.

The last piece of business Harry is to fully recognize you as Lord Black. Ragnok please give him the ring.

At Sirius' request, Ragnok hopped off the podium and grabbed a box from nearby. Walking over the Harry, he lifted the lid to reveal a midnight black ring with gold trimmings and a gold 'B' on the center. "This is the ring of house Black," explained Ragnok as he removed it from the box and held it out for Harry. "Place it on your right ring finger." Nodding, Harry took the ring and placed it on said finger. He gasped when the ring began to heat up to painful levels before suddenly cooling off and giving off a comfortable aura.

That ring will act as physical proof of your ascension as Lord Black so that no one can deny your position as the head of this house. Besides that, there are numerous spells and enchantment on the ring that you as Lord Black will find useful. First off, so long as you wear this ring, your mind is protected. Not only from legillimancy but from any form of mind control from love potions to the imperious curse.

"There is great power that comes with your station Lord Black," said Ragnok, adding in his two cents. "Someone with the decision power that you now hold would be a devastation weapon should he fall into evil hands."

The ring also works as a port-key to the bank, specifically to Ragnok's office.

"It's primary use is a fast method of meeting with me should you need financial assistance," explained Ragnok. "However, it has also been used as a way to escape dangerous situations from time to time."

And lastly, the ring acts as a calling beacon to members of the family when the head of house wants to see them. Just say their names and a compulsion charm is placed on them to see you as soon as possible.

"This charm works not only on Black family members," added Ragnok. "But also anyone who swears fealty to you as Lord Black."

This is all I can do for you Harry, I'm sorry it's not much. Please trust in Ragnok and Charles to guide you through learning to be a Lord. All I can do now is warn you Harry. Be careful of those around you and trust no one unless they swear fealty to you. Be especially wary of the headmaster as his manipulations are deeper than anyone realizes. I cannot go into detail in case this letter is compromised but Charles will be able to tell you everything. The Weasleys and Hermione should also be regarded warily Harry. Last summer, where they choose to follow Dumbledore and not write to you, has shown me just how obedient they all are to that old manipulator. I know that this is a lot to take in Harry. If I had my way I would have told you all of this in person. Albus knew this, which was probably why you and I could never really have time alone to speak. However, I know you'll bring house Black back to its former glory. Ours is a powerful family Harry, one that Albus cannot get his hands on. Make me proud my godson. I am already extremely proud of you. Until we see each other again. Good-bye.

And with that, the letter fell to the ground and burst into flames, another security procedure by Gringotts. Harry exhaled deeply and brought a hand to his pocket. "Permission to smoke Bank Manager?" he asked taking out his pack. "I don't think I've ever needed one more than this."

The Goblin stared at him and shrugged. "I don't see why not," he said, summoning an ashtray to Harry's side. "Try not to get ash on the floor would you."

Nodding, Harry lit up and drew a considerable amount in one go. There was a long silence while Harry smoked and tried to organize his thoughts. "How am I going to meet with this Mr. Greengrass?" he wondered aloud. "I doubt Dumbledore's goons are going to let me simply stroll out of Privet Drive." He took another drag from his cigarette but stopped mid way as his eyes rested upon the embers of the stick. "Bank Manager," he started, trying to form the question correctly in his mind. "Does the compulsion charm on the ring work on family members that have been banished from the family?"

Ragnok nodded with a sly smile, knowing exactly where Harry was going with this. "The ring doesn't have a mind of its own my Lord Black," he explained. "Once a Black, always a Black so far as it is concerned."

Harry smiled and took one more drag before putting his cigarette out in the ashtray. "And if said family member had a daughter with a useful ability to change her form?" he continued, as he stood up. "Would she also be affected by the ring's compulsion charm?"

"Ms. Tonks would definitely be compelled to see you," answered Ragnok. "I would also advise you to personally un-exile her family and welcome them back into the fold." He took one look at Harry's facial expression and laughed. "But I believe my new Lord Black had that already in mind," he said as he hopped down from the podium to meet Harry at the door. "Before you go my Lord, allow me to render you some assistance, free of charge of course." As he said that, he placed a long bony finger on the Black family ring. There was a small flash of red light and Harry watched in wonder as the ring began to fade away. Also, it seemed that the smell of cigarettes had faded from his clothing. "You may cancel the spell in the safety of your home," instructed Ragnok. "But for now that should get you out of an interrogation from Mr. Dumbledore as well as anyone who smells you."

Harry smiled and surprised the goblin by extending his hand. "May we both profit greatly from this friendship Bank Manager," he said as he shook the goblin's hand. "Let us dispense with the title and please call me Harry."

The goblin's shock subsided into a new found respect for the well mannered young teen. Rarely did wizards ever show such kindness to his kind. "Only upon the condition that you call me Ragnok, Harry," replied Ragnok as he opened the door for his new client. "Please keep in touch." With that gentle dismissal, Harry bowed and took his leave.

[BREAK]

Albus Dumbledore was extremely angry at being asked to leave the room. He had no idea why Harry was being so distant to him, especially after he had trusted the boy with the prophecy concerning him Tom Riddle. Could he have been wrong to tell Harry about this? "No doubt the boy must be struggling with the weight on his shoulders," he thought to himself sagely. "He will need my help if he is to be ready to fight Tom."

Dumbledore didn't even notice that he said fight instead of beat. It was all part of his master plan to become, without a doubt, the greatest wizard to have ever lived. He would train Harry just enough to weaken Riddle before being killed by the Dark Lord. Then, Albus would step in to finish the job and once again be proclaimed a hero. Everything, so far, had gone just as he had planned it. The boy saw him as a grandfather figure, he had the friends and family that Albus wanted him to have, and now his godfather, the loose cannon, was finally dead and out of the picture. Albus had almost danced for joy when Sirius fell through the veil. The insufferable man had come dangerously close to wrecking all of his plans. It had been quite an annoyance for Albus to keep them separated but with Sirius gone he didn't have to. The boy was completely under his thumb and nothing would change that.

"Albus," said Molly Weasley, bringing him out of his thoughts. "What could be keeping Harry in there?"

Albus was brought back to the present where he faced what could be a serious problem. In all honesty, he had no idea what was being told to Harry and he didn't like that one bit. "I'm sure young Harry will be finished soon Molly," he said, attempting to sooth both their worries at once. "And I'm sure he'll tell us about the contents of the second part of the will when he does."

As he said this, Harry made his entrance into the hallway. Albus looked carefully at the boy's face for any clues as to what he was told. However, Harry's face showed nothing out of the ordinary. "Oh Harry!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley, bustling over to the teen. "Are you alright, why did they keep you in there for so long?" Albus smiled and listened on carefully. With his current hostility, Harry wouldn't say anything of use to Albus. However, he knew just how trusting Harry was to the Weasleys and was sure that the teen would tell Molly Everything without hesitation.

"I'm sorry for taking so long Mrs. Weasley," answered Harry in an apologetic tone. "It was a personal good-bye from Sirius and I required time to compose myself." His answer was not what Albus was looking for at all.

"The boy must be lying," he thought to himself angrily. "No matter, a quick probe will show me what I want to know." Legillemency, or the art of delving into a person's memories, was something that Albus was quite proficient at, especially when it came to Harry. It was imperative for him to keep Harry in check and to make sure Harry wasn't hiding anything from him. Without another thought, Albus sent a silent probe into Harry's mind, searching for the info he sought. Almost instantly, his probe rammed into resistance, shocking Albus who purposely had Severus weaken the boy's defenses under the guise of occulmency training. As a result, his defenses should've been non-existent. Instead, all Harry's memories were hidden behind a solid steel door that was similar to the vault doors of Gingotts. No matter how much he pushed against it, the doors would not budge. "Where the hell did this come from?" he thought to himself as he pulled the probe out of Harry's mind. "Severus assured me that his mental shields were as low as they could possibly go."

He was tempted to try again, but any more probes would have definitely been detected by the young teen and would only serve in alienating the two of them further. Therefore, after taking a moment to school his facial features, Albus walked up to Harry and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Well now, Harry my boy, I believe it's time we sent you home," he said with his trademark grandfather type of tone. "Don't worry, you'll be able to go to the Burrow soon." He could feel the boy tense for a second at his touch and made a mental note to have a word with Granger and Weasley about their friend before he arrived at the Burrow.

"Very well Headmaster," replied Harry, adopting his emotionless tone. "Will Tonks be the one to take me back?" Albus was so deep in thought about what he had experienced in Harry's mind that he failed to notice the look in Harry's eyes when he asked about Nymphadora. There was purpose and a deeply calculating look that would have made Albus second guess his actions. However, he answered with a nod and a simple wave before making his good-byes and leaving the group.

"I'm sorry we couldn't take you home today Harry," said Mrs. Weasley, offering Harry a smothering hug. "But Albus wants a few more wards to be in place before your arrival." Harry nodded his understanding before he quickly said good-bye to all that were present.

"We'll see you soon Harry," said Hermione, once more wrapping her arms around Harry in embrace. "We'll try to get professor Dumbledore to bring you over quickly." Harry smiled slightly and returned the hug, biting back the scathing question of why Hermione was allowed at the unwarded Burrow but he wasn't.

As soon as he pulled away she backed up and allowed Ron his turn. "See you later mate," said Ron half-heartedly before turning towards Hermione and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Come on Hermione, I wanna stop by Quidditch Quality Supplies before we go home."

And with that, Harry watched as his two best friends went off without him. Harry felt a pang of jealously at the sight of their retreating forms but quickly squashed it with thoughts of what he had to do. "I'm ready to go when you are Tonks," he announced, looking over at the auror who was in a conversation with Moony. "You're welcome to come along if you would like Moony."

Remus smiled and shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry Harry, but I have a few matters to attend to here that require my immediate attention," he explained. "I promise though that I'll be there when it's time to take you to the Burrow." He waved once more before making his exit leaving just Harry and Tonks.

"Well, come on Harry, better get you home," she said as the two made their way to the flooing fireplaces. "We don't want to worry those lovely relatives of yours would we?" Harry laughed at the ill humor of her joke as they reached the fireplace and exited the bank in the same fashion they had arrived; a flash of green flame.

"Hey Tonks, when is the next time you're on guard duty?" inquired Harry as they made their return to Privet Drive. It was considerably darker then when they had left for the reading but it was a warm night and Harry usually found being out there tons better than being with the Dursleys.

"I'm sorry Harry but I can't tell you the rotation schedule," answered Tonks apologetically. "Dumbledore's orders.

Seeing her displeasure with those order, Harry pushed forward hoping for the best. "Oh come on Tonks, no one will find out," he pleaded. "I just get so bored here and I could use the company."

His words and well placed facial features broke through the metamorphmagus' resistance in seconds. She pulled Harry into a quick embrace, her next words full of sincerity. "Of course Harry," she said as she pulled away. "I'm here again in five days and we can talk then."

[BREAK]

The five days seemed to take forever in Harry's mind. He spent the length of those days planning his next few moves. Though he had not received any letter from his friends, he knew that the time for him to go to the Burrow was slowly arriving. When it did, Harry figured he would have at most two days in between receiving the letter and getting picked up. Therefore, he had to act quickly to get everything done.

On the night before Tonks had guard duty, he figured he would try summoning her with the ring. Although neither Ragnok nor Sirius actually told him how to use the compulsion charm on the ring. He racked is brain for a few moments in an attempt to solve this issue. "Oh to hell with this," he muttered angrily. "There's no way it should be that difficult." Suddenly a solution came to mind that made him want to kick himself for his stupidity. "If this works, so help me god," he mumbled as he brought the ring up to his mouth. "Nymphadora Tonks." The result had Harry groaning in his stupidity as a warming sensation was released from his ring as the compulsion charm went into effect. "Well that was easy," he commented as he laid in bed and waited for the morning to come. "I wonder how powerful that compulsion charm actually is."

As if answering his question, a sudden sound at his window got his attention. Grabbing his wand, Harry carefully made his way to the window and peered out. There, below his window, with her trademark bubble gum pink hair was Nymphadora Tonks. Quickly he opened the window and stuck his head out. "Tonks what the hell are you doing here?" he asked in a low whisper. "What about the order member who is currently watching me?" Before she answered, Tonks summoned a long piece of rope and threw one end to Harry.

"Don't worry, your minder tonight is Mudungus Fletcher and he's usually drunk off his ass," she responded as she climbed up quickly. "Perhaps you can explain why all of a sudden I was extremely compelled to come see you."

Closing the window behind them, Harry turned to her with a cheeky grin. "You know Tonksie, if you wanted a night-time soirée with the boy-who-lived, all you had to do was ask," he said in a suave kind of tone. "A bit old for my taste but nevertheless extremely attractive."

Tonks blushed slightly before growling and hitting Harry in the gut. "Oh trust me Potter, you wouldn't survive the ride," she retorted, running a caressing finger on his lips. "But seriously, care to explain?"

Harry nodded and moved to turn on the light. "I'm pretty sure I could answer your question," he said turning around and showing his now unhidden family ring. "I'm now Lord Black."

Whatever Tonks was expecting, this revelation was far from it. "L-Lord Black." she replied weakly, eyeing the family ring in shock. "Blimey Harry, is that what the second reading was about?" Harry nodded and took a seat on his bed while offering Tonks a chair.

"To answer your question, I used this ring to call you here because I need your help," he started, his tone switching into a more serious manner. "However, I think it's only fair that I let you in on what exactly is going on." And from there, Harry began his tale. He purposely left out the prophecy but told her of his ascension as Lord Black as well as his fallout with the Headmaster and his now untrusting nature with his friends. Lastly, he told Tonks of what Sirius had asked him to do and what his new responsibilities were are Lord Black. "So you see Tonks, I really need you to help me out," he ended with a bit of hope in his voice. "You're the only person I can trust right now."

Judging by the look on her face, Harry could tell that she was fighting some internal battle between helping him and staying loyal to Dumbledore. "I don't know about this kiddo," she started hesitantly. "I doubt Dumbledore will be happy should he find out about this." It wasn't a denial, but Harry could see that she needed a slight push.

"Before he died, Sirius wanted to reinstate your family as members of house Black," he said, hammering the final nail into the coffin. "He didn't get the chance to but I wouldn't have a problem doing it." It was a desperate gamble but in all honesty, Harry would have done it anyways. He liked Tonks and hoped that she would accept his request.

"Y-you would do that?" she asked in disbelief. "You would bring us back into the family?"

Harry nodded sincerely and placed a hand on her shoulder. "My parents are gone and now so is my Godfather," he said sadly. "We haven't known each other for very long by I would like it if I could call you family."

Whatever doubts she had all but vanished as she gathered Harry into her arms for a bone-crushing hug that was on the level of those given by Molly Weasley. "I always wanted a little brother," she said with a chuckle. "Hold out your ring." Nodding, Harry lifted his hand and watched as Tonks brought her lips down to it and gave it a quick kiss. "I Nymphadora Tonks, hereby swear an oath of fealty to Lord and House Black," she started as a white aura began to envelope the both of them. "I promise on my life that I will in the future be faithful to my Lord, never cause him harm, and obey and observe my homage to him completely against all others, in good faith and without deceit so mote it be." As the oath finished, so too did the light disappear. Harry looked around in confusion but before he could ask Tonks knelt before him and bowed her head. "I am yours my Lord Black," she said in a surprisingly solemn voice. "My life is now tied to you."

Harry shook off the shock quickly and help Tonks up. "Tomorrow, I need to visit the Greengrass family," he said, continuing quickly before she could interrupt. "Sirius wanted me to learn from Charles Greengrass as well as ally myself with his House."

If Tonks had any reservations about his plan, she kept them to herself. "A word of warning my lord, Dumbledore does not like the Greengrass family," she explained. "He considers them a dark family and will try to convince you of that."

Harry thought about it for a moment before shrugging it off. He was long past the point of caring what the old manipulator thought. "Regardless I must meet with Charles and learn the truth," he answered, rubbing his face with his hands. "He couldn't tell him in the will, but Sirius believed that Dumbledore's manipulations run far deeper than anyone is aware of." He sighed and let loose a string of curses before briefing Tonks on what would happen the next day.

Tonks would be his minder for six hours before she would be replaced by the drunk Mudungus Fletcher. Harry's plan called for him to be finished before Tonks was relieved by Fletcher but if he was unexpectedly held back, Tonks assured him that his "minder" would be piss drunk before midnight which would allow Harry to sneak back in without any incident. Harry took it one step further and asked Tonks if she wouldn't mind morphing into him and staying in his room to fool anyone who decided to check up on him.

"That's fine my lord," she answered with a wave of her hand. "I usually go home and sleep after my shift is over so I'll just sleep on your bed."

"There's going to be a beautiful, only slightly older woman in my bed and I won't be there to enjoy it?" asked Harry in mock sorry as he shook his head. "The sacrifices I have to make for the good of the family." It was the second dig of the night, causing Tonks to once again blush slightly at the complement.

"Git."

[BREAK]

The next day seemed to start just like any other as Harry got up and proceeded with his chores. With his excitement fueling him, Harry finished in record time, a feat that did not go unnoticed by his aunt. "You're already finished?" she asked as her eyes narrowed dangerously. "If you used magic I'll tell Vernon you freak." Harry gave her a look of pure loathing before taking his leave and retreating to the safety of his room. He still had a few hours before it was action time and wanted to make sure he was as calm as possible.

A small pop outside his window announced the arrival of Tonks who motioned for Harry to come and meet her at the side of the house. "Are you positive you will not need me my lord?" she asked worriedly. "I still don't think it's a good idea for you to go alone."

Harry smiled and placed a soothing hand on her shoulder. "I appreciate your concern Nym, but I can handle a little trip," he responded kindly. "Do not fret, the family ring comes with many protective enchantments so I will be as safe as possible." That said, Harry said a quick good-bye before activating the port-key enchantment on his ring, transporting him directly to Ragnok's office.

"Ah good morning Harry," greeted the Bank Manager in a tone that made him wonder if he had been expected. "How may I be of service today?"

"Two things Ragnok," Harry answered without missing a beat. "First off, I'd like to know if there is a way to make withdrawals without constantly traveling to the bank and secondly, I would like to pay the Greengrass family a visit and will need assistance as I do not know where their home is located."

"Alright, have a seat and we'll start with your first request," instructed the goblin, motioning for Harry to sit across from him and continuing when Harry was comfortable. "Now, your first request is easily remedied and all I shall require is your ring." For Harry, it was a strange feeling to remove the family ring. It felt as though a plug had been removed and his magic was somewhat drained. He handed the ring to Ragnok and watched as he began to chant in Goggledegook. The ring shook slightly before returning to its dormant state. The moment Ragnok handed back the ring, Harry hurriedly jammed it back onto his finger and basked in the rushing return of his magic. "Your ring now has the ability to summon any amount of funds, both in magical and muggle currencies, from your vault," he explained Ragnok. "All you have to do is state the numerical amount and type of currency at your ring and it should take care of the rest."

Amazed at the supposed ease of it all, Harry brought the ring to his mouth and muttered "ten galleons," watching in awe as the galleons magically appeared in his ring hand. "Excellent Ragnok!" he exclaimed as he placed the galleons on the table in front of the goblin. "Take this as a token of my appreciation Bank Manager."

The Bank Manager smiled widely and quickly pocketed the money in a greedy fashion that befitted his race. "You are most kind my Lord Black," he responded, using the title to show his thanks. "Although it is against procedures to release this information, I must inform you that every withdrawal made through your ring is charged a standard 20% transaction fee."

It was a steep fee but Harry shrugged and waved it off nonchalantly. "That is a small price to pay for such a convenience Ragnok," he said without any trance of anger at the charge. "Now, about my second request, I must apologize for the rush but I am rather pressed for time."

Nodding understandingly, Ragnok took out a roll of parchment and waved his hand over it. "This port-key will take you to Greengrass Manor," he instructed. "Once you're done there, activate the port-key again by saying 'Gringotts' and it will take you back home."

With that, Harry reached out and took the parchment, feeling the familiar tug on his navel as he was pulled towards his destination. He landed on his back with a grunt and, for the second time that summer, cursed every form of wizard travel except for the broom. "Can do magic but can't invent a method of travel that doesn't involve me flat on my back," he muttered as he picked himself up. "Bloody useless magic." Dusting himself off, Harry took a moment to gaze at his surroundings. He was in awe to find himself at the base of a long, winding path that led to a gigantic estate. He whistled at its impressiveness as he reached into his pocket and lit up a smoke. "I wonder if I've got something like this," he wondered to himself as he smoked. "I mean being Lord Black and all."

When he had finished his cigarette and composed himself, Harry began the long trek towards the house. However, he didn't get far before he heard a loud pop behind him. "Stay where you are!" exclaimed an agitated sounding house-elf. "Who are you and what do you want?"

Harry lifted his hands in the air to show he meant no harm and slowly turned around. "Harry James Potter-Black, and as of last week Lord Black of the Ancient and Noble House of Black," he announced, twisting his hand to reveal the family ring, stunning the elf even more. "I seek an audience with your Lord Charles Greengrass."

Whatever Harry had expected the house-elf to do, falling to her knees in front of him and kissing his trainers was not one of them. "My Lord I am so dreadfully sorry for my transgression!" she exclaimed through her sobs. "With your permission I will punish myself for my mistake."

If Harry had learned anything from Dobby, it was that house-elf punishments were usually very severe. Since a lord was involved, Harry was almost positive she meant to kill herself. "That will not be necessary," he said quickly before she could do anything to harm herself. "What is your name?"

"I am called Rosey," she introduced with a bow. "I have been serving the Noble Greengrass family for generations." There was pride in her voice and Harry couldn't help but think of Dobby when he was speaking about him.

"I'll tell you what Rosey, if you take me to Mr. Greengrass then we can forget this little mistake," he said, showing the same surprising ease of conversation he had when talking to any house-elf. "I have some pressing business with him but not a lot of time." Eager to be forgiven, Rosey jumped to the task and motioned for him to follow her up the path towards the house. They walked in silence until they made it to the large, oak double door that was the entrance to the estate.

"Please wait here while I announce your presence my lord," said Rosey before she turned and looked at him before snapping her fingers. "It would not be fitting for a first meeting to smell like tobacco my Lord Black." As she said this, Harry could feel his clothes and breath freshen up and made a mental note to see if Dobby could possibly do that for him on a regular basis.

Before he could thank her, Rosey disappeared, leaving Harry alone at the front door. Harry took the time given to him in order to mentally and physically prepare himself. Straightening his clothes, he wished he at least wore something a bit more proper than just a shirt and jeans. "As if Aunt Petunia would've let me walk out of her home with dress robes on," he muttered with a shake of his head. "Well, too late for that now." With a sigh he schooled his features and tried to look as serious as possible. Suddenly, the door flew open and harry came face to face with a rather imposing man.

Charles Greengrass was not one to be trifled with. He was a political animal and his features only helped define him as such. He had ice blue eyes that seemed to have the ability to stare into Harry's soul, blond hair that was cut short and resembled that of a muggle military man, and an impressive build that made Harry wonder if he was more than just a politician. "Inside, now," he commanded in a soft but powerful tone. Harry stepped into the mansion and watched as Charles shut the door with a snap before turning to him. "Let me see the ring," he said next, kneeling when Harry showed him the Black Family ring. "I do solemnly swear my continued fealty to the new Lord Black so mote it be." And with that, he kissed the ring in the same fashion that Tonks had done the night before.

When he got back to his feet, Harry noticed that his face was much softer and a smile actually graced his lips. "I'm so sorry about Sirius Harry," said Charles, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder. "He was a good man and an even better friend." Motioning for Harry to follow him, Charles brought him to what appeared to be his study on the first floor of the mansion. When they had sat, Charles poured two shot glasses full of whiskey and passed one to Harry. "You're young but you are a Lord after all," he said as they clinked glasses. "Cheers."

Harry's first experience with alcohol wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. He sputtered slightly as the harsh liquid traveled down his throat but was able to keep from spitting any of it out. Charles seemed to approve as he poured both of them yet another shot. "I apologize that my family isn't present to be introduced to you my lord," began Charles apologetically. "My wife and daughters are out shopping at the moment, we had no idea you were coming to visit us today."

Harry, who was slowly nursing his second drink, waved his hand passively to dismiss the apology. "It should be me who apologizes for arriving unannounced Lord Greengrass," he answered, using titles in order to show respect. "In any case, I am unfortunately pressed for time and wouldn't want to disrespect your family by not attending to them in a way that befits someone of your standing." Harry smiled at the surprise in Charles' eyes. It was obvious that he hadn't expected Harry to be so well versed and polite. To be fair, Harry wasn't sure when he had begun speaking like this either. "Perhaps it is a passive enchantment that the family ring carries," he thought to himself. "I'll have to ask Ragnok about this later."

"Of course my lord," responded Charles when he had shaken off the surprise. "Sirius told me you would come sooner or later and has prepared me with everything you'll need to know to efficiently run your station as Lord of House Black." He took a small sip to quench his parched throat before reaching into a drawer and pulling out a manila folder. "But first, I'm sure this is what you truly came here for today," he said, removing numerous sheets of paper from the folder. "Well let's start with the actions of on Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore as, unfortunately, his wrongs towards you are quite extensive." Harry nodded in both eager and dread, wondering just what he was going to learn about the Headmaster's manipulations. "First off, it seemed your parent's will was sealed on his orders," started Charles as he read through the first few sheets. "Although I couldn't get it unsealed myself, there were, no doubt, instructions as to who would care for you should they die early."

Harry's eyes narrowed angrily at the realization of what Charles was telling him. From what he had gathered, his mother and aunt hated one another. "They wouldn't have wanted me to stay with the Dursley's!" he exclaimed angrily. "Was it that bloody Headmaster's choice to stick me into a world of abuse?"

"It seems that with the will sealed, Albus was able to worm his way into being your magical guardian and therefore placed you in the care of those muggle relatives of yours," continued Charles who seemed to be sharing Harry's anger. "Not only that, as your magical guardian he also has access to your vault of which he had been making large withdrawals almost every year." He took a lard swig of whiskey before continuing with the contents of the folder. "Worst of all, it seems that the Wizengamot has granted him the lordship of House Potter as a proxy until you become of age," he said, balling his hands into angry fists. "And I know for a fact that with your vote he has been able to push whatever piece of legislation he wants without much resistance."

Harry swore loudly and angrily as he downed his glass of whiskey before throwing the empty glass at the wall and shattering it into pieces. "That son of a bitch has not only stolen from me and sent me to live with child abusers but has also been using my name in the wizarding government to do what he wants!" he roared angrily as he stood and began to pace. "I swear I'll make that bastard pay for this!" In his rage, Harry failed to notice the room beginning to shake, nor the fact that his usually calming green eyes had begun to glow dangerously. To Charles, they were chaos personified and a hint of fear crept into his heart as he witnessed the raw magic possessed by his Lord. It took Harry a few minutes to vent before he had calmed down enough to return to his seat. "I apologize for the glass Lord Greengrass," he said as calmly as he could. "I was unable to control myself."

Charles smiled and pulled out his want to banish the broken glass before he retrieved a second glass for Harry and poured him more whiskey. "Think nothing of it Lord Black," he said, purposely not mentioning the shaking and green aura. "Unfortunately, there is more so if you're ready." Harry quickly knocked back the shot before nodding and bracing himself for more bad news. "Now the rest of this information was gathered by Sirius and has a lot to do with your so called friends," he began, feeling sorry as Harry winced at the possible betrayal from his closest friends. "For one, Sirius knew for a fact that Molly and her family were strategically placed at King's Cross during your first trip there by Albus in order to intercept you." He continued quickly, noticing Harry was beginning to shake out of anger. "Apparently, this was done in order to make sure you didn't make friends with 'the wrong people' and stayed under Albus' thumb," he explained in disgust. "It was also discovered that Ron was also ordered by his mother, no doubt instructed by Albus, to find you and befriend you and to keep away as many people from you as possible." No longer was it anger that Charles saw in Harry's eyes but a look of loss and betrayal. Obviously, it wasn't easy for him to hear all of this and his resolve surprised Charles immensely. "Lastly, Sirius found out that Hermione Granger has been spying on you and reporting to the Headmaster whenever something was wrong with you," he said as he placed the files back into the folder and sighed. "I'm really sorry my Lord, I hated to be the bearer of bad news but Sirius thought it best for you to know all of this." He finished and stayed silent, waiting for Harry to break himself out of his trance.

When he did, Harry rubbed his face into his hands and exhaled deeply. He reached forward and poured himself another shot and coughed as be shoved it roughly down his throat. "Lord Greengrass, you've given me a lot to think about," he said, picking his words carefully. "In his will, Sirius said that anyone who swears fealty to the family can be trusted; what do you think I should do?"

It was at that moment that Charles saw past the facade of his Lord. Harry, despite his new title, was still as teenager, one that just had his whole world twisted. "You have more burdens than anyone your age should have my Lord," he said in a soft voice. "Rest assured, you have people who will help you through it." Getting up, Charles walked around the table and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I served the prior Lord Black faithfully and I promise that I will serve you just as loyally," he said in confidence. "Allow me to advice you on your next moves my Lord."

Such a show of loyalty surprised Harry Not only did this man swear fealty without even being asked, he was there to assist Harry in what would come next. Harry couldn't explain what he felt at that specific moment. He had barely met Charles Greengrass and yet he felt the same trusting aura that Sirius had emitted. "You have my thanks Lord Greengrass," he responded with a small smile. "I know I will benefit greatly from your advice." Another round of shots were consumed between the two and Harry could feel his head beginning to hum silently. "I better quit while I'm ahead," he said jokingly when he refused a refill from Charles. "Any more and I won't remember why I am here." The two shared a laugh as

Charles poured himself a drink to slowly nurse on. "Of course my Lord," he said before straightening his posture and bringing his hands forward to form a pyramid under his chin. "Now let's get started." Harry quickly noticed the change of mood that come over Charles and shuddered inwardly. The man was in 'political animal' mode and Harry felt a twinge of sympathy for the people that he was going to sic this man on. "For now, I want you to go along with your 'friends', at least until we can unravel more information on their betrayals," he began quickly. "I want you to pretend like nothing is wrong when you're with them while we focus our attention on Albus." Harry nodded his agreement to Charles' plan. After what he learned about them, Harry felt that it would be difficult to be anything more than civil with the people he so blindly placed his trust in. However, it was a challenge that he was more than willing to undertake, especially if that meant they could focus fire on Albus Dumbledore. "First, let Ragnok know that you would like a statement with the total amount that Albus has taken from your vault," instructed the Greengrass head of house with a predatory smile. "Once we have that information we can begin to press charges for embezzlement and hopefully get all the money he has stolen from you back, hopefully financially crippling him in the process." Reaching for a parchment and quill, he began to jot down a list of names and almost filled the entire twelve inch parchment before handing it to Harry. "On there is a list of all the families and politicians who back Albus Dumbledore," he continued as Harry did a quick scan of the list and filed it away for a later use. "Many of those on the list are devoted to the Headmaster but there are a few who are loyal specifically to House Potter and can could possibly be pulled towards your side." He took a small sip from his glass and did a bit of thinking before he continued. "In any case, we'll need to slowly chip away at Dumbledore's power base before we can successfully remove him from his little comfort seat," he muttered thoughtfully. "You have until you come of age at seventeen to gather whatever support you can."

"Why can't we just do it now?" inquired Harry who trying to grasp all the information that was being run by him. "What is stopping me from simply ascending now to Lord Potter as I have to Lord Black?"

"Simply put, Sirius' will bypasses the normal ascension process, allowing you to become head of house at your current age," explained the veteran politician. "No doubt, your parent's will probably had something similar but because it was never read, the ministry will not acknowledge your ascension to House Potter until you turn seventeen." A sudden realization must have hit him because he stood rather abruptly and began to pace. "Now that I think about it, there has been no notification that you've ascended as Lord of House Black within the Wizengamot," he muttered with an pensive look on his face. "Perhaps the Goblins have chosen not to report it until you've turned seventeen." His muttering became more and more quiet until Harry couldn't make heads or tails of what was being said by the older man in front of him. "I will look into this as soon as possible," he added with finality. "After that, we'll continue our planning." Suddenly, Charles walked over a nearby shelf and picked out a couple of books and bringing them to the table in front of Harry. "I realize that you don't have too much time today My Lord so I will lend these to you so that you may begin your education in wizard politics," he said, pointing to the small stack of books he had picked out. "There is also a book detailing the political history of the Black family that I'm sure you'll find rather interesting."

Although it was rather abrupt, it seemed their meeting was at an end and Harry stood up and gathered the books in one arm while holding out his hand towards Charles. "Thank you for everything today Lord Greengrass," he said as politely as he could. "I am relieved to know that someone of your background and skill will be assisting me in times to come." They shook hands and Charles guided Harry back towards the large double doors of his house.

"Think nothing of it my Lord, and please call me Charles," replied the older man. "I do hope that we'll be able to meet again before you return for your school year; I am sure my wife and children will be ever so pleased to meet you."

Harry smiled and nodded as he took stepped out the door and bid Charles farewell before beginning his walk down the path that led from the mansion. It was an eye opening experience for Harry to say the least. He had lost his trust in many of the people around him but, in the process, gained the loyalty of a powerful figure in the wizard government. It was strange that he was feeling so calm despite such a extreme turn of events. Gone were the feelings of sadness and betrayal, anger and loss. Now, Harry only felt the drive, the need to exact retribution on those who had wronged him and had manipulated his every move since the night his parents died. "Especially the grand manipulator of them all," he muttered angrily as he finally reached the end of the path and reached for the port-key enchanted parchment in his pocket. "Heed, my warning Albus Dumbledore, I swear on my magic that I will make you pay dearly for what you've done." As he said this, Harry failed to notice the small flash of light coming from the ring on his finger in response to his promise. And with that, he muttered the pass phrase 'Gringotts' and felt the tug as he was brought home.

A/N~ And with that, Chapter one is complete. I hope you all enjoyed that chapter and are interested in what happens next. Now onto business, I can't give you an exact date as to when I will update the story. Unfortunately, between work, school, and my personal life, I don't have a whole lot of time to dedicate to this project. Also, due to the size of each chapter, it actually takes me quite awhile just to pen down the chapters, not to mention the proof reading and the peer reviews. Anyways, just like any other writers, I love to receive reviews about the story and would love to hear from you all as to what I could do to make this story better. Until the next chapter's release, I bid you all farewell.

Silent_Revolution