My Father's Image
Chapter 2
By Kinsfire
The stories in this grouping have been abandoned by me, and will not be worked on again.
Chapter 2
Lily had to nudge Harry to make him realise that they had reached the first four vaults. "Harry? We're there."
He shook his head and looked up. "Sorry. Wool-gathering."
"S'okay," she smiled. "Let's get you a look at the vault, shall we?" She climbed from the cart, making Harry uncomfortable again as he watched the sun dress follow the curve of her shapely rear end. Once out, she turned around and pulled Harry from the car easily, setting him down next to her. "It's okay to look, Harry," she said softly. "After all, I'm not your mother, and never will be. I'm just a statue that can walk and talk."
"I know, but it's also a statue of my mother at my age, roughly. To be blunt," he said, face blazing, "you're hot … uh, you're extremely attractive."
She laughed. "Thank you. Now, I think it's time you claim your inheritance." He nodded and turned to the vaults. There were small doors, roughly the size of a door into a house, each with the symbol of the Hogwarts House named for a Founder. On a whim, he looked at the Slytherin vault and said "Hello" in Parseltongue.
The door clicked, and a circle much like the one on his family vault began to glow. "By the teeth of Torak the Terrible!" Mablung exclaimed. "Mister Potter, would you place your hand on the circle? I will ensure that it does not cause undue damage, but I have never seen such a thing in my lifetime!"
"What is it?"
"You should not have been able to get that door to even respond, because Tom Marvolo Riddle was the last heir of the House of Slytherin."
"What do you mean that you won't allow undue harm to come to me?"
"Molesting these vaults often carries a death penalty, carried out by the vault itself."
Unbidden, an image came to Harry's mind that had nothing to do with opening the vault, brought on by the use of the word 'molesting'. He snorted his held back laughter, and Lily followed him a moment later with a giggle. "Eww?" she asked. Harry simply nodded with a grin.
Shaking his head, he walked to the door and placed his hand on the circle, where it drew flat as if magnetised there.
Who are you? came a voice in Parseltongue.
"Harry James Potter," he responded in English, his name not translating.
How come you to this Vault?
I was sent here for another Vault, and spoke Parseltongue to this door on a whim. No disrespect was intended, nor was theft.
You both are and are not the Heir to Salazar Slytherin. Explain.
I was touched by the last Heir to Slytherin fifteen years ago. He passed things along to me he never intended, such as my Parseltongue.
That gift is yours, not a transference. Does the last Heir still exist?
Not in the form he once was. He has returned to a body through vile dark magic.
"He worships the Dark?" the door asked, suddenly in English.
"I suppose so." Harry shrugged. "He's certainly not what you could call a Light wizard."
"Then he no longer qualifies. You are truly the last heir to Slytherin, then. Enter freely." With that exchange, the door opened to show a small room, containing a simple podium with five large books upon it, and a parchment. Also, the ring that went with this vault materialised on Harry's right hand middle finger. Through his shock, he noted absently that the three rings seemed not to bother each other as they touched. He expected that they would have been uncomfortable on his hand. He picked up the parchment.
May these serve you well. They are enchanted to shrink at my Heir's command. They will return to this vault when the Heir's male descent fails.
Salazar Slytherin
"Holy shit," he breathed. "Workbooks and his journal." He touched the emblem on each book and shrank them, placing the far more manageable books in his pockets, and then turning back to the door with a stunned look on his face.
"Damn. I need to do some serious rethinking about Slytherins now." He almost staggered to the second vault. Placing the ring face upon the circle, he stated his name. There was no conversation this time, merely a glow that preceded his entry into that vault. Again was a podium with books and a note. There was also a dagger in a sheath next to the books.
Greetings, my descendent!
I hope that you find my books intriguing. My journal is merely a history of the school that we four founded. The others are my spell research and Potions research notebooks. I am particularly proud of my research notes. I hope they will serve you well in your efforts.
The dagger is charmed to return when you call it. Also, if you throw and miss, it will return instantly to the sheath. It will also serve you well as a backup wand.
Rowena Ravenclaw
He touched the raven emblem on each of them, almost caressing it, and each book shrank to manageable size. He picked up the dagger and carefully examined the sheath before realising that it was intended to be worn on the arm. He strapped it onto his left arm and felt the bindings seem to disappear, leaving nothing but the sheath and dagger. He pulled the dagger out and experimentally said, "Lumos." A bright beam shot from the end of the dagger, illuminating the wall. "Cool!" He turned to Mablung. "Is there any way of finding out who the other two Heirs are? Given the times, it would probably be a very good idea if we at least tried to work together to pool what knowledge the Founders had."
"I can request such information above. You are likely not to be privy to such, mind you."
"If it's not me, then I shouldn't be," he smiled. "Shall we return to the surface?" As he climbed in and then helped lower Lily into the cart, he grimaced. "Damn. I forgot to grab some money for the year."
"We can deal with that on the surface, Master Potter. With what you have at your command now, it would be best if we supplied you with certain tools, such as what some have called our Ever Full Money Pouch, and a wonderful Muggle invention called a credit card. It will actually work by debiting your account for the money, so it is more properly called a debit card. This would work well for your dealings within the Muggle world."
"Works for me. You understand money better than I do, so I'll trust you to do right by me."
The cart was silent except for the noise of their return travel. Finally, Mablung spoke again. "How precisely do you mean that, Master Potter?"
"Simple. This is a business. You deal with money far more than I ever will - your experience would dwarf mine even if I lived to be as old as Griselda Marchbanks and did nothing but study economics during that time. You know all the ways to make money, and I'd imagine you have investing schemes that work quite well for you. In fact, if I'm not breaking some taboo by doing so, I think I'd like to see if your people are willing to do my investing for me. I may have more money than I know what to do with right now, but I'm also sure I can come up with things to do with it, so knowing that it's being invested right will be good."
"We could rob you blind."
"You wouldn't - at least, not in such a way as to be obvious. You'd make more money holding my money and investing it than you would by stealing it and being forced to play games with moving it."
Mablung looked at him for long enough that Harry felt uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, sir," he said. "I obviously have just done something offensive, and if possible, I'd like to try to make amends."
"If being the first wizard in my lifetime to treat a goblin as an equal is an insult, then feel free to insult us in a similar fashion again. I apologise for making you feel that you had wronged us. I was simply stunned, quite honestly. You are a refreshing change. Are there more like you?"
He laughed. "Well, my best friend Hermione feels the same, but her methods leave something to be desired."
"Ah, Miss Granger, of house elf fame. Or infamy, as far as the elves are concerned."
"She means well. I think she needs a little help learning how to achieve her aims, though."
"Indeed," replied Mablung in a dry voice that Harry was now certain was hiding laughter.
#####
Back at the surface, Harry finally got a chance to see Lily in normal light, and realised that while she felt human, she looked marble. "Hmm, how to hide you without drawing attention to the fact that we're hiding you…"
She looked down. "Oh. Give me a moment." A few seconds later, a wave of colour flowed across her skin, and she looked as if she had been in the tropics for several months. Her hair was as black as his own. "My original is dead, so I think that walking around looking exactly like her would be a bad idea at best. At least this way people can think I look familiar, but not know why."
He nodded, once more impressed with the unknown sculptor. They were led to the counter and an unused station, where Mablung quickly delivered to Harry the promised card and pouch. "I look forward to working with you and Damrod both someday, Mablung," he said, bowing low before the goblin.
"As do I, my friend. As do I." Mablung bowed as well, and then disappeared through a door behind the counter. He returned a moment later with a piece of parchment. "Normally we would not do this, but you happen to know both people. Use it well, and do not break our faith in you."
Harry nodded and then headed to the entrance to Gringott's, changing his robes into something more Muggle before they had reached the doors. He transformed the hat into something just as covering, but nowhere as ugly, and then they stepped out into the sunlight.
"Shall we go shopping in London before we head back to my place?" he asked.
"Working quick, aren't we?" she asked with a purr.
His response was to imitate a goldfish for a long moment, before she began to giggle. "I'm sorry," she said, "but your phrasing was just too good an opportunity to pass up. Seriously, I think we should. I'm going to need some clothes."
"You have an idea as to where to shop, so I'll trust you."
"Well, London has probably changed in the almost twenty years since I was there last."
"Doesn't matter. You have an idea, which is more than I do. Never been shopping in my life in Muggle London." They were quickly through the Alley and standing on the Muggle streets outside The Leaky Cauldron.
"Sirius never took you shopping out here?" she asked with a smile. "You stayed in the wizarding world?"
"Never met Sirius until the end of my third year at Hogwarts, after he'd escaped Azkaban."
"What … how …"
"Long story short," Harry said tersely. "You and Dad went into hiding under the Fidelius Charm, with Sirius supposedly your secret keeper."
"That's stupid! Everyone would know that we'd choose him! He'd be grabbed and tortured for the information so fast your head would spin!"
"Yup. You didn't choose Remus because he's a dark creature, and there was obviously a traitor in the midst of the people you were dealing with, so the dark creature was under suspicion the most."
She paused. "So he was a rat in more ways than one," she finally growled. "And he framed Sirius for something."
"Yeah. Your murders and the murder of himself and thirteen Muggles. Got a posthumous Order of Merlin for being a hero against the evil Sirius Black."
"So if you weren't with Sirius, where were you living?"
"Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon took …" He didn't get any further than that before she spun, wide-eyed.
"Who was the mental midget who made that decision?"
"Albus Dumbledore," Harry said simply.
"Please tell me that he's still alive. I want the honour of feeding him his testicles for subjecting you to years of those … those things!"
"Well, he was two days ago, so I doubt that it's changed much since then. I'd have seen mourning banners all over the place if he had." He looked up. "Well, this place looks like it sells clothes form men and women. What say we step inside?"
"May I help you?" a young woman asked as soon as they had stepped inside.
"Yes," Lily said, taking charge. "We need to get a pretty complete set of clothes while we wait for the airline to find our luggage. Our luggage apparently decided to visit Burma on the way back from Holland."
"Been there, honey," came the response. "I think my suitcase is still in Hawaii." In short order the two of them were leaving the store carrying multiple bags.
"Time for the Underground," Harry said and headed for the nearest station. "You're a good liar, by the way." She merely smiled and shrugged. This distracted Harry for a moment.
As they approached the wall, Lily said, "Harry? The entry is this way." She pointed toward the turnstiles.
"Yes, to the train. I'm going elsewhere." He reached up and moved the sconce, and the wall opened.
"Cool! A Notice-Me-Not charm!" she squealed. "Where does this lead?"
"Sirius's place," he said sadly. "Well, mine now, I assume."
"He's dead?" she asked softly as they entered the corridor.
"Yeah. Voldemort tricked me into trying to save Sirius, which led Sirius to try to save me. His cousin killed him."
"I always thought Bella was insane."
"How'd you know it was her?"
"Well, it would be Bella, Cissy, or Rom. Rom was disowned for not marrying a pureblood, and Cissy was …" Lily paused. "Cissy wouldn't do that, let's just say that, okay? That leaves the already crazy one, who always said she was willing to kill for pureblood superiority."
"And yet she blindly follows a half-blood," he said, shaking his head. "Voldemort's father was a Muggle."
Lily snorted. "Figures."
"I won't ask," Harry said.
"Couldn't properly explain it anyway. Just doesn't surprise me is all," They walked for a moment before she said, "Um, Harry, do you know that there's a portal up ahead?"
"That would probably explain the disconnect I feel walking down this hallway. Hold on to me if you're worried about being separated from me." He started slightly as her hand slid into his, interlocking their fingers. They hit the disconnect and Lily relaxed, and a few moments later they were at the sconce behind the armoire.
#####
They stepped into the hallway and were met by Bill almost immediately. "Dumbledore came by - a bit of a surprise, honestly - and he's mobilised the troops to locate you. Expect a lecture." Only after he had finished did he notice Lily. "Um, Harry?"
"Long story that I'll tell you, but I'm not sure who else. Let me introduce you to Lily."
"Pleased to meet you, Lily. Harry certainly knows how to find beautiful girls. I'm Bill Weasley." He bowed over her hand as if to kiss it.
"Thank you, good sir. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance." She curtsied in response.
"Well, into the fray," Harry said. "What part, if any, did you admit to?"
"I was in the third floor room, cleaning. It never really got any further. If you want me to come clean, I will."
"No. I'm taking responsibility for this, Bill. And let them deal with it as they will."
"Mind if I watch?" Bill chuckled.
Harry laughed quietly as he headed downstairs, Lily on his arm. At the bottom of the stairs he turned and found himself facing Severus Snape.
"Potter, of all the unbelievably immature and stupid things for you to do, this goes beyond the pale!" the pale Potions Master yelled. "This bit of idiocy surpasses getting that mangy mutt of a godfather of yours killed!" He stalked over and grabbed Harry's arm and began to drag him toward the drawing room.
Harry dug in his heels and said softly, "I'd appreciate your releasing my arm, Professor." He was seething inside.
"I don't care what a spoiled brat too stupid to understand what the concept of secrecy appreciates! You are going to explain yourself to the headmaster." Snape began to drag Harry toward the room.
Harry shook his left arm and felt the dagger fall into his hand. Repositioning it quickly, he set the blade against Severus's wrist. "Now, I have requested that you release my arm, phrased as a statement. Now I am stating that you will release my arm or lose the hand. You can either have it cut off or blasted off if you choose not to voluntarily release me."
Snape looked down at the blade and took the intelligent route of releasing Harry's arm, although with a deep sneer. "Have it your way, Potter. I'll have you dealt with for threatening me with a knife."
"It was no threat, sir. Had you not released me, you would be minus a hand. Now, I believe you said that the headmaster would like to see me?"
"Actually he said that you would explain yourself to him," Bill said helpfully.
"Perhaps he should come out here then, since I seriously doubt that anyone is likely to allow me in to see him with my lady friend, and you're a little trigger happy with your spells when you know you can do some damage. I'd prefer that you not pull a Lockhart on her." He turned to Lily. "Never did any of what his books said he did - he was a skilled Obliviator, though. Learned that when he tried to kill Ron and me. We will now pause to give our Potions Master a chance to think 'Pity he failed' before I continue."
"Must you antagonise him, Harry?" Dumbledore asked as he entered the room.
"Don't see why not. It's not like I'm ever going to get anything resembling fairness from him, so I might as well try to give as good as I get. Ever since first year he's hated me for existing. It's only fair that I return the favour." He shook his head. "We're not here to give him a reason to try to get me expelled though." He suddenly remembered the rings and thought at them, If you can make yourselves invisible, do it now! He looked down to see the Potter ring alone on his hand, although he could still feel the others.
"You are correct. May I ask you why you left the household, and where you went?"
"Yes," Harry responded.
After a long moment of silence, Snape snarled, "He asked you a question, Potter. Where were you?"
"Actually, he asked me if he could ask me. Two different things." He turned back to Dumbledore.
Albus Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "You are correct. Very well. Why did you leave, and where did you go?"
"I choose not to answer, sir, although I doubt you'll need to work very hard to figure it out."
"I am sorry, Mister Potter," Dumbledore said, "but while it was phrased as a question, I must insist that you tell me. Your leaving was quite dangerous. You also brought an unknown quantity back to this household, and that will have ramifications beyond what you might imagine."
"I am sorry as well, Professor Dumbledore, but I am exercising my right not to tell you." He saw the familiar twinkle begin in the headmaster's eyes and suddenly understood what its purpose was. He conjured up a simple image - his own right hand in a fist, with the two finger salute extended - and concentrated on it. He felt the pressure increase slightly, and held up the dagger, pointing it at the man. "Incarcerous!" he ground out, and suddenly the headmaster was covered head to foot in ropes. "Stay out of my mind. I was out doing business that is mine to know. Had you asked pleasantly, rather than ordering me by pretending to be pleasant, I might have told you. As for my female companion, given the circumstances of our meeting, I trust her a great deal more than I trust most other people I know."
"Thank you, Harry!" she said brightly. "That means a lot to me!"
"It's true, though. I can throw this house farther than I trust Snape over there to do anything in my best interests. Unless, of course, it's also in his best interests."
He was surprised to see a look he couldn't define slide across Lily's face. Knowing she'd likely tell him in her own time, he said, "They'll harass me until I give them what they want. May I tell them who you are?"
"Well, I am yours to do with as you will, Harry," she said, putting a spin on the phrasing that threatened a blood migration.
"Yeah. Right," he said weakly. Turning back to Dumbledore, he started to speak, but was interrupted by Snape.
"Sir, if you no longer need me here, I see no reason to stay and listen to Potter try to give an explanation why he left and then returned with his whore. Good day."
Harry looked to Lily, whose eyes were flashing. "Just don't kill him, Lily." He turned back to Dumbledore as he listened to her stalking over to Snape. "I left today because the goblins had informed me that there was something very important left to me by my parents. I felt that they would likely have had a reason for granting me access before my sixteenth birthday, so it became vital that I discover this reason. I disguised myself and left the house via a method I do not believe anyone here knows about, and I intend to keep it that way. At Gringott's, I spoke to Damrod and Mablung and discovered that the wards fell around the Dursley household because the adoption by Sirius made me legally an adult, since I am the last remaining Black." He stared darkly at Dumbledore. "Imagine my surprise when I discovered that my wizarding guardian prevented the same from happening the summer prior to the Tri-Wizard Tournament. There are no more Potters, so I should have been notified, and taught how to run a household. Instead, you chose to put this off until next year, I assume."
"You are not ready to take on the responsibilities of being an adult, Mister Potter," Albus said gently.
"And you have been quite careful to ensure that I not learn how to become one. That is neither here nor there, however. What is important is that I found the Potter family vault and gathered some things, such as a statue that is currently staring down Snape."
"Professor Snape," Albus admonished.
"Snape. I give him the same respect he gives me, sir. Without knowing anything about Lily, he proceeds to refer to her, within her hearing, as a whore. When he finds out who she is, he'd probably reiterate it, but that's a perfect example of what Snape is. He makes snap judgements. I was insulted for being the pampered Golden Boy from the moment I walked into my very first Potions class, Headmaster. I'm fairly certain that the rest of the professors know the treatment that the other houses get at his hands, since the students can't help but talk about it out of class. No one does anything about it, which means that the staff wants it to be that way. I can honestly say that since taking the job as Head of Slytherin House, he probably single-handedly is the reason that Slytherin is a reviled House. When you know that he can watch a Slytherin start a fight and not step in until the person from the other House defends themselves, and then remove points from the defender's House, well, can you see people being very forgiving to Slytherin?"
"What this really comes down to, sir, is that I am legally an adult. It also means that the next time he does something threatening toward me, I can legally defend myself with magic. I will not start anything against him, but I will damned well end it."
They heard the front door open and close, and Remus walked into the room, stopping as he saw the tension thick in the place. Lily turned from where she was staring down Severus Snape to look at the werewolf, and a grin split her face. "Remmy! How are you?"
"Lily?" he gasped, and fainted.
A surprise at Gringott's, and the ORder's response to the move.