a different harry potter

Chapter 5: A Whole New World

Diagon Alley

Harry stared around him, eyes wide as he took in the busy street of Diagon Alley. Both he and Septima had donned open cloaks over their clothes as Septima explained it would help them fit in with the others in Diagon Alley. She had also cast a notice-me-not charm on the two of them to help people pay less attention to them. Harry was grateful for that as he wasn't used to large crowds of people, and did not know what to think about the idea of his fame in the wizarding world. Septima had explained it best when she described how thankful people were that the dark lord was gone, and that Harry should graciously accept others well wishes for saving other families by defeating the dark lord. Harry suspected his parents had more to do with actually defeating the dark lord, but had simply nodded at Septima's advice.

Harry was careful to stay close to Septima while the two made their way to Gringotts, a large white marble building near the end of the street. Harry noted the guards at the doors and the inscription above the bank entrance. Septima had warned him that goblins ran the wizarding bank, but it was entirely different to see that for himself and his eyes widened at the site of the strange creatures dressed in suits that served as the clerks in the bank. He followed Septima to a teller and waited patiently with her until it was their turn.

Septima Vector escorting Harry Potter on his first trip to Gringotts," she stated quietly yet firmly. She did not want to draw unnecessary attention to them. The goblin stared first at her, and then at Harry for several long moments.

"Key."

"He does not have it. We are not sure who does," she informed the goblin.

"Rockclaw," the goblin called and another goblin appeared by his side. "Take these two to see Sharpclaw," he ordered.

"Follow me," Rockclaw told them and led the way down a long and dimly lit corridor. Septima and Harry followed with Harry's eyes darting around to take in as much as possible. They passed several doors until they reached one that was gold in color. Rockclaw opened the door and motioned for them to enter.

"Sit, Sharpclaw will be with you shortly," he informed them and then turned and left the room. Septima and Harry took two seats facing a large ornately carved desk. A moment later another goblin appeared from a door set off to the right of the desk.

"I am told you are Septima Vector and Harry Potter. I am Sharpclaw, account manager for the Potter family. A new key can be created for a small fee, of course, and it will require your blood to prove that you are indeed, Harry Potter. Imposters are dealt with most harshly," the goblin stated as he strode forward and took a seat behind the desk.

"Alright," Harry agreed not sure what else to say.

"Good," the goblin grumbled and pulled a piece of parchment from his desk, along with a small silver knife. "Prick your finger with the knife and allow three drops of blood to fall onto the parchment." Harry looked to Septima who nodded encouragingly. Still wary, Harry took the knife and touched it to his finger. Blood welled immediately and he held his hand over the parchment so that three drops could fall onto it. As Harry watched his cut healed, and he stared at the goblin in astonishment. He set the knife down on the desk and Sharpclaw cleaned it and put it away as well.

Slowly words began to form on the parchment, but before Harry could read them, Sharpclaw pulled the parchment closer to himself. "Interesting," he stated and Harry wondered what was so interesting. "May I speak freely in front of Ms. Vector, Mr. Potter?"

"Yes," Harry agreed quickly.

"You are indeed, the Potter heir, but your name is more fully, Harry James Orion Potter-Black," Sharpclaw informed them. He slid the parchment back towards Harry and Septima. Directly above Harry's name was that of James Charlus Potter, Lily Marie Potter, nee Evans, and Sirius Orion Black.

"Does this indicate a blood adoption?" Septima asked curious.

"It is difficult to tell without more details. You will want to talk with Sirius Black to gather more details about the ritual itself, especially whether it just involved blood, or if family magics or soul magic was used.

"Who is Sirius Black?" Harry wanted, no needed, to know. He had an adopted father who was still alive? Where had he been all this time?

Septima sighed as she thought about what the inheritance test had revealed and the questions it raised. They needed to speak with Sirius Black and find out what ritual had been used to have him recognized as Harry's father. Depending on the ritual itself, Sirius Black might be innocent, as family magics should have prevented a father from directly endangering his son. But if he was guilty, could that be how Harry survived the killing curse? What if this had something to do with the shield that Healer Stanhope mentioned? This was going to require some serious research as well, and she wondered if there would be anything useful in the Hogwarts library or if they would need access to either the Black or Potter family libraries for books specific to those families.

As the silence lengthened, Sharpclaw examined the face of the young wizard sitting before him. Harry Potter was an unknown, but he was young, and he had a lot of sway in the wizarding world based on his boy-who-lived status. Sharpclaw decided to inform his client of the basic story even though generally he would have expected someone else to explain it to the child.

"Mr. Potter, during the last wizarding war, your parents placed their home at Godric's Hollow under a fidelius charm with Sirius Black as the secret keeper. When Voldemort was able to find their home, Mr. Black was accused of betraying them by revealing their location to Voldemort. He then killed Peter Pettigrew, a friend of your father's, and

thirteen muggles when Pettigrew confronted him about his treachery. Mr. Black was sent to Azkaban, the wizarding prison and he's been there ever since."

"So he betrayed my parents to Voldemort?" This time it was Septima who spoke.

"Sharpclaw has just told you what we believe happened, but this test calls that into question depending upon the ritual used to adopt you as his son and heir." At Harry's look of confusion, she went on to explain. "He would not have needed to adopt you officially to name you as his heir, so it is possible that he wanted to ensure that you would have access not only to any money you might receive from him but also to the Black family magic and properties, things that could only be passed down to those with a blood or soul connection. If he used his family magic than his magic would not have allowed him to place you in imminent peril or bring about your death. We need to know what ritual was used as it is possible that he did not betray your parents as everyone believes."

"But wouldn't this have come out at his trial?" Harry voiced only one of many questions that he had. It was almost too much to take in really. So many things were happening, and there was just so much new information that he felt overwhelmed.

"Sirius Black was never convicted of any crime, as he is still the heir to the Black family and eligible to take up the mantle of Lord Black," Sharpclaw added contemplating the knowledge before him and that he was in turn passing on to the child and heir of both the Potter and Black accounts. Both the Potter and Black accounts were significant.

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