Ancestry 05 - Friends Get A Clue Too. by Voracity2

Ancestry 05 - Friends Get A Clue Too.

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Ancestry 05 - Friends Get A Clue Too.

Harry was snuck into the wand shop in Diagon Alley. "Hi, Mr. Olivander."

He blinked at him. "Harry Potter?"

He nodded. "I think I need a new wand."

He stared at his barely marked forehead. "What has happened?"

"The curse scar held a possession." The older man winced. "But you can't tell anyone. I'm safe and all that but I'm not sure I'm going back to Hogwarts. I'm thinking about another school."

"The school's in turmoil."

"I heard from Neville. And Hermione." The older man smiled and let him see the papers while he pulled a few wands down. Harry sighed, putting them aside and putting his wand on the counter to try the first one. Nothing. "Huh. My magic's not bound." He used his old wand and it worked, kind of, but it was hard. Mr. Olivander took the wand back to do something then handed it back. "Is it because where I was had a lot of energy leakage?"

"Yes. That could hamper a new wand and the resonance that the bank takes to tell that you're you."

"Oh, shoot. I was hoping to get it done today."

The man stared at him. "There are cleansing rituals."

"I'm planning on doing one tomorrow." He frowned. "Okay, I can come back then." He put his cloak of invisibility over him again and grabbed his old wand, heading out. Xander was hiding at the inn for lunch. He slid in across from him. "I'm leaking bad magic," he said quietly.

"We can fix that." He stared at him. "But it'll change your magic spectacularly."

"Will it hurt me?"

"No. But no one will be able to tell that you're you."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No." He paid and they left together, him muttering at the floo fireplace. Harry yelped as he was let through and Xander followed him. He let the boy stare at the ancient castle structure in front of them but headed off to the side. "C'mon, Harry." Harry followed, shaking his head. He gave Harry a shove into a chamber. "The heir stone's in there. Go find it." Harry looked at him but he had disappeared.

"Okay." He lit his wand and took off the cloak, heading for the piles of stuff he could see in the dim wand light. He found a lantern and lit it. The room lit up and he stared. "What the holy hell," he muttered, looking at all the shiny things. Some called out to him but he ignored it for now. He found a plinth and went to look at it. "Are you the heir stone?" he asked it. No answer thankfully.

A ghost floated in, a female. "Boy, who are you?" she asked. "And how did you get here?"

"Xander brought me, ma'am, and told me to find the heir stone. Apparently I'm his grandson."

"Xander?"

"He's under some sort of curse." He shrugged. "Is this the heir stone?"

"Is this Xander a Dumass?"

"Yes. He used to be a cursebreaker apparently."

"Oh." She considered it then led him to a stone. "Not the heir stone but a first step to show familial relations." He ran a hand over the stones and it sparked up, lighting up where he touched, and a few other runes. She stared. "You are family. Why do you read as evil?"

"I was on something called a hellmouth for a few weeks?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Allisandra!" she called, bringing that ghost. "Do we know a Xander on a hellmouth?"

"It's Alex," she told that ghost. "That's who he was forced to become by that deaging curse." She looked at the boy. "You're family of some kind."

"Xander's my grandfather apparently."

"Ah." She nodded. "We knew he would screw up sometime with how often he wenched around." She led him to something else. "This is the way we tell which areas the family members are tilted towards."

"Is that going to hurt?"

"No. Why do you read as evil beyond the hellmouth?"

"They had to remove a curse scar from my forehead." He touched the new scar. It was tiny and healing well. It might fade completely.

She looked him over then nodded. "We need to do something first, Harry. Come with me." She led him through a wall and he found the trigger to open it. She smiled. Yes, he was much like his grandfather. "Your grandfather was about six or so when he got trapped in this room.

"The other side of the fish tank is a common room inside." Harry looked then at her. "We know, it's dusty. It's been a long time since Alex came home." She lit up the room. "This has always been his preferred home. He should have come sooner."

"Maybe he didn't feel he could since he was cursed?"

She stared at him. "We would've taken care of him. His anger led him to stay away because we shouldn't know if he has to turn evil."

"He's been hunting with a slayer."

"Ah." She nodded and took him to something. "Step in the center, Harry. We're going to clean your aura so we can tell who you really are." He did that and then screamed as the power was stripped from him, but the local power infused him and changed him some. He panted as that finished healing him. Remaking his magic. She stared at him then nodded. "Not bad." He gave her an odd look.

She smiled. "Only a Dumass, a true Dumass, can do the cleaning that way. That's for tragically tainted ones of us. Mostly the cursebreakers," she admitted. "But the family used to raise unicorns." She told him about the old house and he relaxed at that, letting the changing finish happening. "You're now legally a magical adult," she said quietly, staring at him. "But yet innocent." She led him to the heir stone and let him touch that large crystal, which lightly lit up around his fingertips. "Step into it, Harry."

He swallowed then did that and the power in there flowed through him. He bathed in the knowledge of the past family. What the family stood for. What they had done. He felt it accept him as he was, the scared kid who had to handle things. He came out and stroked the stone, looking at her. "You guys did some amazing things," he said quietly.

"Yes, we did." She smiled. "So have you. I saw that you have."

"I was forced to."

"Not necessarily. You could have turned your back, walked away, not cared that the idiot snake screwer was back. That he was hurting people. We have ones like that in the family, Harry, and you are not like them." She stroked over his cheek, making him shiver from the energy. She smiled.

"You're as strong of will as Alex ever was and we appreciate that. We're all hard headed assholes around here." He burst out laughing. "We are." She smiled, taking him to another one. "Touch that." He did so she led him through the heirs ceremony to give him the ritual dagger and necklace.

"That will get you here, Harry. You can apparate through the wards and only you." She stroked his cheek again. He was more shielded now, did it automatically. "Come, see the family's greatness. Alex was a huge booknerd who had every book he found copied." She led him to the library, making him moan. She smiled. "If you wish you can lend a book now and then."

"If I could get Hermione here we'd never see her for a year. She might even dust."

She grinned. "Some people are book nerds. Sometimes they're good to know. Sometimes they do more. Alex certainly did." She led him to something. "That's a fairly poorly written but mostly truthful history of the family." He took it with a moan, hugging it to his chest. "We're not all of your family lineage. Your mother had a whole other side. So did your father."

"I have no idea about any of them, ma'am. Every time I tried to read a book that had them in it they'd disappear."

She looked at him. "Someone's playing dirty. We should stop them. The family is very protective of each other, even the bad ones." She led him off to show him a few other places. Including a bathroom. He used it and washed his hands quickly then came back out. "Good boy."

She led him around to tell him the family stories, the family histories, and to give the few family warnings. Especially about the family's heirs having to be conceived on a bed that is tainted by the family's bed. Otherwise they went evil. She introduced him to the pictures of the ones who left or were pushed out of the family. Just in case they needed to meet.

***

Harry went back to Olivander's, smiling at him. "Okay, I did that."

"I can tell. You're glowing." He pulled in his aura, then smiled a bit. "Well. What did you find?"

"The family. Mom's family on one side." The old man stared at him. "She was a Dumass on one side," he said quietly.

"Ah." He nodded, getting a few special wands down. "Try these."

He tried the first one and it lit up in his hand but did nothing else. He put it down and tried the next few. The last one was a weird feeling, it made his hand itch. He put it down carefully before scratching his palm.

"That is chaos stone and silvered dragon scales." Harry blinked a few times. "A lot of your family has something similar but not exactly that." He got something and brought it back. "Try that." Nope, but the next one went off in his hand without him prompting it to. "Ahhh." He watched the boy cast a small spell to check it. "That is yours. Phoenix and fire crystal inside ebony wood." Harry smiled, handing back his original one. "You'll need that for the bank."

"Okay. How much do I owe you?" He let him pay the few coins and then leave to go to the bank. Olivander nearly sniffled. The next generation of Dumass had finally showed up. He looked at the man that snuck in. "A grandson?" Xander nodded with a smirk. "How are you?"

"Still bound." He sighed. "And I can't access the cleaning circle to do that with the binding he used."

"Let me see, boy." He led him to the back to unbind most of his magic. The rest could be unbound another way.

Xander got his wand repaired since the wood had split, then went to hover nearby to set off the curses for screwing with him. Sure, it was dark but they had earned retribution.

Harry walked into the bank, smiling at the goblin that came out to stop him. "Easy, I did a cleaning ritual. I know I'm glowing. Sorry."

The warrior stared at him. "Who are you?"

"Harry. James. Potter. Dumass apparently."

The warrior's eyes went wide and he backed off, shaking his head. "No, you cannot be."

"I can be. And there's an heir stone here I should go stand on apparently." He nodded at the banker who had helped him before. "Master banker."

He stared at his forehead then at him. "You had it removed."

"I did. The American aurors helped me greatly."

"Why do you glow of a newly cleaned soul?"

"I was on a hellmouth. I found a relative there." The goblin winced at that. Harry bowed. "I know I need hit the heir stone and register my new wand signature. Can I do that with you?"

"You can," he decided. He took him to his office. "The heir stone is holdable."

"Great Aunt Allisandra said it's a step on. She walked me through the one up there and the cleaning ritual."

"Did you clean yourself first?"

"Of course." He smiled slightly. "I was told that finding a new wand wouldn't work until I did."

"So you went to the castle?"

"Yes." He nodded with a slight grin. "Beautiful place, huge library. Lots of lawn though. I really wanted my broom to ride around on."

"That's good. The castle has been without a master for years."

"No, Xander's still alive." The goblin flinched and Harry stared at him. "He's really upset, but he's still alive." He smiled. "He said to tell whoever asked that he's really pissed at all that. And he's already presented an honor scroll to Dumbledore." The goblin shuddered, shrinking on himself. "But I'm not here about that. I'm here to register my new wand and use the heir stone and not get in the middle of that as I have no idea what happened that long ago. I barely remember what happened to me that long ago."

"You were barely given to your aunt."

"So someone decided against the stronger family members to put me with the muggles who hated me?"

The goblin nodded. "It was not our call."

"I've heard it was Dumbledore who put me with them. I don't blame you for that. That was his plotting. He's had a lot of that about me."

"Not just about you."

"I was told about the power and Xander admitted why he was so pissed off that I had been sent to him. It made me look like a plot to drag him back here for the new war thanks to Dumbledore's plans."

"He may have anticipated that need," he admitted.

"Frankly, I hope the man suffers. I'm looking at other schools. Is there one that's more suitable to people like me? He liked Drackmar or something like that?"

"Go to Hogwarts. It'll be changed. The headmaster is in jail."

"Yes but if I'm there there'll be another attack to get me there. No one at Hogwarts deserves that."

"Point. Xander really did note some tactical things to you?"

"Yup. He got me the list of schools too. My list," he said, pulling it out of a pocket to hand over. "That's my list."

The goblin looked it over, nodding some. "Your second or third choice are difficult schools but they are academically strident. They will not allow you to handle an attack." He handed it back.

"Xander liked the fourth down. Or the sixth, he admitted he adored that school but it wasn't for him as his natural cursebreaking nature would've had trouble there."

"Yes it would and you do show some of that." He considered it. "The best school would be learning from him."

"He's busy hunting with a slayer."

The goblin winced. "Oh, no," he said in goblin. "He's Xander Harris, isn't he?" Harry grinned and nodded. "Oh, this is not good."

"He said to tell whoever asked that he's really not happy. But he's saving everyone because no one else will get vengeance."

"True. There's many due some."

"I didn't bring an honor scroll with me for anyone around here."

"No, those have to be delivered in person somehow."

"He sent Dobby with one."

"That would be considered reasonable as he's entailed to your family, even if he isn't fully your house elf, Mr. Potter." He handed him a stone, letting him hold it. It turned into a ring so Harry put it on. A gong went off loudly in the back areas of the vaults. It announced an heir taking their position. "I see."

Harry grinned. "I know very little about him. He didn't do more than share some stories about his siblings. He didn't offer to train me or anything." The goblin huffed but nodded. "So, which school?"

"I would go back to Hogwarts. It will be remade. Mr. Lucius Malfoy was worried his son was turning into your female friend."

"Same brains and nature but Hermione believes in people and Draco doesn't." He grimaced. "Though I could see her changing him. Which is an icky thought of them dating."

"Is she your choice for mate?"

"I've barely hit puberty finally. Don't know a thing about girls yet."

"You're a sixth year."

"Yes, and the treatment I was under by my aunt and uncle meant that it stunted and delayed my growth. Not only height wise, and I'm told I won't be growing too much more, but also delayed hormonal growth surges."

"You can sue them."

"I'm going to sue the ones who put me there and kept me there."

"That's a good idea but he may not be able to pay for quite a while since he's in jail."

Harry grinned. "Me first."

The goblin shivered again but nodded. "We will go to the Dumass heir stone. Did he send you with a key?" One was dug out of a pocket and held up. "That is not... it's his cursebreaking vault. He hasn't visited it in years. Since he was deaged."

Harry shrugged. "He gave me this key."

"Maybe he moved the stone in there." They went down to that vault, where Harry opened it. The protections went off but let him through. He walked in to look around. No stone things. Three big things on the worktable. He picked them up to look at. One was a vault key. One was a crystal wand. "Aunt Allisandra's wand?" he guessed, looking at it. It went into his shirt pocket. Then he switched it to his wand holster. He picked up the third thing. It was a small diadem. "What are you and am I expected to wear it?" He held it up. "Any idea?"

"It's the heir's wife's sigil and sign that she belongs to the family," the banker said. "For now, wear it. It'll hide itself in your hair or around your throat." Harry put it on like a necklace and it did hide itself in his shirt. He stepped back and a hidden scroll appeared, making the goblin moan. "I expected that." He came in to look at it then let it accept him. It didn't hit him, it hit others in the bank. Some of them were heard screaming.

"We can go to the other vault. Alex was always a planner." He took the key and took him to that vault, which was a Dumass vault that did indeed hold some books, some pictures, and the heir stone. Harry stepped onto it and it coated him in light then left him with a black band around his hair.

He pulled it down to look at then put it on his wrist, since it looked more like a bracelet that adjusted size. He looked at his hand and there were two new rings around the Potter one. He smiled at one, touching it gently. "How did the Black ring come to me this way?"

"The heir stones are not linked but someone like Alex Dumass could do so for a single heir." He looked at the rings then sighed. "There was no gong."

Harry patted the stone. "Which one is the Dumass one?"

"Alex would wear that."

"He doesn't wear any jewelry. Or a belt knife." He looked at his then at the goblin.

"He's distanced himself to go dark to get vengeance." He winced and pointed. "Try it again." He did that and the Dumass heir necklace appeared around his throat. "That is what I expected. They always preferred that to a ring. Most were good duelers. Alex was excellent and his sister Katya was nearly as good."

He let the boy pick up a few boxes to shrink and bring with him. They had portraits he could talk to and learn about. The one box had his name on it and 'defense books' on the tag. Harry looked and grabbed one last thing to look at then put the rings on the table instead. "That was his parents' wedding set. Alex's mother is now a vengeance demon."

Harry looked at him then grinned. "That's good to know. I need to read up on them. Maybe she'll come talk to me."

"Hopefully she'll go nag your grandfather." He led him out. "No gold today?"

"Not yet." That got a nod and they registered his new wand signature on the way out. He went back to the Leaky, finding Alex in his room. "So."

Alex grinned. "Mom may come nag you. She can't get to the hellmouth."

"Ah." He nodded. "Want to explain a few things?"

"There's more than one prophecy, Harry. The one against Moldy Voldy and another one that said a few of the stronger families coming together would make a solution to some wrongness that had crept in. The problems you had, they started to fail the system and proved it was wrong, so people went looking."

"Is that why I went with my aunt and uncle?"

"No. If someone had told me I would've been there, Harry. I would've raised you myself and not been cursed."

"You were cursed after they were killed?"

"Weeks later." He stared at him. "There's massive plots going on, kiddo." He sat up. "You are to live your life as a Dumass. Every single day you are to be a Dumass. Even if you are occasionally a Potter too." He grinned.

"You don't think you'll make it off the hellmouth?"

"Nope, I don't. They put me there with drunken muggles to contain me while I regrew. Infected with a lot of light magic that was gathered from Stonehenge. Thankfully I had memories and my muggle caregivers drank themselves to death within weeks.

"So I made golems as parents and regrew up into myself. I probably can't go back to being Alex Dumass. He was sarcastic, he was deadly with a wand, he was hell on the nerves of a lot of beings by being his chaotic self." He grinned. "But I'm Xander and can't go back there."

"Which is why I'm now the lead heir?"

"Yeah, you are. I can still access the castle. It's still my original home. It's my safety and my security blanket, but I can't go back to being Alex. I've been Xander for over ten years now." Harry shivered. "And you will not, and are not, to turn into me. Am I clear?" He stood up, staring down at him.

"You are Harry Potter-Dumass. You are to not let *anyone* turn you into me. We share some of the same skills but if they want you to be a cursebreaker, you decline. Because the bank has just as many plots as Dumbledore does." He patted his cheek. "You'll still see me. And if you need me you can yell."

"They wanted me at Hogwarts."

He grimaced. "Well, Dumbledore's in jail but I doubt it'll change much. It will freak people out when you show up though." He smirked a bit. "All the loudness will happen. Greatly." He stroked his cheek. "I'm here if you need me but I've got to go be the warrior asshole I've turned into. I've got to avenge the family for all the ones who died thanks to these plots.

"You've got your parents to avenge. And that ring means you can get into their properties and find their paintings and your family there. That's why I asked the heir stone to do that for you." He patted him again with a grin. "Get some new clothes. You did grow a bit."

"I will tomorrow." He stared at him. "You could stay."

"Or I could stop Willow from destroying the world some day. She's got an addictive personality. Someday I'll be back. Once the hellmouth's gone or my appointed duty and my vengeance is done with. But if you need me, call for me. The heirs are linked." He tapped the necklace then disappeared.

Harry sat down with a sigh. He knew he wasn't all alone. He had Dobby. He could go check on Xander now and then. He had Ron and Hermione and probably Neville. Hell, if he wanted to he could make other friends some day. Though for now he had to go talk to the lawyer Xander had helped him find. The lawyer was handling something for Xander too. Because that was part of his vengeance. Harry found the office and walked in after a knock, smiling at the receptionist. "Hi, I have a case for Mr. Summersfield."

"Name, sir?"

"Harry Potter." She looked at his forehead. "That's part of it. They kept it there. It was cursed." She winced but let him know. The lawyer came to the door to stare at him but he was a goblin. Harry wasn't put out about that. "Sir, I'm Harry Potter. I have need of vengeance. My grandfather had me come to you."

"Mr. Potter." He looked at his forehead. "Let's talk. See where I can do that." He brought him to his office and Harry gave the file from the American aurors and the hospital in Boston. Plus his stolen notes from the Ministry. He had sent Hermione with Dobby to get them. She went in to research in the archives and Dobby had stolen them. "Did they copy them?"

"No, I had them stolen. They're about me and I wanted answers. What I saw was horrifying. Their plots got me tortured for years."

"I saw that." He looked at those notes and winced mentally. "This is definitely worthy of vengeance." He noticed the heirs necklace. "You're a Dumass."

"Alex is my grandfather." He grinned. "I believe he hired you to work for him too."

"Yes he did. And I'm very glad I wasn't part of the bank then." He looked at the rest of the files he had. "This is...very bad." He looked at the young man. "Will vengeance soothe you?"

"No," he admitted. "But it means he can't do it again. It means that part of my life is over with and no one else has to go through it. Maybe it'll stop some of the problems around me like the ministry. And if you could do something about Fudge and the pink thing I'd be grateful too."

"I've seen Fudge's thing and the pink thing as you call her was noted in the reports from the Aurors." He stared at him. "How did you end up with him?"

"The healer the bank sent me to banished me to the family home to protect me from aurors busting in to stop them treating me. Complete with memory charms."

The lawyer nodded at that, starting to make notes. "This will definitely ruin the ministry's plots about you."

"Great. They could use fixed." He grinned. "Someone like Draco could use it to fix things so they worked how he wanted them to."

"Probably his father."

"His father's in trouble if some things came out recently. Including being at the assault on the Ministry that I helped defeat." The goblin winced at that but made that note too. "Draco's going to have to cling to his mother."

"She's actually more scary. A Black always is."

"Sirius wasn't that scary to me but he probably was trying not to be."

The goblin looked at him. "You knew him?"

"He was my godfather. He escaped the prison to protect me from Pettigrew. And he never had a trial." That note got made as well. "During that assault he got shoved through some veil there."

The goblin sighed but nodded. "We can note that as another wrong as it ended a family line." Harry held up his hand. "He was your godfather," he said flatly.

"Yup." He grinned.

"Has Malfoy seen that?"

"I haven't seen him. I went from the bank to the Leaky to you."

"Good. He's going to have a fit."

"Sirius hated Lucius."

"His will said so." He got back to his notes. "I can file it today. It could take forever or it could be hushed up by happening quickly."

"Or they could try to shut me up by throwing me in jail too?"

"Yes, if Fudge is still in charge."

"I've been thinking about changing schools. The bankers thought I should still be at Hogwarts."

"I believe the earthquake is going to be epic," he admitted, going back to his notes. Harry paid him what he needed to and let him sign the filings to go over there. He took the pertinent memories to file with it. Just in case a memory charm hit the boy. Then he went back to the Leaky to rest.

The goblin went back over the other filings that were associated. The lawyer decided maybe some had earned the goblin name instead of the more polite ones. The note of honor scrolls being sent made him shiver. That was a very bad blood feud started. But worthy.

***

Harry showed up to the twins, nodding at one as he walked past them.

"Your hair's a wreck, Mum'll have a fit," he muttered as the kid walked past him. He followed him, giving his twin a sign to distract their mother for a bit. He pulled Harry into an alley to stare at him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm good. The doctors in Boston were fantastic to me." He grinned. "But I'm back and deciding if I'm going to another school or not."

"Do you want daily howlers, Harry?"

"No." He smirked. "But there's got to be a way to get around it."

"Possibly." He looked him over. "They took the scar."

"They took the soul piece and the scar. It's in a safe in the US."

Fred shivered but nodded. "Good." He patted him on the cheek. "Disappear. I can hear Ginny." Harry left with a wink and a grin. He went to distract Ginny and herded her back to the family. George had distracted their mother asking about new robes. Which made her complain.

*** (sent to list's archive to here)

Harry looked up as someone opened her door then pounced him. "Hey, Hermione." He gave her a hug then pushed her back. "It's been one hell of a summer."

"I heard!" She pulled him inside to look him over. "Oh!" she said, touching the new scar. "Oh, thank God."

He grinned. "We're wizards, we're supposed to thank Merlin."

"Merlin has nothing to do with modern medicine, Harry." She looked him over. "You've grown some."

"About all I'll be doing probably they said." She grimaced. "Not my fault."

"I know. Did you hear the Ministry heard and started to ask questions?"

"I did. Naughty." He stared at her.

"I didn't start that off!" She smiled. "Though they decided Draco was the me for Slytherin."

"Yeah, I can see that." She hit him on the arm again. "But we're safe. I'm going to decide on coming back or not."

"Either way's fine. I might go with you if you go to another school. It has to be better than books that're dumbed down."

"They have to be. I have a few choices but I need to reach out this week. I'm at the Leaky for a week."

"That's fine. Though I can probably ask the parents if you can stay over. We have a guest room."

"I'm not going to put anyone out, Hermione."

"My parents are usually chill, Harry. I came back from the Ministry with Bill and they wanted to make sure he hadn't taken me to get an abortion because he mentioned a healer." He grinned so she swatted him again. "I'm in the kitchen. C'mon before I burn my chips."

He followed her back there, letting her pull the pan out of the oven and put them on a plate once they were salted. He stole a few to nibble while she babbled at him. It was soothing and nothing about curses or studying was coming out yet. He frowned a bit. "You haven't said a thing about anything you've read."

She scowled at him. "I can do more than read, Harry."

"That's good!" He grinned. "Did you suddenly discover that or is whatever that was keeping us from telling people things working on your summer letters?"

"No, I kept those simple in case someone tried to grab it to check it," she admitted.

"You know, since we'll probably need a future dark lord, we could nominate you." She scowled and swatted him again. "Hey!" He smirked. "You'd do a better job than Ron would."

"Ron would be a sucky Dark Lord." She nibbled her fries while she thought. "I don't want to do the paperwork. Dad always says that everyone wants to rule the world but no one wants to do the paperwork. That's why so many evil plans fail."

"Me either," he agreed. "Though I'm suing the hellhole of paperwork for their plots."

She smiled. "Good job!"

"Xander suggested it."

"Xander?"

"Grandfather."

"That's a very modern name for an older man."

"It's a nickname, 'Mione."

"Point I suppose." Her father came in grumbling. "Dad, this is Harry. He's just reappeared."

"I'm officially hiding at the Leaky Cauldron for a few hours. Until someone tells Mrs. Weasley. We heard she nearly took out some reporters trying to find me."

Hermione's father looked at him. "You look different."

"I had to have surgery to get rid of the dangerous artifact that was stuffed in the scar on my forehead," he admitted. "Thankfully there's a few docs who're fantastic where I was sent."

Hermione nibbled on another fry. "Israel or Miami?"

"Boston Children's."

"Ah," her father said with a nod. "They do have some great specialists there, Harry. Are you staying for dinner?"

"I was mostly checking on Hermione." He grinned. "Though, since it's been asked, I'm not even thinking about dating anyone at this moment. I have no idea why anyone would do that yet."

Her father stared at him. Then at his daughter. "Isn't he your age?"

"Horrible aunt," she quipped. "Delayed probably." She looked at Harry, who was grimacing and nodding. "So yeah, give him a year and he'll see if he's dating me or not, Dad."

"That's fine. We can wait that long to see if she does find a reason to actually skip homework some night."

"She'd combine the two," Harry told him. "She'd read assignments to them and expect them to thrill her with their homework skills." She swatted him again. "Tell me you wouldn't," he said, staring at her.

"Well..... no, that wouldn't get me happy with a boyfriend. We'd make out over our homework then remember we had to get it done so hurry through it then go back to making out." She ate another fry. Her mother came in with a huff. "Mum, this is Harry. He's just reappeared." Harry grinned and waved. "And no, we're not dating. Harry just assured Dad of that to ease the scowl about his only little girl being a big girl again."

She patted Harry on the arm. "Ignore him, Harry. It's a father thing." She walked past him. "We're ordering tonight so what did you two want?"

"Oh, no, I'm just checking on her and nibbling on her chips," Harry said with a smile. "I'm at the Leaky hiding from people." He waved and left via the portkey he had made for the alley. Xander had told him it was for escaping and escaping parents would probably fit. He heard Ginny and the twins so disappeared into a store, shaking his head at the opening mouth of an older woman.

"Please don't. Molly Weasley's outside and I need to recover before she finds me." The woman patted him on the shoulder but clearly she understood. Harry waited until they were past to check, avoiding Ron scanning around. Then he saw Ron walk on and sighed in pleasure, glancing out. Fred waved him out so he ran back to the Leaky and inside then upstairs to his room before anyone could tell it was him. He really didn't look like himself at the moment so that could help. He hoped.

***

Ron looked at Fred that night, staring at him. "You know something."

"I know a lot of things you don't," he quipped. "Because I did better on my homework without Hermione having to nag me to revise, Ron." He smiled.

"Not about that and I might follow Bill into the field."

"Do you *like* being screamed at? I mean, it's about constant enough to be sexual for you, Ron."

"Eaugh!" He shook his head. "You're keeping a huge secret from the parents."

"Yes we are." He smiled. "Greatly." He looked around. No parents or bigger siblings. "Hey, Dobby," he called quietly. The house elf showed up. "Is there any good news on Harry?"

"Harry Potter sir is being safe for the night. No nosy ones can find him, FredandGeorge." He patted the house elf on the head with a smile.

Ron cleared his throat. "Is Harry back in the country?"

"Harry Potter sir said Dobby is not to tell *anyone*, even Weaseys, where he is because bad people are looking for him to stop him from showing they evil and dumb." He stared at Ron. "Dobby can take a letter." Ron wrote one out quickly and he took it before the squealy one could find them.

Ron looked at his big brother. "Really?"

"Harry's found out a few things and he's about to go off on someone," Fred said quietly. "It's going to be very loud and Mum's going to cry."

Ginny leaned in. "Mum heard a house elf. Was that Dobby?" Fred nodded. "He bring anything?"

"I asked if Harry was okay and he said he was. Ron sent a letter."

"Why is Mum going to cry?" she hissed.

"Harry's found out some plots about him and is going to scream about them," Fred said.

"Oh, crap," she muttered. "Okay." She left, going back downstairs. "Ron and Fred called Dobby to check on Harry and Ron sent back a letter, Mum."

"Oh, that. I was hoping he had brought one."

"Not yet. But we know he's safe. Ron would probably realize if he wasn't somehow. Hermione probably did something to link them together somehow during bad things."

Ron came down the stairs, shaking his head. "Nope. Hasn't come up yet, Ginny." He gave her a funny look. "Don't think it will."

"You're not doing it again," his mother vowed.

"You want me to ignore things that'll attack her or me or those around us?" he asked. She glared. He stared back. "How was it that one kid from France said? Oh, yeah, suck it up like lemons," he told her. He walked outside. "Going to degnome some."

Fred came down the stairs. "Harry's fine, Mum. You know he's fine. We'd hear if he wasn't."

She huffed. "Maybe. I don't like that his relatives lost him."

"The healer sent him to a distant relative," Fred reminded her. "So he's probably safe learning about that side of the family." She pouted and sulked at that. "If he's coming back to Hogwarts he'll be back soon."

"Why wouldn't he?" she demanded.

"Would you want to with how often we get attacked there?" Ginny asked. "If I could I'd go somewhere else too." She went to the kitchen coming back with an apple. She looked at her father when he came in. "Everything okay, Dad?"

"Minister Fudge is being sued on top of the charges he'll face later this week. Harry's sued him, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and a few other choice people. Plus the Ministry and our social workers." Molly winced at that. "So if I was him I'd probably stay away."

Ginny snorted. "He's got enough to hang Dumbledore for putting him with those relatives of his." She ate a bite. "Plus doing things that meant that kids had to do the job he's supposedly doing." She ate another bite. Her mother glared at her.

"Mother, where were the teachers? When I was taken by the journal, they were locking people in houses, were growing what they needed to unpetrify people, they were handling them in Harry's class, and still didn't unfreeze anyone for months. For that matter, they didn't unfreeze people until after Harry had defeated the beast." Molly grimaced at that reminder.

"A teacher should've been able to identify what was going on faster than Hermione did since she had to look it up," Fred agreed. "Bill probably could've. Charlie definitely could've but we couldn't get a letter out to him. None of the kids in the house could get a letter out.

"So we went through months of danger every night and day, with teachers never doing a single thing about it, but the cure was on hand, and they waited to do anything until after Harry had gotten it." He stared at his mother. "Is that was a warrior for the Light does?" She huffed off. He looked at his father, who was shaking his head.

Arthur smiled. "Strong opinions are for the young, kids. Let her have her ways."

"Until it endangers me again," Ginny said. "Or one of the twins or someone else. Be damned if that's going to happen, Dad. I don't faint and I don't live in a story book where a prince has to rescue me." She ate another bite of apple. She also ducked the spray of soap from her mother's wand. Arthur shielded her against it. "Thanks." She went up to her room with her apple.

"None of the rest of us are novel princesses either," Fred quipped. "Even if Ron could probably make a good one." He went to his and his twin's room for the night.

Arthur went to talk to his wife. "They're right."

She glared. "They are not!"

"They are, Molly. Even Draco Malfoy's journal noted all that." He stared at her. She slumped. "There's a lot of wrong there and for all the ones we have fighting on our side and in the Order, no one seems to handle anything. We haven't went on raids, we haven't run scouting trips. We haven't even scried anyone. What is the Order doing?"

She huffed. "I don't know but our children do not need to be there."

"Ron volunteered like we both did. He's also been thinking about the auror academy."

"No he will not!" she shouted.

"I have years before I can decide that," Ron called from outside. "And I'll be whoever I want to be, Mum. Even if I follow Bill or I follow Dad or I follow you into staying at home to take care of any future kids. And quit yelling. You made me lose the gnome that's eating a mouse!"

She glared outside then at her husband. "We definitely don't want mice in the house, Molly love." He took her up to their room to make her rest. Ron could save himself and handle the gnomes and the mice. Then he'd talk to his twins since they had to be hiding something and he hoped it wasn't a big prank that would make Molly scream louder.

***

Harry was wearing a hat and glasses, a Xander disguise, when he snuck into the Ministry. He let them scan his wand, making the auror look confused when he stared at him. "Hangover," he said with a deeper than usual voice. He went up to the courts area and settled into a back seat. His lawyer looked back at him, getting a nod back from him.

He took off the sunglasses since people were giving him odd looks. When the court case was called, he watched as Fudge was walked in by force. He wasn't dragged but he clearly wanted to make a show of it and the aurors weren't letting him. He listened as his lawyer noted that he was filing a civil suit as well against him when the charges were read. He handed over that information and the evidence.

Madam Bones looked at the files that were clearly Ministry property. "How were these gotten?"

"I was not the person who got them, Madam. My client himself did."

"Harry Potter was in the ministry and we didn't hear?" she asked dryly, smirking at him.

"Yes, at least once apparently." She scowled. "I'm told he worked through an intermediary to do that."

"Was it a Weasley?" she asked.

"No."

"Do you know how he did that so we can prevent it in the future?"

"I do but unless I have to I will not admit to it. Ask him yourself."

She stared at him for a moment. "Is he prepared to testify today?"

"Yes, he is. In both cases being filed."

She looked again and groaned out loud. "Oh, that's going to be messy." She handed them over. "The civil charges against Minister Fudge." The evidence keeper looked and also groaned. "Fine. We'll add onto them because that evidence can be used against Minister Fudge at his criminal trial as well."

"My lawyer hasn't had a chance to look at it," Fudge bleated.

"Yes he has. I did properly file the suit with his office so he could look over the evidence files as is proper," Harry's lawyer said. Fudge glared at his lawyer.

"I was not able to inform him, Madam. He refused to take a meeting unless it was totally private and the aurors would not allow that as they considered him an escape risk," Fudge's lawyer said. He walked over to his client and pulled him aside to hiss in his ear about that, making him whine and shake his head. He returned him to the aurors. "We are ready to proceed however."

"Good." She looked at the evidence folder. "Put him in the chair and feed him truth serum." Fudge started to complain. "I'm sure you realize how this happens, Minister Fudge. You've sat through plenty of trials." They did that and got the serum down his throat then waited for it to take effect. Once the healer on hand checked him and agreed it was working, she opened the file. "Present your opening statements."

Fudge's lawyer stood up. "Ma'am, while he has had some questionable decisions over the years, leading a country is not always a smooth road and he has made the most and best decisions he could. Even if someone was slightly harmed by them it was not his intention." He sat down.

The criminal lawyer stood up. "Unfortunately, some people weren't *mildly* harmed. He's totally destroyed a family by pushing an event that got their son killed, and kept the aurors from following the obvious kidnaping to see what had happened. He made decisions that destroyed a few families' economic heft. He's unfairly punished some who were not purebloods.

"He's pushed dangerous pureblood rhetoric on the Ministry, turning it into a haven of mediocrity to quote the Prophet yesterday. He's harmed some people more than others and blatantly let a ministry employee torture children in the school for her own fun and to his own ends. That's not mildly harming some." He sat down.

"The civil suit against Mr. Fudge is about how his decisions have harmed a specific person in this case, though others will probably be filed in the next few days when they realize they can. Or they hear the evidence. In fact, Mr. Fudge's pushings of his opinions and ways have materially harmed a young man to the point where his physical growth has been stunted.

"He'll be forever short. His magical growth was slightly stunted, but thankfully that was overcome. He refused and blocked people from helping that *child*, ones who were duty-bound to do their jobs to help him!" He pointed at the crowded seats.

"He refused to let them act on child abuse allegations and proven moments! He's helped destroy the school's credibility by the same events. How can we trust a man who does all that and let him walk free, plus let him torture children for daring to be alive?" He sat back down.

Madam Bones mentally was wincing. She was trying to stay outwardly calm. "I see." She looked at the defense. Then at the prosecution. "The prosecution may begin their case."

"Ma'am, I am not versed in the civil charges. May I have a moment to look at them?"

"I gave them to your partner," the civil attorney quipped.

"I was out yesterday with my wife being ill." He got handed the file and looked it over, wincing visibly. He looked at that lawyer. "Name your source."

"The two who were harmed." He looked smug.

"But...he's dead. Ghosts can't file suits."

"He's not dead and that's the basis of the other civil charges I have to hand over for the other case you're trying."

"My partner is doing that one." He handed them back. "May I have a moment to speak to my partner." He hurried up at her nod. He also scanned the crowd, finding a few messy dark haired young men. This was going to get messy. He came back once they had figured out a strategy. "Ma'am, I ask that we close the courts of visitors because this is probably going to go into sensitive and social services sort of records."

She considered it, looking at the other judges, who nodded. "Agreed. Everyone not involved please go. If you have doubt, go anyway and we'll come fetch you," she ordered. Most everyone left. She stared at one. That had to be Potter. But no, he was removed by an auror. They looked at the other young guy and one shivered but left him there. She looked at the criminal attorney. "Go ahead and start please."

He looked back then nodded, going over his case and asking Fudge questions about things. He tried not to answer, and sometimes quoted minister's privilege, but he answered most of it. The civil lawyer looked smug as he stood up to start. "Mr. Fudge...."

"Minister," he snapped.

"Perhaps." He stared at him. "Mr. Fudge, what do you know about Scott Sistema?"

"Who?" he demanded.

"A child found missing that you signed off on a alleged marriage permit for even though at that time he was dead." He handed that to him.

"I have no idea about this. So many papers cross my desk."

"Really? At two in the morning? Those forms do time and date stamp." He pointed at it. "Who did you sign that for?"

"I ...."

"Was it the witnessing party?" he asked calmly and smoothly.

"Yes!" he shouted. "Yes it was! He demanded I do that."

He took that form to hand to Madam Bones. "Are there many of those?" Fudge tried not to answer but was forced to by the serum. "Mr. Fudge?"

"Yes," he ground out.

"Do you have any held in advance of that? All but signed?"

"Yes," he was forced to say.

"For who, Mr. Fudge?"

"Hermione Granger," he was forced to bite out. "Harry Potter. Ginny Weasley. One for him to marry her." He went limp and breathed hard, still trying to fight that.

"Who asked you to sign that marriage order?"

"Dumbledore."

"Albus Dumbledore?"

"Yes!"

"Thank you." He went over the other decisions around Harry, showing that it wasn't just him that Fudge has screwed with. Including blocking social workers from going to some of his 'friends' to check on their children's well being. Then he moved to Harry's social services case and destroyed him trying to say it wasn't his doing, it was Dumbledore's by way of that ministry file.

"You had to steal that file!" Fudge said. "That's not admissible."

"The one it's about gathered it. Everyone is allowed to get their files from the Ministry in certain circumstances."

"Harry Potter's not even in the country! He's in Asia somewhere! Lucius told me so!"

"Wrong," Harry called. They all looked at him so he smirked and waved. "Been in the country again for a few days now and wasn't in Asia at all."

"Mr. Potter, we'll let you testify in a few minutes," Madam Bones noted. "No more interrupting. Truth serum only lasts for so long and we have many questions for him."

"Sorry to interrupt, ma'am."

She looked at Fudge. "Asia? Really? Why did he think that?"

"He said he'd have to be there to hide from anything finding him. It was too far away for owls."

She hummed. "No, that would've been anywhere farther away than Germany really." She looked at the other judges, who asked their own questions of the civil suit lawyer. He had all the evidence and only made one suggested thing, which Fudge nearly wept about not being his decision it was all from Dumbledore and Lucius.

He was just doing their bidding. They would've done it without him. He had kept notes. Not great ones but they were in his office desk. His lawyer went to gather them and brought them back while reading them. He let that be his manner of defense, which was laughed about mostly. He had no defense. Even by his own hand.

The defense lawyer called Harry himself down for the civil defense portion. Harry came down calmly, putting his hat aside. "You will have to take truth serum."

"Please do, though I can defeat it mostly," he admitted. "I can throw off an imperious so I can defeat most truth serums."

"We can have the healer make sure it's working," one of the judges said. "Mr. Potter, you seem to be missing a rather identifying mark."

"Yes, I am. Ask me about that under truth serum please." He stared at him.

"Very well then." He bit his lip, looking at the others. Harry was dosed and the healer checked then shook his head. They gave him an additional dose. That barely worked. Harry got a second medicine that wouldn't make him sick and then a second type of serum. That worked.

He was sat down in the chair and an auror stood behind him so he understood he was in custody. It was threatening but Harry nearly laughed at that. In fact he looked back at the auror. "Are you supposed to be scary?"

"Yes, I am, Mr. Potter." He looked at the judges. "That proves it. The second one makes you speak your mind." He stepped back.

"Good enough. Mr. Potter, you said to ask you about your scar under serum. What happened to it?"

"The American aurors got me to a specialist doctor who removed it. And the artifact inside it."

"Artifact?" he asked.

"Yes, my mother's sacrifice made it a horcrux that was contained so I wasn't infected by it, it wasn't radiating, but it was there. That's why I kept getting hit with visions from Voldemort."

"Please do not say his name," he ordered.

"He's a boggart, Minister. But I can call him by his actual name, Tom Riddle."

The few up there blinked. "He was?" one demanded.

"Yes."

"You're sure?"

"Yes. He proved it when I destroyed the journal that nearly harmed Ginny Weasley. Tom Marvello Riddle. I am Voldemort...oops, sorry but that's what he drew in the air with her wand."

"Was the diary a horcrux?" Madam Bones demanded.

Harry grinned and nodded. "Yes it was! I took a fang to it, ma'am."

"Oh, that makes more sense," she decided, rubbing her forehead. "That makes a lot of sense. Are there more?"

"Why are you asking me? I'm not the one hiding that sort of information. I only found out what it was when Hermione went looking at how he had charmed the diary to make the warning coins for DA. She ran into it and researched then realized it was my scar as well. Though we probably ran into another one when he was a ghoul on the back of Professor Quirrel's head."

"Your first year defense teacher?" she demanded.

He grinned and nodded. "Yes it was!" He beamed at her. "I touched him and they both turned to ash. Something about the containment. That's why he needed my blood for the resurrection rite and why my name was put into the goblet by the hiding death eater. Who was actually the second best teacher we had in that job."

She slumped, looking at the others. They all stared back. She cleared her throat. "Mr. Potter, who has control of that soul piece?"

He shrugged a bit. "Ask the aurors? They took it from the doctor and said it's in a safe somewhere. So I'm guessing no one can get it. They said a lot of things about you guys too."

"We'll get into that later," she decided. She cleared her throat. "Mr. Potter, how did you get to your aunt's house?"

"I was barely able to say 'mama' at that point, Madam Bones, but I'm told Hagrid took me from Sirius Black's arms on Dumbledore's orders to protect me. I don't blame him, Dumbledore's used him a few times to do some dirty things."

She winced. "Do you know anything about the Sirius Black situation?"

He stared at her. "Beyond the fact that he never sat in this chair? Yes. We talked a lot, my godfather and I. Before he died trying to help me defend you lot here in the Ministry that night." She winced. "And yes we can prove that. With your own files. Though I know you were not involved as you were barely an auror then."

"Yes I was." She looked at the others. "Are you going to act against anyone else?"

"There's a suit against Dumbles," he said dryly. "Because we have two dark lords on trial this week, Madam." A few winced at that announcement. "What else do you call someone rewiring the country to suit his old fashioned and restrictive, dangerous ways?" he asked. He looked at Fudge, who shrank down. "By the way, your serum is wearing out." The healer checked and he was redosed. They went back into the testimony.

"How did you get the files?" Madam Bones asked at the end of that dose, they couldn't give him more safely.

"I had Hermione come research something and asked a house elf to gather them for me while she distracted people by being Hermione Granger. And before you yell at her, she didn't know more than I asked her to do that so someone could grab a file from an office. She thought I was getting something on Malfoy or maybe Sirius' file to sue on his behalf. And I did get that one but that's in the suit against Dumbles."

She nodded once. "Are you staying in England?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "Thinking tactically, being in another school would mean that Hogwarts was probably safer. Perhaps. Though he could still attack it. Right now I'm not totally sure. I know I won't be going back if Umbridge is still up there. I don't want to be tortured by blood quills again because Minister Fudge had decided I had lied so he didn't have to give up power."

She blinked a few times. "What do you know of that incident?"

His lawyer handed over the memory. "From the ministry files and a new copy, Madam. So they can be compared. The original was found in Fudge's office."

"We knew he had to be the one to doctor the inventory," she admitted. "No one else could've gotten in there." She ran the memory files so they could compare them. They matched exactly and one still had the ministry seal on it. She ran that one for the group. "We argued about tracking you two," she admitted. "We were told that you had apparated off."

"At that point in time I had no idea what apparation was," Harry told her. "And can you actually do that?"

She blinked. "No," she admitted. "I didn't even consider that when he overruled our judgement to follow you two."

"And because of that, he died." Harry stood up. "You all got to feel easier because he gave you bad orders and you chose to follow them because it was easier on you to not have to be the one facing another war. The lies he told are because he didn't want to lose the power he had after the last war. A new one would mean he'd lose power and influence. Plus probably some bribes being honest. And now you know what happens when you let that go on." He walked off. "I'm getting some tea. That potion is foul."

"Fine," she agreed. "We won't need you back until the other trial so stay locally please." He grabbed his hat and glasses as he walked off, putting them back on. She looked at the others, who all looked upset. "He's right, we did. We all did.

"We're not the one giving orders but we turned into sheep. That is on us but that is not the issue in front of us. The one in front of us is Mr. Fudge giving us those orders, and other orders that impacted lives. I will abstain from voting as I'm clearly partially involved in the civil case."

The other judges got together. They came back with a guilty verdict on all counts, and on the civil charges. Fudge was shouting in anger but oh well. Harry hadn't asked for anything that wasn't already his possession and any possessions found to be from other families given back to them. It was nice of him. Fudge's family was found to have a few Potter family jewels and a book from the Dumass library so they were handed back that night.

***

Madam Bones looked at Harry once Dumbledore's civil trial was called at the end of his criminal one. "Mr. Potter, who is the Dumass relative you have?"

"My grandfather on my mother's side was Alexander Dumass." He grinned. "I sheltered with a cousin. The healer sent me to the family home and that was the one I landed in. In the US."

"There's some left?" another judge asked.

"Yes. And they're not happy with the same source. Because apparently he had something to do with that curse." He grinned at them, looking creepy. "That one got me to the aurors so they could file that I wasn't missing if you asked. They got me to a healer, they got me medical attention and a curse breaker to do the scar surgery. They were wonderfully caring to me those weeks and they talked to me about changing schools." He noticed Dumbledore trying to say something but he was prevented by the spells.

"Which relative was it?"

"Xander. He's also related to Alexander Dumass."

"Oh, I see." He shared a look with the others. "Would he know about us?"

Harry grinned. "I am not allowed to speak on him by family vows. I'm sorry." He tapped the necklace he wore, his heir's necklace.

The auror looked. "It's an heir's sigal," he reported.

Harry grinned at him. "Yes it is, and the truth serum isn't as good today by the way. It's already fading. But you can keep asking if you want. I know there's protocol there."

"Are there other family members?"

"I have no idea and we didn't talk about that," Harry told him. "I know he's really pissed at that curse and then the ransacking of their family home right before a lightening storm hit it." A few winced at that. "He said some fond words about all of you over the few weeks I was with him."

"Are you going back there this summer?"

"Probably not. Where he lives is dangerous. I wasn't actually allowed out of the house at all while I was with him. It was much too dangerous." He tipped his head to the side. "Dobby, have Hermione give you the truth serum she looked up," he called. The house elf showed up with a scroll a few minutes later. "Thank you, Dobby."

"Welcome, Harry Potter sir. She not have any mixed, said it's out of whack." He disappeared once the auror took the scroll from him.

"Hermione looked up ones for people who can throw off the imperious and those who have occulmencary. I will allow a good version of that to be given to me."

They looked it over, the healer knew of it and had some prepared in case for Dumbledore. They brought it and dosed him then checked him and let them ask him whatever they wanted.

"Who was the healer who did the scar removal?"

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you that. It would endanger him and it may harm some other child that he could've helped. You can ask the American aurors if they'll answer that question but I will not endanger that doctor."

"Doctor not healer?"

"He worked in a hospital."

"Oh." He grimaced. "Was he a wizard?"

"I have no idea. We didn't talk about magic but he knew about curse scars. He had a few junior doctors who worked with him."

They nodded. "All right. Could that surgery be effective for others?"

"How would I know?"

"Point." He looked at the others. "We can ask the aurors over there to turn over that soul fragment if they haven't destroyed it."

"Or sank it. If it doesn't need to be destroyed they could send it to the bottom of the ocean or into space. The US has rockets that go there."

They all stared at him. "You couldn't summon them over a few miles without special rites," Bones said. "I wonder if that would work to destroy it."

"I don't know," Harry quipped. "Ask someone who's a space scientist."

"I probably should if they haven't. I'll talk to them soon." She looked at the others. "Did your relative teach you anything?"

"A cleansing spell. That came from one of the family ghosts so I could use the heir stones."

"Stones?"

"I had to step on a few of them." He held up his hand. She looked and gasped. "I am however the last on a few of the families."

She looked sad. "I hadn't thought of that, Mr. Potter. Do you plan on having children?"

"I have no bloody idea, Madam. I haven't fully finished puberty yet due to all the crap I went though." She flinched at that. "I'm a bit behind there but they assured me that I'd get there sometime. Though I probably won't be dating Ginny Weasley, no matter how many want me to. I heard about that suggested marriage contract." He glared at Dumbledore, who looked amused.

"It would've had someone kill her for being near me. They came after Ron for that, including during the games." That got a flinch. He looked at the judges again. "And this is wearing out as well. But it did last longer," he said happily. "So now I know."

"Yes, we do." She stared at him. "Do you think that someone will come after you after the Dark Lord is defeated?"

"Yes. They already have. Why haven't you killed him yet?" he asked in falsetto. "How dare you have fun times when they're out there taking out families." He looked at her. "Why couldn't your parents have sacrificed you and just ended him properly." She winced at that one. "I'm pretty sure someone that was a victim will try something like this to sue me for not managing it soon enough so their family suffered.

"Or someone who'll want to make their name like a few went after Dumbledore when they were younger." She nodded once. "So yes, anyone I'm in a relationship with would have to be highly paranoid their whole life. Though I wouldn't mind having children, someone needs to love the next Potter. My mother made sure I knew that when I got a dream vision of her."

"A true one?"

"Yes. From what Xander could tell, yes." He smiled. "She was not amused at any of this either. Vowed she'd have a talk with Dumbeldore when he made it over there. If he made it over there."

"Your mother was said to have a fiery temper," Bones said quietly.

"Yes, I hide mine."

"Are you going to take over for the Dark Lord if you win?" one of the others asked.

"Hell no. Why would I want to?" Harry asked. The man slumped. "Hermione said something wise the other day that she quoted from her father. Everyone wants to rule the world but no one wants to do the paperwork. I don't want to rule the magical community by any means and I certainly don't want to do any paperwork for you lot. You've proven to our generation what sort of beings were raising us."

A few more winced. "In fact some have talked about sterilization because they don't want to bring a next generation into the world you guys have let build." One woman in the crowd started to cry. "If they had any chance of going through what my years have went through, why would anyone want to bring a child into magical England?"

"Are you planning on having children outside this country?" Madam Bones asked.

"I don't even know if I can have kids yet. That could've been stunted too." She slumped at that. "Which I point out again who let that happen." He looked at Dumbledore. "The spirit of my grandfather said to say hi, Dumbles." He got up and strolled off.

Madam Bones looked at the others. "I'll abstain again as I'm involved somewhat." They nodded and made a decision. He was found guilty but considered too old and problematic to go to the prison. The request to get back all the stolen artifacts from other families was granted and aurors went to search with someone from the bank.

They were helping since they had helped Dumbledore with his decisions. It would keep them out of future lawsuits. Plus it let them look at all of the artifacts before they were sent back.

***

Xander looked at the goblin warrior he was facing, smirking at him. "Yes, me." They were doing this properly by Horde rules. They were surrounded by the goblins and warriors were on the exits so no one could flee like a coward. The King was overlooking the sandy combat ring. Xander had his wands and another few things up his sleeve but he was going to do this honorably.

"You are not...."

Xander laughed and manifested his patronus, making the goblin shudder. No one else had his patronus. It was a peculiar mixed creature. Then he changed it and let it fade out. "The things you learn when you look at the artifacts on the hellmouth too," he said dryly. "Thankfully I still had skills."

The goblin looked at the king, who was not happy. "We did not put you there. Dumbledore did."

"You broke your vows to me, and to all of us cursebreakers. You vowed to watch out for us, to support us as we did things for the bank and the good of the Nation. That you would help us if we were injured or harmed. Send someone to gather us if we were Lost." He stared at the King. "You abridged a blood vow taken at our swearing." He looked at the warrior again.

"Also, you helped them loot my house, you personally helped them loot my family's house. You tried to destroy what was left of my family and you're still trying with my grandson. Do you think any Dumass will stand for that? I may have been too young to do this before but that just gave me years to rebuild myself into this new, more Xander Harris-Dumass."

"Your grandmother would be horrified."

"That I waited that long," he shot back. "I could have done this a few years ago and if I had known about Harry I wouldn't have waited. For that matter, I was cursed after his parents were taken out by the plots of an old man." He smirked at him. "So you've personally hurt my family, myself, and my heirs. I call insult on you and the whole Nation that helped you do it."

"You're still just a human."

"Am I?" he asked in his most condescending voice. "Are you sure? Because actually I'm not anymore. I got exposed to mermaid essence. And a hyena possession. And also, I'm not the nice, calmer Carnage Dumass I had been. Now I'm Xander Harris. And we're not nice." He attacked and the goblin fought back.

"You still trip."

"This shield is partially with that but not all of it. I trained with it, dude." He beat that one and spun to call an artifact to him to hit the one sneaking up on him. "And even more dishonorable combat." He looked at the one he was facing, leaning that staff on the ground. "Do you admit you have no honor, that your Nation has shamed itself before the Clan Dumass?"

"Never!" He rushed and was vaporized by the staff.

Xander looked at the king. "Do you yield and admit that your Nation has done wrong by your cursebreakers and allies, and the Clan Dumass?"

"I was not involved in that," he said, standing up.

"You didn't stop it either. Or make it right. Even with the current cases going on you've used it to profit for the bank and not the people it belonged to. The bank still has some of my family's things in hiding against us." He leaned on the staff again.

"That artifact is ours," he said.

"I never signed it over. It was in my work area. You stole it from there. Not the one in the vault, the one in the house, in the center of the lake of holy water around my work area under the main house." He smirked a bit. "This isn't Merlin's staff." He spun it around and it manifested the true form of it. "It's Hathor's staff." The king spluttered. "I was studying it before I was cursed.

"I'm well aware of what I was working on with Bill Weasley. He may not know any more because he didn't recognize me when I passed him on the street on purpose." He smirked a tiny bit. "You've done wrong by his family as well. Including pushing that punishment on the whole family when the one who did it died three generations ago." He leaned on the staff again. "Do you yield and admit that the Nation did my family wrong and the cursebreakers wrong by breaking your blood vows to us?"

"I cannot do that, Dumass."

Xander smirked. "So be it then." The goblin snorted. Xander looked up and called in a poker debt, that came down to help him. "Thank you for helping me today."

"I owe you, human. Of course I'm going to pay up before that embarrasses me."

Xander punched him on the arm. "I don't care if you eat every single being of age who was involved in what I went through. That's twenty-three..." He looked down. "Twenty-two dvergers. Or goblins if I want to be insulting."

The demon smirked at him. "They are said to be fierce warriors and tasty." He looked at them, they were marked by that scroll that cursed them until the honor debt was solved.

"We will defend them," the king warned.

Xander shrugged. "If you're certain. Remove the kids and the young from the room so they can go on." The king had that done and the demon won because he had magic they couldn't counter. He was injured, badly injured, and so was Xander, but the goblins responsible didn't live. Xander walked over to one. "I trusted you." He stared at him. "You're the first to break the vow. You'll be the last one to die of it so you can be a living statement."

"I will not!" his former overseer said.

"So mote it be," Xander said, casting that spell. The goblin shrieked in anger but it hit him and he would live to tell everyone else what had been done to their people. "Everything that is mine is to be handed back. Everything of my family's. Including Harry's. Every damn last bit. You will settle your Nation's honor or I will keep pressing this honor debt. Am I clear and heard?"

The new King walked in and nodded. "We will settle this honor debt. My generation had nothing to do with your suffering or the looting they did. It will be handed back, Alexander Dumass."

"I changed my name after all that's happened. I'm now Xander Harris."

The goblin stared at him. "I have heard of your deeds working with the slayer in Sunnydale. It shames us all that you were created this way." Xander tipped his head slightly to acknowledge that. "We will make this honor debt right. Most of those responsible are dead and paid for their mistakes. It is proper by our code. We will give you back what is yours."

Xander did a courtly bow. "Thank you for having some honor. And the others that the same ones have stolen from?"

"It will be returned if we can find it." He looked at the demon then at him. "You have many strange allies these days."

"I'm known to be fair to those who don't cause harm. As my poker friend doesn't usually." He freed him and it let him leave. "I can always do worse."

"Yes, you probably can. You learned much for the cursebreaking you and your relatives have done. Have you went to the castle?"

"I've been there but I'm not the same heir to the family that I used to be." He waved the staff and disappeared, taking it with him.

The king looked around. "We have wronged many. They were punished, as is just. We will learn from this mistake so it will never happen again. Especially since the next time we do such, they could destroy us. As that one could have and he went after only those responsible." He looked at the last living remnant. "You will live as a reminder, as he wanted."

He walked off. "Follow that today." The warriors bowed to his orders and went to do that. It was chronicled, it was heavily written into a teaching story for the young ones. They were never going to do that again. This time had created a warrior that still had justice. Next time, it probably wouldn't. Next time's would be the downfall of their nation. All because they had allied themselves to a human with ideas of Light and no real idea where the switch to turn it on was.

***

Harry got summoned to the bank, bowing to the one who came to meet him. "You requested my time and presence?" he asked, handing over the letter.

"Things need to be handed back to your family," he said. "Including some Potter artifacts."

"Do I need to find another bank to hold the family's vault? I'd need a few days to talk to them to find a good one if so."

"No." He led him to his office, letting him see the accounting.

Harry looked then at them. "You have one wedding ring of the set but not my father's?"

They looked. "It was not indexed. I know he wore one, he wore it behind the Potter family crest." He looked at the ones that young man wore. "That's the Black crest."

"Sirius was my godfather and adopted me as his heir."

"There are those who would protest."

"I care not one bit what Lucius or Draco Malfoy want." He grinned. "I see enough of one of them at school."

"Good point." He made that note and went over the index with him.

"Grandfather said that there was a whole library in the house that got burned but not in the remains, because they were protected. None of the artifacts in the house remained he said." He licked his lips. "Is this the complete list that you've found?"

"Some of that will be going back to him, Mr. Potter."

"That's reasonable. Are there portraits so I can learn about them?"

"A few survived the fire." He stared at him. "You were not the only family affected."

He grimaced. "I've still got to get the rest back from Dumbledore too. Including the wand that belongs to the family." The goblin flinched. "The wand he uses is ours. He took it from one of us."

"I was not aware that he had it. Who has the cloak?"

"I do." He grinned. "He gave it to me for my first holiday in the school with a note saying it had belonged to my father. He's been playing games with me since day one." He stared at the goblin. "I would hope that no more bad blood happens and that Dumbledore will stay punished. That everything gets returned. I have much to learn about that part of my family and all the other family I never got to know."

"We would hope it happens that way as well as it would be just."

Harry grinned. "Justice is a fair mistress to serve." He shifted and cleared his throat. "Why did my grandfather say that I should not go to the graduation if I went back to Hogwarts?"

"There's a binding vow during it to always support the Ministry and the magical community. Most smart beings skip it."

"Hmm. I'll have to let Ron know."

"His mother would insist he go. As she did Percy. Bill and Charlie were both out of the country at that time."

"Okay," he said with a nod. "I can make that plan to avoid it."

"Have you been to the castle?"

"Yes." He smiled. "Aunt Allisandra taught me how to do a self cleaning spell to get rid of taint before I stepped onto the heir stone." He stared at him. "Xander said that it used to be what he considered his home but now that's been broken."

The goblin nodded. "I can see that. He changed muchly since he was cursed."

"Well, Dumbledore did put him on the hellmouth." The goblin winced. "Which is why I couldn't get out of the house while I was with him. It was too dangerous."

"Yes it would be. You probably haven't learned how to stake a vampire yet."

"No, not yet. If I need to I will. But Xander seeing me seemed to hurt him so I don't want that."

"He'll heal, as you will from what you went through."

"I'd hope so. It'd be nice if I could grow again too but I won't." He crossed his feet. "The healers were certain I'm done with my growth outside of puberty."

The goblin grimaced but nodded. "What will happen will."

"True. And I still have to face the snake-faced arsehole soon." He looked at his wand then put it on the desk. "That's my old wand. The twin to Voldemort's." The goblin gasped. "And I'm not his equal but I will defeat him." He grinned, standing up. "Do I need to look things over or can I go get a few coins and get some shirts that fit? I gained muscle and it's making my shirts uncomfortable."

"No, as long as you sign off on the inventory."

"I need to look up what a few are. Can I take it to Hermione so she can help me?"

"Yes, Mr. Potter, you may." He grinned and took it with him, leaving the wand there. The goblin stared at it then told his bosses what had happened. The boy was cautious and clearly did not trust them. They had done his clan and family wrong. The family's magic would be pushing that. Or the boy could be mad at them on his own behalf as they should have noted irregularities about his own vault that would've pointed out the wrongness in his life.

***

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