They visited Gringotts a few days later. Harry looked at the inheritance page again. He noticed that some of the text had changed since he first saw it, now reading:
Married to: Lady Hermione Jean Potter, née Granger
Married to: Mrs. Fleur Potter, née Delacour.
There was another part of the page that he didn't pay attention to before:
Titles:
Lord Potter – by ancestry
Lord Peverell – by ancestry
Lord Gryffindor – by ancestry
Lord Ravenclaw – by ancestry
Lord Slytherin – by conquest
Heir of Grand Duke Delacour – by marriage
He still didn't like reading these lines, though:
Pending contracts (not approved): Ginevra Molly Weasley (via Albus Dumbledore), Daphne Aurora Greengrass (via Sirius Black).
"Can you explain these?" he asked the goblin, pointing at the offending lines.
"Oh, that," the goblin smiled, seeming to enjoy himself. "Only your legal guardians, both of them together, can set a marriage contract on your behalf while you're under age. Mr. Dumbledore claimed to be your default guardian after... that Halloween, but he had no documents to prove it. The contract was recorded but not approved and it has no legal or magical value whatsoever. It is up to you to decide if you want to ignore it completely or do anything about it. The second was set by your godfather shortly after his escape from Azkaban. He had a document naming your godparents as legal custodians in case anything happened to your parents. As your godmother was unable to take part in this, it was also not approved."
Harry frowned. He had some suspicions about Dumbledore's motives and wasn't really surprised by his act, but Sirius? Why would such a rebel resort to old traditions without even consulting with Harry? He needed to check this over.
He now pointed at his titles. "How had I become Lord Slytherin?"
The goblin seemed delighted to answer. "When you destroyed Lord Voldemort that fateful Halloween, he was actually killed. Having kept his spirit in this realm and being able to construct a kind of body for it didn't change it. Legally, he's dead, killed when confronting you. This entitles you to all his titles and possessions."
He had another question for the goblin, though. "Being the sole heir of several lines, do I need a different wife for each lordship?"
"That question should best be answered by your solicitor..." the goblin said. Harry was bothered by the need to have another person meddle in this affair. "...but I can give you an unofficial answer which I'm quite sure your solicitor will agree with. You don't need any more wives. One could also suffice, like your father and grandfather had. Yet, considering the political situation, I suggest having as many wives as you have lordships, enabling you to get as many seats in the Wizengamot. While the Potter seat is quite influential, getting control of Gryffindor, Peverell, Ravencalw and maybe even Hufflepuff, will give you much more power and let you change some things which the Potter seat alone would be unable to do."
"You know, that may turn out to be a good idea," Hermione told him.
"Why? Do you fancy sharing me with more wives?"
Hermione smiled with some mischief. "It would be interesting to see you cope with a few more." She then turned serious. "There are still too many influential families who support 'the old ways'. If we don't want another dark lord to surface, we need to change society, and that means politics – as much as we don't like it. Any political advantage would be more than helpful."
It was Harry's turn for some mischief. "Well, I'm sure we can dig up a few more titles for me, either through marriage of my ancestors or by right of conquest, so – how many wives should I take?"
Fleur, who was watching this exchange, started laughing. "I think we should let Harry choose. His magic seems to find the right way for him even when his mind doesn't really know."
Hermione continued the previous line of thought, though. "Well, Ginny could make a nice Lady Gryffindor, and Daphne, despite her being sorted to Slytherin, could be more than adequate as Lady Ravenclaw."
"You know her?"
"We're having Ancient Runes together, as well as Arithmancy. She's really a nice person, Harry, and you've probably noticed how attractive she is."
Harry blushed a bit. Daphne was really very attractive. He considered her second only to Hermione; well, now third, as Fleur was just as attractive.
The goblin cleared his throat, getting their attention again. "Have you ever checked your scar for dark magic?" he asked Harry.
"No. Why should I?"
The goblin sighed, as if having to explain something self evident. "That scar was caused by one of the darkest wizards to ever live on earth, and there was nobody present to tell how it came to be. Your Headmaster assumes it is the sign of the killing curse rebounding on you, yet it could be the sign of many other curses." He stopped for a moment. "Does it hurt occasionally?"
"It is always like a sore thumb; something that is not painful enough to pay it any attention but is still bothering. I only had real pains when I was close to Voldemort: when he hid in the professor's head and then the diary. Last summer it was also like I've seen some scenes through his eyes, when he killed a muggle. I then woke up with a lot of pain from the scar."
"Have you told anybody about these pains?"
"I told Dumbledore, but he did nothing about it."
The goblin frowned. "I think you should check this with an experienced curse-breaker. Would you like one of Gringott's curse breakers to do this for you? It will cost you a fee, of course, but we can do it immediately."
Harry was a bit surprised when he saw the young man accompanying the old goblin curse breaker. "Bill? I thought you were back in Egypt!"
Bill smiled. "No. They sent me to check something in a small town in England and now I'm supposed to learn some new methods."
The old goblin didn't talk. He approached Harry and waved his hands, saying something in a foreign tongue. Harry's skin started glowing golden-white, while the scar and its immediate vicinity stayed dark.
The goblin mumbled something and turned to the door. "Come, Harry. We need to go to the ritual room," Bill told him.
As Hermione and Fleur stood up, intending to follow, Bill stopped them with a gesture. "It's too dangerous for any non-participants to be present. Even I will have some protection runes painted on my body and hide behind a magical shield once my part is done."
This didn't help calm the girls, but they sat back, their expression worried.
"It won't take long," Bill promised before escorting Harry.
Once in the ritual room, Harry was asked to undress completely. The old curse breaker then repeated the revelation charm, finding a few more cursed spots as well as some tracking charms and a few binds. Bill was ordered to deal with these, which he did in a matter of minutes. Harry felt more powerful as soon as his binding was removed and much cleaner, in a way, once the other charms and curses were also removed.
Harry was now requested to lie on his back on the floor, protected from the cold stone by only a thin carpet. Bill helped the goblin draw quite a number of runes and symbols on Harry's naked body, on his face and on his forehead, leaving only the scar unmarked. Bill placed a few objects around Harry's head before going to the corner of the room, stripping and painting his own body with protection runes. He then crouched at the corner, held his wand tightly and cast an impressive shield.
The goblin waited for the shield to settle before he started chanting again, making complicated movements with his arms. Harry felt his scar turning very painful, almost too much to bear. Some dark smoke-like substance was then extracted from the scar, coalescing into a recognizable form – Voldemort's snake-like head. It emitted a shrill cry and tried to move. Harry wasn't sure which direction it wanted to go, but the goblin said a few syllables and then the dark form seemed to break apart and got swallowed by the objects around Harry's head.
Bill let his shield collapse. He stood up, cleaned his body with a wave of his wand and got dressed again. He then helped the old goblin, who seemed to be quite exhausted by now, to sit, leaning on the wall, as there was no furniture in the room.
Harry still felt pain at his scar. Touching his forehead, he found some blood there. Bill approached him. "Let me clean and heal your scar. It should now heal properly. You should use some Dittany ointment on it for a few days until it fades completely. Would you like me to check your clothes for any charms?"
"I've just bought them in a muggle shop a few days ago, but it won't hurt checking them."
Bill did, finding them free of any magic.
The girls were relieved to see Harry return. Hermione was the first to notice the change in his scar. "It worked!" she exclaimed, engulfing him in her special hug. Fleur waited for her turn and hugged him almost as tightly.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Harry didn't know if Dumbledore had found the time to visit the Weasleys, but a few days after their meeting, he got an invitation from Mrs. Weasley to visit the Burrow and celebrate his wedding along with the Weasley family. There were even two accompanying notes, written by Ron and Ginny, inviting him for a visit with his wives, although both seemed less sincere.
Harry was as welcome at the Burrow as ever, and so was Hermione. Molly seemed a bit reluctant about Fleur, but eventually hugged her almost as tightly. Ron looked somewhat thoughtful when he saw the closeness between Harry and the two girls.
The twins were also present and they both clapped his shoulders. "Who would have thought...", "...that our favorite hero will fall so deep...", "...having to marry not only one beautiful and sexy woman...", "...but two?" they asked in their usual ping-pong style, making all laugh, although Fleur was still feeling a bit out of place.
Harry noticed that Ginny was glancing at him furtively whenever she thought he wasn't looking in her direction. He saw a bit of sadness in her eyes as well. Harry didn't need to be very observant to notice other things about Ginny. In the four years since he first saw her, Ginny had turned from a skinny ten year little girl into an attractive teenager. Her pale complexion contrasted with her fiery hair and the few freckles on her face were actually accentuating her beauty. Her bosom had also grown and her hips widened, making her look very feminine.
"In a few years, she may make a wonderful Lady Gryffindor," Hermione whispered in his ear.
Harry turned to look at her. She was wearing her mischievous grin again. "Admit it – you like the way she looks, and once she matures, she would become a woman you'd like very much. Why deny yourself something that you want when both your wives already agree?
Harry looked at Fleur. She smiled at him approvingly and nodded slightly. "You should try and talk to her, get to know her. Just be careful about what you say. She's still too young to get married, and she does have six strong brothers."
This made Harry pale a little, making Fleur giggle. He was already thinking of what he could talk with Ginny, when another guest arrived.
"I'm always glad to visit the Burrow," Dumbledore said in greeting. "Your cooking, Molly, makes the Hogwarts house-elves jealous. Besides, celebrating Harry's marriages is a really festive event."
Although Dumbledore seemed sincere, Harry couldn't forget that it was Dumbledore who had tried to put him into a marriage contract with Ginny. He hoped to have this cleared up soon.
His chance came just before their meal. Molly was busy with the last minute preparations, enlisting Arthur and Ron for help; Ginny had taken both Hermione and Fleur to her room for a chat and the twins were busy in their room, preparing some kind of surprise for the evening. Dumbledore was standing at the back door, looking pensively at the view.
Harry spoke softly. "May I talk with you privately, Headmaster?"
Dumbledore seemed surprised at the request, but nodded and signaled for Harry to lead. They stopped at the grove and Dumbledore cast a privacy shield around them. "What's on your mind, Harry?"
"When I visited Gringotts, I found out that there was an attempt to put me in contract marriage with one Miss Ginevra Weasley. Can you tell me more about it?"
Dumbledore lost the twinkle in his eyes. He sighed heavily before answering. "After that fateful night, my first concern was to put you somewhere safe. The safest place for a young child is with family, or that's what most people think. It was natural for me to place you with your only family – your aunt. Minerva, that's Professor McGonagall, didn't agree with me. She said they were the worst sort of muggles. Still, I believed family ties would help."
He sighed once more. "I was wrong, as you know just too well. I found it out only two years later. I then started checking other alternatives. One of them was moving you to the Weasleys. I only told them there was an orphan who needed a surrogate family and they volunteered immediately. I thought that a marriage contract would also help, as Ginevra was turning to be quite similar to her mother at that age and such a contract would not only make you even more welcome, but would also help the Weasley financially. I filed it with Gringotts and went to check on you. It was then that I discovered the blood wards that your mother's sacrifice gave you. They were much stronger than any wards one could put on the Burrow. It made me reconsider. As much as your welfare was important, your survival was the utmost consideration. I had to accept that staying with your relatives was a safer solution. It didn't bother me when later I was informed that the contract wasn't accepted."
"Yet you were ready to put me into a contract I had no say about."
Dumbledore grimaced. "Had it been as I intended, you would have probably wanted to marry Ginny anyway. I also made sure to leave enough leeway for any of you to get out of the contract with no real penalty once you were of age. I've never thought about it since. I should have canceled it altogether."
Harry was thoughtful. "Who knew about the contract besides you?"
"Molly knew, but she didn't know who the other party was. She only knew it was one of the war orphans under my protection. I've also told her that it wasn't accepted."
Harry sighed with relief. He knew that Dumbledore had good intentions, yet his deeds...
"Ginny and her family know nothing of this, so don't get angry or suspicious at them. If anybody is to blame – it's me," Dumbledore added.
"Well, as nothing really changed, there's no reason to be angry with anybody. Still, I don't like people doing things that could change my life without consulting with me first." Harry looked at the older wizard to make sure his message had passed.
"Duly noted and understood," was the reply.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
As they were going on vacation the next morning, Sirius came for a short visit that evening. He liked seeing the happiness Harry and his wives were showing. Harry enjoyed noticing that Sirius was gaining a bit of weight and was looking healthier.
The Grangers eventually excused themselves. "We need to finish some last-minute packing, and it won't do itself magically, you know."
The pun was quite clear, especially since the Potters had already finished most of their packing in minutes, just using magic.
It was time to confront Sirius. "Why have you tried to set a contract for me with Miss Greengrass?"
Sirius seemed to suddenly squirm in his seat. "I'm not sure that this is something the girls should hear," he tried.
"They can hear whatever I hear. It's better this way than trying to tell them later, and I don't intend to keep secrets from my wives."
Sirius thought for a moment, looking extremely embarrassed. "Well... OK. I'll tell you. Please don't be harsh on me and don't laugh at me."
The three nodded their agreement.
"My parents only had two children. My brother died during the war. Nobody knows how or where, but his line on the tapestry ended. This left me the only heir, as much as my mum despised me. Once my parents died, I became Lord Black, although I was then at Azkaban."
Sirius stopped for a moment, as if recollecting his memories. "The Black had not been a very fertile family. It took my parents many years to have a child. They finally tried some muggle treatments that helped them have a son – me – and then another. I dated many women while I was young. None of them got pregnant, not even a few who really tried to. Then I found myself in Azkaban."
He sighed and his face clouded, yet he shook his head and continued. "One of the least advertized facts about Azkaban is that prolonged exposure to the Dementors also has a detrimental effect on fertility. Being infertile, I could no longer hold the title. Luckily, the next in line male descendant of the Black family was still too young. His name is Draco Malfoy."
Harry and Hermione groaned. Fleur, who knew about Malfoy mainly from their stories, also seemed upset.
"Once I was out of Azkaban, I made you, Harry, my official heir. Luckily, one of your ancestors was also a Black – my great-great-aunt or something like that, so that you can legally claim the Black Lordship. Still, I had to assure you'll marry a pureblood, as that is a requirement to be recognized as Lord Black. The Greengrass had always kept neutrality, at least publicly, and Lady Greengrass has been a good friend of your mother. She is still a gorgeous woman. I thought that you could do worse than having her daughter as your wife."
"Miss Greengrass looks quite attractive, but I don't really know her," Harry commented. "Besides, I already have two gorgeous wives."
Sirius smiled. "The more, the merrier, or so they say. The contract I tried setting up with Cygnus was not accepted by Gringotts, yet I still think you should get to know young miss Greengrass, unless your wives object."
Understanding Sirius's concerns, Harry didn't reject the idea immediately. "We shall consider this," Harry promised, "but it may only happen after we return from our vacation."
Sirius smiled. "I'm sure you'll have a wonderful vacation with these two at your side."