Harry woke up early the next morning. He felt a warm weight pressed against his side. Looking down he discovered Petunia cuddled up against him. At some point in the night, she had joined him in bed. She had even managed to slip under the covers with him. He stared at her for a long moment, trying to process what he was seeing. After a moment, he slipped out of bed, leaving her there to sleep.
There was a fresh set of clothes hanging on the back of the door and a steaming cup of coffee waiting on the kitchen table. A nice breakfast was already complete with slight shimmer in the air above the dishes let him know they were under stasis charms. It wouldn't be going cold any time soon. From experience he knew that after a couple of hours it lost a bit of flavor, but it should be fine for now.
He finished his cup of coffee and gave the growing stack of mail a passing glance before heading outside. Setting new wards were too important to put off any longer. He started by walking the property, marking it in his mind. Once that was completed, he began to work on the spells and charms he wanted to place. Harry started with a simple set of protection wards. They would track any unmarked magical signatures that entered or exited the area. Then he set about layering obscuring and confounding charms targeted to Death Eaters he knew of, Dumbledore, and his most loyal minions. It wasn't on the level of a Fidelius charm, but it didn't need to keep everyone away. With that layer finished he started working on a more complex set. These were targeted for defense against compulsions. It wouldn't hold up against the Imperius curse, but anything short of that would get pushed off.
Once that was all finished, he headed back inside for breakfast. Dudley looked up at him as he sat at the table. The boy looked half asleep.
"I've got new wards in place." Harry said as a fresh cup of coffee appeared before him. "Thank you, Dobby."
Dudley grunted something that almost sounded like 'morning'.
"Why are you so tired?" Harry asked.
"Dobby wanted to play more videogames." Dudley yawned. "I had him turn down the sound, but he's just so loud."
Dobby gave a small blush as he stood next to the table.
"Dobby is sorry, Dudders." The elf said. "Videogames are the most fun Dobby has ever had."
"We'll get you your own TV and system where you don't have to keep Dudley awake." Harry patted the elf on the shoulder.
Dobby hopped around the room making loud, happy noises.
"Dobby." Harry said firmly. "You're being too loud."
Dobby stopped, his shoulders slumped, and his ears drooped. "Sorry, Master Harry Potter, sir. Dobby will be quiet now."
"Oh, stop it." Harry shook his head. "You don't have to be silent, just turn it down a little. It's early."
Dobby perked up. He continued his hopping dance around the room, this time mouthing the yells instead of letting them out. Harry chuckled as he finished off his food.
"Now." Harry wiped his mouth off as he stood. "I need to look through some mail."
Harry braced himself as he sat down in the living room. He floated the first stack of letters over and began to sort through. Very quickly he came up with three piles: fan mail, official business, and other. The first two categories were easy to spot, but the third was tricky. Once the war was over and he had moved into his own home these types of letters started to appear. They look like official documents, but they were actually business proposals. In his previous life he hadn't paid much attention to them. He had been happy with his little piece of things and was more than rich enough to worry about things. This time, though, it didn't hurt to look.
First, he opened the fan mail. That pile got separated into another subset of stacks: fan mail, love letters, and book fan mail. Someone out there had taken the opportunity to write a series of books about his life. He had read them once the war was over. They were great stories but in no way did they have anything to do with his actual life.
"Dobby." Harry called.
The elf walked into the room. His large eyes scanned the letters with a hungry look.
"I have a job for you." Harry didn't wait for the elf to speak. "I've sorted my mail into different categories." He took a moment to point them out. "Could you please set the rest of them in the same way? Let me know when you're done. I need to write some responses for these. Make a list of names so I can send them out." He turned to look to Hedwig. "I'm sorry, girl, but this is going to be too big of a job just for you."
Hedwig ruffled her feathers and pointedly looked away from him.
"Don't be like that." Harry said. "I'm going to make enough copies to send out to each of these letters. You'd drop from exhaustion before you got through the first stack. I care too much about you to let something like that happen."
Hedwig turned her head slightly to look at him.
"You are my girl, Hedwig." Harry cooed. "You know that. If I could, I'd have you carry every letter I ever write. Actually, that's not true."
Hedwig hooted.
"I would want you with me." Harry smiled at her. "When you weren't hunting, you could ride around on my shoulder. You'd live a life of luxury like a queen deserves."
Hedwig settled down, preening ever so slightly.
"Do you want to come with me while I write the letters?" He asked.
Hedwig hopped off her perch and glided to rest on his shoulder. She took extra care not to squeeze too tight as her claws were deadly.
"I love you, Hedwig." Harry leaned his head against her.
She nipped at her hair.
"Come on." Harry laughed. "I've got letters to write."
He returned to his new room. Petunia was gone and the bed was made. He wasn't sure if she did it or if Dobby got to it first. This new Petunia certainly was an adjustment. He paused in front of his desk to give Hedwig a chance to decide where she wanted to go.
Hedwig hopped off his shoulder and settled nearby. Harry arranged three pieces of parchment. He set to work getting a standard reply written for each category. Hedwig would listen to him read the drafts out. She would give a little hoot if she liked them or nip at his hand if it wasn't good enough. Once they were complete, he tucked them into a pocket and returned to the living room.
"Dobby, do you have the list ready?" He asked.
"Right here, Harry Potter." The house elf held up a long sheet of parchment.
Harry sighed. He poked his head into the kitchen to find Petunia drinking a cup of tea.
"Aunt Petunia?" Harry said.
"Harry dear." She turned a bright smile to him, she waved him over.
He stepped in, knowing what was coming. She pulled him into a hug. Harry wasn't sure if he imagined it, but he could have sworn her hands drifted a little lower than they should have.
"I need to make a trip to Diagon Alley." Harry took a step back, but she didn't let go. "I don't know how long it will take. I'm going to be sending a lot of mail and setting up a few filters to slow things down."
"Thank you for letting me know." Petunia kissed him on the cheek before finally letting him go.
Harry took a step back. He gave her a little wave before disappearing with small pop. A moment later he appeared in the designated area in Diagon Alley. Harry tucked his glasses in his pocket and took a quick look around. There were a decent amount of people roaming around, but it wasn't as crowded as the school rush. Luckily, he blended in with the crowd easily enough. He was dressed in fresh muggle clothes, wasn't wearing his glasses, and didn't have any of his usual group with him. Spotting his black hair among the horde of Weasley gingers was almost as iconic as his scar.
It was a short and uninterrupted walk to Gringotts.
"Excuse me, master goblin." Harry inclined his head. "I have need of mail services. I also need to speak with my account manager."
"Name?" The goblin at the desk asked.
If there was one thing that Harry had learned through his life was that the goblins were not to be annoyed. They had proven themselves a powerful force multiple times through history. Plus, there were three types of people never to piss off: those who controlled the money, those who made the food, and nurses. Some people would say doctors, but they were wrong.
"Harry Potter. Lord of House Potter and heir of House Black
The goblin didn't even blink. He held out a silver dagger. "Drop of blood."
"Don't let it touch you." Harry held up his hand.
The dagger blurred, stabbing into the outstretched palm, and back in a moment. Harry watched as the wound on his hand closed instantly. A line of blood slid up the length of the knife. The goblin studied the blade.
"They will be with you shortly." The goblin turned to face the next customer.
It was dangerous to claim all titles, but he needed access to hit family vault. The influence wouldn't hurt either. Usually, a wizard couldn't claim their lordship until they were at least fifteen years of age, but there were exceptions when they were the last member of their bloodline. It was yet another thing he had learned after the war and one of the many, many things Dumbledore had kept from him. He could trust the goblins to keep it quiet. They didn't care about wizard politics.
"Mister Potter." A familiar voice said.
Harry turned to see Ragnok. He had to school his face and remind himself that this was the first time that they had met.
"Master Goblin." Harry inclined his head. "Are you my account manager?"
"Yes." The goblin studied Harry for a long moment. "We have needed to speak for quite a while now. You have not replied to any of my messages."
"That's one of the reasons I'm here." Harry smiled. "There was a mail blocking ward on my home. It's been removed, but I have a lot of responses to send. Fans that have gone years without a word, business that need to be handled, and others as well."
"Understood." The goblin turned, motioning for him to follow.
Ragnok paused, once they were alone in the office. "There is a cloud of death around you."
"I was recently bitten by a basilisk." Harry shrugged.
"I do not enjoy jests." The goblin narrowed his eyes at Harry.
"Saved by phoenix tears." Harry rolled up his sleeve to expose the jagged scar on his forearm. "I've been told my blood is just as deadly now."
"Do you know where the corpse is?" Ragnok leaned forward to examine the scar.
"It's in the Chamber of Secrets under Hogwarts." Harry fixed his sleeve. "I would be glad to show you where, if you could recommend a team to harvest it."
"I will have a team assembled." Ragnok wrote a note on a piece of parchment that folded itself up and zipped out of the room. "Now, what can I help you with?"
"A few things." Harry said. "I need to claim my lordship, close out all keys to my vaults other than my own, and claim my heirship of House Black. Once that is done, I need to have my parents will read."
"I will have the Lord Potter and Heir Black rings brought at once." Ragnok wrote another note. "I can handle your vault key presently. Your parents will has been sealed and will require some time."
"Understood." Harry nodded. It wasn't a shock, another one of Dumbledore's little things. "There is another issue I would like to discuss."
"Go on." Ragnok waved a hand.
"Defeating Tom Riddle, or Voldemort as he likes to be called, created a number of horcrux." Harry explained. "One is currently in the Lestrange Vault. By right of conquest, it's mine."
The goblin studied him for a moment. "If it is located in the Lestrange Vault, then we will bring it here shortly." Ragnok paused. "You understand it needs to be destroyed. We do not meddle in wizard affairs, but that is not magic we will allow to remain."
"I've destroyed three already." Harry summoned his sword. "One was located in my forehead, the other was a diary, and another had been placed in the Ravenclaw Diadem. Riddle has placed a horcrux in an artifact from Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. The Hufflepuff cup, is the one in the Lestrange vault. I will be disposing of them shortly."
"May I inspect your sword?" The goblin asked.
Harry nodded. He placed the blade on the desk in front of the goblin. Ragnok leaned forward. The thin fingers of the goblin traced patterns in the air above the weapon.
"Do you know what sword this is?" Ragnok asked finally looking up.
"The Sword of Gryffindor." Harry replied. "I pulled it from the Sorting Hat to kill the basilisk."
"Interesting." Ragnok muttered. "It has another name: Caliburn." The goblin paused. Upon seeing that Harry did not know what it mean he continued. "It's also known as Excalibur."
Harry stared blankly at Ragnok. "You surprise me, Master Ragnok. I didn't know goblins made jokes during business transactions."
"It's no joke." The goblin replied.
"I thought Excalibur was a myth." Harry sat back in his chair.
The goblin stared at him blankly.
"Merlin and Morgan le Fay are credited as being one of the first magical users in Europe." Ragnok said. "Why would Excalibur be a myth?"
"Does that mean I'm a distant relative to King Arthur?" Harry asked.
"There are many reasons why you would be able to wield Excalibur." Ragnok leaned back in his chair. "We would need an inheritance test to be sure."
"For a fee." Harry added.
"For a fee." Ragnok nodded.
Harry thought for a moment. He was saved from having to make the choice by the arrival of a group of goblins. One held two boxes that he knew from his first time around held the rings for Potter and Black. The group that followed carried a thick glass box with the Hufflepuff Cup inside.
"The rings." Ragnok tapped the desk.
The other goblin set them on the desk. Harry opened the boxes. He slipped the Potter Lordship ring on as well as the Black Heir ring. Once that was completed, he plucked the sword from the desk and stalked over to the glass box.
"Is this box important?" Harry looked over his shoulder at Ragnok.
"Enchanted glass to help contain the tainted magic anchored in the artifact." The goblin replied.
"Take the fee from my vaults." Harry sliced through the box and the cup in one stroke.
I could get used to that. It's a shame that swords aren't practical these days.
A puff of black smoke jumped from the cup. It screamed as it disappeared.
"Three more to go." Harry dismissed the sword. "Now, about that Inheritance Test."