Harry remained eating his breakfast at a leisurely pace; he had to make it look as though he had absolutely nothing to do after all. He wondered if Slughorn really could decide whether he could go to Hogsmeade or not. He guessed he'd find out later after dinner when he would ask. Not that he would be bothered overly much if the answer was negative, he wasn't really a teenager, Hogsmeade had quickly lost its appeal after a year and months of visiting the place. Mostly he summarized it was so much fun was because he was breaking the rules, otherwise the appeal would have been lost a lot sooner. His thoughts left him wondering why he even wanted to see about going. To get out of Hogwarts - away from Dumbledore and prying eyes for a sort while without arousing suspicion.
Looking around noticing that the younger years were beginning to leave the Great Hall, having finished their breakfast. In groups of three to five conversing with each other, planning their days now that the older students were gone - and they were free to roam the school without bigger students being around. It didn't surprise him to hear that many Ravenclaws were going to the library to study, while the N.E.W.T's and O.W.L's students were away. Picking up his bag, he followed the students out of the Great Hall, and making his way up to the third floor to the 'Serpentine' corridor it was named on the actual map of Hogwarts. Nobody used it though, anything remotely Slytherin sounding was rejected by the Gryffindors and with it the Hufflepuff's.
Before long he was standing before the one-eyed witch statue, looking around to make sure he was unobserved, he removed his cloak and flung it over himself. Removing his wand he uttered "Dissendium!" and with a grumbling click the passageway opened to him. Sliding in he closed it tightly, sighing in relief, removing the cloak again, keeping it bundled up under his arm, just in case he needed it again. The passageway was exactly as he remembered it, disgusting, draughty, horrible but blessedly free of any sort of animal - rats more specifically.
He knew the moment he had passed through Hogwarts itself, the distinctive shimmer of protective magic disappeared leaving the area extremely vulnerable. Many passageways had become victims of that, although he wasn't sure if it was true in this time or not. It would be definitely something worth investigating at one point or another, since he still had no idea where they went - obviously somewhere in Hogsmeade like the other ones. He pondered briefly whether he should Apparate now, and be done with it or wait until he got through tunnel and to Honeydukes. Since nobody was familiar with this particular passageway, he decided he should be safe to Apparate.
Which he did after sliding his invisibility cloak back into his bag, he appeared directly outside of Gringotts. Looking around noticing that it wasn't too busy, it was the weekend, so he wasn't surprised really. Those that weren't already working were sleeping in. Not wishing to remain too long lest he be caught, he quickly made his way to one of the counters, thankfully a few were free.
"Good morning, may your coffers always replenish," Harry said, "I wish to speak to someone privately about my inheritance and quickly." he finished curtly, hoping they wouldn't do the disservice of treating him like a child when he was being respectful to them.
The goblin stared at him for a few seconds before nodding curtly, "Follow me," quickly stepping from his podium he moved swiftly through the bank, taking the boy with him making it clear to security that he was with him. Nothing about the bank had changed; Harry couldn't help but observe it was still that gleaming marble building with dozens upon dozens of goblins. He followed the goblin to an office and was extremely surprised when he closed the door and sat down at it. He blinked almost owlishly, there was a hierarchy within the Goblin nation, you work your way to the top in the following order - miner, cart puller, cashier, stock marketers which sometimes became the managers of accounts who's owners were proud of the amount made. Then there were the actual managers of the accounts, to hold the position was very high indeed. Which begged the question, why was an account manager doing playing at cashier? Surely not that much had changed in fifty years!
"My name is Ironclaw, how can I help you Hadrian Peverell?" Ironclaw stated, gazing at the child before him very aware that he was more than he seemed - but what? Well that was something not even a creature like he could guess.
Harry barely blinked, he was aware of the complexity of the charms and spells within Gringotts, allowing the Goblins to know everyone that walked through their doors. Although during the war they'd been removed - thankfully. Otherwise…no, he didn't even want to think on them. He thought disgust rolling through his stomach, disgusting betrayers that they were, no he wasn't going to think about it. "I require an inheritance test," Harry finally said, he wanted to see if his real name would appear or if Death had made it absolute.
"That will cost two sickles," Ironclaw replied, his gnarly hand open waiting for the money.
Harry dug into his bag and removed the required amount from his pouch, it was a good job he had some money set aside after buying his things. The goblins never joked about money, nor did they do things for free if they could do it for a fee. He plopped the silver sickles into his hand, before sitting down.
Once Ironclaw put the money aside he gathered up the necessary items for an inheritance test, placing a small white bowl, a dagger and a long piece of parchment and a bandage in front of Hadrian. "Make a small cut in your palm, put the blood into the bowl and then write your full name on the top of the parchment." he directed grimly after dragging a long black nail down the entire length of the parchment.
Harry grabbed a hold of the dagger, and sliced his palm open without so much as a grimace or becoming squeamish at the sight of his own blood. Squeezing it closed, he watched red liquid drop into the bowl until he was sure there was enough to write his signature with. Picking up the bandage, he wrapped it securely around his wound; he would need to see about getting a potion for it before anyone noticed it. Once it was tied securely, he picked up the black quill dipped it into his own blood before writing 'Hadrian Peverell' in his loopy scrawl. He had no middle name that Death had told him so was under the assumption he probably didn't have one.
After that he used his wand to remove every single drop of blood from the bowl, quill and dagger leaving nary a trace behind only then did he sit down. He therefore didn't see the look of respect on the goblins face when he began that process, as Ironclaw realized he wasn't dealing with a normal ignorant fourteen years old. In fact you'd be hard pressed to even find a pureblood seventeen year old gaining his inheritance doing such a thing.
By the time Harry had sat down the blood he found was acting like the Marauders map activating. Only it wasn't black ink but rather his own blood expanding over the parchment, writing names on its own. It wasn't merely just an inheritance test, it acted as a family tree, with only a small amount of direct family, the grandparents and of course the parents instead of a full fledged one, but it did bring up any results that might be further down the line.
Gringotts inheritance test for Hadrian Peverell
Father - Fredrick Hadrian Peverell (Pureblood)
Mother - Samantha Patricia Everard-Peverell (Pureblood)
Maternal Grandfather - Sam Richard Everard (pureblood)
Maternal Grandmother- Patricia Abbott-Everard (Pureblood)
Paternal Grandfather- Hadrian Jackson Peverell (Pureblood)
Paternal Grandmother- Margaret Avery-Peverell (Pureblood)
Harry inwardly rolled his eyes; honestly, he'd made him a complete pureblood? He had heard of Everard he just couldn't think of where though and it was bugging him - he felt as though it was something he should know. It made him wonder how Death had managed to make him someone he wasn't; it was quite scary to be truthful. Unless…the boy had been real and had died in this timeline and he was basically just taking over his life? It was horrible to contemplate that he didn't feel overly bothered about that fact.
Sole Direct Line Descendant
Gryffindor
Peverell
Everard
Indirect Line Descendant
Slytherin
Potter
Abbott
Avery
Black
Crouch
Crabbe
Harry inhaled sharply; he had somehow retained nearly all his bloodlines just scrambled up, with a few new added ones like Abbott and Avery. He wondered how that worked, how he was indirectly a Potter yet still the sole Peverell, but he just assumed that if he were to 'die' then it would go to Charles then James before coming back to him in the form of Harry Potter. He must be a Slytherin indirectly through the Peverell line, but he wasn't the direct descendant, no that belonged to Tom Riddle. He couldn't claim anything from the indirect lines, only the ones that he was solely directly descendant from.
"What age do I need to be to gain access to my vaults?" Harry enquired, after silently contemplating the results; the goblin said nothing - waiting patiently for his attention to snap back. He sincerely hoped there was money in the vaults or he would go nuts at Death, he needed money to survive this time.
"Fifteen for the Peverell vaults, seventeen for the Everard and Gryffindor vaults," Ironclaw informed him, not that there was much in either the Everard and Gryffindor vaults, mostly heirlooms and books. Which admittedly Gringotts would pay a fortune for and that was just a single book.
Harry mentally cursed, "I don't suppose my…parents opened a trust vault?" Merlin he hoped he didn't have to use those words very often, it felt very wrong to utter the word parents for those people written on the paper. He wasn't their son; to him his parents would always be James and Lily Potter. "Everyone does it."
Ironclaw gave him an odd look saying nothing other than the look in his eyes that indicated he though Harry was mad.
Harry closed his eyes and groaned, pressing his uninjured hand to his eyes and pressed deeply. Cursing inwardly again, it must have been something parents did during the wars with Voldemort - if the look on the goblins face was anything to go on it didn't happened right now. "What about emancipation…let me guess I have to be fifteen?" Harry hated how petulant he sounded but this sucked.
"Indeed," Ironclaw confirmed.
So he had another year without money, he could last a year; he had everything he needed right now, well mostly. It was the summer holiday's that made him nervous really. He knew he was going to end up in the Muggle world during the bloody Blitz - he didn't care that he knew they'd win! It was going to be torture, the dropping bombs, everything, it was going to be awful. With so many to look after maybe he could sneak away? But to where? He had no money, no means to keep himself safe for the months he'd be quite literally having to make do on his own. He would have to find a way to make money, and do it quickly.
"May I have an inventory of all items in my vaults or will I have to wait until I take control of them?" Harry asked he was curious to see what he owned.
"You will have to wait, an inventory can be done as soon as you sign for your Peverell vault," Ironclaw replied.
"Thank you, Ironclaw, may your coffers never empty," Harry said once again.
"May your gold ever flow," Ironclaw said in reply, his lips twitching at the irony of that statement.
Harry just grunted a bit, also understanding the irony, but not being offended. Swinging his bag over his back after putting his inheritance test in, and strapping it to his back. Well, just one more years, at least he could buy proper equipment and school uniform next year. Glancing at the time, just after ten, he would be back at Hogwarts by half past, which left him an hour and a half until lunch then he had to make his way to the Headmaster's office.
Harry walked into the library, noticing that most of the tables were taken up by first and second years. His eyes zoned in on one particular student working alone, his green eyes glimmered softly. Wandering over, he tapped her on the shoulder sniggering at her squeak. "Hello, Myrtle, mind if I sit down?" he asked still sniggering slightly.
"Hadrian!" Myrtle said a huge grin appearing on her face.
"Looks like you've been taking my advice," Harry said, pointing to the book, nodding his approval.
"It worked," she said reverently, gazing at him in awe.
"Don't look at me like that, it was just a piece of friendly advice," Harry said uncomfortably. "Your Head of House should have helped you."
"Professor Meadowes doesn't really notice much," Myrtle commented, shrugging her shoulders pretty much used to the way it was even if she was only in her second year. Absently pushing her large glasses back up her nose, only for them to fall right back down to where they were when she looked back at her book.
"Remove your glasses," Harry insisted, coming to a decision.
"Why?" she asked suspiciously.
Harry just grinned as he remembered that look in the past. "Do it," he urged, wondering if she would trust him.
"I can't see without them," she whined, refusing to do it.
"Please?" Harry then asked, his face showing how serious he was - he wasn't kidding with her.
Pursing her lips, she reluctantly took her glasses off, keeping a tight grip on them as if she suspected he wanted to make off with them. "Sano Oculus!" Harry cast so lowly that nobody could hear what he said, as soon as her glasses were off not giving her the opportunity to put them on or stop him in any way.
Myrtle squeaked indignantly, before she began to rub at her eyes panicked beyond belief - wondering what he had done to her.
Harry grabbed a hold of her hands, stopping her from rubbing at her eyes, watching as comprehension began to draw. Watching as her eyes went from narrowed as she tried to see with her limited vision to wide with wonder when she realized she could see without the aid of her glasses for the first time in her life. A small smile played across Harry's face as he finally let go of her hands.
"You created a spell to correct someone's eyesight?" Myrtle said in wonder. She almost wanted to ask if he really was a Slytherin! Not many of them went around smiling at people, or worse still helping them without wanting something in return.
"Yes," Harry replied the affirmative, it was a spell that he had created in the future.
"You could get rich with that spell!" Myrtle exclaimed quietly, remembering she was in the library after all.
"I could…couldn't I?" Harry said thoughtfully a smirk appearing on his face, that was definitely a way to go about getting enough money to stay somewhere during the holidays.
Now she could see why he was a Slytherin, it made her shiver, he was very cute, she liked him a lot. Quickly digging into her bag, she grabbed her allowance and let it clatter in front of him. "I know it's not much…but if you want I can ask my mum for more!" she was a Warren; they didn't exactly struggle for money.
Harry blinked and stared at the two galleons and sickle, before his gaze went back to her, "Keep it; I didn't do it for the money." Harry told her and it was true, anything to keep her alive and out of that damn bathroom when the time came.
"No, you take it," Myrtle insisted shoving it back, "I get more allowance in a few days anyway."
"You get allowances during the year?" Harry asked surprised, he'd only ever had two backstabbing friends during Hogwarts years; neither had gotten an allowance during the year, Granger only ever got money for birthday and Christmas. Well why Weasley didn't was pretty self explanatory. Weasley liked to get jealous over having no money, yet Fred and George had managed to get money together during Hogwarts - so if he had wanted it enough he could have. Instead he just liked to silently seethe about his money and how lucky he was.
"Yes, I owl order books," Myrtle replied, showing exactly why she was a Ravenclaw. "I've got third year defence book coming, I can't wait to read it, and it has a lot of neat spells."
"Fourth years better," Harry commented, standing up and moving towards the fourth year section and selecting the book and moving back over plonking it down beside her other book. "The hexes are easy to cast but the counter isn't easy to find," they were in different sections of the books to make sure you were reading properly.
Myrtle startled suddenly when she heard the lunch bell go; she stared at the time surprised it was time already. A huge grin spread across her face, it was so great being able to see without her glasses, and she owed him so much. She couldn't wait to tell her mum what Hadrian had done for her. "Thank you." she said belatedly realizing she hadn't done so yet.
"You're welcome," Harry said shrugging his shoulders. "Are you heading down to lunch?"
Myrtle once again gave Harry one of those looks causing him to frown, trying to decipher what that look was. Glancing in her eyes, he gleaned her surface thoughts by accident, which quite thoroughly depressed him. She was hoping to have a friend in him, someone to talk to so she didn't feel so lonely in a school packed with people. She didn't think he (Hadrian) would want to be a friend of hers, but all the same she couldn't help but hope that just once things would be good for her. She was like Neville, fading into the background, never truly noticed or seen, he hadn't remained that way - hopefully he could find a friend for her - not that he didn't want to be…he was in a different year, had lots to do - he didn't even have time to make friends in Slytherin never mind anything else. Yet seeing the look on her face, he just didn't have it in him to say no.
Harry inwardly scoffed, some Slytherin he made, even after being betrayed so many times he still had to give someone a knife to stab him in the back. No, he would befriend her just until he managed to get her a friend of her own - get her noticed then he could back off slowly until they just spoke when they saw each other or something. "Did you hear my question?"
"You want to wait on me?" Myrtle asked incredulously.
"Well we won't be sitting together since we aren't in the same house but sure, I'm hungry so hurry up and sign those books out." Harry said pointing towards them, giving just a slight smile.
"Okay," Myrtle gushed in her usual squeaky voice, rushing towards the wizard who magically scanned her books. She raced back as if suspecting that Harry would change his mind.
"Let's go," Harry said, and they both began leaving the room. "So…do you have siblings?" he asked actually curious.
He didn't notice the second year Slytherin that had been watching them both, or that he began following them due to the fact a lot of students were now leaving the library and heading down to lunch.
"A younger brother," Myrtle beamed, it was obvious by the look on her face she adored him. "He's five years old."
"That's young," was all Harry could think to say, wincing inwardly; he would have been only seven when he found out that his older sister was dead. Had he attended Hogwarts? Saw his sister's ghost? Or had his parents refused to let him attend? Had they moved away? He honestly didn't know and had never thought to ask ghost Myrtle.
"My parents thought I'd be an only child," she giggled in her usual way.
"Has Hornby left you alone?" Harry then asked, as they descended the stairs.
"Mostly, you were right when I started hexing her back she stopped, she's still nasty though," Myrtle revealed. She couldn't say anything about her glasses anymore she thought with a wicked grin of her own. It had definitely been worth the money she gave him for it - even though he hadn't asked for it. She knew he was an orphan, didn't have money due to the fact he was wearing second hand clothes and used second hand books. If he helped people with their eyesight he would get enough money to buy new things. She would definitely mention it in passing to those who needed glasses. Help Hadrian after all he had helped her. She owed him that much.
"As long as you don't take what she says to heart you'll be fine," Harry informed her, "I'll see you later alright? Headmaster Dippet wants to see me after lunch,"
"Bye," Myrtle said, nodding her agreement, before she went to the Ravenclaw table and Hadrian made his way to the Slytherin one.
"Enter," the voice of Dippet said strongly.
"Hello, Headmaster, you wished to see me?" Harry said, peering up at him shyly.
"I do, come sit down nothing to worry about!" Dippet said, smiling at the shy student, he would find his feet of that he was sure. He was surprising all his teachers; they could only gush over him during the latest staff meeting after he had enquired on their newest student and how he was finding his classes.
Harry took a seat on the ornate plush furniture, it was crafted in purple, and in fact all the seats were. No sign of greens, yellows, reds or blues - no prejudice against houses. The table was the same one that Dumbledore used, without all the excessive instruments laded everywhere. He had a hawk, a beautiful one at that sat on a perch, eating away at a big piece of meat by the look of things. The window was open allowing it to come and go as it pleased.
"Your office is really nice," Harry eventually said after he realized he was staring.
"Why, thank you, Hadrian!" Dippet said, "Now I've been contacted by the Auror's on your case."
"Oh," Harry said, staring at his fingers, "What does that mean?"
"Auror Dalca in Romania got in touch with Auror Moody, their bodies were unclaimed, so they were cremated, but stored away. They are currently being brought over here, with every respect." Dippet said, whether they deserved it or not was another matter entirely. "It has been confirmed that you have no other living aunts or uncles, and you have no godparents, I am afraid that means you must be sent to an orphanage during the summer." his face grim and filled with sorrow.
Harry clenched his fingers together, "But sir…the war…"
"I know, Hadrian, I know, it's not ideal but it's only for the summer when you will be back here," Dippet said quietly, knowing nothing would soothe him. "There is nothing I can do, it is the law."
Harry just nodded his head without a word.
"A car will be taking you from Kings Cross to Wool's Orphanage, where they will take the very best of care of you." Dippet told him; at least there he would have a friend and fellow wizard with him. Tom was also a resident in the orphanage, Albus said it was a good one, and they would be cared for, as Albus had been there he had to take his word for it.
Harry's eyes had widened comically, Wool's Orphanage? He thought they would take care of him there? Of course they would, they'd just gone about creating the darkest wizard ever by giving him tender loving care! Dippet sounded so sure of himself though…had his kindness been feigned? Did he really not care? Harry sighed softly; it was the law, that couldn't be denied. It wouldn't be long, if he saved up enough money he wouldn't go at all. "Yes, Sir." Harry said quietly, his shoulders hunched.
"Just remember that if your life is in danger you can use magic," Dippet reminded him. The war was dangerous and he didn't want anything happening to his students. Hence he was going against everything by telling him this, but it was true nonetheless.
A vulnerable smile bloomed on Harry's face; his green eyes twinkled slightly showing his happiness. "Thank you, Sir." he said once more - he didn't feel completely better but knowing that Headmaster Dippet cared enough to say that did mean a lot. He did care after all, and it settled something in Harry's heart.