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Sacramentum Effrego	By : justpucky Category: Harry Potter > General > General Views: 2256 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Chapter List
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Chapter 1: To Ask

Disclaimers:

1: The Harry Potter Universe and all cannon charters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Co. I’m having fun and making absolutely no money.

2: The concept of the Oath Breaker and the Outcasting ceremony belong to Mercedes Lackey. They are borrowed from her book “Oath Breaker”.

Warnings: References to abuse, Dumbledore bashing, Semi-intelligent Harry.

Ships: None.

Spoilers: HPSS, HPCOS, HPPOA

Summary: After the timer turner episode in POA, Harry gets fed up with Dumbledore’s lack of action. He spends the summer doing a little research.

Judging from the look in Vernon’s eyes at the station, the threat of Sirius Black should keep the abuse to a minimum this year, but there was no guarantee that it meant they would feed him. Luckily Harry had learned from the previous two summers and had the Hogwarts house elves pack him supplies under a stasis charm. That combined with the extra money he had changed from galleons to pounds during his temporary freedom at the end of last summer meant that he could also go out and buy food if necessary.

~~~~~~

After getting a good night sleep, it was time to get his priorities in order. There were an untold number of things that it was becoming apparent that they would not be learning at Hogwarts. But the priorities should be those things he could do to help with Sirius’ situation and consequently his own family situation. In terms of wizarding culture he needed to learn about the laws relation to trials and felons, as well as child welfare laws. He was noticeably smaller than his peers, and with the time he’d spent in the Hogwarts infirmary; even if they hadn’t used diagnostic spells that would notice the cumulative damage from the beatings, they should have noticed the chronic malnutrition. Yet no one had offered any help.

At the beginning of last year, after the previous years encounter with the Chamber of Secrets, he’d spent some time researching the founders and the early years of Hogwarts. Since the only thing Binns taught was the goblin wars, it had been surprising to find past editions of Hogwarts a History. Apparently when a new version is released the books in the main library are updated with the current edition, and one copy of the previous edition is saved in the history class room.

In the early years of Hogwarts, due to the significant difference in the prosperity of the various classes in society, many students arrived with signs of chronic malnutrition. It was discovered by Helga that a basic nutrient potion given for a month prior to puberty could reverse many of the long term effects. Harry had spent the week waiting for his test scores brewing the potion. He was thirteen, turning fourteen in six weeks. He needed to take the potion now before the neglect was irreversible.

The early Hogwarts a history had actually had specific notes on students that had chronic malnutrition that was not corrected; they were well under average height and weight after puberty had run its course. Since a strong and healthy body creates a strong and healthy core, those students also never achieved their full magical potential. One student with a very strong adolescent core actually died at his magical maturity when he reached the age of 17 because his body couldn’t support his core. His core became unstable and fractured. It was not something Harry wanted to experience. If his physical state had been noticed by anyone at Hogwarts, the question became, were they trying to limit his future potential, or trying to kill him off discreetly? Reviewing these notes, Harry took out his first nutrient potion and a meat pasty for lunch.

On top of the legal aspects of his situation, he needed to learn more about basic wizarding culture and his role in it. What was the root of the pureblood agenda? Was he significant as the Heir of the Potter line, or was he simply a half blood with a little money? Were the rumors regarding creature blood in wizarding lines significant, or simply childhood teasing like saying girls have cooties?

On a more personal note, he needed to find out more about his family. How closely was he related to the Weasleys? Too many people had commented on how closely Ginerva resembled his mother. With the current pureblood mania, he could probably find out some genealogy information on the Potters, but with Petunia’s avoidance of anything magical, he probably wasn’t going to get anything out of her on the Evans side of the family. There were only two heritage potions that he’d discovered. One could only report the first generation of parents; this was usually brewed if a witch couldn’t confirm paternity.

The second one was illegal under the current restrictions because it used blood, and everybody knows that blood magic is dark and evil. Harry snorted at this thought. The first potion could be brewed with hair instead of blood, which was why it was both legal and weaker. Hair roots did contain some DNA, but not as much as blood. Since he couldn’t practice wand magic in the summer, and Dobby had proved that they had this house under surveillance for any magic (even house elves), the only hands on practice he could get this summer was potions.

With the amount of gold simply sitting in his vault Harry also wondered if the only house his parents owned was the one destroyed that night or did he have other assets and properties? Harry made a note to write to Gringotts. Maybe he should address that to a specific goblin and have Hedwig wait for a response? Over the last few years he knew for a fact that he was famous in the wizarding world, yet the only mail he’d ever received came from Hogwarts, or people he knew personally. It looked like someone was interfering with his mail, and he thought that his bank statement might be misdirected with the rest of the mail.

Why did it take him this long to realize that there were some issues with his situation?

He sat back and thought about his previous summers.

At the end of his first year, he had just killed a teacher, and after a few days in the infirmary he was sent back to Durzkaban. Immediately he was verbally abused and not fed. The next morning it was back to his chores, and if the chores were not finished, he was not fed. Dudley immediately started Harry Hunting, so the physical abused began quickly as well. Not much time to get introspective when you were struggling to survive and eat.

At the end of his second year, after being abused by most of the students, and almost all of wizarding Britton for the majority of the school year, he barely saved his best friends little sister from death; almost died himself; killed a sentient animal, and destroyed if not the soul, at least the memory of a boy not much older than himself. Again, he was immediately sent back to Durzkaban, and the abuse and neglect began in the same pattern as before. When he did reach his limit and ran to the Leaky Cauldron at the end of the summer, he was so happy to be free that he spent his time eating ice cream and simply enjoying the alley. He was also distracted by a new mystery, what was everybody afraid of? What didn’t they want him to know?

What changed this year? Well to begin with, he didn’t end up exhausted in the infirmary. He also had hope, while it was true that Sirius was on the run, he was alive and out of Azkaban. And by leveraging the “Escaped Convict God Father,” he’d managed to avoid the standard abuse and neglect. Did he luck out, or did someone drop the ball this summer? It could also be that someone was underestimating him. Yes the encounter with the werewolf was scary, and the Dementors sucked; Harry giggled at that pun. But with his parent’s relationship with Lupin, and the early exposure to him, he truly wasn’t worried about the wolf. If it weren’t so painful, it could be kinda neat getting those super senses of hearing and smell. And while the Dementors were not pleasant; he was capable of performing the spell and able to protect himself and others. Yes it was hard and draining, but it was also empowering. It was a moment he was truly proud of.

Harry opened his trunk and unpacked his parchment, quill, and ink; and began writing out his list of priorities.

1) Drink Nutrient potion.

2) Write to Griphook (the only goblin he could address by name) and request his assets, both money and known property.

- if his parents were rich, why did he grow up wearing hand-me down clothes?

3) Find the wizarding room at the local library branch:

- a) get a book on culture regarding family lines, creature blood, and gov’t over view.

- b) get a book on legal advice for muggleborns, child welfare and trial law.

- c) research Potter genealogy

4) brew cruor hereditas potion.

That was a good start. Since Harry had just finished lunch, including his potion for the day, and it was Sunday so the library wasn’t open, and he wasn’t sure about Gringotts; he’d start with a letter to Professor Dumbledore, then review the instructions on the heredity potion.

Hermione was convinced that now that Dumbledore knew the truth regarding Sirius’ innocence, he’d do what was necessary as Chief Wizard, Head Mugwump, and icon of the light to clear his name. After reviewing the facts this morning, Harry wasn’t so sure. Something just didn’t fit with the picture that was forming from this jigsaw puzzle. Of course Harry was used to that, the only jigsaw puzzles he’d ever gotten to play with already had pieces missing. He didn’t know if Dudley ate them or hid them, but he’d never found a puzzle in this house that didn’t have missing pieces.

One of the pieces that Harry didn’t like the look of he’d learned last night. After returning to 4 Private Drive, Aunt Petunia had mumbled something about Dumbledore making them take him back in even though he ran away last year, just like the old fool had made them take and keep him in the very beginning. Now there isn’t any excuse for child abuse, but Harry could almost understand the resentment if you were forced to keep a child you didn’t want and didn’t care about. And the abuse wasn’t always like this, until Dudley learned that he would never get punished for roughing up the “freak” the only thing he’d had to deal with the neglect and lack of food. And that had never been enough to kill him, just enough that he was skinny and scrawny.

On the off chance that Dumbledore had more influence in this situation than he currently credited him with, Harry decided to write a vague letter, asking about Siri’s situation, but not accusing Dumbledore of anything, real or imagined.

Dear Professor Dumbledore,

I wondered if you could tell me if any progress has been made towards freeing Sirius Black from the false accusations.

I know you are quite busy, but thought that now that the students are gone for the summer you might have a plan to right this wrong.

Things are no better or worse at home this summer and I know not to get my hopes up, I’ve been told that legal issues can take a very long time to resolve.

Sincerely,

Harry Potter

Harry read over the note again. It asked for information without suggesting that Dumbledore had anything to do with the wrong to begin with. It didn’t indicate that Harry was in anyway disenfranchised with Dumbledore, and it suggested that nothing had changed for better or for worse in Durzkaban. It should be enough to figure out which way the wind was blowing on this topic.

Now to review the brewing instructions, set up a temporary lab, and prepare the ingredients.

~~~~~~

The cruor hereditas potion only took four hours to brew and since Harry wanted the information before he arrived at Gringotts he decided to brew it after the zoo (horse, walrus and whale) went to sleep. It wouldn’t do to get caught doing anything deliberately “freaky.” Even with the threat of his godfather, that would push Vernon over the edge.

Harry followed the directions explicitly, going so far as to use the second hand on his watch when simmering. He really wished he’d thought to brew this while still at Hogwarts, it would have been much easier to brew if he could just set an alarm on his wand. But during the summers, he couldn’t use magic, and there was the small fact that he was finishing the brewing at 1:30 AM and he REALLY didn’t want to wake up Vernon with an alarm clock. As the last second ticked away, Harry took the potion of the flame and extinguished it. He then used the knife from his potion kit and cut the pad of his thumb and added three drops of blood. Stirring slowly one time widdershin (counter-clockwise), he then used his pipette to transfer 3 vertical inches of the potion onto the sheet of parchment. Once the parchment had absorbed the potion, the family tree that was available from his blood would appear as if written out by hand. There was nothing more to do but wait, or in Harry’s case, sleep.

Five hours later Harry woke up, quickly washed, and got ready for the day. He went downstairs and started helping Petunia with breakfast. After she finished setting the table and pouring the juice he asked her a question that had been nagging him most of his life.

“Aunt Petunia, you and Uncle Vernon have always said that I didn’t get new clothes and other material things because of the cost, but everybody says my father’s family had money. Did you not receive a penny for my support? Is it possible that whomever dropped me on the doorstep without talking to you is listed as the guardian and keeping our money,” Harry asked.

“Dumbledore,” Petunia mumbled.

“What did you say Aunt Petunia?”

“When I found you on the stoop with the milk, there was a letter addressed to me, signed by that Dumbledore.”

“Do you still have that letter?” At that question, Petunia got up and went upstairs to the master bedroom. When she came back down she handed Harry two pieces of parchment and one piece of heavy modern paper. The two pieces of parchment seemed to be the original letter from Dumbledore and his birth certificate. The other piece of paper was his inoculation record, he still remembered getting all those shots. They had tried to avoid taking him anywhere, and it wasn’t until they tried to enroll him in school that he had seen his first doctor and received all the required shots at one go. And even then, it was only because it was required by the school.

“You’re old enough to keep your own affairs in order. Those are the only papers I have regarding you.”

Harry headed back upstairs to write that letter to Griphook. He felt it was even more important now to find out what was happening with his parents money.

To Griphook, or whom it may concern;

My name in Harry James Potter, and I know I have at least one vault with Gringotts. Others at school have indicated that my father’s family has more wealth than seems to be available in the vault I have seen. I have never received a statement regarding any of my funds, not even the vault for which I currently hold the key.

My other question is regarding my guardians; growing up I have always received my cousins hand me downs and had to do more than the average number of chores because my Aunt and Uncle said they could not afford two children. They only planned on one child so that Aunt Petunia could stay home and not seek employment. When I was left on their doorstep, it was a hardship having two toddlers approximately the same age; my cousin only being three months older than me. Both of my guardians state that they have never received funds for my up keep. Can you please look into my parents will and find out if an allowance was included in the custody agreements?

I’ve addressed this letter to Goblin Griphook because other than my first Hogwarts letter, I have never received an owl from someone I did not personally know. I’m hoping that by corresponding with him directly my future statements and correspondence will not be lost.

Sincerely,

Harry James Potter.

Harry tied the letter up and attached it to Hedwig. “Take that directly to Griphook if you can girl.” Hedwig gave a barking cough that left the impression of Snape’s sneer. As if she couldn’t believe that he doubted her.

“Sorry, Hedwig, I know you can. Would you please deliver that to Griphook.” With that Hedwig winged her way out the window, and Harry heading towards the Library.

~~~~~~

Takes place 19-6-94 Sunday
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