Harry spent the next day toiling away at the garden in addition to painting the fences around the back yard. Vernon never noticed that more work than could be accounted for had been done. Without Dobby's help, Harry would have never completed the tasks assigned and would have been due some "encouragement". As it was, Vernon thought that he had well and truly cowed the freak.
When he had left for work the morning of Marge's arrival, he had tasked the boy with ensuring that all the final touchups were done to his satisfaction. He would inspect the results when he arrived home after lunch, and woe betide the freak if everything wasn't tip-top.
At 9:10, Petunia had left to gossip at a neighbor's house -- the final opportunity before her overbearing sister-in-law arrived. Even Petunia did not like Vernon's sister. She instructed Harry that he would be punished if he didn't complete the items needed.
Harry noted that whatever Order guard was around, they never interfered with the casual abuse of the miserable wretches that made up his blood relatives.
In a few short minutes, Harry had made his way to his room and called Dobby.
"Harry Potter Sir! What can I do for young Master?"
"Well, Dobby. I need that transportation we talked about. I am to arrive at Gringott's Bank at 10:30, to prepare for the will reading of my godfather. I need to get to Madam Malkin's first so that I can make myself presentable. I need to shower and change. Can you help with the last bit of packing? I would like to make sure all of my belongings are packed in my trunk as I do not plan on returning."
Dobby jumped up and down as he replied, "Dobby can do!"
Harry made his way to the shower and cleaned himself thoroughly. He put on his best (meaning least damaged) clothes and at least made himself as presentable as possible. He decided to wear the parts of his Hogwarts uniform that he could, before he had an idea.
He called out to Dobby. When the little elf arrived Harry asked, "Dobby, can you use magic to adjust the size of the shirt and trousers I'm wearing to fit?"
Dobby nodded vigorously and then snapped his finger. Suddenly, the oversized items were the proper size and fit for his much-smaller-than-a-house frame. "Is that good, Mr. Harry?"
"Brilliant, Dobby! Can you change the color of the trousers, shoes and socks to a full black and the shirt to a bright white?" Dobby snapped his fingers again. "Excellent! Thanks, Dobby. Is this permanent?"
Dobby shook his head. "The charms will only last for a week or until the clothes are laundered again." He waited for some criticism.
Harry smiled at him instead. "That will be more than sufficient. Ok. It's almost 10. Let's get off to Madam Malkin's."
Dobby took Harry's hand in relief. Although he knew that Harry Potter Sir was a much kinder Master than his last one, he still unconsciously expected some punishment when things were not as the Master expected. That Harry had taken the reply given with apparent happiness was more than the little elf expected.
After taking his Master's hand, Dobby snapped his finger and the two popped in to the apparition point nearest the clothier's shop. They made their way into the shop, as Harry had a thought. "Dobby, can you pop over to Hermione's and tell her that I am already in Diagon Alley? You can take my things over to her house at the same time. I will be at Gringott's and if she would like to show up before the 3:30 reading, I should be available for lunch after my meeting. Also, ask her if she would like you to bring her instead of having her parents drive her here."
Dobby nodded his head enthusiastically and popped off to complete his Master's request.
Madam Malkin herself helped get him into a smart robe that would be appropriate for a will reading. At 10:15, Harry had completed his small side trip and started to make his way toward the Bank.
Suddenly, he heard behind him, "Harry!" He turned to see his female best friend running toward him before his vision was obscured by said friend's hair and he also found himself unable to breath.
Hermione had pulled back and started on her tirade. "Harry! I was so worried! I was already to go and asked Dobby to bring me early. I hope you don't mind. I really missed you and wanted to make sure you were okay. Have you been eating enough? I'm so sorry to hear about the Weasleys. Is there anything I can do to help? I really am looking forward to ...."
Harry decided that he was going to take the opportunity that his older self had suggested and he was going to work on his own happiness. So, to shut his lovely friend up so that he could get in a word edgewise, he decided to take a risk.
He quickly moved his face forward and planted a big kiss right on Hermione's lips.
Hermione, for her part, was quite shocked. Almost nothing else could have broken her stream of questions and comments so quickly. She quickly lost her train of thought as the awareness of what was happening seeped into her brain and she was lost in the sensation of finally being kissed by the boy she loved so much.
Harry felt the arms that were still around him tighten a bit and the lips he was kissing become more involved in the activity. Finally he stepped back and smiled at Hermione's gobsmacked expression.
"Hello, love. Would you like to accompany me to my meeting?" Hermione nodded dazedly as she began processing what just happened in her mind. Harry took her arm and gently guided her toward Gringott's.
Hermione's thought processes were well and truly broken for a moment. Of all the responses she had envisioned in seeing Harry for the first time after they had learned of what was happening behind the scenes, that one was the one she least expected.
Harry looked over at Hermione and saw that she began to smile a dazzling smile as she processed what had just happened. Hermione always had to think when things came unexpectedly, and apparently her thoughts were well pleased. That would work.
Harry and Hermione entered the bank at 10:25.
He made his way over to one of the goblins at a teller window and said, "Good afternoon. My name is Harry James Potter, and I have an appointment with Sharpclaw at 10:30. Can you please inform him that I have arrived and am available when he is?"
The goblin looked over at the large clock and saw that the wizard was early. He also noted the polite tone of the wizard. he nodded his head and moved off toward one of the many doors behind the counter. He shortly returned and indicated that he should be followed.
The pair were lead to a conference room and asked to take a seat. Harry thanked the goblin and made his way toward the table. He didn't notice the thoughtful expression on the goblin's face.
At 10:30 exactly, an older goblin made his way into the room with a number of parchments under his arm.
Harry, followed by Hermione, stood and bowed to the goblin. "Mr. Sharpclaw, I presume? I am Harry James Potter and I thank you for taking the time to meet with me."
The goblin stopped for a moment and sketched a brief bow before taking his seat. "I may be referred to as Sharpclaw, no human honorific applies. This meeting is at the request of the late Sirius Black. I was not aware of any others that would be present." He gave a pointed look at Hermione.
"This lady is Hermione Granger. She is my most trusted friend and advisor. I ask that she be included in any discussions so that she might advise me as needed."
Sharpclaw looked at Harry, then to Hermione, and then back to Harry. "Very well. According to the instructions of Mr. Black, you are to receive a medical scan for any potions, curses, charms or monitors before we can continue. Do you accept this?"
Harry nodded his head. "That is perfectly acceptable." He looked over at Hermione for a moment. "Sharpclaw, if she consents, can the same check be done on Ms. Granger? Any fee for this service may be deducted from my vault."
Hermione looked at Harry. It really was a good idea. "I would consent to this. Can I ask what the fee would be?"
Sharpclaw looked upon the two. An offer to pay fees before asked was noteworthy, and not expected from wizards. Normally, it was tooth and claw to get wizards to pay for the services Gringott's provided; wizards had some idea that other magical beings should serve them happily just for the privilege of being in their lofty presence. This rankled in the goblin mindset.
"The fee for this service will be deducted from the Estate of Mr. Black as this is at his request. Ms. Granger was mentioned in his original request, so there will be no additional fee required. Come with me," the goblin added brusquely and moved out of the office toward another area.
The two were lead down a set of stairs to a rough-hewn room below the bank. Several beds were visible. Sharpclaw indicated that they should wait and made his way to another goblin in the room. He spoke with the goblin for a few moments and then returned.
"The healers will conduct the scans. I will return when the healers' steps are completed."
Harry replied, "Thank you, Sharpclaw." He then bowed to the short creature. Sharpclaw hesitated a moment before bowing back and leaving the room.
"Please lie on a bed." Harry and Hermione had been approached by two different healers. Both were human. After being assured that what happened was private and would only be shared with the goblins, they had accepted the instructions.
Harry lay on the bed watching interestedly as the healer moved his wand over his whole body. And then made notes on some type of chart. The healer moved his wand again over Harry's head, paying particular attention to the scar on his forehead. Harry saw the healer's face take on a surprised frown. "Mr. Potter, has any healer talked to you regarding the scar that you carry?"
"No, Healer Johnson. It has never come up."
The man replied in a no-nonsense tone. "I find that surprising. Any thorough scan should have noted some things. There seems to be a bit of magical residue built up behind it. Has this given you any problems?"
Harry almost laughed at the man. "It has been nothing BUT a problem. I got this from Voldemort and there seems to be some effect that happens between he and I. It is always painful when I have confronted him and he sent visions though it to me all of last year. He also attempted to posses me through it, before he was ejected at the conflict we had at the Ministry of Magic."
The healer's face took on a shocked look. "That is very strange. I have not heard of such a thing. I must recommend a curse-breaker consult with me as regards to what can be done. Do I have permission to consult one?"
Harry thought a moment. "That would be fine. I would prefer that Mr. William Weasley not be the curse-breaker consulted as I have issues with some of his family members and I do not wish for there to be any conflict of interest problems."
The healer made a note. "That would be fine. I will be right back."
Harry sat up, waiting for the healer to return. He looked over at the privacy screen behind which Hermione was being examined by a female healer, wondering if anything had been found on her.
Shortly, the healer returned with another wizard in tow. The wizard, having gotten permission from Harry, ran his wand over his scar while incanting in some foreign language that was not Latin.
After the long incantation, the man and the healer moved to the other side of the room and whispered between them for a moment before the man left and the healer came back.
"The cursebreaker, Mr. Lufkin, has recommended a cleansing ritual to be completed after ensuring all other potions or magical controls be lifted. In our scan, it was found that you have been the subject of 2 different loyalty potions, several tracking charms, a mild love potion, and most surprisingly, a magical block normally placed on infants and removed by the time that one starts Hogwarts. It is placed to prevent excessive accidental magic in babies. Normally, this type of block uses the wizard's own magic to power the block, preventing more than half of the magical core from being used. However, your magical core seems to be sufficiently powerful that I find it unlikely that the block is working properly. However, removing the traces of the block is a matter of a potion, some charms and some runes. Would you like these things taken care of?"
Harry looked at the man. "Of course I would. Please do whatever is needed to remove these things."
The man nodded. He went out of the room and returned with several vials and some tools. He noticed that Hermione's healer had also left and returned with a few vials.
He took the vials and drank the potions. The healer asked him to remove his shirt and lie back down. He did so, wondering what would happen next.
The healer drew several runes on his chest with a potion that appeared viscous. The healer waved his wand over Harry's chest and suddenly Harry tensed in pain and a sharp sensation hit him. The healer took on a worried look as he continued the procedure. The pain in his chest became sufficient to cause him to let out a scream as the the incantation was completed.
Hermione, hearing the scream, jumped off the bed where she was just finished taking the potions to counteract the loyalty and love potions that her own healer had found.
She raced around the privacy screen to see the healer standing back as Harry writhed in pain on the bed. She attempted to rush over, only to be stopped by the healer. Tears were in her eyes as she watched her Harry in pain.
Fawkes sat on his perch in the office where the Headmaster would normally be. The Headmaster had left for the Burrow earlier to prepare the Weasleys for the will reading scheduled at 3:30. This meant that he was unaware of the fact that several of the silver devices in his office were letting off smoke, steam and began to move erratically in their operation. Fawkes was well pleased. He decided to flame off to where the whiskered would see him gallivanting about. He wanted to give himself plausible deniability when the manipulative one came back to the office to find his small devices wrecked and out of operation.
Harry slowly came to to find that he was being held desperately by his beautiful best friend who was sobbing quietly into his shoulder. He noted the healer off the other side of the room talking with the other healer and the cursebreaker from earlier.
He turned his head and kissed the top of Hermione's hair. Her face came up and she said, "Harry! I was so worried! Are you alright?"
The two healers and the cursebreaker approached as he answered, "I'm fine, except I feel like I've been playing catch with a bludger. What happened?"
His healer replied, "Apparently, there was more to the block than was readily apparent. What I thought was residue from a magical block was actually two blocks fully active. If I had known, I would have been much more gradual in the treatment. I apologize for the unexpected pain."
Harry waved him off. "No, it's fine really. I prefer it to be handled quickly and I can handle pain. So, what is the verdict?"
"The two blocks have been fully removed. However, your core will take a short time to stabilize. It might be best if we wait until another time to have the curse on your forehead removed."
Hermione looked at the healer horrified, as Harry thought for a moment. "Is there anyway that the curse can be removed safely today? The faster it is removed, the less effect I will have from Voldemort."
The cursebreaker piped in, "There is one option. This is what we were discussing, and it involves both of you. If a loved one is willing, there are runes that can be used to allow another to help with the stabilizing of the magical core. It is not risky, per se, but it can be painful."
Harry shook his head adamantly. "I will not allow Hermione to be subjected to that for my sake. I will reschedule the procedure for another time."
Hermione grabbed his face and turned it toward her. "This is my choice to make, Harry. If it will help you, I am perfectly willing to suffer a little pain for your sake. The chance to remove V-Voldemort's influence will make you much safer and I want to, no I NEED to, do this to help you. Please let me help you."
Harry looked at the tear stained face of his best friend and true love and finally nodded his head at the cursebreaker. "Alright. As long as there is no chance it will harm her permanently, I will agree to the procedure. Can it be done in time for the 3:30 will reading?"
The cursebreaker replied, "I have told Sharphook what is happening. It is 11:30 now. I want you two to eat lunch here, and at 12:00 we will move to a ritual chamber. The ritual will take about 45 minutes and then you should be recovered sufficiently to finish your meeting with Sharpclaw at 3:00. Will that work for you?"
Harry and Hermione looked at each other and then Harry nodded his head. "Okay. Let's do this."
Harry and Hermione were lead to a chamber that was lit with torches at the points of a large pentagram. In the center of the pentagram was a slab of stone with curious slots located in various places on it.
The cursebreaker started explaining. "This ritual will require that you disrobe and wear linen robes only. Linen is particularly resistant to magical effects and we can't have any other items in the ritual. You must leave all of your clothes, jewelry, wands, and anything else in the changing room. Do you have any questions?"
The two looked at each other and blushed for a moment before replying in the negative. They went to the rooms off to the side indicated by the cursebreaker.
Shortly thereafter, they found themselves back in the room looking at each other with a small amount of blushing between them. The linen shifts, not being very thick, didn't hide much of their forms from each other. Harry found the swell of Hermione's chest most distracting, and Hermione saw the outline of Harry's parts most intriguing.
The cursebreaker came back in to the room, distracting them from their mutual admiration. He held a small dagger, a stone bowl, a vial, a brush, and his wand. Following the cursebreaker were six goblins dressed in loincloths and wearing daggers at their belts.
The cursebreaker began. "I will need a small amount of blood from each of you to mix with the potion used to draw the runes. The goblins will also be required to add a small amount of blood to the points of the pentagram as well as a small amount for the rune-potion. They will be the anchors of the pentagram. You, Mr. Potter, will be restrained on the slab with thick linen restraints. This will ensure you remain in place for the ritual to be completed. Ms. Granger will also be restrained, but only her hands as she will not experience the full brunt of what is happening. She is only here to help provide stability for your magical core. Are there any questions?"
Harry shook his head as did Hermione. The goblins each took daggers and cut themselves on the palm, allowing a bit of blood to flow into the bowl. The cursebreaker gave the dagger he carried to Hermione and she also cut her palm and allowed blood to flow until the man told her it was enough. He then healed the cut with the episkey charm. Harry took the dagger and cut his own palm and let blood flow into the bowl until the Mr. Lufkin told him to stop. He healed the cut with the same charm and stirred the mixture with the dagger as he added the vial of potion that he carried.
While he was doing that, Harry took a moment to catch the attention of the patiently waiting goblins. "My name is Harry James Potter," he began, bowing to the group of small creatures. "I thank you for your participation in this ritual and the aid you are providing. As you are helping me, I will aid you. Should you ever need something I can provide, all you need do is ask."
The goblins looked at each other for a moment gobsmacked. It was completely unexpected that a wizard would offer such an open-ended agreement to such as they, without careful limitations on what was offered. As a group they bowed back.
One of the goblins, apparently the leader of the group, replied, "My name is Drigfang. We thank you for your offer and the honor that you have shown us. We will individually introduce ourselves at a later time."
Harry replied, "You are most welcome, Drigfang. I think it is more than fair to show honor to those that give aid in exchange for honorable profit."
Once Harry laid on the slab with only a pile of linen cloth below his head next to Hermione who had the same, the goblins moved to the points of the pentagram and placed blood at the points. Crystals on the ceiling above the points began to glow.
The wizard took the brush and began drawing a rune on the chest of each goblin. He then moved to the slab and drew several runes on the chest of Hermione that was visible between the sides of the linen shift. Mr. Lufkin, Samael as he asked to be called now, then moved to Harry and drew several runes on his chest as well.
After 10 minutes, he had completed the drawing of the runes and then stood back. Samael began casting in a different language than he had used in the infirmary.
Suddenly Harry felt something in his chest. It was a warm feeling. He thought about it, and realized that he felt Hermione's heartbeat beside him. It was a comfortable feeling that he was altogether unfamiliar with.
He looked over and saw the look of awe on her face, a look that he was sure that he was showing.
Suddenly he could feel a tendril of magic uniting them both and the residual pain from the earlier procedure disappeared as the runes on their chests began to glow with a blue light.
Samael nodded to the goblins and they began a low chant.
The cursebreaker then began chanting in the same language he had used to perform the original scan.
The pain in his scar began. He saw that Hermione had felt an echo of the pain, as her face took on a slight frown.
Voldemort was lying in the bed that he was using to recuperate from the incident at the Ministry. He was close to fully recovered according to Severus and was looking forward to taking the next steps.
All of a sudden, a pain similar to the one he had felt at the Ministry began to permeate his body. He called out to his current "nurse" Wormtail. "Get Severus here now!"
As Wormtail scurried out of the room, the pain got worse and he began to scream with the agony of it.
Harry was thrashing in his restraints as Samael continued to chant. He refused to cry out in pain. He could feel Voldemort's pain through his link and he took savage satisfaction in it.
Albus Dumbledore had come back into his office to a sound that he had not expected. One of his little trinkets was actually screaming as it glowed red with heat. He looked at the other gadgets and saw that almost all of them were no longer functioning. This was not good.
Hermione looked at Harry as he thrashed around in pain. She felt the pain as an echo on her own forehead. She sent all of the love that she could at her best friend and hopefully future boyfriend, hoping that this would be over soon.
All of a sudden, the pain in her own forehead became much more than an echo and Harry began to scream as a thick green fog seemed to billow out of his forehead.
Severus Snape came into his putative Master's sick room just as Voldemort was screaming in agony, his body apparently cramped up solidly. He watched in a mixture of horror, fascination and satisfaction as Voldemort screamed as though under the torture of a Cruciatus Curse.
Suddenly Harry stopped screaming and fell unconscious. Samael stopped chanting and saw the soul piece that he had detected hovering above the body of the boy-who-lived.
Sameal preformed the soul-banishing curse at the fragment and it seemed to contract in pain before it exploded. The crystals flared briefly, absorbing the ambient magic that was released from the destroyed fragment. He then shouted out to call the healers in to examine his charge.
Voldemort let out one more massive scream and then fell back into the bed. He was unaware of the scrutiny from the several death eaters that had come when they heard their Master screaming. Severus began to diagnose what the problem was while secretly hoping that whatever it was, it was permanent.
Narcissa Malfoy, watching from the group of Voldemort's followers, also had a feeling of satisfaction for the pain that was felt by the monster that had corrupted her husband and son.
Dumbledore watched as the tiny instrument that had glowed white-hot melted on the shelf melted and burned a hole through the shelf. He cursed to himself as he performed a freezing charm to cool the mess before there was a fire.
Harry gradually woke up to find that he had been moved back to the infirmary. Once again, he felt his best friend holding him, although when he looked, she appeared to be asleep.
He looked around the room and saw that the healers and the cursebreaker were once again in consultation with each other, apparently with Sharpclaw in the mix as well.
When they saw him look around, they hurried over.
"What happened? How is Hermione?"
"Ms. Granger is doing fine. She was exhausted after the ritual and we felt it was best to allow her to rest while awaiting you coming back to awareness. Let me revive her. Enervate!"
Hermione woke up looking groggy. When she became aware of her surroundings, she saw Harry looking at her with concern and she sat up and grabbed him.
"Oh, Harry. It was awful. If I only felt an echo of the pain, I can't imagine how you survived it directly."
"Hermione, I'm fine now. As a matter of fact, I feel great. Now, Samael, what happened?"
"Apparently, Harry Potter, you have been the subject of a minor possession for the last 14 years. There was a fragment of the soul of Voldemort stuck behind your scar. I could handle it only because of the ritual link between yourself and Ms. Granger here, as well as the support of the several goblins. The residue of dark magic is now gone and your core has apparently stabilized far beyond what I could have expected in the hour and a half since the ritual completed. It is now 3:20."
"Oh, no. We have the will reading at 3:30. I need to get ready."
Sharpclaw intervened. "The reading has been pushed back to 4:30. Those that have been named have been notified but not told the reason and we will have time to complete our business beforehand. I will see you at 4:00 when you have recovered sufficiently." Sharpclaw turned and walked out of the room.
The healer handed Harry a strengthening solution and pepper-up potion. Hermione was also handed pepper-up potion.
"Now, Mr. Potter, you should take few minutes to allow those potions to work before you will be allowed to leave. Your possessions are located on the beds next to yours. You may use the privacy screen across the way to dress."
"I want to thank you three for the help you have provided. As I offered the goblins, if there is anything I can do to help you in the future, you have only to ask."
"Thank you, Mr. Potter," the male healer replied and the other two echoed. "I will be back in approximately 20 minutes to clear you to leave."
The three left to give some privacy to their client.
Hermione looked at Harry. "So really, how are you doing?"
Harry looked at her and grinned. "Honestly, I am feeling great. I don't feel anything from the scar anymore and I haven't felt better in a long time.
"Your scar, by the way, has considerably lessened."
"Really? I have got to see this."
"Let me get my compact from my purse." Hermione climbed out of the bed and leaned over the items on the next bed to search her purse. Harry looked at the way the linen showed the shape of her bum and felt a rise in unexpected places.
Hermione turned back to see Harry blushing and smiling at her at the same time and realized she was still very visible in her current garb. She blushed as she handed over the compact.
"You're right, it's almost gone. And I have to say, linen does wonders for seeing the good parts that can be seen." Harry wiggled his eyebrows at her.
Hermione blushed before slapping his shoulder and yelling out, "Prat!" before she broke into giggles.
The two took turns changing back into their regular clothes before the healer returned and caught them ogling each other.
"Mr. Potter," Sharpclaw began.
"Please, call me Harry."
"Very well, Harry. Mr. Black left specific instructions to be completed before his will could be read. Part of those instructions included the scans and treatments you have already received. As his primary beneficiary, I will let you know that G4000 has been charged for the services you have already received."
"That sounds reasonable. As a matter of fact, I would ask that an additional G1000 be taken from whatever account of mine you wish, to be split evenly between the goblins who helped in the ritual, the cursebreaker, the two healers and yourself."
"I will take care of that shortly. And I thank you on behalf of the Gringott's employees you mentioned. Now, there are a few more steps to be taken before the reading. First, ...."