The Spellcrafters

Chapter Four, Speaking One's Mind.

Harry woke up early in the morning on the fifth of August and spent the entire morning annoying the hell out of everyone by asking the same questions over and over again, "What is it going to be like? Am I wearing the right clothes? Should I wear a pair of black robes? Do you think it's wise to take Sirius along?"

Around eleven in the morning, everyone had grown so tired of him that Mrs. Weasley sent him into the library and told him to keep busy by himself for a while. Harry played with Sirius, letting him walk over his arms and behind his head.

He was trying to teach him some tricks, but he wasn't doing very well because Sirius didn't understand what he was supposed to do. Harry didn't really mind he mainly just enjoyed the little tyke's presence. Just before lunch, he decided to leave Sirius in his bedroom. There were going to be a lot of people at the reading and he didn't want to upset his little pet.

Harry had enjoyed a great week since his birthday; he didn't have any more nightmares, thanks to his new companion; the argument with his friends had been resolved and they had spent the entire week sleeping in, playing games or just talking deep into the night.

At one o'clock, Mrs. Weasley called everyone into the kitchen for lunch and Mr. Weasley had arrived back from work. He had taken the afternoon off to accompany Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione to the reading. They were all ready to go, but the 'mother hen' in Mrs. Weasley wouldn't let them leave until they all had a good lunch.

It was a very quiet lunch, Harry was thinking about what the reading might be like and therefore was quite distracted. The others didn't want to disturb him, so lunch passed without any conversation beyond the usual, "Could you please pass the butter?".

Around two, Mr. Weasley had arranged for two cars from the Ministry to come and pick them up at Grimmauld Place. They would drop them off in front of The Leaky Cauldron and wait there for their return. Mrs. Weasley checked everyone over before they left the house. This annoyed Ron because as always, she kept fussing about his robes. When they had all stepped outside, n° twelve Grimmauld place shrunk, to reveal nothing more than n° eleven and thirteen attached to each other.

Harry, Ron and Hermione got into one of the cars and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ginny and Remus shared the other one. The drive to The Leaky Cauldron took a lot of time because of the impossible traffic in London. Harry was pleased that the Ministry cars seemed able to slip into the smallest openings, because he feared they might otherwise be late.

At two thirty on the dot, they were getting out of the cars in front of The Leaky Cauldron. Harry hurried everyone through the bar; out back, he tapped on the bricks to open the wall.

Harry was in so much of a hurry that he almost ran over a tall, beautiful woman who was coming from the other direction. Harry was so preoccupied with not being late that he didn't even stop to apologise. Nevertheless, when the party entered the lobby of the Law Offices of Prouse, Hiatt and Wilberforce the door to the reading hall was still wide open and the hall itself was still half-empty. The only people Harry recognised were, Tonks sitting with what looked like her parents and Mad-Eye Moody quietly talking to Professor Dumbledore.

Harry and company sat down in the front of the hall on the right hand side. People kept walking into the hall until it was time to start the reading. Some recognised friends and sat together; others came in alone and chose a remote seat in the back. Just before the Notary, Mr. Prouse, was about to commence the reading, Narcissa and Draco Malfoy barged in through the doors, that had been closed just five minutes before.

They walked up to the front and insisted that they be accommodated there. A few people got up and moved into the back. Harry glared at Draco and his mother, for disturbing the peaceful atmosphere in the hall.

At that moment, the Notary started talking:

"Good afternoon everyone; we at Prouse, Hiatt and Wilberforce, welcome you all to our premises on this day, the day of the reading of Mr. Sirius Black's Will. If everyone is comfortably seated, I will check the guest list to make sure that everyone Mr. Black wanted to address is present and then we will start the reading."

Harry watched the Notary walk around with a roll of parchment he now and again checking off, when he spoke to certain people. The older man ended up at the front again and asked first the Malfoy's, then Harry and the others after their identities. When he was satisfied, he rolled up his parchment and walked into a small room off to the left of the hall. He came back out with a rather large deep royal blue crystal. After placing it on a table in front of the hall, he withdrew to a seat in the side pews and sat down next to two scribes. Harry thought they were most likely the ones making the transcripts of the reading.

The crystal had been glowing when the Notary had brought it out, and now that it was placed on the table, the glow intensified. After five minutes, the glow disappeared and the outline of a person appeared in front of the table. It was Sirius, looking much better then the last time Harry had seen him at Grimmauld Place.

The figure started speaking:

"If I am standing before you this day, it means my soul has left this plane of existence and more than likely this has occurred far too early in my life. I have stored this last will and testament to ensure no one unworthy will receive even a Knut of my family fortune merely because there was lack of a proper Will.

"Before I start dividing my assets, I have a few things that need to be said. For if I have died these, are things that must not be forgotten. My family has always been pureblood, because it considered itself superior to those of Muggle or half-blood descent. However, with my death, the Black Family line dies out, and so be it. There are more deserving family-lines than mine.

"I especially wish to mention my cousin, who I got to know too late in life, Nymphadora Tonks, the daughter to Andromeda and Ted Tonks.

"Now, my family has never been a follower of 'Voldemort'".

A shudder went through the hall when the figure said the all dreaded word. To Harry, it seemed like the temperature inside the room had dropped a few degrees.

"... but nevertheless, my parents did support the pure blooded idea's of that madman, not realising that 'Voldemort' himself, was a half blood.

"I have spent twelve years in Azkaban, convicted without a trial, for an act I did not commit. Now in death, where I have no fear of retribution, I accuse Peter Pettigrew, who is still very much alive, of being an accomplice in the murders of James and Lily Potter; of killing and injuring 13 innocent Muggles in the successful attempt to frame me.

"He has since committed many more offences, some that even I am not aware of I am sure. I have set up with this firm, a bounty of ten thousand Galleons on his head so that my name is cleared even after my death. The money is to be awarded to anyone who can bring him before a court of law. Beware of him, for he is an Animagus in the form of a Rat with a silver paw where his own used to be.

"Now, to continue with the actual reason why most of you are here: the division of my assets. I will start with my closest living relatives. Andromeda Tonks and Narcissa Malfoy, you are both descendants of the Black family line who no longer carry the family name. Andromeda, you were disinherited by my parents upon marrying your husband Ted. I sincerely hope you have never regretted your decision and I have set aside 50 000 Galleons for you and your family.

"Narcissa Malfoy, I loathe the family you married into, a family whose goals you are furthering even at this very moment. Your husband is one of the 'Death-Eaters' known to me and it will not surprise me if your son will be joining 'his' ranks very soon."

A few people got out of the chairs right behind the Malfoy's and moved over to some free seats further in the back, away from the furious family.

"Narcissa, I leave you nothing because I will not stand for my money being used to help your husband in any way. I have however set up a trust fund for you and your son in the amount of 20 000 Galleons. This trust fund will only be available to you and your son, if you and Draco leave your husband. By leaving him, I do mean divorce him and publicly publicly denounce him and his evil ways.

"In the event that stay with Lucius and do not fulfil these requirements, the trust, which has been established by the Goblins at Gringotts, will never come into your hands. There is one more stipulation to this trust: if these terms are not accepted, within ten years of this day, the amount, and the revenue it has generated fall back to my primary heir.

"To Bellatrix Lestrange, my last cousin, I leave nothing. She, as a convicted 'Death Eater' will never receive anything from me except for my loathing.

"To Albus Dumbledore I leave the house I spent my last days in, to use as he pleases. I do not care if it is used or torn down, for I spent but a few happy days there in the last months of my life.

"To Remus Lupin I leave my Cottage in Godric's Hollow, to be enjoyed and lived in again, my dearest friend.

"Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger are to receive a grand scholarship, to enable both of them to study and buy books to their hearts content. This may be more to the young woman's liking, but Mr. Weasley may share the scholarship with his younger sister.

"To my Primary Heir, Harry Potter, I leave everything else. The houses, partnerships in companies and funds my family acquired over the centuries are all yours. An exact record can be viewed at these offices under the watchful eye of the honoured Aurelius Prouse.

"Harry for the past few years, even though I didn't get to know you as well as I would have liked, you were the son I always wanted. Your parents are proud of you, just as I am, never ever doubt that. Harry, I am sorry to leave you so soon after I found you but it had to be. Love you always."

Then the figure started to fade and Harry could have sworn that the last thing it did was wave at him.... The crystal on the table was now clear, the essence of Sirius had gone to join the rest of his soul.

*****

The first people to leave were the Malfoy's. Narcissa was ranting to her son about undeserving family members and other issues, but Harry couldn't overhear much, from where he was sitting. Next thing Harry knew the Notary was next to him.

"Mr. Potter would you please follow me to my offices?" uttered the Notary in a very quiet and serene voice.

"All right, do you mind if the others join me?" Harry asked.

"No of course not, if you trust these people they are welcome to join you," Mr. Prouse replied.

The whole group followed Mr. Prouse out of the Hall into the lobby, after which he lead them up the stairs and down a corridor to the last door on the right. There was a brass plaque on the door that read 'Aurelius Prouse, President of the Board'. They walked into a large office, containing a desk and a seating area. Mr. Prouse invited everyone to take a seat there before walking over to his desk and taking out some papers from one of the drawers.

Mr. Prouse pushed his desk chair over to the others because the seats were taken and sat down. Harry was sitting in an armchair opposite the Notary; Ron and Hermione had taken their seats on the arms of his chair due to the lack of other places to sit. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were sitting on a sofa to Harry's right. Remus and Ginny had taken the sofa to Harry's left.

"Now Mr. Potter," the Notary began, "Mr. Black named you as his Primary Heir, which means that all the property stated in these papers is yours, along with the money he left in his vault at Gringotts as well as investments made by his family and himself in several different companies all over the globe. Because he actually called you his 'Heir', you also inherit his title, Mr. Black was the last 'Baronet of Godric's Hollow' a title he inherited, when he was seventeen, from a Grand Uncle."

Harry was stumped at the explanation given to him by Mr. Prouse. It was all so much! Ever since he knew he was a Wizard, Harry hadn't needed to worry about money. He looked at the papers the Notary had given him; they represented millions and millions of Galleons.

"Mr. Potter, your Godfather also appointed someone to manage your affairs until you are no longer a minor," the Notary continued. "Should I ask him to meet you some time soon, so he can explain what your inheritance completely entails?"

"Yes, please, sir," said Harry with a shaky voice, "If you could arrange that, it would be very nice. Now would you mind, sir, if we left? I don't think I'm able to process all this right now." Harry stood up out of his armchair.

"That is quite all right Sir, I have seen many Wizard Will readings, and even I was surprised by some of the things the late Mr. Black said. I shall escort you out and send an owl 'round later to make an appointment with your estate manager," Mr. Prouse said before he got up, "Mister Potter, I would like to add that if ever you have any questions. You should feel free to write to me, and I would be very willing to aid you in any way possible to me."

He escorted them back downstairs to the lobby where he said his final goodbyes and disappeared into one of the doors on the left.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, with a little help from Remus, ushered everyone over to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, to enable everyone to calm down and to vent their feelings. Harry ordered Florean's special Sundays for everyone. Ron and Ginny were teasing him about being a Nobleman now. The atmosphere soon returned to normal, with everyone smiling, laughing and talking about other things than the reading.

When Harry checked his watch, it was almost six o'clock. They walked back through The Leaky Cauldron and waited for the Ministry cars out front, which delivered them safely back to Grimmauld Place. Once they arrived, Mrs. Weasley burst into action to make them supper with a little help from Hermione and Ginny, but not before they chased Harry and Ron out of the kitchen.

Harry walked up the stairs to his bedroom to get Sirius. He had missed the creatures' presence on his shoulders. When Harry walked through his bedroom door, he was almost bowled over by an overjoyed Sirius, who had clearly missed him too. Sirius was only a small creature, but he had built up some strength since he had been around Harry.

Harry even thought the little marmoset was starting to look like him, because a white spot on Sirius' forehead was starting to look like a lightning bolt that struck an uncanny resemblance to the one on Harry's forehead. He let Sirius climb back on his shoulder and walked back down the stairs to find Remus. Maybe Buckbeak needed to be fed or something; Harry wanted to keep busy.

Harry found Remus in the library, where he was looking through an obscure book on Vampires.

"Remus, I was wondering whether Buckbeak needs feeding?" he asked.

"No, Harry, I fed him already this morning. Why do you want to know?"

"Well I kind off want to keep busy, that Notary dumped a lot of stuff on me today and I'm not sure I can deal with all of that yet. Don't you have anything else I can do around here?"

Remus smiled at Harry and said, "Of course, there is plenty to do around here; this library for instance it is filled to the brim with books, but either the Black's were shabby librarians, or someone removed the inventory that was supposed to be around. You could make a new one, a new inventory I mean. Involve Ron and Hermione if you want. You might even find there are some rare books in here, just waiting to be discovered."

Harry wasn't completely thrilled with the idea, but it was his idea to keep busy. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, working together with his friends. At least Hermione would be excited about the whole thing, seeing as she adored books. The older they got, the more she loved them. He walked to the kitchen and for the first time noticed something different. The painting of Sirius' Mother, it was gone.

When Harry entered the kitchen, he asked Mrs. Weasley if she knew what had happened to the horrid painting in the Hall. She told him that when she arrived in the kitchen she had found a note from Professor Dumbledore. She rummaged around in her apron for a moment or so and gave him a piece of parchment.

Dearest Molly,

I am sure you have noticed some changes around the house and are most likely wondering which ingrate has been in here since you left. Do not be alarmed; the changes are merely the result of Sirius' legacy and the house now belonging to me.

When the house fell out of the Black family line, all Black family magic weakened. When I arrived back here after four o'clock, I was able to remove the painting of Sirius' Mother, the tapestry in the living room and the stuffed House Elf heads.

Molly, not all of the spells the Black's placed on this house have appeared to us, and I caution you to be careful around the house. I have placed a protection charm on the house, which should make other spells visible. If a spell is present, it will appear in a ghostly white wisp of smoke.

I have also requested Alastor to pay you a few visits over the next few weeks. If you would lead him to where spells appear, he will deal with them appropriately. Unless you are unequivocally sure you can handle it, leave the more exotic ones to him.

Yours truly,

Albus Dumbledore

Harry was relieved; no more depressing wailing's from Mrs. Black, no more House Elf heads mounted on the kitchen wall. All and all he thought the atmosphere in the house had changed for the better.

*****

Then he remembered the reason he had come to the kitchen in the first place and asked, "Hermione, I'm going to make a new inventory for the library, would you like to help?"

She squealed with excitement. "Of course Harry, I would love to."

Mrs. Weasley interrupted them, "Harry and Hermione, would you two please go and fetch the rest of the family, dinner is ready. Ginny, honey would you help me set the table?"

"Sure mom," Ginny grumbled.

After dinner, Harry and Hermione went to sit down in the living room to wait for Ron. He had to help his mom with the dishes today. When he walked in about ten minutes later, they told him they were going to make a new inventory of the Black library starting tomorrow. His eyes almost popped out when Harry said it was his idea.

"Harry, you are not pulling a 'Hermione' on me are you? You and books, we only go near those things if we really need to. Why would we want to spend the rest of our vacation sifting through those dusty old books?"

Hermione glared at Ron, "Ron you would think you were allergic to dust the way you avoid manual labour as much as possible. If Harry wants to keep busy, he can do that any way he wants to. And what exactly did you mean with that comment about pulling a 'Hermione'?"

Ron, who realised he had just put his foot in this mouth, thought it best to keep quiet and stay out of trouble for the rest of the evening. By now, Harry and Hermione were talking about what they would need to make an inventory of the Library. Hermione had gone upstairs to get some parchment and a quill from her room and started to make a list.

"We are going to need a notebook to write the inventory in," she said, "and a pair of Dragon hide gloves, because I've read somewhere that some old books have their own defensive capabilities, like needles that push out of the spine of the books with poison on them. Also we are going to need a few quills, I think one for each of us, should do."

"Add a book on how to deal with books that have a mind of their own to that list, will you." Harry said, thinking to himself 'I've had enough experience with screaming books after my midnight trips in the restricted section of the library. And especially after that diary incident with Tom Riddle's Journal, I don't want to take any chances.'

While the Trio got ready for bed that night, they made plans to go to Diagon Alley in the morning to get their supplies and get right on starting the inventory. When the boys went to sleep that night, they didn't notice the white wisp of smoke that hovered above the door. Only the little Royal Marmoset was unnerved by the sight and tried to wake his master by twittering in his ear. But, Harry, who had already slipped into a deep sleep, did not hear him.

*****

The next morning, or what appeared to be the next morning to Harry and Ron, they found Mr. and Mrs. Weasley hustling and bustling nervously around. Harry also saw Remus in a corner and Professor Dumbledore standing next to his bed. He noticed this was not the same bed he had fallen asleep in the night before.

"Professor Dumbledore, where am I?" he asked.

The Professor answered him, "You and your friend Ronald are at St. Mungo's Harry. The Healers have been trying to wake you for a week. You and Ron were the subjects of a Spell we call the 'Sleep of the Dead'. Fortunately the spell Mrs. Black placed upon the room was already sufficiently weakened by my protection charm or you two might have slept for years."

"Sir, I didn't hear any spell! Or saw one, for that matter," Harry replied, incredulous.

"When I came into your bedroom a week ago, I couldn't wake you two up. Then I noticed your little Marmoset; it was trying to attack something that was hovering above the door. I immediately notified Alastor, like Professor Dumbledore had asked me. When Alastor came over, he ordered the two of you to St. Mungo's and started breaking the curses and spells that were hidden through-out the house," said a very relieved Mrs. Weasley, who was in the process of smothering her youngest son.

"Professor Dumbledore, we've slept in that room since last year. Why didn't this spell go off before?" Ron asked still trying to worm out of his mother's embrace.

"That is an excellent question, young master Weasley, one that isn't easy to answer. In my opinion, it is the result of a combination of factors that these spells have only surfaced now.

"Since I do not believe, that Mrs. Black intended to injure or discomfort any of her family members, I am led to believe, that as long as there was a member of the Black family line or a servant loyal to that line present; all the other inhabitants were quite safe.

"Unfortunately just before the summer, Sirius passed away and just a few weeks ago, Kreacher also met his demise, which removed those last protective barriers.

"We also should not forget to mention the enormous significance of the house's ownership being transferred to me. I believe that was the final straw and the unequivocal proof of the spiteful and vengeful spirit of the late Mrs. Black."

"Professor, what exactly does that 'Sleep of the Dead' spell do?" Harry asked. "And why do you make it sound as if we are incredibly lucky to be awake again?"

"It makes you sleep, dear boy, unfortunately it makes you sleep for years and years at a time. However, since we are human, we are not capable of sustaining our life force without nutrition and water, like for instance, Brown bears when they hibernate.

"No 'the Sleep of the Dead' curse has been responsible for at least twelve deaths in the last century alone. A few people have survived this curse before, mainly because either the caster was inept, or because the curse missed its target and only slightly influenced the victim. You two are now officially the eighth and the ninth person to survive this curse since its conception by a long forgotten evil Wizard."

"Oh great, another thing people are going to ogle me over," Harry shouted to no one in particular. In a regretful voice he added, "I'm sorry Professor, but I really didn't need another thing to be special at. I'm tired of being the 'Boy-Who-Lived' all the time. I just want to be me." All of the sudden Harry really missed his Godfather, the sense of being protected, feeling safe again.

"By the way, where is Sirius?" he asked while looking around the room to see if his little pet was around somewhere.

Remus answered, "Harry, he was so stressed out when we had to take you here and you didn't return right away. I put him back into his stasis box to spare him the agony of not having you near him. I feared it might interrupt the bonding process for you two to be separate for too long. Also I learned from the nurses here that animals are never allowed on the wards I thought it best this way."

A nurse came into the private room Harry and Ron shared and chased everyone off. "Visiting hours are over, you can all come back again tomorrow. Now that these boys have awakened, they will soon be going home anyway. Out you go, all of you."

She physically escorted Mrs. Weasley to the door, and when she returned, she was pushing a trolley that sported two dishes of soup, two spoons, two glasses and a pitcher of milk. She helped Ron and Harry sit up straight in their beds with the help of a few more pillows, and set up their dinner before them.

Harry asked, "Can we get some bread and cheese with this soup?"

The nurse answered in a very gentle voice, "I am afraid not dear, you two haven't eaten anything in a week, your stomach's wouldn't be able do deal with it now. You two need to start up slow again. First liquid food and from there you can start building up your strength again."

Harry sighed and started eating his soup, while Ron complained about how little there was.

When they were released from St. Mungo's three days later, Harry and Ron were able to eat bread, cheese and several vegetables. The Healers had given Mrs. Weasley a list, which included a timetable, of what they could and could not eat for a while. To Ron's regret, steak was still on the list he couldn't eat.

Chapter Five, Breakthrough.