CH 23

"And that's what's got me confused," said Harry. "When I raised that exact point with Bloodfang, the Potter Account Keeper, he basically stared right at me and said in a very deliberate manner, 'Sirius Orion Black inherited the title of Lord Black on the death of his grandfather on the 31st of March, this year. He is currently residing in Azkaban. And, he is currently the Lord Apparent for the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. I want to be very clear with my words here, Mister Potter; and hope you understand what I am telling you.'.

"I have this sneaking suspicion - no, I'm sure of it - he was trying to tell me something important, and I'm not knowledgeable enough of the wizarding world to understand what he was trying to tell me. When I tried to get him to clarify his remark, he clammed up and said he was bound by both treaty and client confidentiality not to say any more. I think he was also somewhat disappointed in me that I had to ask."

Frowning still, Cygnus said, "Leave it with me. I'll research the Wizengamot and Ministry records to try and find out why magic still recognises him as Lord Apparent for the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. It's the only reason why the goblinswould still recognise him as such."

"Might I also suggest raising the matter with Madam Bones?" asked Harry. "I formally re-established the long-term alliance between House Potter and House Bones a couple days ago. With her as both Regent Bones on behalf of her niece, Susan, and Head of the DMLE, channels for information may become more open to you."

Cygnus smiled back and said, "I do believe you are far more Slytherin than you believe, Harry. I fear it will be a great loss to my old House if you're sorted into another."

With a matching grin of his own, Harry replied, "Perhaps. But, how much Slytherin of me would it be if I managed to get myself sorted into another House?" Cygnus burst into laughter. "I so look forward to the day you take seat in the Wizengamot, Harry."

By the time a house elf popped in to inform them dinner was ready in the informal dining area, both Heads felt they had gone a long way towards establishing a long term friendship on top of the formal alliance. It never really occurred to Cygnus that he was creating such a friendship with an eleven year old.

During dinner, where Tracey had asked for and received permission to join them from her father via floo, Harry found himself sitting next to Daphne while Tracey and Astoria sat opposite. Cygnus and Isabel sat at either end of the table.

Throughout the courses, Tracey bombarded him near mercilessly about his life to that point. Harry only said he was raised in the muggle world and gave some information about his experiences living as a muggle. She also asked him why he'd decided to live for the last six weeks at The Leaky Cauldron. And Harry said it was so he had ready access to material he could source to learn about life, and his place in it, in the wizarding world.

He explained about his first day back in the wizarding world from hopping off the Underground and walking into The Leaky Cauldron, to visiting Gringotts, learning of his heritage and the betrothal contract, generalisations of his letters from his parents, his experiences talking with the various shopkeepers, why he'd chosen to use an alias, and how he felt about everything.

In response, Harry asked questions about growing up in the wizarding world, what kids did for fun, asked about the rules governing underage magic, wondered why he hadn't received a howler from that department when he was practicing the minor charms and cantrips he was using to conceal his identity - and was told it was because Diagon Alley couldn't be monitored because there was too much magic in that small an area, and that the same restrictions couldn't be applied to homes as heavily warded as the Greengrass Estate, asked about other methods of travel within the wizarding world besides floo travel; and generally gave as good as he got.

As dessert was being served Tracey flat-out asked him, to the shock of the Greengrasses, if he knew what really happened on the night of 31st October 1981.

So, Harry, as emotionlessly as possible, gave a full accounting of what he knew happened and when. "But, that's not what the books say!" exclaimed Tracey.

Harry gave a little snort of amusement and said, "I want you to think about this, for a minute or two. The only people present on that night were: James and Lily Potter, me, Voldemort,..." and heard a few gasps of shock at his casual mention of the name, but he ignored it," ... and apparently Sirius Black - though I did not really see him. Of those people, only Sirius Black and I lived through the experience. And Black was apparently sent directly to Azkaban. That leaves only me.

"And, I can assure you, nobody has approached me to ask what happened on that night until you just did. That being the case, just where did all those writers get their information on which to base their books?" The entire table stopped to think about that for a little while.

"But, how do you remember so much?" she asked.

"As I explained to Isabel, Daphne and Astoria this afternoon, I have a very good memory, honed by meditation, and built upon by Occlumency. I don't want it bandied about..." he said, looking very directly at Tracey, "... but I have what's called an eidetic memory; perfect recall. I remember everything that's happened in my life excluding those periods when I was asleep or unconscious." With a bit of a snort he said, "I even have what I feel are memories from when I was in the womb, and of my own birth." With a bit of a shudder he said, "That particular memory I have stored back in the recesses of my mind and locked away in a mental safe." "Sweet Merlin!" exclaimed Cygnus. Sitting forward, he asked, "Do you remember me?"

"Yes," replied Harry. "You visited my Mum and me in the hospital on what I think was the day after I was born. You came in with Isabel..." he said indicating the lady at the other end of the table, "... and she was carrying a bundle of green blankets with silver trim in her left arm, from which I saw a small baby's face with a dusting of fine blonde hair."

He grinned at Daphne and said, "You were a very cute baby."

Daphne just stared back in shock.

Turning back to Cygnus, he said, "You leaned over me and said to my Mum that I had her eyes. I remember reaching out and grabbing you by a fistful of your goatee and giving it a bit of a yank." Laughing, he continued, "The look on your face when I did that still makes me laugh."

Isabel burst into laughter and said, "Yes, and he immediately shaved it off that night, and hasn't had one since."

Still in shock but also showing signs of amusement, Cygnus said, "It bloody hurt!" Leaning back he looked directly at Harry and said, "That's an incredible ability, Harry. And, I think it's wise of you not to want it spread about that you have it."

Nodding, Harry said, "I think I have enough on my plate to deal with as the so-called Boy-Who-Lived. I don't want to also be known as the Boy-Who-Remembers-Everything. Besides, once some of the teachers at my old muggle school found out I had perfect recall, their attitudes towards me changed. If I didn't get perfect marks on exams that basically parroted information we already knew, they kind of scolded me and said they were disappointed. No one can be perfect all the time, and I was trying to hide my ability."

"You would also have lots of kids coming to you for the answers to any questions on their school work they had," said Daphne.

"I did," nodded Harry. "It didn't take me long to realise I could earn a few pounds muggle currency - by offering my services for a fee. I don't know if it's right to tell you, but I used to have a small network of agents - who would act as my intermediaries in selling my services to the rest of the student population. I used to charge a fee based on the student's year for my services in writing their assignments for them. It also used to humour me that one of my biggest customers was my own cousin, Dudley.

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