Claiming the Ancestral Titles

Harry started to claim his other titles but then stopped in mid sentence. Dobby looked up and asked "Why did you stop?"

With an evil grin, Harry replied "Lord Peverell will be enough to earn me an audience with Director Ragnok. I'll wait until I meet with him to claim the rest. I want to see just how far they are willing to go to keep their business intact."

Dobby thought for a minute before saying "Yeah but on the other hand, stepping in there with that many families under your control would be a very strong show of power."

"Maybe you're right." Harry then started claiming the houses that he had been informed of and in the end; he had five more rings and titles to add to his name although it was his intention to absorb those into House Peverell. As the magic hit him, he staggered a bit at the onslaught of magic.

Dobby sat and watched as Harry claimed the Potter, Black, Gryffindor, Slytherin, and minor house of Evans titles. When Harry was done, he asked "Evans?"

"Yeah, didn't want Petunia or Dudley to be able to claim any of it. Mum left quite a legacy and with me being 'dead' they would be able to lay claim to it."

Dobby nodded. "That makes sense. Now that you're alive once again, don't you think you should get in touch with your girlfriend?"

"I told her I would be busy for a while but she would know when I came back. I wanted to give her time to decide on the thing between us but I don't think I can. She is a big part of me I am and I've been without her for too long already. I could ask you the same thing. Shouldn't we get in touch with yours?"

Dobby blushed. "Winky might not accept me as I am but I think it would be a good idea to bring her into the family. Taking care of you is getting to be too much for one person and adding Megan as well would be a big help in keeping you under control."

"True but what about the age thing?"

"What age thing?"

"Well we've been gone for six years. I'd like to think I've grown up in that time."

The next thing Harry saw was Dobby falling out of his chair laughing. When he settled down, he said "While it's true that we don't look the same as when we went in, you are still fifteen years old and the same clueless git you always were."

"Hey!"

"Harry, more than anything I'm your friend and I will never lie to you. The difference you feel is due to the knowledge you gained and your family magic. Yes, you have matured but you are just now finally catching up to the level Megan was at before you left. It was she who was the thinker and planner and steered you in the direction she thought best."

"So I'm still the same despite how I feel?"

Dobby chuckled "More or less. You have healed and now have the body you should have before the Dursleys got a hold of you but that would have happened anyway with the potions Poppy gave you and it wasn't due to something that happened while we were gone. As far as maturity, the last year would have changed anyone. You're not as trusting and maybe the old Harry Potter did die as you said. This new Harry is also more confident and knows his place in the world for the first time in his life but he is still a clueless git on the inside."

Harry frowned at the revelations made by Dobby. He knew that Dobby was telling him the truth and knew that Dobby was probably charged with the task of making sure he didn't do anything stupid. "Well then, I'll leave those discussions with Winky to you. Right now, I think I'll take a little nap. Taking on that much power has me oddly drained right now." He flopped down into a recliner and stretched out.

Dobby looked at him for a minute and started laughing. Harry looked over and asked "What's so funny?"

"You know that the family magic is going to be playing havoc with you all night?"

Harry smiled "Might as well get it all over with at once. Can you imagine what's going on at Gringotts right now?"

Dobby laughed and reached for the TV remote. Before he even found a show to watch, Harry was softly snoring in the chair.

Throughout the night, Harry's occlumency was sorting information as fast as it could. With the teaching he received from his family, Harry was able to master the art and even created a mindscape based on Potter Manor. The ancestral home of the Potters was filled with secret rooms that you couldn't access unless you had Potter blood flowing through you. It was also the perfect place in his mindscape to store information that could not be revealed outside the family. Harry even took it a step further and for now, sorted the different family magics into separate rooms and placed them behind blood activated runes. Harry decided it was for the best for now as it would allow him time to go through them individually before incorporating them into the Peverell family magic.

Since the first born male was slated to take the title of Lord Potter, he was required to have a second marriage ceremony where blood would be shared between him and his wife. Once this was done, she was truly a Potter and would join with the family magics giving her the ability to be much more than a mere wife to the young Lord. It was an aspect of the Potter family magic that he would automatically incorporate into the Peverell family. This simple yet meaningful rite allowed the Lady Potter or should we now say Peverell to become his partner in every way and with it being a blood bond, the possibility for betrayal was negated. For Harry, it explained the dynamic that existed between his parents and grandparents and was what he desired to share with Megan.

The real Potter Manor was much like the one in his mindscape. The sad part of it was that the house no longer existed on this plane of existence. During his time away, Harry learned that while the blame had been placed on the Death Eaters, it was really Albus Dumbledore who saw to the manor's destruction after he killed Charlus and Dorea. He had waited until James and Lily were in hiding to enact his plan and placed charms on the cottage in Godric's Hollow that would block the magic that would notify James that he was now the head of the family. After killing the elder Potters, Albus spent that entire summer searching the manor for its secrets with no luck. In his frustration, he torched the house so that he could deny any of the Potters access to the family secrets.

As Harry laid sleeping and processing all of the information, the family magic started making its presence known and things began happening all across the country.

...

Albus Dumbledore sat in his office in Hogwarts feeling very confident. He had not only weathered the storm of Cornelius' attempt to get him out of the castle but he also managed to hold onto his position as Chief Warlock. By doing this, he was able to keep all the dirt surrounding what he had done to Harry Potter swept under the rug.

Harry's birthday had come and gone and his sources informed him that Bearclaw was beheaded on August first for his part in the mess with the Potter vaults. His only hope was that he had taken his secrets with him to his grave. If not, Albus could expect a visit from the Goblins very soon. He knew he was safe with the Ministry because with both Harry and Sirius having disappeared behind the Veil, there was no one who could legally press any charges against him.

It was while he sat there pondering his good fortune that he felt the castle shudder. There was a flash and Albus could feel magic draining from him as the castle cut back the power it had been feeding him until all that was left was a trickle of what he had enjoyed for many years.

The Sorting Hat started chuckling and said "Hmm… It seems that your claim to fame as a Founder's heir has been trumped. I can feel certain areas of the castle coming alive with power once again. Oh my, the Heir of Gryffindor and the Heir of Slytherin have finally revealed themselves and claimed their rights."

"How can that be?"

"Magic, what else? You know, I never understood how a selfish bastard like you could ever have been the Hufflepuff Heir. The only person you show loyalty to is yourself and has gotten so bad that even Fawkes will no longer answer your call."

Albus shot and incendio at the hat but before it hit, a glowing white shield formed around it. "Temper, temper Albus. It seems as if you aren't the bright and shining star you once were."