Harry Potter: The Mage's Path Chapter 19

Hi all,

Here's the next chapter. I made a slight adjustment to the last chapter. The galleons left for the beneficiaries seemed excessive, considering the conversion rate of one hundred pounds per galleon. So I adjusted it so they would get a tenth of that; Sirius and Remus would receive 10,000, Pettigrew would get 5,000, and Neville would get 2000 galleons.

The Wizengamot session came to a close and Harry, Remus and Susan walked down the stairs. He noticed that the toad had disappeared, so it looked like she was okay. Even if she was a real bitch, he didn't want to maim her too badly. Honest.

"Auntie," Susan stepped forward and hugged her aunt as she approached. "You were amazing."

"I didn't do much," Madame Bones said dryly, before turning her attention to her companions. "Hello, Remus. It's nice to see you haven't drank yourself into an early grave."

Remus winced. "I see your tongue is sharp as ever, Amelia."

"Only when I have to knock some sense into people," she retorted.

"Auntie," Susan tugged at her robe. "I made a new friend. His name is Harry."

"Oh, really? I hope he gave you permission to use his first name."

"Of course," Susan huffed.

Amelia turned her eyes to Harry. Her intimidating gaze drilled him to the spot, and Harry held it even though he felt like running away. She was one scary witch. He didn't even think that she was doing it on purpose, but it was something born of her position and natural personality.

"It's nice to meet you, Lord Potter-Ravenclaw," Madam Bones said formally.

"I will make the same offer that I gave to your niece," Harry said. "Call me Harry."

"Then you may call me Amelia," she smiled, softening her stern face. "Even though I'm the Regent for House Bones until Susan reaches her majority, I never enjoyed the stuffy etiquette that the noble houses insist on using."

"I feel the same way," Harry replied, before looking around and seeing that there was congestion at the exit to the courtroom as many wizards and witches were waiting there for something. Considering that most of them were looking in his direction, he had a reasonable idea of what they wanted. It was probably only the presence of Amelia that kept them at bay.

Dumbledore approached and noticed his preoccupation. "As much as it is a bother, I am afraid that you are going to have to meet them. I would say half of them aren't worth your time, but the other half may be able to help you once it is time for the Autumn Equinox. It is a necessary evil I'm afraid."

"That's a rather cynical view, Dumbledore," a voice said from behind him, causing the old man to turn around.

Harry looked at the man, and recognised him as Lord Greengrass, the man he had interacted with during the session.

"It is a pragmatic view," Dumbledore smiled. "How may I help you, Lord Greengrass?"

"I just wanted to meet the newly-elected Lord Potter-Ravenclaw in person," he said, before turning his gaze to Harry. "You certainly know how to cause a stir, Lord Potter-Ravenclaw."

He held out his hand and Harry shook it. "That name is liable to get old fast. Lord Potter will suffice," Harry said. "Unfortunately, I wish that was the only interaction I had with the Ministry. But I think I will be upsetting a lot more people in the future."

"Then I look forward to seeing it," Lord Greengrass smiled. "I hope you realise what power you wield now, Lord Potter."

"I'm beginning to understand," Harry said evenly.

"Good. It's only when you have a thorough grasp of your own worth that you can avoid people taking advantage of you. It was an honor meeting you, Lord Potter. Madam Bones ,Dumbledore," Greengrass nodded at them before striding out of the courtroom.

"He may be a reliable ally to have in the future," Dumbledore said. "Let me introduce you to all these fine upstanding members of the Wizengamot."

Harry groaned, but followed the man. Amelia called after them, "Meet me in my office afterwards, Dumbledore. We have things to discuss."

Twenty minutes later, Harry sighed with relief as they finally exited the courtroom. Meeting all those prominent members of the Wizengamot had been exhausting. He would rather go ten rounds in a Dungeon.

"Don't be so dramatic Mr Potter," McGonagall's lips twitched at the plain suffering on the boys' face.

"You showed a lot of class interacting with your peers," Madam Longbottom commented.

They were heading for Amelia's office when they were stopped by Henry Sutton, the lawyer, who was clutching a folder to his chest. "Mr Potter."

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"You left so quickly that you didn't give me a chance to go over your list of properties."

"Does that have all the information?" Harry glanced at the folder.

"Yes."

"Thank you Mr Sutton," Harry reached out and took the folder from his arms. "But I no longer require your services. I will find my own lawyer."

They left the man standing there, speechless. Did he really think that Harry would hire him after he all but admitted to conspiring against him with the Ministry? Harry flicked through the folder as they walked and almost became dizzy as he saw how many properties he now owned. There was no information about the island he could find, however. He would have to have a look in the family vault.

"You handled that scumbag very well, Harry." Andromeda rubbed his hair affectionately.

Harry flattened his hair and said, "Don't mess with the hair. It's difficult enough to keep it straight as it is."

They stopped at the entrance to the DMLE office. "Harry and I have to meet with Amelia," Dumbledore said. "Thank you all for today. Harry and I will be at Hogwarts if you need us."

"I will?" Harry asked, glancing at the man. "Who asked me?"

"Sorry Harry," Dumbledore grimaced. "Old habits are difficult to change. There is someone I wish for you to meet, and I would like your input into the running of the school."

"Okay," Harry said. "But if I am going to be staying for a while, then I want to pick up my familiars. Also, I need to visit the family vault at Gringotts."

"We can make detours along the way," Dumbledore promised.

"Harry, where are you intending to stay now that you are emancipated?" Andromeda asked.

"Eh, I hadn't thought about it," Harry shrugged.

"Harry, do you really need to move? The protection-" Dumbledore began.

McGonagall interrupted the man with an angry glance. "Albus, that ward can be moved anywhere," she said.

"But what about the Dursleys' safety?" Dumbledore asked.

"What about them?" Harry demanded furiously. "After what they put me through, they can go burn in hell for all that I care."

"But they are your family," Dumbledore said.

Harry held on to his temper by a thread. "A family does not make its children sleep in a cupboard. They do not push them down the stairs to see if their freaky magic will protect them. Families do not allow their children to bully and abuse their cousins. I'm sure that a real family wouldn't starve their children on a whim, or treat them like indentured servants."

There was a moment of silence as the adults absorbed the information in horror. Although they had a general idea of what had been going on, except for Remus, hearing it from the source still was shocking. They were sure that if they ever decided to delve deeper into the boy's abuse, there would be plenty more horrible things to uncover. Dumbledore bowed his head, the weight of his choices weighed heavily on him.

"They are bloody criminals," Madam Longbottom said. "They deserve to be thrown into prison for the rest of their miserable lives."

McGonagall took out a handkerchief and dabbed her eyes. "Forgive me, Harry. If I had known what had been going on, I would have removed you from their care."

"What she said," Remus growled. "If James and Lily knew what the Dursleys had been doing to their son, they would rise from the grave to haunt them."

"Maybe I should get the authorities involved," Harry said. "The adult Dursleys should at least be sent to prison. I still dislike my cousin, but he is a victim in some ways as well. The Dursleys were not meant to be parents."

Now that he no longer had to fear them, it was time for them to pay for their crimes. He needed to figure out a way to get them arrested. Harry could have asked for help, but he wanted to do this on his own. That would make his revenge even sweeter.

Harry waved the folder in his hands. "Do any of you know anything about managing properties? This is far too much for me, and I have no idea what I'm doing. Also, I need a lawyer."

"Well, I can help with the latter, Harry," Andromeda said. "Ted is a lawyer, but he primarily works in the non-magical world as he doesn't get enough business on the magical side."

"That's good enough for me," Harry said. "I hope he is ready for a fight. I have an issue with the Ministry over a property dispute. Can we set up a meeting sometime this week? "

"You can come for dinner on Friday," Andromeda said. It wasn't a request.

"Fine," Harry said, before turning to Remus. "You seem smart enough. Will you manage the Potter properties?"

"Me?" Remus asked, startled. "I'm not sure-"

"The term you are looking for is steward, Harry," McGonagall interrupted, before turning to Remus and staring him down. "And of course he accepts. He can probably quit any job he has now, since it probably doesn't pay well."

Remus floundered, his weak protests falling on deaf ears.

"You wish to make amends and be a part of my life," Harry said, resorting to a guilt trip. "Then this is the perfect opportunity."

"Fine," Remus conceded, and Harry happily handed him the folder.

"Great. Can you meet us at Gringotts? Oh, and get a new wardrobe as well," Harry pointed out rudely, looking at his shabby clothes. "Since my parents left you a lot of galleons, you can afford them."

Remus glared at the boy. "Little brat, you are as rude as your father."

"Thank you," Harry grinned before he said goodbye to the others and stepped into the DMLE offices with Dumbledore.

Inside the reception area, Susan ran over and hugged him. "Harry, it's good to see you again."

"We just saw each other a little while ago," Harry said, bemused.

"They need to see your aunt, Susan," Paula shooed her away, and the girl ran back to her seat to continue reading her book.

Paula opened the door into Amelia's office, and the director was reading a piece of parchment on her desk. She looked up as they entered.

"Sit down," Amelia said, and Harry took a seat. As usual, Dumbledore conjured his favourite chair and settled in.

"I wanted to talk to you about Sirius Black," Amelia said. "I have searched the archives for his trial records, but I cannot find one. As far as I can tell, he was chucked straight into Azkhaban."

"I already told you that there would be no trial records," Dumbledore admitted guiltily. "Andromeda has come to me plenty of times in the past to try and get Sirius a trial."

"I know. But I have to follow due process," Amelia said.

"Well, we discovered some information that points to Sirius Black's innocence even more," Harry said. He was not the Secret Keeper. It was Pettigrew who betrayed my parents."

"Well, that makes things clearer," Amelia groaned, rubbing her face. "I need to pay a visit to Sirius in Azkaban to get his version of events. There is still the matter of the explosion that killed Pettigrew and the Muggles. He may be innocent of betraying the Potters, but he may still be guilty of mass murder."

"Can I come?" Harry asked eagerly.

"Harry, Azkaban is not a very pleasant place. The prison is staffed by Dementors, some of the foulest creatures in the magical world. They suck out your happiest memories and only leave despair."

"You will be there to protect me," Harry said logically.

Amelia opened her mouth to speak before reconsidering her words. "Uh, I was about to say that you are a minor and cannot visit the prison, but that is no longer true. I am planning to visit him tomorrow. Would you be available?"

"Sure," Harry nodded.

"Harry will probably be at Hogwarts for a few days at least," Dumbledore said. "I want to show him around the place and get his input on how we are planning to change things for the coming school year. There is not much time left, so we need to get started now."

"Then I will pick you up tomorrow at ten in the morning," Amelia said. "Now, there is something that I need your help with Harry, but I'm hesitant to ask it of you considering the danger."

"Well, I can always say no. Lay it on me," Harry replied.

Amelia reached into her drawer and pulled out a detailed map of Britain. Harry noticed the circled locations immediately, which numbered which totalled twelve. The Little Whinging area was one of the locations that were marked.

"These are the locations of the current Dungeons," Amelia said, and Harry looked at the map in excitement. He instantly committed every location to memory, so he could visit them at a later date.

"I don't know if that was a wise idea to show him that," Dumbledore sighed. "He has already ventured into the Dungeons by himself to explore. Since they only appear every month on average, he must have been doing it for a while. That is why he is already eleven and was able to claim his inheritance."

"How have you been getting inside?" Amelia asked. "We have placed monitoring wards around the area where the gate manifests. Thankfully, all of the Dungeons reappear like clockwork, so I don't have to post Aurors to guard the gate."

"Er," Harry shrugged. "I'm really sneaky?"

Amelia narrowed her eyes at him but let it pass. "Well, I suppose that makes me feel less guilty about my request. There is a dungeon in Aberdeen." Amelia pointed to the city in the northeast of Scotland.

"It is in danger of erupting because the three teams we have sent in there have not returned. I am loath to send more inside because they may disappear as well. There is no way to communicate with those inside so I don't know whether they are okay or not."

"So you want my ability to escape the Dungeon?" Harry asked. "A rescue mission?"

"Yes," Amelia nodded. "That is the primary goal. Hopefully, they are still alive and can tell us why they can't defeat the Dungeon boss and close the gate. However, you won't be fighting. The Dungeon is the most dangerous out of the twelve."

"I will do it," Harry replied. "On one small condition: You give me access to dungeons when they appear, so I can explore them. That includes any newly created Dungeons that may emerge."

Amelia tapped her fingers on the desk as she thought of his offer. "Only if you promise to escape the dungeon immediately if things are too dangerous. And if you discover any relevant information that may be helpful, you pass it on to me."

"Deal," Harry grinned, satisfied that he would have access to an endless supply of Dungeons.

"I will be joining Harry on the rescue mission," Dumbledore said firmly.

"Why now? You haven't been interested in doing so before, despite me asking you a lot of times," Amelia said with censure.

"Well, it was not really a priority for me since I was focused on the prophecy," Dumbledore grimaced. "Also, I have been told by a number of people that I have been overextending myself with too many positions. I plan to renounce my Supreme Mugwump title so I can focus more on domestic affairs. As I have some free time, I feel compelled to lend my strength. Besides, Harry is too important for our world to allow anything to happen to him."

"Well, I could certainly use your abilities," Amelia nodded in satisfaction. "We will be heading inside next Monday, as I'm still assembling experts to ensure the success of the mission. Is there anything else that needs to be brought to my attention?"

Harry hesitated but decided against mentioning the island. "There is something, but I want to have a lawyer look into the legalities of the matter first. Besides, it looks like you have too many things on your plate at the moment."

"You're not wrong," Amelia grimaced. "But if I can help, don't hesitate to ask."

<====({owo})====>

They used the Ministry floo network to travel to the Leaky Cauldron. Tom greeted them as they passed through the pub to access Diagon Alley.

"Let's get your robes first," Harry ordered.

"Yes boss," Remus said obediently, saluting.

"I will reduce your wages," Harry threatened.

"You haven't even said what my wages would be, so that is not much of a threat."

Dumbledore chuckled as Harry scowled. They stepped inside Madam Malkin's Robes and spent the next ten minutes getting him fitted for some robes. According to Madam Malkin, the man should wear shades of gold, bronze, and dark brown robes to match his complexion. They deferred to her expertise. Harry had no clue about fashion; Remus hardly ever purchased any brand-new clothes and Dumbledore's taste in clothing was so questionable that when he tried to make some suggestions, he was ignored. It was the first time he had seen an old man pouting.

Afterwards, they made their way to Gringotts. Harry paused briefly along the way when he saw the Adventurers Guild now had a fully constructed building that had not been there last time. A sign hanging on the door proclaimed that the guild would be opening in two weeks.

"Instead of exploring the Dungeons yourself, it may be beneficial to build a party. There will be plenty of wizards and witches looking to earn some money."

"Maybe," Harry shrugged. "But I have my familiars as well." He had so many secrets that he wasn't sure he would be able to hide them from a group of people. It may be necessary for more difficult dungeons, but he would wait and see.

They entered Gringotts and walked up to a goblin, who was examining a gem with the aid of an eyepiece over one of his eyes. He paused when they stepped up to the counter.

"What can I do for you, wizard?

"I just received my inheritance," Harry said, showing him his rings. "I'm Lord Potter-Ravenclaw, and I wish to access my main family vault."

"Ravenclaw?" The goblin examined the ring. "How surprising indeed. Since you have changed your status, you will need to see your Account Manager now that you are in full control of your finances."

"Do I need to make an appointment?"

"I think not. Account Manager Grimmjow will want to see you straight away." The goblin turned and shouted at a nearby goblin, who hurried over. "Dabiros, escort them to Account Manager Grimmjow's office.

The goblin bowed and motioned to them to follow him.

"I will wait here, Harry," Dumbledore walked over to the waiting area.

Harry and Remus entered the office. From what Harry could see, nothing had changed much in the office. There was still the strange sword displayed on the wall above Grimmjow's head. Wait a minute, was that blood? Shuddering, he decided to keep his curiosity to himself.

"What can I do for you?" Grimmjow growled, before spotting the rings on his finger. "Well, it looks like the young wizard has become a Lord. Don't ask me to be all formal. I would rather stab myself with my sword."

"Call me Harry," he said as he sat down with Remus. "So, Grim. May I ask how you got this job? You don't seem to enjoy sitting behind a desk."

"Old age," Grimmjow grunted. "My reflexes are not what they used to be. My better half decided enough was enough and declared that I was finished with battle."

"You don't seem to be the one to give in so easily," Harry observed.

"Well, you don't have a wife who could wipe the floor with you. Our battle was the stuff of legends. I didn't recover for an entire month."

"Right," Harry said dubiously, not wanting to pursue that piece of information any further. "Well, this is Remus Lupin, my newly appointed Steward."

Grimmjow shouted, "Are you getting rid of your account manager?".

"No, of course not," Harry hurried to explain. He did not want to see that sword up close and personal. "You are already doing a great job earning money for me. Remus will manage my properties, which from what I glimpsed in the folder, are very extensive."

"Oh, I see," Grimmjow calmed down. "So, is there anything you wish to change about your investments?"

Harry blinked, completely clueless. Remus spoke up beside him. "I think that you should hold off on investing anything further, considering we may be heading towards some uncertain times."

"I agree," Grimmjow grunted. "Unless you invest in some areas that will benefit from the Dungeons appearing, such as blacksmiths, potion shops and runecrafts."

When the goblin mentioned the blacksmiths, Harry recalled something, and he leaned forward in excitement. "Speaking of blacksmiths, you wouldn't know where I could find the dwarfs, do you?"

Grimmjow eyed him warily. "Why do you want to contact them?"

"I want to get some weapons made," Harry said. "I heard they are experts at creating weapons and armour."

"They are," Grimmjow grunted. "But they don't interact with humans as far as I can tell. They probably won't want anything to do with you, but I can get in touch with them. For a fee, of course."

"Naturally," Harry said dryly. "Tell them I discovered a couple of weapons in the Dungeons that they can have if they craft me some weapons."

"I will pass it on," Grimmjow promised. "I will send you a letter once I get a response."

"Thank you," Harry said. "I think that's all for now. Can you get someone to escort me to my family vault?"

Five minutes later, Harry stared in awe at the huge double doors with the crest of a winged lion on them. Aside from that, the doors were also inlaid with a number of precious gems. Judging from the opulence of the door alone, he figured that he would be seeing a lot of wealth stored inside.

"Touch the door with your hand, Lord Potter-Ravenclaw," the goblin said. "It will recognise your ring and open for you."

Harry stepped forward and laid a palm on the door, and he felt a hum of magic pass through him, before the doors creaked open. As he stepped inside, Harry's jaw dropped at the sight in front of him. If his trust vault had piles of gold coins, then the family vault had mountains. A whole side of the vault was dedicated to coins. There were three gigantic piles of galleons, sickles, and knuts. Harry had the ridiculous urge to take a dive into the middle of the pile. The entire vault was illuminated by jars filled with blue flames, which were located in recesses inside the walls.

The other side of the vault had large bookshelves lined up against the wall and were filled with a plethora of books. An assortment of tables displayed strange artefacts, as well as clothing stands that were scattered among them, filled with a variety of different uniforms. Weapons and armour were displayed inside some display cases, which were of particular interest to him. When he stepped closer to examine them, however, he was disappointed to realize that they were all way too big for him.

"Where would my parents leave me letters?" Harry asked Remus, who was standing there patiently as the boy looked around.

"Let's search the bookshelves," Remus suggested.

"Keep an eye out for the deed for the island in the North Sea," Harry reminded him.

"Okay," Remus said, as they began methodically searching the shelves. The letters were not difficult to find, as they were displayed prominently on the middle bookshelf, with a lot of empty space around them. Harry grabbed the two letters and tucked them into his shirt. The deeds to the island took another fifteen minutes to find, but it would have taken longer if Harry hadn't continuously spammed observation.

Remus read through the deed, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Well, the deed is not the easiest to read since it is so old, and the terminology is strange, but it proves that you have ownership of the island. You need to show this to Ted on Friday."

"Can you make a copy? I don't want the original leaving the vault until we absolutely need it." He could have put it in his inventory, but he was a bit paranoid that something may happen even with that protection.

"A sensible precaution," Remus agreed, taking out his wand and duplicating the parchment. "Is there anything else you need?"

Harry looked around him, but nothing stood out to him. He could come to have a closer look at the books at a later date. "No. Let's get out of here."

<====({owo})====>

"Welcome to Hogwarts, Harry," Dumbledore announced as they passed through the wards and the majestic castle appeared in front of him. Remus didn't seem too impressed, but it wasn't the same for the boy.

Harry looked at the castle in front of him and it was almost impossible for him not to be impressed by the sight. Located on a sloping hillside, Hogwarts Castle was an archaic medieval castle that stretched several stories into the sky, surrounded by an expanse of green lawns. There were numerous towers with conical roofs surrounding the main building, with turrets extending from some of them. As a whole, the castle looked forbidding and did not appear to be suitable for a children's school.

"It's something," Harry eventually said.

"It's too dreary," Celeste complained from atop his shoulder. "But the magic radiating from it is immense."

"The castle houses ancient magic," Dumbledore murmured. "This castle never ceases to amaze me."

Hedwig flew off to explore the grounds. They made their way up to the main entrance, and Remus pulled one of the heavy oak doors open and they stepped into the entrance hall.

"Come this way," Dumbledore said. "I will give you a quick tour before I introduce you to someone."

Even with his sharp memory, it was not easy for Harry to remember the route they took as Dumbledore led them through the various floors. The entire building seemed convoluted and illogical. One example was the moving staircases. They moved randomly in several directions and deposited you where you didn't want to be, or you had to wait on the stairwell until it chose your intended destination. Since Harry had authority over the castle, which sounded absurd to admit to himself, he thought about getting rid of them. If that was even possible.

They reached the seventh floor, and the stairwell to Dumbledore's office, with the stone gargoyle guarding the entrance. It slid aside as they approached and they ascended the stairs.

There was a man waiting for them in the office, standing at the window. He turned around as they entered and greeted Dumbledore.

'Harry, be careful. This man has a taint of the Abyss on him.' Celeste said in his mind.

"Who is this?" Harry asked warily, taking a step back.

"What's the matter, Harry?" Remus asked, standing protectively in front of Harry and summoning his wand.

"It's okay. He is not your enemy," Dumbledore raised his arms to pacify them.

"He is from the abyss," Harry said to Remus, and the man raised his wand higher.

"That I cannot deny," the man said, with his arms raised. "However, I am a former resident of the abyss, and have no intention of ever returning."

"Why don't we all sit down?" Dumbledore suggested. "So he can explain himself. Harry, he was the one who pointed out that I was under a curse."

They sat down, although Remus and Harry kept their distance from the man. It was only then that Harry noticed the Phoenix perched on a stand and he gaped.

"This is Fawkes, my familiar," Dumbledore said, amused by Harry's reaction. Fawkes flew over and settled on Harry's other shoulder, and started picking at his hair with his beak.

"Hey, not the hair," Harry protested.

'Hedwig, your perch has been upstaged by a flaming chicken.' Celeste called out in mischief.

'Insolence.' Hedwig barked.

Harry sighed and turned to Dumbledore. "Can you open the window? I am about to get an angry owl arriving soon."

"Why is she angry?" Dumbledore asked curiously.

"Because Celeste here likes to cause mischief," Harry glared at the fairy.

The owl appeared at the window and started barking loudly to be let in. Fawkes let out a trill of amusement as if he understood what was going on. Dumbledore opened the window with his wand and the owl came soaring through the air and perched herself on Harry's head.

"Ow," Harry complained as her talons dug into his head. The occupants exploded into laughter as they watched the owl glare at Fawkes. The Phoenix gave one more amused trill before launching off Harry's shoulder and escaping through the window, with Hedwig in close pursuit.

"Hehehe. That was fun," Celeste laughed, only to fly away quickly when Harry took a swipe at her.

Harry turned back to the amused audience and huffed. He looked at the man who was watching him. "What do I call you?"

"I cannot remember my original name, as it has been a very long time. I am known as Astaroth in the abyss. But you may call me John."

"That name sounds ominous," Remus said.

"I used to belong to a group of nine powerful wizards that were like rulers in the abyss. We fashioned our names after demon princes to inspire fear in the masses."

"Why did you leave?"

"Because one by one, the abyss changed them into nothing more than mindless beasts. I grew tired of fighting the corruption of the abyss, and wished to leave for a more peaceful place."

Harry hesitated, pretty sure that he couldn't trust the man, but he was desperate for answers. "Have you heard of someone named Lily Potter in the fifth circle of the Abyss?"

Harry's question caused a predictable reaction.

So, what do you think? Not the most exciting chapter. It is more of a transitional chapter that leads to more significant events in the future.

Thanks for reading.