Red dragon

83

"Merlin's Beard. That was amazing, Harry." Sirius grinned at his godson.

"He cheated." Mr Wright muttered, looking very confused.

"Where's my dragon?" Harry asked looking a little dazed.

"What?" Sirius looked down at his godson. "Are you alright pup?"

"The Dragon, and the Chicken."

"They were made in the chamber. They evaporated on exit."

"Oh." Harry felt a wave of weakness. He was tired and sad. He had almost grown fond of the dragon.

Sirius seemed very excited as he asked. "So, how'd he do?"

"He cheated?" Mr Wright was very confused.

"Hey, he finished, didn't he?"

"Well yes. No. He only did two of the- I'm not sure- This hasn't happened before."

Sirius finally remembered to help Harry too his feet. "I think he passed. Did very well with the dragon, didn't he?"

"Yes. I'm not…. Ummm."

"Hey. The Potter family values Ingenuity. How much more ingenious can you get. I mean, bloody hell." Sirius threw his hands up in the air.

"Umm." Mr Wright began flipping through a recently conjured clipboard.

Harry was beyond caring about the glass dust stuck to his body but at least focused on Griphook as he spoke. "You will not find evidence of foul play. He did everything correctly." The goblins were strangely fond of Harry Potter. "This is perfectly in line with the family values."

There was a long silence. "I guess I don't see any evidence of cheating, then…" He looked up and sighed. The minister was not going to be happy. "Alright, let's move on."

Harry nodded and walked just in front of Sirius to the very next room. The goblins trailed behind.

When Harry entered the room, it much reminded him of the Mirror of Esired, for the grand-looking Mirror, stood alone, in an empty the room.

"Mr Potter, this will test your personal character, in order to see if it aligns with your house values. Just step through the glass."

"Through the mirror?"

"Obviously, go on then."

Harry took a slightly begrudging step forward towards the intimidating object.

It stood on top of a marble step. It was very large; a little taller than Hagrid was. The glass in the mirror was smoked and old, but the rest shone as if it was brand new. The outside of the mirror was arched and sliver but as Harry moved closer he noticed that on the columns at the side, there were golden vines trailing up and down.

He moved right up and looked to read the Latin on the top. 'Denuda turpitudinem tuam et animam corpusque per auras. Sep Ordo Domini, et ambulaverunt ex toto.'

Harry could speak Latin fairly well, many witches and Wizards learnt it as children. Harry had learnt this with Hermione, as the war progressed; she found it helpful to create spells. It gave them one step up on the Death eaters.

'Step through my frame and bare your soul. May Lords and Ladies walk out whole.' Or at least that was the vague impression.

With a deep breath he lifted himself up to the frame; the glass clung to him almost like syrup. The last thing he heard before his ears were submerged. "Gosh this one smells a bit, doesn't it?"

Sirius watched his godson be swallowed by a glass sheet. He had only been through this a few months before but he was scared for the boy. Sirius never had any plans to get married. In fact, he never even really dated before Azkaban. Harry was always going to be the closest thing to a child Sirius Black would ever have. He worried about him.

Harry came out of the mirror looking just as scared for himself as Sirius was for him.

The glass of the mirror seemed to melt away and become a tall mound of silver. It looked- almost- like a person.

"I have seen into the soul of Harry James Potter." The voice was female and if Sirius had to admit; quite judgey. "He's only a child."

"Is that your judgement on him?" Mr Wright asked.

"Oh Heaven no." The voice answered. "Age is inconsequential to this boy's soul. I have never seen one so old in one so youthful. I have seen thousands of potential Lords and Ladies. I have judged them all worthy or not. They all; each and every one; have nothing on this boy."

"He is ever so smart for his age; he has wisdom to spare. The boy is Braver than I have ever seen. A leader beyond which any other could only hope to match; people can't help but follow this boy. He has charm." She had no face but seemed to smile as she spoke that word. "The Potter house, Line of Peverells. Not a single one before him would be a match for this child."

"Yes?"

"Harry James Potter." The voice once again became judgey. "I judge him to be the best Lord the Potter house will ever see."

Mr Wright was very disappointed; the minister would be very unhappy with this outcome. Well, there was nothing he could do right now.

Harry had to have all his titles signed over to him, the goblins signed and witnessed it. After the dramaticness of the tests, he was surprised at how benign this was.

When Harry was finally taken out of the ministry, he turned to Sirius. "Padfoot, can we go home yet?" Harry asked. He had been sleeping much better since Sirius had given him his Pensive, so he wanted to keep working with it.

"Don't you want to see what your ancestors left you?"

"Am I allowed to say no?"

Sirius shook his head. "Come on, you'll love it." Harry sighed and followed Sirius into the bank.

Harry entered one of the office's to see an old friend reading through piles of papers. In fact he was almost finished; a Ravenclaw through and through was Jason Andy.

"Hello Harry. Lord Black." The man was polite being the Black family lawyer; though Sirius was epically fond of the boy; a bloody good lawyer. A year ago he had won the underdog side of the biggest case in modern history; Sirius Black verses England. He was one of the best lawyers in the country.

Sirius felt he owed the boy his life. Jason Andy had one of the best jobs in the known world. Lawyer to the ancient noble house of Black, The house of Potter, and free rein to take on any side-job he wanted, so long as he wasn't already working on a case. There were a lot of men and woman who hated the guts of Jason Andy, but he didn't give two shits about that.

"Afternoon, Jason. Found anything?"

"No sir, the last Potter lawyers had this thing air tight. You're good."

Under Jason's watchful eye the goblins had Harry sign for each of his properties. Godric's hollow, Potter Manor, Cottage and the shop flat, amongst a number of others. Then was taken to his actual vault.

Sirius held his hands up in a mock joy as they travelled down to the depts. Harry shook his head but followed Sirius' lead.

The goblin did not look impressed but opened the Potter vault. "Your Vault, Lord Potter."

Harry walked in to see the tallest pile of Gold imaginable. "Bloody Hell."

"Woah." Sirius agreed. His family money had slowly eroded over time; as a rule the black family refused to invest their money. Family's like the Potters worked to keep their gold running high, a very forward thinking family. The old fashioned Blacks were running very low these days. Sirius himself was now putting most of his money in investments. It would keep himself, and with Narcissa's help, his heir, afloat, but Draco would probably have to work to ensure his children were looked after. Unlike Harry who could have ten children and still have enough gold for his great-great grandchildren to live like kings…

"Your more personal items will be in the cupboards." The goblin explained. "You may take any out at your own leisure."

Harry opened the first cupboard, to see his great uncle Henrys prized collection- though it had begun long before his time. Sirius had never heard such a childlike squeal come from his godson, not even when he was an infant.