Chapter Text
The smallest bedroom of Number Four Privet Drive was actually worse than he remembered it being, thought Harry Potter, as he shielded his green eyes against the harsh brightness of the early morning sun which cut through the broken blinds of his barred window. Glancing around the room of broken items and forgotten things, himself included, the fifteen year old couldn’t help but chuckle to himself that it had actually worked. Of course he would never doubt his old friend, but time travel past five hours seemed like a fool’s dream…
Flashback:
The thing about betrayal is that you never really get used to it and at least in Harry’s case the hits just keep coming. Harry had just apparated home when he spotted a flash of familiar red hair… never a good sign. He didn’t have time to shield before an all too familiar green curse hurtled his way. It seemed his Potter Luck had struck again and as his vision faded to black.
Harry was mildly surprised to open his eyes again though that feeling quickly fled only to be replaced with resignation as he eyed the all white train station glittering around him.
“Great…. I’m dead… again” sighed Harry.
“Yes, you do seem to be making a habit out of this” remarked a voice behind him. Spinning around Harry saw a beautiful man cloaked in black. “We really need to stop meeting like this”.
“Death?” asked Harry, though it wasn’t really a question.
“Yes, I thought you might prefer my true form over me using the form of your ex-mentor” shrugged the stunning creature.
Harry scowled darkly at the mention of Dumbledore, yes he much preferred Death’s current appearance over the apparition from the last time he died at seventeen.
“Come we have much to speak about” said Death, gesturing for Harry to take the seat beside him on the train bench.
“It was Ginny, wasn’t it?” asked Harry.
“Yes, the youngest Weasley seems to have taken your latest rejection badly, to put it lightly. Since she knew you would be likely to be returning home from work at this time she followed you home from the ministry and killed you as soon as you landed on your front stoop” explained the ancient being.
“Crazy bitch” muttered Harry, “What part of not interested in you, never going to marry you, please pay back all the money you stole from me, did she not understand?”
“All of it” chuckled Death, “though I do think the latest letters that your thieves received from Gringotts pushed her over the metaphorical edge”.
“Shouldn’t have spied on me for the old goat then all those years and taken my money” spat Harry, his heart still hurting from the knowledge that the people who he had thought of as family once had been using him all along.
“There is that. But now to speak of you, Harry”
“Of me? Why? Aren’t I just moving on finally?” wondered the twenty two year old man.
“Well yes, that is one choice, though the other is entirely up to you” offered the spirit.
“Up to me?”
“You are my master are you not? Don’t you possess my hollows?” questioned Death.
“Well no, not anymore…” muttered Harry. “I ditched the stone in the woods and put the wand back with Dumbledore”.
“They were never forcibly removed from you, though not on your person, you are their master and they answer to you, as do I old friend”.
“So that whole Master of Death thing was real? Was I supposed to be doing something about it?” wondered Harry.
“Oh child, there were many things you were supposed to be doing as you well know, that is why I offer you this chance. You may go to your early but well earned rest with your loved ones, or you could go back”.
“Like to when Ginny killed me? No thanks, pass” said Harry, the spiteful young woman would likely just kill him again as soon as she saw movement.
“No, further back, to a time where you could make a change as you stood on the cusp of adulthood and war. I would send you to the summer before your sixth year and allow you to act as you see fit”.
Harry thought about it for a minute, he thought of all the people he could save, especially those dear to him who he had lost… a pair of onyx eyes flashes in his mind.
“Ok, even if I accept your offer, what about this Master of Death business? Does it mean I have to do anything special?”.
“Just keep being true to yourself Harry and you will be fine. Though I will warn you that I will stop by from time to time to chat, we are old friends after all. And after you have lived what ought to be a LONG LONG life this time, we will meet here again when you are ready to move on” explained Death.
Harry only needed to think about it for a second more, “Alright let’s do it” he grinned.
“I was HOPING you’d say that” smirked the spirit, as the white world bled away and Harry found himself losing consciousness. “Good luck child, with your track record you’re surely going to need it”.
What Harry missed as he lost consciousness was the mischievous smirk that appeared on Death’s beautiful face.
END FLASHBACK
Rising to his feet, Harry healed most of the various injuries his Uncle had given him as a ‘welcome back’ present with a wave of wandless magic, what he couldn’t fix he glamoured until he could get to Diagon Alley and buy the right potions. He mentally groaned at having to redo all the work he had previously done to fix his damaged body. He glared fiercely at himself in the broken mirror as he spotted his old broken glasses. No, they simply wouldn’t do anymore.
Tugging on the most acceptable pair of Dudley’s old jeans and sliding on a slightly torn tee-shirt, Harry declared himself ready to start Plan One out of One Hundred - Gringotts!
It didn’t take much to buy the silence of his ‘guardian’, and he used that term loosely. Petunia was thrilled at the prospect of a summer free of his freakishness so she readily agreed to lie if anyone asked if he was still living with them. With his alibi squared away, Harry wandlessly glamored himself more closely, replacing his black hair with swooping blonde locks and his jade green eyes turned a dusty blue. Secrecy was key, and the goblins would be able to see through the glamour anyway. Shrinking his trunk wandlessly, Harry slipped it into his pocket. Opening Hedwig’s cage Harry let her out to fly telling her to meet him in London later that night before shrinking her cage as well. Turning on his heel, Harry apparated to just outside the gates of Gringotts. Time to get to work!
Fall Back to Me - Fall Back to Me - Fall Back to Me
Approaching an open teller in the bank's lobby, Harry quietly and respectfully waited for the goblin behind the counter to acknowledge him. For a Saturday the bank wasn’t as crowded as he had expected.
“Wizard” greeted the goblin roughly. “What business do you have with Gringotts”
Harry bowed respectfully and quietly but steadily replied, “I am Harry James Potter and I request to speak with the goblin in charge of overseeing the Potter and Black estates”
“Key” demanded the bored goblin.
“I do not have it, it has been withheld from me along with the knowledge of my ancestry and duties to the magical community. In place of my key I request an advanced blood test” asked Harry.
He could have taken a standard test but Harry knew he needed more. A standard blood test would reveal only his name, parentage, legal status and heirships. An advanced blood test would also reveal abilities and disabilities, current illnesses and injuries, any extraneous magic on the person, contracts and any recurring transactions from his vaults.
“Very well, that will be 10 galleons” sighed the goblin obviously put out by the request. It was a steep price but well worth it since he would be able to use the information listed later on. Harry passed over the money. Shuffling his documents, the teller found the correct paper and potion for the test. “Add three drops of your blood to the vial” ordered the creature holding the blue shimmering substance out towards Harry.
The young man caused a small cut to appear on his finger wandlessly and allowed the required three drops to fall into the concoction. Harry's leg bounced nervously as he watched the potion bubble and fizz, changing color from a midnight blue to deep burgundy.
The goblin then poured the now red potion over the parchment and the pair watched as sprawling red lines of handwriting appeared on the paper:
Test Date: June 15, 1996
Name: Harry James Potter
Birth Date: July 31st, 1980
Sire: James Fleamont Potter (deceased)
Bearer: Lilian Rose Potter nee Evans (deceased)
Godparents: Sirius Orion Black (deceased) and Alice Marigold Longbottom nee Fortescue (incapacitated)
Assigned Magical Guardian: Albus Wulfric Percival Brian Dumbledore (Void)
Legal Status: Adult (as declared by participation in TriWizard Competition)
Lordships:
House of Potter (eligible)
House of Black (eligible)
Abilities/Disabilities:
Parseltounge: 50% block broken (placed by A. Dumbledore November 1981)
Nearsightedness
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Major Depressive Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Injuries/Illnesses:
Broken right middle and pinky fingers
Internal bruising
Mild concussion
Malnourishment
Extraneous Magic:
Block on Magical Core – 45% broken (placed by A. Dumbledore November 1981)
Blood Magic Protection - (placed by Lilian Potter October 1981)
Horcrux - (placed by T. Riddle October 1981)
Contracts:
Triwizard Competition (A. Dumbledore and C. Fudge, October 1994)
Marriage contract to Ginerva Weasley (A. Dumbledore and M. Weasley, December 1995)
Recurring Charges:
45 galleons (to Order of the Phoenix approved by A. Dumbledore November 1981)
30 galleons (to Albus Dumbledore approved by A. Dumbledore November 1981)
30 galleons (to Molly Weasley approved by A. Dumbledore August 1991)
15 galleons (to Ron Weasley approved by A. Dumbledore August 1991)
15 galleons (to Hermione Granger approved by A. Dumbledore November 1991)
15 galleons (to Ginerva Weasley approved by A. Dumbledore August 1992)
Harry wasn’t surprised but certainly not happy to see his mental health issues had traveled with him to the past. It made sense since it was his mind and soul sent back, he would just have to find a counselor quickly and get his prescriptions.
The goblin’s face remained largely emotionless but his eyes showed that he was horrified by what had been revealed. “It seems that we have much to talk about Mr. Potter. Follow me and I will bring you to your account manager”
Harry followed the teller further into the bank and to a familiar office marked “Steelclaw”.
Stepping inside, Harry bowed to the goblin sitting behind the desk, “Greetings Master Steelclaw. May your mind and blade be sharp as the hawk’s talons”
The goblin lifted a surprised eyebrow as he looked over the document the teller handed him before exiting the room, “and may your enemies fall at your feet Mr. Potter. What can I do for you today?”
“You have the results of my advanced blood test there. I would like to hire Gringotts for healing my injuries and purging the blocks and unwanted soul piece. I would then like to take up my lordships and discuss my estate including building a prosecution plan for those who have stolen from me. ”
The goblin smiled a wicked grin, “It would be our pleasure to do business with you Mr. Potter, shall we begin?
Fall Back to Me - Fall Back to Me - Fall Back to Me
Harry left Gringotts several hours later glasses free, feeling one soul lighter and significantly more healed, Goblin healing, though expensive, was always worth it. On his now healed finger sat his golden lordship ring which could turn to the signet of each house as he willed. The ring would work as a payment method so he could shop to his heart's content without worrying about carrying large amounts of Galleons around. He had also taken the goblins up on their offer of a dragon hide wallet which was charmed to connect to his vaults so he need only think of the vault and reach in to make a withdrawal, unfortunately it only worked for coins not artifacts. Harry would have to return to get his parent’s things from their vault at another time. He also had a new copy of his key, though he had not voided the old one as to not tip his hand too early.
Since he was already in the Alley, Harry took the chance to duck into Madam Malkins to update his entire wardrobe. He had made sure that his disguise was the same body shape and size as his normal fifteen almost sixteen year old self so that the robes would fit him perfectly. He paid with his Black ring and had the order shipped to Grimmauld Place once finished.
He stopped in a sandwich shop for a late lunch. Gathering a few final items from Scribbulus Writing Implements, Flourish and Blotts, and a new trunk from the trunk and bag shop. Harry also picked up some supplies from the local beauty shop and the menagerie before apparating home to Grimmauld Place.