Chapter Text
A 13-year-old boy with wavy raven hair that reached his shoulders and a Zaffre blue cloth tied around his head to keep his hair out of his face entered the standard tent. His bright green eyes looked around the room and smiled. It wasn’t much, just the standard room for employees of Gringotts, but it was his. It had little mementos and several books around the apartment-like room with two doors on the other side of the room. One for the bathroom and one for his bedroom, which he headed to immediately. He grabbed his bottomless duffle bag from under his bed and began packing his everyday items, having just finished a mission. As he packed he thought about everything that happened within the last year.
After Harry was released from the Healer’s Wing, Ragnok set up a room for him to stay at while he and Griphook worked with him to get his accounts in order. Including overturning the votes Dumbledore made in his name and changing his proxy to someone more trustworthy. They even pulled in Madame Bones to help get Sirius released by using his parents’ wills that stated the real Secret Keeper, although that has been a slow-going project because Dumbledore kept getting in the way of it. It was really annoying and Harry had half a mind to take up his seats in the Wizengamot, but ultimately decided that Regent Augusta Longbottom should continue as his proxy until he was ready to take his seats. With his accounts, Griphook was able to get all of his money back that had gone out to Dumbledore, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, and the Dursleys. They also managed to take the rights of the Harry Potter Children Adventure books that were illegally using his name.
While Harry was going over his accounts, a platoon of Goblin warriors moved to capture and destroy Voldemort’s Horcruxes. The only one they couldn’t get a hold of was the diary, which Harry had to go in and get. Thankfully all he had to do was wait in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom and wait for Ginny to enter. Harry stunned her and took the diary. He then, much to Naglok’s dismay later, went down to the Chamber of Secrets again to defeat the crazed Basilisk, which earned him and the goblins a good profit once the corpse was harvested and sold.
Between going over everything with his accounts and finishing off the Horcruxes, Harry went through intense training to build up his muscles and reflexes. He may have had the knowledge of the movements he needed to perform, but his 12-year-old body didn’t have the memory his 24-year-old body did. When he wasn’t going through physical practices, he was practicing his magic to make sure his magic had the memory his future self did. Three months after arriving at Gringotts, Harry took his OWLs and, a week later, took his NEWTs, becoming the youngest to graduate in over three centuries when he earned straight O’s in the 15 subjects that he tested in. Not that very many know about it since his results were sealed to the public.
He took Magical Defence, Martial Arts, Weapons, Herbology, Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, History, Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Etiquette, Curse breaking, Care of Magical Creatures, Wandless Magic, and Wards. He also got extra credit when he showed them his Patronus and Animagus form, which is an Island Fox. He also created a muggle inspired invention for his Arithmancy and Ancient Runes assignment, which was a mirror that worked like a phone, computer, and iPod all in one without the need to charge it. He ended up getting quite a bit of money for that invention, although a lot of the old pureblood supremacists grudgingly accept that muggles sometimes had good ideas.
Six months later, Harry was finishing his training, much to the Goblins’ dismay due to him pushing himself too hard in their opinion. A week later, Harry was taken in as an apprentice by Erluk, Head of the Assassins and Bounty Hunters Department (ABHD) at Gringotts. Most of what they do is hunting down thieves or bringing in people who owe money but occasionally they work with the DoomsDay Department (3D) to stop the end of the world. Harry and Erluk went as partners the entire time of his apprenticeship, Harry learning to use his young age to his advantage when the job required one of them to get close to the target. Towards the end of the year, Harry going by the code name Obscurus the whole time to prevent anyone from finding him, was given a mission to go on by himself to complete his apprenticeship.
On the side of all of this happening, The day after his 12th birthday, it was announced that Harry Potter was missing. Nobody has been able to find him, even a year later.
Harry was soon brought out of his reminiscing thoughts when his pocket started to vibrate. He pulled his mirror out of one of the pockets on his black cargo pants and looked at the Caller ID before answering.
“How can I help you, Griphook?” Harry asked as Griphook’s face appeared in the mirror. He used his magic to make the mirror float in front of him while he finished packing.
“We have a situation, Obscurus,” Griphook answered. Harry immediately looked to his friend and account manager. The goblin always talked to Harry in the Goblin tongue unless something major happened.
“What’s wrong?” The teenage assassin asked.
“Sirius Black has escaped Azkaban.”
“Has there been any Daily Prophet article with a picture of the Weasley family on it? Specifically Ronald and his rat?” Harry asked with a frown. He watched as Griphook called in his assistant and started to go through the paper.
“Yes, two weeks ago,” Griphook answered. “Apparently the family won a contest through the Ministry for a paid vacation to Egypt where they stayed with Curse Breaker Bill Weasley.”
“Do you have a record of when the Minister last visited?”
“I thought you might ask that. He visited two days ago.”
“Interesting,” Harry mumbled. “I’m going to finish clean up here and then I’m going to stop at Privet Drive to see if Sirius ended up there. I plan to bring him to Gringotts for healing and a test to see if he has any of the same spells and potions on him that I did.”
“Very well, Obscurus,” Griphook answered back. “I’ll let Erluk know your mission is finished.”
“Thank you,” Harry said. “Oh! Griphook,” Harry called before the Goblin could hang up. “Before I forget again, I remembered that Severus Snape was from the Prince line.”
“Yes, we have been trying to contact him since he turned 17 but he hasn’t come in yet,” Griphook explained.
“Maybe he had a block on his mail like I did,” Harry suggested. “I could deliver the letter for Gringotts after I find Sirius if you would like.”
“I will let the Prince Account Manager know of the offer,” Griphook said. “Thank you, Harry.”
“Of course,” Harry answered. They hung up and Harry moved to the bathroom to finish packing before moving out of the tent and packing the tent up. He shrunk everything and put them in one of his many pockets before apparating to Privet Drive. Changing into his animagus form, Harry hid in the bushes to wait for a certain Grim.
Line Break
Sirius Black, in his Grim form, lurked in the bushes at the edge of the neighborhood where his godson was last seen. He hoped he could mend things with his godson and heal the gap his absence created. Before Sirius could think much more of it, he was startled out of his thoughts by something small leaning into his front right paw. Looking down, he saw a little fox with grey bark-like fur on its back and orange and white fur on its underbelly staring up at him with bright green eyes. Green eyes that reminded him of…
Sirius’ jaw dropped when he realized who was leaning against him. He watched as the fox moved away a little bit before changing into a boy he knew recently turned 13. The 13-year-old boy had wavy raven hair that reached his shoulders and a Zaffre blue cloth tied around his head to keep his hair out of his face. He wore a white sleeveless turtleneck, black cargo pants, a pair of dark blue dragonhide boots, and a black leather jacket similar to his own jacket. His godson was on the short side but still had a slight wiry sort of strength to him. Looking back up to the boy’s face, Sirius could see his brother in all but blood and his fiery wife mixed into the boy with amused green eyes.
“Hello, Padfoot,” Harry greeted, using a finger to close the Grim’s dropped jaw. “I’d like to take you with me to some friends. They can help heal you and I want you to see a mind healer after all the time you spent in Azkaban. There is a lot you need to know. The goblins and I have been trying to free you for the past year but Dumbledore kept getting in the way. We’re working on some other plans to get you free.”
Sirius stared at the boy with wide eyes at just that small amount of information and the boy said there was more to know. So he did the only thing he could do. He nodded his consent and walked over to lean into the child, who held him tight before apparating to Diagon Alley. Sirius let out a sound of surprise, not expecting someone so young to apparate them anywhere.
“Come on, Padfoot,” Harry gently called, walking towards Gringotts. Sirius followed a moment later and studied his godson as he was ignored by most people.
“Obby!” A little brunet boy shouted, launching himself at Harry who caught him easily and spun them around.
“Hello, Jasper,” Harry greeted, smiling at the little boy. Harry still remembers teaching the kid about casting wandless magic just a year ago. Since then, Harry and Jasper would end up bumping into each other occasionally. Every time they did, Jasper would show Harry a new spell he learned.
“Check this out!” Jasper said excitedly. He grabbed a little handful of dirt from the ground and tossed it on himself, causing Sirius to tilt his head in confusion and an exasperated sigh from the kid’s mother. “Scourgify.” In an instant, Jasper was free of dirt and giving Harry a big smile.
“Great job, kiddo!” Harry complimented. “At this rate, you’ll be top of your class when you go to magic school.” Jasper hugged Harry once more before following his mother to continue their shopping while Harry and Sirius continued to Gringotts. Sirius watched in fascination as Harry bowed at the guards in respect, the guards bowing back, before Harry and Sirius waited in line for an open teller.
“Obscurus,” a goblin called from the other side of the tellers.
“Greetings, Head Goblin Ragnok,” Harry greeted in the Goblin Tongue, surprising Sirius.
“The healers are waiting for him,” Ragnok replied, getting a nod from Harry before following him to the Healer’s Ward. Once inside, Sirius shifted into his human form and pulled Harry into a tight hug.
“I missed you too, Padfoot,” Harry said, returning the hug.
“What’s going on, pup? How are you so friendly with the Goblins?” Sirius asked.
“I promise I’ll explain everything after you’ve rested,” Harry reassured. He then pulled away and nudged him towards Healer Naglok.
Line Break
“Obscurus, may I speak with you for a moment?” Erluk asked, having just arrived at the Healer Wing.
“Of course, Master Erluk,” Harry answered, following the goblin to a secluded corner. Harry could see Ragnok getting everything he needed for an inheritance test.
“We have gotten a request from the Egypt branch for one of ours to go and take care of some treasure hunters,” Erluk said. “ The Weasleys are still there for another week. Now may be a good time to get the traitor.” The two were distracted by shouting from farther in the room. Looking over, they could see Sirius loudly cursing at an inheritance test.
“Roughly how long would you say the mission is going to take?” Harry asked, trying to come up with a timeline and when it would be best to talk to Sirius about everything.
“Knowing you, probably two weeks to a month at most,” Erluk said with a chuckle. The goblin didn’t like how his student had very little self-preservation skills but was still impressed with how well he returned to full health and how quickly his fighting skills. Many of the goblins believe that his recovery was aided by Lady Magic herself. He saw Harry check the time before answering.
“Alright, I’ll head out in two hours,” Harry said. “ I want to make sure my godfather is settled and has a way to contact me. I also offered my assistance to Griphook earlier.” Erluk nodded and left to let the Egyptian branch know. Harry walked over to Sirius, who had finally calmed down. He picked up the inheritance test and took a look at the blocks and spells and potions that were in Sirius’ system. “Pretty much similar to what the old man put in me.”
“Harry, I’m so sorry I didn’t-”
“You have nothing to be sorry for, Siri,” Harry interrupted. “Dumbledore is a manipulative old coot who doesn’t know when to stop. We’ll talk soon. I have to go on an errand and then I have to get to my next mission but I’m going to give Naglok something that will allow you to contact me.” Sirius looked sad at the fact that Harry had to leave so soon.
“You know you don’t have to work, right?” Sirius asked. “Your parents left you a lot of money.”
“I know, but I already passed my OWLs and NEWTs and I enjoy my job,” Harry said with a smile. “It’s kind of like being a hit wizard. The only difference that I know of is that I trust the Goblins more than the Ministry.” Sirius just stared at Harry, looking for something. He then smiled and pulled him into a hug.
“You do know I’m going to spoil you, don’t you?” Sirius asked, making Harry laugh. “I have 12 years to make up for.”
“If you must,” Harry said with fake exasperation and a grin on his face, causing Sirius to laugh. They said their good-byes and Harry handed Naglok one of his premade mirrors for Sirius. He then stopped by Griphook’s office to pick up the letter for Severus Snape before walking out of Gringotts and apparating to Hogwarts.
From there he shifted into his fox form with the letter in his mouth and walked straight to the castle, up the front steps, and towards the Great Hall where he knew the few professors who stayed during the summer would be for lunch. He jumped up onto the Hufflepuff table and stared at the professors. He could see Hagrid, Filch, Hooch, McGonagall, Dumbledore, Remus, and Snape at the table for lunch. He noticed, as he jumped from the Hufflepuff table to the Slytherin table, that they were all watching him as he moved. As he got closer to the table, he saw Dumbledore’s eyes widen at the sight of the letter and stood to try to intercept. Harry, having seen his movement, jumped down from the table and darted underneath before running under the Head table just as Dumbledore rounded the corner. Harry quickly found the Potions Master and peeked out from under the table to give the letter to him.
Once the letter was out of his mouth, Harry jumped onto the table to keep an eye on Dumbledore. He made sure to stay close to Snape and away from Remus, knowing the werewolf would be able to place his scent. Snape tried to give him a bit of sausage but he didn’t want to risk taking his eyes off of Dumbledore. The Potions Master seemed to realize this and placed the sausage down in favor of opening the letter. Harry immediately began to growl at the Headmaster when he noticed the Elder Wand summon into his hand.
“I’ve never seen a Fox so well behaved,” Dumbledore stated, stopping his movement. Every gaze except for Harry’s moved to Filius Flitwick when he gasped.
“That isn’t just any fox,” Flitwick stated. “What does the letter say, Severus? What is so important that a Goblin trained Assassin would deliver it?” Everyone froze and stared at the fox, who was gently wagging his tail in enjoyment of the astonishment. Except for Snape who was glaring at the letter.
“Apparently someone has been getting in the way of my mail,” Snape said in a growl. “Someone has been denying my place as Lord Prince for the last decade.” He then looked up to the fox. “Thank you.” He received a head nod from the fox, who still hadn’t removed his gaze from the Headmaster. “Would you mind escorting me to Sliverfang? He wants to see me as soon as possible.” The fox nodded and jumped towards Dumbledore, making the old man back away, and shifted in midair.
“Oh, sweet Circe, that’s Obscurus,” Flitwick whispered. Harry turned around and looked at the Charms professor.
“It is a pleasure to meet you Duel Master Flitwick,” Harry greeted with a bow. “I’m surprised you know of me so soon, considering I only finished my apprenticeship yesterday.”
“You are very well known among the Goblin Nation, Master Hunter Obscurus, being that you are the youngest to ever finish the Assassin Apprenticeship Program,” Flitwick explained.
“How old are you?” McGonagall asked, seeing how small he was.
“I’m 13, ma’am, but finished 15 OWLs and NEWTs with straight O’s when I was 12, if that is what you’re worried about,” Harry answered before turning to the shocked Potion Master. “We will go whenever you’re ready, Potion Master Snape.” Snape nodded and stood up to follow the 13-year-old, who he noticed wouldn’t look in him in the eyes. He waited until they were outside before he spoke.
“Is there a reason you won’t look me in the eyes like everyone else?” Snape asked.
“Yes, you’d recognize me too easily and would end up making this more difficult,” Harry said. “I have my suspicions that you are under several potions and spells that are hindering your judgment. I suggest that you ask Sliverfang to give you an Inheritance test. He’ll probably give you one anyway to ensure you are who you claim to be but if you go with the Integram Hereditatem Test, it’ll show if you are under any potions or spells and who put them there.”
“How could you possibly be sure that there are potions and spells?” Snape asked.
“I’m not sure, I just have my suspicions based on my own experience.”
“Your own experience?”
“Yes,” Harry answered. He then pulled out a ripped piece of paper and handed it to Snape. “That’s my Integram Hereditatem Test last year. The Goblins helped me get it all out of my system. I keep it with me now just in case the old man tries something with me again.”
Blocks:
Parseltongue - 68% Blocked
Parselmagic - 100% Blocked
Natural Occlumency - 85% Blocked
Natural Legilimency - 95% Blocked
Magical Core - 64% Blocked
Beast speak - 92% Blocked
Metamorphmagus - 94% Blocked
Intelligence - 35% Blocked
Talents in Potions, Transfiguration, and Charms - 69% Blocked
Natural Animagus Form - 100% blocked
EyeSight - 72% Blocked
Potions/Spells:
Compelling charms - Obey Dumbledore - Weakened
Loyalty Potions - Directed to Albus Dumbledore, Molly Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ron
Weasley, Ginevra Weasley, Order of the Phoenix, and Light Side - Weakened
Hatred Potions - Slytherins, Tom Riddle/Voldemort, Severus Snape, Dark Side, Death Eaters, Malfoys - Weakened
1 Obliviates - Broken
1 Horcrux - Scar
Submissive Charm- Cannot disobey the Dursleys or Albus Dumbledore - Weakened
Love Potion - Directed at Genevra Weasley - Obliterated
“Potter?” Snape asked. Harry finally turned and looked him in the eyes, causing the Potions Master to stiffen at seeing the familiar green. Hatred and anger grew at the same time worry and understanding grew, causing a strange look to form on his face.
“What you’re feeling right now, the mix of conflicting emotions, that is what started my suspicions,” Harry stated. “From one abuse case to another, we should have recognized each other but didn’t. Why?” Snape looked at the test again with wide eyes as understanding took hold. He handed the parchment back to his former student, who took it and returned it to his pocket.
“Let’s get to Gringotts,” Snape said, walking through the wards, and the two apparated. Just like with Sirius, Snape studied Harry as he interacted with the Goblins. Erluk and Sliverfang met Harry in the entrance hall this time. Snape followed Sliverfang to an office while Harry followed Erluk to the International Portkey room.
“Professor,” Harry called before they separated. Snape looked to the boy and nodded for him to continue. “If you ever want to get in touch with me, contact Gringotts. They have a way to contact me.” Snape nodded and entered the office. Harry stopped by Naglok’s office to check on his godfather, who was asleep, before heading over to the International Portkey to start his next mission.