When Harry woke up the next morning it took him a few seconds to remember where he was and what had happened the previous day. Then it all came rushing back and he made a mortified expression. He had completely fallen apart in front of all of his teammates. What on Earth must they all think of him?
He had an overwhelming urge to pull the covers over his head and curl up into a ball but he fought it down. He knew he couldn't hide away forever. Instead he pushed back the covers and sat up. He was still in the parts of his X-Men uniform that his teammates hadn't removed the previous day. He quickly changed into gym clothes and headed down to the gym for his morning workout. He worked out more intensely that day than he had in quite a while, the intensity of his workout driven by the shame and anger he felt over his breakdown. He dreaded having to face the others.
Once his workout was finished he headed upstairs, took a shower, got dressed again and nervously headed down to get breakfast. When he got to the kitchen he was surprised and relieved to see that none of his teammates were there yet. Only Sirius was there and he was reading a muggle newspaper.
"Good morning pup" Sirius said to Harry in a distracted manner.
"Same to you" said Harry in a low voice. He made his breakfast, sat down at the table and began to eat without saying anything else. Sirius didn't look at him and seemed to be very absorbed in what he was reading although he looked a bit puzzled by it.
"What's got your wand all twisted?" asked Harry after a few minutes. Sirius looked up with a start.
"What?" he said as he turned back to the paper, "oh, I'm just trying to figure out this muggle sport."
"Which one?"
"Hockey" was the reply.
"What's to figure out?" murmured Harry, "it's seemed straightforward enough to me."
"Yes, yes" said Sirius, "shoot the small disc into a net – "
"You mean the puck?"
"Whatever" said Sirius, "that's easy enough but why huge sticks? Especially since the rules don't allow you to use them against other players."
"That doesn't stop some people" said Harry.
"I can see that too" said Sirius putting down the paper and turning to look at Harry, "this story talks about some players who were penalized for hitting other players with their sticks. But in Quidditch bludgers do that all the time."
"Hockey isn't Quidditch" said Harry.
"It would make the game more exciting."
"But Hockey players aren't usually wizards" pointed out Harry, "if they get hurt they can't be magically healed in a few minutes."
"Muggles can be so fragile" said Sirius as he went back to reading the paper, "sometimes I wonder how they even survive, let alone thrive as they do."
"Probably by being stubborn" said Harry, "say where is everyone this morning?" Sirius turned his head to look at Harry again.
"They're being kept out of the way" said Sirius, "until I've had a chance to talk to you. I asked the professor for that and he agreed."
"Why?" asked Harry, suspicious.
"I know what happened yesterday" Sirius said as he looked straight at Harry who looked away.
"I suppose the professor told you" muttered Harry.
"Yes" said Sirius, "so did your teammates. They're all very concerned about you. You have some very good friends there."
"They must think I'm the most pathetic person in the world" said Harry looking down at his food.
"They don't" said Sirius.
"Of course they do. What kind of person falls apart like I did?"
"Lots of people" said Sirius, "Harry, look at me. Come on pup, please." Harry lifted his head and look at his godfather. Sirius looked at him with compassion and understanding.
"I bet I know what you're thinking" said Sirius, "despite all of the pain and abuse you had to deal with you probably spent a lot of time wondering what was so wrong with you for you to be abused as you were. I'm sure you wondered what you could do so they would treat you better. Maybe you thought that if only you were more of what they wanted you to be that they might actually love you. Am I right?" Harry looked at Sirius for a long moment.
"How do you know that?" he finally asked in a low voice.
"I know because I went through it too" said Sirius without any trace of humor in his voice, "I've never told you about my own childhood but it was a lot like yours."
"How?" asked Harry.
"You know I was a Gryffindor at Hogwarts, right?" said Sirius.
"Yes" said Harry.
"Well everyone else in my family was in Slytherin" said Sirius, "you might say it was a point of Black pride. You need to understand that the Blacks have been a dark family for generations but in recent years it got much worse. The rise of Voldemort brought out the worst in many of my family members. Several of them became death eaters. My cousin Bellatrix was the most infamous but she wasn't the only one. My own parents supported Voldemort although they never took his mark and they didn't approve of some of his later, crazier actions. They were pure blood supremacists through and through and they used to drum their bigotry into my head and my younger brother Regulus' head. Well it didn't take with me. I've always had a rebellious streak in my makeup and when I got to Hogwarts I refused to be sorted into Slytherin no matter how much my parents threatened me beforehand that I damn well better be in that house. I went to Gryffindor and was proud of it. And I paid for it."
"What happened?" asked Harry.
"My parents – my mother in particular – were very angry" said Sirius, "in the years after that they got increasingly abusive of me. Beatings were common, refusal of food as punishment, verbal abuse about how worthless I was, even use of the Cruciatus curse sometimes. It got so bad that during the summer after fifth year I ran away from home and came to your dad's family. Your grandparents were quite willing to take me in and I stayed with them after that when not at school. I was treated like a second son by your grandparents."
"I wish I'd known them" said Harry.
"You would have liked them" said Sirius, "not long after I first came to stay with your family my dear old mum tried to force your grandparents to make me come back home. She even went so far as to threaten your grandfather with kidnapping charges. Luckily for me the day after I ran away your grandfather paid a visit to my grandfather, Arcturus Black, to discuss the situation with him. Arcturus was a dark wizard but he was a lot more sensible than either of my parents and he gave his approval as head of the Black family for me to stay with the Potters. When your grandfather told my mum this and provided her with my grandfather's signed letter of approval for my transfer she went into perhaps the worst tirade I have ever heard anyone give. I won't tell you any of what she said because none of it is fit to be repeated even in rude company. I'm pretty sure my ears didn't stop bleeding for a month! If you ever visit my family home at 12 Grimmauld Place you can get some idea of what my mum was like because her portrait hangs in the front hall and she screams abuse at everyone who visits the house."
"Ouch" said Harry, "I think I'll pass on that if you don't mind."
"I don't mind in the least" said Sirius, "I'd destroy that portrait if I could but I haven't been able to remove it from the wall yet. So you see, I do understand where you're coming from. You are in no way pathetic just because your emotions finally caught up with you over how badly you were treated and no one here thinks that you are. Quite the opposite in fact."
Harry looked at Sirius for a long time as if trying to gauge how truthful the man was being before finally lowering his head and muttering a quiet "thanks" to him.
"Harry" Sirius said to him, "I really think you should speak to a mind healer. I know you said you don't want to talk about the Dursleys and you'd rather just forget about them but I think we can both agree that it's not that simple. If yesterday proved anything at all it's that you can't just forget about them. They're there inside of you and until you can come to terms with them and what they did to you you'll never be rid of them."
"I'm not crazy" said Harry.
"I never said you were" said Sirius, "lots of people see mind healers, both muggle and magical, without ever being crazy. I had to see one every day that I was in St. Mungo's and it was very helpful."
"That's not very reassuring" said Harry.
"Okay I'll give you that" said Sirius with a wry grin, "but my point stands. The effects of what they did to you will haunt you forever if you can't come to terms with them. Even if you get revenge it won't fix everything. So will you at least try talking with a mind healer?" Harry said nothing for a while before giving a rueful chuckle.
"Revenge" he said, "I won't say I've never thought of it. I even have a way to eventually get some back on Uncle Vernon. Did you know that I'm the majority shareholder of the company he works for?"
"No" said Sirius, "how did that happen?"
"My family has long invested in the muggle world" said Harry.
"I know" said Sirius, "your father told me that some months before he was killed although he said the goblins are the ones who do most of the investing."
"And they're very good at it" said Harry, "they showed me all of my holdings last summer. At some point in the past they invested in Grunning Drills, the company my uncle works for. I own 64 percent of it."
"Then you can fire him" said Sirius with a grin but Harry's face fell.
"Not yet I can't" said Harry, "I'm still underage. I'll have to wait until I turn 18."
"You mean 17" said Sirius, "that's when we come of age in the wizarding world."
"Grunnings is a muggle company" said Harry, "and in the muggle world people come of age at 18. Until then I can't do anything about Uncle Vernon." Suddenly Sirius began to laugh.
"Oh but that's perfect" he said to Harry who looked confused, "don't you see Harry? You don't have to wait that long. You just need a legal proxy to handle it for you."
"Wouldn't I have to be of age to appoint a proxy?" asked Harry.
"Normally yes" said Sirius, "unless we're talking about your legal guardian. Your parents appointed me to be your guardian in their wills. I can be your proxy and arrange for Vernon to be summarily tossed out of Grunnings any time you want. And if I can't do it the goblins can hire someone to represent you and take care of it that way."
"You would do that?" asked Harry, his eyes starting to light up.
"I would if you wanted me to" said Sirius, "but if I do you have to consent to see a mind healer."
"Careful Sirius" said Harry, "you're starting to sound like a responsible adult."
"No, never!" said Sirius in mock horror, "nice try but my condition stands."
"You really want me to see one that badly?"
"Yes pup" said Sirius, "I do. I hate to see you in pain like you were yesterday."
"All right" said Harry with a sigh, "I will."
"Thank you" said Sirius, "I'll have your dear old uncle out of Grunnings by the end of the week."
"Don't do it yet" said Harry, "I want to think that over for a bit first. I – " he smiled a somewhat predatory smile as considered how best to make his point " – want to, I don't know, enjoy this knowledge for a while."
"As you wish" said Sirius with a matching smile, "whenever you're ready you just let me know. I wish I had some way to get back at my parents, especially my mother. Unfortunately they're both long dead."
"Well" said Harry with a small smile, "you could tell her portrait that you made Lord Slytherin your heir, and by the way he's a half blood."
"What are you talking about?" asked Sirius looking at Harry in surprise, "I didn't name Lord Slytherin to be my heir. I don't even know who that is."
"Yes you did Padfoot" said Harry with a wide grin, "I'm Lord Slytherin."
"What?!" exclaimed Sirius.
"I'm also Lord Gryffindor" continued Harry, "Lord Hufflepuff and Lord Ravenclaw too. I'm the heir of Hogwarts."
Sirius looked at Harry like he'd grown two extra heads. Harry got up from the table.
"Come with me" he said to Sirius, "I'll show you." Sirius got up and followed Harry out of the kitchen and upstairs to his godson's room. Once they were there Harry pulled out his Gringotts folder.
"At the beginning of last summer" he said to Sirius, "the goblins told me about all of my holdings. When they did that they had me take a heritage test. These were the results." Harry handed Sirius the list of all his lordships as well as the line naming him the Black heir.
"The goblins told me that you had made me your heir" said Harry, "at the time we all thought you wanted to kill me so it didn't make sense. We all know better now. You see what I mean about telling your mum's portrait that Lord Slytherin is a half blood?" Sirius stared at the sheet of parchment for a long time.
"I don't understand" he said to Harry, "your dad always said he was descended from Gryffindor but how are you the heir to the other three founders?" Harry told him everything that the goblins had revealed to him about his ancestry and about how he was, in fact, the heir to all four founders and therefore the actual owner of Hogwarts – "but nobody knows that right now" he finished up, "and I was advised to keep it a secret, at least until I'm an adult."
"I see" said Sirius and he began to laugh, "that'll be a black eye to the Board of Governors when you do reveal yourself. Please let me know when you do so I can be there to see all of their faces, especially the ones from death eater families."
"I will" said Harry.
"That's a pretty collection of lordships you have there pup" said Sirius looking at the parchment again, "all four founders plus the Potter and Peverell lordships and you're my heir."
"Padfoot, why did you make me your heir?" asked Harry, "are we related?"
"Yes" said Sirius, "your grandmother was a Black but that's not why. You're my godson Harry. If I hadn't been a fool I would have raised you as my own after your parents died. There's no one else I'd rather have as my heir than you."
"But what if you have children someday?" asked Harry.
"If that ever happens" said Sirius, "I'll deal with it then."
"Since I already have six lordships" said Harry, "if you do have a kid of your own I want you to make them your heir. I'll be glad to be your heir until then but once that happens – "
" – If that happens Harry, if" said Sirius, "do you not want to be my heir?"
"Of course I do" said Harry.
"Then it's settled" said Sirius, "and I'm glad of it. If you weren't my heir and I didn't name someone else then the next heir would be Draco Malfoy."
"What?" said Harry, "no."
"Yes" said Sirius, "his mother is a Black and without you he's the next heir. Lucius must have been furious when my name was cleared. I'm sure he thought that when I died in Azkaban Draco would be sure to inherit." Sirius smirked. "He would have been wrong" he added, "because I made you my heir before your parents were killed. In fact James approved it and it was all made official. We just didn't publicize it so very few people know about it even now."
"Well if you ever do tell him" said Harry, "I want to be there to see his face."
"Just as long as I get to see his face when you tell him you own Hogwarts" said Sirius.
"Deal" said Harry, "and we can both be there when you tell your mum's portrait about me being Lord Slytherin, your heir – and a halfblood."
"Oh that would dissolve her paint" said Sirius with a laugh.
Harry felt a bit better after talking with Sirius. He didn't look forward to having to see a mind healer but maybe it would be worth it. It couldn't hurt at least, right?
Later in the day he met with his teammates. It was hard enough to face them but the talk with Sirius had helped a lot. To Harry's immense relief all of them assured him that they didn't think any less of him because of his breakdown. He wasn't weak. He was actually quite strong to have survived the upbringing he'd had without turning into a permanent victim or becoming a vengeful criminal. Hank observed that such a breakdown as the one Harry had was probably inevitable. That it hadn't occurred sooner was a miracle. They also agreed with Harry's decision to finally get counseling.
Harry met with a mind healer for the first time three days later. He went to Colony Alley where he was seen by a mind healer in a private office at the Colony Alley Hospital. Harry wasn't sure what to expect but it turned out to be a lot easier than he'd feared. The mind healer was a young woman in her late 30s and she didn't push Harry with invasive questions. She made it clear from the very beginning that anything he said would be held in strict confidence and would never be repeated to anyone else without Harry's express permission.
So they talked and that's all they did. First just about innocuous things like school, and hobbies and stuff like that as they got to know each other. The woman made it clear to Harry that she wasn't going to force him to talk about anything he didn't want to talk about but she would gently prod him if she thought if it would help his healing. Harry took it slowly with her and it didn't take very long before he warmed up to her and began to feel comfortable around her. It was nice to talk to an adult who actually listened to him and took him seriously for a change. Except for Professor Xaver and, more recently, Sirius, he could count on the fingers of one hand all of the adults in his life who had done that before his move to America. There was Professor Dumbledore of course, Hagrid sometimes, and that was about it.
It was some comfort to know that he could have Uncle Vernon fired from his job anytime he wanted but somehow that didn't feel like enough payback for what the Dursleys had done to him for so long. He didn't know what else he could do to legally get back at them and he wasn't going to start breaking laws for revenge. That was kind of antithetical to being an X-Man.
What was it that the Dursleys prized above everything else? Their reputations as being good solid, normal citizens who were well thought of by the community. The most effective revenge against them would be to destroy their reputations. As he turned this over in his mind a new thought occurred to him. The Dursleys had always complained about how much it cost them to take care of him (hah!). There was something wrong about that though. If his family was so rich surely there would have been some provision made to pay for his upkeep with whomever became his guardian. Did the Dursleys ever receive money from the Potter account? If they did they certainly never spent it on him but they always seemed to have plenty of money to waste on themselves. They never lacked for food, or new clothes, or presents for Dudley, or a new car every couple of years, or vacations abroad. Did Vernon really earn enough at Grunnings to pay for all of that?
When he had been at Gringotts he had received a list of all his assets but he hadn't received a record of any transactions made on his account. He hadn't thought to ask for that either. Now he would. He sat down at his desk and wrote a letter to Sharpshard asking for that record, especially a record of any withdrawals after his parents' deaths. When he was finished he gave it to Hedwig and watched as she flew away. Now he'd just have to wait for his answer.