Unveiling Destiny: Harry Potter and the Triwizard Revelation

"The power of the Black family has always been rooted in their ownership of land. The bare bones of their economic plan was to own land, rake in gold by leasing it out and bank the money. When they have enough funds in the bank they purchase more property. As their portfolio of properties grows so does their cash flow." Cyrus Greengrass stopped his lecture when Harry's face showed he wasn't understanding something.

"Cash flow, sir?" Harry asked, his face marred with confusion.

Cyrus ran a hand over his face, it had been a long day of educating Harry on the Black holdings and status of the family. "Sorry Harry, I'll try and keep it simple but please understand I attended muggle university and completed mastery studies in finance since then. It's like teaching advanced quidditch tactics to a toddler. They understand flying and the main objective but all the nuances are beyond them. As they grow and learn they will grasp it, but, for now, the financial workings of the Black family are simply beyond your ability to comprehend in minutiae."

"I understand." Harry wasn't happy with it but he understood. You can't teach advanced material without the prerequisite background information. Really, his goal was to not have to handle any of this until he was older. The political, legal and financial aspects he wanted to be aware of and to put under control of others that were far more competent and perfectly loyal to him. Nevertheless, he paid attention as best as he could.

"Cash flow, in very simple terms, is the difference between incoming and outgoing flows of money. There are many ways and various methods that tell you different things about cash flow. In short, you want a positive cash flow. It means you have liquidity, cash or cash equivalents, to pay your bills and use your liquidity to your benefit. You want to have positive income all the time and to ensure there are no shortfalls, even when you have positive cashflow it can be a challenge"

"Why so sir?" Harry asked, he thought his questions were grating on the older man so it was fun to keep his face blank and ask as if he was really interested in knowing.

"An example will help to illustrate. Say you have 1000 galleons of income per month and 500 galleons of expenses. Overall you would have a monthly net benefit of 500 galleons.

"Okay." Harry said, understanding why having more money coming in on a monthly basis than was leaving was a good thing.

"Part of a cashflow though is timing. If you are paid the 1000 galleons on the last day of the month but you must pay the 500 galleons on the first day of the month that timing is very poor. You must use other funds to pay the 500 galleons for almost the entire month."

Harry nodded understanding there was far more to it than just a monthly number.

"As a general principle you want to pay your bills as slow as possible and get paid what you are owed as quickly as possible." The man educated him

That led Harry to think of a question though.

"You said the Blacks bought their land. Did that mean they took out a mortgage?" He recalled it was a common complaint from Uncle Vernon, the mortgage was too expensive.

"Ah, muggle raised." Cyrus sighed. "In the magical world there are truly only terrible options for taking debt out. You can borrow from another family or from the goblins. You'd never want to be majorly in debt to another wizarding family and the goblins… only the truly desperate would consider it. So, no, the Black family always purchased with their stockpiled gold."

Harry was about to ask for details of why you'd never want to be in a position to take on debt in the wizarding world but an interruption halted their conversation. Through the floo came Horace Slughorn, portly belly, rosy cheek and all.

"Harry my boy!" He beamed and then caught sight of the other occupant. "And Cyrus, how are you, it's been a little while, how are your girls, Daphne and Astoria? I heard they were both in my former house and your eldest is as bright as a Ravenclaw and as cunning as any of the three Black sisters." He moved forward and shook hands with Harry then with Cyrus.

"I'm well and so are my girls." Harry thought he looked a little tense, compared to their discussion on finance anyways, "You're rather… informed… about my daughters." The drawl he'd used when lecturing wasn't the same as this. He still spoke in a drawl but there was a hidden edge within it.

"Quite so! I may not be the Head of Slytherin anymore but I like to keep up to date on things." Harry watched the two men interact and was surprised at how on edge and defensive the Greengrass patriarch was. His interaction made it clear he thought Slughorn was dangerous. Harry wondered if there was there an unspoken threat there or a poor history between them.

"Well Harry, you asked me to be here today, what can I do for you?" The man sounded immensely pleased at his inclusion here today.

"Well, sir, I-" Harry was cut off before he could say anymore.

"Horace, Harry, Horace, we've been over this." He cut in firm though oddly gentle at the same time. It wasn't reproachful in the way Dumbledore expressed disapproval, the grandfatherly disappointment method, it was a cheerful rapprochement, something Harry was unfamiliar with.

"Horace then." Harry said.

Horace slapped him on the back. "Just so!" He beamed once again at the younger man. "And you were saying?" He led Harry back to the topic at hand.

"Yes, Horace, I had asked for you to be here today for two reasons but before we get down to business shall we retire to the study?" Harry stood up. They had been in the parlor for the entire time they were at this property.

Receiving nods from both men Harry led them into the former study of Arcturus Black. The man had used this top floor corner unit apartment as a place to conduct business. It was renovated to have a parlor entry for the floo, a waiting area of place to conduct business that was not so formal, a powder room for guests, a small library, a kitchen and eating area and the large office. Beyond the large office was the washroom and a small bedroom in case he'd felt the need to retire here. There were no doors to gain entry into the rest of the building and the property was heavily warded.

Harry had learned of it from the man's portrait and he still kept one of his frames here. He'd purchased and setup the property for himself. A place where he could get away from family and get work done. It was Harry's intention to use it to conduct business affairs but not to be a home base.

He walked into the room and sat in the ornate chair behind the large desk. Two comfortable chairs were pulled out, by Harry's spell, as an invitation for them both to sit.

"Before we begin, please be aware this room is heavily warded. They are the same Arcturus used when he

"Kreacher" Harry called out.

The batty old elf popped in and gave a low bow. "Half-blood Regent calls? Kreacher will serve, as he must." Harry grinned, of the two House Elves he'd had more regular contact with neither were what he'd consider as sane. Kreacher despised Sirius and had a dislike for Harry, strictly on his blood status. There was respect for his grandmother and to listen to him as the Regent for the family. He found ways to disrespect Harry that Harry found tolerable and humorous.

"We'll take tea, just the way Arcturus liked it, his specialty tea." Harry commanded firmly.

Kreacher's eyes bulged and he gained a feral grin. "At once." He snapped his fingers and disappeared.

"I hope tea was okay for you both." Harry said, turning his attention back to the two men he wanted to get into the room with him.

"It's fine." Cyrus responded first neutrally. He'd been guarded the whole time they'd spent together. It was an odd dynamic with him being of an age to be Harry's parent while in a subservient position to a fourteen year old.

"Tea is fine, Arcturus had exquisite tastes." Slughorn told him jovially. "The last time I had tea with the man was when his grandchildren were students of mine. He'd brought in a tea for the orient and refused to tell me his supplier. But I talked to Marty, a former student of mine that imports from those kinds of regions, and he thought it was from the Fujian Province in China, a Oolong Tea that is rather famous. It was excellent and quite hard to come by, though Marty did source me some, right from Da Hong Pao."

"You've always been well connected, Horace." There was a sprinkling of friction to his comment but nobody commented on it.

Harry ignored the unnecessary comment from the man and continued with his current plan. "I asked you both to be here as Horace has offered to teach me potions, politics and wizarding society. Cyrus is the current Steward of House Black, though his abilities to perform his duties have been removed by Orion Black. He'd be handling the legal and financial aspects and working in coordination with yourself, Horace, if I accept that is." He gave a hard look to both men and awaited comment.

"Before we go any further I need a vow from both of you anything spoken of today will be kept completely silent and not divulged in any way, muggle or magical."

"A vow on?" Cyrus asked, clearly not happy with the request.

"Your life or magic, it doesn't matter to me which, both are sufficient." Harry stated in a calm manner.

"Our life or magic?! Those are very harsh terms, Harry." Slughorn said, his usual exuberance missing, he was slightly reproachful.

Harry stared at both of them, making sure he met both of their eyes, "If you are not interested you are free to leave. My affairs are exactly that, mine. I'm a private person and am taking precautions."

"We are swearing on our life or magic for your privacy?" Cyrus asked in disbelief. "My contract as Steward is more than sufficient to protect your secrets."

"I'm the Regent Black but if I were to ever recuse myself from the role you could be given an allowance to speak about things the contract protects. I'm not as naive as I once was and this is non-negotiable. Leave or swear the vow." The clear terms were laid out in a cold tone.

Slughorn had kept silent and had been content with watching and listening since the original request. He decided to ask a question now. "Why do you feel this is necessary? I'd prefer to hear your thoughts before deciding one way or the other." His voice was more detached than normal and there was a layer of warmth missing from his previous interactions.

With His had hands folded together, on the desk in front of him and he was seated towards the front of his chair with his back straight, he collected his thoughts before answering. "There are details neither of you are aware of regarding my life. I have to be sure the information is not known… I've had friends betray me, I've good reasons to question those I thought were trustworthy, and my parents were betrayed by someone they thought would die before doing so. I'm not in a position where I'm willing to trust anyone absolutely. The vow will protect me and I don't care that it is more cautious than I probably need. Swear it or don't, those are the options."

Slughorn listened carefully and nodded along to his points. "Sensible. I don't believe it necessary but if you think it is I will comply." He pulled out his wand and swore the vow of secrecy.

Cyrus begrudgingly did the same, he'd been boxed into a corner when the other main was willing, they'd have had to have been united for them to have tried to see if Harry was bluffing or not.

Harry smiled. "Kreacher" he called out and the elf came back with the previously ordered tea. He placed a glass in front of each of them.

Harry picked up his glass, raised it to the two men, and drank from it. For tea it was alright. He didn't have a refined palate for tea. He could tell you only the most basic of things. To him it was an alright tea and no more than that.

Slughorn opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. He looked in alarm at Harry. Cyrus had watched that and spoke to Harry in an emotionless tone.

"You potioned us?" He questioned, his voice was one thing but the tightness of his body and openly hateful look was quite the opposite.

"Kreacher if you would." Harry said ignoring the angry Cyrus and outraged Slughorn. He was thankful that Arcturus' painting had some advice to impart. It was well known he was an astute politician in his day and unscrupulous in ensuring his family was better off. It was only after his health had declined that Orion, his son, was given the opportunity to lead the family and under his leadership they made the ill choice of bowing to the Dark Lord.

It was fascinating to hear a different perspective on the Dark Lord's rise. It had started with more politics and raising of support. It was once they were already in too deep that Orion realised his error. His own family had been a major player in removing the last Dark Lord and he'd led his family right into the next one's clutches.

Harry broke from his musing, he was thankful the intensive warding would keep him from harm while the wards were up. His two guests could not take hostile action against him, within the room, without being incapacitated, they both knew it too.

Kreacher did as he was commanded, he floated the wands of both men to his awaiting hand. He then presented them to Harry with a bow.

Slughorn's eyes had bulged and he was frantically panicking while working through his pockets. He looked relieved and pulled his right hand out and Harry, who had not sat idly by, petrified him before he could ingest the contents of the tiny potion vial.

Harry summoned the vial and placed it on the desk in front of him, out of easy reach of the man. He had his wand levelled at the two men still. "I've dosed you with the base veritaserum. It will not make you divulge anything and you will not be asked intrusive questions, nothing not intrusive to our working relationship anyway."

"This is outrageous." The dichotomy of the enforced neutral tone and the absolute fury of being dosed, illegally, as it is against their will, had Cyrus spitting in anger but his verbal delivery didn't match. In any other circumstances the disparity would have been comical.

"Kreacher." Harry said again, and the elf floated two vials in front of the men, just out of reach. Cyrus had reached for it, to inspect its contents, but Harry petrified him first.

"Let me make this clear. In front of you is a vial that will remove the effects of the potion. If you wish to take it you may do so and leave. Once you are in the parlor Kreacher will return your wand as you will not be able to re-enter the office through the wards." He paused here and saw signs of relief in their eyes, neither could move or change their posture as of yet.

"If either of you do that you working relationship with me is over. I am sorry that I had to do this and under different circumstances I would not have. You still are able to retain the right to answer or not answer questions. If your answers are not satisfactory, I will not be working with either of you, now or in the future. Note that your vow of silence will prevent you from ever divulging this incident." He showed no remorse for what he had done. This was strictly necessary in Harry's mind.

"I will unpetrify you one at a time and we can discuss things civilly or you can leave." It was hard to tell how they would react when they were unable to move.

Harry unpetrified Cyrus Greengrass first.

"This is outrageous!" He stated the same phrase again, though the delivery was no different. "I will not stand for this and you have my resignation." He stood up and took two steps to leave when Harry's voice caught his attention, stopping his movement.

"You don't want to research how to end the curse?" Harry asked, trying and failing to keep his voice light and questioning.

Cyrus didn't move his legs and he craned his neck, and shoulders, around to look at Harry. His eyes were dark and it may not be possible for him to be any more livid. "What did you say?"

"Beyond the Black Library I may have an ever greater resource for ritual based magic. Wasn't the point of your Stewardship and the marriage contract to get the knowledge of how to end the bloodline curse on your family?" Harry smirked inwardly. He'd known his actions wouldn't be taken well and had prepared for this.

"You are blackmailing me to gain my cooperation? You condemn my girls and their children when you are able to help? You are that callous?" If he was exclaiming any of his words Harry would not know. The veritaserum was keeping it all level.

"I am not blackmailing you at all." Harry told him, doing his best to keep his game face together. " You are deciding on whether to give up your position not me."

Cyrus was glaring at the young man, thinking, debating, unsure of his actions.

"Semantics. I say blackmail you say I'm free to leave." He sat down in the chair, looking no more happy than before.

Harry turned his wand onto Slughorn now and unpetrified him.

"I'd thought you were a mix of your parents, Harry my boy. Lily's eyes and intelligence with the temperament and morals of James. I was wrong. I see far more of Lily in you, a warm exterior and a ruthless intelligence that you wield when necessary." He nodded his head and retook his seat as well. "What is your leverage on me, you had Cyrus' weak point pegged, have you prepared the same for me?"

Harry gave him a grim smile. "I didn't need any. You've been setting up arrangements for a gathering, you've been coming back out to society and dropping my name. Would you cancel that all now and allow people to question whether we even had a relationship at all? All the public knows is that we sat together at the Yule Ball and didn't speak too much then."

"Ah, hurting my credibility, social standing and political position. I taught few with more of Slytherin's traits than you." He looked at Cyrus and then turned his attention back to Harry. "I'll not bow out yet but may do so."

Harry nodded in agreeance. He ran his hand over his face and let his wand slip back into his wand holster. "Would either of you wish to go first?"

"I will, however, I request Cyrus is unable to hear what we speak of." Slughorn spoke up.

"I'll request the same." Cyrus stated, wanting the same privacy. Just because neither could divulge any information didn't mean they couldn't act based on it.

Harry withdrew his wand and floated Cyrus' chair, with him in it, to the corner of the room. He placed a privacy charm and prepared himself for this.

"Respond to the question, and all following questions, unless instructed otherwise, with either 'yes' or 'no'. Do you have malicious intent for your plans for me?"

"No."

"Do you intend for anything negative to happen to me?"

"No."

"Did you tell me the whole truth about your relationship with my mother?"

"Yes."

"Did you act in good faith towards my mother, Lily Potter nee Evans?"

"Yes."

"Do you intend to work to my sole benefit?"

Slughorn opened his mouth and couldn't answer 'no'. He tries to say 'yes' and it failed too.

"Do you intend to work to our mutual benefit?" Harry clarified the question further. The previous one was too narrow to get an answer.

"Yes." Slughorn had a look of relief as he was able to answer in a way that was not horrible now.

"Would you act in your own self interest to the detriment of mine if it was beneficial to you?"

"No." Harry was surprised he was able to answer. Perhaps his question wasn't specific enough.

"Would you act in your own self interest, to the detriment of my interests, if it was greatly beneficial to you?"

Horace failed to answer in the negative. He actually looked ashamed at that but not wholly so.

"Are you offering to assist me primarily because of my fame?"

"No." Again, surprising. It wasn't unforgivable for the man to work for his benefit of Harry's. He just needed to know what to watch out for and get these kinds of details before deciding upon his role.

"Please explain why you are offering to assist me." Harry was curious here, he had some of his own ideas but he wanted to see what the potion allow him to say.

Slughorn appraised him. "Your mother was an all time favorite of mine. In some ways she was like a daughter to me. She was so bright and one of my greatest pupils. The loss of her almost broke me. I wish to help you for her sake and I will admit I know I will benefit from being an advisor of yours as well."

Harry had known the man was slippery and could do as he'd described to Harry when explaining this potion. Harry had already worked out a method for dealing with this.

"Did you withhold any information in your last answer? Respond with a 'yes' or 'no'."

Horace's eyes widened in horror. He shook his head, he didn't want to answer. They both knew Harry had understood the limitation of his question and had caught Slughorn exploiting it. The man's face reddened.

"Look, Horace, I don't expect you to be perfectly loyal and to have not made mistakes at this point. I want honesty and I want to know if you are keeping information from me that may come back to bite me in the arse later. That's my purpose today." Harry was passionate about this. He thought Slughorn could be a very strong ally. Especially when he didn't think he and Dumbledore were close friends. Long time colleagues but there lack of interaction at the Yule Ball had been conspicuous.

Slughorn had a far away look, his eyes had drifted off to staring in the corner.

Harry let the man stew. He wasn't sure if this was the time to press or not. Harry closed his eyes and debated whether to press or not. He decided to and opened his eyes. "Does this have to do with Tom Riddle?"

Slughorn whipped his head around and focused on Harry, his posture defeated.

"I don't care what happened in the past, Horace. I want to avenge my mother and end that monster. If you can help me it will go a long way to absolving your past mistake."

"I'm not sure I can tell you Harry." If the potion wasn't effective still Harry would have expected he would have been barely whispering that comment. He looked like a defeated man, aged 10 years in 10 seconds.

"As long as you not withholding information that could be critical to the effort to defeat him I can live with past mistakes. You can't change your past; you can make up for it in the future. I've asked around and I think you could be an amazing person to have in my corner. But, I can only have people I trust and who are fully loyal and committed there with me."

Harry really did hope he could get this man to fully side with him. Even with him holding all the cards here the man was sly and not revealing anything damaging. He'd known Harry wouldn't be torturing or doing anything terribly shameful to him and had just gone along with things, even putting Cyrus into a worse spot, aiding Harry.

He was well connected and more importantly he'd advised his mother. From everything he'd heard his mother was amazing. She did something that defeated the Dark Lord. She sacrificed herself in such a way that it protected her son, it even continued to do so to this day.

James, Harry's father, hadn't even used his wand. He hadn't been prepared for an attack. He'd picked the friend who betrayed him and his two other best friends were not reliable either, though they were not betrayers. Remus hadn't bothered with him and Sirius was unreliable. Harry still liked and appreciated the relationship he had with them but he was not fooling himself. He'd spent a lot of time thinking things over and had come to the conclusion that his father had made colossal mistakes. Harry wasn't sure he could afford them.

His life had mirrored his father's, to some degree. Both sorted into Gryffindor, both made close friends first year, he had good grades but neither of them were academic standouts early preferring to goof off and play quidditch than study, and most importantly, his good friends were not as loyal to him as he was to them. He'd have never turned his back on Ron if his name had come out of the cup. He'd have never questioned Hermione if she'd said she didn't do it as adamantly as Harry had. If there were already cracks in the foundation of their friendship he didn't feel he could fully depend on them.

He'd felt his first few years he was much more like his father, a quidditch star that enjoyed fun and didn't take his studies all that serious, unless he needed to. It wasn't that he didn't love his father, he did, as well as he could without knowing him. The man had loved him and laid down his life for him. Harry just didn't know him, barely remembered him.

What he had learned about his parents put him in the mind that Lily was the one, between the two of them, that he should try and emulate.

She came into a foreign world set against her, he understood the predjudice Hermione, and other muggleborns, faced. She was a top student, a prefect, and Head Girl. She was hailed as a Charms and Potions prodigy. She was pragmatic enough to look out for her own future and that of her children. Harry thought her agreement to marry into the Potter family was more likely for her children and family's benefit than her own. She could have just left. Instead she'd made a decision that tied her to a family that was well respected and would provide for her and her children. Give them all the advantages that a long magical lineage could do for a child.

It was his mother's agreement for tutelage with the man that led him to believe he should accept it. Remus and Sirius' hesitance had no real effect on his plan. He heard their words and concluded they had no real idea what had truly gone on. They loved his father, and him by extension. He'd never fully trust Remus, for never being there for him without a valid reason for his absence. Sirius wasn't even trusted to act on the Black family's behalf. Arcturus had left the leadership of the family to his sister's grandson, one he never even got to know, before his own grandson, one he'd seen grow up and fight in a war. Harry had resolved he could love them and treat them like uncles and it was okay if he wasn't fully open with them, if he didn't have to take all their advice and he could keep secrets from them.

"Did I ever tell you why I helped your mother so much?" Horace asked, bringing Harry back to the man his mother had trusted.

"No I don't think you did."

The man had a dour smile on his face. "She was my redemption." His eyes burned with intense emotion. She was supposed to be what I thought my previous favorite should have been. She was so bright, a guiding light to our dark world. She would have changed the magical world. Her drive, her intelligence and dogged determination would of let her do no less." He dropped his head into his hands sadly.

When he lifted his head there were actual tears dropping down his cheeks. "I pushed her to the Potters. A family with a long history of being the harbingers of change. Beloved Charlus for galvanizing English citizens to forsake their neutrality and help against Grindelwald. He was just another Potter doing wondrous things for our world. Acting on his morals when no-one else would. And he's not the only Potter, your family is famous for them."

He swallowed thickly and wiped the tear stains from his cheeks. "With the Potter name and centuries of tradition behind her she would have been able to enact the changes she was passionate about. All my politicking, all my scheming, all the favors I called in, they were all ruined. Ruined by the man I'd helped more than any other as a student. The one I greedily thought would be the next Albus Dumbledore, a future Minister of Magic, a young man who had the world laid out in front of him and decided it wasn't enough… The very man who murdered the young woman I'd hoped would redeem me."

He brought his fist to his mouth and bit on it, trying and failing to bite back a sob. He leaned forward in his chair and tears were escaping his eyes again, rolling down his face and dropping to the floor.

"I was utterly fooled by Tom. He was so charismatic and frighteningly intelligent. I gave him unrestricted access to the Restricted Section, I answered all his questions on magic a student should not even be aware of, he was so fascinated by the frowned upon magics… I introduced him to the families that later became his inner-circle supporters, the financial and political backers for his rise as a Dark Lord. And Lily, the red-haired muggleborn, the one at least as intelligent as Tom, the one with a heart of kindness, a pure soul, she was my hope. I had it all by then, money, power, and connections galore. I had it all but a clear conscience. She would have been the one to fix that, the one to mend our world and push us into a better place. I really believe she would have… she should have been as revered as Rowena Ravenclaw."

The potion had worn off, his voice regained emotion and Harry wasn't fully certain of when it had happened. It had just fully happened but not the precise moment. Unless Slughorn was an impeccable actor, with and without veritaserum, he couldn't have faked the sincerity.

"So what am I to you then? Your third and final chance? The man who can avenge my mother and end the young man who became an abomination?" Harry asked, keeping his voice soft.

"Yes." He croaked out.

Harry was pleased, incredibly so. He'd wanted to find out the true motivations of the man and now he had. He'd found his weakness and exploited it. It had hurt his conscience to be deceitful, to lure the two men into a trap and try to play them. The only reason it had a chance to work was because who would ever believe or suspect it of the fourteen year old naive boy-who-lived. They'd underestimated him and hadn't even bothered to ensure they would be entering into good faith discussions and negotiations today.

"Tom isn't gone and I think you know that." Harry watched as his words had the same effect as if he'd just lashed a whip with the loud crack forcing those in close proximity to pay attention to it.

"He's a spirit I'd imagine. Weak, frail and a half step away from death." Horace whispered out.

"I saw him in that state. He possessed Quirrell in my first year and he tried to kill me, twice. The first time by jinxing my broom during my first quidditch match and the second time my mother's protection killed him." Harry watched carefully as his words washed over him. The veritaserum wasn't in effect anymore and he had to stay cognizant of that.

"In my second year Riddle's diary possessed a student and unleashed a basilisk on unsuspecting victims. It was a bloody miracle nobody died. I spoke with him then; he monologued and told me of his true origins before he set Slytherin's basilisk on me." Harry rolled up his sleeve so the bite mark on his arm was showing.

"This is where it's tooth got me while I was driving a sword through the top of its mouth, into its brain."

"You shouldn't be alive." Slughorn said in horror.

"Fawkes saved me. He cried into the wound, neutralizing the venom."

Horace narrowed his eyes and tapped his chin in thought. "I see…"

Harry ignored the comment, "Then I stopped the diary from leeching Ginny's life away from her and bringing the sixteen year old Riddle back to life. I drove a fang into it."

If an albino person and another albino person married and somehow a child from their union was born with a doubled the effect due to the lack of pigmentation in their skin it would be an apt comparison for how pale the man became. The only other explanation was that his heart had actually stopped and all the red-blood cells had retreated back to the core of his body leaving his blood vessels an empty.

"You know what the magic was." Harry said. It was a statement of fact. He knew Dumbledore had kept the diary and the gleam in his eye when he'd heard of what it had done was not something Harry would ever forget.

Slughorn did not answer, he might not have been able to.

"What is it?" His voice wasn't elevated and yet it was clearly ladened with a determined expectation.

Horace shook his head, his eyes were unfocused and unseeing.

"Dumbledore knew what it was and wouldn't tell me. How am I to fight an enemy that will not stop pursuing me if I don't know what weapons he possesses?" His voice was cutting and meant to push the man.

"I swore I'd never speak of it. I can't." His voice was filled with fear.

"It's soul magic isn't it?" The idea had really cemented in his head when he tested his cloak with Fleur. If you detect humans by sensing their soul then it was clear there is magic that can interact with one's soul. The diary-Tom had been leaching the life from Ginny. Life, as in, soul. You detect life by detecting the soul. It might have been too coincidental, or even just plain wrong, but his gut told him he was right. Slughorn's reaction gave it away as well.

"What do you know of it?!" Horace came back to life, his cheeks going rosy even as he had perspiration glistening on his face.

"Nothing, it's a theory of mine." Harry stated quickly.

"Nothing? You shouldn't know of soul magic. It shouldn't be in your vocabulary. I don't buy it." The man had become intense, hard even.

"Normally a student my agent wouldn't know of it. I was doing some research on how to detect life and learned how to detect human presence. I asked a friend if there was soul magic and she told me it was the darkest of arts. To never ever study it. Given the warning, and my experience with the diary, I assume Tom would have delved into it, he is, afterall, a Dark Lord." Harry kept calm, he knew the man could do no more than shout. He was without a wand and a half second away from being subdued by Harry's wand if he made any sort of threatening movements.

Slughorn pierced him with an icy look. He relented and sighed. "I'd need to see the memory but I assume it was a horcrux."

"A horcrux?"

"A horcrux is an object in which a person has concealed a part of their soul." His forehead was heavily creased and his eyes wide as he explained what it was. Dread gripped him.

"Voldemort created a horcrux. It's why he survived his rebounded curse." Realization dawned on Harry. He understood how it was possible for him to still be around when the whole wizarding world thought him gone.

"How do you even split your soul?"

"Unrepentent murder." Horace said, his voice coming out barely above a whisper. "Killing rips the soul apart, it's a violation against nature."

Harry nodded, he didn't need to fathom the depths Riddle had sunk to. To murder someone and split your own soul. The knowledge of the act alone was enough to send shivers down his body. It was grotesque, unnatural, and even the thought of it left an impression of wrongness that you could never ignore.

A horcrux. While it was around he couldn't kill Voldemort for good. He'd have to find it and destroy it. What kind of item could it be? Was the diary one? It hadn't been a normal book. Did the soul protect it physically?

"How do you destroy a horcrux?" Harry hoped changing the nature of the discussion of them would shock the man out of his catatonic state. It was like he was in the presence of a dementor, reliving his worst memory over and over again.

"Basilisk venom, fiendfyre and possibly a killing curse." He frowned at that last one, that was more hypothetical than actual theory backed up with tested results.

"Wait, I don't get something." Harry was confused, "If it requires murder then shouldn't there be hundreds of wizards with horcruxes? Voldemort wouldn't be the first one to commit unrepentant murder."

Horace might have tried to award points to him if he was still a student for such an insight. "Magic is requires more than just the act to split the soul. The murder is the final piece of a ritual designed to split the soul and capture it in an item. You are correct that it is far more intricate than just a murder." The glassy eyed former potions professor was beyond the point where horror could affect him. It reminded Harry of the man almost being drunk, but instead of alcohol it was from horror.

"A ritual?" Wasn't that interesting. Harry knew Voldemort must have learned from the memoirs and books left within the Chamber of Secrets. He would have started the ritual sets. It would have been one of the special rituals, there were seven slots for them.

Slytherin had been very particular about warning those that read his work to stick to the seven sets of seven. To go beyond it and get to a place of magical balance was folly. Three sets of seven sets of seven rituals was ludicrous. Slytherin claimed seven by seven took extensive knowledge and intensive research to put together.

Was the Chamber controlled by a horcrux?

Harry thought about that. No, it couldn't be. He'd checked for souls within the chamber. All the times he'd cast the spell it had come up negative.

"If the diary was one and I destroyed it with basilisk venom…. Would that mean he had more than one or would his disembodied spirit be all that is left of him?" Harry was really curious now, the thought of creating more than one… That wasn't a good thing. They could be anything. Though, Lucius Malfoy had had possession of it. Voldemort may have had his followers hide them…

"Seven." Horace choked out, the word was barely audible. He cleared his throat, "He asked if was possible to make seven. If he had just the one he'd have passed on as no part of his soul would linger on earth."

Seven.

Merde. Fuck. Shit. This was terrible. A sucker punch to his gut. A real kick in the nuts.

How did he fit it in within the forty-nine rituals? Were all of his power rituals horcruxes? The seven sets were focused on his mind, magical abilities, physical rejuvenation, magical rejuvenation, physical strength, magical strength, and seven power rituals. Horcruxes didn't fit any of the sets but the power set.

Unless he went beyond the seven sets of seven? Would he have been crazy enough to not listen to the advice of Salazar Slytherin? Would he have attempted three sets of seven sets of seven? Would his ego be that great? It was possible. Hopefully that would become more clear.

Harry realized just how important this knowledge was.

"You've got to protect yourself. You've got to take an unbreakable vow to never reveal that secret. His followers obviously don't know or they'd have been left instructions of how to revive him." Harry was deadly serious. He remember just how important Fleur had felt keeping knowledge of his cloak hidden was. This was that on steroids.

"I was going to demand one from Cyrus and ask you to bind him. His oaths to the Black family aren't to me. I'd give him the consideration that I'd assist them with access to all the resources I have to remove their bloodline curse. What do you think?"

Harry ran his hands up his face, through his hair and down the back of his neck holding them there and squeezing. This was taking a toll on him. All this stress.

"It is sensible. What would it entail? What do you have in mind, Harry, my boy?"

Harry gave a weak smile to him, one that didn't reach his eyes. It was nice to see Slughorn was regaining his composure. "Loyalty and keep you from betraying me or being coerced to."

"Loyalty?" He frowned at that.

"Yes. Then I could trust you wholly. I'd not have the nagging suspicion that you could betray me, intentionally or otherwise."

Slughorn did not seemed pleased by the idea so Harry tried to reason with him further. "Look, you said mom was your chance at redemption. It's not too late. I can be that for you. I've already gained potential allies, I have control of the Black and Potter families and that's not even getting into my own fame. We can destroy the Dark Lord, we can defeat him. But I won't risk betrayal. Taking every precaution is necessary."

Horace was still unconvinced. "I won't swear a vow of loyalty without assurances of whom I'm swearing too. I blindly supported Tom and won't risk that again."

Was that a statement of fact or was he actually worried that Harry might follow Tom's path? Harry scowled and was about to riposte the comment when Slughorn qualified his statement.

"You want an oath of loyalty from me when I freely give it. I don't think you will be like Tom but, like you and loyalty, I won't risk it either."

Equitable, Slughorn was asking for an equitable exchange.

Harry hummed then nodded.

"What about the wording: I Horace Slughorn swear I will act in good faith as an advisor to Harry James Potter. I further swear I will not in any way divulge information that could cause grievous harm to Harry James Potter. That should be sufficient."

Harry had thought up slightly different terms but that seemed to cover it. "What do you want me to swear?" Harry had spent time working on what wording he might want and hadn't expected something like this.

"I'd like you to swear you will not purposefully work against the betterment of the wizarding world and the destruction of Tom Marvolo Riddle."

Harry's lips thinned. "Betterment of the wizarding world? That is so broad wouldn't that make it too easy to run afoul of?"

Slughorn shook his head. "No, broad is better here, I'd think. The term is so vague you'd have to do something terrible to break it. It's preventing action not compelling you to act. The vow is enforced by magic; It follows your intent. Unless you purposefully intend to harm the wizarding world you are fine."

"So, don't be evil and I'm okay?"

A slow nod confirmed it. "We'll need a binder." Harry said shifting his eyes to the corner where Cyrus Greengrass still sat.

"What is your intention with him?" Horace asked. "The serum will have run its course already."

That was true and he douse the man with a second dosage it didn't sound like Slughorn was in favor of that.

"Make him swear the same oath to you. While he is the Steward of House Black it doesn't hurt to be cautious here. The magical contract he's signed will cover everything else, it just has leeway between what is best for the House and yourself. Any form of coercion used against him will deprive him of all knowledge of the family and strip him of his powers, there's nothing to worry about on that end, if anything it gives you double coverage."

Harry nodded, glad to have the man no his side.

"You should also request an update of all standing orders for those subservient to House Black, the list will most likely be the House Elf and Steward. I don't believe House Black has any other formal positions at this time, or in the recent past."

"Is that a standard thing to do when taking over leadership of a family, Horace?" Harry asked, these were the kinds of insights he should have learned growing up.

"It is not standard, per se, but it is recommended. The standing orders from previous masters are to be followed unless they are revoked."

"Okay."

Harry stood up and dispelled the privacy charms.

Cyrus stood up and moved to return to sit in front of the desk. Harry levitated the chair in place and Cyrus sat down.

"Some agreement has been reached between you?" He half asked and half stated.

"Yes. We'll need you to act as the binder for a mutual unbreakable vow."

The man's eyebrows raised and his eyes darted between them, though he said nothing. "I'll need my wand." He said.

Harry passed it back to him and walked around the desk so he was standing behind the two chairs the men had sat in, before they had stood up.

Harry clasped Horace's hands and repeated the vows with Cyrus binding them in an unbreakable vow. What a funny name, unbreakable vow. Sure, it couldn't be broken but it could be dissolved, if both parties wished and took the necessary steps. It was a contract back by pain of death, no more no less. Contracts can be frustrated and terminated.

Perhaps it should have been a feeling of constriction, that his ability to act freely had been restricted by the unbreakable vow he'd sworn. Instead he felt like he'd just had a huge weight drop off his shoulders.

Having Slughorn in his corner was monumental. Learning of Voldemort's horcruxes… that was just priceless. Without that knowledge he would have been doomed to failure. It still felt like a long shot, that they'd find and destroy up to six more… Harry wasn't sure if Tom was interested in having seven soul pieces extracted from his soul or seven total. Harry had to learn how the ritual work to figure out if it was the seven rituals or seven pieces.

"Now it's your turn for a loyalty oath Cyrus. Slughorn said after he'd adjusted his robes so his forearm was fully covered again, he'd pulled up his sleeve so it was bare skin grasping bare skin for the vow.

"I'm not swearing an unbreakable vow." He said flatly.

Harry rolled his eyes, they'd been over this. "You will swear loyalty to me and I will in turn swear I will provide House Greengrass access to all knowledge on Rituals that I possess while you are the Steward for House Black." They could peruse the Black Library for rituals to their heart's content. He needed another loyal lieutenant to take care of a facet of his life he was ill prepared for.

Cyrus relented, he was more than likely posturing to make sure that got included into the ritual. Hary clasped his forearm, and Cyrus his, they both swore the vows and Slughorn binded it, completing another unbreakable vow.

Harry retook his seat and the other two men did as well.

Horace spoke up first, reiterating his earlier suggestion. "You should call the elf and ask Cyrus for any standing orders."

"Right." Harry said. "Kreacher" He called out.

"Regent calls again." He sneered as he bowed again.

"Tell me all of your standing orders from current and previous masters." Harry commanded firmly.

The elf's eyes bulged and he looked to be on the verge of panicking but he was bound by his servitude. "Master Arcturus commanded I not leave Grimmauld Place unless called by himself or a new Regent. Master Regulus ordered me to leave him and to destroy a locket. Mistress Narcissa ordered me to keep a record of all Black family dealings and report to her when she came to Grimmauld Place. Mistress Bellatrix ordered Kreacher to always report the conversations of Master Sirius that Kreacher was able to over hear and to spy on him when possible. Those be standing orders before you be Regent Black."

"Kreacher stay where you are until I give you leave to move." Harry said, trying to fully wrap his mind around what had been ordered.

"Cyrus, do you have any standing orders?" Harry asked with unveiled interest, anger seeping into his tone as he heard processed what some of those orders might mean.

"Orion Black removed my authority so that I could not to interfere in business, political and legal affairs on behalf of the family. In short, I've been relegated to a glorified accounting position. I track and keep organized the family assets and can do no more, I cannot even renew expiring leases."

Harry snorted, it wasn't hard to see how angry the man was. Well, Daphne was correct. The position was completely neutered.

Harry turned to Slughorn, "Advice?"

"Cyrus is loyal, remove all restrictions and have him take up the traditional role. He is to represent your family in the Wizengamot, he is to retain and coordinate legal counsel, and given his background he's to be the financial manager of your family once more. Given how well he has done with House Greengrass it would be prudent." Horace told him his recommendations.

"You'll want to stipulate that I keep you abreast of larger ticket items to have your input on them. The day to day affairs you needn't worry about but the larger picture you should be aware of and have input on. Weekly meetings are a must with a second meeting being recommended until you have a grasp on Hose Black." Cyrus hadn't been asked for his own opinion but he added it anyways.

Harry nodded. "How do I do that?" If he'd signed a magical contract wouldn't it have had to have been modified to remove power and now to add more?

"I can draw up the paperwork and contrast it with how Arcturus set up the original one."

Harry was elated. This was a fucking perfect setup. Neither man could betray him and he could actually trust their advice! He could rely on them and not have to worry about duplicity! He'd longed for this for months now.

"Good, let me know when you that is done so we can meet and run over it. I'm going to use this as my place to conduct business, our meeting point will be here if that is okay with you?" Harry addressed the man.

"Not an issue. I should be done within a day or so."

"Good. Now what to do about Kreacher's standing orders?"

Horace looked at Cyrus who signalled he'd defer to him. "Well, Arcturus' order is standard. Elves can be captured and they have no mental defenses. Elves rarely are permitted to leave the home in which they serve. I'd leave that one."

"Now, Regulus' order…" He scratched his chin "I'm not sure what to make of that. Maybe get the elf to bring the locket here for our examination. Narcissa and Bellatrix's commands you should ask him to recite anything he reported to them. I doubt it will work as they would have more than likely obliviated him of that knowledge. They were using him to spy. Rescind their orders and command he is not to accept any new ones from them nor answer their calls. Any contact with them should be reported to you immediately."

Cyrus had been nodding along and now that he was done he muttered his agreement to the ideas he'd come up with. "Sensible, very sensible."

Harry told Kreacher to tell them anything he could recall about information passed to Narcissa and Bellatrix but Slughorn was correct, he'd not been able to remember any of it, nor any time he had followed the order. Harry followed that up with issuing the orders with only one correction being required, after a potential loophole was pointed out by Cyrus. Now the three men awaited him to return with the locket.

Kreacher popped back in and he was clutching an ornate locket with a prominent snake in the shape of an 'S' on the font.

The second Kreacher showed up Harry felt his ring grow warm, the Potter peridot Head of House ring. He could feel his magic interacting with it. He didn't know what it was doing but he could feel something with his fledgling magical sensing ability. It felt like protection, cleansing and a sense of self.

Harry's eyes narrowed on the locket. There was something off about it. A malevolence and sense of contempt that perverted the air and magic around it.

"Kreacher place the locket on the middle of the desk face up."

Harry could see the elf wanted to do anything else but he didn't, he couldn't. His hate filled eyes never left Harry as he placed the locket on the desk and muttered obscenities and disparaging things about Harry.

"No! It can't be!" Slughorn appeared to recognize it. "Slytherin's lost locket." He breathed out reverently. His arm came up and his hand reached toward it, his hand open and closing on it.

Harry snapped out of the daze he'd been in as he was reacting to his ring and the presence of the locket. His wand shot into his hand and he wordlessly petrified Slughorn.

"Don't touch it." He snapped. "There is something wrong with that locket." His eyes were smoldering as he glared at the petrified man and dared the other to attempt to reach for it.

Cyrus shook his head twice, quickly. "I wouldn't touch that thing. It's tainted, vile. I can feel it pressing against my mind, trying to influence it." The man was frowning. His eyes met Harry's again. He gestured to his wand, "may I?"

Harry gave a short nod but kept his dangerous look and wand ready to disarm or petrify him.

Cyrus didn't turn his wand on the locket, to analyze it as Harry thought he would. Instead, he put it on Slughorn and cast a silent spell Harry wasn't familiar with before he restored his ability to move. "Horace, snap out of it."

Horace sat back down heavily. He closed his eyes and took three deep calming breaths before he opened them again, his hand wiped his forehead off. He had a sheepish look on his face when he spoke, "Sorry, I hadn't expected such a presence. What did you stumble into Regulus? What folly is this?"

He withdrew his own wand and began casting detection spells at it. "Where did he get this?!" Slughorn demanded to know of the elf.

Harry recognized the spell. With dawning horror, he realized what sat in front of him. He gulped, "Homenum revelio" he incanted for Cyrus' benefit. The spell showed the three of them and the locket as a fourth positive identification of a human soul.

Cyrus opened his mouth at the realization of what four positive identifications meant. He closed it and frowned looking between the other two. Slughorn was outraged at first and now he was slumped in his chair, melancholic at this discovery. His eyes wavered over to Harry and saw the most intense look on the young man. He was solely focused on the locket.

"Wh-, wha-, what is this?" He couldn't believe there was a human in the locket but the spell wasn't wrong. Horace and Harry had both cast the spell with the same results.

Harry shook his head. "I'll explain in a second," he said to Cyrus and then turned to Kreacher, "explain where Regulus got it and what you know about it. Now." He snapped the order out.

"Kreacher accompanied the Dark Lord to a cave, a terrible cave filled with dark magic and inferi. He made Kreacher drink the vile potion and then put the locket in the basin before refilling it and leaving." His voice was horse and eyes were filled with dread at the retelling of this event.

"M-, ma- master Regulus commanded Kreacher to return when he was done so Kreacher returned to beloved Master." Kreacher was stuttering and barely getting the words out.

"Master, Master, he.. He forced me to bring him there." He paused and let out a sob.

"He drank it. He drank the potion." Kreacher wailed out. "Master, he, he, he p- p- put a f- fake in." Tears were welling and falling from his big eyes now. He blew his nose on his disgusting cloth. "They c- c- came. The dead came and master, Master, he commanded me. He told me to leave and destroy the locket. T- t- t- to leave and never speak of it." The old elf was on his knees now crying and punishing himself, his balled fistes constantly hitting himself in the head.

"Kreacher, stop." Harry told him. "I know what that is and how to destroy it." Harry waited for the elf to gain a semblance of composure and look at him, desperation and hope replacing the hate and loathing he'd normally found in the elf's eyes.

"I will destroy it, and any more like it." He stated with conviction.

"You can't destroy it! That's Slytherin's locket! Said to be the only artifact that allows a non-parseltongue to speak and understand the language. It's a priceless artifact!" Horace hadn't gotten out of his chair but he was sitting upright and pleading with Harry.

"Can you dispatch the soul without destroying it? I assume basilisk venom would destroy it."

Slughorn looked unsure, "The Killing curse should work." He stated.

"Should work?" He challenged back, parroting his words.

"Horcruxes aren't a well documented magic. It should work but I've never read an account of anyone using it. Basilisk venom and fiendfyre have been documented as successful. But, it should work."

Harry shook his head. "Try it. If it doesn't work I'm destroying it today."

Harry stood up and moved around the desk again. Cyrus was keeping silent but obviously listening intently.

Horace drew his wand and spoke the words that played over and over in Harry's nightmares. The green flash followed and the locket stayed on the desk. Harry had closed his eyes not wanting to see the full spell again, he saw it enough in his own dreams.

Harry opened his eyes and saw a beaming Slughorn. "Only three human souls left in the room now." He grinned and then turned his attention back to the locket. After casting a slew of spells he reached out and picked up the locket. Brandishing it he stated with great satisfaction "It's free of any taint and safe."

Slughorn passed it to Harry and Harry took it. He noticed his Potter ring wasn't warm any longer. Something to think on later he mused. He showed it to Cyrus but did not hand it to him. After letting him get a good look at it he went back to his chair.

"I'll be keeping this," he said as he sat down, "nobody can know of this, not even a hint of it." Harry placed the locket on the desk in front of Kreacher. "The locket isn't destroyed but the soul within it was, Master Regulus' last wish has been fulfilled, you are released from that order."

The elf dropped to his knees and sobbed. "Thank you Master, thank you." He didn't say more as he switched between staring at the locket and silently sobbing.

"Sorry for not explaining Cyrus. A horcrux is the result of a person splitting their soul and putting it in a container, the container is called a horcrux. This is the second horcrux I've seen, both are now destroyed."

Cyrus sat there in a state of shock. "You-Know-Who isn't dead?" He'd put the puzzle pieces together quickly.

"Yes." Harry said gravely. "And that brings me back to the two purposes I had for bringing the two of you together. I want your advice and to tackle two things for me." He waited for both men to acknowledge they'd heard him and that he had their undivided attention.

"There are two tasks I have for both of you, and I think you'll agree with what I'm asking. The first is that I want you to get Sirius Black's name cleared. He's innocent and my godfather."

"Innocent?" Cyrus choked out. "That can't be."

"I don't think you need a vow from me to know I'm stating the truth. Pettigrew was the betrayer and framed Sirius. He never received a trial and I want that wrong corrected."

The two men shared a glance. "We'll do what we can, though I'll need to have the contract done first before I can do all that much." Cyrus stated.

Harry nodded, "That's fine and as I expected."

"The second thing?" Slughorn prompted.

"Prepare for war." Harry told them ominously. "Voldemort is in a half-life state and Pettigrew is with him trying to bring him back. He tried in first year and his horcrux tried in second year. Third year Pettigrew escaped to help him and this year my name comes out of the Goblet of Fire. He's working to return and we need to prepare for the worst."