Chapter 10 (TROHP)

**Review Responses:**

**Destributor:** *I'm glad you like my story. Please see the review response on chapter nine. They aren't actually his girlfriends and I doubt he would let his lovers meet his family. This is all pre-written and waiting to be published, but I'm working on getting it all published online to get it off my computer.*

## December 23rd, 1992.

I had finally freed up more time, and had passed my tests in Charms, Herbology, and Spell Creation and had successfully tested out of the classes. My teachers had such confidence in my abilities that they had ICW representatives there, with two pre-written Certificates of Mastery. I still needed some independent study before taking a teaching job, but I had no intention of wasting my time teaching a bunch of lazy idiots. Not when I could grow and develop my power and skill and work entirely for my benefit, well that, and the benefit of my family and friends.

My power gain from that ritual was impressive, Rosier was incredibly angry and even threatened to tell someone. I told her that if she did, she would be disowned and have her reputation ruined. She would be viewed as a blood traitor and likely killed or forced to live being mocked and looked down upon. I told her that I would show people the memory of her asking me to have sex with her. When I was done threatening her, I forced her swear a vow of silence and to not seek revenge directly or indirectly, and to send her friends my way. She fearfully agreed. I eagerly awaited her providing me with plenty of useful idiots to be used to boost my power even further.

Until that wonderful time, I had something to do and was about to do it.

I knocked on Professor Megalos class room door.

"Enter!" His voice called out.

I opened the door and entered, giving him a nod of respect.

"I have the book ready for you, lets just call it a Christmas present." He said, before handing me the book. Ancient Rituals of Power, and How to Perform Them.

"Thank you, sir. Now, I feel guilty about not getting you anything."

"Don't, there is no need for guilt. Anything I want, I can get myself. When you return, I have something to show you; a hidden resource that I recently decided you could be trusted with." He said, piquing my interest. "But, good luck on your holiday projects and be sure to see Alexys before you leave. She has a present for you too, just remember that Zeus is a good and strong name for a boy." He said, giving me a knowing look.

Is she pregnant?! My fear must have been obvious, because he smirked.

"Uh... I need to go see her, now. Thanks again for the book, sir." I said, before running out of his classroom. How did this happen? We were careful! We took precautions! And we still ruined our lives!

I arrived at her room in record time and forced myself to calmly knock.

She quickly opened the door and when she saw me, she smiled. If she was pregnant, then at least I genuinely liked and cared for her.

"Hey, Harry, come on in." She said, standing aside so I could enter. I entered, my panic barely concealed.

"Your grandfather said I should come see you before I left." I said nervously. "He also mentioned that Zeus is a good and strong name for a boy." I added, giving her a look that demanded an explanation.

"Well. I do have a present for you and it is a boy, but your not father." Alexys said, in amusement. "It's in the cage on the table," She said, gesturing to it and fighting amusement at what appeared to be a prank on me.

I went over the table and saw a covered cage, I uncovered it and saw a type of bird. It had six, small wings and a head similar to that of a Hippogriff. I noticed that it's feathers were shimmering with cloud patterns, and that it looked scared.

"Is this a Thunderbird?" I asked in awe, turning to face Alexys.

"Yes," She replied in amusement. "Sorry, but you're not the father." She added, before outright laughing. The noise frightened the baby Thunderbird, and I began trying to soothe it. I was fortunate that it seemed to like me somewhat, and quickly calmed down.

"I really need to name this little guy," I said, by now petting him. "I suppose Zeus is a good name, and your grandfather did prank me really good. What do you think, little guy? How does Zeus sound?" It made a happy sounding noise, so I took that as a yes.

"Now, what about my present?" Alexys hinted, with a pout.

"Right!" I said, before withdrawing a small box.

I handed it to her, she excitedly took it with a smile. She quickly opened it, and saw the beautiful emerald necklace that I bought for her, and enchanted to the best of my ability.

"It's beautiful, Harry!" She said, before suddenly kissing me.

"I'm glad you like it." I said, after we broke apart for air.

"I love it! What's the magic coming from it?" Alexys asked, with a smile. I didn't know she could sense magic!

"Several protective spells I know. It detects poisons, love potions, truth serums, and can deflect some spells. It draws power from ambient magic, and can even recharge itself. Only you or I can touch it. Well others could, but they would have to bypass the protective spells."

"Wow... How long did it take you to enchant?" She asked, in awe.

"Two weeks."

"You worked on my present for two weeks?" She asked, touched by gesture.

"Yes," I said, omitting the fact that it took me that long to perfect the enchantments.

"When you get back, you will be rewarded extensively." She said, with a smile.

"I look forward to it. Thank you for the Thunderbird, Alexys." I said, with a grateful smile.

"Your welcome, Harry. If you make it one of your familiars it grow even larger and more powerful." Alexys said.

"One of my familiars?" I asked, in slight confusion. I had only heard of people having one.

"Yes, Harry. Familiars draw small amounts of magical power, and you have large amounts of power which is still growing. You'll be able to easily sustain multiple, and derive quite a few benefits; including mental communication, and remote control of them. Zeus can control weather. Just imagine what can be done with that power, a power that will only grow stronger as you do."

"Well, I'm convinced." I said, with a smile.

"I'm glad," She said, with a smile in return. "I'll let you get ready to go home." She said, before kissing me goodbye.

I was finally home, and my parents had been supportive of my pet Thunderbird. I had decided against telling them how large Zeus would grow, I had already devised some ways to remove that issue as a factor.

I sat down my things and grabbed my Mastery Certificates. It was time for a little fun... I took them downstairs and too my parents, and saw Sirius and Remus there.

"I have some bad possibly bad news..." I said, nervously. I handed my parents my Mastery Certificates for Charms, Transfiguration, and Herbology.

"I'm sorry, but I'm smarter than most of the world." I said, making them all laugh at my little prank.

"That was a decent prank, Harry." Dad said, in amusement. "We need to frame these."

"When you do, I'm warding those things to the limits of my abilities. I will need to go to the Ministry during my Holiday." I said, to their confusion. "I received a rare offer to learn the Native American method of becoming an Animagus, and couldn't pass it up."

"Native American method?" Mom asked, in confusion. Dad, Sirius, and Remus looked impressed.

"It allows one to have multiple forms and achieve the transformations in days or weeks. Governments have suppressed the knowledge for that reason." I said, to her shock. "Had they not, the commonly known method would have been rendered obsolete. Sadly, once you try the other method, you lose the ability to use the Native American method."

"What's your form?" Dad asked, excitedly, cutting off mom, who was surprisingly amused by his antics.

"Forms. A panther, a siberian tiger, and an unidentified and possibly extinct form. Honestly, the form might even be a magical one."

"Lets see it, then!" Sirius said, excitedly.

"Not enough room. It's a thirty-foot long snake. I just named it Titanoboa, because it resembles the type."

"So my godson has a huge snake?" Sirius asked, with a teasing smirk.

"Yes, much bigger than yours." I deadpanned, causing everyone to laugh at the look on Sirius' face.

"Lets go into the yard, you can show us the form there." Dad said, rising from his seat, and still smirking at my joke.

I followed them out.

We were outside a minute later. I wasted no time. I got a safe distance away and quickly transformed.

"Bloody hell!" Sirius called out in fear.

I tried to laugh, but failed. I think it was obvious what I was trying to do, if the sounds I was making were any indication.

"You can transform back to human form now, Harry." Mom said, minutes later, having studied the form.

I obeyed, and my speed at doing so seemed to impress the Marauders.

"I thought that was a basilisk for a minute!" Sirius said in fear.

"I think it's an extinct snake. The big question is which form should I register? I planned to only register my panther form and exploit the legal loophole and we are legally required to register a form, singular. As heir apparent to two Most Ancient and Noble Houses, I'm legally untouchable anyway."

"Harry, you should register all of them." Mom said, sternly.

"Information is power, me registering could allow family enemies to know more about me and track me." I said, they all knew who I was referring too. "Besides, by exploiting a loophole, I force them to update the law when I'm exposed, and essentially validate the other method by doing so."

"He is untouchable, unless he's convicted of murder or using an unforgivable." Dad said, in observation. "He couldn't even be punished for not registering at all."

"Okay... You can just register the panther form. We'll go the first of January." Mom said, though I could tell she wanted otherwise, but was convinced by the arguments she heard. "We do have some bad news though. Your brother has decided to stay at Hogwarts with Hermione."

"Aww, he has a crush then." I said teasingly, making them laugh. "Oh well, I suppose I can work on some of my projects in my spare time."

"What projects?"

"I'm studying ahead in Ancient Runes. I may test out of the class without even taking it. The mastery program is largely knowledge and memory based, so I could dominate that class and get a quick and useful mastery." I said, to their approval.

"Well. We are going to go see your brother tomorrow, so you will get to see him." Dad said, to my joy and relief.

"Great!"

I was finally alone and could safely begin my plans, or rather the plans one Arcturus Black.

*Flashback*

"Now, for my last act. I need to talk to Harry alone." Sirius didn't look pleased, but he exited the office. "Now, Harry, what do you know about Horcruxes?"

"Nothing, what are they?" I asked, in interest.

"An object where a wizard in cases a part of his soul, loosely related to the Ancient Egyptian Soul Jar. Voldemort, I suspect, has created seven, I know he's created at least two, because I acquired them." He explained. Not even I would be interested in that kind of magic! "I have a task for you, Harry. Destroy the Horcruxes, but do so in the most beneficial way to you. There are rituals that can transfer knowledge, skill, and experience from a Horcrux or Soul Jar, even granting you the creators blood-line abilities. Should you accept this mission, and you had better, or I will be greatly disappointed, you will be given a personal elf, 5% of the Black family wealth; the percentage of wealth after I absorbed the Lestrange wealth, and the Horcruxes themselves. And, finally Black Manor, it will make a suitable headquarters for your hunt, and if you work hard you could place it under a Fidelius Charm with yourself as the Secret Keeper."

"I accept," I said, without hesitation.

"Good, you will also have unrestricted access to the Black family library. We just have a few other matters to address, before I let Sirius back in."

End Flashback

I began drawing the heptagram on floor of the Black Manors Ritual Room.

I finished minutes later and began drawing the runes Kaunaz, Sowulo, Uruz, Eiwaz, Teiwaz, Dagaz, and Thurisaz on each point. When I finished, I placed seven drops of blood at each point, and healed myself. Per my own logic, I decided to absorb the benefits of the locket Horcrux first. It's probable that he would corrupt it first, and grant me knowledge of his future plans and other Horcruxes.

I moved the Locket Horcrux into the center of the ritual circle and stood in front of it.

"Potentiam, tuam accipio, ut mihi." I said calmly, with an undertone of nervousness. I felt foreign knowledge enter my mind, which expanded and ordered the knowledge. I felt my body absorb copies of his skill and experience from the soul fragment. Finally, I felt an odd power, Parseltongue, flow into me and suddenly became aware of this new ability. To my surprise, I also acquired a power boost because of the copied ritual effects. When I wondered why, I then had the misfortune of seeing the ritual; an incredibly dark sex ritual involving rape and then sacrificing the victim. I acquired a great power boost from that, as well as benefits from a few other rituals Voldemort did; immense strength, and regenerative powers among them.

I managed to exit the circle before collapsing.

I awoke an unknown amount of time later and suddenly checked the time. I was incredibly fortunate that only ten minutes had passed. I learned the existence of several Horcruxes... Rowena Ravenclaws Diadem, an heirloom of the Gaunts, his childhood diary, and, of course the ones that I had in my possession. I also learned that the monster in the Chamber was a basilisk, but saw no purpose in informing people. That would get me unwanted attention and cause questions to be asked, and draw unwanted attention to my actions.

I checked the locket and learned that Voldemort never put anymore protections on it, so I just pocketed it. Now I just needed to destroy the soul fragment in the cup.

"Animus Reddo Invalesco," I said calmly. Thankfully this spell wasn't as dangerous as the ritual. I watched the cup glow an unholy purple, before the glow vanished and the power from the destroyed soul quickly entered me. My power easily grew ten percent. Soul were massive sources of power, they could be sacrificed, or used as a battery to empower you further. It's painful to drain power from your own soul, though it causes no permanent damage, and only causes pain like a broken bone does. That is one of the reasons people knowledgeable in soul magic use other peoples souls.

Now I just needed to hide these objects under the Fidelius Charm.

It was finally time to see my little brother. I had already concealed my recently increased magical power. I now seemed to all a low-level Sorcerer, instead of my much greater power, which was nearing that of Dumbledore. Appearing this weak should ease Dumbledore's mind and cause him to not see me as a threat. I'm simply not powerful or skilled enough to defeat him, and I'm not entirely certain he is an enemy. I just almost tripped, I needed to pay better attention.

We entered Gryffindor Tower, and saw my brother and Hermione sitting together.

"Aw! They're so cute together!" I said, in my best teen girl impression and caused my family, which included Sirius and Remus, to laugh. My brother and Hermione quickly stood up, blushing.

"Hey, little bro. When's the wedding?" I asked, teasingly, and amused everyone but my targets.

"Shut up, Harry!" James said, in embarrassment.

"Even I chose family over a perspective girlfriend!" I said, in a false stern voice. "Oh well, I'm done teasing." I said, to his relief. "I do have a serious question though, will I get to be your best man?" James and Hermione glared at me. "Now I'm done." I said, by this time our family was fighting laughter and losing badly.

"Stop it!" James said, somewhat angrily.

"Okay! Okay! Sorry!" I said placating him. "So, why did you stay at Hogwarts with a monster on the loose?" I asked. Well that made them suddenly tense and become secretive looking.

"I was hoping that if I stayed and no-one was attacked, they would stop suspecting me." James said, nervously. I still sensed a lie.

"Why in the name of Merlin would they suspect you?" I asked, in exasperation.

"Because I'm a Parselmouth." He said in shame, looking like he feared my rejection. That was interesting though...

"So? You could be descended from Herpo the Foul as easily as you could be descended from Slytherin. I haven't heard of Mom tracing her ancestry, so it's possible. Being a Parselmouth doesn't make you a Dark Wizard or dark. Those are the opinions and beliefs of the moronic masses who barely have two brain cells to rub together to make one." I said, making a few people snicker. I didn't care who, so I didn't look. He looked happier now that I dismissed his concerns of being rejected.

"Who's the Herpo the Foul, though?" Hermione asked, always interested in learning.

"An Ancient Greek wizard who discovered how to create a Basilisk. He also invented many vile curses and was one the earliest known Dark Wizards, and a Parselmouth."

"Surely his descendants are all gone? That was over two-thousand years ago!" Hermione said, skeptically.

"No, his descendants are the Megalos family and a few others in Greece. I've met two, now three Parselmouths." I said, dismissively. "For that matter, Salazar Slytherin lived a thousand years ago and Voldemort was his descendant. It's not implausible to say that Salazar Slytherin could have been a descendant of Herpo the Foul."

"They can trace their ancestry that far back?" Hermione asked, in shock.

"Yes. Ancestry is a bigger deal in Greece than it is here. There are people who can trace their ancestry back to the reason for the 'myths' involving the Greek Gods." I said, enjoying her shock. "They actually have magic that allows them to trace their ancestry and determine if they can attend certain schools. The Athens School of Divine Magic is extremely elitist. If you don't have that so-called deity for ancestor, then you can't learn the magic they wielded."

"That's wrong!" Hermione complained, though her desire for such knowledge was obvious and seemed to border on greed.

"Think of it as a patent that's passed down to family. Besides, you wouldn't want a bunch of people running around causing earthquakes, summoning storms and tidal waves, and destroying the world. If you think that's horrible, ask what they do to Greek Dark Lords." They all looked shocked by this revelation.

"What do they do them?" Hermione asked, though I knew she had a suspicion.

"They hunt them down and kill them." I said, to their shock. "With such powerful magic they could make Voldemort look like a first year bully. Anyway, we are getting distracted. Present time!"

Thirty minutes later and I had received a personal Grimoire from Mom and Dad; complete with several powerful incredibly enchantments, though I would still have to add a few more. I received several mastery level books for Defence Against the Dark Arts from Sirius and Remus, they obviously coordinated. I didn't get anything from James or Hermione, but I didn't expect anything and didn't really care.

I gave James and Hermione several books. Essential Skills and Abilities for Elite Witches and Wizards, books on Occlumency, help books for classes, and a voucher to learn to become an Animagus from me. I gave Remus a signed invitation to become an ICW recognized Master of Defense Against the Dark Arts, which made him cry tears of joy. I knew it would mean a lot to him, and it took me months to get that. I gave Sirius a copy of the Kama Sutra, and a book full of several fun sex related spells. James and Hermione were surprised when I transformed into a panther, but Hermione rather snidely asked why she would want to learn from me instead of McGonagall. But my transformation and explanation of the benefits of the other method quickly shut her up, though I could tell Hermione was still skeptical. I honestly didn't care, I wasn't very fond of her anyway.

But, now, I finally had time to retrieve the Diadem.

I arrived in front of the tapestry and began pacing in front of it. The door appeared moments later, and I quickly entered. I wanted to get this done quick.

Black Manor, Ritual Room- Two hours later.

I had finally managed to get away from my family, by citing being tired as an excuse. I hated having to lie, but I had plans to continue and intended to keep them secret; especially from vulnerable minds like my family possessed.

*Mini Flashback*

"Now, Harry. If you destroy three Horcruxes, you defeat Riddle three times, and can claim the titles he was eligible for; among them Houses Slytherin and Gaunt. Both of these houses have powerful magic, which can be highly useful to you. I have also set aside some other research that I think will help House Black rise higher than ever." Arcturus said.

End Flashback

"Animus Reddo Invalesco." I said, aiming my wand at the Diadem Horcrux. I felt the influx of power, but it was nothing now. My power had grown so much that it was like contributing a drop of water to a pond. Now, for the next phase.

"By right of magical conquest, I claim the titles of Tom Marvolo Riddle!" I said, assertively. Two rings appeared on my right hand, one for each of the two Most Ancient and Noble Houses. I willed them to become invisible, I needed my new secret weapons to be kept secret. I decided to reveal them when it was most advantageous to me, but until then I had a lot of new knowledge and resources at my disposal.

## Authors Note.

The ritual was invented by me. If you use it, don't claim ownership, and be sure to tell them where you got it from.

Animus Reddo Invalesco- Was invented by Noddwyd on the DarkLordPotter fansite.

I make no claim to ownership or invention of the name Titanoboa.