The Hogwarts library had always felt like a place of endless discovery, its towering bookshelves filled with knowledge lost to time.
Tonight, however, it felt heavier, almost oppressive.
The golden candlelight cast flickering shadows over the ancient texts sprawled across the table where Harry, Hermione, and Neville sat in intense concentration.
Outside, the castle was settling into the quiet hum of late evening, but within the trio poured over faded parchment, thick tomes, and scattered notes, piecing together a puzzle Harry hadn't even known existed.
Hermione was bent over an open volume, her fingers tracing the faded script meticulously. "Here," she murmured, pushing her glasses up as she tapped a passage. "The Potters were considered an Ancient and Noble House, meaning they had a hereditary seat in the Wizengamot. It says that historically, the title of 'Lord Potter' was passed down through a bloodline ritual at Gringotts."
Harry, skimming through another text, snapped his attention to her. "So… does that mean I actually am Lord Potter? Or is there something I have to do first?"
Neville, who had been thumbing through a different book, frowned. "It's not automatic. At least, not if you're underage." He ran his fingers along a particularly dense section of text. "It says here that there's a process to officially inherit the title—something about magical recognition through a Lord's Ring."
"A Lord's Ring?" Harry repeated.
Hermione nodded, already flipping pages to cross-reference the information. "It's an enchanted item that only the rightful heir can wear. It recognizes their magical signature and solidifies their status. But look at this—"
She pointed to a paragraph written in old, almost unreadable script. "If an heir is underage, the title and estate can be held in abeyance under certain conditions. Usually, it would be automatically protected for you, but…"
She hesitated.
Harry's stomach twisted. "But what?"
Neville's expression darkened. "If the heir is deemed unfit, missing, or under guardianship, someone else can hold power over the estate and any titles until the heir comes of age. Someone has to authorize it."
The words settled over them like a thick fog.
"Who could authorize that?" Harry asked, though he already had a sinking feeling he knew the answer.
Hermione bit her lip. "Well, usually it would be the closest magical guardian. And since your parents died, the responsibility should have gone to a trusted family member—"
"—which I don't have," Harry finished for her, his jaw tightening.
Neville exhaled, drumming his fingers against the table. "That means someone else had to step in."
His hand clenched into a fist. Who could it have been? Why hadn't he been told about this?
The implications churned in his stomach like a storm.
"I don't get it," Neville muttered. "Why wouldn't you have been told about this from the start? It's your inheritance, your family's legacy. Even if Someone stepped in, why not tell you?"
Hermione's brow furrowed deeply. "Maybe he thought you weren't ready," she reasoned, though there was hesitation in her voice. "Or maybe—"
"Maybe he didn't want me to know," Harry interrupted, his voice low.
The thought sent an uneasy shiver down his spine. What reason would anyone have to keep this from him? Did he think Harry would be too reckless? Or was there something more?
"Alright," Neville said, trying to ground the conversation. "So, what do we do now?"
Harry forced himself to take a slow breath. Getting angry wouldn't change anything. "We need to get to Gringotts. If there's a way to claim my inheritance early, I want to know."
Hermione, ever cautious, frowned. "Harry, this isn't as simple as just walking in and asking for it. Last time we were there they drew your blood just to withdraw some money from your own account. If someone is controlling your inheritance, they won't be happy about you trying to take it back."
"Let them be unhappy," Harry muttered. "I won't let anyone keep this from me."
Neville leaned forward, his expression serious. "Even if you can claim it, that doesn't mean it'll be easy. There could be legal complications, and if someone else has been managing things on your behalf, they'll fight to keep control."
Hermione nodded. "And the Ministry might get involved. If the Potters had influence in the Wizengamot, then that means politics. If someone doesn't want you stepping into that role, they might try to stop you legally, magically, or both."
Harry rubbed his temples. It was a lot to take in.
"So what do we do first?" he asked.
Hermione glanced back at the book in front of her. "We need to gather more information before we make a move. If the Lord's Ring still exists, that might be the key to proving your claim. But we don't know where it is."
Neville straightened. "The Potter Manor. If the Potters had an ancestral home, it might be there."
"Or in your vault," Hermione added. "The problem is, we don't know which vault you have access to. If you only have a trust vault, the real inheritance could be locked away in a family vault you haven't been given access to."
Harry frowned. "And the only way to find out is to go back to Gringotts."
"Not just yet," Hermione warned. "We need a plan first. If someone's keeping this from you, they could try to stop you from even getting inside. We need to make sure we have everything we need before we act."
Harry exhaled. He hated waiting. He hated knowing that something that should have been his had been kept from him all this time. But Hermione was right. They had to be careful.
Neville crossed his arms. "So, step one is research. Step two is finding out if you can claim your lordship early. Step three… Gringotts, the beginning of summer break," he hesitated. What happens if someone tries to block you?"
Harry's jaw tightened. "Then we find a way around them."
Hermione shot him a look. "Let's just hope it doesn't come to that."
Harry wasn't so sure. If the past few months had taught him anything, it was that nothing in his life was ever simple.