"By the ton. I'm still working on Tom Riddle's. He seemingly vanishes around 1948. But there's no death record."
"That's because he became Voldemort."
Cassandra was so shocked she swallowed wrong and began to choke.
Harry was swift to do a Heimlich maneuver, and apologized. "Sorry, should've timed that better."
"That's okay," she said in a raspy voice. "Guess that gives me a continuation point."
"Has anyone noticed you digging?"
"Maybe, but I don't think so. Having my dad announce to all the wizarding world that I'm a disowned near squib, people pretty much like to pretend I don't exist. I've used the monies you provided me with to find stuff buried in ministry files. I swear the people that work at the ministry don't even realize half of what is there. I pay a small amount to do research in their files and I find stuff that should be in some kind of secure storage but it's not. Not a mistake I'm making. I contracted the goblins via Barchok. Everything I do for you and everything that falls in the category of come back and bite your ass is in a vault at Gringotts or is securely spelled by goblins to be for eyes only to you and me. Everything else is password protected in a secure vault at the manor, not even Felicia knows all of what is there. You wouldn't believe some of what I've found. I've stayed really discreet. Some stuff I duplicated and sent on; stuff I figured would be helpful if the trustees knew. But I only sent them information that either it's important they knew for your best interest or that wouldn't affect you as far as I could tell. It was found by a combination of public record, and connecting dots. Most the dirt I found on Dumbledore, I found just by listening to an old, lonely lady, Bathilda Bagshot. Mind you I double-checked what she said from other sources but still."
"As in History of Magic Bathida Bagshot?
"Uh huh."
"Huh. Great job. How goes the mail backlog?"
"Done, people looking for endorsements are no longer beating a path since they're being given a polite refusal; the stubborn ones I've either turned over to the firm for harassment suits or I've sent on to you for consideration."
'Yes," Harry gave a wolfish grin, "Other than a charity or two, I sent them back an endorsement offer that would eat their profits completely. For some reason they lose interest. Go figure."
"Your godfather keeps sending stuff."
"He's a Gryffindor, it's not surprising. His next one, burn and send back the ashes."
"Harry, don't you think that's a little harsh?"
"He basically said my dad would be rolling in his grave about my being in Slytherin. Maybe that's so, I don't know. And we will never have a chance to know in this life. All I know is, he's one to criticize when he acted irresponsibly the night my parents were killed and he landed himself in prison. He lost his right to judge me with that mistake. I'm doing my best to be a good person and to live up to the expectations my mum set for me. I refuse to bend over and try to please everyone else in the wizarding world because I couldn't do it anyway. I'll settle for pleasing myself, selfish though that sounds."
Cassandra winced but she also understood where Harry was coming from. She also knew that while Harry voiced a hard line, he really cared about others and was very kind-hearted. "So is there anything else you want me to be working on?
"Just the spell and the research into Slytherin family magics."
"England's dark libraries are mostly private. It might be hard for me…"
"Do your best, so far that's been more than enough."
Cassandra smiled. "I'm done. Are you ready for Godric's Hollow?"
"I need to stop at the florists, but almost."
Half an hour later Harry was in front of his parents' grave. He pulled the few weeds that had sprung up and tidied away old debris from last autumn and winter then he lovingly placed the wreath he had purchased on the grave. Hedwig, resting on his shoulder, comforted him.
"Hi Mum, Dad. It's been a bit of a year. You'll be pleased to hear that I did well in school. Also that I finally fulfilled all your last wishes with regards to your things. Dad, I successfully cleared your friend, Sirius Black. He is no longer rotting in Azkaban.. I took it one step further and paid for him to get medical care for a year. I also finally met your friend, Remus Lupin. He's okay, a bit weak and easily led, but nice enough despite his affliction. Mum, I sorta made peace with your old friend. Don't really trust him but we aren't at loggerheads anymore.
"It's been pretty hard. Dad, I hate to say this, but you've got crap taste in friends. Peter betrayed you. Sirius rejected me. Remus danced around for months before finally speaking to me as something other than a teacher. McGonagall's been a prejudiced bitch. And it's not just life in the magical world that sucks, I have a new cousin she's sweet and all but when she's there it becomes so apparent that I'll never be good enough to be loved by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon.
"My godfather's rejection of me because I am a Slytherin really hurt. It was like he could only see my robe and he couldn't be bothered to look beyond it. Never mind the Hat wanted to put me in Gryffindor, but I couldn't be a lion. You understand why right? I just couldn't knuckle under to the Headmaster. He's pulled so much shit, and so often it seems like I'm the only one who sees it. Sometimes part of me feels like you guys left me because… because you knew how messed up I was and didn't want any part of it. I mean I know in my head that you didn't want things to be this way and it's not my fault… But sometimes it feels like it is, especially when I find myself alone or being looked at a certain way.
"Then there's all the times I find myself maneuvering others around almost like they're chess pieces. Part of me looks at myself and hates it, but another part says it's for the good of everyone. I try never to force them to do something that makes them unhappy." Harry sniffed hard fighting to keep the tears he felt inside. "At what point is it that I become someone like the Headmaster? Is it when I stop caring how my actions cause them to feel?"