The following morning, the Great Hall did not buzz.
It roared.
Every table held a copy of the Daily Prophet, and on the front page, beneath a tasteful but unmistakably dramatic headline, was Harry's name.
LORD HARRY JAMES POTTER-BLACK-GRYFFINDOR CONFIRMED BY GRINGOTTS BLOOD RITE
Subheadings detailed the goblin-confirmed inheritance test, the revival of the House of Black lordship, and most sensational of all, the magical verification of direct descent from Godric Gryffindor.
By the time Harry entered the Great Hall, the whispers had already reached fever pitch.
He ignored them.
He slid into his usual place at the Gryffindor table, reached for toast, and buttered it calmly.
Ron leaned in. "Mate."
Harry chewed.
Hermione pushed the paper toward him, eyes wide but proud. "They used the phrase 'Magical Sovereignty Alignment.' That's unprecedented."
Neville looked faintly awed. "You're… you're basically Hogwarts royalty."
Luna beamed. "I always thought the lions listened to you differently."
Before Harry could reply, a sleek white owl swooped through the enchanted ceiling and dropped a sealed envelope neatly onto his plate.
The crest was unmistakable: a silver serpent embossed in wax.
Across the Slytherin table, Draco Malfoy went rigid.
Ron muttered, "Oh, that can't be good."
Harry didn't touch it immediately.
Instead, his eyes flickered, just slightly unfocused.
A silent, intricate web of magic spread from his fingertips, scanning the parchment. He traced intent, binding runes, hidden charms.
Nothing hostile.
No poison ink.
No curse triggers.
No coercive compulsion.
He nodded once and broke the seal.
He read.
And then,
He smirked.
It wasn't cruel.
It wasn't arrogant.
It was satisfied.
"What?" Ron demanded.
Before Harry could answer, Draco Malfoy shoved back his bench and stalked across the Hall, pale with fury.
"Why," Malfoy demanded loudly, "has my father sent you a letter?"
The Hall fell silent.
Harry dabbed his mouth with a napkin and looked up mildly.
"Oh," he said. "Business."
Malfoy sneered. "What business could you possibly have with my father?"
"The shop I own in Hogsmeade," Harry replied calmly. "Vesters & Venom."
Murmurs rippled.
Malfoy's eyes flickered. "That shop—"
"—is legally mine," Harry cut in pleasantly. "Your father attempted to interfere with its operations. Gringotts reviewed the matter."
At the High Table, McGonagall sat very still.
"And?" Malfoy snapped.
Harry held up the letter.
"Your father offers his formal apology for the misunderstanding," he said smoothly. "He assures me he will not interfere with my business again."
Gasps.
Even some Slytherins turned to stare at Draco.
Malfoy flushed red from collar to hairline.
"That's... that's..."
"Resolved," Harry said lightly.
Malfoy stood there for half a second longer, then spun on his heel and stormed back to the Slytherin table amid a storm of whispers.
Across the Hall, reactions bloomed:
Gryffindors cheered openly.
Ravenclaws began debating inheritance law.
Hufflepuffs looked impressed.
Slytherins looked… thoughtful.
At the High Table, Dumbledore hid a pleased smile behind his goblet.
An Idea Remembered
Later that afternoon, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Luna sat with Hagrid near the edge of the grounds.
Hagrid had been positively glowing all morning.
"Lord Potter, eh?" he said proudly. "Knew yeh were special first year."
Harry laughed and then blinked.
"…Oh."
Hermione narrowed her eyes. "That tone means something."
"I may have forgotten something," Harry admitted.
Ginny crossed her arms. "Forgotten what?"
Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "When I was… elsewhere. During Hogwarts Legacy. I rescued a few magical beasts."
Hagrid froze.
"…Rescued," he repeated slowly.
"Thestrals. Hippogriffs. A graphorn. A phoenix," Harry listed casually. "They're in the Room of Requirement."
There was silence.
Then Hagrid roared, "YEH WHAT?!"
Neville's jaw dropped. "A graphorn?!"
Luna clasped her hands dreamily. "Oh, I've always wanted to see one up close."
Hermione looked equal parts thrilled and overwhelmed. "You've been keeping a magically stable ecosystem hidden in the castle?"
"Possibly," Harry admitted.
They were halfway to the seventh-floor corridor when they nearly collided with Dumbledore and the four Heads of House.
Snape's eyes narrowed immediately.
"Where," he drawled, "are you all going with such suspicious enthusiasm?"
Harry didn't hesitate.
"I have several magical creatures housed in the Room of Requirement," he said plainly. "Along with a cultivated collection of rare magical plants and potions stock from my previous journey."
There was a long pause.
"A what," McGonagall said faintly.
Dumbledore's eyes sparkled dangerously. "Oh my."
Flitwick looked delighted. Sprout looked ready to faint from excitement.
Snape's expression darkened but there was unmistakable curiosity beneath it.
"A graphorn?" Sprout whispered.
Harry nodded.
Dumbledore clasped his hands together. "Well then. I believe this warrants immediate academic inspection."
Snape sniffed. "If Mr. Potter has been harboring classified magical fauna inside the castle,"
"They're well cared for," Harry said calmly. "Better than most reserves."
Hagrid puffed up proudly. "That's my boy."
Dumbledore gestured grandly. "Lead the way, Lord Potter."
Harry walked forward.
Behind him followed:
His friends.
The Keeper of Keys.
Four Heads of House.
And the Headmaster of Hogwarts.
The blank stretch of wall awaited them.
And beyond it,
An entire hidden world.