To Gringotts
Harry arrived in Diagon Alley with a pop, directly across from Gringotts Bank. Looking up at the guards standing next to the doors, he was reminded of Gnarl's lessons the day before.
'Whenever meeting a Goblin, Sire, be certain to greet them with their title. Goblins place a high value on such things, but more importantly, it establishes the context of the meeting. Addressing a Goblin by name alone is only done for informal meetings, or between friends and family. Beyond that, it's a measure of respect most Goblins don't expect from magicals, so it can only help you to remember this.'
With a nod of respect to the guards, Harry stepped through the main doors and was immediately wrapped in a hug from Hermione, who had been waiting for him. Happily reunited with her, they both readied to step inside Gringotts proper, with Harry pausing only to read the poem engraved on the silver doors to the Main Hall.
Enter, stranger, but take heed,
Of what awaits the sin of greed.
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn.
So if you seek beneath our floors,
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.
The Goblins took their duties seriously, as Gnarl had explained. The poem was both a warning and a promise to anyone thinking of stealing from Gringotts or their clients. Goblins may not like witches and wizards very much, but thieves offend them in every conceivable way. Gnarl had made it a point to emphasize, that the Goblins had beheaded many a would-be thief, their heads mounted on pikes on the steps of Gringotts as a warning to others.
Stepping into the marble Main Hall, Hermione immediately noticed a teller was available, one Harry recognized from his first visit to Gringotts. Approaching with as much confidence he could muster, he recalled one of the traditional Goblin greetings.
"Hail, Teller Griphook. May your enemies fall and your gold overflow."
Both Hermione and Griphook looked at Harry with looks equating to surprise. Hermione was surprised by the greeting, never having learned it herself, while Griphook wasn't accustomed to wizards using traditional Goblin greetings. But he overcame his surprise and replied in kind.
"May your family prosper and your enemies whither, Heir Potter. How may Gringotts assist you today?"
"I'd like to speak with the Potter Account Manager."
Griphook looked surprised at Harry's words, briefly considering his request, before nodding in acceptance. Summoning a runner, he turned back to Harry and Hermione.
"Very well then. Silverfang will escort you to him."
"Thank you, Teller Griphook. May you enjoy the spoils of conquest."
"And may you know glory everlasting, Heir Potter."
With that, Silverfang led them through the marble halls of Gringotts, lit by torches every step. As they progressed, Harry remembered Gnarl's lessons on Gringotts and its ranks.
'There are three titles for the Account Managers. First are the standard Account Managers, they handle most accounts and are by far the most numerous of the three ranks that handle the finances of witches and wizards. Above them are the Senior Managers, individuals entrusted with high-value accounts. These accounts typically belong to large businesses, or wealthy families like the Malfoys or the Blacks. Finally, there are the Vault Keepers or Keepers as they are called today. A holdover from the early days of Gringotts, when only the richest of clients could afford a Gringotts Vault, these Goblins manage the richest and most respected of families, and answer directly to the Director of Gringotts, who also serves as the Goblin King. To my knowledge, only two families still have a Keeper; the Greengrasses and the Potters, and only the Potter account is managed by a member of the Royal Family.'
As they made their way through the marble corridors of Gringotts, Harry noticed a multitude of doors denoting the office of one Account Manager or another. Most of them were simple doors, for standard Account Managers, but occasionally there'd be a more ornate door for the Senior Managers. Finally, they came across a pair of oak double doors, guarded by two goblins in armour, wielding wicked-looking halberds. Silverfang spoke to them in Gobbledegook, and they opened the doors without question.
Within the office, sat a goblin at a large, ornately carved desk, the Gringotts seal emblazoned on the front. The goblin wore an impressive suit, the kind he'd expect on a Muggle banker, and a clay pipe in his mouth. At the sound of people entering, the goblin looked up from his paperwork and saw his guests. On his face flitted a brief look of surprise, before presenting a stoic visage.
"Keeper Ragnok 11th, may I present Heir Potter and his... mate, Miss Granger."
Hermione blushed at the title of 'mate' but didn't say anything, allowing Ragnok to respond.
"Thank you, Runner Silverfang. Return to your duties." Silverfang bowed and took his leave as the doors closed. Ragnok turned to his guests and motioned to the chairs standing before his desk. "Please, take a seat. I imagine we have much to discuss."
"Thank you, Keeper Ragnok," Harry replied as he and Hermione took their seats.
"Now, before we start, you should know a few things. First and foremost, this meeting should have occurred when you first arrived in Gringotts."
Harry blinked in surprise, a sentiment shared with Hermione. Before they could respond, Ragnok continued.
"Normally, an Heir is brought to Gringotts with the Head of their House, or their guardian if there is no living Head of House. These meetings are expected, and as such, are either arranged in advance by the Heir's family or guardian, or the Account Manager makes time once the Heir is first brought to Gringotts following their 11th birthday. In your case, however, extenuating circumstances kept that meeting from occurring." As Ragnok finished his sentence, a nasty sneer appeared on his face.
He continued, "Before your 11th birthday, my father, Director Ragnok 10th was asked to repay a favour he owed for services rendered to the Goblin Nation. The exact nature of the favour is unknown even to me. However, it was an impressive enough favour that his request was honoured, rather than having him thrown out of the bank with his assets seized."
"Who called in the favour? And, what exactly did they ask of Gringotts?"
"The favour requested was that Gringotts not call you in for your meeting with me, and to limit any communication with you only to what was considered absolutely necessary concerning the Potter Family's accounts. The vaults opened following the harvest of the Basilisk and the Hungarian Horntail were opened in your name, not your family, thus Gringotts adhered to the terms of the favour. As for who called it in, it was one Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore."
Harry stiffened in response to this information, as his mind reeled from confusion. Dumbledore had intentionally kept this from him. He kept Harry from learning more about his family. Why? What else was he keeping from him? And when was he planning on telling Harry about this? Was he ever going to? Was he just going to let Harry go through life totally ignorant of his family?
Questions with no clear answer began to pile up in his brain, and it was beginning to hurt. But he was brought out of his stupor by Hermione's voice.
"If that's the case, then why are you having the meeting now?"
Ragnok leaned back in his seat. "Because, Miss Granger, the favour was only that we not call him in for a meeting. Heir Potter requested this meeting himself. I am under no obligation to turn him away, and even if I were, I would at the very least give him the reason why. The Potters have been clients of Gringotts since we first opened our doors, and have had the respect of the Goblin Nation before even that. Now then, if there are no other questions, we can go over the Potter accounts."
Harry nodded his head, too numb to say anything at the moment. As Ragnok produced a lengthy piece of parchment, he turned to Harry before handing it over.
"Do you wish for Miss Granger to review your finances with you?"
"Yes, Keeper."
"Very well then. This is an Accounting Report, focusing on the Account as a whole. If you wish to go into the finer details, we can do that afterward."
Harry nodded his head. When Ragnok handed over the parchment, Harry nearly fainted when he read its contents. Hermione was faring only slightly better.
Gringotts Accounting Report
Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter
Current Owner: Harry James Potter, Heir of Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter
Vault 687 - Potter Family Vault (Possesses 3 Subvaults: Treasure Vault, Heirloom Vault, Library Vault)
Treasure Vault Total Value:
62,375,924,605 Galleons
9 Sickles
20 Knuts
Heirloom Vault Contents:
Precious Stones (Diamonds, Rubies, Sapphires, etc.) Total Value: 10,799,356 Galleons, 15 Sickles, 1 Knut
Lord and Lady Rings, Heir Rings
Assorted Jewelry (Rings, Necklaces, Bracelets, Tiaras, etc.) 9,560,192 Galleons, 5 Sickles, 12 Knuts
75 Swords: 50 Longswords, 20 Rapiers, 5 Cutlasses
30 Spears: 20 hunting spears, 10 halberds
2 War-hammers
50 Flintlock guns: 40 muskets, 10 pistols
1,200 Bullets: 1,000 lead, 200 silver
100 Cannons, 500 cannonballs
1,000 Caskets of Gun Powder: stasis enchantments equipped
50 Suits of Armour: 30 Steel, 15 Iron, 5 Silver
12 War Robes
2 Captain Uniforms
Library Vault Contents:
180 Scrolls
50 Stone Tablets
VAULT 704 (Harry James Potter Trust Vault)
Total Monetary Fortune: 20,000 Galleons
Note: Vault refilled with 20,000 Galleons transferred from Vault 687 on July 31 every year until Harry Potter can access the Treasure Vault.
Gift Vaults
Vault 1180 to Harry James Potter (1981) Contents: 15,000 Galleons
Vault 1181 to Harry James Potter (1981) Contents: 50,000 Galleons
Vault 1182 to Harry James Potter (1981) Contents: 10,000 Galleons
Vault 1183 to Harry James Potter (1981) Contents: 12,000 Galleons
Vault 1184 to Harry James Potter (1981) Contents: 5,000 Galleons
Vault 1185 to Harry James Potter (1981) Contents: 9,000 Galleons
Vault 1186 to Harry James Potter (1981) Contents: 20,000 Galleons
Vault 1187 to Harry James Potter (1981) Contents: 32,000 Galleons
Vault 1188 to Harry James Potter (1981) Contents: 26,000 Galleons
Vault 1189 to Harry James Potter (1981) Contents: 14,000 Galleons
"This, of course, is just the Family accounts. There is still the sale of the Basilisk and Horntail to consider, but I thought it prudent to focus on the Family finances first."
Harry barely heard Ragnok. The amount of money listed was... obscene. He wasn't just rich. He was richer than God. The numbers made his head spin, and he was forced to breathe heavily to try and focus himself. As he did this, he heard chuckling from Ragnok. Realizing what he must look like, Harry cracked a grin.
"I take it you've seen this reaction a lot?"
"I've heard stories. Plus, I remember when Lily was first made aware of the sheer scale of the Potter family's wealth. I daresay that was the first time I've ever seen a witch faint outright."
"I think I understand. What's this about a 'Library Vault?'"
"Ah, that's one of the more valuable vaults. Every Potter property has a fully stocked library, a rule set up by one of your Ravenclaw ancestors. This means the Potters have multiple copies of certain texts, but they also possess rare texts, along with a few dangerous ones. Before your parents went into hiding, they had the oldest texts placed in the Library Vault, where they're kept in stasis. To my knowledge, Potter Castle contains its own vault for securing texts that are considered too dangerous to be accessed easily. Now, as for the Potter properties..."
Amelia sat in her office, wearing a look of grim determination. In front of her stood twelve of the best Aurors in her department. All of them with sterling records for arrests and investigations. More importantly, each of them had at least one dock on their records for violating protocol or otherwise offending a pure-blood in their search for legitimate evidence. These were men who didn't give a damn about blood status. They cared only about protecting the innocent and prosecuting the guilty.
In short, they were people she could trust.
"Gentlemen, thank you for coming. We don't have a lot of time, so I'll be quick. Corban Yaxley was a Death Eater and a spy within the DMLE. The bastard used his position to identify people within the Ministry who would be sympathetic to the Death Eaters, including those who would be inclined to join if offered the opportunity." She paused to levitate twelve parchment scrolls and communication mirrors to the Aurors. "Each scroll contains a list of those individuals Yaxley considered sympathetic to his ideals. Each mirror is connected to the others, and one I'll have on my person at all times. Your task is to monitor these individuals and report back to me if they engage in ANY suspicious behaviour. Despite Fudge's claims to the contrary, the Death Eaters are mobilizing again, and we might be on the brink of another Blood War."
There were murmurings of discontent among the Aurors. Most of them were old enough to remember fighting the Death Eaters at the height of their power and influence. The idea of having to fight another Blood War was more than enough to motivate them towards action. Taking the scrolls, each Auror read the names listed and made plans for how they would carry out their task.
"It cannot be stressed enough, but this is to be done with the utmost secrecy. Nobody but those in this room is to know about your appointed task. If you have any questions, ask them now."
A Senior Auror spoke first, "What's the plan if we find a mark engaging in illegal activity unrelated to the Death Eaters?"
"Contact me first if you can, otherwise make the arrest. A conviction's a conviction, and every Death Eater we put in Azkaban is another we deny their ranks."
"Will we have any backup from the Department?"
"Beyond each other and myself, no. Fudge has allowed corruption to fester in the Ministry for far too long, and now that we stand on the brink of war, we can't afford to let him get wind of anything that might upset his support base. Anything else?"
A smattering of no's was the response, and with that, Madam Bones dismissed the Aurors. As they filed out of her office, she took one last look at the list she had given to each Auror. They were the best of the Department, and she was confident they wouldn't fail her. She also spared herself a grin. It was a tough choice, but she knew the oldest member of the group would enjoy the names he'd been tasked with monitoring.
Putting the Toad in Azkaban would be a fine retirement gift for him.
As Harry and Hermione left Gringotts, Harry's mind was swimming with new information. The visit to the Treasure Vault had been particularly eye-opening. A massive room, larger than Hogwarts Castle, with piles of Knuts and Sickles the size of the towers of Hogwarts, and a literal mountain of Galleons, put into perspective the obscene wealth possessed by the Potter family. Even better, he now knew he had multiple properties both in Britain and abroad he could travel to at any moment. As the pair sat down to lunch in the Leaky Cauldron, they discussed plans for future holidays.
"So, which country do you want to visit first come next summer?"
"I've always wanted to see the pyramids, but a visit to the Taj Mahal wouldn't be unwelcome. What about you? They're your houses."
"From the description, some of these 'houses' sound more like palaces. But a trip to Australia sounds fun, followed by Christmas in the Rockies."
"Ohh, that sounds wonderful. But why stay with the Dursleys now that you know about all your properties?"
"I'll bring them up with Sirius once I move out. Until then, I'm having too much fun with the gits."
Harry smiled as Hermione giggled. Leaning forward, he kissed her on the lips and felt almost as happy as he had at the Yule Ball. For once, the future truly was looking up.
Snape was in his personal lab in Hogwarts. The Tournament had depleted most of Pomfrey's stock of potions and poultices, especially the Wiggenweld Potion. Brewing the potions needed to restock her supplies was part of his duties as Potions Master of Hogwarts, and while he'd normally wait until the last few weeks of summer to do this, the return of Voldemort meant he might be called away at any moment. Better to get it done now than risk a scramble closer to-
"AARRRGGGHHH!"
Snape clutched his arm and staggered away from the cauldron, knocking some unprepared ingredients into the mix. As he felt the pain subside, he breathed a sigh of relief. It was a brief attack, just enough to annoy or otherwise inconvenience-
He looked at the cauldron, which was now bubbling violently, spitting silvery liquid onto the floor and worktable.
"Oh dear."