III
“You, Mr. Potter,” Pept leaned forward, “Are mostly definitely not welcomed here. Multiple of my fellows almost lost their head because of what your family has done.”
Harry gaped openly. “What?” he questioned, swallowing. “I just learned about magic today- what has my family done?”
“Arguably, there are multiple things, from both sides of the family. Your mother failed to claim her house rings as the first non-squib in her line. Your father didn’t come to Gringotts a single time in his entire life. Disgraceful,” Pept held a glimmer of something Harry didn’t want to name in his eyes. “Of course, now that you’re here, that can all be settled.”
The goblin took out a stack of parchment from Griphook’s desk, which the other goblin glared at him for.
Pept ignored Griphook and slid the paper over to Harry, along with a knife. “This is an inheritance test. It tells us what lordships, properties, creature inheritances, mates, guardians, and harmful charms you may have.
“The first parchment will tell you your lordships, properties, and guardians. The second will show your creature inheritances, mates, and other aspects like familiars and your magic level. Finally, the last one is the scan for disruptive charms, potions, diseases, or disorders you may have. This is a standard process everyone has to take before they get their house rings.
“To start the process, simply spill a few drops of your blood on each parchment. Your friend here should be able to assist you.”
Jayden snapped to attention. He took the knife from the table and grabbed Harry’s arm, carefully but efficiently drawing the required about. The boy-who-lived hissed at the slight pain, but everyone ignored him and turned towards the parchment. He shrugged and did the same. It read:
Name: Hadrian James Potter
Parents: James Charlus Potter (paternal), Lily Jacklin Potter (née Evans, maternal)
Godparent(s): Sirius Orion Black (godfather), Alice April Longbottom (godmother)
Paternal Inheritance:
Most Ancient and Subline House of Gryffindor
Most Ancient and Noble House of Peverell
Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter
Maternal Inheritance:
Most Noble House of Ocylums
Ancient House of Rynablood
Mate Inheritance:
Most Ancient and Subline House of Slytherin
Most Ancient and Noble House of Black
(After Mate’s Inheritance) Most Ancient and Noble House of Malfoy
Most Noble House of Diggory
Most Ancient House of Gaunt
Most Ancient House of Prince
Lupin Clan
Property Inheritance:
Gryffindor - Specific grounds at Hogwarts Castle, one cottage
Peverell - one mansion, two cottages
Potter - one castle, two cottages, one manor
Slytherin - Specific grounds at Hogwarts Castle, two manors
Black - one castle, two cottages, one apartment
Malfoy - two manors, three country houses
Gaunt - one shack
Prince - one apartment, one house
Lupin - one house
Business Inheritance:
Gryffindor - Orvard’s Magical Weapons, Hogwarts
Slytherin - Grendyian’s Magical Apothecary, Hogwarts
Potter - Charlus’s Premade Potions
Potential Guardians:
None
Harry blinked once. And then again. What did all this stuff even mean? Confused, he turned to Jayden.
The man was looking down at the parchment with evident shock. “Gryffindor? Slytherin? Peverell?” he whispered to himself.
“This was… unexpected.” Pept stated finally, looking cross. “Please activate the second parchment.”
Numbly, the eight-year-old picked off the drying blood on his arm and let a few drops of the fresh liquid spill on the parchment. Ink exploded on the page as soon as the blood hit. It seemed almost… enthusiastic. Powerful. And it said:
Role: Dominant
Mate(s): Sirius Orion Black (submissive, family relationship), Remus John Lupin (switch, family relationship), Tom Marvolo Riddle (submissive, family relationship), Draco Lucius Malfoy (switch, family relationship), Cedric Amos Diggory (submissive, family relationship), Severus Tobias Snape (submissive, family relationship)
Relationships are subject to change.
Familiar(s): Three, all unknown
Horcrux in scar, Tom Marvolo Riddle, October 31, 1981
Species: Wizard
Level of Magic: Average Occultist (Condensed down to Excellent Wizard by Divine Warlock Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore)
Core Type: True Neutral
Natural Animagus Form(s): Three, all undiscovered (blocked by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore)
“SNAPE?!” Jayden exploded suddenly, looking somehow absolutely furious and bone-dead tired at the same time. Harry was just confused.
Pept calmly explained, “There is much to explain about this. A mate is uncommon for a wizard, let alone six. Your role, as a dominant, is to love and care for the people in your harem that are lower in status. This can be either platonically or romantically. In this case, it is platonic. However, this can sometimes change according to developing feelings. These bonds are created not by the skill of the people involved, but by Lady Magic. She knows who is best for a powerful wixen.
“Moving on to familiars and animagus forms. A familiar is an animal bonded to you that will live as long as you do, and an animagus form is when a wixen can turn into an animal that closely relates to their personality. That you have three of each is quite peculiar. I have only heard of about a dozen cases in England, but in the rest of the world, it is more common.”
Pept gritted his teeth. “Your level of magic is how powerful you are, or will be in the future. Apparently Mr. Dumbledore has taken it upon himself to take that magic for himself. That means that it depletes yours and gives it to him… And it is also very, very illegal…” The goblin cackled suddenly before going silent again. “Not as illegal as that horcrux, though.”
“What’s a horcrux?” Jayden questioned. He still looked furious at the ‘Snape’ person.
Glaring, the goblin furiously started explaining, “Nasty, nasty dark magic. It is a disgusting way to the closest thing we have to immortality. Horcruxes split your soul and insert them into an object. This is all rather questionable, because Mr. Potter is obviously a living being. Moving on, activate the third parchment.”
Harry did so automatically. The ink didn’t seem enthusiastic, but rather sad, reading:
Harmful Potion(s):
None
Harmful Charm(s):
Party Poisoning Charm, Malnutrition Charm, Rash Decisions Charm, Honesty Charm (homed to work on Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore), Dilatory Studying Charm (All set by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, October 31, 1981)
Health Conditions:
Malnutrition, dehydration
Disorders:
None. *Could be subject to change.*
Other Information:
Mail Ward (Directed to Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore)
Compulsions to hate Slytherins, Tom Marvolo Riddle, Severus Tobias Snape, potions, arithmancy, Dark magic, snakes, and anything associated with Dark magic (Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, October 31, 1981)
“Ah, Dumbledore… we have you now, old man.” Griphook laughed bitterly. “Harming the heir of so many important Houses- it’s perfect for us.”
Pept looked at his colleague. “The folder?” he asked, grinning.
The other goblin nodded immediately. “The folder.”
A file suddenly appeared on the desk. Griphook laid a finger on each of Harry’s tests, and a copy appeared of all of them, slotting themselves neatly in the opened folder. Griphook closed it, and Harry read the front from upside down: ‘Dumbledore Dirt, File 4’. It disappeared after it was closed without a sound. The goblins didn’t say anything about it, so Harry chose to ignore it.
“So, who’s Snape?” the boy-who-lived randomly asked, remembering Jayden’s outburst from earlier.
Said male glared fiercely at the desk. “He’s the potions master at Hogwarts. That’s the magical school we have here- I graduated from there two years ago. The old bat is so prejudiced! He only gives points to Slytherins, looks like a greasy overgrown bat, is super mean, and couldn’t teach for his mum’s life!”
Griphook quietly leaned over to the youngest person in the room and explained what ‘Slytherin’ was.
Harry was horrified. “And I have to- what? Love and care for someone like that? He sounds horrible!”
“He looks worse,” Jayden muttered bitterly.
“We should probably explain all this to Mr. Potter,” Pept interrupted. Jayden looked embarrassed, quieting down immediately.
Pept cleared his throat and spoke, “Most of the things on this paper are self explanatory. However, ‘party poisoning’, is best described as making the worst decisions, being brave, and overall acting like a Gryffindor. A mail ward is a ward designed to keep mail away from someone and direct it to the person who casted the spell. Compulsions are a strong urge to do something. Finally, ‘dilatory’ means slow to act. So in that context, you would absolutely despise studying. I don’t know what Dumbledore would want that if he wants you to be a martyr…” He trailed off from there.
“How do we get rid of all the bad stuff?” Harry asked. “Can we do it here? Right now?”
The goblin looked exasperated. “Why do people keep thinking that? We’re a bank.”
The boy-who-lived smiled sheepishly, “Sorry.”
Pept waved him off. Griphook, who had been suspiciously silent for awhile, came up from behind the desk (when did he get there?) with a pile of small, old-looking boxes. He dumped them on the desk.
“These are your Lordship rings,” the goblin explained at Harry’s questioning glance. “They are rings that illustrate your claim of the titles you receive, allow you to buy things without the need of bags of coins, and protect you from poisonous foods or drinks. Don’t worry about space on your fingers. They will all merge into one, and only differentiate themselves from another if you want to withdraw from one specific vault.”
Griphook handed a box to him. “This is the Potter Lordship Ring. As it is your primary House, this one goes on first as the base.”
Honestly, the box was beautiful. By no means was it plain- it shimmered a bright red, with a golden dragon bellowing green fire as the crest. The dragon held the words ‘Non Ducor, Duco’ delicately in its claws.
“Well?” Pept snapped impatiently. “Is the box one of your mates as well, or are you going to stop staring at it?”
Harry blushed. “I- uh- no.” Embarrassed, he opened the box and laid it on the desk. The inside was lined with purple velvet. In the very center, a ring with a golden band and the same symbol on the box in front. The dragon’s eyes seemed to glow unnaturally. He put the ring on his right ring finger, and felt a sort of warmness envelope him. The box closed by itself sharply and disappeared.
Griphook had lined the Lordship boxes up in a strange order. There were five of them (not counting the Potter ring).
“Start with this one and go down the line,” the goblin ordered. He then brought out a smaller box. “This is the Malfoy heirship ring,” explained Griphook at the boy-who-lived’s questioning glance.
Eventually, Harry was done with Lordship and Heirship rings to put on. They had all ‘accepted him’- whatever that meant. Griphook explained it when he wasn't paying attention.
Pept clapped his hands. “Alright then, now that we’re done with that, we can go collect your money. The goblins will send you a financial report of all your vaults in a matter of one to two days.”
Nodding, the wizards set off with Griphook out the door, up the hallway, and towards the left through one of the big doors in the main hall.
It was dark and gloomy inside. Griphook took a lantern off the rock wall and got into a cart Harry had just noticed. Jayden looked uneasy just looking at it, but got in anyway. Harry followed reluctantly.
Grinning manically, the goblin pushed down a lever, and the cart flew off so quickly Harry soon couldn't see anything more than blurs.
“AHH!” the two humans yelled simultaneously. Jayden looked a little green. On instinct, Harry scooted as far away from the man as possible in the cold cart. (Which didn't even have seatbelts, mind you! Was all of the wizarding world this crazy?)
Finally, after many nervewracking of trying not to get puked on, they came to a screeching halt in front of a massive golden vault. Harry hadn't been able to differentiate from any of the other vaults before this one, number 777, but it appeared to be very secure. He looked pointedly at the ginormous golden dragon guarding the vault.
Jumping out, Harry stumbled a bit into Jayden. Said man wasn't looking much better. In fact, he almost fell over from the accidental push on his person.
Griphook stared at them in disappointment. “You’re both useless,” he blandly said. Jayden looked offended but didn’t say anything.
The dragon was apparently very bored of being ignored, as it roared loudly and almost set the older wizard of the duo on fire. Harry laughed at Jayden as he glared.
Rolling his eyes, Griphook took out a small leather bag from his pocket and magically expanded it until it looked to be about the size of the goblin’s torso.
He opened the bag and took out a small metal object with what looked like cowbells on each side of a hilt. Griphook produced two more for each of them. The bells made loud screeching sounds when shaken even a bit, and Harry noticed that the dragon apparently did not like the noise at all. In fact, it was practically shaking in place.
“These are Clankers,” Griphook finally explained once he closed the bag. “They are used to ward away the dragon so we can reach the vault. Don’t worry, the dragon is trained to avoid this sound at all costs.” He shook the Clanker for emphasis. The dragon leaped away from the loud sound it produced. Cuts that Harry didn’t see before suddenly reopened everywhere on the poor thing.
Gasping, Harry looked quickly at Griphook and then at the pitiful dragon. “What- You- What training? This is totally barbaric!”
“You’d do well to remember that what is ‘barbaric’ to you is acceptable to us, seeing as though we are an entirely different species and your opinion does not matter.” The goblin sneered distastefully. “If your silly ideals are vanquished for now, we shall move forward.”
Jayden nudged Harry on the shoulder when he didn't move for a few seconds. Regretfully, the older started shaking the Clanker and walking forwards. Harry followed.