A Government Agent Friends With a Gringotts Goblin? ~ More Likely Than You'd Think ~
Marissa spent the time waiting on the boys by messaging her Boss. He’s been sending her questions as he purses through the files. All contacted parties responded faster than their agency anticipated, so the meeting was scheduled for tomorrow before lunch at the bank. On second thought, it should have been expected that an emergency call from her agency requesting a meeting that needed a secrecy clause, would be a cause for alarm.
Despite what the boys think, she isn't necessarily a detective. She used to be when she first started her career, but after an altercation with a dark wizard, she was recruited for a governmental agency that specializes in Magic. Her Boss, Jack Hallow, is essentially Amelia Bones’ Muggle Equivalent, just with a bit more secrecy.
From the information she sent, Jack has been trying to formulate a game plan on how to efficiently tackle all the issues. The biggest and most important at the moment is the Dementor attack. There is no situation in which they should have been dispatched to a muggle neighborhood. The fact it was in Harry's neighborhood weighs even more heavily on the idea that it was a planned attack against his person. Then there's the ministry's less-than-stellar response to the situation. By not following up with the due diligence required for an attack in a very populated non-magical area, the ministry left a wide open door for her agency to throw the book at them.
Marissa and Jack both hope that Head Auror Bones will be able to shed some light on her department's lack of action. She looked up at the house and let out a sigh. If it was possible to get Harry out right then and there, she would in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, since this is now an official case, her hands are tied until they can go down the proper channels. Most likely, they’ll have a team sent to collect him during the meeting so that he can meet with the lawyers and answer questions.
The next thing they had to work on in tandem was both boy’s living situations. Now that they are involved, the Queen will step up and enforce his removal from the house. Per policy, the goblins will sign over temporary custody of both Harry and Dudley to her agency for their protection. This will override any current Magical Guardian and put said guardian and the child's bank accounts up for review. This review will be the catalyst for building the case against Dumbledore. Assuming he is in fact Harry's Magical Guardian.
Marissa tucked her phone away as she saw the front door open and the two boys hurry out. “How did it go?” She asked as they loaded back into the car. She would have to be blind to miss how Dudley's eyes were slightly misted.
“Good, I think, Piers made Harry a sandwich while I wrote a note for him before we packed everything. They locked him in before they left, so I couldn't offer for him to come with us.”
“I still can’t believe I never noticed the cat flap on the door before,” Piers said while rubbing his forehead. “Or even really comprehended why there are seven locks on his door.”
Marissa hummed in thought as she backed out of the drive and got on the road, they all three looked up at the barred window one last time. “Try not to worry too much about leaving him. I got notice that the meeting will be held tomorrow before lunch and we’ll be sending out a team to pick him up once the DMLE and the Goblins have been informed of the details of the case. I think it might be a good idea to have the goblins check the wards at the same time.”
Whitney Houston filtered through the car as Piers fiddled with the radio. “What exactly are wards?” Dudley asked.
“It’s a type of magic that covers an area and lasts for as long as the wards are powered. They are typically used on houses and are focused around a warding stone. But they can be cast anywhere if needed. For example, a silencing spell will silence whatever object or person the spell was cast on, while a Silencing ward will silence anything that is within the circumference of the ward.”
“Oh okay, so the wards on our house are supposed to protect or hide Harry right? That seems like what Dumbledore's letter implied.”
“Supposedly. However, I have a strong feeling that there are more sinister things layered into your wards. Remember our talk on mind magics last night?” At their nods, she continued, “While directly influencing memories requires the caster to be there in person, there are many more magics that can be layered into wards that impact an individual's free will as well as their mental and emotional faculties. These are called Compulsion and Suppression Charms.
When directly cast as a spell they have strong and immediate effects on the individual. Someone with strong willpower can do more to fight against the spell but they are very hard to fully break. An example could be that you are compelled to hate certain groups of people or you have your ability to execute critical thinking suppressed. When used as a ward, the effects are more gradual, so there isn't necessarily a noticeable shift in character right away. They are longer lasting and tend to be far harder to break.”
“Wait! When someone is under compulsion and suppression, does it feel like everything is kinda foggy? Like it's hard to focus so you just stop trying or questioning?” Dudley asked frantically.
“In cases of both types of magic being strong or layered, the individual will absolutely feel almost exactly like that.” Marissa could feel her heartbeat pick up. “Is that how your head feels right now?” She asked just to assuage her fears. He had been acting differently enough that she assumed if he had been on compulsions they had somehow broken.
“Not since the dementor attack, no. But the clarity in my head was one of the first things I was aware of after I stopped freaking out. I seriously don't remember a time in my life when everything was so clear up here.” He said pointing at his head.
Marissa was quiet for a minute as she drove. “When we get to the bank to exchange money we need to set up an appointment for today to get you checked and have an inheritance test done. Considering most don't survive to tell the tale, I don't know if there is a precedent of them breaking through spells on a person. Either way, if this was taken as seriously as it should have been, the DMLE should have gotten you medical care ASAP. We don't know how much it was able to feed off of you before Harry conjured the patronus. While you seem fine now, it's better to be safe than sorry.”
Dudley stared out over the passing scenery. So much had changed for him over the last week that he still hasn't been able to fully wrap his mind around it all. How much of who he's been was manufactured by someone else? “I definitely need to be checked. I’m not sure I know who I am anymore. Since my head cleared, I'm not only experiencing emotions in a way I never have before but my entire thought process and understanding of the world seem fundamentally shifted. I- I think I had been able to start fighting off some of it over the last year, but only enough to start contemplating that maybe what I was doing was wrong and to start eating better.”
He was startled when he felt something grab his hand. Looking up he was met with his friends' watery eyes. Touching his cheek, Dudley realized he was crying too. What the hell is happening to his emotions. “I can't say I know who you’ll become, but I can tell you who’ve had the opportunity to meet over this last week. I met a 16-year-old who faced fear and death and came out on the other side with compassion and an unwavering drive to right the wrongs of his family. I met someone who was able to freely express regret and anguish and shame. Someone who even through his own turmoil, had the strength to start taking the steps to protect his cousin. To throw your own words back at you, you’ll always be the greatest friend I could have ever hoped to have found. As long as you’ll have me, I’ll be there to help you find yourself because I know you’d do the same for me.”
They shared a watery smile before Piers turned back around in his seat but kept his hand firmly clasped around Dudleys. They drove for half an hour with only Whitney's voice in the background as they were all lost in thought.
As always, Piers broke the silence. “So we have the meeting tomorrow and an appointment later today probably. What are we going to be doing between them?”
“We explore the alley!” The twin cheers helped to raise the mood that had clung since leaving the Dursley house. It might be a shitty situation that led them here but that doesn't mean they can't make the best out of it.
The rest of the car ride was spent with the boys throwing questions at Marissa about the alley, and her lecturing them on proper Wizarding and Goblin Etiquette.
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As they turned onto the street that held the entrance to the alley, Dudley couldn't stop looking around. His parents had never taken him to this part of London, he’s pretty sure he can assume why. As he looked closely at some of the crowds, Dudley was able to pick out people who were dressed just differently enough that they had to be wizards.
Marissa's voice stopped him from hopping out of the car once they were parked, “Hold on a moment! I have a couple important things to relay before we head in.” She waited out their duel groans. “Your electronics won't work here, so if we get separated I need you to make your way back to our hotel promptly. Second, I know accidents happen when you're in a new area and wandering, but you must stay out of Knockturn Alley. It’s one of the offshoots from the main alley. I’ll point it out and might even take you to peek briefly but we will not enter any of the shops until I’m able to assure you both can adequately protect yourself. Understand?”
“Yes mum,” coursed alongside a, “Yes ma’am.” Dudley could see that his friend was practically vibrating in his seat, and his own smile felt like it was splitting his face.
“Great! Once we get inside, I’ll speak to the owner and we’ll set our stuff in the rooms. Now Piers,” She turned and held out a small palm-sized box to her son. Piers picked it up gently, shooting an unsure glance over at Dudley. A gasp fills the car as he lifts the lid; inside was a silver banded bracelet, with a brilliant round cut ruby inlaid. “This is specially enchanted to rip through any and all ‘Muggle Repellent' charms while it's on your person. It’ll allow you to approach any Wixen or magically populated area that has the charms and wards as if you were a squib. The ruby will be able to hold the enchantment magic for your full lifetime at a minimum.”
She let out a noise of surprise as Piers launched himself the short distance across the seats to wrap her in a hug. “Thank you, Mum, this means a lot.” She realizes almost immediately that even if it was a small part of him, he was afraid of getting left behind eventually in all this. The bracelet will give him autonomy over the situation he wouldn't have otherwise.
After pulling apart, Piers reached to pull the bracelet out. The moment his fingers touched the metal, it felt like all the air got knocked from his lungs. He was looking around as if he was seeing things for the first time, “Woah, most of that part of the street has changed!” Noticing it doesn't have a clasp, Piers slid his hand through the ring. He was confused for a moment before his eye blew wide as the chain resized itself until the ruby was sitting flush to the inside of his wrist.
“It's charmed so that only you can remove it if you intend to, so you don't need to worry about it getting stolen or lost,” Marissa told him. “Alright boys, let's go!” Before she could finish, both boys had their bags in hand and were jumping out of the car.
The leaky cauldron looked like it had seen better days. The sign was tattered and the wood siding was weathered and peeling. The inside was only a little better. Dudley and Piers stood at the base of the stairs watching the patrons as Marissa went to talk to the older man at the counter. People were wearing all styles and colors of robes, some tasteful and others definitely on the wrong side of ridiculous. Who thought fuchsia and lime green was a good combination?
Dudley looked over at his friend to see him narrow-eyed and glaring at a couple of the patrons. Trying to find what was agitating him he surveyed the room and noticed that more than a couple sets of eyes were drifting towards Marissa. Her long black hair that fell in gentle waves down her back shone in the sun filtering through the window and the silvery robes she chose were luminescent in the light; she simply looked stunning. Piers' glare just increased when he caught the smirk growing on Dudley's face.
Laughing, Dudley said, “Hey! Don't look at me like that. When you have a hot mom you gotta deal with the consequences.”
“Dude… Please never call my mom hot again.” Dudley lost it again at the horror that laced his voice.
“Fine, fine. I can’t wait to meet the goblins! How cool is it that they still practice battle arts? I wonder if there are any, like, wizarding weapons other than wands. Or different forms of martial arts. Oh! What if some of the martial arts we know have origins in magic?”
“We are totally raiding the bookstore when we have the chance. We should probably put that off till last though cause I feel like we’ll both get sucked in for hours and I want to make sure we explore as much as we can! I wonder how many side alleys there are and why the Knockturn place is so dangerous.”
They noticed Marissa was walking back towards them with three keys in hand. Piers was once again back to glaring at the people whose eyes trailed after her. “Alright boys! You’ll be sharing a room and I’ll be in the one to the left of yours. Put your stuff away, get acquainted with the space, and we’ll meet back down here in 10 minutes. Sounds good?”
“Yup!” “Totally mom!” They grabbed their keys and rushed up to the 3rd floor. The first thing they noticed was that the hallway was definitely longer than should have been able to fit in the building.
“Space Expansion?” Piers wondered.
“I wonder if the rooms are bigger on the inside too.” Unlocking their door once they located it confirmed that, yes, the room was in fact much bigger on the inside. Like the rest of the building, it wasn’t much to look at but it was clean and decently furnished.
Dumping their bags by the beds they started pulling out the clothes so they wouldn't wrinkle too badly. After putting toiletries in the attached bath, they grabbed their coats and headed back down the stairs to the main floor. Noticing Marissa wasn't down yet, they sat at a table near the door they observed most of the occupants enter through. The wixen who passed barely spared them a glance so they assumed they had chosen good clothes for blending in.
“Ready?” They startled at her voice coming from so close behind them. “The entrance to the alley is this way.”
Leading them through the doors they stopped short at a brick wall. “As a last layer of protection, you have to tap a certain series of bricks for the entrance to open up. Watch closely.” Using the hand that held her own enchanted bracelet, she tapped what seemed like a random sequence and the bricks started shifting before their eyes. Other than the expanded rooms and the resized bracelet, this was the first active magic Piers had ever seen. His jaw dropped before they even had the chance to peek into the alley, but once they had the air completely left his lungs. Piers would even swear he could feel the change in the air as they stepped in. It was like a tingle crossed his skin that dissipated almost as soon as he felt it.
It was full of colors and life. Everywhere you looked were eye-catching displays and magically moving objects.
“Oh, we have to go there,” Dudley said pointing down the road towards a building with a bright red storefront and a giant statue that was lifting a top hat. “I think it's owned by Harry's friends. The statue looks just like them, it’s a little creepy.”
“Ah, Weasley Wizard Wheezes. I forgot it opened recently, they are a joke shop that's already giving Zonkos a run for its money.” Marissa said. Remembering Dudley's story of the twins she added, “You probably ended up as a test subject for at least one of their products. Okay, the first order of business is visiting the goblins. See that giant pristine white building down there? That my dear children, is Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Owned and operated by the Goblin Nation. Remember, respect and eye contact at all times, and for the love of the gods, do not show or smile with your teeth. While they won't harm you unless you initiate a confrontation, they will be far less accommodating.”
They stopped to take in the looming building before them. The white marble, while slanted, was a magnificent work of architecture. The Goblins guarding the door wore black-plated armor and had vicious-looking battle axes strapped to their backs. Despite their small stature, Dudley has no doubt they could not only lift him but throw his ass quite far if they wanted.
Before even beginning the approach on the doors he could feel their eyes bearing into him unwaveringly. They weren't even sparing a glance at Piers and Marissa. Thoroughly creeped out and trying not to show it, Dudley bowed to them as Marissa did. Almost instinctively as he raised up his right hand came up as a fist over his heart and pounded softly twice. Lowering his arms, all four of them could see the look of utter confusion etched into his face.
Marissa just sighed, “Yeah… We absolutely need to get you an inheritance test. That was an act of family magic if I’ve ever seen it.” Giving a solid nod of her head that Piers did his best to replicate, she started to head inside. Dudley lagged behind enough that he was left with the two Goblins. The guards shared a look before they both raised their fists over their hearts like Dudley had before going back to their previous positions of silently watching the alley.
Fast walking to reach Marissa, he was blown away as he looked around. The vaulted ceiling held incredible stained glass windows that threw hues of blue and green against the white marble. There were 2 rows of booths on either side of the room and a couple at the very back of the room. The Goblin tellers were dressed in finely pressed black suits, the only real uniqueness in design seemed to be their individual choices of neckties. It reminded him of the bank he accompanied his father to while in Switzerland on a business trip that Vernon turned into a family vacation.
“Do you know why they keep staring at me?” Dudley whispered to Marissa as they made their way toward the back of the room. Unlike the goblins guarding the doors, the bankers were much more subtle in their looks. Peeks threw between looking at their ledgers and the clients they're working with.
“I’m sorry, I have no idea. I’ve never seen the Nation take such a collective interest with a stranger. But I have a feeling we’ll find out exactly why very soon.” Marissa activated a rune stone as they finally reached the lone desk at the back which created a silencing barrier around the group.
The old-looking goblin seemed to have to force himself to drag his eyes away from Dudley. “Agent Polkis,” The teller leaned forward, giving Marissa a tight, close-mouthed smile that seemed shockingly genuine. “What brings you to our establishment today?” His eyes dart over Piers and down to his bracelet before they linger a moment on Dudley.
“Master Gripli. Is that a new Cravat? The blue does a lovely job of making the jewels in your rings seem a bit more vibrant than usual.” Both boys jump slightly at the amused snort that left the goblin. “Let me introduce you to my son Piers Polkis and his close friend Dudley Dursley.” Like at the door, they gave the teller a quarter bow. Dudley, again to his confusion, raising his fist over his heart. “It's their first time in the alley so we’ll need to do a currency exchange. We would also like to schedule a preliminary appointment for today relating to Case #P4775. Mr. Durley will need an in-depth Inheritance test as well as full medical and magical scans before the main meeting tomorrow. We’re staying at the leaky and have no plans besides exploring, so any convenient time will work for us.”
“First time you say…” Gripli seems thoughtful for a moment before he turns and snaps at a goblin standing near a tunnel entrance that went further into the bank. Once she was within the rune boundary, they spoke rapidly in another language before the other goblin left, hurrying down the tunnel. “Apologies for the short notice. A Messenger is going to inform Apprentice Manager EmeraldFang to expect you shortly, you’ll be shown to the room once she returns. Apprentice EmeraldFang is within their last year of training and is currently working under Master SilverClaw who will be present at the meeting tomorrow.”
He pulled a diamond-studded pocket watch out of his jacket and checked the time. “Mr. Dursley, you will, of course, be presented with options, but I believe it pertinent that you select the most in-depth scans we have available. Unless there is an unforeseen issue, I would anticipate being here till 2 p.m. Leaving you with more than enough time to do your exploration of the alley. We will of course provide lunch.” He directed the last part towards Marissa.
“I think I understand sir,” Dudley said. It was barely past 10am, what could possibly cause the meeting to be a minimum of 4 hours? “Will Piers and Marissa be able to come to the appointment with me?”
Gripli peered down at them from his high pedestal. “Agent Polkis will attend as you are a minor and she is the lead agent on the case. As for Mr. Polkis, it is entirely up to your own discretion.”
“I definitely need my ESM there,” Dudley said, remembering to keep his mouth closed as he smiled. Before Marissa or Gripli could question it, Piers cheekily added, “Emotional Support Muggle at your service.”
The goblin just hummed in amusement at them. “Agent Polkis, I’d like to recommend an inherent test for your son as well. I can say for certain, he does not have magic, however the Goddess of Fate does love to play with us mortals every time and again. Always best to check.” That sobered the boys up quite quickly. They clutched at each other's hands in nervous support when the messenger goblin came hurrying back out of the tunnel.
“Apprentice EmeraldFang will see you now,” the female goblin stated gruffly.
“Well, it was lovely to see you as always, Gripli. May the veins of good fortune lead you to richer prospects.”
“And may your hunt towards justice leave your enemies trembling within the holes in which they hide. Stay well, Marissa.” He went back to his ledger as the group followed the messenger towards the tunnel. Once inside, Marissa canceled magic going through the runestone and the barrier shimmered out of existence.
“Hey Mum, how long have you known Master Gripli? You two seemed pretty familiar.” Piers questioned. They all noticed how the ears of the goblin in front of them twitched in obvious interest to the question. Piers couldn't help the smirk that slipped onto his face at the relatable gesture. Being a messenger had to come with hearing some rather juicy gossip from time to time.
Marissa laughed as she thought about her relationship with the older goblin. “He has been Senior Head Teller for a very long time.”
“73 years.” The messenger added with a cough.
“Exactly. Due to the sensitive nature of many of our cases, Gripli is almost always our first point of contact within the bank. So, let's just say we’ve gotten to know each other over 20 plus years of other people's misfortune with the occasional shared pot of tea every once in a while to catch up on the personal side.”
They get together for tea?? Piers mouthed to himself. Their guide looked equally flummoxed. Piers realized they never got her name. He picked his speed up so he was just a little behind her, “Thank you for showing us the way to the office! I’m Piers Polkis by the way, would it be possible to get your name? Master Gripli only referred to you as the messenger.”
The sneer she quickly shot his way easily put Petunia Dursleys to shame. But instead of an impolite diatribe that would follow the look from Petunia, the messenger just heaved a sigh and grumbled under her breath in that cool language. “I am known as Rabbla.” They turned a corner and finally came to a stop before one of the ornate doors with who they assume is another messenger standing outside considering they are dressed similarly to Rabbla's own uniform.
Without a word, but with a very interested look at Dudley, the 2nd messenger took off down the way they came and Rabbla took his position. She knocked twice before opening the door and quickly ushering the trio in before closing the door behind them. She’d only reenter if called.