Payback Time

starie78 is the reviewer that is gave the plot-bunny for the Veil scene.

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“Harry, what did you do to Bella’s vault?” Sirius asked a few days later at breakfast. It had been a few quiet days and they were happy for the reprieve. Dumbledore had not darkened their doorstep, though Remus and Harry were worried about him. They didn’t understand why Fawkes wouldn’t let Harry heal the man, or why the phoenix didn’t do it himself.

Harry thought phoenixes were birds of light, but Remus told him they were more neutral than that. Fawkes was a creature of nature, and he probably felt it was Albus’s time. Or some such rot.  

“Why?” the teen asked, not sure if he was in trouble. He knew he had left that prank, but he didn’t think the goblins would trip it. He didn’t think anyone but Sirius would, and that would have been after Bellatrix died in Azkaban. He thought the goblins did their counting with magic.

“I got a letter from the goblins, and they are very upset that some of their workers were running around shorter than they already are,” the man said, trying not to snicker. All three of them looked like they were holding back.

Harry broke first and laughed so hard he fell out of his chair at the thought of chibi goblins running around Bellatrix’s vault. He wondered if they got those cute cartoon faces as well, and he laughed harder. He tried to explain it to Sirius and Remus, but he couldn't stop laughing, and every time he tried to say it, it just made him laugh harder.

“I think he’s guilty,” Remus said between chuckles, because it was hard not to laugh when someone else was in the middle of a laughing fit.

“Oh, yeah,” Sirius agreed, wondering if they’d ever get the whole story.

“Tell me what the goblins wrote,” Remus suggested, waving to the letter in the man’s hand.

“Oh, well they said that they were inventorying Bella’s vault after we left, just to be sure we didn’t take anything, and when they were counting the coins, some of them shrunk,” Sirius said with a chuckle. “The only reason they are not fining us, or going to war, is that it only lasted an hour,” he finished, putting the letter down.

“Chibi goblins,” Harry said and burst into another fit. He rolled on the floor and grabbed his sides. He took some deep breaths and tried to get himself together. He pulled himself off the floor and back on to his chair. He was still giggling under his breath though.

“What exactly is a chibi?” Remus wanted to know, after the teen got ahold of himself.

“It’s a short cartoon character, usually with cute childlike features,” Harry said trying to hold back another fit. “Well, that’s what it means in this case. That’s what I cast the spell for. However, I think it just means short in Japanese,” he added thoughtfully.

Both Sirius and Remus laugh at that, imagining the goblins with cute childlike features. They pictured those faces with the goblins grumpy disposition and laughed harder.

“Did you do the whole vault?”  Sirius asked once he got control over his laughter, thinking of all the Black heirlooms within. He would have to be careful when that vault came under his control again. He was thinking of kicking the Lestranges out of the family. Then he would have the vault, but it was something he was waiting on until Harry was in school.

“No, just the coins,” was the answer. “I didn’t want to mess with any unknown magic. Well, I had cleaned all the dark stuff, but there might have been some light stuff around, and I didn’t want to mess with that,” he added.

“Not bloody likely with that lot,” Sirius grumbled. He knew his family well, and there wasn’t likely to be anything light in nature in that vault.

“Aren’t you going shopping today?” Remus asked, bringing the talk of daily tasks about.

“Yeah, Neville, Ron, Hermione, and I are meeting at the Leaky Cauldron at noon to do school shopping. Well, Sirius will be there as ‘adult’ supervision. What are you doing today, Remus?” Harry asked, making the quoting motion, knowing the man was not going with them.

“I have to go and get things set up for teaching this year. I will be living at the school from here on out,” the ex-werewolf said, getting up and putting his plate in the sink. “There’s a lot to prepare for, and I want to make sure that it’s all ready for when you guys get there.”

“Oh, well, we’ll miss having you around here,” Harry said, putting his own dishes in the sink. He knew the elves didn’t like it when they did that, but he didn’t like getting out of the habit of straightening up.

“You have the morning to get a list of things that you need that are not on your school list. Like parchment, ink, and such stuff,” Sirius said, pushing his plate to the middle of the table, far more used to elves than the other two.  

“Okay, I don’t think I’ll need that long, but I’ll make a list. I think I need new robes too. I’ve grown quite a bit since I was hit by that lightning,” Harry added, noting that his clothes had had to be adjusted a lot this summer.

“We’ll hit the Alley early and get you some clothes, then you can meet your friends at lunch,” Sirius said, getting up to go and get ready for the day. “Remus, good luck with Snape. You’ll need it,” he said to his friend.

“I am on better terms with Severus than you will ever be,” Remus said, firm in his belief that Snape would not be antagonistic towards him. Well, not much. He, unlike his friends, had never bullied the man. Sure, he never stopped it, but he never was in on it either.

“You keep thinking that,” Sirius said as he headed up the stairs. “When he gets all in your face, remember, I told you so,” he added as he rounded the corner of the landing.

“I’m right,” the other man grumbled, getting his things ready to head to the castle.

“Are you flooing over?” Harry asked, helping him with his trunk.

“Yes, Albus is expecting me,” Remus said, going to the fireplace and waiting for Sirius to come and see him off.

“Give the old man my best,” Harry said, still having mixed feelings about Dumbledore. Sure, the man was a manipulative old fool, but he was dying, so that made it more real somehow.

“Don’t feel too badly about him,” Sirius said as he came into the room. “He’s over a hundred years old,” he said, patting his godson on the back.

“I get that, but…” Harry said, trailing off, not sure what to say.

“Trust that Fawkes knows what he is doing,” Sirius tried again. It was a conversation they had had more than once these last few days.

“I’m trying,” Harry said with a shrug.

“Well, Remus, off you go. Have fun with all the kiddies,” Sirius said, giving the man a manly hug.

“I will, thanks,” Remus said, returning the manly hug.

“I’ll see you on the first,” Harry said, giving his pseudo uncle a real hug, which was returned.

“Stay out of trouble until then,” the ex-werewolf said, then he grabbed his trunk and threw some floo powder in the fireplace and called, “Hogwarts, Headmaster’s Office.” And he was gone.

“Let’s go and get you some clothes,” Sirius said, putting his arm around Harry’s shoulders.

“Alright,” the teen said as they headed out of the house.

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“Harry,” Hermione yelled as she flung herself into his arms. “I haven’t seen you since school let out. Did your relatives really disappear? Did you ever go and speak to the police? Are they still looking for you? Oh, Harry, I’ve been so worried,” she rambled as she stepped back to let his other friends say hello.

“I’m fine. I don’t know what happened to the Dursleys. I haven’t spoken to the police, so I reckon they are still looking for me,” he answered her questions as he shook Neville’s hand. “Hello, Neville. Alright?” he said, finally looking at the other boy.

“Alright,” Neville said with a grin.

“Harry,” Ron said as he stepped up and shook Harry’s hand. “You look healthier,” he pointed out, knowing that the other teen hadn’t spent this summer with the muggles.

“Sirius took good care of me,” Harry said, inconspicuously waving his hand at his three friends.  He turned all their hair into mood hair. It would show what type of mood they were in. Ron’s went immediately a dull green, which showed he was slightly jealous. While Hermione’s was a bright orange, which showed she was still highly anxious. Neville’s was a bright yellow, which showed he was just happy.

“Ron, how was your summer? Did I ever thank you for trying to rescue me again?” Harry said, wanting to stop that jealousy before it started. He knew that his friend had a jealous streak, but he was a good friend.

Sirius and Alice were off to the side watching the kids, and they were wondering why their hair changed color. Sirius had an inkling that it had something to do with Harry, but he didn’t know what.

“It was good, I got to play quidditch a lot. Fred thinks I’m getting good enough to be keeper on the team,” Ron said, getting enthusiastic about that, his hair changing to a nice yellow.

“Come on, kids, let’s go get your stuff,” Sirius said, hustling them out of the Leaky Cauldron.

Harry waved his hand again and canceled the spell. He didn’t want to infringe on their moods all day.

As they were leaving the small courtyard in the back they ran into the Malfoys. Harry, not even stopping to think about it, waved his hand and changed Draco and his father into philanthropist. It was what Sirius had asked him to do a while back. He then waved his hand again and made it so Draco was obsessed with finding treasure. It didn’t matter the size, if there was word of a treasure, Draco would try to find it. It would only trigger if someone mentioned the word treasure. Like a niffler and gold.

“Black,” Malfoy the senior said with a sniff.

“Malfoy,” Sirius said with the same sniff.

“Draco,” Harry said with a sniff.

“Potter,” Draco said with a sniff.

“What’s with all the sniffing?” Neville said with a sniff.

“Beats me,” Ron said, sniffing the air, making Hermione giggle. “Maybe someone broke wind.”

“Come on,” Alice said, shuffling the kids through the portal, giggling the entire way. She hated pompous windbags.

“Who needs to go to the bank?” Sirius asked as they got into the Alley.

“I do,” Hermione said, holding up her hand. She was the only one. “I need to exchange money,” she added, looking at everyone else.

“You can give me your muggle money and I’ll pay for your things,” Sirius said, holding out his hand for the exchange.

“Alright,” she said brightly. That was a much better deal than what the goblins would charge for the conversion. That and maybe Sirius would let her get a pet. Her parents said she could get one, but she had been fretting that she might not have enough money to.

With that settled they went shopping. First, they went to get their robes, which Harry and Neville didn’t need, having gotten them earlier that day, but Ron and Hermione did. Then they went to get their potions supplies, knowing they might need extra because only Hermione was good at potions. Lastly, they got books, Hermione getting far more than any of the rest of them.

“Hermione, just how many classes are you taking?” Harry asked, seeing books for classes that he didn’t know she was taking.

“I have an arrangement with Professor McGonagall,” she said, mysteriously, trying to hide the number of books she had purchased.

“That is books for every class there is,” Ron pointed out, looking in her bag.

“Like I said, it’s been arranged,” she said, putting a robe over the bag, hoping they would drop it.

“Let’s go get you a pet,” Harry said, changing the subject, seeing she was getting frustrated.

“Me too,” Ron said, looking at the few sickles he had left over.

“What are you hoping for?” Harry asked, waving his hand inconspicuously and making one of those sickles a galleon when Ron wasn’t looking.

“An owl,” Ron said, looking down at his hand again, his eyes widening.

“Sounds wicked,” Harry agreed. He didn’t feel so bad about taking the rat now.

“I want a cat,” Hermione said, gathering up her things as she got up from the table they had been eating ice cream at.

“I think I might look for some type of terrain for Trevor,” Neville stated, getting up from the table, his stuff already shrunken by his mum.

Sirius and Alice joined them from the adjoining table. “Ready?” Alice said, putting a hand on Neville’s shoulder.

“Ready,” the kids said, and they made their way to the pet store.

Ron got his owl, a tiny thing that buzzed everywhere. And Hermione got her cat, an ugly orange bow-legged thing that looked like it had been hit in the face with a frying pan. However, they both loved their pets. Ron named his Chudley, and Hermione’s was already named Crookshanks.

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Albus, Alastor and Fawkes stood in front of the Veil of Death. Fawkes had brought them there when they couldn’t come up with a viable plan for the Hallows.

“Well, should I just toss them in?” Albus asked, not sure if he was ready to give up the wand just yet. He still had some life in him, and he might need to use the wand.

“That might be best,” Alastor stated, looking into the abyss.

Just then a form stepped out. It was a hooded form, humanoid in shape, with skeletal hands that wrapped around a staff. Its robes billowed in a nonexistent wind.

“Death,” Albus and Alastor breathed.

“Are you ready to join me, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore?” the being asked in a voice that carried everywhere. The room filled with frost when it spoke.

“I have time yet,” was the brave response.

“You have the time I say you have,” the being said with a chuckle.

“I have come to give you the ring,” Dumbledore stated, holding out his hand with the ring in it.

“Ah, yes, the reason for your demise,” it said with another chuckle. “Did you use it?” it asked, curiosity in its voice.

“Alas, no,” the old man said with a sigh.

“You would die with your question unanswered?” the being asked, surprise colored its tone.

“I would,” Albus said, knowing he’d get his answer soon enough.

“Give me the ring, you may keep the wand until later,” Death said, holding out his boney hand.

Fawkes hopped onto Albus’s arm and pecked at the ring and took it in his beak. He then hopped onto Death’s arm and dropped it in the skeletal hand.

Death petted the phoenix and cooed at it. “Your kind never meet me,” it said, still petting the bird. “Go with your master,” he lifted his arm and let the bird fly over to Albus’s arm.

“When will my time be up?” Albus asked, knowing it would be soon.

“When it is,” was all the answer he got. “You will return here when the last of Tom Riddle’s horcruxes is destroyed and return to me my wand.” With that he stepped into the abyss.

“I wonder if that means that Harry gets to keep the cloak,” Dumbledore said, looking at his friend who had been quiet the whole time. Then he realized that Alastor had fainted. “Oh dear,” he said, and went about trying to wake his friend.