From Cupboard To Castle

by phoebec76

On his first visit to Gringotts, Harry is informed that in order to claim his Lordship and entrance to his ancestral home Potter Castle, he must first prove himself worthy of being a Potter by making 1,000,000G before he comes of age. With only a small sum of Galleons, one house elf, and his wits, Harry must rise to the challenge or risk having his magic bound forever.

A/N Hello, readers! I'm Phoebe and this is my very first fanfic. Constructive criticism is welcome. Updates may be infrequent, as I'm studying for GCE A levels this year. Please enjoy my story!

-Start of excerpt taken from HP1, chapter 5-

"Gringotts," said Hagrid.

They had reached a snowy-white building which towered over the other little shops.

Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was –

"Yeah, that's a goblin," said Hagrid quietly as they walked up the white stone steps towards him. The goblin was about a head shorter than Harry. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, Harry noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:

Enter, stranger, but take heed,

Of what awaits the sin of greed,

For those who take, but do not earn,

Must pay more 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.

"Like I said, yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it," said Hagrid.

A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Hagrid and Harry made for the counter.

"Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta Mr Harry Potter's safe."

"You have his key, sir?"

"Got it here somewhere," said Hagrid and he started emptying his pocket on to the counter, scattering a handful of mouldy dog biscuits over the goblin's book of numbers. The goblin wrinkled his nose. Harry watched the goblin on their right weighing a pile of rubies as big as glowing coals.

"Got it," said Hagrid at last, holding up a tiny golden key.

The goblin looked at it closely.

"That seems to be in order."

"And I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid importantly, throwing out his chest. It's about the You - Know - What in vault 713."

The goblin read the letter carefully.

"Very well," he said, handing the letter back to Hagrid. "I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"

-End of excerpt-

All this while, Harry had been eyeing Hagrid critically. He wondered why a school's gamekeeper had his key to his bank vault. It should have been entrusted to Aunt Petunia, at the very least, as his guardian for the past ten years. Or perhaps kept here in this bank, for him to claim himself after doing some sort of identity test to prove he was Harry Potter. If he was really that famous as the "Boy Who Lived" according to Hagrid, there was bound to be someone who would try to impersonate him and steal his money.

Another goblin, Griphook, stepped out from behind the counter and began to lead the pair through a door.

"Wait, Griphook," called the first goblin from behind the counter. "Take Mr Hagrid to vault 713. I'll bring Mr Potter to see his account manager first. He can go to his vault later."

Hagrid spoke up. "Wait a minute, Dumbledore said I hadta keep Harry here with me at all times!"

The goblin raised an eyebrow at him. "And, pray tell, what harm do you think will befall Mr Potter here at Gringotts?"

Harry's curiosity was aroused. He wasn't sure why his account manager wanted to meet him and he wanted to, but it seemed like Hagrid was trying to stop him. Why?

"Hagrid, it's fine. Go do what you need to," Harry said.

"Well, if yeh're sure," he conceded, turning to Griphook and following him through the doors.

Harry glanced at the goblin. Axegrind, he read from the goblin's name tag pinned to the scarlet uniform. "Axegrind, I'm ready to meet my, uh, account manager now."

Axegrind grunted. "Follow me."

Harry was led through a confusing maze of unmarked corridors and hallways, before finally arriving at a door. On a brass plate stuck onto the door, he read Sharptooth, Potter Account Manager.

Axegrind knocked twice and paused briefly, before opening the door.

"Sharptooth, sir, Mr Harry Potter has arrived at last."