It was unusually cold for July, mist reduced vision to no more than 50 feet. A cold chill had rested on England throughout the year, and the nations hopes on the mist clearing in the summer were disappointed. A boy with raven black hair and eyes of emerald lay down on a lumpy mattress, his eyes barely open as he watched a clouded sun set over the housetops. His eyes seemed to scream depression and bloodshot from continuous mourning of the late Professor Dumbledore.
However on Harry's fifth day at the Dursley's Harry lifted his head from under his sheets and stopped. He had not eaten for two days, he had been locked into his bedroom with all of Dudley's old, broken (in some cases unused) toys. He had been supplied with three square meals a day, and a bottle of tap water. Harry gave the food to his owl Hedwig, who seemed to understand Harry's emotions as she had tolerated being locked in the room since their arrival.
Harry had lifted himself out of the bed and decided to do something about it. What else could he do? He thought to himself whilst in the shower. Weep all through the holidays and either become starved or unprepared or he could expand his knowledge, become stronger, wiser. Prepared. Harry needed to train himself to fight and defeat Voldemort and the only way he could do that is to train himself.
He pulled out a scroll of parchment and a spare quill and inkpot, he noted all the things he was going to research and train in then when he finished the list read it and added more until he had thought of everything. The list compiled of;
Highly Defensive Spells
Highly Offensive Spells
Ancient Magic
Dark Arts
Transfiguration
Charms
Potions
Herbology
Rare Magic
Legilemency and Occlumency
Harry placed the parchment in his hand me down jeans, then went into the shower to wake him up for the day's events. Harry came back into his room feeling refreshed from the shower and opened his trunk, he took out all of his text books and began to read, every word, every bit of theory and perfecting his wand movements. Half way into his tattered copy of his transfiguration textbook Harry realised that although studying like this would earn him the highest marks in his year, he would in no way be prepared for attacks of battles with Death Eaters, even Riddle himself. What he needed was more advanced books, he absent mindedly looked out of his window and saw an owl perched on the window sill, in the owls beak was a square envelope with a waxed seal Harry did not recognise. Harry allowed the owl in and took the envelope in the bird's beak. The owl hopped over to Hedwig's water bowl and had a quick sip and flew off.
Harry opened the letter and read the following,
Dear Mr. Potter,
We recognise that within the next 30 days you will come of age, Gringotts have four additional accounts that you will receive on you 17th birthday. In order to claim these accounts you will have to come into Gringotts and sign these accounts so that they will be added to your account. The accounts are from Mr.J.Potter, Mrs.L.Potter, Mr.S.Black, Mr. and Mrs. Potter and The Potter Family.
Yours Sincerely, Daglock, Chief Cashier at Gringotts Wizarding Bank.
Harry stood with mixed feelings, sad that he would be the sole benefactor of his entire family and Sirius. Also astonished and inquisitive towards the fact that he had so much coming to him. And we wondered, Why did his mother and father have two separate accounts? What did the Potter Family vault have inside? And what had Sirius left him?
Harry decided that he would go into London the next day to purchase everything that he would need to train for the summer and also look for somewhere else to live.
The next morning Harry woke up at 8AM, Dudley's snores unusually could not be heard, so Harry woke up and showered, brushed his teeth. He knew that if he were to buy a new apartment in the Muggle and Wizarding world then he would need something good to wear. So he thought the first thing he would do was to withdraw money from the front desk, exchange in muggle money and buy a new suit. His first suit. So he put on a pair of Dudley's cleanest jeans and a top and jacket. He looked a bit silly but for now it will have to do. He walked down the stairs and silently unlocked the front door.
He closed the door behind himself and noticed Dudley laid in a pool of his own vomit with a bottle of alcohol in one hand and an empty pack of cigarettes in another. Harry stepped over Dudley taking care in treading on his fingers and put one foot on Dudley's head and pressed it into his own vomit.
Harry walked over to the other side of the road and weld out his wand arm, a few seconds later a three-Decker purple bus banged into view. The doors cranked open and expecting Stan and Ernie, Harry was surprised to see a rather bored, sleepy looking ministry official. Harry stepped on the bus.
'Where to?' grumbled the man.
'Diagon Alley please' replied Harry
'Three sickles' mumbled the man
Harry handed over the sickles and started to walk to the back of the bus, within moments of Harry paying the bus BANGED! And Harry went flying down the length of the bus, not stopping until he collided with a seat, Harry picked himself up rubbing his shoulder and sat down, The bus was travelling quick on the wrong side of an empty road and then BANG! Harry unprepared came of his seat and went backwards his head hit the side of a window, Harry spent the entire remainder of the duration with his fingers gripping underneath his new seat, his knuckle whitening and aching he was relieved when the driver yelled Diagon Alley. Harry jumped of the bus cursing the reckless driver and entered the Leaky Cauldron and went over to the bar side.
'Ah Mr. Potter always a pleasure to talk to you so what can I do you for?' asked Tom the barkeeper.
'Tom can I have a cold butterbeer and do you know anywhere to stay in Diagon Alley?' replied Harry
Tom retrieved a butterbeer and placed a cooling charm on it before answering Harry's question. 'Well Mr. Potter, it just so happens that the top floor of here has been converted into a luxury deluxe penthouse apartment, and it's been built so that electrical appliances can work in the magical environment.'
'How much is it?' asked Harry.
'To you Mr. Potter 180000 galleons. You can move in today would you like to view the place now?' said Tom but a definite hint of excitement at the thought of Harry Potter being a living in his pub.
'Certainly' said Harry.
Harry and Tom walked upstairs and Tom showed him the place. It was massive! Open planned, wooden tiled, ensuite, a large bedroom with a good-sized bed, large closet, plenty of room for a couple of things. Harry thought eyes twinkling. A huge window looking over Diagon Alley and on the other side a huge window looking over London. Both windows were only one way. The kitchen was magnificent. Very clean and well constructed. The entire thing was open planned giving a very open and free living space. Harry knew he would take it.
'Tom lets go to Gringotts and transfer the funds straight away if that's alright with you' said Harry.
'Certainly Mr. Potter, no ones going to be coming through for a bit yet,' replied Tom.
Tom locked up and they both went to the brick wall. Tom tapped the rock with his wand and they walked into Diagon Alley. Harry was surprised he expected the same as he had seen last time, shops looking dark and dingy, people everywhere selling things that were supposed to protect them. However now no merchants were their and all posters had been torn of, the shops were still a bit dark but the place felt a lot safer than the last time.
Harry walked with Tom to the towering pure white building, their were fourGoblins all with serious looks on their faces, they walked through the bronze
doors and then the silver ones into the vast marble entrance. Tom told Harry
that they needed to go to the Fund Exchange Parlour. So Harry followed Tom
through an oak doorway into another room. High up on a stool was a rather
eccentric looking goblin, a bright blonde wig and a large monocle examining his
own ring on his finger.
'Hello, Gurbsprung Chief Exchange Fund Goblin how can I help you?' asked the Goblin in a very fast squeaky voice.
'Hello I would like to transfer 180'000 galleons to…' Harry id not know Toms vault or vault number. Tom sensed this and cut Harry of.
'To vault 834 please Gurbsprung' finished Tom.
'Do you both have your keys?' asked Gurbsprung.
The handed their key over and Gurbsprung carefully analysed them both and placed them down a tube close on his left.
'One moment Lazphonage will transfer the fund within moments' the goblin said smoothly.
Within minutes the keys came back through another tube and landed on the desk. Two little pieces of paper also came out of a pair of scales on the desk.
'Here are both of your current balances have a good day.' Said the Goblin.
Harry glanced down at the piece of paper.
Mr. Harry James Potter,
Current Balance: 63'470'821 galleons, 470'223 sickles and 3 knuts.
Now knowing the full wealth of that vault Harry felt that to day he could spend some money on his new place and a new muggle place.
'Tom I'll come by later today to pick up the keys' said Harry
Tom nodded and Harry went back into the marble entrance and walked over to a goblin.
'Excuse me, I was wondering where can I take a withdrawal?' asked Harry
'Well Mr. Potter, as your vault contains a considerable amount of gold there is little point of you going by cart seeing as the maximum withdrawal is currently two hundred galleons, and I feel that you need to take out more than that?' replied the goblin.
'Well yes actually, depending on the current rates on muggle to wizarding money of course' said Harry
'Well Mr. Potter the current exchange rate is 3.47 British Sterling per Galleon how much would you like to withdraw?'
'One moment please' replied Harry, he had to work out how much he needed for books, clothes, wizarding apparel and other items as well as a new muggle place and muggle things for both his new and new muggle place.
Harry took some parchment from a nearby table and leaned on the counter taking a quill from an inkpot and made some calculations.
After five minutes Harry had worked out a rough sum but to be sure added an extra 100'000 galleons. Harry walked over to the goblin and handed over the parchment with the amount he wanted to withdraw written upon it.
'Mr. Potter due to the amount of this sum you will need a Wizarding/Muggle travelling chequebook, this can be used in both wizarding and muggle world as you can gather from the title. Do not worry about what any muggle will see as to them it will be a premium account from a well-known bank. We have a silent agreement with Andrew Bailey the muggle chief cashier that any bank can be used and also in addition you get a muggle credit card. This can be used anywhere in the world, an account is set up in the muggle world so that suspicion is not aroused we will simply say that recently a relative passed away leaving all their possessions to you Harry James Potter. So follow me and I can set up your account.'
Harry followed the goblin into yet another room, this however was brightly lit, almost cheerful and despite the room rather small, Harry felt comfortable. After a few minutes the goblin had set up the account in both wizarding world and muggle world an told Harry that his account was now active, the goblin gave Harry to cards one for the muggle world and another for the wizard world.
'If you would like to go the goblin counting those notes over their (the goblin pointed him out in between a goblin asleep and drooling on a dazzling pink stone and another balancing scales with diamonds and emeralds) he is preparing your withdrawal.' Harry made his way over to the goblin and sat down. The goblin had a large pile of notes in front of him that was almost the same size.
'Ah, Mr. Potter please step through to my office' said the goblin brightly. A door appeared where the desk had been. Harry opened the door and entered the office. The goblin son followed carrying the notes and placed the on the desk.
'Now Mr. Potter you are withdrawing 1.3 million galleons, now how much is it that you wanted to be converted into muggle?'
'Well actually none now because I have a card' Harry was feeling very embarrassed at the fact he had wasted a fair bit of time of the goblins time.
'Sorry' mumbled Harry his face red with embarrassment.
'No matter Mr. Potter' the goblin waved his hand and the notes vanished and added.
'So do you need anything else?' the goblin said cheerfully. Although mildly annoyed that his time had been wasted counting notes, however due to Mr. Potter having such a large account with the additional four accounts coming he could not afford to be rude to Mr. Potter.
'No thank you' said Harry shakily. He was less embarrassed now however sensed that the goblin was covering his emotions. Harry walked out of the office and out of Gringotts into Diagon Alley, resisting the urge to hit himself he walked into the Leaky Cauldron and back into muggle London.