Last Time:
"Harry was starting to break down and Sirius could only comfort him as he cried for the loss of his parents and not getting to know his Godfather better. He cried in anger at everyone in the wizarding world who didn't tell him about this man. And finally, he cried because for once he just needed to be loved like he had parents."
Chapter 2: A Gringotts Visit
After Harry's breakdown and Sirius telling him more about the family he never got to know, the two waited until it was dusk to travel to Gringotts bank. As the two traveled out of the dreary streets of Knockturn Alley and into the brighter streets of Diagon Alley Sirius pulled his hood tighter over his head while Harry walked close behind Sirius, shrouded in his invisibility cloak which he kept on him at all times.
The two approached the snowy white building and entered just before the bank's closing time. As they walked up to one of the Goblins, Sirius slowly pulled his hood back a bit and flashed a gold ring at the goblin before saying, "I request a meeting with Lord Ragnok." The goblin sneered at the pair before shuffling towards a guard at the back. Harry gulped in anticipation getting ready to race out of the building should the goblins call the Aurors.
Fortunately for Harry, the goblin came back and told them to follow the guard to Ragnok's office. Once the group had passed through the door way, the Goblin guard spoke, "you can remove your cloak now Lord Potter, it is safe for you to be seen here." Harry gaped for a moment before doing as he was told. Harry tried to catch Sirius' eye to ask him how the Goblin knew he was there but the Goblin had them moving much too quickly for them to even think about talking.
They reached an ornate door with a gold plaque on it that read "Lord Ragnok, Bank Manager of Gringotts London". The goblin knocked 3 times before a harsh, come in was heard and the two wizards were escorted in. The room was tastefully decorated in rich dark woods and ancient artifacts and tomes. At a cherry wood desk sat the Goblin the two wizards were so interested in meeting, Ragnok. The older goblin looked up from the document he was reading before motioning for the two to sit down.
"Leave us," Ragnok spoke harshly to the goblin guard. The door snapped shut and the two wizards were now alone with one of the most powerful goblins in the world. Ragnok looked the two up and down before passing a simple stone carved dagger and two pieces of parchment at the two wizards. "A blood test is required before we can discuss anything more." Sirius nodded solemnly before taking one of the pieces of parchment and the dagger. Harry watched in fascination as Sirius cut the tip of his finger and let the blood pool on the dagger. He then dropped 3 drops of blood onto the parchment before wiping the blood and passing the other parchment and dagger to Harry. Harry starred at the knife for a few minutes before the stares of his companion and the goblin lord forced him to repeat Sirius' actions. After Harry finished, Ragnok snatched the papers up and waved his hand over them. The blood seeped back up, much like the ink in Tom Riddles diary, to form words. The first parchment was Sirius'.
Sirius Orion Black III
b. 19 December 1959
Head of the Black Family in England
Animagus, Illusionist, Dueling Champion, Transfiguration Master
Ex-Auror
Open Marriage Contracts with Bones Family, Davis Family, Gray Family
The second parchment was Harry's and had similar writing on it.
Harry James Potter
b. 31 July 1980
Head of Potter Family, LeFay Family, Syltherin Family, Gryffindor Family
Parseltongue, Metmorphmagus
Abilities to unlock: Animagus, Charms and Defense Masters, Gray Mage
Open Marriage Contract with Greengrass Family
After Harry processed the information on his parchment, Ragnok gave them their lordship rings in ornate boxes with their family crests and proceeded to talk again.
"My lords, the rings go on your right ring fingers and can be used for signing documents and large purchases as well as other Lordship duties. Harry, your family has had an outstanding marriage contact with the Noble house of Greengrass since 1933 when the two heads of the houses, fearing the Dark Lord Grindelwald, decided that if they had two children eligible to be married they would combine their families. They put an expiration charm on the contract to expire after a century but now there are two eligible females to fulfill the contract. So after you assume lordship over your families, we can start informing the Greengrass family that you and their eldest, who I believe is in your year at school, will be married before her 18th birthday and one heir is required of the union within 2 years. I will have the contract brought in as soon as possible so we can double-check those facts.
"Now, Mr. Black, your family has 3 outstanding marriage contracts. The Davis Family contract is almost expired as it was made almost a century ago so you don't have to worry about that. Madame Bones has a marriage contract herself that was made specifically for her as well as the century time limit being up in 6 months. That means we have to find your ex-Fiance Ms. Gray before you both lose your magic. Luckily there was a clause put in incase of imprisonment so you have until her 34th birthday to get married."
"But that's a little over a year! What if we can't find her?" Sirius panicked.
"Then she loses her magic, as stated by the contract. You were willing to comply so you shall be spared and will have to find another suitable wife so an heir can be produced."
"Well how can we find her? Elizabeth hasn't been seen nor heard from in almost 14 years. Since Lily announced she was pregnant with Harry."
"What? Who is she? Why has no one told me about her?" Harry was now very confused. Apparently there had been another important person in his life that no one had ever told him about.
Sirius sighed before starting the abbreviated story of this extraordinary woman who had disappeared without a trace. "Elizabeth Chelsea Gray was like me, came from a family of Slytherins but sorted into Gryffindor. Luckily, her parents were more forgiving as she never outwardly associated with muggleborns or blood traitors, except for yours truly. She made friends with Lily eventually but after our parents had officially signed the marriage contract, having been drawn up when we were babied but not signed until we were 14 or 15. After that, she was always trying to make her parents angry and hardly ever talked to me anymore. About a year later, she turned 16 and came into some of her inheritance. The Gray family was a branch of the Trelawney family that didn't want all of the attention that name received. Elizabeth became a Seer, a true Seer at that. She had the ability to see a persons past, present and possible future with just a touch. She must have seen something when she hugged Lily to congratulate her and that must be the reason she disappeared. After graduation I proposed, our parents had give us until her 23 birthday to wed but then the imprisonment clause came into effect and she also dropped off the radar. I really hope she hasn't married yet or this would suck. Now don't think she betrayed or abandoned your parents, she must have known she couldn't do anything and didn't want to intervene in fate. Although nothing is set in stone, sometimes the less than ideal future is the best option."
Harry was in shock that there were more people out there who had known his parents and betrayed or abandoned them. But he couldn't blame her. He knew if he had been in her position he would have done the same. "So, how do we find her?"
"Well," started Ragnok, "she give the occasional prophecy so we could wait until one is sent into us and track it that way. Or we can activate a spell that locates her on your contract Lord Black."
"Lets go with the second option if you don't mind Lord Ragnok, I don't want to wait much longer with the impending second rise of the Scum Lord Moldymort."
Ragnok let a toothy smile out before snapping his fingers and setting two marriage contracts in front of the two men. "Lord Black, tap your finger on your future wife's name and say locate, her coordinated will pop up and will continue to tell you where she is for the next 48 hours. If you cannot find her in that time you do have the option of hiring a goblin tracker but the fee is 350 galleons a day.
"Lord Potter, you have 36 hours from finding out about the contract to inform your bride to be and 3 months place the engagement ring on her finger or start to suffer the consequences of not fulfilling the clauses of your contract. Feel free to read of your contracts gentlemen, I will write a letter to Lady Gray and Lord Greengrass informing them of their families activated marriage contracts and to report to Gringotts London branch within the next few days or suffer the consequences of ignoring a scared contract."
Harry and Sirius both skimmed over their contracts and asked for a copy for them to keep which was granted immediately. "I would also like a full ledger of my accounts, Lord Ragnok," Harry requested towards the end of their meeting. "I just want to make sure that nothing has been taken out due to others have access to my vault in my absence from this world." Ragnok's eyebrow went up but then thought it would be best to humor the young lord and called for Griphook to get a full report of the Potter family accounts. As they waited Sirius told Harry a few more stories about his parents and their school careers.
A knock on the door interrupted the flashbacks Sirius was having and in walked Griphook with the report. He handed it Ragnok before going back to manning the front desks operations. Ragnok frowned as he read over the report from the last decade and a half.
"I'm sorry I didn't catch this earlier, Lord Potter, it appears that you were correct to be suspicious, I will get all of your money back as soon as possible."
"How much was taken, Lord Ragnok?"
"Collectively over your decade absence, 3 million galleons."
