A/N Thanks for all the favourites, follows and reviews!
Lazylim - thanks for your comments. I hadn't spotted that Latin problem and I hate things like that so you can be rest assured I will find some way to fix it! This Harry is inquisitive and interested in everything that goes on around him but he always takes the path of least pain on anything. His main goal is to have an easy life. His ten year old self does come out more in this chapter and later on, but it was never my intention to create a "superpowered Harry". This is a Harry transferring his lifestyle growing up into new situations and watching what happens. I hope you continue to read this and in a few chapters time you feel the same.
Chapter 2
Harry got to his feet warily, looking around him. He was in a bare stone chamber with a door just barely visible. Harry could only see where it should be because he was used to looking for detail. Aunt Petunia could spot a speck of dust above the fireplace from the doorway. He had to be good at detail otherwise he would never be finished.
This had to be to do with that letter. It had talked about transport, had said something about activating when he spoke that Latin phrase. He didn't know how Dudley had done it, but he must have been listening in or something. The problem was that it just didn't have the same feel as one of Dudley's traps, it was too... good.
"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth" he muttered to himself.
Which therefore meant that the letter was somehow true and he was in the Gringotts place. He was interrupted by a harsh "State your business!"
Harry looked up quickly and saw a strange midget with pointy ears was standing by him who had definitely not been there when he arrived. The eyes were creepy. Harry could also tell that this person was armed, wearing armour and didn't look like anyone he had ever seen. Maybe he was seeing things because of his rough landing. Or, if he were in Gringotts, perhaps these were the type of people that worked here. Certainly no shop would hire someone that looked like that, the customers would run screaming.
"State. Your. Business!" it shouted again, banging the end of its spear on the floor.
"Uh-uh-I'm sorry! I got this letter and it said that if I said a latin phrase it would activate a p-portkey. I was just admiring the phrase in my room and I must have said it out loud, I'm so sorry!" Harry babbled. "I didn't mean to be here, I'm sorry!" Harry broke down into terrified sobs. They echoed off the walls and combined with each other as well as his continued crying. The result was a deafening cacophony of sound.
"What is your name human child?" another asked.
"Ha-Harry P-Pot-Potter sir" Harry stuttered in between sobs.
"Let us take him to Griphook. He is the Potter account manager. He may have something to add before we take this to the Director" one said to the other. Harry paled. Whoever the Director was, it didn't sound good.
"This way. Don't dawdle."
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"Manager Griphook, we found this boy in the portkey room. He says he is Harry Potter" the first goblin said in gobbledegook.
"We wondered if you had anything to add before we go to the Director" added the second one.
"Well don't just stand there, let me see him" Griphook snapped.
Harry was pushed forward and stood, shaking in fear in front of the desk.
"Gringott be damned he's injured. Go and fetch a Healer - and not a word to the Director or you'll be on dragon duty before sunset!" Griphook ordered.
The two undergoblins left as fast as they could and Griphook came round to Harry, who was still shaking and was backing away as much as he could.
"Mr Potter, I do not intend to hurt you. I merely want to check that you are not in pain. Let it not be said that Gringotts does not care for its clients" Griphook said in a surprisingly low and calm voice.
"I'm fine" Harry said, cradling his left arm to his chest. He must have fallen on it when he landed here. He hadn't noticed it until now. He tried to calm he breathing and regain some self-control.
"Since you are here let me say, your reply to my letters, whilst short, took me by surprise" Griphook continued. "Were you unaware of your inheritance?"
"What inheritance sir? My parents were worthless drunks. They won't have left me anything." Harry was getting really confused and now he had realised it, his hand was beginning to hurt horribly.
"Mr Potter, your parents were extremely well off. As I said, you will inherit your lordship, estate and family magic at the age of eleven."
Harry looked the goblin full in the face. "I'm sorry sir, but what the Hell is going on?"
At that moment, the two goblins returned with a third. "The Healer, Manager Griphook" one said before quickly fleeing again. One thing they knew to avoid was an angry goblin manager.
"My client appears to have injured his arm. He says he is not in pain but his body language suggests differently" Griphook informed the Healer.
Harry was shaking so badly by the time the Healer had crossed the room to him that he could barely stand. When the Healer reached out to touch him, he screamed.
Armed goblin warriors were at the door almost instantly. They tried to crowd into the office, but Griphook blocked them out.
"There is no problem. Stand Down" he told them. Not one of them moved. "For Gringott's sake there is a terrified, injured ten year old child in there who has never seen a goblin before! Now Stand. Down!" Griphook bared his teeth at the warriors and they backed away a little.
Griphook glared at them and turned back to the Healer. "Did you succeed?"
"Yes Manager Griphook. Although he fainted when you were talking to the warriors. It was like he could understand your words but not what you were saying."
"Thankyou Healer. Go now; and take the warriors with you. I need to attend to my client."
"Yes Manager."
Griphook walked back to his desk and placed his hands on Harry's head to wake him gently.
"Mr Potter, have you ever heard of a goblin before?"
"Uh-no sir." He hoped that was the right answer. Everyone had read about fairies and pixies and gnomes and goblins in fantasy stories, but that question seemed different somehow.
"With whom have you been residing for the last nine years?"
"My aunt and uncle, sir. I stay out of their way, clean the house and cook the meals and they stay out of mine. I get to eat when they've gone sir!" He knew to make sure that it didn't sound like he was being mistreated.
"You've been raised by muggles?" Griphook asked.
"Errrrrrrm... what's a muggle sir?"
Griphook sighed. "It seems Mr Potter that you have been kept ignorant of your heritage. Goblins are not normally the ones that have to explain the existence of the magical world, but nevertheless I shall do so. Point you finger at that book and imagine it hovering."
At the direct order Harry complied. He already looked stupid and he was sitting across from a creature that called itself a goblin that was talking about some magical world. Things couldn't get much weirder. To his intense shock, the book did hover above the table for a moment before it fell back.
"How did that happen?" he asked in clear disbelief.
"You made it do so. Your magic raised it. There is a magical world Mr Potter and you are a wizard. When you turn eleven you will go to Hogwarts to learn how to use it. You will also inherit the family magics as I said before."
"Hogwarts?" Harry asked.
"School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"So... I'm a lord and I have magic powers?"
"That is the long and the short of it, yes."
Harry's answer was what every ten year old boy would say. "Cool!"
"So now we have established that and you are here, we may as well discuss what we are going to do with the Potter Estate."
"Do I have money?"
"Mr Potter, you're one of the wealthiest wizards in England."
"Oh. Ummmmm, do I have a house?"
"You have no fewer than 7 properties."
"Oh. Um wow. Do I get a wand to do magic?" Harry asked, excitement rather than fear showing on his face now.
"You don't need one, but you can."
"Cool! What do you suggest I do with everything?"
Griphook was shocked. What did he suggest? Goblins did as they were told, they didn't give advice.
"It is your decision Mr Potter."
"I want to go on a massive shopping trip, buy clothes and games and toys until I have everything that Dudley has!"
"I shall convert some galleons into muggle money when we are finished. What do you wish to do after that?"
"I can do anything I like?" asked Harry excitedly.
"Within reason."
"I want to go to school where Dudley doesn't torment me, I want to taste chocolate cake and I want to learn football" Harry said with a large grin.
"Do you wish to stay at your aunt's house?"
"I can move out?" Harry asked in shock. "I can have my own bedroom?"
"Mr Potter you have 7 houses. You may live in any one you wish, as long as you can look after yourself."
"I can cook and clean. I do it all the time for Aunt Petunia."
"Well this will cost you a little, but I can send a letter to your aunt, explaining that you no longer live there. Unless you wish to tell her yourself?"
"No, thankyou sir. A letter sounds great! So where can I live?"
"Here are your files Mr Potter, why don't you read through them and return when you've picked one?"
"Yes sir. Thankyou sir. I'm already really late and I'm going to have to work through dinner to try and finish all my chores today."
"You are a wizard Mr Potter. Ever heard of magic? Good day."
"Ummmm, sir?" Harry asked tentatively. "How do I get back home?"
"Take this. It will cost you ten galleons." He held out a round ring with the same design as the seal on the letters. "You can afford that" the goblin added.
"Ok. Thankyou sir."
When he was back in his cupboard, the boy grinned. He had magic powers and he was moving out! What little boy's dream wasn't granted with those?
