AN: Well time for something that'll be fun. Well at least compared to the previous chapter.
Also I do not own Harry Potter that belongs solely to Ms. Rowling but my ideas are my own.
Chapter 5: First Meeting at Gringotts
After the revelation from Professor McGonagall and Harry's forgiveness the meeting broke up. Madam Bones and Ms. Welding left stating that they would let them know when an outcome and if any additional testimony would be needed. Shortly followed by Professor McGonagall, however as she was leaving, Madam Pomfrey told her to come back the following Saturday to see about taking Harry to get the rest of his school equipment. After the door shut Madam Pomfrey told Harry to lay down and then that she was going to perform a few spells on him. She informed him that first she was going to stiffen his skin over his chest so she needed him to take a deep breath and hold it in. after he did this she muttered "Carnes Lapis"(1) and a weird sensation encased his chest.
After this she started to explain. "Harry I did that so that I can remove your ribs as they are all very badly damaged. This way I can have them repaired by tomorrow morning. Also I will be removing all of the bones in your wrists and ankles as well." Again after she said this Harry heard her mutter "Ossio Dispersimus."(2) Then he felt the bones disappear he deemed it an odd sensation to not have bones in his wrist and ankles. "Now I'm going to give you three potions. The first is called Skele-Gro it will regrow the bones I removed, warning it tastes nasty and will take all night to work. The second is a nutritional draught to start getting you healthy, these you will be taking three times a day, with meals is best, for the at least next thirteen weeks. The third is a dreamless sleep potion that will keep you asleep for the night and make it so that you can avoid the nastier effects of the Skele-Gro." With that she took out three bottles and three glasses she filled each of the glasses with a different potion the first potion was clear but smoked when it was poured, the second looked like milk and the third was purple. After this Madam Pomfrey fed Harry the potions one by one. The first potion tasted revolting just as Madam Pomfrey had said it would the second tasted a bit like treacle tart(3) and the third tasted like medicine mixed with grape juice.
When Harry woke up the next morning his chest still felt stiff but other than that he felt like normal although his right wrist didn't click when he stretched, something he could never remember happening. He got out of bed and went over to his desk where Professor McGonagall had left his school books when the door to his room flew open with Madam Pomfrey rushing in.
"Harry, could you lay back down so that I can examine you to see how everything is going." She said as she came in with a tray of food. "I promise I will allow you to look at your school books after you eat. Right now however I want to make sure that everything went well with the Skele-Gro last night." Madam Pomfrey again did some diagnostic spells and then stated. "Well now everything seems to be in order. I want you to take some more nutritional draught before you eat, then I want you to eat. I do believe that I brought enough food but if not I can always ask tom to bring up some more."
When Harry finally looked at the tray of food he thought that there was enough there to feed a large family for breakfast, he didn't think that he would be able to finish a quarter of it but he was hungry so he first drank another glass of the treacle tart tasting potion. Then started in on the food. The tray was filled with bacon, eggs, toast, sausages, black pudding(4), fried mushrooms, hash browns and baked beans. Harry ate some of everything that was there aside from the black pudding as he had never particularly liked it to begin with. He was surprised when he realized that he had finished nearly all of the food on the tray when he was done, the fried mushrooms were particularly tasty in his opinion.
"Ah I notice you didn't eat any of the black pudding, not that I blame you. I never found it appetizing, especially when I found out that it was made with blood." Madam Pomfrey said with a smile. "Unfortunately Harry I will need you to stay in bed for the most part this week but it will give you an opportunity to look through your school books. Ah I see Minerva also bought you a copy of Quidditch Through the Ages. She is nothing if not predictable, I think that she takes that game more seriously than she does her own subject of transfiguration, but you didn't hear that from me. Well I think I'll just bring these books over to the nightstand and let you peruse them at your leisure Harry."
Harry just grabbed the book off the top which happened to be The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk he started reading it and noticed that it was really about the theory of the spells and that actually doing magic was about feeling the need to perform the magic as much as it was about the incantation and the wand movement. The book also stated that the most common action with a wand for charms was a flick of the wrist, with some variations involved.
Harry read this book until Madam Pomfrey brought him his lunch. He again thought she brought too much but wound up eating most of it again. He then chose another book to start on after lunch until dinner with the same result as before. After Harry ate his dinner Madam Pomfrey again said that she was going to vanish some of his heavily damaged bones but she did state that this would be the last night of dealing with his bones and dreamless sleep potions. The rest of the week followed the routine of bed rest and very large meals.
When Saturday finally dawned Harry was excited by the prospects of going into Diagon Alley, not least of which was finally being able to get out of bed. However he waited patiently for Madam Pomfrey to finish her post breakfast diagnostic before being given the greenlight to go down into the dining area to await Professor McGonagall. Harry remembered that the Professor would most likely come via the fireplace Harry sat watching that while drink from a glass of pumpkin juice. As Harry waited the small fire started to flare and glow green which Harry knew from the previous Saturday meant that there was going to be an impending arrival. However his hopes were dashed when a tall, thin, balding, redheaded, bespectacled man stepped out followed shortly by boy that was similar in appearance though slightly shorter and of course not balding. Another boy followed by a much shorter stocky boy again with flaming red hair, he was followed by another boy that looked identical to him in every way, Harry assumed that they were twins. Another boy followed these two and while he was shorter than them it wasn't a very big difference in height. Following this boy was a girl that Harry thought was just a bit younger than he was with a long flowing mane of fire red hair and a freckly face that Harry had to admit he found very cute if he was being honest. Then another witch appeared just like the rest of them she two had fiery red hair though she was plumper than the rest of them. The father of this family said. "Come along Weasleys." And started to head towards the back of the inn, the rest of them followed but the girl as she went kept looking back at him.
"I see you found something that occupied your time while you were waiting for me Harry." Quipped Professor McGonagall, startling Harry to the point that he almost fell off of his stool. "I too find that people watching passes the time wonderfully." With this Professor McGonagall started Harry in his way to the back of the pub
Just then the door to the Leaky Cauldron open and a gigantic man entered. "Ah Hagrid, the usual I presume." Said Tom
"No, Tom, I'm on official Hogwarts business(5) today. 'Cept Dumbledore will be mad see I was s'posed to collect a package in Surry however when I got there they didn't seem to know where it was, they got rather agitated actually.(6) However I got meself …." The voice of Hagrid trailed off as Harry and Professor McGonagall entered the alley behind the Leaky Cauldron.
"Professor who was that talking to Tom as we left?" Harry asked curiously.
"That was just Hagrid, he's the groundskeeper at Hogwarts. Professor Dumbledore uses him for errands that need to be done when he's too busy. Come now we must be off. Now pay attention you'll need to use this sequence if you are to get to Diagon Alley. First go to the trash bin at the top left corner count three bricks up and the two towards the center of the wall. Then you simply tap it thrice." Professor McGonagall taped the brick with her wand three times and the entrance to Diagon Alley opened before them with the bricks moving to create a giant archway.(7)
"Now Harry before we do anything else we will need to go to Gringotts down at the other end of the alley." Professor McGonagall said as she pointed at the gigantic white building sitting at the far end of the alley. "That is where all of your money resides in the bank. Unfortunately I do not have the key to your vault so you will need to take an inheritance test when we get there. It won't take long to do but it will hurt a bit because they will need to take some of your blood. However you will then have access to your personal vault as well as your family vault when you turn seventeen. Also when you turn sixteen you can claim any titles that are due to you and any of the homes that your family owns can be claimed at the age of fourteen if you have a house elf, and I know that the potters had at least three, and none of them were at the house in Godric's Hallow." she explained.
As they were walking down the alley Harry noticed that the red-haired family went into a store called Eeylops Owl Emporium. Though Professor McGonagall had set them on a quick pace to the bank so he could do no more than that. As they approached Gringotts they walked past a pair of creatures, wearing what looked like a uniform in Gold and Scarlet, which Harry didn't know, so he asked. "Professor what are those creatures?"
"Goblins, just treat them with respect and they will do the same for you." She replied as they opened and walked through a set of giant bronze doors only to encounter a set of large silver doors with a very ornate inscription that read.
Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most 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.(8)
They then went through those doors to see a set of gold doors. As they entered the bank proper they went to the very back desk that was labeled information. It was professor McGonagall that spoke first. "Excuse me sir but I have a student from Hogwarts here that needs an inheritance test so that he can have access to his vault."
The goblin at the desk looked down at her then leaned over further so as to look down at Harry. "Why if it isn't young Mr. Potter coming for his first year of school shopping. Since you are asking for an inheritance test I am to guess that you do not have his trust vault key. That is fine if you will both follow me I will take you to meeting room and I will have Manager Slashnuckle meet you there."
The goblin showed them to a small meeting room of to the side of the bank. As the Goblin was about to leave Harry could not stop himself from asking. "Excuse me sir but since you know my name would it be possible to get yours?"
The goblin looked shocked for a second but recovered and answered. "My name is Griphook, and I am a senior attendant here at Gringotts. It is quite odd you know for a wizard to want to know the name of any goblin that is not their account manager. You have greatly pleased me by asking this of me without any due cause to do so Mr. Potter, you truly are a Potter." Then Griphook closed the door behind him.
"What was that all about Professor?" Harry ask bewildered by the response he got from Griphook.
"Well you see Harry the relationship between the Wizarding world and the Goblin world has always been strained. The goblins feel that we wizards take them for granted and that has caused conflict in the past. Also many wizards feel that goblins are lesser creatures and are therefore not worthy of notice. What you did there was show more respect to a goblin than has been shown by a young wizard well since your father and mother were coming in for their first years." She replied evenly.
"That is correct Professor." Said an elderly looking goblin as he entered the room with a younger female one following him in as well. "Ah hello Mr. Potter, I am Account Manager Slashknuckle, I am the account manager for your vaults. Since I know that you will ask this is Examiner Kiniffer. She is here to perform the inheritance test."
Kiniffer then spoke as she laid out the contents of her bag. "Mr. Potter when I give you this blood knife I will need you to take it in your right hand grip the blade in your left hand and draw it down your hand cutting the skin. Then you will need to place the knife in this bowl. The blade will both cut and heal the wound it makes. If you ever see a blade like this outside of this or any other Gringotts location do not use it and report it to aurors immediately as any type of blood instrument is highly regulated. If you so choose we can also at this time perform a test of your innate magics."
Harry just nodded yes. He accepted the blade and followed the instructions that he was given. After he sat the blade in the bowl he looked at his left palm and noticed that there was just a line across it that looked very pink but also looked as if it were fading. The group sat there and waited for a few minutes when the quill that was also in the bowl moved over the parchment and started to write.
"Well now, that was unforeseen." Said Slashknuckle as he handed the piece of parchment over to Harry. "I was not aware of some of this. The fact that you are related to both the Vay and Ravenclaw lines is interesting as both of these fell out of use in the late 1500s with a series of squib births I must conclude that they are on your mother's side along with the Weasley, Keen, Fairithorn and Dase as these are not part of the recorded lines of the Potters. Your grandfather Charlus, had an inheritance test as did your grandmother Dorea Black Potter. That is why I know without a doubt these must have come from your mother."
Inheritance for Harry James Potter
Harry James Potter Vault 3981
Tam Family Vault 984
Vay Family Vault 702
Potter Family Vault 683
Slytherin Family Vault 512
Ravenclaw Family Vault 503
Hufflepuff Family Vault 468
Gryffindor Family Vault 182
Peverell Family Vault 3
Weasley 2176 persons from Head
Black 1 person from Head
Prewitt 301 persons from Head
Keen 161 persons from Head
Fairithorn 98 persons from Head
Dase 204 persons from Head(9)
"Now let us see what magics you have upon you Mr. Potter." As this list started writing itself Harry noticed first shock then understanding followed by puzzlement and finally fear on the faces of the goblins. "What is it, what's wrong why do the two of you look so afraid?" Harry asked really concerned.
"I am not sure if I should be the one to tell you this Harry, it is a fairly delicate matter." Slashknuckle danced around the issue for a bit. "I think it would be best if you heard this from the beginning. The first item on the list is very rare to be honest you are only the seventh known case in the whole of the wizarding world. It is a bit of Soul Magic" with this announcement Professor McGonagall gasp and looked at Harry. "As you can tell from Professor McGonagall's reaction this is something good. Professor would you care to enlighten Harry as to what this is?"
"Harry what I think Manager Slashknuckle is stating is that you have a soul bond with someone." Professor McGonagall said.
"A true soul Bond to be more precise. You will not just have a bond with this person but a soul bond. In effect when this is completed the two of you will share a soul. If you would like to know more about this you could return on Monday to meet with one of our curse breakers before he leaves for Egypt." Harry just shook his head yes.
However Slashknuckle continued with the results. "Next on the list are the abilities of your bloodlines. There are fourteen of these that are still strong enough in your blood to register. They also happen to be associated with the families that you have an inheritance to, if you did not have the markers for the abilities you would not be in line for their inheritance. Five of these are active, those from House Dase, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Potter and Weasley. These abilities are in order Imperious Resistance, Poison Resistance, Parceltounge, Veela Immunity and Unnatural Fertility. Imperious resistance means that it will be very hard for someone to control you, also it will be easier for you to shake of that control. Poison resistance is pretty much what it sounds like you are harder to poison. Parceltounge is the ability to talk to serpents, everything from common garden snakes to the mighty basilisk, even dragons I've been told will listen to you. Veela immunity just means that any veela or even part veela will have no effect on you. Well for the last part I'll just say that when the time comes for to have children it will not be an issue. There are an additional four abilities that are locked, those from House Peverell, Gryffindor, Fairithorn, and Ravenclaw. These abilities are Wandlore, Felestounge, Goblitounge, and Aerotounge. When the ability of wandlore is unlocked you will be able to know the characteristics of a wand. Felestounge will give you the ability to speak with cats of all types, to include kneazles. Goblitounge will give you the innate ability to speak and understand Gobbledegook our language. Finally aerotounge would allow you to talk to birds and near birds such as gryphons and hippogriffs. Then there are five dormant abilities, those from House Vay, Keen, Prewitt, Black, and Tam. I'm not going to go into them because they will never effect you, maybe your children but not you."
Slashknuckle again did not give them much time to ponder this when he pressed on. "Now we come to the end, the last six items on the list besides your current power level. First there is a Blood Ward on you from when your mother died in an attempt to save your life. I do not know much about these if you desire I could get you in contact with some one that is an expert on the subject, for a small fee of course. Next on the list is the end of the line charm this was foreseen and your father left information on it in your trust vault. The next two are Magic cap charms the interesting part is that the larger supersedes the smaller so why you have two of them is interesting. Also they should have been removed last year when you turned ten as is wizarding law I'm told. Also the Trace is on you so if you use underage magic the ministry will know. However if it is accidental magic they tend to let that go."
Slashnuckle seemed as if he was hesitating when Harry finally asked. "What is the last bit of magic on me, Manager Slashknuckle?"
Slashknuckle took a heavy breath then began to hesitantly speak. "Harry the last form of Magic on you is a Dark Art. In fact it is the darkest art that can be placed on an individual. It was placed on you by a man named Tom Riddle or as he prefers to be known now Lord Voldemort." with this Professor McGonagall let out a gasp but Slashknuckle continued. "Harry this exact type of magic is called a Horcrux. This is a piece of vileness that can only be created by rending ones soul; and what is worse is the fact that the one that is inside of you is not the only one that he crated." With this last bit of news Slashknuckle handed over the slip of Paper.
Abilities & Magics on Harry James Potter
True Soul Bond: ? – Soul Magic, Inactive
Peverell Family Magic: Wandlore – Blood Ability, Locked
Dase Family Magic: Imperious Resistance – Blood Ability, Active
Gryffindor Family Magic: Felestounge – Blood Ability, Locked
Hufflepuff Family Magic: Poison Resistance – Blood Ability, Active
Fairithorn Family Magic: Goblitounge – Blood Ability, Locked
Ravenclaw Family Magic: Aerotounge – Blood Ability, Locked
Slytherin Family Magic: Parceltounge – Blood Ability, Active
Vay Family Magic: Aura Reader – Blood Ability, Dormant
Keen Family Magic: Seer – Blood Ability, Dormant
Potter Family Magic: Veela Immunity – Blood Ability, Active
Prewitt Family Magic: Ward Breaker – Blood Ability, Dormant
Black Family Magic: Metamorphmagus – Blood Ability, Dormant
Tam Family Magic: Natural Occlumens – Blood Ability, Dormant
Weasley Family Magic: Unnatural Fertility – Blood Ability, Active
Sacrifice: Lily Evens Potter – Blood Ward, Active
End of the Line: Potter – Charm, Inactive
Magical Power Lock: Level 9 – Charm, active
Magical Power Lock: Level 12 – Charm, Active
Trace: Underage – Jinx, Active
Horcrux: Tim Riddle, #6 – Dark Art, Active
Magical Power Level: true 15, Locked at 3
1 Latin for Flesh Stone.
2 Latin for Scattered bones, was used in the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets video game for the Game Boy Advance instead of Brackium Emendo but as that spell is actually meant to heal broken bones I felt this was better.
3 I envision this potion, one created by none other than Poppy Pomfrey, being somewhat like Amortentia in that it will always taste like the drinkers favorite food.
4 For those of you who do not know black pudding is a type of blood sausage that in England they soak up the blood using oatmeal. I personally didn't like it when I tried it, but it is a part of a traditional English breakfast.
5 Rowling, J. K. "Diagon Alley." In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, 69. New York, New York: Arthur A. Levine Books :, 2005.
6 Yes Hagrid was sent to collect Harry from the Dursleys', why wasn't this checked before now you ask, since the ward was broken when Harry was kicked out? That is easy, but it is for later in the series.
7 This is one of the few things that I found looked better in the movie than it sounded in the book so I used that as my basis.
8 Rowling, J. K. "Diagon Alley." In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, 72-73. New York, New York: Arthur A. Levine Books :, 2005.
9 The money in the vaults are unimportant at this juncture of the story so it is not listed yet. Suffice it to say that Harry will not need to worry about money.