With Friends Like These – Rating M
Chapter 04 – The Great Escape
Warnings – Contains Ron, Ginny, Dumbledore and Molly bashing. Also contains swearing and violence throughout.
A/N – I should hopefully be uploading the next chapter within the next few days as I have nearly finished writing it. I was hoping to do a double upload but as I have been busy with various things, I did not have chance.
Inspired by Broomstick Flyer's Dangerous to be Around
- With Friends Like These-
Number 4, Privet Drive, Little Winging, Surrey, England
3rd July 1996
Vernon Dursley, Head Sales Manager for the South East Region of Grunnings Drills and Munitions was in a quandary. His manager had informed him a few days ago that he was due a promotion in his job, however he would be required to move to the Spanish division of Grunnings Holdings, a division called Grunnings Spain, in order to become Vice President of European Operations.
He did not know what to say to his manager when he was told the news, especially as he was told that it was the chairman of the board, a lady who they knew to be named Augusta Longbottom, that had made the decision. In fact, very little was known about the chair, except that she was the widow of a member of the founding families, along with being the granddaughter of the other founder.
Vernon knew that the appointment that his meeting that he had to attend the next day was with the Manager of the bank that Grunnings had used, a meeting in which he was to be joined by Mrs Longbottom, along with one of the other owners, whose identity was not revealed.
He knew this appointment was important to the future of the business, as following his research, he had found out the company history. He remembered reading about how the business had started as Grunnings Munitions in 1881 when the munitions factory was set up by the Longbottom family of Chorley, Lancashire, working in partnership with the Grunnings family of Preston, again a Lancashire town.
Vernon remembered how he had read that the Grunnings family and Longbottom were of magical stock, just like his own maternal Grandfather, Jeramiah Filch was, before they were Squibbed out, his mother, Susan (Filch) being a squib, along with her brother Argus.
Vernon had, at one time, researched that the Longbottom family were able to date their magic back to 1336, whereas the Grunnings family were able to trace their magic back to 1245, some 91 years before.
He remembered reading how, in 1904, William Brown and his friend, Arcturus Black created Browning's, intending on being a competitor to Grunnings, however the competition did not last long as in 1932, the two companies merged, with Charlotte Grunnings son, Henry Potter, taking over the stewardship of the combined companies, with them taking 51% of the merger, the Longbottoms 26% and the Blacks and Browns taking 11.5% each. This, however was conditional of Henry Potter betrothing his son, Charlus, to Dorea Black, the sister of Arcturus Black.
Years later, in 1979, the Longbottom family, headed by Charles Longbottom and his wife, Augusta (Potter), suffered a tragedy as Charles was murdered in Diagon Alley by Death Eaters, the followers of Lord Voldemort. The Potter head, Fleamont Potter, passed away weeks after his brother in law following a bout of Dragon Pox.
Both of the sons, James Potter and Frank Longbottom, held little interest in the business, having joined the Auror Department in the fight against Voldemort, leaving the business in the hands of Augusta Longbottom.
Little would anyone expect what would happen the next day…
Number 4, Privet Drive, Little Winging, Surrey, England
4th July 1996
Vernon walked in the house, having done a check on the vehicle, in order to collect a heavy, disillusioned trunk. A few minutes later he had left the house, he casted a wandless human revealing spell, seeing nobody in the vicinity of Number 4, Privet Drive.
After loading the Potter trunk, Vernon got into the driver's seat, trying to start the car. After a few attempts, the car fired up, ready for the journey to London, and a visit to the Bank.
An hour and half later, Vernon pulled the car into the car park of the Waitrose superstore at New Malden, a town within the London Borough of Kingston., grabbing a bag which was placed in the car the previous night by Petunia.
Rushing to the Parent and Child changing room, he knew that time was running out on the vial of potion that had been found in the trunk, especially as he had taken a vial of it whilst driving through the roads into Kingston.
Quietly stripping out of his clothes, he could feel the changes that were about to begin, turning Vernon Dursley into…
…Lily Potter!
Once she had changed into her own clothes that she had found previously in the trunk, Lily headed back to the car and cast a wandless notice-me-not charm, opened the boot, followed by the Potter trunk, allowing her brother in law, the real Vernon Dursley, out of the trunk to drive the rest of the way.
Grangotts Bank, Great Newport Street, City of Westminster, England
4th July 1998
The real Vernon Durseley walked into Grangotts Bank, the Muggle side of Gringotts Wizarding Bank, carrying the Potter Trunk into the bank, a trunk containing his sister-in-law, Lily Potter, his nephew, Harry and Harry's girlfriends, Hermione Granger and Katie Bell.
"Can I help you sir?" a worker on the banking floor, his name badge identifying him as Mr Griphook.
"Yes, I am here to see two people actually," Vernon said, trying to remember the name of the people he had to see, one for the trunk and one for his Grunnings business. "One is a Mr Kicktail, who is the account manager for my nephew, Harry Potter, who is in this trunk here. The second one is a Mr Fistmouth, who is the account manager for Grunnings Munitions."
"But Lord Potter is dead." Griphook said.
"No he isn't, he is in this trunk which you will take to Mr Kicktail otherwise I am sure Lord Potter will remove his fortune from your bank.
Upon hearing that, Griphook pulled the trunk out of Vernon's hands, and took it into an office, where he had summoned his colleague Kicktail. Letting the hidden quartet out of the trunk, Griphook left the office, heading back to the Muggle side of the business.
"Lady Potter," the Goblin said, a grin on his face. "It is the first tie I have seen you since your poor Husband was told that you are expecting a second child, mere weeks before that Halloween!"
"But…but…what happened?" Harry asked.
"The killing curse that Voldemort cast, despite the stasis protection, meant that I lost your twin sisters." Lily said, tears forming in her eyes. "I…I was going to name them Rose and Daisy. Rose Clarice, named after my mother and grandmother and Daisy Euphemia, named after my aunt and mother-in-law.
"You see, your grandmother, Rose Evans, was named after the Black Rose, a flower that was at St Mungo's that day that your great grandmother, Clarice Brown, gave birth to her." Lily said, "Your grandmother had a brother called Christopher, who, if I remember correctly, had a granddaughter named Lavender."
Hermione bit her lip, thinking, and suddenly smiled. "There is a Lavender in our year Mrs Potter, and she…she must be your cousin!"
Harry looked at Hermione and kissed her on the lips. Seeing Katie looking like she was left out, he kissed her too.
"You see Harry, I may be a Muggleborn, but that is only in the eyes of the law, but in reality your grandmother was a Squib, and so was your grandfather, Hugo, and his sister, Arabella." Lily said. "It is all down to genetics, and the rejection of magic in certain people."
"Could that mean that I might have a line of Squibs in my family?" Katie asked.
"It is possible Katie." Lily said. "Why don't you and Hermione take the Inheritance Test, like I did a few days before I married James, as you never know what your family history is like."
"That is a good idea Madam Potter." Kicktail said to Lily. Signalling for a member of the Inheritance team, he organised Hermione and Katie to be took away, and then led Harry and Lily through a door…
Office of the Head of Accounts – Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter, Gringotts Wizarding Bank, Diagon Alley, City of Westminster, England
4th July 1996
Lily and Harry followed Kicktail from the office that he had dragged them in to when Vernon arrived with them and ushered the mother and son pair into his office. Harry looked at his mother nervously, so she smiled at him to calm him down. Kicktail sat them down, ready to commence business.
"I wish to make some deposits and changes to my account." Harry replied. Suddenly a quill and parchment appeared in front of him so he could make his changes.
"As the account holder of the combined Black and Potter accounts, I hereby request the following actions to be taken.
I request a deposit of 1 million Galleons to the following vaults:
Fred and George Weasley
Bill Weasley
Charles Weasley
In addition, I respectfully request that Katie Bell and Hermione Granger are both given status as additional persons on this account, will full and uninterrupted access total goods, property owned and funds for as long as I allow."
Kicktail waved his hand over it, in a motion to signify the transaction was completed. A quill started writing letters automatically, writing to the intended recipients about the deposit.
Account Holders: Harry James Potter, Katie Louise Bell and Hermione Jean Granger - Vault: 42
Total Black and Potter Account Combined Funds after transactions – 27 Million Galleons, 8 Sickles and 2 Knuts.
Property and Assets:
Various Jewellery and photographs
2x Trunks with sealing spell.
1x Letter
1x Furniture set with Potter Coat of Arms.
3x Portraits (+1 Partially finished Portrait.)
Housing Properties Owned*:
76-92 Diagon Alley, London
12 Grimmauld Place, London
Potter Cottage, Godrics Hollow
Flat 2, 195 High Street, Islington
Wizarding Businesses Owned (% ownership):
Zonko's Joke Shop, Hogsmeade (15%)
Three Broomsticks, Hogsmeade (25%)
Marauders Investments (100%) – Includes shares in the following businesses – Zonko's Joke Shop, Hogsmeade (36%), Holyhead Harpies Quidditch Team (33%), Barrel-o-laughs, Godrics Hollow (76%) and Wizard Jokes, Ottery St Catchpole (51%)
TriHal Potioneers (100%) – Unknown Assets
Muggle Businesses Owned
Grunnings Holdings (51%)
Note: * - This does not include properties owned by said Wizarding Companies mentioned"
Harry pointed at the section entitled Muggle Businesses Owned and started laughing.
Kicktail looked at Harry and frowned. "There is also the matter of one Betrothal Contract that is outstanding between you and a Miss Ginevra Weasley.
"WHAT!"
-With Friends Like These-
A/N – Coming Up in Chapter 05 – Gringotts, Weasleys and Will Readings. Also revelations about Hermione and Katie's heritage…
Disclaimer
This story uses themes and characters from the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling, whose rights as author are respected.
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Chapter Publish Date - 30/09/2016