The Parselmouth- Next Heir of Slytherin

Normal Speech

Thoughts

/Parseltongue/

Chapter 4: Diagon Alley (Part I- Gringotts)

Quick A/N: This chapter is about as long as all the others combined. I was hoping to get Diagon Alley done in one chapter, but it looks like it'll have to be split up into two. The main reason this took so long was because, honestly, I found a lot of it boring. It involves a lot of dialogue and explanations that I felt were necessary, but it's not something I really want to write about. The main ideas I have for this story start on the Hogwarts Express, so that'll probably be when I start really getting into the story and I'll write a lot faster. But, anyway, here's a nice, long chapter for everyone. I hope you enjoy!

As Harry and Hagrid walked out of Number 4, Privet Drive, the first thing Harry noticed was a large motorcycle on the side of the road in front of the house. It was large enough for Hagrid to ride on comfortably, and the sidecar attached seemed spacious enough for Harry and one or two trunks of stuff, not that he had anything from the Dursley's to bring. Hagrid opened the side car door for Harry, then went on the other side of the bike and got himself settled in, setting his umbrella next to Harry in the side car.

"Alrigh' now, 'Arry. There's a 'elmet underneath yer seat, so go a'ead an' put that on," Hagrid instructed as he put on his own helmet. Harry found the helmet and strapped it on as Hagrid continued. "Erm, I'd appreciate it if ye didn't mention any of what 'appened in there ta anyone else. Strictly speakin', I'm not sup'osed ter use magic, at leas' outside o' 'Ogwarts, anyway."

"I won't, Hagrid. Do you mind if I ask why?"

"Er, well, ye see, I was expelled when I was younger." At the confused look on Harry's face, Hagrid continued. "When I was goin' ta 'Ogwarts meself, in me third year, I 'ad a large pet spider. One o' the other students found out, the Ministry said it was a danger ta the students and it was an illegal animal cuz ye need a license fer it, and I got expelled from school an' 'ad me wand snapped in two. Dumbledore was kind enough to take care o' me after that- didn't 'ave anywhere else ta go, since me dad died before then. So he was kind enough to let me live on the grounds and 'elp out the old groundskeeper. I've been livin' there ever since, and started workin' when the old keeper retired."

Hagrid seemed to be a bit nervous about admitting this, though Harry thought that there was something more than nerves, that Hagrid was keeping something from him. Still, Hagrid had decided to trust Harry with this information, so he decided not to push for more answers.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Hagrid. But that was kind of Dumbledore to do for you."

"Ye, it was. He's a great man, Dumbledore. Ye'll like 'im, I know ye will." Hagrid was visibly more relaxed when he saw Harry decided not to push it with his questions, then he gave Harry a large smile and asked, "Ye ready ta go?" Harry nodded and Hagrid started up his motorcycle and rode off.

"'Arry," Hagrid shouted over the roar of the engine and the wind blowing against them. "It'll be a bit o' a trip cuz we're goin' up ter London. Ye mind if I speed us up a bit with some more magic? Again, I'd 'preciate it if ye didn't tell anyone." Harry nodded enthusiastically, eager to see what else magic had to offer.

Hagrid smiled down at him. "Alrigh', hang on a mo'." He pulled into a nearby alleyway, out of sight of everyone, then grabbed his umbrella and tapped it once on his bike and once on the sidecar. Suddenly, the bike was invisible, and so was Hagrid. Harry looked down and saw that he, too, was not to be seen. "So the Muggles can't see us," explained Hagrid. When Harry asked what "Muggles" were, Hagrid explained that they were "non-magic folks."

"Hang on tight, 'Arry," Harry heard Hagrid say. He pulled back out of the alleyway, then started down the road at blazing speed. He zoomed past a few cars, and when they were going faster than Harry had ever gone in his life, faster than a rollercoaster, they started lifting off of the ground. Harry clutched onto the sides of the sidecar and looked all around him. They were steadily climbing, getting higher and higher, until they peaked and the cars underneath them were about the size of mice.

Flying was one of the most exhilarating experiences of Harry's life. He couldn't help but laugh when they landed a mere ten minutes later. He had never flown in his life, let alone at such high speeds. After Hagrid landed and reappeared behind some cover, they parked and walked up to a shabby little pub called The Leaky Cauldron.

"Er, before we go in there, Harry, I should warn ye, yer kinda famous in our world."

"F-famous? For what?"

"Well, it's about that night, The night ye got that scar. That'll be how mos' people recognize ye. I'll explain more when we 'ave that chat, but if ye'd rather have a quiet introduction ta our world, I'd keep yer fore'ead covered, alrigh'?"

"Alright, Hagrid. Thanks for the head's up." Harry quickly combed his messy hair over his forehead with his hands.

As they stepped inside, a few people glanced up at their arrival, but most ignored them and carried on with their own conversations. A tall, toothless, balding man was cleaning glasses at the bar.

"Ah, 'ello, Hagrid! The usual, I presume?" asked the barman cheerfully.

"Not today, Tom. I'm 'ere on official 'Ogwarts business. Got a few errands ta run, a new student ta get supplies fer, but I migh' pop in later fer something ta drink." Hagrid puffed out his chest proudly as he mentioned "official Hogwarts business."

Tom the barman nodded, and said, "Well, you know your way around back. Hope to see you back soon!"

Hagrid said his goodbye and led Harry through a door in the back of the pub, which exited into a back alleyway that ended with a brick wall. Hagrid once again brought out his trusty umbrella, tapped one of the bricks on the wall, and then the bricks started shifting, forming an archway for them to pass through. On the other side was the most incredible site Harry had ever seen.

"Welcome, ta Diagon Alley," Hagrid said to Harry, beaming at him. Harry stood, speechless, in the archway, before Hagrid grabbed onto his shoulder and began dragging him along.

Men, women, and children of all ages filled the alley, all dressed in robes, some of them had cloaks on as well, in a whole assortment of colors. There were shops all along the sides of the alley, from The Magical Menagerie, which appeared to be a magical pet store, to Flourish and Blotts, a book store. There was also Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions, Gambol and Japes Joke Shop, Slug & Jiggers Apothecary, and Quality Quidditch Supplies. Harry hadn't the faintest idea of what "Quidditch" was, but he quickly pushed that thought to the side as he saw the shops he was most excited to visit: Ollivander's Wands. This was what he had been waiting for since Hagrid had mentioned wands to him- he wanted something to be able to control and direct his magic with more than he already could. He wanted that power in the palm of his hand. But, before he got carried off into daydreaming about the kinds of spells he would be able to cast once he got his hands on one of those wands, another thought struck him.

"Hagrid," Harry asked. "How am I to pay for all of this. You know the Dursley's won't cover it, and I don't have any money to pay for it myself."

"Well there's yer money, righ' there!" Hagrid exclaimed, pointing at the far end of the alley at a tall, grand building made of white stone. It had large pillars in front of it, with a domed roof, and it towered over the other buildings. "Tha's Gringotts, the wizard bank. Yer ma' an' dad 'ad a vault where they kept all their money in. All the wizard families do."

"All wizards do?" Harry repeated.

"Well, not all, perse. They got different branches all over Europe, methinks. Never been ta any of 'em, though. It's the mos' secure place in the world, though, other than maybe 'Ogwarts. It's run by goblins, ye see, so ye'd be mad ter try and rob it."

"Goblins?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Yeah, goblins. Tiny but vicious little buggers. There's a lot more than jus' witches 'n' wizards out there, 'Arry. All sorts of magical creatures and bein's live in our world. Goblins have a different kinda magic than us, an' they're kinda a warrior race, an' they deal with metalworkin' an' stuff like tha', so they take care of the makin' an' securin' of magical money. Oh, speakin' o' money, ye should probably learn 'ow our money works. Ye don' need to memorize it or anythin', ye can just write it down later. There are three different type of coins- small bronze coins called Knuts, medium silver coins called Sickles, 'n' large gold coins called Galleons. There's 29 Knuts to a Sickle, and 17 Sickles to a Galleon. Easy enough ter remember once ye get used to it."

Harry made a few mental notes about the money, but it was fairly confusing. He figured he'd get used to it eventually, but he'd definitely have to write it down when he got the chance.

After a short wait in line, Harry and Hagrid finally made it to the teller.

"I 'ave a letter 'ere from Professor Dumbledore, about the you-know-what in Vault 713. And young Mr. Potter 'ere would like to make a withdrawal," Hagrid told the goblin. The goblin teller sneered down at them.

"And does Mr. Potter have his key?"

"Oh, erm, I got it 'ere somewhere," Hagrid mumbled as he shuffled about, removing random objects from his clothing, until he finally pulled out a small gold key. The goblin looked taken aback.

Harry felt Elisabeth wriggling underneath his sleeve, then heard a slight hissing coming from within his shirt.

/Don't you find it sssstrange,/ she hissed, /that he hassss your family'sss key? Sssshouldn't you be the one who holdssss onto that?/ Harry subtly pet her through his sleeve to let her know he heard her. She's right, he thought. Why does he have my family's key? Where did he get it from? Is it something the bank granted to him so I could get into my vault? If that was the case, then surely the bank could have just given it to me… Harry decided to ask and find out.

"Um, Hagrid, how did you get my key? I know I was raised by Muggles, but shouldn't I have gotten my own key from the bank once we got here?"

"Oh, well, Professor Dumbledore gave it to me. I assumed yer parents left it in his care fer after they died." Hagrid had given Harry's key over to the teller, who was now inspecting it. What Hagrid said didn't sit right with Harry, but since he never met his parents and never met this Dumbledore character, he wasn't sure how his key got into Dumbledore's hands.

"This is, indeed, the key to the Potters' Vault," the teller explained. "However, since no one has entered that Vault in a decade, we have a bit of paperwork for Mr. Potter to fill out." At this point, the teller pressed a call button that summoned another goblin to come to his desk, then he set a "closed" sign down on it. "Mr. Hagrid, please follow Griphook here to take care of your business. I will take Mr. Potter to my supervisor's office so we can get this all sorted out."

"I really think I should be stay with 'im-" Hagrid started, but the goblin cut him off.

"These are private and sensitive matters, Mr. Hagrid. Besides, it will be much faster and easier if we were to split the two of you up."

With a bit of a defeated look, Hagrid sighed. "Alrigh', alrigh'. 'Arry, where yer done, come an' find me outside, down the steps."

Harry agreed and said his farewell, then followed the goblin teller through a door behind the desks, and down a hallway. They stopped at a door, with the name "Ragnok" written on it in gold lettering.

The goblin teller knocked three times, then a gruff voice responded with, "Come in." He opened the door and Harry followed him through into the office of who he assumed to be the supervisor. Another goblin sat behind a desk in a leather armchair, and he appeared to be putting away some paperwork. There were two additional chairs on the opposite side of the desk.

"Ah, Gornuk," Ragnok greeted. "What can I do for you today?"

"Mr. Potter has arrived, sir," Gornuk replied. "Along with his key, brought in by one Rubeus Hagrid."

"Very well, thank you. You may take your leave." Gornuk bowed to Ragnok, then to Harry, then exited through the door. "Please, have a seat, Mr. Potter."

"You can just call me Harry, sir.," Harry replied as he sat down. Ragnok chuckled lightly.

"Well then, you may call me Ragnok, Harry. Your vault has been under quite a lot of interest these past ten years. However, first thing's first, why don't you have your little friend come on out? I'd imagine it gets quite stuffy hiding in your shirt all the time."

Harry's eyes widened, however, the goblin didn't appear to be angry or upset. So, deciding that trying to hide Elisabeth's existence would just make things worse, he called out to her. /Well, it appearssss assss if we've been caught. Come on out and ssssee what he wantssss./ Elisabeth slithered out of his collar and draped herself around his neck.

/He'ssss right, you know? It doessss get quite sssstuffy in there./ She said while resting her head on him. She stared ahead at Ragnok, waiting to see what happened.

"Well, she is a beauty, Harry. May I ask for her name?" Ragnok asked.

"Elisabeth," answered Harry.

"Elisabeth? A fitting name as any. Do you mind if I ask how you came about finding such a fine, and dangerous, creature?" Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and Ragnok chuckled again. "Relax, Harry. Muggle and Wizard affairs are not of our concern, unless it involves business with us. However she came to be in your possession, it doesn't matter to us."

Harry sighed in relief, as he didn't seem to be in any sort of trouble, and decided to answer him. "I- er, rescued her from a zoo. She's been living with me at my aunt and uncle's in secret for the past month or so." Ragnok laughed at hearing this. "How did you know about Elisabeth, though?"

"Here at Gringotts we have a large security network. They picked up that you were hiding something alive under your shirt. I had them refrain from intercepting you, as I had planned on meeting you anyway, as to avoid causing a scene.

"In any case, I have a word of caution for you. In wizarding culture, Parselmouths are generally seen as Dark, and while it is not considered Dark Magic itself, it could throw you into a negative light and turn some against you. Considering your fame in the magical world, this could give you many issues in the future, especially if it's known that you have embraced your gift. Us goblins have no such prejudice, though. In fact, we are often ostracized and looked down on ourselves by wizards, since we are not human. So you secret is safe with us."

"That's awful," replied Harry. Being the subject of such persecution by his lovely relatives all his life, he could only empathize too well. He was disappointed that the wizarding world had such prejudices as well. "Would you mind telling me about any other prejudices the wizarding world has? I thought maybe I'd escape that kind of bullshit when I was finally able to leave my relatives' house."

Ragnok's eyes narrowed. "It's my understanding that you were raised by Muggles, your aunt on your mother's side's family?" Harry nodded. "And they were against the fact that you were a wizard?"

Harry sighed. "Well, that's one way to put it. It's not really something I enjoy going into…"

Ragnok put up his hand. "Say no more, I think I understand enough. Though, you should know, confidentiality is our specialty. We take our clients' personal information very seriously. In addition to banking, we're also the main source of contracts and lawyers in the magical world. Considering how our race is treated, that confidentiality generally comes at a hefty price, however, our loyalty can be won by simple respect. Both your mother and the Potters have always shown respect to us, and I can see that you seem to share that respect, as well as understand where we're coming from on that end.

"Now, as to the other prejudices of wizards, taken everything that isn't completely a wizard, and that what the worst of them see as lower than themselves. Magical creatures, even ones with intelligence such as my own race, Muggles, werewolves- who are wizards and witches all but three nights each month, if it's not a wizard, it's not worth their time. Some of the worst offenders are even against other wizards. Anyone who is not a 'Pureblood,' or a wizard who can trace back their magical ancestry through seven generations, is considered lower than them. There are also 'Half-bloods,' who have both wizarding and muggle ancestry in those seven generations, and 'Muggle-borns,' or 'Mudbloods,' as the worst of them say, are wizards who are the first generation of magic users in their family, who have only Muggle ancestry in those seven generations. Though, if you go back far enough you will always find some sort of magical ancestry in any wizard's family tree. Generally it's a Squib- or someone born into a magical family who cannot perform magic, who married a muggle and the magical gene was hidden for several generations."

Harry nodded in acknowledgement. It was a lot to take in. "That sounds horrible. How many wizards feel this way?"

"Oh, it's a minority for the more extreme ones. The majority at the very least look down on muggles, though they're not against them or want to hurt them or anything. Unfortunately, much of the Ministry of Magic is full of Pureblood bigots. It may be a minority, but it's a loud and powerful minority.

"Now, while I can go on for hours about the folly of man, and I wouldn't mind telling you more about wizarding culture, I think we should get down to business. I would recommend buying a book or two on magical culture when you get your school books. You can share it with any muggle-born students you befriend as well."

"Thank you. I think I'll just do that," Harry replied.

"Considering your lack of knowledge of the wizarding world, as well as your previous living conditions, I must ask you: what do you know about your family?"

"Not much, really. I only learned today about my parents being wizards. I don't really know anymore than that, other than my mum was a muggle-born and they were both killed the night I got my scar."

"I see. Yes, your mother was a muggle-born, and your father was known as a pure-blood, although the Potters have never been a bigoted family. In fact, they tried to stay as far away from the Dark as they could, choosing to even ignore their Parseltongue abilities. It's an inherited trait, and while it sometimes skips generations, all the Potters who were given this gift ignored to the point where they would have to try their hardest to actually understand a snake if they wanted to. You, on the other hand, have embraced your gift, and therefore it comes easily and naturally to you. Have you heard of Parselmagic, Harry?"

"Yes, Elisabeth told me what little she knew about it, and I've been able to do a few things with it."

Ragnok smiled. "You must be quite intelligent and/or powerful to be able to focus your magic at such a young age without a wand. Your family vault has some books in it that go into more detail about Parseltongue and -magic, as well as your family history, if you would like to read them. The Parseltongue books have been left untouched for ages, but I can see them being quite useful to you.

"Now, about why I brought you to me. Before your parents died, they made a will. There is a copy of it in your vault, but one section of it asked for the vault to be locked with a blood seal. While blood magic is outlawed in the wizarding world, the goblins still perform it, and we use it in your contracts. Your parents seem to have suspected that someone would try and take advantage of your wealth while you were growing up, and it appears that they were right. For the first few years after their deaths, several different people showed up with your key, attempting to enter your vault. Now, normally this isn't an issue, since the enchantments on each vault prevent anything from being taken without the owner's permission. So, anyone with a key can usually open someone's vault, however they cannot take any money that the owner does not give them permission to take. In such a case as your's, where your parents were unable to care for you, your new guardians were to be put in charge of the vault. Your parents had listed their friend, Sirius Black, as your godfather and guardian in the event that they died. They listed a few other names in the event that he was unable to take you in, none of which were your mother's sister's family. If I recall correctly, the Wizengamot- think of it as the wizarding version of Parliament- voted you to go to your only surviving blood-relatives. Why? I do not know. However, considering the fact that it appears that Albus Dumbledore was in possession of your key, and that he is also Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, I suspect he has something to do with it. In any case, your finances have been secure, and no one who has tried has been able to get passed the blood shield.""

Harry was visibly shaken. He was supposed to go to one of his parents' friends? Then this Dumbledore character took it upon himself to send him to his horrible relatives and tried to steal his inheritance? The more he heard about this man, the less he liked him. "Thank you for telling me all this, Ragnok. I didn't know… Is there any way I could escape the Dursleys and live with one of my parents' chosen guardians?" Harry asked.

Ragnok shook his head. "Unfortunately not. Unless they were willing to give you up. But, that would involve them interacting with the magical world to take care of everything. It might be worth a shot, but it would be up to them, though. Actually, there is one other way. Your godfather would have more authority than your aunt to claim you. He's currently imprisoned, though, so there won't be any luck convincing the Wizengamot of that option."

"He's imprisoned? What for?"

Ragnok sighed and rubbed his temples. "When you entered here, I expected to only have to explain to you the circumstances of your vault. I never imagined you would be so ignorant of your heritage or of the wizarding world. That's not your fault, of course, and don't take it as an insult. I just didn't expect to need to explain so much. I think that your parents' friends would be the better choice to explain this all to you, and, if you would like, I can try and give you the contact information to some of them and mail them to you. However, I will try to answer any questions you have. As I said before, the Potters have always shown goblins respect, and I had actually considered some of your ancestors my friends, which is extremely rare between goblins and wizards. So I feel as if it is my duty to help you, especially considering the circumstances.

"Your godfather, Sirius Black, was accused of betraying your parents to Voldemort. If I remember correctly, he was accused of being their Secret Keeper and telling Voldemort where they were hiding. There is a spell, called the Fidelius Charm, which allows a person to contain a secret within their very soul, and only that person- the 'Secret Keeper'- can give that information to another. So your parents' location became the secret that he would have hidden away, and he gave that secret to Voldemort. He was also accused of killing another one of your parents' friends, Peter Pettigrew, along with twelve muggled, but those were lesser charges, as Pettigrew was a half-blood and the muggles were, well, muggles. Your mother was a muggle-born, but once it was revealed that Voldemort was targeting your family and that you defeated him that night, she was considered much more valuable. It also helped that James was a pure-blood from a respected family.

Now, I honestly don't know if any of this is true, as I was not involved in your parents' hiding and Black was never actually given a trial and proven guilty, he was simply thrown into prison based on the accusations, which was unfortunately common during wartime. But, it is what happened. If he happened to be found innocent and was freed, then he would be free to take you away from your relatives."

Harry pondered at this. Well, a mass murdering traitor isn't exactly what I wanted in a guardian, but, honestly, it probably wouldn't be any worse than living with the Dursleys. He chuckled to himself at this thought. It was horrible, but probably wasn't too far from the truth. At least he'd probably kill me quickly, rather than torment me daily. Then another thought came to him as he realized just what the goblin had said. "Hey, wait a minute, did you just say that I defeated Voldemort?"

"Yes, I did. Did Hagrid tell you of your fame in this world?" Harry nodded. "Well, that's why you're famous. That night, on Halloween in 1981, Voldemort came to your home. No one knows what truly happened that night, but what we do know is that after he showed up, your parents died, and you were left with a cut on your head. He was gone, and hasn't been seen since. The roof of your home was caved in, and your house was set ablaze. That cut that formed your scar was a sign of a dark curse, and most theories state that he tried to kill you, but it backfired on him, destroying him. Most have accepted he's dead, some think he's still out there, trying to regain his power. But, that's why you're famous. You defeated the Dark Lord when you were only one year old."

Harry leaned back in his chair, trying to take it all in. It was so much. First, he learned that he was a wizard, that his parents were also wizards and that they were murdered, then that he was famous, and now that he was famous for destroying a Dark Lord, the same one who killed his parents.

Elisabeth slid her head closer to him. /Don't be upssset, Harry. Pleassse. Be sssstrong, I am here for you. It may be overwhelming, but you have gone through sssso much worssse in your life. You can handle thissss. I believe in you./ Harry looked at her and nodded, then gently stroked her.

/Thank you, Elisssabeth. You're my bessst friend, you know that? With you, I can handle almossst anything, I think./

Ragnok spoke up, after a few minutes of letting them talk. "I know it will take a while to sink in. I would suggest getting a hooded cloak while you get your school robes, to make yourself less identifiable until you arrive at Hogwarts, so that crowds don't mob you wherever you go. Unless, of course, you were planning on going back into the muggle world?"

Harry shook his head. "No, I would like nothing more than to never step foot back into that place, unless it was to give them as much pain as they've given me. Even if I have to go back eventually, I'd rather steer clear of them as much as I can."

Ragnok nodded and grinned wickedly. "Vengeance is something we goblins can understand only too well. We're actually quite the warriors and weapon-smiths when we're not in peacetime."

Harry chuckled a bit. "Yeah, Hagrid had mentioned that before we came in here."

"Ah, yes, well he does seem to have a large array of knowledge of various magical creatures and beings, though I highly doubt he has any more than a basic understanding of our culture. One misconception is that goblins believe everything we make we own. That's mostly true, but not entirely. When we create something, whether it is a weapon or something like a piece of jewelry or a decoration, if we don't keep it for ourselves we rent it to wizards or gift it to each other. We only rent it to wizards because we have much longer lifespans than them, and we would have the opportunity to then re-rent it or keep it for ourselves. We make it clear that it will only be rented to the wizard, however because the magical government is run by wizards whose customs are different than our's, the vast majority of wizards consider 'renting' it the same as 'buying' it, and we can't do much about it without starting up another goblin rebellion. However, there are a some exceptions to this. This custom only applies to our metalworks, so anything else can be bought and sold permanently to wizards. Since metalsmithing is a specialty of goblin magic, our tradition and pride states that it should eventually remain in goblin hands. This is not the case, however, if we choose to gift a wizard or witch with a creation of goblin-metal. Those gifts can be passed down through the generations of that wizard's family, as they have been freely given and are now considered 'owned' by that wizard. It's a very rare occurrence. There are some goblins, a small few, who believe that even these gifts should be taken back by the goblins after their wizarding owners died. Griphook, the goblin who took care of Hagrid's business, is one of those. The last time the goblins gave such a gift to any wizard or witch was with the four Founders of Hogwarts, one thousand years ago. Godric Gryffindor was given a sword, Salazar Slytherin was given a locket, Helga Hufflepuff was given a cup, and Rowena Ravenclaw was given a diadem. That was the last time… until today."

Harry's eyes widened as Ragnok reached into a drawer of his desk and pulled out a box. It was black, with silver trimming and emeralds encrusted into the sides. He handed it to Harry, who opened it, and inside was a silver dagger, with various symbols inscripted on the blade that he did not recognize. It had a handle wrap of simple black leather, and the hilt looked like a snake with emeralds set in its eyes. It sat with a kind of deadly beauty on a bed of crimson velvet.

He looked back up at Ragnok and spoke only two words: "Why me?"

Ragnok smiled at him. "That is why, Harry. I wasn't planning on giving this to you today, in fact I wasn't really planning on ever giving it to you. However, after our conversation, I feel as though you not only deserve it, you need it.

"Let me explain why I feel you need it, first. First, there's obviously someone out there who, at the very least, seems to be conspiring against you, even if only for your wealth. It could very well be that your wealth is just the tip of the iceberg. Second, even without this person, you still have many enemies out there. Countless supporters of Voldemort were able to get out of prison for various reasons, through a combination of bribery and lies. They could still pose a danger to you, and you will need every advantage you can get. Thirdly, Voldemort himself could still be out there. As I said before, they never found a body, and I believe that it's better to use caution. Better safe than sorry, as the saying goes. Again, you will need every advantage you can get if he were to return and come after you.

"Now, as for why I believe you deserve it. First, you're humble, and respectful towards our species. While this is a trait most of the Potters have shown, granted some of them could have been a bit more humble, you also understand how it feels to be discriminated against, and that is something no Potter before you has shown. Second, you've shown that you're courageous and loyal. You have dealt with pain your whole life, and even though embracing your gift will cause you some trouble and hate in the future, you haven't even considered giving it up. Whether that's out of loyalty to your friend Elisabeth, you simply don't care what others think, or a combination of both, it shows where your priorities lie. Third, you interest me, Harry Potter. Not just because of the baby you were, or the child you are now, but the man you will grow up to be. I would like to have you on my side as an ally in the future, and it would most likely be beneficial to you to have the goblins on your side as well. You're a very interesting character, Mr. Potter, and I can't help but feel in my gut that you having this in your possession will be beneficial to the both of us."

"I… I don't know what to say. Thank you, it's incredible, especially knowing what an honor it is. I certainly hope that I ever need to use it, but I will always keep it with me."

"Good, good. I understand why you're stunned, and there's no need to thank me just yet. It's a tool and a weapon, so thank me after you get some use out of it, or better yet, when it saves your life. Now, let me tell you some of the details. The dagger is made out of a goblin steel and silver alloy, and the magic and runes put into it during its creation makes it unique, even amongst other goblin-made daggers. The blade is seven inches long, while the handle is six, so the total length is thirteen inches. It will never dull or rust or break, and goblin metals will only take in what makes it stronger. This means that anything like dirt or blood will wipe right off, unless the blood has certain beneficial properties, while anything beneficial will be added to the blade. For example, if you were to coat your blade with Elisabeth's venom, then it will then gain her venom's properties, and whenever it cuts someone, they will have a similar reaction to when Elisabeth bites someone.

"That, however, is common in goblin metals. What is unique about your's, however, is its Parseltongue abilities. This blade was initially made for the Potters, as they have been at the least acquaintances with us and at most friends and allies, which is why it has this additional aspect to it. However, until you came along, I didn't find any of them worthy enough to have it. It will provide a focus for you to have greater control over your Parselmagic, almost like a wand. Wands all have something called 'The Trace' placed on them, which only breaks after the wizard it bonds with turns seventeen, the age of legal adulthood in the wizarding world. What it does is it senses magic around the wand and alerts the Ministry if an underaged wizard is performing magic in a restricted area, meaning any place other than Hogwarts, or somewhere populated with magical beings, such as Diagon Alley or a wizarding family's house. The Trace was never designed to detect Parselmagic, however, but it you were to use your wand it would still have the possibility of tracking you. This dagger, however, was designed with Parselmagic in mind, and will most likely work better with that branch of magic than your regular wand will. The leather wrapping is made of dragon hide, from a Hungarian Horntail, arguably the most dangerous dragon in existence. While the hide cannot protect the dagger any more than it already is, its properties have been integrated into the blade as a magical focus for your Parselmagic abilities. There are some other enchantments on the blade as well. There are poison and potion detecting charms, in case you feel the need to check your food or drink in case someone is trying to slip you something, and it cannot be summoned from your person."

"This is absolutely incredible," was Harry's response. "I've never seen or heard of anything like it." He tentatively reached into the box and grabbed the dagger by the handle. It was lightweight, and felt like an extension of his arm. He felt power flowing through him as he held it, and it made him smile. Elisabeth perked up to look at it, and hissed how impressed she was with the gift. "I promise I will always treasure it, and that I will try to find some way to show my gratitude, one day. I hope to see our future partnership and friendship flourish in the future."

Ragnok smiled, showing off his sharp teeth. "That is what I like to hear, Harry Potter. I, too, hope that we have a long and bountiful relationship. Now, I think it's about time I showed you your vault."

A/N: I used inches as a unit of measurement because JKR uses it for wands. I originally was going to use cm, but really the numbers worked better in inches (seven and thirteen, in particular), and it's all around easier for me, being an American.

A/N 2: I originally wasn't going to have this friendship/partnership between Harry and Ragnok, however I was thinking about it and added in a few more ideas than I originally planned for this story, and Harry having a dagger and being allies with the goblins will certainly help to push it along. It might seem strange that Ragnok just happened to have his gift ready, but, like I said, it was originally meant for the first Potter who was worthy, and after their lengthy conversation and Ragnok making (mostly correct) assumptions about Harry's life and seeing his character, he decided to trust his instincts and give it to Harry.

A/N 3: I despise writing Hagrid's dialogue. Have I mentioned that? Probably not, but seriously, it's awful. Hagrid probably won't be getting much screentime for a while for this reason alone, plus I don't really need him anymore for a while, especially after Harry had so much explained to him by Ragnok. They'll still have their chat, but it won't be quite as long or detailed as this one was. Next chapter: Harry gets to go shopping.