JK Rowling owns all the rights to the books and the amazing characters she created. I write only to satisfy my imagination and use my creativity and make no money from my writings.

Chapter 6 – Current Events

The next day dawned overcast and cloudy, mirroring the mood of three of the humans. A supply of Muggle money was kept at the cottage so Dilly took a Muggle form and went to the nearest village to buy breakfast and food for the journey.

Hermione still slept but Dilly had brought her medical chart along with the potions so Luna administered the medicine Hermione needed. Harry and Neville debated when to destroy the Horcrux. Harry hoped the cloak wouldn't suffer when stabbed with the fang as it was an heirloom and he wanted to keep it.

Winky had been sent off to get a copy of the Daily Prophet to find out what was going on, as well buying some potions and other things they would need for their journey. There was no news worth reading in the newspaper – but then, what else was new! By now Neville's escape would be found out and perhaps it would make the evening addition, so Winky would get a copy just before they left. Fortunately for them, it wouldn't be until the next morning's edition that the disastrous news would blare across the newspaper but they would by then be on their way to a new life.

It was decided to put the cloak in the basilisk box and then destroy the Horcrux when they were settled in some place. Luna suggested they go to Sweden as her father had several friends there who would not betray them. The Dwarfs controlled the economy in Scandinavia and parts of Russia and most Baltic countries, so they could cash in an ingot or two and start a new life.

The boat had been taken to a half-hidden cove, enlarged, carefully checked over and all went aboard and the now disillusioned boat set sail. Fortunately the weather had improved and their combined magics should keep them safe until they reached their destination. It took four days to reach the coast of Sweden and Luna had Winky pop her to the home of Axel Lundqvist, a Muggle and Magical historian, whose children were grown and living their own lives and his wife had died ten years ago.

He lived in a quiet, off the beaten path area had few neighbors with the closest village a good 10 miles away. He had a good reputation in both worlds and despite nearing 80 years, he was still healthy and working. He was surprised and delighted that Xeno Lovegood's lovely little girl had dropped in to visit him.

"What do I owe the pleasure of your company to?" he asked.

"Before I tell you, would you please take an oath that no matter what you decide to do, you won't tell anyone what I am about to tell you."

The poor girl looked very serious so he knew it had to be important so he agreed. It took a while for the girl to tell her account of what had been happening in Britain as she went into great detail. Axel was shocked, but nothing concerning Britain truly surprised him – until he heard the saga the girl told.

Naturally, he gladly offered the use of his home for such time as the "pilgrims" as he called them decided what to do and where to finally live. The only thing he requested was that his brother Viggo be told the tale – under oath of course – as he had connections with both Swedish governments and was a representative at the International Confederation of Wizards (the "ICW") and loathe Dumbledore which, under the current circumstances, would get Viggo's sympathy and cooperation as Luna promised that she would ask Harry to tell of all the manipulations the old ##**&#^&** had done to him and others.

"Please bring your friends now" Axel told him. "You all must be tired, hungry, thirsty and mentally exhausted. You are in luck as I just did my food shopping yesterday so your elf can cook a meal and help prepare rooms."

Luna called Winky and Kreacher, so they would know where to bring everybody and Dilly went with them to shrink the boat and bring them to the Lundqvist home. It was done within five minutes, introductions were made, thanks for hospitality given, rooms readies (fortunately Axel had a large house having had four children), a meal was prepared and eaten and permission given to Axel to ask his brother and his wife, a medi-witch, to visit tomorrow morning. Hermione was still in the coma and they were all worried about her as Axel also thought she should be recovered by now.

Viggo was expected at 9:00 a.m. so the students made themselves scare until they were called for. Hermione was settled in the smallest bedroom isolated from the others, so that Signe, Viggo's wife, could give an oath and then go directly to treat Hermione.

It was now 9:30 a.m. and there was no sign of either of them, which caused Axel to worry. However, a few minutes later Signe came through the floo, dusted herself off and apologized for Viggo. "He received a very early summons to the ICW but sent me here for the medical problem you are having. He hopes to come here later."

"What is the emergency? Do you know?"

"Only that it involves those horrid British people."

"I thought things were fine since that Dark Lord was finally defeated by that Potter boy."

"Hmmmhhh! The British always manage to cause havoc. Apparently, there is a power grab going on and the Goblins are raising hell. Now what is wrong with you?"

Axel sighed and asked Signe to first take an oath, which she did, though wondered why he was acting so strange. He then took her to Hermione's room and explained about the curse the girl was hit with, the medical coma she was placed in and that her friends rescued her from…some very nasty people.

"The girl was put into a magical coma to heal so it must be taken off before she awakes. Most of her injuries seem to have healed but she should still take it easy for a few days more. I'll leave some potions with instructions and when she awakes, please tell me and I'll come back and examine her."

Axel walked her to the floo and reminded her not to tell anyone about the girl, not even Viggo. "Just tell Viggo it is important that he comes to see me as soon as possible as I have much to tell him, but it must remain top secret.

Unfortunately, Viggo couldn't make it that day or the next as the ICW was in seclusion. Axel subscribed to the News of Magical Sweden, the equivalent of the Daily Prophet, except the News actually reported the truth. It mentioned that the ICW was in a closed session but did not know why. As the reporter told his readers, "If it is important and affects Sweden, we'll report it, but if not – we won't worry you as the ICW under the late, unlamented Albus Dumbledore, always made big mountains out of small mole holes. The current Supreme Mugwump is much more considerate and doesn't bother people with nonsense, especially British nonsense like Dumbledore always did."

So all the "pilgrims" and Axel could do was wait until Viggo came with news.

Meanwhile, Hermione finally woke up and demanded answers. Harry's horrible headache returned so he begged Neville and Luna to explain what happened, where and why they were in Sweden, and the big changes in their lives. Naturally Hermione was furious with them making life altering decisions for her but as Luna cheerfully told her "If you prefer to return to Britain feel free to do so. However, for our safety we will have to obliviate you of all knowledge of our escape and whereabouts. However, the Goblins will probably torture you then send you to their mines which I hear are even worse than Azkaban, as you are worked to death in the mines whereas in Azkaban, you just sit around and suffer."

That served to shut Hermione up, and after she had time to think about it logically, she thanked them all for saving her – and finding Crookshanks. A lovely reunion was had by girl and cat.

Meanwhile, they all got to know Axel better. He briefed them on Swedish Magicals and gave a short history of the magical history of Europe, which was much more interesting and in depth than Binns' so-called teachings. Axel had a Muggle TV and could get close-captioned English so the pilgrims could catch up with the news of the world.

Neville and Luna were fascinated by the TV, especially when a movie was on. Axel had a few VHS tapes of what he called epics such as the Star Wars trilogy, the Ben Hur, Moses, and other religious and gladiator movies of the fifties and sixties. Neville and Luna didn't sleep for 40 hours due to being entranced by this "Muggle Magic" which they wanted to have access to in their new lives.

Harry was also into such movies as when he was at the Dursleys the closest he got to watching TV or videos was hearing them in his cupboard because such things were "too good for a freak like him" but fortunately, Dudley always had the volume up loud so Harry had access to the sound. But seeing them in person was fantastic.

Hermione was used to such things and soon lost interest. She asked if Axel had any books in English, or possibly French as she spoke some of that language. He did have some books he used as references but none of them interested the picky girl. So she asked if there was a translation charm she could use to read Swedish. There was and Axel would have taught her it but it needed a constant use of a wand. That was when EVERYTHING hit the fan. Dilly hadn't even thought about getting her wand (which was in Shacklebolt's possession anyway) just her, the potions and the medical chart.

"How am I to function without a wand?" she wailed.

"We will get you a new one – without trackers on it. The Ministry ones were removed when we turned 17 BUT, Dumbles had his own trackers on our wands so he could always find us" Harry told her. "Besides, we haven't been using our wands, just relying on the elves' magic just in case the Goblins have a way of tracking our magical signatures.

"Can't they do that with any wand we have?" Neville asked nervously.

Axel provided the answer which surprised the four teens. "You are probably not taught this at Hogwarts – like most other important magic - but a magical signature can change the older you get, suffer an illness, a great shock, getting blood adopted and several other ways."

"So can we change our signature without too much trouble" Harry asked hopefully.

"You would have to have a complete magical examination by a reputable healer first, but it is doable" Axel replied. "Hopefully Viggo can use his influence to get you secret sanctuary, new wands – or two as an extra is always advisable – and other things. Now all we have to do is wait for him to get here."

Viggo finally arrived on the fourth day after he was supposed to come. Signe was with him to check on her patient. Unfortunately, the four pilgrims and Dilly and Kreacher were also present watching another sandal and sword film and everybody froze. Viggo looked positively exhausted so he didn't at first notice his brother's guests but when he eventually did, all he could say was a very nasty word and then seemed to crumble.

"I need a drink" was the next thing he said, after flopping down on the only available chair. But then he added "I presume you are offering hospitality to Harry Dark Lord and his Terrible Trio of Evil"

The four teens moaned in unison then Hermione opened her mouth to explain the truth but before she could Viggo spoke again (apparently he was faster than the girl, being a politician).

"I have just spent nearly four days living at the ICW. The newspapers and media on the Continent have been keeping things quiet, mainly because we wouldn't tell them anything. They only knew we were in a closed session concerning something to do with Britain and the aftermath of that Voldemort fellow's death – or rather his murder – (the four groaned in unison again). Tell me, do any of you speak Japanese or would be willing to learn that language, because you shouldn't stay in Europe or Scandinavia."

Taking a big gulp of the drink his brother handed him, he was about to speak again but Hermione was too fast. "Voldemort wasn't murdered, he was an evil megalomaniac, sociopathic fiend who killed thousands, delighted in torture as did his followers, wanted to murder Muggles, Muggleborns and…."

"Ah you must be Miss Granger, the so-called brains of Harry Dark Lord's new evil movement to take over the magical world and make his grandfather – the said Voldemort – look like that Muggle living saint, Mother Theresa."

"WHAT!" Harry screamed. "Don't tell me that Ronnie the Rat Weasley is telling people that I'm a Dark Lord?"

"Not exactly" Viggo replied shaking his glass as a sign for a refill. "The ICW was called into an emergency session because the British Goblins were demanding the return of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom who broke into their bank, robbed a vault, stole a very valuable dragon which they used to escape the Goblins' just wrath, damaging the bank building as well as the reputation of ALL GOBLINS."

"Ron Weasley was with us not Neville" Hermione shouted.

"Of course he was, as your Daily Prophet printed it but after Weasley was arrested for his actions in the second battle of Hogwarts, one of his brothers, acting as his solicitor blamed Mr. Longbottom. Apparently, Harry Potter was going to be charged for the damage since he was the only one with any money which was already in several vaults in Gringotts' bank, but then Ronald Weasley mentioned a twenty meter basilisk and the Goblins went…well they went crazier than usual as such a creature in good condition and of that size is worth more than the total annual income of several small countries."

"We know that" Harry said. "We also know that Ron bragged to a reporter he had access to it and was going to claim it since I…was missing."

"Is it true that you speak parsel and taught him the word to use to open the Chamber of Secrets and get a poisoned fang to destroy one of those evil things – the knowledge of which is under the highest top secret classification which he should have kept secret and definitely not tell a reporter no matter how pretty she is."

"Yes, I do but once I…defeated…Voldemort, I was supposed to lose that power – according to Dumbledore."

Viggo looked at Harry like he was trying to see into his very soul, but even though Harry didn't feel the telltale tickle of legitimacy, he began to avoid eye contact with the wizard.

"And have you Mr. Potter?" Viggo asked. "If you have, why wasn't Weasley able to still open the Chamber as he demonstrated that he could open it and had Miss Granger as a witness? It was being said that since he did it once, he should be able to do it again, but he couldn't. As the only witness to his first success of opening the chamber, the Goblins wanted to question Miss Granger to see if he was saying it correctly, but she had been severely injured in the second battle of Hogwarts and was in such pain that she had to be put into a magical coma until she received sufficient treatment that she could think and talk without screaming due to the pain. The Goblins were not happy but had no choice but to wait."

"But they came and got me" Neville said "Because they were told by someone that I might have been the Boy-Who-Lived instead of Harry so they tried to force me to open it with parsel – which I don't know now or ever have known and probably couldn't be taught it."

"They were clutching at straws because Harry Potter had disappeared and could not be found and the Goblins wanted that basilisk AND all of Potter's inheritance as a punishment for not being available to give them the snake."

"But that doesn't make sense" Hermione said. "For all the Goblins knew, Harry could have been captured by Death Eaters and dead and if he was he couldn't give them the basilisk so why pick on innocent people like Neville or me? I don't know why Ron couldn't reopen the entrance unless…."

"Unless the password was changed to prevent him from entering" Viggo stated, waving the glass again for a refill.

Hermione looked at Harry and yelled "You did change the password didn't you? You can still speak parsel and changed the password so that Ron couldn't get access to the basilisk. Why?"

"Probably because he knows his Weasleys" Neville said in Harry's defense. "If Harry was just going to leave the snake in the chamber, Ron would see it as an opportunity to take advantage and reap a fortune for himself. He was always going on – when Harry wasn't around – saying that 'The git has too much money as is but gives cheap presents. If he was really a good friend, he would have given me a good broom for Christmas or my birthday and other good things. But noooo, he didn't and then he gives the G1,000 he won in the Tournament to the Twins to open their store instead of me, his best mate who he has lied to about the Tournament and lots of other stuff and put me and my family in danger all of the time'."

"Neville, that's not true – well most of it, at least" Hermione added.

"Would you swear on your life and magic to that effect?" Luna asked.

"No, don't bother, as I know it's true" said a sad Harry. "I might have poor eyesight but I have great hearing and Ron's whisper is as loud as a normal person's regular speaking voice. I also have my cloak and have snuck around without you two knowing about it and have even heard you and Ron discussing me. Sometimes you tried to defend me, usually by pointing out that I am…stupid and don't know any better, and some other things which I won't mention in public."

Hermione looked rather guilty at this remark. She truly liked Harry and only ever tried to help him. The Headmaster had given her, and to a lesser extent, Ron, the responsibility of keeping Harry out of trouble and always on the path of the Light. It was a heavy, and at times dangerous duty, but one she, at least, did willingly. She couldn't prove it, but she thought Ron and some of the other Weasleys might be receiving financial benefits because Ginny's robes might be secondhand, but her regular clothing was usually new, and she and Ron always had some spending money considering the Weasleys were poor and neither Ginny nor Ron had a part-time job.

Luna decided it was time to change the subject as it was too depressing so she asked "Are the Goblins looking for us? Are the Weasleys still badmouthing us? What else is going on back home?"

Viggo was exhausted and he was only there because his wife said it was a serious matter Axel wanted to talk about and "You can sleep later as I sense something bad has happened and Axel really needs your counsel and help."

"The Goblins realize that Miss Granger and Mr. Longbottom have fled because they know something. They don't know if Harry Potter is dead or alive but don't particularly care as they have confiscated his vaults and all inheritances. Granted, they can't access it due to the ironclad Will his paternal grandfather made and had gotten unbreakable oaths from the Goblins that only Harry could inherit the Potter estate, but he can't have it unless he personally shows up to claim it and if or when he does, they will arrest him, force him to sign it over to him and give them the basilisk or any money he received from the sale of the creature."

"However, they tried to blackmail the Ministry of Magic to find Harry Potter. The Goblins don't really care about Miss Granger or Mr. Longbottom as anything other than using them as a hostage to lure Potter out and get the basilisk and access to his money."

"But," Viggo said after swallowing the last of his drink but not asking for more as he knew he had already drank too much, "The Head of the Goblin Nation heard about what was happening in Britain, Potter's money and that damnable basilisk and have shut down all of their bank branches until such time as they get Potter's money and/or basilisk or the monetary value. In other words, NO ONE who does banking with the Goblins in the magical world can access any of their money or valuables, buy and sell goods or property or use their bottomless money bags."

"But…but…but…that is outrageous" Axel said. What if Potter was dead or didn't know about any of this or…."

"So in other words, I have to save Magical Britain yet again" Harry stated wearily. "I never really had money even at Hogwarts as Dumbles' kept an eye on my spending and usually gave my key to Mrs. Weasley, so since it is only money and people are hurting I guess I will just give the Goblins everything I own and…."

"NO YOU WON'T!" Viggo shouted. "They just don't want your wealth and property, they want your LIFE to be forfeited as some sort of sick punishment for the damage done to their so-called honor, as well as Miss Granger's and Mr. Longbottom's lives. As an honorable man, I will not allow these miserable creatures to have their way."

"We in Sweden and other places bank with the Dwarfs as do some others and with Muggle banks. If the ICW gave in to the ugly fiends' demands, all would be lost as it is just a ploy to get total control of all magical money. We would have to stop all dealings with the Dwarfs and Muggle banks and other magicals banking entities. In reality, the Goblins would control us all and eventually that would be the end of freedom for all magicals."

No one said anything as hearing what the Goblins were up to was over-powering. Harry was being used again as a pawn, an excuse for an illegal and dastardly takeover. He would not sacrifice himself or others for the greed and evil of ANYBODY ever again, especially the Goblins. Before he could declare his decision, Signe asked Viggo a question.

"Viggo can you tell me if certain rumors are true?"

"What rumors are you referring to?"

"That the member countries of the ICW has to pay a ransom to get Britain out of trouble?"

"That is what they wanted, at first, but we refused. Then they decided to use hostages to lure out Harry Potter since he is known for self-sacrifice and having guilt for things that really aren't his fault, but that he has been charmed to feel. They wanted all newspapers and wireless to be continuing advertise it or by yesterday at noon, the hostages would suffer for Potter's selfish behavior."

Now all of the others had a very, very bad feeling but not the courage to ask who the hostages were and what happened to them at noon yesterday.

Finally, Viggo decided it was of no use to hide the truth as it was over so he said sadly "The hostages were publically executed in front of Gringotts London. It took 2½ very long and painful hours to do the dastardly deed, but it was done and with great happiness and enthusiasm by the Goblins. It was then the ICW broke off all dealings with the Goblin Nation and have now put into action the seeds of their destruction. We all have been given this day to sleep, have a long bath, eat a good meal, pack several changes of clothes and return tomorrow to vote on the what steps we will be taking to destroy the Goblins once and for all. I trust this information will not go beyond this room."

Hermione just had to ask "Who were the hostages killed?"

Viggo sighed and said "You really don't want to know and at this time I am too upset to tell you except that Ronald Weasley who started it all with his bragging and revelation about the basilisk was the first to die. It was broadcasted on the Wizarding Wireless and from the sounds that we at the ICW heard, it was not a good death. The executions were used more to intimidate us and make us fear the Goblins' power, might and mercilessness but it had the opposite effect."

"Now, I am returning home to do the things I mentioned. I will get back to you as soon as I am allowed BUT I MUST INSIST that none of you even think of returning either from a misplaced sense of guilt or revenge. This is now a World War, the adults will fight it and we will win!"

With that said, he flooed home followed by his wife while the others stayed in shock and silence.

Harry's headache from hell was back in full force and it must have been infectious as everyone else (including the elves) were in need of a headache potion.