Chapter Seven – Realizations and Preparations
"So Harry, having been at Gringotts the longest and being the eldest here I shall take the lead." Bogrod began.
"What we are going to discuss in this time is your plans for your future, the opportunities available to you, and what to do with your new inheritances. Do you have any thoughts on what you wish to do with your life? I understand that your final year of education was completely disrupted with what happened last year."
"Well I've got a meeting with Professor McGonagall tomorrow. She wants to discuss this with everyone in my year, and I assume she is going to allow us to go back to Hogwarts." Harry replied.
"Well technically she couldn't stop you going back to Hogwarts. You own a quarter of the school now Harry." Furybreaker interjected with a chuckle.
"Do you think you want to go back to school or Harry or do you want to start on a career path or do something else?" Griphook enquired.
"Well I don't really know, Minister Shacklebolt has already said that the three of us can have a position in the Auror training program, but if I'm completely honest, I was thinking about choosing that career path because I thought it would give me the best chance of beating Voldemort. Now that he's gone I don't know whether I want to spend the rest of my life fighting dark witches and wizards, having people attacking me, or the people I care about."
"Well you obviously have a natural ability when it comes to fighting the Dark Arts Harry. Sirius said that you're a natural when it comes to combat and Defense Against the Dark Arts." Bogrod added.
"I think I'd like to continue my education because everyone says how brilliant my Dad, Sirius and Mum were at Hogwarts and afterwards. I feel like I've let them down by maybe not working as hard as I should have done.
But I don't know whether I can handle going back to Hogwarts and walking passed where my friends and people I care about have been killed. I mean every time I'd go into the Great Hall I'd picture Remus, Tonks, and Fred lying there dead, not to mention all the other people who have died there like Dumbledore and Snape.
There wouldn't be a place in the castle where I wouldn't have some memory of someone I care about being killed or hurt, which is heart breaking because the happiest times of my lifr have been at Hogwarts. I might go back in the future but at the moment everything is still too raw." Harry explained.
"Well, Harry if you want to continue your education there are tutors that you can hire to teach you and you've got the money to get specialists in every subject you want. I think it would benefit you to continue your education until you are either satisfied that you've learned enough, or you've decided that you want to either start a career or do something else with your life." Furybreaker reasoned.
"I don't think you'd have any problems entering any career path you want Harry, after all who wouldn't want the Great Harry Potter working for them." Bogrod chuckled, a rare occasion since most cackled.
"This is all something you can decide on in your own time Harry, you can either go back to Hogwarts when you are ready, hire tutors, start a career or just do whatever you want to do and enjoy your new fortune, be it travelling, spending, investing, whatever you want.
The only reason Bogrod is asking what you might want to do is to get an idea of what you want us to do with your money. We would like your thoughts so that we can handle your accounts appropriately." Griphook explained.
"Even though some of your business investment vaults' value have yet to be determined. We know at present that you have at least eighty-eight million galleons to your name, not including properties that you own, which puts you as one of the richest Wizards in the world at present. So you have a considerable number of funds at your disposal." Bogrod told Harry.
Harry took a few moments to contemplate this as that was quite a revelation. He knew that he had always had money and he'd never wanted for anything in the magical world, thanks to the money that his parents had left him.
"Please don't think that we are trying to pressure you into mapping out your whole life already Harry. Part of life is the unexpected twists and turns that it takes. We just want to get to know you, what you're interested in, and what you might like us to do.
Also, understand that Griphook and Furybreaker are happy for the opportunity to actually have the accounts they are responsible for active again. Griphook hasn't been able to do anything with the Potter accounts since your parents died and Dumbledore was happy to let you live through your trust vault and not discuss the rest of your Potter inheritance with you.
Plus, the Peverell account has been dormant for years and Furybreaker has just had the Ravenclaw, Hogwarts, and Potions exchange accounts ticking over with a reduced activity and just accumulating interest. They are looking to have be able to do their jobs completely, rather than just babysit the vaults as they have been doing." Bogrod explained.
"Oh right I see. I never really gave much thought to what else my Mum and Dad might have left. I just assumed that I wouldn't have been able to do anything until I came of age." Harry commented.
"That is only half true. You only had to come in with your magical guardian, which Albus Dumbledore took responsibility for until Sirius came back into your life, could have come in with you to discuss what you wanted to do and signed on your behalf. Although, I suppose you've always had more pressing matters." Griphook answered.
Bogrod adjusted in his seat before informing Harry "I was in a similar position with the Black family account while Sirius was unjustly incarcerated, and its only since his escape when he contacted me that I've been able to start putting the Black family money to work properly.
We are all going to get to know each other better Harry, and we aren't constrained to the confines of only speaking with you in Gringotts itself. We are your account managers and we can come to see you on request. You don't always have to come in to Gringotts to speak with us and you can also owl us instructions.
This is what Sirius did with me. He would send owls with instructions and used the family seal on the ring you now wear to call me to him or telling me what he wanted me to do investments wise. I know your young Harry, but we can formulate a strategy for things to invest in, something you like or what we think will be profitable for you. Tell us what you like?".
"I like Quidditch, that is probably the thing I like the most, and Free and George Weasley always cracked me up. I gave them my Tri-Wizard tournament winnings to help them start their joke shop." Harry answered. Noticing the goblin's ears prick up on what he assumed was knowledge of an investment that they haven't known about or calculated into his inheritance and so he quickly adding
"But it wasn't a loan or an agreed share investment or anything like that but a gift". Harry noticed the goblin's visible disappointment with this news.
"They are my friends so don't expect anything from them as they were doing a good thing trying to keep morale up and the Weasley family have looked after me in my time growing up so anything I can do to help them I will. Though Fred did die and George may need to hire someone to help him run the store. So why don't you enquire if he is looking for investors and explain why I am interested in investing.
In fact, thinking about it the ministry is saying that they are funding the rebuilding of The Burrow, that's the Weasley's house, but the progress on the rebuild seems to be going a bit slowly. What I'd like to do is pay for their home to be rebuilt but make it as good as possible with every measure of protection that is available and have it done as quickly as possible.
They are with their Aunt Muriel at the moment and it's a little crowded, and they need some space. You don't need to tell them I've paid for it but I would like to do this for them as a small thank you for everything they have done for me and I'd like to give them some money as well as their family have sacrificed so much for me." Harry finished trying to control his emotions as images of Fred came to his mind's eye.
The Weasleys really had lost something precious in Fred, which no amount of money could ever pay back but Harry had to do something to try and cool some of the guilt burning inside of him.
"We can certainly arrange for both to happen Harry. We will contact George tomorrow about investment opportunities, we will also find out how their house is progressing and what the ministry has authorized in funds for its rebuilding. Then we will come back to you with a quote and we can work out where you want to fund it from." Bogrod replied
"Great, well other than Quidditch I can't really think of much else that I'm particularly interested in, other than my classes. I think I'd like to do some travelling this summer or go on holiday. I've never been on holiday before and I'd like to see more of the world, experience new things, and different cultures."
"Ah ha that is an excellent idea Harry, and it will give you an opportunity to escape from the British press." Furybreaker reasoned before continuing. "We are at Gringotts, a worldwide bank now, and while we do business with other banks, magical and muggle, countries and exchanges, for example the potions exchange you have a share in, in Paris, we do have branches all over the world to trade in other currencies."
"So it's not all Galleons, Sickles and Knuts abroad then?" Harry asked.
"No not at all, for example in United States magical currency is in Dragnots, Dollars and Nickels like the American muggles, but the value is obviously different. They tend to use magical paper money as opposed to coin, which means that their vaults are a lot smaller and can handle more money than we traditionally have in Britain. The value of British currency against American currency is normally higher, but can fluctuate quite drastically. For example, when Voldemort was alive and in power, British currency took a dive here, where as theirs soared.
In Asia for example the Japanese, Chinese and Malaysian branches of Gringotts in those countries and across Asia use a system of money similar to ours except the galleons are called Kin, Sickles are called Gin and Knuts are called Sei, which is based on the translation of Gold, Silver and Bronze.
However, in Asia it's becoming a bit of a problem. People are having to carry a lot of money around in physical gold with them as the rate of exchange out there is around sixty-five Kin to a galleon. For example, you are buying a broomstick that costs three hundred galleons you would have to carry around thirty-nine thousand Kin. It's really creating quite the problem, and we are trying to think of a solution that will make Gringotts the bank of choice in Asia."
"What about using something the equivalent of a magical check book?" Harry enquired.
"What do mean Harry? What's a check book?" Bogrod asked, sitting up more seriously.
"Yes what's that Harry? Our dealing with Muggle banks, although its limited to currency exchange really so that we can pay money we exchange with Muggleborns into a Gringotts accounts, is very limited. Are you saying muggles have different ways of paying for things besides what's the word they use… erm cash?" Griphook added.
"Sure, muggles use debit cards, credit cards, and check books. I don't think a credit card or debit card would be suitable for the magical world because we don't have electricity. A check book however could work.
A check book is a book of paper with the bank's seal and identification, and the person's account information. There are sections available to who you intend to pay, how much you wish to pay them, and a space for your signature to authorize the payment."
Harry took a piece of parchment and drew a picture of what a check looked like from what he could remember from seeing Uncle Vernon's checkbook the day they had gone out for Dudley's eleventh birthday.
"It's something the muggles use when they want to pay someone money, but don't want to carry the physical money around with them. They give the person they are paying a check and receive the goods. It's a promissory note to pay the person the sum of money, and then when the bank receives the check they make sure that the funds are available then transfer them to the other person's or businesses' account. It normally takes around five days I think for the bank to move the money into the seller's account.
Thinking about it you should do something like that here. It saves having to carry a sack full of galleons if you need to make a large purchase, and will speed transactions up because it will save people time in shops having to count out stacks of coins.
Plus, if you put magic on the checkbooks, so that it checks against the person's account ledger straight away, then it could be moved a lot quicker. On muggle check books on the slips you tear out it allows you to leave yourself a note of when, how much, and who you paid on a slip that stays in the book.
I know I'd certainly prefer it because even though its good having a magical extension charm on a coin bag, it would be easier to pay with a checkbook. Granted, you could set a minimum limit on it so people can still carry gold for every day purchases but anything over, say fifty galleons, can be paid for by a check.
Plus, you could use magic, I'm sure, to make it so that if the book was lost another witch or wizard couldn't sign the book taking money from someone else's vault, and if the person loses their checkbook then you could charge them a fee or even charge a cash handling fee for moving the physical gold from a buyer's vault to a seller's vault. It could potentially earn the bank a lot more money." Harry explained.
This last comment cause all the goblins to sit up and their ears to prick up. "I like the way you're thinking here Harry," Furybreaker congratulated, "it's got a lot of potential to earn the bank a lot more money, even if the percentage was say one percent of the transaction or a fixed fee say a galleon per check, the amount of transactions could earn the bank quite a profit."
"Plus, it will help us monitor where people are spending their money, and that will in turn help us find a good investment opportunity for ourselves and our clients." Bogrod added, getting caught up in the excitement.
"You wouldn't mind if we pitched the idea to King Ragnok would you Harry?" Griphook enquired.
"Course not, I think it's a good idea and one most witches and wizards would like. I know from my experience that carrying a heavy bag of gold around can be a bit awkward. Plus, it gives you the potential to eventually go more towards the muggle system where instead of the metal you could go onto a paper based system, which would allow you to use the gold for something else and maybe save you room in your vaults, just a thought." Harry replied.
"I think you've got a very good brain for business Harry, and together we could potentially make a lot of money with you. If you don't mind, we'll thrash out this idea this afternoon once you've gone and draw up some plans. Then we will present it to King Ragnok and do not worry we will let him know that it's your idea that we are putting forward. We can't take all the credit as I think he'll like the idea. But for now, we need to focus on you." Bogrod finished, closing off that part of the conversation.
"So Harry back to you. If you decide that you do want to go travelling until we can think of a way to get your money accessible to you. I think that it would be a good idea to think about possibly moving some money into a muggle bank account with a bank that has a presence throughout the world, like Barclays, so that you can access muggle money anywhere and get it transferred into magical currency of the country, you are in." Bogrod explained.
Harry was struck by a thought and asked the goblins what the exchange rate of muggle money into magical money was. Harry couldn't believe that in all the time he'd been friends with Hermione and Dean Thomas that he'd never asked them how much muggle money they had to use to get magical money.
Harry of course had always had the money his parents had left for him at Gringotts, so he'd never had to know, and never had to buy anything before in the muggle world. Although that was because he'd never had any money and had only ever had what the Dursley's wanted him to have.
"The current rate of exchange of one galleon to muggle money is £6.50 per galleon, so in the muggle world you'd have a wealth of around £572,000,000." Furybreaker answered.
"Good god, that's a crazy amount of money." exclaimed a bamboozled Harry. He couldn't believe how much money they were saying he had. Feeling slightly light headed Harry asked the goblins if they minded if he went to use the washroom, as an excuse to get out of the room to try and get his head around the mornings activities.
The goblins told him to go right ahead and that it was down the end of the corridor towards the room they were in previously on the left and then they started straight into a discussion about Harry's check book idea and how it would benefit the magical world.
Harry got up and on shaky legs made his way to the door, into the corridor, and started making his way to the toilets. As Harry made his way down the corridor he saw a very pale looking Hermione sat rigidly upright on a bench to one side of the corridor staring at the floor clearly thinking hard about something.
Harry sat down on the bench next to her but Hermione was clearly so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't even register him sitting down next to her.
"Galleon for your thoughts?" Harry asked causing Hermione to snap out of her thoughts and back to the present. She looked at Harry and gave a smile that she only gave him. It was strange but it always made Harry smile when she smiled at him.
"Well after the bizarreness of today I reckon I might have almost enough money to get all of those thoughts out of that brilliant brain of yours." Harry said with a laugh.
"It's been the craziest day ever. Too be honest, I'm in complete shock about it all. I had to get out of the room when Bkodar and Mozuk started talking about money to me and told me what wizarding money was worth in muggle money, it completely floored me. I mean I'm a multi-millionaire in both the magical and muggle worlds. Just like that." she snapped her fingers,
"It's completely thrown what I've worked for in my life right out of the window. I've always gone by the thinking that if I work hard enough then I'll eventually earn enough to make whatever fortune I'd make but after today….
I mean, I've not had to work for it, I've not earned it, and I don't really deserve it." Hermione said and started breathing like she was going to hyperventilate
"I don't know about that. I'd say you've earned it after everything you've been through and had to endure for the last seven years". This caused a confused expression to pass across Hermione's face.
"What are you talking about what I've had to endure?" she asked
"You're the one who stopped Voldemort in first year, You're the one who stopped him again in second year and killed a basilisk at the same time with the Sword of Gryffindor, not to mention after being alienated by the whole school who thought you were the heir of Slytherin.
Third year you spent the year believing that a murderous psychopath was hunting you down to kill you and you were being attacked at every opportunity by dementors, which they nearly killed you when we found out the truth about Sirius and you fought off about a hundred of them single handedly.
Fourth year you were again alienated by most of the school, battled a dragon, nearly drowned while rescuing Gabrielle, Ron, and me from the Black Lake, and then were nearly killed by Voldemort.
Fifth year you were being tortured all year by Umbridge, possessed by Voldemort, lost Sirius, battled Death Eaters who were trying to kill you, and faced Voldemort again. As well as being alienated again by everyone because of the garbage the prophet was printing about you.
Sixth year had everyone in school fawning all over you when they found out you'd been telling the truth. You had to watch Ginny and Dean all over each other for most of the year, and I know that was painful. You had to watch Won Won and Lav Lav all over the place. You had Snape mind rape you, multiple times, throughout the year and treated you like dirt the whole time you were at Hogwarts.
You battled Inferi and had to watch, paralyzed, as Dumbledore was killed in front of you. Then last year you spent the year on the run from the whole country who were trying to capture, and or kill you. You broke into Gringotts before escaping on a Dragon, before taking the battle to Voldemort and his death eaters, took a killing curse and sacrificed yourself for everyone. Lastly, and by no means least, you have had to live with the Dursley's for most of your life who were abusive and absolutely foul to you since you were a baby!
So what could I have possible done to compared to that to deserve what I'm being given here? Well?" Hermione finished hotly and stared at him hard enough that she could have bent steel with her gaze.
Harry, taking a breath while trying to contain his laughter and with a very straight face, replied "Well you got me and Ron through our OWLs." causing her face to drop and Harry to burst out laughing, which earned him a wallop on the arm from Hermione for him clearly not taking her seriously.
After Harry had calmed down from getting the reaction he had wanted off her he turned to her and told her that if it wasn't for her none of that would have happened.
Hermione let out a noise like she didn't believe him and that he'd just said something stupid so Harry went on.
"Seriously if it wasn't for you Hermione I'd have been killed by that Devil's Snare on Professor Sprout's defense for the Stone or I'd still be stuck at Snape's defense trying to figure out that riddle.
Second year I wouldn't have even known about the Basilisk if you hadn't found out about it and got the page from the book. I would have ended up in that chamber dead next to Ginny.
Third year I wouldn't have even got to fight dementors and help Sirius if you hadn't been clever and brilliant enough to have a time turner and think to use it. I still don't get how that jar got broken the first time alerting us to the executioner and Fudge coming to Hagrid's hut. I know you threw it when we went back in time but who threw it the first time?
Anyway, fourth year everyone turned their back on me when my name got drawn. Everyone, except you. Ron turned his back on me for the first time and that broke something between him and I. I don't think we've ever been the same since. He's my best mate but you always have been and I believe always will be my best friend.
Fifth year I'd have gone around the twist if it hadn't been for you pushing me to forming the DA and fighting back through that."
Harry moved his left hand so it was resting on her thigh and continued looking deeper into her eyes. Hermione felt tingles running up and down her leg when Harry touched her. He'd never really touched her in such an intimate way before and it caused her breath to catch in her throat at the way having his hand on her leg made her feel.
Harry gulped before continuing staring deeper into those beautiful brown eyes "When Voldemort was possessing me at the ministry and attacking me through my mind it was seeing you enter the room and all the memories of you and me together, your smile, and how you make me feel that drove him back out of my mind, and stopped him ever trying to get in my mind again."
Unbeknownst to Harry as he was thinking through the memories of them together laughing, hugging and having fun together he was projecting these memories into Hermione's mind through legilimency so she could see exactly what he was seeing. This caused Hermione to gulp and tears to form at the edge of her eyes as she felt how much she meant to Harry. The memories obviously meant a great deal to him.
"Sixth year you again were my protector when Ginny got together with Dean, and when Won Won completely ignored the both of us for months to be with Lav Lav. Finally, last year when we were on the run together it was down to you that we didn't get caught a lot sooner than we did and you helped when Mr. Lovegood tried to turn us in.
You got tortured by that bitch Lestrange and you never left or abandoned me when Ron walked out even though I'd have understood if you had.
Truth is you've always been there for me, always supported me, helped me, guided me, been overly patient with me, and never, not once, have you done anything that puts your happiness or feelings before mine. You're the most amazing and selfless person I've ever met and you don't understand how truly amazing and special you are."
Hermione could feel love pouring out of Harry and it was making her stomach do butterflies. She had always loved Harry and had given up on any hope of ever being with him, because he never seemed interested in her in that way. Also the logical part of her brain had told her that she couldn't handle the rejection if he didn't feel the same way, and she wanted to at least have him in her life as a friend rather than nothing.
She wanted to say something to him to get him to say it straight but he looked like he was steeling himself to say something that was difficult and she didn't want to interrupt him. She hoped and wished that he'd say that he was in love with her.
Harry took a gulp as he decided to just lay it all on the line while he still had the courage to say something that he had buried for the last three years ever since the Yule Ball. He'd wanted to ask Hermione to the ball in the first place, but then she had said yes to Krum, and that had meant Harry had to find someone else and then he thought about Cho and then he had that disaster with her.
Hermione had never really seemed to think of him as anything other than a friend, so he had squashed those feelings for her and locked them away. He needed her in his life, and if it meant only as a friend then that was better than nothing.
"I lied to Ron last year when we destroyed that locket." he started in a voice barely above a whisper while breaking eye contact and looking down at the floor.
"What did you lie to Ron about Harry?" she asked him gently putting her hand on top of his and causing a feeling like electricity to shoot up his arm.
"I told him when he destroyed that locket and was crying about what I'd seen that I only thought of …." He was desperately trying to say that he lied about thinking of her only as a sister but the words kept catching in his mouth.
"You only thought of what Harry?" she pushded, leaning in closer so that she couldn't miss it if he even whispered it and found that she was starting to breath heavily as she tried to control her breathing as her heart pounded in her chest.
Harry willed himself on "I lied to Ron that I only lov…."
"Yes?" she whispered willing him on, knowing that he was finally going to say what she had been dreaming he'd say for years.
"I lied to Ron when I told him that I…." Harry started.
"Only lied to me about what?"