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Chapter Six:

The flight to London took several hours, but this was mainly due to the fact that Harry didn't dare to stop. To stop would give Dumbledore and his croneys time to catch up with him, time to follow the trace he was pretty sure was on his wand. After all, why would they not have ways to monitor him, since he was supposedly so important to the war effort. If he was honest though Harry was starting to doubt just how important the prophesy was, there was a tiny part of him that even suspected it could be made up as an excuse to keep control of him, and through him his finances.

While the flight itself should have only taken an hour or so at most, Harry was being extra cautious, taking into consideration one of the few things he had learned from Barty Grouch Jr while he was masquerading as Moody. Constant Vigilance, that was the key, and with his round about route anyone would be hard pressed to follow him or work out where he was heading. He was, of course, heading for Gringotts to talk to the Goblins. He needed to get his emancipation official, that much was clear to him although the rest of his path was blurry at best. After all, what could he really do given his current situation, without enraging people who unfortunately had a lot more power and control than he had. All it would take would be one person to question some of his actions in the past and the game would be over, they would declare him unfit to be an adult and not only make his position as a legal adult null and void, but also have the potential to keep him behind bars for even longer.

It was half five in the afternoon before Harry reached London and the area close to the leaky cauldron. Landing, he made sure his broom was covered by the cloak as well and made his way through the wards and into the alley, waiting by the entrance until someone else came along and opened it then slipping in silently behind them. Reasonably he supposed it wouldn't have done much harm to use his wand and make things easier, shrinking his broom would have made walking under the cloak a lot less awkward, but while using magic in Privet Drive was harmful it at least placed him somewhere he was supposed to be. If he was to use magic in London before he got the trace taken off he would have the full ministry down on him in a second, he didn't doubt that Dumbledore would have people looking for him at least, and more than likely he had the ministry on his side too. The joy of celebrity, whether wanted or not, was that people wanted to know where you were 24/7 and you couldn't walk out in public without people paying you notice. While he had admittedly noticed the fuss around him fading in his years in the magical world, it was still there and there was always someone who didn't have anyone at Hogwarts who would make a big deal about his presence, demand a quick conversation or an autograph.

Getting from the Leaky Cauldron to Gringotts proved to be more of a challenge than any of his journey so far. The magical community was a lot more aware of the possibility of invisibility and more on the look out for things that were slightly unusual, which made walking hard because he couldn't risk bumping into anyone or anything along the way. Muggles might assume something brushing against them was just imagined or a random shiver in the air, but witches and wizards were a lot more suspicious by nature and likely to raise a wand first, ask questions later. It was a negative of the world, he assumed as he tiptoed cautiously around the edge of the alley towards his destination. There were positives and negatives to each, and it was just finding the balance that noone seemed to have achieved as yet. Maybe he should become a hermit, he laughed quietly to himself, live out his life in the muggle world using magic only within his own home or in extreme circumstances. Or maybe when things calmed down he should head elsewhere all together, try and find somewhere which didn't differentiate so much between the magical and muggle worlds and he could enjoy the best of both. It was something he should look into when he got the chance, he supposed, because the British society seemed extremely backwards in its attitude to Magic vs Muggle; there had to be a way for them both to live in harmony.

He reached the front doors of the bank and paused. What should he do, he couldn't exactly take off his cloak and walk in since the risk of being seen by someone he shouldn't was too great, but the Goblins didn't seem to take very well to people trying to use disguises around them. It was a catch twenty-two, but one which was quickly solved as one of the guards around the door beckoned him over with a subtle twist of his finger.

"May I ask what you were doing standing around staring at our doors, and under a cloak as fine as yours? It is unbecoming of a Wizard to sneak around unless you have alteriour motives on your mind."

It was the opportunity he had been waiting for, and one Harry dived on without a moments thought. It wasn't like he would get another chance like this, if he didn't answer the Goblin would be as likely to kill him than talk to him, and it wasn't like he was going to get another chance to get inside without being noticed. However, he didn't want to give away too much to just anyone, he had realized already just how much Goblins valued subtlety but a strong hand in their dealings, to give away too much would just make him appear weak in the eyes of their nation.

"My business is between myself and my accounts manager, however it should be enough for you that I am the Heir of at least one, potentially three Noble Houses, and I am here to claim that which is rightfully mine."

He brushed the hair away from his scar and caught the instant recognition in his companions eye; clearly all the staff of the bank had been made aware of this possibility and what to do in that situation, or at least that he wasn't to be disturbed or asked too many questions. While he hated using his fame, using his scar to gain recognition without speaking his name was something he felt okay with; it wasn't something he could change and it did serve as adequate for revealing his identity to only a select few.

A nod from the Goblin confirmed without doubt that his identity had been recognized, and the following statement, while confusing, served to set Harry's mind at rest.

"Very well Mr Potter. I must however ask that you remove your cloak, fine as it may be, before we enter the bank proper. After all, privacy our nation understands but secrets and lies we will not stand for."

"But what of my enemys?" He muttered in reply "My circumstances are uncomfortable at the minute, and I would prefer not to bring inevitable strife and potential violence to your doorstep."

"Worry not about that, young sir. Our nation may not be very well respected within your society but we have our standards and our rules just like you. From the moment you stepped within a fifteen foot radius of our front doors you were on Goblin territory, and under our protection. No-one would dare to touch you while you are this close to us; if it makes you feel any better I will walk by your side with my sword drawn."

There was a slight laugh

"Though that might bring even more unwanted attention than if you slipped behind this post, removed your cloak and walked inside with the confidence becoming one of your station."

Understanding the logic of his companions words, Harry slipped behind the gestured column and pulled his clock off, slipping it into his pocket and taking his broom firmly in his hand with pride. He might not want to show off his wand as it could be taken as confrontational, but a firebolt was in itself a good enough way to show his wealth until he could go shopping. Having grown up with nothing, then not being in a position where he could risk having anything for fear of his family taking it away, Harry Potter was a boy who was looking forward to finally being able to spend some money.

*** inside Gringotts***

Upon entering the bank Harry was expecting quite a long wait, but he was pleasantly surprised. While in the past he had needed to wait for some time before dealing with a desk clerk and being ushered towards the vaults, it seemed things were different if you knew your entitlements or had an account manager you wished to see. Maybe it helped that he knew about his money now, and was clearly there on serious business and not to be messed with but somehow he doubted it, the Goblins seemed to appreciate subtlety rather than brash shows of power, and he found their attitudes easier to deal with than Wizards. While goblins might be sneaky at times, you generally knew where you stood with them if you took the time to pay attention to what they thought rather than just ignore them as if they were animals. Show a goblin respect and he would show you the same; show a wizard respect and he would use that to gain power over you and throw it back in your face.

He had only been in the entrance hall for a few seconds before he noticed a young looking goblin rushing towards him, slightly clumbsy on his feet which Harry could only assume was the combination of his young age mixed with the heavy armor plating his chest.

"Sir, Gripnook will see you now if that's convenient."

"That will be more than acceptable, I'm here to see him anyway before I even contemplate dealing with any other issues."

"Very well, if you could follow me."

The younger the Goblin, the less chatty they appeared to be, Harry observed as they moved in silence through the stone halls and walkways into the depth of Gringotts and his account managers offices. Reaching their destination his companion knocked twice on the door, before opening it, ushering Harry inside and disappearing back down the halls before waiting for a goodbye. Slightly rude, Harry thought, but just another thing he would need to learn about Goblin Culture if he was to build a good working relationship with the nation.

"Welcome, Mr Potter." he looked up, and a slight smile crossed his lips at the sight of his account manager, slowly becoming his friend, sitting at the wooden desk.

"Good afternoon Sir, and thank you for seeing me at such short notice."

"I wouldn't call it short, we suspected you were on your way the moment you left your relatives house, my only question is why it took so long for you to get here."

"You knew?"

"Of course Mr Potter, but I believe you should tell me what you can of the situation before I explain any more. After all, our nation shouldn't give away our secrets to those who can't be trusted."

It made sense, and taking the offered seat Harry thought it was only prudent that he told what he could of his situation, of what had driven him to take the action he had.

"I was sticking to the original plan originally, waiting patiently for my aunt and uncle to discover that they couldn't access my accounts then planning on gaining blackmail material from them and using it against them for the rest of the summer, to make the experience more bearable. I was doing well too, I kept my cool after they found out and was holding it together but then my uncle mentioned my parents. I know I shouldn't have reacted but it drove me over the edge."

There was a nod of understanding from Gripnook.

"While we goblins pride ourselves on our control and ability to manipulate a situation Honor is also a very relevant factor in our lives. To offend someones honor requires a backlash, whether it is the right thing at the time or not. Noone inside our walls will judge you for any actions taken while defending the memory of your deceased loved ones, it simply shows loyalty and strength of character that is sorely lacking from your people as a rule."

"I didn't use my wand if that's what you're afraid of." Harry hastened to reassure the goblin "I kept my cool in that respect, but I said a lot of harsh words. While nothing I said was untrue, I will admit in retrospect that I chose the wrong time to bring up the issues I had with my family. I would have been better waiting until I had cooled my mind, gathered more information and then brought my issues up in a more calm manner and when I had something I could use to manipulate them so there couldn't be a backlash."

"Hindsight is a wonderful thing."

"It is, but I'm not very good at thinking before I act. Everything I've gone through has been based on acting on instinct rather than thinking things through, I've not often been left with the time to think about consequences; its a hard thing to manage when there's a wand pointed at your chest."

"I can only imagine, but this still doesn't explain why you left, why you're here now and we're talking face to face several weeks sooner than we had scheduled through our communications."

"I left. I had said too many things and it seemed better I took my leave then rather than later. If I had stayed they would have called Dumbledore down to "sort me out" within an hour or so, or locked me away until he could get there. They had a habit of making my life difficult for the littlest thing, and my patience has been pushed too much. I couldn't trust myself not to draw my wand on them or anyone who came to try and take control but until my emancipation has been filed as official I didn't want to risk using magic, breaking the law for underage usage of magic is the last thing I need over my head right now, it would just be the proverbial nail in the coffin since it will be pretty clear to Dumbledore soon enough that I've realized some of what he has been attempting to do."

"You didn't use any magic on your way here?" the goblin looked surprised.

"I shrunk my trunk before I left my aunt and uncles, hoping that given my emotions at the time it would register as accidental, and I used my broom to get here because I've used brooms before at the Weasleys without being caught out for it, so I assumed they don't trace broom use."

There was a contemplative look on the goblins face.

"While I feel you did the right thing with the situation and behaved remarkably well controlled given the pressure you were under, I think you are mistaken on your analysis of whether or not they could trace your magic. The trace your government places on underage witches and wizards is not placed on the person themselves but rather on their wand; accidental magic will not show up on the ministrys records, whereas wand use would. From my knowledge I believe the trace is removed on a young wizards seventeenth birthday at a ceremony either in the ministry or at Hogwarts depending what time of year the birthday occurs. It is subtle however; many are not aware that the trace is on the wand as such a fuss is made over the person while the wand is quickly dealt with. It is just another way your government serves to control their people."

"Hmmm, that puts a swing on things."

Harry sat for a moment processing the information he had just discovered, before continuing.

"I assume this is why wandless magic is never taught until the seventh year, because by that point each student will be seventeen or due to turn seventeen within a month or two of leaving school so there isn't anything they can do about their magic anyway."

"Exactly. Your government tries their hardest to appear positive and in favor of the people but for generations it hasn't been this way. However, the problem has got worse in recent years with the effects of several "dark lords" making your people more and more afraid, and more susceptible to control if it is for the 'greater good'."

There was a pause before Gripnook continued.

"But discussions of this type, while stimulating, are not the reason you have appeared on our doorstep in such a manner, nor related to the business we must conduct. I believe you wished to conduct your emancipation at the soonest possible convenience, and although this meeting has come sooner than we had planned that time seems to be now."

"Yes." Harrys reply was short.

"I need to remove all the control over me I can now, before Dumbeldore can send me back to my relatives or halt it completely. The sooner the better really."

"It can be done immediately." the curt reply.

"But given how much you love your questions I'm surprised you haven't asked what it will involve, or what will change once you are legally an adult."

"I assumed we would come to that afterward; and I was more concerned about just getting it done if I'm honest. I've not had much time in my life for thinking things through so I was just going to go with what came and make the best of it."

"Given your past experiences I can understand how this would be the obvious option, but things are changing for you Mr Potter. There is no longer any need for you to deal with things as they happen, at least not every situation, and you need to learn to prepare for things as well as just throwing yourselves into them. This room is warded and your presence with us right now is kept at the utmost confidence, so we have time to talk about these things. Non of your enemies can gain access to you within our walls, and within my office is safer still."

"Hmmm." Harry had to contemplate this for a minute, it was so rare for him to be safe and the idea was foreign to him.

"So what will it take to become emancipated? And what will being a legal adult mean to my life? What will change? With all the people who have controlled me for years any type of freedom will be an improvement."

"The emancipation itself is simple; a drop of your blood onto a parchment which registers you as an adult and your part is done; the paperwork can be filled in by one of my secretaries while we deal with the second part of your question. Being an adult for most people is not much different, but for you as the head of at least one house there is a lot of paperwork, and a lot of details that need to be ironed out. The act of becoming an adult gives you full access to all your family accounts which will need to be examined and checked through before you can approve or disapprove any outgoings from them. The emancipation ritual itself will also show up any other families you may or may not be related to or have a claim on, so research will have to be done regarding whether or not you have some entitlement to monetary or property gains from these fields. However, Gringotts is unable to offer any help with researching this; that is up to the individual and we can only confirm details after they have already been brought to us."

"So I prick my finger, and you can tell all the families I am related to?" the cogs were turning in Harrys head; if this was the case then surely there was no way he could be related to the Flamells? Or his mother would have known about it through her own emancipation.

"Yes."

"Then why didn't my mother know of any magical family members she might have had? Some of the documents she left me suggested there may be magical blood through her side of the family too."

"Your mother was never emancipated." The simple but effective reply explained so much.

"In a normal situation there is no ritual, a witch or wizard is simply declared an adult, so there is never any reason for bloodlines to be checked in this manner."

"Then how come she never took this test when she started to suspect?"

"Your mother never went to the ministry with her suspicions, or if she did then they refused to admit it or do anything about it for fear of the power it would give her. Had she come direct to us then we would have offered her this test as standard although the same limitations would have applied to her as to you; she would have had to build an adequate claim on any inheritance before we would have considered opening any accounts in her name."

"Why didn't she ask you though? I thought you said before that my parents had a good relationship with your nation?"

"Your family as a whole did, but as a muggleborn your mother had no reason to build a good relationship with us herself; nor was she versed in the powers the goblins can hold or our own magic. This is only speculation, but I would assume that given the political atmosphere in your world at the time your father never felt the need to inform her of a lot of things your family took for granted. You can only hope that there is more information in one or more of your properties regarding this family connection or your family relationship with us. We can only tell you so much without giving away our nations secrets, and we have no knowledge of what your family may or may not have stored from that."

"That's understandable, can we do it now?"

"Of course."

***after the emancipation***

Harry sat for at the desk staring at the paper in front of him. He was feeling a bit drained, it seemed that the Goblins hadn't realized the full effects of emancipation or what it would mean for someone in his situation. It had drained him, physically and mentally, as the shackles of years of spellwork and manipulations against him had been removed. From initial tests it appeared he had been kept under a collection of mood enhancers, compelling, loyalty and memory charms, and some magic suppressants, the effects of all which had been removed the moment his blood touched the parchment and he was recognized as a legal adult by magic at least. His mind was feeling clearer than it had ever before, although he was having problems coming to terms initially with some of the memories that had been uncovered. It would probably take him some time to process a lot of what he had remembered, and would make him a lot more cautious with people, but it also questioned the way he had behaved to a lot of people over the years. He now remembered a lot more from his early childhood, including visits with Draco and his mother as a small child, continuing even after he had been placed with the Dursleys. He was also remembering a closer relationship between himself and Snape, visits up to around the age of five when the man would visit him at his aunts house and bring him presents, tell him stories of the Wizarding world and his mother. He wondered if the change in attitude that he now realized his aunt had experienced was caused by magic, and after voicing these concerns to Gripnook it was agreed that someone from the bank would kidnap his family and enforce a magic clearing potion be administered at the soonest possible moment. If there was proof that magic had been used on them, and if they were able to restore them to the people they were before, then they would be placed in a safe house, and if not their memories could be wiped and no-one would be any the wiser. The same was to be done for Severus Snape, although gaining access to the Potions Master would be harder since he was so close to Dumbledore and kept so tightly under the mans thumb.

Strangely, the ritual had also removed what appeared to be a series of glamors which had been placed over Harry too. Having looked in the mirror it was strange for him to see his features were now more like his mothers; his hair slightly redder in color, his face rounder and his trademark scar decidedly faded; it seemed whoever had preformed the manipulations to his mind (although there was no doubt who that was, without proof both him and Gripnook agreed they could not reasonably convict) had also done the same to his appearance, making him look more and more like the pureblood prince who had sacrificed his life for his child than the muggleborn witch who had birthed him. Ironic, but not surprising that the great leader of the light, defender of muggles, would make his golden boy look more like the purebloods he claimed to dislike.

It was the parchment in front of him which really held his attention though, as it listed all the magical families he had some blood connection too, and while his fathers side didn't surprise him the list relating to his maternal side held some shocks. Although there was no way of telling how strong the blood connection was in its present form, Gripnooks magic seemed to show that he was related not only to the Flamells but also the Weasleys and another family he had never heard mentioned before, the Gaunts. The Flamells he could understand, after all there had been some hint of that in his parents letters, but where the Weasley connection came in or who the Gaunts were was something he would have to look into. It wouldn't surprise him if Dumbledore had known of all this all along and just chosen to keep him in the dark, or as another way to control him if Dumbledore was also somehow related to these families. Gripnook had mentioned the possibility of inheritance, and if Dumbledore was relying on Harry for his money it seemed doubtful he would give up access to any funds which were also his to claim. After all, it must have been a given to the old man that eventually what he had done would come to light and he would have to face the reprocussions.

There was a cough, and Harry looked up to find his account manager looking over at him.

"Mr Potter, while it is clear you have found a lot of things to contemplate, and you must have a lot of questions for me, I am afraid that the hour grows late and we must part company at least until our next meeting. I have taken the liberty to arrange accomidation for you within muggle London, assuming you would be harder to trace there, and one of my undersecretaries is waiting to accompany you there now."

Harry flicked his eyes to his battered watch and started, it seemed that his meeting had taken a lot longer than expected and it was already nearly 9pm. As if it had been waiting for him to notice, his stomach started to rumble.

"That's probably for the best, I need to eat anyway since I haven't since this morning. Would it be okay if I came back tomorrow though? I want to start looking at my accounts and working out what I can and can't do now I'm an adult, and what changes I need to make."

"That would be more than acceptable; we will see you tomorrow morning, if half 10 is acceptable?"

"That should be okay."

Harry yawned as he stood up, suddenly realizing just how tired he was, and quietly followed the young goblin waiting outside the door. It had been a long day, he had much to think about and a future to plan but for now, for now he just needed sleep!

A/n

Wow, not a bad length chapter there! I had a lot more things planned to take place, but the emancipation and talking with the goblins ran to nearly 5000 words, so it seemed like a relivant place to stop! Thank you everyone for your reviews and watches since the last one, I can't wait to hear all your responses to this and what is to come.

And for anyone wondering about where this story is going or its slow pace, just remember that I am aiming this story to be well over 100k words, this is just the base for what is to come. Action will come, but not for a while as Harry has to discover more of who he is first!

Peace out

Josie.