Hi everyone! I apologize for the late update; I was travelling all weekend. Hopefully this extra-long chapter makes up for it! Thank you again for all the reviews. Keep them coming! Hope you enjoy:
Chapter 10: Shadows
The next few days passed easily. Harry was drawn into another prank war the day following in retaliation for laughing at Remus and Tonks, but dissuaded them from doing so again anytime soon when he bested both of them with his creativity and surprising repertoire of prank spells.
"Fred and George may have taught me a few things over the years," he said airily when questioned.
His studies continued as well. Harry shared with Tonks his progress with his animagus transformation when Remus was called away to a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix several days later. Both he and Tonks had received several notices and requests for their attendance, but until this point they'd managed to avoid being required to go, but this time Remus hadn't been able to get out of it. Harry had offered up Grimmauld Place as Headquarters as soon as he knew he'd inherited it, knowing it was the best place and himself having no intention to move into the place that would only depress him and remind him of his godfather. He'd also inherited Kreacher, whom Harry sent to work at Hogwarts as he not only had no use for a house elf at the moment but he also had no desire to be anywhere near such a foul-mouthed little demon.
Remus returned around midafternoon (having departed late morning) looking grave. He sank into an armchair in the front room, barely looking at the cup of tea Tonks had set on the table beside him.
"What's happened, Moony?" Harry asked.
Remus raised his head and looked both of them in the eye. "Amelia Bones and Emmeline Vance are dead," he stated quietly. Tonks gasped and Harry felt his stomach drop. He didn't know Madame Bones very well, but she'd been one of the only fair-minded members of the Wizengamot at his trial the year previous, and Emmeline Vance had been part of the group that rescued him from the Dursleys last summer. He'd liked her. What really got to Harry, though, was the fact that he knew them. He'd seen the reports in the Daily Prophet of muggles and wizards who had been killed in the attacks, but they were just names, and while it was horrible that they were dead it didn't affect Harry personally. This report did.
"What is Dumbledore going to do about it?" Tonks asked in a hushed voice.
Remus shrugged wearily. "He's doing everything he can, but we're just outnumbered. The Death Eaters are always at least one step ahead of us. Even with Snape's information, we're more likely to be the clean-up crew than the first line of defense. They've recruited the giants as well—that's what all those reports of destruction are from. They attack simply to kill. They don't have any other goal. Dementors are everywhere. We're lucky they haven't reached down south yet where we are."
A long minute passed in heavy silence. Suddenly Harry kicked a wall and cursed loudly. Tonks tried to calm him, but he shook her off. "What am I doing?" he growled. "People are dying, Voldemort's getting stronger, and I'm sitting here learning Arithmancy. I should be out there fighting, I should be helping!" he ranted, whirling to punch the same wall he'd kicked.
Remus stood and caught his arms. Harry fought him, but the werewolf's strength was too much for him.
"Harry, you are helping. You're preparing so that when the time comes, you can beat Voldemort. That's your goal—Voldemort. Let the Order deal with his groupies."
"But—" Harry protested, but this time Tonks cut him off.
"He's right, Harry. You're good, you're really good for a sixteen-year-old wizard, but you're still barely a match for a full-grown Death Eater. You could probably hold them off until you can escape, but you can't take them down yet. You're not there yet. So there's no point in running off to fight when it's more likely you'll get hurt or, Merlin forbid, killed."
Tonks's passionate speech deflated most of Harry's misplaced anger, but that fire of determination still burned strong. Remus loosened his grip on Harry's wrists, but didn't completely let go. "Tonks is right, cub. I'd rather you stay here and study and practice and prepare for as long as possible than risk losing you simply because you weren't ready yet. Merlin, Harry. I've lost everyone else—don't make me lose you, too!" Harry was suddenly pulled into a fierce hug and he realized that he'd completely underestimated the other man's affection for him. Intellectually Harry knew Remus cared about him—he'd said it often enough—but he'd never really seen it as both of them were rather private with their feelings.
Harry quickly returned the hug, reveling once more in the feeling of being wanted and truly loved. "Thanks, Moony," he said quietly. Remus briefly hugged him tighter and dropped a kiss on top of the boy's messy hair. They both missed the look on Tonks's face that suggested she'd just fallen even more deeply in love with the older man.
Finally Remus released Harry. "You stay here for me, okay, cub? Work hard and do your best here. Your chance will come."
Harry nodded. "I will."
"Not that this isn't adorable, but I'm hungry," Tonks broke in teasingly. Harry flushed a little but Remus just smiled.
"I'll cook tonight, Harry," Remus said as Harry made for the kitchen. "You have studying to do," he added with a wink. Harry pouted then grinned.
"Thanks. Just, make sure it's edible, all right? I don't fancy burnt bacon again."
Tonks reddened a bit at Harry's comment but its significance escaped Remus as he hadn't been present for that incident. He instead simply nodded and vanished into the kitchen. Tonks and Harry returned to their respective work.
Harry had just finished translating a difficult set of runes when Remus called for dinner. The mood was somber, the news that Remus had brought home weighing on them all. After the meal Harry settled in for a long haul for Occlumency. He'd started to fall behind in sorting memories, instead having looked ahead in his Occlumency book, impatient, and tried to perform some of the other exercises. But they were incomplete without all his memories organized since the next step was erecting defenses around your mind, so he was forced to go back to step one.
He'd only barely made it to Halloween, fourth year—the night his name came out of the goblet unwanted. So Harry still had the first two months of term as well as summer holidays and the Quidditch Cup, not to mention the third task. He let Remus and Tonks know not to disturb him except in the case of emergency, then slipped into his meditative state.
The first two months weren't difficult to go through, though it was unpleasant remembering his first lesson with Mad-Eye Moody's imposter—the first time he'd seen the killing curse and understood exactly how his parents had died. The Quidditch Cup was a little harder, but it was amusing watching the ton-tongue toffee incident caused by Fred and George when they, Ron, and Mr. Weasley had come via Floo into a muggle fireplace to pick Harry up.
When Harry finished the summer, he pulled out of his trance and tried to prepare himself. Tonks was sitting in the front room with Harry, quietly studying her animagus books. Of course, Harry only knew that because he'd watched Tonks charm them to look like Auror texts. Remus was in the other corner, reading another book whose title Harry couldn't make out. When he sensed Harry looking, Remus glanced up and offered an encouraging smile. Harry returned it, then took a few deep breaths and plunged in.
He began the morning of the task, feeling again the building anticipation and anxiety, knowing that if something were to go wrong, this would be the time. He relived entering the maze with Cedric, facing the skrewt, the sphinx (he was still proud of himself for solving that riddle), and the strange mist, the confusion at hardly seeing any opposition, the spike of anxiety at first Fleur's scream and then facing the Imperiused Viktor Krum, narrowly avoiding his curse. Then the race to the Cup with Cedric, jointly facing the giant Acromantula, and the brief debate. Harry cursed himself again for insisting Cedric take it with him. He should have just run for it and faced his fate alone.
Harry distantly felt himself begin to shake when the Cup transported them to the graveyard and Wormtail appeared. He had to force himself to keep watching as he was bound to the headstone, pleaded over and over please let it drown, please let it drown when the repulsive wraith was dropped into the cauldron, and Harry bit his lip to keep from screaming when Voldemort rose out of the cauldron, resurrected thanks to Harry's blood, and his scar burned unbearably as he called his followers. It was a constant internal battle as the informal duel began to force himself to continue. He felt again the excruciating pain of the Cruciatus curse, doubled and redoubled by his burning scar and previously sustained injuries. Harry had to choke back tears when Cedric's and then his parents' shadowy forms emerged from the tip of Voldemort's wand.
It wasn't even over when Harry managed to grab the Triwizard Cup and return to Hogwarts grounds. He had to relive the interrogation of Barty Crouch, Jr., as well as retelling the whole experience to Dumbledore and the horror and shock that coursed through him as he sat on a bed in the hospital wing afterward. The memory faded as Harry's memory self finally fell asleep thanks to the sleeping draft from Madame Pomphrey, and Harry came to himself to find his entire body shaking uncontrollably and hot tears flowing down his cheeks.
He was dimly aware of two sets of arms wrapped around him. He pressed his face into the worn but soft fabric of Remus's robes, sobs tearing from his throat as the horrors of that night forced expression. Dimly Harry realized that he had never truly come to terms with it all, having been forced to suppress it while at the Dursleys and tormented by nightmares without anyone to help him, even after finally being allowed to join the Order at Grimmauld Place. Now, though, Harry finally felt safe and comfortable enough to let it all go.
Remus's arms tightened around his shaking cub, his heart aching for the pain and the horrors Harry had been forced to endure in such a short amount of time. Tonks didn't bother to fight her own tears that wet the back of Harry's t-shirt as she realized, firsthand, just how difficult her surrogate brother's life had been and just how much pain he'd been carrying around without anyone being the wiser.
It was a long time before any of them moved. When one of them did, it was Remus, standing and lifting Harry's sleeping form with werewolf strength. He went to Harry's room and gently laid the almost-sixteen year old on the bed. He looked so much younger when asleep, especially now with dried tears streaking his face. Tonks quietly rounded the bed as Remus tucked the covers around the sleeping teen. After a moment, she leaned over and pressed a kiss to her surrogate brother's forehead before leaving with a soft "good night," directed at both Remus and Harry.
Remus, however, lingered some moments longer, a multitude of emotions filling him as he looked down on his son in all but blood. He noted with a small smile that while asleep, the boy's hair faded back to its natural auburn. Remus brushed a strand off his forehead, revealing the lightning scar that had caused so much pain, and yet also brought many opportunities. Remus didn't hesitate to admit that his life had completely changed since Harry had come into his life, and for the better. He vowed to himself to do anything it took to keep him from experiencing any more unnecessary pain. Tenderly Remus lowered his head and kissed the boy's forehead, right over the scar. He may have imagined the soft sigh that slipped past Harry's lips at the touch.
"I love you, cub," Remus whispered, then he left the room to retire to bed himself.
Harry woke the next morning after one of the best night's sleep he'd ever had. He recalled with slight embarrassment how he'd cried himself into exhaustion after finishing his Occlumency. Then he vaguely remembered being carried to bed, covers being tucked around him, and soft words that made him feel warm and loved.
Harry was broken out of his thoughts, however, by an impatient tapping at the window. It confused him because he normally left the window open for Hedwig and she would always just fly right in. Blinking sleepily, he glanced toward the window and saw a nondescript brown post owl on the windowsill, apparently waiting to be invited in. Harry rolled out of bed and pushed the window open wider and the owl hopped inside and held out its leg. Harry detached the oddly thick envelope then the owl flew off into the lightening sky.
Stifling a yawn, Harry flipped the envelope over and was surprised to see the Gringotts seal on the reverse side. Sitting down at his desk, he broke the seal and found that the envelope contained several pieces of parchment. The first was a letter and the other two looked like bank statements. Awake now, Harry skimmed the letter first. It read:
Mr. Potter,
I hope this missive finds you well. I apologize greatly for the delay in delivering these, but there were several…abnormalities I wished to rectify before sending you the report. As you may have realized, the other two parchments contain the statements regarding the complete contents of both the Potter and the Black vaults. This includes both the contents in coins and in possessions. The abnormal numbers I spoke of and the solutions can be found on the individual statements. Also, one day soon you will need to come to Gringotts and claim your heir rings for the Houses of both Potter and Black in order to unfreeze the family vaults and gain access to their contents. Any questions you have may be directed to me, Blogrod, at Gringotts. Thank you for your business.
May your gold always flow,
Blogrod the Goblin
Account Manager for the Ancient and Noble Houses of Black and Potter
To be honest, Harry was a little surprised. With everything going on, he had completely forgotten that he had requested the statement and the fact that he was now heir to two noble and ancient houses, which, frankly, was an area he knew absolutely nothing about. He would have to talk to Remus and get some books. Harry was sensible enough to realize that after the previous year, it might be a good idea to try to throw his political weight around as the boy-who-lived and now, thanks to the rumors about the prophecy that resulted from his excursion to the Ministry at the beginning of June, the Chosen One, however much he despised those titles. At the very least it might whip the Ministry into shape and get them actually doing something rather than simply warning everyone to be careful.
Out of curiosity, Harry scanned the bank statements. Most of it he didn't fully understand, like the investment record, but what he did understand made his jaw drop. Harry was now the owner of, between both Houses, nearly a dozen properties, most of them manor houses, scattered across Britain, Scotland, and Wales (including Number 12 Grimmauld Place), not to mention tens of millions of galleons. And that didn't even begin cover the family heirlooms, relics, and jewels that filled both vaults. To be brief, Harry was now, to put it bluntly, filthy rich. He probably wouldn't have to work a day in his life and still live comfortably for an entire lifetime, while still leaving plenty for his descendants to live on.
Still reeling from the knowledge of his newfound wealth, Harry dressed in his exercise clothes and went for his morning jog around the grounds of the cottage. Tonks joined him before long, as she often did when she didn't have a late night at the Ministry. They ran in companionable silence, barely breathing hard even as they passed the two-mile mark. In fact, the exercise that summer had done wonders for Harry's physique. At the beginning of the summer he'd still been short, skinny and pale, even more than usual due to the lack of Quidditch (Harry still cursed Umbridge for that particular ban). But now he had filled out and his skin was a healthy tan from all the time outside running and dueling. He'd even grown several inches since he'd been able to keep up a healthy eating habit rather than having to steal minimal amounts of food from the Dursleys when they weren't looking. He'd never be the tallest kid in his year (in fact he was fairly sure that title belonged to Ron) but at least he would no longer be the shortest.
Harry took a shower after returning to the cottage and dressed for the day in jeans and a dark grey t-shirt and morphed his hair to black with blue and grey streaks to match. He liked his natural form, but sometimes it was just too much for him. He would leave his facial features the same, but often morphed his hair black simply because it was familiar. It was the compromise he'd come up with after several mornings nearly breaking down in tears again just from looking in the mirror. Sometimes he would experiment and morph his hair green or all blue, or really any color, in varying shades for fun, though. Tonks was generally predictable, but with Harry, neither she nor Remus knew what to expect when he came out of his room in the morning.
Harry found Remus cooking breakfast in the kitchen and happily sat down before a plate of eggs and bacon, hot off the stove. Remus smiled as he enthusiastically dug in. He placed two more plates on the table that were shortly filled similarly, then Remus sat down beside Harry.
"Did you sleep well?" Remus asked after a few minutes, though he could already guess the answer from Harry's positive attitude.
Harry nodded. "I did. And…" he hesitated, flushing slightly as he remembered the words Remus had murmured before departing. "I love you, too, Moony," he finally said, though quietly. Remus smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. "And thank you for last night."
"It's my duty as your father to look after you," Remus said, grinning but with real sincerity.
Harry cocked his head to one side with a thoughtful expression. "If you're my father, does that make Tonks my mother, or my sister?" he asked, smirking. Harry was highly amused when Remus colored and he stammered out what was meant to be a diversionary comment.
"What's so funny?" Tonks asked, entering the kitchen and hearing Harry's barely stifled laughter.
"I was just asking Remus if you'll be my sister or my mother when he finally admits his feelings for you," Harry answered. Remus's color deepened and he continued stammering out excuses. Tonks reddened slightly but still managed to laugh it off.
"Sister, of course. Do I look old enough to be a mother?" she asked, scoffing.
"Well, on the way to the train station last year…" Harry began, still smirking. Tonks scowled and made a rude hand gesture in his direction as she sat down to eat, but her eyes still danced with mirth. Harry laughed as Remus cleared his throat and scolded her for it, and laughed harder when she flipped the same gesture toward Remus before picking up her fork and digging in.
The next few minutes passed in casual conversation. Only once everyone had nearly finished did Harry mention the letter he'd received from Gringotts early that morning. He passed it to Remus and then to Tonks to read. It was slightly amusing to watch both their eyes widen as they scanned the account statement.
"Well, you can't say I can't afford wolfsbane anymore," Harry pointed out. It had been an argument they'd had before, before the first full moon of the summer, but Remus insisted that the money in Harry's trust vault be used only for his education and said that he himself would do fine without it for one night. "I know my parents wouldn't mind."
Remus sighed but nodded. "You're right, I suppose. I have been fairly stubborn."
Tonks snorted at that comment. "Stubborn is an understatement," she muttered. "Bloody, bull-headed self-sacrificing git."
Harry couldn't help but laugh, and Remus looked torn between amusement and offense. "She's right, though," Harry added, smiling. "But I was thinking that we could just go in today and take care of any business we need to, and maybe visit Fred and George's shop while we're there. They've been begging me to stop by since they opened toward the end of term."
Tonks was nodding before Harry finished, but Remus looked hesitant. "As much as I'd love to, it's dangerous. Albus said there are Death Eaters and Voldemort sympathizers everywhere, and you'd have a huge target painted on your back if you went to the Alley under those conditions."
"So we go in disguise," Tonks said in a "duh" tone of voice, rolling her eyes for emphasis. "We're both metamorphmaguses, and you're perfectly competent with appearance-changing charms and human transfiguration."
"I suppose you do have a point. I'm just worried, is all. I don't want either of you in unnecessary danger."
"Anywhere we go puts us in danger, Moony. It's a hazard of living during a war. But I'm not going to let that stop me from having fun," Harry said. "Besides, if I don't go I wouldn't put it past the twins to track me down and drag me there themselves," he added with a slight smile.
Remus sighed again. "I can't fault your logic there. Very well. We can go."
Harry grinned. "Thanks, Moony. Your inner Marauder will have a blast in that shop. You won't regret it."
"I hope not," Remus muttered as Harry began the dishes.
An hour later saw a tall man with dark brown hair apparate into the Leaky Cauldron. He was accompanied by two teenagers, apparently twins, with the same dark hair and nondescript features. One teenager, the girl, had a streak of pink in her hair, which she insisted was "the height of fashion." The boy had mimicked her with a streak of neon green. The man rolled his eyes at his two "children" and just drew his wand to open the entrance to Diagon Alley.
"I thought the point was not to draw attention to ourselves," he muttered as they entered the Alley.
"Come on, Dad. No one is going to pay attention to the hair color choice of two teenagers. They're barely even looking," the boy responded a little cheekily.
"You were right, though. The Alley isn't very cheerful today. It's such a shame," the girl said, shaking her head.
"Let's just get through Gringotts so we can get out of here. It doesn't feel safe," the man answered, glancing worriedly around them.
"I never pegged you for the paranoid one," the boy observed quietly, smirking a little. The older man ignored him, but the girl chuckled.
They entered the bank and requested to see Blogrod. The goblin looked suspicious at first, but their identity was confirmed by the boy showing the letter he'd received earlier that morning, explaining that the disguises were to avoid any unwanted attention. Blogrod seemed to agree with the man regarding the unnatural hair coloring, but remained silent and simply led the trio to his office.
"Now, Mr. Potter. What is it you require from me?" Blogrod asked once they were settled, though he looked slightly suspicious about his choice of companions.
"I was wondering if you could tell me a little more about what it means to be heir to an ancient and noble house before I claim the rings," Harry said, allowing his features to morph back to those recognized as Harry Potter, though he left the green streak. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tonks resume her usual appearance as well, and Remus lifted his glamour.
"There are books for these things," the goblin grumbled. "I suggest you locate one. Gringotts is here to manage finance, not instruct on family history." Harry nodded, slightly intimidated by the surly goblin's expression. "However, since you are already here, I suppose I can briefly instruct you so you know what you're getting into."
Harry brightened. "Thank you, sir," he said, and noticed Tonks raise an eyebrow at Harry's handling of the situation.
Blogrod simply nodded before beginning to speak. "In general, being a lord means simply being in charge of your house. You make political and financial decisions that will benefit your entire house. You also have a seat on the Wizengamot and have the opportunity—some may say duty—to vote on new laws and policies and on occasion will participate in criminal trials."
"In other words, you get a lot of political power and a bunch of gold," Tonks joked, but was immediately silenced by the goblin's glare.
"That doesn't sound too bad," Harry mused. "And being heir means I inherit all that when the current lord dies, correct?"
"Correct, Mr. Potter, though usually have to be of age as well."
"Usually?"
"Yours is a special case. The previous Lord Potter was James Potter, who, of course, is dead. The previous Lord Black is also deceased." Harry tried not to wince at the mention of Sirius. "And since you are nearly at your majority, you will in fact have the choice. Were you under 14, however, you would only be allowed to claim the heirship. You could take both lordships on now, or you could simply claim the heir rings and receive the lordships on your 17th birthday," Blogrod explained.
"I'd rather claim just the heir rings for now," Harry replied a little hesitantly. "I have too much else going on to worry about a lordship right now, let alone two."
Blogrod nodded. "That is a reasonable choice. I will have them fetched from the vaults."
"Thank you," Harry said. The goblin inclined his head, a gesture of respect that surprised Tonks. Remus was still impressed, but he had experienced it before. Blogrod then called for another goblin to retrieve the rings.
Some minutes later, the younger goblin entered and placed two ornate boxes on Blogrod's desk. They briefly conversed in Gobbledegook, then the other goblin departed.
"These are the heir rings," Blogrod said, indicating the boxes. "Only the prospective heir can open the boxes. All you must do is take the ring, place it on your chosen finger, and say, 'I, Harry James Potter, do hereby claim the heirship to The Ancient and Noble House of Potter.' The ring will bond with your magic and adjust to fit your finger. It will only be visible to those you choose. Then you must do the same with the ring to House Black."
Harry nodded, his mouth suddenly going dry. He really had no idea what he was getting into. He would definitely be finding a few books on this type of thing. And what if, for whatever reason, the ring didn't accept him? Would he die? Lose his magic?"
Remus's hands tightened reassuringly on Harry's shoulders, and he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He would be okay.
Harry stood up, trying for confident. His hands only shaking a little bit, he reached out for the box on the left. A seal was carved into the lid that reminded Harry of the Hogwarts seal. It featured a griffin and a shield and a Latin phrase Harry couldn't quite make out. But he knew that this one was the Potter ring. He hesitated a second, his hand hovering above the lid, but finally he took a deep breath and popped it open. Nothing happened, and Harry exhaled heavily. He then reached for the ring, lifting it from its velvet resting place, and slid it onto the middle finger of his left hand.
"I, Harry James Potter, do hereby claim the heirship to the Ancient and Noble House of Potter," he stated confidently. There was a flash in which Harry thought he glimpsed a real griffin, then he felt the ring tighten around his finger so it fit comfortably. He also felt a curious sensation, like something foreign but not altogether unpleasant had just been injected into his veins, and it made him feel stronger. Harry assumed this was his magic responding to the ring.
"Wow," Tonks murmured as she observed the whole thing. It only lasted a moment, but Harry's eyes had flashed gold and a faint glow enveloped him for just half a second before fading away again.
"Well done, Harry," Remus said quietly, squeezing the boy's shoulders.
"Well done, Mr. Potter," Blogrod echoed with an approving nod. Harry nodded absently back. The new magic flowing through him was a heady feeling. "That sensation is the family magycks responding to you. Every Ancient and Noble house has family magycks. Generally it is only a slight boost in magical power and a special ability or two. For instance," he glanced at Tonks, whose hair had morphed to an odd orangey color with surprise, "The metamorphmagus power is part of the Black family magic, passed genetically from one generation to the next, though it often skips generations."
"Really?" Harry asked. He hadn't known that it was Black trait to be able to morph.
"Really. I believe you have inherited the ability from your grandmother, Dorea Black. She wasn't a metamorphmagus herself, but she carried the gene," Blogrod replied. "Speaking of, would you like to claim the Black heir ring now?"
Harry flushed slightly, momentarily having forgotten there were two rings he had to claim. "Yes, I would," he responded, recovering his composure.
More confident this time, Harry reached out for the other box. There was a coat of arms carved onto the lid of this one, too. He didn't recognize most of the figures in it, but he did recognize the banner at the bottom that read "toujorus pur," which Harry remembered to mean "always pure." He hesitated even less time before opening the box and removing the ring. There was a distinctly different feel to it, Harry realized. As he worked on his animagus transformation, he found himself becoming more sensitive to the feel of his magic as it was necessary to spur the changes. He realized he must also be becoming more sensitive to the inherent magic in other things, as well, since he could feel the magic from the Black ring.
Like before, Harry removed the ring, but slid it onto the middle finger of his right hand this time. "I, Harry James Potter, do hereby claim the heirship to the Ancient and Noble House of Black," he said confidently. He once more felt the ring resize to fit his finger. There was another flash, and Harry glimpsed a thestral, to his surprise, before it faded. Magic once again flooded his body, only this time it felt…bolder, more raw. But a moment later it was over, the new magic resting just below the surface, waiting to be called.
"Wow," Harry said in wonder. "That's heady."
Remus chuckled and Tonks grinned. Blogrod nodded approvingly once again.
"Congratulations, Mr. Potter. You are now heir to the Ancient and Noble Houses of Potter and Black," the goblin said.
"Thank you, Blogrod," Harry said, nodding to the goblin. Blogrod inclined his head and summoned the younger goblin from before to take the ring boxes back to their respective vaults.
"I suggest you find yourself some books now," Blogrod said, and Harry could have sworn he smirked, a spark of humor in his eyes though his demeanor remained as surly as ever.
"I will. May your gold always flow," Harry responded with a very slight bow.
"And yours as well," the goblin replied. Tonks and Remus both said their thank-yous before Blogrod escorted them out. Tonks and Harry resumed their morphs from before and Remus replaced his glamour before they left the bank.