Ch 7: Magical Finances: Where the REAL Power Lives

Harry sighed as he looked over the letter he'd just finished writing, wondering if it was appropriate in tone and terminology. "Hermione? Could you look something over for me?"

The kinky haired girl looked up from her 'light' reading of War and Peace by Tolstoy, "I already said I wasn't going to do your homework, Harry." Hermione declared loudly.

"No, this isn't homework, and I'm not Ron," Harry answered back while holding out the rolled up scroll. "It involves the seventh of fifteen."

"I had to say that, it keeps the walking garbage disposal from actually looking at what I read of yours," Hermione whispered.

"Mine was to ensure that nosy people from suspecting we're up to something…" Harry whispered back as she took the scroll and tucked it away.

"Like that doesn't happen… every year… with you." Hermione stated, "Well, admittedly, it wasn't too bad in first year, but you were pegged as the Heir of Slytherin, then…"

"I wonder what's going to happen this year… aside from Sirius Black's escape," Harry mused with a sigh as he shook his head. "It's a letter to some associates that I met in first year…"

"As long as it's not someone with highly illegal access to muggle weaponry." Hermione offered, "That's been done several times in the past, and it's why blasting spells are banned in school grounds."

"They have legal access to muggle weaponry," Harry answered as he spun a galleon on the table between them with a small smile on his face.

"The Muggle Armament Act of 1914 specifically forbids any importation of muggle-built armaments," Fred stated, as he wandered over.

"And the amendment in 1939 forbids reverse engineering of muggle-built armaments, and is the law that forbids any use of any form of blasting hex, curse or spell within Hogwarts grounds, since they're not sure if the source is muggle or magical." George added, "Really doesn't help the business."

"It does not involve obtaining weaponry of any sort," Harry stated with a smirk as he leaned back in his chair and pulled out a new scroll.

"CKD Bank and Trust?" Hermione read off the letterhead, then, noticing some small print, read out, "A Muggle Banking Division of Gringotts…"

"We need some power behind us," Harry explained with a shrug as he spun the coin between his fingers. "Some girl dropped this brochure that all muggle-raised students are supposed to get during their first visit… seems mine went missing due to a filing error."

"Honest question - Did you get any of them?" Hermione asked, curiously.

"Any of them? As in multiple pamphlets?" Harry asked in honest surprise.

Hermione got up, heading to her room before she dropped a heavy looking pouch on the table. "You don't need to return them. I know them cover to cover." She declared tersely.

"Thank you, Hermione, it's nice to know that I've been screwed over once again…" Harry snarled as he began sifting through the pamphlets, only to get another set from the twins. "What's this?"

"Things that purebloods are supposed to get in their first year, mostly about what they need to know in regards to their fiscal responsibilities," Fred stated flatly as George mocked yawning. "We have two copies, so you can keep those."

"Right, so now I know I practically didn't get any of the required orientation materials, which also proves why banking is a good weapon against magicals." Harry said, as he tapped the folder he got off the twins.

"Aside from the fact that Purebloods put nearly as much stock in their fiscal portfolios as their blood purity? Money is an effective way of controlling people with weak morals," Hermione explained with a sigh as she began editing the scroll Harry had been working on.

"Bingo." Harry declared, as he tapped the folder again, "It doesn't matter how smart you are in this world, no offence, Hermione, if you can't throw a million galleons at the Minister, you're a whipping boy or girl."

"Would you like to see our plans to build a castle on an island that we will grow out in the middle of the Pacific?" Fred asked, holding up a new scroll. "We'll hide it from the Wizarding World, but not the mundanes… they're too much fun."

"No, no." Harry declared, taking out a map of what Hermione saw was Tracy Island, complete with a set of blueprints for the Thunderbirds with all the identification removed, "See what you can do with those plans, money is no object. I got them out of a muggle book that Dudley got bored with."

"Hmm… might do… might do…" Fred and George mused in their oddly nearly perfect synchronized voices that drove nearly every other person on the planet insane. Honestly, it seemed like they actually did share a hive mind at times.

Harry slid a piece of paper to Hermione, reading, 'If they manage it, I'll change my name to Jeff Tracy, offer one or both the twins the identity of Brains, and see who wants to pilot them. It'll cause the wizards a ton of confusion, and the muggles will love it.'

Hermione rolled her eyes and smiled ruefully before passing back over his letter back, along with a blank scroll to put the revisions on. "Only if they get the reference, Harry."

"Anyway, you two go plan that, while we discuss things of vital importance and discretion," Harry declared to get waved off by the twins.

"I think that a Spring wedding would be cliche," Luna stated as she sat down opposite Harry and Hermione, "Oh yes, and I'll take Tintin."

"I was wondering when you would show up, Luna, do you have any more reading for me?" Harry asked curiously as he indicated the pile of paperwork he'd just received.

"Not yet, 'Mr. Tracy', but I'm sure I'll have some later." Luna joked, "They'll manage most of it more than likely, but you'll get problems with Mr. Anderson's estate over actually using the proper names."

"I'll pay the royalties he asks for," Harry explained, before adding, "I am obnoxiously rich, especially after discovering my parents 'accidentally' put funds into a couple of, at the time, low-risk electronics stocks… Apple and Microsoft."

"Ah, but thou were to not to know that," a voice spoke up behind the group, revealing a painting of Salazar Slytherin stroking his mustache while holding up a handful of cards. Looking at the group of canines he was playing with, "I shall raise you three hundred, my good sir."

"I have a question, good sir." Harry asked, "How hard would it be to make a picture about the size of a hand which would still be able to talk to me?"

"Depends upon the skill of the artist," Salazar answered as he pushed over the required chips. "At thy current level, I would suggest it to be nigh impossible."

"I could get one made…" Luna declared, rolling on her heels, looking thoughtful, "However, you have to promise to keep what I tell you a secret."

The others nodded as Luna revealed her secret, which was covered by Salazar's groan of dismay as he lost the hand of poker. Reaching over he gave the boxer a friendly pat on the head before dealing himself out of the next hand.

"Well, we'll get those pictures sorted, then Mr. Slytherin will be able to talk with us when we need him… We also should look into getting Godric Gryffindor, if Salazar can vouch that he was reputable."

"Godric is a character of impeccable reputation, thou may wishest to refrain from trusting Lady Ravenclaw as she tends to be a little liberal with her knowledge after some wine," Salazar explained with a knowing smirk. "Oh to hear the tales she told of the exploits betwixt her and the Lady Hufflepuff…"

"Perhaps you wouldst be so kind as to not speak such in front of such young ears," a deep voice stated from the next painting over, revealing the noble visage of one Godric Gryffindor giving his 'friend' a level glare that would have been more powerful if it wasn't for the wall between them.

"When we've finished accounting for what needs doing in the future, we'll see about getting a pair of pictures done in such a way that I'll have some counsel that doesn't start with denying me what I asked for, and instead gives me something that is much less useful." Harry grumbled.