Getting Back to Azkaban
A/N # 1: Obviously I write AU. If you want canon turn back now because you are going to be severely disappointed.
A/N#2: I appreciate you helping with fixing errors and asking questions. Luna shall be Queen! Or, failing that she can marry Harry and shag until she feels better than the queen!
Chapter 11: Goblins are more than just bankers!
The Herald at Arms had come down from his position at the top of the chambers and requested that Petunia produce the rings so they could be validated in his Book of Heraldry. His eyes had widened excitedly when she replied, "You know full well that the rings and other accoutrement's of the Ducal office of Azkaban reside on Azkaban Island and the Duke will not take up his apparel until he makes the trip even though he is recognized as the heir by Gringotts and has received all of his powers and positions at the attainment of his majority."
The old man nodded. "Well said, Madame. Can you give us a time when your entourage will travel to Azkaban?"
Harry turned around after hearing that question and snarled, "Not bloody likely. We will travel to Azkaban at our leisure and send you notice that we have arrived at that time. I have no love for the Ministry of Magic seeing the way things operate here and I will not be catering to you."
Petunia nodded to affirm her agreement. "I agree with my son. The British Ministry of Magic in conjunction with the British Wizarding world has used and abused the Duke of Azkaban since before his birth. We will not be considering the British Magical world allies until after we have read through the treaties and between Azkaban and Great Britain and judged for ourselves the differences between abuse and artistic license."
Harry, Petunia, Vernon, Dudley and Marge all stood to leave when the doors flew open and Minister Fudge came barreling into the room. He immediately began shouting that the meeting in progress was illegal and if the members did not disband and cease meeting without his consent he would have the whole room full of people thrown into Azkaban.
Harry threw back his head and laughed. Fudge took offense to him even being in the room and demanded that aurors come forth and subdue the upstart Potter heir. The aurors blanched and stayed where they were.
It took Marge standing there and looking straight at him while saying, "Cornelius, you really are an idiot." For him to grasp that something was not right.
He blinked a few times before saying, "Celestia?" When she nodded yes, he continued, "What in the name of Merlin's limp lizard happened to you? You used to be stunning."
The former Marge Dursley looked at the idiot in front of her and spoke dryly, "Magic happened, Cornelius. You know how there are laws in place to protect magicals from harming each other irrevocably? Well, I asked the great leader of the light for help in hiding me from someone who wanted to kill me and he decided that binding my magic would do nicely since I was going to be living in the muggle world."
Cornelius shook his head and turned to Percy. "Mr. Weathersby, could you catch me up on the details of the trial so far since it looks like the Acting Minister Bones has called a recess? Either you lot tell me what in the blue blazes is going on or I just might declare a mistrial."
Amelia had actually been about to call for closing minutes as Fudge walked in. She banged her gavel and stated that there would be a short recess of some thirty minutes while everyone took care of pressing problems. She glared at Fudge and solemnly stated, "If you open your idiotic mouth one more time in here I will personally AK you where you stand."
The Dursley contingent did not want to return to the courtroom and made their way toward Amelia to tell her so. Petunia wanted all five of them to go back to Gringotts where they were to meet a healer sent over from St. Mungo's to start removing all the charms, potions, and instruments of control from the five of them.
Petunia did not intend to reenter public life in the wizarding world until after their medical problems had been dealt with to the best of the healer's knowledge. She knew that it was imperative that she and Harry be treated as soon as possible and reenter the magical world, but she hoped that the other three could have as much time as they would need to gain a grasp of their magic and begin the healing process for their bodies.
Petunia was met at the door by Lucius Malfoy. "Lady Azkaban, I trust that you are on your way to an appointment with a healer for my son?"
Petunia looked him up and down and answered. "IF you get your poncy arse out of the way and stop posturing it will get done much faster. I have done my best for the big miscreant for sixteen years and I do not intend to stop now."
Malfoy bowed to her and stepped back. As Dudley walked past him he was surprised that the boy bent his head in a correct pureblood bow to one's head of house. The older Malfoy had no idea that Celestia and Petunia had been giving both boys instruction almost constantly for the last few days.
The trip to Gringotts was surprisingly easy. The gentlemen of the press and other ministry hangers-on had heard rumors that Harry Potter was in the court room and had exchanged words with Albus Dumbledore who had been removed as Chief of the Wizengamot for this special session. They were all waiting for him to come out. The gossip had not mentioned any of the people with Harry so Dudley's arm around the smaller wizard who had a handkerchief pressed to his eyes, and everyone assumed that the big blond was escorting his girlfriend out.
The trip to the bank went smoothly. The Dursley family stepped out of the Ministry of Magic building into a magically enhanced car with an embassy coat-of-arms on it and was whisked away to the Leaky Cauldron. From there they walked down Diagon Alley and entered Gringotts.
Grimtooth introduced Petunia to Healer Applewhite and said she came with good recommendations. If it was alright with everyone they could retire to the medical facility and begin work.
The healer quickly realized she was over her head when it came to medical treatment of the Dursley family. There was nothing else to be done but wait until she had help before starting with the diagnostic charms and get everyone documented. She blanched at the list of bindings, curses, and charms on the lot of them.
Healer Applewhite and Healer Heathstoke spoke to Petunia first since she was the one with the least amount of bindings and charms. "We can get you completely healed within a few minutes with both of us removing everything at once." They said, "However, that is not our first choice for a way to do things."
Petunia grinned. "Just get it done. I have already worked through most of the memories from before I was obliviated. That broke a lot of the compulsion charms. At any rate I have a few aspirin I can take if the pain gets too bad."
She woke up ten minutes later with her head pounding and tears gushing from her eyes. The pain began to ease as soon as she managed to choke down a pain reliever potion and then she was back out. She had underestimated the amount of manipulation Albus Dumbledore had practiced at her expense.
The other four took the Petunia lesson to heart and did not try to do anything too strenuous. The healers soon fell into a rhythm where they would each remove a curse from the one person then move to the next. After casting a few sets of counter-curses the healers would take a break and talk to them about the memories they were reliving or whatever else they wanted to speak about.
Around the three hour mark Petunia woke up again and was able to function. It was easy for everyone in the room to see just how angry she was at Dumbledore for all the pain and indignity he had caused. The others all agreed that they would help her make him pay. There was just no justifiable excuse for what he had done to all of them!
Surprisingly, Vernon was the next one whom the healers declared 'fixed'. In all they had removed some eighty memory charms from him, several tracking charms, a few compulsions, and three different magical inhibitors, two of them cast by Albus Dumbledore.
Marge and Dudley were pretty well even with all the extra spells and whatnot. Both of them were amazed at the feeling of being clean evoked. They could feel their magic singing through their veins and recognized the fact that they had fed their bodies until they were fat trying to regain that feeling of satiation and satisfaction.
Harry's medical chart was an absolute nightmare for the healers and they finally had to ask Grimtooth if the goblins had a medical procedure that would remove a soul fragment from a living being without destroying that entity.
It had been fun to watch the older goblin rub his little rounded belly like a Buddha doll while considering the problem. Grimtooth considered options for several minutes before he announced that there was one goblin healer who was so versed in esoteric magic that he was a veritable legend within the goblin realms.
Healer Applewhite gave him a pleading look and practically whined, "Is there any chance we can get him to help with Harry here?"
Grimtooth grinned as he picked up a piece of some unidentified meat jerky and bit it clean in two. After chewing and swallowing he spoke, "Considering that the goblin I speak of is my esteemed father there is a very good chance that he will want to help his lordship here."
Harry stood and bowed respectfully to Grimtooth. "You and the Nation honor me, oh Great One. I am in your debt. Please name a reward and if it is in my power to give it to you it shall be yours."
Grimtooth inclined his head at a respectful angle. "I tell you now, young Lord, there are texts in our healer's collection written by human hands that are of no language known to the Nation. It would be a deed of no little value if a parseltongue would view those books and translate them."
Harry did not ignore the tingle of foreboding that travelled down his spine. "Might I ask at least one proviso regarding the translation of these texts, honored father?"
Grimtooth accepted the compliment for what it was. He had heard both Petunia and Celestia tell the boy that it would be proper on his part to offer a blood allegiance to the Nation as part of the repayment of such an important task. For Harry to offer such a binding as partial payment of the debt he acknowledged he would owe increased the standing of Grimtooth's family in the Goblin nation social order. It also insured that Grimtooth's father would do his very best to keep the boy alive while ridding him of the soul fragment lurking behind the curse scar on his forehead.
Both parties recognized the fact that the best offer had already been made. Therefore, it was no surprise to anyone when Grimtooth stepped forward and with a small knife slashed Harry's extended hand before handing the knife to him. Harry made the same type wound on Grimtooth's hand and the two then clasped hands and mingled their blood. Both males being powerful in their own right created a small power surge that once it was absorbed into the wards gave Gringotts Bank a significant power boost to the defensive shielding.
The power surge and the shield capacity increase had several bank guards rushing to the surge location. Grimtooth and Harry were both knocked out cold so the guards immediately took up defensive positions around the perimeter of the room and the captain of the guard sent a youngling down the tunnels to inform Director Ragnarok that the incident appeared to be a family oriented ritual between Grimtooth and the new Lord of Azkaban. He added that he thought it might be prudent to advise the healer of the ritual and had sent a second youngling to let him know he might be needed.
The incident was sorted out and the adoption ritual considered a success of rather some importance. Grimtooth had been congratulated on acquiring such a fine son, Healer Bloodroc, his sire had been doubly lauded and Ragnarok was pleased enough with the deal to send a recommendation to the King of the Goblins that the human family of Grimtooth's new son be recognized by the Goblin Nation.
With that excitement behind them, the humans decided to call it a day with the healing. The Dursley family needed time to rest and adjust to several incredible shocks to their systems. Healers Applewhite and Heathstoke found goblin hospitality to their liking and settled down for a good sleep on a very nice mattress of sheepskins s stuffed with straw.
Vernon and Petunia smiled sheepishly at each other as they settled down on a bed together to rest. Having memory blocks removed had not really changed their feelings too much. After sixteen years together of sharing and caring, they were a unit. They would need to work on a few things. Vernon knew his weight problem upset Petunia because it posed so many health risks. Petunia knew that Vernon still did not quite believe that she loved him as himself; self-esteem issues were going to be a problem for quite some time.
Marge was the one who took having all her memories restored the hardest. She did not want to return to her family where she had been treated as a fuck toy and breeding stock to increase their standing with the Dark Lord Voldemort. She was made of stern enough stuff not to break down and cry, but she did say she liked the name Margaret better than Celestia because she no longer felt like a Celestia, she felt like a Marge and wanted to keep that name.
It took the other four members of her family unit to point out to her that she was a successful dog breeder and handler in her own right and she did not have to return to her birth family because she was fully capable of supporting herself. While Marge considered that idea Petunia made the offer to her that she would be welcome to visit Azkaban Island with her as her travelling companion. Once she had a look at Azkaban Island she could see what was to be done to improve the island's kennels which had once been famous for producing dogs that took to the hunt with thestrals.
Vernon mentioned that he would not mind her keeping the name Margaret Dursley if she wanted to. He and Petunia fully intended to remain Dursleys and while having blood kin was all good and fine, after the sixteen years together he felt that she really was his sibling and did not want to lose her.
Dudley's situation was going to be a lot more complicated than Marge's. He would have to be guarded constantly until he was able to protect himself. He was not helpless and he was learning fast, but no one expected him to walk into Malfoy Manor and hold his own at this particular time.
While the Azkaban contingent rested for the night the goblins held a council meeting. The Gringotts London goblins met with the Goblin King and explained the happenings of the previous day to him. The King was pleased with the bargain Grimtooth and Lord Slytherin had arrived at. He saw the advantages and rewarded his loyal subjects in the standard manner.
He was doubly pleased that Grimtooth's new adopted son had the sense to stipulate provisos while translating the books if they proved to be parseltongue. He knew those books were parseltongue because his father had been given the books by a young witch who was being forced to marry a wizard who had helped control the Black Plague.