A/N: Don't own Harry and friends from canon just this little plot. Harry is thrown into the adult world.

Chapter 14: Goblins and alliances

At ten o'clock on Sunday morning found Harry, his family, Minerva and Madam Longbottom in Ragnook's office. He hoped that they had information that he needed. Fortunately the lessons from Madam Longbottom included goblin culture.

"Greeting Director Ragnook, I hope this day finds your vaults full and your enemies dead on the battle field." Harry intoned as he bowed to the leader of the goblins.

"Greeting Mister Potter, may you also find your vaults full and your enemies dead. What can we do for you today?"

"We are in hopes that you may have some information that will see a common enemy defeated."

"And who is this enemy?"

"I do not know his name. Those that advise me fear to speak his name, but he is the one that killed my family."

"He is known as Lord Voldemort. Who he really is, we do not know. He claims to be the heir of Salazar Slytherin and it must be true as the vaults to Slytherin have changed and that only happens when the last of a line dies. However since it was you that defeated him, it is possible that you have inherited that vault. Mr. Potter, did you look at the family tree closely?"

"It's Harry, just Harry. And no, not really. Once Aunt Mini started talking about my grandparents, I didn't look at it again."

Ragnook retrieved the parchment and unrolled it in front of Harry. It appeared much longer than he remembered.

"Say nothing until you have looked at all of it," Ragnook cautioned.

After ten minutes of silence, Harry looked at Minerva and Madam Longbottom who both had looks of awe and trepidation on their faces.

"What? Why do you look like that? Is this bad news?" Harry asked.

"Harry, in our lessons, we have gone over customs and laws and houses but not lineage. The further back you can trace your heritage in the magical world, the more prestige you are awarded. Especially if you have money as well. Harry, you have probably the oldest line there is. It goes beyond the founders of Hogwarts, who are considered the epitome of the wizardry world. The fact that you are connected to three of them, whether directly or indirectly is of great importance and will help you immensely. It will also put a larger target on you back."

"I don't understand." He said in puzzlement.

"Harry, you can lay claim to the oldest known bloodlines in the magical world, and with them comes the largest voting block in the Wizengamot. With that comes the ability to change the world and many will seek you out to vote the way they want. To vote in laws that will favor them and their agenda; whether it is for good or bad."

Harry thought about that for a moment. "Okay, who is Ignotus Peverell? And why is he so important? What does that mean to me?"

"Ignutous Peverell was the youngest of the three Peverell bothers, the three most powerful wizards of any age yet known. You're a descendant of the Peverell family and a direct descendant of Ignutous Peverell. Well the story is a bit trumped up because they use it as a fairy tale now, but the three brothers had dangerously powerful magic. They created magical spells and devices that still more than rival anything created today. Antioch Peverell the oldest brother was a dueling master was said to have created the most powerful wand ever. It could never be destroyed in a fight and was loyal to only those who won it in battle. Camdus the second bother was obsessed with the beyond, working on potions and runes to create channels to and from the afterlife. He is said to have created a stone that could bring a person's spirit back from the other side, but the spirit could not inhabit a body anymore and therefore could not be sustained in this world. And your bloodline starts with Ignutous who was a master of disillusion. He created many charms and spells and things to defy the senses. He is said to have created a masterpiece, a cloak that would render the user of it completely invisible and unable to be harmed with any spell while within it. It is said that anyone who can bring all three together; the wand, the stone and the cloak would be the most powerful wizard ever. But many people dispel that talk because these things have never been identified to the public. Anyway, Ignutous had a son named Trevor who had a daughter named Nicole who then married a man by the name of Godric Gryffindor. Their son married Rowena's second daughter. Camdus had a great granddaughter that married into the Slytherin line. Antioch as far as we know died without issue." explained Augusta.

"What happens if I can't or don't want to claim these titles?"

"They will pass to your children or grandchildren until they are claimed or your line dies out."

"So…if I die before I have any children then these lines die out?" he asked hesitantly.

"Most likely, yes." Augusta replied.

"When would I have to claim them? Do I have to claim them now? And if I do claim them, how will the names pass on?"

Ragnook watched with amazement as the young man seemed hesitant to claim the power the titles would give him. He knew for a fact if had been any other they would have jumped at the chance regardless of the consequences.

"You should claim the Potter head of house when you turn eleven. The others can wait until your seventeen as you would have to appoint a proxy to vote in your stead until then anyway." Augusta recommended.

Harry thought for a minute. "If I only had one child, a son, would he have to carry all these titles? Is there any way to spread them out?"

"There are two ways you could spread out the titles. The first is to have five sons, then they could each take up one of the titles."

"I could never ask one woman to do that." Augusta smiled.

"The second way is to marry a woman for each line and the first born son of each would inherit the title."

"Where would a guy find that many women that he could love and get along with each other? I wouldn't want to be in a position where I had to choose one over another."

"You have plenty of time to figure it out. Most boys would love to have a harem."

"No! No harems." He looked at Hermione with trepidation. "I only need one woman in my life." Then looking sheepishly at the three older women present. "Err, Ah correct that only one wife."

"Good save Harry." Chuckled Dan.

Deep in thought he asked. "How will this affect the allied Houses either way?"

Augusta had to stop and think. She was amazed at how mature his questions were. She had to remind herself at times like these that he was only ten and a half years old. "To be honest, I'm not sure. The only one that might be a problem would be the Slytherin title."

"Why? What's wrong with Slytherin? Wasn't he a founder too?"

"Slytherin was considered to be a dark wizard."

"Only considered, not proven? I don't want to go on hearsay. I want facts. Find someone to research his line. If I or one of my descendants has to carry his title, I want to know it's a proud heritage or it will never come to light. One thing I learned this year in the muggle world, never take one book to have all the facts. Isn't that why you have been teaching about the houses and customs, so I know what I'm doing?"

"Director Ragnook, I know the goblins treat the confidentiality of their clients with a code of honor, but this information must not leave this room until we agree to go public with it. Can I count on you?"

"Of course, a breech of trust of this magnitude would have the Goblin Nation in your debt for all eternity."

"What other information do you have that will help us?"

"When your parents will was read, Sawtooth was instructed to retrieve a box from your parents vault. In it were signed sealed papers revealing who the secret keeper was and who set up the wards around the cottage in Godric's Hallow. Albus Dumbledore set up the wards and what was interesting, after we examined the cottage, was the alarm ward he set. It was keyed to only one person's magic, that of Lord Voldemort. The secret keeper was Peter Pettigrew. According to the documents, they had Mr. Black as they trusted him completely. Dumbledore convinced them to switch to Pettigrew in late October. They were attacked and killed a week later."

Ragnook waited while the absorbed that much. "He has also on numerous occasions tried to take control of the Potter estates with documents he claims were signed by Lord Potter."

"Why?" Harry asked bewildered.

"At the moment you are the second richest wizard in Brittan, but with Mr. Black in prison there is no one to direct his account and is stagnant while yours is active and moving forward. Dumbledore has also put forth a marriage contract. That should have tipped us that you were still alive, but its wording was such that it didn't matter if you were alive or not. The girl would still inherit at the age of seventeen."

"Who was the contract with?" Minerva inquired.

It took Ragnook a moment to find the proper parchment. "One Ginevra Molly Weasley."

"Arthur and Molly's girl, are you sure?"

He handed her a parchment. "I can't believe this. If this was to come to pass and Harry was bound to this, he would be subservient to Dumbledore in the end."

"Explain to us dummies."

"The way in which this is written, House Potter would become a vassal to House Weasley. Everyone knows House Weasley is a vassal to Dumbledore. In other words what ever he tells Arthur to do he must obey. And you would have to obey Arthur."

"Well that just sucks."

"Harry! Language."

"Sorry. What can we do about this?"

"I'm going to guess here,' said Augusta, 'that with where he placed you, you wouldn't know about your heritage and would fall prey to this. Now since you do know and will take of the Head of House status in a few months you can dissolve any and all contracts that you have not approved or were not legally signed by your father."

"Well that is a relief. Are there any other contracts out there Ragnook?"

"Not that the goblins are aware of. If any are brought forth after your claim as Head of House becomes public, we will of course notify you."

"Is there anything else?" He really hoped there wasn't. They had quite a bit to deal with already.

"Not at this time."

All eyes were on the young man that was the center of this meeting. Some wondered how he managed to not fold under it all. Harry was using the skills he was taught during his Occlumency training to organize this new information. Eventually he said, "Sorry trying to organize it all. Now back to the original reason for this meeting. A few weeks ago I had a nightmare that we believe was the night my parents died.' He paused as it was hard to remember that nightmare, 'in it I heard a female voice that I believe was my mother's begging someone to kill her instead of me. The room was suddenly filled with green light and I heard her no more." He paused again. "Then I saw a face lean over the rail of my cot. I described it to Madam Longbottom and she confirmed it was the face of Voldemort did you say his name was?"

"Yes Harry. Go on."

"Before he cast his curse, he said 'Good-bye child of prophesy.' Then he said what sounded like abra ca dabra. And I was hit with a green spell. That's all I remember." Hermione was the only one that didn't look at him in awe. "What?"

"Harry, the spell was Avada Kedavra. It is known as the killing curse and no one has ever survived it before. Are you sure that's what he said."

"As sure as one can be. I wish there was some way you could see it and then you would know for sure."

Minerva looked at Ragnook. "Do you have a pensive?"

Ragnook went a cabinet behind his desk and retrieved a large flat bowl like device and placed it on the table.

Minerva drew her wand. "Now Harry I know this will be hard, but I want you to concentrate on the memory of the dream. When you have it in the front of your mind, I will place my wand to your temple and extract a copy of the memory."

A tear leaked from his eye as he pulled the memory forward. "Do you have it?" He nodded.

As Minerva pulled her wand away from Harry's temple, a long silver strand was pulled from Harry's head. She then deposited in the bowl like device. "Harry I know you are a very brave young man, but I will not ask that you join us in the pensive. It must be hard enough just to have to remember it, let alone relive it."

"That's fine. I don't want to see it anymore than I have to."

Minerva, Madam Longbottom and Ragnook entered the pensive and returned ten minutes later with looks of disgust, fear and awe cycling across their features.

"Well?' asked Harry hesitantly. "What was it?"

"It was definitely the Killing curse. Your mother must have done something to help you survive or you are more than a wizard." Minerva thought for a moment. "I don't approve of where he put you, but maybe it was a good thing he told everybody you were dead. Think about it for a moment, if it got out the Harry here survived the killing curse, what would people think. Think of the fame he would have had to deal with. The title they might have put on him. Some thing like 'The-boy-who lived' or something similar."

"While I am glad I don't have a title like that, why couldn't another story have been equally effective? Like he Mom killed him at the same time she died."

"Okay another secret to keep and though I don't know how I survived what you say I did, I would rather not try it again, especially if it was something Mom did that protected me that night."

"Is there any thing else we need to cover? I'm kind of knackered and intend to take a kip when we get home."

"No, I think that's everything and we all have a lot to think about and do."

After returning to the granger residence, true to his word, Harry went straight to his room, kicked of his shoes and was a sleep as soon as his head hit his pillow. Hermione joined as she felt the stress of the day might bring back the nightmare and wanted to be there for him if it did.

A/N: another chapter finally finished. Thank you all for your patience. Too many plot bunnies for this and I tried to get them down even if they are further down the road. One good thing about that is it will make up loaded some chapters easier, like the Dursleys arrest and day in court. The section about the Peverell brothers was borrowed from robst Fates Gambit. If you haven't read it you should.

A/N: robst corrected me. That part wasn't from his story, but future parts willbe, even if modified to fit this.