A/N: I don't own Harry Potter. Some of the Politics and names for the Titlesof Nobility, have been influenced by Radaslab's Not Normal. I took the concept, but I believe I made it my own.
Chapter 6: Politics, and A Lordship
This time his trip to Gringotts was uninterrupted, and when he entered, he made his way straight to the only free Goblin teller.
"Good morning, Master Goblin. My name is Harry Potter, and I would like to speak to my Accounts Manager, Ripclaw."
Harry ignored the glare and sneer the little Goblin threw his way, and calmly followed the small creature to his manager's door. Once there, he knocked once and swiftly entered into the room.
"May your gold overflow, and your enemies tremble before you, Manager Ripclaw."
Ripclaw grinned at the sight of his favourite client and quickly replied, "To you as well, Mr. Potter. Please, have a seat. What can I do for you today?"
Harry sat down in the comfortable leather chair, and grinned back at the Goblin. "I have a business idea and I wanted to get your help setting it up."
When Harry began to explain what he wanted to do, Ripclaw could just imagine the number of galleons the idea would make for Gringotts. This deal alone would impress Ragnok enough to elevate him to Senior Account Manager status.
Much like every other day, the young Goblin thanked whoever was watching over him, that he was the one who was assigned to Harry all those years ago.
Lily brought out a tray of tea and cookies to the living room, and gently placed it on the coffee table. With dinner over and Alex watching over the other kids upstairs, she was looking forward to what her son wanted to discuss with the rest of the family. His last announcement had been one for the ages, and she felt her curiosity was definitely peaked for what he wanted to talk about now.
Once she was settled by her husband on the couch, she looked over at her eldest son, and saw that he was carrying a stack of muggle files. By the way he kept pulling at the collar of his shirt, she could tell her little boy was nervous about something. Hoping to ease some of his worries, she thought she would help him get started.
"Whenever you're ready, sweetie, the rest of us are eagerly waiting to hear what you want to talk about."
At the sound of his mother's words and the encouraging smile he saw on her face, Harry immediately felt some of his worry melt away.
"Thanks, mum. I appreciate it."
The moment he saw the other adults in the room nod and smile at him encouragingly, Harry decided it was time to start his presentation, and he quickly handed out a file to everyone in the room.
"The reason I wanted to talk to all of you, is because I wanted to start a company called Marauders Inc."
Harry waited for the hoots and snickering to die down from the original Marauders, before he continued. "A few weeks ago, I told you guys about my discovery with the runic array and how it can be used to power muggle electronics. Now I want to take that idea to the next level. The magical community is several decades behind the times and I want to bring them into the twentieth century. I want to introduce Witches and Wizards to televisions, microwaves, dishwashers, cd players, radios, and anything else that I think they would enjoy from the muggle world."
After his last conversation with the family, Harry was more than prepared for the stunned silence that followed his explanation. He was about to explain how he intended to introduce the products, when his father's voice suddenly interrupted him. "This is a good idea, son, but it's illegal. The Department of Misuse of Muggle Artefacts, won't let you sell these products."
"Actually, you're wrong, dad," Harry replied smugly.
"I am?", James asked in surprise.
"Yes, you are, dad, but it's a common mistake everyone makes. The Law created by the Ministry states it is illegal to enchant a muggle item, with the intent to use it for the purposes other than what it was designed for. So, you can't make a car fly or a motorcycle ride over a lake. It says nothing about using the item the way they were meant to be used. I could still sell a television that would work off magic instead of electricity, as long it was used as a television."
Amy was impressed with her pseudo-nephew's idea, but she wasn't sure how feasible it was in the long run. She had been to the muggle world a few times with Lily, and she knew exactly what a television was. But the problem was, televisions would only show muggle programming.
The disdain that most magical had for muggles, meant them buying anything just to watch muggle entertainment was not very likely.
Hoping she wasn't going to crush Harry's spirit, Amy gently said, "This is a really good idea, Harry, but the magical world doesn't care about muggle entertainment. Why would they buy your televisions?"
Harry grinned at the comment. He was hoping someone would have brought that issue up, because he had the perfect idea to make magical want a television. "You're absolutely right, Aunt Amy. Magical don't care about muggle entertainment, but they do care about Quidditch."
Amy was confused by the answer. She didn't understand what Quidditch had to do with selling televisions to the magical world. "I'm sorry, Harry, but I don't understand. Muggles don't play Quidditch."
"If everyone will open the files I gave you, I think the first page will give you an answer to what I'm talking about."
Harry paid attention to everyone's reactions and he was prepared for his dad and Padfoot to jump up and begin celebrating.
When she read through the report, even Lily was stunned by what her son was able to accomplish. At first, she was ready to agree with Amy about the idea being good, but not feasible for the magical world, but the contract she was staring at changed everything.
Somehow her son managed to get the broadcasting rights to every Professional and International Quidditch game in Europe, Asia and America, for the next twenty-five years. Lily knew most people didn't have the time and money to go to games regularly, so if you could bring the games to them, then the price of a television would be well worth the investment.
The second she saw her son's green eyes looking back at her, Lily couldn't stop herself from jumping up and crushing him a tight embrace. "I'm so proud of you, Harry. I can't even say you take after me, because you're so much more brilliant than me or your father. I'm just amazed at the things you have already managed to accomplish. How were you able to pull this off?"
Harry blushed at his mother's praise, and replied, "Thanks, mum. I've been planning this for a few weeks now, and today I went to my accounts manager to figure some things out. As soon as we floo called the heads of the British, American, Japanese and Bulgarian Leagues, and the World Quidditch Association, they immediately signed over the broadcasting rights for all of their games. I'm pretty sure they still don't realize what they agreed to. All they heard was the amount I was offering and they signed the paperwork without hesitation. The contract is ironclad, so for the next twenty-five years, Marauder's Inc. Holds the broadcast and distribution rights for any professional or International Quidditch game that is played in the world."
After a few minutes the original Marauders finally brought their celebration to an end. At that point Remus decided it was time for him to join the conversation.
"This is an incredible achievement you have here, Harry. But I'm confused what you want with the rest of us. It looks like you have everything already under control."
"If you flip a few pages, uncle Moony, you'll see the paperwork that I'm filing for Marauder's Inc. I want this to be a family company, so I split the shares equally between me, dad, you and Padfoot."
Remus was touched by his nephew's generosity, but he refused to take a handout. So far Harry had done everything for this company. Not only did he come up with the runic array to make this company possible, but he was also the one that was funding everything. For Moony to accept an equal share in the company was unacceptable to him. He wouldn't take money for doing nothing.
"Your generosity speaks highly about your character, cub. I'm flattered you would offer me this, but I can't accept it."
Harry had to force himself not to roll his eyes at his adopted uncle. "This is not charity, uncle Moony. I want to make you CEO of the company, and I promise you'll earn every knut that you make. You would be responsible not only for setting everything up, but also for the production and distribution of everything we make."
Remus was stunned that his nephew wanted to place him in charge. He would have assumed he would ask his father first. When he looked over at his fellow Marauder and saw the hurt look on his friend's face, he felt horrible that Harry had asked him first.
"Harry, wouldn't you want your dad to be the CEO?"
When Harry heard the concern in Moony's voice he looked over at his dad, and knew what was bothering the werewolf. "Actually no, Moony," he replied confidently. "Once I convince you to become CEO, I have another idea for my dad and uncle Padfoot."
James felt a little bad that his son didn't want him to help with the company. He knew Remus was a good choice, but a part of him was jealous that his own son didn't think he was good enough to run the company. But when he heard Harry had another plan for him, the jealousy and hurt were temporarily constrained by his curiosity.
"What do you have in mind for me and Padfoot, Harry?"
Harry hoped he had not underestimated his dad's desire to take his Wizengamot seat. Based on their conversation this morning, it really felt like that was something his dad wanted to do, but was unable to due to his family obligations.
"Before I tell you, dad. Can you please flip to the last page in the file I gave you? It has something that is just for you."
James did as his son instructed, and his eyes widened in surprise, when he saw that his son had signed over to him the land that contained the oil reservoirs. Normally he and Lily would never let a soon to be eleven-year-old have so much freedom, but ever since Harry came home from his medical procedure, both he and his wife realized how much of an adult their eldest son really was. Not only had he been taking care of all his own needs for the past few years, but with his massive intellect, and obvious maturity, he was worthy of making decisions for himself.
What bothered James was that his son didn't think he could provide for the family by himself.
"You're a very smart kid, Harry. Normally your mother and I would never even consider letting you make decisions this important, but after everything you've done these past few years, we know you're more mature than your age. While we don't necessarily like it, we both agree that you are more than capable of making your own decisions. But this is unnecessary, son. I don't need your money. It was your sound investment idea that found this place, and you should keep it."
"Aren't I your son, dad? Your eldest son?"
James could see the frustration clearly on his son's face, and he rushed to reply, "Of course you are, Harry. You know your mum and I love you."
"Then if I'm your son and the eldest Potter child, what difference does it make where the money came from? We both want to use it to increase the Potter Vaults. I know you spent a lot of money helping people get back on their feet after the war, dad. I also know you want to take your seat in the Wizengamot and that the only reason you don't is because you don't want to touch what's left of the Potter fortune. The land I signed over to you should be able to replenish the money you spent within10 years. Based on the calculations Ripclaw and I made, those oil reserves should pay out 10 million galleons a year."
James could see how passionate his son was about this idea, but what confused him was why he was so adamant that he takes his seat in the Wizengamot. "Why is this so important to you, Harry? Why do you want me to take my seat so badly? And how do you expect me to help with the company you want to start, if I'm stuck at the Ministry all day?"
Harry took a deep breath, because he knew he couldn't afford to make a mistake now. "First, I want you to take your seat, because I know how much you want to do what grandad did. You have always wanted to make a difference in the world and help people. That's why you joined the war, and that's why you became an Auror. But the best way to make a difference now, is to help make the laws that run our world. Based on the research I've done, right now the only people that are actively trying to make any changes are the Dark families. The neutrals vote with whatever is most beneficial to them and the Light families are basically just doing their standard reactionary actions. If we want things to change for the better, than we have to be the ones to act first."
"I can see how badly you want this, but even though we are an Ancient and Noble House, Padfoot and I would just be two seats among many."
"That's where you're wrong, dad," Harry explained patiently. "You're looking at two seats, when you should be viewing it as twenty-six votes."
As soon as he saw the confused expressions on everyone's faces, Harry wasn't too surprised. He could understand his mum not knowing, since she was muggle born. Aunt Amy was excused, because most pureblood women weren't taught that type of information. Their place was solely to take care of their husband and to provide him with heirs. Moony was also out, since he wasn't from a pureblood family with a seat in the Wizengamot, so he never really had a chance to learn about it. It was his dad and Sirius not knowing, that shocked him.
When he thought about how that was possible, Harry suddenly realized why it made sense. While both men were pureblood heirs of Ancient and Noble families, their education was hampered at an early age. For Sirius it was when he ran away from home at sixteen, and for his dad it was his grandparent's death when he was eighteen. As a result, neither of them completed the education that a Head of House usually gives to an heir.
"The original Wizengamot was formed by fifteen members that were each the Lord and head of magical clans throughout the British Isles. Many of these Lords were also members of the Muggle Nobility, having inherited the titles from their fathers or earning it themselves through their own deeds. To acknowledge these titles, the original members agreed that a certain number of votes were to be allocated to each one. A Baron would get three votes, a Viscount five, an Earl seven, a Marquis nine, and a Duke would get eleven votes. With me so far?"
When he saw everyone nod their heads in agreement, Harry continued, "Over the years the Wizengamot changed and these fifteen seats became fifty. As of today, the fifty seats are separated into three voting tiers. The lowest are the fifteen Lifetime seats. These seats are not hereditary and each of them only receives one vote a seat. The second tier is the Most Noble Houses and this group is composed of twenty seats. Each seat is hereditary and receives two votes per seat. The last group is the Most Ancient and Most Noble tier. This group is composed of fifteen seats, with each seat worth three votes. After the three tiers, you have twelve votes used by the Minister of Magic, and five votes given to the Chief Warlock. Now even though the Wizengamot has changed over the years, they still acknowledge the votes allocated to a family's titles."
Harry paused so he could take in everyone's expression around the room. Even with his new memory, the rules behind the Wizengamot took him some time to figure out. He didn't want to rush his explanation and confuse the adults. When he saw no one had any questions, he decided to continue with his explanation.
"So, you see, dad, since you're also an Earl and a Viscount your votes come out to 3 for the seat, five for being a Viscount and seven for being an Earl. In total, when you take your place in the Wizengamot you will have fifteen votes to work with. With Padfoot being a Baron and a Viscount, he brings another eleven votes with him. Together you would have twenty-six votes between you two, and if you'd be willing to hear me out, I could possibly add another seventeen votes to the total. With forty-three votes in your corner, not including the families you have longstanding alliances with, you would be a major voting block all on your own."
James was stunned by the political lesson he was getting from his soon to be eleven-year-old son. By the similar expression that graced his best friend's face, he knew Sirius was just as amazed by the new information they just received. He never realized how much knowledge he lost out on, when his father passed away. James' musings were interrupted, when he heard his wife ask, "How can you bring in another seventeen votes, Harry?"
For the past few days Harry had incorporated the outlook of the political scene in this new world, as well as a thorough investigation into the Genealogy of the Potter line, into his nightly studies. It was during one these sessions, that he realized the Potters potentially had access to another seat and a whole lot of votes.
When he saw his mother still waiting for his reply, he said, "The past few days I have been looking into the Potter Genealogy, and I learned a very interesting fact. While the Potters are an Ancient and Noble line, the majority of the wealth the possessed, was the result of absorbing it from the Peverell family. Around a hundred and fifty years ago, the only offspring of the Peverell line, was a daughter that married into the Potter family. At the time, the current Lord of House Peverell gave the Potters the majority of the money in his family vault, as a dowry for his daughter. The only thing the Potters didn't get, was the family heirlooms in the vault, a castle, and the Peverell seat on the Wizengamot. Since he knew the Potters would hold the last traces of his family's bloodline, the Lord Peverell only had one stipulation for a Potter to take up the Lordship...the person couldn't be both Lord Potter and Lord Peverell. As it stands, dad is currently Lord Potter. In three days, I turn eleven. If at that time, dad skips me in the succession line and names Daniel as his heir, I would still be a Potter, but now I could claim the Peverell Lordship through the End of Line clause."
As soon as he saw the hurt looks appear on his parents faces, Harry rushed to ease their worries. "This won't change anything between us, mum. I would still be your son. I would still be a Potter. And most importantly, I would still live here at the Manor with you. The only thing that really changes, is that I add an extra name next to mine."
The uncomfortable silence that permeated through the room, was too much for Sirius to handle. He was impressed with his godson's plan for the future, and a part of him really wanted to give it a try. Even after all his years of faithful service as an Auror, there was still plenty of distrust associated with the Black name.
When Sirius took over the Lordship of the Black family, it was secretly his desire to one day have the Black name be spoken with pride. As he looked upon the new version of his godson, Sirius saw a brilliant young man who could truly change their world into a better place. Despite his youth, the Black of Blacks could just feel that supporting him was the right thing to do.
"James, Lily, I know this is a lot to take in, but Harry's right. If you do this, nothing has to change between you. I for one am really impressed with the future your son seems to be planning for all of us all, and I want to help him."
"But he's just a kid," Lily argued. "I don't want to lose him, Sirius. It seems like I just got my son back."
"And you won't, Lily," Sirius replied firmly. "But after everything that Harry's been through and achieved these past few years, he's not a normal kid anymore. He may be only eleven, but he has the maturity and intellect of an adult. If he's thought this decision through, then I believe in him. Taking up the Peverell Lordship, is just a political maneuverer. It won't affect your relationship with your son in any way. Trust him."
Lily knew her friend was right. It was obvious that Harry wasn't a normal eleven-year-old. But after years of him being so distant, she finally had her eldest son back, and she was afraid of losing him again.
As she thought of what this move would mean for their family, Lily recalled how much Harry had already changed. With the amount of money, he had at his disposal and the incredible intelligence he already possessed, if he really wanted to leave them, he could have done so already. The fact that he spent the past few weeks showering all of them with love and attention, she realized she would trust in her son's judgement.
"If it's okay with your father, then it's okay with me, Harry," Lily told her son.
When his son's green eyes turned towards him, James didn't know what to say. He was hoping his wife would choose to be the bad guy in this situation, but her decision made that a moot point. While he knew the Lordship wouldn't change things between them, he still felt like his son was growing up too fast. He'd already missed out on so many important points in Harry's life, he worried that the added responsibilities his son was taking on, would rob him of what was left of his childhood.
"Are you sure this is what you want, Harry? Even if you make me your proxy, taking up the Lordship would make you an adult in our world. Do you really want to do this so badly?"
Harry knew his father was concerned, and he understood the reasonings behind it. But no matter how much everyone wanted him to be a child, in reality he was an adult trapped in a child's body. He would try his best to enjoy the aspects of the childhood he missed on, but he had too many obligations to just be a normal kid. Voldemort would come back soon, and he would do everything in his power to protect the people of this world.
"I'm sure, dad," Harry answered confidently. "I know I'm only eleven, but I'm not a kid anymore. This is something that can help us change the world, and I want to do it."
When he saw the determined look on his son's face, James knew he wouldn't be able to change his mind. "Okay, son. If you really want to do this, then that's what we'll do. The day after your birthday, you will become the next Lord Peverell."
Harry walked into Ripclaw's office with a pounding headache. After spending so many years with the Weasley twins, he never realized how different twins could be. Fred and George seemed to agree on everything.
Unfortunately, the Potter twins were not like that. His sisters may be identical in appearance, but their personalities were polar opposites. Where Rose was outgoing and mischievous, Violet was reserved and more bookworm. While neither one butted head with other people, with each other they were more than willing to start WW3. The fight that started early at breakfast had continued all the way to Gringotts, and now their constant bickering had given him a massive migraine.
Forcing himself to grit through the pain in his head, Harry held the door open for his dad, mum, sisters, brother, Sirius and Aunt Amy to enter the room. Alex was still doing her best to avoid him whenever possible, and since she wanted to pick up some new books in the alley, it was decided that Moony would watch over her and Orion.
By the time everyone got settled into the small room, Harry took his seat next to his father. Thankfully he had arranged everything with Ripclaw before their arrival, so as soon as they sat down, the Goblin placed the emancipation papers in front of his dad.
Once James finished signing the papers, Harry reluctantly took off the Potter heir ring and handed it to him. Even though he knew what they were doing today was important, a small part of him regretted not being Lord Potter in this world.
Not wanting to give his dad a reason to doubt their planned course of action, Harry forced himself to smile as James picked up his wand and renounced him as his heir.
"I Lord James Charlus Potter, Lord of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter do renounce my eldest son, Harry James Potter, as my heir, and instead name my youngest son Daniel Charlus Potter as heir to the House of Potter. So, I say, so mote it be."
When the light flashed between the wand and the heir ring, Harry smiled as he saw his father put the ring on his younger brother's finger. From the short time he had spent around the little tyke, Harry knew his brother had a good heart, and would make a great Lord Potter someday.
Once the Potter half of the ceremony was over, Harry watched as Ripclaw pulled out a beautiful diamond encrusted ring from an ornate wooden box. The platinum band had 'Fortuna Facet Audax' written on it, which Harry knew to mean fortune favours the bold.
Now that he had the ring in his hand, Harry was unsure of what to expect next, and felt a little uncertain at continuing. Summoning his Gryffindor courage, he placed the ring onto his index finger, and smiled when it shrunk to fit it perfectly.
As soon as he turned around to hug his father in celebration, a piercing scream stopped them from continuing. Rose and Violet had escalated their fight to a physical altercation, and the adults were now doing their best to split the pair up. During all the commotion, Harry could feel his migraine intensify, so he wasn't thinking clearly when Ripclaw handed him a second ring that he put on without hesitation.
By the time Lily was able to separate the two girls, Harry finally realized he had a second ring on his hand.
"Ah, Ripclaw, what was that second ring you gave me?"
His question took the adults in the room by surprise, and they all looked towards the Goblin for an answer.
"When you sent your letter to Gringotts two days ago, Mr. Potter, you expressed your desire to claim the Lordships you were eligible for upon your emancipation. Allow me to be the first one to congratulate you, Lord Peverell-Daniels."
"Daniels?", Harry exclaimed. "In none of my Genealogy research, was a Daniels family connected to the Potters."
"Of course, it wasn't, my Lord. You inherited the Lordship to the Ancient and Noble House of Daniels through your mother."
"How is that possible?", Harry asked, unable to believe the sudden turn of events. "My mother is a muggle born witch."
Ripclaw summoned a book with a snap of his fingers and quickly flipped through it. "Ah, here it is. Your mother was born to the heir of the Daniels family, Anthony Arthur Daniels and his wife Jessica Sarah Daniels nee Matthews, who was a seventh generation Witch from the Matthews family in America. According to our records, the Daniels family moved to America after the death of Lord Arthur Jeffery Daniels by Grindelwald, in May of 1943. From 1943-1960, the Daniels account has had multiple withdrawals from Gringotts NY and Gringotts Dal in the US. On January 7th 1960, Mr. and Mrs. Daniels visited their vaults here at Gringotts London, and their deaths were registered on January 27th, 1960 for Mr. Daniels and January 30th,1960 for Mrs. Daniels. As per our records, your mother is in fact a pureblood Witch that was muggle raised and not muggleborn."
Lily was struck dumb at hearing the news. Growing up she knew she never looked like the rest of her family, but whenever she would ask her parents why, they just told her she looked like a long dead aunt.
It never once occurred to her that she was adopted. Now that she knew the truth, she wondered why they never told her. She could understand not telling her while she was still at school, but once she was married, they should have told her then. Unfortunately, with their deaths at the hands of Death Eaters during the war, she would never have a chance to ask them.
When she whispered why softly to herself, Lily felt her husband's strong arms wrap around her.
"They were your parents, sweetheart. They probably didn't tell you anything, because they never considered you to be adopted. You were always just their little girl."
Her husband's words reassured Lily, and she granted him a small smile as a reward. Before the tender moment could continue any further, the pair heard the Goblin clear his throat and say, "If you don't mind, can we please finish the rest of our work here today. I still have a lot to do today."
"Of course, Manager Ripclaw," Harry replied politely to the irritated Goblin. "What more needs to be done?"
Ripclaw pulled out two sheets of parchment from a file on his desk and slid them towards his client. "These are the account ledgers for the families you have now claimed, Lord Peverell-Daniels."
House of Peverell:
Titles:
Marquis of Gordricston
Earl of Herefordshire
Money:
3,471,275 galleons, 12 sickles and 9 knuts
12 sealed trunks within the vault. Items unknown, as they may only be opened by the Lord Peverell.
Properties:
Peverell Castle-Lancaster
Marriage Contract:
Made in 1841 by Ignotus Jensen Peverell and Ogden Cyrus Greengrass
Active: Daphne Isabella Greengrass and Harry James Potter-Peverell
House of Daniels:
Titles:
Viscount of Abengale
Money:
7,416,243 galleons, 3 sickles and 5 knuts
Books, jewellery and heirlooms valued at 3,000,016 galleons.
Properties:
Daniels Manor-Bangor
15 Abbey house-London
Daniels Villa-Nice, France
Apartment-Dallas, USA
Marriage Contract:
Made between Arcturus Black III and David Jeffery Daniels
Active: Alexandra Andromeda Black and Harry James Potter-Daniels
James was patiently waiting for his son to read through the ledgers, ready and willing to offer any help if he should need it, when he suddenly heard Harry whisper, "Morgana's saggy tits, I'm screwed."
Alarmed at his son's sudden use of profanity, James leaned closer to the read the two pieces of parchment, and his eyes widened in surprise at the marriage contracts. He was okay with the Peverell contract, since he went to school with Cygnus and Emma Greengrass, and knew they were both good people who stayed neutral during the war. What thrilled him was the Daniels contract, and he couldn't wait to share the news with his best friend.
"Hey Padfoot. Congratulations. Your daughter is marrying my son."
James grinned at the shocked expression on his best friends face and he couldn't help but feel that Fate had pulled off the perfect prank on his eldest son. It was certainly worthy of a Marauder, and he couldn't be more thrilled with the outcome. As soon as Alex had been born, the two friends had dreamed their children would one day get married, and now it looked like that dream would soon become a reality.
The small office erupted in chaos when his father and godfather started celebrating, and his mother and aunt demanded to see the ledgers. Through all of this, Harry wanted to bang his head against the Goblin's table.
When he came up with this idea, it was for the sole purpose of making a difference in the Wizengamot. Never in his wildest dreams, did he think he would be saddled with one, let alone two marriage contracts. The worst part was, he was pretty sure both girls hated his guts. Alex he could guarantee from his past experiences, and from what little he recalled of Daphne from his old world, she was known as the Ice Princess of Slytherin and almost never spoke to him at school.
"Ripclaw, please tell me there is a way out of these marriage contracts."
The Goblin's answering grin was enough to destroy the last bit of hope Harry was holding on to.
"I'm sorry, Lord Peverell-Daniels, but unlike marriage contracts used today, these ones are magically binding and completely unbreakable. Should the named participants fail to fulfil the contract, they will not only lose their magic permanently, but they also risk losing their lives. Now, if you have nothing else for me to do, I believe our business today is complete."
As he got up and began to usher his still celebrating family out of his account manager's office, Harry suddenly recalled the letter Fate left for him. Thanks to his new memory, he could recall it quite easily, and he realized this was the moment she warned him not to fight against. Unsure how he was supposed to win over two women that probably hated him, Harry decided he would just have to trust in Fate.