Summary; sequel to AVLP, very much AU as it's a crossover. Hakkai, Sanzo, Goku and Gojyo, or Harry, Indigo, Neville and Ron are on their way to Hogwarts! Poor Hogwarts, you really weren't prepared for these boys, or their friends…
Crowds and Gringotts
They ended up using muggle transport after all, and Hagrid was embarrassed to learn that the young Malfoy knew more about muggles then he did. Despite this, or maybe because of it, they reached the Leaky Cauldron without incident.
Tom greeted them warmly.
"Morning Hagrid, you're usual?"
"Not today Tom, I'm taking Harry here to get his supplies."
Tom peered at Harry, and his eyes widened.
"By my stars… Harry Potter?"
Harry was at the center of an excited crowd faster then you could say, 'flash mob'.
"Mr Potter it's an honour to-"
"I simply must thank you-"
"Such a hansom boy-"
"WOULD YOU MAUL HIM ONE AT A TIME PLEASE?!"
Harry privately thanked the gods for Indigo's deep and passionate loathing of crowds, and his seriously impressive shout. The crowd had drawn back at the blonds yell, and were now quailing under his glare.
"It is disgraceful," hissed Indigo in what Harry thought of as his I'm-going-to-rip-off-your-arms-and-beat-you-with-t hem voice, "that respectable members of society would behave in such a manner, simply to greet a child. Even if that child is the Boy-who-lived. You should all be deeply ashamed at your behavior. If you wish to meet Mr Potter you will do so in a calm and polite manner, with none of the pushing and howling I just witnessed. Is that perfectly clear?"
There was the dead silence that Harry had only ever seen two people cause, and they were almost the same person. So nice to know that Sanzo hadn't lost his ability to inspire raw fear.
"I have asked a question and I expect an answer."
There was a muffled chorus of 'yes sir's from the crowd.
"Good. Ari, do you wish to meet these… people?"
"Perhaps later." replied Harry calmly, mussing once more on the advantages of being friends with Indigo Malfoy, "We have things to do."
"Very well." Indigo gave the crowd one last look, and swept towards the pubs rear exit, with Harry and Hagrid trailing behind and the crowd parting before him like Red Sea.
Harry smirked as someone in the crowd made a worshipful noise. When they were out of the pub and Hagrid was opening the ally, he turned to Indigo and said, in faintly amused tones. "I think you've gained another convert."
Indigo gave him a baleful stare. "I am not a cult leader Harry."
"No, you are the focus of a cult."
Indigo scowled at him.
xxxxxxx
Gringotts was big, and contained more white marble then was strictly necessary. Hagrid looked out of place, Harry looked fascinated and Indigo wasn't talking to Hagrid anymore.
Hagrid was actually a little relived by this. Finally, Malfoy was acting like an actual Malfoy! For a somewhat sensible reason, but Malfoy-ness none the less…
They walked to a free goblin, who gave them a fierce stare. Harry gave him his freakiest smile in return, which caused the goblin to look faintly shocked and Indigo to smirk.
"Mr Potter would like to visit his vault." said Hagrid gruffly, "An' I've a letter from Professor Dumbledore about the you-know-what in vault you-know-which."
The goblin took the letter, read it, scowled and nodded once.
"Very well, does Mr Potter have his key?"
"Oh yeah, it's in 'er somewhere…"
Hagrid started rummaging through his coat pockets, and dropped various things on the desk, including dog biscuits. Harry tactically ignored this and looked at Indigo, who was frowning.
"Mr Hagrid, why do you have my vault key?"
"Professor Dumbledore gave it to me 'Arry."
"If Dumbledore is Harry's guardian, why was he with the muggles?" asked Indigo sharply.
"I don't think he's Arry's guardian-"
"He'd better be." said Indigo, not loudly but with an edge in his voice that made Hagrid flinch and the goblin look rather impressed. "It would be illegal for Mr Dumbledore to have any contact with any Potter vault, property or item belonging to the Potter family without the legal guardianship of Harry here. So assuming that Dumbledore is not a thief it becomes apparent that he is guilty of neglecting a child in his charge. So which is it, Hagrid? Is Dumbledore a neglectful bastard, or a thief?"
"Dumbledore wouldn't-"
"Which, is it?" It was fire and lightening and steel and wolves on the prowl, all delivered in a soft voice and a stare. Hagrid froze.
Harry laid his hand on Indigo's shoulders, partly to distract him from Hagrid, and partly in the hopes of preventing the blond totally losing control of his magic and blowing things up. "Why don't we find out? Would it be possible for Indigo and I to speak with the manager of the Potter account, please?"
"Of course, but who is this, Indigo?"
"Me." said Indigo, who was still giving Hagrid the evils, "It's my nickname, feel free to us it. Better then Draco Malfoy any day…"
"Very well. Griphook will guild you. Mr Hagrid may wait here."
"Thank you." said Harry simply, nodding to both Griphook and the as yet unnamed goblin clerk. "Mr Hagrid, if you do not wish to wait you are not obliged to do so. I fear this may take some time."
"I'll wait outside." said Hagrid firmly.
"Very well. Please lead on, Master Griphook."
xxxxxxxx
Griphook knocked smartly on the door. It opened, seemingly on its own; to revile a good sized office containing an elegant cheery wood desk with a neat plaque on it that declared the fierce looking goblin behind it to be a Master Flamebrand.
"Good morning Lord Potter, I've been wanted to talk with you for some time, there have been a number of questionable withdrawals from your accounts. What is the reason for your presence Mr…?"
"Draco Malfoy. But call me Indigo or I'll get all choked up, there could be tears," said Indigo in strangely doom laden tones. "It's just quicker to here it now rather then getting Harry to tell me later."
"Quite right." agreed Harry easily, gently pushing his friend into one of the seats and settling in the other. "Might these questionable happening be anything to do with Albus Dumbledore?"
"Yes they would. Unfortunately I have been unable to prevent then due to his status as overseer of your parents wills, without proof that he has violated the terms of said wills, I cannot take action against him."
"What did they say about Harry's guardian in the event of their deaths?" asked Indigo.
"He was to be placed in the care of Sirius Black, Alice Longbottom or Amelia Bones." replied Flamebrand, eyeing the blond human warily, there was something about the boy…
"Lovely. Big ass violation of the will right there, as Harry was left in the care of Petunia Dursley and her husband when I know that Amelia Bones and Alice Longbottom are both alive, sane and not in prison. And the Dursleys are abusive shit stains that should really die in a strange and horrible way, possibly involving catfish. Shut up Harry."
Harry, who had been going to protest, obediently shut his mouth. Flamebrand found the exchange rather odd as Lord Malfoy's eyes had never left his, but felt it best not to comment.
"Now if you'd be a dear and claim the Potter lordship Harry," continued Indigo coolly, "we can set about sorting out these questionable withdrawals and planning a suitable revenge to wreak on Dumbledore. Starting with the fines for violation of the wills, illegal holding of certain keys and even more illegal use of those keys, I think. Just to start off with."
Flamebrand stared at him. Harry stared at him. Indigo rolled his eyes and said, in long suffering tones, "Just tell me how much Dumbledore's stolen would you?"
"823,543 galleons." said Flamebrand, getting the things necessary to claim a lordship out of his desk.
Indigo went silent, and remained that way until Harry had claimed the Potter lordship. Then he jumped to his feet, let lose a flow of truly fowl language before turning to Flamebrand and saying, very calmly, "Recover it, freeze Dumbledore out, send out the repo goblins, sue the Dursleys and find out who the hell managed those transactions. Now if you'll excuse me gentlemen, I'm going to get out of here before I blow something up."
"Indigo." said Harry, catching the blonds hands, "What is it about that particular number that pisses you off so much?"
"Significant numbers, Ari. 7 times itself 7 times. 7 is the loyalty number; that much is like declaring someone your puppet, and the magic behind it would make you their puppet. Even if it was stolen the compulsions would still be pretty major. He has to die, Ari, he has to fucking burn!"
"No. You're not allowed to kill him within the next 2 years. At least."
"Why not?!"
"Because I have considerable respect for your temper, and it will take you that long to start considering ways to kill him that won't get you locked up the second there's an investigation."
Indigo went still for a few moments, a strange blend of anger, recognition and irritation shining in his eyes. Then he gave a single curt nod.
"Fine, he has 2 years. But I will destroy him politically, I will make his life hell and I will seriously bugger up his career. Nothing will stop that, Ari, not even you."
"Very well." agreed Harry, releasing the blonds' hands. Indigo turned and stalked out.
Flamebrand sighed in relief. The boys' magic had been spiking wildly, making a threat to the wards, and with his departure the temperature returned to a comfortable level.
"He's not normally that bad." said Harry in faintly plaintive tones.
"I thought he showed remarkable self control." Flamebrand replied gravely, "Considering that his magic seemed to be intent on blowing up the entirety of Gringotts, Diagon Ally and probably a large chunk of muggle London as well. So the fact that he has merely disrupted the wards and raised the temperature to uncomfortable levels is something to be proud of."
Harry gave his account manager an interested look. "Goblins have a very different view of death, mayhem and wholesale destruction then humans do, don't they?"
"Obviously. Lord Malfoy would have made a very good goblin. Shall we continue?"
Harry settled down, wondering, not for the first time, when Indigo had taken his spot as the scariest, manic of questionable sanity around. And more importantly, how was he going to get the title back?
Next time: The Platform and Family