Walking into Gringotts in the middle of the night was a strange feeling. Even at that hour of the night, Diagon Alley was busy, with witches and wizards creeping about. The only real difference was that at night, the Dark families ruled. Seeing Death-Eaters walking about brazenly was disconcerting, but Harry forced his attention back to Hermione and the Bank.
Inside they approached the teller at the far end of the room.
"Yes?" The goblin grunted.
Harry decided a bit of tact was called for and so he dragged out the charm that only ever got used on Madame Pomfrey.
"Good evening, goblin of Gringotts." He said respectfully. "My companion and I require assistance with an inheritance related issue."
The goblin raised it's head and looked at the couple.
"Inheritance related?" It said.
"Yes, master teller… and if possible, we would prefer to discuss the matter further in a more private situation."
"Private." The goblin stated.
"Yes, we have been travelling and find ourselves surrounded by witches and wizards we do not know. We would prefer to resolve the issue without an audience." Harry added.
The goblin looked at them, again. It could see through the charms used to alter their appearance, even if another witch or wizard could not. To see Harry Potter enter Gringotts, when he'd been declared Undesirable Number 1, by the human's Ministry of Magic, was amusing. But goblins had never concerned themselves with the affairs of humans, before.
Gesturing with a hand, the goblin called a younger goblin over.
"Ricbert? Take these humans to Gornuk's office."
A younger goblin approached them and gestured.
"This way, please." The young goblin said and walked off, heading for a door that lead to an elegant hallway.
Three turns later and Harry wasn't all that sure he knew how to get back to the main foyer, anymore. But it didn't seem to matter, as Ricbert came to a halt in from of a door marked 'Gornuk – Inheritances'. The goblin told them to sit on chairs beside the door and after watching them do so, it knocked on the door and disappeared through it, when called. A few seconds later and it emerged.
"Gornuk will see you, now." It said. "Go on in."
"Thank you." Harry said as he stood.
The young goblin nodded it's acknowledgement and left.
"Harry?" Hermione asked.
"Can't hurt to be polite, can it?"
"No." She shook her head.
With a slightly mocking bow, Harry gestured for her to enter the room first. At her heels, he followed and gently guided her to a chair opposite the goblin, who Harry hoped was Gornuk.
"Please remove your glamours. Such things are not permitted within Gringotts bank." The goblin stated.
"Certainly, goblin Gornuk." Harry looked at Hermione. "Ready?" He asked.
"Yes."
"Incantatum finite." He waved his wand, firstly towards Hermione and then at himself.
It only took a few seconds for the charms to be broken, letting them both revert to their normal appearance.
"Thank you, Mr Potter. Now, Ricbert mentioned inheritances?"
"Yes, goblin Gornuk. We…" Harry paused, he looked at Hermione and she smiled encouragingly. "Inheritances are… a part of it… but only a part of it. Master goblin, I want Harry Potter to die."
The goblin's eyes widened slightly, this wasn't what he anticipated.
"Why do you want to die, Mr Potter."
"Ah… no. I don't want to die. I just want Harry Potter to die. Once the 'Saviour', the Boy-Who-Lived is dead, I can live a life without people wanting to kill me for something I didn't do."
"Something you didn't do? Whatever do you mean?"
"Master goblin, how is a baby supposed to defeat a highly trained and very powerful, adult wizard. At fifteen months, I may have been walking and perhaps talking, but I certainly wasn't capable of the most basic of deliberate magic, let alone any offensive charms or curses."
The goblin sat back and hummed in thought. Why had no one considered this before? Why had everyone just assumed that because the child lived it must be the one to defeat the aggressor?
"So… You want Harry Potter to die… and you want Gringotts to do it?"
"Oh, no." Hermione said. "We only want Gringotts to help us do it."
"Help? In what way?"
Hermione reached into her little beaded bag and pulled out the roll of parchment that they'd made their notes on.
"We've broken it down like this…" she began.
Three hours and four goblins later, Harry and Hermione laid out their rough plan for the director of Gringotts London branch, Ragnok the second, in his office.
"Such a plan will take a great deal of work to bring to fruition, Miss Granger. But… I agree. Gringotts will assist you, but only assist you. You, the two of you, will work this out, we will provide advice and assistance only when it pertains to titles, vaults and assets being held in trust by Gringotts, in exchange for ⅔ of the goblin-made items found in the Black and Potter vaults."
Harry sighed.
"Thank you, Director. That's exactly what we were hoping for. As we told Gornuk, we don't want you to do it for us, only to help us."
"Good, because help's all you're going to get. Now, as you said… First step is knowing what you have to work with. For that, I agree, you must have an inheritance test done. Bogrod? I want the required ingredients and implements for both identification and inheritance tests brought to me." The director spoke to a smaller goblin who stood near the door, that goblin bowing and leaving the room. "I can tell you that Sirius Black's Will has not changed since he was made your Godfather. That Will stated that he left everything he owned or inherited, to you. This includes items and titles that he did not claim for himself and did not intend to claim. Due to his lack of trial, Sirius Black was still considered the Heir of House Black at the time of his death. That means, Mr Potter, that you can claim the title of Lord Black, this would give you rights over all Black family members and control over the vaults of those who have been convicted of crimes."
Ragnok paused and studied the two humans.
"Mr Potter, I am going to assume that you are aware of the fact that you carry two items of extremely Dark magic on your person."
"Two? No, only one." Harry corrected.
"Two, Mr Potter. If I may, I would have one of our healers scan you. I hope I am wrong, but I believe that one of these items is currently, either masquerading as, or is infecting your, very famous scar."
"What?" Harry gasped.
"Harry?" Hermione inhaled sharply, before turning to Ragnok. "Would that create a link between Harry and Vol-"
"Stop!" Ragnok cut in sharply. "His name is taboo. His followers are able to use it to track those that say it. And yes, Miss Granger, it would."
"And removing it?"
"Complicated but not difficult. And yes, it would cut the link." Ragnok answered the question before Hermione could ask it.
"What about parseltongue? Is there any way to know if I got that from him, or whether I was always going to have it."
"Yes and no. Yes, if we encapsulate the scar and it's contents, this will allow you to know if you will continue to be a parselmouth after the removal. But no, it will not tell us if he gave you the ability or whether it was already there. An inheritance test may, may, indicate that you come from a bloodline that carries the ability."
"Okay… if I keep the ability to speak parseltongue and adopt myself into another Bloodline, what are the chances of that deleting the ability?"
"Zero. Adopting into another Bloodline does not remove from what you are and have now, instead it adds to it."
"Right…" Harry thought for few seconds. "Can we try blocking it, I want to know if I'll still be a parselmouth, as that could change lots of things we were planning."
"Of course, Mr Potter. Blordak, call for healer Metlav." Ragnok ordered. "Back to Harry Potter and his Will. I have a fair idea of the Potter and Black estates, so we can move ahead on those and finalise the details as we progress. Agreed? Very well. Sirius Black did not, at the time of his death, return Andromeda or Nymphadora Tonks to the House of Black. I would advise doing so, both for Andromeda and her daughter, Nymphadora."
"Agreed." Said Harry. "Also… Andromeda? She was cut out of the family when she married Mr Tonks, so she never got her dowry. I want to give that back to her. And set aside one for Tonks, I mean, Nymphadora. Plus a small gift. Maybe some ʛalleons? Jewellery? Both?"
"Certainly. Once we have more details on the contents of the Black vaults, you can inspect the jewellery and decide on items." Ragnok make notes as he spoke. "You did say you were working in alphabetical order? So… Draco Malfoy would be next?"
"Yes, Draco. First I want to have a letter for the Wizengamot, something that implies a lot without saying much, I want them to think that Draco, and Severus Snape, were spying for Dumbledore and I, but that's to be separate from the Will. I want to leave him a vault and a home. Somewhere he can get away from his parents, his father in particular."
"Hmm…" Ragnok hummed. "There are currently only two Black family properties, all others have been disposed of. They are Black Manor, East Lothian, Scotland and Grimmauld Place, Wandsworth, London. As you stated that you plan to leave one to Draco and the other to Remus Lupin, husband of Nyphmadora, I suggest, that as Andromeda has a house in eastern Wales, you leave Lupin the house in London."
"So, Black Manor for Draco?"
"So I suggest, yes." Ragnok reaffirmed.
"Right. A vault and Black Manor… but I want him to have to live there for… two years? At least one. Can I do that?" Harry asked.
"Of course. How large a vault, Mr Potter?"
"Ah… Hermione? Help?"
"It depends on how much liquid assets, the Black estate has access to, director." The witch put forward.
"Ah… The available sum is over a million ʛalleons, Miss Granger."
Both Harry and Hermione blinked in shock.
"A million ʛalleons?" Harry gasped.
"Available ʛalleons, this does not include vacant land, commercial buildings or shares in existing businesses."
"Oh, hell." Harry groaned. "We're going to be here for days."
"I would think so, Mr Potter, but not all of it will be used on the Black and Potter estates. I would say that most of your time here, will be spent, physically, in the vaults."
"Oh."
"Oh, Harry. Don't worry about it. One step at a time. Okay?" Hermione took his hand and squeezed gently. Harry smiled in response. "Right. So we have plenty of cash to play with. So… Draco gets Black Manor and a vault… Ragnok, does Harry have to state in the Will how much is in the vault?"
"No, Miss Granger, he doesn't. He is only required to give the vault number."
"Right." Harry cut in. "Draco's vault will have ʛ100,000. He will also get a copy of a statement that Hermione and I will write that goes to the Wizengamot. The original does, I mean."
"Gringotts will see that copies are sent where you require." Ragnok reminded them. "Next is Nymphadora Tonks."
"Yes. For Tonks, I want to return her to House Black, provide a dowry vault, a personal vault and two pieces of jewellery. Of her choice."
"Quite acceptable, Mr Potter. Will you be nominating an amount?
"Yes, but not yet, not for most of them, just yet."
"As you wish. Next would be… Remus Lupin."
Harry thought quietly, he wanted Remus to have something from Sirius, too.
"Remus is to get Grimmauld Place and a vault." He started. "Then there's Teddy, Theodore. Teddy gets a trust vault and the Head of House title."
"The child? Not Lupin senior?"
"No. Remus has no Black blood, Teddy does."
"Ah. Of course, he's Nymphadora's son and Andromeda's grandson. My apologies, that slipped my mind for moment." Ragnok dipped his head.
"No problems. Now before the vaults are allocated… I want all the Marauder, or prank related items, trunks and books removed, from all vaults, Black and Potter alike. I will want all items, furniture and portraits included, removed from Grimmauld Place and Black Manor and assessed. All items, regardless of the vault or building, that are cursed, are to be removed and held separate, if the curse can be lifted or broken, the item can be returned to the appropriate vault, once the curse is dealt with. If it can't, then it's to be destroyed. All Black family portraits are to be gathered into a single vault, the same with the jewellery, with books, with furniture and with artefacts. Wands are to be included in the artefact vault." Harry frowned briefly. "I want this to happen to the Potter estate, too. And when we finally get around to the non-Potter, non-Black estates, the same will happen there."
"Harry?"
"Yes, Hermione?"
"The books? Can I…?"
"Oh, yes, of course. Sorry, I forgot. All books in the Black and Potter estates are to be copied and held for Hermione."
The goblin blinked.
"Very well, Mr Potter…. Ah, here is Bogrod back." Ragnok waved Bogrod in and pointed him at the second desk in the room. "Bogrod, set it up over there and alert me when you're ready for Mr Potter." He turned back to Harry. "By the time Bogrod is finished, healer Metlav should be here."
"Thank you, Ragnok."
The director just nodded.
"To the Potter estate?"
"Yes, please. First are the Weasley's. Now while I don't particularly want to leave anything to some of them, no one outside this room is aware of that, so…"
"So you leave them enough to satisfy their grasping nature without leaving them what they could have had, if they hadn't threatened you?" Ragnok commented.
"Precisely." Hermione grinned.
"Very well, let's begin… ah, no, we shall not. Bogrod is ready." Ragnok corrected himself.
Harry stood and joined Bogrod at the second desk.
"Please cut a finger and allow seven drops of blood to fall in each bowl." The young goblin said as he continued to mix powders in two different sized mortars.
Harry cut his left thumb, letting blood drop into both bowls, when the requisite number were completed, he popped his thumb into his mouth and sucked to ease the sting, before tapping the cut with his wand. Bogrod carefully tipped the contents of one mortar into each bowl, setting a rod to stir as he went. When each bowl was thoroughly mixed, Bogrod added the paste to a phial of black liquid, that Harry assumed was ink. Then each phial was shaken before being emptied out into a flat tray, holding a piece of parchment.
The parchment began to soak up the liquid, going dark grey initially before fading back to it's original creamy colour.
"Thank you, Mr Potter, it will take approximately 45 minutes for the parchment to be complete. I'm sure that director Ragnok can assist you at that point." Bogrod bowed to the director and left, again.
As he began to close the door, he paused.
"Sir? Healer Metlav is here."
"Good. Send her in."
A dainty she-goblin entered the room and bowed to the director.
"Director Ragnok. You sent for me?" Her voice was silky smooth.
"Yes, Healer Metlav. I have reason to suspect that Mr Potter here has a Dark item, either embedded in, or infecting his scar. I would like you to scan it and confirm or deny, my suspicions."
"Of course, director. Mr Potter, if I may?" She held up what looked like a long tongue depressor. "I need to touch this to the scar."
"Alright." Harry reached out a hand to Hermione, as the goblin approached.
The goblin's action were slow and clear, she was letting him see everything she was doing, before she actually made contact. The depressor itself touched his forehead as well as his scar. Metlav stepped back and sat beside Ragnok.
"Well?" He asked.
The healer studied the depressor and sighed.
"Well, you were right, but it's not just a Dark item, Ragnok. It the Darkest of items… a Horcruxe."
"Oh, God, Harry." Hermione gasped.
"Yeah, I kinda been wondering about that. I'd begun to think it might be." Harry said, quietly.
"Do you know whose it is?" The healer asked.
"Yeah." Harry sighed.
"And…?" The healer asked.
"Well, it's his, isn't it? Who else's could it possibly be?"
Both goblins sagged.
"Right, then. Does he know?" Ragnok asked.
"Given how many times he's tried to kill me, in the last six years? I seriously doubt it." Harry muttered.
Hermione smothered a nearly hysterical giggle.
"Right, of course not." The director sighed. "Mr Potter? You? You are turning out to be one very complicated customer. Metlav? What can we do about this?"
"Well... the most obvious solution is to destroy it."
"And how do you propose to do that?" Hermione asked.
"A Horcruxe is dependent on it's container, it cannot maintain itself without it's containter. Destroy the container, destroy the Horcruxe. I will grant you, that they do try to fight back, but if held within a containment shield, they cannot affect anything outside that containment. Basilisk venom is the most effective substance, followed closely by fiendfyre."
"Hmm… so if we have a second item? Or if there was one in a Gringotts vault? Pour basilisk venom on it? And it's destroyed?" Hermione asked, thinking hard.
"Gringotts? Are you accusing us of housing one of those foul things in a Gringotts vault?!" The director rose to his feet.
"We believe so, director Ragnok. Our research indicated that Bellatrix Lestrange was given one to put in her vault." Harry answered.
"Blordak!" Ragnok screamed. When the young goblin flung the door open, Ragnok continued. "Go to Bellatrix Lestrange's vault, search it, top to bottom." He paused and turned to Harry. "Do you know what it is?"
"We believe it to be a cup belonging to Helga Hufflepuff, sir."
"You heard him, find it bring it here. Go!" Ragnok yelled. He fell back into his seat and groaned. "Potter… I don't know whether to thank you or curse you."
"Thank me, director. If it had stayed there, Vold- Voldy would not die. And you know as well as I that eventually he would turn his attentions to Gringotts. You don't want that, do you?"
"No… do you have any idea how many of the things he made?"
Hermione sat up and pulled another piece of parchment from her bag.
"Yes, sir. We believed there were five, all up. Harry destroyed one, a diary. Professor Dumbledore destroyed a second, a ring. We have a third, a locket. You have a fourth, the cup. We think there's another at Hogwarts, but-"
"There is a way to tell, director." The healer cut in.
"What? How?" Hermione asked, ever curious.
"There's a potion, if poured over a Horcruxe, that is in turn over a piece of parchment, it will show other items that carry shards from the same shared soul. I can make it you like, director, it will take a few hours to brew, though."
"Do it, please." Ragnok sighed.
Harry and Hermione looked at each other.
"Well, director? You're getting a first-hand look at what life is like for the Boy-Who-Lived and a clear example of why I want out." Harry said resignedly.
incantatum finite = end incantation(spell)