Diagon Alley was bursting with life and noise, as it was filled with witches and wizards of all ages wearing an assortment of cloaks and robes of all sizes and colour. The celebrations were in full swing, and it was a much deserved activity to the war-worn public.
Businesses were finally able to be open again, without fear of Death Eaters swarming the locale, doing damage and murdering citizens. Parents could finally take a much needed breath of fresh air, and let their restless children come out and play with each other again. Laughter and excitement was loud and clear in the air, as families rejoiced in their hard-earned freedom and safety.
Colourful streamers were magically swirling around, and there were spells of fireworks and vibrant sparks going off at every direction. Goblets were filled with Butterbeer, Fire Whiskey and Pumpkin Juice for the little ones, as they cheered for a new era of peace.
They all paid their respect to James and Lily Potter and the Saviour of their kind, Harry Potter.
Minerva McGonagall was walking towards Gringotts Wizarding Bank, to seek the aid of the Goblin Nation, unnoticed. She had to move quickly, and without drawing too much attention to herself, because if Albus Dumbledore got wind of her intentions, she would be toast. The old wizard would most likely Obliviate her on the spot, to remove and modify some of her memories. It was also a possibility that he would even discharge her from her position at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, thus she couldn't afford any mistakes.
This would have to be done swiftly, and immediately.
She walked up to the stairs of the imposing marble building, and took a deep breath to calm herself, before moving towards the goblins guarding the entrance. They nodded in her direction to let her know that she could move past them. They had the ability to see through Polyjuice Potion, and other identity modifications, which is how they earned their current job posts.
She entered through the bronze doors, and arrived at a small Entrance Hall, that had another set of doors, also guarded by goblins. These goblins looked slightly more dangerous than their previous colleagues did. Their gaze pierced through the witch's soul, and the taller one's eyes widened slightly, while his expression darkened, making him look positively vicious.
"Professor McGonagall..." He greeted her with a low rumbling voice. "Your business is very dangerous to undertake." He warned sharply, and her lips straightened into a tight thin line.
"Good evening." She said politely, a touch of ire present in her disposition. "I am aware of the nature of the situation, but it is necessary that these matters are taken care of as soon as possible." She pressed on.
Minerva was not surprised that the goblin was aware of her purpose, as even though it wasn't widely known in wizarding circles, the goblins at the Entrance Hall were well-versed in the goblin equivalent of Legilimency. It was another security measure that the Leader of their Nation had installed.
The goblins were a race of incredibly intelligent creatures, and it dumbfounded her how her kind treated them as inferior. She knew better. It was foolish that they thought the goblins were comfortable with that poorly arrangement, yet they were still trusted with their valuables and gold. She always believed it to be an unusual oddity of the Magical World.
"Very well." The dark skinned goblin nodded curtly. "I shall escort you to our Director. I am afraid no other goblin has permission to deal with these circumstances." He rumbled, and gave some instructions to his companion, who nodded, and pulled out a most curious little gadget, which he used to summon a replacement.
Once they moved from the entryway towards the Main Hall, the atmosphere changed. The marble walls encased several dozen bronze coloured counters, where witches and wizards could bring their business to. There were hundreds of goblin tellers working on this level of the establishment, even at this late hour, when barely anyone visited, after all they had more obligations, than simply assisting with withdrawals and exchanging money.
The stern witch was led to a small silver door, that was invisible if you weren't specifically looking for it. Her goblin guide reached out his hand, and waved his elongated fingers in a complex pattern, while mumbling an ancient non-verbal spell inside his mind.
The door shimmered transparent, before solidifying itself, and they were allowed entry. Two goblins appeared by their side, their eyes slanted and sharp, their ears pointed and leaning backwards. They were wearing delicately worked silver armour, with swords strapped on their substantial waists.
"Eanraig, Eban." He nodded to them. "We need to see The Director, it's rather important." He explained, and they stared at him and the witch for a few seconds, before leading them through a narrow corridor, and down a few levels, towards another invisible door.
This time, the both of them had to prick their fingers with a delicate ivory knife, to work the blood magic that was woven into the material of the door for it to become visible. The gate was a striking golden colour, with ornaments carved into the sides, laced with strange symbols that were a mystery to the Hogwarts Professor.
Eban and Eanraig stood back and waited patiently. They did not have access to The Director's office, but whenever the entryway was revealed, he was notified. Soon enough, a rather intimidating goblin adorned in the highest quality clothing appeared.
"I am Ragnok, The Director of our Nation." He introduced himself, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the aged witch, who was visibly taken aback by his presence.
It was unprecedented that someone from the Wizarding World would meet with such an important influence among the goblins. Minerva felt humbled and slightly overwhelmed by the prospect, her hands trembling under the cover of the long sleeves of her robes.
"A pleasure to meet you, Director. I am Professor Minerva McGonagall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." She eventually spoke, and after steeling herself, she continued. "I've come to seek your aid and guidance on a matter of utmost importance."
"Please come inside, and let us sit and discuss what ails you." Ragnok gestured for them to follow him, and walked towards his desk, sitting behind it.
McGonagall slowly walked inside the office, and her jaw dropped from shock and wonder. The room was a breathtaking sight of intricate décor and expensive taste. While the outer rooms of the building were carved from marble, this room was carved from granite, giving the space a presence of power. The walls were dressed up with works of art, and to her surprise, the pieces weren't only of goblin origin, but also non-magical.
She didn't have time to wonder about that however, because the goblin guide tapped her back to break her stupor, and urged her to sit down. She gracefully lowered herself on a dragon-hide arm-chair and faced The Director.
"I have come to ask for your help with the placement of Harry Potter." She said in quiet respect, and with that, it was like she sucked all the air out from the spacious room. The large goblin looked at her with icy eyes, his whole demeanor changing from somewhat relaxed to guarded.
"We do not have influence over Wizarding matters, Professor." He said with steel in his deep drawl. "We are not in charge of the placement of Magical Infants, nor do we wish to meddle in such that could spark another war between our kinds." He added, alluding to the Goblin Rebellion in 1612.
Minerva sucked in a breath, and pressed on, her resolve unwaivering, knowing that the child's life depended on the help of the goblins, otherwise she did not know what else she could try to save him from the fate Albus planned to force on him.
"I understand that, and I do not wish to tear up any old wounds, or inspire a new conflict." She nodded curtly. "However, I feel as though the Headmaster – Albus meddlesome is his middle name Dumbledore – had taken an unhealthy interest in the child, and I would like to prevent any other tragedies happening to him. It was more than enough that he lost his parents... To be stuck with an Uncle and an Aunt that clearly detest anything out of the ordinary, would doom young Mr. Potter to a life of hardship and possibly abuse, and that is something that no innocent child deserves." She began, looking the goblin straight in the eyes, watching as his expression darkened. "I know for a fact that the relationship between Lily Potter and her sister was estranged. There is no way that she would have allowed that woman to take care of her son, which is why I have come to you with a suggestion. I am aware that the Potters drafted a will before they went into hiding, and I would like to ask you to read it." She finished, her hands shaking from nerves.
"Unfortunately, unless Lord and Lady Potter filed their will with Gringotts, rather than the Ministry of Magic, my hands are tied." He said, and pulled out a golden contraption, speaking into it in a language that was foreign to the Professor. "I summoned the Head of the Potter Accounts to come over, to find out if we have any sort of legal ground over Harry Potter. If we do, you have my word that we will take the child into our custody, until the will can be read to the appropriate bodies." He promised, and stood up to let the short goblin in.
"Griphook! This is Professor McGonagall of Hogwarts, and she brought the matter of Harry Potter to our attention. You are the Head of the Potter Accounts, so we have a question for you." He said, and the tiny creature nodded, looking at his superior patiently. "Did you acquire the will of James and Lily Potter, or did it go to opposite channels?" He inquired.
"It's an honour to be in your presence, Director Ragnok!" Griphook bowed politely. "Yes, Lord and Lady Potter had indeed handed me a copy of their will. I remember they instructed me not to give it to anyone from the Ministry. In fact, I just had someone ask about the Potter will a few minutes ago, and they were incredibly angry when I refused to cooperate." He grinned menacingly.
Ragnok's eyebrows went up to his hairline. "Really? Did you catch this individual's name?" He asked in a hushed tone of urgency.
Griphook nodded. "It was Albus Dumbledore."
Minerva's features hardened at hearing that Albus was attempting to meddle with matters that had absolutely nothing to do with him, and she was even more certain now that her judgment of the situation was right. How dare the Headmaster poke his crooked nose into matters that did not concern him? She was shaking with anger, and the goblins looked to her direction with interest.
"Albus Dumbledore has no right to meddle in Harry Potter's life!" She gritted between her teeth. "Please see to it that the will is read to the appropriate bodies. I know that my job was merely to alert you, as I do not have a right to become involved any further either." She stood up.
"Now that I am aware the will is in our hands, you have my word we will take care of this." The Director promised to her. He did not care about witches and wizards, but his regard for this particular witch grew a bit. "We will notify you, if you are mentioned in the will. We will also send word that young Harry Potter is in safe hands, after we dealt with the situation at hand. Thank you for your persistent determination in seeing to a small child's fate." He said, and dismissed the guide and the witch, turning to the warriors that remained.
"Eban, Eanraig!" He called out. "Take a few warriors with you, and go at once to take Harry Potter into our protective custody!" He ordered them.
The goblin guards marched off to do their duty with honour, leaving The Director and the Head of the Potter Accounts alone in the imposing goblin's office, and they had much to discuss.
A/N: I invented some goblins for the purpose of this story, and I would like to share their names and jobs with you below:
Eanraig and Eban: They are Goblin Warriors, and kin of one another. Eban is an almost black goblin, while Eanraig has lighter skin, however he is more ruthless.
Master Sharpspin: He is a highly regarded Master Swordsman. The Nation's most skilled warrior. Studying under him is an honour. He is Eanraig's and Ebans father.
Master Goldmind: He is the eldest, and wisest goblin Scholar in the Goblin Nation. He pretty much knows everything about magic, goblin, or otherwise. The Director and The Leader often seeks his wisdom.
Healer Zaire: He is a goblin Healer, with an affinity in goblin elemental magic, which he uses towards his advantage.
And of course Ragnok and Griphook are goblins invented by J. K. Rowling, however their jobs are not the same. Ragnok is The Director and Griphook is the Head of the Potter Accounts.
Also I would like to thank you for the overwhelming amount of favourites and follows, I was stunned! I hope you will enjoy this chapter! It was a bit intimidating to live up to the reaction to the first chapter, but I hope I did it justice.
