July 2nd 1997

The next morning, when Hermione stumbled downstairs, she was still half asleep and, as a result, it was only the hand that caught her under the arm that kept her from literally stumbling down stairs.

Blinking tiredly, she looked up to see Harry's grinning face, clearly in a far better mood than he had any right to be at this sort of time in the morning.

"Say it with me," he said cheekily. "Ban-is-ter."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I feel I should inform you, Harry, that I am bloody exhausted."

"What happened?" Harry asked, his humour evaporating.

"Nightmare." Hermione answered. "Draco's, that is. It woke me up, I couldn't wake him up. Ginny ended up sitting with him."

"Ginny?" Harry repeated. "She's not here."

"Well, she is now." Hermione said with a shrug, pushing open the dining room door. "Appeared out of thin air."

"Who did?" Addie asked, helping herself to porridge. "Morning."

"Good morning." Hermione greeted. "Ginny appeared last night. Like she apparated, but without the noise."

Addie looked thoughtful. "Well, I've never heard of anything like that, but I only caught the beginning of Jen and Remus's bond. Ask them when they get here. Cup of coffee?"

"Oh, yes please." Hermione said, accepting it gratefully. "I've got to wake up before I go to Gringotts."

"Just be careful." Addie warned. "Goblins can be tricky."

Hermione hummed in vague agreement, raising a hand in greeting as Remus, Jen and Sirius joined them, the latter dropping a kiss on her head as he passed.

"Morning." Jen said with a yawn, falling into the chair beside Addie.

"Morning all." Ginny greeted, appearing in the doorway with Draco.

Her appearance seemed to wake Jen a bit more and she smiled. "Do I want to know?"

"No." Ginny answered. "But I do. Draco had a nightmare last night and pulled me here. Did that ever happen with you two?"

Jen nodded. "Yes, it's part of the link. Sorry, I should have warned you. Are you feeling alright this morning, Draco?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Draco assured her.

"Ginny?" Jen asked. "Any ill-effects?"

Ginny frowned. "No, should there be?"

"Not usually." Remus answered. "But you were pulled through some pretty intense wards."

"Well, I seem fine." Ginny said with a shrug. "What's the plan for today?"

"Well, I was going to find out if there was any way for Harry and Draco to visit Gringotts without walking though Diagon Alley." Jen said. "But I think I should probably start on convincing your mum to let you and Ron stay with us."

"Dad." Ginny advised. "Go with Dad."

"I can talk to the goblins about that." Hermione offered. "I'm already going in to claim my inheritance, I can ask."

Jen didn't look convinced, but Addie nodded. "That's probably a good idea, Selena. Lady Rowena said that she had a 'rapport' with the goblins, right? Hermione may be best placed to ask."

Jen sighed. "Alright. While you're at it, mention the Horcruxes – don't mention the Lestrange vault unless it's going well, alright?"

Hermione decided not to mention that that went without saying.


Once again, Hermione found herself standing outside Gringotts Wizarding Bank, slightly concerned that she was about to provoke one of the blood-thirstiest races in the wizarding world.

Then again, retrieving Sirius's wand from his vault (was that really only two years ago?) had been easier than she had expected, so maybe this would be the same.

And lingering too long in the open space of Diagon Alley was no longer as safe as it used to be.

Squaring her shoulders, she strode into the bank, telling herself over and over again that she had every right to be there, and over to one of the tellers.

She waited for a few seconds, then, when she was not acknowledged, cleared her throat. "Good morning. I'd like to speak with my account manager." Then, realising belatedly that she might not have an account: "Or open an account."

"Name?" The goblin grunted.

"Hermione Granger-Black." Hermione responded.

The goblin looked up at this, peering a little suspiciously at her.

"I was blood-adopted though Gringotts when I was a baby." Hermione elaborated.

"Very well." The goblin said, not looking any more convinced. He pushed a small wooden box towards her. "Place your thumb in the indentation on the top."

Hermione did as she was told, unsurprised by the small prick on her skin. After all, in the years before Jen had claimed Ladyship by proxy, there were probably a lot of witches and wizards who claimed to have Black blood, just to get their hands on the family fortune.

A small piece of parchment appeared on the desk, and the goblin picked it up.

He read it several times, his eyes widening with each pass, and then he seized the arm of the goblin beside him, whispering something in his ear. The next goblin did the same to the one next to him, and Hermione watched the unknown news travel around the room until every non-human eye was on her.

Drawing more attention to herself was the last thing she wanted to do, but she had come this far. "Is there something wrong?"

The goblin hurried out from behind the counter and gave her a very low bow. "My Lady." He snapped his fingers, and several more goblins hurried over and escorted her out of the lobby and down another corridor.

With every step, Hermione felt her heart rate increase. What kind of rapport had her great-grandmother been talking about?

The door at the end of the office opened and she was ushered into a richly decorated office, where another goblin got to his feet and bowed to her. "Lady Ravenclaw, it is an honour."

"Thank you." Hermione said with a curtsey. "May I enquire as to whom I am speaking?"

"Of course, of course." The goblin gestured to a chair and she took a seat. "My name is Ragnok, I am the leader of the goblin nation."

For a split second, Hermione's blood froze in her veins. This is either really, really good. Or really, really bad. "Forgive me, sir, but I was under the impression that you only met with bank customers … well … that you never meet with bank customers."

Ragnok gave her a fierce look that she only knew from Sirius as a goblin smile. "You are correct, Lady Ravenclaw, but you would not have come into your inheritance were you not worthy of the exalted position inherited from your grandmother, the Lady Rowena."

It felt a little as though the room was spinning around her. This must have shown on her face, because Ragnok waved his hand with another goblin smile, and a glass half-full of amber liquid appeared on his desk. "Firewhisky, my Lady?"

Under normal circumstances, Hermione would have politely declined, but today, she picked up the glass and took a sip, the fiery taste burning through her shock. "Thank you. Now please excuse my ignorance, sir, but my mother turned her back on the magical world and I know very little about Lady Rowena. I knew I was descended from her, but I had not heard of any … position relating to the goblins."

"Unfortunately, Lady Ravenclaw, goblins are not renowned for epic tales apart from those of battle." Ragnok said with a slight bow. "As such, I know only what my father told me. He knew what his father told him, and so on. From what I gather, at the time Hogwarts was founded, goblins were little more than slaves of wizards. It was Lady Rowena who helped us to establish the great nation we are proud of today."

"But I thought the goblin nation fought for their own independence." Hermione said carefully.

"Oh, we did." Ragnok said, with a fierce grin. "But that was only possible with an army. An army was only possible with a nation. Lady Rowena was a kind of … exalted adviser, and a great friend of the Goblin Nation. Originally she intended to pass that position on to her daughters, but after her eldest daughter, the Lady Helena, ran away, she decided to place a spell on her lineage. Only when an heir worthy of our trust and loyalty was born would we be alerted. Because Lady Rowena only had daughters, the Ravenclaw name disappeared and we eventually lost track of her descendants. Until yourself. You are the direct descendant of Lady Maura Ravenclaw, her younger daughter."

Hermione gazed into her glass, her reflection distorted in the amber liquid, then set it down on the desk. "Is there any chance of a cup of tea?"

"Certainly, my Lady!" Ragnok responded with a cheerful wave of his hand, and a cup and saucer appeared in the air in front of her.

Hermione took it gratefully, feeling the comforting warmth slide down her throat and calm her far more than the alcohol had. "So … what happens now?"

"Well, I must admit that I have never been in this situation myself." Ragnok said, a little apologetically. "What I propose is … an exchange. Certainly, I am happy to consider you a Friend of the Goblin Nation, and I would ask that, once you are at an age at which you are capable of doing so, you aid us in dealing with the Ministry. In exchange, anything you request, within reason, will be granted."

"That doesn't seem like a fair exchange." Hermione commented, frowning. "I mean, I would have fought for you anyway, it's the right thing to do, and you shouldn't be treated as second-class citizens just because you're not human. So it feels like I'm getting special treatment in exchange for being a decent person."

Ragnok inclined his head towards her. "A decent person who has more decency than most of the decent people that walk into this bank, Lady Ravenclaw. Your grandmother has chosen well."

Hermione turned a little red. "Please, sir, call me Hermione. I'm not used to being called 'Lady' yet."

"Certainly, Hermione." Ragnok said, clasping his hands on the desk. "Now, I am certain you did not come to Gringotts today to discuss your family history."

"Yes, there are a few things actually." Hermione admitted. "I did come to claim the Ravenclaw line, although you're right – I wasn't expecting this. I have some friends, though – Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. They both need to visit Gringotts, but they're also both in danger if they walk down Diagon Alley."

"I see." Ragnok was silent for a few minutes, looking thoughtful, and Hermione drank her tea. "Is there anything else?" He asked finally. "Before I answer that?"

"Yes," Hermione said slowly, setting her cup down. "Lord Voldemort has created Horcruxes."

Ragnok's eyes widened and an expression that could only be revulsion crossed his face. "He's done what?"

"He's created Horcruxes." Hermione repeated.

"You are certain." Ragnok said softly.

Hermione nodded. "Very. Lady Black has managed to find two of them. And Harry destroyed one in second year – a diary, it possessed a first year student into opening the Chamber of Secrets."

Ragnok pressed a button on his desk, activating an intercom. "Griphook, I want you to get me a list of all Tom Riddle's financial transactions and investments." Releasing the button, he looked at Hermione. "Lady Ravenclaw, on behalf of the Goblin Nation, I offer my apology for staying neutral in this war for so long. While we cannot touch the vaults of his main investors based on this evidence, we can at least freeze his assets."

"I shouldn't think he has many." Hermione said, smiling widely. "But that's more than I could have hoped for, thank you. The reason I mentioned them, however, is that we know the diary was destroyed and we have a locket belonging to Salazar Slytherin and a ring belonging to Marvolo Gaunt. Regulus Black believed that he had two others, and we think that he may have made his snake into one when he returned. The other two items, however, are a mystery." She took a deep breath. "I was wondering if it would be possible to search known Death Eaters' vaults for either of them. If we destroy the item inside the vault, then it's not stealing, is it?"

The grin that graced Ragnok's face could only be described as feral. "An excellent idea, Hermione, and a request I am happy to grant. I will accompany you. As to your other request …" he pulled a box from the lower drawer of his desk and presented it to her, opening it to reveal a beautiful pendant. "This belonged to Lady Rowena, and she used it to portkey directly into and out of this office. You are the only one who can wear and use it, but you can transport as many people as you like with you."

Reverently, Hermione lifted the pendant from the box, holding it up to the light. The Ravenclaw coat of arms shone, with the eagle almost seeming to move. Underneath, engraved words proclaimed that wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure.

Still, Hermione didn't move to put the pendant around her neck. "Am I safe in assuming that this hasn't left its box since my great-grandmother's passing?"

Ragnok looked puzzled. "Yes, you are."

"We know he turned Slytherin's locket and we have strong reason to believe that he used a cup belonging to Helga Hufflepuff." Hermione explained. "It's not unreasonable to assume he used something of my grandmother's."

"I see." Ragnok said. "The only other artefact owned by Rowena Ravenclaw, other than that pendant, was her diadem, which was rumoured to impart great wisdom. The Lady Helena took it with her when she ran away and it hasn't been seen since. However, I can assure you that it is absolutely impossible for that pendant to have been infected by a Horcrux."

"Thank you." Hermione said, her mind racing. They'd need to find out where Helena went when she ran away. Maybe that would give them a hint as to where the diadem was. "What's the activation code for the portkey?"

"A circle has no beginning." Ragnok answered. "It's longer than most activation phrases, but Lady Rowena felt it was apt for some reason."

"Thank you." Hermione repeated, slipping the pendant over her head, feeling it rest beneath her robes, just where her scar began. She stood and bowed to the goblin leader. "I'll be back in a few minutes." She said, thinking of Potter Manor. "A circle has no beginning."

The transportation was nothing like Hermione had ever experienced. She wasn't spun around madly like a floo journey. She wasn't squeezed through a tiny space like apparition. There was no almighty tug behind her navel like an ordinary portkey.

The closest sensation she could think of was the journey between the enchanted rock and the entrance hall at Ravenscroft Manor.

All this took her the journey time to realise, which was about a second, but it took her even less time to realise she had wands aimed at her face.

Her first instinct was to panic.

Then she took the time to observe the faces behind the wands and realised that the portkey had taken her, not to the ward boundary, but straight into the living room, where the others had gathered. "Relax, it's me."

Several wands lowered, but the others never even wavered.

"Why won't you show me the scar Dolohov gave you?" Harry asked.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Because it's located in a rather compromising place."

"Okay then." Harry said, lowering his wand.

The others followed suit, Jen giving Harry a proud smile. "Good boy."

"Hermione, how did you get through the wards?" Addie asked. "Come to think of it, how did you get here in general?"

Hermione pulled the pendant out from under her robes, but quickly realised that no one could see it. Carefully, she lifted it over her head and handed it to Jen for her to examine.

Jen sat down, shaking her head. "I've never seen anything like this. Goblin-made, human-embellished, as much magical protection as both could throw at it. Did you find this in the Ravenclaw vault?"

"Didn't even need to visit it." Hermione admitted. "Apparently, when Grandmother said that she had a 'rapport' with the goblins, what she meant was she was a Friend of the Goblin Nation and I would inherit that." She shrugged. "It's a long story, I'll explain later. Does anyone other than Harry and Draco need to visit Gringotts?"

"I do." Addie answered, slipping on a cloak. "I need to discuss the McKinnon accounts at some point, may as well be now."

"Jen, could you come with me please?" Harry asked. "Just in case?"

"Yes, of course, pumpkin." Jen said, handing the pendant back to Hermione.

Hermione slipped the pendant back on again, before holding her hands out. "Hold on."

Harry took her right hand and Draco her left, while Jen and Addie settled a hand on each of her shoulders.

"Ginny." Draco said quietly.

Their eyes locked and they seemed to hold a private conversation for a few minutes – and, Hermione reminded herself, they probably were – before Ginny took hold of Hermione's elbow and nodded.

"A circle has no beginning." Hermione murmured under her breath and, with the same strange sensation as last time, they found themselves standing in Ragnok's office.