The Battle of Gringotts Meeting Room 6
Before they were due to set off for London, Harry noticed something odd about Pomfrey at breakfast and he waited until they had returned to their shared room to talk with his friends.
"What do you mean we got you out of the hospital wing as quick as possible?" blinked Hannah.
"You and Susan suddenly seemed to want to get away from her" Harry said, "But later on you both talked nice about her" and Susan frowned.
"That sounds like our mind was wiped" she said, "But then again… Why does Harry have memories about it?" and the other two shrugged.
"Maybe your Aunt could help" Harry said.
"If Pomfrey has done it to us without permission, she'll be arrested and locked up in Azkaban for ten years" Hannah said. "Mummy says that going into a person's mind is really bad to do without permission – unless that person is insane"
"Is there a spell that can protect us?" asked Harry as he packed some clothes into a bag.
"Not exactly" said Hannah, "But there is a type of magic that Mummy taught both me and Susie – maybe she can teach you it"
"Cool"
"Are you all decent in there?" asked a voice.
"We're wearing clothes" said Susan, "But I am not sure if we're decent or not" and the door opened to reveal Shaklebolt and another Auror that Harry didn't know the name of. "I believe our escort has arrived"
"Your Aunt has asked us to make sure you get to your place without any problems" Shaklebolt said. "Dumbledore was spotted a few times in London and so here we are"
"Couldn't you catch him in time?" asked Harry.
"By the time the information gets to us he has already left" Shaklebolt said.
"Is Auntie at home or at work?"
"Work"
"Then we need to see her first" said Susan and she glanced around the room before continuing. "Harry suspects that Pomfrey has been wiping our minds"
"Oh?" Shaklebolt raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?" he asked.
"She was looking at us really funny and Hannah and Susie both reacted odd near her. When I talked to them a minute ago about it they claimed to know nothing"
"Sounds odd" agreed Shaklebolt. He dismissed it as a childish thought, but he'd report it all the same given Pomfrey's connection to Dumbledore.
"Who is he?" asked Hannah, glancing at the other Auror.
"Auror Joshua Underwood" the other Auror said. He towered over the first years with brown hair and a stern but wise expression.
"Didn't you get stuck in the toilet once?" asked Susan with a giggle.
"I am never going to live that down" Underwood muttered.
"Nope!" Susan said brightly, then left the dorm with Harry and Hannah by her side.
"You think if I killed her, Madam Bones would accept self defence?" Underwood asked Shacklebolt.
#
The trio arrived at Kelad Manor, the home of the Bones Family for hundreds of years, and Harry was blown away by the sheer largeness of the place. To the boy, it seemed even bigger than Hogwarts and he followed the girls inside and were met by Madam Bones.
"I'm glad you managed to get here safe and sound" she said. "Now, why not show Harry to a guest room while I get the House Elves to whip up a feast for the three of you?"
"But guest rooms are on the other side of the house" frowned Hannah.
"And Harry is a guest" Susan's Aunt reminded her.
"He's not just a guest" Susan said firmly, "He is one of my two best friends. Besides" she added, "You never make Hannah sleep in the guest rooms"
"That's different – she is a girl"
"That's wrong… Harry can sleep with us in the family suites" and the little red head crossed her arms and glared at her Aunt.
"Aurors, I am being blackmailed!" Madam Bones looked at Shacklebolt.
"Sorry, Ma'am, but I can not see any crime being committed here" he laughed.
"Susan…" Amelia Bones sighed in frustration. "Remember that talk we had before you started Hogwarts?"
"AUNTIE!" Susan's voice went high pitched from embarrassment.
"Its okay, Susie" Harry said simply as he patted her shoulder, "I'll just go back to Hogwarts instead" he glanced at Madam Bones. "I'm used to not being wanted in a house" and both Aurors heard the bitterness in his voice.
"Well if Mrs Bones doesn't want us here, then we'll all go to my house" Hannah declared. "I'm sure that my mummy and daddy would love to meet you" and Susan glared at her Aunt with all the seriousness that she could with her young age before following Hannah and Harry who, without warning, used the Floo to get to Hannah's house.
"Director, if I may, that might have been handled better" Shacklebolt said. "From what little I know of Mr Potter, he has been nothing but a gentleman towards both Susan and Hannah – an amazing feat when you think he came from an abusive relationship with his own Aunt, Uncle and Cousin"
"I know about that" she said.
"No, Ma'am… Not all of it"
"What are you not telling me, Auror?" Madam Bones's eye narrowed in a questioning manner.
"A lot"
"Underwood, arrest and detain Kingsley. Take him to the maximum security cells and hold him there until you get a direct order from me – and that's in person"
"Yes, Ma'am" Underwood saluted. "Kingsley, your wand please…" and the arrested Auror slowly handed it over. "What will you be doing, Madam Director?"
"The hardest thing I have ever had to do – apologise to my niece"
# # # # #
"Miss, Miss Susie's Aunt is waiting to talk to you" an elf popped into view.
"Let her wait another ten minutes and then show her into the kitchen" said Hannah.
"Yes, Little Miss" and the elf popped away.
"Are we going to get into trouble for this?" asked Harry.
"Maybe, but she was being really mean to us" said Susan crossly. "I mean… She KNOWS how we live at Hogwarts"
"Maybe she hasn't had a boy stay at your house for ages" reasoned Harry.
"Yeah" agreed Susan, "I bet that is it" and she looked at the objects in her hand, reached out and tossed three jelly babies into the middle. "I call – you're bluffing"
# # # # #
It made the three children giggle and smile as they watched the fearsome head of the Department for Magical Law Enforcement grovel to them and apologise in order for the trio to return to Susan's home for the duration of the short break. Despite the pained look on Madam Bones's face, the two girls dragged Harry up to the family areas and installed him in a suite on the other side of the corridor to their own ones.
"Harry, I need to speak to you about what Dumbledore has done" Amelia spoke that evening at dinner. After making sure the trio were settled, they'd been left to their own devices whilst she'd gone back to the Ministry to question Shacklebolt about everything he knew about Harry.
"He's been seen?" frowned Harry.
"No, but its about the reasons he placed you with your relatives" and Harry froze before looking up at Hannah and Susan.
"What?"
"It seems that Dumbledore knew exactly what was going on whilst you lived with your Aunt and Uncle. Over the years, you seemingly escaped a couple of times but were returned with all memories of it wiped"
"Not blocked?" asked Susan with a frown.
"No. Also, the Wills of your parents have not been read because they had been sealed by Dumbledore. I have written to Gringotts concerning this, but they refuse to deal with it"
"That's because we've already got an appointment to see a Goblin already" Hannah gestured with her spoon.
"You… You have?" the older witch blinked.
"Well we knew that we'd take the long weekend off, so I wrote to the bank asking for an appointment on Harry's behalf. I told them that he'd have written it himself, but given the fact he was new to the world of magic he asked for somebody who knew to do it for him"
"What time did you get?"
"Half past ten" Harry said.
"I know we have got off to a bit of a bad start, Mr Potter, but would you like me to accompany you to the meeting? Although the Goblins are well versed in finance and all the law that goes with it, it might make them take you more seriously if the DMLE head showed up too" and Harry frowned and looked at his two best friends for their opinion. They both agreed it was a sensible idea so the boy simply nodded his consent before the discussion turned to what they'd learnt so far at Hogwarts.
#
"Next!" a Goblin called sharply and the four of them walked up to the unoccupied teller. Madam Bones wore what she'd normally have done for the day whereas Harry, Hannah and Susan had elected to wear their Hogwarts uniforms without the robes over the top. The two younger witches had explained to Harry that if he looked as smart as he could, they'd stand a better chance of impressing the Goblins. "What do you want?" he asked slightly rudely.
"I have an appointment to see somebody about my accounts and to discuss a will" Harry said, handing over a letter that he had received before they'd left Hogwarts.
"Not that it bothers me" the Goblin peered through its glasses at Harry, "But are you a little young to be making a will?"
"It is to deal with a will that has been sealed for ten years this very day" Madam Bones said.
"Yes, I see this… Griphook?" and the Goblin that had taken Harry and Hagrid to his vaults hurried over and bowed. "Take this Mr Potter and his party to meeting room 6 and inform Swordedge his appointment has turned up. Good day" and, with that, the four were dismissed.
"Nice to see you again, Griphook" Harry said as they left the atrium and down a long stone corridor.
"You recognise me, young Sir"
"Not likely to forget you" he grinned. Griphook showed them into a small room and asked them to wait until Swordedge was ready to see them. It wasn't long before the door to the room opened and admitted a Goblin carrying several large books covered in a dark red leather.
"I presume you are Mr Potter?" and Harry nodded. "I am Senior Accounts Manager Swordedge. I understand from the letter your friends sent me that you have some issues with the bank – what are they?"
"Well, for a start, I want to know why I was placed with my Aunt and Uncle who beat me for years along with their son, Dudley. Then, Swordedge, I'd really like to know why the wills of my parents were sealed and never opened when I returned to the magical world"
"Returned?" Swordedge blinked at Harry's word. "We were under the impression that you had never left"
"What gave you that impression?" asked Madam Bones.
"Updates from his magical guardian, naturally, and also the books that he has had printed about his exploits over the years"
"Those are big, fat lies" Susan said. "Harry didn't know anything about the magical world until he was told about it by Hagrid"
"The half giant?" Swordedge's eyes widened. "What is going on at Hogwarts nowadays? That is something for another time, I fear, but we have more pressing business to attend to – do we not?"
"My Lordship"
"Indeed. Given the company you are with, I assume that you know what this means?" and Harry nodded.
"We've taught everything we know to Harry"
"A vast knowledge indeed" mocked the Goblin.
"Don't be mean to my friends are we'll leave"
"Humph… Gaining your Lordship means that you will be able to do many of the things that adults do including voting in a General Election, sitting on the Wizengamot, make treaties and get married – perhaps to one of the young ladies here with you?"
"Why would I want to marry one of my best friends? Apart from that being just wrong and yucky, the other one would be left out. Nah, we're just going to live together for ever and ever and ever" Harry declared.
"We all say that when we're younger" chuckled Madam Bones.
"You'll be glad to know that, as a result of your bonding, the marriage contracts arranged for you by Albus Dumbledore have been cancelled" Swordedge said, glancing down at a note in one of the books.
"Bonding?" a professional interest stirred inside the former Auror.
"A bonding" confirmed the Goblin. "It was enacted on September 1st between Mr Potter, Miss Bones and Miss Abbott"
"What is a bonding?" asked Harry.
"It means that, for all intents and purposes you are married?"
"I'm married?" Harry asked shocked and then looked at a horrified Hannah and Susan.
"EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!" the trio exclaimed.
"If I could finish…? That would normally be the case, but I am afraid I can not tell you what sort of bonding was formed – only that one exists. I can make enquiries, but that will take some time"
"And cost?" asked Hannah.
"Indeed"
"Perhaps that can be offset by the cost in fines that Gringotts has knocked up" Harry said. "Hannah and Susan have told me a lot about you and your rules"
"Your point?"
"First of all, why didn't you question why Hagrid had my key? Second, why did it take you years to even start to think something was wrong?"
"You have to understand that it was a long time ago. Everything was going on at the same time, so when Albus Dumbledore came in with a will that said you were to go to your Aunt and Uncle, we simply ignored the concerns we had over the death of two insignificant humans who would stupid enough to not protect themselves"
"THEY WERE MY PARENTS!" Harry launched himself over the table and pounded his small fists into the Goblin's face. Hannah and Susan looked at the fight, then at each other, and then shrugged before jumping over the table and joining in themselves.
"BANZAI!" they called out. As an alarm sounded for assistance, Madam Amelia Bones, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, froze in a mixture of horror and surprise – wishing she'd become an artist or something. Goblins poured in with mean looking pikes and swords at the ready – stopping to see three pre-teens battering a Senior Accounts Manager to death.
"Do we have any rules or procedures for this?" asked one guard.
"Well they're not using wands or magic" said another, "So I'm not sure what to do?"
"Help me!" squealed Swordedge.
"What on earth is going on here?" asked a deep and powerful voice.
"Three humans are attacking a Senior Accounts Manager" the first guard spoke to Ragnuk, King of the Goblins in the UK.
"Are you incompetent fools going to stand there?"
"Well they are not using magic" the guard replied.
"And they are children" put in the second.
"If you want something doing…" the King sighed and rolled up the sleeves of his jacket before wading in and grabbing the three children in one hand and Swordedge with the other. Both sides tried to hit each other in some sublime comedy cartoon fight. "What is going on here?" Ragnuk asked.
"These humans attacked me – I demand their heads!" Swordedge flailed his arms towards Harry.
"He insulted my parents" Harry spat back.
"And who are your parents, boy?"
"James and Lily Potter – he called them insignificant and stupid"
"Oh, I see… I can not allow you to attack my employees, but I can not allow my employees to insult clients and their deceased family members" Ragnuk turned to look at Swordedge. "Is this true?" he asked.
"Yes, but I told only the truth"
"And do you think that it is wise to tell the orphaned son of people he most likely saw killed their parents were stupid and insignificant?"
"I regret some of my word choices, but the facts speak for themselves"
"Guards, take Swordedge to my office and keep him there until I return. Mr Potter, given the provocation I shall not be seeking damages from yourself. Now, what can I help you with?"
"He needs a full check of his accounts, to take up his Lordship and some other sundry items" Madam Bones had managed to regain the power of speech.
"Has his magical guardian not already done this for him?"
"We understand his magical guardian was Albus Dumbledore, a wanted fugitive"
"Dumbledore?" Ragnuk blinked. "I was talking about Sirius Black"
"Sirius Black has been in prison for the assistance he provided in the murder of Mr Potter's mother and father" Madam Bones said.
"He was innocent of all charges" Ragnuk said. "We attempted to tell the Ministry of the day the true facts, but they believed Dumbledore over us" and the Goblin muttered something under his breath.
"It seems that he deceived a lot of people. Once we have finished here, I think that I will look into the situation"
"That would have to be at the request of Lord Potter" Ragnuk said.
"Uh… Sure" Harry shrugged after looking to his friends for advice. By the time they had finished several hours and two hundred Galleons later, Harry had taken up his Lordship officially and formally requested Gringotts carry out a full examination and account of all of his vaults. From what he, Hannah and Susan had managed to put together before leaving Hogwarts for the break and what they discovered during their visit to Gringotts, regular amounts were leaving Harry's trust vault every month and going to other ones which needed to be discovered. Given the amount of time the fraud had gone on for, Ragnuk promised to have it all done by the time the Christmas holidays came along.
"I think its time we got you back for dinner" Madam Bones said carefully, "You have had a long and eventful day after all"
"Discovered somebody has nicked money from me, punching a Goblin and meeting the Goblin King…" Susan ticked off everything on her fingers. "What are forgetting?" she asked.
"Clothes" Hannah announced. "Harry needs some clothes apart from those rags he came with"
"Will they have Muggle clothes?" asked Harry.
"Maybe not everything that you might want, but I dare say we can find you some non wizarding clothes in Diagon Alley. We could get you some really smart robes as well for Christmas" Madam Bones said, and Susan and Hannah exchanged looks.
"Why would he want smart robes?" they asked together.
"Now that he has taken up his Lordship of the Potter Family, he is going to be at a number of parties and social events"
"I'd rather spend time with Hans and Susie" Harry said. "Why do I want to go to a party full of boring adults?"
"Aside from taking that personally" Madam Bones smiled faintly, "It is your duty to do it"
"Well I'm not" Harry said firmly. It took the older witch of the group several moments to realise that he really and truly meant it.
A/N:
Well everybody, there it is – another chapter of this story.
Regards
Pixel and Stephanie Forever
