AN: I had to put a date to this. Pardon irregularities, but this is primarily an alternate universe of our own, so if an internet, movie, or pop culture reference is out of place, I'm sorry. Harry Potter was born in 1998. He arrived with the Pastas in 2005. This chapter, the beginning of Hogwarts, is taking place 2009.

I also put down chapter titles. I hope you enjoy some of them!

I own nothing

-Crow

The walls melted away and the wards of Slenderman were awestruck at the bustling activity in Diagon Alley. It was colorful, like a Renaissance Fair market with shops lining the walls and some stands and wagons selling wares in the narrow streets. The street itself was crooked, cobbled, and a bit grimy, but the sunlight from above let in plenty of light, giving it a cheery personality instead of a dark and dank medieval alleyway.

The alley stretched into the distance, seemingly impossible given the surrounding area of London. A large, white marble building at the end dominated the Alley, with crooked pillars holding up a proud, grand appearance.

The shops and structures above them teetered seemingly precariously above the streams of people, but still managed to hold up with likely magically-enhanced supports. Chimneys crookedly towered above the homes and wafted out colorful smoke and belched the occasional vibrant green or violent orange shower of sparks. Windows held bowed-out glass or crooked panes in odd shapes.

People in cloaks and large-brimmed hats milled around, carrying bags or having objects simply floating around them. Men and women at the wagon stands were bargaining over odd flowers and plants and haggling with gold, silver, and occasionally bronze coins. Children were running around, enthusing over models in the windows of shops. Teenagers were talking animatedly, bundles of books or supplies in their hands. Often, the word "Hogwarts" drifted over from conversation.

Professor McGonagall removed her shawl and took out her wand. With a wave, the shawl changed into a dark green hat with a feather tucked into it. She turned the wand towards herself and her muggle clothes transfigured into matching dark green robes, instantly. She explained to them that it was advanced Transfiguration at their impressed look.

She led them down the narrow way, their group cutting through rather easily. She pointed out a few helpful shops such as Flourish and Blotts' Book Store, the Magical Menagerie, Slug and Jiggers Apothecary (Nikolaus grinned at the name), and so on. Deeper into the alleyway, they noticed some stacks of cages holding a large variety of animals from salamanders with lava-like cracks in their skin to owls perched in cages occasionally hooting in the din.

Sally excitedly maintained appearances and described the scene to EJ who had collapsed his cane for convenience in the crowded alleyway and pretended to rely on her at his elbow. He would nod appropriately and even ask some questions or tilt his head towards the occasional odd sound and ask for her to describe what that was.

Minerva didn't catch it over the din, but Jeff leaned over to Toby and whispered, "This alley is a lot better than the alleys I stalk around in."

Toby nodded in agreement. "Yeah, if all alleys were this nice, I'd probably stick around longer to do something besides poke dead rats with a stick." Jeff scrunched his nose in questioning disgust. Toby shrugged and stated, "It's fun." They kept moving.

Eventually, they came to a stop to an alcove on the side of the large, white building at the end of the alley. Minerva took out a copy of the student shopping list and, with a spell, copied several more, handing one each to Harry, Adrian, and Nick as well as one to Slender and the rest were shared between the others to read.

"Huh? First years can't bring brooms?" Sally commented, "The floors must be really dirty in their dorms, then."

McGonagall gave a rare chuckle, "No, Ms. Williams, that refers to flying broomsticks. We don't allow personal broomsticks until second year."

Sally was in awe at the thought of a real flying broomstick while Slender turned to McGonagall, smirking, "So that is to say that the first year dorms are clean?"

She returned a small mouth twitch in humor, "I never said that." She addressed the entire group, her professional air returning, "Now, as you can see, the list is rather extensive. However, the building behind me is Gringotts Bank. There, we can exchange muggle currency for Wizarding currency necessary to purchase your supplies. Additionally, we can access Mr. Potter's personal vault from his parents.

"Hogwarts can offer loans and tuition payment plans if you are unable to do so." She added.

Mr. Lindermann shook his head, "No, Professor, I am confident we could fully pay for all three tuitions, even without Harry's inheritance."

The Transfiguration Professor nodded, before resuming, "Now, Wizarding currency exists in only three forms. There is the bronze knut, the smallest coin. The conversion is £0.01 to one knut. The second form is the silver sickle. The conversion is £0.29 to one sickle. There are 29 knuts to one sickle. Then, there is the largest coin, the gold galleon. The conversion is £4.93 to a galleon. There are 17 sickles to one galleon.

"Ugh, that's confusing." Jeff commented, irritably.

EJ snickered, "Not really, ignoring the conversion factors, it's all just prime numbers. 17 and 29."

Minerva nodded, "Yes, essentially so long that you remember those two conversions, you should be fine. Now, please follow me."

She walked ahead of the group through the great doors. They noticed as they passed that the two figures standing guard on either side weren't statues as they'd initially believed, but actually small creatures in armor standing stock still at the entrance, intimidating sharp weapons at the side. Jeff couldn't help but somewhat enviously eye the axe-spear until the creature's eyes shifted to focus on him.

They entered a large atrium. A set of grand, crystal chandeliers cast a pale, yellow light over the two counters on either side. Wizards and Witches waited in lines to speak with certain tellers or were being led towards the doors in the back leading down to the vaults. Sally was awestruck and almost forgot to describe the scene to EJ who was discretely looking around behind his disguise.

Sally got to describing the tellers when she paused, "Um, Ms. McGonagall?," the older woman turned to her, "W-what are the people at the booths?"

A passing creature sniffed indignantly, but carried on, ignoring Sally's sad gasp at being overheard and believing she hurt his feelings. Minerva calmly explained, "They're goblins, Ms. Williams. They're very shrewd, but clever and especially adept at handling money and investments."

She walked up to an open teller, marking some ledgers out in front of him. She cleared her throat after a moment and the goblin grunted in mild annoyance before looking up and taking in the large group before him with calculating eyes. She spoke authoritatively, "I am here concerning Mr. Potter's withdrawal and the tuition payments of two new muggleborn Hogwarts students."

The goblin's eyes widened slightly at the name Potter and his eyes grazed over his forehead before focusing on the white-haired adult towering above them. "I take it, you, sir, are Mr. Potter's guardian?"

"Indeed."

The goblin's eyes turned steely as he took in the figure before he stood to get up, "I need to speak to my superiors. I'll return momentarily." He quickly hopped off of the heightened chair and hurried through a door behind the teller booths.

Slender watched the figure go, suspicion first and foremost in his mind. He could tell he was emitting a slight amount of Sigma from the stress, but took a quiet, calming breath to prevent any mishaps or sudden medical emergencies in the immediate vicinity. From what he could tell, only the nearest Goblin put a quick finger to the side of his eye socket to put pressure on a headache that could very well have been caused by the frustrating paperwork in front of him.

"Why, 'ello, Pr'fessor McGonagall." Boomed a cheery voice behind them. Minerva turned and smiled at perhaps the largest man any of them had seen (that still resembled something human). "Fancy meetin' you here."

"Hello, Hagrid." She replied calmly.

"See yer givin' a new family a tour, eh? Great school, Hogwarts. No place better." He said firmly. Slender quietly nodded, but didn't contradict nor support his opinion.

"I suppose you should see the next teller. Ours just left for something." The disguised entity informed the large man.

"Oh, er, not here for withdrawals. Er, well, I am, but… can't say… Hogwarts business…" He stumbled before clearing his throat awkwardly. Slender raised an eyebrow in mild humor at his horrible subtlety, but also in suspicion regarding the unknown 'Hogwarts business' that coincided with their visit today.

The giant's eyes darted over the large group of children around them before double-taking Harry. "Is tha'…?"

McGonagall's eyes widened and she started to stammer out something, but it was lost to Hagrid's next words, "Harry Potter?! I ain't seen ya since you were a baby! Oh, great ter see ya 'ere. It really is."

"Hagrid," the aged woman said tersely, cutting off any further exclamations. "Don't you have that errand to run?"

Hagrid's eyes widened and nodded. Before he left, he gave a quick wave goodbye to Harry and hurried off to the next open teller. Minerva sighed as the boisterous, but well-meaning half-giant went off to do his equally indiscrete 'Hogwarts business', but looking around the damage had been done.

"Mr. Potter?"

"Harry Potter!"

"Great Scott! It is!"

"Harry?!"

The foreign group found themselves being slowly pressed inward by an increasing wave of people trying to get closer to Harry, who had taken shelter behind Slender.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

The crowd stilled as the loud, but squeaky voice of the goblin was accompanied by the loud smash of steel against the stonework as several armed goblin guards filed into the area in a march. The teller they'd been speaking to approached as the crowd dispersed, clearly still eager to be noticed by the Boy-Who-Lived, but still with enough self-preservation to not go against the creatures wielding razor-sharp weapons not five feet from them.

"I've been asked to bring you and yours to the back rooms to discuss some irregularities with your situation." The group, including the Transfiguration Professor started, but the goblin held his hand up, "I'm sorry, Ms. McGonagall, but I'm afraid for client confidentiality, I'm afraid I cannot allow you to be in attendance."

McGonagall began sputtering nervously about leaving muggles with goblins. They'd have their heads on spikes before the papers were even brought out! However, the tall guardian raised a hand to stop her confused rambling, "Professor, I know you mean well, however, trust that we will be fine. I'm confident we can handle whatever may come next."

She couldn't argue (certainly not with a small platoon of several, armed goblins surrounding her) and watched the group, including the Wizarding World's savior, be brought behind the doors to one of the private conference rooms.

The doors closed behind them as they took a seat around a large, conference table headed by a rather sinister-looking throne. The goblin escorts eyed the group that had just entered. Most seasoned wizards would be anxious to sit in their positions, but the group here, consisting of mostly children, was completely calm.

The teller stood by a seat near the disguised guardian and motioned for the guards and others to leave. Once they were gone, he looked at the clock before shuffling some papers in front of him. Eventually, three more goblins came through a different entrance carrying stacks of documents and speaking quickly with the teller before sitting down.

"May we ask what prompted this?" Slender initiated. The goblin nodded and took a seat by the other three.

The teller goblin began, "Now, for introductions, my name is Teller Goldhammer. Those who are with me are the Potter Account Manager Snagrock, Magic Analyst Ironshard, and Contract Specialist Stoneskull." Each of them bobbed their heads to their introduction. "We're here to discuss some irregularities with Mr. Potter's accounts, or rather, some peculiarities."

"I see. Well, I stand as Mr. Potter's guardian. My name is Solomon Lindermann-" The entity began.

"Do not lie to us," Snagrock snarled, "We can tell through the enchantments of the room when someone is lying and your name is false!"

The wards sat stunned and wide-eyed as Slender was stone-faced as ever despite being called out. Eventually, after a terse silence, he spoke, "I presume there is total client confidentiality here?"

The goblins snarled, "Yes, of course. We cannot disclose anything that occurred here to anyone besides the leader of the Goblin Nation. To do otherwise is a death sentence. Even then, we goblins honor our patron's privacy. And honor is paramount to any warrior. Everything said here is entirely confidential. Additionally, goblins are immune to Wizarding methods of interrogation including legilimancy, a form of 'mind reading' if you will, and veritaserum, a potent truth serum."

Slenderman nodded slowly, "Then in that case, Solomon Lindermann is my alias name. My real name is inconsequential as I'm sure your enchantments can detect the phrase: 'I am the guardian and caretaker of Mr. Harry James Potter, age 11, British Citizen by birth and Hogwarts Student this Fall. This is binding legally and legitimately.' Am I correct?"

The Magic Analyst, Ironshard, raised his eyes towards the ceiling as if listening for some faint sound. Eventually, he begrudgingly nodded, "It seems you are speaking the truth on all accounts. Regardless, it is standard procedure that we have a name associated with the guardian."

"Is it strictly necessary?"

The goblin's eyes narrowed and turned to Stoneskull, who steepled his fingers, "As it turns out, each and every one of the contracts regarding Mr. Potter, his accounts, and your guardianship is absolute and unquestionable, but there is no indication of who you are or where he's been."

"Then, if possible, I'd prefer to keep it that way." Slender said calmly, but the underlying challenge was thickly spread. The goblins were silent as they stared at the calm entity before simply taking out several folders.

"Well, the irregularity was primarily your guardianship, but seeing as you refuse to give anything other than your alias, we will note that for future documentation if that is acceptable." Slender nodded.

Snagrock's snarl was primarily unchanged, "I will be frank with you, 'Mr. Lindermann'. I do not trust you in the slightest. You have no name, no identity, no location, and yet you somehow are still able to befuddle an entire magical bureaucracy with apparently minimal effort. That said, you also hold the last remaining heir to the accounts my clan and I have managed for centuries. As you can imagine, I find it rather unnerving and concerning."

"And I can accept that. However, again refer to your own enchantments: 'I have no ill intentions towards Harry James Potter. I only try to do my best to ensure his safe upbringing and care as with all of my wards.'"

The goblin turned towards Ironshard, who merely nodded. The account manager goblin huffed and sat back. "Very well, Mr. Lindermann. If that is the case, then we will proceed as normal."

A folder was passed to the entity who opened it and, with the training of years of report analysis, gleaned the documents in record time. The goblins were stunned as he flipped to a specific page and spoke, "I notice there are notifications of several different vaults, only one of which has a direct inheritance from Lily and James Potter. The other is, evidently, already owned by Harry Potter."

Snagrock nodded, "The inherited vault to Mr. Potter from his biological parents was their own separate and private account." He continued at Slender's questioning (glamour) face, "Charlus Potter, Mr. Potter's paternal grandfather, cut James Potter off from the main family vaults shortly after Mr. James Potter's graduation from Hogwarts and shortly before Charlus Potter's own death.

"Charlus gave his son roughly 3 million galleons apart from the main vault to sustain his son and his daughter-in-law and, at the time, unborn grandson. Now, 3 million galleons is certainly nothing to scoff at, but was very minimal compared to the Potter family vaults, themselves. This arrangement was to be maintained until either the war definitively ended and Charlus survived to allow James access to the vaults once more, or Harry Potter came of age to inherit the Potter family vaults."

"May I ask why this was made?" Slender asked, curious.

Snagrock scowled, but not at Slender, rather a memory, "James Potter was an absolute fool financially. Could hardly hold onto any gold he made before it would be spent or 'given to a worthy cause'. In hardly 5 years since the agreement went into effect, almost all of the money had gone.

"And as reference, in the Wizarding world, a family of three can very comfortably sustain themselves on perhaps less than 10,000 galleons for that amount of time. No, James Potter spent nearly all of that money towards Dumbledore and the War Effort.

"Thankfully, Lily Potter had a good head on her shoulders, or at least a financially conscientious one. She saw the pattern of her husband's spending and arranged roughly 2,000 galleons into a Trust Vault for Harry alone for school and anything he may need growing up. She ensured that no one outside of her son could withdraw from that vault."

Snagrock grinned (for a goblin, at least), "Charlus, however, learned about Lily's plan before he passed. He was the one to secretly arrange for more money to be set into the Trust Vault, such that it totals around 10,000 galleons at the moment. While Lily stipulated that no one could withdraw from the vault, she made it so deposits could still be made in case it ran low or she needed somewhere secure to ensure money for her son wouldn't be spent by her husband. Charlus took advantage of that and secretly deposited into that account.

"Hence, Harry Potter inherited a single vault from his parents, a rather meager sum at the time of their death and hiding, as well as the Trust Vault he may now access for school supplies and similar. Then, of course, there are the main Potter family vaults with several offshooting branches of dormant or dead Trust vaults, donation vaults, and investment vaults."

Slenderman nodded thoughtfully, "It certainly seems like a good plan. I notice the family vaults as well-"

"Mr. Lindermann," Ironshard interrupted, "I apologize, but shouldn't you already know this?"

"I beg your pardon?" The entity's passive face broke and showed the intense concern.

"The statements, yes? We are, after all, a bank first and foremost. It's customary for any bank, magical or not, to deliver monthly statements to our patrons and their guardians on a regular basis. As soon as you registered for the guardianship, you should have immediately received notifications."

Slender pinched his sinus-less nose, frustrated, "I'm afraid we have wards around our property that don't allow-"

"No, no, sir," Ironshard responded firmly, "Our system works in a way that no ward in existence can prevent our messages from being delivered. Even if it has to go through the muggle way, it always gets delivered regardless of whatever wards are in place. Much like the Hogwarts Letter delivery system, ours is an ancient magic, but absolute." The goblins were now mirroring Slender's earlier concern.

"We have not received any form of these messages," Slender replied evenly.

Ironshard once more seemed to listen to the stillness in the room, sensing the wards for any sign of a lie. "He's telling the truth." He finally replied.

The goblins took out multiple folders and shifted through hundreds of pages in seconds while talking hurriedly in a harsh, guttural language before Stoneskull addressed the guardian, "Mr. Lindermann, may we ask when, exactly, was your appointment as Harry Potter's guardian filed?"

"As soon as it was signed, on December 25th, 2005."

Goldhammer shook his head, "This doesn't make sense. How could that happen? The moment you were instated as his guardian, you should have received any and all mail Mr. Potter used to get."

"Um, excuse me?" They turned to Harry, who nervously shifted in his seat, "I've never received any mail."

"What do you mean?" Snagrock asked.

"I've never received any mail before I went to Sl- Solomon." He corrected quickly.

"No birthday cards? Statements? Letters? Anything?" Goldhammer asked seriously. Harry replied, "Never."

"I want to see those documents myself!" Snagrock barked. Goldhammer immediately handed him several documents which he shuffled through quickly. "It says here that all transactions, all mail, and so forth is to be handled and monitored by your Magical Guardian… or at least, prior to your transfer, it was to be monitored by your previous one. After the transfer, Mr. Lindermann should have received them."

"Magical Guardian?" Harry asked, surprised, "Who were they?"

The goblins looked up and stared at him mutely before Goldhammer spoke, "A Magical Guardian is your contact and guardian in the magical world. They're the closest magical relative for halfblood or pureblood children, but for muggleborn or very-early-on muggle-raised children, they are assigned or decided after their Hogwarts Acceptance Letter or when they open an account here.

"A Magical Guardian is responsible for your wellbeing both in and outside the magical world."

"That's rubbish!" Harry interjected, "I was treated like garbage at the Dursleys. I still have no idea who this person was. Not once did he ever help me when I was at that Hellhole."

"Harry." Slender warned.

"… that place..."

"Better."

The goblins chattered in their language again, angrily shuffling papers around and some barking orders to another. Finally, they produced a single document. Goldhammer frowned heavily, "It appears as though your magical guardian was decided to be Headmaster Albus Dumbledore of Hogwarts. He and Minerva McGonagall generally takes in most muggleborn students, but what is unorthodox is how it seems the only mention that he is your guardian is on an obscure form sealing the guardianship."

Slender bristled in anger before taking a calming breath, "And does… Dumbledore have any more control over Harry's accounts?"

The goblins were slightly taken aback by the venom in the man's voice, but Stoneskull shook his head, "No, sir, this contract was voided the moment you took control. All documentation regarding management and guardianship of Harry Potter to Albus Dumbledore is either voided or redirected to yourself."

Slender nodded, "May I ask just how he became Harry's magical guardian?"

Stoneskull considered the question, glancing over a few documents, "Well, he'd first need approval from Mr. Potter's parents, then given the circumstances regarding Mr. Potter he would probably have to go through the Wizengamot to get approval, and lastly he'd need certification through Gringotts bank."

He pulled out several forms, "It appears he'd attained all of the necessary components as well, except for parental approval. However, all previously approved magical guardians by Lily and James Potter and magical relatives were deceased or incapacitated so his guardianship was in the air for a while. It seems the Wizengamot ruled in favor of Dumbledore in this instance. So, we must conclude his claims are legitimate."

"I see." Slender's tone became somewhat begrudging, but again he used a lot of mental control to reign in his frustrations and project an aura of calmness. "I would appreciate any way to attain these statements safely and securely. If necessary, I have… something that may help."

He held his arm upwards and bent like a falcon tamer providing a perch. He let out a low whistle and waited in the silence. The goblins were confused, wondering if the man was just a little mad, before they jumped to attention when a dark shadow congregated in the center of a wall. The shadow erupted into another shape as it sailed through the air and landed on Slender's arm. "This is a messenger bird used by myself and others. They are fast, instantaneous, and secure. However, I do not own it and merely use it for professional purposes. If you provide the dates the statements are released, a bird will arrive and retrieve it."

The goblins eyed the shadowy bird in surprise before supplying that the statements were written on the first of each month and instructed his bird to show at the Gringotts owlery and a goblin would give it the message. The bird nodded once in comprehension before shooting back at the wall and dissolving.

Ironshard stared in amazement at the spot before turning to the guardian, "Mr. Lindermann, I must admit I am thoroughly…" He was at a loss for words. Finally, he continued, "I must ask what form of magical creature that was."

Slender allowed a glamoured smirk, "Unfortunately, it's not magical. It's only rare and rather dangerous. They prefer darker regions that are less populated and, as you can imagine, can teleport almost instantaneously if threatened or found."

"B-but, a bird showed some remarkable form of apparating, or Wizarding teleportation. If you could provide any information on it, it would be an extraordinary discovery in magic." The Magical Analyst had devoted his life not only to understanding magic on a level most Wizards outside of the Department of Mysteries could ever hope to attain, but also towards using magic to benefit Gringotts as a Nation. A bird that could relay messages instantly and securely would be a valuable asset to the Wizarding bank.

"I'm sorry, but I must protest. As I explained, it's not mine and people would notice if it went missing." Slender explained calmly.

The goblin grunted, slightly disappointed. "Very well, though similar… peculiarities are also of interest."

"Peculiarities?"

Stoneskull nodded and interjected, "This is where my specialty comes into play. Every contract has a loophole, every document must have binding relations with the establishment and certain stipulations, and finally every contract must be firm and immutable. The contracts you apparently used for guardianship defy those rules. As a Contract Specialist, I would be very interested in knowing how you pulled that one off.

"You see, about two years ago, a new law came into effect that would cause missing children such as Harry Potter to be considered kidnapped by anyone claiming to be a guardian without proper legalization. Your contract, as it stood, would have been void. However, within seconds of the bill's passing, the contract changed itself such that there were no loopholes.

"In effect, the contract boiled down to; "you, unnamed guardian, are the irrefutable and irreversible guardian to Harry James Potter until such a time that both parties may decide to dissolve the document". Any attempts to bypass this were met with some stipulation in the contract. Any old laws that hadn't been thought of or brought up in centuries were considered and blocked. Essentially, the perfect contract for your needs."

He leaned in anxiously, "In other words, Mr. Lindermann, how did you do it?"

Slender let out a low chuckle, "I'm afraid I didn't draft the document. Nor am I aware of how they are written. Though, I will say; we simply have one Hell of a legal department"

The goblins went through some more general paperwork, tension winding down into monotonous legalese, before the creatures finally rose, gave parting phrase along the lines of "wealth" and "victory" and walked the (very bored) group of wards out of the conference room and back into the main lobby.

McGonagall sat up immediately from her spot on the benches in the atrium and rushed over, "Mr. Lindermann, are you alright? Is anyone hurt? Are-"

"Professor," Slendy calmly interrupted, "It's alright. There was just some confusion with my guardianship. I assure you it's all been taken care of and with minimal bloodshed."

"There was blood," The Professor replied, paling rapidly.

Slender raised his eyebrows, "Should there be?" Minerva didn't respond, instead she just allowed herself to be led to the bench by Slenderman to overcome minimal shock.

As they began to leave, she called out faintly, "Wait, I have Mr. Potter's key. Dumbledore gave it to me." She reached into her cloak and pulled out a small, gold key which Slender accepted.

The disguised entity nodded in thanks and followed the goblins to a dungeon-like chamber with a mine rail running through it. A few moments later, a large seated cart on a set of confusing mechanisms rumbled up to their position. A goblin sat on a small control area. Snagrock introduced him, "This is Griphook, he will escort you to your vaults, Mr. Potter."

The large group of disguised killers and wizards each took a seat with Smile sitting next to Jeff. Slenderman seated himself by Griphook and his brows furrowed as he looked around his sides, "Where are the seatbelts, Griphook?"

"Sorry, we don't install them." Griphook replied with a slight upturn to his lips, "Hang on." He pulled a lever-

-and the cart rocketed forward!

It barreled down the rickety mine rails at easily the speed of a racecar, never slowing or stopping, even when pulling seemingly-impossible loop-de-loops or curves. A gyroscope-like mechanism kept the cart centered as the wheels followed the confusing mess of rails, but it was still an intense experience of up and down jolts, sudden sideways turns, and even one instance the cart left the rail and free flew to the other side!

Jeff and Toby held their arms up in excitement, laughing like a roller coaster. Sally screamed excitedly as EJ screamed in terror, clutching his cane in his hand while gripping the seat for dear life. Harry and Nick both had mixed feelings of exhilaration and terror while Adrian was just clamping himself to the seat, jaw clenched in silent, sheer anxiety as the wind whipped around them.

Slender's glamour couldn't maintain neutrality and his false face showed his genuine, true terror as they rocketed by, his tie haphazardly flapping behind him. Harry noticed his foot seemed to be slamming repeatedly on an imaginary brake pedal as if he were driving a car.

The roller coaster of a minecart eventually lurched to a halt in front of one iron door almost as tall as that Hagrid person outside. Griphook glanced at some numerals at the top of the vault before announcing, "Vault 687!"

He hopped out of the cart, carrying a large oil lamp, "Watch your step, please."

The group slowly got out of the minecart, some still buzzed from excitement, others, like EJ, jelly-legged as they slowly crawled out with both hands on something at all times.

Slender was the last to get out. His pale, glamoured face looked unusually green and his legs seemed unsteady as he slowly stood up from his spot. "Oh, dear Creator, I think I'm about to be sick." He mumbled miserably.

Sally, combing her frazzled hair down, turned to Harry and whispered, "How's that possible if you don't have a mouth." They snickered quietly. Griphook overheard just barely and raised an eyebrow, but ignored it entirely.

Slenderman turned to the goblin once he composed himself, "I don't suppose we could move a bit slower or on a track with less… flying?"

"One speed only." The goblin said, grinning, before returning to a business-like neutrality, "Key, please."

Slender nodded sullenly and handed Griphook the key McGonagall provided. "May I ask how you knew where to go?"

"I actually don't. The key guides the cart while I mostly plot the most direct course." The Goblin admitted.

"A key does that?" Jeff asked.

Griphook rolled his eyes briefly, "It's magic, sir." Jeff scoffed in return, mumbling about how he could've guessed that much.

The goblin escort took the key and opened a hidden latch to the steel door. He inserted the key and twisted it to cause the vault to click open and slowly swing outward.

The wards of Slenderman gasped in awe as the reflection of thousands of coins reflected back at them from neat stacks of golden galleons, silver sickles, and bronze knuts. Griphook handed Harry a complementary sack (no enchantments, just an old, small potato sack) as it was his first visit.

Harry filled it with a good number of galleons, a few sickles, and a couple of knuts. Harry let the others handle some of the coins and Jeff bit into a galleon and inspected the tooth marks confirming it was real gold. Slender asked Griphook about tuition fees and was told to contact Snagrock on that subject.

They made their way onto the cart again as Griphook caused it to start up again. They rode along at the same speed as before, to Slender's chagrin.

Then the cart dropped suddenly, surprising even the goblin driving. He checked the levers and dials indicating the course in confusion as the cart kept descending deeper and deeper into the massive cave system of Gringotts vaults.

After almost a full ten minutes of heart-stopping terror, the ride slammed to a jarring stop at what looked like a small iron post at the very end of the rail line. The confused goblin looked around the dark location in confusion before turning to a large, blank wall of obsidian with another number engraved in the top.

"V-vault 1318." The goblin said with a slight waver. They exited the cart and the goblin hopped out as soon as he could. "Mr. Lindermann, I-I admit I'm a bit confused here. You claimed to not be aware of the magical world, yet you seem to have a key this vault."

Slendy hummed thoughtfully once the motion sickness passed. "Well, this is actually the vault of an... associate of mine."

"B-b-but this vault was made centuries ago! Back when this Gringotts bank was still under construction! May I ask exactly who owns it at this time?" Griphook asked in shock.

"Nobody you need to be concerned with." Slenderman assured the creature. "He has been generous enough to allow us to use it." The goblin let the group approach the wall silently.

Jeff scoffed slightly. "Heh, you said this is Z's? I thought he'd go for something more theatrical, like 'Vault 613' or 'Vault 666'. You know?"

Slendy ran a hand against the jagged obsidian and continued to analyze it as he talked. "Well, actually Jeffery, you may not be far off the mark. 1318. I believe Za-, er "Z", as you called him, is fond of subtlety. If memory serves, Revelations 13:18 is the passage in the Christian Bible that has the Number of the Beast, so he may have thought it a personal joke."

The Griphook was confused. From how they spoke, it sounded like this "Z" created the vault (as the vault number had been specifically chosen when it was being built) and their use of present tense suggested he was still alive which was inconceivable. Not even the Flamels had been around that long. Regardless, he had his job.

"S-sir, I'm afraid there's been no way to replicate the key to this vault. No one knows why, but we haven't been able to access anything inside since it was built even though it collects minimal interest automatically and we've documented several objects being added during the yearly ledger overview though nobody's brought anyone down. However, from the cart's enchantments, you appear to have some form of the key, correct?" He asked the tall entity still examining the wall.

"Yes, I do." Slender reached into his inner pocket and produced the golden key he'd received not long ago. He placed it in a certain crevice where three cracks met and turned it. Lines glowing malignant red seemed to snake out from the center and traveled across the expanse of obsidian. The cracks coalesced and formed ancient symbols of text.

Slender chuckled at the phrase, "Appropriate," He translated at his wards' silent question, "It says, 'With insatiable Greed comes an unfillable void in the heart. Those that seek to fill the void, consume the world.' It rhymes in the original language."

The lines faded and a long, straight crack appeared in the seemingly-solid black surface. The doors opened.

Griphook stood with his mouth gaping as these seemingly random strangers just gained access to the most mysterious vault in the entire bank. As his superiors had expected, the vault was filled to the brim with galleons, sickles, and even a few knuts, but there were chests of precious gems, weapons that radiated power, and a rather sizable collection of objects that emitted a Dark aura.

Slenderman ignored the excited gasps and whispers of his wards and simply collected a good number of galleons and a few sickles in a bag before leaving.

"Wait!" Toby exclaimed, suddenly, "I've been dying to try something, can I? Pleeeeaaaseee?"

Slender gave a cautious nod and kept an eye on the ward. Toby let out a loud "Woo-hoo!" and ran straight into the vault.

Slender barely eked out a syllable of warning as the Proxy dove arms-out straight at a large pile of gold on the floor.

*CRACK!*

Everyone, including Griphook, flinched at the crunching and cracking sound. Toby's body was lying spread-eagle on the gold surface. His limbs were contorted at odd angles, thankfully with no bones poking out, but obviously with a few dislocations and definite bruising.

In response, Toby just 'hmmed' thoughtfully, "Scrooge McDuck lied to me. It's not a liquid. It's a great many pieces of solid matter that form a hard floor-like surface."

He shifted his shoulder roughly and popped one arm in place. Then, after a series of popping and cracking as he jerkily reconnected his body, he stood up and stretched his arms and spine out (eliciting more cracks) and walked right out.

EJ gave him a discrete nod at Slender to confirm he would give Toby a thorough check-up later.

The doors closed behind the Proxy and sealed themselves once more into the solid obsidian wall. Slender removed the key and returned it to his pocket before turning to the goblin currently frozen in shock. "Thank you, Griphook, I believe that will be all for now."

Griphook led the group back to the main cart system, still casting side-long glances at Toby out of worry.

Eventually, they walked out of the catacomb area and back into the opulent atrium of Gringotts. McGonagall stood up from her spot once more and began counting the number of children in the group, relieved when all seemed accounted for.

As they turned towards the exit, Teller Goldhammer and Potter Account Manager Snagrock approached Slenderman. "Mr. Lindermann, I hope your visit to Gringotts has been a pleasant one." Snagrock said, grinning.

"Yes, quite enjoyable." Slender replied evenly.

"Well, we will review the documents regarding what we discussed and everything will be settled. However, we will need to schedule a time later." The grin widened.

"Oh, what for?"

"Paperwork, Mr. Lindermann, paperwork. Tuitions for Misters Brahms and Thresher, tuition through Potter Vaults for Mr. Potter, management of the paperwork and documentation regarding the Potter Vaults and the subsequent vaults that have, regrettably, been held up and backed up for almost a decade. My, how time flies." The goblin said brightly, still wearing a wicked grin.

"I suppose this is revenge, then?" Slenderman asked, eyes narrowed.

"It's just business."

The two were silent. McGonagall and the wards watched apprehensively at the mute stare down between the two non-humans.

The taller gave a begrudging huff, "Well played, good sir, well played."

McGonagall led the group outside of Gringotts and back into the hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley. She attempted conversation with the guardian. "Mr. Lindermann, I was meaning to ask how exactly you came to watch over so many children."

Slender thought it over, "I suppose I've just always been like that. I'm unmarried and, even then, am unable to have children. So, I have resources and offer my home to children like my wards."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Lindermann," McGonagall said softly after a pause, "I realize it must be difficult to not have a family at your age."

"And what age do you think I am?" Slender asked, bemused.

McGonagall frowned slightly, looking over the glamoured face before replying, "Perhaps 30. Or 35."

The entity chuckled, "Quite flattering, Madame."

"You're older?!" She gasped in shock. Slender simply smiled.

"I'm as old as my tongue and a little older than my teeth." He stated, chuckling lightly. Sally leaned to Harry and whispered doubts whether he had either.

The older Transfiguration Professor led them to a busy shop called "Madame Malkin's". They opened the door and an invisible bell rang out with a musical chime. A plump woman with a cheerful face and mauve robes walked in from the back room with a young assistant girl. "Hello, dearies, what can I do for all of you?"

"Three for Hogwarts." McGonagall stated. The woman nodded happily and requested that Harry, Nick, and Adrian all move to the other room.

One boy was already standing on one of the stools in the room, arms out as magical measuring tapes and pins flew about, controlled by an assistant. The platinum-blonde glanced over at them as they took their spots on three other stools. "Hello, Hogwarts too?"

They confirmed. The boy drawled on, "My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands. Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."

Adrian raised an eyebrow at the very non sequitur (and exhaustively long) conversation pathway. Harry flinched at faded memories of Dudley resurfacing. The boy didn't wait for a response. "Have you got your own broom?"

They denied. "Play Quidditch at all?" They denied. "I do- Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in, yet?" They denied. "Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been – Imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"

They gave a generally noncommittal noise. "I say, look at that man!"

They followed his finger out of surprise at the outburst and noticed it pointing to Slender, who was looking at several swaths of cloth and asking an assistant about them. The others were milling about. "What an odd fellow, isn't he? I've never seen someone that young with white hair. Do you think it's a curse or something?" His hand went up to his own hair somewhat protectively. "And I've never seen someone that tall!"

"He's our guardian," Nick replied, contributing to the conversation first.

"Guardian? I suppose then you're parents are dead?" The boy said, only mildly interested.

Nick looked away and shrugged. Harry nodded. Adrian simply didn't reply. "Well, they were our kind weren't they?"

Again, shrugs or no response. The boy didn't seem fazed, "I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they got their letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old Wizarding families. What're your names anyway?"

They didn't even answer as Madame Malkin shooed the boy off the stool. As he left, he turned and drawled, "Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose." And left.

They were silent as several pins floated about, pinning black fabric into robes over them and measuring tapes took lengths. Harry finally spoke, "That was, single-handedly, the most one-sided conversation I've ever heard."

The boys chuckled and the assistants around them pinched their lips together to fight the smiles form overhearing the joke and the conversation. The measurements were made and finished shortly. They met with Slender in the other side of the shop. Jeff whistled at the black robes, "Wow, spiffy."

Madame Malkin rang up the robes along with winter wear cloaks for later in the year and Slender paid with the sack of coins he carried looped around his shoulder. Professor McGonagall showed them how the bags would be shrunk for convenience and would wear off by midnight (Britain Time), so keep the purchases in a large enough space for when they re-expand.

They moved on to the bookstore, Flourish and Blott's. Slender quickly scanned through the books, selecting the ones on Harry's list along with a dozen or so more for further and more modern research, including "Hogwarts, a History", "Great Historical Figures of the 20th Century", and "The Modern Theory on Magic".

BEN, Toby, and Sally were excitedly looking through books on magical creatures and places, finding out which were real or any ones they hadn't heard of before along with several stories of heroes slaying those mythical creatures and doing heroic deeds with magical methods. EJ pretended to just be wandering about blindly, leaning against some shelves and staring randomly, but was skimming the titles to note which ones to discretely hand Slender for further research.

While they were there, they bought standard stationary. Jeff couldn't help himself when they brought out the writing utensils.

"Quills?" He cackled incredulously. Sally and Harry snickered in agreement. A normal pen was much more convenient (and sturdier) than a feather with some notches in it that had to be refilled every other word.

"Quills are a time-honored tradition." Slender argued. "A mark of penmanship. An art of calligraphy."

"Quite so," McGonagall agreed, "Now, I understand most muggles are unaccustomed to quills, so it may help if you pract-"

She was effectively cut off as Slenderman wrote on a scrap piece of paper set out for testing inks and quills. He wrote his alias name "Solomon" in an ornate, scrawling writing perfectly aligned with the other's letter height, neither dipping in line height nor weight, and embellishing it with a small swirl underneath.

They briefly visited the Magical Menagerie as Slender explained they couldn't maintain a magical animal in their home. Though, it was interesting to see the various species in cages and paddocks around the space. Though, a majority shied away from the group. They expected as much, animals were never too comfortable around Slender.

They eventually made it through various shops for odds and ends before finally making it to the Apothecary. Harry, Nick, and Adrian focused on purchasing the unpleasant potions ingredients (Nick, in particular was rather squeamish about the multitude of insect parts they carried). EJ noted several jars and barrels of material and sniffed them.

The Apothecary manager walked over. EJ turned to him, "Are those…?"

The manager chuckled, "Yep. Cow hearts, cow kidneys, cow livers, pig brains, pickled sheep hearts…" He stopped and turned to Jeff, pointing back at EJ, "Hey, is your friend okay?"

Jack stared with glazed-over eyes (hidden behind sunglasses) and a bit of drool at the barrel of juicy, red cow kidneys piled on top of one another. Jeff steered him away from that area until they finally left (Though, Jack managed to sneak in several organs during purchase).

They walked out into the street-

And were assaulted by noise and flashes of light.

"Mr. Potter!"

"Over here!"

"Daily Prophet, Mr. Potter can you tell us who is that man you're with?"

"Where have you been all these years?"

"Are you staying in Britain, Mr. Potter?"

Minerva tried frantically to shout above the din, but even years of her sternest glare didn't outmatch a large crowd of reporters clamoring over one another at the Apothecary's entrance.

Suddenly, they stopped shouting and kneeled over in pain. Minerva, herself, had to hold a hand to her head at a sudden, mild pain that developed behind her temple and a high-pitched ringing sound in her ear. Then, the cameras burst like popcorn, ruining the film inside and destroying the camera's capability to continue.

The Alley was much quieter, so Slender's voice carried, "No photography. No comment. And we'd appreciate it if you did not follow us."

The wards walked through the crowd, parting the still stunned reporters and photographers. Minerva had to jog a bit to keep up, hand pressed to the side of her head as the headache ebbed away almost as quickly as it came. She chalked it up to, perhaps, one of the boys' accidental magic outbursts.

"'ello again, Pr'fessor!" Came a booming voice behind them. They turned to see Hagrid smiling, looking pleased with himself and one hand behind his back. "And 'ello to you, too, Harry."

"Hello again, Hagrid," McGonagall said tiredly. He meant well, but he was the direct cause of the fiasco just then, alerting the civilians at Gringotts who probably alerted the reporters as quickly as they could.

Hagrid noticed the large crowd of reporters and put 2 and 2 together, feeling rather sheepish. "Er, sorry 'bout tha'. Didn't think 'fore I called out Harry's name back in Gringotts."

"It's fine, Hagrid," Minerva assured him.

Hagrid's face brightened and he straightened, "I got yer a present, Harry."

The British citizen-by-birth was surprised as the half-giant pulled a cage from behind his back. Inside was a beautiful, snowy white owl with luminescent, gold eyes. Despite the unusual man and the suddenness of the gift, Harry was still awestruck as he took the cage, "She's beautiful."

Sally gasped in awe at the bird as well, admiring it. "Can we keep her?" She asked Slender.

"Well…" The bird turned to look at him and didn't seem fazed by his presence. It would be a useful tool for inconspicuous "Wizard Mail". "I imagine it was rather expensive-"

"Oh, don' you worry. I bought 'er from the Menagerie. Friends with one of the blokes behind the counter. 'e gave me a good discount on an owl, considerin' she's a bit of a fireball to customers, but jus' landed right on me shoulder. Even then, I felt like I oughtta get a present for Harry, 'ere. His birthday, soon, ya know."

"Thank you." Harry said, sincerely.

"Now, she hasn' got a name, yet. So I'll leave that to you." Hagrid said, beaming. He walked off, waving good naturedly back at the group.

McGonagall led them to a rather busy shop in the Alley called Fortesque's Ice Cream. Sally was ecstatic by all of the flavor choices and got a watermelon and strawberry sundae. Toby wanted the "Banangerine-Quadruple-Berry-Blast" flavor, but Slender talked him down to the less-outrageous cherry and vanilla flavor.

They sat at a table, Minerva indulging (at the group's insistence) on a small rum raisin scoop in a cup with a spoon. They let Hedwig out of the cage and she immediately flew onto Harry's shoulder and nibbled his ear affectionately before he pulled out an owl treat Hagrid also gave them. As she gnawed on the biscuit, they began talking, "So, what do we name her?"

"How about Loftwing?" BEN suggested. Hedwig flew over and pecked his head, hooting in displeasure before flying back to Harry. BEN rubbed his head angrily, "Or Cucco.." He mumbled.

Sally looked the bird over, contemplating, "Snowy? Snowball? Whitefeather? Blanca?" The bird was much kinder in its declining hoots to the girl. BEN grumbled further about 'bird favoritism'.

Harry eventually pulled out his history texts for historical names, "Cleopatra? Joan? Circe? Abigail? Hedwig?"

The owl perked up suddenly and hooted excitedly at the last name, "You want to be called Hedwig?" Harry asked. She replied with a very affirmative hoot. "Then, Hedwig it is!" He declared.

Minerva was somewhat impressed by the transaction. The owl was incredibly smart, even by magical owl standards. "Now, Mr. Potter, you are allowed an owl. If your friends would also like an owl, cat, or toad, they are more than welcome to find one."

"Er, Professor? Are we allowed to have two pets?" Harry asked.

"I'm afraid not, Mr. Potter. The rules stipulate one pet per student." McGonagall stated.

Harry sighed, looking at Hedwig sadly, stroking her feathers, "Then, I can't keep her. I've already got BRVR back home and I really don't want to leave him behind."

"I could watch her, Harry." Nick offered, smiling.

Adrian nodded, "Yes… by the rules, BRVR could be your… 'cat' and Hedwig could be Nick's owl. That doesn't mean Harry can't have her visit or even just care for her."

Minerva's lips upturned slightly, "Quite right, Mr. Thresher. Of course, I never heard anything about bending the rules and as far as I know, this 'BRVR' is Harry's official pet cat and Hedwig will be Nikolaus's pet owl." The group nodded gratefully.

They left the shop shortly after, still talking about the new developments as they walked down the Alley. Finally, Professor McGonagall reached a small, dark shop in the middle of the alley. It was much older than the surrounding buildings with thick glass revealing a display of wands on pillows. Above it was a sign "Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C."

They entered the tiny shop area and set off a small bell alert in the depths of the shop. They looked around the store at the shelves upon shelves of small, thin boxes piled neatly on top of one another as high as the ceiling. The only other items in the room were a single, spindly chair and the counter with a small register on it.

The air seemed thick with magic and Slender felt the need to glance at Smile and BEN to ensure their pendants were still functioning properly. As it was, the dust was certainly giving the air a musky feeling like a library or one of the Mansion's old storage rooms.

It was dead quiet and the stacks and dust seemed to absorb and muffle any sound that came in. When the doors shut, the sounds outside immediately silenced. For a while, it felt almost like a void.

"Good afternoon." A voice came from the shadows, startling them.

The man walked into the pale light let in from the thick, dusty windows. He was very old, with lots of wispy, white hair making it seem almost ethereal. His eyes were wide and silvery like pale moons that took in everything they saw.

His eyes wandered over McGonagall and his eyebrows furrowed as the mysterious orbs passed over each of the wards curiously. Finally, he stopped on the tall adult and his lip slightly upturned in a smirk before vanishing just as quick.

He turned to the older woman with a slight bow. "Madame McGonagall, always a pleasure to see you. 9 ½ inches. Fir. Whippy. Dragon Heartstring of a rather fierce Scottish Hebridean Black. Perfectly suited for Transfiguration, as you've proven." The wandmaker said. The Professor nodded in confirmation before singling out the three students.

"These are Nikolaus Brahms, Adrian Thresher, and Harry Potter, starting at Hogwarts this Fall."

"I see, Madam. I'll get started on it then, shall I?" He said happily, "Oh, but I'm afraid one takes quite some time, three will be rather long. Can you stay?" His pearly-white eyes stared into hers unblinkingly.

The Transfigurations Mistress's eyes widened in sudden realization. "Oh, dear! I've entirely forgotten a different appointment with another family soon!" She hurriedly reached into her pockets and produced three small tickets, "These are the tickets to the train Platform to get to Hogwarts. It departs at 11:00 AM sharp on September 1st at Kings Cross Station. Platform 9 ¾. Goodbye, now. I'm terribly sorry, but I must go."

She bustled out the door and back through the busy street. Slender watched with concern as she left, holding the tickets in his hand before putting them in his pocket.

She had told them earlier that she had cleared her schedule.

He turned back to Mr. Ollivander, who was smiling pleasantly and looking straight at him. The old man shuffled past the group and turned the small sign on the door from "Open" to "Closed" before turning back to him.

"Well, well, well. It really is lovely of you to visit. It's been quite some time, hasn't it Slenderman?"

AN: I had to include that scene with Toby and the vault. I stumbled on the Family Guy clip online and it was just so hilarious and cringe-worthy.

It's interesting, but Revelations 13:18 is one of the few passages of the Christian Bible I can remember by book, chapter, number, etc. Primarily because "Revelations" is the whole end-of-the-world chapter, 13 is generally unlucky, but 18 is 6+6+6. I always wondered if that was somewhat intentional.

The most wicked revenge of all… paperwork.

The scene from Madame Malkin's is largely transcribed from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, with alterations made accordingly.

For reference, "Loftwing" is a bird in the Zelda Franchise, and "Cucco" is the infamous white chicken that attacks Link relentlessly if he provokes it. So, essentially, BEN subtly insulted Hedwig as a "crazy, white chicken with anger issues".

I know some people hate them, but God, I love cliffhangers!

I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Sincerely,

Crow