There were several contentious moments at the intake desk at Saint Mungos Hospital that next morning. Just after 7:00 AM, the flames in the primary floo turned green and discharged several goblins accompanied by three wizards. The mediwitch on the desk stared for a long moment as one of the wizards approached and formally said, "Madam, Vault Manager Ironstream is here to visit his client, Sirius Black, (Lord Black Presumptive). You will take us to his room immediately."
Staring for a moment, the mediwitch replied, "Visiting hours don't begin until 10:00 AM. You'll have to leave and return…then."
"Are you ordering the Vault Manager for the Black family to depart from this hospital?"
Swallowing and clearing her throat, the mediwitch replied, "Yes, the wards will not allow you to enter the patient areas. Now leave!"
The goblin who appeared to be in charge asked, "Do you think you might be able to contact your supervisor and ask for her or his opinion – miss?"
The pureblood witch didn't try to hide the look of disdain on her face when she replied, "No. There is no place for goblins at Saint Mungos."
The goblin healer standing behind Ironstream chuckled. The mediwitch looked around as if looking for support from other staff members but they all were frozen in place.
"Well. Again, I ask that you take Vault Manager Ironstream to the room where his client, Sirius Black, is housed. Do this immediately!" insisted the wizard.
"No! Get out!"
Ironstream turned to one of the wizards, handed him a letter and said, "Deliver this to the addressee by hand immediately."
The wizard stepped to an apparition point and departed while Ironstream handed a second letter to a second wizard who was also instructed to deliver the letter to the addressee immediately. Then the goblin turned to the mediwitch, bowed, and returned to the floo, where he threw floo powder into the flames and returned to Gringotts.
The rest of his party followed and the mediwitch sat back, satisfied that she'd prevented a problem for the hospital. No one visited any patient this early in the morning.
SCENE CHANGEHank Stubblefield was a half-blood and was pigeon-holed in a thankless job as the goblin-liaison for the Ministry for Magic with Gringotts, a separate kingdom underneath the City of London. His salary was adequate, but he'd learned in the first two years of service to look for the tips the goblins sent him in their weekly packets of information. He'd made good investments, raised his standard of living, and would retire in another forty years with a comfortable nest egg.
This morning, Fred Worthen, a Cursebreaker known to work at Gringotts, delivered a letter to him to share with the Minister for Magic before 8:00 AM. Stubblefield knew from previous experience that it was hopeless to get past the pink toad guarding the minister's office. She sold appointments and then still delayed most people from seeing the man.
But the letter threatened several actions this morning if the minister didn't respond to a complaint and a request from King Ragnock. Making his way to the DMLE offices, Hank Stubblefield began by explaining the duty officer that he was in possession of a letter that had to be responded to by the minister by 9:00 AM.
"And why are you here?"
"The Undersecretary will not allow me access to the minster and if she realizes I have a letter from a goblin, she'll shred it and never read it."
"The buggers are unpleasant and ugly," the Auror replied. "What do you want me to do?"
"Let me talk to Head Auror Scrimgeour as soon as you can find him."
"No. Not going to happen."
Hank Stubblefield sighed and said, "Then Fudge will have his vaults sealed for ten years and Saint Mungos will have all vaults frozen for the next sixty days."
"Let me see the letter," ordered the Auror, holding out his hand.
"I'll let you read it, but you must return it without doing anything,"
"It's evidence of an attempt to blackmail the minister!"
"No, it's a communication from a foreign power."
The shouting match was just beginning when Director Bones walked up and shut both men down. Her tone was unpleasant when she said, "Stubblefield, I don't appreciate you using the DMLE to get to the minister!"
"Forgive me, Director Bones, but this is an emergency, and I cannot get passed Undersecretary Umbridge without it costing me ten galleons and four or five hours of wait time."
Bones frowned and remarked, "Her prices are rising."
"She doesn't approve of me because I am a half-blood and work with the goblins on communication with the ministry."
A simple nod was the only acknowledgement Stubblefield got from Bones who said, "Very well. What's the problem you need to bring to Minister Fudge's attention?"
"At 7:00 AM this morning, the Gringotts Vault Manager for the Black Family Vaults went to Saint Mungos to speak with the next Lord Black, Sirius Black. He was twice denied admittance, and the intake witch refused to call a supervisor to get permission. She threatened the Vault Manager with the wards around the hospital. The Vault Manager was attempting to resolve the financial crisis and a mediwitch refused to allow him to see his client."
"Fool of a witch," Amelia muttered as she held out her hand for the letter. As soon as she'd read the letter, she returned it to Hank before turning to the desk sergeant and asking. "Who is on the minister's detail this morning?"
Consulting a clipboard, the Auror replied, "Harkness, Dunwich, Proudfoot, and Tonks."
"Send a Patronus to Harkness to direct the minister here to the DMLE offices soonest. And send someone to the Atrium to watch for Director Smith from Saint Mungos. When he appears, bring him to my office."
Before she returned to her office, in a loud voice she announced, "One last thing and make certain everyone hears this! If anyone sees the pink toad, don't tell her anything. And if anyone sends a Patronus or other message to Dumbledore, they'll patrol Azkaban every holiday for the rest of the year – and next year too!"
CHANGE SCENEJason Smith's family was pureblood back twelve generations. To his ever-lasting shame, his only son had married a muggle-born and left Magical Britain. His son's unexpected departure occurred only two hours after his wedding day – the scene Jason made at the wedding might have contributed to his son's departure. The couple never communicated with Jason after leaving So, the Smith family would end with his death – which very well could be today.
The letter delivered to his doorstep by a Cursebreaker from Gringotts detailed every insult and denial of access to a critical client. The consequences to Magical Britain's economy were repeated and the immediate consequences to the vaults for Saint Mungos and Jason's personal vaults were written in black ink on very fine parchment.
'Payroll must be met. Payment for potions and potion ingredients must be made. That girl will be on the street before noon,' Jason threatened for a moment but then paused. 'She followed the rules to the letter.'
Thinking of going to Minister Fudge for assistance, Jason hurried through the flames to the Atrium of the ministry. There he found himself being hustled into the DMLE offices, and then into the office of that woman – Amelia Bones – who was attempting to explain to Cornelius Fudge that yes, the goblins could seal his vaults for ten years for interfering in their business.
"Smith!" shouted Fudge. "This is all your fault! Bones, arrest him and send him to Azkaban for ten years!"
"Shut it, Cornelius or I'll lock you in a closet with Dolores for the rest of the morning!" threatened Amelia. The director of the DMLE was a patient woman with an excellent professional and personal reputation, but the looming financial crisis threatened the budgets for the Ministry (and the DMLE) kept her up at night. She would work without pay to keep all of her Aurors employed and there were items that might be sold for cash – if anyone had galleons come the first of the year.
Her good sense told her that the goblins at Saint Mungos this morning were attempting to reach Sirius Black to make some kind of arrangement to reopen the Black family vaults. That would save the economy, resume the collection of taxes, and keep the ministry functioning.
Glancing at Cornelius Fudge and Jason Smith, this morning she considered them to be clumps of hippogriff dung attempting to trip up this vault manager trying to reach Sirius Black. Pinning both wizards to their chairs with a glare worthy of a Dark Lady, Amelia growled, "Mr. Smith, you will proceed with me to Gringotts where you will beg King Ragnock's forgiveness for the rude reception of his most senior vault manager, Ironstream, at your hospital this morning. And you will personally escort Ironstream to Saint Mungos and continue with him to the room where Sirius Black is housed. You will ensure that every employee understands that Ironstream is permitted unlimited access to Sirius Black for the duration of his stay in your fine facility."
CHANGE SCENE"So, what is the reasoning here with Godson Black being made the agent for Sirius Black with the vaults?" Andromeda asked her husband.
Ted replied, "Sirius Black trusts his godson more than any other person. He's basically adopted the boy as his own son and heir through the godfather ritual. And Godson Black does have the blood of a Black in his veins."
"But the boy can't vote the seats in the Wizengamot."
"No, they're going to go into stasis until such time as Lord Black decides to reactivate them."
"That'll throw Lucius Malfoy out of the Wizengamot, won't it?"
"Yes," replied Ironstream.
Ted added, "And it'll drive everyone nuts worrying about who has the seat while we get the economy back on track."
Sitting forward, Andromeda asked, "How will you protect – the agent – from a thousand wizards and witches who want him to give them money or other gifts?"
"We're going to cast the fidelius charm over the secret of the name of the agent for Sirius Black."
"That's very expensive if you have to pay for multiple wizards or goblins to work together to cast the spell."
"Normally yes," Ironstream agreed. "But we have a very powerful wizard here – Godson Black at fourteen is as powerful as Albus Dumbledore when he was twenty."
That news set Andromeda and Ted sit back in their chairs.
"And, when we removed the dark magic from the scar on the teenager's head, it threatened to overload the wards here at the bank. A great deal of that power was shunted into power sinks underneath the bank. With a tap into that power, Godson Black will perform the charm with only three goblins helping him. None of our human employees will be aware of the fidelius."
Now Healer Andromeda Tonks set up and asked, "Who will be the secret keeper? They are always the weak link. They can write down the secret and share it with others. Isn't that what happened with Pettigrew and the Potters?"
"Yes, it is," Ironstream admitted. "But Godson Black here, has an idea. He is going to use someone who can't write as the secret keeper."
Ted chuckled and Andromeda stared at the teenage wizard with growing admiration. She asked, "Who?"
"Dobby!"
The elf popped into the room and said, "Yes, Mr. Harry Potters?"
Now Ted laughed aloud and congratulated Ironstream on a major victory in protecting the fidelius charm.
"When the charm is cast, a single sheet of paper is created with the secret. At that time, myself and two vault managers, Godson Black, and King Ragnock will read the secret. Upon consideration, Gringotts asks Mr. Theodore Tonks and Mrs. Andromeda Tonks to be here and read the secret as well. We shall not tell Mr. Sirius Black about the identity of his agent, but I shall have his letter nominating his godson for future reference that he did designate the agent."
"You need a couple more people who can know the secret to reassure the public," Ted said.
"Director Bones," Andromeda said. "She'll not like the identity of the agent, but she can assure everyone that the agent is in place."
Harry spoke up and said, "Miss Bones is enough. That's four humans, plus four goblins, and Dobby."
"The goblins are necessary because of so many cheques and jobs with the vaults. And the king has to know."
Andromeda looked at her husband and said, "Leave me out. I trust my husband and if he assures me that the agent is trustworthy, I'll believe him."
"That'll make it seven people not counting the secret keeper. Seven is a good magical number."
"When do we do this?"
"As soon as ever Madam Bones can visit," Ironstream said. "I'll send an invitation to her now."
The Director of the DMLE met with Ironstream and dared to raise her voice in the chamber where they discussed using a fourteen year old wizard as the agent for the Black Family Vaults.
Ironstream cut through the arguments by saying, "Sirius Black trusts his godson. The boy loves his godfather and won't hurt him. If you had to name an agent, who would you trust more than your niece?"
"That's not fair to use Susan's name."
"But it is true."
Change SceneAnd so it was that Ted Tonks, Amelia Bones, Axewind, and Ragnock witnessed the creation of the Fidelius Charm by Harry Potter, Ironstream and Bloodhook using Potter's magical power and the seemingly unlimited power of a sink underneath Gringotts. The house-elf Dobby became the secret keeper with the slip of paper in his hand that he showed to each wizard, witch, and goblin before destroying it.
Bones, Ted, Ragnock and Ironstream wrote a press release that stated simply that Sirius Black, (Lord Black presumptive), had named an agent to handle all matters with Gringotts Bank and the Black family vaults. The identity of the agent was being protected but had been verified by a major ministry official, and King Ragnock in the bank.
A subsequent press release announced that business loans would resume on 31 August 1994. What no one knew at the time was that businesses owned and operated by purebloods would begin to pay fees that would rise slightly each month. Businesses owned and operated by half-bloods received better rates. Unfortunately, there were no businesses owned by muggle-born wizards and witches to receive the very best rates.
Other changes in the Black family vaults were that no galleons were to be used to pay for unlimited food and drink, and other household expenses in any house in Great Britain. For Sirius Black to provide food and drink in any house, he had to be in his right mind to authorize monthly payments. This meant that Lucius Malfoy no longer had the generous supplement to his income to pay for food, etc. in the manor house that had been part of his wife's dowry. Narcissa Malfoy had access once again to her cash and jewelry vault but after a quiet word from her vault manager, she learned the number of galleons was slashed in half. The other half of her monthly stipend was deposited into an emergency fund that she alone could access – from Paris or Florence but not London's Gringotts.
The investment vault now had authorization to make investments through the stock exchanges including Gringotts Tooth, London Footsie, German DAX, Bourse de Paris, and the New York Stock Exchange. And with the huge amounts of money in the largest vault for business loans that was untouched (less than 10% supported all British magical firms), the goblins entered the world of high finance across the western world.
A study group was formed to examine muggle banking practices to offer to consumers (a new word for Magical Britain) that included Credit Cards, Check Cards, and revolving credit. The Daily Prophet wrote of wonderous innovations that would surely elevate Magical Britain's place in the world.
End SCENE