Hermione scowled at him then he asked for help after breakfast.
"You've been sneaking off to the Root haven't you?" Her fists struck her hips and remained rooted there.
He gave her a sheepish grin. Luna watched them both with wry amusement.
"Perhaps a little."
"You were supposed to be resting Mister! We–" She cut off when she caught Luna's expression and huffed. "Well I for one am very disappointed. With both of you," she clarified as she included Luna in her hard stare.
"What did I do?"
"Nothing. You knew and did nothing."
"Hermione, if Harry had been barred from readying himself for this fight he would have died to save the world. Now he has a shot at surviving."
"Just a shot?" Harry asked, face solemn.
Luna nodded. "This creature isn't of our realm, reality, what-have-you. That gets in the way of my vision. I think it also gets in the way of whatever forces run the world."
Harry nodded along. "That agrees with what Fate told me."
"Fate? Like an immortal being that makes a mockery of our concept of free will? It spoke to you?" Hermione asked with arched eyebrows, her arms coming to rest under her ample bosom as concern replaced the fury on her face.
"Yes. In a dream."
Hermione look stunned, like someone had slapped her in the face.
"We do have free will though. She just … nudges events around us," Harry said in soft tones and pulled her into a hug. She only grunted
"So," Luna said. "You're going to stand still while we throw everything we have at'cha?"
Harry chuckled, kissed Hermione's forehead, and released her. "That's the idea."
Half an hour of them trying everything from tickling charms to the cruciatus curse in the Room of Requirement later and Harry was satisfied. The necklace was not impervious, but what it couldn't stop entirely, like the two unforgivables they'd been willing to toss at him, it muted and slowed.
"I'll still have to be on guard," he said, "and there's no way to test how it will hold out against the conglomerate's weird shadow attacks, but it's better than I had."
Faith in his abilities shone in Luna's eyes, as in Hermione's, but where serenity smoothed the rest of his seer's features, his phoenix's face remained pinched with worry.
"You won't let us come though, will you?" Hermione said, voice low and soft.
He cupped her cheeks. "No." With a sigh for her wounded expression, he kissed her forehead. "I can't fight how I need to if I'm worried for your safety."
"You mean you can't fight recklessly," Luna said, hands on slender hips.
"Killing the Conglomerate has to be my sole focus."
"Surviving this fight has to be your sole focus." Luna's violet eyes flashed. "The world needs you for more than this.
He shook his head . "Fate - "
"Impressed upon you the importance without taking into account how your saving people thing can blind you."
"Are you saying an immortal primal force of the universe made a mistake?"
Luna shrugged. "If it didn't happen from time to time the Conglomerate wouldn't exist."
He laughed. "Well I've got to go to Gringotts first. Care to join me?"Not willing to be caught without backup if Queen Linlir summoned him again, Harry sent a house elf for Andy and Neville. He sent another to bake a fresh batch of Neville's Nan's cookies that had so delighted the queen last time.
The five of them stood before Gringotts open double doors before lunch.
Griphook appeared as they arrived at a teller's desk and led them into the bank proper without preamble.
"Good afternoon lord Potter, ladies, lords Malfoy and Longbottom. How many vaults will we be visiting today, Sirs?" He gave a small bow as he ushered them into the two carts that had been lashed together to accommodate their party.
Harry glanced at the others, but at their head shakes said "Just mine for now.
"Sir is expecting to make a large withdrawal?"
"No, but," he paused as a stooped wizard with his own goblin escort entered behind them. He didn't continue until they had clattered away down the rail a ways. "But your queen seemed fond of my people. We have brought her another small gift of cookies in the event she wished to speak with us again."
"You request a formal audience?"
Harry paused, weary of asking favors of anyone, least of all goblins. "No. However, I would guess it is safe to assume she is already aware of our presence?"
M Griphook flashed his yellow pointed teeth. "Before you were halfway across the lobby."
"I don't claim to know her majesty well enough to anticipate if she would desire our company or not, but prefer to prepare for every eventuality."
"Sir is most clever."
They arrived at Harry's vault in the next few minutes. He asked the others to wait outside. All of the destroyed horcruxes were not only in the secret room, but hidden behind complex wards in an enchanted chest that would not open if there were any but himself present.
On touching the ring, the Elder wand thrummed. Harry slid it onto the index finger of his left hand. The stone flashed.
"And the cloak," the wand whispered in his mind. "Clip the cloak to that protective necklace of yours."
"To the necklace?"
"Trust me."
Harry summoned the cloak with a flick of the wrist from the pocket dimension he kept it in for safety and convenience. When he fastened it to the chain, a shiver ran over his entire body.
"What?" he asked.
"You're as close to a god as any mortal has come, Harry Potter," the wand said. "Master of Death."
Another shiver passed up his spine. One he didn't think had anything to do with magic. What had he become? Would he be able to go back after his fight with the conglomerate? Would he want to?
He took a moment to examine himself in the mirror. The cloak and ring both glistened in both the magical and mundane spectrums. He concentrated, and that glow faded.
No need to announce that they were objects of power to the whole world. As he bemoaned the fact that they both still stood out, they shifted before his eyes. The ring melted, dripped up his hand, and solidified into a simple braided leather bracelet that held a smooth but unremarkable river rock. The cloak shimmered and shifted to a plain black travelling cloak rather than its brilliant mottled pattern.
He grinned and strode from the room.
On the platform, Luna looked curiously from the bracelet to the cloak and back, but everyone else seemed underwhelmed. There was also a newcomer. A goblin dressed in livery.
"Her highness will see you and your party Lord Potter," he said with a bow slighter than Griphook's had been.
The liveried goblin led them to the same ornate room the queen had received them in last time.
Today she wore a close fitting crimson dress worked with gold thread in intricate runic goblin script at the hemlines and wrists. She continued to fix her tea as their guide announced their presence. All of them sank into bows and curtsies. Andy made a perfect leg before she realized she should have mimicked Luna's elegant curtsy, as Hermione had tried and half succeeded in.
Linlir took a slow sip of her tea as she regarded them before she dipped her head slightly and gave a gesture for them to straighten.
"So," she said without preamble, "you've accepted your mantle at last." Her gaze left Harry's for the briefest of moments to look from the cloak to the stone with barely hidden avarice. Had Griphook managed to forewarn her that the cloak and bracelet must have come from his vault or did she recognize them despite how they had disguised themselves?
Harry shrugged. "I've merely retrieved tools that might make the difference in the battle to come."
She laughed. "'Tools' is far too common a description for the Deathly Hollows. I assume you possess the Elder wand as well?"
Recognition then. Must be. Harry inclined his head.
"Marvelous," her eyes lit with a desire that straddled the line between greed and desire. "You were formidable before to be sure, now." She shuddered. "Well, I certainly don't envy your opponents. Not even my own considerable power could resist you now," she said with a dismissive wave, but the widening eyes of her attendants gave her casualness the lie.
"I prize my relationship with your people too highly for you to have anything to fear on that front, your majesty."
"We can not be too careful."
Her eyes met his for a long moment, pricing. Evaluative. When he didn't speak, she grit her teeth and said, with uncharacteristic bluntness, "We would have your oath on it, Lord Potter."
He paused only long enough to judge the flicker of fear and anger in her gaze before taking a knee. "I, Harry Potter, do swear by my house and magic that no harm will come to the goblins or their rulers by my hand without provocation:"
She weighed his words for a long moment before inclining her head. A deeper dip than she had given for their bows, but only by a hair. The ferocity left her gaze. All straddling abandoned, that smolder left greed behind to dive deep toward desire.
"Words are pretty things, and words from one such as you do bind true, I'm sure, but the division between our races has been a cavernous rift for far too long, don't you say?"
"Indeed m'lady," another flash of danger lit her eyes at the forgone 'majesty', but she did not rule him. That point needed to remain clear. "One of the many reasons I have fought so hard to bridge the gap and befriend you and your people."
"A fine job you've done of it. So few of you ever know of our royal existence. Why, to take not only you but your entourage into our company in one age is unprecedented. Not more than five wizards have been given leave to know of us let alone meet us in any given century since many generations before my time."
"You do me and my people great honour."
"Yes. But is it enough?"
"Enough?"
"Between the Hallows and your companions you will no doubt come out the other side of this upcoming battle, but we did not pick to run a casino Lord Potter. We deal in sureties, not gambles. You've made great strides with us, but have not done nearly as you did with the elves."
"They were being abused."
"And we aren't?"
He considered for a moment. "The predjudice and discrimination you face in untenable, but not the same thing. Your critical function in magical society in far more dignified and respected than the elves were."
"True," she ceded, "but our standing with magical has not improved for millennia."
"I hope to improve it."
"And if you perish?"
"I won't."
"Humour us."
"I do not plan for failure, but if I do I have many friends who will continue my work. Our work." He spread his arms to include the others.
"And as welcome as they are, and extensive as their own connections may be. None hold your political power."
He smirked. "No magical holds my political power."
"Or otherwise," the Elder Wand whispered in his head. The other items didn't speak, but they resonated affirmation. As if the wand's being had been altered by the unity. They were now the Hallows and the new timber if their mental voice startled Harry enough that he thought he missed a step in the conversation.
"We're given to understand you have a daughter of sorts among the elves? How?"
Harry hook himself. "Ah a happy accident. A magically bound daughter, not a biological one. She would have died during birth."
"I see. A marvel. And a living embodiment of your will and dedication regarding elf rights." She crossed her legs, the slit of her dress shifting to flash thigh, and crossed her arms under ample bosom.
Hermione hissed out a breath.
Luna smothered a giggle with a sip of tea.
"If only goblins could be blessed with such a gift," she all but purred.
"How many near-human creatures will attempt to fuck you Harry?" Hermione growled in his head. Control over her own limited telepathy had grown rapidly since accepting the phoenix fully.
He grinned, and let the warmth for Hermione's comment deep into his features.
"If only I could give goblins such a child," he said, "but can not."
"I could think of several ways you might," she said with a sultry smirk, but it held mirth and a flick of her gaze towards Hermione.
"I'm afraid I'm not present enough for the one child that fell into my lap, and in the unlikely event that your fears come true I would not leave another." A pang shot threw him at the thought of leaving Lily, one echoed from her through the bond they shared. Would she even survive his death? She had grown strong and had strong familial ties to the elves and magical ones to Luna and Hermione. She would be okay. She would.
Linlir sat back in her chair. A long moment passed.
"Call the child," she said. After a few seconds she added a "please."
"Lily."
She appeared in her Potter livery mid perfect curtsey.
"Your gobliny majesticness," she said with a smile.
"Hello child. My aren't your pretty and well mannered."
"Thanks you." She flashed a look towards Hermione and bit her lip. She took a deep breath and the momentary slip of elf accent vanished. "I have learned well from my parents."
"Your elven parents?"
"And magical."
"I hear you carry a wand."
"Yes ma'am."
"That's a remarkable achievement. I know Lord Potter laid down legal elf rights, but welding a wand … you are a symbol for true change. Equality for elves."
"I'm just myself. Just Lily."
"Lily Potter the second," Linlir said. "And half elf. At least half. There is nothing 'just' about that child."
Lily mouthed 'the second'. "You make me sound like a princess," she said.
Harry's brow furrowed at Linlir's triumphant grin.
"Would you like to be a princess?"
"Papa calls me a princess."
"A real princess."
"How?"
"Linlir-" Harry warned, but she cut him off with a frosty look. Neville coughed. Yes, perhaps that had been a tad too informal. Disrespectful even. But damn her if he would let her manipulate Lily.
"I could adopt you too."
Too late. He saw the wonder in Lily's multihued eyes.
"Really really?"
"Really really," Linlir laughed.
"That's a really big responsibility though kiddo," Harry said.
"You should think about it first," Hermione cautioned. Hermione! Who was all about equal rights. Harry's heart swelled for the concern she showed.
Lilly did think about it. "I'm already important to all elves, aren't I?"
"Yes," Hermione said.
"And if you adopt me?"
"You'll be important to all goblins. Queen even, one day."
"Hold on," Harry said at the same time that Lily squeezed
"Queen!?"
Linlir laughed. "Of course. Goblin babies are a rare treasure. One we have not been blessed with. We might one day have a child of our own, but as our first female heir you would succeed us."
Lily looked puzzled. She looked towards Hermione and back to Linlir. "That isn't proper grammar."
Linlir burst into pure, raucous laughter. The first uncalculated mirth any of them had seen from her. Her attendants twitched.
"It is for queens my dear."
"Oh." Lily looked at her feet. "I would have a lot to learn."
"Yes."
"I like learning."
"Excellent."
"We don't really know each other."
"I would very much like to fix that."
"Lily," Harry said. "You don't have to and you don't have to decide now. You don't have to decide ever. It might be dangerous."
"Dangerous?"
"You're already human and elf. I don't know what adding goblin to the mix will do. I'm assuming a straight legal adoption wouldn't be enough?" Harry asked Linlir.
She gave an almost sad shake of her head, but brightened. "Though a child who has proven to be so, for lack of a better term, malleable to different genes surely won't suffer adverse effects."
"You can't know that," Harry said.
"I can," Lily said. She stood as tall as her two foot stature would let her with her chin firm. "I would be okay."
"Lily," Harry said kneeling in front of her. "You don't have to do this."
"But I should, right? You want to help the elves like you did for my people."
"Yes I do, but goblins are much better at standing up for themselves. I can help them without you."
"You do too much Papa. Lily is a good elf," she said with a smirk and her eyes flicked toward Hermione. "You have so many elves that there will never be a job you need me to do, but Mama Winky explained that I was born into an important job. One that no one else can do."
"I would never push you towards politics," Harry said with a shudder. "I didn't mean to make you a … a representative for your race."
"But I am one and I chose to be the first elf to wield a wand. No one else can do it. It makes me proud. Magical can be tricky, Mama Winky said, but with me around they won't be able to find a way around your rules to treat us properly."
Harry felt tears threaten as he saw the determination and love in every line of his little girl. He held them back easily enough, but they were there. "When did you become an adult? You elves grow far too fast you know?"
Lily's cheeks purpled in a blush as her defiance melted into a flustered unsurity, but the pride remained.
"I'm still fifty or so years from being a proper adopt Papa, but thank you."
"I am already very proud of you for taking all that on for the elves, but it will probably turn out to be a lot of work all by itself. You don't have to link yourself to the goblins too."
Her fierce resolve came back in force. "Of course I do. Who else could?"
Harry grew silent. Nothing came to mind. "We will figure something out."
Lily shook her head. Her ears were much smaller than other elves after she took on human traits, but they still flopped about. "You gave me a special gift. One similar to yours. I absorb like you, but a bit different. No one else can just become part goblin just cause." She shrugged. "And I'm already doing it for the elves so it'll be easier for me than anyone else too."
"You're a strange and wonderful child, Lily Potter."
"The second," Lily added while Luna laughed.
"Oh Harry, how could she have been anything else with you as a parent? With all three of us as parents," Luna said with an affectionate smile for Hermione. The two clasped hands where they sat together.
"True," Harry said. "But you should still take some time to think about it and talk to your other parents. You've already collected quite a few of those. They might get jealous."
"Jealous? They will be proud I have such an important job. Harry Potter does not give jobs, my parents told me, he lets you find your own. Jobs are important to elves and I have the most important one any of us have ever had. Adding to it by helping the gobbling too will only being me and all of the elves pride and joy."
Harry sighed. "The lot of you are strange. Loveable, but strange. Kiddo, I've spent my whole life regretting that Fate marked me as some sort of chosen one. I intended to keep you from that if I could. If you do this, I won't be able to help you avoid being one too. It can be a very dangerous and difficult life."
"It will be an adventurous life and it will make you proud."
"I already am, but if you're this sure, I won't stop you."
Lily walked toward Linlir, Queen of the Goblins, Protector of the Underealms, Gaurdian of the Gold, who sat with open arms and a kind smile. Her open joy, wonder, and gratitude made Harry realize Lily had made the right choice. Linlir would use her, that seemed unavoidable, but she would also protect and love her. Her expression was open, ungaurded, and lacked the usual light of fifty schemes whirling through her head. She looked overjoyed. Lily crawled into her arms and they formed the perfect picture of a mother in a hospital bed gazing at her child for the first time, minus the sweat and strain.
Lily shifted again. Her transformations were subtle, but stark as they had been each time before. Her ears, which had been leaning towards more human, grew a dramatic point and lengthened so they were skinnier that normal elf ears and as long, without growing to a goblins normal length. Her fingers became longer until she had elegant pianist hand. And her canines, visible in we wide smile, pointed and grew more prominent, though the rest of her teeth remained unchanged. No one could point to exactly what she took on of Linlir's facial features beyond that, but some of her baby face features melted as she gained more mature beauty and a hint of austerity.
Linlir took on some dusty lavender freckles which took some of the austerity and age from her face. She could still pull off cold calculated Queen, Harry was certain, but there was a new lightness to her face. It made her more beautiful, as impossible as that seemed.
"Well then," Linlir said as if nothing at all peculiar had just occurred. Lilly twisted in her lap to sit on her knees facing the others, but Linlir kept her hugged to her with one arm. Both restraining, just holding. Lily beamed. "How is it that young Malfoy has come into her own? You know my dear, we have a waterfall that would have washed that enchantment away with far less hassle than we expect you went through."
Andy's eyes went wide. "Is that why my father had the family vault moved when I was young?"
"We expect so."
They fell into discussing if the waterfall would have worked to break the blood magic or if Malfoy had been overly cautious. From there they exchanged what seemed to be meaningless pleasantries. Harry, aware of how cunning she had to be as the queen of goblins, caught three reminders that goblins had been entrusted to keep countless powerful and dangerous artifacts for centuries, six that history recorded mass tragedy when such items left their care, and one suggestion that such things should belong to goblins in truth once the original owner passed away while the item was in their care. Goblins believed the original maker and their descendants were the rightful owner once the magical who purchased the artifact passed . Since Goblins made most every artifact that still held magic, they believed magical s had been stealing treasures from them for years. She seemed to recognize that last argument remained her weakest since the Hallows were not goblin made.
Harry feigned complete ignorance of her increasingly blatant suggestions that he will the trio of items to the bank upon his death. Despite the frustration he saw building behind her eyes, the conversation continued in an amicable fashion while Lily dozed off in her arms.
"Well my Lord, "Andy said as they got up to make their goodbyes, "where to next?"
"Next you all go back to the castle while I track down the conglomerate. Protect the students."
"No," Hermione said while Luna lifted one delicate eyebrow.
"We've had this conversation before, Harry said. "I can't put my all into the fight if I'm protecting you. I can't afford to lose this one."
"No," Luna said "you can't."
Harry breathed half a sigh of relief which switched to a hiss when she continued.
"Which is why we have to come with you."
"I don't follow," he growled.
"The goblin prophecy mentions the three of us together. 'Assist sight, fire, and light or bring on the blight'. We all have to be there. You have to let us help you."
"No" Harry forced through grit teeth. "I don't. Prophecies are vague. We can' t know exactly what it means.
Luna tossed her hair back in a very Hermione like fashion and effected such a haughty look of superiority he saw her as a true born Ravenclaw for the first time.
"It doesn't seem vague to me. When considered alongside my own inklings of the future, it's certain you need us in this fight."
The two women stared him down.
Linlir ran her fingers through Lily's hair as she watched the humans bicker with wry amusement on her face. "You must indeed let them aid you in this, Lord Potter. The world, perhaps reality itself does seem to depend on it."
Either her words or the added weight of her gaze in conjunction with the two women sealed it. Harry threw up his hands. Of course, once he'd conceded to let the girls come, neither Neville nor Andy would be left behind.
As he gave a few measly reasons why they should return to Hogwarts instead, a liveried goblin bowed his way into the hall, out of breath as he fumbled words out in a rush.
"Forgive me Majesty, forgive me, but an urgent message for your guests." He barely waited for the wave of his Queen's hand before racing on. "Hogwarts is under attack. An elf popped onto the steps half dead. Something about the hearth stone crumbling and shadows. Murderous shadows."