Chapter 15

It wasn't long before Hermione had talked Harry back to their rooms in Gryffindor Tower and into a soothing bath for two. She squeezed the soapy bath-towel over his chest, moving it in slow circles as he lay back cradled in her embrace. Wet ringlets of his shaggy hair fell over his closed eyes as he sighed with relaxation.

"We don't do enough of this," Harry said quietly.

"Shhh," she replied. "No talking allowed. Just relaxing ... that goes for no thinking either."

He smiled softly. "Kinda hard not the think when we're naked in a tub full of bubbles."

She dropped the towel and hugged him from behind. "I love you, Harry, but there will be no sex until I get you to bed. The last time we tried that in here there was water and bubbles everywhere."

"It was clean sex though."

She laughed playfully. "Very clean."

Harry looked down at his hands. "Am I pruning yet?"

"The question you need to ask is 'am I relaxed yet?'"

He nodded. "You always know what I need the most."

Hermione smiled in satisfaction. "That's my job. You're my husband." She pushed him from the back. "Now get off, Husband. You're squishing my boobs."

Harry removed himself from the bath and patted himself with a fluffy towel before he noticed Hermione still in the tub watching every move he made.

"Um ... what?"

She wore a silly grin on her face. "Nothing ... well not exactly." She laid her head to the side of the tub. "I still can't believe you're mine."

He wrapped the towel around his waist and flung his still dripping hair back.

"Oh please, Mr. Potter. You'll have all the girls at Teen Witch Weekly all agog."

Harry laughed joyfully. "You're the only one who gets to see me like this."

Hermione smiled wickedly. "Don't forget the pictures I took of you in Cannes. I'm sure Playwitch would pay a pretty Galleon for those. Then I'd have to fight all the girls away ... I'd never get any work done." She sighed in defeat. "Alas, the public will never get to know the joy that is your tight butt."

Harry rolled his eyes and leaned down for a kiss. "I think they'll survive."

She grabbed the back of his hair in her fist and pulled him into her mouth almost savagely, devouring his taste hungrily. She released him abruptly and lay back in the tub with her eyes closed; her tongue traveled the expanse of her lips, savoring the feeling of the kiss.

"You may go now," she said as she waved her hand dismissively.

Harry laughed. "Yes, Mistress Hermione."

Her lips stretched wide. "And don't you forget it, mister."

Harry retreated to his wardrobe and after dressing he took a seat in the study and stared at the envelope that Grumnak had given to him. Breaking the wax seal, Harry unfolded the letter tentatively.

Mr. Potter,

The ritual you participated in has never been performed with a human wizard, however as my brother in blood and oath, and in the spirit of the task we have set upon ourselves I feel it behooves the Goblin community to afford you the responsibilities and privileges of a brother Goblin.

Henceforth you are awarded with an honorary position of 'council-member' of the Goblin Senior Council. It is not a mandatory position, nor will anything be expected of you regarding duties or responsibilities except as liaison between the Goblins and the human wizards.

With this title you have full access to any and all vaults in possession of Gringotts as well. I need not remind you of trust we place in you, Mr. Potter. Grumnak will fill you in on the details.

This last portion of this letter deals with two requests, one of my own and one of Grumnak.

You and I have taken a large step in the furthering of our two races, Mr. Potter. Do not let our efforts falter, or your resolve to better our relations' falter. It is a far better thing we do than has ever been done before in the history of our two races.

Have a long and prosperous life, Mr. Potter, as have I.

High Senior Motlock

Mr. Potter,

As the newly appointed High Senior, I welcome you to the Council. If you would be so kind as to present yourself at the entrance to Gringott's Wizarding Bank this Saturday 20th, at 7:00 a.m., I will personally take you on a tour of the bank and introduce you to the board and it's holdings.

You may also approve or disapprove of your family's vault and it's current holdings. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the changes we at Gringotts have made.

High Senior Grumnak

"Who's the letter from?" asked Hermione as she stood in the doorway wearing a fluffy bathrobe and running a towel through her hair.

"The new High Senior of the Goblin Senior Council." He looked down at the letter and back up again. "Apparently I'm an honorary Goblin now."

Hermione shrugged in a nonchalant thoughtful way. "That's nice."

She turned around and went back into the rooms.

"I'm also a member of the Goblin Senior Council, too."

"Really, Harry," she called from the bedroom. "Don't you think you have enough going on already? I mean: you teach DADA, you're head of house, you're on the Solidarity town council, practically building the town itself, and now you want to be on the Goblin Council also?"

Harry tossed the letter to the desk as he stood and made his way to the bedroom. He leaned against the doorjamb and watched as Hermione donned a pair of red silky shorts with a matching camisole. "I've already done with the building supplies and the only thing I have left to do on the town council is appoint a Magical Creatures Relations Department Head. You think Hagrid's interested?"

Hermione raised her eyebrows in dubious surprise. "I love Hagrid to death, Harry, but do you really think he could run a department. He can barely teach a class."

He shrugged. "Not many choices then. Amos Diggory is still on the fence about the whole idea."

Hermione seemed taken aback. "I thought the Diggory's like you? I mean avenging their son's death and all."

Harry nodded. "That's why he's thinking it over in the first place."

He mulled the thought over in his head for a moment or two before he realized his wife standing inches away.

"I think you've thought about things enough for one day, Mr. Potter. It's time to pleasure your understanding wife."

Harry smiled warmly. "Your wish is my command, M'lady."

Saturday morning was upon Harry before he was entirely ready to face a number of Goblins once more. A large amount of trepidation weighted heavily on his brow as he donned his winter cloak. Hermione had returned to the third floor laboratory to continue her studies leaving him with a light kiss and a reassuring squeeze on his arm.

Stepping into the green flames of his fireplace he called out Solidarity's name and seconds later found himself sliding out of the community Floo in the center of town.

"Harry," called a familiar voice that he hadn't heard for a time.

He glanced ahead and saw Arthur Weasley standing outside of the twin's shoppe.

"Morning, Mr. Weasley."

The elder Weasley approached excitedly. "Wanted to let you know about the new project the department is implementing this spring."

Harry clutched his hands behind his back and nodded.

"We've talked it over with a few of the Muggleborn students and decided to start up introduction tours of the town and Hogwarts for the Muggleborns and their families."

Harry interest was peaked. "How so?"

"Well, I'm sure you realize, getting your first Hogwarts letter was a bit of a shock to the system, so to speak." Mr. Weasley grinned. "The way the introduction would work is if a wizard or witch accompanied the letter as well. Kind of a 'welcome to the neighborhood' goodwill gesture."

He turned to the side and motioned to the unfinished portion of the town. "We'd take them on a tour of Solidarity and Hogwarts so they'd feel more welcome, introduce them to the curriculum, let them speak to actual wizards and witches, you know, promote the goodwill for the families."

Harry smiled smartly. "Sounds like a brilliant plan, Mr. Weasley."

The elder redhead beamed with graciousness. "We're starting right away so the parents won't feel such a shock come summertime."

"I'd suggest bringing them in on the Express for their first look," Harry suggested remembering his first sighting of Hogwarts on the boats as they came across the lake. "It'll make a big impression."

Arthur nodded quickly. "Grand idea." After a moment he noticed Harry edging along.

"Got to get to Gringotts, sir. Meetings and so forth."

Arthur nodded. "Have a wonderful day, Harry."

"You too, Mr. Weasley."

Approaching the portico standing in front of Gringotts, Harry quashed a feeling of nervousness as his eyes traveled over the spot where Motlock was entombed unbeknownst to everyone but the Goblins and himself. A brief shiver crawled up his spine as he climbed the steps and watched as the main doors opened by a rather well dressed Goblin nodding his welcome.

"Virspak will escort you to the High Senior, Mr. Potter," the doorman said.

Harry nodded back and followed the Virspak into the lobby of the new Gringotts Wizarding Bank.

Not much had changed form the old lobby. Teller's booths lined both sides and the back of the bank. Large chandeliers lit the grandiose room. Tens of Goblins sat on tall stools behind the teller booths scribbling rapidly in large tomes, while others readied large scales, incomprehensible abacuses, and ornate inkwells.

Several large doors interspersed between the booths were each guarded by two intense looking Goblins apiece. Harry knew from numerous times visiting the bank that the majority of the doors led to the vast number of private vaults located miles below the bank and the neighboring mountain owned coincidently by Harry himself.

However, a few of the doors led to offices within the bank itself of which he was being led. Down a long doorless hallway he trailed behind Virspak patiently looking at the interspaced ruins along the way. If each of the ruins were any indication, Harry guessed that behind each would be a private office of some kind that only a Goblin could access.

When they reached the end of the hall, Virspak traced a taloned finger up and across the wall in front of him. A moment later a dark wooded, sturdy looking door appeared. The Goblin grasped the brass looking handle and pushed forward into the office of Grumnak, the new High Senior of the Goblin Senior Council.

Grumnak was standing against one wall and turned as he heard the approach of his assistant and Harry.

"Mr. Potter, thank you for being prompt," the High Senior acknowledged as he slid home a file cabinet drawer that disappeared into the wall. "May I offer you a beverage?"

Remembering the nearly toxic Goblin Coffee he partook of a few months back, Harry shook his head. "Um ... thanks, no."

Grumnak nodded. "Very well. We should get on with business then."

He waved his hand toward the wall and continued. "Along this wall is located the major accounts and holdings of the Bank. Being an honorary member of the High Council, you have auditing access to any account, however in order to make any changes, a fellow council member must be present and give consent."

Grumnak moved along the wall and indicated a specific place. "Trace your finger up and along the wall like thus."

Harry did as instructed and was rewarded with an opening of the wall and its hidden file cabinet.

"This is your personal account, Mr. Potter."

Harry looked inside and was surprised at the size and it's contents. "I thought the ledger you ..."

"Yes, The ledger I gave you was a ... how should I put this ... a condensed version of what you see before you." The Goblin indicated the files therein. "These are all of the original ledgers, records, deeds, bearer receipts, Muggle stock holdings, claims of ownership, and so forth. Your personal ledger is a smaller and more condensed copy of everything you see before you."

The morning droned on as Grumnak explained procedure and policies of the bank as well as a brief tour of the new vault layout, an introduction to the two sentry dragons so as not to be roasted alive when unescorted in the tunnels and finally a viewing of his new vault.

Harry did as instructed when approaching a High Security vault such as his own was since the move. Tracing his finger up and across, he watched as a blue glittering arch separated itself from the rest of the tunnel wall and fell into the floor leaving an unobstructed passage into the vault.

He stepped inside and noted firstly that there weren't piles of gold and mounds of silver, nor were there stacks of bronze. Instead, located on the back wall, were three transparent sections securing the Wizarding coinage in a more orderly fashion. In front of each section was a large hopper and a place for a key.

"Your current vault key will allow you access to the sub-vaults, Mr. Potter. Merely insert your key and voice the amount you wish to withdraw. The coins will then be dispensed to the hoppers below."

Harry shrugged absentmindedly. "It was kinda fun having it scattered all over the place."

Grumnak considered Harry's melancholy face for a moment before shaking his own head, and moving on.

"Over here we have cataloged the family jewels. To the side, the enchanted items, and further on the private memoirs and pensive memories of the Black family and Potter family." He turned around and started to the opposite wall to continue before he realized Harry wasn't with him any longer. "Mr. Potter?"

Harry had moved to stand in front of the large transparent wall of that contained large tomes and equally large ornate bottles containing a familiar silver viscous fluid. His lips separated wordlessly in realization of what was contained therein.

"Mr. Potter?" Grumnak repeated.

"Hmm?"

"Would you like to view the rest of your vault?"

Harry raised his hand and lightly placed his fingertips on the glass. "You did say ... those were the pensive memories of the Blacks and the Potters?"

"Correct, Mr. Potter," Grumnak stated, and then with further clarification, "The Black family history is located to the left, while the Potter's is on the right, clearly labeled I might add."

Harry's brow furrowed in confusion. "These weren't here before ... the last time I was ... in the old bank."

Grumnak placed his hands behind his back. "Correct, Mr. Potter. Upon your seventeenth birthday and your ascension into adulthood, the remaining vaults belonging to the Potter family and that of the Black family came into your possession."

"But I thought ..."

"Upon Sirius Black's death you received control of the Black Family Estate which contained all of the monies, jewels, and magical items of which you are familiar. They were added to the trust your parents had arranged for your education and care for the time you were at Hogwarts.

"The remainder of their vault including their histories and more personal items as well as the Black's were transferred to your vault on your seventeenth birthday."

Harry spun to the side. "There's more ... from my family I mean?"

Grumnak stood, non-plussed. "Of course, Mr. Potter."

Harry followed Grumnak's outstretched arm to the opposite wall where a similar arrangement contained two separate spaces, clearly labeled Potter and Black.

In a museum style setting the Potter side contained two sitting chairs with a small round table in-between. On the left side were a large amount of standing packages about three by two feet and on the other side various amounts baubles, knickknacks, personal items, and two rather large trunks, but what struck Harry dumb and motionless were the two wizarding portraits that hung above the twin chairs and their subjects waving madly at him.

"Mum ... Dad ...?"