Chapter Five: Preparations
Harry held the key in his hand for the remainder of the evening, contemplating what it could mean. He owned a house. A house that no one knew about. A safe place.
He wondered what that meant. Did it mean that he and the others had a place to go that would be a start? Or did it mean he had a place to send the Weasleys... and Remus and Tonks, should they want, to be safe when they left?
Harry knew the answer to that before it was fully formed in his mind. He'd never been there. He couldn't go there. It was the safe place, and it would be better if no one knew he even knew of it.
The vaults at Gringotts were another matter. And he knew that he had to have a short discussion with Griphook. He had to know where he stood with the goblins.
The following morning, Ron planned to leave with his father for the Ministry. Arthur was obviously proud that Ron was willing to retake his test, and Molly fluttered about, worried once more when Harry and the girls had informed them at breakfast that they were going into Diagon Alley for an hour or two, and Ron was going to meet them there after his test.
"It's just not safe!" Molly insisted. "I know I can't stop you, Harry, Hermione... but Ginny, you'd best stay here with me."
"Mum!" Ginny turned on her mother, her temper flaring, but at that moment, caught Harry's look. She'd reacted again... exactly the way he'd told her she needed to restrain. She immediately closed her mouth and sat down at the table.
"Mrs Weasley... Ginny will be with me. I wouldn't ever let anything happen to her."
"Diagon Alley is not safe, Harry! Get that through you..."
"Molly, I'm sure that Ginny will be safe with Harry. He'd never let anything happen to her. I have full faith in her ability to... get out of there... should she need to."
Ginny looked at her father suspiciously. Something told them all that he wasn't as ignorant of Ginny's ability to apparate as they thought he was.
"I'll be fine, Mum," Ginny said in a much calmer voice. "Harry will take care of me."
Molly wavered, then threw her hands up in the air. "Fine. Be back by lunchtime or I will come looking for you!"
The three of them flooed out to the twins shop half an hour after Ron left with Arthur. They waited there until Ron arrived, happily clutching a bright yellow long-distance apparation licence in his left hand.
"I did it! First time!"
"I knew you could, Ron," Hermione hugged him and he flushed further.
"Ready, then?" Harry asked, nodding to the door. It was barely nine o'clock. With luck, the Alley would still be reasonably deserted.
The arrived at Gringotts without incident, and the four were escorted down to Harry's vault immediately. They entered, and Harry gave his orders quickly.
"Check every box and crate for anything that might be useful," Harry said. "Quickly. We have the family vault to do yet, as well, and I don't know how big it is."
The rummaged through boxes of things that had been left by James and Lily, the few things that had been salvaged from their small house at Godric's Hollow after the attack, and a few things that they'd stored here.
"Harry?" Ginny called out. "You might want to see this."
Harry moved over to her and saw that she was looking at what appeared to be a carved oak box.
"What is it?"
"A jewellery box," Ginny said. "I think it was your mothers."
When the box was opened, it emitted a soft magical tune. Harry smiled.
Harry reached forward and took out a golden chain. There was a tiny golden snitch hanging from it. As Harry examined it, it fluttered it's tiny wings, and then stilled. He laughed at the look on Ginny's face, then undid the clasp and put it about her neck. She looked up at his with surprised eyes.
"It's just a necklace, Gin. My dad probably gave it to my mother... if you like it, you should have it."
"But..."
"No buts," Harry shook his head. "It's pretty on you."
"Harry... I can't take jewellery from you," Ginny reached up to the clasp, avoiding making eye contact.
Harry couldn't help it... he wanted her to have it. The tiny, fluttering snitch had settled in the valley between her breasts, and it...
Well, it was all he could give her.
"Here... if it makes you feel better," Harry reached into the jewellery case. "Don't you think these would suit Hermione?"
Ginny stilled, her hands falling away from the clasp, and eyed the blue droplet earrings that Harry held up.
"Harry, I think those are real sapphires..."
"Hermione?" Harry strode over to her, and held up the earrings. "Little present for you..."
"Harry?" She looked at them, then at him, her eyes wide with surprise.
"They suit you. They remind me of the dress you wore to the Yule Ball..."
Hermione looked at him oddly, looked at the earrings again, then glanced at Ginny. "Harry..."
"Please, Hermione?" he took her hand and dropped them into her open palm. "I'd like you to have them."
After looking at him strangely again, Hermione smiled, reached up and kissed his cheek lightly, and then pulled away, her eyes sparkling. "They're lovely. Thank you."
"Don't... don't mention it," Harry said, backing away and glancing at Ginny before he turned again towards a pile of boxes.
"Harry, all I'm finding are a bunch of blankets and old papers," Ron called out. "I don't think that there is anything in here that we can use."
"You're quite wrong, Ron," Hermione said, lifting the pile of blankets. "These are ever-warm quilts. We can certainly use them. And look, they have a built in shrinking charm..."
With a flick of her wrist, the pile of blankets became a pile of what appeared to be handkerchiefs, and Hermione stowed them in her rucksack.
Ron shook his head and turned away.
Harry looked back to the jewellery case. "We'll take this. I want to look through it later."
"Done in here, then?" Ron asked.
"Yes... let's go check out the other."
When their goblin guide brought them to the Potter family vault, Harry turned to him and asked, "Could you come back for us in an hour?"
"Certainly," he nodded and disappeared.
Harry entered the vault with the others behind him, and heard Ron gasp. This vault was certainly bigger than the other. There were no piles of gold... there were chests of it, neatly arranged in row upon row. A few galleons littered the floor where they'd fallen when an impatient hand had been filling a pouch, and a few of the trunks stood open, revealing their bounty.
It was very apparent very quickly that Harry was a very wealthy wizard.
Beyond the trunks of gold, there were crates and cabinets and shelving. It was all neatly arranged, and Harry sighed with relief. They would never have gotten through this all if it hadn't been.
"Okay... same as before. Let's have a look."
They started looking through things, Harry realized that one entire row held paintings and sighed. How big was the house at Godric's Hollow?
"Harry! That's a Rembrandt!" Hermione gasped as he moved a painting aside to get a box behind it.
"Oh?"
"Harry!" She looked at him, scandalized at his blasé attitude over the priceless painting.
"It doesn't do me any good right now, Hermione... maybe never," he pointed out. "Come on, we've only got so much time."
In the end, they found several things of use. Ginny gleefully snatched up a set of three EverFull canteens, Hermione found a wizarding tent that looked like a pup-tent but which she was quite sure would expand inside once set up, and Ron brought out a set of navigation instruments he'd found, stored neatly wrapped in soft velvet in a wooden box.
"These could come in handy," he said.
"Excellent," Harry looked around. So much wealth. Would it ever do him any good? "I think we're just about done here."
With that, he scooped up a bag he'd filled with galleons and headed for the small pile they'd made by the door.
"Harry... you need more gold?"
"A few things we need to buy in the Alley, and I didn't bring any with me," Harry explained. "Come on, I have to talk to Griphook before we leave."
They stowed the things they'd decided to take with them in their rucksacks and exited the vault to find their driver had returned and was waiting for them. Silently, they situated themselves in the trolley and headed back for the main offices.
Griphook seemed almost happy to see Harry. For a goblin, anyhow.
"Anything else, Mr Potter?"
"Yes. I need to talk to you about... a couple of things. Is there an office...?"
"This way."
Griphook led them into an office beyond the cashiers desks and indicated that they should sit.
"Griphook, I'm going to be quite frank with you, and I hope that I can rely on your... discretion."
"We goblins treasure our reputations in matters of discretion, Mr Potter."
"I am about to embark on something that is going to piss off a lot of people, Griphook."
"We have been aware for some time of your... destiny," Griphook nodded. Ron and Ginny exchanged looks, but Harry's eyes didn't move from the goblin.
"The Ministry is probably going to want to freeze my assets."
"They can try," the goblin said with a very, very unconvincing smile.
"Can they succeed?"
"They would have to know about said assets to freeze them, don't you think, Mr Potter?"
"You mean that they don't?"
"Certain of our more established families," Griphook paused. "Have put certain safeties in place, shall we say? The Potter family vault is such a one."
"So if I were to write a banknote..."
"It would always be honored, Mr Potter, although I cannot vouch for the safety of your personal vault. The Ministry is well aware of it's existence."
"Are they aware of the contents?"
"I would doubt it. Only you and those you have told are. They have no way of tracking what is... removed... from such a vault."
"I see," Harry smiled. "How difficult would it be to have everything moved... well, everything but say, ten or twelve hundred galleons... into the Potter family vault?"
Griphook grimaced quite happily, scribbled something on a piece of parchment before him and snapped his fingers, and nodded. "It will be done within the hour."
"And if I were to write a banknote to say, Messrs Fred and George Weasley, it would be honored, without the knowledge of the Ministry?"
"Most certainly. Any banknote written by you would always be honored, so long as you are a member of the Potter family. Or by any who are," Griphook's eyes strayed briefly to Ginny, then back again.
"Very good," Harry nodded. "Now... one more thing..."
"I can't believe that you did that," Ron muttered as the approached the twin's shop later that morning after making the few stops that Harry insisted on.
"Well, I'd have left it to you, Ron, but you're going to be with me, so..." Harry laughed.
"So chances are I'll snuff it with you? Great. Thanks for that little ray of sunshine, Harry."
"Ron, besides the three of you, I trust Fred and George beyond anyone."
"More fool you," Ginny smiled. "Trust is not something I would ever associate with the twins!"
"Well, when it comes to the important stuff, I know they wouldn't let me down," Harry said. "They'll take care of your mum and dad... and the others. They'll do what they'd know I want... and they'd know what I wanted."
"I still can't believe you left them everything," Ron shook his head as they entered the shop to find Fred standing on the countertop, a rubber chicken hanging from his hand as George, naked except for the neon pink bike helmet he wore, but mercifully shielded from view by the counter itself, jumped up trying to grab it.
They both turned at the stunned silence of the four who entered.
"What?" Fred said.
"I do not want to know," Hermione muttered, turning away, her hands over her face.
"George, put on your bloody clothes!" Ron said.
Harry tried not to laugh. Ginny didn't even bother trying. "What if we had been customers?"
"You mean you're not?" George asked, pulling on his pants behind the counter. "Then get out, would you? We have work to do."
"Watch the store?" Harry asked the others as he indicated to the twins to follow him.
"You'd bloody think he was a partner or something, wouldn't you?" Fred complained as they followed. George hopped on one leg as he stuffed his foot in one of his dragonhide boots.
"You'd think."
Harry ignored them until they were in the back room.
"Silencing charms?" he requested. Fred looked oddly at him as George muttered the incantation and flicked his wand.
"What is it, Harry?" Fred was immediately sober.
"I need to talk to you two about something, and no one... and I mean no one is to know. Got it?"
"Of course."
"In the next few days, something is going to happen..."
"Voldemort?" George asked, suddenly tense.
"No. Not yet," Harry ran a hand through his already messy hair. "Look, you two know what I've got to do. You're members of the Order... they've obviously told you..."
"We know, Harry," George was abnormally serious. "What's going on?"
"In the next few days, I'm leaving," Harry said, staring hard at the two of them.
"We figured you wouldn't be hanging about for long," George admitted.
"Surprised you've stayed this long, actually."
"I wanted to be of age. This way, the Ministry has less to complain about."
"Good plan. So what's wrong?"
"I'm not going alone," Harry said meaningfully.
"Ron?" Fred asked. "Should have seen it."
"Hermione, too, I would think," George nodded. They both looked at Harry as he continued to look at them, silent.
"Ginny, too?" they asked in unison.
"Yes."
"We ought to blacken an eye... or something..." Fred smiled.
"Just on principle, you understand," George finished for him.
"But we won't."
"Can't say we're surprised, actually."
"Nope."
Harry continued to look at them.
"There's more?" Fred sounded surprised.
"Look, Harry, if you've knocked her up, we'd really rather not know," George said, running his own hand through his hair. Harry thought he'd never really seen the twin this out of sorts before.
"Hardly," Harry said, flushing wildly. "I've just been to Gringotts."
"And?"
"You're broke and need a loan?"
"No," Harry shook his head. "I'm not broke. As a matter of fact..." he pulled the banknote he'd prepared in Griphook's office and handed it to George.
"Holy mother of Merlin...!" George looked at it.
"The minute you hear that I... that we're gone... you take that to Gringotts and cash it. Do you understand?"
"Harry?"
"Then, you close up the shop, and get yourselves home to the Burrow. Take everyone and apparate to Potter Manor..."
"What?"
"Where?"
"Just listen," Harry drew his wand. "I have to do this right... and I'm probably going to... well, if anyone asks, you don't know who was doing magic back here, right?"
With that, he touched his wand to Fred's forehead and muttered, "Fidelius."
"Harry..."
"You're the secret keeper now, Fred. But no one knows that. If anyone figures it out that far, they won't get any further. As far as anyone knows, it could be either of you. Got it?"
Fred and George looked at each other, then back to Harry. Suddenly, there were no more questions, their joking demeanor was gone. They knew.
"We understand, Harry," Fred said softly.
"One more thing," Harry said. "If we don't come back, I've left it all to you. Take care of them... all of them. Remus and Tonks, as well. And if Ginny comes back without me..."
"Got it, Harry," Fred said quietly.
"Got it," echoed George.
Ah, the plot begins to thicken... rather like thin yoghurt right now... another chapter and we should be into gravy!
Kazziedal: I think that the argument between Dumbledore and Snape was precisely that... and perhaps a bit of Snape's vow to Narcissa thrown in for good measure. I don't think that Dumbledore had planned on that.
BrittSchrick: Ah, see? Now that's what I need: concrit! Thanks for pointing that out!
OldCrow: Will do!
Bean3769: Thanks!
TnaSeeIn: You noticed that, too, huh? It actually had me doing a "WTF?", because it seemed rather contrived... I don't know. I'm sure it will all become clear in Book 7. Wait, isn't that what we said about Book 6? Doh!
Shotgunn: "Good guy way down deep"? Uh, no... I don't think so. I don't REALLY believe in a redeemable Snape in canon. I just don't think that JKR is going that way. At best, I might be convinced that Snape doesn't feel he owes allegience to either side, and is only interested in saving his own skin... and even, perhaps, feeling the life-debt owed to James makes it necessary for him to "protect" Harry. But I seriously doubt that, by any stretch of the imagination, Snape could ever be considered "really a good guy". Well, it would take copious amounts of "liquid convincing", at any rate...
RyougaZell: You think? Hmmm...
LadyIlana: Mmmm... Montreal. I have fond memories of Montreal. Best bagels in the world, offset by the absolute WORST drivers on earth. Ah, but the coffee...
LarnaMandrea: I admit to a certain fondness for this version of Arthur, myself! Hope you like him in THIS chapter...
AlliBaby: Magic, of course! Actually, I'm pretty sure it would involve ancient blood-spells, and the lot. Bellatrix may have made it clear, without tipping the Ministry off, that the Black line did NOT end with Sirius. It wouldn't even have had to be her, directly – just someone pointing out that Bellatrix Lestrange was the eldest of the three remaining Black family members, and Narcissa making noises about her eldest sister being more deserving.
Adj: Because she's an extraordinary witch. She would have to be, don't you think? With six older brothers, two of whom are Fred and George? I would imagine that Ginny has developed a "sneaky" streak a mile and a half wide. Not to mention the "up close and personal" time she spent with Tom Riddle in her first year... some of his talents must have rubbed off. If none of that sounds plausible, blame it on the muse. She's ticked at me because I haven't bought wasabi peas in four months.
SubStandardAuthor: The link didn't come through. cuts them. Can you email it to me?
ZephyraOfTheButterflies: I love your penname!
Harryginnyluv4ever: Paris is a beautiful city – but I prefer the UK, actually. London isn't my favorite, either, although it's a very interesting place... great place to people-watch! I adore York, and ALL of Wales is beautiful. Bath would be gorgeous if it didn't have so very MANY tourists. If you go, enjoy your trip – spring is the time to go!
And the rest, thanks: Jouve25, VolleyPickle16, Nightwing509, Kordolin, Gerie, xxxMyMistakexxx, IndiaInk, Kaleena Mason, JainaSanri, LuthienGranger2004, highbrass, AliceLLongbottom, David305, hpgwrwhg4ever, azntgr01, dweem-angel, meg , Lacyl, YelloWitchGrl