Director Ragnok had surprised Spellforged when he invited Hermione to join them for their pre-Hogwarts breakfast.
Early that morning, Spellforged had been summoned to the bank floor to meet the Grangers and guide Hermione into the residential areas of the bank. After assuring her parents that he would get her to the platform on time, Harry had lifted her trunk and taken her on a brief tour of his home.
The Director's quarters were not lavish, as might be expected for the so-called 'Goblin King'. There were ceremonial spaces that would meet those expectations, on the few occasions when it was needful to do so. Ragnok had always leaned into the 'Director' role, and it showed in his modest quarters.
Harry's room was just as modest, smaller than Hermione expected it to be - but, for all that, quite comfortable. A large desk dominated one corner of the room, with papers and books meticulously organized. Her eyes were drawn immediately to the large bookshelf, even though many of the tomes had their titles printed in what she had learned was the Goblin tongue. One book caught her attention, however, and she lifted the small, red leather book from the shelf.
"Sun Tzu, The Art of War?" She read, eyebrow arched in surprise. This was not the sort of book she had expected to find. Harry grinned at her, before opening the front cover. Inside, there was an inscription in the precise calligraphy of the Goblins.
"To my son," he read. "Learn these lessons well, that you may never need them." He closed the book, looking down at it for a moment before placing it back on the shelf. "Father gave me that book on my tenth birthday, and it's probably one of my favorites. You'd enjoy it, I think."
Hermione nodded. "I'm surprised you don't bring it with you to Hogwarts."
Another grin. "I may have gotten a second copy." He nodded to the shelf. "I wouldn't want to lose this one, after all."
The pair made their way to the small private dining room, where they found Director Ragnok reading the Daily Prophet. He smiled and rose as they entered. "Harry, Miss Granger, welcome. Please join me."
Hermione greeted the Director with a handshake, as Harry had suggested - this was not a formal occasion, and Ragnok was not one for unneeded formality. The old goblin's nod of approval showed that Harry had been right. The three of them sat down, Ragnok at the head of the table, with Harry and Hermione at his sides. They chatted about the school year to come, about their classes, and a bit about the Grangers, while Harry wondered who else would be joining them. The food would have been served otherwise, he reasoned.
Ragnok caught Hermione reading the Daily Prophet in front of him, or trying to, and slid it across the table. He chuckled when she realized that it was in the Goblin tongue. Turning to Harry, he tapped a finger on the paper. "Would my son like to perform for our guest?" He said with a grin.
Spellforged rolled his eyes, but kept the look of amusement Hermione's reaction had brought. "Of course, father." He placed a hand on the newspaper, muttering an incantation. Hermione watched as the Goblin words rearranged themselves into English.
"That's wandless magic, how did you do that?" She asked, still staring at the paper.
"It's not wandless magic, Hermione, it's Goblin magic. We don't usually carry wands, remember?" Spellforged chuckled.
"But, how did you translate the whole newspaper?" She was flipping through the pages, seeing that the whole thing had indeed gone back to English.
"Well…. I may have cheated." This got a bark of laughter from Ragnok, and a look from Hermione. "I didn't translate the newspaper, I just reversed the spell that did." Hermione stared at him, then looked over at Ragnok - wisely not demanding an explanation, but knowing her expression would be pleading for one.
The Director chuckled again. "We have clerks who train to mastery level in languages, Miss Granger. They have advanced magic that can translate simple documents such as this. Contracts, agreements, treaties, all have patterns that make such a trick even simpler." he nodded at Spellforged. "Harry can reverse most of those magics, but his training has not yet progressed to the point where he can use them."
Hermione wanted to ask more about Harry's training - and about whether she could learn as well - when another goblin entered the dining room. This goblin was slightly taller than Ragnok, and wore layered robes in a deep green color that suited the low light of the caverns. Her features were more delicate than Ragnok's, almost elfin in quality. She seemed to be younger than the Director, except that her eyes had the look of ancient wisdom to them - this woman had seen many things.
She realized that she had stood up to greet the new arrival before the Director and Harry. The response had been automatic - this woman was one to be respected.
The Director spoke. "Mister Spellforged, Miss Granger, may I present the Lady Eridani, one of our Elders." He indicated each of them in turn. "Lady Eridani, I present Miss Hermione Granger of the Granger Family, and Harry Spellforged of Clan Ragnok, the Heir Potter, the Heir Black."
Hermione found herself bowing to Lady Eridani, almost as a reflex, and noted that Harry had done the same.
"Please, we need no formalities here, children, please sit down." Lady Eridani spoke with a pleasant voice, light with the whisper of a musical quality. Her eyes went to the Director. "Do not let me be the cause of these two being late to their train, Ragnok."
The Director smiled at her. "Of course, Lady Eridani." Without further preamble, Hermione watched as a full English breakfast appeared on the table. Having expected Goblin fare, she looked at Spellforged questioningly.
Ragnok saw the glance and laughed. "This is a breakfast for Spellforged's departure, surely you aren't surprised that he picked the menu?" He started in on his plate, the signal for the others to do so as well.
Their earlier conversation continued during breakfast, with Ragnok asking Hermione about her impressions of the magical world, and comparing her experiences as a non-magical to Harry's experiences growing up in what had been an essentially muggle home.
"I didn't start living here until I was six or so," explained Harry. "Mother believed, correctly I think, that going from a muggle home straight to these caverns would have been a bit of a shock." He smiled. "Madam Sullivan spent two years inching me into the magical world, very very slowly. It was quite a surprise when I came downstairs after bedtime one night and found her doing the dishes with her wand!"
"And then," Ragnok said, picking up the thread of the tale. "I visited one day, hoping to see my adopted son. But he was nowhere to be found. Madam Sullivan and her brother went outside to search for him, thinking perhaps he was playing outside with a neighbor. I, meanwhile, heard movement in the upstairs."
Harry chuckled. "He found me in mom's study, reading an old book on wards and curse breaking." He held up his napkin, draped over his hand like a puppet. "My hands were wrapped in old shirts, because I knew I wasn't supposed to touch the old books mom kept - so I didn't." The four laughed at the mental image of a young Harry sneaking off to read.
oOoOoOoOo
After breakfast, and what had to be the oddest morning Hermione could remember, Harry and Hermione said their goodbyes. Ragnok wished Hermione the best in the new term, and encouraged her to keep his son out of too much trouble. Harry's scoff at that notion drew more chuckles from the group. While Harry was saying goodbye to Ragnok, Lady Eridani shook hands with Hermione.
"Take care of yourself, Miss Granger." She said, her voice sounding like bells.
"I will, Lady Eridani. Thank you for the kind words." Hermione bowed slightly out of respect, and again it was almost automatic.
"Not at all. Actually," Lady Eridani stepped closer. "Perhaps you can help me with something."
"Of course."
Eridani looked at her, her expression curious. "As you might imagine, English is not my first language, and some of the more complicated words give me trouble. Tell me, Miss Granger, do you know what the English word 'Brigadier' means?"
Hermione blinked. Not what I expected to be asked, she thought. "It's a type of General, like a military leader but for a smaller group of soldiers or warriors."
Lady Eridani nodded, as if that had been the answer she expected. "And what about the word 'Bastion'?"
What an odd quiz. "That would be a part of a castle that protects the rest, like a line of defense." She looked at Lady Eridani, trying to decipher the meaning behind those questions. "Harry might be a better person to ask about military matters, actually."
A wave of the goblin elder's hand dismissed the concern. "It was merely a question of translation, Miss Granger. We had some documents come in that used those terms, and I wanted to make sure I understood them properly." She nodded to Harry, who was still deep in conversation with Ragnok. "And my usual resource for English translation is busy at the moment."
Hermione chuckled. "In that case, I am glad to have been of service, Lady Eridani."
"You're Harry's closest friend, Miss Granger," Eridani replied. "You've already helped him more than you know." Harry and Ragnok were walking over to them now, she saw. "And now it is time for your journey, I believe."
Soon, Harry and Hermione were standing in front of the Director's private floo, trunks in hand, ready to go to King's Cross station. But when they threw the powder into the fireplace, the green flames disappeared the instant they shouted their destination.
Ragnok's anger was growing, but Spellforged calmed him down. "We can connect to the Three Broomsticks, see? The flames stay green. So why don't we just go straight there, and then walk up to the castle?"
"Will your cousin be alright?" Hermione asked. Erik Sullivan, Anna Sullivan's nephew and Harry's adoptive cousin, was starting his first year today. The boy had looked forward to seeing Harry on the train.
"You can reunite with young Mister Sullivan when he arrives at the castle, Harry," said Ragnok. He looked again at the floo. "I'm more concerned about someone tampering with a Gringott's floo point."
"Me too." said Harry, simply.
Ragnok went to his office, to send an official Gringott's letter to Professor Flitwick explaining the problem they had discovered, and letting him know that his students would floo in shortly before the train's arrival that evening. Hermione and Harry, for their part, sat back with their books and began to read. Since that was largely what they had planned for the train ride anyway, it was not a major imposition.
Hermione watched Harry as he appeared to close his eyes in thought. She could see his expression darken, however, and wondered just where his thoughts were at that moment.
She had no way of knowing that he was discussing the situation with the link - and learning that he was not the only one having problems getting on the train that day.
oOoOoOoOo
Lady Eridani entered her study with a look of contentment on her face.
It was not due to the delicious breakfast she had enjoyed, though the human fare had been a welcome change of pace. She had especially liked the tea that had been served, and had resolved to purchase some of this 'Earl Grey' for herself.
Nor had it been the conversation, though that had been delightful as well. As one of the Elders of the Goblin Nation, Lady Eridani rarely got the opportunity to chat - and the breakfast discussions about the muggle world, the concerns of schoolchildren, and other inconsequential matters had been a breath of fresh air.
She walked to the back wall of her study, looking at the large slate she had had mounted there. Across one side was a prophecy - or what she thought was a prophecy, at least. When the young seer had detected it, several years prior, she had recorded its contents in a blend of Elder Futhark runes and some other unknown language. Deciphering the meaning of the text had been a long-term project for the Lady Eridani.
And after today's breakfast, she had two more pieces of the puzzle. Carefully, she added the new terms to the translated version on the right side of the board. There was a reason that she had not asked Harry about these terms, why she had not taken the matter to the usual translators. This, simply put, was too important - especially with Harry being the subject of another prophecy. Young Miss Granger, a budding scholar, was a resource she had not expected to find, and she had almost impulsively gotten the girl's aid. If she remained in Harry's life, she might someday come to learn what she had been asked, of course. But it was a small matter.
Reading over the text, she sighed. It seemed like a summoning ritual, and had it not come from a seer she would have explored that avenue of study. But one rune, meaning renewal, was repeated throughout the text - and its english counterpart was the letter 'B'. The first half of the prophecy, written in runes, was simple. But its meaning would be anything but.
/Come brigadier,/ she muttered, looking at her extensive notes. She added a notation to the next phrase. /Come bastion,/ Another notation joined the first. Brigadier was a complex word indeed, and she hoped that translating that will help in translating what appeared to be the simpler terms still remaining. There were seven lines like this one, summoning seven people, or one person with seven qualities. And these two, the second and third she had translated, could fit together - a general fighting in defense of something.
But then she saw the last line, the one that had been translated first. /Come home ye banished./ This gave her pause - for a banished general would not be fighting a defensive war. This was a phrase indicating an invader, something or someone sent away, doomed to return.
She knew of the prophecy with Harry and the Dark Lord, perhaps Voldemort was the Banished?
The remainder of the text was in another language, except for the last line. And in all the centuries of Goblin scholarship in languages, no record existed of this language and its odd script. Not in any citadel of the Goblin Nation, worldwide, had these words been seen.
The last line was why this was her project, perhaps her obsession. The last line was why she had notified Ragnok, why she had devoted her resources to this question, and why she had passed her duties to some of the more junior seers.
The last line? That scared her, for the first time in over a century.
/They will visit death upon ye sevenfold./
A/N: A short one. This was initially part of the next chapter, but then the second prophecy snuck in when I was distracted. It was always going to pop up sooner rather than later (or else it would not have been mentioned way back in the prologue), so this works. And I did say that Lady Eridani would stop by to see Spellforged at some point, so here we go.
On Rose and Slytherin - The core question of Rose Potter's entire arc through this work, from start to finish, will focus on how being in Slytherin House changes her as a person - and, conversely, how her presence and conduct changes Slytherin House. We might well get into some of that as Year Two begins.
Feedback, as always, is welcome.
