Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.


Chapter 45 – Friend Status


Harry and Ginny were shown into the Director's office, a place no human had ever been before, without delay. Ragnok, the Director of Gringotts, which also made him the leader of the Goblin Nation, stood to greet them and both teens bowed in return. They could not claim to be experts on goblin culture, but they remembered Bill's lesson from two years ago. When the eldest Weasley sibling had learned that the Director would be in attendance when they ventured into the Chamber of Secrets he'd given a crash course on how to treat the goblin leader, determined that his family wouldn't embarrass him in front of his boss' boss' boss. He'd likened Ragnok to a cross between a king and the Minister of Magic. Gringotts' Director was technically elected, but Ragnok's family had been in the position for centuries, with few exceptions. They were direct descendants of King Ragnuk I, the goblin king from the time of the Hogwarts Founders, and one aspect of goblin culture Harry and Ginny knew was that goblins took great pride in their work, and in teaching their children to continue their work into the following generations. It was rare for goblin children to choose a career that wasn't at least related to their parents' careers, which meant that whole families were known for a specific trade or occupation and had mastered the skills required of their job decades, if not centuries, ago. Ragnok's family was no different, and given that their trade had been leading The Nation there was usually no one better for the job.

There were exceptions, of course, such as Ragnuk the Rotten, another ancestor to Ragnok, who should have been remembered as King Ragnuk V, but instead was remembered for being the last goblin king. That particular Ragnuk had been so selfish and incompetent that barely a year into his reign he'd been deposed, The Nation choosing to stop hereditary rule in order to prevent another Ragnuk the Rotten from treating The Nation as his own personal plaything. It had taken a couple generations thereafter for Ragnok's family to be elected, but Ragnuk the Rotten's great-grandson, Barnuk, had been well liked and respected. That same Barnuk was Ragnok's great-great-great-grandfather and his family had successfully been elected each time thereafter. It helped, of course, that goblins did not like change for the sake of change, and so elections were held only every fifty years or so, depending on how popular the current Director – and their policies – was. If another goblin leader proved incompetent The Nation would not hesitate to remove them sooner, but so long as things ran smoothly and The Nation prospered, they saw no reason to replace their leader every few years as human cultures did.

It helped, of course, that for all that they hoarded the wizarding world's gold and looked to make a profit or gain of some kind in almost everything they did, goblins weren't fundamentally greedy. It was true that most of their interactions, even with other goblins, were considered transactions and they always looked for how to come out of each transaction with the better deal, but they saw no in honour in amassing wealth and power if it caused others to lose their lives or livelihoods, nor would they stand by as other suffered. This meant there was no true poverty within The Nation. Not a single goblin didn't have a home or wondered where their next meal might come from. Every job paid at least enough for an entire family to be sheltered, fed, clothed and the children educated, though most paid more than the minimum, employers taking pride in taking care of their employees. As such, The Nation had no need for things like homeless shelters or foodbanks, or even orphanages, for should a goblin child find themselves without parents there was no question that the rest of their family would care for them, or, should they have no other family, then they were quickly adopted into another one as no goblin would allow a child to be without a family, even if it wasn't one by blood.

Caring for others was at the heart of goblin culture, though if you asked any goblin they would say they were a warrior race who took great pleasure in destroying their enemies. This was because such care and kindness was so ingrained in them that they did not consider it a part of their culture, it was just what decent beings did. To not take care of those who couldn't care for themselves, or at least ensure everyone had the means to care for themselves, was the height of dishonour, something which no goblin wanted to be tainted with. All this Harry and Ginny, along with Hermione and Ron, had learned from Bill one evening after they'd first med Ragnok; Bill's vehemence in them treating the goblin leader with the proper courtesy having garnered several follow-up questions. Now here they stood, in the Director's office, and in front of a whole compliment of the highest-ranking goblins, being awarded with the status of Friend to the Goblin Nation. Like most goblin interactions the ceremony, so to speak, was short and to the point, but by the end Harry and Ginny had both pledged to honour, respect and assist The Nation in any way they could, while the Director, on behalf of The Nation, swore to honour, respect and protect them in turn.

As the other goblins filed out of the room after having stood witness to this rare occasion – and who would now spread the word to every goblin that had not been present – Griphook explained that Friend status essentially meant they were honourary goblins. They would no longer be waiting in line for a teller, and in general they wouldn't be treated like any other witch or wizard who walked into the bank. They had a right to attend public assemblies and receive training normally only given to goblins; they could actually participate in most aspects of goblin life, stopping just short of voting or holding an office that would allow them to be a law maker, though most other jobs were now open to them. Most notably though, using their wands within the bank was no longer a death sentence and in fact every goblin would look out for their safety while inside the bank, and they were even free to explore Gringotts, within reason, of course; they couldn't go down to vaults that weren't theirs or enter offices or private homes without invitation, but they could walk the halls or visit public areas without escort.

The only other humans who were allowed such access to Gringotts were those few that they employed, and it was one of those employees who rushed into the room and stopped in front of Harry and Ginny, looking at them with worried and desperate eyes that clearly wanted to demand answers, though he wasn't so far gone as to forget where he was.

"Director." Bill bowed to the goblin leader. "Accounts Manager Griphook said it was urgent. Is everything all right?" His eyes flicked back towards his sister and her boyfriend.

"In a manner of speaking." Ragnok replied, taking his seat and motioning the others into seats in front of his desk, while Griphook went to stand behind Ragnok. "You are hereby recalled from Egypt, Mr. Weasley." Bill's eyes widened and his face paled, wondering what he had done wrong. Thankfully the Director didn't leave him in suspense. "Instead I am appointing you the Assistant Ambassador to the Gringotts Academy. You will be one of our official liaisons for our champion in the Triwizard Tournament." If possible Bill's eyes widened further and he looked to Harry. Ron had contacted him frantically after Harry's name had come out of the Goblet of Fire, so he knew it was likely the boy was a fourth Triwizard Champion, but the goblins' involvement was entirely unknown. Bill looked like he wanted to demand answers, but again remembering where he was, he instead turned back to the Director and responded as a goblin would.

"You do me great honour, Director, but before I accept this new position I will need to know more about it." Ragnok actually smiled, glad to see further proof that head hunting Bill Weasley right out of Hogwarts had been a sound investment. He explained the basics, informing the former curse breaker that Ambassador Griphook, who had also been promoted and would be in charge of this whole endeavour, would give him the exact details afterwards.

"Now, while I am certain you will succeed in your duties surrounding the tournament, I must tell you that the real reason I am appointing you to this position and not a goblin, aside from the obvious, is that Gringotts intends to train Friend Potter, and now Friend Weasley as-"

"Friend?!" Of all the surprises Bill had gotten tonight, this one shocked him the most. There hadn't been a Friend of the Goblin Nation since Godric Gryffindor himself. A fact he hadn't realized he'd voiced out loud until Ragnok answered him.

"Yes, and now there are two Friends." The Director seemed amused, his nonchalant dropping of Harry and Ginny's new status clearly having been done for maximum impact and he wasn't disappointed. "As I was saying, the real reason for your appointment over a goblin is that we intend to train Friend Potter, and as his life mate, Friend Weasley as well, for the battle to come with the self-styled Dark Lord, and while our warriors will certainly assist to train them in combat, we are woefully unprepared to train them in spell casting, which will no doubt be a large portion of the fighting they must do." Bill nodded in understanding and Ragnok was pleased to see that he didn't flinch when they said they were to fight Voldemort. Ginny, however, was surprised that he had no reaction to one of the other bombs the Director had dropped.

"You're not even going to react to your baby sister being married?" While Griphook had told them that Bill almost certainly knew about the bond, she was still surprised that he hadn't reacted at all when it was spoken about by another. Her phrasing though, did garner a scowl.

"You're not married. Not even inside Gringotts are you fully married yet, because you haven't consummated your bond. And you better not for at least a few more years!" Here he glared at Harry and the younger boy blushed profusely. "Outside these walls very few would even be able to recognize that you have a bond, so as far as I'm concerned you don't have one and won't until and unless you decide to properly get married when you're both of age."

"So you haven't told mum then?"

"Merlin no!" He shuddered. "Do I look like I have a death wish?" Ginny smirked but left it at that and allowed the subject to be brought back to the task at hand.

"You and Ambassador Griphook will meet to discuss the particulars of your new post very soon, Mr. Weasley," Said Ragnok. "But first I must ask that you assist Friend Potter and Friend Weasley in learning occlumency. I am authorizing the use of a particular spell, you know the one of which I speak, to aid them as they must learn quickly before our plans can be put into full operation, otherwise anyone can pry the information from their minds."

"Right, about that…" Bill cringed. "I have already used the spell to help them learn occlumency, along with my brother Ron and their friend Hermione, both of whom will be standing by Harry's side in this fight. They've already done a great deal of training, have been training since the Philosopher's Stone incident, and their teacher throughout all this is also aware of the spell as he was there when I used it and has been helping to further teach them and test their shields." Bill didn't hesitate in to explain. He'd never thought to be confessing to this, but then he'd also never thought the goblins would involve themselves like or that he would live to see another Friend to the Goblin Nation. Ragnok's expression was frighteningly blank and Bill dropped to his knees before the Director. "I have betrayed your trust, Director, and broken my contract with Gringotts. For that I am truly sorry, but I cannot say I wouldn't do it again."

"Bill-"

"No, Ginny." He shut down whatever protest she might have made. "I will accept whatever consequences there are for my actions." Ragnok sighed. There was a hint of anger in his eyes, but not nearly the rage Bill had expected. The Director stared at him and Bill became aware of the attempt to enter his mind, but instead of slamming his walls down he opened them and allowed the Director unimpeded access to his mind. After a moment Ragnok sighed again and even the hint of anger was gone.

"Thank you for your honesty, Assistant Ambassador Weasley." The continued use of his new title didn't go unnoticed. "While I am not happy with what you have done, I understand why you did it, and why you would do it again; the four of them will be integral in the war to come and must be protected in any way we can. That being said, as far as anyone else in The Nation is concerned, this event did not take place before my official authorization was given, otherwise things could get…messy." Bill nodded and couldn't help the look of relief on his face. "I will, however, leave it up to you to inform Professor Snape that I would like him to pay me a visit at his earliest convenience." Bill paled slightly but nodded again, accepting that this was the Director's form of punishment. While it was phrased politely and as a request, Bill had worked with goblins long enough to know it was anything but. Bill had not exaggerated when he'd said that that spell was one of the Goblin Nation's most closely guarded secrets, and now not only did four teenagers know about it, but a former Death Eater did. The Director wanted to determine exactly where Snape's loyalties lay in this fight and Bill was to be the one to inform the professor that he was being summoned to Gringotts and may face severe consequences if the Director didn't like how the meeting went. A conversation that would not go over well with this particular professor.

"Right, well is there anything we need to discuss tonight?" Harry asked. "Only I think I should inform Cornelius and Aldora about this before anything actually happens." With confirmation that anything else could be discussed in the morning Harry, Ginny and Bill bade the goblins goodnight. Bill took Ginny back to Hogwarts deciding that there was no point in waiting to speak with Snape, while Harry called for Dobby and had him take him home.

"Harry!" Aldora cried when he walked into the sitting room, rushing to give him a hug. She and Cornelius had clearly been deep in a discussion of their own and neither of them had been expecting him tonight.

"Sorry, I had Dobby bring me, I needed to speak with you two."

"Oh my dear, I don't know what to say! And to make you compete…!" Aldora glared at her husband as if it was his fault Harry's name had come out of the Goblet of Fire.

"It's not Cornelius' fault." He said as he took a seat, allowing Aldora to maintain a grasp on his hand. "It's no one's fault except whoever put my name in the goblet."

"We will do everything we can to ensure the person is found, Harry." Cornelius promised him. "And we will ensure you receive all the help you can get in this tournament."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I've just come from speaking with the goblins. They have offered to sponsor me in the tournament." His announcement was met with silence and shocked expressions, though he hadn't expected anything else. "Cedric is Hogwarts' champion, there can't be two, and since the general belief is that I was entered under a fictitious fourth school anyways there might as well be an actual fourth school. I will be competing under the banner of the Goblin Academy."

"Harry-" Cornelius tried to intervene, but Harry would have none of it, the evening's events finally showing the toll they'd had on him.

"This isn't up for debate." Harry spoke forcefully, a tone of finality in his voice. "As per the tournament's regulations each champion is entitled to their own training facility, coaching team, and even their own sleeping quarters. Now I have no intention of moving out of Gryffindor tower, but the goblins have made a very generous offer that solves a bunch of different problems and I have accepted. They are going to be helping to train me for the tournament and I am very grateful for their help. They've even asked Bill Weasley to be a liaison for Gringotts and assist in teaching me. I just wanted to tell you both before the news breaks tomorrow." Cornelius looked like he wanted to argue more – goblins training the Boy-Who-Lived?! – but another glare from Aldora silenced any protests.

"If they help you to get through this tournament unscathed then I will personally offer them my thanks." She said. It took a moment but Cornelius eventually nodded his agreement and Harry was surprised by how easily they had capitulated. He'd expected more of a fight, it was one of the reasons he'd come here tonight, to get it out of the way, but his guardians offered virtually no protest. Even Cornelius, who was no doubt already thinking of the political ramifications, didn't fight it, but agreed with Aldora that if it helped keep Harry safe then it was worth it. Not for the first time Harry was struck by the genuine care his guardians had for him, and he was starting to wonder why he was so struck. This was not the first time, or even the second or third time, that Cornelius and Aldora had proven to care for him more than appearances, their career, or the fame he could bring them. Remembering back to that day seven years ago when they had taken him in, he still had little doubt that that they had only done so because he was the Boy-Who-Lived. There was also little doubt that in the following years they'd used him for his fame and to increase their social and political standing, but somewhere along the line they had also grown to love him, in their own way, and Harry could no longer doubt their sincerity. That didn't mean that he fully trusted them, both still staunchly refused to consider that Voldemort wasn't dead and Harry still felt that if he began to insist the dark lord wasn't truly gone then they would abandon him, regardless of their genuine affection for him. But even so they did obviously care for him. Something like accepting the goblins' help would have been unthinkable not too long ago, but now they accepted it without a fight if it would keep him safe. Such parental care was almost entirely foreign to him, and Harry would need to think hard on where to go from here.


A/N - I really do like coming up with wizarding history. Not entirely sure why, but whatever.

Review please!