Eva hadn't realised quite how much she would miss somewhere like The Leaky Cauldron. It was as dark and shabby as ever inside, with a few people milling about, despite the early hour. A few old women sat in the corner of the pub, drinking small glasses of sherry and surrounded by a thick haze of smoke, mainly from a large pipe one sat smoking. A small man in a top hat was speaking to the barman, Tom, his bald head glowing in the low candlelight of the room.

Few looked in her direction as Eva walked through the pub, quickly exiting through the door she knew would lead her to the courtyard. She ensured that her long hair covered the distinctive lightning-bolt scar on her forehead - she didn't need to be discovered in such a public place as Diagon Alley.

Eva watched as a family of witches and wizards followed her through the bar, with a middle aged greying woman pulling out her wand and counting the bricks above the dustbin, three up and two across, before tapping the selected brick three times with her wand.

The brick quivered and wiggled until eventually the wall began to separate in two, revealing the wondrous sight that was Diagon Alley. Eva had never ceased to be amazed with Diagon Alley. Whilst in recent (or recent for her memory, anyway) times, it had been rather more subdued, she still remembered how it had looked the first (and current, she supposed) time she stepped foot in the shopping district.

Her eyes were immediately drawn to Pottage's Cauldron Shop, scanning over the sign that read 'Cauldrons – All Sizes – Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver – Self-Stirring – Collapsible'. It was with no small amount of willpower that Eva forced her feet to keep moving past the shop. Whilst her love for potions was nearly unrivalled, she needed to sort her affairs at Gringotts before thinking of making any purchases.

Keeping her wits about her and her head down, Eva hurried down Diagon Alley until she reached a snowy-white building, towering over the other little shops. It was probably a good thing that she'd traversed back into the past, for the Goblins were surely not too happy with her after their break-in and the dragon escaping.

A pair of goblins bowed Eva through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins on brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these.

"Good morning," greeted Eva, walking up to the teller's desk. "I'm here to access my vault - I'm afraid I don't have a key."

"Well, then how do you propose you access your vault?" sneered the goblin, glancing down at her.

"I would like to take a blood identity test to claim my vault, and also access any documents involving me." declared Eva politely, ignoring the Goblin's curt tone.

"Name?"

"Evangelina Potter."

She'd said the magic words. As soon as the Goblin had processed her words, his head snapped up, his eyes scanning her face, as if to confirm her declaration as true. Seemingly finding what he was searching for, he nodded, leading her to a small room to the left of the main hall.

"Wait here, Miss Potter. Somebody will be with you shortly." he said, before turning and leaving, closing the door behind him.

The room was small and cosy in comparison to the grand entrance hall, with low ceilings and warm lighting. A large desk with a chair either side took up the majority of the space in the room, with rich gilded pictures hanging behind the desk as decoration.

Another goblin entered the room after several minutes, dressed smartly in a pinstripe three-piece suit. He nodded politely to her, before taking a seat on one side of the desk. With a gesture, Eva took his encouragement and sat down on the other side.

"To complete the test, you need only stretch your wand arm out." instructed the goblin.

Nodding, Eva stretched out her right arm and placed it on the desk. The goblin revealed an ornate dagger, and at Eva's raised eyebrow, reassured her that the cut would heal almost instantly. He placed a small cut down her forearm, dripping a small droplet of blood onto a piece of parchment before, as promised, the cut began to heal itself.

After a few seconds, a list began to appear on the parchment, which apparently was no ordinary piece of parchment - not that she expected any differently.

"Gringotts hereby recognises that you are Miss Evangelina Lily Potter, born 31st July, 1980. Only child of James Fleamont Potter and Lily Jean Potter."

"Excellent." nodded Eva.

"Now, the inheritance test has come back as providing access to not only a trust vault set up by one James Fleamont Potter, but also the Potter Family Vaults." spoke the Goblin.

"Oh," Eva said, not trusting herself to say any more. She hadn't had access to the Potter Vault in her previous timeline - probably Dumbledore's interference, she now knew.

"In addition, you have been identified as the sole remaining Potter heir. Should you choose to, you will be able to take up the position of Head of the Potter family."

"And what would be the benefits of becoming head?" questioned Eva, pausing in thought. That was unexpected.

"Your current magical guardian is -" the Goblin paused to check a document on the desk. "One Albus Dumbledore. Should you become Lady Potter, you will be classed as a magical adult, and therefore will no longer require a magical guardian."

"Excellent. And the trace - the magical tracking - would I still have that?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at the prospect.

"No. As a magical adult, your wand would not be monitored, and you would be free to use magic as your judgement suits."

"Then I will take up the position." nodded Eva. "Another order of business, Mr..."

With a mounting horror, Eva realised that she did not know the Goblin's name, nor had she even bothered to ask.

"Ragnok. Director Ragnok." he responded, smirking.

"Ah, I see. Is it unusual to have such a high ranking Goblin take on this meeting?" asked Eva.

"Yes, and no. Normally, I would not conduct such matters myself, however, this is a large account, and one that has been untouched for eleven years. It warrants a higher level of security, you could say."

Director Ragnok sat for several moments, arranging and filing away several pieces of parchment, before revealing a large folder. He removed a thick, expensive envelope from the folder, and looked expectantly at Eva.

"This is the last will and testament of your parents, James and Lily Potter. It has previously been sealed by your magical guardian, however, as you will soon be the Head of House Potter, it is your decision to make."

"Unseal it," spoke Eva, without hesitation. "I want to know what it says."

"Very well," agreed Ragnok, unsealing the envelope and unfolding the parchment it contained. Scanning through with an expression of mild surprise, Ragnok proceeded to begin reading aloud."

Last Will and Testament of James Fleamont Potter, Head of The Most Noble and Ancient House of Potter, and Lady Lily Jean Potter, nee Evans.

We, James and Lily Potter, residing at Potter Cottage, Godric's Hollow, declare this to be our Will, and we revoke any and all wills and codicils we previously made.

Article I. Disposition of Property

We declare that in the unfortunate event that we should precede our daughter, Evangelina Lily Potter, that she will replace Lord James Fleamont Potter as Head of House Potter. In turn, we bequeath all property, assets and vaults to Evangelina Lily Potter.

Article II. Guardianship of Children

We declare that should Evangelina Lily Potter still be a minor after our deaths, her guardianship should pass to her godfather, Sirius Orion Black. In the event that this is not possible, guardianship should pass to either Remus John Lupin or Lady Alice Longbottom. Should neither be available, Evangelina Lily Potter should be allowed to become Head of House upon reaching a suitable age, guided by a chosen mentor. Guardianship should under no circumstances pass to Petunia Mary Dursley, nee Evans, due to a high risk posed by her care.

Signed, published and declared as our last will and testament on 28th September 1981.

Witness Signatures:

Sirius Orion Black

Remus John Lupin

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

Lady Alice Longbottom.

Evangelina waited for Ragnok to finish speaking, before letting out a frustrated sigh. All this time, she'd spent with the Dursleys, and it was never supposed to happen! Dumbledore had deliberately sealed the will and shipped her off to live with her Aunt, fully aware that it was firmly against her parents' wishes.

"So - I wasn't meant to be at the Dursley's!" snarled Evangelina.

She felt her magic flaring up around her - contrary to her fiery personality, her magic had always akin to water. She'd picked up water spells easily, and when she'd began to experiment with elemental magic, she'd found that the water elemental complimented her perfectly.

However, whilst 18-year-old Eva might be fully in control (most of the time) of her magic, 11-year-old Eva certainly was not.

In her first timeline, Eva had eventually learned to control her magic and settle her core, however, she now had her previous adult levels of power, jammed into a child's magical core.

When the roof of the small room started leaking steadily with water, Eva forced herself to stop for a moment, using occlumency to clear her mind and settling the rushing waves in her core once again.

"Apologies, Director Ragnok."

"Of course. You are but a young witch, learning to control your power. Now, with the problem of identity and the reading of the will completed, do you wish to proceed to your vault?" asked Ragnok.

"Yes, please."

"Before we do, Miss Potter, I have a few questions for you, particularly concerning the contents of the will." Ragnok paused to allow Eva to nod her consent. "First, can you confirm you have been, against the wishes of the will, in the custody of your Aunt, one Petunia Dursley?"

"I have."

"I can observe from your clothing that you are not particularly, how shall we say, well cared for."

Eva opened her mouth to argue, feeling hot anger rush up inside her. She tried her best! Eva couldn't help but remember how difficult it had been to look presentable at this age, with only Dudley's cast offs to work with. Instead, she swallowed down her anger and nodded.

"How so?" she questioned. At least then she would know what to fix.

"Your clothes are far too big, and seem rather worn. You are significantly underweight for your age, also." noted Ragnok. "Do not feel that I am simply 'picking on you', as some your age might say. However, these observations support the fact that you should be immediately removed from their care, and also the care of Albus Dumbledore, since such care is so severely lacking."

"I - I agree." nodded Eva.

"May I also recommend a short medical check-up, provided by our in-house medical facility? I assure you, it will not take long, but it will help you along the path to healing." offered Ragnok.

Eva paused to think through his offer. Whilst she had previously shied away from any offers of medical care at Hogwarts - and lord knows she got little medical care with the Dursleys - she could see the benefits.

"Alright." she agreed.

Following Ragnok as he stood, the strange duo made their way through a series of twisting corridors, heading further underground, with the stone corridors lit only by dim wall torches.

"We have some of the best healers in the country, here at Gringotts. Our kind study for years to become proficient in the medical field, in areas wizards have not yet even considered." spoke Ragnok, his voice smug. "Should there be any issues, they will be sorted here."

Eva was quickly seated in a near-empty medical ward, and several goblins in crisp white uniforms began to perform various diagnostics on her. She could see symbols appearing in the air, floating in front of her, though without the proper training, she understood little of them.

When the diagnostic charms circled around her curse scar, Eva quickly realised why her parents had been so insistent that she visit Gringotts. Following hushed discussion between the healer goblins and Ragnok, they began preparing potions from various cupboards surrounding the room.

"I apologise in advance for the news I am about to share, Miss Potter, but rest assured, we can fix the problem." spoke Ragnok.

"What is it, Director?" asked Eva, applying her best worried expression.

"We have discovered a very dark piece of magic during our diagnostics. A soul fragment, to be precise."

"A fragment? What does that mean?" asked Eva, biting her lip for good measure.

"It is called a Horcrux, and it is a magic most foul. Most goblins will not even speak of such a thing, for the very nature offends us. To trap a soul - it is unspeakable. However, you appear to have a Horcrux inside of you; it is lodged in your curse scar, and it most likely belonging to Voldemort."

"How dangerous is it? Can it be removed?" Eva questioned.

"We can remove it. There has not been as much study as we like into the topic, thanks to the taboo nature, however we have an innate understanding of how to remove the fragment. I would highly recommend agreeing to the procedure." explained Ragnok. "It will be painful, however it should only take a moment."

Nodding her consent, Eva was handed a small, particularly foul looking potion. It was a murky black colour, and Eva could have sworn there were bits of merlin knows what floating inside the container. Summoning her Gryffindor courage, she removed the stopper and swallowed down the contents, trying her hardest not to gag at the taste.

Suddenly, she felt as if her entire body were on fire. Her forehead exploded in pain, and she could almost feel the horcrux fighting the treatment. Unable to stop the scream bubbling at her lips, Eva wondered if she had been wrong to trust the goblins, however, after a minute or so, the pain began to subside, until she could once more open her eyes.

"The soul fragment should have been, shall we say, burned from you. If you observe the mirror, your scar has faded considerably."

And indeed, when she accepted the hand mirror she was being offered, her previously pronounced scar was now simply a thin white strip, rather than the angry pink bolt it had been moments ago. Allowing a grin to settle over her features, she thanked the goblin healers profusely.

"The other bad news, Miss Potter, is that the soul fragment size indicated there were more fragments in the world. Should this be true, Lord Voldemort could return at any point." explained Ragnok, looking troubled. "Normally, we would not concern ourselves with the affairs of wizards. However, Voldemort has attacked our kind before, and would surely do so again."

"So there is more horcruxes out there?" asked Eva, mentally listing their current locations.

"Indeed. Should you find any, please feel free to bring them to us. We will assist in any way possible with destroying them." nodded Ragnok. "Now, should you feel recovered, we can proceed to your vault."

The trip to her vault on the rickety mine cart took very little time, and having managed to not become motion sick on the unusual journey, Eva stumbled out of the cart and towards the vault door. Ragnok produced a key which Eva recognised as her own, opening the vault before handing her the key.

Beginning to explore the Potter Vault, Eva had started to realise just how wealthy the Potters were. She knew that she belonged to an Ancient and Noble House, however, she had never been given access to the family vault in her previous timeline. Now, however, she was faced with mountains of galleons, alongside jewels and even weapons.

Ignoring the swords and shields for now, Eva found a beautiful leather satchel in the corner of the room, which Ragnok helpfully informed her seemed to have an undetectable expansion charm on it, alongside various security charms, likened to that of a moleskin pouch.

Nodding, Eva began to scoop up enough galleons to satisfy her plans for the next year or so, before moving onto the jewellery section of the vault. When she came across a small wrapped present, she picked it up out of curiosity, reading that the gift tag was addressed to her.

Inside was a small box, and a note that read:

To my darling daughter on her eleventh birthday,

I don't know if we will see you become a young witch, therefore I have left this here, so that one day, you may wear these, as I did on my eleventh birthday.

All of my love,

Mum.

Eva opened the box with trembling hands, finding a small pair of emerald stud earrings inside, set in a warm gold. Allowing the tears to fall freely, Eva removed the earrings from the box, placing them into her pierced ears and securing them. Ragnok, seeing her emotions falling back under control, gave her a moment before calling her over.

"Miss Potter, I have found the family rings." called Ragnok.

Ragnok held out a plump, dark cushion, holding a thick, golden ring, with three solitary diamonds in the centre. The goblin quickly explained that this was the Head of House ring, and would morph into whatever shape was needed to fit. Nodding, Eva took the ring into her palm before sliding it onto her finger. Surely enough, the ring re-sized around her finger, seeming to become thinner and more feminine as well.

"The Potters have always been a progressive family. The ring was made, several hundred years ago, to suit the Head of House, regardless of gender."

"So the family magic has just... accepted me?" questioned Eva.

"It had indeed, Lady Potter. If it did not, the ring would refuse to stay on your finger." answered Ragnok. "I look forward to seeing what you do, Lady Potter. May the gods provide you with luck on all of your endeavours."