Chapter 15
Daphne
Daphne only saved herself from another embarrassing fainting spell through her own overpowering, heart racing sense of terror. Many of her classmates in Slytherin had mocked her, calling her a Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff infiltrator when she had chosen to take an elective in Magical languages and cultures. Well, seven years of learning was going to look a lot more like Slytherin Planning ahead for power now, Daphne thought to herself.
The fact that it was the King of the Goblins himself, rather than some flunky or bank official, meant this was not just a matter between Gringotts Bank and Harry, but between the entire Goblin Nation, and Wizarding Britain in the Goblin's mind. Shacklebolt should be here, the head of the Goblin Liaison Office at the very least. This was bad. This was catastrophically bad, and Harry Had just put away his wand, the biggest advantage a Wizard had over Goblins.
Wizards had not interacted with the Goblin King since the last Goblin Rebellion, for Merlin's sake! This arrest, this show of force was tantamount to a declaration of war, and Harry was at real risk of being the victim of the first strike by the Goblins. Daphne had to admit Their timing was clever. The ministry was at the weakest it had likely ever been, understaffed, and Harry was the figurehead and hero of the moment. The bloodshed and devastation would dwarf anything the Death eaters had managed over the last twenty odd years, and Daphne was right here, standing next to Harry as he faced that down.
For the very briefest of instants, Daphne did wonder if this was the solution to the Contract, Harry dies, she keeps her head down, maybe things would work out. That was the old Daphne Thinking, though. Daphne still entirely bought into her father's worldview and plans. That thought was also foolish in of itself. Not only would the contract just revert to Malfoy as her father had always intended, but she was unlikely to survive Harry's death by Goblin axe.
She actually remembered right at that point a chapter she had read in preparation for her O.W.L. Goblins enacted collective responsibility. Entire clans, dozens, even hundreds of goblins would be killed if one family member committed a severe enough crime. Daphne couldn't rely on the goblins not just Killing her right next to Harry, even if this was somehow not a declaration of war against all wizards.
She would have to save Harry's life, because she was not putting her own in his ability to be convincing. So, hoping with every fiber of her being she was remembering the pronunciations correctly, she bowed deep before the Goblin king, dragging harry down with her by his elbow, and declared, in what she hoped was her best Gobbledegook,
"Oh mighty, powerful, great King! I, member of this wizard's clan by marriage, beseech you to hear me plea for mercy! I hold my neck before your just blade, to remove if my tongue should speak false!"
Harry looked at her from his bent over pose like she had grown a second head. She hoped she seemed more confident than she felt. That, despite everything, he would trust her right now, and that she would prove worthy of such trust.
The goblins actually rested their silver blades against the back of Daphne's neck. She had to admit, she stiffened and flinched, fearing the worst, even as a small part of her still bristled at the notion that they would dare harm a witch of her standing. Even if she got them out of this with their heads still attached to their shoulders, She could only imagine the furor her father would raise. Not even because she was in Danger, but because he still clearly viewed her as his property.
Well, this was going to be her time, Daphne told herself. She was going to show Harry, her father, these Goblins, and herself just what she was capable of on her own.
The Goblin King responded in perfect English, "You offend my ears witch with your pathetic attempts to speak our language, so I will tell you the crimes of your clan in your dirty, simple language, so you, and all other present wizards may witness the depths of your kind's betrayals, crimes, and deprivations. All will know that Goblin justice will never be denied!"
There was a hint of a smirk, even a chuckle in his surprisingly posh accent. The guard with a blade on the back of her neck was far less posh.
"I had no idea that wizards still had breeding bitches marked as clan." He muttered in her ear with a dark snicker.
Daphne realized, to her mortification, that she must have accidentally used such a vulgar term for herself instead of the word she intended when she thought she was saying "member" Gobbledegook was such a foul, grunting language, the sounds foreign on her lips, she had always done better with her written exams than practicals, and here she was, already getting marks off on the exam of her life!
"I humbly apologize for my hubris driven mistake in addressing you, great and powerful King. Your own English is clearly impeccable, as befitting one as superior to me as yourself. I thank you for the boon of saving me from my own failure, and staying your guard's hands thus far."
The King snorted, far less posh than his accent, "If either of you, or any other wizard so much as twitches your hand in a way I think may be reaching for a wand, your head will be severed before you have time to blink. That is how long my guards shall stay their hands, so long as you know your place, Witch."
Daphne was frantically dragging up every piece of relevant information she could remember on Goblin Culture. This performative debasement was crucial, especially in front of the King. Among equals, they were combative, ornery even, but they also had strong rituals around their monarchy, and if she attempted anything that seemed like she thought she was Jareth's equal, even if she truly believed such, Harry and her life would surely be forfeit. Unfortunately, Harry Didn't seem aware of this. Such an unfortunate time for him to fail to develop a talent for legilimency.
"Hey! Leave her out of this, she was just keeping me company, she didn't do anything wrong!" Harry was sweet, but he really needed to shut up before he got them both killed.
"Harry, shut it!" She muttered, growing increasingly anxious, though she didn't know how that was even possible. "Let me handle this or you'll get us both killed!"
"You are both likely to lose your lives regardless of who speaks. The crimes of wizardkind are vile, and your guilt is clear." The King declared.
This was bad, the King was making declarations of guilt already, she needed to get control over this, and fast.
"Oh wise and great King, please, enlighten us, and all the witnesses of what crimes we are accused of, so we may offer how best to atone to the Goblin Nation!" This would be Key, she needed to know what exactly she was defending Harry, and by extension herself, for. She wouldn't want to prove innocence for one crime, only to implicate them in some other offense the Goblins were not actually aware of yet.
"Wizards have disrespected Goblinkind for too long!" The King began. "You truly think we don't hear what you whisper among yourselves? You think we haven't heard that it was this Wizard, Harry Potter, Who broke into our Bank, stole Gringotts property, all on the day wizards thought to slaughter dozens of Goblins?! After blatantly ignoring treaties centuries old to impose wizard control over Gringotts?! No longer, say I! First this wizard shall pay, then all wizards shall pay for the continued crimes against goblins!"
Daphne knew she had mere moments before this turned violent, so she processed the Goblin's words as swiftly as she could manage. The Goblins were beasts, but they were no fools. Daphne had always paid more attention to the human courses in her languages class, and she was truly cursing her past self for that oversight right now.
Giving up on successfully wracking her brain's memories for sufficient knowledge to catch the goblins off guard, her mind switched to focusing on the more immediately available information. One nugget of data in the Goblin Monarch's tirade, which was continuing, even as Daphne furiously thought through every aspect she could manage, stood out in particular. Harry had never killed a goblin. By his own confession to her the previous night, even though he was guilty of breaking into Gringotts, Harry had not killed, even when betrayed by a goblin.
That of course, had not shocked Daphne. Harry must have been either a fool, or truly desperate for whatever mysterious object he had stolen from the bank, to have ever thought to trust a goblin. Now look at where they were! The steel pressing against her neck was cold, and distracted Daphne something horrible.
She actually recalled that Goblin trials deliberately did this to make lying more difficult for the accused. Still, why were the Goblins so convinced Harry had killed them by the score? She didn't believe they were moving this aggressively with such faulty information on their own.
Wizards may well have been gossiping plenty about Harry's last year, but certainly none had been accusing him of mass murder of goblins. It went against everything that was knowable about him. Even the most unevolved, knuckle dragging, uncritical Prophet readers would find such an image impossible to square with the actual person after even a moment in his presence, surely.
So, that just led Daphne to one, dangerous, conclusion. Someone had fed the goblins false information, in the hopes that they would react exactly as they were currently doing. This could only be the work of someone who not only wanted Harry dead, Daphne feared, but someone who didn't care how many good wizards and witches died as well. It was exactly this sort of wanted disregard for magical life that had turned Daphne against the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters in the first place. How could they possibly airport to defend traditional wizarding culture, while they happily killed so many, even purebloods?
Well, Daphne wasn't going to die today. Not by some beastly Goblin blade, and certainly not by some ill conceived, desperate effort of Harry's many enemies. She was Daphne Greengrass, and these Goblins, Death Eaters, and any other who thought to challenge her were going to learn to respect her damnit. Their own ploy was going to be Daphne's path to not only save Harry, but flip this entire disaster on it's head.
Daphne came to this conclusion just as Jareth had finished whipping himself into a full froth mouthed battle rage, concluding his increasingly deluded accusations with nothing less than an ear-splitting howling battle cry.
A lesser witch would be a cowering, slobbering mess after such a show, but Daphne finally remembered at least some of her lessons on goblin culture. If she wanted to pull off her plan, she knew she had to sound as aggressive and confident as possible with a sharp blade just breaking her skin enough to draw a thin line of blood.
"You are right to roar, to feel rage, to call forth the greatness of Goblin warriors oh mighty Jareth!" Daphne positively felt the shift in temperament among the present goblins from blood lust to mild confusion. Good. It was working then.
"Daphne…" Harry muttered at her. Merlin, he needed to shut up and trust her, or they were going to die! Daphne really wished she were a better legilimens, or even a parselmouth, so she could communicate without tipping her plan to the goblins. Lacking those options, she instead was forced to go with an aggressive shushing.
"Shut up or we will die within a minute Harry, I can handle this, trust me. Please." She muttered out of the corner of her mouth, hoping the desperation didn't carry too far.
"What I do not applaud is your misdirected, wasted rage at my clan! Far from hurling false accusations, you should be thanking Harry, for the many services he has rendered to the goblin nation, and the many more he is already planning! All without asking anything in return! Shame! Shame on you oh king, that you turn your warriors on a friend, rather than upon your true foe!" Daphne really hoped she wasn't overdoing the dramatics, but she knew the goblins were, in times of bloodlust, prone to melodrama.
"Ask Harry Potter under Veritaserum, or whatever you trust most, he has never, and will never, kill a goblin. His respect for non wizards is, if anything, disturbing to other wizards."
Remembering at last, something useful from her textbook on goblins, Daphne swiftly put her hand to the blade at the back of her neck, and before the goblin had the chance to react, sliced open her palm. The pain was sharp, and burning, she could feel her pulse in her hand, but she knew she couldn't hesitate now. So she slammed her bloody hand onto the floor, marking an ancient goblin ritual for honesty.
"By my life's blood, I swear Harry potter, his clan, are, and will remain innocent of, the shedding of Goblin blood! Let any prove me a liar, and by the blood IU shed now, all will spill! But should any claim me liar, and not provide proof, their own blood shall pay in kind!"
Daphne hoped, with all her mind, heart, body, and soul, that she had done the ritual correctly. If so, this should stop all other charges the Goblin King was laying on Harry, and he cannot risk accusing Harry again without sufficient proof, without risking his own life.
Of course, this also assumed that the goblin King decided a witch could avail herself of goblin traditions at all. Also that The king would actually fear facing lethal consequences under the tradition. More than could always be necessarily said for Britain's own monarchy…
There was a tense pause, which was already an improvement over the worst case scenario. They hadn't killed yet at least, nor laughed off her attempted, half remembered invocation.
Meanwhile, as her hand continued to pulse and burn and bleed, Harry had clearly reached the end of what little patience he was capable of.
"Look, I don't know what any of this means! But I am not sorry for anything I did last week, and Daphne shouldn't be cutting herself over it in the first place! If you have a problem with me, have a problem with me, but don't blame her for things she had nothing to do with! Just like I had nothing to do with those Goblins that died! That was Voldemort!"
Even the Goblins visibly cringed at the mention of the Dark Lord's name.
"I have always thought Gringotts was an absolutely brilliant place, and I don't have any problem with goblins generally. I think the fact that the ministry tried to take over might have tipped you off that something was wrong, but half of the wizarding population didn't seem able, so I can hardly blame you for not knowing. It was Voldemort, Tom Riddle Jr., who thought such an asinine idea as meddling with Gringotts makes sense. For fuck's sake, I'm now in the Ministry, and I don't trust them with the gold!"
Daphne had to admit, Potter was on a roll. "Riddle kept something Dark, REALLY dark in a vault he didn't own. If I hadn't done what I needed to, He'd still be alive today, and the Death Eaters were a lot less interested in not mass murdering everybody than the rest of us! So if you want to kill me, fine! But don't take it out on everyone else! Riddle killed all those Goblins, and I'm never going to apologize for doing whatever I had to in order to stop him killing more people!"
The Goblin King was definitely taken aback now. Daphne doubted he had expected them to use Goblin oath rituals, or refer to goblins as people. Daphne herself still couldn't bring herself to look at the bloodthirsty creatures as equal to wizards, but she had the sense to keep that particular difference of opinion with Harry to herself while her hand was bleeding onto the marble floor and the blade pressed against her neck. A blade she had now confirmed was definitely sharp enough to remove her head the instant the goblin wielding it chose to do so.
"You expect me to believe that you broke into this Bank, committed crimes against both your own kind, and mine, but had absolutely nothing to do with the murders that occurred as you made your escape? Pretending to view my kind as your equal only adds to the insult you heap upon me! You think me truly so foolish as to believe you?!"
Daphne knew she had to cut in now, to reinforce the reason her hand was pulsing so painfully in rhythm with her heartbeat, which was certainly elevated at the moment.
"Are you calling Harry, and myself, a liar officially then? Will you honor your own traditions in front of your people and mine, and prove your false claims?" Daphne was really terrified now. If she had just pushed too far, it would be over quite swiftly indeed.
The King didn't order her silenced forever immediately, though. Indeed, there was whispering among the other goblins now, and Daphne knew, just knew, that she had done the ritual correctly, and the King risked his own life if he called Harry a liar without proof now.
""I can prove you are a liar by how you address me! I am a King, and you are nothing, you are not only not my equal, you are beneath me! Yet you presume to dictate our customs to me! To chide and challenge me! You do not beg and grovel as you would if you truly viewed Goblins as Equals!"
Harry interrupted at that point, and Daphne was finally grateful for his brash nature.
"Shows just how little you know me then! I don't grovel to anyone! I have toll Dark lords, and Ministers alike to bloody fuck off! Why not add a king to the list? I respect people who earn respect! Great heroes like Albus Dumbledore, Remus Lupin, Severus Snape, Minerva Mcgonagall, and Molly Weasley! Before he died, I respected the Goblin Griphook, and I loved the elf Dobby! I respect the wisdom of Centaurs like Firenze, and the kindness of even a giant like Hagrid's brother Grawp! You want me to respect you? Don't just talk about being King, about crap other people have done. Show me you are better than power-hungry aresholes Like Riddle and Fudge. That you aren't so full of your own importance as complete pricks like Lucius Malfoy. That you aren't a nutter like Bellatrix Lestrange, keeping a living, Dark object she didn't own in her vault in your Bank."
Harry continued when the goblins didn't interrupt him, "An object that could have guaranteed that no wizard or goblin could ever have killed Riddle, until he controlled everything, and everyone. So no, I'm not groveling, But I might feel like saying you are welcome!"
Daphne winced just slightly at that ending. Harry really still had a lot to learn, she thought, about how to find the balance between his impressive natural charisma, and when to reign his sharp tongue in, at least just enough not to turn an audience needlessly hostile.
The noise that came from the King was somewhere between a hiss and a growl, and it sent involuntary shivers down Daphne's spine.
"You go too far Wizard! Your mate's invocation of blood truth does not prevent me removing both your heads for your insolence!"
There was a tense pause, and suddenly the sharp, cool touch of death was removed from Daphne's neck.
"However," The King continued, "Your words and the vow do buy you a reprieve from immediate death, the blood of my people calls for blood. If you truly were not the one responsible for the deaths, and indeed slew who was, all of wizardkind may not need to bleed for your other crimes."
Harry was standing up. Daphne wasn't sure it was still okay to fully stand in front of royalty, but she was getting really rather sore, so she decided to risk it.
"Well I didn't kill those Goblins, and I am responsible for Riddle's death. So what can I do to prove that so we can all move the hell on?" Harry still sounded far too short with the King, Daphne thought, but she supposed few had sharper tongues than goblins. Perhaps the foul creatures actually respected, even just a little, Harry's brusque demeanor.
" Simple Wizard. Your mate," Daphne really wished he'd stop calling her that, it made her skin want to turn inside out, "has already submitted her blood, you will bleed, and I too shall bleed. Our blood shall mix, and the truth will reveal itself. If she spoke true when she started the ritual, her wound will close." The wicked smile at the mention of her still weeping palm nauseated Daphne.
"If you or she have lied at all, all the blood from your body will flow within seconds. If I speak false against you, or your clan, my royal blood shall pay the debt."
"Wait a minute!" Harry exclaimed! " I know I'm telling the truth, I don't want you to die because some arse gave you the wrong idea!"
Jareth chuckled darkly. " A wizard fearing for the life of a goblin? Maybe you really are what you claim. Or maybe you just don't want to risk your own life against mine? Either way, you misunderstand. I am within my rights to accuse you. I speak the truth when I say I have been told of your guilt. It is not I who shall pay if the evidence I have been given is indeed false. Your mate is clever, for a witch, to know of this ancient ritual. Make no mistake though, it is only wizard lives still at risk, this day!"
"Fine, So what do I need to do?" Harry said with determination.
"Simple, you and I cut our hands on sacred Goblin silver blades, and add our blood to your mate's. Then Swear to speak only truth. My witnesses here will invoke a chant, and your wound will either close, or recognizing any falsehood, drain you of all your life. If your wound closes, my bank manager can handle the rest of your crimes, and those who spoke falsely to me will answer to me."
Daphne actually saw her blood had formed what looked like an incomplete rune, though she didn't recognize it from class. This must be some ancient form of goblin blood magic. Daphne was quite sure her textbook had not said the ritual was actual blood magic. This was dark, and dangerous.
Harry, of course, seemed entirely undaunted by such horrors. "I've already carved 'I must not tell lies' into my hand. I wasn't lying then, I'm not lying now. Let's just get this over with."
Just as Harry and Jareth had their hands over the blade of the guard Daphne had cut herself with, a loud banging could be heard from the front door to the Bank.
"Open up at once!" came the muffled demand of a voice Daphne didn't recognize. "There are reports of illegal threats to wizards! In the name of the Ministry, open at once your bloodthirsty beasts!"
Harry actually beat the King to respond. " Oh for fuck's sake! Would you bloody shut up! We just ended a fucking war, and here you come trying to start another?! All because you can't control your idiotic bigotry? Name of the ministry my ass! I'm in the Ministry, and I know fully well that Minister Sacklebolt doesn't want bigotry 'in the name of the Ministry' anymore. So why don't you just fuck off before I figure out who you are and how you got through the employment audits?!"
"You do not fool me with this act, Wizard! Complete the ritual, die like the liar your kind always are, and leave me to the rest of my day!" The Goblin king roared.
Daphne decided then and there that the goblins must not usually tell Jareth much, if he truly believed Harry Potter had been putting on a show when he berated that ministry person. She noted to try not to reveal that she quite agreed with the unknown potential savior's opinion of the goblins.
With the blade no longer on her neck, and confident she was about to magically heal her aching hand when Harry's excessive honesty proved to be not a liability, to Daphne's surprise, She was feeling far more confident. Goblins had made her bleed, but no goblin would kill Daphne Greengrass, and soon they would see just how mistaken they had been. Perhaps she was a little frightened by how aggressive Harry's reaction to the insults hurled at the goblins had been, but Harry didn't need to know everything.
Daphne was going to make the goblins pay for the insult of her blood being on their marble floor. For having the audacity to falsely accuse and delay their betters. She didn't need Harry for that. She didn't know how, she didn't know when, but she knew, without a shadow of a doubt in her mind, that she would have her revenge on the ghastly creatures eventually.
Harry went to cut his hand, when Jareth suddenly exclaimed in the loudest he had yet been.
"STOP! Very well, Wizard. I chose to believe you. So you truly are willing to risk your life for truth? You stand against your own colleagues to deny their insults to my kind? You slew a goblin killer? Then I will see those who told me otherwise punished. But you and I will speak again, and soon. I will hear how you truly intend to rectify the crimes of your kind against mine. You may be innocent, but your race is still in doubt." He turned to an immaculately suited goblin Daphne had not truly noticed before.
"Bloodhook, you will deal with the outstanding concerns. Get the gold flowing, or your clan shall feel what remains of my wrath!"
With that odd decree, The king was surrounded by his guards, and marched swiftly around the same corner he had entered from. Daphne Felt herself truly breathe for the first time since She had seen him.
She suppressed the desire to snort in derision. Her first royal, and it wasn't Charles, The Queen, or any other British royal, but an over-proud goblin making threats he couldn't back up. She had bled in fear, she was determined not to lose her composure in front of Harry like that again.
She was so busy stewing over her anger, that she didn't even notice Harry's wand was out and pointed at her.
"Episky!" Harry intoned. Her wound closed instantly. Daphne didn't need to bother asking how Harry had gotten so capable at the minor healing charm.
"I'm sorry about that Daphne, you shouldn't have hurt yourself for me. No one should be hurt for me. Not anymore. I should have assumed there might be some misunderstandings and problems here, and shouldn't have brought you here. I'm sorry. You were amazing though. I had no idea you spoke Gobbledygook, nor knew so much about their customs. We were probably gonners without you!"
Daphne blinked in surprise. She must have done a better job projecting false confidence than she had thought. That or Harry really was thick when it came to understanding deception. She allowed herself a small smile in thanks to his compliment.
"I'm quite sure it is I who should thank you for your chivalry and boldness in front of the King. Please do tell me you will learn to show proper decorum if we should ever meet the Queen someday."
"The Queen? Why on earth would she meet us?"
"The fact that the Wizengammot technically reports to her, for starters. Oh, also it seems likely what with you single handedly saving both magical and muggle Britain for a madman. I suspect she will wish to reward you for that at some point soon. I do admit I look forward to watching to see if Weasley manages to trip over himself enough to literally put his foot into his mouth."
"That's my best friend you know." Harry said, not sounding as cross as his words implied he was.
"Yes I'm aware, to the joy of Slytherin gamblers for years now. I actually made a tidy sum when he didn't die last year, I shall have to send him a card." She was only half joking, she had never participated in the Slytherin betting pools, but a few certainly had lost across the years when the loathed red head continued to somehow not die.
Whatever retort Harry was going to come up with was cut off by an annoyed cough from beside them. The Goblin, new Bank manager, Daphne assumed, was looking up at them with a frown.
"If you are finished, there are still details with your account to be solved Mr. Potter, and we shall do so in my office. Immediately."
The diminutive goblin led them out of the atrium, where Daphne saw her blood had already been cleaned, and regular business was already resuming. A little thing like possible war was not going to stop commerce, Daphne thought with an internal sigh.
Once inside the office, the bank manager, Bloodhook, if Daphne recalled correctly, addressed her first.
"You say you are of Potter's clan, but we have no record of such. Explain or leave at once!"
It galled Daphne to be ordered around, but she couldn't let herself show it. Not yet, at least.
"We have been magically betrothed. Against both of our wills, I may add. Still, the contract is binding and clear. We are not quite fully family by Wizard law, but I understand from my studies that such a binding is sufficient for goblin law." Daphne stated, as matter of fact as she could manage.
"That is correct. It does leave this awkward, as Potter is here to discuss breeches of both wizard and goblin law. You may remain only if Potter agrees." The manager declared.
"Sure, Daphne is fine." Harry replied immediately. Daphne suspected he would never cease to shock her with his excessive willingness to trust.
"Very well. I will get right to it then. You may not be losing your head this day Mr. Potter, but you still broke into a Gringotts vault, and absconded with treasure unknown that did not belong to you. You caused damage to this bank, as well as our reputation, and significant loss of property, including our security system!"
"You mean that dragon you had chained up? It has rights! You shouldn't treat it like that!"
"That is where you are wrong Potter. It was property, by both goblin and wizard law."
"Bollocks to that! Fine, whatever. How much did the dragon cost, I'll pay for it I guess."
Daphne jumped in here, "Harry No!" She turned to the manager who had started grinning wickedly. "We agree to nothing until it has been placed in writing and reviewed by legal counsel. Your king recognized me as Potter's clan, so you won't be tricking Harry into any open ended agreements today!" She quickly said.
That washed the grin from the goblin's face as quickly as it had appeared.
"Very well. We shall draw up a contract to settle these matters."
"Ugh, I've about had my fill of magical contracts this week." Harry groaned. He really had no head for subterfuge Daphne was realizing. He wore his emotions and thoughts about everything like it was a badge on his sleeve.
"Yet, we will be happy to at least both sign this one ourselves." Daphne cut in, desperate to keep the manager from finding any excuse to commit Harry to a verbal deal she was certain would be disastrous.
"Very well, we will put the terms to parchment before final agreement, in your kind's weak ways." Clearly anti wizard sentiment was still high if the manager was being this openly hostile to them.
"Before we continue," Daphne started," I learned from Harry that he was on the run or in hiding since he came of age, so before we go into restitution for crimes he may or may not be guilty of, I demand a full accounting be read to Harry, as is his right for nearly a year now."
"Daphne, that sounds like it could take all day, we need to get back," Harry complained. It was remarkable how swiftly he could pivot from dangerous, powerful Wizard savior to petulant teenager.
"The minister will understand Harry, this is kind of important. Had you done this already, it may have even saved us from the contract. You need to know what you have rights to, as well as what obligations you are required to be responsible for."
"Dumbledore already told me I have Sirius's house and stuff, and my vault my parents left me."
"Harry, there is small chance the combined Potter and Black accounts have only a single property and vault between them. Before we agree to how much you will pay,make sure you know what you can afford. You also need to make sure you aren't cheated out of ignorance in the future!"
"Fine, Bloodhook, Let's get this over with."
Bloodhook had already been shuffling papers and using strange goblin magic to change filing cabinets as Harry spoe, clearly summoning all the required papers for Harry's assets. As Daphne had assumed, it looked like quite a lot. Indeed, she would be shocked if Harry didn't now control greater financial power than her father, possibly even enough to rival Malfoy at his height.
"Actually, wait, you're not related to Griphook by any chance, are you?" Harry asked, Daphne wanted to smack him, he truly had no idea of decorum.
"My Uncle actually. He died a martyr to goblins, and I continue his work, filling the vacancies your kind forced on us. I did not know you were familiar with my uncle by name Mr. Potter. Speak it again and I shall call blood feud, regardless of what the King may have said. Your kind does not deserve to speak his name."
"Well, I don't know about that, since whatever I'm guilty of, I did as part of an agreement with Griphook, so does that mean you would be in trouble then, if what Daphne said about clans being responsible, or whatever?"
Daphne almost had to check that her jaw was still attached. Harry had no mind for subtlety, but maybe he wasn't as hopeless as she thought. If he was right about the connection, the bank manager risked his own life if he charged Harry a copper knut for crimes committed in explicit cooperation with the manager's own uncle.
Bloodhook recognized the threat as well, and stopped to stare a remarkably unfazed Harry in the eye.
"You will recant your slander right now." His voice was barely even a whisper.
"I thought we just went over this," Harry said, brandishing his scarred hand again. "I don't lie. Griphook agreed to help me get the Item Tom riddle had hidden in that vault, and I upheld my end of the agreement, he left with Gryffendor's sword. Not much good it did him, but since he tried to let me die at the first opportunity, I'm not as shaken up about him as I want to be. He showed me my vault the first time I ever came here, and showing me the Lestrange vault ended up the last thing he ever did. I don't have much of a head for poetry, but I think it is there, somewhere."
Daphne remained too shocked to speak, and Bloodhook's long nose was flaring dangerously, as his eyes narrowed into barely visible slits.
"My uncle held the Sword when he died, in agreement with you?! That blade has been a curse upon goblins since it was forged. Never again should your kind be allowed anything made by our superior hands, but that is for the King to decide."
"I will go over your accounts and assets Mr. Potter, then you will tell me, word for word, this deal, and if you truly did work with my uncle as you claim, we will discuss appropriate recompense moving forwards."
It took nearly an hour, but Daphne was even more impressed than she had assumed she would be. Harry of course had no idea, but he owned not only his London home, but Three other Black properties, as well as Two Potter ones. Black castle somewhere in Northumbria, apparently disguised from muggles as a dilapidated part of Hadrian's wall. The blacks had also maintained a villa on the Riviera. Daphne was impressed. A proper country castle, a London manse, and a French villa. The Blacks lived like almost no modern aristocrat managed to maintain. It was almost a shame they had allowed themselves to be so wiped out by these damned wars. The Potters owned the ruins of a cottage in Godric's Hollow, but also a proper house in Dorset outside of Dorchester. For non-residential property, The blacks were landlords to several shops in Knockturn Alley, as well as nearly an entire French magical village . It was explained that the blacks had owned half the village since the days of the Angevin empire, but the other half had been absorbed over the centuries by the Lestrange family, until it was made part of the bride price for Bellatrix when she wed Rodolphus. They also, keeping with their impressive adherence to traditions Daphne thought long extinct, owned a village surrounding their castle, which had paid for it's own upkeep, with profit left over, in the decade plus it had sat abandoned.
The potter's held fewer investment properties, but far more business holdings. Daphne had heard from her father of course about the Potters being famous potioneers. She had realized the extent to which they held not just patents, but full ownership of nearly a dozen different shops between Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, and smaller shops in several magical parts of both Britain and France. The Greengrass business holdings were only just barely larger due to extensive international assets. Domestically, the Potter's dwarfed what she suspected her father or the Malfoys ever could have guessed.
The potters also held multiple muggle investments, which settled a long rumor of just what the family had done to be left off the list of the sacred 28, when even the Weasleys were included. Between the holdings and assets alone, Harry controlled an incredible amount of wealth, and likely would be able to maintain such status even living an absurdly extravagant, almost American Lifestyle without ever needing to take a wage in his life. If Daphne could get control of the Greengrass international holdings and properties….Daphne suspected only the Queen would be richer, and even then it could be a close thing.
But that was before the contents of the vaults were added to the picture. Between the multiple vaults, just in liquid assets, Harry held Nearly 150,000 galleons. In addition to numerous jewelry and artifacts that would need to be appraised. Daphne's father had sold her cheap, she realized. Harry's wealth was absurdly vast. Of a level hardly seen in the current day and age. Over half was from the blacks, but still, the combined fortune Harry controlled was almost more impossible to believe than his various adventures.
"How is this possible?" She demanded.
"Why, is that a lot?" Harry asked.
"Yes it's a lot Harry! You are almost certainly one of the richest bachelors in magical Britain, possibly among non royal muggles as well! You could out bribe Lucius Malfoy at his height! You Have all that, even while paying for what must surely be thousands of Galleons a year for unoccupied, likely rundown residences. You honestly shouldn't even be solvent, yet this looks very much like your accounts have been growing, rather than shrinking!"
"You insult Gringotts Ms. Greengrass, interrupted the Bank Manager. "Mr. Potter, up until last week, remained a valued customer, and the black vault is ancient. Taxes and upkeep were covered at each property, they are in fine condition, even if sealed until opened by Mr. Potter here. You would be right that there would be some loss of gold to upkeep, had Mr. Potter not refreshed the supply several times."
"Huh?" Harry asked. "I don't think I've ever put gold in, only taken it out."
"First, Upi received significant gold from the vault of Nicolas Flamel for 'security services provided', with a further sum added after his death shortly after by will. Your magical guardian, Albus Dumbledore oversaw the deposit. Then, there has been a steady stream of income from book sales using your name and likeness. Furthermore, until his death, Albus Dumbledore has been overseeing the sale of basilisk venom and skin, depositing significant profits in your account. I assumed you were aware of these transactions. As well, of course, as your portion of profits from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes."
"What? I never told them to give me anything, I gave them that gold as a gift! How much? I'm giving it back immediately.!"
Daphne spoke swiftly again, finally finding her tongue after the shock. "Harry, that would have been illegal, if you don't count the gold as an investment, taking appropriate profits, they'd likely lose the entire business to fees! So withdraw your demand at once please. You can talk to your friends later and sort out something fair and legal later. Please continue Manager Bloodhook."
"Very well, The most recent deposits have been gifts from numerous families as thanks, I suppose, for whatever killing you both claim He did recently, as well as a 'signing bonus' from your minister. If you can resume whatever source of basilisk parts you had, that alone would cover most outstanding expenses and taxes affecting your accounts. Turn over the entire creature and we can even forgive the loss of the security, as well as other property damage, returning to the matter at hand."
Daphne didn't miss how quickly the Goblin had gone from mentioning the value to demanding the whole supply up front. Not if she could say anything about it!
"Actually the matter at hand was still Harry being completely familiar with his assets, not you trying to con him out of a major source of income. We have already covered how it was a deal with your family that led to all alleged crimes Harry may, or may not, have committed. So your clan owes at least the same as whatever fee you impose on ours. Are you sure your clan can cover half of what you just suggested?"
"Fine, we will return to the matter of appropriate recompense later. Do you have any final questions about your accounts?"
"Yes, I would like a complete breakdown of all the Potter and Black investments, including the last 6 months of statements and deposits broken down by source. As well as an itemized listing of all expenses from the last 3 years Gringotts has withdrawn from the accounts."
"Fine, girl, you know how to deal. I admit it. Withdraw that absurd request, and I will put the contract for restitution down as expenses already paid, and you can go through all that paperwork with an account manager in a month when he has time to gather all you requested."
"Acceptable. But you will not assign us an account manager from your clan, and we agree to nothing permanent until we have discussed and have in writing an agreement with the account manager for future services."
"No dice! Account managers are mine to assign! You may negotiate a contract for future payment for future services, but I choose the account manager."
"We will see if that is agreeable when you send the final contract."
"Hah! Treat this mate well Mr. Potter, she was taught well. So be it, I will draft and send you the contract by end of week. Shall I send it to Mr. Potter, or just skip the middleman and have it sent to you, girl?"
"I am currently residing at one of the Black residences sealed from your interference. Send your owl to Harry, I will see it."
"Fine, now get out of my bank!"
"Not so fast!" Harry finally cut back in, "I came here in the first place just to withdraw some galleons and make sure Daphne had a key to my vault, or I guess it's vaults, now. I'm not leaving until she has enough to buy what she needed, without needing her father's money. How much do you reckon Daphne? Since I am apparently loaded, will five hundred galleons be enough, do you reckon? "
Fuck it, Daphne decided. If she was going to show Harry how to make her father and the likes of the Malfoys blush with how wealthy and powerful he was, she may as well enjoy herself along the way.
"Better make it an even thousand, I think. Just to be sure." Daphne actually allowed herself to smile. This might just be fun after all.