A/N OK, this is a bit of a short chapter again, bu it covers ground that needed to be covered. Once again I don't own Harry Potter, rather he belongs to the Mistress of Magic J.K. Rowling and her rights holders. I'm just having fun. :)

I received an anonymous (guest) review that was really hart-warming. It was:

I love your writing, your views on the characters (traits) and plot! Please continue.

I liked it because it not only said he liked the story(always good for my ego :) ), but also why. So thank you to my guest reviewer. :)

Ayway, on with chapter 8, I hope you enjoy it, because I'm having a blast writing it!

Previously

Hermione blurted out, "What do you mean we're married?".

Bloodfist looked at them, still confused. "You're Soul-bonded, that is considered a marriage in the magical world."

"Soul-Bonded?" gasped Hermione.

"Yes, haven't you received your letters from the Ministry?"

"No. What letters?"

"You should have received a letter from the Ministry congratulating you on your bond and letting you know it is registered with them. They are normally sent out immediately…. however, with the turmoil following the war, they may not be working on weekends yet."

Harry was looking a little confused. "I've never heard of a Soul bond."

"it's really rare and I've never read any details about what it means. The last known couple was…." At this point Hermione smacked her forehead. "Godric and Rowena, I should have realised. They were also the last documented occurrence of True Love. I should have realised!"

"Hermione, it's OK. If it's that rare then why would you consider it?"

Hermione sighed, "I know, but I hate not working things out when I have all the information I need."

Harry decided to shelve that comment for now, since they weren't alone.

Harry had visited the Potter Account Manager on a few occasions with Hermione tagging along. Due to the respect that they treated goblins with and also the respect the whole Goblin nation had for Harry and Hermione, they got on very well. He turned to the goblin.

"Bloodfist, what can you tell us about Soul bonds?"

"They are just that Harry, a bond between two souls. The effects vary, but you will likely be able to sense each other's location, feel each other's emotions and in the case of a very strong bond, talk telepathically. It will take time for the bond to fully form, anywhere from a few days to a few months. Every case is different."

"Every case?" Asked Hermione, "how can you know so much if they are so rare."

Bloodfist smiled somewhat smugly, "Lord Gryffindor and Lady Ravenclaw were the last publicly documented case. It's a very private thing and in many cases the couples don't want people to know and come to the goblins for advice. We have, of course, retained everything we learned from the couples."

"How many couples?" queried Hermione.

"Including the founders? Eleven. So roughly once a century."

Harry snorted at this, "will I ever do normal?"

Bloodfist snorted. "Based on the available evidence, I would say the answer appears to be no."

"Well you're not, be proud of it," she replied. "I am and I'm proud of you."

Harry's heart lifted and he smiled at his bond-mate, feeling her pride and belief in him. The two of them started to glow with a soft golden light.

"What the-?" gaped Harry

Bloodfist laughed softly. "It's an effect of the bond, it will happen when you feel particularly close to your bond mate. It will probably settle down once your bond finishes stabilising." His face quirked a smile. "But maybe not."

"How long will that take?" asked Hermione.

"It depends on the bond, it can take from a week to a month. You will probably start feeling each other's emotions more strongly quite quickly. I am a little surprised at the glow, normally it only occurs when you first bond." He smiled "Love's first kiss."

Hermione frowned, "but we had already kissed."

Hermione and Harry then explained everything that had happened, including the compulsion charms and the potions.

Bloodfist grew angrier with each revelation. "That stupid old fool! Had he not interfered, you would have been bonded years ago, and much stronger when you faced Voldemort."

"What do you mean?"

"Your souls are now joined, which means your magical cores are as well. For reasons, no-one can yet adequately explain, your cores will both expand to a size equal to the sum of each individual's core. Not only that, but both of you will have access to the magic in both cores. Do you both know what your Emrys Magical Index ratings were before you bonded?"

Hermione replied after a moment's hesitation "145"

Bloodfist was surprised, "That is very high, 3 standard deviations from the mean, only 1 wizard or witch in about 770 is that powerful." He turned to Harry who flushed with embarrassment, "170"

Hermione gasped and Bloodfist just gaped in shock.

Bloodfist fumed, "almost as powerful as Riddle or Dumbledore then. Working as a team, with both of you at 315 you would have been unstoppable. You could have defeated Riddle at the graveyard with ease and forced him back to a wraith. People died because that bearded old goat thought his way was the only way."

"What about the Horcrux in my head?"

"The bonding would almost certainly have removed it."

"Harry, why did you never tell me how powerful you were?" queried Hermione.

Harry chuckled, "I only ever wanted to be normal," he said smiling.

"Prat!" she said smiling.

"Mr and Mrs Potter, while I know Madam Pomfrey is an excellent healer, I would like to offer the services of the goblin healers. There are none better and they may see things that wizard healers are not able to, using Goblin magics."

Harry glanced at Hermione and then nodded. "Thank you Bloodfist, we would both like to avail ourselves of that."

A short while later, the bonded couple were in a Goblin healing chamber. The healer, Lifereader, had finished the diagnostics on both and came over to discuss the results with them.

Surprisingly, the first thing he did was to bow to them. "It is an honour to meet you," he said. "We goblins may now be bankers and warriors, once we were only warriors. Those who deal in death appreciate life and love all the more for it. So, it is truly an honour to meet a soul-bonded couple."

"You say that Mrs Potter was given a Love\Lust Potion a few days ago. There is now no evidence of it in your system. Likewise, there is now no trace of any compulsions or undue influence on either of you. All scars caused by dark spells have disappeared. May I ask Mister Potter, why you have TWO Phoenix healing marks?"

"Certainly," said Harry "The one on the top of my head is from a few days ago, not long before we bonded. The Phoenix Fawkes came to me when I was talking about him and helped to heal my mental traumas."

"Ah, that explains the healing of your and your wife's physical scars. The phoenix tears effects spread to both of you when you bonded. Their effects would also have been boosted by the bonding. What was the other occasion?"

"I was bitten by a basilisk."

Every goblin in the room turned to Harry and stared.

"What?"

"How-How did you survive?"

"I killed it with a sword through the roof of its mouth. Fawkes had already blinded it."

"What sword?" asked Bloodfist since he hadn't heard this before.

"The sword of Gryffindor."

Bloodfist turned to the healer "Lifereader, is there anything else for Mr Potter."

The healer handed Harry seven potion vials. "Take one of these a day, they are concentrated nutrient and growth potions, you are young enough that your body still has some growth energy left. These will help you get closer to the height you should have been but for the malnutrition you suffered as a child."

"Mr Potter, I would like to take you to meet with our king Ragnok."

"If I may ask, why?"

"You killed the Basilisk with a Goblin made sword, you therefore bring honour on the Goblin Nation. The king will wish to speak to you, I am sure."

Sitting in Ragnok's office next to a pensieve that had just shown the events of the chamber of secrets, Harry was being stared at by the Goblin King who was shaking his head. "Mr Potter, you continue to amaze me, you saved the Goblin nation when you defeated Riddle. For that we presented you and your now mate with Goblin knives as a sign of our thanks. You treat all of our people, indeed, all sentient creatures with respect. Now I discover that you have bought honour to the Goblin nation by using a Goblin-made sword to defeat a 1000 year old Basilisk."

"I just did what needed to be done. Anyone would have done the same."

"No Mr Potter, they would not. Even Goblin warriors might well hesitate when faced with a 60-foot Basilisk, but you prove by your words that you have the heart of a warrior."

"I would like you and your mate to attend a ceremony here next Saturday evening. Would that suit you?"

Harry didn't even bother looking at Hermione since he could feel her approval. "Thank you, your Majesty, we would be honoured."

"Please call me Ragnok when we are in private, you have both earned it. By the way, Mr Potter, what was done with the Basilisk? It's extremely valuable and it's yours as you were the one to defeat the beast."

Harry looked blank. "I don't know. As far as I know it's still down there."

"What! It's worth a fortune."

"Will it still be any good after 6 years?"

Ragnok laughed, a basilisk's magic is so strong, I doubt it has decayed at all."

"If you wish, Gringotts's will render it down and sell it for cost plus 5 percent."

Harry was stunned by the generosity of the offer. "Ragnok, your people are honest bankers and I would not take advantage of you that way, cost plus 10 percent is the minimum I will allow, less would not be honourable on my part."

Ragnok then stood and to their surprise, bowed to them. Looking at their stunned faces, he chuckled. "That is for the honour and respect you show my nation" he smiled, and also for both your Soul bond and True Love."

As one, Harry and Hermione rose and bowed back to him. "Thank you Ragnok" they said in unison. Harry continued, "you must call us Harry and Hermione in private as well."

Sitting back down, Ragnok turned serious. "Harry, you being married to what they will call a muggle born or worse is going to upset a lot of Witches and Wizards. I would strongly suggest you take up your lordship. It will give Hermione extra protections, both through the Lady of the Houses ring and also legally as well."

Hermione looked at Harry. "Don't do this just for me Harry, I will be OK."

Harry smiled and Hermione felt his love for her. "If it will keep you even slightly safer then you know what my answer is, my love." Turning to Bloodfist he added, "just the Potter Lordship for now, adding the Black would make life too complicated."

'How do I argue with that?" she thought, slowly she nodded her head.

"Excellent!" said Ragnok and he handed Harry a jewellery box with the Potter family crest on it that had appeared on his desk.

Opening it, Harry removed the Lord's ring and slipping it on his finger said "I, Harry James Potter, do hereby claim the Lordship of House Potter." With that, the ring flashed white and resized itself to his finger.

Taking the Consort's ring, he looked at Hermione with love and affection. He said softly. "We can have a ceremony later if you wish, but right now… with this ring I thee wed." With that he slipped the ring onto Hermione' finger and it immediately resized and there was a flash of pure white light. By this stage, both of them were glowing with a soft golden light. Her eyes bright with tears of happiness, Hermione, mindless of the company, leaned over and tenderly kissed Harry. Slowly breaking the kiss, she brushed her fingers over his face as she stared lovingly into his eyes. Both of them ignored the golden glow this tme.

Ragnok and Bloodfist both had smiles on their faces as Ragnok said gently. "Thank you for allowing us to witness that."

After making their goodbyes, the couple left the office and then Gringotts arm in arm.

Walking a few yards to the nearest apparition point, they travelled to the gates of Hogwarts, still struggling to take in everything they had heard.

Harry looked around and not seeing anyone, turned to Hermione and smiled, "hello….wife."

Hermione smiled and said "hello husband" as she put her arms around Harry's neck. Unable to resist any longer she pulling his head down and kissed him.

Within seconds, they were surrounded by the golden glow of their bond. Pulling back from Hermione, Harry looked at the glow and said "You know, if this keeps happening, it's going to be awfully hard to sneak a kiss."

A/N So, the trial didn't happen this chapter as I had intended, so I hope tha didn't disappoint anyone.