Nightmare's reawakening(translation)

by dragonqueen909

This is the English translation of Fumseck73's fic (Renaissance du Cauchemar)Chamber of secrets AU. Harry found the entrance to the chamber earlier during the year. After almost having an heart attack when meeting the Basilisk, he realise that she was only lonely and became her friend. Rest of summary inside.

6. Secrets from the Present

Chapter 5: Secrets from the Present

Sephiroth let out a smile when he saw the couple in front of their glasses of alcohol. A third glass was even there for him. He sat in front of them, looking at Nathan.

"Did Emma tell you what I told her?"

"No," Nathan said, shaking his head. "She will explain to me later. I think the priority is the subject we talked about just before I went to get Hermione."

"The house elves," sighed Sephiroth. "Above all, you have to remember one thing: magic does not have logic. Or rather, it has its own logic. And most importantly, there is a price to pay to use it. You were able to realize this, Emma."

She nodded.

"My energy, right?"

"Among other things," Sephiroth confirmed. "For us humans... it's our magical energy, that everyone can use without a wand, different from wand magic, and that wizards seem to have forgotten. Either that, or it was deliberately lost."

"An idea of why?" Emma asked, taking a sip of Whiskey.

They had nothing stronger at home, and a part of her regretted it. But they had never really needed a strong drink. And they rarely drank anyway. Sephiroth rested his elbows on the table, crossing his fingers in front of his face, pressing them against his chin. He reflects briefly on the question, turning it over in his mind.

"Maybe," he conceded. "I don't know for sure what happened after I was sealed, and even the Lifestream didn't offer me much information. What I know... is that the Black and White Materia posed a serious threat, each in their own way. Especially the Black. And from the little that I could learn... Minerva submerged the continents of Gaia, where the Lifestream surfaced freely, concentrating in Mako."

"Submerged?" Nathan repeated, bewildered. "Like Atlantis?"

In front of Sephiroth's perplexed expression, Emma explained the famous legend. Sephiroth quickly analyzed it, and sighed.

"Emma... I think there's a chance this legend is actually about Midgar. Obviously... the Gaia survivors passed on this legend to their descendants."

Emma rubbed her forehead.

"And over the millennia, the story has been distorted," she sighed. "Down to the names."

"Yes. And, apparently, my own name has been lost," said Sephiroth softly, thoughtfully. "In a way, it's not a bad thing. I'll have to ask Hermione if she can tell me my own legend," he says humorously. "I wonder if the names of Genesis and Angeal have been transmitted, though. That would please that diva," he chuckled. "To know that his name was transmitted by legends."

Emma let out a weak laugh. What they were talking about did not necessarily have a funny side, but the way he described Genesis was fun.

"All those deaths, though…" she added sadly. "I can understand that she doesn't want these two Materias to fall into the wrong hands... but from my point of view... the method used is too radical."

Sephiroth shook his head gently.

"You think like a human being, Emma. The gods do not live the same way as us, or at the same pace. Their rules are beyond our mortal understanding. They move according to their own rhythm and their own laws, which dictate when they intervene and don't intervene in the affairs of mortals. And, it seems... they all obey the same authority. Which is even less conventional than others."

"In which way?" Nathan asked, bewildered.

Sephiroth chuckled softly.

"In the sense that she sometimes likes to walk in wolf form on planets, apparently. It is to tell you how different they are from us. For us... the loss of these continents is a tragedy without name. For Minerva... probably a necessary evil. From my point of view... death isn't so terrible, especially knowing that one day one is reincarnated. However... my education was not normal, and things like family are a bit foreign to me. I can understand the principle, but…"

"But you don't really know what it's about," said Emma softly.

Sephiroth shook his head gently.

"Not really, no. Angeal and Genesis have shared their experiences with me, but even like that... I cannot understand. And in a sense... it scares me."

"You never wanted to start a family?" Nathan asked hesitantly.

Sephiroth let out a sigh.

"With Hojo? I was too scared that the person with whom I'd become a couple ended up as a human guinea pig... and believe me, with Hojo, it was perfectly possible. After that... there was one person... but she couldn't have children."

"Why?" Emma asked, her tone gentle and respectful.

"Before her world collapses... she had been sterilized. But from what she told me, it was the obstacle course. She really didn't want to have children, any more than her boyfriend."

"And what happened to him?"

"Dead," the old warrior answered softly. "Devoured by the undead to allow her to escape. She told me herself... that the only thing that kept her going was the hope of finding her father and uncle. As well as her sister."

"Something happened to them, isn't it?" Emma asked, her tone saddened.

Sephiroth nodded.

"Killed by survivors. All this to seize their home. All Angeal could do was offer them a decent burial. As for her sister... they found no trace of her."

A silence filled with contemplation for the dead stretched before Sephiroth shook his head.

"I think we have deviated somewhat from the original subject," said the former general with a little humor.

Emma could not help but snort.

"It's the least we can say. Basically, you had to explain to us why Dobby was serving his old master."

Sephiroth nodded, and took a few seconds to rearrange his thoughts.

"As I said, there is a price to pay for using magic. To differentiate magic with Materia from wand magic, from now on, I would call the first Mana for magic reserves, do we agree?"

Nathan and Emma nodded, and Sephiroth resumed his explanations.

"Each species must pay its own price to use magic. For some... it's at the cost of their intelligence, or other abilities. As far as the Elves are concerned... the price to pay is to serve."

"Serve?" Repeated Emma, disconcerted.

"Serving," confirmed Sephiroth. "But not in the slave sense, as wizards like to think. Rather in the sense of a symbiotic relationship, at least on the side of the Elves."

"That is to say?" Emma asked, her sense of fairness somewhat offended by the wizards, who believed themselves above the law.

Sephiroth leaned against the back of his chair with a sigh.

"Elves... don't produce their own magic, because they don't have the magic cores of wizards. However... any form of life needs magic, the Lifestream more exactly, to live. Magic beings like elves have a sharper awareness of it than humans, but in the case of House Elves, they cannot survive alone. I don't know the exact reasons, but if they don't bond to a wizard, their life expectancy does not exceed two or three years. And it's a horrible death," he added softly.

"In what sense?" Emma asked, horrified at hearing that.

"They're slowly withering away, literally gnawed from the inside by a suffering that cannot be appeased, if they are released against their will by their master. The magical bonds have different levels of functionality, but in their case, if their master gives them a garment with the intention of separating from them... the bond is abruptly cut off. Malfoy... had made a big mistake with Dobby."

"What mistake?" Said Nathan, refilling himself.

"The bond... or rather, the Pact between Elves and wizards, is two-way. In exchange for the service of the elves who take care of the home, that is all that is cleaning, cooking, etc., wizards have the obligation, no, the duty to take care of the elves by providing food and protection against the elements, and caring for them if they are sick or injured. Most wizards more or less respect their side of the Pact, even if they have forgotten the reasons for millennia. However... you know human nature."

Emma nodded with grief.

"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Give power to the bad people... and they will abuse it to commit the worst offences."

"Malfoy belongs to this category. He clearly thinks that his money allows him to do what he wants. Abusing your own servant is one of them... and the worst part is that for most wizards it will look almost... normal. However... by mistreating Dobby... by ordering him to punish himself for minor things... he damaged his side of the Pact. As a result, Dobby was able to disobey him, and try to help Harry... with extreme means, but the intention was there."

"The Elves can't disobey an order from their master?" Nathan asked, disgusted by what he perceived as an injustice.

A slight smile appeared on Sephiroth's lips.

"Disobey, no. To interpret creatively the orders, on the other hand… that yes."

"What do you mean?" Nathan asked, shivering slightly at Sephiroth's smile.

"Imagine a wizard abusing his elves asks them for a hot bath. If he doesn't pay attention to his words... the elf will be happy to fill the tub with boiling water. Hot enough to cook. Or for example if he asks them to prepare the meal, the elves will prepare it so much in advance that when it is time to eat... the dishes will be completely cold if he doesn't ask them to keep it warm. And so on."

Emma snorted with a dark amusement.

"And I imagine that instead of treating their elves better, they prefer to take the trouble to give them specific orders?"

Sephiroth chuckled softly.

"This would be asking them to think about doing what's right, instead of what's easy, Emma. Wizards have developed an acute case of laziness, which was never fix. After all... why bother doing things with your own hands, while you just need to wave your wand to instantly get the result you imagine?"

Nathan shook his head with grief.

"What a bunch of idiots... out of laziness, they deprive themselves of the opportunity to learn from their mistakes... at least, for the most part, I guess?"

"Once they've mastered the spells they need... yes," the silverette confirmed. "Their imagination is their limit, but since they hardly use it... their capacity for innovation has seriously atrophied. The fact that they are still stuck in the Victorian era doesn't help, I must say. Their resistance to change is quite impressive, by the way. Worse than that of the Wutanese of my time."

"Wutanese?"

"Think of a mix of China and Japan, and you'll get an idea of their culture," Sephiroth said. "Shinra Sr... did a lot of damage to their homeland," he sighed. "They hated me, yes, but they respected me too. And believe me, winning their respect is not easy."

"I see," Emma sighed in her turn. "To get back to the House Elves... what's going to happen to Dobby now that he's free? From what you told me, without a wizard to bind himself to... his life expectancy looks very short, right?"

Sephiroth chuckled softly.

"Don't worry about that, Emma. For starters, it was me, not Malfoy, who cut the bond. Moreover, Dobby wanted to be released from his master. So it was a lot less traumatic for him than if he had stayed true to Malfoy."

Emma snorted with contempt on hearing this.

"Serves him right. And Dobby?"

"Before anything else, I want you to promise me to keep it secret," Sephiroth said, glaring at them. "This is his decision, and I intend to respect it."

Emma and Nathan exchanged a puzzled look, wondering where he was going. However... they suspected it was important enough that he felt it necessary to ask them that promise. Not necessarily serious, at least they hoped, but clearly important. They gave their word to the silverette, knowing that he would not hide anything important, or in connection with the safety of children.

Satisfied, Sephiroth spoke again.

"Dobby bonded to Harry in the moments following his release. I don't know exactly why," he added, raising his hand to cut off their objections, "but you'll admit that anyone would be better than Malfoy."

"That's right," conceded Nathan. "Is it because of Malfoy that he looked so bad?"

"In part," Sephiroth confirmed. "Moreover, from what I was able to glean in the Lifestream, the state of health of an Elf reflects the power of his wizard. The more powerful he is, the more healthy and powerful the Elf will be."

Nathan chuckled softly.

"So I imagine that Malfoy is relatively weak in this case?"

"Most purebloods are," Sephiroth said with amusement. "These idiots think that by avoiding the Muggleborns, whom they consider inferior, and marrying only between Purebloods, they reinforce the power of their magic."

Emma almost choked on her drink.

"What?! But it's absurd! The smaller the genetic pool, the more problematic it is! Even in terms of resistance to diseases! And if ever a disease against which they have no resistance spreads? They will have no defense against it!"

Sephiroth could not help but laugh softly.

"Victorians, Emma, Victorians. You forget that they are more than a century behind you... while being convinced that they are far superior to non-wizards. They refuse to see it, and their Ministry does everything to reinforce this idea, but the vast majority of Muggleborns are magically superior to those who call themselves Purebloods. Not to mention that the last war caused the extinction of many families simply because they did not agree with Voldemort."

Nathan shook his head in disgust.

"I wonder why McGonagall insisted that Hermione enter this world, in this case. Especially considering how Purebloods behave towards those they consider inferior."

Sephiroth rested his elbows on the table again, crossing his fingers and resting his chin on them, thinking.

"Probably the oldest reason in the world, Nathan: money. Purebloods also suffer from another problem, which strangely remains specific to their lineages: Squibs."

"What are those?" Emma asked, puzzled, refilling his glass.

"People born almost without magic in a family of wizards," Sephiroth explained. "Strangely, from research I did on my free time while I was watching over Harry at Hogwarts, the problem is never found in families who regularly bring new blood into their lineages, in the form of Muggleborns, or witches and witches with Muggles in their immediate lineage. But no, you will not find that in the history texts. It will also be necessary that I find a way to get rid of Binns," he added thoughtfully. "This ghost represents a threat almost as serious to the education of the children as this useless Lockhart. Speaking of this impostor, I imagine you have not been reimbursed?" He asked, frowning.

Nathan shook his head, disgusted.

"Not even the smallest penny... or knuts, as the wizards would say. A quack to the end!"

Sephiroth snorted.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he had spent everything in expensive robes or hair products... that looked more like a wig, by the way. There was something that did not fit with his mane."

Emma began to chuckle, barely missing choking again. It was already the second time she had almost choke on what the ex-general was saying, but she still preferred that reason. Once she had caught her breath, she sighed.

"With everything you've told me... I don't know if I'll let Hermione go back to Hogwarts, Sephiroth. The problem is where to register her?"

The silverette shook his head.

"There are other schools Emma, however, they will not offer the same quality of education. And, even without knowing Hermione as well as you... I doubt that she can thrive anywhere else... and don't think to remove her completely from the magical schools," warns Sephiroth. "Not unless you want to forget everything about this world. Wizards are paranoid about keeping their world a secret," he added, raising his hand to silence Emma. "They will not hesitate for a moment to erase your memory and totally block Hermione's magical core. It would be like losing one of her arm. Even if she doesn't remember doing magic, she will always feel a sense of loss."

Nathan looked at him in puzzlement.

"How can you know that? You couldn't have live it yourself, right?"

Sephiroth shook his head, a little amused, realizing that he had spoken incorrectly.

"Not personally, no. But as I said to Hermione and Emma, I was sealed in a crystal made of Lifestream. Apparently, every time I was moved, the very matter of the crystal was renewed. And as you know, the Lifestream is made up of the souls of the dead. So…"

"Whenever your crystal was renewed, new information was add," said Emma softly, nodding thoughtfully. "That's how you stayed more or less up to date, right?"

Sephiroth nodded.

"This is also why the information I have is so disparate, especially since the last time I was moved is almost a millennium ago. I guess Zack and Aerith still made sure it was renewed from time to time, but I must admit that I have avoided medical knowledge as much as possible."

"Too many bad memories?" Emma asked with compassion.

Sephiroth nodded softly, his eyes clouded by his painful experiences in the labs.

"I grew up in a laboratory, Emma. The first time I saw the sky, the real blue sky, it was when i was about twelve years old. Until then, I lived either indoors, or I was in Midgar, where seeing the blue sky was a miracle. The pollution was such that the city was permanently covered with a gray veil of pollution. The stars were also invisible, and I remember my wonder when I saw them for the first time. Despite the horrors of war... this memory remains my best."

Nathan shook his head.

"This... Hojo would have done well with Josef Mengele. As twisted as each other."

Sephiroth looked up, surprised.

"Josef Mengele?"

"A mad scientist working for a totalitarian regime that looked a lot like Shinra," Emma explained.

"The Nazis," Sephiroth agreed, before developing before their surprised looks. "This... person who was dear to us came from a world very similar to ours as it is now. The Nazi regime was one of them. From what I can infer from the information of the Lifestream and what I saw myself... her world grew much faster than ours... and yet, in some respects, it was almost identical. I think it's only a matter of time before I have a hard time distinguishing them."

"What year was it there?" Emma asked softly, respecting Sephiroth's desire to silence the name of this person, at least for now.

"2019," Sephiroth replied slowly. "In any case, when we ended up there. We stayed there for about a year, before being moved to another world. I did not expect her to accompany us, however. Not that I would have refused her in any case, if she had asked."

"Because she was blind?" Nathan asked, looking at Sephiroth with an impressed look as he saw that the alcohol didn't seem to be working.

The ex-general confirmed with a nod.

"I think we were among the few men who didn't want to abuse her," he said softly. "The war and this kind of apocalypse really brings out the worst of the human being... like the best, by the way. But there, I really only saw the worst."

"Have you had to save her often? Emma asked respectfully.

"Too much for my taste," Sephiroth admitted with some anger. "It had come to the point where one of us was always with her when we had to restock food, or I was leaving Shadow Creepers in the area, and at least three with her, to make sure that she would be safe."

"What?" Nathan asked, not understanding.

Sephiroth could not help but chuckle.

"If you really want to see them, Nathan, I advise you to wait for an excursion in the forest. They are a bit too big to fit in your living room. Not to mention that they are pretty... scary."

"Charming," could not help but say Emma, starting to be pretty light-headed. "And you control them well at least?"

"Perfectly," Sephiroth confirmed, amused enough. "But I think we should stop the alcohol for now," he said, easily picking up the bottle from Nathan's hands, who blinked in surprise at the bottle's volatilization as he went to refill a glass.

The dentist raised his head, and watched Sephiroth finish his glass in one go, before closing the bottle, resting it on the table. He pointed an accusing finger at him.

"You hold alcohol well from what I see. Why not warn us?"

Sephiroth shook his head, amused enough.

"It's not so much a question of resistance as Mako," he replied, amused. "It burns alcohol faster than I can ingest it. To be really drunk, I probably would have to be able to swallow dozens of bottles of strong alcohol in less than five minutes, to counter the effect of the Mako."

"Have you ever been drunk then?" Emma asked, envious enough, remembering the student parties.

"Once," Sephiroth admitted. "Genesis... had wanted to celebrate something, I don't remember what exactly. I still wonder how he managed to convince me to come. He had discovered a bar called Seventh Heaven, and the owner was a member of his fan club on Loveless. He also had a drink with the same name as the bar, and believe me, a glass was enough for the majority of people. Even the Wutaians, known for their resistance to alcohol, were rarely able to drink more than one without ending up on the floor."

"To that point?" Nathan asked incredulously.

"That drink was not really alcohol," Sephiroth explained. "It was more of a chemical cocktail than anything else, even though there was alcohol in it, designed to knock out those who drank it."

"And you got drunk with it," Emma noticed. "How many glasses?"

Sephiroth had to think to answer him. His memories of that evening were not very clear in his mind... unlike the hangover he had the next day. Ah, that he remembered!

"Eight or nine?" He replied hesitantly. "I know that Genesis lost consciousness after his sixth, and Angeal held one more. I can assure you that the return has not been easy."

The couple giggled at seeing his expression a little pinch.

"You couldn't walk anymore?" Emma asked, amused.

"Yes, but not alone," Sephiroth confessed. "And let's not talk about Genesis and Angeal. I could have carry Genesis, but to carry Angeal, it was impossible. To tell you, he was close to two meters and had the build of a bodybuilder. I have the strength to carry someone like that, but not with another person at the same time."

"You called for help I guess?" Nathan asked, chuckling under his breath.

"After using Transform to change these two idiots into Frog," chuckled Sephiroth. "I called Tseng, the leader of the Turks and a longtime friend, so to speak, to the rescue to get back home. Genesis and Angeal in my pocket. Reno, another Turk, was also present, and he did not let them forget. He teased them with that for months, and even after that he reminded them again. Zack was the only one who did not really laugh about it, but it was because he grew up in a village surrounded by jungle, where monsters were living that turned you into a frog. They were called... Touch me, if I remember correctly."

"What?" Emma asked, wondering if she had heard correctly. "Touch me? But who, in the name of heaven, gave names to these monsters?"

Sephiroth shrugged.

"No idea. Still, he had a holy horror of frogs because of that, because these monsters also had more the appearance of a frog."

The couple burst out laughing, irony was too high to do otherwise. Frog-looking monsters that turned you into frogs! The picture was hilarious, though Emma could not help but be sorry for Zack. The poor man must have a horror of everything that looked more or less like a frog. She wondered if it was transmitted in reincarnations.

"And how can we resume human form if we are transformed into a frog?" Nathan chuckled.

"By being touched again by Frog, either using a Maiden's Kiss, a flower that was also native to Gongaga," developed Sephiroth, "or else using the spell Esuna, via the Cure Materia. However... it is extinct too. Many plants or creatures lived only on these continents, and disappeared with them."

Emma thought for a moment, before asking a question that had been trotting in her mind since her daughter's first letters.

"Is it possible that the Goblins are part of the survivors of these continents?"

Sephiroth blinked in surprise, before frowning, in deep thought.

"That would be more than likely," he admitted. "I must admit that Shinra didn't really have information about them, except that they were monsters with an unfortunate tendency to theft. I don't doubt, however, that they had a civilization, and also the ability to build boats. After all, they had inevitably found a way to reach their island."

The couple nodded.

"Often, civilizations different from us are belittled to give the impression that we are better," said Emma, shaking her head with sorrow. "The Amerindian civilizations are a perfect example of this, and today, they struggle to preserve the little identity they have left. It does not surprise me that Shinra did the same thing."

"Humanity repeats the mistakes of the past," Nathan added gently. "And, if what Hermione says is right about their history class... wizards are dangerously close to doing the same thing again. What is the point of always repeating the same things? Especially since he only speaks about Goblins wars. And, strangely, why would wizards have left the losers control of their money?"

Sephiroth snorted with contempt.

"For my part, I think it's more than likely they have lost all these so-called Goblin rebellions. If not, why would they have given up control of their money? But their education encourages them to accept what is said in the press or by their teachers without thinking for themselves. Even Hermione begins to suffer from this problem. Harry... less. What he has experienced drives him to be suspicious of what he is told, especially after the lies the Dursleys told him. Why does Hermione have such blind faith in authority anyway?" He added with irritation. "It's dangerous for her."

Nathan sighed.

"Well... did you notice that Hermione is extremely intelligent? Unfortunately, children can be particularly cruel to those who are different. Hermione... has long been harassed at school. And when she was not harassed, the others used her to do their homework. Teachers were often the only ones to defend her. I think you can see where I'm coming from."

It was Sephiroth's turn to sigh.

"I think. We should get her to lose this habit, however. It's neither healthy nor safe for her. I fear for her future, at this rate."

The parents could only shake their heads with grief. The former general was unfortunately right. They had never tried to correct this tendency in their daughter, because it had never been necessary until now. However... with all the problems he had pointed out in the wizarding world... it was urgent for them to teach a little mistrust to their daughter. She was certainly more mature than average for her age... but emotionally, she was stunted compared to others, because of her isolation in the middle of her books, and because of the harassment. Emma hoped that with Harry at home, their daughter would isolate herself less in her paper universe and try to make her discover things. Perhaps they could also help Sephiroth open up.

However, she suspected that only one person could actually push him to open up. And the way he said she been dear to them all... She suspected that if they had not necessarily concealed their relationship to the world, they probably hadn't advertised it either. She shook her head. She had always thought that sex was a bit like religion: everyone was doing what they wanted behind closed doors, as long as no one was in pain and everyone agreed. Those who sought to impose their views on others were to be avoided.

She didn't see Sephiroth as someone who would impose his will on others. Being in control, yes, after what he had gone through, but surely not imposing things on others. Not unless their life were at stake, and again. He would probably not prevent someone from learning from their mistakes, but if they died, it invalidated the goal.

She stood up, drawing the attention of the men, and grabbed the bottle, storing it. She then looked at them.

"I think we had enough depressing discussions for the day. Sephiroth, I guess you want to go to the Goblins as soon as possible, so that you can get some money so that Harry can have a decent wardrobe?"

The latter nodded with a sigh.

"Harry will surely insist on reimbursing you for your expenses in the hospital. I'm not sure we'll be able to divert him from this goal," he added humorously. "If we can distract him long enough... maybe we'll make him forget?"

Emma chuckled.

"I'm not sure, Sephiroth. We can always try, however. I imagine you will also want a complete wardrobe?"

The silver-haired warrior stood up with a grimace.

"I'm afraid it's indispensable, unfortunately. All my belongings have disappeared for millennia, probably just after I lost my mind. I'm not sure today's humans have clothes like these... except maybe in Gothic shops," he says humorously. "However, I'm not sure it's your cup of tea, Emma."

Emma rolled her eyes.

"You should try to wear something other than black, Sephiroth. Especially with the fact that you change your hair color for black. Why so much fascination for this color, by the way?"

"Because I saw only white, or almost, when I was a child Emma," sighed the silverette. "In the end, I couldn't take it anymore. It's also one of the reasons that I liked Genesis, despite his obsession with Loveless. Angeal was the only one who changed almost nothing in his SOLDIER 1st class uniform. The hue was more a dark night blue, but others preferred black."

"You were allowed to customize your uniform?" Nathan asked, surprised, getting up in his turn.

Sephiroth nodded.

"The 2nd and 3rd Classes could not touch it, but the 1st Class could customize their uniform if they wished. Few chose to do so, however. But in mine and Genesis case... we easily attracted the attention of our subordinates, me with my hair, and Genesis with his scarlet coat and his sword of the same color. We were easily localized this way on the battlefield.

Nathan nodded slowly.

"It stands. However... I have no doubt that you still have much success with women, even if you had to dress like a potato bag," he said humorously.

Sephiroth groaned in despair.

"Don't tell me, Nathan. I still remember those hordes of fangirls running after us. Even Angeal was suffering from this problem. Yet he was known for his sense of honor. Genesis was having a lot of fun with his admirers though, especially if they were single. I think once he even managed to convince one of my admirers to come to his bed. Don't ask me how, she was particularly obsessed with me. I never really understood why people are so obsessed with appearance," Sephiroth said softly, shaking his head. "If there is nothing in the heart... why limit yourself to the physical? In addition... the beauty lasts only a time. If you only think about the appearance... the relationship will not last long."

Nathan and Emma nodded.

"In any case," said Nathan, "how about going shopping tomorrow? Even if you don't want me to lend you clothes, you'll need at least one wardrobe, and Hermione cannot lend her things to Harry," he says with humor.

Sephiroth could not help laughing.

"And I doubt you've kept clothes that old, Nathan. I suppose you will accompany us?"

The dentist raised his hands in surrender.

"I hate shopping sessions, Sephiroth. I don't know if you have ever gone shopping with a woman, but you will be gone for the day. You will suffer," he said with humor.

Sephiroth chuckled.

"I wouldn't be out of place in this case. Honestly, if I didn't know for sure that Genesis was a man, you'd be mistaken. He spent as much time in the shops as a woman on shopping trips. And he was particularly difficult, even when they had clothes in stock with his favorite color."

Emma snorted with irony.

"A real drama queen, to hear you."

Sephiroth burst out laughing.

"You have no idea, Emma. You have no idea. In any case, it is better to go to bed. I also have to deal with spells left on Harry to spy on him. With a little luck, Dumbledore is asleep."

"And if he is not?" Nathan asked, before shivering at Sephiroth's expression.

Okay, clearly, it was better not to be his enemy… or on his list of people to eliminate.

"Let's say that if he tries to do something... the wizarding world will be left with one less wizard."

Emma could only nod. After what had obviously happened to Harry… She wholeheartedly approved of Sephiroth's actions. She saw that he would not touch the innocent… but the culprits were another story. Nathan informed him that he had left the mattress in the second guest room, and that he would only have to inflate it. He had also taken some blankets and a pillow to make the bed, the silverette would only have to serve himself.

She and Nathan wished him a good night, and they retired to their room on the ground floor. A brief discussion sufficed for Nathan to decide that he would wait for Emma to have time to tell him what Sephiroth had told him. He also felt like he'll need a nice drink for that.

Meanwhile, the silverette had gone back to Harry. Seeing that he was still sleeping, he nodded with satisfaction. Looking up, he met the golden eyes of Hedwig, who was still keeping an attentive vigil on the head of the bed. The snowy owl let out a "prek" in a low voice, as if conscious that Harry needed sleep, and Sephiroth nodded to her approvingly. He was almost certain that the owl was Harry's familiar, and the bond of magic uniting them was proof of that. He frowned, however, as he saw the number of spells destined to locate her on Hedwig. He was going to have to deal with those too.

Leaving the room, he entered the last room with an open door. The inflatable mattress was on the floor, still packed, and he nodded with satisfaction. Gently, he called Dobby. The latter materialized with a loud crack, and he grimaced. The Hogwarts Elves were able to apparate almost noiselessly, and he wondered if it was a consequence of Malfoy's weak magic. In any case, he would talk to him later. Studying Dobby critically, he could still see that he looked better. Seeing that the elf squirmed under his gaze, he decided to put an end to his suffering.

"Dobby, is Dumbledore asleep?" He asked softly.

The elf nodded his head furiously, his ears moving frantically.

"Yes, Mister Nightmare. Hogwarts told the Elves to tell Dobby that Hogwarts is responsible for making sure Headmaster Whiskers cannot hear alarms when spells are cut. Hogwarts takes care of the heirs, she said."

Sephiroth shook his head, but thanked the school all the same. It took away at least a weight of his heart, to know that Dumbledore would remain unaware of the changes in Harry's life, at least until he returned to school. At least he was sure not to be disturbed. Squatting next to the inflatable mattress, he nodded, seeing that it was the kind that needed to be inflated with a bike pump, or equivalent. Dobby could do it while he's taking care of the spells on Harry.

Getting up, he explained to Dobby what he wanted him to do. Once sure that the elf was not going to do stupid things, he went back to Harry. With a frown, he debated whether he was starting with Hedwig or Harry. With a sigh, he decided for Harry first. At most, Dumbledore had probably assumed that Harry had sent a letter to Hermione when he arrived... or as soon as he could, he thought, pursing his lips angrily.

Squatting next to Harry, he began the long and painful task of cutting all the spells on Harry, except for the blockage on his magic. He really preferred to see a healer about it. If only because he preferred to at least know the consequences of the destruction of the block. He quickly lost himself in the task, barely paying attention to the appearance of the inflatable mattress in the room, the bed already made with sheets, a blanket and a pillow.

His frown deepened by seeing spells designated to block communications from owls beside some specific sources. He needed several minutes to fully analyze the spell, and swore softly between his teeth as he saw that this spell completely blocked communications not coming from the Ministry of Idiots, as he liked to call it, Hogwarts, or an owl called... Errol? He frowned, wondering why such a specific name was woven into the spell. Sephiroth realized that he would have to talk to Harry about it... if only because he needed to know about these spells.

Another spell that made him pinch his lips was the one designated to block the link with his family's house elves. In any case, it explained why Dobby could not locate him after bonding with him. On the other hand, how could he locate him the first time? He took a mental note to ask the elf at the first opportunity.

Finally, he came to the end of the spells on Harry. He sat up with a sigh, rubbing his neck with a grimace. Finally finished. For the boy, anyway. He rubbed his temples with a sigh. He would have to talk to him about it, but he didn't see the boy returning to Hogwarts. Not with what he had found. Frowning, he studied the bonds of magic uniting Harry and Dobby, as well as Hedwig.

If he trusted what he had learned from the Lifestream, Harry should have had many other connections with his family's house elves. Alas... there was nothing. Sephiroth just hoped that they had bonded with Hogwarts... which would make their search easier, even if he doubted it... or they had found another family to which they were bonded. He really hoped that was the second answer, because otherwise... that was more deaths that could be attributed to Dumbledore.

With a sigh, he raised his head, crossing Hedwig's fierce gaze. The owl held his gaze unflinchingly, and he couldn't help his lips twitch with amusement. A real familiar. Gently, he reached an arm for the bird, who blinked in bewilderment.

"Come, Hedwig," said Sephiroth softly. "You also have many spells to watch you. Don't worry," he added, seeing her evil look, "I wouldn't touch your connection with Harry. I have no reason to do so."

The snowy owl blinked her golden eyes, then, without hesitation, jumped on his outstretched arm. Sephiroth rewarded her with a smile, and raised his arm, putting it at the level of her face. He studied her carefully, noticing many spells similar to those on Harry, except the magic block, since she didn't needed. Delicately, he pinched the strings of magic, with the exception of the one common to all owls and postal owls. As it allowed them to find their addressee wherever they were, and if they weren't concealed by spells like those he had broken on Harry.

He had also noticed that there were variations of some spells on the boy, probably in case some were cut by an episode of accidental magic. Decidedly, this old manipulator had tried to ward off all eventualities. Sephiroth chuckled softly, thinking about that. His presence had been a major grain of sand in the gear of the well oiled plans of the wizard... or rather a rock of good size. Whatever Dumbledore's plans... he could just throw them all out now. Sephiroth would never get a child to fight... not after being a child soldier himself. He knew what it had been like.

Finally, he lowered his hand with a sigh, and brought his other arm closer to the headboard, leaving Hedwig to resume her vigil. Rubbing his face, he went to lie on the mattress with a sigh. He had been focused for so long with his magic sight that he had an headache now. Not as much as inside Hogwarts, but it was highly unpleasant. He dropped his hand against the mattress, turning to his side to sleep, but keeping an ear on Harry. He wouldn't have been surprised to hear him get up early to prepare breakfast for their guests.

Sephiroth fell asleep quickly, his education having pushed him to be able to fall asleep almost instantly wherever he was. Hedwig continued to watch him for a moment. If it had been for her alone, she would never have trusted him. But the Green had whispered that he was a good man deep inside him. He would take care of her chick. And, for the moment, she didn't have to complain. She made a slight sound like a laugh. She almost pitied those who would hurt her chick or his friends. But they would only have what they deserved.

oOo

Sephiroth woke up softly, looking instinctively around him. It was a habit he could never get rid of when he slept alone in a place he did not really know yet. He relaxed as he saw that Harry was still sleeping. A glance at the window allowed him to see that it was probably still dark, and he groaned. He had always been a small sleeper, compared to most people, and it became even worse with the war. He had learned a maximum of techniques to maximize his sleep, and sleep as little as possible.

The ex-general got up with a tired sigh. In any case, he knew from experience that he would not be able to go back to sleep. Not like Genesis, who could sleep like a rock when he decided. Even Angeal could sleep longer than himself. But they had a normal life. Yet... he could not envy them. He knew it was useless to compare their lives. Everyone lived the best he could, and if some could claim to have had a shitty life... it was useless to want pity. He didn't want it anyway. He had always kept his head high, and refused to submit to anyone... except Minerva. Refusing to submit to a goddess... could lead to any kind of inconvenience. He preferred to avoid thinking about it.

Listening, he noticed that everything was still quiet in the house, which did not surprise him, given the probable time. Sighing again, Sephiroth sat cross-legged, and began to meditate to pass the time. A watch wouldn't be too much, he thought absently. He should think about buying one... in addition to the one for Harry. His had clearly lived better days. It was even surprising that it still works... and in total contradiction with the "muggle objects don't work at Hogwarts" rehashed by wizards. Sephiroth wanted to do tests just to see. He was a little skeptical that nothing worked, especially objects as simple as pens.

An alarm clock rang, taking him out of his thoughts, and he opened his eyes, a little surprised despite himself not to have perceived the passage of time. A look at the window showed him the day that filtered around the shutters, and he sighed. At least it was now a decent enough time to get up. Sephiroth noticed that Harry was still sleeping, and frowned at that. Did the boy's magic push him to sleep to repair the damage he had suffered?

He sniffed at this thought. If Dumbledore had hoped to kill him or make him a Squib... he was heavily mistaken. Contrary to what purebloods thought... magic was like a muscle. The more they used it, the more powerful it was. And given the fact that Harry's magic was constantly drained to feed the protection of the house, especially considering that there was no love between him and his family... Harry would be one of the most powerful wizards ever when the blockage on his magic would be released. That, plus the fact that he had done magic more than correctly... he had to be powerful at the base.

Sephiroth shook his head with amusement. He may not have been an expert in the field, unlike Genesis, but he saw Harry just below him in terms of raw power. Now, if Genesis had reincarnated, and he agreed to teach Harry how to be as precise as he was by casting spells... Sephiroth saw him becoming even more dangerous than himself.

He laughed softly. Yes, Harry had a lot of potential. The whole problem would be to help him overcome his education. He pursed his lips thinking about that. It reminded him of Cloud. Oh, he remembered him long before he went insane. The blond had been one of the few cadets to attract his eye. Above all because he had seen the Chocobo's potential. He had noticed that he was younger than the other candidates... but didn't say anything about it. Even today, he wondered if it was a good thing. Cloud might not have been the best in all his classes, but when he had a sword in hand... even the long swords of the candidates... he showed an instinctive mastery of the blade. An innate talent, which was found only once in a thousand, and again. The only other candidate who had had so much potential was Zack... and until Angeal took him under his wing, the instructors had seriously considered giving up on the Puppy. He wondered if Zack would have taken Cloud under his wing as well. If that were the case ... he would have pitied the poor Chocobo. Even he was exhausted by the Puppy's endless energy.

Sephiroth got up with a sigh, and stretched himself, instinctively falling back into the old routine of katas he always did after waking up. He frowned, finding it a bit rusty. At the same time, at Hogwarts, he could hardly do that in front of children. The latter might have wanted to imitate him, and he didn't want these techniques to fall into the wrong hands. Rumors were already raging on him at Hogwarts, he didn't want to add anything. He would have to find a place to register Harry, if possible abroad. The further he was from school, the better. He was not sure if the Daily Prophet agreed to publish Harry's story in his pages, and even if he did… he was reluctant to spread Harry's life in the newspapers. He himself hated it when it happened to him, and he did not want to do that to anyone. Even to an enemy.

The smell of coffee began to seep into the house, though he must have been the only one to smell it so far away. With a new sigh, he decided to go down. Harry was still sleeping, and he would not be surprised if he continued a moment longer. Better to let him sleep. Hedwig half-opened a glassy eye, and huffed as he opened the door. Sephiroth shook his head with amusement.

"If you want to hunt, I'll open the window when Harry wakes up, alright? In the meantime, I'll let him sleep."

Hedwig huffed again, and puffed her feathers, repositioning herself to go back to sleep. Sephiroth went down slowly, heading for the kitchen. Emma looked up as he entered, and blinked in surprise.

"Already awake, Sephiroth? We don't leave before at least two more hours."

He shook his head in response.

"I'm a little sleeper, Emma. I know many techniques to maximize the little sleep I had. And because of my education... I cannot sleep more than six hours. Or rarely. Sleeping little was necessary. Even vital in the labs, like being able to work at 100% when you wake up. Failures... were punished. Harshly."

Emma looked at him in sorrow at this answer. She doubted he would have told the children. Maybe he had pass over some details of what had happened to him to Harry, to help him understand, but she doubted he was talking to Hermione about it. Emma, however, refused to look at him with pity. Because she knew he would not have supported it. He was not proud enough to refuse to do certain things, such as caring for a wounded child, but pity? No, he was just proud enough to refuse that.

She offered him a cup, and Sephiroth thanked her with a smile. He looked good, but she knew it was because of what he had told her. Another person would not have been awake with so little sleep. At least he did not have the stress of his job to make matters worse.

Hermione came down shortly after, rubbing her eyes, and came across the surprising sight of Sephiroth cooking under her mother's orders. She blinked in surprise, wondering why for a second she had felt like she was entering the 4th dimension. It passed as quickly as it came, and Hermione shrugged, attributing it to her still half-asleep state. Sephiroth gave her a smile, which she returned with pleasure. She had rarely seen him smile at Hogwarts, his expression generally remaining impassive or, more rarely, pissed off, as when Harry had been kidnapped.

She was drawn from her thoughts by the appearance of a plate in front of her chair, on which she sat without realizing it. Sephiroth placed a second next to her, probably for Harry, if she relied on the slightly larger portion. She blinked in amazement, however, seeing the portion that could only be attributed to Sephiroth. It was huge! She hadn't really paid attention to the portions of Sephiroth at Hogwarts, and even the day before she had not watched what he was eating. There was at least the amount of all the other portions in it!

After laying the plates, Sephiroth went to wake Harry, laughing internally at Hermione's expression. He would have thought that she had got over the habit, with Hogwarts. Apparently not. At the same time she usually sat in front of him, Harry and Ron. And even if the latter had made progress, it was enough for one second of inattention on the part of Sephiroth for the boy's natural manners to returns running. Even Zack didn't have such bad table manners.

Sephiroth opened the shutters, and shifted to let out Hedwig, who gave him a warning bark before taking off. Leaving the window open, he approached the bed, where Harry had covered his eyes with his valid arm. He could see that Harry was still calming down, and he thought it might take him years to stop panicking when someone woke him up.

Sephiroth gently reassured him, and helped him get ready for the day ahead. The wound in his leg was healing well, faster than it should normally, but he could not really stop the magic from acting, not without feeling like Dumbledore. He just hoped it would not progress too fast. He wanted to see the Dursleys land in jail, the adults at least. The son... he was hoping someone would make him land in a juvenile center. He clearly needed it badly.

Harry was surprised to see that the breakfast was almost in the same vein as the dinner the night before. Slowly, he began to realize that what he had seen that the Dursleys was not the norm. Seeing how the Grangers acted, he had the impression that his so-called family... was overplaying their relationships. Not so much Dudley, who had never known anything else, but his uncle and aunt yes. There was something wrong with them, and he wondered quietly in the back of his mind why they were married.

Nathan joined them in the middle of breakfast, quietly participating in his family's life. He and Emma could see that Sephiroth and Harry were eagerly watching their interactions, and neither of them were disturbed, knowing that they had not really had a normal childhood. Of course, Sephiroth was more discreet than Harry, but Nathan could see the sharp look of the former General. He reminded him of his brother's... he should contact him, to get an idea of when his next leave was. Things were coming up... interesting to say the least. He just hoped they would get along well.

When breakfast was over, Nathan gently chased Harry out of the kitchen when he wanted to help with the dishes, reminding him that he had a broken arm and therefore was not allowed to use it for the moment. Emma guided all of her little group to the car, and started it once all the belts were buckled. Despite the rather early departure, the traffic was already dense in the city center, and, in agreement with Sephiroth, parked near a metro station. The former general wanted to avoid forcing too much on Harry's leg, but recognized that the traffic was far too dense, and the parking spaces too rare in the city center, to risk it with the car. He reassured Emma about the packages, assuring that with Mini, he could cut down on size purchases, and pack everything into Hermione's school bag, which he had convinced him to take. And the Ministry of Idiots would not be aware, as they had no way of detecting the magic of Materias.

oOo

Sephiroth wrinkled his nose in disgust as he entered the Leaky Cauldron. It reminded him vaguely of some places in the Slums, and not the best ones. Rather those in which he sometimes had to recover his subordinates when they were drunk. He could feel Harry sticking to him behind his back, visibly worried about being recognized. Sephiroth had changed the color of his hair before leaving, just to not be recognized in the muggle world, but it also worked in the wizarding world. He had agreed with Emma on the way to pretend to be their cousin, if ever they were asked the question. And given the apparent age of Harry because of the malnutrition he suffered, as well as his own, they could pretend to be a big brother who was accompanying his little brother to buy his school supplies.

Glaring at the wizards looking at them with curiosity, he quickly convinced them to return to their drinks and ignore them. He looked curiously at Hermione who was opening the gateway to Diagon Alley, but quickly cut his magic sight in front of the amount of pure magic that saturated the alley. It was almost as bad as Hogwarts, minus the string of spells that saturated the school. Too bad, he would have loved studying the spells that allowed the passage to work.

He glanced behind him, watching the passage close, before returning his attention to the shopping street. Harry had told him about his misadventure the previous summer, when he had landed totally in the wrong place because of Floo Powder. Sephiroth laughed softly, but he reassured Harry that you could not get it all right the first time. Even he had trouble when he began to learn how to handle a sword. He did not have the right to fail, that's true, but he was not necessarily good at first.

The former general studied the street from the corner of his eyes while advancing, noticing many things very different from his time. For starters, not a single weapon in sight. Cauldrons, wizards' robes, apothecaries, a bookstore, feathers in shambles (with ink next to it of course), a shop called Eeylops Owl Emporium (probably where Hagrid bought Hedwig), and so on. Sephiroth was almost certain it was after that Dumbledore had put all the spells on the owl when he arrived at Hogwarts.

Finally, they arrived in front of a large, snow-white building, which overlooked the shops around. Standing next to the glittering bronze portal, dressed in a scarlet uniform, stood a Goblin. The Goblin was about a head shorter than Harry, he had a dark complexion, an intelligent face, a pointed beard, and long, slender fingers and feet. When they entered the building, the goblin bowed as they passed. They found themselves in front of another door, in silver this time, on which were engraved these words:

Enter, stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed,

For those who take, but do not earn,

Must pay most dearly in their turn,

So if you seek beneath our floors

A treasure that was never yours,

Thief, you have been warned, beware

Of finding more than treasure there.

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow at the poem, but did not think about it. Like the Grangers and Harry, he politely bowed to the Goblins guarding the doors, making them blink. Two other goblins bowed in front of them and they entered a vast marble hall. Behind a long counter, about a hundred goblins sat on high stools, writing in registers, weighing coins on copper scales, examining gems with a magnifying glass.

There were so many doors in the hall that it was useless to try to count them. Strangely, the bank was empty. Sephiroth would have thought there were customers any day of the week, but they had to hit the jackpot, and accidentally choose a day and a time when no wizard was going to withdraw money. On the one hand, it suited him well. He had a bad feeling about Harry's finances, and his instinct had never deceived him. He preferred not to cause a public scene.

Choosing a Goblin at random, he walked in that direction confidently, Harry following him closely. He waited politely and calmly for the Goblin to notice him, Emma having assured him that they were in no hurry. Nathan would probably be watching television in the meantime, so no risk he's bored. Finally, their interlocutor looked up, a little surprised at not having been harshly questioned. A welcome change.

"What would you like?" He asked gruffly, but polite.

Sephiroth gently pushed Harry in front, who hesitated before shyly speaking.

"I would like to withdraw money from my vault, please."

"You have a key?" The Goblin asked, frowning.

The kid's head reminded him of someone. Too young to be him, though. Harry shook his head.

"No," he admitted softly. "It was Mrs. Weasley who kept it for me."

The Goblin rolled his eyes.

"In this case, it will be necessary to remake one, young man. Your name?"

"Harry James Potter," the boy said softly, making the Goblin twitch.

"Mr Potter? Why have you never responded to letters from Gringotts?" The Goblin asked sternly, holding back a surprised gesture at the boy's frightened reaction.

"Mails?" Harry asked timidly. "I have never received anything from Gringotts."

The Goblin's frown deepened.

"However, letters have been sent to your magical guardian, Mr Potter. He assured us that he passed them on to you."

Sephiroth snorted, catching the attention of the Goblin, who shivered at the teal green eyes that stared at him.

"It does not surprise me. There were several spells on Harry meant to hide him from unapproved owls. Only the Ministry, Hogwarts and an owl called Errol could bring him letters."

Harry looked at him in amazement. That explained why he had never received a gift from his "admirers", but why was Errol on this list? Why would anyone let Errol bring him letters, but no other owls? He was drawn from his thoughts by Sephiroth, who spoke again, shocking him:

"I guess his magical guardian is Albus Dumbledore?"

Faced with the nonverbal confirmation of the Goblin, Sephiroth developed:

"I'm pretty sure he's the one who has placed many surveillance spells on Harry, not just those meant to hide him from unauthorized owls. There was also a spell designed to hide him from his family's house elves. However, we did not come for that. Is it possible to quickly make a new key?"

The Goblin blinked, barely shocked by his interlocutor's revelations. That explained why the Potter heir had never responded to the bank's summons. He shook himself mentally to answer him, his instinct whispering that his interlocutor was not to be angered.

"It will be 10 Sickles, but I can do it immediately."

"Make it, please," Harry asked softly. "I would also like to know if it is possible to transfer money to an electronic account of a muggle bank. I do not think it's discreet if the Grangers deposit a large amount of money on their account."

"Harry, you don't have to do that," Emma objected.

Harry looked at her, his eyes far too serious for his age.

"I want to, it's not fair that you paid the hospital expenses for me because I couldn't withdraw money. And then you host us with Sephiroth. I don't want to be a dead weight," he said softly, but with conviction.

The ex-general in question shook his head with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. So much for their plan to distract Harry so he forgets that. He was really going to have to work on the boy's lack of self-esteem. He was distracted by the Goblin's response.

"Of course it's possible, Mr Potter. You should know it already. There is already a monthly transfer of one hundred galleons to the Barclays Bank account owned by the Dursleys, converted into British Pounds, for your food, care, and education."

Sephiroth stiffened, just like Harry. The Dursleys... were paid to take care of Harry? Seriously? With the way they had treated him? How much were they paid for? And above all... were they paid to mistreat him? The warrior's gaze landed on a trembling Harry, tears in his eyes. His own eyes returned to the Goblin, who swallowed as he saw the cold, hard eyes that stared at him.

"I suppose Albus Dumbledore is the one who authorized this?" He asked coldly, before continuing in front of the clerk's nod. "In your opinion, did the Dursleys took care of him, except to mistreat him?"

The Goblin could only shake his head in front of Sephiroth's cold fury. The boy was actually much too small and skinny for his age, not to mention the black eye as obvious as his arm in a sling. No, something was wrong with the child. Sephiroth spoke again, making him swallow.

"I think it would be a good thing for me to make an appointment with Harry's account manager. Something tells me that there are other particularly dubious things with them. I also want to know if you can tell me if there have been other withdrawals or transfers from the Potter family coffers since he was placed with these Animals."

Normally, the Goblin would have taken offense at the tone of Sephiroth voice. However... two things prevented it. First... his instinct was screaming that the person in front of him was infinitely more dangerous than a dragon. The dragons, Gringotts had trained them for centuries. They knew how to handle them. This individual... was an enigma. Secondly, he shared his anger at the state of the Potter fortune's heir. And no child deserved to be treated as badly as this one. For the Goblins, the children were precious. Those who mistreated them were severely punished.

For this reason, he confirmed that he was capable of it, and drew a thick book from under his wicket. The thick register was magically linked to the Master Ledger, which contained absolutely all the information about all the bank accounts. The Potter family was entitled to at least three pages by itself, it was one of the oldest customers of the bank. Frowning, he studied the book.

"What the…"

"A problem?" Sephiroth asked, barely surprised.

"It seems that access to Mr Potter's accounts is restricted," grumbled the Goblin, more and more edgy. "It's strange... it should not be the case... no order has been given by our superiors... and... it's magic Goblin... What does that mean…"

As he spoke, he ran his hand over the book, trying to access the information it contained. Sephiroth was on his guard, however, and was studying his surroundings carefully. Most clerks now stared at them, their attention drawn to the scene in the bank entrance, even though they had not raised their voices. One of them in particular caught Sephiroth's attention. The former general could see that there was something different in his attitude, and that he studied them with acute attention. Too acute indeed. His attitude was enough to trigger alarms in his mind, and he subtly changed his posture, ready to react.

The Goblin swore copiously, drawing his attention again. The Goblin held his book at arm's length, his expression of pure fury.

"But what does that mean! No one, except the upper echelons, has the right to restrict access to the clerk's registers! And not without a good reason! The customer must be able to ask at any time to have information about his account! But I am certain that no order has been issued on this subject!"

"Ask him, then," said Sephiroth, pointing to the Goblin that had caught his attention.

All eyes were on him, and even Emma could see he was surprised.

"Me?" Exclaimed the Goblin, on the defensive. "How could I know something about this, Wizard?"

The way he had pronounced the word "wizard" sounded clearly scornful, like the way the Purebloods spoke of the Muggleborns, but Sephiroth ignored him. He didn't care for the Goblin's opinion, just as he didn't care about his first diaper. However... he clearly saw that something was wrong with this Goblin.

"Tell me then," said Sephiroth calmly. "But you know something," he added, tilting his head to the side, staring at him like a hawk.

The Goblin snorted with contempt, but even Emma could see that his reaction sounded wrong.

"Do you really think I know something?" He asked scornfully.

Sephiroth offered him his famous shark smile, all his teeth and malice, and the Goblin to which they had first addressed shuddered. He discreetly pressed a button under his counter, alerting the guards that there was a problem in the bank lobby. He just hoped not to condemn them to death. The alert would also go up the ladder of the bank, alerting Goblins higher placed. Normally, there was no meeting today. Nobody should be mad at him for interrupting an important meeting.

"My education taught me to read people who had something to blame themselves with. It doesn't matter if you are human, Goblin, or whatever. Some signs do not deceive. And you, you have something to blame yourself for. Is it possible that you have something to do with the blocking on Harry's accounts? The question is why in this case…"

Sephiroth didn't have the opportunity to continue his sentence, the expression of the Goblin having distorted itself into something hideous... just before he jumped on his counter, then on Sephiroth, plunging right in the direction of his heart, a dagger held in his outstretched hand. The ex-general wanted to roll his eyes in front of so much stupidity. The Goblin didn't even know who he was, and he was attacking without any real provocation? The silverette could have easily killed him, but he decided not to do so. It was up to his leaders to punish him.

The warrior caught the Goblin with disconcerting ease for his spectators, grabbing him by the hand holding the dagger. A shocked silence fell on the bank, the tellers just like the guards silent, surprised by the reaction time of Sephiroth. The latter hadn't lost his disturbing smile, and it even grew as his appearance changed.

The color seemed to drain from his hair, quickly imitated by the faces of the spectators around them, with the exception of Emma and Hermione, who were already aware. His grinning smile terrified the Goblin he was holding, especially as his pupils changed shape to become vertical again.

"TH… THE NIGHTMARE!" Stammered his victim, shitting himself under the effect of terror.

Emma was surprised to see the terror spreading so fast around them. All Goblins seemed to have either imitated Sephiroth's victim, or to be on the verge of doing so. Obviously, she had underestimated the terrifying power of Sephiroth. His legend continued to inspire terror just at his sight, even millennia later. Sephiroth, on the other hand, was perfectly calm, and even amused. He hated his bad reputation, but he was not stupid enough not to exploit when he needed it.

Calmly, softly, he addressed the Goblins.

"In your place, I wouldn't move," he said, making the guards freeze. "If even one of you raises his weapon on the people who are with me, I can assure you that there will be no survivor on your side."

"You seem sure of that fact, Demon of Wutai," said a voice on the side, drawing the attention of everyone.

Sephiroth turned his eyes in that direction, apparently ignoring the Goblins around him. However... if someone had tried to take advantage of the opportunity he seemed to offer them... they would have been wrong. Sephiroth had not lowered his guard, and above all, he was holding the Goblin with his right hand. Anyone who knew his legend also knew he was wielding his sword with his left hand. And his position was that he could summon Masamune with ease, without risk of touching anyone... anyway, not Harry, Hermione and Emma. The guards were another story, but they couldn't say they had not been warned.

His gaze fell on a Goblin different from the others. Larger already, almost as tall as Harry, his long steel gray hair was tied in a catogan on his neck, and he wore an armor that, despite the ornate side, was clearly functional and well maintained. His watchful eye could see the runes engraved on the neck and around the jewels of the chest. Probably runes of protection. He thought that it could certainly parry several of the Goblin war axes that accompanied him (probably his guards). The Goblin himself wore a war axe, and Sephiroth's sharp eye remarked that, like his armor, it was not there only for decoration. The former general could see that, like himself, he was moving with a predatory grace. His look showed so clearly that whoever he was, he was a warrior.

A gesture from the Goblin's hand pushed the guards back, who seemed relieved to get away from him. Sephiroth did not relax though. He didn't feel any tricks from this Goblin, but he preferred to remain cautious. Calmly, he answered the Goblin's remark, ignoring his catch, which was shaking like a leaf.

"There is a difference between being arrogant for no reason, and being sure of one's abilities. If you know my legend... you should know that you did not bring enough guards to defeat me. Far from it. Also, my name is Sephiroth."

The Goblin who had spoken nodded calmly.

"My name is Ragnok. I suspect that I have not brought enough warriors to defeat you, if the old legends are even a minimum accurate. Even with bringing all the warriors here at Gringotts, our chances of defeating you would be meager at best."

"At best," Sephiroth confirmed calmly. "So, if you didn't come to confront me, why did you come down here, Goblin King?"

Ragnok barely blinked at his title. The Nightmare had been known for his intelligence, despite his madness. However... how did he knew his position? The legends of the Goblins were more detailed than those of the Wizards, who had forgotten many details over time. The Goblins, after their escape from the Sacred Land, had recorded their legends in stone. These had therefore remained much closer to the original than those of humans, which had been deformed or lost over time.

Hermione had let out a gasp of surprise. The Goblin's King? But why did he come down? Slowly, Ragnok spoke, weighing his words to avoid triggering a bloodbath. Sephiroth did not look aggressive, and he wondered if he wasn't like legends were describing him, before he descended into madness. But even before that, his dangerous reputation was well established.

"I was alerted to a problem in the bank. In addition, a guard told me what triggered all this, and I must admit also want answers. However... will you allow me to ask you how do you know about me?"

Sephiroth looked at him for a long time, thinking about whether to answer the question. Finally, he decided that it was not important to hide things. He had not disclosed Ragnok's real position, and knew full well that Ragnok was also aware of it.

"I suppose you are aware that the Lifestream is made up of the souls of the dead, right?" Sephiroth asked, before continuing in at Ragnok's nod. "More than 10,000 years ago, long before Minerva submerged the Sacred Land and everything around it, I was brought back to life, and she gave me a second chance. What happened next is a private matter, but after a number of events, I returned there, and, at my request, I was sealed in a crystal composed of Mako."

Ragnok nodded.

"I see. I guess some Goblin souls have had to be part of his composition in the last two centuries. Enough about that now. Teller Shatterbeak, I would also like to know why the Potter family's accounts have been sealed without my consent or knowledge."

The Goblin in question grew even paler, and swallowed, but remained silent. He was aware that his life was fucked from the moment he had stupidly attacked The Nightmare. Refusing to answer Ragnok was barely below in terms of stupidity, but lost for lost... The Goblin King clicked his tongue at the prolonged silence.

"Guards, take him. Be sure to tell the interrogator that I want honest answers. If that suits you as well," he added to the small group.

Not really knowing what he was talking about, Harry just shook his head shyly to nod. Sephiroth was the only one who had an idea of what was waiting for the Goblin, but he would not say anything in front of the kids. In any case, not in the immediate future. Maybe later, when they were adults. And even. He dropped his victim to the ground, where she was picked up by the guards, and led away by a secondary door. At least Shatterbeak had enough pride not to beg in front of humans.

Ragnok turned his attention back to Sephiroth and Harry. He could clearly see that the Potter heir didn't understand anything that was happening, and had moved closer to Sephiroth, clinging to his coat with his good hand. Frowning, he studied the child with more attention. In spite of his 12 years, almost thirteen, the child was puny and lean, abnormally so. No, clearly, the Dursleys had not made use of the money received for him. His hard look fell on Gnarlfang, who swallowed.

"Teller Gnarlfang... I'm counting on you to do the maximum in order to discover the whereabouts of the money transferred to the Dursleys. If it turns out they didn't use it for Mr Potter, as its appearance seems to suggest... make sure to recover everything. To the very last knut. I don't care if they end up on the street."

Gnarlfang nodded, he wasn't going to refuse that. On the contrary, he was impatient to be able to rectify the wrongs done to one of their oldest clients. Ragnok then turned to Sephiroth.

"I understand you want to get an appointment with the Potter account manager, right? Alas, even we cannot grant this request. As long as a Heir is a minor, this kind of appointment can only be obtained by the Guardian, Magical or not, of this one."

Sephiroth pursed his lips as he heard that.

"In this case, I will have to get custody of Harry. Which brings me to the other reason why I came here. I need enough convincing papers for the authorities to think that I really exist. I have more problems than the authorities."

"Albus Dumbledore," Ragnok confirmed. "He is a threat to Mr. Potter... but also for the future of the wizarding world."

"In which way?" Sephiroth asked, preoccupied.

"The quality of education in the wizarding world continues to decline. The Ministry only approves of an education that the Purebloods, magically weaker than the average Muggleborn, can learn. And the more generations pass…"

"The weaker the Purebloods get," continued Sephiroth. "And that's without counting the history. They only learn about so-called "Goblin rebellions". This ghost only repeats the same things, never deviating from his program. If he continues like this... the wizards will repeat the mistakes of the past... and provoke a new war with you. Especially considering that Voldemort is still in the nature."

Ragnok pursed his lips as he heard that.

"He's still alive?"

The sentence was phrased more as a statement than a question, but Sephiroth answered anyway.

"In the form of a wraith, but yes. Which is one of the reasons why I think to enroll Harry in another school. Hogwarts... do not inspire me trust. As long as Albus Dumbledore is at his head... Harry is in danger there to me. Especially since I have the impression that he wants to make him a martyr. And that's not something I would allow," Sephiroth said firmly. "Not while I'm alive."

Ragnok nodded.

"I understand. Gringotts will do its best to satisfy your request, isn't it?" The King asked, raising an eyebrow at Gnarlfang.

The latter nodded almost frantically, vaguely reminding Harry of Dobby, recognizing the order for what it was. Looking at Sephiroth, he respectfully addressed him. Nobody wanted to make The Nightmare angry.

"I will need for you to tell me the information you want to make public, such as your age, place of birth, and all."

"Unfortunately, I have only an idea of the age, for the rest, I don't really have an idea," answered Sephiroth, not without humor. "I doubt that Midgar or Nibelheim exists at this time. Not to mention my accent."

Indeed, for a reason that escaped Sephiroth, he had a striking American accent. He supposed it was because of the Lifestream, and the soul that transmitted English was of American origin. Gnarlfang nodded.

"Do you want me to create an identity from scratch? I want to warn you, the price will be higher."

Shyly, Harry raised his voice.

"I don't mind paying for Sephiroth, but if you could give me a new key before please? And the transfer to the Grangers account?"

Gnarlfang nodded.

"Of course. Do you want the old one to be destroyed?"

Sephiroth spoke at that moment.

"Not yet, if you don't mind. I think the revelations made when the seal on his family's accounts will be lifted will determine whether it will be destroyed or not."

Gnarlfang looked at him in puzzlement, as did Harry, but seeing that the boy seemed to be complying with his eldest decision, decided to bow. Taking a stone bowl and a knife, both covered with runes, from under his desk, he motioned to the child to approach.

"All you need is a slight cut on the index finger and seven drops of blood in the cup to generate a new key, Mr Potter. Don't worry," he added at Sephiroth's look, "the runes on the knife will instantly heal the wound as soon as the key is created."

Harry stepped forward at Sephiroth's nod, and followed the Goblin's instructions. Faithfully to the Goblin words, the wound healed just as a scarlet smoke rose from the stone cup. When it dissipated, a golden key lay in the hollow, and Gnarlfang handed it to Harry.

"Don't lose it Mr. Potter, or next time, it will be 5 Galleons to make you one again. As for you, Mr. Sephiroth... you have no information to give me about your identity, other than your first name?"

Sephiroth let out a sigh.

"I don't even know who my father is, at least with certainty. For my name... Sephiroth Valentine. For my age... let's say 29 years old. It is in any case the age that I seem to have. Also, a military background, with a rank of general if it's possible. I can't hide my military training. A mention of a burnout would be perfect too. For the rest... as long as this identity is foolproof... it doesn't matter to me."

The Goblin nodded, noting the information in a corner of his mind, just like the city of birth he had mentioned. He could always change if it was necessary. Emma stepped forward with a sigh, taking out a bank statement from her bag and telling Gnarlfang about the approximate amount. The Goblin assured him that the transfer would be made during the day, and asked if Harry wanted to withdraw money. The boy looked at Emma, not knowing how to answer. He knew that Emma had insisted on buying him a full wardrobe, but he had no idea how much it would cost.

Emma absently tapped the desk with her fingers, thinking.

"I think 300 Pounds should do," she finally said, looking at Sephiroth and Harry. "If you want to buy everything new, you can go up to about 400."

Sephiroth briefly pondered the question, then shook his head.

"I don't think that we will buy new, at least not in the immediate future. But you must also count my own needs," he admitted. "I am not bothered by the idea of buying used clothes. As long as they fit me and are of good quality... I don't care whether they are new or not. It doesn't matter to me."

Emma nodded at that, and turned to Gnarlfang.

"So 400 £. Is it possible please?"

The Goblin nodded, scribbling a note that he dropped in the basket on his desk, where it magically vanished a second later. Less than five minutes later, a younger Goblin came out of a side door, heading toward them. Harry was surprised to recognize the Goblin who had brought him to his vault during his first visit to the bank. Griphook, if he remembered well. The Goblin paused when he saw Sephiroth, visibly paling. However, seeing that Ragnok stood relatively close to the silver haired man, and seemed perfectly calm, he gathered his courage and went on his way. He courageously handed the money to Emma, who thanked him politely.

Goblins didn't show this, but many preferred to work with the Muggleborn and their Muggle parents. The latter generally treated the Goblins much more politely than the Purebloods, who believed themselves superior to all. Griphook was more astonished to see Harry Potter remember him, and even ask him how he was going, when it was clear that the boy had been beaten recently. He glanced nervously at Sephiroth when the boy asked if he could take them to his vault on their next visit, but agreed. The boy had been polite and respectful during his visits, it would have been rude to refuse such a simple request.

After exchanging some courtesies with Ragnok, the group left the bank, and the Goblins present let out a sigh of relief when the door closed. The guards as the tellers called their relief to take over and all, by mutual agreement, decided to get changed and then empty a mug of beer to recover from their emotions. The only ones who didn't do it where Gnarlfang and Ragnok (although the former still went to change his clothes). Both had too much to do. The first had money to claim, and the second people to rule. As well as a report to make.

To be continued…

*evil cackles*

Yes, Sephiroth is angry and now the goblin king too.

Next chapter, shopping and cuteness overload^^