Everything is J.K. Rowlings. I only claim the plot. Everything else is hers, all the characters and the magic, all of it. Please let me know what you think though, I encourage feedback of all kinds, just be nice about it!
Chapter Two
It was early morning that Harry finally managed to leave the Burrow for Gringotts. Mrs. Weasley had scuffled downstairs shortly after the letter had arrived and insisted on preparing breakfast before he left. Hermione had gotten Ron who agreed to apologize to the goblins for breaking their bank but stated that he didn't want to wait in aimlessly in Diagon Alley till Harry's business meeting was done. So he and Hermione would go to visit George while Harry dealt with the goblin. The three hadn't been keen on separating for long periods of time since Ron's return to them while they were hunting Horcruxes. Heading off to the apparition point, the trio walked in silence.
Harry walked straight backed, his head on a constant swivel, his fingers wrapped around his wand as casually as he could manage so as not to put someone on the alert, to buy himself a few extra seconds of battle time. His shoulders tense and his jaw locked. His emerald eyes shadowed by the guilt he felt and the death he had seen.
Hermione walked like a shell of her former self. Her head once held high and her wild curls bouncing with each step, now she walked shrunk in on herself, her arms wrapped around her waist wearing long sleeves despite the heat of summer. Harry knew it was to cover the knife mark on her arm. Her wand clenched in her hand surrounded by white knuckles. Her footsteps light as if making a sound would break her. Her once vivacious hair was now lackluster and hung in a tangled mess, Ginny had told him last week that Hermione had just stopped caring to deal with it.
Ron walked defensively, his pace cautious and his posture like that of a warriors crouch. The stubble on his face matched with his ginger locks that had grown out to his shoulders gave him the appearance of a vagabond. His muscles tight and coiled, ready to spring into action, walking as though his very readiness might be the difference between the death of another loved one and another chance at survival.
They walked like the young soldiers they had been, that they still were. The trio didn't speak as they walked and once they reached the apparition point they silently gripped each others hands and Harry turned on the spot. He apparated them to the alleyway next to Weasleys Wizard Wheezes. And after pulling their cloak hoods up, the three swiftly walked to Gringotts. Luckily their cloaked figures didn't draw any unwanted attention. Most people walked about with their heads down, unwilling to look their former neighbors and friends in the eyes, to fearful of what they might see so chose to not see at all.
It was better having his hood up anyway. This way Harry didn't have to see the remains of the wreckage and the broken shop windows. Didn't have to alert people to his presence so they would swarm him, offering him praise and congratulations that he didn't feel he deserved.
Entering Gringotts, Harry swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. Last time he had been here he had destroyed the place and others had died because of it. Shaking himself of those thoughts before they could consume him, he led the other two towards the tellers desk. The place was emptier than he had ever seen it before. The repairs were well underway and if Harry had to guess he would say that by the end of the summer no one would be able to tell there had been damage.
Walking to the Head Teller, Harry dropped his hood and saw Ron and Hermione mimicked his actions and cleared his throat to alert the teller he was here. The Head Goblin flicked his eyes up at the noise and when he saw Harry and his friends the goblin dropped his quill and sat back fully on his chair. "Well, I must say I'm surprised to see you here Mr. Potter," the goblin drawled, interlocking his long fingers on the desk between himself and Harry. "What is it that brought you here today? Wanting to let loose another dragon are we?"
Harry felt his face heat up but he forced the warmth away. He wouldn't allow the goblin to feel this way, he did it enough himself. Plus, he wanted to rebuild relations with the goblins. If things were to get better for the wizarding world it had to start sooner than later. So taking a breath, Harry held his head high and stared the goblin straight in the eye. "Umm...no...er...actually," Way to not sound like an idiot, he thought inwardly cursing himself. This is really the way to earn their respect. "We, my friends and I that is, we wanted to ask forgiveness for what happened last time we visited this establishment. We wanted to express our sincerest apologizes for the damages we caused not only to the infrastructure but also to the employees of Gringotts."
"Is that so?"
"It is. It was never our intention to cause such destruction and I could use the excuse of it being necessary to finish the Voldemort's reign but I feel that any kind of destruction is irrefutable no matter the higher goal."
The goblin stared at Harry, who refused to drop his gaze. He desperately wanted the goblin to understand his sincerity. It was the only way to move forward.
"You are not like other wizards Mr. Potter, that is for certain. While it pleases me to witness a wizard asking my forgiveness and while the end goal was honorable, a mere apology is not enough to gain you any favors here." Harry let out a defeated sigh. How was he supposed to help make the wizarding world great and to help rebuild it if he couldn't first rebuild personal relations? "However," the goblin continued, "it is an admirable place to start."
The smallest flicker of a smile touched Harry's lips and hope that had once been forever present in his eyes flared briefly once more. He gave the head goblin a respectful nod. "Thank you, I understand that an apology can not atone for everything but I'm glad that it can be a start. Now, I don't want to intrude on more of your precious time," he continued. Thankfully he had prepared his transition slightly on the way over to the bank, in an attempt to make sure he sound just superfluous enough to gain more respect from the goblins. He hoped that by sounding important the goblins might just deem him important and that was needed if bridges were to be mended. "I received a notice this morning from one of your goblins in regards to my accounts. A Nadrig? I was hoping to speak with them."
"Oh Nadrig, yes I know her. A disgrace to our kind, not knowing her place, you see. I can't see why she would have owled you but her office is at the far end of the hall," the Head Goblin said with a dismissive wave to the left. Glancing over in that direction, Harry saw a long hallway he hadn't noticed in all the other times he had been to the bank.
"Thank you for your help," Harry said respectfully before turning away. Hermione and Ron were still behind him and he gave them a halfhearted smile. "Guess I'll see you two later then?" His best friends nodded and promptly left the building after a few brushes of the hand and a light hug, as if to remind them that he was still alive and that the next time they saw him he wouldn't be supposedly dead in Hagrids' arms.
Once alone, Harry began his walk down the long hallway. His footsteps echoed on the white marble floor and he bit back the horrible feeling of loneliness. Surrounded by the Weasley's he was usually able to keep the feelings at bay but when he wasn't around anyone the debilitating feeling would come in full force. Struggling to keep his feet moving at a steady pace, Harry focused on his breathing, focused on not succumbing to the feelings threatening to overwhelm him. He had to have his mind focus coming into this meeting. In all honesty, Harry hadn't given much thought to what Nadrig wanted to talk about. He had no idea what could be wrong with his accounts and he wasn't overly sure if he wanted to be bothered by the thought of money at all. Wasn't rebuilding the wizarding world more important than a few galleons?
Nonetheless, he arrived at the last door of the hallway. It wasn't a very impressive door, it was old wood and tarnished gold nameplate that read NADRIG in neat lettering on it. Before he knocked, Harry thought back to what the Head Goblin said, saying how Nadrig was a disgrace. How could the goblin be a disgrace but still be allowed to work at Gringotts? Unsure of what he was about to get himself into, Harry knocked lightly on the old door. It swung open almost immediately.
The office was small, almost embarrassingly so. It reminded Harry of this broom cupboard under the stairs. There was a solid wooden desk with neat stacks of paper on the edges and a cleared middle, it was a little too large for the room making the already small office cramped. A female goblin sat on one side of the desk, writing on some parchment. On the other side of the desk was a single armchair.
"Ah! Mr. Potter, so good of you to come so soon. Please take a seat," Nadrig said, looking up briefly from what she was writing. Wordlessly, Harry did as he was told and sat in the arm chair, his knees brushing against the desk due to the close quarters of the office. The goblin was young, at least Harry assumed she was young. She didn't have as many wrinkles as the front teller goblins did and she didn't have the white hair that the other goblins he had seen. Nadrig's hair was a dull brown tied in a thick braid. But just because of her young appearance, Harry wasn't about to let his guard down.
There was silence for a bit as Nadrig scratched things into parchment. After about five minutes of nothing Harry had finally reached his patience point. "Excuse me, but was there a reason you asked me to be here?" he had tried to keep his tone polite but his irritation had seeped through.
Nadrig stopped writing and looked at him. He refused to squirm under the goblins gaze. It was cold and unwavering, just like all the other goblins. "Yes, again I apologize for the inappropriate hour of my letter. But I am glad that you found time to come. Yes, your accounts have been quite interesting."
"Why have they been interesting?" he asked cautiously. He had had enough interesting to last a lifetime in his opinion and so braced himself for the inevitable bad news.
Without answering, Nadrig pulled forth a large bound book and it landed with a thud on the desk and a pillow of dust jumped from the leather cover. Coughing slightly and waving his hand to break up the dust, Harry leaned forward to glance at the cover title. And he felt his heart skip a beat.
HARRY JAMES POTTER: PROPERTIES, VAULTS, LIFE OWNERSHIPS.
Glancing up from the title, he leaned back into the armchair and stared at Nadrig in shock. The goblin seemed oblivious to Harry entirely though as she dispelled the rest of the dust and pulled forth multiple pieces of parchment and set to organizing her desk once more. Harry got the distinct feeling that Nadrig was rather new to all of this bank business and her manner was like that of other goblins. Maybe that is why she was a disgrace?
"Alright, here we are. Now, where were we? Yes, the reason I asked you to come today. Well, Mr. Potter, I believe that it necessary for you to look through this book for you to fully understand what is now in your possession."
"Wait! You can't be serious. How is- Why have- What are-What?" he finally managed to splutter.
"This book is the current manuscript of all your vaults, what they contain, and your properties. As well as the life debts you have inherited."
Harry stared at the book for a few moments. Nadrig simply sat at her desk, unabashedly staring at the Wizarding Savior before her. "How?" Harry finally asked, choosing the most pressing question.
"How indeed," Nadrig nodded sagely. "Mr. Potter, have you ever heard of the Right of Conquest?"