A random plot bunny. Harry Gets Nervous.
…

"Alas, the first thing you ask me, I cannot tell you. Not today. Not now. You will know, one day... put it from your mind for now, Harry. When you are older... I know you hate to hear this... when you are ready, you will know."

And Harry knew it would be no good to argue. "But why couldn't Quirrell touch me?"

"Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign... to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin. Quirrell, full of hatred, greed, and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldemort, could not touch you for this reason. It was agony to touch a person marked by something so good."

Dumbledore now became very interested in a bird out on the windowsill, which gave Harry time to dry his eyes on the sheet.

Harry was about to ask Dumbledore about his invisibility cloak when a sudden thought occurred to him. "Oh, Merlin!"

Dumbledore's attention, which had been elsewhere, suddenly focused on Harry. "I expect you had a sudden thought?" For the first time in this conversation, Dumbledore looked less than all-knowing.

"Er. Yes, Professor. I think I need your help." Harry was very nervous.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Even though I've had a few problems with History of Magic and staying awake, I learned a few things. And one thing I learned …." Harry paused again and started over. "Can you come with me to Gringotts? I need to speak to someone there?"

Dumbledore was very curious now. "About what, if I might ask?"

"I've accidentally insulted the goblins."

The Headmaster looked surprised. "I don't think I understand."

Harry was about to explain. But instead he said, "I think I need to go seem them and I'll need a guardian to go with me. And … well, I think it's going to have to be you. It's really important."

Dumbledore looked at Harry curiously. He was about to press a bit, but seeing how concerned the boy was, he decided that he would humour him.

If nothing else, Dumbledore was always curious. And a little crazy. He was an old man and had to get his amusements from somewhere.

"Well, I shall have to speak to Madam Pomfrey. She is not one to allow her patients out of her clutches until she feels they are ready. But we shall have to see if we can convince her."

The next day Harry and Professor Dumbledore made their way to the Headmaster's office, despite Poppy Pomfrey's disagreement. She only approved when Harry and the Headmaster promised that he would not be doing any magic.

The two made it into the Headmaster's office. Harry looked around with interest. The office was quite peculiar. "How are we getting there, sir?"

Dumbledore smiled. "I've asked for help from my friend here." Dumbledore walked over to a large and proud bird sitting on a perch to one side. "Come over and say hello to Fawkes, Harry."

Harry walked over and looked at the bird who looked right back at him. "Woah. He's really cool!"

Dumbledore smiled as he petted his familiar. "This is Fawkes, a phoenix of some intelligence. We've been companions for many years."

Harry motioned with his hand and Dumbledore nodded. Harry reached out and carefully presented his hand to the bird. "Hello, Fawkes. I'm Harry."

The bird trilled beautifully and nudged his head against Harry's hand. Harry took the hint and petted and scratched like he would if it was Hedwig. Dumbledore smiled. "You might be interested to note that Fawkes supplied the core for your wand."

Harry was shocked. "Really? That's wicked cool!" He turned his head back to Fawkes and said, "Thanks, Fawkes. I love my wand."

Fawkes trilled in appreciation.

"Now, Fawkes has a number of abilities. One such will allow him to transport us outside of Gringotts. We can make our way hence from there."

Harry smiled in appreciation. "Wow. How do we do this?"

Dumbledore nodded at Fawkes who rose up and flew in place in front of the two wizards. "Grab on to one of his tailfeathers – not too harshly, but very securely. He will show us from there."

Harry did as he was asked. As soon as he did, Dumbledore followed his example and suddenly Harry felt a flash of heat. In the next instant, the two wizards were standing in a quiet Diagon Alley, right in front of Gringotts.

Harry let go of Fawkes tail in shock, even as Dumbeldore did so. "Woah! That was wicked!"

Dumbledore chuckled even as Fawkes flew around in amusement. "Yes. Quite special, phoenixes. Able to carry exceptional loads and effectively immortal. They are quite exceptional." The Headmaster addressed his familiar. "We will be going into Gringotts, now. We'll meet you back at Howarts."

Fawkes trilled again and then disappeared in a ball of flame.

Dumblefore smiled at Harry's awe. "Shall we?" he asked, motioning toward the bank.

Harry sighed and nodded. The two wizards nodded to the guards even as they entered the bank.

When they arrived inside, they both noted that there weren't many customers around and they made their way to a free teller. As the goblin looked up at the Headmaster, he pointed to Harry and both goblin and Headmaster looked at Harry with interest.

"Er. Hello." Harry read the sign. "Bonehook. I need to see whoever is in charge of that break in last July. I have some information."

The goblin looked sharply at him and then at the Headmaster. The Headmaster, looking thoughtful, nodded his head. It was as if the Headmaster hadn't considered something.

The goblin snarled, "Wait here."

Dumbledore looked at Harry speculatively even as Harry stood nervously.

Soon, the teller returned with a much more professionally dressed goblin. "Come with me."

Harry and the Headmaster moved to follow the goblin. Soon, they stood in front of an impressive door with two guards standing next to it. The goblin said something and the guards moved to allow the goblin through. The goblin knocked on the door with the handle of his dagger.

"Enter!" a voice called out. The goblin led the two wizards inside.

A very regally dressed goblin looked at his visitors and sat up. With some irritation he said, "What is it?" Dumbledore once again turned to look at Harry.

Harry looked at Dumbledore and then the goblin. "Er. Hello, sir. I learned something about the break in last July. I mean I figured out who did it and all that. And I accidentally … well, I have to apologize. I think I stole something from you by accident and I need to apologize."

The goblin looked both angry and confused. The Headmaster looked concerned. "Stole? How can you accidentally steal from us?"

"Er. Well, I accidentally stopped you from catching the guy. So in a way, I stole your chance at justice. Or revenge. Or whatever." The Headmaster looked thoughtful at that.

The goblin snarled, "And how did you prevent us from catching this thief?"

"I … well, that is to say … er … well, I kind of killed him?" The Headmaster's eyes twinkled as he watched Harry try to explain.

The goblin at the desk was taken aback. "Sit down, wizard, and explain."

Harry did so. Harry explained his guesswork as to what had happened with the Philosopher's Stone. And how he realized who had actually broken in to the bank. And then how Quirrell had died.

"Let me clarify this. You confronted this wizard, Quirrell, attempting to stop him from stealing this Stone from Hogwarts. In the course of this, you realized that this wizard was possessed. In the following altercation, in your attempt to prevent him from killing you, he died. The possessing spirit fled. Do I have this correct?"

Harry nodded. The goblin looked over to the Headmaster who verified it. "Yes. I was not aware that the man was being possessed. I tried to explain to Harry that his life was over as soon as he accepted possession. But Harry felt he himself is responsible and asked to be escorted here to apologize for preventing you from taking justice out on the man."

The goblin considered the boy before him. "And so whom was the thief?"

"Well. I think Quirrell was the original thief, but he was acting on orders to actually break in last July," Harry replied.

"And how did you come to this conclusion?" the goblin asked. Dumbledore also looked interested.

"Well, when I met Quirrell before the break-in, my scar never hurt. It only hurt when I saw him again on September 1st," Harry explained earnestly.

The two listening to Harry were taken aback. "Your scar hurt?"

"Yeah, in the Great Hall and sometimes when I was in defense. Whenever Quirrell's back was to me, it gave me a shooting pain. When he touched me during the struggle, it felt like my head was going to explode."

The goblin sat back and said. "And this scar was obtained …"

"When Voldemort tried to kill me as a baby, or so I've been told."

The goblin looked at Harry, at the Headmaster, and then back to Harry. "Would you opposed our inspection of this scar?"

Harry shook his head and then looked to the Headmaster, who was looking both thoughtful and worried. "No." Harry turned to the Headmaster, who suddenly looked concerned.

The Headmaster added, "I only worry that Harry not lose any advantage he might have recived when he obtained it. I have postulated that Harry might have retained some of Voldemort's basic skills in receiving the scar, and I thought it appropriate that he not lose them."

Both Harry and the goblin looked at the Headmaster with some shock. "Why?" the goblin asked.

The Headmaster sighed even as he considered how to answer that without telling Harry yet. "Cassandra. Or, perhaps, Carmenta."

The goblin considered the headmaster carefully. He noticed the confusion on the boy's face. "We shall be most careful. If necessary we shall consult our wise elders."

The Headmaster nodded in agreement..

Soon Harry had been examined by a couple of goblins and a human. The goblins, human, and the Headmaster had left, and then come back. The headmaster followed him back.

The important goblin, whom he had learned was named Ragnok and was head of the bank, spoke with Harry. "The Headmaster was concerned that you lose no advantage against your nemesis, Voldemort. We have consulted and decided that it is most likely that whatever power or skill you might have inherited due to this are now intrinsic to your self. Our dealing with the scar shall have no negative effect. May we proceed?"

Harry was nervous. "This has nothing to do with me preventing you from getting revenge?"

Ragnok grinned. "No. Your payment for preventing our revenge is that you must now, until the wizard known as Voldemort is destroyed, relay all known information you obtain about him. Nothing must be left to random chance. It has been determined that you will most likely face him again one day, as your Headmaster told us he explained to you. His nature will ensure it. We will take future information for the possibility of our achieving our justice. Is that sufficient?"

Harry looked at the Headmaster who smiled and nodded at him. Harry nodded. "Okay. I can do that." Ragnok nodded and then motioned to a goblin that was watching.

When all was said and done, Harry's scar was – painfully – removed from its residual magic. Harry was obligated only for information. And the goblins weren't too upset with him. He was happy about that.