Kairos (καιρός)
the perfect, delicate, crucial moment;
the fleeting rightness of time and place that creates the opportune atmosphere for action, words, or movement
There was a chilling coldness that spread through his bones from the inside out. There was no burning anger or righteous outrage; only the stoking flames of frigid wrath. Already, it appeared that Dumbledore would be a thorn in his path before Harry had even set out to do anything. For all that he was a celebrity in the Wizarding World, it was too good to be true that his guardianship would be placed under a man with great political power and the headmaster of the premier school of witchcraft and wizardry.
Harry didn't let his fury visible. He was content to let it simmer and lay in wait until the most opportune time arose. Instant gratification was always tempting, but the satisfaction that came with utterly crushing an enemy was far more worth it in the long run. That, and already, he had the sneaking suspicion that Dumbledore was a cunning individual, a man who was on friendly terms with anyone important and high up.
"Griphook, would you mind giving me a brief description of Mr. Dumbledore?" he asked with a questioning tilt. His wording made it seem like an innocent request, but his expression was hard, making it clear that it was a demand disguised as a simple request to let the prideful goblin save face.
Griphook made no comment on the tension that had thickened in the air at the mention of Dumbledore. He was silent for a moment, looking to be weighing his options on how to describe Dumbledore. The goblin glanced once more at Harry before finally, he spoke.
"He claims to hold no desire for power, occupying positions which provide him little political leverage. As the Supreme Mugwump, he acts as the mediator and speaker for the International Confederation for Wizard." There was a nasty scowl on his face, twisting his putrid features into an unpleasantly grotesque to look at. Harry maintained a cold expression, understanding what Griphook had not said. Dumbledore may spin poetry on his noble desire to hold no power, but as the mediator and speaker for an international confederation, he was in the prime position to manipulate others as he pleased all in the pretty package of goodwill and peace.
Harry raised a single brow, subtly displaying how unimpressed he was with Dumbledore. It was rather concerning that the British Wizarding World—there must be multiple Wizarding Worlds if there was an international confederation for wizards—was such blind sheep that they were unaware that Dumbledore held all the cards while they were being led around by the nose.
Ignorance was man's greatest enemy, but to continue to bask in one's ignorance was the ultimate folly. Given his position with Gringotts, they would likely be pleased if he was in need of their services. Harry supposed that fostering a favorable relationship with not just the bank itself but with the goblins would only pay off in the future. It would be a mutually beneficial relationship between the only bank in the British Wizarding World and a child celebrity with too big of an inheritance
"Thank you, Griphook. I would like to request additional services from Gringotts, some of which may not be open to the general public. Of course, the compensation would meet the services I would like to ask."
Griphook nodded. His eyes gleamed with a wicked light and Harry wondered how badly Dumbledore had antagonized the goblins of Gringotts. It was an incredibly foolish decision to get on the bad side of a race who managed one's finances.
"Very well, Heir Potter. And what services are you in need of?"
"I would like to hire some tutors to bring me up-to-date within the Wizarding World—common knowledge and whatnot. As much as I hate to admit by ignorance, it is a far worse position to remain as such. I still have three years before I attend Hogwarts, so I like to receive a thorough education befitting of my positions."
Griphook nodded sagely. "Gringotts is willing. I will refer you to a specialist who possesses a greater expertise in the area."
Harry nodded and continued. "Much appreciated, Griphook. I would like to hire several goblins to act as my account managers, financial advisors, and investors in both muggle and magical companies. If it's possible, I would like to finance hopeful business and open some of my own."
"Gringotts Bank is made up of eleven departments: Retail Banking, Commercial Banking, Investment Banking, Loan Services, Wealth Management, Estate Management, Risk Management, Operations, Information Services, Magical Services, and Legal Services. I will arrange a meeting with representatives from each department to come to a proper arrangement per your requests."
"Thank you, Griphook. For now, I would like for you to act as my account manager for my trust fund since Dumbledore has seen fit to stick his nose where it does not belong."
Griphook smiled with barred teeth but his eyes were lit up in satisfaction, a bit of surprise at Harry's offer as well. "Your offer is much appreciated, Heir Potter. Gringotts will send you an owl with a tentative date for your approval."
Harry nodded and rose to leave before stopping himself. "I take it that Dumbledore has an eye on my trust fund, and he is, without a doubt, funneling money out from my family vault, but is it possible to make a withdrawal from my trust fund without his notice? Or perhaps, from a vault he is unaware of?"
Griphook grinned unabashedly and nodded. "Dumbledore has been a thorn in Gringott's side since his rise to power. You may make a withdrawal from any bank accounts other than from the Perevell or Slytherin vaults, both of which or under heavy Ministry watch. The Potter and Black vaults are watched by Dumbledore. However, withdrawals from the rest of your vaults is possible, but may be noticed by the family's head of house."
Harry nodded. "Are there any families you would recommend that I ally with? As long as it is mutually beneficial, I don't mind their reputation, so long as it isn't entirely unsavory."
"The Malfoy family is one of the most influential in this community. However, their reputation precedes them as the current head of house, Lucius Malfoy, is well-known for claiming he was put under the Imperius Curse, which robs one of their free will, during his service to the Dark Lord."
"Very well. I thank you for your recommendation. Is there any paperwork and the like I would need to complete to have you assigned as my account manager?"
"That can also be owled to you. For five galleons, Gringotts can customize a letter box to better protect your mail. Protections against forgery, spying, thievery, jinxes and curses."
"That would be much appreciated, Griphook." Harry paused, a look of consideration crossing his face before he smiled. "Could you arrange for a meeting with the head of the Malfoy family? Or perhaps point me to a few locations that the Malfoys frequent?"
"Certainly. He is highly cautious so sending an invitation as the Boy-Who-Lived would be unwise and drop you under Dumbledore's radar, as he still believes you to be woefully ignorant in the Muggle World."
Harry made a note to look into his title as the Boy-Who-Lived. It was disgustingly cheesy and distasteful, a subtle reminder that he had survived what his parents had not. Griphook had also dropped the hint that he had been purposefully placed in the Muggle World by Dumbledore, who would seem to cunning to not know how the Dursley family would treat him. Harry supposed Dumbledore intended to have him as beaten-down and downtrodden as the poor, affection-deprived orphan could be. How easilymanipulated, he would have become if he was anyone but.
Griphook continued to speak. "Receiving an invitation as a Vassal House from his Lord would undoubtedly grab his attention, though Lord Malfoy may believe the invitation to come from the Dark Lord. Lord Malfoy often visits Knockturn Alley, which is the . . . shadier side of our community. Black market, illegal goods, demi-humans, and whatnot."
"And does the Malfoy family have any defining traits?"
"Platinum blond hair. However, you could simply keep an eye out for the most arrogant in the room. The pointiest noses in the air, if you would."
Harry nodded, a pleased smile stretching across his cheeks. He stood and waited for Griphook to rise as well before offering his hand out for a firm handshake. "Thank you, Griphook. I look forward to doing business with you. May your coffers fill with gold and your blade drip with the blood of your enemies."
Griphook raised a brow at him but his thin lips widened to bare his teeth, a savage gleam in his eyes. "Indeed? I believe this will become a very profitable agreement."
Another goblin entered the room with a letterbox, silk pouch, and a silver ring. He placed all three items onto the coffee table between them and waited for Griphook and Harry to seat themselves once more.
"Heir Potter, your letterbox has been fitted with a feather-light charm, anti-forgery charms, anti-spy charms, anti-theft charms, and blackwill protection charms. All that needs to be done is let it register your blood and magical signature to have it keyed to you. Customization can be done after that."
His new letterbox looked like one of the vintage letterboxes from the eighteenth or nineteenth century which better belonged in the museum. There was a thin slot to slide letters through and a small slot that could be pressed open to reveal the inside of the letterbox. Harry pressed his thumb to the slot, feeling a small prick and slowly released a trickle of his magic. There was a click and the front of the letterbox opened up.
"I would like to have the Potter crest engraved onto the front for now. Silver and copper-bronze would be nice."
The goblin nodded and snapped his fingers. The letterbox shimmered and seemed to blur slightly until it matched Harry's customizations. The goblin gestured to the silk pouch. "This is a bottomless pouch directly connected to your vaults, courtesy of Gringotts. It will open only to your magical signature and you can make instant withdrawals when you convey what you want to take out from the pouch."
Harry nodded and picked up the pouch, briefly playing with the silk fabric. He let another trickle of magic leave him and let the cord stretch to accommodate his desire to wear the pouch around his neck.
"And now, this ring is meant to be worn by heirs of the Potter family. As you are still under Dumbledore's thumb, it would be unwise to advertise more than what is already known. There are protections set around the wearer to protect against poison, legilimency, compulsions charms, jinxes, curses, blood theft, and bloodline theft. It can also mask your magical aura and signature as you will it."
Harry reached for the ring and held it to the light. The ring was rather plain and unassuming, with a simple engraving of "ad astra" on the inside, opposite to the gem smoothly embedded into the ring.
"From Latin, to the stars. The Potter family motto. The gem is a crystal quartz, the symbol of balance and purity. This crystal quartz is of the highest purity, capable of storing magic for generations to come. This ring is meant to be worn on the ring finger of your right hand."
Harry nodded and slipped it onto his finger, marveling at how the ring resized itself to fit his slender finger. For a moment, the ring glimmered with an oddly silver light, glowing and shimmering briefly before calming.
Both Griphook and the goblin smiled, pleased and unsurprised. "The ring has accepted you, Heir Potter. Your title as the heir of the Most Ancient and Noble Family of Potter is now official and not even your guardian can have a say in matters above his place."
Harry raised a brow and smiled. "Thank you. One last question, if you mind. Is there anywhere I might be able to stay for a week?"
Griphook was silent, as if he wanted to ask Harry why he would be staying without adult supervision until he decided otherwise. "The Shrieking Banshee in Knockturn Alley."
Harry nodded and rose. He bid Griphook and the other goblin goodbye with a smile that was more like barred teeth. The doors opened when he approached and shut as he left. He left Gringotts Bank feeling much more accomplished and satisfied than before and set off to explore the community.
Daedalus Diggle had led him through the Leaky Cauldron to Diagon Alley, so it would seem that Diagon Alley was the heart of the community. There weren't any signs that pointed to where was what so Harry supposed he could just follow the throng of people walking in the same direction. That, and he could spot some towering building, all bunched together and advertising different products.
Diagon Alley was a rather knick-knack street when Harry approached, distastefully eyeing the shabby architecture and its Victorian-era appearance. The tacky robes and corny pointed hats made him want to cringe from second-hand embarrassment as well.
He endeavored to ignore the cons of the Wizarding World and focus on getting the fullest experience while he could. His first order of business was to buy books. Knowledge was power and Harry needed as great of an advantage as he could get until he could set a proper arrangement for tutors from Gringotts.
Flourish and Botts was an old bookstore. It was relatively small despite the number of books Harry noticed customers exiting the door carrying or floating behind them. When he entered the store, he wanted to see how he could replicate the Tardis-like enchantment that the storeowner had used to stretch the dimensions of his store interior.
Harry walked up to the front of the counter, thankful that there wasn't too long of a line. There were gaggles of parents and students in robes walking up and down the aisles, carrying baskets filled with books that should've been too heavy for them to carry without a struggle.
"Hello. Um . . . could you recommend some books for a Hogwarts first year?" Harry asked with a shy smile.
"Ah! For an older sibling, huh? Well, no problem. The second floor is dedicated to all the books every Hogwarts student will need from their first year to their seventh year. Supplementary textbooks and related subjects are there too for the Ravenclaws and curious fellows."
With a thankful smile, Harry nodded towards the older man and waved a shy goodbye and he headed to the staircase to get to the so-called Hogwarts section. There was a stack of baskets which he grabbed along the way and began browsing the selection.
Attached to every bookshelf was a line of files labeled for each Hogwarts year and filled with parchments. Harry grabbed one from every file and looked through the list.
First Years Textbooks List:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshank
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginners' Guide to Transformation by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
As Harry walked down the aisles, he tossed each book into his basket and more books he saw as he pleased. He tossed all the textbooks he could find for Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Astronomy, Care of Magical Creatures, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Divination, Herbology, History of Magic, and Potions. He saw a separate shelf with past subjects which Hogwarts used to teach, so he tossed in textbooks for Alchemy, Legilimency, Occlumency, and Magical Theory.
Harry reckoned that if Dumbledore hadn't meddled into his personal affairs, it was more than likely that he would have been raised by a magical family named within his parents' wills. He initially considered asking Griphook about his parents' will but thought against it in the end.
Griphook has clearly expressed his distaste for Dumbledore, who had his fingers in just about everything. A powerful man with equally powerful connections, it was doubtful that the old man didn't arrange it so that his parents' wills were sealed. Perhaps his parents' wills were never discovered, as unlikely as it sounded. Harry was almost certain that his parents had left a will since James Potter was the last living Potter of the line and in the middle of a blood war, it was simply unthinkable for his parents to not leave a will behind.
Harry brushed his thoughts aside as he hurried to purchase his considerable number of books. He descended the stairs, not particularly paying attention to his surroundings as he focused on the enchanting view of magic that only he could see. When he collided into someone, he was momentarily breathless at the sight of the person's magic.
He paid no attention to the individual's exterior appearance. All he had eyes for was on that person's magic—a typhoon of magic, of regal greens and blues and purples. Unlike the unrefined magic Harry had seen children and adults hold within them, the person's magic was condensed, refined and seemed to possess an aura of sheer elegance.
Harry reckoned that the magic he was seeing was of a Pureblood—constantly reshaped and refined by Magic herself, with each generation condensing and growing, as its potency was added by each coming child. Given how secular the Wizarding World in England appeared, he supposed that Purebloods would merely be above average in the magic they possessed and could control. The magic of the individual before Harry's eyes said otherwise—this was the magic of someone with high pedigree, who married well and carefully.
"You should take heed in where you walk, boy"
The cold and callous tone instantly broke Harry's previous attraction to the man's nature. Harry glanced up and waited to sigh. Standing before him was undoubtedly Lucius Malfoy, the head of the Malfoy family, with his eye-catching platinum-blond hair and ice-cold grey eyes, who was currently looking at Harry as though he was an insignificant nobody.
Harry smiled and bowed his head to the pompous man. "My apologies, Lord Malfoy. I had no idea that such an insignificant boy such as myself could cause you such grievous injury!"
With a flourish, he bowed flamboyantly to Lucius and when he raised his head, Harry relished in the look of irritation in his once stone-cold expression.
"Watch your words, boy."
Harry essentially owned any House which he stood as Ruling Lord over. Griphook hadn't necessarily explained the significance of a Ruling Lord, but Harry could easily put two and two together. In every court that held any significance at all, and in the eyes of Magic, it wasn't too far off to say that Harry held the leases to all of his Vassal Houses beneath him.
When Harry looked at Lucius, he could see the link which connected their magic together. It was bright green, the exact shade of green from which he remembered seeing in his first vision. The link reminded Harry of a snake, as it was loosely wrapped around Lucius's magic. It laid dormant, content to remain seemingly "out of sight", yet was ready to pounce in an instant regardless.
Harry looked at Lucius in the eye with an innocent smile that didn't match the sinister aura that he allowed his magic to release just enough so that Lucius—and only Lucius—could feel it. "You should hold your tongue before you lose it."
Lucius shuddered as the snake slithered around his magic, no longer dormant as it coiled around his magic warningly, not tight enough to constrict, but just enough for Lucius to feel it even without actively using his magic. As the snake flicked its tongue over Lucius's magic, said man paled drastically.
Harry smiled innocently and continued down the stairs, aware that they had been blocking anyone from going up or down the stairs. The only reason no one had said anything was because Harry had discretely extended his magic outwards to create a bubble around himself to mimic the effects of Daedalus' privacy spell. As he walked past Lucius, he allowed his hold over his privacy bubble to dissipate.
Well, Harry thought joyfully. What perfect timing to meet Lucius Malfoy.
Dumbledore is my most hated character in both the books and the movies. Other characters like Snape, Umbridge, and even Voldemort—their intentions were clear and to the point. It was easy for characters and us the readers to understand that they were just assholes. If you want an explanation, just scroll past my little question.
In honor of Avengers: End Game, which Harry Potter characters do you think represent the Infinity Stones?
For me, it's the following:
Space Stone: Fred & George (remember how they apparated everywhere once they got their license?)
Reality Stone: Dumbledore (he'd use it to mold the world into his idea of the greater good)
Mind Stone: Luna (she has a unique perspective on everything)
Power Stone: Voldemort (it corrupts the individual and nearly dusted the Guardians in the first movie before that was even a thing)
Time Stone: Hermione (such an obvious pick)
Soul Stone: Harry (hello, Horcrux?)
Dumbledore though? He masqueraded as a kind grandfatherly Headmaster who gained everyone's trust but abused it. When he visited Tom Riddle, he was just the Deputy Headmaster. As an orphan, it was a given that Tom would probably be a bit fucked up in the head and armed with some sociopathic tendencies. As a professor though, Dumbledore should have gently guided Tom to the straight and narrow—let Tom understand that magic didn't inherently make someone superior to someone else. When Dumbledore was suspicious that Tom would eventually go dark, he should've acted on those suspicions to make sure Tom was looked after and had someone to talk to; if not Dumbledore, since Dumbledore literally set fire to his wardrobe filled with Tom's only possessions, stolen or not, at least another professor who was on better terms with Tom. As someone studying to become a teacher, Dumbledore was an utter failure in his responsibility as a teacher. It's unreasonable to expect Dumbledore to mold Tom to be this great wizard of goodness, but Dumbledore never tried to help Tom.
When Dumbledore heard the full prophecy, he immediately played chess with people's lives. He knowingly placed Harry under the Dursley's care as a baby despite Professor McGonagall's warnings. He had monitoring instruments in his office at Hogwarts to keep track of Harry and knew that the Dursley's would abuse him. Regardless of his intentions, there is no excuse for placing a child in an abusive household. He purposely and secretly trained Harry to become a lamb raised for slaughter, to have the Dursley's make Harry so malleable and starved for love and affection, that Harry would willingly walk to his death when he was only seventeen.
And that greater good Dumbledore loved to preach? Yeah, that was Grindlewald's motto during his heist over Europe to find the Deathly Hallows. Dumbledore and Grindlewald planned to dominate the Muggle World together in their childhood and then Dumbledore got cold feet and ran. Why? He finally drank his "Big Brother Responsibility Juice" after he practically abandoned Aberforth and Ariana.
TL;DR Dumbledore is a dick.