A/N - So, I haven't updated this for three years. Granted, most of that time I was writing my ridiculously long fic, The Winding Road, but to be honest, I haven't had much inspiration for this collection. Even though it was supposed to be fifty chapters, I know there is no way I have thirty more chapters in me, so I am going to change the title and mark this one as complete. I may add to it later if the inspiration strikes. Enjoy and thanks for reading!

July 1998

"You sure you don't want us to go with you, mate?" Ron asked as Ginny brushed a piece of lint off Harry's shoulder and straightened his robes. "I mean, you didn't break in alone." Hermione nodded in agreement.

"You didn't cast the Imperius curse on Bogrod," Harry reminded them. "I appreciate the offer. But I'm going to have to do this on my own." Hermione sighed and crossed her arms in front of her.

"I don't like this, Harry. The last time you tried to talk to him, Ragnok was really angry."

"He had a right to be, Hermione. We broke into his bank and I put one of his employees under the Imperius curse. I mean, yes, it was for a good reason, but still. It's only because they know they would have lost control of the bank entirely if Voldemort had won that he agreed to see me at all."

"Hermione's right," Ginny said. "You have to be careful, Harry." Harry smiled at her and took one of her hands in his.

"I'll be fine. You know Bill has been talking to Ragnok, trying to help smooth things over. Besides, Ragnok isn't stupid. He's aware of how the general public views me and what would happen if he tried to kill me."

"That's not funny," Ginny said, scowl on her face. Harry squeezed her hand and kissed her forehead.

"I'll be fine, I swear."

"If you're not back in an hour, we're coming after you," Hermione said, the look on her face daring him to challenge her. Harry snorted.

"You'd better make it two, Hermione. I'm sure Ragnok is going to make me wait just because he can."

"Fine, two then."

"But no longer," Ginny warned. Harry shook his head fondly and then kissed her quickly, saying good-bye to Ron and Hermione before he stepped into the Floo.

Ragnok had indeed made Harry wait, half an hour in fact. Once Harry was shown into the goblin's office, it became apparent almost immediately that Ragnok was angriest about Harry putting Bogrod under the Imperius curse. Harry wasn't surprised. A goblin being subjugated to the will of a wizard was a serious crime in the eyes of the goblins. It wasn't until Harry swore a vow to never do it again, even if another dark lord rose, that Ragnok seemed somewhat amenable to discussing other business.

Harry offered to compensate the bank for the damages incurred when they'd escaped on the dragon. Ragnok had refused, as they'd already repaired things themselves, but did accept Harry's offer to replace their guardian. Apparently, they were already in negotiations with a Sphinx in Egypt. Harry was suddenly glad that his vault wasn't at the lowest level. He wasn't keen on having to answer a riddle every time he wanted to make a withdrawal.

"Please, take whatever you need from my vault," Harry said.

"Which vault would you like the funds removed from?" Ragnok said, pulling two ledgers towards him. Harry frowned in confusion. Dumbledore had told him that the contents of the Black vault had been added to Harry's after Sirius' death.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I was under the impression that the Black vault was consolidated into mine."

"And it was," Ragnok said. "I was speaking of the Potter vault."

"The Potter vault," Harry repeated.

"Yes."

"That's my vault."

"Yes," the goblin repeated. Harry glanced down at the two ledger books on Ragnok's desk. Clearly, there were two vaults but Harry had no idea what the second one was.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand."

"This is for your personal vault," Ragnok said, his finger tapping on the topmost ledger. "The other is for the Potter family vault." The bottom ledger was much thicker than Harry's own.

"There is another Potter vault?"

"Your personal vault was set up for you at your birth, which is typical of the old families. The Potter family vault came into your possession on your seventeenth birthday." Harry sat back in his chair, stunned.

"Why wasn't I informed of this?" he asked.

"A letter would have been sent shortly after your birthday, Mr. Potter. However, things being as they were, I can only assume that this did not happen." Of course, it hadn't happened. The Ministry had fallen to Voldemort the day after Harry's birthday.

"The war has been over for two months," Harry said a bit annoyed that no one had contacted him since.

"Yes, well, given the…circumstances of your last visit, I'm sure you can understand why we were not in a hurry to notify you." Harry sighed.

"But, why did no one tell me this before?" Ragnok shrugged.

"It would have been the responsibility of your guardians." Harry snorted. The Dursleys had no idea he even had one vault, let alone two. Still, Dumbledore had never said anything, nor had Sirius. Even the Weasleys hadn't mentioned it. Perhaps they hadn't known, but if it was typical of the old families, then Harry thought sure they must have at least suspected. He shook his head. It didn't matter now.

"I want to see it," he said.

"Of course, Mr. Potter." Ragnok reached into his desk and pulled out a small bowl and a vial of liquid. He poured the liquid into the bowl and then opened another drawer, holding up a small dagger. Harry stared at it, then looked back at the goblin. Ragnok grinned, showing all of his pointed teeth. "I will need a bit of your blood to prove your parentage." Harry nearly rolled his eyes thinking that the goblin was enjoying this a bit too much. But he held out his hand and a shallow cut was made.

Harry held his hand over the bowl and let three drops of blood fall before Ragnok pulled the bowl away, leaving Harry to heal his own palm. The goblin swirled the bowl around and the liquid inside turned blue. He looked almost disappointed.

"Harry Potter, son of James Potter. Come, I will take you to your vault." Ragnok stood and Harry followed him from the office and to the carts.

The entire trip to the depths of the bank, Harry's mind was racing. Why had no one told him that there was another vault? He wondered if he would have been able to see it years ago if he'd known. Likely, not, he guessed if it was his guardians that would have had to accompany him. He didn't even want to imagine the Dursleys inside Gringotts.

When the cart slowed, Harry realized that they were near to where Bellatrix's vault had been. He nearly groaned aloud as he remembered the Sphinx that would soon be on its way to the bank. Pushing that thought from his mind for the time being, he eagerly got out of the cart when it stopped, following Ragnok to the vault and waiting impatiently for the goblin to open it.

When the door melted away, Harry stepped inside, staring in awe. Besides the large piles of Galleons, there were stacks of boxes and trunks. Trinkets and heirlooms lined every wall, as it had in the Lestrange vault, but there was no hint of darkness here. There looked to be covered portraits stacked against the back wall and there were a few pieces of furniture as well. Harry was so overwhelmed he had no idea what to look at first. It would take him days, weeks maybe, to inventory everything inside. He didn't even care about the gold, this was a link to his family, people he had never known. His chest tightened and Harry forced himself to take a deep breath.

"I'm going to need a few minutes," Harry said.

"As you wish, Mr. Potter," Ragnok said and retreated from the vault.

Harry took a few steps forward, eyes roving over everything he could see. He didn't even know what to look at first. He opened one of the boxes sitting on a shelf next to him. It was full of jewelry, earrings and necklace sets. All of the boxes near it were similar, one with rings, another with bracelets and a third with tiaras. He would have to have someone appraise everything. He had no idea if any of it was even real, although given the contents of the vault, it was likely that all of it was.

He turned from the jewelry and crossed the room to a stack of trunks. He read the names as his eyes moved up the pile, wondering who all these people were and vowing to do more investigating into his family tree when he had the chance. He was sure that Hermione would help him.

The trunk at the top seemed a bit smaller than the others and there wasn't a name on it. Curious, Harry levitated it to the ground and knelt beside it. Before he opened it, he noticed the initials in one corner. L J E, Lily Judith Evans, his mother's trunk. Harry glanced back at the stack, wondering if his father's trunk was here too. He eagerly opened the lid.

On top was a photograph that Harry had seen before. It was in the album Hagrid had given him his first year. His parents were on either side of a baby him, his mother waving his hand for the camera. Harry smiled as he looked at the photograph, then set it aside and looked back into the trunk.

Under the photo, there was an envelope with his name on the front. He had seen the handwriting only once before; on the letter he had found in Sirius' room at Grimmauld Place after Bill and Fleur's wedding. Harry sat back on his heels and ran his finger lightly over his name, staring at it for quite some time. He considered putting it in his pocket and reading it when he got back to the Burrow but knew there was no way he could wait.

He carefully slit open the envelope and pulled the piece of parchment from inside. Taking another breath, he closed his eyes for a moment, then opened the letter.

My dearest Harry,

How I hope that you never get a chance to read this letter, but if you are, I am so sorry, sweetheart. Sorry because we are obviously no longer with you. The thought of that hurts my heart more than you can ever imagine. We love you so very much, Harry. You have brought so much happiness and light into our lives at a time when there is little to be found. I know that no matter what is happening outside, you will always make me smile. You are such a happy little boy, everyone that knows you adores you.

Please know that your father and I never wanted to leave you. We have done everything in our power to be sure that doesn't happen. If the worst does come to pass, we know that Sirius will raise you as his own. He will keep you safe and he will love you as we do. There are those that are suspicious of him, but he would rather die than betray us. He and your father are brothers, more than any blood relation could ever be. Although, if he ever dares to take you up on that ridiculous motorbike of his, I will haunt him until his dying day. You can tell him I said that.

Harry laughed, despite the tears gathering in his eyes.

I am not going to deny that I'm angry. Angry that we've been put in this position, angry that you, an innocent, are being targeted, angry that Voldemort even exists at all. I'm angry that you may have to read this letter and that your father and I may not get to see you grow up. But there are so many people that love you, Harry. You will be well taken care of and that is the only thought that gives me peace.

There are so many things that we want to tell you, so many hopes we have for your future. Your father, of course, hopes that you join your House team and lead them to numerous Quidditch cups. Sirius echoes that, I'm sure. I hope that you study hard and do your very best in school and that you find a career that you love.

More than that, though, we hope that you find amazing friends that will stick by you, no matter what, just like your father and I have. I hope that someday you find that one person, the one that makes you feel like you're home just by looking at them (a few grandchildren wouldn't hurt either). I hope that this war is over long before you can ever remember that it happened. But most of all, we hope that you're happy, Harry. That's all we've ever wanted for you. Be happy, Harry, even if we aren't with you anymore.

Your father and I love you so much, my sweet boy. Live your life and don't waste time mourning what could have been. We will see you again someday and I know we will be so very, very proud of you.

Love forever,

Mum

Harry reread the letter in his hand until the tears blurred his vision and ran down his cheeks. He clutched the letter to his chest, wishing with everything he had that his mother had never had to write it. Or that he'd never had to read it. That things had been different. But his mum was right, he could wish and yearn all he wanted, but it wouldn't change anything. He needed to live his life now and be happy, like they wanted. That was the best gift he could give them.

Harry wiped at his eyes, then folded the letter and put it back into the envelope. He tucked it into his robe pocket, knowing that he would read it again and again, even sharing it with Ginny at some point. Ron and Hermione too. He looked back down at his mother's trunk, wanting to search through everything that was in it. A throat cleared behind him before he could begin.

"Excuse me, Mr. Potter, but there are a few people in the lobby insisting that they see you. They are causing quite a commotion. I suggest we return before I am forced to have them escorted from the bank." Harry glanced at his watch and sighed. It had been over two hours since he left the Burrow. He should have known that Hermione and Ginny had been serious.

"All right," he agreed. He considered shrinking his mother's trunk and tucking it into his pocket with the letter, but he wanted to look through it in private the first time. There wasn't much of that in the Burrow and while he knew his friends would give him privacy if he asked for it, he wasn't ready to answer questions right now. He would just have to come back later, preferably before the Sphinx arrived. Reluctantly, Harry closed the trunk and levitated it back onto the stack, giving the vault one last glance before he followed Ragnok back to the cart.