In High Demand

Shortly before chapter 52, Deep within Gringotts Bank, London

The tension was high in the halls underneath London. Goblins were scurrying back and forth, rumours were circulating. There had been wars over the potion used to show the ancestry of a single witch or wizard back to the days of the beginning. Wars to make sure that they wouldn't brew the potion on their own. It had been hard, but it had been worth it, as now the wizards didn't know how any longer, and didn't kill to get the ingredients they would need to brew it.

But as there had been changes recently, troubling changes, there now was a group of goblins seated in a circular meeting hall, around an oval table, to discuss how they could react and make sure that they wouldn't need to fight a war again.

"So tell me how this all started," an old, almost wizened-looking goblin in chain mail and silk sitting at the head of the table demanded from the group sitting at the longer sides of the oval.

"In summer the newly proclaimed Lord Slytherin came by, letting his newly adopted son take the test. The test revealed that the witch known as Lily Potter was a descendant from a Slytherin Squib line." The goblin answering and explaining was leaning forward over the table, so he had a better view of the one presiding over the meeting. "The next asking for an ancestry test was a young witch by the name of Hermione Granger. This was a couple of days later. She learned that she is a descendant of the Lestrange Family. She has been declared heiress since then."

Another goblin, on the left hand side of the table, leaned forward to chime in. "After that the demand for ancestry tests suddenly spiked. Lord Slytherin tried to get permission to purchase already-treated parchment. We declined. Then he asked for testing of children at the bank. He indicated that there would be many tests to be conducted, and that he was willing to pay almost any price to get it done."

A hairy brow twitched in interest. "What have you done to make sure the demand doesn't rise over our ability to provide?" The old goblin listened with great attention. he felt that he needed to know every little detail, to prevent disaster from striking.

"We thought it likely that the wizards have learned again about the cleansing of their magic through Muggles. Are now trying to get children back to their original families. So we declared that the child to be tested needed a guardian present. They managed to get around that by creating an institution to take over guardianship. Since then we have limited the number of tests to be conducted to four per month. Forty-eight tests a year are possible without a struggle."

For several minutes the room was silent, a few of the younger goblins, sitting at the end of the table, farthest from the old goblin, started to fidget, uneasy with the rising tension.

"Are you sure that they have regained the knowledge of how magic in humans is inherited? Or are you speculating?" Piercing small eyes idly wandered between those goblins responsible for the daily business in London.

"Why is it important? We just raise the prices until the demand goes down to a number that works out," one of the young goblins declared with a dismissive gesture of his hand. It was clear the young goblin didn't put much stock in wizards and their affairs beyond the fact that they were a source of income and wealth.

"Why is it important?" One seated in the middle of the table asked with scorn on her face. "We need to know why they need more tests all of a sudden. Because if they should get desperate enough, or impatient enough, they will start to search for a way to get the information they desire. They will cast the treaty to the wind, be willing to risk a war again. And we can't have that."

The young male huffed in frustration. He was all too willing to dismiss the claims of his elders that humans of any kind could become dangerous to them.

"You think they are dumb? Unable to find out how to brew the potion? What they will need for it? They managed to create it once. They know that something from us is needed for success. If they set their mind to it, they will regain the knowledge. And our people will be in danger again." A grim look around the table had the others bow their heads in submission. No one would dare contradict the eldest goblin living today. "We should offer higher compensation to pregnant females to give over the placenta after they have given birth. We should increase our potion stores. Add these additional expenses onto the price for the test. Don't raise the number of tests available too fast, but keep close watch. We can't allow the wizards to come even close to considering breaking our agreement." Once again the piercing gaze out of half-blind blue eyes swept over those assembled in the hall decorated with weapons of the greatest craftsmanship between the flickering torches providing light.

While the younger goblins started to leave, to implement the changes decided upon, the eldest remained, deep in thought. Maybe it would be wise to implement some sort of ranking system for the importance of reasons to need an ancestry test. Or to provide different pools of available slots for tests, so that whatever purpose a human might have for asking, getting their needs met wouldn't be perceived as unattainable. If they were careful and made wise decisions, the Goblin Nation might possibly even profit from the new developments.

oooOOooo

Thanks to Jordre and Jake for helping to improve my spelling!

First published on the 31st of July 2017

AN: I had this explanation on how the ancestry test the goblins provide was working in my head for quite some time. And as I feel it never will come up in the main story, but I wanted to explain anyway: here you have an out-take.