Chapter 4

Same DISCLAIMER as before.

25 JULY 1984 GRINGOTS BANK 07:00 AM. ALMOST 4 year old Harry Potter was running and screaming his little lungs out, trying to escape his angry goblin mentor.

"Get back here you little worm! How dare you compare the noble art of Gem crafting to "Just pretty pebbles"! I will have your shoes for this!" Master craft goblin Dustkicker screamed as he ran after his wayward student, kicking up stones and gems with his way too short legs.

"Help me! He is crazy I tell you!" Harry's screaming and laughing could be heard all through the gem caverns.

Goblins lined the passages and helped young Harry escape his SHORT tempered mentor, laughing with him as he ran just fast enough not to get too close to Dustkicker's aim. That gobbling could put sharp shooters too shame if he got angry enough.

"Traitors, stop helping him! He called me a pebble collector for crying out loud!" Dustkicker shouted as he took aim and threw a rather large stone at a goblin laughing a little too hard at the daily game of chase going on.

"Ah get off it Dusty, you know he only toys with you out of respect and love. The kid is 4 years old for Magic's name!" an old looking goblin who sat at the entrance to one of the older caves said as the stone flew past his desk to connect firmly with the laughing goblin on the other side.

"I started learning the noble trade at the age of 3! He should be honoured to even be my student!" grumbled Dustkicker as he slowed down to speak with the old cave keeper.

"Yes and you were a sharp lad. Yet you were also a goblin child, with a goblin family who worked the trade. You were born into your love for stone and gem. Today your name holds hands with many graft masters of many years your senior. Your name is respected and well known in OUR city and many others. Your craft holds company with kings and queens, princes and princesses. Other tribes and cultures beg for the favour of your wares. You are yet to see your own child born and yet you run after a HUMAN child as if he was yours to discipline." The old cave keeper spoke as he wrote into a very large ledger.

"He IS mine to punish when misbehaved, I am his mentor to his 5th year. He needs to learn to respect those who were found worthy to teach him what he needs to know in life!" Dustkicker replied respectfully, finally coming to a complete stop.

"He has learned more than you could have at your age. He is testing you now as a sign of respect to see if you would be able to keep up with him at his pace. Move on to the next chapter of your lessons. Give him a new challenge. His magic grows as he does and it needs to be tested almost daily." The older goblin spoke again as he slowly closed the huge ledger and stepped down from his table to stretch his old wobbly legs.

"If it is a challenge he needs then it will be one he gets." Dustkicker said as he turned to go back to his own cavern.

Getting back to his cavern, Dustkicker began rummaging through his many trunks. Looking for suitable puni… ahhh material for young Harry to learn how to use next.

Daggers: "Can we use those to chop some herbs?"

Rune stones: "Can we set those up to get better food down here?"

Potions: "Will that make my chicken taste better?"

Shields: "This will make a wicked sled for the sand dunes!"

Every possible thing Dustkicker showed to Harry was played down as something not really worth his time or attention.

"You are insulting my teachings! There is NOTHING that grabs your attention! What am I going to do with you?" Dustkicker shouted at Harry while he tossed some weapons out of a barrel from the corner of his rooms.

Every weapon that sailed through the air, connected with the floor after a dance of hide and DON"T get impaled, all except 1 that is.

Dustkicker froze in mid rant. Why didn't that sword connect with the floor? OH GODS NO!

With death's fear in his heart and anger at himself, Dustkicker turned around fast to expect the worst scene before his eyes, an impaled Harry with blood everywhere.

Instead he found a VERY alive Harry with a massive sword in his tiny hands, a look of awe and wonder in his deep green eyes and a smile on his lips that would scare the toughest goblin warrior.

"Sir, why did you save the best for last? If I had known you were going to teach me true weapons I would have paid more attention to get to this stage." Harry half-heartedly moaned about having to wait this long to get his hands on weapons.

Thinking fast to try and save the situation, Dustkicker calmly walked around Harry and looked the kid up and down, inspecting his form and hold on the massive sword.

"All master teachers keep the best lessons for last. We have to measure your character, strength, agility, pride, humility, wisdom and intelligence! I cannot simple one day end up and hand over a deadly weapon to an untrained student! That would be insane, irresponsible, stupidity at its highest and downright scary!" Dustkicker counted down the points he was making on his long nailed goblin fingers, walking back and forth while gesturing wildly with his hands.

"And besides, the other guardians would skin me alive!" he finished with wide eyes.

"I am ready sir! I swear this! I will work extra hard, be even more attentive to your words, prove my worth and practice harder than any other goblin my age!" Harry said with pride, his green eyes not once leaving the sword in his hands.

The sight before Dustkicker sent shivers running up and down his spine. Harry was simply standing there and admiring the sword in his hands. Not swinging it or weighing it. Just. Standing and looking.

The particular sword had an inlay handle of fine gold dust, finely crafted runes along the double edge blade and a very thin layer of dragon bone in the handle straps. It was a very well-crafted weapon and would serve any warrior well in his battles.

Harry was standing there like a future warrior admiring his future weapon of destruction.

It was a very unnerving sight. Inspiring… but scary!

"When can I begin my training sir?" Harry asked and for the first time lifted his eyes to meet those of his teacher. It would show disrespect if he did not look him in the eyes when asking a direct question.

"I will have to consult with the other guardians first. This is a big step in your learning area and NOT mine alone to make. You have shown to me that you possess courage and cunning, pride and humility, arrogance and intellect. IF and only IF they all agree with this, shall I continue with training you in the art of swordsmanship." Dustkicker said, turned around and walked off into the direction of the bank manager's office. This is going to be a long day.

Oddly enough the "meeting" with the other guardians did not go as bad as Dustkicker or Ragnarok had expected it to.

Sirius Black was all smiles and thumbs up when he heard of his godson's desire to learn this master trade.

Augusta Longbottom had her own reasons for smiling but was not sharing them, yet she also agreed with the lessons.

Amelia Bones wanted to say straight out no to the whole idea at first, but she remembered what was at stake and just nodded her head for the suggestion.

The true surprize came when Whispering Wind arrived and asked to see Harry first before he would yield to the request.

Harry was summoned to Ragnarok's office and asked to stand with "HIS" sword in front of the assembled crowd.

Seeing this as the test it was, Harry held the sword tightly, straight against his chest. His posture was assured and he had a gleam of determination in his green eyes.

"There… can you all see it?" Whispering Wind asked the crowd while pointing at Harry' face.

Everybody moved a little closer to see at what he was pointing and stared for a little while.

Not "seeing" what Whispering Wind was pointing at, Amelia asked in a soft voice, almost scared to break the charm that has fallen over the crowd.

"What are we supposed to see?" she said and looked at Whispering Wind for the answer.

"There is nothing! I can see absolutely nothing. There is no trace of it, not even a small taint of the evil that was supposed to have consumed him by now. It is as if he has won out over it and it has somehow receded into nothingness. Harry does not even carry the chains of a small child. Yeas he is naughty at times, yet he is never disrespectful to others. He never brags of what he has and always shares that which he can. He learns all his lessons and retains the knowledge like a sponge. He has proved time and again to us that he is ready for whatever we are prepared to teach. For that reason alone I say YES to him being taught to wield HIS sword." Whispering Wind said as he bowed his head slightly to Harry.

Harry bowed his head lower in a sign of utter respect to one of his beloved and respected guardians.

"I will never let you down. None of you let me down. I will be the best I can be with what you teach me." Harry said as he looked through the room.

A whimsical warm breeze blew through the people in the office, leaving everybody with lighter hearts and relaxed shoulders.

"Such strong words for one as young as yourself… You have proven yourself worthy to your guardians in less time than what was predicted." A soft voice spoke from the space around the office.

Storm Maiden materialized just a little to the left of where Harry was standing, (still with HIS sword held firmly against his chest).

Harry turned to look at her and bowed low to show his respect for the goddess.

"You have grown so well. Your guardians have nourished and cared for you with pride and love from the start. Any being would be proud to name you "SON". Our blessing will be added to your request to be taught the art of sword wielding. But for a young warrior as yourself, you would need the perfect sword to carry with pride and dignity… A sword which would serve you well and travel many years at your side." Storm Maiden spoke in a far off voice, almost like telling a story.

"Hold forth your sword to me Harry. I shall place a blessing of the Gods upon it."

Strength for the hand of the one that wields this blade.

Courage to the heart of the one who would protect the weak and slay the wicked with this blade.

Wisdom to the mind of the one who would show mercy with this blade.

Spirit to this blade, to be a companion to the one who wields this blade, your sword would not wield for another.

"This blessing WE give to you young Harry for you have found favour with many more than you know. In this world and the next, your name will be known for longer than your tree will grow. Your bloodline will never end and your children will blessed with this blessing. Your time has come to be the person YOU want to be. There is no one living or yet to be born who can change that." Storm Maiden said as she bent forward and placed a soft kiss on Harry's forehead.

Every eye in the room had a tear in it as everybody present clapped hands in celebration for Harry.

Time for the FUN to start.