A/N: Sorry for the delay, Monday was hectic for some reason this week, and technically it only has been a week since I last updated. SO here you go, chapter 3!
DISCLAIMER! I'm not that creative... but I am crazy...
Chapter Three
The Founders' Adoption
They were the perfect best friends. No one that saw them ever doubted it, even if they were at a grocery store or shopping for muggle clothes. Sure, they were only 5 at the time, but anyone could tell. Rowena, Helga and Godric decided it wasn't time yet for their overall decision, but decided that they would take them to Gringotts for their first goblin , the goblins in charge had always been good friends for the three Founders, so their alive-ness was a very well-kept secret. The day most eleven-year-olds would receive their Hogwarts owls, all five of them were to be found at Gringotts.
They always met with Rignok, the head goblin, unless they were only there for a quick meeting to withdraw money.
"How may I help you today, Lord Gryffindor, Lady Hufflepuff, Lady Ravenclaw," Rignok addressed them as they entered, the children hiding behind their mothers' robes.
"Hello Rignok, we're just here to talk about some changes with the identities of our children, Rowena said, tugging Harry along, who was a bit afraid of the scary-looking goblin.
Rignok's eyes widened in surprise.
"My Ladies, you have..."
"No, of course not! These are our adopted children, and we were looking to formally set up and conceal any bonds between the two," Helga said, appalled that Rignok would suggest such a thing. Godric just stood behind them, looking very amused at their bright red faces.
"I see," he said pensively. "I will only be a moment, I'm just going to call Ripshot, he's the head of the magical bonding and blocks here," and Rignok stuck his head in the gringotts-only floo system.
"Magical bonds and blocks?" Godric asked, looking a bit concerned. "Since when did they combine the post?"
"Honestly Godric, if we hadn't been telling you that your head was on your shoulders all these years, you wouldn't know where it truly was," Rowena said, exasperated.
"You still haven't answered my question," Godric huffed indignantly.
"Daddy, Mummy means that it's always been that way!" Harry piped up.
Rowena, Helga and Hermione laughed while Godric just turned bright red, having been owned by his own son.
Rignok reappeared with another goblin, who the Founder's took as Ripshot.
"Hello Mr. Ripshot, I presume that Mr. Rignok has already told you why we asked you here?" Helga said cheerfully.
"Yes, he has. I can do a scan on the two of them, looking for any dormant bonds, but the scan will also include any blocks that have ever been placed on them," he warned.
"That's fine, we've never put any up on them, so I wouldn't imagine finding any," Rowena said.
Hermione approached him first, and he performed a full-body scan on her, while a quill was making notes on a parchment beside him.A few minutes later, the check was complete, and Hermione retreated back behind Helga's robes, still cautious of the interesting creatures.
"She seems to only have the soul bond with that young boy... I'm sorry, but could I ask your names?"
"This is Hermione Granger," Helga introduced.
"And my son is Harry Potter," Rowena added.
The two present goblins gasped.
"We think that James Potter, head of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter, attempted to remove him from the family, but couldn't as he was, and still is, the rightful heir," Rignok said carefully.
Godric looked grim, while Helga and Rowena just looked upset.
"What does that mean?" Harry inquired.
"Well, little one, that means that your father tried to get rid of your title to your family, but was unable to quite yet. You are able to resign from the position, but he's unable to change the title until you turn eleven." Rignok said.
"I don't care!" Harry cried. "My daddy is right here next to me, not the man that abandon me!"
Rignok looked taken aback. "Well, we can deal with that a bit later. For now we should finish the scans.
"Right," Ripshot said. "Mr. Potter, would you please step forward so we can get an accurate scan?"
Harry, no longer afraid of said goblin, complied. A few minutes, later, Harry's scan was complete, but there was now a frowning Ripshot, and a much longer parchment than Hermione's.
"What is it?" Rowena asked worriedly, taking in Ripshot's expression.
"I think you should see for yourself," he said grimly.
(1) soul bond with Hermione Jean Granger-applied at birth
(2) tracking spells, broken at 15 months-applied at 15 months
(1) Metamorph block-applied at 6 months
(1) Animagus block-applied at 6 months
(1) weakened magic block- applied at 15 months
"He BLOCKED my son's magic?" Rowena shrieked. All present covered their now-injured eardrums.
Rignok rubbed his ears, and polietly asked, "Who, may I ask, do you believe set up the blocks and now dismantled tracking spells?"
"At 6 months, I believe it was his own father. At 15 months, the only possibility is Albus Dumbledore." Godric said, as Rowena now looked like she was planning a most sadistic revenge on the manipulative man.
"We can rid him of the blocks, but to set up the soul bond, well, you may decide that you want to wait until they are a bit older, because they'll be able to hear each other's thoughts, as they are close enough for them to trust the other, and..." Ripshot trailed off, grimacing slightly.
"We understand perfectly, Ripshot, thank you for warning us. Soul bonds are one of the few areas that our expertise doesn't cover-yet, knowing my dear friend Row here," Helga said, raising her eyebrows at a determined Rowena at the end of her statement.
"Will removing the blocks be harmful?" Godric asked, eying Harry's small frame warily.
"No, but if you, for whatever reason, decide to visit St. Mungo's and have them removed there, it will be. Wizards don't have the same method as goblins do," Ripshot warned.
"Could we remove them now?" Harry pleaded.
Rignok looked at Harry warmly. "Of course we can. Should I call in Firetail, of will you be able to manage?" he asked Ripshot.
"I'm good, but... you may all want to stand back, there could be a powerful magical release."
Harry's eyes widened, still not entirely sure if it would be painful of not, but decided to comply, as everyone else was moving away, and backing out now would seem babyish. Anyway, wouldn't he finally be able to practice magic?
Ripshot went to stand in front of Harry, and unsheathed a goblin-made sword from an invisible sheath, and held it in front of him. Not threateningly, but only for ritual purposes. Nonetheless, it still made Harry nervous.
After a long, tense silence, where all you could hear was Ripshot's chanting, a powerful glow engulfed Harry, and that was all he remembered before blacking out.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Harry woke back in the tower, where Helga, Hermione and Rowena hovered over him nervously.
As soon as he showed signs of comprehension, Hermione tackled him in a lung-squeezing hug.
"...Mione...breath..." Harry wheezed out. Hermione released him immediately, blushing red. Helga and Rowena laughed behind them, then Helga took out her Mediwitch kit, always found in every room of the tower. If they hadn't been so trouble-prone, both children would have found this terribly annoying. Instead they were thankful, honestly, when Godric's pranks backfire, you will need bandages.
"How are you feeling, dear?" she asked him, fussing around his bed.
"Fine, what exactly happened?" Harry asked, trying (and failing) to push Helga's wand away, so she wouldn't find any reason to give him disgusting potions.
"Well, sweetheart, Ripshot thought there wouldn't be that large of a magical backlash, and you fainted from the power. We couldn't see for a bit, but when we could, Ripshot and Rignok instructed us to take you home. We'll visit Gringotts another time to deal with everything else,"Rowena said, looking at Helga for conformation that he truly was okay.
"Thanks!" he said, hopping out of bed. He whispered something in Hermione's ear, and they both ran to the door.
Unfortunately for them, at that moment Godric had decided to open that same door with a bang, squishing the two children against the wall.
"Oi!" he yelled. "My son wakes up, and nobody tells me, then without letting me do or say anything, you just let him go?" Godric asked incredulously, missing the glares from the two mothers, and the groans from the children pushing the door away.
"Godric!" Rowena and Helga yelled simultaneous, both whacking him upside the head as they rushed to check the five-year-olds.
"Thanks a lot, Dad," Harry muttered miserably, as Helga made them get back into bed, due to the chance of a concussion.
"Err... sorry Harry, Hermione, dindn't mean to do that," he chuckled nervously.
"So what was so important that you had to squish us into the wall?" Hermione asked innocently.
"Well between the five of us, I think Rowena and Helga were planning to help me start teaching you magic next week!"
A/N: I planned for it to be longer, but I figured that I'd give you guys an update today, and if you're lucky, there'll be another over the weekend. I'll likely just repost this chapter, making it longer. Personally I dislike super short chapters like this, but I dunno.
Thanks to all of you that reviewed, Favorited, and alerted my story! Love you guys!
Tilaliastorm