Author's Note: This is my longest chapter yet. Hope you like it. Also to answer some questions the reason why the ministry or any other close relative was unable to take the Potter fortune was that while the ministry did declare Harry dead the magic of the vaults had an enchantment that recognized that there was an heir alive to the fortune so it didn't give it to anyone else.
Harry's upbringing is similar to Voldemort but also at the same time a little different to show how little choices can change a lot of things. Voldemort as soon as he learned was a wizard went by himself to Diagon Alley. Harry on the other hand asked Dumbledore if he was accompanying him. It's just one thing to show that where one knew to ask for help while the other didn't want any help. Also I want show how Dumbledore would treat a Harry that wasn't molded by him and more like Tom. Would he learn from past mistakes or would he be too proud to admit his failings even to himself and do nothing?
I also set up a poll that you can access on my profile page. I asked the question of which house you think Harry should be in based on what you've read so far. SO VOTE. PRETTY PLEASE?
Chapter 6
St. Mary's Orphanage
August 3rd 1991
Minerva McGonagall walked down the street that would take her to St. Mary's orphanage where Harry Potter lived. She opened the gate and walked through closing the gate behind her. She walked up the steps to the door and knocked twice. The door opened right after the second knock and a young man was standing there. It was the same person who opened the door for Dumbledore three days ago.
"Hello. How may I help you?" He asked.
"My name is Minerva McGonagall. I am from Hogwarts School for the Gifted. I sent a message earlier saying I would be picking up Mister Potter today and taking him shopping for his school supplies." Minerva formally answered.
The boy didn't say anything but gestured for her to come inside. He closed the door after she stepped over the threshold and told her to follow him. He led her to a sitting room and told her to wait here while he brings Mister Potter. He left the room closing the door behind him.
She looked around the room noting that a lot of the furniture was worn but usable. A few paintings were hanged on the wall and there was a bookshelf filled with books on the side.
For being located in one of London's worst areas it is surprisingly well-kept.
Finishing her cursory inspection of the room she sat down on one of the chairs and waited. She smoothed out her outfit making sure it was clean. Minerva wore a dark green pant suit. Her hair was done in her usual bun and no hair was out of place. She wanted to look her best since she was seeing James and Lily's only child. But at the same time make sure she looked every bit the professional that she was. She admitted to herself that she liked the way the suit fit her but would rather wear her robes.
It's a good thing I managed to persuade Albus to send me to get Harry. Honestly, wanting to send in Hagrid. I have nothing but good feelings for the man but he is just not equipped to handle situations such as this. His appearance alone would no doubt shock and maybe scare him. Also that man cannot keep a secret to himself no matter what. Of course if Hagrid didn't scare him then sending Severus as his second choice would have caused even more problems. As soon as he heard that James Potter's son was alive he started going off about him being just like his father once the shock wore off. I mean he wasn't even raised by him so how could he be exactly like him? If Albus would have gotten his way he might have unintentionally scared off Mister Potter.
Ridding herself of these thoughts she wondered what he would be like. Would he be a prankster like his father or a studious student like his mother? She hoped he would be more like Lily. Studious and a follower of the rules. She shuddered at the thought of having to deal with another prankster on top of the Weasley twins. Or even worse having them combine forces. She paled even more at the thought.
She wondered what was taking them so long to get here. Surely it doesn't take that long to bring him here. Scarcely had the thought passed her mind when the door to the sitting room opened and three people walked in. One was the boy who opened the door, another was a skinny middle aged woman with stern features, and the third was undoubtedly Harry Potter dressed in second hand clothing.
Minerva had to stifle a gasp at the sight of him. The last time she saw him was on his first birthday. She remembered the adorable little smile he had on his face and how his laugh brought joy to everyone in his room. Then he was an adorable little tyke with a smile that would have melted even the coldest of hearts and those wide innocent eyes that made him irresistible among the female members of the Order.
Now he was an eleven year old boy with his father's good looks and his uncontrollable hair. Though to be fair to him it seems to be more in control than James possibly due to the fact that his hair is longer than James. His eyes were still that brilliant shade of green and if anything seemed to be even more mesmerizing than before. It was like looking at James Potter reincarnated but with Lily's eyes minus the glasses.
In a few years the girls will be all over him if they already won't be. She thought wryly to herself.
The other woman in the room took her cue and introduced herself.
"Good morning. I am Alice Ashford the caretaker of St. Mary's orphanage." The woman named Alice introduced herself.
"It is nice to meet you. My name is Minerva McGonagall and I am the deputy headmistress of Hogwarts. I believe you met the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, a few days ago." Minerva said.
"I remember."
"I am here on his behalf to take Mister Potter shopping for his school supplies."
"He did say that he would be sending a member of his staff to help Mister Potter with his shopping." She replied.
"The shopping will most likely take the whole day so don't expect him to be back before dinner."
"Very well. I was also told that Mister Potter's parents have left him some money so he can pay for his tuition and school supplies since we do not have the funds to pay for it."
Yes they did. You did not have to worry about the cost. If that is all we really must be going now." Minerva finished.
"Of course. My apologies for the delay. I just had to ask these questions as the legal guardian for Mister Potter. For his sake as well as our own. I will leave him in your care."
"I understand." Minerva said with a nod of her head.
Mrs. Ashford turned her head towards Harry and gave him a stern look that was missed by Minerva. Bending down a little she hissed in his ear threateningly, "Listen to her and don't you dare cause her any problems. She does not need to deal with your troublemaking ways cause if you do there will be hell to pay when you get back."
Standing up she looked down at Harry one more time who didn't seem to be bothered by her tone before gesturing to the young man standing at the door to exit the room with her leaving only Harry and Minerva.
Looking at Harry Minerva gave him a small smile.
"Good day Mister Potter. As you have already heard my name is Minerva McGonagall. You may call me Professor McGonagall since I will be one of the teachers at Hogwarts. We have a lot of work to do today so we should get going." Minerva said in a no nonsense kind of voice.
She left the room and walked outside being followed by Harry. They walked out of the orphanage and made their way down the street. She made a turn into an alley that had a dead end. She looked around her to make sure nobody was looking. She looked to the side a picked up a discarded beer can. She pulled out her wand and tapped the beer can saying the phrase Portus.
"Now Mister Potter we are going to travel to our location using a device called a portkey. Please…" McGonagall was about to continue when Harry interrupted.
"What's a portkey?" Harry asked curious.
"A portkey is a common item used to transport anyone touching it to another pre-determined location. Typically portkeys will activate at a specific time, but it is also possible to create an on-contact Portkey that activates immediately when touched, or an on-command Portkey that activates on demand. We are using an on-command Portkey that activates on demand." McGonagall lectured.
"So basically what your saying is that you can turn any item into a device that allows for instant transportation depending on when you want to activate it and you use the phrase Portus to create it?"Harry inquired.
"Yes that's about right." McGonagall said pleased that he got it so quickly considering he didn't even know magic existed a week ago.
"How do you create a portkey?" Harry asked thinking about the many different possibilities and scenarios he could use them.
"Even if I told you how to create one you would be unable to do it for many years. You would need a firm understanding in enchanting, runes, charms, and apparition to understand it."
"I see." said Harry disappointed on the outside but mentally making notes to get books on the subjects mentioned to understand it. If it's one thing he hates its being told that he can't do something.
"Please touch the can. Only a finger will suffice." Professor McGonagall said holding out the can in her hand.
"Why only a finger?" asked Harry even as he did just that.
"It doesn't have to be only a finger. As long as some part of your body is touching the portkey it will still work. A word of advice make sure it's a body part and not a piece of cloth touching it otherwise you would most likely be thrown off the portkey mid travel and can get seriously hurt."
"Really?"
"Yes. A portkey travels at high speeds in a circular motion and there is a charm placed on the device that makes sure whatever is touching it does not fall of mid flight. A body part will not be cut off during portkey travel but a piece of cloth would not be able to take the strain and would rip off. Do you have any more questions?"
"None at the moment Professor."
"Very well. Activate." Said McGonagall and the two of them disappeared.
The Leaky Cauldron
The portkey dropped them off into an alley. Professor McGonagall landed on her feet used to the high speed travel mostly due to the abilities given to her by her cat animagus form. Harry on the other hand hit the ground with enough force that made his legs unable to support him which caused him to fall flat on his face unused to such traveling method.
"It does take some getting used to." Minerva chuckled. She always found it a bit amusing watching the less than amused reactions of other people after their first portkey ride.
Grumbling about the various things he would like to do to the person who invented portkey travel Harry picked himself up off the ground.
He mentally took notes about what he learned so far about the portkey travel method.
Pro
1) it can be a near instantaneous travel method if he had to get somewhere in a hurry.
2) Covers distances in record times.
3) Portkey's can be made from any objects surrounding him.
Con
1) gives unpleasant feeling of having his body dragged by the stomach on a hook jerking him around.
2) Disorients a person upon landing and causes them to lose balance. (Will have to build tolerance to prevent disorientation)
After memorizing what he learned so far about portkey travel due to his mind being better honed through constant use Harry looked around the area seeing that he is in an alley.
"Where are we?" asked Harry to Professor McGonagall who was looking around her to see if they were spotted by anybody and missed the question asked.
Harry frustrated at the lack of response looked Professor McGonagall in the eye and used his mind reading skill to look in her mind. He looked into her mind through her eyes but he met the same type of barrier that Dumbledore had. The barrier was a lot weaker than Dumbledore's but she still had a shield of sorts in place. Also her mind barrier had an image of a cat prowling back and forth as added protection.
Annoyed and a bit perturbed Harry pulled back from her mind. Do all wizards and witched have a type of mental shield in their minds? If they do then this could be troublesome.
Before he could ask the Professor were they were she started to walk out the alley telling him to hurry up and stop dawdling while ignoring his mumbling.
Muttering under his breath about she should have her ears checked he followed her out of the alley. They walked out of the alley onto a bustling London street. He looked at the street sign and it said Charing Cross Road. Harry saw a few buildings that he recognized from school field trips and made a mental note where they were and which direction they were walking in so he could explore later on by himself.
They walked one block from the alley the portkey dropped them off and stopped in from of a dingy looking pub. There was a sign that had the image of a cauldron that looked like it had some sort of liquid spilling out of it. There was a sign above the design that said the name of the place was the Leaky Cauldron.
"Professor, isn't it a little early for a pint? I thought teachers aren't supposed to drink on the job? Besides as an educator you should always set a good example for others especially in the company of an impressionable minor." Drawled Harry unable to stifle a grin at the sight of a flustered Professor blushing in embarrassment from the looks that she received from the muggles who overheard Harry.
Shooting Harry a glare that always caused the Marauders and Weasley twins to be properly cowed she wondered if the school and she herself were truly ready for another Potter at Hogwarts.
Taking a deep breath to calm down a little she said with a flourish, "This Mister Potter is the Leaky Cauldron. It is the gate way into the magical world."
For a moment neither person spoke.
"It looks like a fucking piece of shit." Harry deadpanned.
This was the last straw for Minerva. She was tired of hearing all the rude comments coming out of his mouth since she met him and she let him know.
"Mister Potter. Let me make something clear. At Hogwarts we do not tolerate students to answer in such an appalling matter. I have been lenient with you so far in regards to your choice of words. I do not know if it is a product of your environment or something you heard and decided to copy but from now on if you do not keep such comments to yourself you will find your time at Hogwarts to be a most unpleasant experience." Reprimanded Professor McGonagall.
Total silence greeted her at the end of her statement.
Not even at school and I'm already lecturing him. Not even the Marauders or the Weasley twins made me lose my temper that fast. That has to be some kind of record. She thought exasperatedly.
Harry's expression did not change on the outside except for the grin sliding off of his face. He continued to listen to her words without saying anything else used to being talked to in that tone but seethed on the inside. He saw that she was finished and his first instinct was to shoot back an insult but knew it would only cause more problems and bit back the retort on the tip of his tongue.
Taking in a deep breath he let it out slowly as to release his anger and calm down.
"I apologize for my outburst Professor. It's just that I'm a bit scared about this whole magic thing and when I get scared I tend to blurt the first thing I think off without thinking about the consequences." Harry said ashamed lowering his eyes to the ground and not making eye contact.
"All my life I have been told that magic isn't real. That it's just an illusion and that I'm a freak if I continue to believe in it. The people at the orphanage don't like me much cause of all the strange things that happen around me so they stay away. The other kids bully me and insult me. They tell the other kids to stay away from me. When you and Headmaster Dumbledore came and told me the truth I felt for the first time some hope that I wasn't some sort of monster or freak. Some place where I belong. That's all I ever wanted. To be accepted. I'm sorry for the way I behaved earlier." Harry finished of despondently.
Professor McGonagall felt mortified at her behavior. At first she responded in the way she usually would dealing with a student but hearing Harry talk made her feel all the more ashamed. In all the anticipation of teaching James and Lily's son she neglected one of the most painful truths in front of her.
He's only an eleven year old boy whose whole world was just turned upside down a few days ago. What he knew of the world was irrevocably altered and so he responded the only way he knew how and here she was making it worse for him.
"I'm sorry as well Mister Potter for my earlier outburst. I did not take into account your feelings about this situation you find yourself in. I will try to make a better effort in it in the future." Minerva answered softly with a promise to herself to help him more and not to lose her temper as fast.
"It's alright. I understand. I'll watch what I'm saying from now on." Harry replied after a moment shooting Professor McGonagall a small smile while inwardly grinning at how easy it was to trick her and see her limits.
He only made those comments to get a measure of what kind of person she was and see what it would take before she cracked. He only stopped after he got what he needed. It wouldn't do to alienate himself from one of his future teachers who could give him a hard time at school if acted as a bratty jackass.
"Good. Now follow me and we'll get your supplies."
She walked inside the establishment with Harry right behind her. He felt a tingling feeling over his body as he walked inside.
The pub looked like it came right out of the middle ages. There were wooden tables spread apart, a few booths on the side and an old fashioned counter by the bar. There were no light bulbs' being used. Instead there was candles floating by the walls and there was some kind of glowing balls on the ceiling.
One table had a person sitting by himself in the corner. His head was down so Harry couldn't get a good look at him. There were a few people sitting on the other tables talking and laughing. Harry locked eyes with one of the men and looked into his mind. To his joy he was able to easily access his mind with no barriers in place. He made eye contact with the other people sitting next to him and looked into the minds. He had the same results as before. He looked into the minds of any person he passed with success.
Satisfied he withdrew his probe happy with his revelation that he could still use his mind reading ability.
Following Professor McGonagall, who said a cursory hello to a man behind the counter named Tom. Tom was bald, toothless and tall man. Harry didn't get a chance to talk to him before Professor McGonagall ushered him out the back door.
They walked out the back door and were in the rear courtyard of the Leaky Cauldron. There was nothing there except a brick wall. Professor McGonagall walked up too the wall and pulled out her wand. She moved her wand three up and two across, three times. After the third time she tapped the brick and the wall opened up like a secret passage since in essence that's exactly what it was.
Harry stepped up beside her and gasped at the sight.
There were hundreds of people milling about in the alley. Some were by themselves, others with friends and families either shopping or just hanging out. There were shops packed together on the street with different names on it. Harry's eyes devoured the sight like a man who hasn't had any food in a long time. He felt a part of him rejoice at the feeling of being here like he was always supposed to.
"Welcome Mister Potter to Diagon Alley." Said Professor McGonagall amused at her charge's look of awe.
"Come now Mister Potter. You can do some sightseeing later after we have finished our business."
Harry turned to look at Professor McGonagall and saw her flick her wand at herself. Instantly her dark green pantsuit changed into emerald green robes and she now had a pointed hat on her head.
"Where are we going first Professor?" asked Harry following McGonagall down the street. Harry didn't pay too much attention to the stores knowing she would see them later.
"We are going to Gringotts bank. It is the main bank of the wizarding world. Your parents had an account there and we are going there first to see what you inherit as their heir."
A snowy white building, near the intersection of Knockturn Alley and Diagon Alley is where Gringotts bank is located. It towers over all of the neighboring shops looking regal and intimidating. There were two green creatures as tall as Harry standing on either side of a set of bronze doors. They were wearing a kind of armor with weapons rested on their sides.
"Those are creatures known as goblins. The whole bank is operated solely by them and they are most efficient at running it." Said McGonagall seeing what drew his gaze.
They walked closer to the bronze doors and saw that there was an inscription on he doors
"Enter, stranger, but take heed
of what awaits the sin of greed
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn.
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there."
Harry didn't get a chance to ponder the words before they walked through the silver doors and entered the lobby. The main floor was paved with marble and has long counters stretching along its length. There were tellers behind the counters but instead of people there were Goblins.
"Wizards and witches keep their money and other valuables in vaults that are protected by very complex and strong security measures. The vaults extend for miles under London and they are accessible through rough stone passageways and then by means of magic carts that travel speedily along their tracks. Gringotts also offers Muggle-Wizarding currency exchange." Lectured Minerva giving Harry a brief description about the bank.
They waited on line and walked up to a goblin teller where a gruff looking goblin sat when they were called.
"Business?" asked the goblin which sounded more like a growl.
"We are here to claim the vaults of the Potter family." Intoned Professor McGonagall.
"Oh really?" questioned the goblin looking…amused? "Nobody's attempted to claim the Potter vaults in at least six years."
"Yes but that was because they weren't the heir to the Potter vaults." Retorted McGonagall tersely. "He is." She said with a nod at Harry.
The goblin took a long hard look at Harry as if he was measuring him up. Harry refusing to back down from the rather intimidating look starred back where they engaged in a silent battle of will.
The Goblin was the one who broke the stare first after seeing whatever it was he wanted. He signaled to another goblin that came up to the teller's desk.
"Griphook. Escort the good Professor and her youngling to Nagnok's office. Tell him that the wizard here wishes to claim the Potter vaults." said the goblin as if he's just heard the funniest thing in the world.
The goblin named Griphook beckoned them forward and escorted them through a silver door on the side leading into a smaller but more opulent hallway. He started walking down the hallway with Minerva and Harry trailing behind.
Harry saw many different names on the doors such as Black, Bones, Crouch, Lestrange, and Malfoy. Harry wondered what all those names meant. They finally reached a door that had the name Potter on it which only increased Harry's confusion.
Griphook knocked once then opened the door. He stepped through with the guests following.
The office was simple but luxurious. The carpet looked to be expensive, the walls adorned with different artifacts preserved in glass cases, and there seemed to be a crest engraved on the wall opposite the door. It had the image of a griffin standing on it's hind legs with its wings spread looking like it's ready to fly.
In front of the crest there was a rich mahogany desk filled with papers and a couple of objects. There was a goblin sitting behind the desk and Harry guessed that this must be Nagnok.
Griphook walked up to the desk and started conversing with Nagnok in low tones. Harry tried to understand what they were saying but they were talking in an unknown language.
The goblin behind the desk named Nagnok stood up and walked over to one of the glass cabinets in the room. He opened it and took out a basin. It was a dark blue and was covered in many different symbols. It was filled with some kind of silver colored liquid. He placed the basin on his desk. He then took out a blank piece of parchment and placed it in the basin. He chanted a phrase and the liquid in the basin glowed briefly before fading. He went back to the cabinet and pulled out a gold knife that had the same type of symbols as the basin.
"What is your name?" Nagnok asked rather rudely to Harry.
"Harry Potter." He replied. A nod of Nagnok's head was the only indication he heard the answer.
"I need 3 drops of your blood to be taken with the knife to verify your identity."
Harry looked at Professor McGonagall who gave a nod of assent to Harry in response to his silent question.
He held out his hand and Nagnok placed it over the basin palm facing upward. He took the knife and placed the tip on his middle finger pushing just enough to draw blood. As soon as the blood started to come out he removed the knife and flipped Harry's hand over so the blood could drop into the basin.
The liquid glowed for about a minute before receding. Nagnok cleaned the knife with a cloth before placing it back in the cabinet. He then reached into the basin and pulled out the parchment. Neither his hand nor the parchment had any sign of being wet.
The parchment that was in there was no longer blank. Instead it was filled with words. He sat down and began to read it.
Nagnok looked at the parchment and read it over. His eyes widened when he read it and he looked at Harry before looking at the parchment again. He read it again and placed it on the table with an expressionless face.
"Congratulations. It seems you are who you say you are Heir Apparent Potter. I am glad to see that the reports of your demise were false. My name is Nagnok and I am the account manager of the Potter account." Said Nagnok politely for a goblin after finding out who was sitting in front of him.
"What was it you just did?" asked Harry curious and confused as to what happened.
"That Heir Apparent Potter was the inheritance ritual. It is used to validate the identity of a person and show what exactly that person inherits. Blood is needed to show their lineage and it has to come from the source so that we know the person is who they say they are and not an impostor. The parchment placed in the basin then magically writes who that person is, their age and what they are entitled to receive if anything." Explained Nagnok.
"Okaaaay." Harry said after that. He didn't really understand all of it but he got the gist of it.
"So what am I entitled to?"
"I cannot tell you what you inherit until your companion leaves the room."
"Why do I have to leave?" asked Professor McGonagall curious.
"It is against Gringotts policy for people other than the inheritor to hear the contents being read. This is to prevent any undue influence on the inheritor. It is not a slight against your character Madam McGonagall as you are well known as being honest and fair but more for our own protection as well as our clients." Said Nagnok seeing McGonagall get worked up. It wouldn't do to insult a prominent member of wizarding society.
"Very well then. Mister Potter I will wait in the lobby for you when have finished here." She said before she rose out of her seat and left the office.
Harry was partly glad for this. He didn't want anyone else to know what he got unless he wanted to let them know. Another part was wondering what was going to happen next.
"Now on to business. As heir to the Potter fortune you inherit a substantial amount of wealth. Your monetary assets total 1,896,512 galleons, 976,324 sickles, and 734,268 knuts. In muggle Britain currency that would be £ 9,777,161.05. As of right now you can only access your trust vault. Your vault contains 100,000 galleons, 50,000 sickles, and 25,000 knuts. In muggle currency that would be £ 514,959.43. It would get refilled on the first of July every year. This money is yours to do whatever you want with it and will always get replenished until you hit the age of majority at 17 which then you would be able to access your family vaults. That takes care of the financial aspects. Any questions so far?"
Harry just sat there with a stupefied expression on his face. Until today he didn't have more than £ 30 to his name and now he had almost £ 10,000,000.
"Yes." Harry squeaked. He cleared his throat and said, "Yes I do have some questions. First of what is a gall-whatever it is you called it?"
"A galleon is the largest and most valuable coin in wizarding currency. It is gold colored and is larger, and more round than the other coins. A sickle is the second most valuable coin and is silver colored. It is smaller and less round than a galleon. Finally there is a knut which is brown colored and is the smallest coin we have. The exchange rate from muggle currency to British currency is 1 bronze Knut = £0.01 (US about 2 cents), 1 silver Sickle = £0.29 (about US$0.57), 1 Galleon = £5.00 (more or less US$9.75). There are 17 Sickles to 1 galleon and 29 Knuts to 1 Sickle." Nagnok clarified.
Makes sense that they would have their own currency if there separate from the non-magicals, I mean muggles. Have to remember these wizarding terms if I want to fit in.
"Next question. You said that I have a trust vault and I can only get a certain amount from it before it refills to the set amount each year. Why is that exactly?"
"Before your parents died they made a will. When we verified your identity a copy of your will was put on the parchment which showed what they wanted done. In it they gave most of their assets to you and a few to other people they mentioned. The law currently makes it only possible for adults ages 17 and over to access their full inheritance. This is to prevent the money from being spent to quickly and causing the bank to lose some of its capital. Before that though you receive a stipend to cover whatever needs you have."
"All right. Anything else I inherit?" Harry asked still struggling to wrap around the idea that he's now rich.
"You also inherit two properties as well. Godric's Hollow and Potter manor. Both are inaccessible to you until you reach majority. You will also inherit the title of Lord Potter when you turn 17 as well. You are the last of a most noble and ancient house so it will fall to you to oversee all the duties it entails as well." Nagnok finished.
Harry seeing that he finished reading wondered what to do next.
"Heir apparent Potter may I ask are you going to be enrolled at Hogwarts this term?" asked Nagnok.
"Yes I am. Why do you ask?"
"Your parents made arrangements before they died so that your tuition money for Hogwarts would automatically be paid each year from the main family vaults until either you graduate or decide to stop attending Hogwarts. Since you are going to Hogwarts we will forward the money on your behalf. Is this acceptable sir?" He asked not wanting to offend his client.
"Yeah that's fine."Harry replied exhausted. Man I haven't even gone shopping yet and I'm already wiped out from what I learned so far.
"How much money did you wish to take out of your vault?" asked Nagnok
"I need enough to cover my expenses in Diagon Alley for my school supplies and some extra for anything else that I might need. How much would that be? I'm not too sure about it."
"I would say take a total amount of 600 galleons, 300 sickles and 150 knuts should be enough for your shopping expenditures." Advised Nagnok.
"You also convert galleons to muggle money right?" asked Harry.
Seeing his nod Harry ploughed on.
"Can you also convert the equivalent of £ 2,000 as well? And do you have anything secure to put them in? Like a wallet or something?"
"Of course. For your galleons we have a pouch that when you touch it will only open for you. If any other person tried to open without your approval they would get burns on their hands that won't stop unless they see a Healer in which case they will know what that person was up to. It is also impervious to most spells as well making it near indestructible. If you ever lose it the pouch will automatically reappear in your hands. The same thing will occur with your wallet that contains your muggle money as well. They are both also charmed to be invisible to muggles. They are also charmed to be feather light. There will also be a small fee to use these products. It will cost 10 galleons for the pouch and 5 galleons for the wallet. Will that suffice?"
"Hell yeah that'll do." Exclaimed Harry liking what he was hearing. Nagnok gestured to Griphook to get said objects.
A few minutes later Griphook returned with the pouch and the wallet both already filled with money. They both had the same crest on it that was behind Nagnok's desk as well as another crest.
"All you have to do is touch it and it will record your magical signature." Instructed Griphook.
Harry placed his hands on the objects and felt his hands heat up. After five seconds the heat died down from his hands returning them to their previous temperature. He picked them up and placed the wallet in his pocket and tied the pouch to his side.
"What are the crests on these? This one is the same as the one carved into the wall." questioned Harry.
"The crest on the back is the Gringotts crest to show where you got the pouch. The one on the front that is also carved into the wall is your family crest to show who they belong to." Responded Nagnok.
"Oh." Harry took a closer look at the Potter crest almost reverently knowing that it belonged to his family.
"I almost forgot to give you this." Nagnok got up and went to the glass cabinet again. Instead of opening the cabinet with the basin he opened a smaller door and took out a small gold key. He closed the door and went back to Harry placing the key in his hand.
"This key is the key to your trust vault. If you ever have to take out more money you can just ask the teller to take you to your vault instead of having to see me every time."
"Thanks." He placed the key in his pocket as well.
"Is there anything else I should know?" Queried Harry.
"At this time no."
Harry seeing that there was no other business got up. The goblins were already standing.
"Thanks for all your help. I guess I'll be going now."
"It's our job. We thank you for using our services today and hope it has met your expectations." Nagnok answered.
Harry didn't want to be cruel and say that he didn't have any expectations since he only found out about the bank right before he entered. It won't do to have the goblins angry at him and cause him problems later on.
"I thank you for your services today and applaud the goblins of Gringotts for their excellent generosity." Harry replied having no idea were the words came from but feeling as if it was the right thing to say.
"We thank you for your compliment Heir Potter." Nagnok replied instantly.
"I must be going now. Have a good day." With that parting note Griphook recognized his cue to leave and escorted Harry back to the main lobby.
God I hope there aren't any more surprises like that. I don't think I could take it. He thought hopefully not realizing that the biggest surprise had yet to come.
