The Stress of Being Harry Potter

Chapter 6

The next morning, Dawlish walked into the kitchen where Harry and Susan were talking and eating. He nodded to Harry and greeted Susan. "Harry, I will be with the two of you while you go to Diagon Alley this morning. Another Auror will be accompanying us. A bloke named Adams. He know his job, so you don't have to worry about him. He'll be under an invisibility cloak, and I'll walk with you."

Harry shook his head, "It would make more sense if both of you were unseen."

Dawlish shrugged, "I agree, but the DMLE only has a few Invisibility Cloaks, so its difficult to even get one for a mission let alone two. We'll just have to make do."

Harry grinned, "Maybe, maybe not. I'll be right back." Then, Harry took off up the stairs.

Dawlish looked at Susan, "Where is he going?"

Susan shrugged, "I have no idea."

Harry came bounding back down the stairs and into the kitchen a few moments later, and tossed an Invisibility Cloak at Dawlish, "Compliments of the Marauders. Use it well."

Dawlish looked at the cloak in awe, "I can't believe that you have an Invisibility Cloak. The number of these things in the hands of private citizens is very small. They are exorbitantly expensive to commission. About the only thing more expensive is a Pensieve."

"It was my Dad's. I don't know how long its been in the Potter family. So, don't get too attached to it. I'll be expecting that back at the end of the day."

Dawlish nodded, "Well, we better get going. The sooner this day is over with, the happier I'll be."

The first stop after getting to Diagon Alley was to go to Gringotts. Harry stepped up to the closest free goblin, and said, " I'm Harry Potter. I would like to be taken down to my vault, please."

The goblin looked up at him, "Mr. Potter, I believe that the bank manager would like to have a word with you. If you would step to the side, I will have an escort take you to him."

Harry nodded, "That will be fine."

He glanced over at Susan, and she smiled, "I'll wait for you here in the lobby." She moved over to benches against the wall and sat down.

Harry stepped to the side and waited for a few minutes. A goblin came up to him, "Mr. Potter, I presume."

Harry looked down at the goblin, "Yeah, Griphook, its me."

The goblin looked startled, "You know my name?"

"Of course, you took me down to my vault when I was here with Hagrid several years ago."

The goblin gave a toothless smile, "Impressive, Mr. Potter, most impressive."

Harry was escorted into a large office where the walls were decorated with goblin armor and weapons. A large desk made from what appeared to be mahogany stood at the far end of the room. A goblin in what was obviously opulent clothes for their race sat in a raised chair behind the desk.

Upon entering the room, Harry stopped to look around before Griphook bowed to him, and then exited. The goblin behind the desk motioned for Harry to come forward. The goblin stood, "I am Tagnold of the Gringott clan, Mr. Potter. If you would be seated."

Harry sat down warily, and then asked, "If I might inquire, why am I here?"

"I needed to discuss certain things with you, Mr. Potter. Things that I have been told not to tell you, but now that you are almost of age, I believe that you have a right to know regardless of what he wants."

"I assume the he in question is the Headmaster."

Tagnold nodded, "Of course. Dumbledore has done a great deal to insure that you don't know about your family's history or money."

Harry looked confused for a moment, "I thought my family's money was in my vault."

The goblin shook his head, "No, Mr. Potter, that is a trust vault that your parents set up for you to get through school with. The Potter family vault is somewhere else, and you can't access it until you are seventeen. I, however, felt that you should at least know of its existence so that you will be prepared to access it next year."

"Is that the reason you called me in here?"

"Yes, and no. The main reason I called you in here was to discuss your inheritance."

"What inheritance?"

"Your godfather left a will detailing that his entire estate was to go to you. Since Sirius' family never disinherited him, he got everything when his parents died. The entire Black family fortune is now yours. You own all the estates, and have full rights to all the money as soon as you turn seventeen," replied Tagnold.

"What happens to it until I turn seventeen?"

"Unfortunately, Dumbledore has to sign off for you to take anything from the vaults until you are seventeen."

"Can he take money from them without my permission?"

"No, he has no access to the money. He merely has the right to deny you access to it for another year. The same thing is set up with the Potter family vault. So, I merely felt that it was my duty to make you aware of the status quo."

Harry nodded as he stood, "Thank you, Tagnold. I'm certain that this information will be most useful."

The goblin rose, "It has been an honor to speak with you, Mr. Potter."

Harry bowed and then turned to leave the room. Tagnold coughed as he attempted to stifle an exclamation of surprise.

Harry turned back to face him, "What is the matter?"

"Nothing, it's the simple fact that in all my years of dealing with wizard kind, you are the first to turn their back on me. No wizard has ever exhibited that level of trust in a goblin."

"That's just stupid. They trust you with their money, but they expect you to stab them in the back. Sometimes I don't think I will ever understand this culture."

"Then, maybe, Mr. Potter, you will be the one to change it."

"Maybe I shall, maybe I shall."

Harry and Susan spent the rest of the day going into the different shops, and Harry even spent some time with the twins in their store. As the day was coming to a close, Harry ran into his least favorite person from Hogwarts. None other than Draco Malfoy.

"So, Potter," Malfoy drawled, "I heard your mutt got killed."

Harry turned a stony gaze to Malfoy, and said, "And you might just join him if you keep opening your mouth, Malfoy. I know I'm going to enjoy the next time I meet your father in combat. You better pray to a god for mercy, Malfoy, because I don't intend to show any."

"You better watch your mouth about my father, Potter. He's out of Azkaban, and he'll come for you."

At that moment, a commotion broke out at the end of the street by Gringotts Bank. As soon as Harry attention was drawn away from Draco, he pulled out his wand, but Harry was quicker.

Harry dropped to the ground as Draco let loose a curse, and it merely shattered a store front window across the street. Harry spun his body to trip Malfoy, and before Malfoy could regain his balance, Harry smashed the back of his fist into Malfoy's face, which slammed his head into the ground and knocked him unconscious.

Harry immediately leapt to his feet and looked over to where Dawlish had come out from under the Cloak. Harry said, "Let's go. It looks like the goblins need our help."

Dawlish grabbed Harry by the shoulder, "We shouldn't get involved in the battle. It violates my orders."

"I don't think so. Your orders are to protect me, and I'm going to fight." Harry wriggled out of Dawlish's grasp, and drew his wand as he ran off down the street.

Dawlish sighed as he turned to Adams, "Detain Malfoy, and stay with Susan. We'll be back."

The Auror ran down the street following his young protégé to find that there were at least thirty Death Eaters assaulting Gringott's Bank. Most of the wizards in the area had fled at the first sign of the attack, but there were a few hardy souls taking potshots at the Death Eaters in an attempt to slow them down. Harry was too far ahead for Dawlish to cover him as he waded into the fray. Dawlish swore as he saw a mass of Goblin Cutting Curses erupt from inside Gringott's. He could also feel that the Anti-Dissaparation Wards had been triggered, and that no aid would be forthcoming. This wasn't exactly a situation that he wanted to find himself in.

Harry had gotten to the battle quickly and quietly, and in his typical gung-ho Gryffindor fashion charged right in. He leaped onto the back of the closest Death Eater and clobbered him over the head hard enough to knock the wizard cold, and then let loose a Concussion Hex that bowled over several nearby Death Eaters.

By this point, the attacking Death Eaters noticed him, and turned to face the new threat. Bellatrix Lestrange cried out, "It's Potter. Take him. The Master will reward us greatly for bringing him the brat."

Harry merely grinned as he began to trade hexes with the nearby Death Eaters, as Dawlish finally caught up with him. The two of them waded through several Death Eaters, while even more of them fell to curses from the goblins, who slowly began to come out of the Bank and press their advantage on the attackers.

Harry was hit by several nasty curses, but the Death Eaters seemed to be restraining themselves from the Unforgivables. Then, Harry came face to face with Bellatrix. He smiled, "So, it seems that Tom has let his little bitch out of her cage once again."

Bellatrix snarled and then chanted, "Crucio!"

Harry sidestepped the curse, and countered, "Aflictato!"

Bellatrix erupted in boils and screamed in agony for a moment. Harry smiled, "I think you will find that I am not as incapable as I was the last time we met."

The two of them squared off to continue the battle, but then both of them felt the wards come crashing down, and Aurors started Apparating in all over the alley. One look at the Ministry's forces coming to bear on them, and the Death Eaters went into full retreat. Bellatrix managed one last sneer, "We will meet again, Potter."

Harry tipped an imaginary hat with his wand in salute, "I look forward to it, Bella."

When the battle was over, Harry stood looking over the carnage, as Tagnold and Amelia Bones walked up to him. Amelia checked him over in distress, "How badly are you hurt, Harry? We need to get you to St. Mungos."

Harry shook his head and held up a hand, "I'm fine. It's just a couple of Cutting Hexes, and none of them hit anything vital. The rest of its just dirt and dust falling on me from the battle. I believe Tagnold has something to say, and then I promise that I will go to St. Mungos," Harry turned to the goblin, "Do you wish something of me, Tagnold?"

The aged goblin nodded, "We goblins have never before owed such a debt to a human, and we will honor this one. I request that you come before the Goblin Council for a meeting before you return to school."

Harry bowed, "I would be honored to do so, Tagnold. Merely send me a message detailing the time and place, and Merlin willing I will be there."

Tagnold returned the bow, before turning and walking back toward the bank and the group of Aurors that were attempting to take statements and clean up the mess.

Harry turned back to find Dawlish and Amelia looking at him with wide eyes. "What?"

"Harry, I've never seen a goblin bow to a human before. That's a sign of respect they don't even show Dumbledore."

"Their opinion of Dumbledore is about as low as mine is, so that's not exactly claiming a great deal." Then, Harry began walking back towards the Leaky Cauldron.

Dawlish called after him, "Where are you going?"

"To Floo to St. Mungos," came drifting back across the crowd as he hurried to catch his charge.

Amelia chuckled as she turned to her Aurors, "Let's get this place cleaned up and the wounded evacuated to St. Mungos. Take the downed Death Eaters straight to the Ministry."

The next morning after Harry finished his exercises, it was Dumbledore and not Dawlish who stepped through the door. Harry grabbed a chair, and sat down, leaning the chair back against the wall, and looked at the Headmaster expectantly.

Dumbledore began almost uncomfortably, "Harry, I've come to clear the air between us…"

Harry muttered under his breath, but loud enough for Dumbledore to hear, "You better have brought a hell of a lot of air freshener."

Dumbledore sighed, "Are you not willing to let the past be the past, and forgive and forget as the Muggles are wont to say?"

"Forgive, certainly. I don't hold you any ill will. However, I can assure you that I will not be forgetting anything that you have done, or failed to do. I will be deciding my own fate and path from now on, and if that doesn't fit in with your little plan, then I guess you're going to have to get used to it."

"Harry, we must present a unified front against Voldemort, and your childish whims are going to cause problems. You must be an adult about this, and sacrifice your anger for the greater good."

Harry simply began laughing at that statement, "You can take your greater good speech and shove it up your ass, old man. I have no intention of ever doing anything for the greater good. I will destroy Voldemort in my own time to save those that I love. The rest of the wizarding world can go to hell."

Harry got up from his chair and stalked from the room without a second glance at the Headmaster.

Dumbledore slumped and muttered to himself, "That could have gone better."

Amelia stepped into the room from the hall where she had been waiting, "What did you expect? The boy found out yesterday that you ordered the goblins to not inform him about his inheritance. The fact that Harry had to be told about Sirius' will is the only thing that allowed them to get around your gag order."

"Harry must be made to see reason. He has to cooperate with us if he is to defeat Voldemort."

Amelia shrugged, "This isn't how to do it. Maybe you need to consider the fact that Harry doesn't need to cooperate with you, but that you need to cooperate with him. As far as I can tell, you need him far more than he needs you. Now, I would like for you to leave my home."

Dumbledore left the house with none of his objectives accomplished, and his former plans in shambles. As he stepped outside, he straightened with a new resolve, and committed himself to a new plan, "I will make Harry see sense, even if I have to do things Severus' way."