Chapter 3: The Heir
"Damn it Ron, you always do that. What has it been? This week alone three times?
Maybe if you would clean up your room there wouldn't be so many spiders crawling around."
Ginny wasn't pleased with the way her day had started out. She had had a pleasant dream about Harry kissing her passionately, when a loud scream had forced her eyes open only to roll them in annoyance over her bigger brother Ron. That boy couldn't keep a room clean to save his life. And then he was surprised there were so many spiders crawling about his stable
room.
"At least put some silencing charms up, you dork. I'm already getting little to no sleep because of those nightmares and then you disrupt the little sleep I do have"
"Okay, okay, no need to get cranky Gin, I'll clean it up and put up those charms, Hermione is coming over tomorrow anyway, so it has got to look at least a bit decent. A shame Harry won't come over during the Holidays. At least we could have played some Quidditch or some chess."
"You better behave tomorrow Ronald Weasley and maybe you could finally come out in the open with your crush on Hermione because this has been dragging on for too long"
"Whaaa ...What?" Ron shook himself out of his daze only to fall into shock. How had she known he was crushing on Hermione?
"Don't look at me like that you git, it was painfully obvious you have been drooling all over each other. So stop dancing around each other and commit to the relationship for Merlin's sake."
"I'll think about it Gin, but in the meanwhile would you please mind your own business thank you very much."
Ginny threw her hands up in frustration and stalked out of the kitchen.
"Sir, could you tell me where we are?"
"We are at Potter Manor, Harry; it is your ancestral house. Your parents lived here before they went into hiding. They lived here with about eight House Elves and Edward."
"Edward? Who was Edward?"
"Their pet griffin, he was my present to them when they graduated. I had a hard time finding him, as they live in Egypt, but Edward was a special kind of griffin. It was a 3 parts lion and 1 part eagle. Its body was totally lion like, but it had strong wings, which folded up quite nicely, because when folded, you almost couldn't see the wings."
"Whoa" Harry said in amazement "Is he still around?"
"I believe he is now guarding the Potter family vault at Gringott's."
"How so? I didn't see him at my visit of my vault the summer before my first year."
"Ah yes, that is only your trust fund I believe. However, Edward is guarding the Potter vault in the deep bowels of Gringott's. The older pureblood families were of the first to use the services of the Goblins and they are the most protected ones. The Hogwarts Founders were the owners of the first four vaults. Since then those vaults have been passed down along the line. It so happens that the Potter vault is vault number three."
"Wait what? Number three? But that means I descended from one of the Founders!" Harry exclaimed excitedly.
"Well actually you descend from three of the Founders." Dumbledore corrected.
"You see, Godric Gryffindor and Rowena Ravenclaw got married after they founded Hogwarts. The Founders were close friends and their children used to play together while growing up. Godric's son fell in love with Helga Hufflepuff's daughter. So you are Godric's primary heir and I believe the Bones family became the primary heirs of Helga Hufflepuff.
You know that Tom Riddle is Slytherin's primary heir and the Weasleys became the primary heirs of Rowena. Godric's daughter married a Weasley, the only son of Baron Weasley then.
They inherited the Ravenclaw part of the heirloom."
"So what you said to me in second year…"
"Yes, I told you only a true Gryffindor could pull the sword out of the Sorting Hat."
Harry just stood in awe.
"Right" Dumbledore said suddenly "We need to do some serious shopping before we start your training." he chuckled.
"Let's start by heading off to Diagon Alley and get you a Money Pouch"
Harry's mind was spinning, finally he gathered his thoughts. "Money Pouch?" he asked.
"The Goblins will explain those matters. Now, off we go"
"Good day sir, my name is Harry Potter and I am here to take a look in the family vault and get a...Money Pouch, was it? Yes, Money Pouch."
If the Goblins ears were already perked up because of Harry's name, there was no more doubt after the words money pouch came out of the young man's mouth.
"Sir, do you understand the principal of a Money Pouch?"
"Yes, well you put money in it from your bank account and pay for your equipment in the stores."
"No, no, no Mr. Potter, you are confusing Muggle pouches for magical pouches. Magical Pouches are a tad more advanced then that. With a magical, you don't need to put any money in the Pouch; you just say the required amount out loud and reach in to retrieve the money."
"Wow that seems handy"
"Yes, we here at Gringott's think so too, now here is your pouch as requested by Professor Dumbledore and I will need your vault keys."
After Harry gave his own key and Dumbledore had fished a rather large golden key out of his robes, they were led to the carts.
"Hi Griphook, how have you been doing?" Harry said to a surprised Goblin.
"Sir, you know my name?"
"Yeah sure, you guided me and Hagrid down to my vault six years ago, is that so weird?"
"Well, yes sir, normally wizards don't care who guides them…"
"Well, it seems I am not a normal wizard so let's make an exception." Harry grinned.
"Yes sir, what vault would you like to go to first?"
"I think I will go to my trust fund first and from there we'll go to the family vault."
"All right sir, hold on to your tights" the goblin said before letting the cart take of at neck-break speed.
---
"Lamp please"
"Key please"
Harry watched Griphook open his vault, stepping aside so Harry could enter.
He again watched in utter amazement at the piles of gold, silver and bronze seemingly untouched, even after six years of school purchases.
"Griphook, how can I see the current amount of money in this vault?"
"On your right is a magically adjusting list sir. You can take that one sir, that is just a copy, the real one is stored in the Gringott's archives."
Harry just nodded and glanced at the paper, his eyes widening until the resemblance with saucers was striking. "3.916.704 Galleons, 508.639 Sickles and 430.882 Knuts!!! Whoa, that's insane! And this is just my trust fund? That's just absurd!"
Cornelius Fudge already was an ugly shade of purple. He had just gotten word from St. Mungos and his Undersecretary did not look to good. She seemed to have some trauma from centaurs or something. Bollocks, she just doesn't want to teach anymore. Not that I blame her, those kids these days have no more respect for their elders, it was despicable.
Nonetheless, he was furious, now Dumbledore had full control of Hogwarts yet again and that meant that he would have to start the process from scrap yet again.
He started looking through some boring reports from his Department Heads and was starting to calm down a bit, when he did a double take: Harry Potter legally adult?
Damn it all, now I can't manipulate the boy as much anymore. This may still prove to be difficult, but I'll manage.
A slightly dazed Harry Potter sat in the cart next to an amused looking Albus Dumbledore.
So much money and I haven't yet seen the family vault, I can spend millions and I would barely notice. Well, we'll se what to do with all that, Dumbledore said there are loads of books and furniture in the Potter vault too. I'll look for some useful books to study during the training.
The cart stopped abruptly causing the two wizards to look around. On their left side a massive door was visible. Harry thought they were larger than even the Hogwarts doors.
He hopped out of the cart, Dumbledore on his tail.
"Sir, you should place your hand on the d-vault door, so it can identify you as the true heir." Griphook said.
Harry nodded and walked to the immense door, placing his hand in a plate shaped like a hand, just slightly larger then his own. He felt a sharp sting as the door drew some blood from his finger.
As the door opened, the goblin said "from now on the doors will recognise your magical aura and allow you total access."
"Yes, thank you Griphook" was all the boy said while the doors slowly opened.