Here's another chapter. I'm trying to go into in-depth feelings and emotions in this story, since it is about a soul pairing. So you'll be hearing a lot of what Harry's thinking/feeling most of the time. It's very hard to write, but I love the challenge, keeps my muse going. Enjoy! The next chapter is where all the fun begins, I swear.

Chapter 07

"Quite an interesting display of Slytherin tact back there Harry," Ragnok said with something that sounded like a chortle. "Are you sure you were placed in the right house?"

Harry shrugged. "Honestly? I have no idea," he replied truthfully. "The Sorting Hat wanted to put me in Slytherin, but I begged it to put me in Gryffindor."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Malfoy."

This time the manager of Gringotts snorted. "It always comes back to that one, does it not?" he asked rhetorically.

They arrived at Ragnok's office and the honorary guard took positions outside the door. Harry turned to them and said, "Thanks for the show of power back there, it was brilliant!"

The guards, seemingly at a loss of what to do, merely nodded with pleased looks on their faces.

"Well said young Harry," Ragnok praised as they sat down in the comfortable chairs again. "Now, as your esteemed godfather said, on to the good stuff. Would you like an overall review of the Black and Potter estates, or merely a rundown of your liquid assets?"

Harry paused to think. Tashaneri helpfully reminded him about the letter Ragnok had sent him concerning inconsistencies with the Potter estate.

"Ragnok, you mentioned something odd about the Potter estate?" Harry asked.

Ragnok's calm demeanor turned into a frown. "Ah yes, that," he said, pulling some papers out of thing air. "At first I had been confused when an eleven year old Harry Potter began to transfer a monthly sum of 1,000 Galleons into vault 1056. Digging into the matter – a perk of being manager – I found out that the vault owner simply had the initials, O.o.t.P. Does that ring a bell with you?"

Harry clenched the armrests on his chair tightly, his jaw locked and teeth grinding. He was brought out of his silent rage by several cracking noises. Surprised, Harry looked at the armrests and found indents the shape of his fingers in them.

"Oh god I am so sorry!" Harry apologized, thinking that Ragnok would execute him or something. "My own strength has been surprising me lately, I don't know how but -"

"It's quite alright Harry," Ragnok said as he waved his hand. The chair fixed itself. "Although I must say, unconscious use of your magic to augment your physical muscle strength is intriguing."

Harry was at a loss of words. "Say what now?" he blurted out.

"A skill used by war mages dating as far back as the Founder's era," Ragnok explained. "Magic was still a new thing back then, and the ones known as war mages would use it to make themselves stronger, so they could wield their swords powerfully. How else could you explain a mere human swinging a sword the size of a small sapling so effortlessly? But once again, I digress."

Ragnok shuffled through the papers, finding one he seemed to like. "Aside from that first transfer issue, there are several others, most of them going into several anonymous vaults before being withdrawn completely. I've totaled nearly 600,210 Galleons' worth. After that, Dumbledore has taken a monthly stipend of 1,500 Galleons for himself as your self-instated magical guardian and another 500 Galleons a month to your muggle guardians."

Harry exploded. "THOSE GOOD FOR NOTHING MUGGLES TAKE MY DAMN MONEY AND HAVE THE GALL TO CALL ME A BURDEN?"

"Still your angry soul Harry," Ragnok said soothingly. "Anger will not hurt your enemies, technique and finesse will. Have some Firegold tea."

With a snap of his fingers, a young goblin walked into the room carrying an exquisite tea set made out of fine china and gold. He set the tea set onto the counter and poured a small amount of reddish-gold liquid into a cup before serving it to Ragnok.

The manager took a sip, giving out a delighted noise before saying, "A cuppa for my friend here."

The young goblin nearly dropped the tea pot in shock, and shakily poured Harry a cup of the mysterious tea. Ragnok raised his cup to Harry, who took his and raised it back.

Wonder what it tastes like, two souls thought at once. He took a careful sip.

Flavor assaulted his taste buds, oh what flavor! It had the initial taste of sweetness, which was strongly overpowered by a very spicy wave which made Harry's eyes tear for the slightest second before he controlled it. As the liquid rolled around in his mouth, generating more sensations such as mint, peppermint and more spice, Harry swallowed and was surprised when it went down extremely smoothly like milk.

Taking a deep breath, Harry whistled and breathed, "Wow!"

"Very good isn't it?" Ragnok asked, already knowing Harry's answer of "Yes! It's brilliant!" "It's a goblin drink, very delicious. I'm surprised you didn't end up choking when the Graulteulk spices kicked in. The few humans who have tried Firegold tea have always choked or coughed. Good to see you can drink on level with us!"

"It's really good," was Harry's response.

"I'll have some packaged up for you. Now, what would you like to do concerning these obvious thefts from your account?"

"Was a significant amount taken?" Harry asked worriedly. His trust vault held quite a few Galleons, but this sounded enormous!

"It depends on how you say it. Is it significant amount of money? Yes, of course," Ragnok replied smoothly. 'Is it significant to the estate? No, not really. But as a goblin says, money is money."

"Yes," Harry said determinedly. "And it's my money! I want it all back, is that possible?"

"Oh yes, of course, all we'll really need is a blood-signed letter from you stating that you had nothing to do with any finances concerning these transactions and if luck would have it, I have a piece of parchment here that clearly states that Albus Dumbledore is in clear violation of his rights as your advisor, and as such is sacked," Ragnok said with an innocent, yet feral grin, showing an incisor. "Why, if this piece of parchment happens to fall into this specific box named Approved Documents, I shudder to think of what would happen to the headmaster's reputation."

Harry's grin matched Ragnok's. "Why my friend, that would be a shame," he said as he casually bumped hands with the goblin manager. "Oops!"

The parchment floated into the box, and then vanished with a poof. Ragnok took another sip of his tea.

"Well, that does it," he said, drinking the now-cooler tea. "All those in violation with your estate will have the monies re-transferred back immediately. If there is an insufficient amount of funds in any of the vaults, well, I shudder to think about their owners."

"Thank you so much for your help Ragnok," Harry said in gratitude. "I can't ever repay you."

"Continue drinking our tea like a goblin warrior and we'll consider it even," Ragnok said, pouring more tea into the cups. "Now, would you like to know about your estates?"

"Sure, but could you make it quick? I've got so much to do now, and lots of revenge to plan out," Harry asked with a wicked smirk.

"But of course. Simply put, the Black estate totals to roughly 12 million Galleons once rounded up. There are only two properties left in the estate, as the others have been sold throughout the years by their previous owners. Those two properties are the ancestral home Number 12, Grimmauld Place and a private island in Hawaii."

"Cool," Harry said. That explained the tropical bird Sirius had sent a while ago.

"As for the Potter estate, it's liquid assets total around 8 million Galleons, and about 560 million pounds in muggle investments. You own Godric's Hollow, which is nothing more than land right now, the Potter ancestral grounds in Wales and a number of muggle homes and hotels."

"D'you think I could move into one of those homes?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"Of course, they are yours and you are emancipated," Ragnok asked, confused.

"It's just that the reason I stay with my relatives is because of blood wards that keep me safe," Harry explained.

"Nonsense," Ragnok said indignantly and Harry's jaw dropped. "I have heard of these fabled wards. I am sorry to say that they are indeed not your mother's work, but Dumbledore's. The magic your mother intended to use was an ancient rite of blood protection ritual that would have prevented anyone with ill intentions of coming near your abode. Even someone who wanted to, let's say, push you in the back hard would not be able to touch you. I suspect that Dumbledore either used a memory charm on your mother and made her use a much weaker ritual, or simply did it himself."

Harry sat down heavily. "So… so my mum didn't do anything?" he asked, his voice cracking.

Ragnok shook his head. "Harry I more than anyone else on this planet know that your mother loved you more than herself, or even your father. She fully intended to use the rite of blood, but her trust of Dumbledore was her downfall. Under different circumstances, you and I both know that she would have. It still does not change the fact that she died for you. Never forget that and never underestimate the love of a mother for her child."

It was Ragnok's words and Tashaneri's mental soothing that cheered Harry up immensely. "Thank you Ragnok… that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me about my mum."

"I vehemently speak the truth when it concerns your mother," Ragnok said. "She was… well there's not really any word I can use to describe her, only that she was one of a kind."

Harry was silent again. Raising his cup, he quietly said, "To my mum."

Ragnok raised his cup and intoned, "To Lily."

"I'd like to move into one of my homes now," Harry whispered, still thinking about his mother. He looked down at the swirling red and gold in his cup. "I need to get away from this life, and away from Dumbledore's machinations. I need to train, to become stronger and defeat the threat that is Lord Voldemort. I can't do that here."

It was silent for a few moments.

"I'll help," Ragnok's voice said.