Harry was in utter shock and disbelief at the sheer stupidity of the wizarding world and the Ministry in general. He sat in the hard-backed chair wrapped in chains in Courtroom Ten in the Ministry of Magic surrounded by the Wizengamot with Dumbledore looking sadly at his former pupil and Fudge looking gleefully on from his seat next to the Chief Warlocks seat.
"What?" Harry asked dumbly.
At this Fudge's smile turned predatory. "I said you have been sentenced to death by ejection through the Veil by a majority decision of 69 to 31 for the usage of multiple Unforgivables, for the death of Cedric Diggory, and for treason against the magical world by instigating a rebellion by faking You-Know-Who's resurrection to overthrow the Ministry of Magic."
At this Harry slumped down in the chair. There was no way he could overturn the decision even with proof. Lucius Malfoy had obviously bribed and blackmailed a large contingent of the Neutral faction and a significant amount of the Light faction. The Dark faction only had 28 votes while the Neutral faction had 38 votes and the Light faction finished off the 100 total votes with 34.
Harry tried one last plea. "Minister Fudge, if I may, I have one last request." Fudge was too high on victory to care what the request was and so motioned for him to speak. "I wish to have one last day to listen to my parents will. It was sealed after their deaths and I have never heard them and since I am about to die I would like to listen to them."
Fudge was about to respond and destroy the boy one last time by rejecting his last request when Lucius leaned over and whispered in his ear to allow the boy this last request and use the publicity that came with such a major trial to foster good will with the people by looking merciful.
"Very well I will allow it however you must have an Auror with you at all times and prepare a statement that looks favorably on the Ministry to say to the public after you listen to their wills." Said Fudge looking all to smug about his brilliant plan to have the boy show his support for the Ministry in the end. It was one last slap to the face of both The-Boy-Who-Lived and to Dumbledore to show him that his golden boy was gone once and for all.
Harry slowly rose from his seat in the middle of the courtroom and was escorted out of the room and towards the elevator to travel up to level 2 to the Department of Magical Law Enforcements holding cells. Tonks pushed him into the elevator and didn't look at him. It was clear that she felt guilty about what she was doing as her hair color was a mousy brown that drooped down past her shoulders.
"It's okay Tonks. There's nothing you can do about what's happening. This is all Malfoys' fault. I guess everyone is too inbred in there to realize that they're being led around by someone as bad as him." Harry said, trying to lift the mood.
Tonks gave a wan smile and a small chuckle. "Too true Harry but I don't think that's going to change soon, if ever."
"Ah well I guess I won't be around to experience it anymore then." Shrugged Harry.
"Level Two. Department of Magical Law Enforcement" The elevator dinged open.
Tonks led Harry through the front office area and through a hallway at the back. After a minute of walking they reached the cell block. It was a small enclosure only meant to hold temporary prisoners until they had been either released or sent to Azkaban. There was not a single cell in use other than his, which was in the back corner of the room with the least amount of light possible. It was clear that this was another mental game that was being played by the Ministry.
"Well here we are." Tonks said sadly. "I guess this is the end of the line."
"Don't say that Tonks. I still have one day left and you'll get to see me before the end too, right?" asked Harry.
"No this is it. I don't think I'd be able to be in the room when they… you know… end it." Said Tonks.
"Oh. Uh yeah that's okay. I won't force you to be there." Said Harry awkwardly.
"Harry, I know that I can get you out of here. Madam Bones likes me and I'm sure that she doesn't believe the charges. Come with me right now and no one would know any better. Please." Begged Tonks.
"You know I can't do that Tonks. Voldemort is dead finally and all the Death Eaters got off scot free. If I escaped now they'd just chase me down and kill me painfully as opposed to a hopefully painless death through the Veil." Said Harry.
"I'm sure that we can hide you. The fidelius is powerful enough to save Sirius. It'll be good enough for you. If not, Dumbledore knows some powerful magic and the Blacks probably know something too." Tonks sniffed. Harry could tell she was close to crying.
"Tonks. Dumbledore didn't even speak up for me at the trial." Said Harry.
"I'm sure he was just planning some way to get you out of your position." Claimed Tonks.
"Tonks. Dumbledore didn't let me see Sirius' will. He sealed my parents' will and didn't let me hear them. He gave me to the Dursleys. You saw how bad they were when they knew they were being watched. Imagine how bad it was before that started happening. He made a will for me that left everything that I owned to himself to distribute at his discretion. This is perfect for him because now he gets everything the Blacks and Potters owned." Harry scowled. He didn't like the games that Dumbledore was playing.
"That despicable old coot!" exclaimed Tonks, her hair cycling to a fiery red. "I'll quit the Order as soon as I leave here. He has no right!"
"Anyways Tonks, I think this is for the best. I mean you're one of the few friends I have left. You and Neville and Moody but I think that he's just to paranoid to believe everything that Dumbles or the Ministry says."
"No Harry! You have lots of people who believe you. I know Remus knows deep down that you're innocent and Bill Weasley believes too." Her hair had cycled back to a dull brown color but it did have red highlights in it showing her still simmering anger.
Harry snorted. "Great, I now have five friends. That almost doubled the amount that I had."
Tonks snorted as well trying to hold in her laughter. "I guess that's true."
Harry stepped into the dark, dingy cell and turned around as the heavy metal door swung closed with a loud clank. It had a cot slung low to the ground that had a torn and stained mattress that provided almost no comfort from the cold hard stone that was underneath. There was a thin ratty blanket lying rumpled on top of the bed that used to be a sky blue but now it was impossible to tell due to being hit with a few too many cleaning charms. There was a small bucket in the corner that magically vanished any matter that entered it but it was charmed to prevent any body parts inside. This was done after someone committed suicide by sticking their head into the bucket and vanishing the top half of their head.
Harry turned back around to smile at Tonks. "Home sweet home."
Tonks had a single tear running down her cheek. "Harry…"
He sighed. "Tonks please go. Live your life. Live to be an old lady and when you finally move on I'll be waiting for you."
"Harry…"
"Goodbye Nymphadora." Nodded Harry.
"Goodbye Harry." Tonks whispered.
The next day a different Auror that he didn't know took Harry out of his cell. He had a square jaw with thick dark brown eyebrows and matching hair. His nose was a little too big for his face and he had beady black eyes that Harry didn't like the look of. If he wasn't already sentenced to die he would have suspected that he was there to kill him quietly. Instead it looks like Lucius Malfoy just wanted to know what was said in the wills.
"Come on. Up you get." Growled the Auror. "Now we don't want any trouble do we. One little slip of the finger and you could be losing a hand. Or an eye. No one would complain."
"Yes sir!" Harry sarcastically saluted.
They walked through the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to the Auror apparition point. It allowed for easy access out of the Ministry for the Aurors and was keyed individually to each person so only specific people could enter. Although it was there the response time of the Aurors was still atrocious.
With a loud pop they disappeared from the Ministry and appeared in Diagon Alley. At arrival Harry stumbled to the left due to the poor technique of the Auror. It was obvious that he didn't have much on the power scale due to the uneven and forceful landing.
"Hey!" The Auror quickly grabbed him again. "If that happens one more time, you'll be losing a finger."
Harry just glowered at the Auror. The Auror knew that it wasn't Harry's fault but still blamed him. Harry couldn't wait until he was dead so that way he didn't have to deal with morons like him.
The Auror took his time walking down Diagon Alley with Harry handcuffed in front of him. He paraded Harry through the streets while strutting along behind him like he had just single-handedly captured him. That couldn't be further from the truth but the sheep of the Wizarding World believed every moment of it.
They finally reached the entrance to Gringotts Bank. There were armed goblins lining the stairs and they stared out at them behind their helms. Each goblin was carrying a six-foot spear topped with a wickedly sharp blade that shined in the sunlight. They all wore bright armor with gold inlaid on the edges. Harry nodded his head in respect at them. He would have preferred to bow but he didn't think that his captor would appreciate bowing to a "lower life form."
When they stepped into the bank it became dead quiet. No one said a single word. They started walking through the bank towards the head goblin in charge of the floor. Their boots echoed on the marble floor through the quiet room.
Upon reaching the head goblin, the Auror stopped and looked down his nose at it. "I'm here with Potter to get the wills read. Show me where that happens quickly. I am on official ministry business and delaying would not look favorably upon you."
The goblin silently examined the Auror for a few moments. Enough so he started shifting nervously at the silence of the goblin.
"We do not take kindly to being threatened. We wouldn't want a repeat of the War of 1763, would we?" the goblin sneered at the Auror.
The Auror paled at his words but to his credit didn't back down. "You are nothing! I can have you beheaded for threatening a Ministry employee!" He shouted.
At that the goblin narrowed his eyes. "You cannot do anything. If you even kill a single one of us, the bank will shut down. You will not have any money. You will not have access into the building. You will not even be able to kill a single one of us before you are cut down. But you are inconsequential. Let us get on with business. Time is money, after all."
Harry finally spoke up. "Greetings Master Goblin. May your blades be ever drenched in your foes blood and their gold in your pockets."
The goblin nodded respectfully at the proper greeting. Harry had always had a good relationship with the goblins due to his respectful manner in treating them. He had looked up the proper greeting with them back in his first year to make sure he knew all about the beings that controlled the money.
"This way." The goblin gruffly said and gestured down a hallway to his right.
They walked down the hallway and into an ornate office. All of the walls had different weapons arranged tastefully. They were all beautiful weapons not really made for battle and more for artistic value. There was many jewels and gold inlaid all over the place in an obvious display of wealth. There was a goblin sitting behind the main desk with two chairs arranged before it. He was thickset but obviously still agile enough to wield a weapon with ease.
"You may go Auror." The goblin dismissed him.
The Auror puffed up his chest in an attempt to look more official. "That will not be happening. According to his trial and Minister Fudge, I am to stay with him at all times even through the will reading."
The goblin scowled at him. "There is only one thing that will not be happening right now and that is you staying in this room. Leave now."
"You do not have this right, you animal." Sneered the Auror. "I am staying and if anyone attempts to remove me I will be going straight to Minister Fudge to declare war on the Goblins."
The goblin smirked at the Auror. "You are in the presence of Crong, the King of the Goblins. You are also on Goblin land according to the treaty of 1857. As such I could kill you now for both threats against the Goblin Nation and trespassing and I would be well within my rights. NOW GET OUT!" The last part was yelled at the man.
The mans' face had lost all color at the mention of the King of the Goblins but he was visibly shaking by the end of the statement. When the King yelled, he immediately fled the room and the door slammed behind him and locked with a loud click. The goblin pressed a crystal on his desk and Harry felt the door lock with magic and a series of privacy wards went up.
"Well that was fun." Commented Harry.
The goblin chuckled "I sometimes yell at them and other times I play nice with them. It keeps them wondering. I even sometimes have someone else impersonate me that looks completely different. Their faces when they see that it is a different goblin behind the desk, but they can't say anything due to their fear of insulting me is hilarious."
"You know I think we would get along well" chuckled Harry.
"So, let's get down to business. Now you are here to listen to two wills today. You will listen to your parents will which was sealed by Albus Dumbledore using his authority as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot to establish himself as the executor of the will. Although in his case "executing" is just sealing it. And then we will listen to the last will and testament of Sirius Black, Lord of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black."
"Uh sorry to burst your bubble but Sirius was outcast from his family. He can't be the Lord of the Blacks." Interrupted Harry.
"Mr. Black was never officially cast out of the family as his mother did not have the authority to do so." Said Crong.
Harry sat back at that. He wondered if Sirius had known that he was the Lord of the Blacks or if he thought that he had been cast out. Harry shook his head. It's not like it matters anymore he reasoned. Sirius is dead, and he would follow shortly through the same veil. It was poetic irony. The same method that killed his Godfather would take his life in a day.
"Would you like me to read the will verbatim, or should I just skim the most important parts. To be perfectly honest, there is a lot of legal language that can be cut out." Asked Crong.
"Just give me the bullet points. I would like to say I have all the time in the world but unfortunately that's not really true so…" Harry trailed off.
"Your parents left everything they owned to you. They provided 1,000 Galleons a year for your upkeep to whoever raised you. The order of appropriate guardians is as follows. Sirius Black, Alice and Frank Longbottom, Andromeda and Ted Tonks, Remus Lupin. You are never to go to Lily Potter's sister, Petunia Dursley." Crong quickly rattled off all of the information.
Harry was stunned. It seemed that Dumbledore had messed up more than he thought. He swore right there that he would never let anyone meddle in his affairs again and he would never blindly follow anyone.
"Your current assets for the Potter Family total to approximately 500,000 Galleons in liquid cash, another 1 million in jewels and heirlooms, and 2 land properties that total to about 2 million. One is a manor in the countryside and the other is the destroyed house in Godric's Hollow. The Potter Family also has stakes in many businesses that brings in a modest income on its own. As you can see the Potters did not put much in stake of liquid cash but kept most of it as heirlooms and property."
Harry was slightly surprised that he had that much. He knew he had a large trust vault but the heirlooms and property value were huge.
"Sirius Black left everything he owned to you as well. Now the Black Family did not put as much stock in the property values but kept more in heirlooms and hard cash. The vaults have about 1.5 million Galleons in them in cash with 750,000 in heirlooms, although several pieces are nearly priceless, and 2 properties. One on Grimmauld Place and smaller country home that totals to 1 million more Galleons. I must say, you are a very rich wizard Mr. Potter. One of the richest in the world in fact and definitely the richest in the United Kingdom."
Harry sat in shock trying to wrap his head around how much he actually owned. Going from thinking that he only owned a little bit from his parents and next to nothing from Sirius due to him being a felon on the run to being the richest person in the United Kingdom was huge. Before he could continue, his thoughts were interrupted by Crong.
"There is one more delicate matter with the wills. This starts with Lily Potter and is compounded by Sirius Black. In the will, Lily Potter pays the goblins to find the best instructors for each core subject and several other subjects and have them tutor you starting at the age of 9. However, this obviously never happened and you never responded to our requests to meet with you, entrusting Molly Weasley to make purchases on your behalf. If you had come into the bank after your first year, we could have said something to you about this matter." Said Crong.
"Yeah about that. I found out that Dumbledore had himself assigned as my guardian and did not allow me to receive any mail from Gringotts. Also, it was under his suggestion for my safety to not come into the bank after my first year as he claimed that Diagon Alley was not safe." Said Harry rubbing his chin. "Although I wonder why I didn't come by after my second year when I was staying in the Leaky Cauldron for a few weeks. Compulsion charm maybe?"
"Yes, well we will be taking a rather large fine out of Mr. Dumbledores accounts for that. Now as I was saying your Godfather compounded this issue by giving several goblin made artifacts that the Black family had, well I guess the right word for it is acquisitioned, over the years. This was done in return for training for you. So now Gringotts owes you quite a bit, Mr. Potter and with you on death row, we will not be able to repay our debts, and a goblin always repays his debts." Crong sighed.
"Uh well you can keep the gold and stuff in my vaults since I won't be able to use it obviously in a day. As for the debt, let's just call it even. You don't need to owe me anything." Frowned Harry. He thought having the goblins in his debt would be very handy to have but since life was over for him now, he might as well make it easy for them.
"Nonsense Lord Potter-Black. We owe you training and we intend to repay it."
"Okay… well I don't exactly see how you're going to accomplish training me seeing as I only have maybe an hour left with you and a day left to live. Oh and I don't have a wand. That might inhibit any training you could give me." Harry sarcastically said.
Crong frowned at the young man in front of him. He was debating whether he should try to find any way to train him or if he should just give up and have Harry claim the debt fulfilled and then never see him again. The fact that he was willing to waive that big of a debt showed much of his character. It was that decision that Harry made to waive the debt that made up his mind. He would give the wizard all the help of the goblin nation.
"There are actually many ways we could do this. We could have you escape from here with all of the contents of your vaults and be on the run for the rest of your life. I have no doubt that the Ministry will follow you to the ends of the Earth to retrieve you. Not a very pleasant life. The goblins would not be able help you either as that could spark another war." Mused Crong.
"We could also use our time dilation chamber but that wouldn't work either. We can't slow down time enough for you to be trained fully and either way there isn't anything that you could do in a day. I guess you could try to escape after the small amount of training you get but again, the goblins cannot help when you are a wanted fugitive and so you'll be without funds and only a small amount of training."
"The time travel chamber would work as we could send you back a few years, but you would have the same problem when you returned to present time as you'll have to take your current place here right as you go back in time. And either way it wouldn't work as the chamber hasn't charged enough from the last time we sent a goblin back." Crong thoughtfully stated while trying to find a solution.
With each new theory Harry got excited but each drawback was getting worse and worse. He didn't think there was a way for him to get the training that he was owed in the time frame that he had left. Harry opened his mouth to tell Crong to forget it and give up the debt when Crong spoke up one last time.
"There is one last way. It's only ever been theorized and never performed on a human but the animal tests that we have performed have worked surprisingly well. Well, for the most part." Crong slowly said, thinking hard on the procedure.
Harry leaned forward in his seat, his curiosity piqued. "What's this procedure?"
"Well, it was theorized that one person who had no idea how to duel could take a memory of someone who did know how to duel and, using occulmency and legilimency, could essentially download how to duel. This should also work with spells, potion making, ancient runes, arithmancy, warding, healing, alchemy, and other subjects. This has never been done on humans but on the animals we tested, 65% of the animals could successfully walk on 2 legs after we performed the operation. On magical animals too, as the minds of non-magical animals are too simplistic." Explained Crong.
"So let me get this straight. You want to perform an experimental procedure that has a 65% success rate on animals and perform it on me." Harry stared at him incredulously. "What happened to the other 35%?" He couldn't help but ask.
Crong scratched the top of his head. "I guess that summarizes it. The other 35% forgot how to walk entirely. We believe that the memories are conflicting and essentially stopping them from choosing one or the other to walk. We could fix most of them but not all of them."
Harry was at a loss for words. His mouth opened and shut multiple times while he stared at Crong. Finally he opened his mouth and a strange croak came out. "They forgot entirely?" He whispered.
"Yes they could not walk but we managed to fix most of them without any problems. Look this is the best way for us to repay the debt that we owe you and give you the training you need. We have been secretly taking the memories of people ever since the theory came out about 50 years ago. We have people like Dumbledore, Voldemort, the Flamels, some great potioneers, all of our cursebreakers and warders are required to submit memories of them breaking and setting up wards, and some Unspeakables and Aurors. Oh and some muggle experts in hand-to-hand and weapon combat." Explained Crong.
Harry sighed and dropped his head into his hands. "Why can't anything be easy."
"So is that a yes?" asked Crong eagerly. They had wanted a test subject for a while and if they could help Harry and repay their debt at the same time, then all the better.
"Yeah I guess so. It doesn't really matter if I'm part of that 35% since I'll be dead tomorrow anyway." Harry said.
"Well you could always use what skills we do give you to get away." Crong commented.
Harry froze. He hadn't thought about that. If the experiment worked then he would be the most powerful person in the world without a doubt. He could probably fight his way out of the Ministry and disappear without a problem.
"Well let's get on with the experiment then." Crong tapped a crystal on his desk and a goblin entered from a side door to the right. He barked something in Gobbledegook at the younger goblin. "He's gone to fetch the memories and our priests who are experts at legilimency. I'll assume that you do not know occulmency. If you did I would say the risk is probable closer to 20% instead of 35%."
"Great. Another reason to hate Snape." Grumbled Harry.
The goblin came back into the room pushing a cart filled with vials of silvery memories swirling inside. He was followed by two more goblins holding staffs that had what looked to be finger bones hanging from the top and rattling at each step.
"Now I believe that it is best to try to inject all the memories at once. While that will make the risk factor increase, there is a large amount of pain associated with each memory absorbed and we simply don't have the time to have you recover from all of the memories that we give you."
At this Harry became worried. "Wait a minute you didn't say anything about pain. And will I gain the personalities of everyone as well?"
"You shouldn't gain any major personality changes as these are just the skills but there might be some minor changes. We really don't know enough yet. And of course there will be pain. I believe there is a muggle saying, 'No Pain No Gain'. I feel that applies to this." Crong smirked.
"Now the procedure is as follows. We will combine all the memories into one pool and then you will have to swallow the mixture. However, it won't even get down your throat before it starts , being absorbed into your brain. We haven't found a better way to get the memories closer to the brain short of a muggle operation I believe they call brain surgery. Which I'll assume you do not want to try. While you are swallowing, these ritual masters will perform the necessary ritual to help the process and then perform legilimency on you to help the absorption. Any questions?" Crong quickly rattled off.
"Yeah quite a few actually" started Harry.
"Excellent. No questions! Let's begin!" Crong's smirk morphed into a grin that was impossibly wide and bared his sharpened teeth while simultaneously clapping his hands.
While they had been talking the other goblins had mixed the memories into a bowl of liquid silver. Armbands jumped from the armrests of the chair and a strap was slipped around Harry's forehead and pulled tight. The goblins forced his mouth open and started pouring the memories into his mouth. While this was happening, the ritual masters stood on either side of him and started chanting in Gobbledegook.
Harry could feel the liquid running down his throat and could feel it start to get absorbed at the back of his throat. That's when it started burning. Harry had experienced the Cruciatus curse quite a few times but this was much worse. While the Cruciatus curse fired every nerve ending in the body, it was all over the body so it did not hurt as much. This was focused on his head and neck area. It felt like molten silver was being poured down his throat but instead of burning the nerve endings and stopping the pain, it kept going. And then it reached his brain. He was sure his head would explode under the force that it was under. He wanted to scream but his mouth was full of the memories and he had no oxygen left and was starting to suffocate.
Finally the bowl was empty but the ordeal was far from over. The ritual masters leaned over his and each stared into one of Harrys' wide unblinking eyes and dove inside with legilimency.