Chapter 2- Hide and Seek
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The broom ride soon became old and I became cold and tired. Flying so high to make sure no one saw me was a pain and it was a long flight. I was not worried about the Ministry as much as the feed-back to Dumbledore who might track me down. Luckey it was late and hardly anyone was on the street to mob my scar in Diagon alley. Gringotts was open 24/7 so that the Goblins did not lose a knut in profit and this late at night few customers were on the main floor.
When I told the teller that I wished to empty my trust vault and convert it to muggle money I was in the "Potter Managers" office in a flash. I had nothing to lose so I explained what was going on to SharpTooth the Potter's Estate Manager.
"You are in the Dragon dung on this one Harry. Lose your magic you loose your lordship and vaults. The family vaults are not accessible until you are emancipated or come of age."
"That's why I want the money from the Trust Vault now so I can buy a place to live and feed my face until a get a muggle job. This whole wizard world can go to hell, I want out!"
"Not that easy Harry, you are a minor and you are under your guardians thumb until you lose your magic then you revert back to your muggle guardians. Albus Dumbledore is your magical guardian and I don't think he will let you out of school and the tournament. That will bring the Ministry in to pick you up and force you back to Hogwarts till you lose your magic or list you as a truant."
"Nope, not happening, none of that will be happening! If I have to buy a poison and take it at the last-minute I am out from under all these idiots control. So I guess the only help you can give is helping me empty my trust vault."
"I did not say that Harry, we here at Gringotts will always provide help for someone for a price." SharpTooth was smiling.
"And?"
"Well let's see, included in your trust vault are some deeds and other non Galleon items that you are supposed to be managing."
"SharpTooth is there some one who was supposed to tell me any of this, every time I get free and ask a question I get an answer like I am supposed to know it already."
"Its part of the Potter tradition to include some property and interest in some companies which you are to manage thus helping you for when you inherited all the Potter fortunes. The person required to teach you all this is your magical guardian, Dumbledore."
"That's great but when I become a Squib or sooner the Ministry and Dumbledore will be confiscating everything in the Potter Estate, not to mention my property as a criminal. I moaned.
"Yes and No, the Magical Potter Estate is something that no one but a Potter can claim. When you become a Squib the line ends and after ten years a descendant of a close line, the Malfoy's in this case, may make a claim. Now if you now sold your properties lets say to someone atoday, with a Goblin fee of course, it would be legal and the property would belong to a new owner. The same would apply to your company shares." SharpTooth was just smiling too much.
"And who would I sell my shares to with a Goblin fee of course. Would that person sell the shares back to me, and could the Ministry confiscate them?" I was thinking that SharpTooth was giving me a way to double-cross the turkeys, and the Ministry.
"I am sure that I could find you a buyer and a seller for a fee Lord Potter, but the buyer would have to have a vault in Gringotts, for a fee, Mr. Jones! You are aware that no documents are required to open a vault only the fee?"
"Now isn't that a coincidence as I am Mr. Jones and I would like to open a vault today. I also have other transactions I would like to conduct with you if you are free and willing to do them for a fee." I was giggling.
"Why yes Mr. Jones I am free today and we can conduct your business for a fee of course."
/Scene Break/
It was always said among wizards that the Goblins were sneaky and could never be trusted but this was hilarious. I had three run down properties, three I put up for sale; Mr. Jones bought one on the spot. The shares in the businesses I sold which netted me a large amount muggle money. The property I now owned as Mr. Jones I would be renovate to the nines and Mr. Jones had the Goblins put a 'Fidelius' charm on the building with Mr. Jones as the secret keeper, for a fee of course. The other two properties went quickly that afternoon for one Galleon and a Goblin fee. Mr. Jones bought them up quickly and had the Goblins rent them out, for a fee of course. The rest of the Potter school trust fault was emptied to Harry Potter trunk. Mr. Jones rented a suite in the bank for a week while his new house was being renovated. This was after he made a large deposit from his trunk to his new vault. Not bad for a days work. This was fortunate as the next day all hell broke loose.
/Scene Break/
Headmaster office:
"I am sorely disappointed in you three. Ron what were you thinking trying to curse him, he will now take a lot of begging from you to get to be his friend again. Hermione you ran off from him when you should have guided him into giving up this foolish tantrum. Oh and nice work Ginny, one second of not being the in thing and you are drooling over Diggery. Now when he gets back, or we catch him you three are going to be his best of friends and I will do some modifications to his memories even if I have to put him under the 'Imperio". Right now I am heading off to Gringotts to get your money for the month from Harry's trust.
/Scene Break/
Empty common room, Gryffindor towers, one hour later:
"Look Ginny get your mother to brew one of her love potions. Ron and I have run our mouths so Harry will not consider me for a girl friend. So you are going to have to get the love potion from your mother and Ron and I will slip it to him. That shit of a Headmaster has got some plans for Harry this year and if I am not mistaken Harry will be dead before next September." Hermione hissed.
"What plans?" Ron asked as he devoured a chocolate frog.
"Yah, what are you talking about?" Ginny glared.
"Look at the facts, one he has entered Harry into a contest where people get killed, two Harry hasn't been trained to do squat, and I hope you notice that MadEye Moody, Dumbledore's friend, is some poly-juiced up imitation." Hermione hissed.
"How do you know?" Ron was showing his intelligence again while eyeing Hermione's chocolate cookies.
"Well if you didn't have your mouth and brains in the pigs troth you can smell the potion every time he takes a swig from that flask of his, every hour on the hour." Hermione was getting angry; she would have dropped the moron in a second if it wasn't for the piece of the Potter fortune that was promised to her by Dumbledore.