DISCLAIMER! I OWN NOTHING! DISCLAIMER!
A pair of Goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins on brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Robarbs and Harry made for the counter.
The goblin they approached had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and Harry noticed, very long pointed fingers. 'Afternoon,' said Robarbs to the free goblin. 'We have a meeting'
The goblins eyes darted from the Auror to Harry, heavily scrutinizing every inch of the boys scruffy appearance. 'Name?'
'Potter', the expression on the goblins face transformed into something close to sinister excitement.
'Mr Potter, we've been expecting you.' His fingers curling over the edge of the counter, 'I'll have someone take you to one of our private rooms. Griphook!'
Griphook was yet another goblin, silver hair, yellow eyes and a crooked hooked nose. Robarbs and Harry followed the goblin towards one of the doors leading off the main hall.
'Whats this meeting about?' Harry asked, trying to ignore the snotty looks he was receiving. If these strangers knew who he was they wouldn't dare look at him with such blatant disgust, just because of the rags he wore.
'Your future. Your parents. Your inheritance. Take your pick.' the Auror responded, not really paying attention to anything but the goblin leading their way.
'So, on a scale of one to ten. How important?'
Robarbs flashed him a sideways glance 'Eleven'.
Griphook led them into a long marble corridor, lined with doors. The goblin kept at fast pace, acting as if he was on a fast stroll rather then doing his job, abruptly he came to a stop. 'Enter and take a seat,' Griphook said, gesturing to the ominous looking black door he stood beside. A sign on the front said it was meeting room 16, and it had a strange coat of arms etched into the silver door handle.
Robarbs didn't wait for further instructions, so Harry was forced to follow after him. Before the door closed behind him, Harry turned to ask Griphook a question but was startled when we was met with nothing but an empty hallway.
'Mr Potter?' a slick voice spoke from behind him. Harry turned around to see another goblin, seated at a rather large ornate desk. 'Please, take a seat', the goblin pointed to one of the too extravagant plush chairs placed before his desk.
'You can't run away from this,' Robarbs murmured, thinking that the boy was attempting to make a run for it. How little the man could read him, when your offered the world you don't turn it down. Harry was going to grab this opportunity with both hands and fly; he was Harry Potter, the-boy-who-lived.
'Wouldn't dream of it,' he replied smoothly, making a big show of seating himself in one of the comfy looking seats.
The goblin watched Harry over the top of his small circular spectacles for a long moment before nodding and clasping his hands together under his chin. 'I am Master Teller Ragnok, responsible for the the vaults of the ancient and noble house of Potter, what can I help you with?'
Auror Robarbs sat up slightly taller, 'Right, well we're here for a will reading, and general knowledge of young Mr Potter's inheritance.'
'As the Head Auror is present, I am to assume he is allowed to hear this information as well?' Master Ragnok said, addressing Harry. The boy simply nodded, he had no experience with this kind of thing and would probably need advice at some point.
'Then let us begin'. The goblin started shuffling items around on his desk, before his long spindly fingers fell upon a rather thick bound parchment. He undid the red and gold silken ribbon, and rolled out the thick document. 'This is the last will and testament of the late Mr and Mrs Potter, please, if you have any questions wait until the end.'
Ragnok waited for both Harry and Robarbs to nod before reading aloud. 'We, James and Lily Potter, being of sound mind and body, make this our last will and testament. To our beloved son, Harry James Potter, we leave the entirety of the Potter fortune, upon his inheritance at the age of 17. Until then, a trust fund will been set aside, that will support Harry through his schooling at Hogwarts. If we die, or for some unforeseen reason cannot care for Harry, we leave custody to his Godfather Sirius Orion Black, failing this he shall go to his Godmother Alice Longbottom. We wish for him to be raised amongst our magical family. To Sirius Orion Black, a brother, we leave full custody of our son, and the Lake house in Italy. To Remus Lupin, a brother, we leave 50,000 galeons to be paid in full, upon our deaths. To Peter Pettegrew, a brother, we leave our shares in Zonko's joke shop, and the cottage in Godricks Hollow. Concerning Lily Potter's muggle relatives, we leave nothing, as they gave us nothing but hatred. Finally, to our son, we leave a letter, kept safe by Master Teller Ragnok. We hope it explains why we're gone.'
Master Ragnok began to roll the parchment back up and collect the red ribbon that had fallen his desk. 'Now, before I retrieve your letter. I will briefly explain the inheritance you are set receive. The Potter wealth has been accumulated throughout the centuries, it spreads across jewels, money, ancient artifacts, properties, land, and shares in companies. The money set away in your trust fund is 500,000 galeons, enough to see you through your seven years.' The Goblin paused slightly to allow this to settle in, Harry was in shock.
'You are set to inherit the Potter Manor, which has housed over 15 generations of Potter's. You will have shares in many companies in England and across the globe. You will own the ski lodge in Austria, the apartment in Hogsmeade and the villa in the French riviera. Upon the day you turn 17 you will hold a seat in the Wizagamont and your accumulated net worth will be 30,000,000 galeons. Congratulations Mr Potter, you are set to become the wealthiest wizard in the United Kingdom.' he said with a rather smarmy grin.
It was a good few minutes before the synapses in Harry's brain started working again and even then he only managed to choke out a simple statement. 'All this time, I've been rich?'
'That is a rather unusual scar, did you not suspect?' The goblin intoned in a condescending way, as if it had happened to him he would have sort out his riches straight away.
'Forgive me, If I thought the-boy-who-live wouldn't get lost and forced to live on the streets' Harry almost spat, recalling the explanation Dumbledore gave for his abandonment. 'Who is this Sirius Black?'
The room suddenly plunged into deathly silence, the tension growing by the second. 'He is a traitor.' Robarbs mumbled, sadness clearly lining his voice. 'He sold your parents to Voldemort. He's the reason they're dead.' The Auror's words sounded hollow, but growing anger started to burn inside Harry. Fury at the monster who stole away his life, his parents, at the chance of being loved, boiled inside him.
'Where is he now?' Harry seethed.
'He's serving life in Azkaban. No trial. No appeal.' Robarbs intoned, his eyes downcast. Harry couldn't read the man's face, he just assumed he was saddened by the memory of the Potter's death. 'Master Ragnok, the letter?'
Ragnok immediately withdrew a blue envelope from his stack of papers, and leaned forwards to pass it to Harry. The enveloped felt weighted in his hands, his fingers traced the elegant silver script, which he could just make out as his name 'Harry James Potter'. Having spent most of his life on the streets rather than school, his reading skills weren't the best. But that wouldn't stop him from trying.
Harry flipped over the letter and started to peel of the silver wax, he felt a stabbing pain in his thumb and let the letter fall to his lap. He eyed the tiny jewel of blood running down his thumb with confusion, was it a paper cut?
He looked down at the letter in his lap questioningly, it had started to heat up, almost like it was burning. Suddenly it flew up to eye level and folded out, to reveal the neat writing within.
Hovering there, at eye level it suddenly began to speak. Harry had never heard anything more beautiful in his life.
Dear, my beloved son, Harry
If you are reading this letter, the worst has happened. We have been betrayed. Peter Pettegrew will have told Voldemort of our whereabouts. Your Father said it was for the best when we made him our secret keeper, but I have always feared his resolve. Sirius will be taking care of you, if he has not died as well (for that would be the only cause that could keep him from you). We love you Harry. You are our light in this dreary darkness, you are our hope that this war will end, and we fight for you. In the hope that you won't have to.
Today is your first birthday, you are sleeping in my arms as I write this letter. You've had a big day, even though we are in hiding, your father, uncle Sirius and Remus have made it a wonderful day. From the moment you woke, to the second you fell asleep, a smile has been on your face, and laughter has been heard throughout this home. Your father and Sirius bought you training broom, my heart stopped watching you fly. You have a talent, you're defiantly James's son, he's already talking about you being on the team at Hogwarts. I'm so proud of you.
I hoped this letter would never have to come to you, that I could rip it to shreds when the war was over. I wanted to make so many more memories with you. We had planned to return to the Potter Manor, and I hope one day you will. Sirius, if you're listening, take care of my son. Love him as your own, although I know you already do. Protect him Sirius, protect my Remus we love him.
Remember Harry, Mama loves you, Dada loves you.
Be brave, be fearless, be strong.
All my love, Lily Potter, your mother, for always.
The letter slowly folded in on itself, retreating into its envelope, and laying peacefully onto Harry's lap. Tears tracked down his face, leaving scars of salt water across his cheeks. That was his mothers voice, he was sure of it. He was certain. The foreign voice had sounded so familiar, it awakened in his heart like a memory.
'We have to send word to Azkaban' Robarbs exclaimed in a fiery whisper.
'What?' Harry asked angrily, unhappy the man had broken his moment.
'Sirius is innocent!'