Chapter 3: Gringotts
"Ginevra."
The whisper of her name woke her up. Ginny blinked and saw that she was once again in the topmost tower room in a castle surrounded by hot boiling lava.
Harry was sitting next to her on the bed, looking at her like he couldn't believe that she was real.
"Harry," Ginny whispered back.
Harry smiled, and a comfortable silence hung between them.
Ginny broke the silence first.
"I thought I had lost you," Ginny said.
"You will never lose me, Ginevra," Harry said seriously.
And then Harry leaned closer to kiss Ginny. Just as their lips were to meet a voice sounded in the small room.
"Ah, you are both awake," the voice said.
Harry and Ginny quickly broke apart and looked towards the source of the voice. A goblin was standing in the doorway, looking serious and threatening.
"You! You threw me down a pit!" Harry said harshly.
"Yes, it was regrettable, but necessary," the goblin said, not sounding sorry at all.
"And then you kidnapped Ginevra," Harry went on as though the goblin had not spoken.
"That is also regrettable, but necessary," the goblin said harshly.
"This is not a dream?" Ginny asked, feeling stupid.
"No, this is not a dream," the goblin answered.
"Where are we then?"
"You are at Gringotts, the living place of goblins," the goblin answered seriously.
"Gringotts?" Harry asked disbelievingly.
"Yes, you two are the first human beings who are allowed down here since Gringotts has been built," the goblin said menacingly.
"But..." Harry began.
"I'm to bring the two of you before the Council of Elders, there everything will be explained," the goblin said as though Harry had not been about to ask something.
"Follow," the goblin said, and with that he turned around and walked away.
"Harry? What?" Ginny asked confused.
"I don't know, we better follow," Harry said, shrugging.
Ginny nodded and with that they both followed the goblin down the stairs and through the castle.
"Griphook?" Harry asked as they hurried up to catch up to the goblin.
"Yes?" the goblin answered curtly.
"How can we still be underground, but yet be in this big castle?" Harry asked.
"Who said we are still underground?" Griphook asked without bothering to stop.
"What?" Ginny asked perplexed, but Griphook seemed to have exhausted his will to answer any questions.
Finally the trio arrived in a large chamber. A large table, behind which sat three wizened looking goblins stood at the far end of the chamber, facing them. Benches lined the walls, on which countless goblins were seated. In the middle of the chamber stood two uncomfortable looking chairs, to which Griphook led Harry and Ginny and motioned for them to sit down.
Ginny looked to Harry, and he shrugged as though saying 'let's get it over with' and with that both sat down.
"Welcome to Gringotts, Harry and Ginevra," the middle and most wizened goblin said, but in such a tone that Ginny doubted he meant it.
"Thank you," Harry said, bowing his head slightly.
"We are gathered here to tell you about your Soul Bond," the middle goblin continued, as though Harry had not spoken at all.
"Soul Bond? Dumbledore said it was a Soul Debt," Ginny blurted out.
There was a harsh whispering going round the goblins when Ginny mentioned Dumbledore.
"The Old Fool! He tries to interfere in things that cannot be interfered with!" the right wizened goblin shouted out.
"Dumbledore reckons he is an expert in our language," the left wizened goblin said softly, yet his tone was also harsh, and the disdain was clear. Ginny started to wonder if goblins even knew how to talk kindly.
"He isn't?" Ginny asked shocked.
"No wand carrier is an expert in our language. No wand carrier is even intermediate in our language! They say they are an expert, they say they know our language, but they don't!" the right wizened goblin shouted.
"Wand carrier?" Harry asked, clearly confused by the term.
"The right to carry a wand has long been contested between wizards and goblins," the left wizened goblin said as explanation.
"What is a Soul Bond, and what is a Soul Debt?" Harry asked.
"A Soul Debt we do not speak of! Those who create them are pure evil!" the right wizened goblin hissed.
"A Soul Bond is the strongest of the four known Bonds," the middle wizened goblin explained.
"Four known Bonds?" Harry questioned.
"Enmity, Life, Marriage and the Soul Bond," the right wizened goblin said impatiently.
"What do those Bonds mean?" Harry asked warily.
"The Enmity Bond is a strong bond between two sworn enemies, like between you and Tom Riddle," the middle wizened goblin explained.
"Tom Riddle? Who is Tom Riddle?" Harry asked as Ginny wondered the same thing, she had never heard that name before.
"I think that you may know him as 'Voldemort'," the left wizened goblin said.
Ginny shuddered violently when the goblin said the name, while Harry visibly paled.
"The Life Bond is created when you owe someone or someone owes you a Life Debt," the middle wizened goblin continued as though there was no interruption.
"Bill talked about that one," Ginny said, nodding her head.
"The Marriage Bond is a Bond that exist between two people who are married. The Soul Bond is a stronger version of the Marriage Bond," the middle wizened goblin said, cutting across Ginny.
"Wait one moment, are you saying we are married?" Harry asked shocked.
"That is what I'm saying yes," the middle wizened goblin confirmed.
Ginny was lost for words. She was married? What was her mother going to say? She always said that marriage was something that came when you were older.
"This means that you will be allowed access to your family vault, as well that you are allowed to use magic outside of Hogwarts, you can even get your Apparition license if you want," the left wizened goblin said.
"What about mum?" Ginny asked. She was never going to be okay with this.
"Normally this would all be discussed in the bank, with both your guardians present. But the Old Fool took matters in his own hands and thus forced us to take drastic measures," the right wizened goblin growled
"Like throwing me down a pit?" Harry asked.
"It was the only way to get young Ginevra here, the bond did the rest," the left wizened goblin said.
"Why?" Ginny asked, suddenly fearful.
"Simple, if the Old Fool was allowed his way, then you Harry would be isolated from everyone by now, and that would have been disastrous for you, Ginevra and the Wizarding World, and ultimately Gringotts" the right wizened goblin said.
"Isolated? Why?" Harry asked perplexed.
"We do not speak of that!" the right wizened goblin shouted.
"Okay... us being down here, what does it actually mean?" Harry asked.
"It means that to the world, the two of you are now unofficially dead," the left wizened goblin said.
"What?" Ginny shrieked. This was not what she had expected.
"It is regrettable, but for the best," the middle wizened goblin said. But Ginny had the feeling that the goblin did not regret it at all.
"How can we get an Apparition licence, whatever that is, if we are dead?" Harry asked.
"The ministry holds a list of every wizard who is born and dies. This list is magically updated. Only this list hasn't been checked in the last fifty years," the left wizened goblin said.
"So, What happens now?" Harry asked.
"Simple, you two will live here from now on. The two of you will train so you can face your destiny," the left wizened goblin said.
"However, since your magic is so different from ours, we shall have a wizard be your mentor. this wizard is sworn to secrecy and will not betray us," the middle wizened goblin said.
"Griphook, bring in their mentor!" the right wizened goblin shouted.
Griphook nodded and left the hall. He returned a couple of minutes later followed by an amazed looking Bill Weasley.
"Bill!" Ginny shrieked, and ran towards her older brother and hugged him tightly.
"Ginny?" Bill asked amazed.
"I'm glad to see you," Ginny said smiling.
"I'm glad you are alive, I heard from mum what had happened," Bill said seriously.
"About the so called Soul Debt?" Ginny asked.
"Yeah, I already told mum that it was rubbish. Griphook already told me about the Soul Bond,"
"Remember William, you may not tell anyone outside of this room about what is going on," the middle wizened goblin said in a warning tone.
"I know, it is an honour," Bill said, bowing slightly.
"Can't we tell mum and dad at least that I'm alive?' Ginny asked.
"I'm sorry Ginny, that is not possible," Bill said sadly.
"What about Dumbledore?" Harry asked from were he was sitting.
"And you must be Harry Potter," Bill said smiling.
"Yes, I'm," Harry said, blushing slightly.
"Dumbledore means well, but he is an old man and he makes mistakes, mistranslating something from Gobbledegook is one of them," Bill said, sighing.
"The meeting is adjourned," the middle wizened goblin said. And with that all the goblins present left the hall.
"I'm to escort you back to your quarters," Griphook said, walking towards Harry, Ginny and Bill.
And with that Griphook lead the trio back towards the tower.
"Well, goodnight you two, tomorrow is an early start," Bill said as soon as they arrived in their tower room.
"Er, Bill, there is only one bed in the room," Ginny said carefully, spotting a problem with the room.
Bill looked at the lone bed, a bit taken aback and then turned to Griphook.
"So?" Griphook asked, clearly not bothered by anything.
"You want to tell me that Ginny and Harry have to sleep in the same bed?" Bill asked incredulously.
"There is no need for that, I will sleep on the floor," Harry spoke up.
"The Bond requires physical contact at night, both of you will sleep in the bed," Griphook said, his tone of voice left no room for argument. And with the goblin left the room.
"You heard the goblin," Bill said shrugging helplessly, before he also left the room.
"The bed is big enough for the two of us," Ginny said when she approached the bed and inspected it further.
Harry nodded helplessly and got into bed as far to the edge as possible. Ginny did the same as far as possible from Harry. The only contact they had was that they held hands when they fell asleep.