With Fire and Blood
Description: VERY AU! Sirius Orion Black, Heir Primus of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, never imagined himself as a father, much less the father of his dead best friend's abused son who was rescued by squibs of the family. Watch as he finds himself the unwilling paterfamilias of the Black family, deals with the muck that is wizarding politics, and fights with fire and blood, to keep his godson safe from all who wish him harm.
Rating: T
Disclaimer: Do not own.
Hey everyone, sorry for the late update, but I hopefully can make up for that with this pretty big chapter! It covers the move to Italy, adjusting, new wardrobes, and out first glimpse of the Goblin Nation, along with a few surprises here and there. Hope you enjoy, and please remember to review! :D Now, onto the story!
o.o.o.o.o.
Chapter 3: When in Rome
July 1, 1985 – Thornfield Heights, Macclesfield Road, Alderley Edge, Cheshire
"Of course, sir. I will let the board know. Is there anything else you require?"
"No, Branson, nothing at all. Thank you again."
"Not a problem, sir."
George hung up the phone having just made arrangements with his PA for an extended leave of absence because the child's godfather had been found in Italy, which threw the child's guardianship into question. At least, that was the excuse he gave his office. Like every good lie, it blended both truth and fiction into a seamless whole. In the next room, Artemisia did the same.
George slowly made his way through the house while giving Ethel some last minute instructions before stopping in Hadrian's room.
"Hadrian, are you ready? Do you have everything?" George asked, after knocking lightly on the door.
"Yes, uncle. It's all packed in that trunk there." Hadrian pointed to the trunk by the foot of the bed.
"Wonderful. Best grab it now, we'll be leaving for the manor very soon."
Hadrian nodded as George left the room. He took the momentary peace as an opportunity to reflect on his past few days. It had all just seemed so surreal to his four year old self. Within the span of a few days, he had gone from a Freak to a wizard. From starvation, to three well portioned meals with nutrient and restorative potions every day. From being a slave, to being waited on hand and foot, with his every wish attended to by either Ethel or the odd house elf creatures. It was so very Cinderella like, he thought.
He still wasn't convinced it wasn't a dream, but if it was, it was the best kind. He was determined to enjoy it while it lasted, seeming to accept that his life was being acted on by some outside force. After all, all of this doesn't just happen for no reason. At least he wasn't still with them. Shuddering, he violently suppressed that train of thought and returned to musing about what he'd been taught so far.
The most prominent lesson so far was blood purity, essentially the difference between muggles, squibs, mudbloods, half-bloods, and purebloods. Hadrian had always been an intelligent child, and had read something in a book he didn't understand referring to the Sacred Twenty-eight. So being who he was, he asked Cassiopeia, who was watching him about it. What followed was a three hour lecture on being a proper pureblood heir and not associating with "those heathen mongrels that don't know one end of their wand from their backside." It was... extremely uncharacteristic of her, he thought. Especially considering her normal composure. Still, it makes sense she feels this way. Even Auntie Artemisia had some lingering arrogance and resentment towards muggles, and she had practically grown up as one! Still, he wasn't inclined to disagree too much. After all, his time at the Dursleys certainly seemed to show everything that Cassiopeia said was somewhat truthful. Still, he mused, he wasn't completely comfortable with writing off the entire muggle population as worthless slaves or manual labor. But he would have to think of this later as a call from Artemisia broke him from his reverie.
"Hadrian, dear, it's about time we left."
Nodding, Hadrian grabbed the trunk, charmed to be feather light, and dragged it to the Floo. Grabbing a pinch of the powder, he clearly annunciated "Blackstone Hall" before stepping through.
With a large green flame, he appeared in the Antechamber of the Black family Manor and stumbled out of the fireplace, tripping over himself as Cassiopeia watched disapprovingly. Hadrian looked down abashed at the look and smiled sheepishly.
Sighing wearily, Cassiopeia gestured for him to get off the ground and away from the fireplace. Hadrian hurried over and dusted off his robes. They were still the same dress robes, and he felt that they were incredibly stuffy and dress like, but they were his so he wouldn't complain. Though, he was determined to find something that didn't make him look so much like a girl when he was taken shopping.
Cassiopeia looked at the child beside her and sighed. Over the past few days, she had observed the child and judged his worth. She indeed had to admit that the child was incredibly precocious. He had already learned to read, well before most of his peers. Why, the Malfoy child the other day was still forcing his parents to read him Beedle the Bard stories. Where the Potter child seemed to be able to read a large tome on the history of the Black family, and understand it to the extent that he could get a gist of what was happening at different points, if not the whole picture. And what's more, he listened to her words, and those of the rest of the family he had met with uncharacteristic intelligence, often asking questions that surprised herself and those very same members for their perceptiveness. His magical core also seemed to be abnormally large for his age, but that was still an unknown given that magical cores did not fully stabilize until around age 10. Still, overall, she could not find any fault within the boy. He tried as hard as he could to perform to their expectations, and had far exceeded many of them she thought ruefully. The most striking memory of the boy for her was a few days ago when he had asked about the sacred twenty eight.
As she had talked and drawn up charts and etiquette guidelines, the boy just listened and seemed to soak it up. She could see the boy not fully agree with what she was saying, though his own experiences with the Dursleys (she sneered at this) should have reinforced them. But approvingly, he did not confront her then and get angry or upset and with righteous fury as a Gryffindor would, but rather adopted a more thoughtful look as he tried to understand exactly what the issue with muggles and muggleborns were. She could almost see the boy apply his almost frightening intelligence to the task of not only understanding, but seeing if how these values applied to his new life. In the end, he simply asked quietly, "If muggles are so weak, then why do we hide?"
Cassiopeia had been taken aback at the question and began to give an answer, but paused. She decided to use this as another learning opportunity. "Why do you think?"
"I don't know. But I will, when I can understand." he replied with a thoughtful shrug. That, more than anything, indicated to her that the boy was a worthwhile addition to the family. He thought first, and sought to understand before making judgments, even if he didn't agree at first. She could say that the boy grew on her, which would be a huge understatement. She was actually quite fond of the boy, if her actions at Privet Drive were anything to judge by. Still, she mused, can't let the boy or others know: it was improper.
The chime of the floo wards rang again as Artemisia preceded George through the fireplace. Just as George stepped out, with a small stumble, Sirius strode in with Arcturus. The Lord and Heir of House Black obviously engaged in some conversation.
"Remember Sirius, everything must be done by August. I'm sure that Dumbledore will be aware by then, especially as the Dursley's have so suddenly moved away without any reason. And don't forget about Gringotts. Blodrig Goldblade, the Goblin Gorthan of Rome, should be able to help you."
Sirius nodded. "Don't worry, grandfather. Though I may not act the part, I do know how to be the Heir of House Black. And this is for Hadrian."
"Very well, may Hecate bless you." Arturus waited a few moments after they all left before sagging slightly, feeling every one of his venerable 93 years. Slowly, he turned from the Antechamber as he began preparations for the monthly Wizengamot meeting to be held later that day. If Dumbledore thought he was getting that new heirloom seizure bill passed, he would have another think coming.
Upon arriving at the Florence Villa, Cassiopeia immediately began a complicated series of diagnostic charms on the wards and arithmancy calculations. "Remember Aunt Cassiopeia, nothing that requires a human sacrifice. We just need to bring it to a level where we can escape."
Nodding absent mindedly, and still muttering to herself about "overlapping domes", "pierce damage", and "runic overlay" the formidable Madam Black wandered off.
"Welcome to Florence, Hadrian. Why don't you get settled in, and we can go sightseeing later? Maybe after lunch?"
Hadrian exclaimed, "Sure, Padfoot. Where do I sleep?"
Sirius brought the boy upstairs showing him the room directly across his, and showing Artemisia and George to one of the other unused guestrooms along the way. Hadrian quickly unpacked his meager belongings and looked around the room. It was sizable and contained a bathroom complete with shower. He sighed contentedly and flopped on the bed. What a change from his previous cupboard? He shivered, and resolved to become as strong as he could.
o.o.o.o.o.
July 3, 1985 - Sphinx's Tail, Vertic Alley, Milan, Italy
It had been a few days since they had arrived in Florence. Sirius had taken Hadrian shopping earlier in the day in Milan for his new wardrobe. Of course, being the MAMN House of Black, nothing but the absolute best would suffice. And so they found themselves in the Twin Ribbons Boutique under the personal care of Madame Albina De Vitis, the world renown Italian seamstress who was regarded as the best in the business on mainland Europe. Indeed, Madam Smythers of Twilfitt and Tattings had been apprenticed to Madame De Vitis. They had just finished and were unceremoniously shooed out as Madame De Vitis declared, "Enough of your foolishness, you mangy mutt. I can't work with you muddling my creativity! Come back in two days! Bah! Begone!"
And so, they made their way to the Sphinx's Tail, a very upscale restaurant catering to upper class purebloods of exquisite tastes to meet a friend of Sirius'. Of course, with this being the case, there was not a single item on the menu that was less than 250 galleons. A trifle when compared to the wealth held by the Black Family.
As soon as they entered, they were escorted most courteously to a private booth where they were met by the solitary figure of woman in blood red dress robes with pinned up midnight-black hair and heavy-lidded obsidian eyes calmly sipping at her wine, which Sirius identified as a rather dry House-elf Agensberry White.
"Why, Sirius, don't you know it's rude to make a lady wait?" she teased.
"I apologize Caterina, it seems Madame De Vitis had more fun than I expected playing dress up doll with my godson, Hadrian." he gestured to the boy.
"You could have helped! Those pins hurt!" Hadrian whined.
Sirius laughed and introduced the lady as Caterina Marguerite De Medici, Grand Duchess of Tuscany and watched approvingly as Hadrian kissed the back of her hand and offered a shy "how do you do?" as protocol dictated.
With that, the two males sat down and picked up the menu as the three made small talk to pass the time.
o.o.o.o.o.
Caterina was shocked. This was the boy who lived?
It had been some hours since dinner had begun and the group was just finishing up their desert after the succulent five course meal. She didn't know what she expected, but a polite charming boy wasn't among them. Last she heard, he was being raised in the muggle world for his own safety. How did he possibly get into the graces of the House of Black?
She tried asking some probing questions, but Sirius and the boy both danced around them, with the boy becoming increasingly uncomfortable as the meal wore on. She decided she needed to know more, and so managed to sneak an invitation tonight back to the Black Villa with them. Of course, the reason she gave was because she wished to renew her acquaintance with Cassiopeia Black, who had been a close friend of her mother's but that she had not seen recently, but everyone there, except Hadrian, seemed to know it was an outright lie. The smirk Sirius sent her merely confirmed this.
After the meal, the trio quickly exited the premises before apparating to the Villa. Once they were inside, Sirius promptly sent Hadrian off to bed with Artemisia and George and called for Cassiopeia.
The two Blacks, and the De Medici Heiress settled themselves in the large sitting room sipping their exquisitely expensive wine, a rather fruity Elderberry White from 1852, musing over their private thoughts.
"So what did you want to know?" Sirius inquired, as the silence finally broke.
"Everything," came the immediate response from Caterina.
And so, another was brought into the fold.
o.o.o.o.o.
July 4, 1985 - Villa del Trebbio, Florence, Italy.
It was the next day and Sirius had been asked (summarily ordered) to visit the current summer residence of the Grand Duchess of Tuscany. So it was on this fine summer morning that he choked on his wine disbelieving that he had actually heard her say that.
"You want me to WHAT?!"
"Marry me." came the calm voice of Caterina, as she sat on the divan sipping at the Bachan Red in her hand. "After all, you know what that would mean for me, and I know how you feel about me."
Sirius spluttered as he turned red. "But it's all so sudden. After what happened in March... I mean, are you sure?"
Caterina nodded.
Sirius let out a breath. "Alright. You know the deal with houses like ours. I'll have the paperwork tomorrow. I'll drop it off in the morning, during Hadrian's lessons."
Caterina nodded turned to stare out the large bay window framing her study. Yes, it was the best option she had right now. She could get along with Sirius, they were after all old friends, and knew that in time she could grow to love him. Many girls weren't so lucky. And the boy. After everything she learned last night, she felt for the poor dear, she really did. She felt that she could be a decent mother, after all, they couldn't have his only female influence be a strict knowledge obsessed aunt and a squib. No, that just wouldn't do. But if she was honest to herself, it wasn't just altruism that motivated her. She had finally found a solution to all the problems stemming from her being unable to conceive an Heir.
Hadrian was able to turn from such a wretched existence into a polished young man of class in just a few days, why that kind of determination, intelligence, and dare she say it, strength wasn't something she could just pass up. She needed a heir like that and this was her solution. After all, Blood Adoption only works if the recipient was related as family. The addition of any foreign blood during a Blood Adoption somehow caused the body to destroy itself in a slow wasting disease. By marrying Sirius, she would in essence become a Black allowing Hadrian not only to be Blood Adopted into the Black family, but also into the De Medici family. Hadrian would be the Heir of three Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses, and by the time she was done with him, he would have the temperament to match. That inherent shyness and kindness of the boy needed to be tempered into something harder. She smirked. Woe unto any who wished ill on her soon to be son.
Yes, this was the perfect solution.
o.o.o.o.o.
July 4, 1985 - Blacktone Hall, Lord's Study, Wiltshire
"And then she asked me to marry her. I'll be using the Marriage Contract that we use for houses of equal footing, but insert that we have Primacy after the House of Potter. As you know, the final decisions rest in the hands of the Head of House."
Arcturus leaned back in his chair as he mused over the information he had just received from Sirius. It seems Sirius had had an interesting few days in Florence. Not the least of which was finally getting engaged. To be honest, he had been expecting something like this ever since Sirius began waxing poetic about "Caterina this" and "Caterina that" in his letters and floo calls. Arcturus had even caught him hiding the traditional Black engagement ring in his robes once, as if he wouldn't notice the ring had been withdrawn from the vault. In principle, he approved. The move would bring the two old and respected houses closer together, technically three, but House Potter was down to its last direct inheritable member. There were some distant cousins as he could recall, living in Australia, but they were too distant from the main branch to inherit anything. But as for the Black and De Medici families, the last marriage between them had to have been, oh, maybe 400 years ago? The two people in question were also quite close and could grow to be in love. But emotions and ties aside, the political undertones still had to be addressed.
The Blacks, traditionally, had been a Conservative leaning family. However, with recent events, it seemed that half his usually staunch allies had turned to the mad ravings of an imposter Dark Lord (really now, what proper pureblood hides his lineage behind a false name?) and the Conservatives had been falling apart leading to the creation of a new coalition made up of former "suspected" Death Eaters pushing for increasingly "Dark" legislation. This only made the Progressives, as they were called, seem even more "Light" and only gave them momentum to push back harder. The De Medici's had always been a Neutral, or Moderate family. It came with being mainly a merchant family. They ran and supplied perhaps 25% of the worlds magical markets with various merchandise, from wine to broomsticks, to books and clothing. Perhaps, he mused, it would be time to begin a subtle shift away from the "Dark", as it was increasingly being called, and towards the Neutrals.
The dowry of a Grand Duchess of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of De Medici was nothing to look down upon either. It was suitably large and would undoubtedly include a large sum of money, various heirlooms, and estates throughout the world, but in the long run would be meaningless as Hadrian would become Heir and eventual lord of both families. It meant that everything of the De Medici's would come under the Primacy of the Black Family, and it would be a good starting point to expand some of the Black businesses overseas, which had been stonewalled over the past few years by the increasingly "Light" controlled Wizengamot. After all, the De Medici's were famed for their variety of useful contacts.
All in all, the move would be greatly in favor of the House of Black, and would be worth it if she could prove herself. It would not do for the future Lady of the House of Black to be a disgrace to the name and title. With a nod, he acquiesced Sirius' request, and moved to open the document safe.
"Yes, Sirius. That seems most acceptable. Allow me to make the changes now."
"Yes, Grandfather. It will be a very rushed wedding, as it needs to happen before the thirty first. Any idea how to make it work?"
"Ask Cassiopeia, she's always up for planning a social event. The bigger and the more proper, the better. Especially if she gets some new gossip on everyone."
Sirius snorted. That sounded just like Cassiopeia. "Alright. We were hoping to have the ceremony on the twenty-ninth. That way, we have a whole day before the Blood Adoption. And we'd delay the honeymoon until the middle of August, citing her need for more rest after the incident in March."
Arcturus nodded. It made sense. and continued filling out and editing the document. Finishing with a flourish, he handed the sheaf over to Sirius and said, "Floo me when she is finished and wants to talk."
Sirius nodded and left.
o.o.o.o.o.
July 5,1985 - Twin Ribbons, Vertic Alley, Milan
Sirius had given Caterina the sheaf early that morning during Harry's lesson on etiquette. He shuddered. He had never liked those lessons, but that probably had more to do with how his mother would hit him with a stinging curse every time he got something wrong.
But it was now just past three, and they had to pick up Hadrian's new clothes, as well as the boots for his grandmother.
They entered the shop and were immediately greeted by Madame De Vitis and pulled into the same back room they had used last time. Quickly, and efficiently, she showed them her creations. He loved them all and waited for the clerk to package them as Sirius and Madame De Vitis moved to the counter to discuss payment.
Following Sirius to the counter, Hadrian listened closely to the conversation the adults were having.
"Lets see, the dragon hide, basilisk hide, aries wool, bicorn fur, and various accessories, plus the tailoring and enchantment fee, runic stitching, and shirts, pants, etc. plus a full wardrobe and preferred customer discount, the total comes to 17,582 galleons."
Hadrian's eyes bugged out. His clothes cost that much money? That was... ridiculous, did Sirius even have that much money to pay for it all? What was he going to do?
Sirius, spotting his godson freaking out, turned to him, winked, and pulled out a gold key. "Charge it to Hadrian's trust vault."
Hadrian's blinked. What? His... trust vault?
Madam De Vitis took the key and pressed it onto the bottom of the receipt. It flashed blue for a moment before Albina returned the key to Sirius, and the receipt copied itself in triplicate. One copy floated over to Sirius, and one to Albina, and the other disappeared to Gringotts as an official transfer of funds notice. Of course, none of this was known to Hadrian.
"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention earlier, Hadrian, Grandfather set up a traditional trust vault for you. It should contain 70,000,000 galleons given your age, a little less now, after that transaction, but still a respectable amount. Here's the key."
Sirius handed the little golden key to the boy who stared and clutched at it like a life line. he had access to seventy million galleons?! Even he knew that was obscene for a four, soon to be five year old. He just couldn't comprehend that amount.
"Of course, there are restrictions, as it's just a trust vault. But for now, just hold onto it. I or one of the others will explain Gringotts and trust vaults to you later."
Hadrian nodded as he stood there still trying to wrap his mind around seventy million galleons.
"The bicorn boots will be another 145 galleons." Albina told Sirius, who nodded and proceeded to pull out a pouch from his pocket.
"145 galleons" he announced clearly, and dumped the contents of the pouch into the cash box. Albina nodded satisfied, as the box flashed blue to show the correct amount was deposited.
"Oh, and we may be back in August for some modifications." Sirius informed Albina with a wink.
She nodded gracefully and smiled before bidding the two good day as they left the store.
o.o.o.o.o.
July 5, 1985 - Blue Room, Black Villa, Florence
"Judging by your earlier confusion with Sirius, you don't know anything about wizarding banks, economy, inheritances, or goblins. This will need to be rectified as we are meeting Gorthan Blodrig tomorrow in Rome, and you will not embarrass the House of Black with your ignorance," admonished Cassiopeia sternly. "To that end, I have prepared a selection of reading material on those topics. I expect you to finish them by dinner, after which I will test you on it. Any questions you have will be answered at that time. Understand?"
Hadrian dutifully nodded, and began perusing the books provided. Cassiopeia nodded in satisfaction and left to begin laying down the ward stones for the new improvements. Really, that the family had let the wards fall to this deplorable level was unbecoming of their House. Well, at least she could fix it.
Hours seemed to pass in seconds as Hadrian voraciously devoured the material and sent elves to get additional reference material. Not that he understood everything. But it was enough for him to get a decent big picture.
It seemed that he wouldn't be able to claim Heir Primus status until age 11. Until then, he would be a Heir Presumptive. The reasoning that the magical core stabilizes at age 10 and that individuals are identified by their unique magical signature for purposes of inheritance made sense, though it had an obvious flaw in that what if said Heir died before claiming. It was a topic to look up later. At age 15, one could claim Lord Presumptive status as part of the End-of-Line Clause, if one was the last male descendant of the inheritable branch of the family. The Banking Treaty of 1784 explicitly listed the terms for which a minor could claim lordship early. Full lordship status was granted at age 17, regardless of previous status, so long as the previous Lord had abdicated, died, or was otherwise unable to fulfill their duties. It was a cursory overview, but it gave him more than enough to think about for now.
In regards to vaults, he learned that most noble houses established trust vaults for their members, with money being taken from the main vault. Each member would only have access to their own trust vault, with the exception of the heads of branches and the lord. Heads of branches would have access to the trust vaults of their immediate branch, and Lords controlled all vaults of the family. The trust vaults varied in size, but for the Black Family, a traditional trust vault held 50 million galleons at birth and a further 5 million would be deposited each name-day. How obscene. He supposed he should get used to it. This seemed to be his life now. In addition, as the direct heir of the Potter and Black families, he learned that he would have nominal access to the main vaults at age 15. More access in regards to the Potter vaults if he claimed Lord Presumptive status at that time.
The structure of the Bank of Gringotts was also rather intriguing. Formally, the bank fell under the authority of the Goblin Nation. However, in practice, there was actually a council of 12 Goblin Lords, or Gorthans, that managed the affairs. These main branches were located in London, Rome, St. Petersberg, Moscow, Paris, New York City, Washington D.C. San Francisco, Beijing, Tokyo, Buenos Aires, and Sydney. Each was managed by a Goblin Lord, or Gorthan in formalized Gobbledygook, with several smaller branches spread around their area of operation. They would be meeting the Gorthan of the Rome branch tomorrow.
The rest of his readings was rather uneventful and he learned many new things about goblins and their race as a whole. As well as their culture and traditions and how to interact with them. Goblins were quick to anger and did not forgive insults, intentional or not, very easily. He passed the test with flying colors when Cassiopeia came to check up on him.
o.o.o.o.o.
July 6, 1985 - Red Duchess Inn & Tavern, Horizont Alley, Rome
The bell dinged lightly as the creaky door opened to admit a small boy, followed by the indomitable presence of Heir Primus Sirius Orion Black. To say sightings of the recluse Heir Black were rare was an understatement. But it was the young child with him that almost hypnotically drew their gaze. The boy couldn't have been older than 4 or 5 at the most. His high cheekbones, and slightly upturned nose, paired with his midnight black hair neatly tied back with a black velvet strip and obviously expensive but fashionable and understated robe and coat bespoke of his noble heritage. His excited emerald eyes, tinged with flecks of gold, surveyed the dingy establishment.
"Come now Hadrian, we don't have time to waste." Sirius said hurrying to the back of the bar as patrons scurried like rats out of his way. One drew the ire of the Black family at their own peril. It was rumored that the last individual to annoy a Black was now living a as a wretch in Knockturn Alley. More than a bit removed from his previous lifestyle as a Pureblood Heir. "Yes, Padfoot." the boy, now identified as Hadrian, replied.
Sirius proceeded to pull open the door marked "Maintenance only" and proceeded to step through to Horizont Alley. Hadrian followed behind him.
Confidently, the pair strode down the alley to the white marbled building that housed the Roman branch of Gringotts Bank. Sirius stopped before the steps a moment and bowed to the goblins on guard, as Hadrian mimicked him, before speaking in Italian.
"Good day, master Goblins. We request entry to the Nation on financial matters of a private and delicate matter." The pair stood facing the goblins, faces closed off and neutral.
The Goblins grinned widely as the surrounding masses stared in confusion. They conversed quickly in Gobleygook before bowing back and replying.
"It is good to see that some still know the traditions, however few they may be. Be welcome, Heir Black and guest, and enter. May your coffers be ever full."
"And may the blood of your enemies always flow." Sirius replied as per tradition, before striding quickly to the bank, taking no note of the confused rabble he had left behind. Hadrian hurried to follow him, taking no note of the riddle on the second set of doors, mostly because he couldn't read it.
When it was their turn to approach the teller, Sirtius strode up first with his cold neutrality and spoke clearly and confidently, "I and my charge have an appointment with Lord Blodrig today to go over delicate financial matters pertaining to his inheritance." The goblin sneered and rang a small bell, "Of course, Heir Black. Bloodclaw will show you the way," all while gesturing in the direction of the goblin that was just summoned.
The pair followed silently before arriving at a set of solid silver doors. Bloodclaw knocked twice before speaking quietly in Gobbledygook. The doors opened to reveal a dark paneled office with plush cushions and settees, along with an older and more distinguished goblin who was scribbling with a quill.
"Ah, Heir Black and guest. I've been expecting you. Please, have a seat."
"Thank you, Lord Blodrig. A pleasure, as always."
The apparent goblin Lord snorted. "A pleasure for only one of us I assure you." Finished with the document, he handed it to Bloodclaw with some instructions in Gobbledygook. "Now, how may Gringotts be of service today?"
"My charge here, is Hadrian James Potter. We request a formal accounting of his assets in your bank. You see, he never received his Vault Key for the Potter Trust Vault, nor the monthly account statements."
Blodrig narrowed his eyes as he studied the young boy who tried to shy away from the frightening gaze. It was one thing to read and study about goblins. Quite another to be under their uncomfortably scrutinizing gaze.
Slowly, he spoke. "That is indeed most unfortunate. Perhaps you should start at the beginning of the tale?" the goblin ordered more than asked. "In the meanwhile, I shall summon the Potter Account Manager and Lord Golade from the London Branch. Will that be acceptable?"
Sirius nodded, and waited for the two goblins to join them before beginning the story, with an occasional interruption from Hadrian when he forgot something or needed a detail he wasn't there for.
"I see..." said Lord Golade. "I know that those Account statements were sent out every month on the first of the month. That you have not received them is disturbing... Scalord, you shall purge your department and find the goblin responsible."
Scalord, the Potter Account Manager, nodded once and made a note on the sheaf he had brought before speaking.
"In the meanwhile, I shall close all account transactions and fully audit the vaults and accounts. You can be assured that the leak will be found."
"That it will, or I'll have your head!" snarled Lord Golade, as the three goblins viciously spoke to each other in Gobbledygook seeming to be arguing about something.
Sirius interrupted when it seemed like it would go on for some time. "Thank you master goblins. We will be content to wait for the results of the audit before requesting an accounting of assets. However, I have one Potter heirloom I would like to inquire about."
This seemed to gather the attention of the goblins who exchanged one last nasty round of glares before turning to their guests.
Lord Golade gathered his wits first. "Oh? And what exactly is this... heirloom?"
"A cloak. Specifically an invisibility cloak."
Scalord nodded in recognition. "Ah, yes, let's see... According to my notes, the Potter invisibility cloak was withdrawn from the main vault by one Albus Dumbledore on the night of October 28, 1981 with written permission from Lord James Charlus Potter. It has not since been returned despite multiple requests." he finished rather angrily.
Sirius frowned but nodded in thought... "That... complicates matters... Is there any way to have the cloak returned?"
The goblins thought, before Blodrig spoke. "We may be able to do so if we serve notice of an imminent audit."
Golade and Scalord nodded.
"Then please do." Sirius replied. "That was everything we had for today. Please let us know when you have the results or any further information."
The goblins nodded and bowed them out of the Bank.
o.o.o.o.o.
July 6, 1985 - Blackstone Hall, Wiltshire, Britain
Arcturus waited patiently as he listed his newest conditions. It had been some hours since Grand Duchess Caterina De Medici had flooed him to discuss the contract and negotiate terms.
"Then the final point to discuss is business terms. As agreed, the House of De Medici will provide the House of Black with a five percent discount on all transactions direct with them. In return, House Black will waive the fee for use an access to the Black Dragon Farms."
Caterina nodded and voiced her acceptance of the terms.
"In that case, I welcome you to the family Grand Duchess De Medici. And may I be the first to congratulate you on your upcoming nuptials?"
"Yes, you may. I look forward to a most rewarding partnership with the House of Black."
Both of them smirked at the underlying hidden meaning in that sentence.