The Great Goblin Rebellion October 1991

What triggered a goblin rebellion in October 1991? Harry Potter's introduction to magical Britain goes differently, and Hagrid's trip to the secret vault…well, the cart gets tipped off the track completely.

Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling, the creative lady who shared her wizard and his life with the world. She's kind enough to allow others to play on her beach for a while.

&& FROM LAST CHAPTER &&

Steelcrusher spoke up and said, "Auror Moody, do you know the name Tom Riddle?"

"No!" shouted Dumbledore. "No one must speak of this! No one!"

"Dumbledore, tell me now if you know anything about Quirrell!" shouted Amelia Bones. "Unless he's in custody this week, my Susan will not set foot in Hogwarts 1 September or any other day! None of the children will come to Hogwarts!"

The third and fourth goblins, who'd remained silent throughout the meeting, leaned their heads close together. Ironstream said, "This is most excellent! The recording will be forwarded to the ICW to prove Fudge is a fool, Dumbledore lost his composure, and we've revealed that a professor is possessed before the beginning of the school year."

Sowsbreath replied, "But who is this Tom Riddle fellow that the mention of his name disconcerted Dumbledore so? And what was the stone that Quirrell took from the half-giant?"

After thinking and reviewing his knowledge of 'stones' that wizards thought magical and great treasures, Ironstream looked away and muttered, "No, Sturrdel Dumbledore would not dare to have brought that obscenity into Gringotts London."

Ragnock and Steelcrusher noticed the sudden tension in Ironstream. Sowsbreath was silent, also thinking but not considering the same possible conclusion.

"Albus, you have created a great deal of confusion this afternoon," stated Cornelius. The minster motioned toward Amelia Bones and Alastor Moody who moved to stand on either side of the Grand Warlock. "I believe you should return to the Ministry for Magic and talk…really talk with the DMLE."

"No, I have too much to do…I must find the Dursleys…Harry Potter must return to his relatives."

Steelcrusher spoke up, "Mr Potter is a material witness in the case against this wizard – Quintus Quirrell or Tom Riddle – whoever he is. Per your own statements, our legal system is separate from yours so we will keep Mr Potter here, in Gringotts, until Quirrell is captured by our soldiers."

"But he's an innocent boy," Dumbledore insisted. "He can't have had…he didn't have anything to do with the misunderstanding with Professor Quirrell."

Steelcrusher growled and displayed his teeth, several with golden caps, and said, "Sturrdel-Gryhiglzehwe! Albus Dumbledore, you just watched this Quirrell fellow kill a goblin! He attacked your minion and put the half-giant on the ground! Quirrell stole your treasure from the giant's hand! And you still say this is a misunderstanding!"

"Albus, come with us," Alastor said. "We have to have a serious discussion about secrets."

"But the boy…"

"Mr Potter is perfectly safe inside the bank," Amelia said. "There are more guards here now than anytime since the Germans bombed London during the Blitz in the Second Muggle World War."

Reluctantly, Albus Dumbledore left Gringotts Bank without Rubeus Hagrid, the Boy-Who-Lived and the secret treasured that was hidden in Vault 713. He shuddered thinking about the implications of the Dark Lord having possession of the Philosopher's Stone.

Glancing at his companions as they moved through the Ministry for Magic, Dumbledore resolved to keep his secrets.

'I can resolve all issues with time if people will just listen to me.'

&& CHANGE SCENE &&

The two groups of goblins were summoned from the viewing room and they hurried away for a meeting to discuss their observations. This left Andrew Poppins, Andromeda Tonks, Hedwig and Harry Potter in the room without any distractions. The Boy-Who-Lived wanted to stay in the arms that held him close forever but Hedwig ruffled her feathers and 'spoke' to get him to slip from the comfortable lap to stand on his own two feet again.

"Thanks," Harry murmured before Mrs Tonks smiled, kissed his cheek, and stood to shake out the wrinkles in her skirt.

Andromeda noticed that Andrew was distracted, but she didn't press him for information. She turned to Harry and said, "Let's send for a messenger. Someone who can take my husband a note to join us for more…"

Before she could say more, the door opened and a group of goblins poured into the room, talking in their own language and the guards kindly escorted the humans and owls from the room. More goblins arrived, including Sowsbreath, Ironstream and Steelcrusher, before the door to the room was shut. Andrew seemed to be paying attention then because he called out, "Stuffy."

The house elf appeared almost instantly. Harry greeted the little fellow and asked Andromeda, "Have you ever met a house elf? He's Stuffy. He's Andrew's friend and helps with all the chores."

I have met house elves before," Andromeda said simply. "Mr Poppins, can your elf go to my husband and ask him to join us?"

The elf had already popped away and returned before Andrew could reply. Stuffy explained, "Mrs Tonks's mister be here soonest."

Thanks, Stuffy," Harry said and hugged the little fellow. Andromeda was surprised by the boy's move but Andrew simply smiled.

He added, "As soon as we have Mr Tonks present, we need to get out of the hallways."

"Why?" asked Andromeda.

"The goblins are going to become agitated again this afternoon when they realize that Dumbledore had a forbidden artefact in Vault 713."

The gentleman who'd been identified as Ted Tonks during the meeting between the wizards and goblins approached them in the hallway and Stuffy popped away. Ted took his wife's hand and kissed her cheek. Then she introduced him to Andrew Poppins – the two wizards bowed their heads at each other and then Andromeda said, "And this is Harry."

Ted smiled and offered to shake Harry's hand, "Mr Potter, my wife has tried to find you for ten years. I talked to every politician and bureaucrat in the Ministry for Magic more than once trying to find out where you were. I am very sorry we were unable to find you before today."

Shaking the man's hand, Harry said, "It's okay. I'm here now."

Now, let's go to my apartment before I get drafted to help with some measurements and spells to locate things," Andrew said. The party arrived back at the apartment with a small, Hoot owl seated on Andromeda's shoulder. Opening the door, everyone found a large tea spread out on a table and Stuffy waiting patiently.

"Where's the owl stand, Stuffy?" asked Andrew.

Harry quickly explained, "I packed everything in my trunk before you came for me this afternoon. I didn't want to take the chance of being sent…taken away without…without everything."

Andrew remained silent as the boy pulled out his trunk, enlarged it and pulled out the owl stand. Andromeda and Ted both noticed the owl stand had not been shrunken before placed inside the trunk but didn't comment. Andromeda did praise the boy, "Harry that was very forward thinking. You can pack it and take it with you all the time if you want."

"Andrew gave me the trunk and Stuffy loaded the kitchen with enough food for me and Hedwig for six months," the boy admitted.

Stuffy insisted, "Cursebreaker Poppins give guests and Harry tea and biscuits."

Unfortunately, Andrew turned toward the door just before there was a knock and he was summoned. He told everyone to enjoy the tea, told Harry to not leave the apartment for any reason before tomorrow morning, instructed Stuffy to personally escort Andromeda and Ted back to the bank lobby when they were ready to leave, and told the Tonks couple he and Harry would talk to them soon.

Andromeda poured the tea and filled up a plate for Harry and a second one for Ted with the biscuits. They sat around the dining room table, to enjoy the tea, and talked about the different people in the conference room. Ted asked Harry several questions about the viewing room and how did he think the magic worked to display the meeting in another room in the bank. Stuffy provided Harry with a small mouse that the boy took to Hedwig (in her natural size and colour) as her treat. After washing his hands, Harry came back to the table where Andromeda and Ted were still talking about the meeting.

"I think Dumbledore has lost his mind," Andromeda said. "He refused to admit that was Professor Quirrell in the captured scenes."

"And his robes…did you see the unicorns smashing into each other?"

Harry grinned and said, "It was funny. My cousin liked to watch shows on the telly where people would drive their cars around and smash into each other, yeah."

Ted grinned and told his wife, "A great muggle tradition called Demolition Derby."

"Men…flying on brooms or smashing cars into each other, all men are the same," the witch replied with good humour. Then she pasued, "But what caused that to happen during the meeting?"

Stuffy popped into the room and explained, "Mrs Ted's Wife and Mr Andromeda's Husband must remembers that magic be about powers and intentionals. All wands, spells, and potion bottles be about intentionals."

The couple frowned, not understanding. But Harry explained, "Hedwig and Stuffy are telling me that magic happens because you want it to happen. We have it but forget how to push it out."

"Intentionals!" Stuffy insisted. Hedwig watched everything quietly for a time, but then she began talking to Harry who translated to Mr and Mrs Tonks.

Hedwig says she watched Dumbledore from both sides and decided he's got too many secrets. The fellow in the recording was two wizards – that Quintus Quirrell fellow and an evil spirit named Tom Riddle."

The owl added a bit and Harry frowned before he said, "Hedwig says the evil spirit is only a part of the dead fellow named Tom Riddle. He was an idiot and cut up his soul."

"I agree with Hedwig," Ted replied.

Stuffy and Hedwig watched the two adults carefully when they stood to leave after the tea. Any attempt to take or hurt Harry would be met with force. But Andromeda simply asked to be hugged again and she kissed the top of Harry's head before agreeing to visit again the next day. Ted smiled, shook Harry's hand again and then the house elf led the couple from the apartment, the door shutting firmly behind them.

&& CHANGE SCENE &&

Throughout Gringotts London, Goblins and Cursebreakers cast revealing charms and detection spells. Every capable goblin was in the tunnels leading to vaults casting spells looking for powerful and forbidden magics.

Ironstream and Sowsbreath sat on either side of a distraught Hagrid and coaxed him to remember and share the memories of being attacked by Professor Quirrell – what did the stone in the bag feel like?

"Didn't feel like nuttin' 'cept a rock – a small rock," Hagrid admitted. "Th' bag was shiny iron like and there'd be no magic comin' fr'm it."

&& CHANGE SCENE &&

Andrew Poppins joined Steelcrusher outside Vault 713 to cast rock memory spells – what did the rock in the walls know and remember? The results from Vault 713 were similar to the interrogation of the half-giant. It was as if nothing magical had been stored in the vault for the four months it had been rented by Albus Dumbledore.

Steelcrusher asked, "Poppins, would Dumbledore have set this whole thing up with something fake? Something to draw out an opponent? Even if he aggravated the whole goblin nation to do it?"

"Or did he have the magical treasure in a magical bag that blocked all the magic to hide it from goblin eyes and charms, while waiting for his opponent to strike?"

"And why send the half-giant to retrieve it?"

"On the same day the half-giant brought Harry to the bank and Diagon Alley?"

"Phvyhgs-Sturrdel-Gryhiglzehwe Dumbledore," cursed Steelcrusher. The goblin noticed the human didn't react to the curse with a smile or a frown. "No opinion?"

Andrew took a deep breath and said, "Phvyhgs-Sturrdel-Gryhiglzehwe doesn't begin to describe Albus Dumbledore in my opinion. I don't think it was a feint because of the true reactions the headmaster had during the meeting. He was shocked to hear the name Tom Riddle used today."

There was a sudden alarm in another level of the vaults that sent Steelcrusher and Poppins running along the tunnels. Outside the vault belonging to Bellatrix Lestrange (nee Black), four goblins and Cursebreakers cast several detection spells.

"The Phvyhgs-Sturrdel-Gryhiglzehwe has rolled in the dragon dung and danced on the stage at the Royal Albert Hall naked," one muggle-born wizard declared. "There's a horcrux inside this vault."

END OF CHAPTER

Author Notes on Goblin Curses:

I enjoy the goblin curses used in earlier stories. They do not have English translations because they deal with human mating practices as imagined by adolescent goblins who have only met a few wizards and generally never seen a witch in their lifetimes.

Sturrdel: (Mild obscenity dealing with a wizard confusing mating with breathing).

Sturrdel-Gryhiglzehwe (Aggravated obscenity: A wizard confuses a boggart with a witch, attempts to mate, and asks a goblin for directions).

Phvyhgs-(Humorous obscenity: Human males approaching a boggart and attempting to mate).

Phvyhgs-Sturrdel-Gryhiglzehwe (Most obscene: A wizard confuses one or more boggarts or trolls with one or more witches, and attempts to mate with some level of success).