Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any affiliated Works mentioned herein. J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury Co., and or Scholastic Books own or are entitled to any and all rights and or responsibilities affiliated with the works of Harry Potter and all monies made as such. I do not make any monies and write along this plotline for pure enjoyment reasons.
A/N: This story is being written as a response to a challenge posted by The Last of the Pendragons. A reminder to all dedicated fan fiction readers, I am in need of a beta so if you would like to take on this arduous task then please private message me.
Enjoy!
-Prie
Chapter 3 – Into the Alley
For Harry Potter, Diagon Alley is more than a market within the Wizarding world, more than a reminder of what is to come within the next few days, no Diagon Alley for Harry Potter means coming home. Never before had Harry felt such strong attachment to an Alley.
Tonks had met Harry in the main atrium of the Ministry of Magic, she held out her arm for Harry to take and stuck and hand into her pocket where an odd looking button lay unattended. Harry looked into her eyes, they were grey almost a silky white that stood out in great contrast to the bright neon blue hair that covered her head. Her eyes were even more accented by the dark eye shadow and liner she wore. For most women Harry knew or had seen on the tele, Tonks would have looked gothic and out of place, but like the rare beautiful model that walked the runways in Paris and Milan, Tonks looked amazing. She had an exotic look to herself and combined with the pristine fitted auror robes she wore, her hair and eyes made her look only a few years out of the late eighties that had cemented such a radical style in the muggle world.
"Hello Nymphadora," stated Harry plainly as he walked by the clumsy Auror and continued towards the visitor exit.
Catching sight of Harry as he briskly walked towards the exit, the rookie Auror took quick brisk steps to catch up with her charge of the day. She had started out as guarding Madame Bones's niece during the previous summer as her first field assignment.
"Hey PRAT!" called Tonks across the atrium of the Ministry building. Her calling gathered some disgusted looks from the older crowd that was moving through the area at Tonks' lack of proper decorum within a public place. Harry played his role as being the oblivious passer-by and stared in faked shock at his watcher while she caught up to him.
"Must you make such noise Nymphadora? It is completely unbecoming of a lady like yourself and to think of how low the descendents of the Black clan have fallen. Tsk tsk."
A quick hand came from behind Harry and a moment later he was rubbing the back of his head while Tonks stood arms crossed as they entered the visitor exit. Her face showed satisfaction at causing the impudent brat some pain.
"Harry what have I told you about calling me my name? I thought we already had this conversation once after I turned your hair green for the day."
"Yea," responded Harry, "I do remember you however going around the house trying to find Snuffles so he could lick off all of the peanut butter that was in your hair, oh I loved that to. You should have seen your face Tonks. Now since your done having your little tantrum, we are short on time and must hurry if I'm going to be able to finish my shopping in time for my curfew."
Once on the muggle side, Harry was once again in his comfort zone. He hailed a cab and treated Tonks to her first view of London since the days when she was a little girl and her mom had to deal with her aunt's death. They drove by Big Ben just as the massive bells within struck noon. The duo had five hours before they were due to apparate back to Grimmauld Place.
It took nearly thirty minutes before the cabby dropped Harry and Tonks off in a deserted alley. He looked confused as to why two such finely dressed individuals would want to be dropped off in such a ratty part of London, but took his fare and tip and left without another word.
The alley was empty for the most part. It seemed as if the Wizarding world was waiting for the Hogwarts lists to arrive before moving out to shop for their children. It puzzled Harry to no end how a world that cherished children with such regard could condemn so many as if they were nothing more than slaves to do work unbefitting of someone with such noble lines. Harry thoughts wandered as he slowly moved down Diagon Alley. He was contemplating his life from the first time he walked into this new world and finally moved away from his aunt and uncle. It seemed though that Harry's world had done a complete one-eighty. Where he was once a small boy whom everyone shied away from because they didn't want to be associated with a delinquent to a famous hero within the Wizarding world; Harry had never felt such a mix of feelings. On one hand he had fame and notoriety that few could ever wish for, but he also held titles. His titles alone were as powerful as his accomplishments as a person. His world took a turn at age eleven that he never thought was possible.
It only took five minutes to travel to the far side of the alley where Gringotts stood. Its pearly white building stood above and beyond all the others. It seemed that for all the good in the magical world, witches and wizards still couldn't surpass those whom they put down.
As Harry and Tonks with her ever changing hair walked up the main stairs, Harry reread the inscription above the entry way. He felt the magical pull behind the words. If he had any way to read auras he would have seen the runes begin to glow brightly followed a thin magical beam connecting him with the ward runes around Gringotts. He had just entered into a compulsive agreement with the bank. During this visit he would never try to defraud or in some shape steal from the goblin nations. It was one of the few coded texts he had memorized while at the Black home in London. Most pureblooded wizards were taught from a young age to never read anything that wasn't on parchment. Parchment couldn't be tied to a wardstone of any kind and no head of house wanted their family entering into any binding contracts that would tie them to anything against their family.
"I have business while a senior level goblin," stated Harry.
A goblin on the other side of the teller just looked at the boy across from him. He stood tall and proud in robes that eloquently draped off his shoulders and hung just above the floor. The goblin could even see the family crest upon the left breast, the Blacks.
"If you will follow me Mr. Black I will take you to your account manager."
"No. Take me to the Potter manager," interrupted Harry, "take this letter to the Black Manager."
The goblin just looked at Harry and then eyed Tonks. His eyes stayed upon the girl just long enough for Harry to notice. He was waiting for Harry to give the okay. Usually when a family came they were all together and dress similarly, but the Tonks was wearing her official Auror robes and Gringotts was known for their discretion.
"Her blood is noble and once that letter is read will be a Black again."
The goblins only response was to nod and begin walking down a long hallway. Either side showed epic scenes in goblin history. Their taking of Stonehenge a near half millennium ago was the only one Harry noticed and remembered from his history class at Hogwarts. The murals seemed to move between their fighting victories over humans and the age old battle between the dwarves.
Dwarves and Goblins have been in a constant struggle for power since the time of written word. It was the Dwarves who originally tunneled out most of the lower levels of Gringotts. Their skill in mining could not even be matched by the goblins. The Dwarves mined for the stones, metals, and minerals while the Goblins tunneled in random directions following half formed veins of mitral. A feud soon developed between the two magical races when the Dwarves began digging deeper and deeper into the bowels of the earth following veins of minerals to their starting point. There they would mine the precious source of building cement and haul it to the surface through newly built tunnels so the goblins wouldn't see them moving the Mithril through Gringotts tunnels. Then about two hundred years ago nearly all dwarves vanished overnight. Some say they retreated to a hidden underground castle, while others said the goblins killed and ate them. No one really knows.
"Ms. Tonks, Duke Potter. How may I help you today," said a burley looking goblin with fang like teeth who wanted nothing more than to sneer at the impudent humans before him.
"You know as well as I do that your position depends upon my approval. You were neither appointed by a Potter or a member of the previous managers of my family's wealth. You are a nobody and a nothing who has horded over wealth and privileges neither earned nor inherited. You Tailgrabber are no longer the Potter account manager. Be gone and send in Griphook from accounting. His father will take over and apprentice his son." replied Harry with all the cold and venom of a Slytherin.
"You must be confused HUMAN, I'm am Senior Account Manager Tailgrabber and have the full support of the goblin nation behind me and my approval at this appointed post by YOUR ministry HUMAN. Do not mess with the goblin nation; it will not turn out well in the end."
Tonks could feel the tension in the room begin to tighten and felt the magic between this goblin Tailgrabber and Harry become more restricted with each passing second.
"Harry, don't you…" was all Tonks managed to say before she was interrupted by Harry who seemed to care what she said.
"Me afraid of you? I have seen the account statements for the past year and have seen the earning reports for the companies that my father invested in before he died. They haven't changed." Harry was fuming. This goblin, whom he had no problem with prior to his visit, just irked him. He was Harry Potter and as Sirius had taught him over the last week, was the last Potter in name and line. His family was around and ruling Europe before the goblins and dwarves split into two distinct races. "You goblin must have me confused with someone else. For I am the last Potter and upon the death of my godfather the final requirement for the remerging of the line of kings will be complete, I will become King of England once again fool. I have your races sworn oath. Do not test me goblin, be gone or it will be your head."