A/N: Sorry for the length and detail of the later part after skimping at the beginning. I love writing about Gringotts Goblins. The early part of a brief description only, leading up to things actually happening.
Aftermath of a Proper Introduction, Establishment of Trust
Harry first contacted the Deputy Headmistress as recommended by his other-dimensional self. The result was that a number of pamphlets had been sent back by his new owl, Hedwig (a name he had found in the History book and one the owl had apparently liked). The pamphlets were all useful.
Professor McGonagall came two days later to take him to St. Mungo's. He had taken a few potions and was scanned for any other issues. Besides some old damage from an incident involving his cousin a few years earlier and needing a few vitamin and mineral supplements, he was in good shape.
His eyesight, however, was horrible. This came from, apparently, the curse on his forehead and some genetic predisposition inherited from his father. The healers had contacted some Gringotts cursebreakers and, shockingly, Gringotts had provided with very little fuss.
After getting that taken care of he had been sent to an eye-healer with an office in Diagon. His new glasses were much better than his old, and were charmed to be unbreakable. They could also only be summoned by himself.
His new glasses were made self-correcting and he was told that his eye-sight might revert now that the curse was removed, so it was ill-advised to try to try potions or charms or other methods to try to repair his eyesight. It was an expensive option, anyway, and most wizards made no attempt until after they were 25. It was known that the human body continues to grow and mature until that age, regardless of when a person was legally an adult.
He had then taken his counterparts advice and ordered a number of other books for reference. The Deputy Headmistress had a distinct look of approval at his desire for more detail.
She had also been impressed by his living situation.
When she had arrived at his house, he had brought her into his room. Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress, looked around the room with an approving look. "This is very nice, Mr. Potter." She saw his cage. "How did you make the cage so perfectly?" she asked.
Harry was hesitant. "Actually, Professor, it was done for me. It was nothing like this the day I was given my letter. It was like this when I came back."
Alarmed she asked, "Do you know who did these charms?"
Harry nodded and then said, "I do, Professor."
"Who?" she asked.
Harry hesitated but finally asked, "Can you keep a secret?"
Professor McGonagall looked at him as though gauging him. "If it is not harmful to you, I will keep anything you tell me secret. But your safety is paramount and so that is all I can promise."
Harry thought about it. Trusting adults wasn't easy, but some of that had been explained in the letter. So finally he decided, "Okay. When I came back I was amazed. I went to sit down at the desk and found a letter with my name and read it. It explained … a lot."
"May I see this letter?" she asked.
Harry nodded and went to a particular floor board and moved it. "This is where I'm keeping things I don't want anyone to see."
McGonagall peered at it. "Clever. I would not have noticed."
Harry grinned a bit as he reached in to the revealed space and pulled out an envelope. He handed it over.
As he sat on his bed, McGonagall sat at the desk and read the letter in full. When she was done, she looked unable to speak for a long moment.
Finally, with some emotion he didn't even want to figure out, she said, "Thank you, Mr. Potter, for trusting me with this. It was nothing of what I was expecting." She thought furiously. "How do you feel about this?" she finally asked.
Harry thought a moment. "Well, it was good. Because of my cousin, I've never really had friends. And because of my relatives, I've never really learned how to act around other people well. When all those people in the Leaky Cauldron started treating me as though I was some type of celebrity … I was a bit scared, to be truthful. I just got my letter. So all of this is new. Someone telling me things I should know and how I can act made me a lot less scared of things."
McGonagall considered that. "Very well, then. I shall keep your secret. To be perfectly straightforward, much of what was in that letter are things that should be told to all students. You would do well to heed your counterpart's advice." She paused again and then asked, "What are your thoughts as regards creating a charitable trust?"
Harry was enthusiastic. "I think it sounds great. I grew up with my cousin's hand-me-downs which never fit. And it made me feel bad around others who were better dressed. If people with money could help those who are poor that way, I know I would feel better. Now I have money I didn't know about. From looking at the Vault, 10,000 Galleons missing wouldn't make me poor – there were heaps of Gold coins there."
McGonagall said, "You can thank your Grandfather for that. He invented a potion. The potion, Sleekeasy, helps with the traditionally messy hair your family tends to have. It proved very popular – and quite profitable for your family and the company that bought it from him."
Harry, with some embarrassment, tried to push down his own messy hair. She didn't see McGonagall's lips twitch in response.
"So, you plan to go ahead with the idea?"
"Yes."
She paused and then said, "I have been at Hogwarts for a number of years and most of my costs are taken care of. As such, my own vaults are rather healthy. I believe that the McGonagall Clan can contribute toward this idea. In fact, I believe I will help you arrange it. In exchange for saying nothing, you will allow me to monitor this so that you can concentrate on your own studies. You are eleven – running a charitable trust is not something for a boy to be handling. Agreed?"
Harry's face brightened. "That would be great, Professor!" He then paused. "Still, if I'm famous I might as well use that to help. I'd rather be famous for this than for just surviving."
McGonagall nodded. "Agreed. We shall use your name for this, and for this only. It will help convince many families. But you will send inquiries to me – and make certain your grades do not suffer."
Harry nodded, a bit cowed at her stern manner. She smiled. "Very well. We're off to St. Mungoes."
She also had verified the information on the potions teacher. She promised to help with any problems but also confirmed that her hands were often tied by the Headmaster.
She had not been impressed with the Dursleys. The effects of the blood wards were news to her. That the Dursleys would be allowed to lie and be believed actually caused her to curse in Gaelic. Harry promised he wouldn't repeat that information to anyone.
He had made his own way to Gringotts a few days after that. It was an educational and interesting trip.
Harry nervously entered the front door of the bank and stood in line, waiting for a free teller. When he had been motioned over, he had given the phrase recommended by the letter. He was then led to a conference room.
A goblin entered from the back, a small case in his hand. Another goblin followed with a large stack of parchment and two books of moderate size. After placing these on the table, the second goblin retreated. Harry stood up and said, "Greetings. Sharpclaw, I presume? My name is Harry Potter."
The goblin had paused to take a look at the young wizard in front of him and then replied, "Yes. I am Accounts Manager Sharpclaw." The goblin sat down at the table and said, "To verify your identity, I need to see your key. I also will need to perform an identification procedure."
Harry took the key out and handed it to Sharpclaw. The goblin looked over the key minutely and placed it on the table. Out of the case he took a parchment and a blood-red quill. He pushed these in front of Harry and said, "Read this and sign your name."
Harry pulled the parchment in front of him and read it. "I hereby agree to allow Gringotts to use this statement and my name signed in blood to verify my identity, thus showing good faith." Below there was a line for his signature.
Harry looked up, "In blood?"
Sharpclaw pointed to the quill and with a small amount of exasperation said, "The quill will take care of it. There will a small amount of discomfort which is temporary."
Harry shrugged and then signed his name. He noticed the feeling of a cut on the back of his hand. He put the quill down and pushed both back to Sharpclaw. He was fascinated by the small cut on his hand, already healing.
Sharpclaw looked at the parchment and nodded, before putting this aside. "Yes, the quill is a Contract Quill. It is one of the few blood magics in wide use. It's only legal use is in contracts and affidavits." He continued organizing the papers and books and never looked up as he said this.
Harry nodded and sat back. Sharpclaw finally had the papers organized and then looked directly at Harry. "Several days ago, an event which has occurred randomly in the past reoccurred. We had a visitor whom we call Maarek Ilumian. Subsequently, we found that his actual birth identity is Harry Potter. Were you aware of this?"
Harry nodded. "I received a letter from him, which explained his presence."
Sharpclaw paused at this. "Did you bring the letter?" Harry pulled the folded parchment out of his light jacket and handed it to Sharpclaw. The goblin quickly read it and then pushed it back over to Harry. "Maarek Ilumian is correct. His information did lead to a successful defense against theft. Theft is very serious to Gringotts." Harry suppressed visibly gulping at the fierce look on Sharpclaw's face. "This did engender a debt, another serious matter. We agreed, in principle, to aiding you with advice and other services until the debt is repaid. The fee for this consultation is being paid for by Gringotts Security, as opposed to the account."
Sharpclaw became even more serious as he talked.
"My first advice to you is: Do not waste the time of Gringotts. We are a mercantile people and time is money. Maarek Ilumian informed us that you were unschooled in our customs and asked that I advise you so that you may avoid errors which would see our relationship damaged. Normally, we expect our customers' clan to explain this to their young. That few do so properly is not the fault of Gringotts and those clans that do not make the effort suffer. My second advice is that all agreements must benefit both parties. For a contract to be good business, both parties must have some benefit. The average wizard's attitude that we are here for their benefit only is an insult. My brethren do not respond well to insult."
Harry was confused. "Common sense would say that every party in a business relationship should achieve some benefit. Are wizards actually THAT stupid?"
Sharpclaw nodded. "Maarek Ilumian was inordinately insightful in his letter to you. Yes, wizards and witches ARE that illogical."
Harry shook his head. "The more I learn the more I worry about losing my mind in learning magic and the normal operation of this world."
Sharpclaw nodded. "Quite. Should you have questions, you may ask them."
"What are my resources and assets and under what circumstances would they available or unavailable?"
Sharpclaw took one of the books and opened it. He turned it toward Harry. "This is your clan's financial ledger. You are the last of your clan able to access what is available. There are limits on how much you may spend until you reach your majority. The trust is managed according to rules that are laid out by your clan. For the Potter clan, every minor child is given a limit of a predetermined amount of money. Your trust has a current liquidity of 18,852 G, 15,968 S, and 28942 K. This reflects the withdrawal of 148 G, 32 S, and 58K as of a week ago. There have been no other withdrawals from your trust account since its establishment. 1000G is added each year on 15 August, the anniversary of the date the trust was first registered with Gringotts. Your clan's entire liquidity of this vault is in excess of 36,000,000 G. It is a large account for a number of reasons. Every branch that has ended was reabsorbed into the larger vault. Your clan has a history of good business dealings with Gringotts. We at Gringotts hope that this will continue. Your clan also has a history of innovative investment and common sense sorely lacking in many other clans."
Harry was gobsmacked at the amounts. He then had a sudden thought. "What payments have been made for my upkeep?"
Sharpclaw took the book back and perused several pages of records. Sharpclaw finally looked up and said, "There are no records of payments made for your upkeep."
Harry groaned. The Dursleys actually had a valid complaint. The Headmaster hadn't actually made certain that the Dursleys were given any resources to feed and clothe him. "My relatives have made it very plain their displeasure at having to cover the costs of my upbringing. Does my clan have any financial policies toward the care of orphaned members of the clan?"
Sharpclaw consulted a few notes. "Unless otherwise stipulated in a Final Testament, a stipend of 1000 G per annum should be paid for the care of any orphaned clan member. This is to be paid from the family vault. The amount decreases when the clan member attends Hogwarts to 300 G per annum. This is paid until the clan member achieves his or her majority."
"What is the muggle equivalent to 1000 G?"
"5,120 pounds. The value of the galleon to the pound is set by decree at roughly 5 pounds. There is some minor fluctuation. Today's rate is 5 pounds 12 pence. There is a small conversion fee, however. Your family vault does contain," Sharpclaw referred to the ledger, "123,245 pounds, 1743 shilling, 3462 pence."
Harry sighed. "Well, I need to get a bank draft for my Muggle relatives." He paused. "They did not spend as much as they should have on me, and I did a lot more work than most kids my age do. Can the amount sent to them reflect that?"
After a long conversation, the actual amount that Sharpclaw was willing to disperse was 23,000 Pounds – 27,000 less than what would have been disbursed had the Dursleys just treated him as part of the family.
"I will also need a bank draft sent to my guardians for 1500 pounds for the next six years as well." Harry thought about it. "Considering that I will only be living at home half of each summer, that should be 750 pounds for each summer to the Dursleys and I will have to inform you of who else should receive the 150 G or 750 pounds each year."
Sharpclaw made a few notes. Harry sat back thinking. Suddenly, he had an idea, even if he was nervous about it. "Sharpclaw, I have a question." Sharpclaw looked up from his note-taking in interest. "Does Gringotts ever become involved in business deals with wizards?"
Sharpclaw paused at that. "It is not common. But it has occurred."
"I have an idea for a business venture but I do not want to do the business. I just want to provide idea and possible other things and have someone else manage it."
Sharpclaw considered it. "If it is a viable business venture, as your account manager I would arrange for Gringotts to manage it for 10 percent of the profit. When you come of age, you would take over management or ask Gringotts continue to manage it at the same rate."
Harry shook his head. "I don't want to own the business. I believe Gringotts should own the business as it has to do with money. I just want to provide the idea for small part of the profits."
Sharpclaw replied, "There are few businesses that Gringotts can own in the Wizarding World. Due to treaties, our place is set." Sharpclaw seemed annoyed by this.
Harry shook his head again, "No, the business is not IN the magical world. It would be in the Muggle world. And it has to do directly with money which IS Gringotts business."
Sharpclaw sat back and considered this. Admittedly, Gringotts goblins did not come into contact with Muggles very often. They hired Muggleborns to do business in the Muggle world, paying them a wage. There were a few businesses which Gringotts involved themselves with, but they were few and far between.
Sharpclaw went to a panel next to the door and tapped certain places. He then returned. "I have closed all possible monitoring by any outside entity. Gringotts Security monitors the conference rooms for safety but confidentiality is sacrosanct. If we are to discuss a proposal, I do not wish competing clans to be apprised of said proposals. If it is viable and it is not a market we are already involved in, I can offer 5 percent of profits."
Harry thought about it and considered the idea of goblins being mercantile. Hmmmm….
"For the idea and a basic outline of how it would be accomplished, 15 percent."
Sharpclaw grinned. A wizard who would actually haggle. This WAS rare.
"We've been running profitable businesses for millennia. I am certain that we can accomplish any planning. 7 percent."
Harry grinned himself. "Ah, but you do not have direct contact with the Muggle world. Even Muggleborns become illogical after learning magic. They stop actually thinking. I would suggest a viable plan for hiring logical people. 13 percent."
"We're not stupid. Your idea may have no value or we might already have thought of it. You're not even going to do the work. I can't believe I am even considering working with a member of your idiot race. 8 percent."
"But you know of my alternate so you know that I have the potential to NOT be an idiot. Your shortsightedness will make you piss away profit. 12 percent."
Sharpclaw paused at that and considered it. Damn, the human had a point. Maarek Ilumian had a long history of treating goblins well and this WAS his alternate. Harry noted the pause. "10 percent. And that's only if it's something that Gringotts hasn't considered."
Harry said, "11 percent. Final offer. And I throw in consultation for any matter Gringotts might have questions about when it comes to Muggles. I'll also use my knowledge and influence to find the BEST options available to accomplish my idea."
Sharpclaw considered that. The boy did have some influence. His goal had been ten percent, but the extra percent for his influence on Gringotts behalf might be worth it. "11 percent. But I will have to propose this to my clan leaders. They may reject it. The contract will only be put in place if my clan and the Gringotts Council decide to move forward."
Harry said, "Done and Done. Shake hands on it?"
Sharpclaw presented his long-fingered hand to Harry and Harry shook on it. He then sat back down. "Okay, give me the idea."
"You mentioned several thousand shilling I have in my family vaults. I assume that in the normal course of business that you take the shilling and pence that people give you for conversion and either use them to buy things in the Muggle world or melt them down for the precious metals that they contain."
Sharpclaw nodded. "Yes. However the muggle government has reduced the content of precious metals, cutting into our profits. Most modern coins have no value other than purchasing."
"Well, I propose making money by capitalizing on that. Muggles have many hobbies. One of them is collecting old coins. For the oldest and rarest they pay huge sums. If most Wizarding families cut themselves off from the Muggle world and so they do not see the value in holding on to old coins, you just use them for their metal content. I propose setting up a business in the Muggle world where you sell Muggles the oldest coins that you get your hands on for a profit. I am certain that when idiot wizards do access the Muggle money that they have, they spend it at face value. Muggle businesses will either knowingly or unknowingly accept these as payment and likely make a profit by taking these old coins and making the money for their sale as rare coins.
"Gringotts can offer free conversion to galleons to any wizard which has Muggle money in their vaults. Most wizards won't care and likely hold on to it when they DO have it because they don't want to pay to convert it. Fine. They're cheap bastards who don't want to see Gringotts make an honest profit. If they can't take the time and effort to learn about Muggles, that's their loss. Propose to convert the older money based on protecting the magical world by preventing muggles from noticing anything odd.
"If what I was told about Purbloods is true, the bigots will gladly get rid of the Muggle money and be happy for the Galleons. The non-idiots usually have the pounds because they actually spend the Muggle money. This means that they will likely only have newer money anyway. Some will bring up the value of the old coins and, with a nondisclosure agreement signed, you can offer to sell them at your coin store for a percentage of the profits. Not the money received but the actual profit. If it takes 300 pounds in overhead to make 500 pounds on a coin, the profit is only 200 pounds or 40 galleons. As you are absorbing the costs to sell them, telling the non-idiot wizard that you will give them 20 galleons will make them happy. They get the galleons and don't have to do the work."
Sharpclaw sat back and considered it. It was true that this might be a profitable venture, but …
"How do we get the personnel for this venture without alerting the greedy Purebloods? How do we determine the value of the coins? We do not deal with Muggle money unless we have to."
Harry sat back. "Humans aren't Goblins. And Muggles have more sense than wizards. A Muggle knows that people with money will use it to make more money and so won't be offended by the idea. I'm sure you have some records somewhere or can get them of which Muggleborns either don't go to Hogwarts or have to be subsidized because of being poor. Unlike goblins, being poor in the Muggle world isn't always about not making an effort or not having skills. It's often circumstance.
"Approach the parents of poor Muggleborns and offer them jobs at a good wage, after finding out their skill set or what they are willing to learn. They can make the money they need to make sure their children are not disadvantaged especially because you can pay them in a mixture of Muggle money for them and galleons for their children.
"The Muggleborns will appreciate the people who got their families into better lives and so respect Gringotts more. The Purebloods won't care because these aren't jobs witches and wizards would do anyway. You can use those that are intelligent but not that educated as purchasing agents. Muggles often sell things at a set price. So what if the person you hire doesn't know the value of rare coins? You'll pay them to go to Muggle store and buy up-to-date books on the subject that are readily available – there is really a large market for this information and so it isn't hard to find. You can hire them for the nonmagical maintenance of your business. Why waste magic or money on hiring wizards when the business is in the Muggle world? It's NORMAL for a business to have people on salary or to be paid by the hour to clean things and fix things and to handle the necessary paperwork to operate the business. It will be a Muggle business. You only have to set it up, monitor it, hire people to do the job, and rake in the profits. It's like a business you manage for an account holder only the account holder is Gringotts. It's Muggle, so the Wizarding government won't care. There is no secrecy problems as the people you hire all have family in the Wizarding world and know about Gringotts."
Sharpclaw considered that. It was true that even the Muggleborn wizards tended to be silly and shortsighted. It was one of the main reasons that goblins didn't like dealing with wizards. They were idiots. "How do we ensure that well-educated people are in charge?"
Harry thought about it. "I'm certain that there are wealthy Muggleborns as well. They will be from families that contain professionals or members of the nobility. I'm certain that if you can find a Muggleborn who's family has a background in business, you can contract them to either manage it or supervise it. Make certain they know your attitudes towards theft, but most wealthy business owners are honest and deal with a lot of different things. If they come from a member of the Muggle nobility, it would be considered normal for them to deal with banks and to own business. They can hire Muggle professionals who don't know anything about the magical world. Those professionals only deal with the business men or the nobles. Those business men or nobles deal with you and make sure that you get the profits delivered. It will mean a decrease in profits but only nominally. Gringotts won't have to put in a lot of effort to make a good profit anyway. And since you're paying the profits in Muggle money to the Muggle owner, you keep the Galleons of profit."
Sharpclaw finished his notes and said, "I will make the proposal. If this is rejected, I will set up the business for your ownership and manage it for the 10 percent I originally mentioned."
Harry nodded. He really just had an idea. He didn't want to spend his life managing a coin shop.
Sharpclaw brought out the second book. "This ledger represents the personal vault that Maarak Ilumian arranged to hold the profits for the ventures he proposed. You will have to sign to take ownership of this account. You will be able to access the account as soon as there is money available." Sharpclaw pushed a second parchment over along with the Contract Quill. Harry looked it over and signed.
Sharpclaw pulled it back and then opened the ledger. "There are currently no items attached to this account. There is one business. The management of this business was capitalized by Gringotts on a speculative basis in exchange for 50 percent of the profit for the first five years of operation. After five years, it will revert to a company managed by your account manager for a ten percent fee. There is currently no profit, but prospects are excellent. I anticipate 500,000 to 2,000,000 G profit during the first five years."
Harry whistled. "What's the business?"
"A magical creature farm and clearing house for the sale of products of magical creatures."
"What creatures?"
"Acromatulas which are giant spiders, and a basilisk which is considered the king of snakes."
"Where are they coming from?"
"Maarak Ilumian reported an illegal infestation near to Hogwarts of the large spiders. Unfortunately, the person who first put them there never considered the actual effect of having such creatures near Hogwarts. As these would be destroyed and the profits be achieved by the Ministry of Magic if it was reported to them, Maarek Ilumian made the effort to handle it without reporting it. The person who first created the colony will receive financial compensation for the loss which would not have happened if it was handled by the Ministry."
Harry considered that. He didn't like the sound of large spiders near his school.
"We were informed that you can speak to snakes?"
Harry said, "Oh, yeah. Accidentally set one loose at the zoo over a month ago."
"In exchange for your help in opening the location where the basilisk lay, which would be impossible without you, Gringotts will arrange to kill it easily and to dispose of the carcass. Magical law provides that the destruction of such a creature will award any profits to the one who slew it. As it will be slain by you and by using techniques proposed by your dimensional alternate, this means you will realize ownership of the carcass. This will be done at the end of this coming school year."
Harry thought about it. "How certain are these expected profits?"
Sharpclaw grinned. "For the acromantulas? 100 percent certain. This has already been verified and the process has already begun. The first profits should arrive before this month is complete. For the basilisk? Fifty percent certain as the basilisk is either there or not. If it is there, it will be 100 percent certain. The battle will be glorious."
Harry nodded. "I would like to take 10,000 G from my vault to fund the first of several trusts. The trusts mentioned in the letter?" He had told his Manager about the letter from his counterpart. "I want to achieve these. When the new account makes 10,000 G it can be transferred back to my trust vault. I want Gringotts managing it for a fee of ten percent of the profits made while using the original funds to make money for the trust so that they can be funded indefinitely. I want Gringotts to have total control of the funds and how they are disbursed. I don't want greedy wizards getting their hands on it. I don't want the Ministry of Magic to be able to control it or destroy any of the trusts. I don't want the Hogwarts Board of Governors to have any say in it. I don't want any group of students to be excluded for any reason. Are these trusts possible?"
Sharpclaw sat back and considered it. The contracts would have to be ironclad and leave no room for the Ministry or other wizards to become involved. There would have to be some method for magical confirmation that goods have been delivered and should be paid for. There would have to be verification that the funds were not being embezzled. A list of the materials covered would have to be compiled with different items covered by particular trusts.
Sharpclaw decided that it would be possible, but it would take some effort. A percentage of the profits could be considerable for Gringotts. "Yes. We can make an agreement in principle today. The full paperwork can be arranged for a fee of 1000 G, which we can bill the trust group once they start making increases in capital." He made a few notes. "How can we come up with the list of what should be covered and the approximate costs?"
Harry grinned. "Easily. The Deputy Headmistress, Professor McGonagall, is excited about this idea. She has offered to become on of the first people to provide the initial capital once it has been arranged. She also wants to be the one to keep an eye on it so I can concentrate on studying." He pulled another parchment from his pocket and pushed it over to Sharpclaw. "Here is her pledge in writing. As a school administrator and a person who put their gold behind their word, I think she would be more than willing to provide the information needed." He pulled another parchment out. "This list provides an immediate idea of possible trusts."
Sharpclaw looked at the parchment and then back to Harry. "This is excellently done. Would she be willing to talk to other potential providers?"
"She wants to be the manager – that would be her job I think."
"I will talk to other account managers and search for other families that might be open to becoming involved. Gringotts cannot promote this, but Gringotts can provide a list to either yourself or the Deputy Headmistress if you both agree to keep the knowledge that we provided the list to two and no others."
Harry nodded. "That's reasonable. You're not telling us about their financial information or promising their support, only providing your opinion as to whether they might like to become involved. The account managers can even honestly say that they are providing opportunity for these families to increase their prestige and therefore their financial position in the long run."
Sharpclaw nodded. That this would make Gringotts more influential did not need to be mentioned. Gringotts could choose the families they would like to see advanced and avoid families that might look down upon the people.
Sharpclaw filled in a parchment as he asked Harry more questions about the trust. When he was finished, he pushed a parchment to Harry. (A/N: Text at the end of this chapter.)
"This is a really excellent start!" Harry exclaimed as he read it. "Can we get Ollivander here to see if he would agree to a 5000 galleon limit for this year and a 1000 galleon limit in the future?"
Sharpclaw replied, "If you contact Mr. Ollivander, you may bring him to me and we can attempt to reach an agreement."
Harry nodded. He thought about something he had considered when thinking about these trusts. He didn't know how to approach it. "I do not mean to offend but I have a question."
Sharpclaw replied, "Go ahead."
"Were there any goblins killed during the war with Voldemort?"
Sharpclaw nodded and his face took on a vicious look. "An entire family from my clan was killed near Nottingham. There were few deaths among my people, but there were some."
Harry nodded and then asked another question. "Is there anything that all goblin children need to be educated?"
Sharpclaw took a long pause at this and looked at Harry intensely. "Why do you ask this?"
Harry nervously replied, "Well, here you are helping me to establish trusts for the children of wizards and witches. Knowing what little I do about goblins, I get the idea that wizards and witches have not perhaps treated your people that well. Thinking about it, I really don't need much of the profit I'll get from that second account. It got me thinking though: Is there anything that could be bought for all goblins at the beginning of their education which would make the lives of goblin parents a bit easier. It isn't about making wizards look good or trying to make up for the idiots. It's about doing right by someone who's doing right by me. I figure that funding a trust for goblin education named after some witch or wizard wouldn't be right, but funding a trust in the name of goblin victims of Voldemort would honor the memory of those that lost their lives in what had nothing to do with your people." He paused nervously. "Er. What do you think?"
Sharpclaw looked at Harry for a long two minutes, not saying a thing. Although he was nervous, Harry did not flinch under Sharpclaw's look. He sat there waiting for a response. Finally Sharpclaw said, "You're an unusual wizard, Mr. Potter."
Harry grinned a bit, still nervous. "It was recommended by my alternate that I be an unusual wizard. From what I gather, most of them either already are or become idiots."
Sharpclaw nodded. "I will make this proposal to the Gringotts Council." He wrote out a quick statement for Harry to sign to take to the council. Harry looked it over, signed it with a Contract Quill, and then returned it to Sharpclaw. The goblin looked at the signed form for a long moment and then placed it with the other papers he had brought. (A/N: Text after the Trust Group Proposal below.)
After several more items that Sharpclaw needed to review with Harry and the delivery of a draft for 23,000 pounds to give to the Dursleys, Harry thanked Sharpclaw for his time and made his way out. He went to Ollivander's to work out a time where the old man would be available for a couple of hours to talk about a proposal and then made his way back home. He would send a note to Sharpclaw via Hedwig about the time.
After making his way back to Privet via the Knight Bus, Harry stood in front of Number Four, steeling himself to deal with his aunt and uncle. Their relationship had improved over the last week, but Harry was not under the mistaken idea that they liked him any more than in the past.
Harry made his way inside. His aunt was in the kitchen, reading a magazine while waiting for dinner to finish cooking. Harry stood at the door. "Aunt Petunia?"
His aunt looked at him with a disapproving look. "What?"
"I need to speak to you and Uncle Vernon after dinner."
His aunt's face took on a pinched look and she visibly calmed herself. "Fine. I will tell Vernon. After supper and your cleaning of the dining room, we will be available."
Harry nodded and went to his room to write out notes for Sharpclaw about the Ollivander appointment and Professor McGonagall about the result of the conversation as well as Sharpclaw's name. He caressed Hedwig after waking her up from a nap. "Can you make two deliveries? One to Professor McGonagall and one to Sharpclaw at Gringotts."
Hedwig hooted and rubbed her head against Harry's hand. She hopped out of the cage to the perch next to the window and held her leg out. Harry tied the two messages and the owl made her way out of the Owl Entrance.
Finally, supper time had come. Harry closed the book he had been reading and made his way down. After a dinner where the Dursleys, as usual, avoided taking to him, Harry began cleaning up. Vernon looked at Harry while he did so and finally said, "Hurry up, Boy. You have ten minutes to clean up and then we will talk. I don't want to waste my whole night."
Harry nodded and hurriedly washed the dishes and cleaned the Dining Room. When he was done, he ran up to get the draft and then made his way back down. He told the two Dursleys that he was ready.
Petunia and Vernon both made their way back to the dining room. Dudley was in the room with the TV and ignored what else was happening in the house. The two sat down while Harry waited standing. Finally when they were both seated, Harry sat down as well.
Vernon started up. "Well, what is it?"
Harry looked at the two disapproving faces and said, "Today I spent a large amount of time at the bank, trying to find out information about my parents and my school."
Vernon's face took on a slightly curious look, while Petunia's face stayed as disapproving as ever. "What of it?"
"In talking to the manager and looking over records, it was found that when the Headmaster dropped me off, he didn't make any effort to make certain you were given resources for my upkeep."
Vernon's face took on an annoyed look. "We know that, Boy! Get to the point!"
Harry sighed. "Well, as much as I was resentful for my treatment, you had a point about it. According to the rules of my father's family, the guardians of orphaned family members are supposed to receive a stipend for their care."
Vernon and Petunia both looked a mixture of interested and repulsed. "What are we going to do with freak money? We certainly won't visit that freak place and their money won't spend here."
Harry nodded. "That's true. But they can give the payment in regular money." Harry took out the draft from his pocket and slid it over to his Aunt Petunia. She took a look and became pale. Vernon, angered at the faint look of his wife, grabbed the draft and looked at it. He was struck speechless.
"You were supposed to get 5,000 pounds a year for my upkeep. And even though you haven't spent nearly that much on me, you did spend the money you did with no expectation you would ever get it back. The bankers would only approve of this amount based on what was actually spent on me. I need new clothes and a few other books from a regular bookstore, but it's not likely to be more than a thousand pounds. Maybe two. The rest of it can be used to pay off utilities or the mortgage or whatever. I'll need to use the phone on occasion and I'll need a ride here and there, but I think the amount is more than enough to cover those things."
Both Petunia and Vernon were staring at Harry, unable to reply. Harry didn't think they would be able to say much of anything for a few minutes.
"Anyway, you're not getting much more than that. You'll be getting 750 to 1500 pounds each year I'm living here until I'm 17. If I'm here a month or less, you'll get 750. If I'm here all summer, you'll get the whole 1500. I'll make sure it's the whole 1500 each year even if I only stay a month as long as I don't have to put up with Aunt Marge visiting while I'm here. As you know, she doesn't like me and the feeling is mutual. You can complain as much as you want to the neighbours that the idiots who left me with you weren't broken wastrels but complete idiots instead. They stupidly never made certain the stipend you were supposed to get was paid until the nephew you brought up with SOME sense actually found out and made them pay it."
Harry sighed and shook his head.
"I found out that most of the people in my world ARE idiots, and they get more illogical as they get older because they get taught to ignore logic. The guy who left me here is apparently over 120 years old, so imagine how idiotic that makes him. I'm going to make a conscious effort to not lose my common sense as I make my way. I don't think I can deal with being that stupid."
Petunia and Vernon were still staring, occasionally looking down at the Barclay's draft and then back up.
"Anyway, I need to go to the mall Saturday to get the new clothes and books. If that schedule is a problem, tell me tomorrow when a better time would be."
Harry stood up and made his way back up to his room to study more for his Hogwarts classes.
Vernon and Petunia continued to sit in the dining room for a bit longer, talking of what had been said.
Trust Group Definition and Purpose
The Magical Education Trust Group is hereby Established to provide a sound education to all members of Magical Britain. Each fund provides for a necessary item for the education of the youth of Magical Britain.
Length of Trust
This Trust Group shall remain Established as long as at least one Trust within this group is established.
Each Trust, once Established, shall remain valid Indefinitely, for as long as said Trust is funded.
The Trust Group may be dissolved only by UNANIMOUS approval of the Board of Trustees, the Hogwarts Board of Governors, and the Head of the Wizarding Examination Authority.
Upon such Dissolution, the Trust may only be disbursed to the original established families, the maximum being the original establishment amount. Ten percent of any remaining principle will be given as a fee to the Trust Group Gringotts Trust Manager. The remaining principle must be donated to the NON-MAGICAL Ministry of Education for the proper education of Non-Magicals.
Management of Trust
This trust shall be managed exclusively by a Gringotts Trust Manager. This shall be a Gringotts Account Manager. The Manager was originally picked by the Head of the Potter Family. Future managers shall be picked by a simple-majority of the Board of Trustees. A Two-Thirds majority vote is required to remove a Gringotts Trust Manager. Should the Gringotts Trust Manager be unexpectedly permanently unavailable, a temporary Trust Manager may be put in place by the current Head of the Potter Family or, should there be no Potter Family Head, the Head of the next Family sponsoring a trust based on the order in which the family originally sponsored a trust.
Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees shall include one member of each family which has funded a trust as well as the Gringotts Trust Manager.
Trust Eligibility
Eligibility for this trust will be at the sole discretion of Gringotts Trust Manager, Gringotts Bank, based on contracts signed with those Families which have contributed to the establishment of these trusts. The Criteria shall require that no student shall be excluded based on income, blood status, or any other factor than their eligibility to be educated at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Replacement of Funded Items
Replacement items for things funded by this trust shall be the responsibility of the family and not these trusts. Should this prove to be a hardship, the replacement costs may be covered by a two-thirds majority vote of the Board of Trustees.
Included Trusts
The decision as to which trusts may fall under the umbrella of this Trust Group shall be at the sole discretion of the Gringotts Trust Manager if established within one year of the inception of this Trust Group. After this date, Trusts may be included in this Trust Group upon majority approval by the Trust Group Board of Trustees.
Withdrawal from the Board of Trustees and/or Trusts
A family may withdraw from this trust group by
1) Providing an alternate family which will replace their position and initial capital.
2) Accept the return of the initial amount of their contribution only without regard for increases that have been generated to the principle of the trust. Should any trust have a lower amount of principle than was originally contributed, that lower amount shall be the amount that shall be accepted in return.
Should any family withdraw from the Board of Trustees, agreeing to not recoup the capital they originally provided, a replacement family for that trust can be named by two-thirds approval of the other members of the Board of Trustees. This replacement family shall not qualify for any recoupment under the clause above.
Should the Board of Trustees find that any family currently involved is a detriment to the image of the Trust Group, they may be removed by a three-quarters majority vote and agreement from the Gringotts Trust Manager. Their initial trust contribution must be returned in full as well as a ten percent portion of any available principle beyond this amount.
A replacement family may be agreed upon by a two-thirds majority vote of the Board of Trustees.
Qualifying Trust Disbursement
Any item deemed necessary or desirable for the proper education of a student and which must be paid for by the student or his family shall qualify for coverage under a Trust, should a Trust be established to cover the cost of that item.
Any funded trust which replaces the necessity of funding using proceeds of student tuition will result in a reduction in tuition costs for all students by an amount agreed upon by agreement between the Hogwarts Board of Governors, Head of the Wizarding Examination Authority, and the Trust Group Board of Trustees. No such Trust may begin disbursement until this agreement is put into effect.
Financial Vision Statement
The Board of Trustees does not consider the proper education of witches and wizards to be a valid source of profit for those that manage such education or for the government.
Current Trusts
The Trusts included under this Trust Group are as follows (In the Order of Establishment and/or Funding):
1. Wands and Magical Foci. Lily and James Potter Memorial Trust – Potter Family. This Trust establishes that every student shall be ensured a wand in good repair that is fully compatible with said student. For any student not currently in possession of a wand and which has never been provided a wand or other magical foci by this Trust, this trust shall cover the cost of the purchase of a proper wand or magical foci. For any student who already owns a wand or foci, this trust provides for the inspection by a licensed Wandmaker to ensure that the wand or foci is a) in good repair, and b) compatible. Should either criteria not be met, this trust will provide for the purchase of a new wand. Should both criteria be met and the student later needs a replacement, this will be the responsibility of the student's family as described under the Replacement of Funded Items Clause.
2. Transfiguration Texts. Robert McGonagall Memorial Trust – McGonagall Family. This trust provides that every student shall receive a textbook(s) for the proper education of Transfiguration. The purchase of these texts can be done directly through a bookseller who agrees to honor this trust or the cost can be recouped upon verified evidence that the student or his family has already purchased the texts themselves.
Suggested possible trusts
Charms Texts.
Potions Texts.
History Texts.
Defense Texts.
Herbology Texts.
Astronomy Texts.
Arithmancy Texts.
Runes Texts.
Care of Magical Creatures Texts.
Magical Customs and Laws.
Student Equipment (Astronomy, Potions, Other)
School Uniforms
Hogwarts Library
Hogwarts Potions Department
Howarts Astronomy Deparment
Hogwarts Brooms
Gryffindor Quiddich Team
Hufflepuff Quiddich Team
Ravenclaw Quiddich Team
Slytherin Quiddich Team
Agreement, in principle:
I, Harry Potter, hereby agree to make a principle deposit of 20,000 G to fund an indefinitely timed trust entitled the "BrightClaw Family Memorial Trust." This trust shall fund a single necessary expense for the proper education of all goblin children. This single expense will be decided upon by Sharpclaw, currently the Potter Accounts Manager. I do not expect my involvement in funding this trust, nor establishing it, to make its way into the general knowledge of either the Goblin people nor Wizards and Witches. I make this offer solely on the basis that Goblin families have suffered and lost their lives in a conflict the Goblin people had nothing to do with starting. This trust shall be established, if approved by the Goblin Council, regardless of the success or failure in the establishment of other trusts that my account manager is helping me to establish (as long as the failure is not the fault of any Gringotts Goblin) or for the success or failure of any other proposal needing approval of the Goblin Council.
Harry James Potter
Witnessed, Sharpclaw, Potter Accounts Manager