Author's Note: Just a reminder that this is not an original idea. I adopted this from Mitsukini Haninozuka who in turn got it from TheBlackSeaReaper. This is my first story, as well, so any feedback would be very much appreciated. Let me know what you think, please!

Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Jūshiro followed Hagrid closely, trying not to get separated from him in the crowd they were wading through. He was a bit overwhelmed, the reception he had gotten from the people (wizards?) in the bar they just exited had surprised him with its strength. Clearly, he had underestimated his fame. He still wasn't quite sold on the idea of being famous for what had happened. No one present during the event had the presence of mind to report what happened; all but one dead, and the survivor a mere infant. Still, it seemed that this magical society had decided that as the survivor he was clearly the one responsible for any vanquishing that had happened. Even he couldn't remember what happened, it had occurred before he woke up, so he couldn't say what was true. Jūshiro, personally, would have guessed that it was something his parents had done. It was far from uncommon for odd things to come of a last-ditch effort when parents were protecting their child. He didn't know what means these people had for investigating, though, so maybe it really had been something that he had done? He just wished he could remember.

Jūshiro was broken out of his thoughts when he registered that Hagrid had stopped. They were standing in front of a large white building with ornate detailing and steps leading up to the entrance. A sign on the front announced that it was called Gringotts Bank. Looking closer, Jūshiro noticed a pair of guards standing by the doors, watching the crowds that filtered in. They were short, compared to humans, and had features that were decidedly inhuman: sharp teeth, slight claws, pointed ears and an almost green tint to their skin. Asking Hagrid, Jūshiro was informed that they were goblins; apparently, they were a warrior race that doubled as the bankers for the entire wizarding world. Hagrid told him that Gringott's was widely proclaimed the safest place in the world, possibly second only to Hogwarts.

Pausing a moment to let another coughing fit pass, and waving off Hagrid's concern, Jūshiro and Hagrid mounted the steps heading for the doors. As they came closer, Jūshiro noticed a poem engraved near the doors:

"Enter, stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed

For those who take, but do not earn,

Must pay dearly in their turn.

So if you seek beneath our floors

A treasure that was never yours,

Thief, you have been warned, beware

Of finding more than treasure there."

'Interesting,' Jūshiro thought to himself, 'I wonder if a warning like this posted near the entrance to the Twelfth Division's barracks would help.' He was well aware of the rumors surrounding the Twelfth Division. It was the division responsible for the Research and Development Department headed by Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi and was known for its dubious legality. Jūshiro was one of the few aware of Kurotsuchi's background, particularly the fact the he had been sentenced to the Maggot's Nest before entrance into the division, and so he was also aware of the truth of most of the rumors. In fact, some were perhaps downplayed as Kurotsuchi's experiments were infamous in their disregard to the common morality. Perhaps a warning like this would help keep the new recruits away from the division until they knew better?

Turning his attention back to the bank's doors, Jūshiro nodded to the guards as he entered. These goblins were hardly the strangest things that he had come across in his lifetimes. Hollows could turn into the oddest forms; some were truly grotesque combinations of known and imagined animals. In any case, they were obviously sentient and so it was only polite to treat them as he would any other.

Once inside, Jūshiro was amazed at the scale of the building. Grand marble sculpting around pillars and a magnificent chandelier dominating the room. Watching the crowds, he saw rows of tellers – more goblins – tending to the business of the witches and wizards lined up in the hall. There were more guards inside the bank, leaning against the walls watching for trouble. Joining the line with Hagrid to wait their turn, he took a chance to look around in more detail. This second sweep of the bank let him see what appeared to be private offices along the walls and another grand entrance into what he assumed was the vault area. This thought led to something he had been wondering as soon as he realized he needed supplies.

"Hagrid, is there some sort of fund for those who can't pay for themselves? Uncle Vernon made it very clear he would be funding absolutely none of my schooling, so I couldn't bring any money with me." Jūshiro wasn't sure what he would be able to do if there wasn't some sort of fund. While he was mentally mature and capable enough to work some sort of job, it didn't change the fact that he was physically a child barely starting on his second decade. That didn't even approach the problem with physical labor given his illness.

"Blimey, Harry, why would you want to know that? Your parents left you everything they had, a right nice sum I imagine. However, there is a small stipend for orphans who can't pay for their own supplies." Hagrid couldn't figure out why the boy would ask about the orphan's fund considering his inheritance. Had he not known of it? Maybe he hadn't considering the type of muggle he had been raised by.

An inheritance? Jūshiro was stunned with the implications. He was famous and now his (wealthy?) parents had left everything to him. Why had no one told him? He was a child, yes, but... But he had been raised apart from this magical society by a family that hated him. If they knew of his inheritance, he would eat his shoe. If they had, they would have tried everything they could to take it from him.

It was their turn next, Jūshiro saw, and even as he noticed this a teller became free. Motioning to Hagrid, they approached the teller's desk.

"Key, please?" The teller asked.

'Key, what key?' Jūshiro didn't know what he was asking for. Luckily, it seemed that Hagrid did; as he was searching for something in his pockets again. When he emerged from his struggle with his huge coat, Hagrid was brandishing a small, delicate-looking, golden key. Was this his vault key? Why did Hagrid have it? Was he the only one to have had it over the years? Does that mean anyone could have gotten into his vaults, simply by showing this key? Jūshiro didn't think that Hagrid was a bad person from what he had observed, but if Hagrid wasn't the only one with access to his key and therefore his vault, then Jūshiro had no idea if what he would see in the vault would be everything he should have received. However, Jūshiro decided to deal with that line of inquiry later. He had enough to think about having been introduced to an entirely new world, one that likely had an entirely new set of laws and standards he would need to research. Still, Jūshiro decided to ask for his key and resolved to find out if it was the only one to his vaults.

The trip down to his vault was a wonderful experience. They were lead to a cart set on rails that extended into the tunnels below the bank. Settling themselves on the benches, their goblin guide started the cart. It was much slower than the flash-step he had been capable of before his death, but it was the closest he had experienced since. He hadn't realized that he was missing the freedom of movement it had granted, and he took the time to relish the air brushing over his face. Looking at his companions, Jūshiro was chagrined to notice that Hagrid didn't seem to be enjoying the ride nearly as much – at least if the queasy look on his face was anything to go by.

Too soon for Jūshiro's liking, they arrived at his vault. Climbing out of the cart, Jūshiro looked around curiously, noting the entrances to the other vaults in this stretch of the tunnels. Unfortunately for him, it was not a well-kept area of the tunnels, and the dust kicked up by their arrival in the cart triggered another coughing fit. Recovering quickly from his relatively minor fit, Jūshiro joined Hagrid and their guide, who had introduced himself as Griphook when Jūshiro had asked. They were in front of one of the vaults, presumably his own. Griphook touched the door, seeming to do something to it after asking for the key. Once the door was open, Jūshiro stared wide-eyed. There was a very large mound of golden coins in the vault. He had picked up on the implications that his parents had been wealthy, but this was just ridiculous. Getting an explanation on the currency from Griphook, as well as a recommended amount from Hagrid, Jūshiro grabbed a pouch full of coins.

During the ride back to the surface, Jūshiro wondered what, if anything, he should do with his newfound wealth. Having lived millennia previously with a salary from a military organization he had amassed quite the fortune. Most of that, however, had gone to supporting his multiple relatives in the Rukongai. Now, however, he had no way of contacting them and no real use for the money for anything else. His current relatives (with the exception of Dudley if needed) were never a consideration. His stay in their home was hardly deserving of monetary recompense, especially considering all the work he did for them. He decided that he would simply ensure as thorough an education as he could, perhaps starting side projects once he had settled in at school. Depending on the quality of information available to students, he might end up creating his own library – an effort that would be vastly aided by his new fortune. It would probably be a good idea, however, to figure out just how much he had and how much he would need to live off of before going on a shopping spree.

Upon exiting the bank, Hagrid made sure that he still had his supplies list and knew the general direction to find the shops he needed. After the ride in the bank, Hagrid was looking decidedly unwell and had asked if Jūshiro minded him heading to the bar for a pick-me-up. Poor Hagrid hadn't wanted to leave Jūshiro to fend for himself, especially since he was sick, but Jūshiro waved his concerns away hoping that Hagrid would feel better after that drink.

Turning to the first shop that Hagrid had pointed out, Jūshiro entered Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Asking the overworked attendant what he needed for a full Hogwarts uniform, he was quickly told to wait by the stools in the back of the shop. They were set out for the customers to stand on while the seamstress pinned the clothing and checked the sizing. There were only the two employees in sight, and Jūshiro hoped that by complying without any fuss he could ease their workload. He seemed to be among the minority with that mindset, he noted, watching the attendant wrangle the crowds and the seamstress struggle with the boy she was trying to size properly.

Waiting for the seamstress to finish what she was doing, Jūshiro decided to study her customer. It was a young boy, likely the same age as he was physically. He was blond, with his hair slicked back, and he had sharp features that were obvious even through the baby fat. The boy, noticing his scrutiny, called out to him.

"Hogwarts as well?"

Jūshiro nodded.

"I'm Draco. Draco Malfoy. Do you know what House you're going to be in?"

Well. This one was an unfortunate example of the noble cliché. It was too bad, some of the nobles he had known in Soul Society truly lived up to their titles as premier examples of the best of society in all ways. Some, however, had not. This boy was just a child, one with only a little over a decade of life experience and he was already taught to treat others as beneath him. Jūshiro wondered what he would be like if he could be brought out from under the shadow of his Family Duty. Returning his attention to the question he had been asked, he found he could not answer. He did not know what this Draco Malfoy meant by a House. He decided on a simple answer, hoping it would be enough.

"I don't know yet, do you?" He didn't offer his name yet, unsure of how to deal with his fame and also unsure of how pervasive it was. He didn't want to deal with politicking this early in the game.

"I suppose you never know for sure, but I hope to be in Slytherin. My entire family has been Slytherins! Ravenclaw wouldn't be so bad, I suppose, they're just a bunch of bookworms, but I don't think I could stand being in Gryffindor. Still, anything is better than being in Hufflepuff..." Malfoy's mini-rant was almost entirely unhelpful. Pretty much all it did was establish that Malfoy was very opinionated about the Houses. It didn't even tell him what these Houses were! Pondering the rant a little longer, though, Jūshiro guessed that whatever these Houses were they were at least somewhat influenced by lineage. The seamstress shooed Malfoy away after this, having finished while the boys were talking. She motioned Jūshiro forward for his turn, briskly pinning together a set of robes for him.

After he was done in the robe shop, he met up with Hagrid again. Together they went through the rest of his list, leaving the wand for last. Jūshiro discovered that Hagrid had already bought some of the items for him, things like his potions ingredients and such. A mini-argument ensued where Jūshiro wanted to reimburse Hagrid for the supplies and Hagrid refused to take the money. Finally, as they reached their last stop, Jūshiro won and paid Hagrid back.

Looking at the shop where he was supposed to get a wand, Jūshiro could only think that it was hardly an impressive storefront.

Later, after paying for his wand and exiting, Jūshiro decided that his opinion wasn't in error. It had been a small dusty little shop, filled with shelving stacked high with small wand boxes. Dealing with the store and shopkeeper, both, had been an exercise in patience. The store had set off a coughing fit that had lasted his entire time inside and the shopkeeper had been a singularly disturbing old man. On top of that, his wand had taken a while to find; with many embarrassing mishaps during the trial runs of the misfit wands. Hagrid had ducked out near the beginning, the shop being too small for him to stand in while avoiding the misadventures with the wands.

Outside, Jūshiro found Hagrid waiting, an oddly shaped object in his hands. Drawing closer, Jūshiro saw it was a birdcage with an owl in it. A beautiful snowy with golden eyes. Hagrid, it seemed, had gotten him a birthday present. Thanking him over and over, Jūshiro carefully excepted his new pet. He hadn't received a birthday present before in this life, and he knew he would treasure the gift of a new friend for a long time.

"Hello there, beautiful. I need a name for you. What do you think of the name Yuki?" Jūshiro directed his question at the owl, hoping she would like the name. Taking her hoot as agreement, Jūshiro smiled, looking forward to introducing her to Dudley.

Heading back out into London proper, Hagrid turned to Jūshiro, "Well, Harry, this is where we part. I need to head back to Hogwarts, now. Will you be alright getting home?" He was somewhat worried for Jūshiro, having noticed the many coughing fits he had had over the day.

"Yes Hagrid, I'll be fine. I'll just take a taxi back to the Dursley's."

"Well, alright. Don't lose your train ticket and I'll see you at Hogwarts. Stay well." And saying this, Hagrid turned and left, leaving Jūshiro standing on the street corner with an owl and a school trunk.

Jūshiro sighed, looking at his stuff before waving down a taxi. He hoped he had enough for a ride back to Surrey. He wondered if the Dursleys had made it back yet. He hoped so, he wasn't sure what he would do if they hadn't returned yet. Well, he'd figure something out. In the meantime, he'd get to know his new pet, Yuki.

Reflecting on his day and the first contact he had with the magical society that his parents had been part of, he resolved to learn the history at his first opportunity. He knew next to nothing about it, as that confrontation in Madame Malkin's had highlighted, and he wanted to have more knowledge to draw on before meeting with more of Malfoy's ilk. The boy presented himself as a spoiled brat and just generally rubbed Jūshiro the wrong way. He might be one of the kindest, gentlest and most caring captains in the Soul Society, however even he had found that certain kinds of people just got on his nerves.

(Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts...)

Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, Supreme Mugwump of the ICW and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, sighed to himself while watching the four Heads of House he had invited into his office. He had gathered them to talk about the upcoming school year and what everybody expected from it. However, as usual, not everyone got along. In particular, Minerva McGonagall – Head of Gryffindor – and Severus Snape – Head of Slytherin – were once again at each other's throats. The other two Heads of House, Pomona Sprout of Hufflepuff and Filius Flitwick of Ravenclaw were attempting to referee with little luck. This was a common sight when Minerva and Severus were forced to interact. They could be civil and professional when absolutely necessary, but most of the time they were subtly (or outright) trying to one-up the other.

Albus was just about to pull them back on track, in hopes that the meeting could progress, when Hagrid entered the office. The others paused their conversations, wanting to hear what he said. They knew that Hagrid had been out as a guide to a student as a cover for another mission. All of those present knew of Albus' intention to retrieve something from Gringotts to hide in the school. They weren't all sold on the idea that Gringotts could be breached, but they didn't begrudge him his caution. He had explained his hope that the extensive wards on the school, along with traps they would help him lay would keep the object safe. They were truly curious what it was, but they had all agreed not to ask. If it was important enough to need all these protections, then the fewer in the know the better. They would trust him to tell them if it became dangerous. None of that, however, prepared them for just who the cover student had been.

"Ah, Hagrid. How was your time with young Harry?" Albus asked Hagrid cheerfully, ignoring the sudden interest from his colleagues.

Hagrid paused before answering, trying to decide where to start. "Harry… well. His aunt and uncle are rather unpleasant examples of muggles. They made sure that Harry didn't receive his letter - that's why he never replied - and they tried to prevent me from handing it to him. They never told him about magic and were angry that I mentioned it at all. The uncle tried to drive me off with a gun. They didn't want Harry to attend Hogwarts and tried to tell him that he couldn't go. The aunt talked poorly about her sister, Lily, and called her and all magicals freaks."

Hagrid took a moment to gather himself, ignoring the reactions around him, before continuing, "It seemed, however, that the other boy was excited by the existence of magic. There was no fear and hate like in his parents. Harry, himself, didn't really react to the existence of magic. Maybe shock, maybe he had guessed something like that. He was more interested in what I could tell him about his parents. I can only guess that the aunt never said anything because of her opinions on magic."

Hagrid paused again, hesitating. He didn't like being the bearer of bad news, but they needed to know. "I … Harry is sick. Very sick. He said it was something to do with his lungs. He kept having coughing fits, but he would wave off any concern I showed. I guessed that he was uncomfortable talking about it, though his cousin seemed frustrated with his avoidance. It might just have been my status as a stranger. His cousin also asked if magic could do anything to help him. Apparently, the aunt and uncle didn't want to 'waste money taking the freak to the healers'."

Silence reigned after Hagrid's report. They were all stunned. The Heads of House hadn't realized the cover student was Harry Potter of all children. That wasn't even touching the implications behind that last statement.

"He's sick?" Albus finally asked, ignoring the incredulous snort from Snape. The man had issues with objectivity concerning anyone with the name Potter.

"Very." Hagrid affirmed, wishing it was anything but the truth. "During the trip through Diagon, we had to stop several times while he had a coughing fit and couldn't continue for several minutes." Hagrid sighed, looking like he was about to cry, he had grown attached during the trip to Diagon and he hated seeing Harry struggle. "Do you think that Madame Pomfrey could take a look once the school year starts?"

"Of course, Hagrid."

Hagrid left, then, needing to get away from the heavy atmosphere of the office. He left behind an office full of people that suddenly had a lot to think about.

Once he had left, Albus cringed. Looking over at McGonagall, he saw that she had caught the unsaid conclusion that Hagrid had come to. Harry's home life was less than pleasant, and Albus was at least partially responsible as the one to place him there ignoring her concerns. She was glaring at him and was obviously gearing up for a no-doubt inspiring lecture. Albus was saved for the moment, however, when Snape decided to add his two cents.

"I bet that Potter was faking it. There is no way that his relatives treated him as anything less than a prince. He was just looking for a gullible fool to trick; he's nothing but an attention seeking…"

Snape trailed off when McGonagall's glare was transferred to him. That particular glare only came out in defense of her own and he had enough survival instincts to avoid digging his hole deeper.

At this point, Flitwick and Sprout wisely decided the best course of action was to retreat before she exploded. Over the next hour, Snape was reminded of just why McGonagall was feared. Not even the Headmaster escaped her scathing tongue lashing.

- Chapter End -

Author's Note: I will continue to edit the chapters as I post new ones, please check the list for the newest date to see if I have changed anything since you read it last. Please let me know if any problems or odd phrasing stand out and I will fix it as I have time. Thanks for reading!

Edit List:

-February 28, 2018

-December 27, 2018