Fixing the Past
1) Discovery
Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own any of the characters or the world.
30 July 1998
Walking through Diagon Alley on this fine day, Harry Potter still gaped at the majestic sight that was the Alley.
Even since his first foray into the Alley nearly 7 years ago, Diagon Alley never ceased to amaze him. There seemed to be new shops every year, thus it was always worth coming back.
Coming into sight was the famous wand shop, Ollivanders. It had been closed for nearly a year after Mr. Ollivander had been kidnapped by Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters, though there were no traces of neglect or abandonment on the exterior. Harry had thought about going in and having a talk with Mr. Ollivander, but decided against it. He had other things to do.
He finally approached his first destination: Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Seeing the bank made Harry slightly guilty for using their security dragon to wreck the entire structure; but the goblins had forgiven him. As he approached the front entrance, a goblin ran up to him.
"Ah, welcome back to Gringotts, Mr. Potter. How may we help you today?"
Harry thought for about three seconds as he thought of an appropriate response.
"I just came to check on how the rebuilding of Gringotts is going."
The goblin snorted and gave him a short response: "The rebuilding is almost complete."
With that, the goblin walked away. Harry stood there, shell-shocked. He had expected a much friendlier response. I'll come back another day, Harry thought.
Harry looked at his watch and saw that it was about six o'clock in the afternoon. Immediately he raced to 93 Diagon Alley, where someone awaited him.
He didn't even walk halfway there when he was intercepted by a tall man with flaming red hair. This man was George Weasley, who was a founder of the shop Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Harry was going to greet him when George made a gesture that told Harry to be quiet. "There's something I've got to tell you, wait 'til we're up in the flat." Harry nodded in comprehension, though he still didn't understand why the normally-loud and jubilant George was so quiet and serious. Is this because of Fred? He thought.
George led Harry into the store and shouted to the remaining customers: "Alright, we're closing for the night. Everyone out!" Immediately came an onslaught of complaints; "I haven't even found my product yet!" "The store doesn't even close 'til 9!" "I want my Pygmy Puff!"
George responded: "Well, you should have came earlier. Come back tomorrow and I'll give you a five percent discount." Although the customers were groaning about being forced out, George knew that they would no doubt come back tomorrow.
As soon as the last customers went out the door, George dimmed the lights, locked the door, and pulled down the shades. Harry had never seen the store empty before, and it was almost quite eerie, since the store was almost always full with people. George pointed to a little metal ladder that Harry had not noticed before. "Up you get, Harry."
Harry climbed up the ladder and was met with the sight of a well-cleaned flat. He didn't see any mess and his first thought was that his aunt Petunia would have heavily approved with the type of housekeeping here.
George followed and shut the trapdoor below him. He sat down on his bed and gestured for Harry to sit down next to him.
George cut to the point; "There's been a plot going on for years."
Harry was confused. "What plot?"
George further elaborated:
"When I was the wee age of 12, Professor Dumbledore came to the Burrow to talk with our dear old mother."
Harry nodded.
"Knowing the curiosity of yours truly, me and Fred eavesdropped on them."
Harry nodded again.
"Professor Dumbledore said that you were going to Hogwarts next year, and that he would like to arrange marriage contracts—"
"WHAT?!"
"—between you and Ginny. I know, you'd think he's gone mad, right—"
"NO SHIT!"
"—Calm down, ickle Harrykins. Let me finish. He then said something about putting money in the Weasley vault from somewhere, something about your titles, and something about weapons. We would have heard more if Percy wasn't a prat and told us off."
"So if you were aware of this eight years ago, why didn't you tell me earlier?" Harry demanded an answer.
"It's quite simple really. We thought they were joking. However, I caught our dear old Mum talking about it yesterday, so I figured I had to tell you now."
So that was why Harry was summoned to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. He was at a loss of words. Am I really a pawn? He pondered for an answer.
George put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Well, I suggest we go to Gringotts and check up on some vault security."
Harry immediately went white. He remembered the altercation between himself and that goblin. He stammered: "M-Maybe w-w-we should go t-t-tomorrow."
George saw this expression and immediately laughed. "Nice joke, Harry, I would have thought Quirrell decided to possess ya. Buff up, let's go."
George pulled Harry's arm and down the trapdoor. Very soon they were at the entrance of Gringotts.
This time, another goblin ran up to them. "Messrs. Weasley and Potter! How may we help you?"
Harry pulled himself to answer but he was promptly interrupted by George: "We wish to see the transactions record for all Potter vaults, and get that Identification scroll for Harry here too."
The goblin nodded and led them in.
Harry looked at George and asked, "How do you know all of this?"
George didn't even look at him, but replied, "Helps when your dear old brother works at a certain bank."
Harry had forgotten that Bill Weasley worked at Gringotts.
The goblin led them into a little meeting booth while another goblin sitting behind a desk greeted them. It was eerily similar to the Muggle bank representative job.
"My name is Sharpfoot. Here is the transaction record for all vaults under the name Potter, since Halloween of 1981."
George and Harry took the sheet from the goblin and read:
Gringotts Bank
Transactions under Potter since 31/10/1981
1) 10000g, 500s to the Vault of Lord Dumbledore dated 1/11/1981
2) 100000g converted to 20000 pounds to Mrs. Petunia Dursley nee Evans dated 30/11/1981
"Hold on a second. How did 10,000 galleons make their way into the Dumbledore vault?" Harry asked.
"That's not all," George said grimly. He pointed to one transaction and Harry immediately looked at it. He was shocked.
157) 10000g to the Vault of Arthur Weasley dated 5/6/1991
Harry was completely baffled. "Didn't we go to the Weasley vault in my third year? Didn't I see like only one Galleon?"
George's frown became a sneer. "Well it just turns out that there was an extra Weasley vault with an entire fortune of 15,000 galleons. I've just heard yesterday."
Sharpfoot the goblin decided to interrupt their conversation at this moment. "Shall we carry on with the Identification scroll?" George nodded and Sharpfoot the goblin started giving instructions: "Mr. Potter, this scroll requires seven drops of your blood, to be dropped into this inkwell." He gestured to an empty inkwell with a quill next to it.
Harry hesitantly cast a weak diffindo! which luckily did not rip apart his entire finger. After seven drops, the quill picked itself up and starting writing:
Identification Scroll
Harry James Potter (born 31/7/1980)
Mother: Lily Jane Potter nee Evans (1960-1984)
Father: James Fleamont Potter (1960-1985)
Direct Relatives: Sarah Alice Potter (1983-) Helen Flora Potter (1983-)
Godfather: Sirius Black III (1960-1996)
Titles: Lord Potter (inherited), Lord Black (inherited), Lord Peverell (inherited), Lord Gryffindor (inherited)
Harry went red. Full on red.