A/N: I'm not making money from this. This is J.K.'s world, and I'm just playing in it.

Alexandra was lying on her side in the bed. She could feel the warmth of the sun washing over her through the open window, and she could hear the hustle and bustle of witches and wizards in Diagon Alley. Blearily, she opened her eyes and reached for a watch that had been left for her on her bedside table. It was 10:52, and she groaned and turned back over in an attempt to burrow her way into the bed and back to her dreams. Then her eyes flew open and she sat up, grinning. I'm in Diagon Alley! I'm a witch!

She leapt out of bed, and padded out of the room in search of a kitchen, which she quickly found as soon as she left her bedroom. The main part of the flat was an open plan kitchen and living room, with only her bedroom and what she assumed was a bathroom leading off of it. Well, it's not like I'll be here for very long. She headed straight for the tap, and set the water to boiling. As she waited, she noticed that she was wearing the same jeans and sweatshirt she had been wearing when she met Dispater. The journal she had taken notes in was sitting on a coffee table in the living room area, and she saw a plain black robe and a pair of boots that she could wear to Gringotts.

When the water was hot enough, she poured it into a cup and added coffee granules, and sat on one of the sofas, staring out the window. She could just make out the top of the bank from where she sat, and she watched the witches and wizards below her move about. It was the beginning of the summer, she could tell as much from the warmth of the air, and Alexandra was excited to go and meet Harry. She quickly drained her coffee and left the mug on the table, and quickly pulled on the boots and rope Dispater had left her.

Exiting the flat and locking it behind her with keys she had found in her robe, she took a deep breath. First things first. Gringotts. Headships and guardianship. Okay, I can do that. Simple enough. Descending the stairs on her right, she opened the heavy door that led to the alley, and walked out.

The sunlight blinded her momentarily, and when her vision returned, she gasped. It was just like she'd imagined it. She was standing between Ollivander's and a second hand robe shop, and she could hear the sounds of the animals in the Magical Menagerie. The flow of people was not dissimilar to a fast flowing river, and she quickly slotted herself into the movement, making her way up to the entrance of the bank. As she climbed the marble steps and entered the doors, she paused to read the famous warning on the second set of doors. Gathering up her strength, she strode through the doors with purpose and located an available teller.

"Excuse me, Master Teller. My name is Alexandra Potter. I wish to extract money from Vault 476." She stated with confidence, meeting the black eyes of the goblin in front of her. He remained silent and kept the eye contact until she began to sweat.

"Potter, you say? I have met young Mr Potter but I was not aware of another Potter." He said, looking at her suspiciously. "I will take you to your vault, Miss Potter. Your key, please."

She quickly handed over the tiny key that Dispater had again supplied her with, and followed the goblin out of the main hall. A short cart trip later that left her ready to throw up, and the goblin got out of the cart and inserted the key into the door of her vault.

Holy… she stared in shock at the contents of her vault. Dispater hadn't been kidding when he said that her parents were wealthy. There were endless piles of Galleons and Sickles and Knuts covered all of the floor's surface. She turned to the goblin. "Master Teller, is there a money pouch that will allow me to access my vault without needing to visit the bank?"

The goblin nodded and produced a nondescript brown pouch from a pocket, and handed it to her. "You may fill it now, Miss Potter, but after you have spent the money it will refill directly from your vault. It will cost you twelve Sickles, however."

Alexandra nodded and quickly counted out that amount from the vault and handed it over. She smiled as she began to sweep coins into the bag. "Master Teller, you have been extremely helpful. If you would tell me your name, I would like to conduct all of my financial business with you, if that is acceptable?"

The goblin stared at her in shock, and she began to worry that she had offended him. "I'm so sorry if I offended you, sir, that was not my intention, I swear it!" she blurted. Well, great going, Alex, I bet that'll help the situation, oh God, what have I done?

The goblin shook his head, and smiled her. "You have not offended me, Miss Potter, you have actually honoured me. Most of the wizards we deal with do not care to even address us as politely as you have, let alone ask for our names! My name is Griphook, and it would be an honour to do business with you."

She breathed a sigh of relief, and grinned at Griphook. "Thank Merlin for that! I was so worried that I had been rude without realising! Well, Griphook, if it's not too much trouble, I would like to meet with the goblin in charge of the Potter finances, and I wondered if you could be present?"

Griphook inclined his head, and gestured to the cart. She clambered back in as he resealed her vault and a few minutes they walked back into the main Hall. He grabbed another passing goblin by the shoulder, and nodded. "Miss Potter, if you would like to wait in this meeting room, Nurlor will join us momentarily."

She allowed herself to be ushered into a sizable meeting room, and seated herself in a brown leather armchair, and Griphook stood slightly behind her right shoulder. Within minutes, another goblin with white hair entered the room and seated himself behind the desk.

"Good morning, Miss Potter, what can I do for you?" he asked in a deep, gravelly voice.

"Master Nurlor, as you may or may not know, I am the oldest living Potter, and I am here to claim temporary Headship of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter, until Harry James Potter either comes of age or chooses to take up the Headship." She stated firmly, and held the old goblin's gaze.

"Very well. Miss Potter, if you are a true Potter, the family magic will manifest and accept you as temporary Head. You must cut your left palm and allow the blood to fall into the Potter ceremonial bowl, and state your full name. If the family magic finds you worthy, the Head of House ring will appear and you can wear it on the middle finger of your left hand. The ritual will also double as an inheritance test, to confirm your identity if you are not accepted. It will appear even if you become Head." Nurlor explained, casting a questioning glance at Griphook, who nodded.

A deep green clay bowl manifested on the desk, and Nurlor pulled out a dagger from the desk drawer. Taking a deep breath, Alexandra accepted the dagger and stood. She winced as she dragged the blade against the skin of her palm, and allowed the blood that was forming to drip into the bowl. "Alexandra Lily Potter." She said, and there was a flash of amber light from where her blood rested in the bowl.

A corporeal, amber griffin stood before her in the office, not unlike the appearance of a Patronus. It looked her deep in the eye, and swept a low bow, and vanished. As the image faded, a ring clattered into the bowl, and she reached out to pick it up. The stone was red, and she could just make out the carving of a rearing griffin on it. Alexandra slid it onto her middle finger, and looked up at her goblin companions, who bowed low to her.

"Congratulations, Lady Potter." Said Griphook, and Nurlor quickly echoed the sentiment. She sat down again, and spoke. "I wish for the wills of the late Lord and Lady Potter to be unsealed, and I would like to view them and the will of Sirius Black before the items mentioned are distributed."

Nurlor nodded, and left the room, leaving Alexandra and Griphook alone. "Griphook, I have been informed by an unnamed source that I am the Heir to the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. Is this true?" she asked, turning to face her goblin advisor.

The inheritance test lay still on the desk, and he quickly picked it up and stared in shock. "It would seem so, my Lady. Would you like to complete the inheritance ritual now?" he asked, looking between her and the paper. She quickly agreed, and the Black ritual bowl was brought in.

She repeated the process she had before, but this time the family magic was a large cobra that took an immediate liking to her, curling itself up her left leg and around her shoulders to flick its tongue over her cheek, to the alarm of Griphook and Nurlor, who had returned, clutching a heavy file. She giggled as the totem vanished again, and put the Black ring onto her right hand, to signify its dominance in terms of her blood. Because the Potter Headship was temporary, she wore it on her left because she had a better claim to the Black seat.

The three retook their places, and Alexandra read over the wills of her cousins, shedding a tear that was kindly ignored by the goblins. It stated that the Dursleys were the absolute last resort for Harry's care; even she, who had been only eight at the time of writing, had been named before Petunia. Her anger resurfaced and her hand on the armchair tightened, and various ornaments began to rattle as her magic began to bubble. She took a few calming breaths, and turned to the goblins.

"Albus Dumbledore put my cousin with the Dursleys instead of everyone else on this list. Did he seal this will?" she asked, her voice shaking with rage, and when Nurlor nodded she stood and began pacing.

"How fucking dare he! He is not even named in this will, let alone given control of Harry's care!" she shrieked. "If I find out that he has even touched a Knut of Harry's money, I swear to Merlin that I will skin him ALIVE! Master Nurlor, I wish to see a bank statement for Harry's trust vault, the Potter family vaults, the Black family vaults and my personal vault, if you please."

Sirius' will only left everything to the next Head of House and left one million Galleons to Andromeda and Nymphadora to be split between them.

Griphook exited the room and presumably went to fetch the necessary documents.

"I would also like to arrange an official reading of the wills sometime before Harry returns to Hogwarts. Speaking of Harry, I assume that I am now his legal and magical guardian?" she asked, looking at Nurlor. He nodded and pulled out a document from his file. "Sign here and here, and touch your House rings to the ink and you will become the undisputed guardian of your cousin." She obliged, and a flash of amber and deep green magic signalled the documents validity.

"Master Nurlor, I apologise for my earlier outburst. I would like to ask a favour of you. I would like you to assume control of the Black finances, and have Griphook assume control of the Potter finances. Harry has met Griphook, and I would like to ease him into the financial and political world as easily as possible. I will give you both a trial period that will last till the end of December, and if you both have increased the wealth of each family, Harry and I will keep dealing with you both." She said, smiling at the elderly goblin, who reached forward for her hand.

"Lady Potter, you have done me a great honour. I thank you for your praise, and I know that Griphook will be pleased, he is a skilled and cunning goblin and will be able to increase the Potter wealth dramatically." He exclaimed.

Alexandra smiled. I can't believe how complicated all this is! But I feel like I know exactly what to do and say to get these goblins on our side. The memories Dispater gave me were so detailed this whole things is like habit!

Griphook returned, and once he found out about his promotion, he echoed the thanks of Nurlor. "Now, Master Nurlor, before I look at the statements and properties of Potter and Black, I would like to extend an offer of reinstatement to Andromeda and Nymphadora Tonks. Could the bank send them an official letter, and I will pay them a visit sometime next week, and I will owl them with details."

"Of course Lady Potter, and might I suggest firstly after consulting the statements, we discuss your title and a potential family meeting?" Nurlor suggested. He was very excited. It had been many years since the Houses of Potter and Black had been allied, and he could see that the new Lady was as cunning as the Blacks but as loyal as the Potters, that he could tell from the Black totem's reaction to her and her outburst on Harry's behalf. Yes, they would be seeing changes in society very soon, and Nurlor fully intended to get the Goblin Nation on her side.

Alexandra accepted first the Black documents, and her eyes widened.

Black Family Vault: 97, 864, 690, Galleons, 383 Sickles, 56 Knuts.

Investments:

Quality Quidditch Supplies: 52%

Flourish and Blotts: 23%

Ogden's Old Firewhiskey: 47%

Gambol and Japes: 34%

Borgin and Burke's: 65%

Properties:

Black Manor, Cornwall.

12 Grimmauld Place, London.

Saldara Villa, Barcelona.

Crespin House, Croatia.

The Den, East London.

Alexandra burst out laughing as she read the statement, to the immense shock of the goblins. "I can't believe it! How do I have this much money? Merlin… at least I know where I'll be taking Harry on holiday this summer! Lord…" she sighed, glancing over the paper once more. "Could I have a copy of all of these statements for my own records?"

As this was being done, she quickly scanned her personal vault statement, and saw that she had inherited 25 million Galleons from her parents, along with her childhood home, Araniel House in Aquitaine.

She was then handed the Potter Family Vault statement, and her eyes widened. It wasn't quite as extensive as the Black reserves but was close. Very close.

Potter Family Vault: 89, 539, 624 Galleons, 639 Sickles, and 32 Knuts

Investments:

Nimbus Brooms: 42%

Butterbeer Productions: 38%

Gambol and Japes: 34%

Twilfitt & Tattings: 51%

Potage's Cauldron Shop: 63%

Properties:

Potter Manor, Kent.

Potter Cottage, Godric's Hollow.

Chalet Marsala, Switzerland.

Svartholma Fortress, Russia.

The Den, East London.

"Wonderful. Now could I see Harry's trust vault statement?" she asked, returning the paper to the desk to be duplicated. She noticed that Griphook had put them in two separate folders- one for Potter and her personal statement and the other for Black.

The goblins exchanged a look before handing over the parchment.

Trust Vault of Harry James Potter

1980: 50, 000 Galleons.

1982: 48, 000 Galleons.

1984: 46, 000 Galleons.

1986: 44, 000 Galleons.

1988: 42, 000 Galleons.

1990: 40, 000 Galleons.

1991: 37, 950 Galleons.

1992: 35, 900 Galleons.

Alexandra looked up from the paper, and Nurlor shifted his chair back slightly. It had been a long time since he had seen such rage in a witch's eyes. "Master Nurlor. Who was making these transactions before 1991?"She asked in a deceivingly calm voice.

Nurlor gulped. "I'm afraid that would be Professor Dumbledore, my Lady."

"I see. And, Master Nurlor, I find it hard to believe that Harry would be spending over 2, 000 Galleons for the past two years. My unnamed source tells me that Dumbledore has been paying Molly Weasley and her children Ron and Ginny to ensnare Harry. Could you find out if their vaults have received 500 Galleons each, for the past two years, and if Dumbledore's personal account has received 11, 000 Galleons from an unknown source in the past twelve years?" she said politely.

Griphook rushed out of the room, and she turned again to Nurlor. "Now, if this is true, and Dumbledore has been taking this money, where can I expect the Goblin Nation to stand? I intend to take this as an insult to the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter, and as Harry's guardian, an insult to the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black." She stated clearly.

Nurlor grinned wickedly at the young witch. He could tell that she was a pureblood, and had truly inherited the Black cunning from the House ring. "My Lady, the Goblin Nation has no love for this man. The Houses of Potter and Black are by far some of our most loyal and…wealthy customers, and we echo your anger."

As he finished speaking, Griphook came in, and nodded at the both of them. "What you suspect, my Lady, is true. The Weasleys are in the pay of Albus Dumbledore, and he has been stealing from Harry for twelve years."

Alexandra closed her eyes, and took deep breaths. "I would like your counsel on this matter, my friends. I want to hurt him now, but I fear that if I attack now, he could prevail. What is your advice?"

Both goblins smiled at the witch. "I suggest that you focus on Harry for the summer, and wait until the school year has begun before attacking the old goat. If anyone gives him a hint of your awareness of his misdeeds, he could act before you have had a chance to settle yourself into your titles and seats on the Wizengamot. We will return the stolen money, and we will certainly make it a more complicated process for him to withdraw money, but I fear that is all we risk for now. But rest assured, my Lady, the Goblin Nation will echo your rage, and this breach will most likely grant you an audience with our leader, Ragnok." said Griphook with a menacing grin.

"Very well. I will forget this for now, and focus on Harry. I intend to take him away from the Dursleys tomorrow morning, and take him to one of the Potter residences. I would like all of our joint properties, Black and Potter to be warded to the best of your abilities, no expenses spared. Blood wards are a must for our main residence, but I myself will add them later." She decided, rising and beginning to pace as she thought it out.

"I will take Harry out for the day, is there any chance that if you do the houses in Britain first, they can be done by late afternoon tomorrow? Use all the goblins and humans you need, we have plenty of money."

"It will be done, my Lady. I will give the order now, and our teams will begin. Now, I would like to discuss your title. You are by birth a Potter, and hold a temporary Headship, but you are by right Lady Black. I would suggest you change your name to Potter-Black to honour both families?" Griphook suggested and she nodded.

"Lady Alexandra Lily Potter-Black…Yes, I like it. If you could change it legally, it would be much appreciated. I would also like to organise a statement from Gringotts stating that I have assumed both Headships and guardianship of Harry, but please stress the temporary part of the Potter title, and my name change?" She asked, and when they agreed, she smiled at them both.

"You have both done me great service today, and I will not forget it. I would ask one last favour of you?"

"Of course, Lady Potter-Black. What can we do?" said Nurlor, glancing at Griphook.

Alexandra opened her robes to reveal her sweatshirt and jeans. "My muggle clothes are somewhat inappropriate for a Head of House, and I'd rather not be recognised by my rings or face until I can fix that. Could I have a portkey to Twilfitt and Tatting's please, and also muggle debit cards connected to each of my accounts?" She asked sheepishly. The portkey, a blank piece of parchment and the debit cards were quickly handed over, and after thanking each goblin profusely, she activated the portkey and vanished.