Disclaimer: I don't own shit.
Chapter 4.
After flooing back to the Leaky Cauldron, Harry introduced himself to Tom, who took the moment to shake his hand and thank him for getting rid of the dark lord, which he accepted graciously, as he now knew how much of an impact that Halloween night had had on the wizarding world. Tom then led him up to his room on the third floor of the pub, where he was introduced to Auror Peterson, who had been placed there as added protection for Harry by Madame Bones as she understood that while he was fairly safe in the cauldron, there was no telling what some idiots might try if they knew exactly where the boy who lived was. For this reason Auror Peterson had an emergency beacon on him programmed to activate if any hostile spells that were either cast at him or by him that would then lead to a team of Aurors arriving to his location post-haste.
Harry, still a little tired from the healing that had taken place at St. Mungos unpacked the box of potions that had been given to him by his healer as some of the damage done to him, mainly the malnutrition, would take a little time to be able to be negated. This meant that Harry would have to take a nutrition potion just before his meals each day, which would also enhance his uptake of nutrients from what he ate, as well as an appetite stimulation potion, which would cause him to eat twice as much as he normally would at each meal and cause him to have at least two snacks during the day. These two potions combined would cause him within a matter of months to negate 9 and one-half years of neglect.
Alongside the two potions just mentioned, Harry had also been given a mild pain relieving potion, as apparently he would go through several growth spurts that he should have done so over a number of years that will be condensed into months, which would be very uncomfortable. He was told quite seriously only to take the potions if he thought he could not handle the pain, as introducing foreign chemicals into his system during this growth phase was not ideal in the healer's mind, so they were only to be taken when absolutely necessary. Harry, who was used to more pain than most, doubted he would actually need to use the potions at all, but had accepted them as he thought they would possibly also come into use in the future, if he ever got hurt. After packing his potions away, Harry then went to the bathroom and soaked for a long time in the bath before going to bed and sleeping through the day until early the next morning.
Once Harry had woken the next day, he first got ready, and then preceded downstairs with his two potions for the day. He sat down in the pub and Tom served him a breakfast the size of something that Dudley would normally be expected to consume. After first downing the two potions, he proceeded to tuck in and only just managed to finish the enormous breakfast before him. After finishing his meal, he also drank a pitcher of ice water that Tom had provided as to his request as he had been told by his healer that most of the work done to heal his body over the next months would not only require a lot of calories, hence the large English breakfast he had and the equally large traditional English fare he would be eating in the future, but also a lot of water. Harry had not realised up to this point that a lot of the bodies working actually required the active presence of water, so he had been instructed by his healer to drink at least 4 litres of water a day on top of any other drinks he may have such as pumpkin juice or butter-beer. This is because of a lot of the water would be taken up magically to perform the tasks the potions required and so would not be detrimental to his health.
School letter in hand, Harry then moved through the pub with Tom and out into the little courtyard with the entrance into Diagon Alley. Tom opened the alley for him and wished him a good day. Harry thanked him and moved into the alley, trailed inconspicuously by Auror Peterson. One thing that Harry knew was that he loved Diagon Alley from his first year, compared to the way he had seen it just before his last death. The place was vibrant and crowds of people moved down the crooked street, compared to the near non-existent crowds when he had last been here. He walked through the alley, his head moving so he could take in all the sights, just like he was expected to as he knew that Peterson and a lot of others would have an eye on him and he would look suspicious if he took all around him as being perfectly normal, considering it was well known he had grown up with muggles, at least to those who did not believe the fiction in the Harry Potter books.
Soon enough, Harry saw the large marble structure that was the goblin stronghold in the United Kingdom. Gringotts stood out starkly in the morning sun as it almost glittered like the gold the goblins coveted so much. Harry walked up the steps to the entrance and nodded in acknowledgement to the two guards who bowed to him as he entered, somewhat surprising them as usually goblins were ignored. Harry also acknowledged the two goblins that bowed him through the silver doors where the warning against thieves was carved, which Harry knew to be an enchantment to cause fear and confusion to those who were intending to steal from the bank.
The interior of the bank was much the same as he remembered from his first year. Goblins sat in tall seats behind a large counter, measuring gems, writing into large ledgers, or conducting business with wizards and witches. Harry, however, moved over to a smaller counter to the right of the large main counter where a small sign saying 'Inheritance' sat in front of an elderly goblin.
'Yes, can I help you young sir?' The elderly goblin asked Harry. Harry nodded and explained that he was attending Hogwarts for the first time and he had been brought up by his muggle relatives and thus did not know of any accounts he may have or where his keys for the vaults were. The goblin, listening to this, nodded and stood and beckoned Harry over to a side room just behind the desk the goblin had been sitting at.
Once Harry entered the office, as he now saw that it was such, Harry sat in the chair the goblin beckoned him to. The goblin then moved around to the other side of the desk and sat in his chair, which was situated somewhat higher than Harry's chair in order for the goblin to be at the same height as his human customers.
'Now, there are two types of hereditary tests we can do for you. The first is a simple test to see what active vaults are in your name. This test is free of charge as it is just you writing your name with a blood quill. The second though is a blood heredity ritual that requires one of our ritual chambers and a certain amount of preparation. The cost for this service is 50 galleons.' The goblin explained to Harry. Harry hearing this, nodded and thought about it. Rick and Sal had said nothing about the second ritual; only knowing what was evident during his previous lifetimes by all parties involved. Harry thought for a moment and then decided he would do the simple ritual today, then he would make a time for the second ritual and see what he could find out about his family. If he gained more vaults then the more the better in his opinion, now knowing fully what was involved with pureblood politics.
'I will do the basic test now and would like to organise a time for the second ritual to occur.' Harry answered. He fully knew that until he was recognised by the goblins as having an account in the bank that the level of civility he had received was quite high. This was also the reason why the goblin had not given his name and why the goblin had not asked his name. Words were cheap, Sal had informed him. This was especially true in the goblin nation for wizards where many had come falsely claiming they were someone they were not in order to steal from Gringotts.
The goblin nodded and took out a white piece of parchment and a quill he was all too familiar with, a blood quill. Harry's hand ached in remembered pain, but Harry took the quill from the goblin and wrote his name- Harry James Potter-. The blood shone brightly on top of the parchment for a moment before turning black and burning into the parchment. The blood then came back out of the parchment and wrote in black lines:
Hadrian Jameson Potter.
-Heir Trust vault 687.
- Potter family vault-locked until majority.
The goblin then took the parchment and then read through it quickly and his face contorted in only what Harry could assume was a smile.
'Mr Potter,' the goblin began 'my name is Ironclaw and I am the inheritance officer here at Gringotts bank. Please let me apologise to you as many have come in claiming they are Harry Potter and that they do not have their key and many have even taken on your likeness in order to perpetrate the ruse. All, however, fail this test and many have found themselves within the mines of the goblins, serving out a lifetime of slavery as punishment for an attempted theft of this kind.'
Harry smiled, the ends of his teeth not showing as per human/goblin custom as Sal had coached him and replied
'No, that is fine, master Ironclaw. I would rather the goblin nation be cautious and have safety measures in place in order to protect not only my family's wealth, but also the reputation of Gringotts, so no apology is necessary.'
The goblin nodded and bowed his head slightly in recognition of Harry's graciousness and then began to explain.
'Now Mr. Potter in order to enter your trust vault, you do indeed need a key. As the key is not in your possession, I can only gather that your magical guardian must have your key. Your guardian, similar to a muggle-born's is Albus Dumbledore is the headmaster of your school as he acts in loco parentis for all the muggle-borns who enter the school.'
Harry nodded and seemed to think about this for a moment and then asked
'But did not my parents set aside in their will what was to be done in regards to my guardianship not only in the magical but also the muggle world?'
Harry was shown again a goblin smile, although this one seemed slightly nastier and Ironclaw answered
'Albus Dumbledore made himself your magical guardian by a decree through the Wizengammot and then had your parent's will sealed within the Ministry.' He paused here and waited, watching Harry intently.
Harry for a moment wondered what he was waiting for and then thought quickly about what Ironclaw had told him. Hang on, he said sealed within the Ministry, not sealed fully.
'Ironclaw, does this mean that Gringotts has a copy of my parent's will and that it can be executed?'
If Harry didn't know any better, he would have been terrified by the vicious grin on Ironclaw's face. The goblin nodded, but still did not say anything, as obviously there was something else he was required to do in order for the goblin to act. Harry sat back, thinking carefully about what Sal had taught him about pureblood politics and the right formal speech to use for one of his current station. He sat back up and smiling slightly, again not showing the ends of his teeth, said
'Inheritance officer Ironclaw, I, Hadrian Jameson Potter, Scion of the Most Ancient and Noble house of Potter do hereby request that Gringotts in it's capacity as holders of the Potter's assets and thereby its trust to execute the will of My Father Lord James Potter and my mother, Lady Lily Evans-Potter.'
Snarling in approval, Ironclaw touched a rune on his desk that alerted a smaller goblin to enter the office. He barked out an order in his native language and then turned to Harry and said
'The will and the Heir's ring are being gathered now for your viewing. Once that has been done, a formal reading of the will has to be organised, but as you are about to be at school and you would have already been present at this reading, you do not need to be present at the formal reading. Is this acceptable to you, Scion Potter?'
Harry nodded and waited for a few minutes until the assistant arrived back with a small stone box that was sealed with the seal of Gringotts as well as runes that were etched over the box that were glowing a soft blue. At Ironclaw's gesture, Harry held out his hand and using a knife from his drawer, the inheritance officer slit his palm allowing blood to drip onto the seal of Gringotts. With a flash the seal vanished and Harry's hand was healed. Iron claw then took the box and opened it, taking out two objects. The first was a roll of parchment that Harry guessed was his parent's will. The other was a small box that was next to a larger box that stayed within the box. Ironclaw handed him the smaller box, saying
'Scion Potter, this is the heir's ring for the Potters. Once you put this on, it confirms you as the true heir to your parents as well as protecting you to a degree from minor hexes and some forms of potions.'
Harry, taking the box and opening it, saw the Potter's heir ring, which consisted of a platinum band with and intricately wrought Silver P on a platinum background. He placed the box down and removed the ring. Pausing for a moment, he then placed the ring on his right index finger, which is considered proper. The ring shone for a moment as it examined his magic and heredity, then shrunk down to fit his finger.
'Excellent Scion Potter. Now, let us examine the will of your parents.' And with these words from Ironclaw, the reading of the will began.
Once all the formal reading was over, Harry found that he was relatively in the same place as before. He was given access to his trust vault until his 17th birthday, when he would then take up the title of Lord Potter. Gringotts was to handle the accounts of the Potter Family Trust, administering to the investments and making new ones and selling old investments on Harry's behalf until he took majority, when he could then make decisions as well in regards to investment strategy.
Guardianship was surprising though. A list of people, including Sirius Black and the Longbottoms were listed, but the Dirzly's were listed as a last resort, however it was also specified that Wizarding Children's Services were to visit on a regular basis to make sure that his Aunt and Uncle were treating him correctly, something which was not done and something which he pointed out to Ironclaw, who promised he would pass on the contents of the will to Madame Bones for her investigation.
Harry then sat back for a moment and thought.
'Ironclaw, does my tuition come out of my trust vault?' He asked the inheritance officer. Summoning a book, Ironclaw flipped through a few pages and then answered
'No, your tuition was fully paid from the Potter family trust vault, as is the tradition for the Potters.'
Harry smiled, understanding that what he would see in his vault would be fully his to do with as he wishes.
'Is the money I have in my vault all I have access to or is there more added as time passes?' He asked. Turning another page, Ironclaw read down the page and after a couple of minutes, answered
'Yes, your vault when created was given an initial amount of 50,000 galleons in various forms, such as sickles and Knuts. This is all you have access to until majority.' Harry nodded at this answer, thinking again while Ironclaw waited. Finally, Harry asked one more question.
'Is there anything stopping me from making my own investments using my trust vault?'
Ironclaw hid it well, but Harry could tell he was surprised and pleased with the question. As he later explained, most children just saw the money as an opportunity to buy whatever they wanted.
'No, there is nothing to stop you Scion Potter. Do you wish to do so?' Ironclaw asked this surprising specimen of wizard-kind. Harry nodded affirmatively and Ironclaw set up an appointment with an investment manager the following day for Harry to see. Once this was done, Ironclaw organised a new key for Harry to his trust vault and negated any other keys that had been created for the Potter vaults. Once the key arrived, once more through the assistant goblin, Ironclaw asked
'Scion Potter, since you are also using this vault to make investments, do you also wish to blood-bond your key so that no other can use your key?' Thinking for a moment, Harry nodded and the ceremony was performed. Once again his hand was sliced and the key placed directly on the open wound. Once the key was covered in blood, Ironclaw waved his fingers over the key in Harry's hand and muttered some words in his native language. The key flashed red once, twice, thrice an then the wound healed and the key absorbed the blood in Harry's palm. His business with Ironclaw finished, Harry rose, thanked the inheritance officer and left the office and cued up with the other witches and wizards who wanted to visit their vault. He managed to avoid Griphook this time, as apparently he was busy with someone else, for which he was grateful. He remembered the greedy little bastard that had nearly cost him everything in the depths of Gringotts while on the horecrux hunt. If he had his way, he would have nothing to do with that particular goblin. The goblin that had taken him down to his vault was named Silvernail and was quiet as they made their way down to his trust vault via the Gringott's mine carts. Once they arrived, Harry stepped out onto the platform in front of his vault and held the lamp for the goblin, while Silvernail took his key and opened his vault. Now knowing exactly how much was in his vault, Harry was once more amazed at just how much he had. He asked Silvernail as he looked in
'Can you tell me the conversion rate from Galleon to British pounds?' Silvernail took out a sheet of parchment from his pocket and unfolding it, said
'The Galleon as of this moment converts to 50.126 British pounds Stirling.' Harry nodded in thanks and taking down a money pouch from the wall inside of his vault, scooped about 50 galleons in various denominations into his pouch. Tying the pouch to his belt, he left his vault and once the vault was locked, Harry and Silvernail made their way back to the Gringotts main floor.