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Chapter 26

"Dumbledore!" The small man with a bad mustache yelled. "What are you planning to do about this!" He waved the stack of pages. "How in the name of Merlin did this happen?"

"Cornelius, please calm down." Dumbledore gestured toward the seat. "I am sure that this is just some form of miscommunication. Harry-"

"MISCOMMUNICATION!" Minister Fudge yelled again. "Not bloody likely! The goblins don't make those kinds of mistakes! All of this property is for sale! LOOK AT THESE PRICES!" He flipped through a few pages. "Look at what he wants for the building Flourish and Blotts is in! They have been in that building for over two hundred years!" He shuffled through more pages. "And these! If he sells them… to non wizards… This can't be allowed!"

"I'll speak with the boy, Cornelius. I know that once he understands the duty he will be more than..."

"What duty?" screamed the little man. "You heard him! He has no interest in us! He… He's nothing but a Muggle!"

"Cornelius! Please calm yourself. I will put a bill forward in the Wizengamot in the morning restricting land sales to require the approval of the Ministry. That will place a hold on all of these sales and effectively keep them out of the hands of muggles as they would find such an approval impossible to obtain."

Fudge straightened. "Hmph… That may work," he said thinking about it. "I think you would meet no opposition."

"Pass the word of it along and I will have someone draft something up." Albus made a gesture toward the door. "Now, unless there is anything else?"

"As a matter of fact there is. There is a rumor that Potter will not be attending the Yule Ball, is that true?"

"My dear Minister, one should not listen to rumors, but in this case I can not refute it. There is a scheduling conflict, something about his traditions, but I am confident that he will see reason in the end. I will be having further discussions with him shortly." Albus said his eyes twinkling.

"See that you do, Dumbledore! His not being there would be an embarrassment! I don't care what it takes get him there!" he bellowed, then stomped down the stairs.

Albus shut the door, and leaned against it heavily resting his forehead against the doorjamb. "If only I knew how…"

Tom looked up from the bar when the front door to his pub opened and put on his best smile. "G'mornin." The woman he had seen before, she had come through a couple of times with Remus, but the men he didn't know. "Can I help you with something?"

The woman answered back, "We are just passing through, thank you though."

The barman waved and watched as they went to the alley entrance. "My, he could give Dumbledore a run for colorful!" he said softly as he cleaned the bar.

A short time later the trio stepped into the lobby of the goblin run bank Gringotts. Chinthliss grumbled, "They put that crap about thieves on the outside of their 'bank' then have the gall to steal from their customers?"

They walked to the large pedestal in the center of the teller desks. "Goblin," said Keighvin.

The grey colored creature looked up from the tome surrounded by stacks of different coins. "What do you want?"

"I and my companions wish to speak with whomever is in charge of your 'bank', as well as the goblin in charge of the Potter accounts."

The creature's eyes narrowed. "Potter accounts? Those are closed."

Keighvin flipped his briefcase up onto the edge of he desk and flipped it open withdrawing the Potter ledger. "According to this the transactions are at less then ten percent, and no monies have been deposited into Mr. Potter's accounts as of this time! Therefore they are still open!"

The goblin sneered at him, "Even if they are, what business is it of yours, Wizard?"

Keighvin leaned closer, staring the creature in its dark eyes and spoke quietly enough he would not be overheard. "Who said I was a Wizard, Goblin?" he asked brushing his hair back and over his right ear, dropping the glamour hiding the pointed tip.

The creatures eyes grew large, and the smirk dissipated. "Who should I say wishes to see them?"

"Lord Keighvin Silverhair, The Lady Ako of the Kitsune, and Chinthliss… of the Dragons."

The look that overcame the goblin was almost comical, its head snapped from one to the next at amazing speed before settling back on Keighvin. "A-a-and proof of your claim?"

Keighvin replaced the tome in his case, and snapped it closed before sitting it on the ground at his feet. He then removed the long package he had been wearing across his back, unzipping it enough to show the pommel of his sword.

The goblin's breath caught. "I will relay your request immediately." The creature scratched out a pair of notes with a quill on a couple of scrap pieces of paper and rang a bell. "Take this to room 1, and the other to the Potter account manager." It turned back to the group. "Someone will be down to collect you shortly. Please have a seat in the waiting area." It gestured to its right.

Twenty minutes later found the trio entering a spartan office, containing only a small desk with a chair and three more straight back wooden chairs. An elder goblin sat at the desk, a large ledger in front of it, and to its left stood the goblin Lady Ako recognized as the Potter account manager.

Keighvin growled as he entered, snatched the wrapped blade from his shoulder and in an instant the shining silver blade was in his hand. "You dare try and deceive me!" In one fluid stroke the desk was lying in two halves. "Goblin! Bring me to your clan head this moment or I will paint the walls of this place with goblin blood!" To punctuate the statement, he swung his sword hand toward the wall next to the door they had entered with a slashing motion. The wall exploded outward in a shower of smoke and stone chunks spraying the dozen or more guards that had gathered outside. "I am Lord Keighvin Silverhair of Fairgrove! I will not be deceived by tricks, nor will I deal with underlings! If you wish to court death then come forth!"

The elder goblin stood slowly and bowed. "I will inform my clan master." It stood and walked calmly between them and out the now destroyed wall.

Keighvin turned to the remaining goblin. "And you are?"

"P-Potter account manager," the goblin stammered.

Keighvin's eyes bored into the goblin's. "I suggest you collect whatever materials you need, and be prepared to speak with me as Mr. Potter's Liege-Lord."

The goblin's eyes widened. "Right away!" The little creature made its escape giving them all a wide berth.

Chinthliss chuckled softly. "I have not seen your temper in some time, Keighvin."

"Hmmm…. Fucking little..." he grumbled.

Lady Ako looked confused. "My dealings with goblins have been limited, what just happened."

Chinthliss shook his head. "A power play… of sorts. Keighvin's sword is one of his proofs of Nobility, much like your seal, but is also one of his clan's chosen weapons and can even be used as a conduit for his magic." He gestured to the hole. "He read the purpose of this masterfully, this was a deliberate snub. If he had not acted as such, we would have been judged as weak, and attacked. That would not have gone well for them," he said looking at the goblins gathered close to the hole. "If they wish proof I suggest we oblige them."

Keighvin retrieved his sword's scabbard from the case and hung it across his back. Lady Ako nodded and her tails and ears faded into view, Chinthliss smiled allowing his eyes to return to their bronze color. "If I need to show you further proof, no goblin will walk away from it." He then blew out a gout of crimson flame, and the goblins scurried away.

Keighvin sheathed his blade. "Like rats." He turned to face Lady Ako. "Even if they did not attack, any deals I had made with that goblin would have meant nothing, as that one did not speak with any authority."

"He was not an elder?" asked Lady Ako.

Keighvin shook his head. "No, someone like him would hold no sway in goblin society. There are two ways for a goblin to reach that age, one is to always watch their back and be smarter and faster than the goblin that is attempting to remove them and take their position."

"Lady Ako looked stunned. "Assassination?"

Keighvin nodded. "The accepted way to advance their career track. The other… is to not advance at all. Stay in the lowest of positions, and while he was a decent actor, no goblin that had survived to that age would ever allow someone younger to get so close without being able to keep an eye on them."

"Such a brutal way to live," she said.

Chinthliss agreed with her. "It is, that is why only a few clans survive."

A voice from the hall drew their attention. "Clan Leader will see you. Follow." The older goblin from before turned on its heel and walked back down the hallway.

It led them to a set of large granite doors the width of the hallway. "Clan Leader's office." It then knocked three times, using the large brass ring mounted in the center of the doors. After a series of clicks and bangs the doors slowly swung open, and the goblin gestured them forward.

On the far side of the room sat a goblin behind an opulent desk made of gold and encrusted with gems. Other than that the room was empty, the walls were smooth stone, light came from a pair of floating orbs high above near the vaulted ceiling. There was no cover, and no place for anyone to hide.

The goblin looked the trio over, as they walked forward. "That will be far enough," it said, just as they drew even with the door. "You claim the boy, Potter, as his Liege?"

"I do, and I have come to discuss the terms of his funds," said Keighvin. "I have decided to broaden my businesses, and to simplify things am buying him out here in England. I now have his vault key, and all monies and land titles are now property of Fairgrove. I wished to speak with you directly to avoid any… misunderstandings, as the conversion services you have offered are no longer required.

The old goblin growled, "Any charges accrued to this point are still owed."

"Yes, and have been paid and are current… as those were already collected. As we have not moved nor collected any monies. As of this moment I hold all Potter assets known and unknown. Have all pending sales canceled, and withdraw all property from the market."

The Goblin grumbled again, "As you say, Elf." He said the last as if it were a curse.

"Excellent," said Keighvin, "Now if there are any problems I will be contacting you directly."

"YOU DARE THREATEN ME, ELF?" yelled the goblin, jumping to his feet behind the desk .

"No threat, goblin, a promise. Remember that." he said, ice filling every word.