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Chapter 45
Albus stomped his way toward his office, only to become more aggravated when the gargoyle that guarded the entrance to said office didn't hop out of the way as he approached. This was unheard of! Why wasn't the damn thing moving!
A voice from behind him froze him in place. "Albus? Is their something you needed to see me for?"
He turned to face Minerva, realization flooding him, this was no longer his office. It was hers, he was no longer headmaster. "I'm sorry my dear. Force of habit…" He turned back toward the statue, and placed a hand on its head. "I wasn't thinking about where I was going… Do you have a few minutes? I-I find myself in need of… a friend…"
She smiled softly. "Of course Albus." She approached the gargoyle and it hopped away. "Shall we have a nip? I could use one, I had to floo Molly and Arthur Weasley tonight. That boy of theirs, Ronald, attacked Harry Potter in the middle of the ball," she said as they made their way up the stairs.
Albus sighed. "Surely, that was not necessary. It was just a misunderstanding."
"Be that as it may," she said as they made their way to her desk, and she poured them each a drink, "he assaulted a champion from another school. I made it clear that the students were to be on their best behavior tonight…"
Albus cut in, "The boy believed he was defending his sister's honor."
Minerva let out a scornful bark. "Ha! That boy, has been spoiling for a fight for weeks! He had detention sixteen times over the hols! Sixteen, Albus! Then there are his grades…. I've been visited by each of his professors, save two… you and Severus, about him! He is disruptive in class, and what homework he does turn in is barely legible. This was the final straw! I will be meeting with him and his parents in the morning about his future here…"
He knew the boy could be difficult, but... "Minerva, he is just spirited, young, he will settle down."
She shook her head. "Albus, it was going to happen regardless. This has just moved the time table ahead…Now was their something else you wished to speak about?"
He could see from the look in her eyes that the subject was closed; he decided he would attend the meeting with the family in the morning to try and help smooth things over. He sat back in the large wingback chair. "Indeed, I went down and checked on young Ha-" He stopped himself, "Mr. Potter. The injuries were minor, one blow to the chin, another near his eye… What concerns me however, is that they would not allow Poppy to correct such minor things."
Minerva sighed, and took a sip from her drink, before speaking. "Probably for good reason, if what Poppy has heard from their healer, Margo, is correct."
She paused a moment to let Abus mull that over for a moment. "They would have refused for several reasons, the first of which is, each injury, whether magically corrected or not, leaves some trace. Harry's health is monitored closely by two other groups, besides Fairgrove itself, something called Child Protective Services, a government body that deals with the safety of children that have been adopted or at risk; the other is the governing body of his racing association SERRA."
She took another sip of her drink. "While only Child Protective Services has magical connections and could find such injuries, if something remained undiagnosed it could be of concern within SERRA, as they are concerned with his overall fitness. As for Child Protective Service it would definitely be an issue with them as they monitor him closely because of his background."
Albus nodded. "Understandable… but would they not wish it to be healed as soon as possible? Especially with such a reasonable explanation?"
She agreed with him, it would have been and she nodded. "True, however there are other considerations." She sipped again. "Margo had a long talk with Poppy, who then came to me to discuss what she had learned."
She leaned forward. "According to Margo, not every injury should not be just healed using magic." She held up a hand to keep him from speaking. "Life threatening or potentially debilitating injuries are the exception, then by all means magic should be used."
She sighed. "I don't understand all the implications, but using magic to heal the body does have some effects that need to be addressed when it is done. From what Poppy has learned, our magic is strained by the protection and repair process. Our magic seeks to protect us during the injury, failing that it goes into what she called a preservation mode."
She continued, "Magic then tries to repair any damage done to the body. All the energy remaining in our core is focused on repairing the damage that has been done to the exclusion of everything else. To heal properly requires a few things; proper diet, rest, magic, something called physical therapy, and… most important… time."
Minerva poured herself another drink. "Potions and healing spells help, the spells allow direction of the healing magic, and potions supply a boost of energy or other effects… She told her some other things as well about the potions we use. Most of them have muggle versions now, they don't work as fast, but they do work… even for magicals."
Albus looked stunned. "Using magic during the healing process, is dangerous, our bodies do the majority of our healing during sleep. A drained core when we sleep hampers healing, but there are other dangers as well."
"Improper, or insufficient diet can be detrimental as well. Higher intake of some foods is recommended for certain injuries… but the largest danger is over-healing… We, as magicals, take chances with our health with little regard to the damage that can be done to us…"
She took a deep breath then continued. "Take this tournament for example, children fighting dragons! And none of those responsible for this fiasco saw any problem with it! We have numerous injuries every week from something as simple as pranks! And every one of those injuries remains a constant drain on their cores and bodies."
That revelation, if true, gave them both much to think about.
Harry was the first of the younger generation to make the journey downstairs, however the rest of the house was deep in discussion about something in the paper.
"You think they will notice?" asked Sirius? "Maybe we should have put in a two page ad."
Tannim shook his head. "What, you don't think a one page ad is enough? Especially in moving color?"
Harry looked over his father's shoulder and stared at the page in shock.
GRAND OPENING!
FAIRGROVE SAVINGS AND LOAN!
ALL DEPOSITS GUARANTEED!*
LET YOUR GALLEONS WORK FOR YOU!
4% ANNUALLY!
Below the headline all of the services offered were listed, from personal and business loans to storage vaults of all sizes and free currency conversion with an account.
Harry shook his head; banking, at least the kind he was used to, had come to the wizarding world.
Tannim sat back. "Well however it goes I'm sure the elves will handle it."
Sirius folded the paper so the ad would show and laid it on the table. "Are you sure we can't help? I feel bad just sitting here."
Shar wrapped her arms around her son. "No, they didn't want any of us in the middle of the mess that is likely. Morning sweetheart. We're going out to breakfast soon, run up and knock on the girls' doors for me? Then get ready, we thought it would be a good day to do some shopping."
He nodded. "I need some guitar strings, can you remind me to pick some up?"
She kissed him on his forehead. "I'll add it to the list… anything else you need?"
He shook his head. "Don't think so."
She lifted his chin so she could look him in the face. "Not too bad… how does it feel?"
"Sore, but not so bad… had worse," he said.
She nodded and as he headed back upstairs, she called after him. "Did you have fun last night?"
He turned to look at her, a small smile playing across his face. "Most of the night was good. Too much pomp and circumstance for me.
She laughed, "Yeah, well it can't all be jeans and t-shirts."
"I can always hope!" he said, then bounded up the stairs.
Shar turned to the rest of the group. "Keighvin has a plan, they should already be dealing with the goblins as we speak, and Sirius spoke to Amelia. As for us we'll need to wait and see."
Keighvin Silverhair Lord of Fairgrove led the way out of the goblin run… institution. Behind him followed several of his people and Chinthliss. It had been an entertaining morning for all of them.
For the first time in over a hundred years he and his friends had donned their armor and made their way, under extensive glamours, through the portals and into their own Bank. Inside he greeted their chosen daytime managers Remus Lupin and Tiberius Hail.
He had to smile looking around at the inside of their building. It looked like a real, modern bank, it was just as he had asked. "Is everything prepared?" he asked.
Remus spoke. "Final checks were finished last night. We're ready for our first deposit."
"Good." He led his men out the front doors into the alley. "We will be back shortly. Be prepared." For the first time twenty true elves set foot on Diagon Alley.
The look of both the patrons and the goblins themselves had been something to behold, confusion slowly blossoming into fear as twenty Elves in their shining armor and armed with blade and bow made their way into Gringotts.
Witches and wizards scattered as they passed. Whispers filled the air around them and once inside, the lobby quickly emptied as patrons decided their business was not absolutely necessary at the moment.
Keighvin stepped forward to the main teller desk and dropped a pair of keys in front of the diminutive creature. "I am removing the contents of the Fairgrove and Black accounts and closing our dealings with your establishment."
The goblin snapped up the keys. "Where do you wish it delivered, elf?"
"Here, goblin!" He smiled wickedly, "We will be doing the accounting right here at this station, so we might… discuss any discrepancies immediately. Then we will speak of delivery, under my men's supervision."
The goblin audibly growled. "As you wish elf… but as of that delivery all your dealings with Gringotts will be complete, and you or your people will never set foot on goblin ground again! Agreed?"
"Unless you threaten, attack… or hold one of my people within, for whatever the reason. Agreed!"
The little curs could be quite efficient when they wished to be, especially under the watchful gaze and threat of elvish blades. A short time later the Fairgrove Bank had its first depositors.
Along with its first visitors from the Ministry of Magic.