Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. I do own any OC, AU, and made-up magic.

10.23.17 update: OK, so there seems to be confusion about Lacie. Without recopying Ch. 4-5 from the prequel, What do blood, burns, bruises, belts, and bites have in common?, I have decided to flesh out this chapter more.

For the record, I am not trying to be over-mysterious with my characters. Any aforementioned character in my series―Lacie, Fangscales, all Goblins/Goblinesses, the Weasleys, Lupin, etc.―will be a recurring character once I have set up the author's universe (AU). Yes, there will be justice for Fangscales. I do hope you like what I have in store for her kidnappers. :-D.

Lupin is going to be a somewhat complicated character in this storyline. I hope to answer all of your interests/concerns once I am ready to put him in. Including why Dobby is 'unsure' of who he is.

This is a joint effort in 'fixing' Harry. Basically, it is like the old saying "it takes a village to raise a child." I did not want it to be solely Sirius. He is one of my deuteronomists. The Goblins have always interested me and I wanted to create a FanFiction where it mattered for the Goblins to work together with a Wizard. The common denominator? Harry.

As for Ron-bashing...I am trying to keep that to a minimum in this FanFiction. The Fight is where I have more…because they are older and in this FanFiction...it made more sense to not over-isolate Harry from his friends.

This is a shorter chapter...but the action should pick up henceforth. It may end up being more than 40-50 chapters afterall. I will not stop until this FanFiction is complete. Please send your reviews. As a FanFiction author, I am unpaid and merely write for entertainment and speculation purposes. So reviews are my currency and motivation :-). Thank you for letting me know there was still some confusion! I really appreciate it. I want all of my FanFiction stories to be the best they can be. Enjoy! -JHS.

Ch. IV: Plotting

"You mean...to tell me...my godson...has been abused this entire time?" Sirius said slowly, his eyes becoming very cold. "My God, has that dumbass Dumbledore gone senile?!" He swore. "I was there when the living will was spoken!" Sirius ranted. Making the little House-Elf flatten his ears.

The skeletal man looked loads better by the time the House-Elf administered his magic.

His hair was charcoal black. Its sheen still unhealthy. He had received a trim and the elbow-length hair he originally had is up to biceps. His aristocratic features more prominent due to his malnutrition. He had a proper bath and clean robes for the first time in 12 years.

Sirius swore viciously as he paced back-and-forth. "The Potters specifically stated Harry would go to an orphanage―a bloody orphanage, Dobby! Rather there than with those―those Dursleys!"

Sirius sighed and sat down. Suddenly exhausted and overwhelmed. His head in his hands.

"I'm sorry, Dobby." Sirius said tiredly. "This is a lot to take in after being left in the literal dark for 12 years." He rubbed his face and looked the House-Elf with speculative, flinty grey eyes.

"I have to do everything to protect my godson." He said more to himself than to Dobby. "Dobby, is there any way you could help me get information? Information on Dumbledore? Could you also give me the whereabouts on one Remus John Lupin?"

"Who is Mister Remus John Lupin?" The House-Elf asked curiously. He is not going to commit to gathering information on the wily old wizard. In part, it is his employer. Another, he could be discreet but only if he had something very specific to look for.

"He was my friend." Sirius said darkly, closing his eyes. "I just want to know if he's alive and well." Sirius cursed his mixed feelings for the scholarly werewolf. "He more or less helped me escaped Hogwarts." Sirius proceeded to inform Dobby on everything he knew regarding his life around Harry's birth, the will, the Potters and a few details of his imprisonment.

It was strangely therapeutic to be listened to and for Sirius to vent 12-years' worth of pent-up angst, hatred and injustice feelings. He felt like he was poking a hole through a heavy balloon and alleviating some of the pressure within him.

For some strange reason, Sirius thought of his own House-Elf. One cagey Kreacher. Perhaps this is why Reggie―Regulus spent all his time with Creepy Kreacher.

Dobby spoke after a few hours of nonstop talking and several water goblets.

"Perhaps there is something Master Harry Potter's Snuffies can do." The House-Elf said knowingly as a beautiful snowy owl flew through the wards and landed on Sirius' shoulder. The wizard smiled at her and she allowed Sirius to pet her silken feathers.

There is definitely something strange going on. Lacie thought, crinkling her nose.

Goblins did not like strange things.

She made her way over to her usual space in her humble abode beneath the Bank's headquarters after a long day at the hospital.

Her home is humble by Goblin standards. Her home is breathtaking by wizardkind.

Like most Goblins, she had a penchant for all things gold, silver and gems. Tapestries adorning her family's ancestry and remnants of her father's time as an Auror were carefully preserved using Goblin magic.

She sat at a high desk with her things neatly around her. Every item had been tied to her bank accounts and meticulously spelled every few weeks to prevent theft, misuse, or damage in a variety of ways.

She unlocked a particular drawer with a pinprick of her blood.

«I open thy contents of my own free will. Enter and be claimed.» She murmured in Gobbledygook.

The drawer opened and a magical compartment appeared revealing a thick folio of Harry's name written in High Gobbledygook.

Shimmering into place, the parchment contained Harry's medical records from the time she examined the young boy.

Her task, per the Director's instructions, was to peruse all of Harry's medical records and somehow infiltrate Hogwarts to secure a copy from the Medi-Witch Madam Poppy Pomfrey.

Lacie smiled wickedly. Her fangs in full view. Her black eyes glittering obsidian in anticipation.

Poppy had made Lacie's hit list.

The Gobiness took it as a personal offense that a fellow healer would ignore the signs of an abused child. For some reason, Vlatifahn Potter had become a pet project for Lacie. Not for some idealistic reason to benefit the Goblins. That's a plus. Lacie admitted. No, it was something purer than that with underlying intentions.

Lacie did not have children of her own. She felt the void. It was why she studied pediatrics.

Lacie wanted a legacy.

She determined it to be Harry. It would not be her gold or her possessions―those she earmarked for the Weasleys―no. She wanted to help an unloved child receive all the care he needed.

If that meant partially overthrowing the wizarding world, choosing the Goblins once and for all, assisting a fugitive to gain legal guardianship, as well as going toe-to-toe with the most powerful wizard next to You-Know-Who...consequences be damned.

She snapped her fingers and cracked her neck. This'll be a long night. Her eyes rereading and researching on possible methodologies and suggestions for Harry's care and wrote her drafts to give to the few Goblins the Director handpicked for this very real undertaking.

Based on her initial reactions from the time she examined Harry in the Burrow over the summer after the Trunk Pool near-drowning she noted a few extra things.

She reviewed her scans. Lacie believed she would still need at least five Goblin Healers to handle the physical portions of correcting Harry's body from the severe malnutrition. Additionally, his blood wounds had seeped into his skeletal structure severely weakening him and stunted his growth.

She did not think using Skele-Gro would do Harry any good. Lacie was very concerned about potential side effects. The Goblin detection spells saw one strong magical binding on Harry's core. Two concealment charms remaining on Harry that she did not dare remove on her own. Moreover, a strange magical signature alien to Harry's core. She could not determine if this was Light or Dark magic. It was somewhere in-between.

She recalled sensing a malicious witch's magic. Lacie's fangs bared. It disturbed Lacie deeply. Worse than Madam Pomfrey's malpractice.

Frowning, she remembered Harry's core. The child was indeed very powerful. His magic was constantly fighting the binding and trying to repair his blood wounds despite being malnourished.

She scribbled furiously away indicating how it should not be possible. The child would suffer extreme magical and physical exhaustion. Closing her eyes for a moment, she tried to center her rage.

Lacie could not even begin to guess but she knew it would not be for more than a year at the most before this child became a true ticking time bomb.

Her primary concerns were Harry's blood wounds. They resembled cursed wounds that always appeared fresh even if they were years' old. They bled when irritated and were extremely painful.

"How that child can stand it without complaint is a testament to his will." Lacie muttered darkly. "The fact he remains silent is galling and unnatural! I'll find the bastards responsible for this, Harry. I swear it."

Lacie took a deep breath. She remembered everything Arthur told her in confidence about Harry's Muggle upbringing. She took another leaf of parchment and scribbled away the mistreatment.

Snarling, she stood up taking a swig from Snarlroar's Finest Goblin Brandy and began to practice with her battle axe to blow off steam as she let her rage free in her practice room filled with dummies of various sizes. Her magic gathered, blasting three of them. Bloodlust sparkled in her obsidian eyes as her claws raked against a particularly tall wizard dummy's face.

Meanwhile, a certain Merlin wannabe wizard paced in his study, his thoughts on an emerald-eyed third year.

I'm sorry my boy...but everything I do is for the Greater Good. I'm afraid you'll have to die this year...not that your relatives would mind. In fact, the grandfatherly wizard drafted a condolences letter, a speech, and designed a memorial for the young wizarding child. He figured it would be good PR if he acknowledged the Weasleys and the Muggleborn...maybe. I might just blame them instead...if they cause me trouble. Furthermore, he knew he would pay one last time to those Muggles. More importantly, Harry's vast inheritance would go towards his Order of the Phoenix and Hogwarts' Funds.

Albus Brian Wulfric Percival Dumbledore was not a Dark wizard. Oh no, he would never be accused by such an epithet as all that. How could he? He was the Voldemort Vanquisher, the Humble Hero, the Hogwarts Headmaster, and he had several political allies within the International Confederation of Wizards. Not to mention, he is the Chief Warlock on the Wizengamot for Merlin's sake.

Certainly, his wisdom steered the wizarding world from a terrible fate. The wizarding world would be looking for a Light leader―and who graciously refill that role once more?

What, Dumbledore thought dismissively, is the life of one child concerning the stake of our very way of life? He's only a weapon...I must not get too attached to him...but I can 'guide' him in the right direction. Afterall, I have a decidedly Light familiar―a phoenix no less! I could use him to spy on the boy...

Satisfied, Dumbledore sat down and drank some tea. His eyes lazily taking in his acquisitions and thought upon his next chess move with human souls in his esteemed office.

Fawkes kept his trills to a minimum.

He did not like where his Master's intentions were going.