There were so many observations and questions clamoring for attention. To most, it would be completely overwhelming. Harry took a moment to mentally step back, take a deep breath, and do what he did best; observe, copy, and learn. First, his observations.

1. There is a community of those that can use magic… mages? Magicians? Wizards?

2. His Aunt and Uncle knew about the above fact but tried to keep him from finding out.

3. He was given a key that supposedly was for his vault in a magical bank. Who had the key before? What was in his vault?

4. He was given a letter and a map, both unobserved at this point in time along with instructions to purchase his school supplies.

5. He was famous? What did he do to attain such recognition? If he was famous, why had he never met anyone from the magical community before?

Next, he quickly decided on what solutions he could come up with.

1. There is nothing to be done at this point in time other than observe those around him. He should be able to learn about this community throughout his day although a book store could prove useful depending on his money situation and time.

2. There was nothing he could do.

3. He obviously needed to head to the bank as his first step to determine if he had enough money to purchase the needed supplies.

4. The letter and map should provide valuable information, hopefully including the location of the bank.

5. Research would be required, most likely at the book store and potentially through old newspaper articles. However, at the moment he did not have access to those. Listening to those around him could also prove useful as the potential for gossip was quite large.

With that decided Harry put the key in his pocket and turned his attention to the thick envelope. He took notice of the use of parchment instead of paper but stored the thought away for future inspection. The first sheet he pulled out was a rather standard letter of admission to the school, apparently named Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. That at least answered what magic users were referred as. The second sheet, though, was what truly interested Harry.

Written out in three columns were the school supplies in the first, the general price range of each item from used to top of the line in the second column, and the store in which they could be found in the third. At the bottom were two stores where used or discounted supplies could be found along with a note stating that first year supplies were slightly more expensive than those for subsequent years. In total, the price of supplies ranged from 50 to 300 galleons.

It was rather curious that each item could only be found at a single store and that there was minimal overlap. This again showed the magical world being in a previous time where stores and craftsman still specialized in one field instead of the mass production and generalized stores that could be found in the non-magical world. Then again, it could simply be this one street that he was brought to, Diagon Alley according to the letter, and was not a true representation of the full magical community. Besides, he still did not know how large said community was. He would need more evidence to come to a conclusion.

Next his attention turned to the map he was given. At first glance it was just a basic outline of the buildings within the alley along with a list of the business's names on one side. He found it strange that the buildings were not labeled. Clearly, something else must happen because as it was the map was not helpful. On the buildings list was 'Gringotts Wizarding Bank' which matched with what he was told about his bank key. Idly, he brushed a finger across the name before jerking back in shock. Suddenly, a bright red line created a path through the map that lead to a building that was also highlighted in red! Curios now Harry looked at the shop across the street from the alcove he was standing in and took note of the name 'Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour' and quickly found the name on the map. Again, he brushed his finger over the map and found a new, much shorter path from one side of the street to the other.

This magic was unlike anything he had ever contemplated. His magic was contained within his body and he used it to interact with the world around him. Never before had he considered turning an object magical. Harry forcefully pushed the idea to the back of his mind. He had a time limit with many other more important tasks to complete. Once he was tucked away in his cupboard, he could think on it more.

There was only one more consideration before he could set off to the bank; his clothes. Dressed as he was in Dudley's too large cast-offs he stood out in the surrounding crowd, something that he was loath to do.

Rule 5. Being the center of attention will only lead to pain. Keep to the background as much as possible.

The Professor that brought him here used magic to change his clothes, so clearly it was possible. With that in mind Harry looked into the crowd to observe those around him for ideas. Finally, his eyes landed on another boy that appeared to be similar in age as himself. The boy was wearing simple black slacks, an emerald green button up shirt, and a black cloak with emerald green piping along the sides. The shirt and slacks should be easy enough to recreate, although he decided not to attempt the cloak. He could easily visualize his own shirt and pants changing, but where would the cloak come from? If he had a jacket he could change that, but otherwise he did not think it possible, at least with what he could currently accomplish.

With eyes closed and the image of the desired clothing firmly in his mind, Harry sent his magic out to infuse with his clothing, visualizing the changes that he wanted to occur. The feel of his clothing becoming tighter made him open his eyes, only to smile slightly at his success. This was also stored as a future topic to look into.

Feeling more confident that he would not stand out in the crowds, Harry changed the map to lead to the bank once more and stepped out into the main street. He was happy to see that the line on the map shortened as he walked. Somehow, the position of the parchment within the alley was linked to show on the map. It was rather ingenious and the magic that created it would definitely deserve closer inspection when he was able.

As Harry walked through the alley he observed everything around him, the shops he passed, the items in the windows, conversations of both the adults and the children surrounding him. He learned that the alley was busier than normal due to a large number of families picking up their Hogwarts supplies. Was there only one school for the full magical community? Did other countries have their own magical schools? In the end, he was led back to the same question; how large was the magical community?

Accepting that he wouldn't be able to answer those questions for the foreseeable future, Harry continued to the bank. The large, marble building stood out when compared to the surrounding shops. Harry took a moment to observe the building and what appeared to be guards that were standing outside of its doors with spears in one hand while he could see an axe and daggers tucked away as well. The guards certainly were not human, but other than that Harry could not identify what they were. Were these creatures used as guards throughout the magical community? Were there other magical creatures like those in myths and legends?

Cautiously, he made his way up the steps and past the heavily armed creatures, acutely aware of the damage they could do with any one of the weapons they carried. His eyes were carefully cast downwards, not wanting to offend them as he made his way into the bank. Once inside he quickly stepped to the side and stood unobtrusively against the wall to observe those around him.

The interior was just as grand as the exterior, however it was the creatures that sat behind the many counters that immediately caught his attention. It appeared these creatures worked at the bank, although if they ran it completely or worked under the humans was yet to be seen. Were there multiple species of intelligent, magical creatures? Did they have the same rights as human magicals? Was discrimination as prevalent here as it was in the non-magical world?

Questions kept building up without receiving any answers. The book store might have to be his second destination so he could browse through the books and hopefully gain at least a brief understanding of this world. The clock on the wall indicated it was only ten in the morning, giving him six hours before the Professor would return to retrieve him.

Harry pushed the thoughts on his to-do list and returned to observing the bank. Behind the counters were guards, similar to those outside the door, that were interspersed along the back wall. The counters themselves were broken up into sections, each with a sign designating those tellers' purposes. There was a section for withdrawals, deposits, exchanges, and vault inquiries.

In the withdrawals section, one of two actions appeared to occur. After a short conversation a vault key was handed over, inspected, and then returned to the owner. At this point either a pile of coins were handed over, occasionally held within a leather pouch, or another creature came over to escort the customer to a side door where they would disappear.

The deposits section appeared to be similar as a key was handed over and inspected before more coins would be transferred from the customer to the creature. Why only coins? Those customers that appeared to be carrying an item, however, were escorted to a side door as well. Were they being taken directly to their vault? Did the bank actually contain a vault for each of their customers? If so, those from the withdrawal lines that were being escorted to the side doors were most likely going to their vaults to retrieve items stored within.

His eyes turned to the exchange counters. These customers seemed to be lacking the cloaks and distinctly 'magical' style of clothing that he saw favored around the alley. It was possible that these were people who lived or worked in the non-magical community. They appeared to be handing over British pounds and notes and received back the same gold, silver, and bronze coins that the others were withdrawing or depositing. Clearly the magical community had a different monetary system than the non-magical community.

Finally, he turned his eyes to observe the vault inquiries line. After a short conversation, where a key was not always presented, the customer was either escorted through a different set of doors, or made to wait in a different section, notably lacking any chairs or other seating options, until a creature came out to escort them. Were there those that specialized with specific customer's vaults that they were meeting with? It would explain why some were brought back immediately while some were made to wait.

Beyond these basic observations, Harry noted how the creatures were treated with fear or disdain. The sneers on the creatures faces were also obvious. It appeared that discrimination was a human trait, magical or not.

However, all of this led to a rather glaring problem. He had never been anywhere new without either Aunt Petunia or Uncle Vernon who were quick to tell the employees of their brain-damaged, mute nephew. The idea of breaking his golden rule did not cross his mind, only how he would get what he needed.

As Harry contemplated his options, he continued observing those around him. A man passed by him cursing about greedy goblins as he exited the bank, giving him his first clue as to the identity of the creatures within. The opening of a previously unused side door caught his attention as another creature, goblin, and a red headed man in a similar uniform stepped through. They had a brief conversation and then the red head bowed to the goblin with his right hand fisted over his heart before they went their separate ways.

"What are you doing over here, boy? We are not a babysitting service." The growled question jerked Harry from his observations and he quickly turned to face the guard that approached him when his attention was elsewhere. He kept his eyes down turned, even as he wanted to keep his gaze trained on the sword the goblin was carrying, it being the most obvious threat. However, he did not want to appear rude and see what sort of punishments were allowed within the magical community. With this in mind, he very carefully placed his right hand over his heart and bowed as he saw the man do.

He heard the goblin gasp slightly before the question was re-worded. "Why have you spent five minutes standing here, child?"

Harry could hear the surprise in the gruff voice and he carefully stood upright while keeping a close eye on the guard. There was a look of open surprise and curiosity on the goblin's face as where as before there was only anger. Hesitantly, he reached into his pocket to pull out the key and handed it over along with his Hogwart's supply list while remaining tense. The key garnered intense scrutiny from the guard before he turned to look suspiciously at Harry once more, paying special attention to his forehead and the spot Harry knew his scar was located.

"Follow me," commanded the goblin before he turned and made his way to a side door. Harry obediently followed, wondering what was going to happen. Was he going to be accused of stealing the key? Was it truly not his? What would these goblins do to him if that was the case? Harry wrapped his magic around him in his protective layer just in case. He had become strong enough to be able to sustain his shield for the full day if necessary.

He was brought through one of the doors and entered a branching hallway that contained closed doors every few meters. Every door was unmarked, perhaps as a way to confuse those that do not work at the bank? It would be an effective security measure. The validity of that thought increased as he was led through a maze of twisting hallways that appeared identical from the one he just came from. Were these the vaults, perhaps? Of course, there was the other possibility of them being offices.

The latter proved to be true as the guard finally stopped and knocked on one of the doors. A harsh voice called out to enter, a voice similar to that of the guard he was following. Within the room was an older goblin sitting behind a large desk with files stacked neatly across its surface. The walls were decorated with a variety of weapons, all appearing sharp and perfectly capable of being used at a moment's notice.

The guard walked around the desk and whispered in the others ear while handing over Harry's key and supply list. When the older goblin turned to observe Harry, he once more bowed as before since it seemed to garner a positive response, or at least, not a negative one. The room was silent for several seconds before the newest goblin spoke with a gravelly voice.

"Take a seat, young one. I am Gornuk, the account manager for the Potter vaults. Before we can allow you to access the vault this key belongs to, we must first verify your identity. There is a simple test that we provide that will show if there are any vaults within our bank that you have access to. If there is, you will be charged a fee of five galleons. If there are none, this fee is waived. All the test requires is three drops of blood on this parchment here."

The goblin slid a blank piece of parchment along with a beautifully carved knife across his desk so it rested in front of Harry. He pondered his options instead of automatically obeying the unstated command. The goblin, Gornuk, stated that the fee would be waived if he did not have a vault. However, what if the vault he had access to was empty? He did not have any money to pay the fee if they enforced it. On the other hand, the professor seemed to expect for some reason that he had money waiting for him at the bank. Beyond that, Harry noted the plural when Gornuk mentioned the Potter vaults. The fact that there was an account manager at all suggested that there was at least one vault but most likely multiple. The real question was whether or not he had access to them.

If he refused the test than in all likelihood he would be forced from the bank, potentially painfully, and would have no money in which to buy any of his school supplies. If he did the test he would either be shown that he had no access to any of the vaults, leading right back to the first possibility, with a higher likelihood of pain, or he would be allowed to access a vault that would hopefully contain enough to cover his school supplies and potentially more than one vault.

Rule 2. There is no correct solution, only the one with the least amount of negatives.

With that in mind Harry reached for the dagger while keeping both goblins in his line of sight in case he did something wrong. With easy efficiency he pressed the tip of the knife into his pinky finger on his left hand, not flinching in the slightest. After three drops of blood fell on the parchment he pulled his hand away so as to not risk any extra falling and ruining the test.

The cut was minor enough that he was not concerned about healing it at the current moment. He could easily wait until he was alone to do so. The knife, on the other hand, did have a drop of blood contaminating the tip. Harry was unsure if he would be punished for giving the knife back in its current state and did not want to risk it considering the number of weapons he was currently surrounded with. Harry ran a quick hand over the blade, his magic surging rapidly to clean it, before he placed it back on the desk and waited for whatever would happen next.

Gornuk took the parchment before chanting in a guttural language that seemed to match the goblins in nature. After one minute of chanting Harry could make out black writing beginning to form on the parchment. It took another 30 seconds before words stopped appearing and Gornuk fell silent while looking over the information on the paper. He seemed to nod to himself before handing the parchment out for Harry to take. Harry read it over quickly and could not help his open look of shock as he stared at the words before him. Surely, it was a joke.

Name: Harry James Potter-Black

Date of Birth: 31 July 1980

Birth Father: James Charlus Potter

Birth Mother: Lily Anne Potter née Evans

Blood Adopted Father: Sirius Orion Black; 1 August 1980

Godfather: Remus John Lupin

Godmother: Alice Jane Longbottom née Fawley

Heir Status:

Primary heir to the House of Potter

Secondary heir to the House of Black

Accessible Vaults:

Harry Potter Trust Fund; 42,600 galleons

Accessible Vaults upon Majority:

Potter Family Vaults

Black Family Vaults

For the first time in his life Harry was able to learn the names of his parents; Lily and James Potter. He finally had a name for the woman that gave birth to him, the man that called him his son. His eyes roamed over the letters that formed their names, trying to commit them to memory. His eyes fell on the line for his blood adopted father. He didn't understand what this meant, but still, it was proof that a man also accepted him as his own only a day after he was born. What happened to these people was still a mystery, but Harry treasured knowing their names. Unfortunately, his shocked thoughts were interrupted by the goblin speaking once more.

"All seems to be in order, Heir Potter-Black. However, since neither you nor your current guardians have entered the bank previous to today there are a number of things that I must explain before you will be allowed to withdraw from your trust vault. The previous Lord Potter set your trust vault up with specific guide lines that must be followed. As is customary within the Potter family, a trust vault was opened upon your birth and a starting sum of 2,000 galleons was deposited. Due to the war, Lord Potter set up a contingency plan for your vault that was enacted upon his death. Currently, 4,000 galleons are deposited yearly into your account from the main Potter Family vault to be used expressly for your needs, including food, clothing, housing, and school supplies. These funds may be withdrawn by either yourself or your guardians, however, proof, in the form of receipts, that the purchases were related to your care must be provided before subsequent withdrawals are made. If proof is not provided, access to these galleons will be cut off until the debt is repaid. Beyond that, 50 galleons have been deposited on each of your birthdays, which has increased to 100 galleons upon your 11th birthday. This money you may spend however you wish. Access to the main Potter and Black vaults is cut off for both you and your guardians until you reach your majority."

This was all said with quick efficiency and Harry tried to sort out what all information he could while his head was still spinning at learning at learning about his parentage and how much money he had access to. While true that he did not know the conversion rate to British pounds, 42,600 still sounded like a great deal of money. It certainly covered his supplies cost, although he would have to be careful to keep all receipts for what he bought once he left the bank. Much of what else he read was stored away for later thought, especially his heir status and his blood-adopted father.

He looked up to Gornuk and nodded once, showing that he understood what he was told.

"Very well then, Heir Potter-Black. Since you are a minor you must fill out this withdrawal form stating how much you wish to withdrawal and a brief explanation as to its purpose, which can be as brief as 'school supplies' or 'spending money'," stated Gornuk as he passed over a form as well as a feather quill.

Harry stared at the quill for a moment, because honestly, it was a feather quill! This was more proof that the magical world operated from an age older than that in the non-magical world. It was rather curious and begged the question; why? Focusing back on the quill he touched his finger to the tip and came away with black ink on his finger. Pleased with this result, he clumsily filled out the form, writing in 'Harry Potter Trust Vault' into the vault name and requesting 500 galleons for school supplies and books as well as 50 galleons for spending money. Hopefully, he would have time to deposit back any extra before the professor returned. Further down on the form was a section for conversion to pounds. Harry figured it was a good idea to exchange the required number of galleons into £200 so that he could hopefully purchase new clothes. He finished with a messy signature and checking a box for the money to be held within a leather pouch, for a fee of five galleons, before handing the form back to the goblin while noting that he would have to practice with a quill before the school year began.

Gornuk took the completed form and briefly looked it over before adding his own signature.

"If that is all, Heir Potter-Black, then Griphook here will escort you back out to the main lobby. Give this form to any teller at the Exchange counter and they will provide you with the requested galleons and pounds."

Sensing the dismissal, Harry stood and gathered up his key, school supply list, identity verification, and withdrawal form, before bowing once more to Gornuk. In response Gornuk murmured, "May your gold ever flow, Heir Potter-Black."

With that Harry followed the guard, now named Griphook, back through the maze of hallways and entered the lobby, although he swore it was a different door than that which they exited from. Griphook stayed with him until he was in line at the Exchange counter at which point he murmured the same sentence as Gornuk, leaving off the 'Heir Potter-Black' part, most likely to be discreet. Harry obligingly bowed once more before he was left alone. He shrunk into himself slightly when those around him stared at him in open curiosity or amazement. Thankfully, the line moved rather quickly and he soon received a leather coin purse as well as a stack of £20 notes. He gave a quick bow to the teller and pocketed each item before leaving the bank.

Once back in the alley he looked around once more with only question; where to start?