A Measured Response
This tragedy in Magical Britain demanded to be written. Harry returns from India where he's been studying parsel magic to hear of a tragedy that strikes close to him. Worse, there are attempts to cover it up. This is pretty–uh–very dark. Be warned. BASHING Goblins, Weasleys, Ministry.
Everything belongs to Rowling. I'm just playing in the sand on the beach, and the tide will wash away all sandcastles.
+++ CHANGE: Hidden Details Are Revealed (4 January 1999)Harry asked, "Fleur, what's wrong?"
The witch took a deep breath and explained, "Hermione is dead."
For one moment, Harry felt nothing. Then dozens of images of his best friend swirled through his mind – laughing Hermione, scolding Hermione cajoling him to work harder on his essay, the brightest witch of her generation fighting Death Eaters without revealing any fear. Her smiles, brown eyes, and brilliant mind were now gone.
Stumbling over his words, an emotional Harry asked, "What…what hap…what happened, Fleur?"
"Bill says that Hermione came into Gringotts and exchanged words about the treatment of the house elves in the bank. Hermione drew her wand and fired a spell at a goblin. The goblins arrested her, tried her in their courts, and sentenced her to the iron mines. What no one knew was that Hermione was pregnant. She was injured during the first week, suffered a miscarriage and died from complications."
"What? Elves? Hermione would never…this makes no sense!" Harry insisted. He turned back to Fleur and said, "Tell me again…what happened?"
In the same tone of voice, Fleur repeated the same story she'd told earlier. It began with the declaration, "Hermione is dead."
Harry went perfectly still as the witch repeated the rest of the story word for word. "Bill says that Hermione came into Gringotts and there were words exchanged about the treatment of the house elves in the bank. Hermione pulled her wand and fired a spell at a goblin. The goblins arrested her, tried her in their courts, and…"
A wandless spell put Fleur to sleep quickly, like the three wizards in the room. Harry positioned Fleur comfortably in a chair before he approached Bill, removed the spell that made him invisible, and then transfigured a chair around the curse breaker, confining him to the seat. Bill's arms were locked down but his hands were free. The red headed wizard woke quickly when Harry snapped his fingers.
Blinking rapidly, Bill took a breath and asked, "Harry, what happened? Where's Fleur?"
Harry dissembled with a Dumbledore-like reply, "She was overcome with grief."
"Then I gotta comfort her. Release me! Where's my wife?" asked Bill.
"No." Harry stepped closer, leaned over Bill, and with the hiss evident in his words, asked, "Tell me what happened?"
Tension appeared in the curse breaker's face for a moment, and then he said, "You know how strict Gringotts is about the behavior by witches and wizards inside the bank. That is doubly-true with you, Ron, and Hermione since the incident with the Lestrange vault."
"Bill…tell me what happened! Tell me!" Harry commanded.
"I did…Fleur did…didn't she?" asked Bill in yet another attempt to avoid answering.
"No, you're hiding something," Harry said before he waved one hand. Bill bit his tongue to keep from screaming out loud as magic twisted the curse breaker's right hand into unnatural shapes.
When Bill could breathe again without sobbing, Harry asked, "Now, tell me what happened and don't leave anything out."
"She died more than a week ago."
"When was she arrested?"
"I wasn't in Britain," lied Bill just before the index finger on his other hand was bent backwards and twisted into an unnatural shape. Using his occlumency shields at full power, Bill merely whimpered with tears and snot flowing down his face. "Two weeks ago. She was arrested and tried just over two weeks ago."
"Why didn't you contact me?" demanded Harry. "Why didn't anyone contact me? I would have returned and paid whatever fine the goblins wanted.
Bill remained silent and Harry growled, "Your sister sent her usual letter demanding news about my return but never mentioned the arrest of her sister-in-law. Ginny didn't write that Hermione was pregnant or dead."
The curse breaker remained silent despite the pain inflicted by Harry's curses. With a wave, Harry put Bill back to sleep and woke Fleur. She frowned at Harry, but then she glared at her husband's sleeping shape but said nothing.
The young wizard asked, "Why can't you tell me what happened…everything that happened?"
Fleur explained, a tone of bitterness in her voice, "Bill ordered me to obey him. His mother forced Arthur to make Bill and me obey the Weasley family magic. That's why I can't tell you anything."
"Can you tell another wizard or witch?" he asked, but Fleur shook her head. Harry fell silent, then smiled and summoned his house elf.
"Sneakers, do you know Fleur Weasley? She was Fleur Delacour when I first met her at Hogwarts."
The elf replied, "Sneakers hears many stories about this witch from other elves. Sneakers knows Fleur is friend of Mr Harry Potters."
"Sneakers, Fleur will tell you a sad story about my friend, Hermione Granger who married Fleur's brother-in-law, Ron. I will come back after she tells you the story."
With that, Harry walked out of the room, pulled the door closed and waited in the hallway.
+++ CHANGE: A Conversation (26 December 1998)In Gringotts, there were multiple discussions about the imprisonment of Hermione Granger and how Harry Potter would react. This is one of those conversations.
"I don't understand why you care if Thief Potter is angry with Gringotts Bank," stated the first goblin, dressed in his fine suit, and seated behind his desk. His visitor, another high-ranking goblin dressed in a fine suit of clothes, managed to contain his temper.
Ironstream, the Vault Manager for the vast Potter/Black accounts stared at Sowsbreath, Security Director for Gringotts and replied in a monotone, "I am following our rules of operation – I waited a week after sentencing to approach you. But I want to protect the bank, save the prisoner, and earn my client's gratefulness."
The visitor leaned forward, his hands flat on Sowsbreath's desk and not threatening as he continued, "Potter paid his debt to the bank – and more. Ragnock, Chief of Vault Managers declared that Potter was contrite, and paid for all damages and suffering with gold, jewels, and Goblin-made artefacts. The debt was forgiven."
Sowsbreath had lost face and honor when Harry Potter and his two companions successfully burgled Gringotts, and made off with a Class XXXXX device that was hidden (illegally) in the vault of Bellatrix Lestrange. Worse, they freed a dragon that flew over London, threatening the Statue of Secrecy. Despite Ragnock's words of reconciliation, goblins continued to despise the name 'Harry Potter'. The argument continued with Sowsbreath saying, "We should have demanded everything he owned…confiscated all the vaults!"
Ironstream frowned. "The Gringotts Rules of Engagement forbid confiscation of everything when the burglar proves to have acted to save the bank with his actions."
Sowsbreath argued, "We never tested the artefact ourselves. How do we know it was the abomination he claimed?"
"Your own teams of curse breakers – all goblins – reported the Lestrange Vault and all the items it contains are contaminated by evil magic – not dark magic – EVIL!" Ironstream reminded the chief of security. "The very stone in the walls is contaminated, and if we ever figure out how to remove the gold and gems for disposal in a furnace burning with fiend fire, we'll still have to fill the vault with muggle cement and brick over the door. Nothing will ever be stored in that chamber again."
"What do you want me to do?" Sowsbreath asked, hopeful that this visitor would leave soon.
Ironstream stated, "Move the witch from the mines to the infirmary. The healers will care for her until Potter returns. He will pay her husband's loan and interest the first day he knows of the debt. If we return Hermione Weasley in good condition, all of Harry Potter's wrath will fall on the fool Ron Weasley."
Sowsbreath paused before he asked, "What can Potter do to us? Withdraw his money? The ministry will never allow him to damage the economy of Magical Britain in that way."
"What are you hiding from me?" asked Ironstream recognizing Sowsbreath's tell – one claw continually tapped on the desktop.
"The witch is dead."
"Dead?" Ironstream shouted out. "She's only been in the mines for a week! What happened?"
"She was pregnant, and the guards struck her. She suffered a miscarriage and bled out on the stone floor of her cage yesterday."
Ironstream fell silent for a moment. Then he bowed and said, "Good day Security Director Sowsbreath."
The older goblin fingered the dagger at his belt momentarily and thought, 'I should follow and slit Ironstream's throat. He'll go to Ragnock to whine and complain about upsetting Potter.'
Walking with a confident stride that he didn't feel, Ironstream did not go to Ragnock. The Vault Chief probably heard this news the same hour it occurred. The Vault Manager for the Potter family returned to his office. For a moment he considered getting drunk on muggle bourbon for two days but then promised himself a weeklong indulgence in alcohol at some future date. 'If I survive the coming storm, I shall get drunk like no other goblin has ever been drunk.'
His thoughts continued and grew darker. 'Ragnock forgets something critically important. He allowed Sowsbreath to take the witch Harry Potter considers his sister into captivity. Gringotts caused her death and the death of her unborn child all for a few hundred galleons.'
The goblin sighed regretting the opportunity to regain the trust of the powerful mage. 'If Gringotts proved reasonable and released the witch in good health after the debt was paid, Potter's ire would have been turned against the husband…foolish stupid wizard that he is. Now the wizard who destroyed the worst Dark Lord in a thousand years and killed the Death Eaters without mercy will turn his attention against Gringotts London.'
Ironstream decided that his wife and all of his children, even his grown son would go to Gringotts Santiago for an extended visit – beginning tomorrow. Thinking of his eldest son, Ironstream decided to move today. 'Axblade will protest but he will obey my commands to investigate the local economy and set up four vaults for Potter/Black there.'
In his office, the goblin paused to look up a muggle reference. 'Yes, here it is in their mythology. Cassandra was a witch in mythology granted the gift of prophecy by a god from Olympus, but when she refused to take the same god to her bed, he cursed her so that no one would believe her prophecies. I shall be like Cassandra then. None will heed my warnings.'
The whispers about Ironstream's warnings spread through the bank, but no one paid them any heed because Sowsbreath denounced them, and Ragnock paid no attention to the Vault Manager.
+++ CHANGE: Weasley Stratagems (31 December 1998)What was revealed in the second round of conversations in Egypt?
When Harry returned to the meeting room, Sneakers explained the sequence of events and hidden information Fleur revealed to the elf. In September, when Harry left Britain to study in India, the Weasleys were unhappy. Ginny was pissed because she had wanted to marry Harry and become his wife. Once she heard he didn't have two knuts to rub together, her interest waned until Ron reminded her about the Black family vaults.
"No one ever said anything about what Sirius left for Harry…the selfish mudblood."
That same week, Ron decided he needed a new, expensive broom (Nimbus 1999) for his tryout for the Chutney Commons. He took out a loan at Gringotts at an incredibly high-interest rate to pay for the broom and included an extra hundred galleons for incidentals like new robes and celebratory drinks with the team after he was hired.
Ron borrowed 300 galleons and did not tell his new wife or anyone else in his family about the loan. When he didn't get selected to be on the team, he also failed to make any payments on the loan. His loan was assigned to collections after two months, and Ron ignored the letters from the bank demanding payment.
During the winter break from her seventh year at Hogwarts, Ginny was home for the holiday. She and Hermione were window shopping in Diagon Alley when Ginny mentioned getting some ice cream if Hermione would change one of her carefully horded Pounds into real wizard's money in Gringotts. When Hermione never exited the bank, Ginny grew bored and she returned to the Burrow. The goblins informed Fleur and Bill only after Hermione's trial and sentencing were complete. The couple also learned that the debt was now over 1,000 galleons because of penalties and compounded interest. Ron (and his wife) were liable for the full amount because Ron signed the contract.
When he was informed about his wife's imprisonment late in the afternoon, Ron groused, "Harry will take care of it as soon as he comes home."
Molly sniffed and stared at Fleur for a moment before she continued, "Let Hermione stay in the mines for a week. It'll soften her up and make her appreciate what a good life she has with Ron as the wife of a pureblood wizard."
Arthur said, "No. Send a message to Harry tonight. I'll see about borrowing the money from friends and getting Hermione out."
"NO!" shouted Molly. "Hermione must learn that she does not live in the muggle world anymore!"
That evening, Fleur tried to reason with her husband, but Bill explained that Molly controlled the family and she decided that Hermione would remain in the goblin mines until Harry returned and paid the penalty and loan. When she continued to argue, Bill declared, "As your husband, I command you to remain silent! If you protest, Mom will just order us to leave Hermione there for longer than a week."
Three days later, a formal note appeared on Arthur's desk at the ministry. When he saw it was from the Goblin Liaison at the Ministry, Arthur read it and then hurried home. He came through the floo and sought his youngest son to tell him that Hermione was dead. In the tears and cries that followed, Bill and Fleur arrived. Discarded on the kitchen table, Fleur found the official notice. She read it and screamed, "Hermione was injured in the mine! She had a miscarriage and bled to death alone in a cell! Ron didn't tell us she was pregnant!"
Turning her attention to Ron, Fleur yelled, "You left her in the goblin mines while she was pregnant!"
"What?" shouted Molly who turned to her son. "She was perfectly healthy and so was the baby. What happened?"
Ron stammered but admitted, "Hermie is…was four months along."
Fleur asked, "Is that why you rushed to marry last summer? And why you didn't go back to Hogwarts?"
Everyone ignored the questions that Bill's wife had asked.
"Oh, the poor girl…and my first grandchild," Molly said, going to Arthur for comfort in his arms, ignoring her part in the death of her daughter-in-law and the infant that would have been her first grandchild.
The next morning before she left for Hogwarts, Ginny told everyone at the breakfast table, "Harry is going to go spare and kick your ass all the way from the Burrow to Hogwarts and back, Ron."
"Ginny don't be vulgar," Molly scolded her daughter.
Arthur frowned and asked, "Ron, what do you think Harry will do?"
"He always forgives me," replied Ron, trying to sound nonchalant about the matter.
Fleur was silent until Bill asked, "Fleur what do you think? Will Harry forgive Ron?"
The witch answered calmly, "After Sirius died, Harry adopted Hermione as his sister – his only family to survive the Dark Lord. If you're lucky, Harry might let Ron live."
She glanced at Arthur and Molly for a moment, before she continued, "I believe Harry will leave Ron alive because killing you would distress Arthur and Molly. But he'll hurt Ron so bad he never has a pain-free moment in his short life."
The Weasleys were silent for a minute, and Fleur savored the moment's peace. Too soon Molly and Ginny began yelling, Ron was screaming about losing his wife and the danger the mudblood Potter put him in! Arthur finally calmed his wife and youngest children enough to ask, "We should plan a funeral for Hermione. Her parents…"
"The Grangers live in Australia under another name and they don't remember anything about their daughter," Bill reminded his family.
"There's not a body," Fleur announced. "The standard procedure for dead convicts is to give them to one of the dragons."
"Oh dear. My poor Ronnie will not have a body to bury…of either his wife or child," Molly said, beginning to cry again.
When order was finally restored at the Burrow, Ginny mentioned, "You have to make certain Harry doesn't find out everything. When he comes back from the other side of the world in a few days, you must sure everything gets blamed on Gringotts."
"How do we do that?" asked Ron, wanting to avoid the pain Harry would inflict on him.
Looking at Bill and Fleur, Ginny said, "Head off Harry… get to him before he returns to London and plant…tell the story the way we need him to hear it."
Sneakers continued telling the story; Harry would hear the news from Fleur with Bill hidden in the background to listen and intervene with compulsion spells if necessary. Before the plan was implemented, Percy informed Minister Shacklebolt who was immediately concerned with the notion of a goblin rebellion. The state of the economy would not allow any problems with the Gringotts Bank, so a second curse breaker and an Auror loyal to the minister was included in the plan to ensure Potter's compliance.
According to the plan, a somber and pensive Harry Potter would arrive in London to grieve the loss of his sister with her husband and the rest of the Weasley family. Gringotts would be avoided for at least a year – anyway, Harry always sent an elf to make withdrawals from his vault.
When Sneakers was finished, Harry paced about the room for a few minutes. Then Fleur asked, "What will you do, Harry?"
Glancing at the tired witch grimaced who stared at her husband's ruined hands. Unable to cast spells and his face marred by the cursed werewolf scars, Bill would never find work again. Their future would be constricted to the Burrow and his family forever.
But Harry interrupted her waking nightmare and asked, "What do you want to do?"
Fleur looked up and asked, "It doesn't matter what I want. Are you going to race back to England and attack the goblins? What about Ron? That worthless lump caused all this because he wanted to play Quidditch. He left Hermione to die in the goblin mines."
Motioning toward Bill, Fleur said, "He'll never find work again. Gringotts will let him go and we'll starve."
His brow furrowed as he considered the witch's words, Harry waved one hand toward Bill. The mangled fingers returned to their usual positions.
Astounded, the witch stared at Harry Potter for a moment and then back at her husband before she asked, "How did you heal his injuries so easily?
"Perhaps Bill's injuries were illusions? The broken bones and torn flesh may have been illusions in Bill's mind and your eyes."
"I don't believe that!" insisted Fleur.
"Or, perhaps I can heal as easily as I can punish persons who lie and dissemble," Harry said, waving a hand again and healing the scars that Greyback had inflicted on Bill at Hogwarts years earlier. "Magic follows intent and power."
"Those scars can't be healed!" declared Fleur with disbelief evident in her voice.
Harry said, "Fleur, tell me what you want…what do you want more than anything else?"
The French witch closed her eyes and let a few tears flow. "I want to go home. To France. To my parents."
She tore her eyes from Bill and said, "I want a divorce. He promised to never command me to do something I didn't want…but he obeyed his mother after she decided how the Weasleys would react. He commanded me to lie to you."
+++ End of Chapter