They all trooped down the stairs from the first floor, which was apparently dedicated to 'creature injuries' and into the main entrance / waiting area of the hospital. Large doors led into the 'Artefact Injuries' floor, where it seemed people could be treated for cauldron explosions, wand backfires and broom crashes. Harriet's eyes boggled at the strange symptoms exhibited by those waiting to be seen by one of the many green-robed healers who were hurrying to and fro. One man with a neck long enough to give Aunt Petunia's a run for its money had a constant stream of what appeared to be steam floating out of both of his ears. A woman wearing purple robes was sitting next to him spewing forth a steady stream of criticism with little evidence that he could even hear her. Another man dressed all in black was looking bored and completely unconcerned by the fact that his hair was on fire! He was sitting on a chair that had been pulled away from the wall but did not appear to be in any sort of pain and his hair did not appear to be consumed by the flames. As they walked towards the floo, another patient ran into the waiting room from the front.. Window? Harriet could see regular people walking past outside, completely ignoring the strange goings on that appeared to be completely within view on the other side of the glass.
The woman managed to gasp out "I've been bitten… by a Chimera," before she collapsed onto the floor in a heap.
Four green robed healers rushed over, with one of them ordering the others to take her to the "Dai Llewellyn ward immediately!"
Daphne showed a bit of interest at the goings on around them and Nance was just as fascinated as Harriet, but Hew merely let out a little snort and said quietly, "Chimera are class XXXXX monsters and their eggs are class A non-tradable goods, the Aurors will be paying her a visit during her convalescence."
He ushered us all towards the flu and took a pinch of powder from a bowl on the mantelpiece.
"Diagon Alley!" He declared as he threw the powder into the fireplace and stepped into the emerald flames as they appeared.
Nance ushered Daphne and Harriet to go before her and held out the bowl of floo powder for them to use.
Harriet stepped out into a bustling and busy street that she guessed would be a good match for Portobello Road on market day, if the complaints of her Aunt and Uncle upon their return from there were anything to go on. The walls of every shop were leaning in such a way that one side of the street leaned into the street at the ground floor, then away from the street on the first floor, then back again for the next floor up. The other side of the street was the opposite and it gave off the impression of imminent collapse and a feeling of claustrophobia.
Harriet marvelled at the many and varied shops that lined the street, as much as the people that were shopping. As expected there were clothing shops with windows displaying robes that matched the style worn by the majority of the shoppers but there were also shops selling cauldrons, brooms, scales and herbs. Others had stacks of leather-bound books, rolls of parchment, quills and pots of ink. Hew lead them through the crowds, with Harriet and Daphne holding hands and Nance bringing up the rear. They were steadily walking towards a large multi-story building that loomed up at the end of the alley.
Eventually they reached a large set of white stairs that led up to the burnished bronze doors of the building.
"Gringott's Wizarding Bank," Hew stated, "I'll do the talking."
Either side of the bronze doors stood a short creature in a uniform of scarlet and gold holding a long spear-like weapon. The creature was about the same height as Harriet, but slightly broader. It was mostly bald, with wispy white hair on the sides and back of its head, large bat-like ears that stuck out and a long hooked nose.
Hew led them up the steps and through the doors, the uniformed creature sneered at them as they passed.
Into a small entrance hall they walked and through another set of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them and two more uniformed creatures guarding them. These doors led into a vast white marble hall with long counters stretching along its length and doors in between each one. Many more of those creatures were around the hallway, behind each counter and walking around carrying pieces of parchment.
Hew led everybody up to one particular creature, who was sitting high up behind a counter. It finished writing something using a long feather quill before looking up at them over his spectacles and raising one long white eyebrow.
"We are here to conduct business of an extremely delicate nature," Hew stated.
The creature looked at each of them in turn before finally settling on Harriet. It felt like the thing was looking straight through her. She felt a shudder go through her at its invasive gaze.
"Very well," the creature huffed and disappeared from view for a moment before it appeared besides the counter and with a small wave opened a door and walked through, "follow me."
They followed the creature down a hallway until it stopped at a door leading off to the right hand side. Through that door was revealed a small private office with a number of chairs and a desk. The creature closed the door once everybody was inside and took its place behind the desk.
"Well then," it said in its scratchy mean-sounding voice, "what is this delicate business."
Hew put his hand behind Harriet's back and guided her forward, "this… is Harriet Potter. She used to be known as Harry Potter, but a bout of accidental magic changed her sex."
"And you'd like us to change her back?" The creature suggested.
"No!" Harriet exclaimed vehemently, "no we do not!"
She tried to take a step back, but Hew was standing behind her.
He put his hand on her shoulder and spoke up, "no, she is quite happy as she is now. The situation is thus: she was placed with muggle relatives that abused her and treated her quite unkindly. If we raise this with the ministry, they will likely either put her back with them or hand her off Merlin knows where. But… if we were bound by blood…"
"A blood adoption?" the creature asked with a cruel smile, "the Ministry wouldn't like that."
"No," Hew said with a smile, "the Ministry wouldn't like that."
"You are aware that you would not gain any access to her vaults with a blood adoption?" The creature said.
"Yes," Hew replied, "we don't want access to her vaults, they are hers alone."
The creatures eyes narrowed, "the fee will be five hundred galleons with an additional fifty for the required tests to establish that she was, in fact, Harry Potter."
"Very well," Hew said, "I agree."
The creature nodded and stood up and said, "you will wait here," before leaving the room.
"Harriet," Hew said, turning her around, "I'm not sure what is involved in the blood adoption, but it will likely involve cutting your finger or hand with a knife and letting a bit of blood out. It might hurt, but we will heal it straight away. The first test will just be a drop of blood. Once this is all done, you will effectively be our daughter. I'm not trying to take the place of your father, but you need somebody to look after you and raise you properly. If we don't do this, you could end up going to live with anybody. But we don't have to do this if you don't want to."
Harriet thought for a few moments. She knew what it was like living with the Dursleys and couldn't really remember her own parents at all. She had no idea what it would be like being raised by anybody else. So far her own experiences were summed up by the Dursley's and the Greengrasses. A third option could end up just like the Dursleys or just like the Greengrasses, but why would she risk it with the Greengrasses as an option already? That was just silly.
"No," she said and everybody gasped at the immediate implication of her word, she immediately clarified, "I mean, of course I want this. Would this mean Daphne and Nance and I would be sisters?"
"Yes, basically," Hew said with a smile, "and Astoria of course."
Harriet almost bounced with excitement at the prospect and when Daphne reached out to take a hold of her hand, it seemed to be a sign of the close bond they would soon share.
"When the goblin comes back in," Hew said (and Harriet was thankful for a name to apply to the creature), "we will ask him to confirm your vaults and holdings as well. The Potter's had at least a couple of properties from memory and Potter Manor was quite famous for its ballroom."
It wasn't long before the goblin did in fact come back and with it were two others. One was carrying two quills and two ink-pots, which it placed onto the desk along with two rolls of parchment and two long silver pins. The other was carrying a silver chalice and a knife, which were also placed onto the desk.
The original goblin beckoned Harriet towards the desk as it picked up one of the pins, "come forward Miss Potter and give me your hand."
Harriet did as it commanded and the goblin took her hand in his, quick as a flash he poked the silver pin into the tip of her index finger and watched as a small drop of blood welled there.
"Just one drop," the goblin said as it held out one of the ink pots.
Harriet held her finger over it and watched as the single drop of blood dripped inside, she then turned her hand around and marvelled that there was no more blood welling up, there wasn't even a wound.
The goblin unrolled the parchment and placed small paperweights on the corners. It placed the ink-pot directly above the parchment and put one of the feather quills into the pot.
Harriet turned her attention back to the goblin, but it took her a moment to realise that the goblin's attention was all on the quill. When she looked back at that, she realised that it was moving all by itself! It spun around and around inside the ink-pot, getting quicker and quicker until suddenly it stopped and stood straight up! By itself it lifted out of the pot and began writing on the parchment.
Harriet Potter born Harry James Potter.
Heiress of House Potter.
Only daughter and only child of:
James Potter
Only Son and only child of:
Fleamont Potter
Euphemia Potter nee Fawley
Lily Evans
Eldest daughter of two children of:
David Evans
Rose Evans nee Brooks
God-daughter of:
Sirius Orion Black.
Harriet marvelled at the words written on the parchment, but no word had more of an effect on her than 'daughter' did, which carried a wave of euphoria in its wake.
"She is who you say she is then," the goblin said perfunctorily and waved the other goblin to approach with the knife and chalice.
The goblin picked up the silver knife and looked at Hew, "father to daughter?"
"Yes," Hew answered.
"Hold out your hand," the goblin demanded and, using the knife, cut a short line in Hew's palm, "three drops then."
Hew held his hand over the chalice and counted out three drops of blood, which were very slow to fall considering the incision the goblin had made. When he turned his hand back over, he showed it to Harriet and she marvelled that his hand was clean and unmarred.
"Two drops for you," the goblin said to Harriet and using the knife cut a similar line in her palm. She winced even before he did it, but only in expectation at the pain that never eventuated, "two drops," the goblin reminded.
Harriet held her hand over the chalice and glanced inside to see a bubbling liquid and counted the two drops that fell, before pulling her hand back and running a finger along her palm where moments before was a cut.
The goblin held out the chalice to her and told her to "drink."
Harriet, obediently drank the contents of the cup. It was fizzy and the bubbles tickled her nose and tongue. It somehow heated her insides as it went down, spreading a warmth at first through her neck and stomach but then all throughout her body. A tingling sensation followed this, making her shiver all over whilst the tingles spread throughout her body. Even, it felt like, so far as to the tips of the hairs on her head! The tingling sensation ended, leaving her feeling a little sad and the goblin took the chalice back from her. He handed it and the knife, to the goblin who had carried it in, who promptly left the office.
"That's done," the goblin said, "just one final test to show that it's worked and of course, to provide evidence to the Ministry."
A prick of the pin and a drop of blood later and soon the second quill was dancing over the second piece of parchment. This time, though, it was slightly different;
Harriet Potter-Greengrass born Harry James Potter.
Heiress of House Potter.
Only daughter and only child of:
James Potter
Only Son and only child of:
Fleamont Potter
Euphemia Potter nee Fawley
Lily Evans
Eldest daughter of two children of:
David Evans
Rose Evans nee Brooks
Adopted daughter of:
Hew Greengrass.
God-daughter of:
Sirius Orion Black.
Harriet was ecstatic about the difference and only wished that it had made reference to being the sister of Nance and Daphne as well. And Astoria, of course.
"Very good," Hew said as he accepted the parchment from the goblin, "finally, we would just like an accounting of Harriet's vaults and holdings."
"Of course," the goblin said, "before we do that, does Harriet Potter-Greengrass have her vault key?"
Harriet merely looked at Hew in confusion, "No," he answered for her, "the location of the vault key is unknown."
The goblin frowned, "then we shall have the lock changed and key re-issued for the usual fee?"
"Yes," Hew said, "that would be best. Have the accounting owled to Greengrass Manor."
"Of course," the goblin said with a sharp-toothed grin that looked more predatory than cheerful, "do you have any further business with Gringotts today?"
"No," Hew stated, "that concludes our business today."
"Very good," the goblin said, "I will show you out then."
The goblin escorted them out of the office and down the hallway, back into the large marble hall.
"Well," Hew said to them once the goblin had gone back to his counter, "we're all safe now. Who'd like some ice-cream?"
AUTHORS NOTES:
Thank you SO SO much for the author follow / faves: Yuu igdrasil, king axolotl, NotablyBugear, Adrianwelschinger, Indianajonas19, hoyoyiyu
Thanks for the story follow / faves: blucougar57, toile grant, Lugiaman14, Im ITy, Kitsune Robin, NXTrain, king axolotl, shingar, ironjaw, Caita Medel, GoldLionAiolia, Honest Luna Raven, ChaosOmega98, DeltaZapdos, Indianajonas19, Meshgeroya, and FuzzyWauf!
I'm so sorry it's taken so long to get this one out. Christmas / New Years is a very busy time for me at work and trying to squeeze in shopping etc that my writing was put on the backburner for a little bit… But I had a very cruisy day at work today and managed to get this chapter finished. I hope you all enjoyed it! I'll be working a bit more on Darkness' Love before I get the next chapter of this story out, so please be patient! And thank you so much for all of the follows, favourites and reviews!
Blucougar57: Thank you so much for the review! It's a slightly different take on the trans harry stories that I like reading (I'm really getting into Kaleidoscopic Grangers at the moment, a really interesting read!).
Toile Grant: Thank you so much :)