Alright, on to the next chapter. Now we get to meet up with Scortwit and Charlie. Also

I do the entire lordship/heirship trope a bit differently. Yes, there will be politics in this story, sorry, but they won't be until much later.

Also, instead of house rings, a house is distinguished by something unique. A family artifact, such as the Peverell invisibility cloak, or a goblin war medal from the house of black.

Each of these items holds powerful magic properties, and they can be rather unforgiving to one that they don't accept.

Keep this in mind as this chapter continues.

0—

"You'll do fine."

Spearmint smiled at Harry as the child muttered up a storm, questioning this and that and whether or not Scortwit would actually like them.

"Little one, you worry far too much." The goblin chuckled as she walked alongside them. "Worry not, the man has spent most of his day getting things for you. He is already resolved to this."

Harry nodded. "Yes… but what if-"

"He won't think that you're a freak, little one. He can do magic, just like you can."

"But what if-"

Spearmint sighed and turned to the child, giving a comforting smile. "Remember what you promised me before you left."

"Little one, I need you to make me a promise."

"Yes ma'am?"

"Give your magic a chance. I'm certain that you will soon find that you are not a freak, but an extraordinary mage."

"I… I'll do my best."

Harry nodded. "Yes. I'll give my magic a chance."

Spearmint smiled wider. "Good. Now how about we get to the tellers room? I'm certain that he should be there by now."

Harry nodded and began to follow Spearmint once again. The two walked through narrow tunnels and over rickety bridges. Harry's eyes were wide as they looked at the passing scenery.

Waterfalls and rivers carved through an expansive maze of caverns. Railways twisted and tangled around spires of rock and through holes in the sides of the caves. Harry could see several great big doors scattered around the maze of tunnels, some being guarded by large scaly beasts.

"Are those-"

"Dragons, yes. The man you are going to live with actually raises them and keeps their species preserved. Many a goblin is thankful for what he does, as before he came to gringotts, our deaths at the hands of a grumpy vault guard numbered in the high thousands."

Harry shivered, looking down over the side of a bridge as they passed over a trench which held a slumbering silver dragon. "This man won't… he wouldn't feed me to them, would he?"

Spearmint barked a laugh, her body trembling with mirth as they plodded onward. "If he wanted to do that, he wouldn't have brought you to be healed."

Harry felt their face flush red. "I didn't think of that…"

"It's quite alright. You will learn much as you grow, and you will have many moments where you don't think."

"It's a bad habit to get into, is it not? I'll do my best to think before I speak…" Harry mumbled.

Spearmint sighed. "You are far too disciplined already, little one. Do not worry yourself with what I just said."

"But-"

"There are also times when it is better to charge in and ask questions later." Spearmint interrupted, looking at the child with a sparkle in her eye. "In those moments, you cannot afford to waste any time."

"How will I know the difference?" Harry asked.

"Trust me, you will know. Now hang in just a moment, we're almost there."

0—

Scortwit sighed as he finally made it back to the bank. He was tired from the shopping, but it was nice to see a few familiar faces, even if one of them was an old thieving potionmaster.

The wizard grunted as he squeezed through the door to Gringotts, carrying the robes for the child along with him. "Damned door… only being open enough for one at a bloody time…"

"Sir Scortwit!"

The wizard blinked and looked down, finding a goblin guard saluting him. "I'm here teh bring yeh teh the healer and the kid."

Scortwit nodded wordlessly, catching his breath from the hassle of getting through the door. With a quick gesture to lead the way, the two were off.

It was a very short walk, going to a room behind the busy tellers work area.

"This is the tellers room." The goblin guard nodded.

"But I thought-"

"That the tellers room was behind us? No, that's just the foyer. A display for the wizards and witches so they think that we work around their model. No, this is the tellers room. We manage each and every vault back here."

"I see…"

"Indeed. The shelves over there are where we retrieve heritage results. We can link an adopted wizard child to a family, or uncover their old family heritage. It takes some time, not like everyone thinks."

Scortwit nodded. "I see… So are we testing the child's heritage?"

"I don't see why not. If they are muggleborn, it would give them the opportunity to have a foothold in the magical world."

Scortwit nodded. "I understand. How does it work?"

The goblin guard nodded. "The book cases. They are carved from the remains of the last magical forest of the earthlands. They channel the magic of the faeries that brought magic to our world, opening a gateway for the old to speak with the new. They know whos magic belongs to who, and they can link blessed humans to existing lines."

The sound of a door opening caught Scortwits attention. He could see that the goblin guards eyes had widened at the new arrival, and so he turned to look.

At the end of the room stood two individuals that took the breath from all present.

First was a goblin. Her skin was a bit smoother, but still rough by human standards. Her ears were a bit longer than normal, and tapered into fine tips. Her head bore actual hair, which worked well with her goblin features instead of making her look like a demented and diminutive politician. She was more rugged than any human, yet more fair than any goblin.

Behind the goblin stood a child with pale skin and raven black hair. Her face was the shape of a teardrop, perfectly smoothed down into a beautiful shape. The black locks of hair fell messily around the child's face, and yet the style seemed so beautiful. Her eyes were a brilliant green that took Scortwits breath away. At that moment, he couldn't help but think of the legends of Morganna of Camelot.

Both were dressed in a similar red garb made of a fluffy layered red material. Their robes seemed to cling to them as they walked, and yet they hung loosely from them at the same time. Something about the robes was pure magic, and Scortwit knew.

Maldy couldn't make anything that would compare.

The room was silent as the two walked over to Scortwit and the goblin guard, the child's bare feet making a sound that echoed off of the walls. "How was your shopping, Scortwit?"

The wizard blinked. "Spearmint?"

The goblin nodded, and the wizard turned to the child. "Then this is…"

"The ritual was successful. We were able to heal quite a bit of the injuries and mend the atrocities committed to this body." Spearmint nodded.

The child looked up at Scortwit. "Are you the one who will be taking care of me?"

Scortwit slowly nodded, flabbergasted at the change he saw. "I… I got you a gift…"

The child cocked their head to the side. "A gift?"

Scortwit nodded and held up a parcel tied with twine. The robe he had set aside to bring back.

"You're much too kind…" The child gently took the parcel.

Scortwit's lips flicked into a nervous smile, he was still blown away by the change, and the child was so… nice. Soft Spoken.

"Perhaps…" Scortwit spoke softly. "But I think that you deserve many more gifts than this."

"Oh no." The child blushed. "It's fine, really."

Scortwit shook his head. "I insist. I actually spent a lot of time picking out things for you. They're all back at home, of course…"

"Home?"

Scortwits heart melted as the child looked up at him, glassy eyed.

"Yes… home."

The child took a step forward, moving as if they were in slow motion, before leaping forward and wrapping her arms around Scortwit. The man let out an 'oof' as he caught her, freezing as she squeezed her arms around him, sniffling. Slowly, ever so slowly, he let his arms fall around her, hugging the child back.

Spearmint looked up and nodded, leaving Scortwit to sigh and rub the child's back. "Come on… we still have a few things to do."

The child nodded. "And then we can go… home?"

"Yes… then we can go home."

The child held Scortwits hand as he walked them to the heritage alcove.

The bookshelves that the goblin guard had gestured to were arranged in a large semicircle, with a circular stone platform set in the middle of the floor. The company stopped at the steps up to the platform and looked at the child.

"Here we are." Spearmint smiled, taking the child's hands in her own. "Up there is where you will find out who you are."

The child blinked. "Who I am… I know my name… and her name…"

"It's where you will find your family, who your true family is. Now, when you go up, you must remain strong. The magic of the alcove will wake the soul fragment within you."

The child nodded. "I know what to do."

Spearmint held the child's hands firmly, giving them a hard stare that reminded them that the coming magic wouldn't be easy to fight.

"I know… I will be fine, mother goblin."

Spearmint nodded and let the child go. Harry took a few deep breaths as they walked up to the top of the stone platform.

"Am I supposed to do something?" The child asked aloud as they reached the top of the platform.

No sooner were the words uttered than golden sparks began to drift from the bookshelves. Notes of music flitted from the wood as the sparks began to dance.

Harry's eyes widened and sparkled as the motes of light surrounded them, dancing and twirling faster and faster, the music singing louder and louder. The child was aware of the faces of those present watching with worry. Scortwits cloak flapped on a rising wind as the light spun, and then everything slowed.

The singsong voices of light were cut off as the world froze. The sparks hung in the air, spread around Harry's body.

Scortwit was frozen, along with the goblins, who gazed up in mixed emotion. Wonder, awe, even fear.

The gentle notes of a harp began to emulate from the bookshelf, and an outline made of light stepped from the shelves. Harry could see that it was a woman's shape, and it felt… familiar.

"You have endured so much…" A beautiful voice filled the child's mind. "Death has asked me not to interfere more than necessary… So I can only give you the names of your soul's heritage."

Harry blinked as the outline stooped down and plucked a spark from the air. The spark glowed brighter, growing into a small nugget of gold. "This will let them know… who you are."

Harry held a hand out, allowing the presence to place the nugget in the palm of their hand. A strange force nudged against the child's fingers, gently pushing them closed.

"Go now…"

Harry watched as the womanly outline vanished. Time regained its proper course as the sparks began to whirl about once more.

The storm of light whirled about and the song it carried swelled to a finish, before dying down as the sparks slowed and began to float back into the shelves.

Harry stepped down from the platform with a small smile, and presented the gold nugget to Spearmint, Scortwit, and the Goblin guard.

"Where did you…"

The two goblins stared at the nugget of gold in the child's hand.

"Is something the matter?"

The goblin guard cleared his throat. "Er… normally, when a goblin approaches the shelves, the magic of faeries guides the proper family record to their hand."

Harry looked down. "The voice told me-"

"It spoke to you? The Fey Mother spoke… to you?"

Harry blinked at the surprise in Spearmint's voice. There was pride within it, but also… there was hurt.

"A womans voice… she gave me a spark. This spark."

The goblin guard slowly reached forward and tapped the gold nugget with a clawed finger. The gold gleamed, before floating up and turning into a flurry of sparks, which whirled about before settling in the air as two golden words.

- Potter

Peverell

Scortwit gasped while Spearmint turned white.

"It cannot be…"

Harry blinked. "What? What cannot be?"

The child's eyes were drawn back to the list as it flashed. A few sparks drifted away from the word 'Potter' and turned green, taking on a third name.

- Gaunt

Spearmint closed her eyes and bowed her head.

"What do we do? If they know the child was brought here-" The goblin guard began.

"It doesn't matter." Scortwit snapped, his mood suddenly frantic. Where he was before was no place for him. The goblin nation has performed a miracle."

"Excuse me, but why are you all acting like this?" Harry asked.

Scortwit nodded to Spearmint. "They know nothing, see? You have saved a valuable soul."

Spearmint nodded. "Yes… You will take good care of her?"

Scortwit nodded slowly. "I will…"

Spearmint and the goblin guard both stood up straight. "Then let us prepare for your departure. Harry, that is your name, correct?"

The child nodded. "Didn't I tell you?"

"No… but your family name is well known. There is only one Potter child remaining who bears a cursed scar. Now come, let us get your vault keys and prepare to send you on your way."

Harry blinked. "Vault keys?"

"Scortwit will explain it all to you when you arrive at your new home." Spearmint nodded, taking the childs hand. "Now we must get you out of here before you are seen!"

The rest of the time leading to their departure was a blur as Harry was given three golden keys and rushed back down through the tunnels and into a large room containing a semi truck. A red haired young man was busy coaxing a dragon into the back of the eighteen wheeler as Scortwit was in the cab, getting the vehicle started.

"Harry."

The child turned to Spearmint, who looked sad to see them off. "I will be here whenever you need me, okay? I have some things to send you off with."

Harry blinked as their goblin mother procured three small boxes. "They are family artifacts, passed down from parent to child. These two…" Spearmint handed Harry two of the boxes. "They are the Potter family treasures. One from over eight hundred years ago, and the other from Grindelwalds war."

Harry opened the first box to find an intricate dagger. The guard was made of polished silver, which contained a folded pattern similar to Damascus steel. The blade was perfectly silver, bearing no pattern. As Harry looked into it, they found that their reflection had blood red eyes.

"That dagger is ancient magic. It is better used to see the unseen, than to rend your foe from nape to throat."

Harry gazed into the surface of the blade reverently, watching as the red eyes slowly drifted shut. With a nod, Harry put away the Potter dagger and took the second box. Nestled within was a short stick, made of dark wood.

"It was claimed by your great grandfather in combat. He asked that it be passed on to the head of the Potter family in each generation, as a second wand for them to use should they ever have a need."

Harry nodded and took the wand. It felt abnormal in the child's hand, as if it was resigned to being with them, but not by their own choice.

The third box was handed to the child. "This is the treasure of the house of Gaunt. They prized their ability to speak parseltongue, the language of serpents, above all else. You will find that many of their treasures bear… unique marks of this trait."

The box contained a silver bracelet that was shaped like a snake. Each scale was carved into the metal with delicate precision, and the eyes were inlaid with two small emeralds.

"Thank you…"

"There is no thanks needed little one… Now go. You must leave this place?"

Harry shook his head. "Won't I see you again?"

"Of course you will. Simply ask for me whenever you return. But now, you must leave!"

Harry nodded and quickly hugged the goblin tightly. "Thank you… for everything."

"You may not be mine by blood… But I do not love you any less for it. Be safe, little one."

"I will be. I'll try."

"And make sure-"

"To give my magic a chance?"

Spearmint smiled, her eyes sad. "Yes… Give it a chance. You are not a freak…"

"I am extraordinary…" Harry gave a small smile back.

"Yes… yes you are."

"Come along! Not a moment to waste!"

Harry walked with Scortwit to the truck and hopped up the metal steps to the carriage. The redheaded man joined as well, and Scortwit jumped into the drivers seat.

"We can only transport you to the border of Britain, you'll have to drive the rest of the way yourself." Coppergash called from the ground.

Scortwit gave a thumbs up. "Thanks Coppy! We'll be back again before you know it!"

"Then may the gods help us all!" The goblin quipped. "Portkey is set to leave in minus ten seconds!"

Harry looked out the window at Spearmint, who waved as the truck began to glow. Harry saw her lips move as she said something.

"I love you."

And then they were gone, pulled away by a strange sensation that felt as though there were a hook behind their navel.

The world blinked into existence as the truck smoothly hit the road at a speed of ninety kilometers an hour. Harry blinked as the British isles faded away behind them.

They were finally beginning to heal.

0—

And there's the next chapter!

Now we got out of Gringotts and we have a few more chapters until we get to Hogwarts. I'd like to take a few chapters to get Harry settled in, do some magic, learn how to fly a broom, and make a sort of half agreement with the horcrux. Of course, it won't be instant camaraderie, but it will be a sort of deal with the devil.

Anyways, until next time

Adios!