-8-

"Mr Potter," Bloodbringer, the manager of the Potter family accounts, said with a look of exasperation which was foiled by the smirk on the goblins' features which took the sting out of it, "you certainly know how to lead a life. It's only been a week and a half since you were incarcerated in Azkaban and then you escaped, before coming here. You certainly know how to keep us busy."

"I aim to please, Bloodbringer," Harry replied, unable to hide his fondness for the goblin out of his tone.

The goblin grunted. "The Ministry, and Dumbledore, have both tried to get their hands on your fortune, but thanks to the standing orders you gave us, they failed."

"Well, they didn't have this, did they?" Harry smirked as he lifted his disillusioned Head of Family ring on his finger.

While he didn't trust anyone thanks to the recent betrayal, to say nothing of how he'd been treated by everyone since his parents died, Harry was fond of the goblins. They were as sly cunning, and vicious as any other good Slytherin, but they had proven time and time again they were better allies than the wizards.

That didn't mean he completely trusted them, of course; some goblins would do anything for the right price, and so he was extremely careful although the majority of the goblins he'd met proved they didn't care about wizards.

"I take it your golem has been used," Bloodbringer knew it had.

"Sadly, yes, I had hoped to keep it for a lot longer and use it for something a bit more practical than taking my place at Azkaban," Harry shrugged as if the matter didn't make a difference to him anymore. "Anyway, I have to thank you again for helping with my forms, Bloodbringer; without the animagus forms I would never have gotten out."

He had wanted to become an animagus after seeing how effortlessly McGonagall was able to go through the school as a cat, virtually and practically invisible; he had fantasised about the prospect and the possibilities that came with such a fucking useful skill, but when he had come face to face with Black, while he, the werewolf, and the bastard and the bitch, as he was now calling Weasley and Granger, had confronted Pettigrew (once more he cursed his father for being so fucking stupid when it came to friendship), and his desire to become an animagus had gained new wonderful properties that wicked be useful for him further down the line.

The goblins had helped him with the transformation after he'd learnt of the Native American Indian method. He'd been reluctant at first to trust them given their reputation but since he wouldn't be able to repair any of the damage if anything went wrong without help, he had put his trust in them, and they had proven themselves more trustworthy than Dumbledore and his cronies.

"You're more than welcome, Mr Potter. Now, what was it you needed Gringotts' services for?" The goblin asked.

"I think I have one of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes in my scar. I worked it out when I was making my way back home after getting out of Azkaban. I found out Voldemort had created them, and a snake he'd taken as a familiar had a piece of his scar inside it, but when I fought against him in the graveyard the portkey took me to, I couldn't get close to her or him to use the spell the Ancients had used," Harry was pleased he'd told the goblins the basics of what happened that got him locked up in the first place, "but when I received visions over the few days I was free, I wondered how it was possible as the mind-arts require line of sight and a conduit between two sets of eyes to work."

"Mm, that's so, Mr Potter," Bloodbringer growled, disgusted and not afraid to show it at the thought of that thing splitting his soul apart. "Go on. What makes you so sure you have one of those abominations in your scar?"

Pleased the goblin was listening to him, Harry explained, "I went through my occlumency books when I got back, and the few books on immortality I found at Hogwarts so I could learn about Voldemort's methods. They confirmed my suspicions."

While he was hoping the goblin hadn't made any notes about him taking the books on immortality since it could imply to him that he wanted to live forever, or something like that, Harry went on, "I was shaken by the realisation, Bloodbringer; I was flying over Edinburgh looking for a place to land before it came to me. It nearly made me fly straight into a brick wall. As much as I hoped it wasn't true, it made so much sense; why I was able to get those visions of Voldemort, feel him whenever he threw one of his temper tantrums, and why it always stung like crazy when he was nearby."

"Why didn't you tell anyone about it?"

Harry sighed. That was a good question, he had to admit that. "At the time I was still new to the magical world, Bloodbringer," he replied honestly. "I didn't know any better. I had known about the wizarding world after trying to escape the Dursleys and I was more focused on escaping Dumbledore than caring about Voldemort, and I only really started when the wanker just would not leave me alone. Unfortunately, by that point I had so many things to think about that I never stopped to consider it; bear in mind, I had just learnt about the Horcruxes shortly before the third task of the Tournament. It just didn't click at the time."

Bloodbringer quickly sent a message off to someone. "I've just sent for some healers, who are specialised in this form of magic. They can examine you to be sure. And if you're right, what then?"

"I found several books that determined if there was a Horcrux, the whole thing - the soul piece, the body it was kept in; book, urn, whatever - had to be destroyed, but I wanted to use the ancient method of simply draining it and the creator of the soul fragment, and I also learnt since Voldemort created slave brand for his followers, which would give him more magic, they would lose their magic, too. I want this thing out of my head. I want it drained now," Harry replied instantly.

Harry had been truly tempted to just turn his back on the wizarding world and carry the knowledge of the Horcrux with him, but he knew he couldn't. The reason had nothing to do with morals, even if he wouldn't be sorry if so many witches and wizards died, and to be honest it had something of poetic justice that so many people were killed by the very Dark Lord he, Harry, was said to have 'killed' as a child.

No. It came down to cold logic. If Harry just left Azkaban and went off into the muggle world, how long would it be before the wizarding world discovered the truth of what really happened? Yeah, keeping the golem in Azkaban would keep him safe, but at the same time, he would still have the Horcrux in his head.

What would have happened if Voldemort figured out he was not anywhere near Azkaban?

The connection between them had to be two-way in some fashion, and it made sense to him that sooner or later Voldemort would realise the truth and waste time and resources coming after him, and sooner or later Dumbledore would realise something was wrong; eventually he too would discover the truth, and be desperate to get his old paws on him. Harry didn't want to live that way.

What he had planned would certainly mean, sooner or later, the Ministry would discover the golem, but by that point, he would be in the muggle world, and Harry knew how to hide out there, and since he was a metamorphamagus, he could hide out easily. Wizards just had no common sense, and would stick out like a sore thumb out in the muggle world.

Bloodbringer brought up the golem, "And…your duplicate?"

Harry sighed. "I admit it," he said solemnly, "I was tempted to just leave the wizarding world to face the music when Voldemort revealed his return, Bloodbringer. By that time they'd go to Azkaban, discover the golem, and by that point, the trail would have gone cold so they couldn't find me, but I can't do that. The connection between myself and that snake-faced freak is likely two-way; at some point, he is going to realise I'm out anyway, and he will come after me. He's obsessed with me, and I want him out of my life for good. I know sooner or later once everything is cleared, the golem would be found, but it can't be helped, I can still get away."

Bloodbringer stared at him shrewdly for a moment, "I take it you would like to keep in touch with us via message box?"

"Yes," Harry nodded. Bloodbringer was the only one to know about his mother's properties.

-8-

The wizarding world was in turmoil. Hundreds of witches and wizards, some of them too young, had been found without magic, and they had all several things in common, but the most obvious was the fact each of them had a Dark Mark-shaped burn mark, or scar, on their forearms. The second is that they had run out of magic. The Ministry was in panic as they tried to narrow down the cause, and they eventually discovered many of the victims were simply too young or had been children during the time of the original war.

After they had done more searching, the Ministry, who had lost a fair number of their employees which had stunned them with how many Death Eaters had managed to get inside the Ministry, eventually checked their records and discovered everyone who'd lost their magic had it torn out with a burst, and after they'd rechecked their records, they found out where the bursts had taken place and sent investigation teams to each one.

One group found Peter Pettigrew and Barty Crouch junior near a pile of black robes, with a small pile of white bone dust, some blood splatters and a hand, which they would later realise came from Pettigrew. The two former Death Eaters were barely conscious, and it took a lot of ingenuity for the Healers and the aurors to get them to talk, but the discovery Lord Voldemort had returned was a shock to the system, especially to Albus Dumbledore, who hadn't even known about it, although he'd suspected something when Snape had lost his magic suddenly.

Crouch and Pettigrew had revealed all of their crimes; the murders they committed, the atrocities, to Crouch kidnapping and poly juicing the unfortunate Alastor Moody before the veteran Auror was murdered when the disguise was no longer any use to him or his Master. Crouch murdered him when the Auror was unconscious and defenceless.

Pettigrew likewise described his own initiation into the Death Eater ranks with the betrayal of Lily and James Potter, and framing Sirius Black and hiding as a rat, scared of discovery before the Dark Lord's return to power and helping in his resurrection. But the last revelation from the Death Eaters had stunned the magical world.

Harry Potter was innocent. Pettigrew had learnt the Dark Lord had cursed the Trophy, not Potter, and Crouch was fed information about the whole thing via his Mark, so when Potter returned, he would ensure the boy was thrown into prison as a punishment for defying the Dark Lord.

The news stunned the wizarding world, especially Dumbledore and Harry's so-called friends and family. After Fudge was pushed into a corner by the furious Madam Bones, who had been furious for some time the incompetent Minister had rushed the trial, dismissing procedure and dismissing the rights of a young boy, a group went to Azkaban only to discover the golem, which fell apart within seconds of them getting into the cell, but there was no sign of Harry Potter.

When they checked at Gringotts, they were further dismayed to discover that Harry Potter was dead, and the goblins couldn't understand it.

The wizarding world had so many mysteries to deal with and they were befuddled by the news Harry Potter, the last of the Potters, was dead.

But then they had a new problem.

People were starting to die.

-8-