Quick note. On the topic of reviews. The page is a space to review the story. If I see any advertisement of pornographic content, I will delete the review and report your account to the proper sources. I am abhorred at the fact that I have already had to delete one such review, or at least go through a long process of initiating deleting it, as this review in particular is also bugged. Please, keep your tomfoolery out of my inbox!

Anyways.

Next chapter!

We'll finish up Scortwits shopping scenes in this. We have one more stop to make in his adventures. The Apothecary.

Other than that, we'll have Harry meeting Spearmint, and then he'll be off to meet Scortwit in the next chapter, getting his vault key and learning his history.

Let's go!

—0—

Scortwit looked over the many book spines upon the shelves of Flourish and Blotts. So far, he had selected a plethora of titles, ranging from 'Common Law: Wizard Laws, Regulations, and Customs.' To 'Julius Cheswicks Fifty Three Charms for Beginners.'

Scortwit nodded as he picked out the twenty seventh book, 'A Tome of Transformations: Everything you need to know for basic transfiguration.'

"Quite a hefty haul you have there." The shopkeeper nodded.

"Yes. It's for someone new to the wizarding world, so I had to get a bit of everything."

The shopkeeper gave a smile. "That's often the best thing to do. A good idea to purchase a few books on customs."

Scortwit nodded as the shopkeeper looked over the titles. The wizards eyes were drawn to a quill set in a velvet lined box.

"Is that-"

"Phoenix feather. Enchanted to have infinite ink. White ruby tip, unbreaking charm upon it. We have a few in stock, their ten galleons each."

Scortwit nodded. "Could you add one to my purchase?"

"But of course sir! With all of these books, it comes to around two hundred and seventeen galleons, twelve sickles and twenty two knuts.

Scortwit cringed internally, but paid the shopkeeper. It would all be worth it.

"Thank you. Have a nice day!" Scortwit nodded, porting the books and quill back to Romania with a tap of his wand, as he had done for all of the purchases he had made for the child after going into the cauldron shop.

The only thing that Scortwit had kept for the child to get immediately, was a set of robes. He was hoping that they would be okay until they returned to Romania.

As Scortwit stepped out of Flourish and Blotts, he paused. The temperature was rising. At first, he hadn't minded the heat, now it was bad enough to make even the well practiced dragon keeper sweat.

Scortwit felt a wind tear through the alley. Quickly, Scortwit threw himself against a wall, watching in awe as the wind knocked a few people off of their feet. Then, the air began to cool.

Scortwit looked towards the origin of the wind to find the road leading to Gringotts. With a confused blink, he pondered what in the bank could have caused such a phenomenon, before shaking his head and making for his last stop, the Apothecary.

The shop was lit dimly by a few flickering candles. Scortwit could see vats of slugs, a few jars of eyes, a display of plant samples, and even a few rare potions on sale.

The man browsed through the assortment of ingredients, picking out the few that he needed for the preserve.

"Well if it isn't mister Scortwit himself!"

The wizard turned to find an elderly man in green robes, holding onto a phial of some type of fluid venom or tree sap.

"Professor Slughorn?"

"Please, I'm retired. Just Horace is fine."

Scortwit nodded. "Of course sir. I'm surprised to see you here!"

"Yes, well… I have to sell my wares somewhere you know." The man smiled. "Besides, they do, on occasion, have a few ingredients that I cannot get my hands on normally."

The retired professor held up the phial he had been studying. "Basilisk venom, from a beast they killed in India I believe."

Scortwit blinked. "That's worth quite a pretty penny."

"Indeed!" Slughorn chortled. "But it is also used in a great deal of expensive potions, and is the key to a new brew I am attempting to make."

Scortwit nodded. "That sounds quite interesting."

Slughorn nodded as the man began looking at beginner potion kits. "Beginner kits? Do you have a student Charles?"

Scortwit chuckled. "You could say that. I want to teach them the basics."

"Ah. I sincerely hope that I can meet them in the future. Not many students from my wall ended up taking students you know."

Scortwit nodded. "Perhaps you will. You still have yet to visit the preserve, you know."

The elderly potions master chuckled while pocketing the basilisk venom. "Yes well, I certainly enjoy obtaining my dragon's blood through the mail, not directly from the angry dragon in question."

Scortwit shrugged. "Suit yourself, but dragons blood isn't the only thing you'll find on the preserve."

"But it is the most useful."

Scortwit smirked. "Maybe, or maybe not. The saliva of a swedish short snout, or the tears of a Hungarian Horntail, those hold power as well."

"Impossible. Such materials are as easy to gain as those impossibilities of norse legend, a cats footfall, a woman's beard, A fishes breath-"

"Indeed, such things, when found, hold great power. What do you think you could do with such materials? How powerful do you think such potions would be…"

Slughorn's eyes gleamed as he imagined the prospects, before shaking his head and walking past Scortwit in a huff. "Chase dreams that are attainable Charles."

The dragon keeper snorted as his old potions professor departed. "And I thought he'd never leave…"

"Anything I can help you with?"

Scortwit looked up to see one of the apothecary's employees looking at him expectantly.

"Er… no thanks. I just need a few last things." Scortwit smiled, picking up a potions kit. The employee nodded and walked behind the counter, while Scortwit finished picking up a few extra ingredients that weren't included in the kit. Crow feather, chicken feet, a few bottles of Chimera blood, and thestral hooves.

"Hm… just these then… comes round to fifty seven galleons."

Scortwit nodded and paid the man, before departing from the shop. With a smile upon his face, the man turned to walk back to Gringotts, only for a small screech to catch his ear.

Of course… he really should purchase a familiar for the child.

—0—

Harry blinked as he walked into the alcove that was carved out of the side of the ritual healing chamber.

The room was small yet cozy. Even though it was still carved out of stone, the furnishings reminded Harry of a nice hospital room, but if the room were also a bedroom at the Dursleys house.

The center of the chamber was covered by a circular rug, upon which rested a table and three chairs. Off to the side was a simple bed, in which a goblin in a garb that was quite similar to Harry's current clothing rested. Beside the bed was a simple table holding an oil lantern.

The goblin in the bed looked up at the face of the child as they approached. Their eyes flickered as a gentle smile came to their face.

"You are strong… that's good."

Harry remained silent, slowly stepping towards the bedside. The child reached the bedside and took a hold of the goblins hand, gently kneeling down.

"Why…"

The goblin gave a hoarse chuckle. "Why?"

"Why did you help me?"

The goblin sighed and lifted her hand, using it to ruffle the child's hair. "Oh little one… Because you needed help. I understand that honor can be something that's hard to-"

"NO!"

Spearmint's eyes widened as the child shouted.

"You wasted magic… you wasted your honor, on a freak like me! Why? Why did you do that? Why…"

Spearmint quickly embraced the child as they sobbed, bringing them to her breast and laying her cheek upon their head as her magic thrust a motherly instinct upon her.

"Oh little one… nobody is a freak. Why do you say such things about yourself?"

Harry sniffed as the goblin held them close. "I-I don't know… Everyone told me I'm abnormal, that I shouldn't exist…"

Spearmint shook her head as she rocked the child back and forth. "No… they are wrong…"

"I-I… I'm not abnormal?"

Spearmint smiled gently, using a gnarled finger to wipe away the child's tears. "The only abnormal thing about you, child, is how extraordinary you can be."

Harry sniffed, before letting out a wail. The child leaned into the goblin as they sobbed, letting out all of their sadness as it crashed down upon them like a tsunami. Spearmint nodded with a gentle smile as Grandscalpel looked at her.

"It's okay… they need this."

The goblin nodded. "I understand."

"Are you certain this is okay? The child is not emotionally well." Blackleech spoke.

"Blackleech." Frogeye mumbled softly. "Based on what that child said, our thoughts of how they were treated are most likely true. I think that Spearmint is the first to tell them that they are truly worth something in the world."

Blackleech looked at the child as they continued to sob, while Spearmint continued to rock back and forth.

"I'm sorry… I didn't think-"

"They are almost like a mother and son, don't you think?" Grandscalpel smiled.

Blackleech and Frogeye looked at the two as they continued to rock back and forth. "Yes…" Blackleech spoke softly. "They do…"

The three goblins slowly left the chamber as Spearmint continued rocking Harry. For several minutes, the two remained like that, rocking back and forth.

"You are so strong." Spearmint said softly.

"I'm not…" Harry mumbled as they let out a hiccup.

"Oh, but you are. You've been through so much… so so much."

Harry hiccuped again as Spearmint brushed through their hair with her fingers. The goblin planted a gentle kiss upon their brow as Harry looked up at her face.

"Why are you being so nice?"

"The ritual connects us, young one… To me, you are like one of my blood."

Harry sniffed. "Like… a family?"

"A family that isn't." Spearmint smiled.

"I've never really had a real family."

Spearmint smiled. "Of course you have."

Harry shook their head. "No. I lived with my aunt, and my uncle… but they were mean."

The sadness in the child was beginning to fade. Harry could feel it being drained by the Horcrux, numbing their emotions. "I'm sorry… I don't know why I'm saying any of this…"

Spearmint smoothed the child's hair out, her eyes flitting to the scar upon their forehead. "It's taking them, isn't it… your emotions."

Harry blinked, before nodding silently.

"You know… it's easy to put a stop to such things." Spearmint nodded. "Emotion is neither negative, nor positive. As long as you come to an understanding of what emotions are detrimental in a moment, you can turn your own disadvantage into a weapon."

"A weapon?"

Spearmint nodded. "Yes. You can control your anger, control your mirth, your sorrow. You can be calm and collected in the most dire of straits. Emotional control is difficult to master, but so powerful when used properly."

Harry blinked. "But how can I keep it from taking the other emotions?"

Spearmint smiled. "You have the power to dictate what emotions are negative. Try this. Imagine that happiness is bad, and that sadness is good."

Harry nodded and began thinking how Spearmint directed. Happiness was bad, sadness was good. The drain on the child emotions shifted, and Harry opened their eyes as sadness set in once more.

"I… can still feel."

Spearmint nodded. "Well done. This gift can easily go out of your control, you know. Be careful, practice. Make sure that you and the other soul within you achieve some sort of balance, some type of harmony."

Harry nodded.

"Now… I think that I feel to be in proper shape to walk! Shall we go meet with Grandscalpel and go take you to your next destination?"

Harry nodded. "In a little bit… can we just… stay like this for a bit longer?"

Spearmint smiled as Harry leaned back into her body. "Of course… just a bit longer…"

—0—

There's the next chapter. A bit shorter again, but we're slowly getting to the end of the Gringotts scenes. At least, for now that is.

There will obviously be more scenes of Gringotts in the future, with Harry preparing for school, and having checkups with Spearmint, but the current chunk of Gringotts chapters will reach its resolution. Harry will go with Scortwit, and a new life can begin.

Again, please don't post explicit content in the reviews. I've had to contact the admins in order to take care of this, and I would like it to stay resolved after it is fixed.

Thank you, and until next time

Adios.