Chapter 18: Heritage

Harry and Hermione spent the first part of their morning in the living room, cuddled up on the couch. Hermione was trying to read a book while Harry played with her hair. It was distracting, of course. But Hermione was willing to make that sacrifice.

"I love your hair…" Harry muttered as he deeply inhaled its smell.

Hermione giggled, "You're strange."

"But you love that about me, don't you?" he chuckled.

"I love everything about you."

Harry raised his eyebrows at her words, "Except for my 'saving people' thing."

Hermione shook her head, "No, I love that about you too. I just don't like that it gets you in trouble."

He kissed her gently, "I don't think we'll have to worry about that anymore."

Hermione was in heaven; she had the man of her dreams, playing with her hair and being romantic while they cuddled on the couch by the fire. There was nothing else she needed at that point. She didn't want to stop that moment, but she was Hermione Granger, and she wouldn't be able to lie around all day without doing something productive.

"Harry… I think we should finally visit Gringotts." She suggested.

He groaned in protest at her words, "Do we really need to go today?"

"What else would you like to do?" she asked.

He gave her a mischievous smile, "there's plenty of things coming to my head, all of them include you..."

She went scarlet at his words. When did he get so confident? And when did he get so damn sexy?

She gave him a peck on the lips and stood up from the couch, "Nu-uh. We are not going to be sitting around all day. I want to see that library and we can only do that if we get the key from Gringotts." She crossed her arms and looked down at him, "Besides, I'm almost certain there are things yet to be discovered about your heritage."

Harry sat up and stretched his arms, "I guess you're right… who am I kidding, you're always right."

Hermione smiled, "So it's a yes, then?"

Harry nodded and stood up facing her. She could feel his breath on her lips. "Only if you ask me nicely."

Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her toes to kiss him. They kissed for a full minute before she pulled away, only to see that Harry's eyes were closed as he smiled to himself.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to this…"

Hermione flushed red at his words and took hold of his hands, "Me neither, Harry… it just feels so…

"Right," He finished, "and god damn brilliant."

She giggled and made her way to the front doors, Harry right behind her. They took hold of each other's arms and apparated to the leaky cauldron.


To Harry's immense surprise, Gringotts looked good as new when they arrived in Diagon Alley. Hermione led him right up to the doors of the silver bank when she stopped and turned to face him.

"It's going to be okay, Harry." She assured him.

Harry gave her a weak smile, "I hope so," before pushing the door open to reveal the enormous grand hallway. The moment Harry was past the bodyguards, all eyes turned to him and Hermione.

The entire room was incredibly silent as they paced towards the front desk. There was a new goblin which Harry didn't recognise. The image of dead goblins sprawled across the floor at Malfoy Manor was piercing Harry's mind. He was the reason why Voldemort killed so many of them.

As they approached the desk, the head goblin was already looking down at him.

"Lord Potter. It is an honour to see you here. We've been expecting you for quite some time now."

Lord Potter? Since when was Harry a lord? Nonetheless, Harry gave the goblin a pleasant smile.

"Pleasure meeting you—"

"Rogluss is the name" the goblin bowed his head.

"A pleasure, Rogluss" Harry finished and reached for his pocket from which he pulled out his vault key, "I would like to enter my vault."

Rogluss took the silver key from Harry and started to study it, "This key is no longer valid, I'm afraid."

Harry frowned and turned to Hermione who was equally confused, "I beg your pardon?"

The goblin nodded in confirmation, "Yes, this key will no longer open any vaults. There have been amendments since your last visit."

"Amendments?" Harry asked.

The goblin slowly nodded before turning away from them, "Ragnaff!"

Harry turned his head to see another goblin emerge from behind the large desk. He approached Harry and bowed in front of him, "It is an honour to finally meet you, Lord Potter. I must say that I have been awaiting your arrival since your seventeenth birthday."

Harry bowed his head to the goblin, "Pleasure…"

"Ragnaff here will be able to help you sort everything out." Said Rogluss

"If you could follow me, Lord Potter." Ragnaff gave a tight nod and led them to a large room found just behind the grand hall.

Upon entrance, Harry spotted something short of a hundred tables. Some of them were occupied by wizards who were quietly speaking with goblins, most tables were empty which gave the room a rather abandoned look.

Ragnaff led them to the nearest table, "You and your guest may take a seat, as I find your documents." The goblin announced.

Harry and Hermione both took a seat at the table. Harry realised that Hermione's hands were shaking. He took hold of her hands with his, "Hey… I'm the one who's supposed to be worried." He smiled at her.

Hermione returned the smile, "Sorry… I don't know why I feel so stressed."

Before Harry could respond, Ragnaff returned with a large book in his hands. He sat down facing them and opened the book to reveal a large amount of old writing.

"This script contains all records of possessions and heritage ever owned by the house of Potter. As the last remaining Potter of your family, you hereby have access to everything which your ancestors ever possessed. I believe we should start with wills and finances." The goblin began.

Harry gave a shaky nod, "Let's start."

The goblin opened a tiny drawer by his side, from which he revealed a small potion vial full of grey liquid, "Before we continue, you must drink this potion."

Harry took the potion from the goblin and studied it with Hermione, "What does it do?"

"The potion removes all enchantments and potions which could alter your true identity. It is a security measure which we must take to make sure there are no imposters."

Harry didn't question any further as he gulped down the potion. He didn't feel anything as the potion swivelled through his throat. After a couple seconds of silence, the goblin nodded and started to turn pages in the book.

He cleared his throat and began to read, "You have received several extra possessions over the years of your life. The first one was from your mother and father, Lily and James Potter. They left you everything they had." The goblin pulled out a small sheet of paper from the book.

"Mr and Mrs Potter left you all possessions ever to be acquired by the house of Potter. This includes the vault along with the Potter Manor on the borders of Yorkshire along with the Potter Cottage in Godric's Hollow. While the cottage remains destroyed, the Potter Manor is being cared for by the family house-elf, Beemey." Ragnaff explained.

Harry was lost for words. His parents owned a manor and they left the whole thing for him. He also has a house elf, another house elf. His mind was buzzing from the shock as he stared at the goblin in awe.

Ragnaff placed the will to the side and skipped several pages from which he took out another piece of paper.

"Your second will was left by your godfather, Sirius Black. However, it is stated here that this will has already been read out to you." The goblin informed.

Harry nodded, "Dumbledore told me about it. Sirius left me Grimmauld Place, his elf, and his vault."

The goblin nodded and brought the paper closer to his eyes, "Your godfather left you all possessions owned by the house of black. This includes many artefacts and a large treasury."

Harry nodded and urged the goblin to continue as he pulled out another piece of paper.

"Albus Dumbledore left you a letter which has been stored in your personal vault. The letter was magically sealed and will only open to the one whose name is imprinted on the sealing."

This took both Harry's and Hermione's attention to a whole new level. They both glanced at each other and studied the goblin.

"As you are now of age, all of these possessions are now rightfully yours to claim. Your current personal vault was transferred and merged with its original location."

"Does that mean I no longer own vault six-eight-seven?" Harry asked.

Ragnaff shook his head, "Vault six-eight-seven was only a temporary vault which was opened for all of your needs during your time Hogwarts. The vault only contained a small fraction of the original possessions."

Harry was dumbstruck, "So… I have even more money than I had before?"

Ragnaff turned a couple pages until he settled on page ten, "As of this moment, your current account holds exactly twenty-seven million, three hundred and fifty-six thousand, nine hundred and twenty galleons." The goblin turned the book towards Harry so that he could see the sum.

The Vault of Potter (#117)

Account Value: 27,356,920 Galleons

Owned Premises/Land: 3

Current Owner: Harry James Potter

Previous Owner/s: James Fleamont Potter, Lily Jane Potter, Sirius Orion Black

Harry stared at the page, unable to speak. It turned out he had more money than he expected which was already a lot in the past.

"That's quite a sum…" He mumbled.

Hermione gave him a sharp look as Ragnaff spoke, "It makes you one of the richest wizards in all of Britain, Lord Potter."

Harry chuckled, "And to think that I've spent the majority of my childhood in a cupboard under the stairs…" he muttered, before clearing his throat and turning back to the goblin.

"Is this why everyone here calls me a lord?" Harry asked.

The goblin shook his head, "You are the last remaining Potter. It makes you the lord of your house, which is why your title is now Lord Potter."

All of this was almost too much for Harry to consume. Too much information and way too much money. He would never be able to imagine that sum. And to think that it all belonged to him was driving him insane. He didn't need that much money. It didn't make him any happier. It just made him feel more lost.

"Harry, are you okay?" Hermione asked, rubbing his arm.

He gave her a weak smile, "I'm fine… just a little surprised… Aren't you?"

"I expected something like this already… it only makes sense." She answered.

Harry nodded and turned back to Ragnaff, "Is that all?"

The goblin nodded and turned to the final page of the book which had a small platinum key stuck to the page. The goblin removed the key and placed it in front of Harry who studied it carefully.

"This is the key to your vault. It has the seal of your house." The goblin explained.

Harry took the key in his hands and saw a tiny golden 'P' marked at the bottom of the key.

"Do you wish to enter your vault?" Ragnaff asked.

Harry studied the key for a while longer before nodding, "Yes."


The ride was much shorter than Harry expected as they found themselves leaving the Gringotts 'Roller Coaster'.

Harry felt a strange sensation in his stomach as he gazed around the cave's dark interior. It reminded him of his last visit to the bank, which ended with him flying on the back of a dragon.

"Here it is," Ragnaff informed pointing at a large metal door in front of them. Harry instantly saw how much bigger the entrance was compared to his old vault. A bronze sign was placed just above the entrance which read 'The Vault of Potter' followed by '117'.

"Key, please." The goblin called.

Harry passed him the key and stepped back with Hermione as Ragnaff inserted the key into the door and twisted it.

There was a loud queue of working mechanisms as the door slowly swung open before them. Harry was squinting his eyes to make out the interior of the vault only to be presented by yet another small corridor. As they stepped into the hallway, Harry made out three extra doors planted to the inside walls.

"There are three doors. The one to your left leads to the vault of Black. The one to the right leads to the vault of Potter." The goblin turned and pointed at the last remaining door, "The middle door leads to your personal vault in which you may store anything you wish. The vault currently holds your treasury from the past seventeen years. There are also two letters. One of the letters was written to you by Albus Dumbledore, whereas the other one was left here by your parents."

Harry thanked Ragnaff for his help as the goblin stepped outside, "I shall wait for you here, once you're done, Lord Potter."

Harry turned to Hermione who was studying him, "Where should we go first?" he asked.

Hermione smiled, "That's completely up to you, Harry."

Harry decided it would be best to read the two letters first, as he stepped through to his personal vault.

The vault was almost full with endless stacks of Galleons as Harry made his way towards a tiny table on which two envelopes rested. He took the first letter which had a golden sealing with Harry's initials. He opened the envelope as it revealed a small piece of parchment.

Harry unfolded the letter and his eyes instantly recognised the neat handwriting of Albus Dumbledore.

Dear Harry,

I am writing this letter on the day of your tenth birthday. I have now completed all plans for your future vault. The treasury which lies before you was acquired by your mother and father. They have left you much more, but I will be locking that away safely until you are ready and mature enough to claim your full heritage.

I hope this letter will find you in good health and happiness.

Yours sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore.

Harry read the letter twice before passing it to Hermione. While she studied the piece of paper, Harry took hold of the second envelope which looked much older. The writing was slowly fading but Harry could still make out his initials. He opened the letter and almost lost his breath when he recognised his mother's writing.

My dearest Harry,

I hope you won't find yourself reading this letter, as this will mean that I have passed away. If you are reading it, I want you to know that your father and I love you very much. You mean the world to us and we hope that you grow to be a great and strong wizard. We are leaving you everything we have along with the Potter Mansion which will be taken care of by our dear Beemey. She is a lovely little elf and I'm sure she will love you. Inside the envelope, you will find the keys to the Manor.

Your father and I have left you two extra letters which are at the house, make sure to read them too. I have also left you my engagement ring which once belonged to your grandmother who received it from hers. You will find it in the vault of Potter. I wish for you to gift this ring to the love of your life, whoever they are.

Love,

Lily Potter.

Harry set down the letter as tears slowly escaped his eyes.

"Harry are you okay?" Hermione asked, taking hold of his free hand, "Who's the letter from?"

"My mother…" he answered.

Hermione placed Dumbledore's letter on the table and wrapped her arms around his neck, "I'm sorry."

He smiled at her, his sadness leaving as quickly as it came; he could never be sad in Hermione's arms.

"I'm okay... would you like to read it?"

Hermione studied the letter for a while, "Does it have anything personal?"

Harry nodded, remembering his mother's final words in the letter.

"Then I think I shouldn't. The letter was meant for you to read and only you." She smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"These are the keys to Potter Manor" he informed as he revealed the set of keys.

"Are you going to move there now?" she asked.

Harry shook his head, "I don't know yet… I think I'll need to see it first."

Hermione nodded in agreement as Harry placed both letters in his pocket. They made their way back to the small corridor.

They entered the vault of Black to which Harry was surprised to see an even larger stack of galleons. It was making his stomach twirl; he had all this money while families like the Weasleys didn't have enough to buy their children new school robes. It made him feel sick. They paced through the draws when Harry found the draw he was looking for.

"Found it!" he called to Hermione who paced towards him.

Harry pulled out an old black key, "this will let you inside the library." He explained as Hermione beamed at him. They left the vault leaving only one more place to visit.

Harry was about to step inside the vault of Potter when he stopped. He turned to Hermione, "I think I've had enough for one day… I'm not sure I'm ready to see even more of that gold yet… it's too much."

Hermione smiled at him and wrapped her hands around his waist, "We can always come back later… besides, I promised mum and dad that I would invite you over."

Harry smiled, "That sounds great… and I'll be able to see your house."

"So, you want to come?" she asked.

"I'd love to, Hermione."

They locked the vault and made final adjustments with Ragnaff before apparating back to Grimmauld Place where Kreacher greeted them with a wonderful lunch.


It was later that afternoon when Harry was once again cuddling on the couch with Hermione, playing with her hair. Hermione was desperate to visit the library, but Kreacher insisted for them to wait while he searched for any dangerous artefacts and tomes.

"So when would you like to visit the manor?" Harry asked.

Hermione shook her head, "that's completely up to you, Harry."

"I hope this doesn't make me different in your eyes." He muttered.

Hermione closed her book and looked up at him, "What do you mean?"

Harry sighed, "All this treasure… I don't want you to think that I'm different now. I never considered myself wealthy and I never will. I'll definitely never consider myself above someone."

Hermione gave him a serious look before sitting up from his lap and shifting to face him, "Harry… I love you for who you are, not for what you own… I thought that was obvious."

"It's not that, Hermione… I just don't want you to think of me as some rich git."

She smiled and kissed him, "I love you no matter if you're rich or poor. I loved you before you claimed that vault, and I will still love you now." She assured him.

Harry smiled at her words and kissed her back, "thank you."

"You don't have to thank me for loving you, Harry."

He laughed, "Of course, I do. I'm the luckiest wizard alive to have a witch like you… and I will thank you for it every day of my life."

Hermione's cheeks burned red as she lied back down on his lap, "Stop."

Harry chuckled, "stop what?"

"Stop being so damn cute!"