With the sound dissipating into the mist, Morgana surges to her feet and pulls her son into a hug before placing a kiss on his forehead, dislodging Ephis in the process. "I am so very proud of you, and nothing you can do will ever change that. Now why don't you show me where you were going to find these resources?"
Harry disengages, and leads his mother over to a bubbling brook that leads from the hill across the meadow and into a forest that wasn't visible from the portal. Near the forest Morgana can see stone walls that once held animals overnight. When they reach the brook, she can't help but smile at the glittering stones at the bottom. Harry reaches into the water and pulls out a nugget of silver as large as his fist.
Morgana smiles sadly before she reaches out and takes the nugget, "Harry, please sit while I explain some things about domains."
Harry takes a seat on the grass, a confused expression crosses his face as he does so. Morgana sits opposite him and places the nugget on the grass between them.
"Harry, for the moment you should never give away anything that won't grow back. We children of Danu are inextricably linked to our domains. Not only are we stronger in our domains, but we will also heal from just about anything here. However, that connection is not just one way, just as our domain empowers us, so we empower our domain. What this means is that if you give someone this nugget, you are giving them part of yourself."
Harry's eyebrows scrunch together, "Is this like you telling me to never give anyone my blood?"
"It is, but more so. Willingly given blood can be used for many purposes, but it can only be used once. After that it is no longer virgin blood. Something from your domain that has been freely given will always be part of you, and it can be used again and again. When you're older, and have more experience, you'll learn how to withdraw yourself from things like this, or things you make here. They will still be other worldly objects, but they won't be you."
"Why did you say 'won't grow back'?"
"Living things have their own presence in the other. As such, a flower or animal that you give away will quickly shed your influence once it leaves your domain. Do you understand what I've said?"
Harry thinks for a moment before he picks up the nugget and throws it back in the brook, "I think I do, though I may have questions later."
"Well, worry not, I have a few pots of Roman coins and wealth from their attempts to invade our land way back when. We'll just hand over one of those. Now, as we're here I would like to get a different piece of wood to the one we were going to use. Now, if I remember correctly, the heart tree was in this direction."
As they're walking through the forest, Harry asks, "Mum, why is this domain so much larger than yours?"
Morgana ruffles Harry's hair, "It isn't, I just keep most of it shrouded in mist. I don't particularly enjoy looking out at battlefields anymore. When I was born of Danu the Romans were trying to invade the land of my people. Once their empire collapsed it was the Christians, and then what is now known as Britain. My people died slowly, as the Christians won, not through force of arms, but by word of mouth. I still help the descendants of my people where I can, such as their resistance to British rule."
"Does the Christian god actually exist?"
Morgana laughs, "Nay child, that god does not exist though there are plenty that do. I know for a fact that Roman and Greek gods do, as I faced those they empowered early on. Norse gods are real, and we used to have regular contact with them. I think the Jewish gods are real, but I've never met anyone empowered by them."
"Empowered?"
"Aye, it's a skill I'll teach you when you can separate yourself from parts of your domain. Here we are."
The here in question is a massive clearing that surrounds an ancient oak tree. The canopy itself covers most of the clearing, and the trunk is easily wider than Morgana is tall. Harry just stops and stares at the tree.
"Harry, Harry!"
Harry jumps, "Yes mum?"
"I want you to place your hands on the tree and ask it for a length of heartwood."
Harry gulps before tremulously walking under the canopy of the great tree, climbing over roots as wide as his leg as he gets closer. Once he gets within arms reach of the trunk, he places his hand there and feels the knobbly bark. Once there he wonders how in Danu's name he's supposed to ask the tree for some heartwood. While his pondering this problem, the bark under his hand bubbles and a large segment of heartwood emerges from inside the tree. Harry takes the length of heartwood and looks at it's knobbly length in awe.
"Well done Harry."
Harry turns to face his mother, "But I didn't do anything."
"That's obviously not true, as you now have the heartwood. Instead you should be asking yourself what you actually did. Come, let's go a little way from the tree before we return to my domain and get that treasure."
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Once they return to Gringotts, the process of setting up the new vaults is easy despite the complexity involved with all the paperwork. With the help of Ruby, they are also able to set up the tuition to Hogwarts. The initial deposit to both vaults is the raw value of the metals, and occasional gem, that are part of the coins and jewellery that Morgana brought back. If Gringotts makes more money by selling them than they were paid, their vaults will get 50% of the proceeds.
Once the vaults have been set up, Ruby takes out a bowl and places a small metal ingot into it.
"There's one more thing to do, make your keys. Harry, as you have an existing vault, I need you to go first so that our teams can start the transfer process. All you need to do is bleed into this bowl."
Harry shakes his head, "Not happening, if you want my blood you'll have to take it. I will defend myself."
Ruby gives a smile that would make a Great White jealous, "I was hoping you would say that. Morgana, how about yourself?"
"I will not willingly give my blood today."
"Excellent, then we will adjourn to the Arena. Before you do, I will give you one last chance to change your mind, as the Arena is outside Gringott lands."
Their first port of call is the room that the Director holds court, there Ruby calls out, "There is to be a blood letting to form a key." With no other notice, she leads the two through the room and out a nondescript door into a series of cramped tunnels. After a dizzying array of twists and turns, they finally arrive at a large cavern that has been hewn out of the rock. As they are led out and down a set of stairs to an oval pit in the centre of the cavern, behind them goblins pour out of the tunnel they just came through. Each one vying for the best place to sit or stand in the cavern. It doesn't take long for goblins to start streaming from the other tunnels, each of which are dressed slightly differently from the Gringotts goblins.
Nearly 30 minutes later, the entire cavern is full and the Director walks onto a platform at the side of the pit. "People, we have here a key forming. Standing to the side are two Guests of the clan and new customers, and they are both renting two vaults from Gringotts. As you all know, the vault keys are all made with blood so that we can identify the rightful holder of the keys. Both of them have refused to give the blood willingly. As with all such blood lettings, as their current account manager, Ruby will have the first chance to draw sufficient blood to form the key. If she fails then the more senior managers can attempt to take control of the account by drawing blood. Harry of Clan Danann, please enter the pit, once the fight begins you are not allowed to use any magic otherwise your vaults will be closed and you will be refused as a customer. Do you understand?"
Harry starts to climb down, using the handholds carved in the wall, "I understand."
Once he reaches the bottom, he pulls from the mist his spear and a bronze covered double handed shield. Unlike the practice shields he uses in Scotland, the spikes on either end have been hammer tempered and sharpened. He leans the spear against a wall, before calling a dagger, which is placed horizontally at the small of his back.
Ruby licks her lips in excitement, as she borrows a sword and axe from one of the guards that came down to watch. If she'd known they'd be this prepared, she'd have stopped by her own quarters to retrieve her weapons. Now appropriately armed, she jumps down into the pit and stalks over to stand opposite Harry.
The fight that follows is short, brutal, and bloody. Despite his youth, Harry puts forward a good showing, and tags Ruby multiple times with the spines of the shield. However, the last one of those is a sacrifice that Ruby uses to get the head of the ax behind the shield and pull. Harry is just a hair too slow in letting go of the shield, which pulls him out of position. Ducking down, Ruby is able to score the back of his legs with the sword, causing his blood to run freely to the floor of the arena. As she disengages again, she take two metal ingots and tosses them into the pooling blood. As they land, they draw the blood into themselves and slowly form into golden keys.
Wincing in pain, Harry sends the shield back to the mist and holds out a hand, "Good fight, I still have a lot to learn."
Ruby nods as she takes his wrist in her own hand, "You did well for a whelp. Certainly better than I expected of a wizard."
Harry puts on an affronted expression, "I am no wizard. I may be going to learn Roman magic, but I am Celtic at heart."
"My apologies for the assumption."
Releasing his forearm, Ruby collects the keys and hands them to Harry, "These are yours, don't lose them. Once you leave the pit someone will see to your wounds."
"Thank you, and I need to do more bare metal fighting, using practice weapons is obviously not enough."
"I'm always up for a good fight, look me up if you need a partner."
"I will keep that in mind."
As Harry climbs out of the pit, Morgana flows down into the pit, her mantle forming around her shoulders as a simple spear forms in her hand. The tip is bronze in a leaf shape, while the butt is shod in bronze, with small spines formed in the surface. As she walks forward her normal clothes all disappear until she is skyclad apart from the crow feather mantle. Across her brow forms a simple iron circlet, and her hair pulls back into a long braid. By the time she takes her place across from Ruby, her skin is covered in an intricate woad pattern.
"Today you face The Mórrígan, as agreed I will refrain from using any magic during the fights in this arena today." Morgana then lets out an undulating warcry which echoes around the cavern. Across from her, Ruby can't help but piss herself. In the end, there is no single goblin alive today that can face the strength, speed, and endurance of a full grown child of Danu, especially when it is backed by experience on countless battlefields were they used weapons very similar to the ones in use today. But still they keep coming back, first in pairs, then in threes. Finally, Ruby is part of the group of four that are finally able to not only draw enough blood to form the keys, but also get the ingots into the blood before Morgana has scattered it.
In the stands, Harry watches in rapt attention, trying to memorise the way that his mother moves. How her mantle serves to confuse her opponents with the fluttering feathers. In the way that she shifts from using the spear to keep distance to using it like a quarter staff to block and break up the people facing her.
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With their business seen to, Harry and Morgana are escorted out of the bank, their purses heavy with galleons and the paperwork for the school in hand.
As Professor McGonagall rises with an irate look on her face, Harry looks sorrowful, "Sorry we took so long Professor, the house business was more involved than we originally thought it might be. We have new keys for House Potter and new vaults for clan Danann. We were able to get the tuition setup and all the paperwork you would have required completed."
"I see, well it can't be helped. Though you could have at least let me know."
Morgana gives a slight smile, "How exactly would we have done that Professor?"
"You could have…" Minerva trails off as she remembers that while they are a magical family, they don't practice the same style of magic she's used to. "My apologies, I forget that you are not versed in wanded magic."
"It's quite all right, maybe we should get some lunch. I'll pay, after all we did make you wait."
Minerva leads them back through to the Leaky Cauldron, and then has to hurry to catch up as they leave into muggle London and find an Italian restaurant nearby. She feels quite uncomfortable with the unfamiliar food and environment.