How does Harry deal with this load of information from the goblins, the report about Malfoy Manor, and the future?

CHANCE SCENE &&***

War vs Life

Harry lay on a cot in the infirmary. Madam Pomphrey placed privacy screens and silencing spells around the area to provide him with privacy and quiet to rest. A mild calming potion allowed him to examine his feelings about seeing Malfoy's ghost.

'Draco had parents who loved him,' Harry decided. 'I guess I'm jealous that he had that.'

'I couldn't leave Draco around. If I'd waited until Draco wasn't present at Malfoy Manor and later, he learned that I destroyed the manor, and killed his parents, Draco would have become an enemy dedicated to destroying the Boy-Who-Lived.'

Then Harry remembered something he'd read in quotes from an Italian from the Middle Ages. The guy was Niccolò Machiavelli, and he'd said, 'Never do an enemy a small injury.'

'Like Chief Warlock Griselda Marchbanks humiliating Dumbledore in front of the Wizengamot today. She wounded his pride but is the headmaster the type to really forgive and forget? Would she have done better to blast him to bits?'

Willing to wait and see, Harry closed his eyes and fell asleep. When he woke in the morning, Kreacher appeared with a small cup of orange juice and fresh clothing for Mr Harry Potters-Black. The elf provided instructions for the young wizard, saying, "Youse drink, dress and sees Madam Poppy Potions before walkings to Great Halls for breakfasteses."

"Yes, Kreacher," Harry replied. "Thank you."

CHANGE SCENE &&***

Breakfast

The Great Hall was relatively quiet – only a dozen students and fewer professors were present this morning – Severus Snape was dead and gone. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore was absent, and Harry found he didn't care. Albus could have been arrested by the DMLE and waiting questioning and prosecution. Harry smiled and for a moment imagined the scene in the Wizengamot with Dumbledore in the chair with chains wrapped around him. Then he turned his attention to the breakfast before him.

Remembering hungry mornings at the Dursleys, the teenager tackled the meal. Hedwig arrived with the Daily Prophet which was filled with pictures from the Wizengamot trial and meeting. There were multiple pictures of the mound of stone where Malfoy Manor once stood with a picture of the manor beside it. And underneath the photos, the Daily Prophet printed the list of the dead, though Harry noticed the newspaper dropped the name Tom Marvolo Riddle.

Harry was pleased when he noticed there wasn't a single photograph that included his likeness, and his name wasn't listed anywhere despite there being long articles on the seats for the Black family and the Potter family being placed into stasis by a powerful goblin.

Someone had sold memories of the four false proxies flying through the air after being ejected from their seats to land in the gallery. Thumbnail pictures of the four were included with biographies that emphasised the penalties that Gringotts was imposing on the vaults of the wizards and witch.

CHANGE SCENE &&***

Dumbledore's Misplaced Guilt

The morning passed quietly, and Harry kept to his regular routine of climbing the seven flights of stairs to the highest floor in the castle. He decided it was important to continue to act like today was like every other day of the winter break. Outside the Room of Requirement, he walked back and forth three times, asking for a room with books to help him deal with his feelings of guilt for killing so many people – including innocent people.

After reading things written by Winston Churchill, and other British leaders, Harry concluded that he had to view the moves against the Dark Lord and his followers as part of a war.

'In war, terrible things happen to innocent people and people who are in the wrong place at the wrong time. But the fight with Voldieshorts was life or death – my life or my death. Alastor Moody knew this and tried to convince…' Harry paused.

Then he asked the Room of Requirement, "I am trying to understand Headmaster Dumbledore and his demand that everyone – the Death Eaters – be given unlimited chances to reform while his followers were being killed. Why did he mandate these unlimited second chances?"

A diary appeared in a flash of light and Harry gingerly picked it up. The book opened to a particular page and Harry read,

1 May 1945. Near Munich Germany.

After another spell fight with Grindelwald, I spoke with Albus and was severe with him. During the fight, three of Grindelwald's fighters who'd been stupefied by Albus, were revived. They attacked us from behind and killed four wizards fighting on our side. I didn't hesitate to cast a cutting spell that separated arms and torsos across all four fighters. After Grindelwald retreated, Albus lectured me on the evils of random killing. He warned me that I would go 'dark' for killing the wizards who could not now be redeemed.

Albus was offended when I used several muggle expletives to describe the chances of any of those wizards being redeemed. Then I pointed out the four dead who'd been killed by the revived fighters. Dumbledore seemed to truly grieve at the news there were widows and orphans left behind.

Then Albus sighed and explained that while a young man, his sister had been killed during an argument between himself and young Gellert Grindelwald. Dumbledore confessed that he never knew if he'd cast the spell that killed his sister. And he stated that he did not want others to go through their lives bearing the same burden of knowledge of killing an innocent.

Again, he was offended when I spoke of the difference between a stupid fight between teenage boys (lovers?) and war. I told him this was a fight for survival not a spat between teenagers.

I insisted that war means killing. We never reached agreement, and I left the battlefield determined never to fight beside Albus Dumbledore again. Where's he been during eight years of fighting anyway?

Diary of Charlus Potter

The book vanished after Harry finished reading that entry. Thinking about what he'd read, Harry decided, 'Charlus Potter must have been a relative of some kind. And he was right – war is different than a fight between teenagers. Didn't Moody say something about how things would have been different if Crouch had been able to tell Aurors to kill the Death Eaters at the beginning of the insurrection?'

CHANGE SCENE &&***

Letters

During the last week of December, letters from goblins and other persons put the Boy-Who-Lived on edge. To manage his temper and the excess energy generated, Harry began running up the seven flights of stairs at least twice a day and blasting duelling dummies for an hour or more each afternoon.

Vault Manager Sowsbreath to Vault Holder Harry James Potter

Honoured Vault Holder:

I am uncertain how to write the information I want to share with my most important vault holder. As I planned this letter, my first impulse was to brag about my accomplishments. I was masterful and stupefied the whole of the Ministry for Magic beginning with the announcement of the cave-in of the mysterious deaths of approximately hundred (98) wizards and their families on 20 December and piled boulders upon their heads by putting your voting seats (11 of 24) in the Wizengamot into stasis until such time as you wish to revive them.

Ironstream who has recovered from having his head bashed in for missing the status of your seats believes that I have done nothing! He believes there is no hope of reforming Magical Britain.

But I assure you, Lord Potter-Black, that when you do step into the Wizengamot, you will have control of the entire government! Once you complete your training in politics as practiced by the British Wizengamot, you can pay reasonable sums or use blackmail to achieve the legislation you desire to impose upon the purebloods.

With your eleven votes, you need only persuade (or bribe/blackmail) one other member to vote as you direct to block ANY legislation, guilty verdict, or sentence. Minister Fudge (if he survives the next few days) would do ANYTHING you asked for this type of power. With two seats voting your way, the Wizengamot becomes Harry Potter's plaything.

With appropriate use of your wealth, you could 'inherit' another couple seats and become King Harry. With thirteen voting seats, YOU would be the arbiter of all Magical Britain. (I wonder why that Riddle fellow never tried for political power peacefully?)

But at the end of the meeting where I rolled boulders across the dreams of every significant wizard and witch left alive in the government, I saw something I didn't know – couldn't imagine – existed. In the memory of Rufus Scrimgeour, I saw Mother Bedrock of Gringotts Bank. Powerful, untouched stone that was banished into nothingness by the spells of my ancestors 1600 years ago lay there exposed to the sun, wind, and rain.

Immediately upon my return to Gringotts I spoke to the Secret Magic Users (who went to investigate), and assaulted Ironstream in his office with demands for his support to get you into Gringotts before 31 Hoss (31 December) for consultation! And I ordered the stone masons to begin planning on a hundred new boulders that will become nafflings in the next thirty years.

I could feel – I KNOW – that you are connected to the appearance of Mother Bedrock!

Come to Gringotts and become King of Magical Britain with the goblins as your most faithful allies!

Respectfully Submitted,

Sowsbreath Black Family Vault Manager

26 Hoss 6481

26 December 1995

CHANGE SCENE &&***

Vault Manager Ironstream to Vault Holder Harry James Potter

Vault Holder Harry James Potter

There is much controversy in many conversations regarding the sudden appearance of Mother Bedrock in muggle Wiltshire County. The stone that smashed Malfoy Manor hit with such force that the house has been compressed into a thin strata of sediment between the native stone of Wiltshire County and the mound above it. Our engineers estimate the 16.4 tonnes of stone must have impacted the roof of the manor house…well, the speed of impact and the weight of the stone do not really matter. The manor, its inhabitants, visitors, and contents were compressed into a space less than twenty-five centimetres in under four seconds.

I believe none of the inhabitants suffered pain during those seconds. We sent scouts (goblin and human) to the location to conduct surveys and gather samples of the stone. Our liaison with the Ministry for Magic has also offered the services of our stone masons to level the area (removing the stone) so that the natural terrain of muggle Wiltshire can be restored. In 1819, the Malfoy Manor house was 'requestioned' by Augustus Malfoy from a muggle nobleman. (Malfoy and his family fled the French revolution that was particularly hard on magical persons). The nobleman's family had died away and when the house vanished, the muggles went about their business but kept stories about ghosts in the area though the modern day.

I understand from conversations I have had with Sowsbreath that he wrote and shared his plan to give you control of the Wizengamot. Using bribery and blackmail you could become 'Minister for Life' which would only give the citizens reason to assassinate you – or make the attempt regularly. He laughed when I warned him that to suggest this course of action to you might result in disastrous results for Gringotts as well as for him personally.

I have enclosed two letters that are addressed to you. They may require a response, but I would suggest that you conduct all correspondence with these individuals using House Elf Express delivery to my office where I can send on any responses.

In a final note, I admit to failing to fulfil your grandfather's wishes to place the two voting seats that belong to the Potter name into stasis in 1985. I ignored the time limits, etc. and accepted the punishment decreed by Ragnock. Regarding the other seats, I can only say I knew nothing about wealth or voting seats. I would have battled to gain control of those vaults if I had known about them.

Gringotts has recovered all the wealth (and interest) as inventoried at the time of the deaths of Lord Harding-Rollings, and Lord Stepford-Sackville. These vaults and properties are now under your control.

Respectfully Submitted,

Ironstream Potter Family Vault Manager, Fleamont Family Vault Manager, Perevell Legacy Vault Manager, Harding-Rollings Family Vault Manager, Stepford-Sackville Family Vault Manager

28 Hoss 6481

28 December 1995

CHANGE SCENE &&***

Correspondence from Sirius Black to Harry Potter

26 December 1995

Pup!

The healers and nurses are pleased with my progress here in Paradise. They say we will have a good report for you when you come to visit – in June if not before then. I spend most of my day running with energetic Missy Graves up and down the beach after a red rubber ball. Most nights I spend on the roof top watching the stars. When it rains – about once a week – I spend the night curled up next to the fireplace with Missy Graves snoring while she lays across my belly.

There was an exciting episode one night recently. A ghost appeared while I was on the rooftop. Missy Graves became very agitated and barked loud enough to wake the dead -when we finally got to talk, I realized it was the ghost of Remus Lupin. Pup, I was surprised to learn that Remus is very happy to be dead. He says that Mooney left him when he died, and his soul is whole for the first in his life. He wants to pass on over and spend eternity in Avalon. But he had to see me first and tell me that I was right – Dumbledore is misled, mistaken, miserable, and moth-eaten in his belfry. Remus was afraid that no one in Magical Britain knew or cared that he was gone. I told him that I cared and was glad he was happy. He left before the sun rose the next morning and hasn't returned.

Missy Graves and I miss him like we miss you.

I look forward to seeing you and hearing about your adventures at Hogwarts this year. Don't get betrothed! Don't eat any lemon drops! Don't fall off your broom!

Love – PADFOOT

POSTSCRIPT:

Mr Potter,

As you may be able to discern from the above letter, Mr Black's emotions have stabilized and his perception of the present and past are better. The week after you left, he found an abandoned dog on the beach and adopted her (spade bitch of undetermined breed). She has been a constant companion, and they spend many hours in physical activity each day. With her presence, the Grim has seldom appeared. We continue repairing the damage caused by the mental torture by the Dementors.

Healer Joseph McBride, MACUSA License #78HY-89334

CHANGE SCENE &&***

Correspondence from Andromeda Tonks (née Black)

November 30, 1995

Lord Black (or his agent)

Sir,

As a disowned daughter of House Black, I accept that the family owes me nothing.

However, I remember from my childhood education that the Black Family valued the magical power in our blood. There will be child born in late June who carries the blood of the Black family and may very well possess the powerful metamorphic magic of its mother.

Through a youthful indiscretion, my daughter finds herself pregnant outside of wedlock. My husband and I reside in Florence, Italy where magical society is more accepting of such matters than we would have experienced in Magical Britain, but we are not able to care for and raise another child with these metamorphic powers. Our daughter wants only to carry the child until it is born, see it delivered to good parents, and then move on with her life.

Through the British Ministry for Magic, my husband and I contacted the parents of the young wizard who sparked the baby in our daughter's womb. They have no interest in the child's welfare or future. Mrs Molly Weasley was most vile in her response that exploded within the mail room of the bank in Florence. A transcript of her howler was provided but I did not include it here. Mr Arthur Weasley's response was more professional, but he denied any interest or claim to the child growing within our daughter's womb.

I hoped you would know of some family who would want and cherish a powerful magical child. This has been the practice of previous Black patriarchs for the children of mistresses of wizards in the family. A blood adoption through any Gringotts is possible but expensive. Here in Florence, the magical social services will place the baby in foster care for up to 18 years if he is not adopted.

I would be grateful for your assistance for an unborn member of the Black Family.

Sincerely,

Andromeda Tonks (née Black)

CHANGE SCENE &&***

Ironstream Footnotes to Tonks Letter:

Mr Potter, I have many questions and a few observations regarding this situation.

As you were previously aware, Mr Theodore Tonks is employed by Gringotts. Following the misadventure of his daughter this past August, he transferred to the bank in Florence, taking his wife and daughter to live in the metropolitan city where magic and mundane are both present. Every Gringotts bank offers exemplary medical services for witches during pregnancy and the birthing process. Miss Tonks is under their care already, but privacy requirements provide us with no other information.

Note: Gringotts offers surrogacy services for wizards and witches who are unable to conceive naturally (or when witch does not wish to go through pregnancy). This magic/technology was developed in cooperation with squib and muggleborn doctors (Healers) in muggleland. Only the purebloods in Britain refuse to make use of these services. If you wish to make use of these services in the future, I recommend the Medical Offices in Florence, Italy, or Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, MACUSA.

As to the inability of Mr and Mrs Tonks to raise another child, goblins do not understand the process/steps/time, etc involved in the maturation of infant humans (mundane or magical). The couple does not have access to house elves that are generally only found in Great Britain. I am aware that elves provide most of the care for infants in rich, magical families in Magical Britain.

Mr Tonks is dedicated to his legal career; Mrs Tonks is a loving helpmate, and the parents may hope to rebuild the relationship with their only child once the baby is born and removed/adopted. (What is the appropriate word to use for giving away/disposing of an unwanted child?)

In Mrs Molly Weasley's response to the inquiry from Mr Tonks, the witch threatened legal action for the rape of her underage son (Ronald?) by the adult Nymphadora Tonks if Mr and Mrs Tonks made any effort or attempted to spread this news among the people of Magical Britain. The volume of Mrs Weasley's voice in her Howler burnt out the recording runes.

I found it most interesting that an article appeared in the Daily Prophet on 26 November that detailed the contents of a Howler from Mrs Molly Weasley to her son Ronald who is your classmate at Hogwarts. Mrs Weasley revealed all the relevant details concerning the pregnancy and the young wizard's part in the sparking that she demanded the Tonks family prevent from being made public. And Mrs Molly Weasley suggested that the child be sold to a hag for the creature to eat.

Mrs Tonks referred to the practice of past Lord Blacks placing unwanted or excess babies with magical families. I am not certain if Mrs Tonks is aware her ancestors sold those babies to lords of other families in need of heirs. The last such transaction included an infant boy sold for ʛ8,000 galleons in 1904 by Lord Regulus Black. Our records do not include the name of the family that purchased the child. I assume a blood adoption occurred and that ended the matter of the child's origins.

Respectfully Submitted,

Ironstream Potter Family Vault Manager, Fleamont Family Vault Manager, Perevell Legacy Vault Manager, Harding-Rollings Family Vault Manager, Stepford-Sackville Family Vault Manager

28 Hoss 6481

28 December 1995

CHANGE SCENE &&***

Storming Potter

The letter from Padfoot didn't upset young Lord Potter-Black. The other letters left him cycling through disgust, anger, and fury. While Harry mourned that Sirius might not fully recover from his years of torture in Azkaban. But he recognized his responsibility to care for his godfather.

That same day, he wrote back to Sowsbreath and deferred any discussion on plans to manipulate the Wizengamot until after he finished his OWLS. However, he instructed the crafty goblin to be ruthless and sue the Ministry for Magic for as much gold and blood as could be extracted. After Hedwig delivered the young wizard's instructions, Sowsbreath smiled with delight, especially when he read, 'Use as many solicitors and attorneys as needed to make the bureaucrats beg for mercy! Spare no expense so long as the bureaucrats scream and cry while losing their gold.'

On 30 December, Sowsbreath's first moves fell on the Ministry for Magic like the boulders that flattened Malfoy Manor ten days earlier. There were lawsuits filed in the goblin courts against every wizard involved in the arrest and incarceration of Auror Sirius Black.

And when it was determined that the wizard had never received a trial or even a proper questioning, Sowsbreath unleashed the legal department against the estates of Minister Millicent Bagnold and Bartemius Crouch, and the shrinking vaults of Albus Dumbledore and Cornelius Fudge. (Fudge had been the arresting officer that day).

Hearing about the number of lawsuits being filed, Amelia Bones worried for the solvency for the ministry in the new year. The Ministry for Magic was culpable for the illegal incarceration of Sirius Black in Azkaban from November 1981 until the innocent wizard escaped in June 1993.

Sowsbreath's articles in the Daily Prophet asked how could Sirius Black have killed Peter Pettigrew in 1981 if that wizard was alive until 20 December 1995? Pictures and transcripts of ghost Peter's confession and plea for his friends to forgive him were printed in the paper. This evidence could not be denied by any court.

Ironstream, Mr Potter's vault manager, filed supporting paperwork stating that Sirius Black was the godfather of Harry James Potter and thus unable to betray his godson. This certified statement supported the Black family vault manager's lawsuits.

CHANGE SCENE &&***

The Room-of-Requirement provided an endless supply of duelling dummies who fought back and challenged the young wizard to fight and release the anger he felt toward Magical Britain, his vault managers, and the thoughtlessness of the members of the Tonks family.

Absorbed in his anger until the afternoon of 31 December, Harry realized that he'd not spoken to Dobby, Winky or Kreacher in three days.

Using his wand to repair the dozen dummies he'd just blown apart, Harry cleaned up the Room-of-Requirement and then called for his elves to appear. He knelt on rug provided by the room to be closer to the elves and asked how they felt that last day of 1995.

"Is Mr Harry Potters-Blacks feeling less likely to explodes?" asked Winky. "Winky worried that her wizard would go 'Boom!' and destroy the Come-And-Go Rooms."

Kreacher and Dobby exchanged glances before Kreacher said, "It be important for young lord to blow off the steams with duelling dummies, so he sleeps night tight without nightmare dreams at during dark sleep and wakes up in the Newest Year tomorrow morning and can thinks."

"Dobby be's watching most carefuls and closelys but agrees that Mr Harry Potters must releases the angry anger aimed at all wizards and families in Magicals Britain who tries to manage manipulates and mangles his lives," Dobby added.

"Thank you," Harry replied. "I do have the best elves in Magical Britain to look out for me."

Then Harry, Winky and Dobby noticed that Kreacher was frowning and staring at an object in the piles of junk in the Room of Requirement. Dobby asked, "What's be wrong that you see-smell-hear, Kreacher?"

The elf pointed toward a marble bust of a witch and said, "Thing on head of witch be like the locket that killed my good Regulus Black. That be another soul-evil-jar-horcruxes of Lord Smellypants."

Winky and Dobby transfigured a lead box out of an iron shield that a swordsman carried in the 800's. The elves watched very carefully as Harry Potter levitated the diadem from the bust into the box. The lid slammed shut and Kreacher began crying as he remembered Regulus Black.

Harry held the little elf while Dobby and Winky both patted his back or arm. Finally, Kreacher stood up and asked, "Master Harry Potters-Blacks, can Kreacher take this last bit and slice of Dark Lord Smellypants to Secret Magic User Copperknifes? Kreacher askses goblins to burn it in fires that eat tonight."

"I think that is a marvellous idea Kreacher," Harry said. He took a moment to write a short note explaining that his elf had found the item in a hidden space at Hogwarts and hoped to see the last of 'Lord Smellypants' burned away tonight.

SCENE CHANGE &&***

Before midnight, Kreacher returned with a letter from Copperknife that helped Harry leave many bad feelings behind him in the old year.

Report by Secret Magic User Copperknife to Vault Holder Harry Potter

Honoured Vault Holder:

Final Report concerning destruction of Riddle's Soul Jars

1. Hufflepuff's Cup) / Burned by fiend fire in Gringotts Ritual Room

2. Slytherin's Locket) / Burned by fiend fire in Gringotts Ritual Room

3. Scrap removed from Harry Potter to a bedpan / Burned by fiend fire in Gringotts Ritual Room

4. Gaunt Family Ring / Burned by fiend fire in Gringotts Ritual Room

5. Maledictus / Ended by compression under Mother Bedrock on 20 Hoss / 20 December

6. Diadem / Burned by fiend fire in Gringotts Ritual Room on 31 Hoss / 31 December

7. Diary / Ended by compression under stone 18 Hoss/18 December.

NOTE: The final bit of Riddle's soul that was embedded within a golem was destroyed by compression under massive amounts of Mother Bedrock on 18 Hoss/18 December.

CERTIFIED: Goblin magic declares that Tom Marvolo Riddle is really, most sincerely dead.

In the new year 6482/1996, Gringotts shall continue our search for the remaining horcruxes in Magical Britain.

Respectfully Submitted,

Copperknife Secret Magic User

CC: Ironstream Potter Family Vault Manager

CC: Sowsbreath Black Family Vault Manager

31 Hoss 6481

31 December 1995

CHANGE SCENE &&***

Response to Tonks Letter / 3 January 1996

Theodore Tonks escorted his wife and daughter into the medical offices at Gringotts Florence. Dora's appointment for prenatal care – nutritional potions, scans of the fetus to measure its growth and health, and the mother's health – were included. Ted left his wife and daughter in the care of goblin and human healers while he made his way to his office.

However, upon entering his office the wizard froze a magically and financially powerful goblin sat in an appropriately sized chair, it seemed waiting patiently for Ted's arrival.

"Good morning ,Vault Manager Sowsbreath," Ted greeted the goblin and bowed his head.

"Good morning, Solicitor Tonks. Forgive me for inviting myself inside but we have much to discuss in a short time."

"Think nothing of it, Vault Manager. How may I serve you this morning?"

Handing over the letter that Andromeda had sent to 'Lord Black or his agent' Sowsbreath watched the human – the wizard simply glanced at the letter to confirm it was the one he'd helped his wife to write.

The goblin stated, "The letter is choppy enough to portray Mrs Tonks as a distracted and caring mother, who is concerned for her daughter and the unborn child but also without options."

Sowsbreath reached out his hand and Ted levitated the paper back to the goblin.

Ted asked, "And what is the response from Lord… from your Vault Holder?"

Nodding his head slightly, the goblin said, "I have here a contract to be signed by yourself, your wife and your daughter."

"A contract?"

"Already signed by my Vault Holder and fully enforceable with the required signatures from the three adults in your family."

"I shall have to read the contract and get…"

"No, you will share this information with no one but your wife and daughter in my presence this morning. This offer…this contract is good only this morning."

Ted nodded and reached out for the contract. He left his wand on the desktop and placed his free hand flat on the desk as well. He read the simple contract – Theodore Tonks as the male head of Tonks family would relinquish all rights to the child born of his daughter Nymphadora Tonks sometime in mid-1996. During her pregnancy, Nymphadora Tonks would comply with all healer recommendations for nutrient potions and prenatal care to ensure the health of the fetus until birth. And the Tonks family would never share any information about this contract, the child, and the offered payment.

'Payment?' wondered Ted; the minute changes in his expression told Sowsbreath when the litigator read that word.

In return, the contract obligated the Black Vaults to pay all expenses for the prenatal and birth care (back dated to discovery of the pregnancy). And Miss Tonks would receive a weekly allowance to cover all expenses such as had already been paid by Mr and Mrs Tonks since discovery of the pregnancy – verified by receipts already in the Tonks vault in Gringotts Florence.

Upon the birth of her child, Nymphadora Tonks would relinquish any and all claims to the infant into the custody of Lord Black. When the healers declare the child healthy, Miss Tonks would receive a vault in Gringotts Florence totalling ʛ10,000. There would never be any attempt by Theodore Tonks, Andromeda Tonks, or Nymphadora Tonks to contact Lord Black or his agent about the placement of the child. As the final consideration in the contract, Lord Black would place the child with a family that desired a child (either sex, with or without magic).

Ted reviewed the contract a second time and sent his Patronus to his Andy to bring Dora to his office when the prenatal exam was complete. Dora led the way through the door, the baby bump barely visible. Andromeda followed behind but stopped short when she saw the who sat in the office.

"Dora, Andy, this is Sowsbreath Vault Manager for the Black Family."

The goblin rose and bowed to the two witches. Andromeda curtseyed appropriately but Dora moved to stand behind her father's desk and ignored the goblin until she learned the purpose of his visit.

"So, Lord Black wants the kid?"

Sowsbreath nodded his head and explained, "And Lord Black pays all your expenses back dated to September and up through the delivery in June or July."

Groaning to be reminded how much longer she would be pregnant, Dora swore, "I'm never getting pregnant again! Ten months of no shifting is not something I want to experience again."

"Dora, the contract will pay you ʛ10,000 too," her father said.

"Ten thousand? Wow! What if I want more?" asked Dora.

There was silence in the office though the witch watched her mother turn bright red and waited for the explosion. But her father turned on her and growled, "Nymphadora! No! I forbid you to make light of this matter! We don't have any options!"

"I can put the brat into the system here," Dora retorted.

"After we pay all the bills out of your father's income and eat nothing but bread and beans for the next six months," Andy complained.

"I'll get work afterwards!"

Andy replied, "Eventually, yes."

"Enough!" Ted commanded. "Nymphadora, will you agree to this contract, today?"

"Yes, I will agree. Let me read it first."

"Thank Merlin you have enough sense…"

"Andy don't aggravate her," Ted scolded his wife.

When Sowsbreath began his journey back to Gringotts London only twenty minutes later, he had the signed contract in his secure pouch. Theodore, Andromeda and Nymphadora Tonks had been disappointed when they read the contract and found the signature 'Lord Black' without any identifying information.

"I think it's Sirius, don't you Mum?" Dora said as they left the room. "We'll run into Sirius someday and he'll confess everything to us."

Mr Tonks escorted his wife and daughter to floo on the local floo network while he used an international portkey to move to Paris Gringotts. There he would use the bank's floo network to return to London.

'Wonder if the fool wizards on the continent will ever figure out the British have war wards up around the whole kingdom?' Sowsbreath wondered.

CHANGE SCENE &&***