Cauldron of Whispers

All rights for the Harry Potter Characters and story belong to JK Rowling. This is a sandcastle built on her beach that will disappear when the tide changes. Thanks for the great story she brought to the world.

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This story is inspired by a line in a great story, Harry Potter and the Alternative Tournament by twistyguru. In Chapter 2 The First Task, Harry asks his fellow Gryffindors, 'How would you lot like it if your family were taken by, say the Goblins; dragged down under Gringotts and forced to participate in their yearly games?' (Check out that great story!)

That question made me ask, 'What if the goblins forced wizards to participate a tournament they designed? What did the wizards do to anger the goblins and bring about this event? And what are the contests that the goblins would consider suitable to test the mettle of the 'champions' in their contest?'

This story begins the morning after the selection of the champions plus one for the Triwizard Tournament.

~~~~~*HP*~~~~~

01 Screaming Headlines

The Daily Prophet shocked Magical Britain on 1 November 1994 with headlines that screamed, Boy-Who-Lived in Triwizard Tournament.

The 'screaming headlines' were a new feature of the Daily Prophet that excited more people than anything since the wonderful headlines on 1 November 1981. While the newspaper did include photos and scant biographies of the three of-age champions, most of the articles focused on the participation of Harry James Potter in the Triwizard Tournament.

Many readers knew that the Boy-Who-Lived had saved them and his adventures before Hogwarts recorded in best-selling books were awe inspiring. Of course, Harry Potter should be in the Triwizard Tournament.

Gringotts paid attention to the news for different reasons. The goblins concerned with funding the games of chance and bookies for wizards (and the muggles to some extent) were thrilled. The goblins dealing with business finance and inheritances were horrified and ready to revolt against Magical Britain. There were several arguments that ended in the exchange of blows that left pebbles and rock dust scattered all about the Cavern of Counsellors.

Ragnock, Chief Boulder of the Gringotts Avalanche, called for the two goblins leading the concerned departments to present to the counsellors their projections for profit/loss as affected by the Triwizard Tournament.

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Games of Chance /5 November 1994

From the Gringotts department that managed Games of Chance, Sowsbreath was chosen to speak. The granite goblin had strong arguments at his disposal, and he began by citing figures from 30 October, showing that the levels of interest in the Triwizard Tournament had been minimal and there were no plans for tour agencies on the continent to offer Magical Vacation Packages for the three different tasks to be held at Hogwarts.

Then he revealed, "On the morning of 1 November, the Daily Prophet announced that Human Potter had been drafted into the tournament and business reacted positively. By midafternoon the next day, there were eight different vacation packages offered to wizards and witches in Paris, Madrid, Munich, Florence, and Rome. The excursions included visits to Hogsmeade for the first task (23-24 November 1994), the second task (23-24 February 1995), and the third task (23-24 June 1995). Each package has the option to extend the excursion to Limerick (Magical Ireland) to party at their Magical Casino and Pleasure Dome. Every opening has been reserved with non-refundable deposits that will be pure profit when the wizards and witches cannot attend while other persons would take any vacancies sign up to attend."

"Individual ticket sales to attend the three tasks skyrocketed 175%. Before the end of that first day, British Ministry for Magic officials contracted to double the size of the temporary stands to be erected and dismantled three different times at Hogwarts. Minister Fudge tripled the licensing fee for vendors to hawk souvenirs, food, and drink at each task. The ministry had to absorb the higher fee for the tripled number of porta-loos rented from every vendor in Magical Britain and Magical Ireland for the three tasks."

"We estimate that Cornelius Fudge will make a pretty knut on the portkey surcharges to bring the porta-loos to Hogsmeade three different times. Especially when those funds are directed to his personal vault here at Gringotts. With a couple nudges, he'll place bets on winners and losers in the tasks and we can collect this windfall for our profits."

"And the number of bets being placed without knowing any details about the tasks exceeded any sporting event in the last twenty years in Magical Britain by a factor of five."

Finally, the granite goblin announced that the Gringotts accounting department projected an increase in profits for the department for games of chance would reach 250% of earlier estimates.

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Inheritance and Finance Presentation

After Sowsbreath's presentation, Ragnock turned to Ironstream, the goblin representing the Inheritance and Finance Department. This basalt goblin stood and shocked the assembly of boulders with one sentence.

"Gringotts will lose everything if Harry Potter dies in this tournament."

Ragnock frowned and growled that the Overseer of Vaults should explain quickly and plainly.

Ironstream stated, "Harry Potter is the only viable candidate to be Lord Black. If this young human dies in the Triwizard Tournament, the Potter and Black vaults will be sealed for a thousand years. Every business in Magical Britain – including all the gambling concerns – will collapse within six months. This means that Gringotts will lose all profits for a thousand years. We will be restricted to trading gold and gems with the squibs and muggleborn for the items we need – cement, sand, cloth, paper, ink, and the thousands of other items we use as civilized beings."

Several members of the counsel frowned because they knew how the vaults of the Black Family dominated finance in Magical Britain. Other goblins doubted the statement until Ironstream provided the needed information – the Vault of Floating Loans was a Black Family asset.

"Every business in Magical Britain floats loans from that vault to operate while collecting galleons from customers, pay employees, pay taxes... that vault is the lynchpin to keep the economy of Magical Britain afloat. Gringotts collects minimal interest on those loans but when combined together, that vault generates 25% of our profits."

Ragnock asked, "Ironstream, are you certain? Of course you are… 25% is a large bag of galleons."

"And if the vault is closed, we lose 90% of our business. The other businesses generate 65% of our profits. The Black Vaults are the wealth that lubricates all business and profits in Magical Britain."

Sowsbreath fussed, "The basalt goblin makes much over Potter."

Ironstream replied, "At least I know that the boy's name is Harry, not 'Human'."

"But it is just a human! Why should I learn the creature's name?"

Ragnock paused for a moment and closed his eyes – turning back into Metamorphic Rock – then he moved, shook off a bit of dust and said, "Gringotts must find a way forward that makes much of the opportunities provided by the games of chance to increase our profits while protecting Human Harry Potter to ensure he lives – and becomes Lord Potter-Black as soon as possible."

~~~~~*HP*~~~~~

Bloodhook's First Pebbles / 5 November 1994

Ragnock thought long and hard about how to proceed but once a choice was made, he acted. First, he called forth a young goblin from the cluster of goblins, "Bloodhook, Naffling of Ironstream."

The named goblin stepped forward and Ragnock said, "Gringotts turns to you for suggestions to stifle the Ministry for Magic, confound Albus Whiskers-of-Lies Dumbledore, and unleash an avalanche of hurt upon wizards that earns Gringotts more gold."

That night, Bloodhook sent a long letter to a relative – Filius Flitwick – known as Professor Charming at Hogwarts. This lead to the diminutive Professor for Charms giving Mr Potter a detention just before the end of class the next day. The detention began at 7:00 PM that same evening.

~~~~~*HP*~~~~~