"Before we get into accounts and things though," Harry said, "can you shed any light on how I'm part of these houses? I still don't really understand the inheritance's listed."
Rodgrip pulled out a scroll and tapped it with a long finger. It grew and unrolled itself to show his family tree. Harry's name was down the bottom and branched up into hundreds and hundreds of names.
"Well," Rodgrip said, "you are, through your father, the heir of House Potter, formerly known as House Peverell." She started tapping the family tree. Harry's father's line glowed yellow making it stand out from all the other names on the tree.
"You are also related to House Black on your paternal side. Your father's mother was Dorea Black." She tapped the tree again, and the Black line lit up in purple.
"The intriguing bit is that the lines of House Gryffindor and House Slytherin, long thought extinct, were not in fact. They merely went dormant. You are part of those two houses through your Maternal side," she continued. "The last descendants until now were squibs. Your mother was the first magical of those lines in a very long time. But as a currently patriarchal house, she could not take up the mantle. As her son, those dormant titles fall to you." Rodgrip tapped the tree again, and those two houses lit up in red and green respectively.
"Riddle said he was the Slytherin's heir," Harry cut in.
"Riddle is a liar," Rodgrip spat. "His father was a muggle, but his mother was a Gaunt. The Gaunts prided themselves in being Slytherin's descendants. They may have been genetically descendent, but they were not, however, actually heirs or even part of that house. Their Slytherin ancestor, Isolde Slytherin, was disowned when she married Convictus Gaunt. The Gaunts at the time were, very inbred and rather rich. They had been a once prominent part of society however they became caught up in a scandal involving kidnapping, murder and pyromania. They ended up shunned and never quite recovered.
Isolde was completely disowned for her 'shameful' actions in eloping with Convictus." Rodgrip went on, "so technically the Gaunts were related genetically to the Slytherin line, but they were not part of House Slytherin."
"So how was mum a Slytherin then?" Harry asked curiously.
"The last Slytherin had two children, a girl and a boy. The eldest, as a girl, could not inherit. That was Isolde." She pointed to a name, Isolde Merope Gaunt.
"The younger boy was a squib. So he was abandoned in the muggle world, but not actually disowned. Abandoned squibs often died, so they probably didn't bother with proper disownment in those days. But he survived. Your mother is the descendent of that Slytherin."
She pointed to another name on the tree, Marvolo Slytherin, "the squib had no magic, so he could not inherit. That left the line to go dormant when Isolde's parents were murdered before they could sire more children to carry on the line. That is why so many people believed it to be extinct. And the fact all other Slytherins had died is why the Gaunts got away with the saying they were Slytherins. They are not."
"The Gryffindors ended also with one girl who was also a squib. She was sent out in the muggle world. Unfortunately, again, her parents died without any other children. So the line fell to her, but as she was both female and a squib, she could not inherit. So again, it falls to you.
"What does that mean for me? I've started reading up on houses and things, but I'm still not too familiar with them?" Harry asked, "And why couldn't mum inherit? That's not very fair."
"It depends on the house." Rodgrip explained after muttering something unfavourable about the gender inequality in the Wizarding world. "The Potters were patriarchal, as are the Blacks, the Gryffindors and the Slytherins. But some houses are matriarchal or just don't care about gender. It depends on the house. Really you wizards cut off your noses to spite your faces in thinking males and females are all that different."
Harry snorted and nodded before asking, "why did the Peverell's become Potter's? Potter seems to just appear out of nowhere," he pointed to Linfred, the Potterer on the tree.
"And if they did appear out of nowhere, then why are they Most Nobel and Most Ancient, whereas the Blacks seem older and are only Noble and Most Ancient?" Harry continued.
"The Peverells are," Rodgrip explained, "like the Slytherin and Gryffindor houses, far older than the Blacks going back a very long way. That is why they are Most Nobel and Most Ancient, instead of just Nobel and Most Ancient. They have also played an important part in society.
The Peverells were in danger of dying out like Slytherin and Gryffindor were thought to. People kept killing them. After the last three brothers made three powerful artefacts, known as the Deathly Hallows-"
"They're real?" Harry cut in, "the Peverell brothers are the ones in the Tale of the Three Brothers from Beatle the Bard?"
"Once upon a time, in some way most probably," she snapped with a huff. "The oldest two brothers died. One murdered for his wand, the other killed himself to be with his dead wife, mad with grief. The last, Ignotus Peverell died of old age. Iolanthe Peverell was his granddaughter. She married the Potterer's son Hadwin," she pointed to the tree again. "Her son was eligible to inherit the Peverell title. But after all the trouble her family had had from the Hallows, she evidently thought it prudent to change the family title to Potter. It was safer if people thought the Peverells had died out.
Usually, the son would have had to take the Peverell name to take up the title. Iolanthe took her family overseas, and her son take up the family mantle of Peverell re-naming the house to Potter. When they eventually came back to England, they were known for their highly successful potions business.
That is how Lindfred, the Potterer got his name originally. By that stage, they had an equally successful pottery business too. That was only prudent really, they needed something to put their potions and salves in." Rodgrip went on, "People assumed that the Peverell line died out. The Potters have kept it that way. Even today, people are killed over the Hallows.
"Did my parents know about the Peverells?" Harry asked curiously.
"No." Rodgrip said shortly, "your grandparents died shortly before your father finished school. He never took up the family mantle properly." She sneered, "he was rather dismissive of Pureblood society and nobility. He was scornful of his duty to his House. Only the heads were ever told about the Potters really being Peverells."
"But I thought James Potter had the ring?" Harry asked, confused, "that's why we think it's at their old house. And how do you know?"
She gave him a withering look, "we, goblins keep track of family lines." She said shortly, rolling up the large family tree, "and he did have the ring. He just didn't put it on and accept the mantle. If James had, we would know. If he had not had it, it would have automatically returned to the Potter vault upon his father Charlus, death."
Harry nodded, turning over the information in his mind. Peverell. He was a Peverell. And everyone thought the linage dead. It wasn't. It had been hiding in plain sight...
Harry accepted the rolled up family tree from Rodgrip and stowed it in his bag. He would study it later.
"Theoretically," Harry asked slowly, "could House Potter take up the name Peverell again? As they became House Potter, but in reverse?"
"Harry?" Bill asked.
"Theoretically, once you have taken up the lordship," Rodgrip said.
"So in regards to names could I take on the Peverell name?" Harry asked.
"You could," Rodgrip said, "but first, as you are the last of your line for Potter, Gryffindor and Slytherin you can claim the heirdom and wear the rings now. Usually one can only take up the heirdom when they are of age, or emancipated. But your are the last of the line, as are able to claim them now. The Black will have to wait until you are emancipated to officially step up as heir as you are not the last of that line." Rodgrip said, pushing three small rings towards him.
Harry thought about it for a moment. Being heir didn't give him much more power than he'd had before, but it did give him a bit more status. That could be useful. and it would allow him to start taking charge of his houses too and reviewing the house's political stance's. It would help him prepare to take on the lordship when the time came and to build his case against Dumbledore. There were laws protecting heirs. Laws Dumbledore had and would continue to break. It also offered him a measure of protection. And if he took his friends under the protection of his houses, it would protect them too. Maybe it would help him keep them safe from the second task.
And it was his family.
He nodded and picked up the Potter heir ring. His Grandfather had worn this. He frowned. He'd started reading about the Potter family in the Grimoire. His father did not seem to have been much good as an heir. Harry vowed to do better, to return the House of Peverell to its former glory.
"I, Hadrian James Evans-Potter, do hereby claim my place as heir to the Potter family." The words flowed from his mouth, as had the words flowed from the mouths of heirs before him.
Then he added, "I, Hadrian James Evans-Potter, do hereby claim my place as heir to the Peverell family." It felt right. The Potters were once Peverells. Maybe it was time for the Peverell's to make a comeback. He was sick of being Harry-Bloody-Potter, the freak. The Boy Who Wouldn't Fucking Die.
But Hadrian Peverell, maybe he could make something of that. Perhaps he could be someone. Perhaps, Hadrian Peverell could be free enough to be someone. Maybe Hadrian Peverell could be himself where Harry-Sodding-Potter could not?
Hadrian Evans Peverell.
He wasn't going to let his mother's family go. He may be willing to discard his father's name, but not his mother's and not his ancestor's.
The ancient magic of the ring shifted as if he'd passed some sort of unspoken test. The ring warmed as he slid it onto his finger and fit like a glove. The ancient magic of his family swirled around him and like during the ritual, he could almost feel his family, his beloved dead around him. The griffin on the Potter ring shifted slightly and shivered, leaving the ring and standing before him as if it were a Patronus. It shook again, and the Peverell thestral was standing before him. Tall and old and humming deeply with family magic. He leant his head against it.
"The most Novel and Most ancient house of Peverell will stand tall as it once did. We were and will always be Peverell's." He murmured into the thestral's straggly but soft main.
The magic built and sunk into his skin, but the thestral didn't leave. It was waiting.
Rodgrip handed him a smaller ring. He put on the Slytherin heir ring next and spoke the same ritual words.
"I, Hadrian James Evans-Potter, do hereby claim my place as heir to the Slytherin family."
The snake on the ring hissed at him and rose up out of the ring. It too looked like a Patronus and hissed at him.
He hissed back at it, returning it's greeting as the cool Slytherin magic tested him, tasted him and found him worthy.
The snake settled on the back of the thestral, waiting.
He took the Gryffindor heir ring, "I, Hadrian James Evans-Potter, do hereby claim my place as heir to the Gryffindor family." The Gryffindor lion rose out of the ring with a silent roar, landing next to the thestral and the snake. The magic rose, testing him. The animals looked at him for a moment, before leaping at him.
He stood his ground. They were his family, his family's magic. They would never harm him. They dived into him and were gone.
He blinked, a little awestruck and looked down at the now single ring on his finger. One ring, 3 crests around the band. Recalling what his book has said, he twisted the band slightly, willing it...
And it vanished. Or appeared to. Invisible but still present.
He sat down on slightly shaky legs.
"The Black Heirdom needs to wait until I have been emancipated, doesn't it?" He asked.
"Correct," Rodgrip said, "Heirdoms are normally only taken up at 17, or upon emancipation is some cases. Unless you are the last of the line. As there are other Blacks, despite you being the named heir. You'll need to wait until you're emancipated."
"Probably just as well," Harry said. "Any other house members are automatically informed when a Head or Heir takes up the mantle."
Harry went on, recalling what he'd studied, "that means Malfoy, his mother Narssisa nee Black, and Sirius will know. If Sirius knows then Dumbledore knows. And if the Malfoys know, that means Riddle will know. He's not back yet, but he will be. Stealth is far more advantageous."
"I need to review the house's," he continued. "I need a complete audit and recall of every house possession and heirloom that may be outside of the vaults. I need to see any house paperwork. Do we have a grimoire or record book? I also need lessons on politics and working the Wizengamot. I can't take the seat until I'm seventeen, but I can run it from when I am emancipated. I need to know who has it now, what choices they made, and what I disagree with so I can change them. I did not set any proxies, so I should be able to use the laws to my advantage and overturn any decisions I disagree with"
Rodgrip cackled with a sharp grin, "this is going to be a delight. The fox is among the henhouse now." She barked out something in goblin tongue again and said to Bill, "your schedule will be shifted to England for the rest of his holidays. You will be tutoring him every day. He is still too far behind."
Bill grinned sharply, in a slightly goblinesque way, "yes, ma'am."
"Now to your accounts," Rodgrip said, pulling them back on track, and taking out the ledger. She removed a sheet of parchment for Harry, "we have started the audits."
"The Most Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter
7 Wizengamot votes - held by Albus Percival Wolfric Brian Dumbledore - corrupt proxy - 31st October 1985
Potter Trust Vault #687 Hadrian James Evans-Potter
Potter Wife Trust Vault# 342 Lily Evans closed
Potter Heirloom Vault #802
Potter Coin Vault #804
Shrieking Shack, Hogsmeade
Godric's Hollow - sealed by the ministry
Potter manor - destroyed
50% of #4 privet drive - illegally taken possession
The Most Noble and Most Ancient House of Slytherin
7 Wizengamot votes - dormant seats
Vault #1032
25% Hogwarts property
Slytherin Manor Little Hanglton - destroyed, land magically corrupt.
The Most Noble and Most Ancient House of Gryffindor
7 Wizengamot votes - dormant seats
Vault #1038
25% Hogwarts property
The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black
7 Wizengamot votes - held by Albus Percival Wolfric Brian Dumbledore - corrupt proxy - 31st October 1985
Black Trust Vault #601 Nassissa Black Malfoy
Black Trust Vault #602 Andromeda Black - sealed by disownment
Black Trust Vault #603 Bellatrix Black Lestrange
Black Trust Vault # 605 Sirius Aracticus Black
Black Trust Vault # 606 Hadrian James Evans-Potter - merged into Potter Trust Vault #687
Black Trust Vault # 607 Draco Lucious Malfoy
Heirloom Vault #798
Coin Vault #799
Black Townhouse, 12 Grimmald Place
Black Manor
Black beach retreat."
"I have houses. Malfoy is family!" Harry said surprised and somewhat disgusted at the idea of Malfoy being related to him. Wasn't Dudley enough?
"You are. Though Draco Malfoy has not been officially accepted into the family as Narcissa married into the Malfoy family making her son a Black only through her," Rodgrip said, "with the head absent she has not been able to have young Malfoy formally accepted into the family yet."
"And technically most purebloods are related," Bill added.
"Yes, he introduces himself as the Black heir," Harry said thinking back, "I didn't correct him. I figured I'd save that for later when it suits me, and can do the most damage to the little prick. But still..." harry said
Rodgrip snorted, "arrogant wizard. I wish to hear about it when you do use that against him. The Malfoys are not pleasant wizards to deal with."
"They're really not." Harry agreed, "anyway. How do I own half of Privet Drive?"
"I do not know, but you could use it to keep your relatives in line, should you somehow be forced back. As half the house is yours, they cannot expect payment in any form for you staying there. You should demand they buy out your half or pay you rent." Rodgrip said, "and, you could threaten to expose their fraud."
"Fraud?" Harry asked.
"We have only just begun the Potter account audits, but they, along with Dumbledore, have both being getting stipends for your care."
Harry clenched his fists and had to stop himself say a lot of nasty choice words.
"I want it back. Every penny." Harry said icily, "I never once benefited from that money supposedly going to my care. I want every knut and penny back. I want them paying for what they have done to me. They also owe me rent for the years if they've been living in my half of the house."
He took a deep breath, "I want the rent. But in the meantime, I will use the threat of fraud, to keep them from touching me until I am out for good. Then I will rip them apart. I can use the rent I'll get off them as a source of income for the moment. Please chase down the back rent they owe me."
Rodgrip grinned savagely, "good. Sign these three," she said shoving papers at him.
"We can start the official audit now. We will recall all your family heirlooms and any property that may have been taken out of the vaults." She said as Harry signed the forms with a quill. "We will chase the back rent and make sure they can't spread rumours about it."
"Thanks," Harry said when he'd read it and sighed them.
"We looked into the size of your yearly trust allowance as well. According to the charter, your guardians are to pay for your school things, leaving the trust for non-essentials, practice investments and play money. That could be why it is so restricted." Rodgrip hypothesised, "both your guardian's stipends are more than enough to support you and then some."
Harry snorted, "like they'd do that, and Dumbledore knows it. I've asked him before about my allowance. He said it was perfectly adequate for my school things. He's doing it to make it hard for me to get extras, to get the proper books I need. He wants me brainless; a stupid pawn who won't question the chess master. What else as has come up?"
"Another discrepancy is the 1500 galleons removed in your first year to pay for a Nimbus 2000 and the 2700 galleons removed last year to pay for a Firebolt. Both signed by Dumbledore at the request of your Head of House."
"What?" Harry said, "I thought the brooms were meant to be gifts? The Nimbus in first year was a gift as I didn't have one. I thanked McGonagall for it, and she said specifically that 'it was her pleasure to give it to me, as she knew I'd use it well. Hogwarts was happy to pay for it for its youngest seeker.'
And I was told by Sirius that he paid for the Firebolt from his own vault. McGonagall was just having it tested for curses. She didn't get a new one. She just said it would be stripped down and I'd have it back soon..."
Rodgrip raised an eyebrow, "no one strips a new patented broom of its charms without destroying it." She said shortly, "its part of the charm patent protection. Anyone who pulls a patented design apart destroys the object protecting the patent's secrets."
Harry scowled, "It was a gift, it was untampered with! They had no right to destroy my property. They could have just sent it to the company to get it checked! They had no right! And the Nimbus! If I had known I would have picked something more affordable. I wouldn't have chosen an expensive racing broom when I needed clothes and school supplies instead!" Harry fumed.
Rodgrip nodded, "when the time comes, we can add the Firebolt and destruction of property to the charges. Maybe the Nimbus if we can get Dumbledore officially declared as a fraudulent guardian. If we can prove he should never have been, we can overturn and charge him with fraud for all his decisions and get the money he was given for your care returned to you from his own vaults."
Harry sighed, "it's not about the money. I have that, even if I can't touch it. It's about the fact that he's screwing with me and making crappy choices for me and being a manipulative moron!" Harry fumed, "does it say anything about my owl?"
"Your owl was also pre-paid by Dumbledore. That was the only thing he did buy for you with the money he removed specifically for your care."
"So, it is possible he chose her so that he could track my mail easily," Harry sighed. "One day, that man is going to pay," Harry grummbled, "until that happy day, I want every vault I have control over blood warded. No-one not blood can get in, or take anything out without someone who is blood. I may not be able to do anything about Dumbledore yet, but I don't want him being able to access my vaults. The same should be done with the Black vaults as soon as I have the authority."
"We have only really touched the surface of what is all there," Rodgrip said with a nod. "We will have a better idea at Ostara and will be able to give you a proper report then. We will now start recalling all family heirlooms."
"Good. The old fool had my fathers invisibility cloak, so I expect he has stolen other things as well," Harry fumed. "What can you tell me about the properties?" He asked moving on.
"Nothing about Slytherin. And little about the others. We will have to investigate them."
"I'd like to know what their like, what's in them, what wards they have, and if they have any curses on them or anything," Harry said.
Rodgrip nodded, "look's like you'll have more to do while in England then Weasley."
Bill grinned and nodded, "brilliant, ancient abandoned houses always have weird curses and wards on them," he said happily.
"My parent's house I want back," Harry said, "the ministry have no right to it. Can I do that before I'm emancipated?"
"You can, but I wouldn't expect to win it." Rodgrip said, "they'll see you as a child and disregard it. Wait until you are of age and the Lord of the House."
"Best to wait then. I'll go visit it and check it out though. If it lets me in" Harry said.
"Depending on what wards were left from your parents from before the ministry sealed it, the house itself may still let you in. As the rightful owner, it may override the ministry seal. It won't remove it. but it may let you in," Bill said.
Harry nodded in thanks and said, "so I can't do anything about the Wizengamot seats until I'm emancipated either."
"No, but we looked into your marriage contract," Rodgrip said, and Harry perked up a bit.
"The contract was set up after you saved Ginevra's life in order to nullify her Life Debts. So we cannot use the debt to break the contract." Rodgrip went on and Harry slumped a little.
"Mum obviously didn't want a debt over Ginny's head," Bill sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. "She must have seen the debt as a good opportunity for her daughter, who had always been obsessed with you. Marriage is an old form of payment for Life Debts."
"So I can't do anything about it?" Harry asked, raising an annoyed eyebrow.
"I didn't say that," snapped Rodgrip, "you humans are so impatient! Dumbledore and Molly Weasley counter-signed the marriage contract on your behalves. So as with fraud, one way is to prove he was never rightfully your guardian and that he had no right to make those decisions. That will break the contract. The next option is emancipation before the date set in the contract for the marriage, which is a month from your 17th birthday. If you are emancipated, you are in charge of your affairs and can break it yourself before then.
Or you can ritually take a known name now."
"A person has three names in our culture. The given name, the true name and the known name." Bill explained, seeing Harry's confused look.
"When a child is born, their parents name them. That is their given name, though it can be changed in ritual, which is then called the true name. The true name is the name you take yourself. The given name & true name is the name used for contracts, official purposes, oaths and formal occasions," he went on.
"People are generally referred to by their known name. That can not be used for contracts or for any official purposes though it can be used for oaths. A known name is set in ritual. You don't have one, it would have been listed on the tests that we did.
Because you don't have a known name, and Dumbledore is your guardian, he agreed to the contracts on your behalf. He didn't know your given name, only Harry James Potter. And Harry James Potter is what he assumed your given name was, not actually your name. But because you had not ritually set a known name, he could use what he thought was your name to bind you."
"So I can set a known name, and that means only my true name can bind me, and by setting a known name, he can't use what he thinks is my name, to bind me in any contracts? That will protect me until I can be emancipated." Harry parroted making sure he had it correctly.
"Yes," Rodgrip replied
"Which means if you take a true name that is the only name that can be used to bind you. So he has to have that. If you set it now, he cannot bind you to any more contracts unless he knows your true name." Bill said.
"So the easiest way to break the contract is to set a different known name from the contract."
"Precisely," Rodrid said with a savage grin.
Harry set his known name to Hadrian Evans Peverell after his mother and his ancestors. Removing the name Potter and all it held, the fame, the stares and his father. He also then added a second known name, an alias to go by in Nocturne, Hadrian Lilyson. Similar enough, but not one anyone would ever think to connect with him. Not when most wizards were so illogical and placed little importance on his mother when they all admired his bastard of a father.
The ritual was simple enough. He had to state his given name and his official known name, then his secondary known name, and write them with a blood quill. This Blood quill carved the names into his skin, rather uncomfortably, then healed with a flash of gold.
Rodgrip then pulled out the betrothal contract with an undisguised smirk. The edges had started to shrivel, and it had gone a pale grey colour. The words 'voided' burnt themselves into its the centre.
"It has been voided." Rodgrip said and Harry sagged in relief.
"Sorry," he said to Bill, "but I will not be forced to marry someone."
"It's okay, I understand, I don't want you or Gin forced into anything," Bill replied, placing a warm hand on Harry's shoulder.
"Notifications will be sent out automatically, though for a fee, they could get 'lost.'" Rodgrip said, predicting Harry's next question accurately.
"Yes please," Harry said
"Done," said Rodgrip, scribbling an invoice for Harry to sign, that again, authorised Gringotts to take the fees from the family vault.
Harry sighed and asked, "now what about the Basilisk. I went down to take photos of it the other week when I couldn't sleep. It's huge. I can probably sneak people in, but it will be hard to go unnoticed. And it's far too big for me to remove myself."
"Portkey maybe?" offered Bill as Harry dug around in his bag, for the photos.
"Hogwarts has wards stopping portkeys," Harry said, "unless Dumbledore makes an exception himself."
"You're the heir. So you can bend the wards. You should be able to connect to the castle and her wards now that you've taken your place in the house. Ask her nicely." Bill said
Harry thought for a moment then said, "you know, I think Hogwarts might actually do that if I ask. I think she likes me."
"Or we send a team in during one of the tasks when everyone is busy." Rodgrip suggested as she examined the photos "we send in a large team to box it up. We have special crates for transporting large specimens. It can be brought back here to be properly butchered and harvested."
Harry nodded and said, "lovely. I'll work out if I can bend the wards and get back to you once term goes back. Will we use the second task? Or the third, which as the end one, maybe bigger and busier. Making it easier to hide behind.
"We can discuss the details later when we know if we are using a Portkey or sneaking in. This is an impressive kill, Warrior" Rodgrip said.
"Thanks. So what are the fees like?" Harry asked pragmatically taking the photos back.
Rodgrip grinned viciously, and Bill winced. Harry could sense his apprehension and worry. What was he concerned about? Harry turned to look at Bill, raising an eyebrow in question.
But when he met Bill's eyes, something curious happened.
Between one blink and the next Harry got... not really an image or a thought... but he got an impression. An impression of arguing, a savage satisfaction, and something that felt like caution... Worry for him. Haggling, Harry's mind translated.
The more vicious you are, the happier they are, don't let them fool you or rip you off.
Harry suddenly remembered a passage from one of Master Scribe Ripqill's books about goblin culture and the vicious haggling that was part of it. Aim high always, then haggle it down to a reasonable price. Play vicious, play hard. Be honourable, but take all you can and don't back down.
Harry blinked and the moment was gone, passed in less than a second. He offered a tiny nod to Bill and turned back to Rodgrip who was still grinning savagely; who's magic and emotions felt just as gleeful. She would enjoy this, and she would charge him as much as she could possibly get away with. That was the nature of Goblin's and their culture.
Harry let a cold hard smile slide on to his face. This was a fight he'd be able to enjoy. He'd be able to be as hard and harsh as he liked because she was too. And that was the lay of the land here. His smile turned into a grin as they proceeded to rip into each other haggling viciously over the price and terms of the bargain. Neither backing down until they both had what they wanted.
Bill breathed a small sigh of relief that Harry had stood his ground. He'd been worried Harry would let himself be pushed around, or would offended Rodgrip.
The goblins would harvest the basilisk for a portion of the meat and skin. The rest (minus a few things Harry wanted to keep himself) would be sold off at auction, with the goblins getting a small profit from the sales for their work.
The proceeds would go into a vault for Harry outside of Dumbledore's control, (along with the back rent from Privet Drive.) And each of the basilisk's victims would get a small portion of the profits, as soon as Harry was free of Dumbledore.
"Now Weasley" Rodgrip said when they had finished up, "you're needed next down in Vault 904 with Giptuck. A curse exploded in there, and it's a mess." Rodgrip said as they were leaving, "we'll work the investigation of the properties for wards and curses into your schedule as well. We'll send a team of you over to survey them."
"Is she your boss?" Harry asked later when they were leaving the bank.
"No. Gringotts is a whole community, not just one goblin. It is a bank and a nation. Gringotts moves around its resources where they're best used. So, I mostly work in Egypt for Nargaz, because I'm good at those curses. And I like it there too. But when I ask to be moved to England on breaks and things, they put me to work here. It may seem intense, but I like it. I'm happiest when I'm busy."
Harry thought about it for a moment, then nodded. He understood that.
"But you don't want to spend Christmas with your family?"
"If I want time off to spend Christmas with family, I can ask for it. But I took a few days off after finishing up the last dig to spend Yule in Romania with Charlie. We normally take a day or two off over Yule and either he comes to me in Egypt or I go to him. Besides, most of my other siblings are at Hogwarts."
"So you don't spend Christmas with your family?"
Bill sighed, "I don't really celebrate Christmas," he said fiddling with the ends of his ponytail.
"It's not only a muggle festival, and a commercial one at that, but also a Christian one. Not my jam. But my family does like it, so I'll send them their Yule gifts then. But no I don't really spend Christmas with them here that often."
Harry was asking, "why," before he could stop himself.
Bill's magic shifted like an incoming tide next to Harry and Harry could sense his turmoil. He regretted his curiosity now. He wanted to comfort Bill in some way but wasn't really sure how.
Bill looked at the sky briefly then said, "it's complicated. Harry."
He then added, "family is complicated," with a slightly defeated sigh as if expecting something not nice.
Harry's first response was, 'but your family is so nice,' but then he thought of the Dursley's and his dad. People thought they were nice too.
Harry just nodded, leaning into Bill's side as he looked at Bill with concern in his eyes, "yeah, family is complicated."
Bill wrapped an arm around Harry in response, so Harry looped his arms around Bills waist and hugged him tightly, pressing his face into Bill's side. Now he had permission to hug Bill, (and Charlie) as much as he liked; now that he knew he wouldn't be turned away... He just couldn't seem to get enough of the warm friendly contact. He felt starved for it..
Bill nodded, running a hand up and down Harry's bony back, "yep. Now you gonna be okay out there?"
"Course. I'm not a kid."
"Your 14." Bill said flatly, "You could get mugged."
"Yep and I kneed him in the balls," Harry said dismissively.
"Ouch," Bill winced, "nice. Seriously though...?"
"I may be 14, but I practically raised my self. I can handle Nocturne, promise. I can watch my back. Anyway, I like it so far. If I get into trouble, I'll take shelter in Gringotts." Harry said, looking up at Bill.
"When do you want to start those lessons?" Bill asked.
Harry shrugged, not moving, enjoying the feeling of Bill's magic around him, temporarily drowning out all the other magic saturating the world around him.
"Saturday, 7pm? Give's you a bit of time to recover and get used to everything?" Bill suggested, "we can meet first thing every evening, I'm assuming you've shifted over to Nocturnal time?"
"Sounds good," Harry said, nodding into Bill's side, and trying to restrain himself from snuggling in impossibly closer. He hadn't realised how overwhelmed he'd gotten from all the magic, from sensing everyone else, until Bill's magic was enveloping him; drowning it all out.
"My mind feels different. It's a bit scary." He mumbled.
"You want to do some occlumency now?" Bill asked, running a hand up and down Harry's back again, making him shudder.
Harry huffed into Bills side thinking about it a moment, "no. I think I need to let it all settle, meditate on it and get used to it. I need to focus on magic to do Occlumency, and it's all so loud I can't make any sense of it."
"Fair enough, you okay? It's not overwhelming you too much?" Bill said worriedly.
"It's really loud," Harry murmured quietly, holding Bill tighter, "it's quieter here, though."
"Take a deep breath, Harry," said Bill. his hand making a line of heat burning comfortably down his back.
"Deep, slow breaths," he said, "feel mine, and mimic it okay?"
Harry nodded, focusing on Bill's breathing and his own.
"Just focus on your breath, nothing else," Bill said soothingly.
Slowly the world began to dim again. The magic didn't go away. It never would, but it wasn't so blindingly, deafeningly loud now. It faded into the background a little more.
"Thanks," he said shakily, still not letting go of Bill.
"That's okay," Bill said patting Harry on the back, "just focus on your breath when it gets too much. It will ground you. Now I have a book I can lend you on Mage Sense. And I can give you some exercises to practice that will help you control it more and get used to it. I'll give them to you in the next lesson. But for now, focus on grounding, and not letting it get too loud. Don't focus on making the individual layers of magic make sense. Just focus on not getting overwhelmed by it, okay?"
Harry nodded again, "once it settles and I get used to it I'll be okay. I have tricks and things I worked out when I first got to Hogwarts. It was overwhelming then too. Especially compared to the muggle world. I'll be okay once all the newness settles.
"If you're sure. You can send me a message via the box any time," Bill said giving Harry another squeeze before pulling away, "I'm in London for the rest of your break. Let me know if you need anything."
"I will." Harry nodded before finally reluctantly stepping back.
"Okay, I'll see you on Saturday then." Bill said, "outside the White Wyrvin, and you can show me where you're staying."
Harry nodded, trying to control his slight panic. He didn't have anywhere to stay yet and didn't want Bill knowing he was on the streets in a trunk! He didn't want Bill thinking he was helpless or couldn't look after himself. Be wasn't a baby!
"I better go then," Bill said, giving Harry another hug. "They've been having trouble with that vault for a while. The last owner stuck some really funky stuff in it. It's going to be a mess to clean up." Bill said with a groan, "it will be fun though. I'll tell you about it next time if you like, depending on how much confidentiality they stamp all over the report when we've finished it," he added with a grin.
Harry grinned and waved Bill off before slipping back into the bustle of Nocturne Alley.
END NOTE
Ostara is the spring equinox (march in the NH, September in the SH) - so she's basically saying they'll know more at easter break