chapter 81

At the end, the goblin came through a small batwing hip-height door and, with another gesture, had Harry follow him through a full height door. As he did so, Harry felt the effect of 'Fool's Downfall' wash over him, stripping away his glamour.

Two guards and the teller goblin, stood just out of his reach but well within reach of the two long halberds the goblin guards were bearing as they stared back, impassively.

"Well, Mister Potter," said the goblin. "You are who the blood identifying ritual said you are. Follow me." And the goblin spun about and continued to walk down the long corridor.

Hurrying to catch up, Harry said, "Now that you know who I am. May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?"

There was another slight hesitation as the goblin seemed to consider whether or not Harry had an ulterior motive for asking. Then he almost grudgingly replied, "Its Ripclaw, Mister Potter."

"Then I am pleased to make your acquaintance. Well-met, Teller Ripclaw," Harry politely said. It was for this sort of moment that Harry was grateful for the long hours of chatting he had with Griphook at Shell Cottage in the old timeline. If it wasn't that Griphook was also curious, he doubted the tricky old goblin would have told him anything about goblin society and modes of greeting. He was using that knowledge now.

The goblin stopped and turned to him with a look of combined suspicion and respect. Eventually, he said, "Well-met, Mister Potter," before he continued on his way.

Almost suddenly they stopped at a normal door, similar to ones he'd already passed. Affixed at about chest height was a small gold plaque. On it in engraved black lettering was a single family name - 'Potter'.

'Sweet Merlin!' thought Harry, as Ripclaw rapped his knuckles smartly on the door. To have your own Account Manager demonstrated beyond any other symbol just how rich and important the House of Potter was to both the wizarding world and the goblins. That simple plaque represented so much.

There was an almost growling bark sound from beyond the door and Ripclaw opened it, leading Harry inside.

Stopping about five feet short of the single desk within, with an older goblin sitting behind it, Ripclaw gave a short bow and said, "The Heir Potter."

The older goblin looked up at him as Ripclaw left and barked, "And just where in Grognuk's name have you been, Mister Potter? Time and again we have sent you requests for you to come and visit us, and you have ignored each and every one of them!"

Calmly, Harry said, "Before you start ripping strips off me and rendering them down for potions ingredients, perhaps you should first start by telling me who you are."

Pausing for another furious glare, the old goblin used a slightly lower volume to growl, "I am Senior Account Keeper Sharpclaw. Now, perhaps you can explain to me your actions."

Spying the single chair sitting before the desk, Harry indicated it and asked, "May I? I have somewhat distressing news to impart to you."

Sharpclaw gave a short sharp nod but continued to glare at Harry as he calmly made his way to the chair and sat down.

"It will distress you to know, Senior Sharpclaw, that my owl mail... contrary to my prior knowledge until a couple of days ago... has been redirected away from me," Harry calmly replied. "A couple of days ago, and immediately after I forced him to do so, I had Albus Dumbledore show me to where my mail has been redirected by him. It is all, currently, stored in one of the abandoned parts of the Hogwarts castle. In a storeroom there, there are literally thousands of items of my illegally undelivered mail sitting on shelves waiting for me to go through. That includes all mail sent to me from Gringotts."

Staring back with an almost murderous look at Harry, Sharpclaw asked, "Do you mean to tell me that Wizard Dumbledore has been intercepting your mail and redirecting it to a different location against your wishes?"

"I do," Harry calmly replied. "However, he had himself recognised as my magical guardian by the Wizengamot. And he told me he feared those with ill-intent towards me may have attempted to use owl mail as a way to do me harm. However, while his stated intentions are good, his execution of those intentions... shall we say... leave a lot to be desired."

"It is both illegal under wizarding law, and a breach of treaty, to intercept Gringotts mail!" Sharpclaw barked back, furious all over again.

"And barking at me like a mangy dog might make you feel better, but accomplishes nothing!" Harry shot right back.

Sharpclaw stared back at him with a look of shock for a moment, as Harry matched him stare for stare, before he burst out laughing. "Well reasoned, Heir Potter," he finally, and lot more calmly, stated. "I take it you have remonstrated with the old fool, and we can now expect you to receive your mail?"

"You may. However, I'm going to ask... until I'm sure the mail redirection has been removed... you send all correspondence to me care of a Miss Hermione Granger," Harry calmly replied. "And, now that you've vented your spleen at me, perhaps we can get on with both why you've sought my attendance, and why I came in. Time is money, after all."

"That it is," Sharpclaw said, looking back at Harry with something akin to awakening respect.

Over the next hour Sharpclaw provided Harry with a folio of recent account statements for his three vaults, spoke to the quite substantial Potter investment portfolio - and his plans for it - and a listing of Potter property. Of course, Harry couldn't access the two main Potter vaults until he was emancipated. And he couldn't tell Senior Sharpclaw his emancipation would occur in only a matter of about six weeks. So, that had to wait.

He did inform the goblin that he suspected he would be emancipated 'on or about' the 1st of November. And that that particular information was in the highest confidence. "It is my intention at this time," he told the goblin, "that I will be visiting you again on the 1st of November, or very soon afterwards. At that time I expect to have been emancipated. And I further intend, at that time, we fully activate the Potter holdings, vaults and all."

"You know something," the old goblin accused.

"Names for the champions for the upcoming Tri-Wizard Tournament will be drawn on the evening of the 31st of October," explained Harry. "The Ministry have made the determination that only 'of-age' witches and wizards may take part in the tournament. I believe my name will be selected as a champion. If the Ministry demands I compete, I believe they will have effectively emancipated me. I intend to make use of that."

.

.

.

🍀Visit my site at tiendup for more advanced content...🍀

🍀Read the complete novel in PDF, available at my Store!🍀

https://sunflowersfic.tiendup.com/