Chapter-4 - Gathering information and Building an Army

When I woke up again, it was already late in the afternoon. I rolled of the bed and stretched a bit before calling for Tinky. "Master is awake. How can Tinky help Master Harry?" Tinky asked as she popped in and bowed low. "Hello Tinky, did you complete your task?" I asked as I took a seat on the chair beside the desk. Tinky nodded enthusiastically as she snapped her fingers once. Suddenly, a stack of books and parchment appeared on the desk. 

"Master Harry, these be all the information from Gringotts banks in Diagon Alley, in Egypt, and in France. They all be in English" Tinky reported. "I will review it now. Before you go, tell me, did you notice anything I should be aware of?" 

Tinky thought for a few moments before she said, "Master, I felt they not be liking British wizards much, particularly the nobility. They seem to be disdaining British wizards and ICW. The bank goblin said, 'It's be good that your master be had enlightenment and decided to leave that shithole. We will be pleased to help him.'" I just nodded at her continue. "At some places like France and Germany, they refused to give me anything without your presence. However, at other places, they be enthusiastic to provide services. I also be getting their law books from there." I looked at the stack and nodded at Tinky, "You did a great job, I will review them now. You can go and get some snacks started." Tinky nodded and popped away.

I looked at the first list, which contained an extensive number of services: banking, trading, investment services, healing, curse-breaking, smithing, warding. They even sold rare magical creatures on demand! There was another list which described a number of services all Gringotts branches must provide which includes banking, trading, inheritance ritual, investment, and-

'Wait, an Inheritance ritual? Really? It's real? Is this new life of mine some kind of joke a higher being is playing on me? Everything till now has been just like in all those fanfictions. Or is it some kind of highly realistic dream? Doesn't matter, I am going to enjoy this to the fullest. Man, this is really a dream come true situation. This is going to make things very easy. I just hope there are no unexpected complications along the way.' I thought as I smiled to myself. 

I spent some time as I looked over some of the things, especially their rules about what can stored in their vaults other than currency. I was thinking about how I could use their regulation to deal the Horcrux in Bellatrix's vault, and hopefully get some gold in the process. 

Though this was the one of the ways to get my hands on the Horcrux and some gold as compensation for reporting a dark artifact in their vault, I had one more way, which was by becoming Heir or Lord Black ('or is it Head of a House? I need to get books on social hierarchy in this society'). It had another consequence of me getting some extra money which would be completely under my control if I not able to free Harry's ('mine, I should remember that I am Harry Potter now') vaults from Dumbledore.

I still hadn't found anything worthwhile when Tinky came back, informing that me snacks are ready. I went downstairs to see that Tinky had already setup the food on the table. I had just sat down when a thought came to me. I turned to Tinky and asked, "Tinky, where are my relatives?" 

I have to keep tabs on them to check in case they have some way to contact Dumbledore and inform him of the new situation in the Dursley household, no matter how unlikely it might be. I knew that I am being a bit paranoid with all the measures I have taken, and will be taking in the future. However, it's not really paranoia when they're really out to get you, 'Moody would approve', I thought idly. I have two dark lords at my back, one hell bent to kill, another planning to sacrifice me for his own nefarious plans, whatever they may be. 

"Master, you's relative be gone with their son for some time now." Tinky reported. "Tinky, I want you assign another one of my elves to keep following them and keep an eye on them discretely. If it seems they are trying to contact someone from the wizarding world, try to stop them and tell me immediately." I urgently ordered Tinky. Tinky bowed and said, "Tinky be doing as you be saying, Master Harry."

"One more thing Tinky, tell whichever elf is following them to take breaks between, not to tire themselves. We have others as well; they can divide the time between themselves." I told Tinky kindly. Tinky had delightful expression as she bowed until her nose was almost touching the ground as said, "Master Harry be the greatest Master, he be thinking about us elves welfare. Tinky and the other will not disappoint you, Master Harry." She bowed once again and popped out. I just smiled wryly at their submissiveness and loyalty. 'The whole Wizarding world is an idiot to abuse them.'

I finished my food and again went to my room to finish the books. I lost track of time as I kept reading until I was disturbed by the sound of Tinky popping in my room with several plates filled with food. It was already half past nine in the night. "Master, dinner is ready. 'House-elves, you've got to love them'.

"Thank you Tinky. Also, can you call the elves who were following the Dursleys. I want to speak with them." Tinky nodded and popped out. A few moments later, she came back with two more elves. Both of them bowed and introduced themselves as Mimsy and Dipsy. "Hello, Mimsy and Dipsy. Can you tell what you saw today when you were following them?" I asked while I took a sandwich off the plate and took a bite. 

Mimsy answered, "Master Harry, they be in a restaurant with their son when we started following them. Sometime later, they booked a hotel room for the night. Since then, they be talking about what to do at home, and someone called 'freak'." I nodded and asked, "Tell me, did they try to contact anyone from the magical world or do something suspicious?" This time, Dipsy answered, "No Master, they not be doing anything else." 

"Thank you, Mimsy, Dipsy. You both go back and keep an eye on them. And remember not to tire yourself out. Get someone to replace you later." I told them. Both had tears in their eyes and huge smiles on their face as they started to praise me. I'm pretty sure if I hadn't stopped them, they would have started to write songs about me. After I consoled them and sent them back, I went back to my dinner and studied the books till it was nearing midnight. 

I marked the page in the leaflet, stretched for a bit, and called for Tinky. "Master called for Tinky?" Tinky popped in the room and asked. "Yes Tinky, it's time. Take me to the clearing where I met you yesterday. It's time to add new members to our family." I smiled as I told her. Tinky nodded enthusiastically and took my hand and popped us out of the room. 

One awesome roller-coaster ride later, I again found myself in the clearing. As it was the day just after the new moon, there was very less light, which was just fine for me. I nodded at Tinky and said, "Bring them, Tinky." Tinky nodded and popped out for a few moments. When she came back, there were multiple CRACK! sounds in the air as many house-elves popped in front of me. Immediately, they split into two groups, one went to my left, which I identified as the ones I bonded to last night. The other group which was left in front of me, was a large one. By my estimation, there were roughly fifty elves! 'Fifty! Oh yes, I am going to make myself an elf army.' I mused to myself, cackling almost maniacally inside. 

I gathered my composure back and looked over the group. Almost all of them were weak looking and a few had some old injuries. I addressed the group, "Hello everyone, my name is Harry Potter, I am looking for elves to work for me. Would you all like to bond with me? I can assure you all will be treated kindly as if you are a part of my family." 

After I finished my small recruitment speech, there was a silence in the clearing as the elves stared at me innocent tennis ball sized eyes for a few seconds, until there was a stampede as they almost started to climb over each other to reach me. At the end, I was the Master of another fifty-three elves. After I explained to them all the rules, I sent them away on the same mission as the others. 

I then turned towards the other group that stood at my left and addressed them, "Everyone, you did a great job bringing so many elves in our family. I am really proud of you all." After listening to what I said to them, all the elves burst into tears, all of them started to sing praises of me. 

I quickly shushed them and said," Everyone, I know you have been treated very unfairly in your previous families, and I can tell you that it was wrong. But now you are a part of the Potter family, and in my family, house elves are not just slaves, but also part of the family, and family always take care of each other. So, you can be sure that I will always treat you all fairly. And remember, you are now a part of the Potter family, be proud of that." All the elves had a big smile on their faces as they bowed low. 

"Alright then, everyone, it is getting late, and you must have working since yesterday. All of you go and rest for now." All of the elves again thanked me for my generosity, bowed low, their noses almost touching the ground, and then they popped out of there.

I turned to Tinky, who is the only one left. "Let's go Tinky." Tinky nodded and took my hand. One roller-coaster ride later, I was back in the room. "You can go now Tinky, good night." I told her with a smile. Tinky bowed and popped out of the room. I glanced at the reading material at the desk, and decided to resume it tomorrow. I laid on the bed but did not go to sleep just yet. Because there is still one big topic that I still needed to address that I had ignored till now.

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