Chapter 7

The next day at breakfast, several things came in the mail addressed to Harry Potter.

Ever since Harry was first placed at the Dursleys, everything had been routed through a mail service. Small gifts had been donated to the Children's wing of St. Mungo's as Harry lived in the muggle world and his aunt would have not allowed him magical toys. Anything of real value, like property deeds were placed in the family vault (which Harry had now signed over to the Order) and any gold was put in the trust vault. An automated thank you note was sent to the sender, and Harry really knew nothing of it.

Until now. Harry had no idea how much mail he would get. At least he, Neville and Hermione were all able to cast detection charms.

Harry had received a strongly worded message to do nothing in regards to Sister Gisele, but to report any and all intelligence immediately to Charles. He was commended for thinking of using Dobby and for his quick thinking in freeing said elf.

There was still no news from Sister Gisele.

Hermione was helping Harry sort mail, and saw one box was marked urgent. They hadn't seen what owl brought it, but there was nothing nasty spelled to the box.

Her scream upon opening the box had all of Gryffindor on their feet, many of the upper years with wands in their hands.

Percy came over to see what the fuss was, and went green looking into the box, and quickly closed it.

"I will handle this Potter. You don't need to see it. Hermione, if you want to go to the infirmary, the matron can give you something to forget what you saw."

There was much grumbling going on that Percy wouldn't share the spider or whatever it was that had upset the girl. Percy strode right up to Professor McGonagall, and asked to talk to her in private.

Neither Professor Quirrell or Dumbledore were at the table. She was the highest authority that he could go to.

"Ma'am, a terrorist has sent a dismembered body part to Mr. Potter. I don't feel that anyone needs to see it, especially him. There is a threatening letter attached. I feel that we should call the aurors."

Minerva had seen much in the war, so steeled herself to peek, and read the note.

Neither boy expected her magic to build suddenly, or for her to start swearing in Scots Gaelic so vociferously.

Thankfully, Harry's education didn't include swears in most languages, so he just admired the woman for the depth and breadth of her knowledge. And she didn't repeat herself!

"My friend has been kidnapped! The one from the bank! Whoever did it wants everything in the Potter cash vault since they say that Potter somehow stole the Black gold. Not a bit of cunning. This is clearly Lucius Malfoy behind this."

Harry paled. All of the Black family non-entailed vaults had been transferred from Britain long ago. They had not dared transfer the Potter gold to Gringotts Rome, as a spy could then pinpoint where Harry was. His entire fortune, based on the genius of his family, was at risk.

The titles to properties that he had inherited and even the title to Number 4 Privet Drive was at least no longer in the household vault.

But it didn't matter. He couldn't let anything happen to Sister Gisele! Harry was smart, and could rebuild the fortune again. It wasn't like the Black fortune, who knows what pirates or worse were responsible for their treasure.

The thought of that one pirate chest he had seen in Sirius Black's vaults let him through a series of rapid thoughts, and the boy started to smile.

Oh yes, let the Malfoy's take the Potter cash vault. He scribbled a quick note to his account manager, and called for Soda. He handed over a device as well.

The elf was given rapid instructions, and sent to Gringotts, while Professor McGonagall was casting spells on the box.

She reopened the box to retrieve and review the letter and cast a spell on it.

Harry waited, but she sent off two Patronus messages without saying anything else to either him or Percy.

"I don't know how ye are supposed to concentrate in class with this horrible message. At least go sit at the table, and try and comfort Miss Granger. And do take her to see the nurse. Poor wee thing."

Harry bowed, and went back to the table. Percy didn't want to leave the professor alone with such a horrid token, and wanted to go to the nurse himself!

McGonagall gave the prefect a small smile, so he took that to mean that she wanted him to stay.

Fifteen minutes later, a scary and scarred man thump-clunked his way into the hall.

"Mad-eye Moody!" Harry declared, forgetting that he shouldn't know him.

Neville looked up with gleaming eyes. "You don't suppose he's here to teach us defense do you?"

Fred or George chimed in. "Nah, likely just to be here to talk to the delectable Miss Tonks of the unpronounceable first name."

Hermione stopped poking at her food long enough to perk up at this "Unpronounceable? Who would give their child an unpronounceable first name that they themselves couldn't say? Is it like a symbol or rune?"

The other twin explained. "Oh no. The parents can say it just fine. It's just that she threatened something very important to us if we ever spoke it, so therefore she became…"

"The Witch-who-shall-not-be-named!" They said together.

"Unpronounceable is so much easier to say though." Ron said, after finishing his bite. "Poor Charlie tried so many names while they were dating. She finally she accepted Dora from him, but now she's here finishing up her last year, and he's in Romania on a dragon reserve."

"Dragons!" Harry and Neville said together.

"How cool would it be to visit there!" Neville suggested, trying to distract Hermione and failing. "Look, why don't we just take you to the nurse now, okay?"

Hermione hadn't eaten and nodded glumly. Most of their yearmates weren't even up, but the trio were used to getting up early, and going to an early chapel in Latin, It was just a part of them. A part of their routine.

Of course, in Rome they didn't have Astronomy until midnight, either.

They were getting up to leave, when the grizzled auror came up to them. Neville and Harry bowed in respect, Hermione, feeling green, gave him a watery smile.

"Mr. Longbottom, I've been wanting to talk to you for some time and get your opinion of the schooling you had before coming here. Miss Granger. I've heard good things about you. Nice to meet you. Sorry that you saw what was in the box. May I call you all by your first names? You can call me Mad-eye or Alastor as you like. We're on the same side after all."

All three not only nodded, the boys eagerly so, they all got that secret message straight off. He was one of the Order's insiders in Britain. Perfect!

"Harry, you are looking well rested for a boy who was in class last night until midnight and at mass early this morning." Moody noted.

"If you are as well informed as I think that you are then you know why. We only have the one device, and have to share. Hermione's turn tomorrow, Neville's tonight."

"Smart. You must get your father's cloak back from Albus, it is in his bottom left desk drawer. He has dithered over giving it to you for years. I think that he's afraid that you won't use it for pranks?"

The last was a statement turned into a question, so Harry answered honestly.

"Mr. Malfoy promised me that I would be expelled from Hogwarts should I pull pranks. Or publicly humiliate his son. Or show that the boy stole from me again. So yes, I'm afraid that I am going to be expelled. Sooner or later. I'll wait until Sister Gisele is safe.

"She'll be just fine, lad, once we get her to a healer." Moody stated firmly.

"She was imprisoned as a young woman. She'll be having flashbacks; you know that repeating such experiences can overcome forgetfulness potions." Hermine added worriedly.

"Aye. She was a brave lass then, and a brave one now. Neville, take Hermione up to the infirmary. Then be off to class. Potter, you're with me. Nice meetin' the trio of ya. As soon as I get with Pinky for her schedule, we'll set up some training here."

Three beaming smiles showed their approval of that plan.

"Pinky?" Harry asked, horribly and sadly reminded that no one was going to call him 'Tweety' again.

"That would be me. Tonks. One name. Like Madonna." The pink haired girl said.

Neville blanched. "You want to be called Madonna? Isn't that, I don't know, sacrilegious or something?"

"No, I want you to call me Tonks."

"Right. Nice to meet you. Gotta run." Neville squeaked, he quickly pulled Hermione towards the door and the nurse.

Mad-eye led his protege and Harry to the same antechamber that had been used the day before. It seemed like so much longer with timing it, and astronomy class. The card players were back, and one still had extra cards.

"Is he okay?" Tonks asked, Harry looked confused.

"Neville? No, he's embarrassed 'cause he thought you were very cute in front of his little girlfriend. You are going to make a better Dark Wizard catcher than I ever could be, you just watch."

Tonks laughed and offered her hand to Harry, who shook it. All of a sudden he was shaking hands with his twin.

"Nice to meet you cousin, let's make time over the weekend to catch up." Tonks's voice said in Harry's body.

"Potter, Evans, Black, Brown, Bell, Simmons, Rosier, or Snodgrass?"

"You made up that last, admit it."

"Didn't"

"Did, I'll bet you ten galleons."

"That's a lot of money. I hate to make a lady cry, but I have my genealogy up in my dorm room."

"You can't be much older than eleven. Are you trying to chat me up?"

"What?! No! Urrggg. You just called me cousin. I'm not going to marry a cousin. Yuck."

"Who said anything about marriage?" The girl winked, and Harry just sighed and looked at Moody.

"You wanted to see me sir? I'm going to be late for class."

"No, you're going to miss class. You are going to Gringotts for the hostage exchange. I don't want you to worry about the gold. We'll get it back somehow. I'm sorry lad, Tonks here has been training with me all last year, and all summer. She can do kids and she's good. She just needs to touch someone once."

"Just as long as you show up at the autograph parties, I'm fine with it." Harry smirked.

"Put off your fan mail?" The pink haired girl was back to herself.

"You think? Neville said I should continue using the service Dumbledore had set up. He was right, I was wrong."

"Don't be too hard on yourself. You wanted pictures of your folks, I heard. I've got some, somewhere, and I bet Pinky here can ask all of the teachers. Especially Snape. He and your mum were close."

"Okay, now that's just mean!" Harry whinged.

"He's not lying. Saw him crying on her grave when I was seven or so. Really sad." Tonks sighed.

"Oh. Then you're right about talking to him. But not right now." Harry agreed.

"No. Now, when we leave here in a minute, I want you to be shouting about how unfair it was that you lost the Black fortune to the Malfoys, and now you're going to lose the Potter fortune. I've got my goddaughter in place. She won't come to school until next year, but I want her comin' for yer training. Her mother was a Malfoy, and died under most suspicious circumstances. Just when she was getting old enough to claim a few inheritances that then went to, well, someone else."

"How does he get away with it?" Harry demanded; fists clenched. "He's going to just steal from whoever he wants? Kill someone inconvenient?"

"He's not, not forever." Moody stated. "He made a big mistake doing this. He's messing with the Knights from the Order of Merlin. When they hear what he did? I bet Fudge will make it so it is illegal for the Order to enter Britain after this. But that still will bring the deeper issues out into the open. As planned. You ready? Remember, loss of honor and gold."

Harry nodded. "Let's do this."

He was mid rant coming out of the antechamber.

"I'm sorry that the old lady was kidnapped. I am. And I do care about people. But Draco already stole my Black inheritance, and that wasn't enough? Now, they are going to take every last penny from the Potter account too? This is just wrong! Wrong! Sending parts of people in the mail. This sort of thing is illegal in the muggle world!"

Harry had quite an audience, and they really weren't that far from the front door, when the cutest blonde girl that Harry had ever seen came in through the main entrance.

"Hello, Harry Potter, I won't say Sir Harry in front of everyone for one thing because you haven't earned it yet, but for another, you don't want others to know. Not that I would report that, because that's what I do, I'm a reporter. But I'm the one talking and you're the one listening, but you are not the reporter I am. Though it's funny. Right now, I am the reporter, and you are recording what I say. But let's reverse it shall we? How are you liking Hogwarts so far?"

Harry blinked. He was the only one he knew who could talk on fast-foolish. Neither Hermione nor Neville could do it, and this girl, never having seen him before, copied his style perfectly.

He beamed at her and offered his hand. He took a deep breath, and going very, very fast, started to talk.

"I didn't catch your name, miss, but your new title is my best friend, just so you know. And boy do I have a lot to say about Hogwarts! First off, the starting announcements at the feast. I admire Dumbledore completely, but his pranks are unfunny. 'Death on the third floor! Some of us have a hard time counting floors! And then there's the rule of no brooms for first years, at least not their own, unless you're me, but I hear that the brooms we are allowed to ride are death traps. And don't get me started on missing class all this week! Not my fault, and I have quite a few detentions and essays for missed classes that people in authority pulled me from. I lost a close family member this week that I never got a chance to meet due to secrecy, my godfather died in prison when he was innocent, and we just got the person who supposedly did betray my parents, but nothing has been said in the paper. So yeah, I've had a week, and it's not over yet and I receive hacked off bits of sweet little old lady sent to me. How gross is that. Soo, I'm on my way to Gringotts to close out the Potter vault, well except for the dishes. They were put away dirty. Who does that? I mean really? My baby bottle was in there, too, preserved. Did they expect me to want to drink it? YUCK!"

All of that was in two breaths, but Harry paused for a moment to see the girl to a Highland Fling in delight, with a pretend sword and everything.

"I'm Luna Lovegood, look for my article in the Quibbler. Nice to meet you, Harry Potter."

"Write to me via my friends Neville Longbottom or Hermione Granger. Will you?" Harry asked.

"Longbottom?" Luna's eyes clouded and her voice went low and strange. "The Chosen One can affect the fates of his friend and himself if he acts quickly and makes not an enemy of time. Uncurse the cursed. For time is an enemy of all who fail to act in time. But that time is not now, but soon. Fail to act in time, and she who matters most will be lost to both, the cursed remain cursed and Death will be the only winner."

She shuddered and blinked and looked ashamed. "I did it again, didn't I? I'm very sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for. I look forward to working with you."

"Yes, Harry. I will ask my father, but I will go to Italy when you return. Just before Yule, I think. I will write to your friend Hermione Granger and let her give you my letters."

Harry just smiled at the girl. He hadn't yet asked her to come with him, but had been thinking of what a marvelous talent she would be to recruit.

They were stopping to talk now and then, but still wound up in front of the gates before time.

"Thank you for coming out, Sunshine. Now, take the portkey home while I watch, we have to go separately." Mad-eye commanded.

The girl embraced everyone there, starting and ending with Harry, and then went on her way.

"I've never seen anyone accept her the way that you did Potter. Thank you." The grizzled auror said.

"You won't thank me when I recruit her, Sir."

"I was expecting that. She said something about armor and mounts before we came. Please tell me that the real Knights don't ride horses?"

"What?! No! Hippogriffs, yes, but not muggle horses. Watching the older squires at target practice is something else!"

"And your own efforts?" Moody said.

The boy blushed. "I'm not horrid. And I love flying. We were just supposed to be starting with attack spells this quarter. The others in my cohort are going to be so far ahead! I should be there, doing good, not here losing my family fortune so some Death Eater's perverted sense of honor can be satisfied."

"Aye lad."

They were standing just inside the gate, and Moody was checking his watch. They moved to just outside the wards, and he kept on guard while pulling out the portkey.

"Okay, nearly time. Harry. You seem a little upset, sure. But I swear I've seen your look before. Wait! James Potter would get that look just before a prank. What did you do? Are you going to get that woman killed?"

"I would never do anything to jeopardize Sister Gisele. Never. Remember, she was and is a contract employee for Gringotts. That is not a cover, it is real."

"Still, you have something planned." The scarred man stated.

Harry took a deep breath, and put a sneer on his face that would make Snape proud.

"I do. And if I am right, it might be enough for dear Cousin Lucius to make a mistake in the bank."

"Time." Tonks said, but they were already holding the portkey.

**OO**

Lucius pulled out his hand mirror. An invention of James Potter's. Absolutely brilliant. The man could have made the family another fortune had he chosen a different side.

And a different wife.

Wormtail had 'lost' his mirror, and so had to have a new set for him and his Mummy.

Most useful. Too bad that there were no enchanters in England to show this to, and see if it could be replicated.

But right now, he had lent the other part to his goblin account manager, and the beast was supposed to be keeping an eye on the transfer tunnels to other parts of the world.

"Report!" Lucius commanded.

"Of course, wizard!" The being snarled. "I have my warriors scattered through the bank. One of them got caught too near the Potter household vault, but the audit there shows just the belongings of the cottage that were thrown in there. Unless you want dirty dishes and such, it is worthless. And no, the boy did not think to have his gold moved to other banks. Is he even aware that there are other banks?"

"Likely not. He was raised in the muggle world. I'll be there soon. Greet me at the front entrance in fifteen minutes." Lucius waved off, leaving the scowling being behind.

But the poor goblin manager was looking in the wrong place, and the switch had happened right under his nose.

**OO**

Goblins ran the wizarding bank, and did trade gold for muggle money as was set up by treaty.

It was only in the last couple hundred years that said treaty started to wear thin. The conversion rates were set, and limits were in place to prevent people from buying too much gold, but Gringotts London had a huge imbalance of muggle money.

Just not enough demand for it.

If something wasn't done soon, it might have led to another goblin revolt.

The little Potter elf popping in not only had the Potter account manager swearing and angry, it had the Black account manager angry as well.

But the goblin who the elf had gone to was in charge of currency conversion was thrilled, and likely to get a raise after this.

Harry had even had all of the normal fees waived.

And best of all, it was done with brutal efficiency and secrecy, so only three goblins knew about it, and two would never tell anyone about this, this, this Monstrosity Most Evil!

**OO**

Harry Potter had to go through the Thieves' Downfall to prove that he was himself. Just as the kidnapper had to, whose identity was being kept secret.

It was a good thing that Tonks went as herself. She had some very mild changes, and the enchantments forced her into her base form. Something she hardly remembered, but was far more balanced in.

One thing one had to say about using Gringotts as an intermediary in a kidnapping is that very rarely any violence, and whatever agreements were made were kept secret. There were brought to a business meeting room clearly designed by goblins.

Parchment work was on the table, ready to be signed.

Mad-eye handed over the box. The healing was to be done on-site, and the kidnapper had to pay for it as part of the deal. Harry was not to be told what had happened. It wasn't his fault, but the adults knew that he would blame himself.

The poor account manager was beside himself.

"It's just a stupid woman! She's old! Useless! Don't do this! Don't throw away the Potter fortune like this!"

Harry pulled out his communication mirror, and gave one each to Tonks and Mad-eye.

"What would something like this be worth to a crack auror team? Instant communication. Surveillance? Not having to spend hours on your knees on the hearthstones to call people in on a raid?" Harry asked.

"Thousands." Tonks breathed.

"I can remake the family fortune, and plan to. I cannot replace a person. I would think that as an employee of the bank that you would be upset about your staff being treated so." Harry stated.

"Oh, we are, and intend to levy stiff fines for damages, but still." The goblin breathed.

"Can you bring people back to life?" Harry asked angrily.

"Not without a horcrux and a very dark ritual, no. And it's easier if you have an adult body to inhabit. Preferably freshly kissed…"

"That's enough nightmare fuel! Stop it! The boy is eleven, a child!" Tonks said, her hair cycling colors rapidly. "Let him sign the papers and be done. Not everything is about gold! My mother walked away from privilege, gold and family to marry the man she loved! We may have lived simply, but we have love. Put a price on that!"

"Easy lass, let's not start a war here. But she does have a point." Moody conceded.

"Mr. Potter. Do you allow the kidnapper access to your vault to remove anything he wishes in exchange for the woman? He will be swearing this oath on his magic." The goblin handed the not-quite standard vow that Harry had pre-approved. "Oh, in addition, he asks that any money you have personally removed from the vault today be returned. I have already told him that you did not take anything out, so that is a moot point."

The goblin grimaced as several thousand had been taken out the day before. The limit for this vault had already been reached! The gold should have been safe from this raggedy-haired menace!

Harry signed the document in blood, and the goblins left to get the woman.

Sister Gisele looked angry and not a little frayed.

"Harry Potter! I told you!" She scolded, but then burst into tears when he held her close.

"The world doesn't contain enough gold for your worth. Come on, let's get out of here. Quickly!" Harry stated, pulling the woman to the side floo.

"Potter?" Mad eye demanded. "What's going on?"

"POTTER! I'LL FIND YOU, AND KILL EVERYONE YOU LOVE!..." The sonorous was broken off as Harry was now pushed into the active floo, destination, the Hog's Head.

They arrived, and Harry wandlessly banished soot from Sister Gisele and himself, and the boy realized that he had three sets of very angry eyes upon him.

"Butterbeer for me, some tea for the lady here, and something stronger for the aurors." Harry ordered, handing over one of his last galleons.

"Potter, spill right now!"

**OO**

The healers cost far more at Gringotts than at St Mungo's but it was part of the agreement, and Lucius paid the bill. He looked over the contract again.

A promise not to destroy anything in the vault. No assaults on the person who was kidnapped afterwards. A magical oath not to kidnap or hold for ransom any other family members/friends/acquaintances/pets were all standard. No coming back to the same well. For him. All standard. The loss of magic for breaking the contract was clearly laid out, but the wizard had stopped reading.

He smirked as he signed. There was no reason to do so. The Black fortune was gone, spent on war and wastrels. The Potter fortune was rumored to be significant, oh to be sure, not Malfoy wealth, but not Weasley poor.

The wizard was warned repeatedly he was allowed one visit. If he didn't take what he wanted then, it was too late. He was not allowed a copy of the key, or repeated visits.

Lucius was prepared. He had spent a small fortune on expandable chests. He had gotten the vault size earlier, paid to have the maths done to figure out what he needed, and then purchased them. He was ready to visit the vault.

The goblin opened the door, and Lucius was not impressed. A stack of gold was at the front, but in the back, in every sort of neat stacks, was paper money. Like muggles use. Muggle coins were magically stacked in impossibly high wobbly looking towers. All useless! He was a Malfoy! He couldn't be seen holding muggle money!

The bank had strict limits on what it would convert in a day to gold. And once muggle money was removed from the bank, the same person could not come back and exchange it. Oh, the goblins would give muggle money for gold all day long, but not the reverse. The goblins had complained more than once to the ministry about doing something about the imbalance, and Lucius had been one of those pushing hard for the nothing to be done with the vermin.

Lucius raised his wand to blast the worthless paper and had the goblin on duty raise his axe in warning. Right. Nothing to be destroyed. He took one of the shrunken trunks, what a waste of gold that was! And commanded the goblin with him to take every galleon, sickle and knut from the vault and put it in the trunk. Lucius did not have permission to do magic in the bank, after all. Let the underling serve him, as was proper.

To add insult to injury only the top coins were gold. Everything else was brass knuts. An impressive pile of them, to be sure. He would have small change for the rest of his life, and there was a limit to how much of that he could turn in at once as well!

"One thousand, seven hundred galleons. Three thousand sickles. And seventy thousand, six hundred and nine knuts, wizard." The goblin intoned. The coin neatly stacked and organized, taking up only a small fraction of the storage space of the first chest.

Lucius stalked to the cart, but he forgot that he should take some of the muggle money with him to get as much gold as he could.

"Open the door back up! I need to get some of that useless paper!" Malfoy demanded.

"One trip only, wizard."

Settling back into his seat, seething, he did the maths and realized that he had spent far more than he had gained on this idiotic venture.

The only thing that kept his temper in check was knowing that Potter would be poor for the rest of his life.

Then Lucius reached the main floor, and on the sandwich board, there in the lobby, was an announcement of an upcoming Gringotts auction featuring items from the Potter's cottage. The piece de resistance was that there was a preserved baby bottle, and a torn receiving blanket available. Originally owned by Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived.

All to help the beleaguered lad recoup losses after he lost his Potter fortune to secure the release of a Gringotts' elderly employee who had been kidnapped and maimed by a terrorist trying to extort the Potter fortune.

Half of the money raised would be used to aid the Aurors Longbottom in their recovery efforts.

Lucius cast a sonorous spell on himself. The brat had to be there somewhere!

A goblin guard quickly walked over to him and not only dispelled the magic, he demanded a hundred galleon fine for using a wand in Gringotts without permission! Lucius turned to face the beast, but saw that there were witches and wizards watching him, giving him odd looks.

Malfoy pushed his wand back into his cane snarling out insults and curses, and stormed to the door.

The floor manager reassured the guard who went back to position.

Walking over to one of the tellers, the manager said "Fine Mr. Malfoy's vault for the one hundred galleons. Plus fifty percent penalty for not paying immediately."

He would write this up. That wizard had started to draw his wand on the guard. No, Mr. Malfoy would be banned from the bank for a time.

He deserved far worse than a fine and being banned just for hurting a female elder alone!

**OO**

The four of them had arrived at the Hog's Head safely, but the adults wanted answers. Now.

Harry Potter was not a Gryffindor because he liked the spiffy heraldry. Not that it hurt, mind you.

"I need to talk to my elf quickly, before the goblins retaliate." Harry non-explained.

"Soda! Did you find some trunks? I hope so, because I don't have the coin to buy some. Okay. As soon as he is gone, carefully as you can, get it all loaded up. Great job, by the way! We'll see how much we can recoup this way. Monseigneur is going to kill me! Off you go!"

"Harry Potter! Stop channeling Luna and tell us what happened!" Moody demanded.

"Well sir, how much do you know about goblin banking in regards to muggle exchange? It's something I care about as I like muggle things. I went to the bank during my visit, and was told that there was a limit to how much gold I could buy in a day, that goblins didn't want or need any more muggle money. They had too much already. Years' worth of it."

"You didn't!" Mad-eye said.

"Yep! I told Soda to leave a couple thousand in wizard money. She converted as much as she could of that to knuts! I have the best elf ever as a great personal assistant!"

"But you're just left with outdated muggle money. How can that help?" Mad-eye asked, but Tonks got it.

"My dad. He grew up collecting stamps! Why did I never think of it?"

"Hey now, there are a lot of Gringotts around the world. Let's keep this a family secret, shall we?"

"I don't understand!" Mad-eye said frustrated.

"Do you have an hour to go to Surry? Harry asked.

"Count me out. I'm going back to the house to rest. No. You stay with these people, Harry." The older woman directed, smiling. She thought she understood what the boy did, enough to know that the young squire had tricked whoever hurt her, and didn't allow him to steal all that gold. That was enough for her.

Charles came through the door. He squeezed Sister Gisele's hand, his gaze saying everything.

"Malfoy?" He guessed.

"I think so." She said, "My memories are muddled. Potioned professionally according to the healers."

"Snape!" Harry hissed.

"Would you prefer her to have bad potions? They can cause brain damage and worse." Tonks opined.

"True. Sister Gisele. I'm so sorry!" Harry was so caught up in the prank, he lost track of what had really happened. Tunnel vision, the true danger in the field.

"We'll do a proper debrief later, Potter. Let me get her back to the house." Sir Hector said with a nod to his squire.

"Charles, call Soda later if you need anything. She'll be busy for a while. Oh, and let Professor McGonagall know. She'll want to come and visit right away. Her elf is Zeb. Might be willing to help if needed."

Charles nodded, and half-carried the injured woman out.

"You wanted to show me something, Potter?" Tonks prompted, but the joy of the moment was broken.

Soda popped back. "First trunk done, Soda getting something to eat, and then going back."

"You get back there until you're done!" Mad-eye started to command.

"Please, sir. Soda is my friend and employee. I've told her to take a break when needed, and she did go back in time in order to get everything in place. She's been going for hours without anything to eat or drink. Elves need nourishment as much as aurors do, sir."

"Right. Carry on, elf." The auror gruffly commanded.

She popped away with a smile.

Harry opened the trunk and took the top bill. Crisp. Dated 1911, it was in pristine condition. He also grabbed a few of the older coins before reshrinking the trunk and pocketing it.

"I know a shop in London. Let me check you for trackers first. None, good. I'll set up a beacon in a nearby spot, Mad-eye." Tonks grabbed Harry and they spun away.

**OO**

The three of them sat in a cozy cafe. Harry had turned a few muggle pieces of paper called notes, and a few one pound coins into several hundred pounds. And that was just the start.

"But it's still worthless paper! It's still muggle!" The auror stated.

"What are you eating sir?"

"Onion soup with cheese, and a great crispy bread to go with it. Why, you want some? I can order you some."

"Food, sir. Knights eat. Money is used to buy food. Muggle money, British in this case, can be easily exchanged for Italian money. I can hire an agent to slowly sell the older coins and notes at a profit, and buy perishables. If I wanted to, I could set up my own grocery shop in Hogsmeade and sell to magicals and recoup my gold. But Malfoy did me a favor. I have Gringotts London as allies, they approve of me. I have a way of making money at other Gringotts around the world if I wanted. I can employ muggleborn here in Britain who otherwise have trouble getting jobs, and I am going to make a fortune, having done none of the work myself.

"All because that idiot Death Eater wanted to steal from me! And while you won't tell me what he did, I know that he tortured a Sister of our Order! That is not acceptable! Even if she was acting as a Gringotts employee, it's not acceptable to torture women for profit. Not now, not ever!"

Tonks was not stupid, but Harry didn't know that she didn't know about Sister Gisele. She knew her mentor would explain more when they were in private.

"Potter, I have an idea how to prove to others that it was Malfoy." Alastar grinned, looking scarily like Brother Paddy when he had come up with a new prank idea. "I just need to stop by Gringotts real quick."

"Okay, but I don't want you to complain about the auction. That was Soda's idea not mine."

"What auction?"

**OO**

"Gertie! I just got you back in my life!" Minerva said, dropping a full tray near her old friend.

"Well, I didn't mean to miss our appointment last night. But I was invited to a soiree at an old manor, and I just couldn't say no."

"I know who it was, and I'll be telling the aurors that. It was Malfoy. Idiot used the same spell to disguise his writing that a lot of the little buggers used to use." Minerva claimed.

"That was not clever or cunning." Sister Gisele smirked. Monseigneur Brown attended Hogwarts and had nothing kind to say about most Slytherins.

"So tell me. Did you ever marry? Have children? Tell me everything."

"I suspect we have much in common. I worked for years at a school. Mothered young orphan boys, tried to help them be good men. There were fewer girls that came to us, and more families willing to adopt them. But there was this one girl. So unusual. Loved magical creatures. She had been diagnosed as being a squib when she was four, and saved from being killed by a nanny elf. She turned out to be a witch. We didn't learn her real name until later. I called her Mia. She had the most marvelous imagination…"

**OO**

Harry finally got back to school, finally got to go to a few classes, and for once, was not summoned to a meeting, detention, or anything else.

The five hundred galleons in his outside pocket were burning a hole in it, waiting for the right moment.

Harry had not been in battle before. His instructors all said he had a flare for 'in-the-field efforts, but were worried about his patience. He had been told time and time again that the battles were often won by the most patient warriors. Not the strongest, fastest, or smartest.

Now he understood. You had to be all of those things, and then wait for the opportune moment.

He thought for sure it would be during the chess match, yesterday, as Saturday just seemed to be the sort of lazy day to draw out the blond ponce. But no.

Millicent did come, and played very well. So did Blaise Zabini, and some of the other Slytherins. More than one said something about it being unfair for him to lose not one but two family fortunes.

Blaise saw Harry's obviously second-hand casual robes, and sniffed.

Harry had bought new student robes with sizing charms, but worried about a growth spurt, so had bought second hand informal wear. It was paying off though.

Daphne Greengrass let him know that she was glad that he wasn't the head of the Black family, as they were all dark and evil. Potters were known to be inventors, enchanters, potioneers. Solid citizens with no need to preen and pretend. They were magic!

She refused to sit anywhere near Draco despite his attempt to curry favor.

Rumors of the kidnapping, the notice of the auction at Gringotts, everything was adding up to the Malfoy family being rotten to the core. Mad-eye told him that charges were being prepared for both the rat and the kidnapper, and there would be a trial soon. Aurors were still gathering evidence. More would be better.

Harry just needed to prove it was them. Just needed to wait.

Harry hated waiting.

**OO**

Sunday Harry finally got together with the twins.

"Look, I can't do business today, Sunday and all, but I want to make an appointment for some time in the coming week. We need to talk pranks. I want to invest in you two as a business. And yes, I had some money in my trunks, so I am not as broke as people think."

Of course, that is when Malfoy overheard.

"I knew it! You were withholding money!" Draco shouted.

Harry stood. "Your father forgot to take out the maximum amount of muggle money from the vault. I got it for him. Five hundred galleons. If you sign a receipt for it, I will give it to you to give it to him."

Harry knew that this would probably not hold up in the Wizengamot court. But the Malfoys were really being tried in the Court in Public Opinion. Far weightier, and far more long-lasting.

"Of course! You should have kept it. Look at you, dressed like a Weasley!" Draco sneered.

"I would rather be dressed like a Weasley, and maintain Weasley-like honor than dress like a Malfoy and have to maintain your code." Harry sneered back, holding Fred or George's arm, as they had obviously planned a more muggle solution to the problem.

If anyone was planting Draco, it was himself.

"Whatever!" Draco sneered, signing for the galleons and peering within to make sure it wasn't leprechaun gold.

Neville and Hermione waited until Draco had stalked back to his table to go to Harry's side. Harry saw that Professor Snape seemed to be nursing a headache, but it was Quirrell staring daggers at the blond boy and not himself.

"Harry, remember we were going to go over that thing?" Hermione said.

Neville quirked an eyebrow at her. Field command material she was not, but she was a brilliant witch!

"Right. Let's go. Gentleman, let's talk tomorrow at breakfast, shall we?"

"Harry! This proves it! It proves it!" Hermione claimed the minute they were alone.

"You know that, I know that. As soon as I can call him, Alastor Moody will know it. What do you want me to do?"

"We should kidnap Draco, and then cut off his boy bits, and then…"

Both boys winced. "Don't even tease about that!"

They moved on past the antechamber. Whenever Harry wanted the Headmaster to know something, he knew he could go there and chat.

They found an empty room, and put up a few wards first years shouldn't know.

"Look. He took the money, and signed a receipt for it. Legally, I gave him a gift. Nothing more, or less. He doesn't even owe taxes on it." Harry explained.

"Then why? That was a fortune! Do you know how many knights it could have helped?"

"Hermione! Calm down. Yes, I do. I needed proof for myself. For the Order. I don't need or want money."

"But he stole from you!"

"I sent Lucius a nice coat Friday morning." Harry said.

"What?"

"'If a thief takes your cloak, give him your coat also.' It will go over his head, but makes me feel better. Look. He's evil. We know it. And he's still viewed as a respectable citizen. There's the battle, Hermione! I can't defeat him in dueling, but I can and will destroy his reputation before it comes to arms if I possibly can."

Neville listened to his friends.

"How is your library project, Hermione?"

"Lisa invited me to study yesterday. I got to copy several rare books, and since the translation charm was cast on them after, I have both the original and copies in English."

"Nice!" Neville declared.

"Yes, well done Hermione. I have to go to detention with Snape. Soda is shadowing me, since I didn't make it to class Friday. Maybe next week will be better?

**OO**

Harry turned over the receipt and the memory of it to Mad-eye with glee.

"We won't win, you know. Several people saw him in the bank. Not one will come forward and say that they saw Lucius Malfoy threatening Harry Potter's life."

"My mum will, sir." A second-year girl, in Hufflepuff robes. "I'm Sarah Smith, and she saw what happened."

"Sarah, your mother was in the bank?" Harry asked.

"She was, and saw a goblin guard tell Lucius Malfoy that he was in trouble for casting a spell. He kicked up a fuss! Not with magic! Bad words! And then she saw his wand glow green and thought that the guard was going to get killed! She's willing to give you a memory if she can have a safe place to stay awhile."

"Why not let her stay with that Gringotts' employee that was hurt?" Moody suggested.

"I like it. I'll have to ask first." Harry suggested.

"The trial will be next week, should be plenty of time."

Sarah nodded. "My dad was killed by Death Eaters, and now it's just my mum, my sister and I. She says that if no one stands up to these monsters, they'll keep getting away with it."

"You're right, lass. There's a shop below where this lady is staying. How would she like a job selling vegetables?"

"She works at the Apothecary in Diagon Alley, sir, but I can ask her." Sarah stated.

Harry smiled. Gringotts was on top of hiring someone to be hired by Harry. This was all going to work out.

Malfoy was finally going to go to prison!