Chapter 16: 16 - Hidden Wealth
On Saturday, Sebastian corralled Harry for a trip to Diagon Alley. Fleur had gone off with Arienne and Hermione somewhere – Harry didn't want to know where – and so it was just the two of them for the day. The goal was to get fitted for wedding robes, but Sebastian hinted that they might have one or two other things to buy.
He was truly lost when it came to preparing for a wedding that was only a week away. He knew very little in the first place, and on top of that, they had virtually no time left. Part of him felt like he'd wasted what little he had, but when he looked back, he realized that apart from that one date, he really hadn't stopped just to have fun.
And the date was a necessity given that he was marrying the girl!
But the fact remained that he was completely out of his depth, and was only just realizing that he hadn't done Fleur any favors. From what he'd seen, most girls wanted romance, and apart from that one date – which barely counted – he hadn't done a single thing. There were no elegant dinners to get to know her, no down-on-one-knee proposal, no gushing declarations of his undying love...
Really, she was getting shafted, and he didn't know what to do about it. In fact, he was increasingly of the opinion that there wasn't anything he could do about it. The problem was that, as much as he wanted her to have these things, he felt that having them be insincere would be worse than not having them at all.
"Do wizards ever renew their wedding vows?" he wondered as they wandered up the moderately-populated alley. "I mean, I know Muggles do, but is it different for Wizards?"
"I 'ave never 'eard of it being done before," said Sebastian thoughtfully. "Why do you ask?"
"Just thinking about the future," he said absently as he watched a hump-backed hag roll a rather large cauldron up the street. "This is really unfair to Fleur is all."
"I am not sure that I understand."
Harry shrugged and elaborated, feeling remarkably comfortable with the man, especially given that he was her father. "Well," he said slowly, "don't girls want all the stuff that goes with it? I mean, I never even proposed. Wouldn't she want that?"
"Ah," said Sebastian in sudden understanding. "And you were thinking of per'aps making it up to 'er?" he asked curiously.
"Something like that."
Sebastian chuckled good-naturedly and guided him up the stairs into the lobby of Gringotts. "And that is why I like you, 'Arry," he smiled. "Always thinking of others. And to answer your question, I think it is a wonderful idea. But do not feel too bad about it, you 'ave 'ad quite a lot occupying your time these past weeks."
"I'm not so sure that's a good enough excuse," grumbled Harry.
Sebastian just gave his shoulder a squeeze and steered him to the nearest counter. "You will make it work," he chuckled. "I 'ave faith in you, and I know that you will make my daughter a very 'appy woman."
"Key please."
Still wondering how Sebastian could have so much faith in him, Harry fished in his pocket, drew out his little golden key, and handed it to the goblin. The creature examined it for a moment before looking up and squinting at him. "Name?" he asked suspiciously.
"Harry Potter."
The goblin stared at him for a long moment, and then– "Wait here," he ordered.
Harry blinked.
"That was... unusual," frowned Sebastian as the goblin scurried off, leaving them standing alone in front of the counter.
Harry privately agreed. While the goblins were not exactly friendly with him, they weren't in the habit of making him wait either. Although he had noticed that they often kept other wizards waiting, now he thought about it. Had he been getting special treatment because he was famous? That thought had him scowling a little by the time the goblin returned a few minutes later.
"Your account manger would like a word with you, Mr. Potter," the goblin told him. "This way."
"I have an account manager?" asked Harry blankly.
"Yes."
Harry almost snorted at the goblin's brevity, but otherwise ignored it as they followed the gnarled creature down a long hall. Sebastian looked surprised by the development, but not overly so; if Harry had to guess, he probably had some idea of what was going on. Unlike most people in his life, though, Harry actually trusted the man to tell him what he needed to know, before he needed to know it. He'd been very open about things so far.
The goblin led them through a maze of corridors to a large, opulent office deep in the bowels of the bank, and Harry wondered if he could even find his way back out again. He didn't have time to worry about that, however, because behind the desk sat a middle-aged goblin who was watching him expectantly. Confused, he moved forward.
"Er, hello," he offered cautiously. "I'm Harry Potter."
The goblin stared at him for a few beats. "I know who you are," he finally growled. "I am insulted that you have not returned my correspondence, and I would like to know the reason. Most wizards would not be given this chance."
Harry's eyes widened at the rebuke – and the implied threat. "Er, correspondence, sir?" he asked faintly. "I haven't had any from Gringotts."
The goblin's eyes narrowed. "I will not accept 'the krup ate my homework', Mr. Potter," he warned.
Harry cringed away from the clear anger in the goblin's eyes. He had never wanted to offend them; not only was that not his way, but they were bloody scary when they were angry. He'd had that beaten into his daydreams in History of Magic...
"If I may?" Sebastian butted in.
The goblin turned and studied him, his eyes narrowing to barely more than angry slits. "You may," he nodded.
"'Arry, I would like you to tell your account manager what your Gringotts assets consist of," said Sebastian bluntly, catching Harry completely off-guard.
Not knowing why, but trusting Sebastian, Harry shrugged and answered. "Er, okay," he said slowly. "I have a few thousand Galleons in my vault." Then he frowned and added, "Monsieur Delacour thinks my family was wealthy, but I don't know anything about it."
"Then how are charges being authorized against your holdings, Mr. Potter?" asked the goblin. "They contain your signature."
Harry blinked. "Wait, what?" he asked blankly. "I've never signed anything at Gringotts. I've only had to give you my key before."
"'Arry," said Sebastian slowly, with a worried frown. "'ow many transactions 'ave you made?"
"I've taken about a hundred Galleons a year for school," he shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets and feeling like a little boy who'd been called on the carpet. "Mrs. Weasley made the withdrawal this year since we went to see the World Cup."
Silence fell in the wake of his statement, and the goblin closely watched Harry, who shrank further into himself. He had no idea how to handle this. His flight instincts were screaming at him to run – he was going to be punished – but Sebastian's gentle grip on his shoulder kept him still.
After a minute of this, the goblin abruptly heaved himself out of his chair and moved over to a large filing cabinet. He flipped through the contents for a few moments before finally extracting a large stack of files and carrying them back to the desk. Then he motioned for them to take seats – but he still didn't look happy.
The next five minutes were spent waiting for the goblin to read through his files, with Harry getting more and more nervous by the minute. Finally, though, he picked up a piece of parchment and handed it to Harry. "Sign that," he ordered bluntly.
Frowning, Harry pulled it over.
"Erm, may I ask why, sir?" he asked in a small voice. "This is blank."
"Correct," said the goblin, snatching it back from him. Then he settled in to stare Harry down. "Are you willing to submit to Veritaserum to verify the statements you have made thus far?"
"Er, I guess so," frowned a very confused Harry. "I don't understand what's going on, sir."
"That much is obvious," said the goblin condescendingly. "Wait here."
The goblin scrambled out of the room, leaving a shell-shocked Harry in his wake. He'd never been offensive to the goblins, so why were they treating him this way? The way things were going, he wouldn't be surprised if this ended in another goblin rebellion. It would be just his luck!
"Try to relax, 'Arry," soothed Sebastian. "Goblins are fierce, and some would say greedy, but they are also honest. They will not 'arm you for something you 'ave not done."
"What's going on, Sebastian?" he asked in a low tone.
"I do not know," frowned Sebastian. "But I suspect that we are going to be dealing with your estate issues much sooner than we planned. This is not a positive sign that things are well on that front."
Harry snorted morbidly. "And things are well with me... when, exactly?"
Sebastian chuckled darkly. "Too true, mon fils, too true. We will get it sorted out soon, this I promise you."
Harry closed his eyes and sighed. He honestly didn't know how much more he could handle. He was engaged to be married, had a new family to get to know, was dealing with Ron's idiocy, and had gotten Snape arrested, all in a matter of two weeks. How much more could one person take?
Although, he was honestly glad that Sebastian was there to help him, for he would still have been in the dark otherwise. True, it took the engagement to make it happen, but he honestly couldn't complain much about that. If things with Fleur continued the way they were going, they likely would be happy together, and he could only hope she felt the same.
The goblin returned before he could get very far in that train of thought, this time accompanied by another, shorter goblin, who looked rather bored. He walked straight up to Harry and stuffed a phial in his hands that had a few drops of clear liquid in the bottom.
"Drink," he commanded.
"Er, is this Veritaserum?" asked Harry nervously.
"Yes."
"Go on, Harry," urged Sebastian. "I will make sure that they stick to your financial issues. You need not fear for your other secrets."
Harry looked to him for reassurance, and upon finding it, nodded and popped the top off the phial, quaffing it under the goblin's scrutinizing gaze. Unlike most potions he'd encountered, this one tasted like nothing, and at first he thought it was actually water. But then his vision clouded over, and his mind settled into a warm haze.
He liked the goblins! He trusted the goblins! He would tell them anything!
"Have you ever received correspondence from Gringotts?" came a voice.
"No," he answered immediately.
"Describe your transactions with Gringotts to date."
And he did, without hesitation.
"What vaults are you aware of that you maintain with us?"
"My trust vault."
"Who is your financial guardian?"
"Albus Dumbledore."
And now a different voice came to him. "'Ow long 'ave you known that Albus Dumbledore is your financial guardian?"
"Two weeks."
And then the first voice came back. "Who are your legal guardians?"
"Sebastian and Arienne Delacour."
"Enough, give him the antidote."
"Wait, please. 'Arry, 'ow long have I been your guardian?"
"Two weeks."
"And who were your guardians before that?"
"Vernon and Petunia Dursley."
"Antidote please."
Moments later, Harry felt an odd sensation in his mouth, and his vision cleared. The expression on the goblin's face was very different from how it had been only a few minutes ago; he looked troubled now. And when he looked up at Harry, it was with an apologetic expression.
"Mr. Potter," he said formally as the other goblin left the room, "I am Account Manager Riptooth. I would like to apologize on my own behalf and that of Gringotts Bank for our disrespect. I was unaware of the nature of the situation, and believed that you had slighted me."
Harry blinked his eyes clear of the last of the haze. "Er, that's okay, sir," he frowned. "I'm still not sure what's going on, though."
"Indeed," nodded the goblin. "What I can tell you right now is that your accounts are being illegally accessed to transfer funds, and I have ordered a full audit. We should have a preliminary answer shortly. In the mean time, if you are willing, I would like to know your current situation. It sounds like there have been recent changes."
Sebastian squeezed Harry's shoulder and took over. "If I may, Riptooth?" The goblin nodded. "Are you familiar with the interaction of veela magic and life debts?"
"I am."
"My wife and daughters are veela," he informed the creature, "and 'Arry saved the life of my eldest a little over two weeks ago. In investigating the situation, I discovered numerous irregularities in 'is records, and several indications that 'is living situation was... less than ideal. So I made arrangements to take custody, and 'is former guardians were only too 'appy to comply."
Sebastian paused for a moment before darkly adding, "They found themselves in jail just recently, and will likely be in prison for a very long time to come. They are Muggles who are aware of and bigoted against our world."
The goblin frowned slightly. "I see," he said slowly. "Please continue."
"'Arry 'as agreed of 'is own will to marry my daughter in the coming weekend," he explained, "and as you can imagine, our opportunities to look further into 'is situation 'ave been limited. Shortly after the guardianship was transferred, I did discover that 'e was unaware of any major inheritance, and 'ad intended to look into it after the wedding. This 'as taken us quite by surprise."
Riptooth nodded slowly in understanding. "This explains a great deal," he said with a goblin sigh as he turned back to Harry. "The correspondence that I believed you ignored was an inquiry regarding Mr. Severus Snape," he explained. "We know that he is being held for trial, and that invalidates his position as your proxy for the Wizengamot. This is an inherited position, and it falls to us to contact you for a replacement."
Harry stared blankly at the goblin for a moment and then turned to Sebastian, who looked angry. "What does that mean, Sebastian?" he asked slowly, his own anger stirring under the surface at the implications.
"It means, 'Arry," said Sebastian in a low growl, "that your family 'as a seat on the British Wizengamot, and Snape was occupying it, probably on Dumbledore's orders."
Fire ripped through Harry's veins at Sebastian's explanation. He slowly stood and went to stand facing a nearby wall as he tried to get himself back under control. The goblins would probably not like it if he lost his temper.
Finally he turned around and stared over the goblin's shoulder so as not to direct his anger at him. "How did this happen?" he asked with quiet rage. "My father and Snape were enemies, and the git is no better to me. So how in bloody hell did he get my family's seat on the Wizengamot?"
"The audit will tell us that, Mr. Potter," Riptooth explained. "I understand your anger, and I assure you, this matter will be resolved to your satisfaction. By not informing you of your inheritance, your financial guardian has abdicated his position under goblin law. You now have direct control of your accounts."
That statement brought a grim smile to Sebastian's face, but Harry ignored it and resumed his seat, doing his best to master his anger. "Thank you, sir," he nodded eventually. "What else do I have that I don't know about?"
"Your wealth is quite substantial," Riptooth informed him, "and you have the most extensive holdings in Wizarding businesses of any currently known family. This makes you a very powerful wizard in the political sense."
"And who is presently managing this?" asked Sebastian.
After glancing at Harry for approval, the goblin turned to Sebastian. "In truth, Mr. Delacour, nobody is," he said bluntly. "It has been a complaint of mine for some time, but as we were not able to correspond, it could not be changed. We will accept verbal instruction from Mr. Potter at this time."
Sebastian nodded thoughtfully. "I assume the Goblin Nation is still the best?" he asked bluntly.
"Not if you ask Wizards," snorted Riptooth, "but our returns are better than any other."
It was immediately clear to Harry where Sebastian was going with the question. "How much would it cost to have you manage it?" he asked curiously.
"Under normal circumstances, a hefty percentage," admitted Riptooth, "but for an account as large as yours, we generally operate for either a flat fee of fifty thousand Galleons per annum, or a percentage of the profits, usually one half percent."
Harry's eyes narrowed slightly as he thought it through. "And it's still good for me even if you take fifty thousand a year?"
"That is the most profitable option for you usually," nodded Riptooth. "As I said, Mr. Potter, your holdings are quite extensive. Fifty thousand Galleons is petty cash."
"And the percentage is better for the goblins?" asked Harry.
"Much better."
"Then take the percentage, sir," decided Harry. "That way we both win."
Sebastian gave an approving nod, which made Harry feel a little better. He actually felt quite foolish; he didn't even know what he was negotiating the investment of. But it was more than he'd had before the day began, so he supposed it didn't matter – and with the percentage, he didn't have to worry about going broke because they lost his money.
Riptooth made a few notations on his parchment. "Consider it done," he declared. "I will assign one of our best investment managers."
Harry nodded his thanks, and then the door opened to admit a new goblin, this one older than Riptooth and dressed much more finely. He eyed Harry as he approached, ignoring Sebastian. His hands contained a single scroll.
"Mr. Potter," he greeted in a gravelly voice. "I am Ragnok. This is the current summary of your accounts."
"Thanks," he said with a faint smile. And then he unrolled the scroll and caught sight of the contents, and the blood drained from his cheeks. "Bloody hell!" he breathed.
"'Arry?" prompted Sebastian.
Harry merely handed him the scroll as he tried to recover. He hadn't even looked at the details; the totals were startling enough. Rich didn't even begin to cover it! Harry was a billionaire in Muggle terms, and had never even known it. In fact...
"Why did I not know about this?" he whispered faintly.
"Dumbledore," growled Sebastian, handing the scroll back to him without fanfare or reaction to its contents. "'E should 'ave told you about all of this a long time ago. I 'ave no doubt 'e assigned Snape your seat on the Wizengamot as well."
Ragnok turned to Riptooth, suddenly appearing angry. "Am I to understand that the Potter Heir was unaware of his estate?" he growled.
"He has not been receiving his correspondence, Director," nodded Riptooth. "That is why I had him brought to this office. I had originally believed that he was insulting us, but we have discovered otherwise. He was only aware of the educational trust vault."
Harry had no idea that goblin skin could change colors like human skin did, but he knew it now. Ragnok's obvious rage appeared as dark orange-brown blotches on his light orange-brown cheeks, and his eyes narrowed, sparking in anger. He was also producing some kind of magical aura if Harry wasn't mistaken, though it wasn't visible to the naked eye.
"No, Riptooth, Mr. Potter did not insult us," he growled. "Albus Dumbledore, on the other hand, has slapped us in the face, and I will not tolerate that." Turning back to Harry, he continued on his tirade. "Over the last year and a half, over eighty million Galleons have been removed from your estate to fund an organization known as the Order of the Phoenix. Albus Dumbledore is the head of that organization. I do not know its purpose."
Harry shot out of his chair. "WHAT?" he roared. "That bastard is stealing from me now, too?"
The goblins both took a step back, but Sebastian moved toward him and lowered himself to eye-level. "Calm down, 'Arry," he ordered firmly. "I am angry as well, but this will not 'elp. We will deal with Dumbledore."
Harry could indeed see the anger simmering behind Sebastian's eyes, almost as hot as his own, and it calmed him greatly for some reason. He nodded sharply and dropped back into his seat, trying desperately to reign himself in as Sebastian was doing, with only marginal success.
"Our apologies, Director Ragnok," offered Sebastian deferentially. "'Arry 'as been through more in the past two weeks than anyone should 'ave to take."
"He is planning to save a veela who owes him a life debt," added Riptooth helpfully.
"My daughter," agreed Sebastian.
Ragnok was visibly surprised by this information, and turned to Harry with an almost reverent expression that all but erased his former anger. "You would do such a thing?" he asked quietly.
"Why wouldn't I?" frowned Harry bemusedly.
Ragnok shook himself. "I do not mean any disrespect to your intended," he said slowly, "but she is only part human, is she not?"
Harry frowned even more deeply at that, offended by the insinuation. "So what?" he asked flatly. "She's a person, sir, and my friend. I don't care what she is, just who."
The comment earned him a genuine smile from Sebastian, and Ragnok nodded slowly. "Then you have my respect, Mr. Potter," he nodded. "As does Mr. Delacour. Your race as a whole is highly prejudiced, and it is good to know that there are those who do not subscribe to such beliefs."
Harry just blinked. "Oh. Er, thanks, I guess."
Ragnok chuckled and shook his head in amusement. "Mr. Dumbledore will be finding it difficult to access his accounts in the future," he decided. "We will complete the full audit, and will have any money that was taken illicitly returned to you. We do not take kindly to people who take advantage of our account holders, especially when they are of the importance of the Potters."
"Thank you," nodded Harry, still too angry about that to say much more.
"I 'ave a proposal, 'Arry," offered Sebastian. "If you will provide authorization, Arienne and I can monitor the situation and 'andle this aspect of things. You still 'ave school to deal with, and this will need considerable attention."
Harry nodded. "That's fine, Sebastian," he said quietly. "I don't know what to do anyway. How do I give you authorization?"
Ragnok inserted himself back into the conversation. "You are aware that this will give them the ability to remove funds?" he asked neutrally.
Harry nodded; he wasn't, but it did make sense. Even so– "I trust them, sir," he said firmly.
Ragnok nodded. "Very well, your authorization is noted. We will send your statements to Mr. Delacour until the situation with your correspondence can be resolved."
"Thank you for your assistance, Director Ragnok, Account Manager Riptooth," said Sebastian formally. "You have my word that the Delacour family will see justice done on behalf of my new son. There are many other issues related to this, and Dumbledore is at the center of them all. We will not stand for it; nobody 'arms my family and survives it intact."
"And you may rest assured that we will place our full might behind your efforts," offered Ragnok. "We tolerate neither insult nor harm to friends of the Goblin Nation."
Harry, who was still trying to process the fact that Sebastian had just claimed him as a son, was fairly certain that he missed some hidden meaning in Ragnok's words, at least if the way Sebastian's eyes widened was any indication. And sure enough–
"We are honored, Director Ragnok," breathed Sebastian respectfully.
Ragnok chuckled. "I look forward to doing business with you," he said. "May you go with honor."
Confused and overwhelmed, Harry blinked up at Sebastian. He wanted to know what he missed, but something told him that he would be better off leaving it alone for the moment. Things were far enough out of control as it was...
"Do we 'ave any further business, Riptooth?" asked Sebastian politely.
"I do not believe so," said Riptooth. "May you go with honor."
"And you, Riptooth," nodded Sebastian. Then he turned to Harry with a kind smile. "Come, 'Arry," he offered gently, one hand coming down gently on Harry's shoulder to steer him toward the door. "Let us go shopping. I believe you need something mindless to do for a while."
Harry could not have agreed more.
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