FicWad

Chapter two- Gringotts and the ministry.

Harry Potter lay motionless in a huge plush bed with a soft mattress and silk green sheets, it was the most comfortable nights sleep he had had in fifteen years. His mind wandered back to the events of the previous night, the dark lord, his mentor has been resurrected, he was once more back to greatness. Harry had been told stories for as long as he could remember of the greatness that his mentor had achieved before his unfortunate demise and Harry could only hope that he could be part of something even greater this time round. He had been trained by Voldemort personally albeit his spirit form but never the less the knowledge that Voldemort had passed on to Harry was unmatched and Harry had embraced his role as the apprentice of Voldemort since he was old enough to hold a wand, when Voldemort had told him about who he had murdered his parents Harry had been angry and almost attacked Voldemort something he was grateful he hadn’t done because he wouldn’t be in the position he was in now if he had; Harry had managed to work through the anger of his parents death by simply using it to perform the unforgivables. Voldemort had shown Harry the memories of his parents deaths and Voldemort had given them chance to join him and leave but they refused and in Harry’s mind there deaths where there own fault, they had the opportunity to join the dark lord and they refused instead siding Albus Dumbledore. Harry also understood why Voldemort has tried to kill him, the dark lord couldn’t afford to have any threats to his power and Harry understood that and as his apprentice had been taught how to kill mercilessly. There was one difference between Harry and Voldemort was that Voldemort believed that other races of people below him, and whilst Harry thought that Muggleborns and muggles where below him he recognised they had some uses granted not many but they did have there uses.

Rolling over Harry opened his eyes, the coming months would be very interesting, very interesting indeed. The young boy sat up and rubbed his eyes as the silk sheets fell from his chest to into his lap, malfoy manor he thought as he looked around the room it was quite plain room with a big double bed and a chest of draws, he saw a set of robes laid out on a chair beside his bed. Getting out of bed Harry changed into the very nice dark blue robes.

“Good morning milord” Harry said as he entered the kitchen of malfoy manor, Voldemort was sat next to Lucius conversing quietly and a very beautiful women with long blonde hair and a very aristocratic look next to her was a boy about Harry’s age and was obvious the son of Lucius and the women as he held features from both of them. Voldemort looked up as Harry walked into the kitchen and greeted him in a similar way before going back to conversing with Lucius, a great deal of parchment was laid out in front of them.

“You must be Harry” the women greeted warmly “I’m Narcissa Malfoy, Lucius’ wife and Draco’s mother” the beautiful women greeted by putting a hand on the boys shoulder. “would you like some breakfast? Dobby!” at the women’s shout a small House elf appeared dressed in only an dirty old pillowcase. “Get some breakfast” the women barked and no sooner than she asked the house elf vanished with a pop only to reappear seconds later with a platter of food for young Harry before disappearing again. Harry at the breakfast that was laid out in front off him, the last time he had had a meal like this was when Wormtail stumbled across some lost muggle money and had bought food with it, that had been a few years ago when they had been hiding in Lithuania.

“Nice to met you” Harry said to the two, his fork edging ever closer to his mouth.

“You really trained with the dark lord?” Asked Draco in awe.

“Yes” Harry replied some what shortly as he took as bite out of a piece of sausage.

“Wow, you must know loads of curses and magic!” Draco exclaimed. “I cant wait for you to come to Hogwarts, we’ll finally show those Gryffindors what slytherin is all about!” Harry had to smile at the boys enthusiasm.

“What makes you think I’ll be sorted into Slytherin?” Harry asked curiously and the boy spluttered.

“Of course you’ll be a slytherin! You where trained by the dark lord himself where else would you go?” Draco told him as if he where mad.

“Well I suppose your right” Harry shrugged with a smirk.

“So if we do that it should avoid Dumbledore asking questions my lord, plus with the back-story the old man wont go looking into him too much and even if he does the documents will prove the story of his past to be correct.” Lucius told Voldemort at the other end of the table pointing to the documents that laid across the table.

“You have pleased me Lucius” Voldemort hissed “what of gringotts, have you a plan for them too?”

“Yes milord” Lucius replied quickly “we shall go and see the vault manager at gringotts and we shall discuss how to open the potters vault and make withdrawals without anybody else’s knowledge, it may take a little bit of gold but it shall be worth it to have access to the potter vault”

Voldemort nodded and looked up to see that Harry was watching them from the other end of the table. “Harry myself and Lucius stayed up after you had retired and have devised a plan for you to be able to go to Hogwarts without the old fool sticking his crooked nose into our business”

“What is it” Harry asked quickly.

“watch your tone!” snapped Voldemort, the red eyes of Voldemort bore into Harry’s who lowered his own seconds later. “you shall be going to Hogwarts this coming year”

“ But Dumbledore! Won the he wasn’t to know where I’ve been?” Harry asked with a hint of worry.

“He shall be taken off guard” Voldemort said with a sly grin “he does not know where you are nor does he know where you have been…you will have the opportunity to gather information that we would not be able to get under normal circumstances”

“But wont he no something is wrong…I mean Dumbledore is many things” Harry said cautiously “but he isn’t stupid”

“We have a spy” Lucius told him in a matter of fact tone.

“Snape?” Harry asked, he had heard about the potions master from Voldemort over the years who had been stationed at Hogwarts before Voldemort’s fall.

“No” Lucius told him “we cant trust snape yet…this spy is new to the order of Phoenix we shall inform you of there identity when you arrive at Hogwarts”

“You will be required to play along with the old man” Voldemort told Harry “it is imperative that we learn what type of state that the order of the phoenix is in”

“Wouldn’t the order of the phoenix have disbanded when you supposedly died” Harry asked before adding quickly “Milord”

“The order have been practically running the ministry” Lucius spat with passion “they have people in the majority of the departments and even some of the department heads…even though Dumbledore isn’t running the ministry he might as well be because anybody with half a brain can see the order members stick out like a Muggle at the quidditch world cup”

“Interesting” Voldemort said looking thoughtful.

“Of course there are our people still at ministry but we have had to be discreet over the last couple of years” Lucius announced “because we are being constantly watched…that muggle lover Weasley has raided my manor four times over the last three years”

“Is he likely to raid again” Voldemort asked suddenly looking suspiously at Lucius.

“No milord he was told by fudge to stop wasting ministry resources” he said a little bit smugly.

“I think it is time you leave for the ministry and gringotts Lucius” Voldemort told the blonde wizard “and Lucius try to be discreet”

“I shall milord” Lucius replied with a bow, before straighten himself and looking at Harry and saying “come Mr. Potter we have to stop by Gringotts and register you at the ministry” Harry stood up gracefully,checked he had his wand in the pocket of his robe and followed Lucius to the fireplace in the kitchen.

“Lucius” Voldemort hissed “I want you to see the guard shifts for Azkaban for this month whilst at the ministry” no reason was given although it was pretty obvious to Harry why he would need the guard shifts and was pretty certain that in a matter of days the dark lords most loyal, second to only himself, would be rejoining there ranks. Harry stepped into the fire place beside Lucius and watched as Malfoy through down the floo powder and shouted.

“Diagon Alley!” in a burst of illumines green flame that swallowed both Malfoy senior and Harry had transported them through the floo network before they reappeared in the fire place in the leaky cauldron pub. Feeling woozy Harry shook his head and stepped out of the fireplace followed shortly by Lucius.

The pub was small and cramped, and very dark and with many pottering wizards and witches all coming and going from diagon alley, some wizard and witches didn’t seem bother by the large amount of people coming and going from through the little pub and seemed to be enjoying there various drinks and food.

“Harry!” Lucius called, effectively bringing out the boy of his musings “let me clean the soot of you” with a simple flick of his wand Lucius cleaned all the soot from the fire place off of Harry robes. Harry nodded his thanks before following Lucius outside the dingy little pub into what appeared to the back garden, a huge stone wall seemed to cut the garden short. Lucius walked confidently towards the wall and tapped several bricks making the wall rearrange it’s self to form an archway revealing a very busy diagon alley, Harry had never seen anything like what his eyes where presented with the alley was so bright a sea of colours as different witches and wizards chatted and greeted each other, the shops where vibrant and full of eye catching displays. Lucius walked through the arch way and Harry followed his eyes darting around trying to take everything he was seeing in, the window display of one particular shop caught his eye, zonkos, the window held a exploding firework like display and had several items flying around in the window. Harry continued to followed Lucius through the alley until they reached the steps that led to a giant wonky white marble building.

Gringotts was a bizarre place Harry had decided as he followed Lucius into the wizarding bank, when they had entered the first thing that had greeted by was several Goblins running around the bank carrying stacks of parchement. Harry had been told once by Voldemort never to mess with goblins, devilshly clever and as brutal as they where ugly so naturally he was wary of the little creatures.

“Mr.Malfoy what can I do for you?” asked a goblin with wiry white hair a rectangular spectacles.

“I need to see Merx” Lucius half requested half demanded. The goblin that sat behind the desk bushy white eyebrows raised.

“may I request as to why?”

“no you may not it is private business between me and him” Lucius hissed angrily.

“Very well sir I shall take you to him” Merx sneered before hoping off his stool and walking off ahead of the two wizards, Harry followed behind the two as the walked through a series of winding tunnel like corridors, and he felt sure that if it had not been for the goblin leading them he would be hopelessly lost. Finally the emerged at a very posh and important looking door that held the gringotts crest on it, the little goblin used a door knocker conveniently placed at goblins arm length to knock loudly on the door.

“Enter” a loud and very powerful voice commanded. Merx opened the door bowing as he did so and gave entry to Harry and Lucius. The room was an impressive size with shelves lining the walls which where stacked with countless scrolls and folders.

“Lucius it has been a long time” the powerful voice greeted, this goblin was older than the one that had led them here, this goblin had thick white hair tied regally in a ponytail, his long pointed nose and sharp teeth where clear as was his monocle was resting on his beady right eye.

“It has Nezarm” Lucius returned politely, the complete opposite to what he had been to Merx.

“So what can I do for you Lucius?” Nerzarm asked, putting down his quill and leaning closer almost like he was anticipating what Lucius was about to ask.

“You have been a friend to the Malfoys for a long time Nerzarm” Lucius said charmingly and the goblin nodded proudly with a smile that was wiped from his face when Lucius made his request “I need access to the Potter vault”

The goblin coughed and nearly fell out of his chair at this proclamation, his beady eyes looked at the man with wide eyes “Surely you don’t expect me to grant you access! The potter vault is being watched Lucius and not just by the chief of the gringotts! Why on earth would you need access to the potter vault?”

“Nerzarm it is of utmost importance I get access to the potter vault!” Lucius insisted, it seemed both Lucius and Nerzarm had forgotten he was there.

“But why!” the goblin argued “this is worth more than my job! If I am found to be smuggling funds from a vault of that importance I’ll be killed!”

“we can protect you” whispered Lucius, and for the first time the goblin didn’t answer back just looked at Lucius in curiosity.

“who will protect me?”

Lucius looked at the goblin hard “the same person who you worked for last time” Lucius replied somewhat criptically but it seemed nerzarm got the picture because his lent back in shock.

“What happens if he falls again? I was lucky last time that nobody caught me this time I may not be that lucky?” the goblin seemed to by Lucius story that he dark lord had returned.

“Because he can’t!” Lucius exclaimed in excitement.

“What do you mean he cant! We thought that the first time and he was defeated by a mere boy!” the goblin hissed.

“What if that boy was at his side?” Lucius asked with a dark gleam in his eye.

“What?” yelped the goblin in utter shock “you cant be telling me that Harry potter is…Lucius the boy is dead” the goblin tried to reason with Lucius who smirked and turned to Harry, who had remained quiet as he stood of to the side of Lucius. The goblin followed Malfoy’s eyes line and looked at Harry, he could practically feel the goblins eyes raking over him.

“You have convinced me Lucius” Nerzarm said a little in awe “I shall grant you access to the potter vault, all I ask is you make small withdrawals so that I can cover it up easily, it would not do well for people to know that young Harry has returned to our world before it is necessary huh?. And let our lord know…he always has a friend in gringotts” Nerszarm grinned menacingly.

“Thank you Nerzarm. Your help will not go unnoticed”

Harry nodded as did Lucius and they headed out the door the first part of there objectives where complete. When they left Nerzarms office they found Merx waiting for them opposite the door.

“I trust everything went well” he asked.

“Very well” Luicus replied and Merx began to lead them back through the maze of corridors that they had came through. After five minutes they emerged back out into the entrance of the grand wizarding bank.

To the ministry then Harry” Lucius commented.

“How are we getting there? Apparation, floo…portkey?” Harry asked Malfoy curiously.

“Floo, we can floo in to the main foyay then” the two wizards made there way towards the fireplace. Once again Harry found himself stood next to Lucius and swallowed by the bright green flames only this time they came out in a huge room with a large reception desk and impressive looking fountain that looked to be made out of gold. Making there way over to the reception desk they saw a pretty young witch sat behind the desk looking quite bored.

“I need to see minister fudge” demanded Lucius.

“He’s busy all day” she said without looking up and continued filing her nails.

“Listen here little girl” hissed Lucius causing the girl to suddenly look up at the change of tone “I am supposed to be enjoying a well earned holiday and have come in on my own free time to discuss something of the utmost importance with the minister so I suggest you tell him Lucius Malfoy wants to speak with him” the girl looked terrified and almost ran to the floo and fire called the minister.

“The cheek of that girl to keep a malfoy waiting!” raged Lucius to Harry.

“Well she wont do it again she looked like she had just wet her self” Harry chuckled lightly. The girl came running back still looking terrified.

“Mr M…Malfoy” she stammered “the minister said for you to go through” Malfoy sneered at the girl in distain and led Harry to the ministers office. The ministers office was in the centre of the ministry, fudge had clearly been expecting them as when they entered he was sat patiently behind his desk, fudge was wearing light blue robes, he was quite old and had bags under his eyes, Harry supposed it was due to his job but you never know.

“Lucius I’m sorry about Katie she just doesn’t understand that you don’t need an appointment to see me” Fudge said shaking his head.

“I’d sack her Cornelius she is a hindrance” Lucius told fudge.

“I know but her mother works in the department of magical cooperation ” Cornelius frowned “and who might you be” he directed to Harry.

“This Cornelius is Harry Potter” Malfoy introduced, the ministers eyes widened in shock and he began mumbling to himself.

“Potter?” he stuttered “I…we all thought you where dead” The man hastily shook Harry hand “such an honour to finally meet you! You have no idea how long we have looked” the minister paused for a minute, still shaking Harry’s hand “this’ll look excellent for the election” he murmured before releasing Harry’s hand.

“Ah minister” Lucius said gathering the ministers attention “I am afraid that I have to ask not to divulge Harry’s return”

“What?” Cornelius asked “why?”

“You must understand minister there are a lot of people who want Harry dead” Lucius informed the minister “I think it would be best all-round if we keep his return between the two of us”

“Yes yes makes sense” Fudge muttered “may I ask why you have come here to day Lucius…I doubt it was to just introduce me to Harry” the ministers eyebrows where raised. Lucius gave a little chuckle and answered.
“you know me well minister” a smile filtered on to Lucius pale skin “I need you to register Harry on the Hogwarts register for this coming year”

“That shouldn’t be a problem Lucius by why not ask Dumbledore? He surely wouldn’t object to Harry joining Hogwarts this year”

“ah Cornelius you know as well as me that if I turned up with Harry Dumbledore wouldn’t be happy, more than likely take Harry away. He seems to have some ridiculous notion that I am a dark wizard!” Harry had to bite back a chuckle Lucius was a natural liar.

“I agree” Fudge nodded “Dumbledore would probably place him with that imbecile Weasley…ok I can have him added but can I ask where has he been all theses years?”

“ahh” Lucius smiled, clearly pleased with the way that the minister had eaten up his lies “I was informed of Harry’s where about by an old friend of mine currently residing in Lithuania …how Harry ended up there is a mystery but he has been trained in magic by my acquaintance.”

“I take it you will look after Harry throughout the holidays?”

“yes”

“will he be able to pay the tuition fees?” fudge asked

“I shall pay for them” Lucius told fudge.

“right then I shall register him and inform Dumbledore he has a new student coming this year”

“your help is greatly appreciated Minister” Lucius thanked the man.

“thank you minister” Harry said to the Minster.

“no problem at all gentlemen, no if you will excuse me I have to get going I have planned to have lunch with my wife” Fudge told them, clearly using a subtle way of getting them to go.

“not at all after you minister” Lucius replied smoothly, and Harry caught on quickly to what luicus was doing; get the minister out of his office and he would be free to search for the guards of Azkaban shifts.

“thank you Lucius” Minister fudge said before disappearing in his floo. As soon as the minister had gone Lucius was searching through his draws looking for the Azkaban guard shifts. “Harry search over there” Lucius asked pointing to a set of draws on the other side of the room, Harry began routing through the draws but quickly realised he wasn’t going to find out anything of use in this draw as it just seemed to be documents from recent wizengamot meetings.

“it’s not here!” Harry told Lucius who hissed under his breath and his eyes scanned the room taking in the unorganised office of the man who ran the wizarding world.
“I know, we cant stay here much longer” Lucius replied “we’ll have to go”

“he wont be pleased” Harry informed Lucius warningly, he had learned it was a very bad move to disappoint Voldemort a long time ago.

“I know” Lucius told Harry a tone of resignation was evident in his tone. “lets get back two out of three objectives isn’t bad”

Harry nodded and the two left the ministers office and headed back to Malfoy manor to break the news to Lord Voldemort