(Harry Potter) Worthy of you: Chapter 12 - Inheritance

Chapter 12 - Inheritance

Summary: Old truths resurface—and Harry's world may never be the same.

Harry sighed, "We have a next order of business?" His voice was tired.

Goldpaw chuckled, "Indeed so Mr. Potter. I believe the original reason you came to us today is to audit your current finances, and as we were sidetracked multiple times we have yet to do so."

Harry blushed, embarrassed he could forget something so big. He tried to sound calm, but the blush that refused to fade and his wandering eyes didn't exactly sell the idea, "So where do we begin?"

Goldpaw looked through the papers on his desk for a moment before looking at Harry and saying professionally, "Let us begin by informing you that while I will read an audit for each of your confirmed inheritances you will not be able to access any of those funds and properties until you come of age. With the exception of house Potter that has put in place instructions for the heir."

Harry blinked twice before repeating confusedly, "Instructions?"

The goblin nodded, "Yes. Lady Potter had insisted that Lord Potter would allow the heir the use of some of the family's wealth in cases like yours. We will get to what said instructions are when we reach the Potter's audit."

Harry could only nod and try to say as professionally as his current nervous state would allow him, "Please begin Manager."

Goldpaw nodded, picked up the first piece of paper from the collection on his desk and began reading, "Audit of the Gryffindor house inheritance. Please take into consideration this is one of our bank's oldest accounts and the house didn't have a proper heir for centuries. In its current state vault number 3 is worth 42,000 Galleons, and a few rare level magical artifacts. There is a property located in North Wales, though I must remind you that it has been uninhabited for the past few centuries, most likely the wards have long since failed and its state is unknown. There is the Wizengamot seat to consider as well, but as I told you earlier you won't be able to even appoint a proxy until you have been declared of age."

Harry made mental calculations. 42,000 Galleons at the current rate should be worth around 200,000 pounds. Too bad they can't use this money for five more years, it could have come really in handy right now. The rest of it Harry was less interested in.

The teen nodded his understanding to his account manager so the goblin picked up the next piece of paper, "Audit of house Slytherin. Vault 4 currently holds 750 galleons..."

Harry had to cut in and asked in surprise, "That's it? How can the previous vault have had so much more if they are around the same age?"

Goldpaw nodded in understanding of the question, "Unlike Gryffindor, Slytherin had an active lord and heir until a few decades ago. The last two of them depleted the gold the family had accumulated over the years. Even the amount currently in the vault exists only because the properties belonging to the house have been sold after the imprisonment of the last lord. The vault does however hold an impressive amount of very interesting magical artifacts, and the house still holds a seat in the Wizengamot as well."

Well, the magical artifacts and books would be a nice present to Hermione when he could get his hands on them, but otherwise nothing in this audit was worth mentioning.

The goblin moved on to the next paper on his table, "You might be familiar with the house of Peverell even if you are not aware of it. Have you heard the tale of the three brothers?"

Remus gasped in recognition, Harry turned to him and asked, "Remus, you know them?"

The older man shook his head, "There is a legend about three brothers and death itself, but it was supposed to be only a legend, a children's story. I can tell you about it later."

Harry accepted it for now, though the fact he didn't even know a wizarding children's story really didn't sit well with him. He wondered if Hermione knew about it.

Goldpaw shrugged, "Some parts of the story might be a little exaggerated, though we have no way of knowing that for sure. It is a fact however that the three brothers in the story are the Peverells, and as the story ends with two of them dead, I suppose you can guess who is the Potter's ancestor."

Remus nodded dumbly while Harry could only keep staring around in confusion. He would have to read this story at some point during the summer.

The goblin cleared his throat and began reading from the page he was holding, "Peverell house audit. The vault contains 62,000 galleons, a wide variety of books and a Wizengamot seat."

Again Harry found himself with the same conclusion, the money could be nice if he had access to it, and the books might be interesting once he advanced his magical knowledge.

Goldpaw reached for the next page and at the same time looked at Remus and said sternly, "Mr. Lupin I understand that the next part might be hard for you, but I must ask you to not interrupt the reading without just cause."

Remus's lips curled into a frown, still he kept quiet and gave a curt nod. Harry sighed mentally, another thing he would have to ask about later.

The goblin nodded and began to read, "Audit, house of Black, which presents its own kind of problems as it is an active house, with a living lord and in case Mr. Potter refuses the inheritance there is another heir, that until now used his titles to draw money from the Black vault."

Harry frowned, an uneasy feeling settling in his gut, "Who is that heir? And how can they use money from a vault if you said I have to wait until I come of age?"

Goldpaw sighed heavily, "With the arrest of the current Lord Black the vaults didn't close altogether, there is still an amount allowed for the regent of the heir to draw monthly, which the current regent abuses to its limit every month. From the current generation of Black one sister has been banished from the family, two are in Azkaban, one is dead, so the last one had free reign over the allowed budget in the name of her son, the heir. That woman is called Narcissa Malfoy née Black, and thanks to her relation to the family until now the heir to the house has been Draco Malfoy."

Remus cursed under his breath something about how this made a lot more sense. Harry tilted his head and asked, "What are you talking about Remus?"

Remus sighed heavily, "You have met Lucius Malfoy and considering the artifacts in his possession you could guess who he is loyal to. The only reason he and a big part of the death eaters are not in Azkaban was because Malfoy bought their ticket out. Albus himself wasn't prepared for this because Malfoy, even though he was well off shouldn't have been able to afford those bribes, let alone keep living as comfortably as he is now. But if he gained control over the Black's money around that time thanks to everything happening it would make much more sense."

Goldpaw nodded grimly, "Yes, so far the Malfoys have cemented their hold in Britain using this connection." Then he gave a toothy smile that scared Harry a little, "Thankfully we can put an end to it today."

Harry looked excited at the idea, taking power out of those evil scums' hands would always get a big yes from him. "We can?"

The goblin kept baring his teeth with his smile as he informed, "Now we have blood confirmation of your status as the lawful heir to house Black, by the blood of your grandmother and the wishes of the current lord." Goldpaw passed a paper and pen to Harry, "If you sign this acceptance of your status and then sign below it the order of locking the vaults until such time you are of age, no one. Not even you will be able to draw any money from the vault. And the only way to overturn this decision will be by the current lord himself."

Harry didn't even think twice when he grabbed the pen and with a small smirk he signed the paper twice. While he pushed the paper back toward his manager his mind played what he guessed would be Malfoy's reaction when he heard about it.

Goldpaw chuckled darkly, "Oh I simply cannot wait. Mrs. Malfoy is supposed to arrive this week to collect their monthly allowance, I will be sure to prepare quite a welcome for her."

Harry himself chuckled wishing he could witness it. The goblin cleared his throat and went back to his professional voice, "Back to business. Currently the worth of the Black Vault is 3,140,000 galleons, there are some heirlooms in the vault such as jewels and old wands. There is the Black residence at 12 Grimmauld Place, and a private estate in Southern France, and finally its Wizengamot seat."

Harry almost choked when he heard the number. Millions?! He would be a millionaire?! Now Harry could understand where Draco's money boasts kept coming from. If they had access to sums like that...

Remus grumbled, "Still have no idea how this happened, but at least some good came out of this damned Black name."

Harry just sighed in resignation to not understand Remus's hostility to the name until he would get the chance to speak with him alone.

Goldpaw reached for the last paper and said with a small amount of cheer, "And now my own account, the Potter vault audit. First of all, you have the main vault, number 19, which holds 15,890,000 galleons, not including the muggle investments made with the advisement of Lady Potter, heirlooms, and a letter to be opened upon magical maturity."

Harry's breathing was a little too heavy. 15 million?! What the hell was his mother that she somehow surpassed all his other inheritances put together a few times over. And what was it about a letter, he guessed he would have to wait to find out, as annoying as it was.

The goblin wasn't done yet though, "Of course there is the Potter cottage Lord Potter purchased over a decade ago in Godric's Hollow that the ministry, unlawfully turned into a memorial. Outside of it there is still the Potter manor that is waiting in pristine condition in Dorset. And we can't forget the Wizengamot seat."

Harry frowned. He thought that the house Voldemort attacked was his parents' home, though it made sense that it was not the case, after all it would be the first place the dark lord would look. So he still had a good house to live in... oh right, he still has to wait a few years before he gets the manor. Shit.

Before Harry could dwell too far in those thoughts Goldpaw spoke again, "Now for the special instructions for the heir of house Potter. Until you are declared of age you shall have access to your trust vault alone, which is numbered 637, each month the amount in the vault will be restored to 1000 galleons. You will receive the location and keys to the Potter manor as well."

Harry released a breath he didn't know he was holding.

He was already making the calculations of how far 1000 galleons a month could take both him and Remus, which was impossible considering Harry had no idea of most of the rates in either world. Living a sheltered life would deprive someone of this knowledge. Maybe he could send a letter to Hermione and get some idea of prices in the muggle world.

Still he could only hope that 5000 pounds would buy them a place to live, food and bills for a month. But when Goldpaw mentioned the manor Harry could at least take his mind off a place to live, without that he was pretty sure the rest of it would be covered by his allowance.

Taking the papers the goblin pushed toward him Harry already knew what he needed to do, and he signed everything.

The account manager opened his mouth to say something when the office's door flew open and three goblins entered the room, while the one leading them screamed, "Goldpaw! Explain why you have the darkest and foulest of artifacts in your office for so long without reporting it to me!"