"So where is the first stop going to be?" Harry asked as both he and Sirius came out of the side along apparition and on to a dark, dingy alley a block away from the Leaky Cauldron.
"First stop will be Gringotts. We will need to check up on my inheritance plus some other stuff that has me baffled." Sirius answered as he took out a small flask from his black leather coat pocket and drank it all down.
Shaking his head from side to side, Sirius slowly took on a whole new appearance as his grey eyes became blue, his hair blond, his face square with a strong jawline, his straight nose becoming squashed, and his frame much bulkier and wider. Sirius looked like an American football athlete from the telly.
"Let's go," Sirius said as he headed out the alley.
"Wait," Harry shouted, "Aren't you going to give me some polyjuice?"
"Why would I," Sirius answered back, "You look like a totally different person and your scar is very much faded-- you really can only notice it if you peer right up at it, plus if you let your hair fall down it will totally cover it up."
"Alright, sure," Harry said as he removed his hairband, letting his hair fall all the way to his shoulder then messed around with the front until it nearly reached his eyebrow. "But do I look like a girl?" Harry asked, trying to get Sirius's opinion.
"I grew my hair out," Sirius stated as he pulled his hair back behind his ear, "And do I look like a girl?"
"Mhm," Harry muttered, not giving the quick response that Sirius was looking for, "Maybe, I guess. I am always reminded of Lucius Malfoy when I see shoulder-length hair."
"Alright, fine," Sirius stated as he jerked his hands in the air, "We will go to a barbershop near here when we are done shopping."
"Yes," Harry said as he pumped his fists then got moving towards Leaky Cauldron. "I just did not want to say anything, but...."
"Then do not say anymore," Sirius cut off with a hand.
"Okay," Harry said, "But the latest fashion sense of younger people is neck length hair."
Pivoting his head to face Harry, the older wizard asked in an affronted tone, "Are you calling me old?"
"Well, you are my parents' age so there really isn't any youth left in you."
Coiling his arm around his godson neck, Sirius started knuckling the young wizard's hair, "Oh-hoho, so is that how you want to play it, huh?"
"I was just kidding, I was just kidding." Harry answered through fits of laughter.
"You better be," Sirius stated as he let go of Harry and walked into the wizarding pub, "Calling me old. You kids sure do have a lot of guts."
Passing through the customers and passersby both wizards walked to the back of the pub and into a small, walled courtyard with a dustbin. Pressing some stones, Sirius stepped back as the wall slowly started to part and an archway opened up into a busy street.
"Let's go," Sirius said with a nod of his head as he stepped through. "Remember," he added, "To all outward appearances we are uncle and nephew."
"Alright, sure," Harry said as he followed after him. "What do we say if anyone spots me?"
"We will still keep up the facade, though me being your uncle isn't false, nevertheless you will only give away that I am your guardian."
"Cool, cool," Harry uttered, though at this point he wasn't paying attention to what Sirius was saying as he took in the sights-- which never got old no matter how many times he walked down this particular street. Ducking under a low swooping owl carrying a letter, Harry watched all the wild display of magic going on as one wizard was putting on a fanciful light show another spelling the most strangest creatures. Sidestepping a goblin who barely reached his waist, Harry tried to catch up to Sirius who was a couple of meters ahead of him.
"Alright we are here," Sirius announced as he stepped onto the first level and waved his hands towards the large white marble bank.
"Well then let's head on in," Harry uttered as he climbed the steps by two or even threes. Coming up to the final landing one of the goblin doorman held the door for them, nodding his head in appreciation, Harry walked into the bank which was much cooler than the hot summer air outside.
Walking up to one of the bank tellers who turned his bald pate towards them, it addressed them with, "What can I do for you today?"
"We are here to see the Potter and Black account managers," Sirius simply stated.
Narrowing its eyes down towards them, the goblin took a glass shard from inside its dress poker and used it to peer at both of them in turn until it finally put the mirror away and replied. "Follow me then, Sirs, I will take you to both of them."
Walking in step behind the peach-green creature, they all left the entrance area and started walking deeper into the bank until they reached an office area. Heading down a wide and well-furnished hallway, the goblin came to a stop at an office numbered 26 then knocked on it.
"Yes, come in." a voice called out from inside the office.
Turning the door handle and opening the door, the goblin leading them nodded its head and greeted. "Sir Barnott, Master Harry Potter and Sirius Black are here to see you."
"Oh, hurry up and let them come in." The voice stated as sounds of organization echoed inside.
"Shite," Harry whispered, "They know you are here Sirius!"
"Don't worry," Sirius said as he waved away Harry's concern. "Goblins do not stick their neck in wizarding business unless their gold is at risk."
Widening the door for them, Harry and Sirius stepped into the office and was greeted to a plump creature with gold-rimmed spectacles seated on an elevated chair. "Yes, yes," the goblin called out in a cheery voice, "Please have a seat Master Potter and Black."
"I shall go receive the Black Family account managers," the bank teller announced to the crowd then closed the door and left.
Sitting down on the leather-bound chairs, the plump goblin turned to face Harry and announced, "Oh, Master Harry Potter how I have been trying to reach out to you or your guardian ever since that horrid night."
"I never got anything from you," Harry stated.
"No thanks to that meddling old fool," Sirius muttered with distaste.
"Whatever do you mean, Master Potter, did you not get any of the monthly, quarterly, and yearly bank statements I have been sending you?"
"No..." Harry answered with a shake of his head.
"Oh, dear, my sincerest apologies Master Potter," the lump goblin profused as he was quite a bit distressed.
"It is not your fault," Harry tried to console, "You had no idea, and I had anti-mailing spells placed around me."
"No, no, this is a failing on my part, I should have known something was wrong when I did not get a single reply back all these years. Here," the goblin said as he reached into a large stack and pulled out a binder, "This holds all the records of Financial transaction that went on the last 16 years."
Taking the binder from out the goblin's hands, Harry skimmed over it and his head immediately got dizzy as he saw all the money moving around. Closing the binder shut, Harry placed it in his lap and spoke to the goblin, "I will go look over later Barnott, right now just tell me when there any unusual transaction that I should know of."
"Mhm," the goblin said as he rubbed at his chin, "Right now at the top of my head I can't think of any. There have been the usual gains from profitable business and some which you will need to look over and think about getting rid of, but for now, I can only think about a transfer to a family named the Dursley'."
"WHAT!" Harry shouted as his eyes nearly popped over.
"Ow, yes, Master Potter, I believe that they get 1,000 Galleons each year," the goblin replied, not noticing the young wizard's outrage. (A/N: 1 Galleon equal to 25 Pounds)
"Who authorized this?" Sirius asked in a deadly quiet voice.
"Ah... Wh-who authorized it? Di-didn't the Potters do it? No, wasn't it, you? No. Who authorized?" Like a broken and confused record, the plump goblin stared off into nowhere and kept on asking itself the same question over and over.
"What the hell happened to it?" Harry inquired as he got up from his seat.
"He has been confunded," two voices replied at the same time.
Harry knew who the first voice belonged to, obviously his godfather, but for the second one, it was a first that he heard it. Turning around to face the second speaker, Harry came face to face with a grumpy looking goblin that had a permanent scowl on and behind him was the bank teller that lead them to the office.
"Gorkit, you old bastard, what is going on here?" Sirius asked as he gazed down at the goblin.
"We will need to go see King Ragnok about this then you will have your answers."
"Don't avoid the question Gorkit," Sirius stated, "It looks to me like one of your account managers has been compromised."
"You can bring all your charges and complaints before King Ragnok, other than that let's head-on." Then spinning to face the teller, the grumpy goblin uttered, "Boy, go see to Barnott and have a goblin healer check up on him."
Nodding his head in acknowledgment, the bank teller grabbed the confused account manager and lead him off and away.
"Alright then follow me," the Black family account manager stated as he moved along.
Before long the small group made it to a large bronze door guarded by two goblins wearing golden pristine armor and holding massive halberds for their size.
"State your business." the guard on the left declared.
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