A long-awaited reunion
Who - Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour-Weasley
Where - Gringott's, Diagon Alley
When - Tuesday morning, when the bank opens
Status - Complete
Tuesday couldn't come fast enough and as soon as Gringott's opened, Bill was through their doors, heading straight for the offices that only employees could access. Technically he wasn't an employee anymore, but he hoped that the paperwork detailing his resignation hadn't reached London yet. Even if it had, he was confident he would be able to talk his way around any objections the goblins might have to his presence there.
He wasn't sure what time Fleur might show up, but he wanted to find the deed to the Potter Estate before he spoke to her anyway. Somehow he thought he might be distracted once he approached his wife.
No one stopped him as he walked through to the maze of offices to the stairs. Important documents were usually kept in safety deposit boxes as they were often needed for consultation and it seemed ridiculous to go down to the vaults every time. It was also safer when vaults were accessible by several family members. The boxes were kept in a highly secure room below the main floor of the bank but above the vaults and were accessed by a staircase only available to Gringott's staff members. Usually a Goblin would fetch the required box and the owner would be able to peruse the items in a private viewing room.
Bill wasn't sure whether the Potter's had had one, though he would be surprised if they didn't. Most of those wealthy older families did, though whether it still existed was the question. The records were written in the native Goblin language, Gobbledegook, but wizards who had been with Gringott's as long as Bill had usually picked up enough of the language to get by.
According to the record book, the Potter's had had a safety deposit box, but as far as Bill could tell there was no box in the room that matched the number of the box they had had. Often boxes were reassigned if one wasn't needed anymore, but Bill had never heard of one disappearing before. The fact that the Potters' had died nineteen years ago could explain it, but usually it was transferred into the name of the next of kin.
Bill frowned as he continued to read through the records, knowing he didn't have much time. He managed to find where it had been put into Harry's name, but the number remained the same, as he would expect it to. So where was the box?
His eyes were beginning to ache as he strained to read the tiny Goblin script. There was Harry's name again, around the time of his death. Bill sighed quietly and carefully deciphered the name of the recipient. Whoever inherited the box, most likely inherited the entire estate, including the Potter's property in Canterbury.
Aberforth Dumbledore? That was not at all what Bill had expected to find. Frowning, Bill started over, painstakingly translating the name again to be sure he was correct. Aberforth Dumbledore. Harry had left his entire estate to Aberforth Dumbledore; that was made clear by the notation beside the name as was often recorded when an estate changed hands. Bill wanted to have a look at the deed to the house though, to be certain there wasn't a mistake.
Bill glanced around the room at the walls lined with boxes forged in the indestructible Goblin metal. It would take time to check all the numbers. Time Bill didn't think he had. It was still early yet, but eventually someone would want one of the boxes. Glancing back down at the record book, Bill continued to skim the pages, picking up a word here and there. A lot of them he didn't recognize, but when he reached a point dated about eight months ago, he paused, frowning at the list of names and numbers on the page. He didn't remember seeing anything like that before. He recognized the Goblin code for Potter, but there was a different number beside the name.
Putting his finger on the page to mark his place, he flipped back through the other pages, scanning for a similar listing to the one he had just found. Twenty-five years prior to that date the same listing occurred. Bill flipped back further and twenty-five years before that the numbers changed again. Curiously, Bill left the book and scanned the boxes until he found one with the number that appeared beside the Potter name eight months ago.
Jackpot!
The box was there. The Goblins must change the numbers every twenty-five years, he thought as he considered the box. The Goblins would have the key, and presumably the new owner of the box would have one. Using his knowledge from Egypt (some of which was of questionable origin) and when he was working at the London branch, Bill pulled out his wand and worked at the lock. The Goblins had excellent security but employees were their weak link, which is why very few witches and wizards were allowed into a position of authority. Bill had been close before the war had ended so disastrously and consequently knew things that very few others would know. Now he was putting that knowledge to good use for the Order.
With a soft click the box finally opened. Quickly pulling out a scroll, Bill scanned the text, grateful that it was in English this time. It was Harry's will, stating his intention to leave all of his earthly possessions to Aberforth Dumbledore. Rolling it back up, Bill shoved it back in the box and pulled out another one. This time it was the deed to Grimmauld Place, which had been signed over to Aberforth Dumbledore. Third time's a charm, Bill thought as he put the scroll back and pulled out another. Finally it was the deed to the Potter family estate in Canterbury, now in the name of Aberforth Dumbledore.
Realising he would probably never have this chance again, Bill quickly charmed a copy of each of the three documents. The only other thing in the box was a key. Shoving it the scrolls back in the box, Bill pocketed the key and his copies then locked the box again. Before he left the room, he turned the record book back to the page it had been on when he entered the room and quickly left, once again claiming to be lost when he ran into a goblin.
However, instead of following the goblin's directions back to the main floor, Bill ducked down a corridor towards the Gringott's owlery. A young witch was leaving as Bill approached the door and she smiled automatically until she saw his face and flinched. Bill ignored her and hurried into the room. There was a table on one wall with parchment, quills and ink ready for use and Bill quickly scrawled out a note to Aithne Morgan (only just remembering to use Ginny's alias) then rolled up the three documents and the letter and securely tied the key and the parchment to the ankle of one of the owls.
"Take this to Ginny Weasley," he whispered to the owl, petting it as he took it over to the window and watched as it flew off to find his sister.
Now, to find his wife.
Checking his watch, he saw that he had been at the bank for an hour and a half now. Fleur should be there, he thought as he exited the owlery and headed for Fleur's office. His heart beat faster as he got closer, knowing he would soon be talking to his wife and hopefully kissing her and holding her and probably being yelled at by her. He didn’t care, as long as he was with her again.
His breath caught when he saw her up ahead and when she entered what he thought was a supply room, Bill hurried up and entered the room after her. Closing and locking the door, Bill turned to face his wife for the first time in two years.
Where - Gringott's, Diagon Alley
When - Tuesday morning, when the bank opens
Status - Complete
Tuesday couldn't come fast enough and as soon as Gringott's opened, Bill was through their doors, heading straight for the offices that only employees could access. Technically he wasn't an employee anymore, but he hoped that the paperwork detailing his resignation hadn't reached London yet. Even if it had, he was confident he would be able to talk his way around any objections the goblins might have to his presence there.
He wasn't sure what time Fleur might show up, but he wanted to find the deed to the Potter Estate before he spoke to her anyway. Somehow he thought he might be distracted once he approached his wife.
No one stopped him as he walked through to the maze of offices to the stairs. Important documents were usually kept in safety deposit boxes as they were often needed for consultation and it seemed ridiculous to go down to the vaults every time. It was also safer when vaults were accessible by several family members. The boxes were kept in a highly secure room below the main floor of the bank but above the vaults and were accessed by a staircase only available to Gringott's staff members. Usually a Goblin would fetch the required box and the owner would be able to peruse the items in a private viewing room.
Bill wasn't sure whether the Potter's had had one, though he would be surprised if they didn't. Most of those wealthy older families did, though whether it still existed was the question. The records were written in the native Goblin language, Gobbledegook, but wizards who had been with Gringott's as long as Bill had usually picked up enough of the language to get by.
According to the record book, the Potter's had had a safety deposit box, but as far as Bill could tell there was no box in the room that matched the number of the box they had had. Often boxes were reassigned if one wasn't needed anymore, but Bill had never heard of one disappearing before. The fact that the Potters' had died nineteen years ago could explain it, but usually it was transferred into the name of the next of kin.
Bill frowned as he continued to read through the records, knowing he didn't have much time. He managed to find where it had been put into Harry's name, but the number remained the same, as he would expect it to. So where was the box?
His eyes were beginning to ache as he strained to read the tiny Goblin script. There was Harry's name again, around the time of his death. Bill sighed quietly and carefully deciphered the name of the recipient. Whoever inherited the box, most likely inherited the entire estate, including the Potter's property in Canterbury.
Aberforth Dumbledore? That was not at all what Bill had expected to find. Frowning, Bill started over, painstakingly translating the name again to be sure he was correct. Aberforth Dumbledore. Harry had left his entire estate to Aberforth Dumbledore; that was made clear by the notation beside the name as was often recorded when an estate changed hands. Bill wanted to have a look at the deed to the house though, to be certain there wasn't a mistake.
Bill glanced around the room at the walls lined with boxes forged in the indestructible Goblin metal. It would take time to check all the numbers. Time Bill didn't think he had. It was still early yet, but eventually someone would want one of the boxes. Glancing back down at the record book, Bill continued to skim the pages, picking up a word here and there. A lot of them he didn't recognize, but when he reached a point dated about eight months ago, he paused, frowning at the list of names and numbers on the page. He didn't remember seeing anything like that before. He recognized the Goblin code for Potter, but there was a different number beside the name.
Putting his finger on the page to mark his place, he flipped back through the other pages, scanning for a similar listing to the one he had just found. Twenty-five years prior to that date the same listing occurred. Bill flipped back further and twenty-five years before that the numbers changed again. Curiously, Bill left the book and scanned the boxes until he found one with the number that appeared beside the Potter name eight months ago.
Jackpot!
The box was there. The Goblins must change the numbers every twenty-five years, he thought as he considered the box. The Goblins would have the key, and presumably the new owner of the box would have one. Using his knowledge from Egypt (some of which was of questionable origin) and when he was working at the London branch, Bill pulled out his wand and worked at the lock. The Goblins had excellent security but employees were their weak link, which is why very few witches and wizards were allowed into a position of authority. Bill had been close before the war had ended so disastrously and consequently knew things that very few others would know. Now he was putting that knowledge to good use for the Order.
With a soft click the box finally opened. Quickly pulling out a scroll, Bill scanned the text, grateful that it was in English this time. It was Harry's will, stating his intention to leave all of his earthly possessions to Aberforth Dumbledore. Rolling it back up, Bill shoved it back in the box and pulled out another one. This time it was the deed to Grimmauld Place, which had been signed over to Aberforth Dumbledore. Third time's a charm, Bill thought as he put the scroll back and pulled out another. Finally it was the deed to the Potter family estate in Canterbury, now in the name of Aberforth Dumbledore.
Realising he would probably never have this chance again, Bill quickly charmed a copy of each of the three documents. The only other thing in the box was a key. Shoving it the scrolls back in the box, Bill pocketed the key and his copies then locked the box again. Before he left the room, he turned the record book back to the page it had been on when he entered the room and quickly left, once again claiming to be lost when he ran into a goblin.
However, instead of following the goblin's directions back to the main floor, Bill ducked down a corridor towards the Gringott's owlery. A young witch was leaving as Bill approached the door and she smiled automatically until she saw his face and flinched. Bill ignored her and hurried into the room. There was a table on one wall with parchment, quills and ink ready for use and Bill quickly scrawled out a note to Aithne Morgan (only just remembering to use Ginny's alias) then rolled up the three documents and the letter and securely tied the key and the parchment to the ankle of one of the owls.
"Take this to Ginny Weasley," he whispered to the owl, petting it as he took it over to the window and watched as it flew off to find his sister.
Now, to find his wife.
Checking his watch, he saw that he had been at the bank for an hour and a half now. Fleur should be there, he thought as he exited the owlery and headed for Fleur's office. His heart beat faster as he got closer, knowing he would soon be talking to his wife and hopefully kissing her and holding her and probably being yelled at by her. He didn’t care, as long as he was with her again.
His breath caught when he saw her up ahead and when she entered what he thought was a supply room, Bill hurried up and entered the room after her. Closing and locking the door, Bill turned to face his wife for the first time in two years.