Once again, a huge "thank you" to everyone who has left a review. Some of the comments and observations have been extremely helpful.
BF
Conference and Confession
Three minutes later, Harry, Hermione and Narcissa were back in the room where they had been chatting earlier, only on this occasion it was Lucius Malfoy who was sitting in the comfortable armchair. There were no pleasantries in evidence this time, Hermione thought. After tossing him into the chair, Harry had glanced at her and she had understood his look immediately. Taking out her wand she had conjured ropes that bound the elder Malfoy tightly in place. Now Harry stood in front of his old enemy and there was a look of fury on his face as he regarded the man who had caused them all so much grief.
All hell had broken loose after Elizabeth Rodgers had singled out Lucius. Narcissa had turned on her husband and - all sense of decorum and detachment now lost - began raining blows on him, screaming at him as she did so. It had taken both Harry and Vladimir Blackhouse some considerable effort to haul her away from Lucius before Harry had taken charge of the situation. Still gripping Narcissa tightly by the cloak, he had ordered Blackhouse to take Mr and Mrs Rodgers to an adjoining room to interview them further. He had then turned and whispered something in Narcissa's ear that finally seemed to calm her down somewhat. Then he had grabbed Lucius by the collar and unceremoniously dragged him out of the room before literally throwing him into the chair like a rag doll, despite the vehement protestations from the master of Malfoy Manor. She and Narcissa had followed and she'd been careful to keep within grabbing distance of her hostess, worried that she might suddenly spring to attack her husband again. Narcissa had a murderous look on her face and Hermione actually feared what she might do.
'What is the meaning of this?' exclaimed Lucius, evidently indignant. 'You have no right to…'
'Shut up!' shouted Harry as he stepped towards his captive. He had a look of pure fury on his face as he neared Lucius and promptly delivered a swift kick to the elder Malfoy's shin. Lucius blanched at the sudden violence and looked suitably cowed by the expression on Harry's face.
'What the fuck are you playing at, you piece of shit?' continued Harry. The rage he was feeling was evident. 'You're involved in the framing of your own son? What kind of man are you?' The contempt was obvious.
'It's not like that!' exclaimed Lucius, struggling against his bonds as if attempting to avert an attack. 'It's not like that at all! I have nothing to do with this!'
'So why the fuck were you arguing with Draco? He can't remember anything after you knocked on his door; what did you do to him?'
'I did nothing! I really have nothing to do with this!'
Harry's eyes narrowed. 'We can do this one of two ways, Lucius. Either you start talking right now or Hermione and I will walk out of this room and leave you to the tender mercies of your wife. You will talk; it's up to you whether you want to do it in pain or not. You decide.'
Lucius cast a fearful look in Narcissa's direction and swallowed. His eyes flit around the room as if looking for some means of escape but he quickly came to appreciate the bind he was in. He looked back to Harry and nodded his submission.
'I went to warn him,' he croaked.
'Warn him? What about?' snapped Harry.
'Warn him that the escaped Deatheaters might approach him. I wanted to make sure he was on his guard.' Silence greeted these words before Harry spoke again.
'They had been in touch with you?'
'Yes!' exclaimed Lucius, now sounding desperate. 'I was approached and asked if I wanted to get involved in a mission to gain revenge for the death of the Dark Lord. I refused, but I was told that they would speak to Draco; that the honour of my family was at stake because of Narcissa's betrayal. If I wasn't willing to help then they would find a Malfoy who was.'
'Who approached you?' asked Harry.
'I don't remember his name; he's not someone I had met before. He wasn't even a Deatheater; he was just passing on the message,' replied Lucius. His eyes widened as Harry moved forwards and with the speed of a snake, slapped him across the face.
'Wrong answer! I'll ask you again; who approached you?'
'I can't remember his name! I swear! The man looked terrified! He was a grubby little fellow with a name I hadn't heard before; Wetherspoon or Widdicombe or something like that.'
'Widdershins,' said Harry and Hermione together.
'Yes! Widdershins! That's the name; that's who approached me.'
Hermione gasped as she and Harry shared a look at this information. Widdershins. Dung had been right.
'So let me get this straight,' began Harry as he started to pace the room. 'You were asked to assist the escapees with a mission and you refused; they threatened to involve Draco so you went to warn him and then the two of you argued? What were you arguing about?'
'He wouldn't take the threat seriously. Said I was insane; that he could look after himself. I wanted him to return to the Manor until they were caught again. He refused; told me he wanted nothing to do with me. We fought. We always fight these days.'
Hermione watched as Harry stopped his pacing and regarded Lucius in silence. She wasn't sure what he was going to say next but she had a few questions of her own.
'Why didn't you tell us? You knew we needed information and yet you never said a word!'
Lucius turned his attention to her and she saw a broken man sitting before her. Gone were the sneer; the arrogance and the conceit.
'I couldn't,' he croaked. 'I am on my last chance; who would believe my refusal if it was revealed that escaped Deatheaters approached me for help? I would be in Azkaban right now.'
'But instead Draco is in prison, facing the kiss. This is your son we are talking about here,' replied Hermione, contempt in her voice. 'You were not willing to expose yourself to danger even for the sake of your son?'
'I would have done so if it came to it, but I was hoping that something would come up before I had to. I have been to Azkaban, remember? I have no desire to return.'
'Lucius?' asked Harry. 'It is important that you are entirely truthful with me because I will know if you are lying. Do you know where the escaped Deatheaters are?'
Lucius shook his head. 'I don't know anything about that.' He looked up suddenly and there was a hint of defiance in his eyes. 'I do know one thing though; they are not working alone. They must have had help to break out of Azkaban and they are getting some serious financial backing from someone.'
'How do you know this?'
'I have been in Azkaban - I know that escape is impossible without help from outside. Someone made this possible.'
'And the financial backing?' asked Harry. 'How do you know about this?'
'Because when I refused to take part in the mission, I offered them some money to keep in their good books. I was told that they didn't need any money - that they had plenty of money.'
Hermione noticed that Harry took a moment to digest this information. He did not look too pleased at the prospect of four well financed Deatheaters on the loose. But then, who would be pleased?
'Did you manage to find out what the mission was?' Harry finally asked.
'No. Once I refused to co-operate, the contact left. I got the impression that he didn't know either. As far as I know, they never acted anyway - there have been no subsequent attacks, have there?'
'Apart from the murder of Cho Chang and the framing of your son, you mean?' snapped Harry. 'I can't believe this! You knew I have been needing information and yet you said nothing! Is there anything else you think I ought to know, Lucius?' There was real menace in Harry's tone.
Lucius didn't reply; instead he hung his head low and shook his head as he stared at the floor. He looked utterly broken. Hermione watched as Harry closed his eyes for a moment before turning and throwing himself on the sofa. He too looked as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He rubbed his face with both hands, his fingers creeping up behind his glasses as he tried to process what he had just learned.
'So what now?' she asked, already knowing what the answer would be but feeling the need to speak to take Harry out of his sudden depression. Harry took his time before replying.
'Now we pay a visit to Willie Widdershins.' He looked up and she could tell that he was struggling to keep his temper in check. 'It would seem that Willie is the key to this, bizarre as that sounds. Dung was right.' He turned to Narcissa. 'We received some information this morning from a contact of ours that Widdershins might know where the Deatheaters are - your husband has just confirmed this for us. I hope you don't mind, but I promised Mundungus Fletcher a reward if he provided us with any useful information. It would appear that we owe him.'
'Don't worry about that, Harry,' replied Narcissa without taking her eyes off of her husband. When she had spoken her voice had been like ice. 'Money is not an issue; pay him whatever you think is appropriate - just let me know how much you need.' She turned to face him and for the first time Harry saw some doubt in her eyes. 'I am trusting you, Harry. I am trusting that the framing of my son is connected to the death of Ron Weasley for I know that this is the path you are electing to follow.' She paused for a moment, choosing her next words carefully. 'I know that catching those responsible for Ron's death is important to you but I beg you not to lose sight of the fact that we are running out of time for Draco. I need you to promise me that you will not allow yourself to be distracted from my son's case in order to pursue Ron's killers.' Hermione watched as Narcissa looked Harry directly in the eye and she felt an urge to shiver as she contemplated the intensity of her gaze. Harry seemed to take it in his stride.
'Don't you get it, Narcissa?' he asked quietly. 'You were right; you were right from the start when you said to me that whoever was responsible for framing Draco was also responsible for killing Ron. It is all linked; Cho was meeting with Ron just before his death and then she turns up dead in Draco's bed. She is the key to this; if we can discover why she was murdered we will find out who is behind this. The Carrows, Dolohov and Crabbe may be the tools used in all of this but I don't think they are the people responsible.' His tone hardened. 'I reckon they know who is though.'
Narcissa looked at Harry for a long time before finally nodding her acceptance of the logic. 'So what do I do now?' she asked.
'Nothing,' replied Harry. He indicated to Lucius. 'You make sure that he says nothing of this conversation to anyone and you keep a close eye on him. I will be moving out of the Manor so I will be relying on you to make sure he doesn't do anything foolish. Again. It is vital that our enemies do not know that we are on to them so I would be grateful if you could ask our witnesses not to repeat this either.'
Narcissa nodded. 'It shall be as you say, Harry.' She paused before continuing. 'Why are you moving out? Has my hospitality not been sufficient?'
Harry smiled. 'It has been more than sufficient, thank you. It's just that I will be moving in with Hermione for the time being. She reckons that it will give us more time to work on the case.'
Narcissa turned her attention to Hermione and stared intently at her. For her part, Hermione felt like she was being looked into by the older woman but she didn't flinch. She thought she saw the corners of Narcissa's mouth turn up, revealing the ghost of a smile and she felt herself flush.
'I understand,' Narcissa began. 'It makes perfect sense. I'm sure Hermione is quite correct. You will keep an eye on him for me, won't you?' she asked and Hermione felt the gaze intensify. 'Keep him on the right path?'
'I always do,' Hermione replied firmly. 'And don't worry; I agree with Harry. These cases are linked and we will find out who is doing this.' She kept her gaze locked on Narcissa and was surprised when the older woman broke eye contact first. Satisfied, she turned to Harry. 'Are we finished here?'
'Yeah.'
'Then let's go. We have a lot to do.'
'What about me?' asked Lucius, a hint of panic in his voice as he struggled against his bonds. Hermione shared a look with Harry who had the beginnings of a smile on his face before he answered.
'You? We'll be leaving you to the loving care of your good lady wife, Lucius. Have a good day.'
Hermione tried not to laugh as she saw Lucius' eyes widen in fear and the satisfied grin on Narcissa's face. As they made their way out of the room, she leaned over to whisper in Harry's ear.
'What did you say to her in the ballroom to get her to calm down?'
Harry looked surprised at the question but then a grin spread across his face.
'I told her to relax; that she could do with him what she wanted once I had finished questioning him.' His grin broadened. 'I wouldn't be in his shoes for anything,' he added.
***********
Fifteen minutes later, Hermione approached the front door of her flat accompanied by Harry who had not said much since leaving Malfoy Manor. They hadn't wasted any time once they had decided to leave - they had gone up to Harry's room where he had collected a small bag that contained all his current possessions before Apparating to her apartment building. She had felt a hint of sadness when she saw how little he had to pack and for the first time, she'd realised just how much Harry had been punishing himself over the past year. She'd felt the need to comment.
'Is this all you have?' she'd asked.
Harry had merely shrugged. 'It's all I needed where I was. I have other stuff, but it's all at the old flat. At least it was when I left.
She'd nodded, making a mental note to contact Ginny in order to get the rest of his stuff form their old flat.
Ginny.
She suppressed a shudder when she considered for the first time just how her friend would react when she discovered that Harry was moving in with her. It was less than twenty four hours since Harry had officially broken off the engagement and now he would be moving in with another woman.
And I am the other woman. Ginny is going to flip.
But there is no rational alternative, is there? Harry can't keep staying at Malfoy Manor and he has nowhere else to go. I'm just helping a friend in need, aren't I?
Aren't I?
But would everyone else see it that way? There was bound to be comment - even some resentment when people found out about their new living arrangements. That she was just helping her dearest friend would cut no ice with the gossip mongers. That's all I'm doing, isn't it? Helping a friend?
She thought back to the look Narcissa had given her when she had found out about the new arrangements and knew that she at least had seen through the lie. Narcissa Malfoy really was a sharp woman and it was obvious that she suspected ulterior motives for the proposal. Well, I can't do anything about what people think, she thought to herself as she finally opened the door.
'Well, here we are,' she said, a little too brightly. 'It's not much, but it is home.'
She turned to watch Harry as he stepped over the threshold and she sensed that he was nervous. He just stood by the door and the two of them looked at one another for a moment as if unsure what to do next. Finally, their attention was diverted as Crookshanks trotted over to see what all the fuss was about.
'Hi Crookshanks,' she said as she crouched down to pet her cat. She was surprised, however, when Crookshanks ignored her and waddled straight over to Harry, rubbing himself against his legs. Harry smiled and leaned down.
'Hiya, Crookshanks. Good to see you too,' he said fondly as he scratched the cat behind the ears. Crookshanks let out a contented purr.
Traitor! thought Hermione, amused at the situation. She was glad though; Crookshanks had broken the ice in what was becoming a rather awkward situation. She waited until Harry had finished.
'The spare room is this way,' she said as nonchalantly as she could. 'The bathroom is at the end of the hall on the right and in there is the study. That's my room here,' she added, pointing to a door on the left at the far end of the hallway.
'I know,' replied Harry, amusement in his voice. 'I've been here before, remember?'
She flushed. Of course he knew, Damn it! 'Well, just make yourself at home. I'll make us some lunch while you get settled in.' She looked at his bag. 'Although don't expect me to finish first. I don't even think I could boil an egg in the time it will take you to unpack,' she added.
Harry stared at her for a few seconds and she thought for a moment that he was annoyed by her comment before he started to laugh.
'Fair enough, Hermione. I won't be long. Boiled egg sounds fine,' he added before disappearing into his room, closing the door behind him.
She stood and stared at the door for a few moments before giving a rueful shake of her head.
Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea after all, she thought as she headed for the kitchen. She had no idea what to make but one thing was for certain, we won't be having boiled bloody egg anyway.
She quickly set about making a couple of sandwiches and so was slightly distracted when she was interrupted by an owl tapping on her window. Intrigued, she leaned over and flipped open the catch, allowing the bird to gain entry to the flat. It offered its leg to her and she quickly removed the parchment and began to unroll it as the owl immediately shot off out of the window again. She read the scroll and allowed herself a small smile of satisfaction as she reached the end just as Harry came out of his room.
'Anything interesting?' he asked.
'It's from Ragnok.' She saw him raise an eyebrow, his interest obviously piqued. 'He says we are welcome to go over and see him whenever we want - this afternoon preferably as he has no other appointments. We should probably go as soon as we have something to eat.'
Harry nodded his agreement and made his way into the living room, his eyes flitting around the room as he took in the surroundings. She went back to making lunch but noticed him out of the corner of her eye as he rummaged in his pockets for something. As she finished up and headed to join him she saw that he was holding a mirror similar to the one she had seen Ron use. She handed him a sandwich.
'What are you doing?' she asked, curious.
'It occurred to me that we might have to split up soon,' he replied as he took the plate. 'What; no egg?' he asked with a smile. Hermione just gave him a look and Harry took the point. He reddened. 'You said Ragnok might not allow me access to the accounts so I thought that it might be a good idea if we had some method of staying in touch,' he said quickly. He seemed to realise what he was doing. 'I was wondering if you still had Ron's mirror kicking around?' he added in a more controlled voice.
She smiled at his discomfort before replying. She turned and headed for her room. 'Hold on a minute,' she called over her shoulder as she disappeared behind her door. She returned a few moments later holding a mirror. 'This one?' she asked.
He nodded, smiling. 'That's the one. Here; let me see it a second.'
She watched fascinated as Harry took both mirrors and his wand before muttering what sounded like a very complicated charm over them. After a few moments, he handed one back to her. He noticed her quizzical expression.
'I was just fixing them so that only you and I have access to them. Usually, any of the other Aurors would be able to listen in if we use them - I thought it would be safer if it was just the two of us who had access. This way, if we do get split up, we will still be able to speak to each other.'
She was impressed; both by his quick thinking and by the magical knowledge he had just demonstrated. 'So what will you do if we are separated?' she asked.
'I was thinking that it might be a bit difficult to get a hold of Willie Widdershins without drawing attention to ourselves so if Ragnok lets you look at the accounts, I will go and watch him for a bit.'
'On your own? But Dung said he had some heavy protection.'
'I know; that's why it will be difficult to get him unnoticed. I don't want anyone to know that I am after him so I thought I would fetch my old cloak and wait for him at the Hogshead. If it becomes common knowledge that I have spoken to him, the Deatheaters will do a runner and we'll be back to square one.' He saw her look bemused. 'Don't worry; I know what I'm doing,' he added.
She didn't respond to this; instead she gave him what could only be described as sceptical look and she was pleased to see that he at least had the good grace to look sheepish under her scrutiny.
"I know what I'm doing," indeed, she thought to herself as she finally bit into her sandwich. Well, there's a first time for everything, I suppose.
***********
Not long afterwards, Harry and Hermione sat in a side room at Gringotts as they waited for Ragnok to admit them into his office. They had Apparated over to the Leaky Cauldron and had made their way down Diagon Alley with Hermione being very conscious of the stares they received from passing witches and wizards. Some had even pointed as they murmured to their companions and she had felt herself reddening under the scrutiny. As usual, Harry seemed to take it all in his stride and she wondered for what must be the thousandth time how he managed to deal with all the attention.
Now as they waited, she decided that it would be best if she laid down a few ground rules for the forthcoming meeting.
'Harry?' she whispered. She waited until he turned to face her. 'It's probably best if you let me do the talking in here; I meet with Ragnok quite regularly and we get on fine. I don't want you annoying him so say as little as possible unless asked. OK?'
Harry seemed bemused by the request but nodded his agreement. He made to reply but was stopped by the sudden appearance of a Goblin who seemed to have materialised out of thin air.
'Miss Granger? Mr Potter? Ragnok will see you now,' he said.
They both stood and allowed themselves to be led into the inner office. Despite having visited on a number of accessions, Hermione could not help but be impressed by the surroundings. The office was made almost entirely of a rich, dark red wood, the room being dominated by a heavy mahogany table that sat plum in the middle of the floor. In the far corner sat a heavy wooden desk and she was pleased to see that Ragnok had stood to greet his guests. He did not afford every visitor such courtesy and she took this as a positive sign as she approached him.
'Miss Granger; Mr Potter; welcome,' said the old Goblin. 'Please; take a seat,' he added as he gestured to two chairs by the desk with a sweeping gesture of his arm. He waited until they were both seated before continuing. 'How may I be of assistance?' he asked as he sat down in his own high backed chair.
Hermione glanced at Harry before replying. 'Thank you for agreeing to see us - we know that you are busy.' She took a breath as Ragnok acknowledged her pleasantry with a nod. 'As you will be aware, we are investigating the murder of Cho Chang and we were hoping you would be able to offer us some assistance.'
'Ah, yes. Miss Chang,' replied Ragnok slowly. 'A most unfortunate event. She was an excellent employee and is sorely missed. What manner of assistance do you seek?' he added. Hermione noticed that he had a guarded expression on his face.
'We were hoping to review some of the accounts that she might have been working on in the months prior to her death. We believe that they may point to whoever was responsible for killing her.'
A long silence greeted these words and Ragnok narrowed his eyes as he regarded her. She made sure not to flinch under his scrutiny, well aware that Goblins took such body language as a sign of weakness. Finally he replied to her request.
'I am afraid that this would be out of the question, Miss Granger. We have very strict rules regarding client confidentiality and I am not inclined to break them in this instance. Besides, Gringotts does not come under the jurisdiction of the Ministry and I am under no obligation to co-operate.'
'We are not obliging you to do anything,' she replied. 'We are merely respectfully requesting your assistance in this matter. I am sure that you are just as concerned as we are about the murder of one of your employees.'
'Yes, we are concerned,' replied the Goblin. 'But unfortunately, I see no way round the problem. You are well aware, Miss Granger, that not all humans share your respect for us. Gringotts is all my people have that is in our own control; I would not willingly allow human interference in the running of my bank. Something amuses you Mr Potter?' he asked suddenly and when Hermione turned she saw to her horror that Harry had a stupid grin on his face.
Harry took a moment to reply. 'I suppose it's not really amusing,' he said airily. 'I was just reflecting that you have a rather strange notion of "respect".'
'How so?' asked Ragnok and Hermione recognised the menace in the tone.
'Well, it would seem that respect is a one way street as far as you are concerned. You evidently have no respect for us.'
'You can hardly blame me for that,' replied Ragnok. 'Humans have persecuted my people for centuries. Even now there is opposition to Miss Granger's proposed equality bill in the Wizengamot. How else do you expect me to react?'
'I expect you to live by the same standards you seem eager to impose on others,' replied Harry harshly. 'We are not here representing the Wizengamot, or the Ministry or anyone else for that matter. We are here representing ourselves with a simple request for your assistance. You are showing no respect to us by judging us on the actions of others.'
'And how else am I to judge you?'
'The same way that we judge you,' replied Harry. 'We take individuals as we find them; be they human, goblin or elf. You know Hermione; you know this to be true and yet you judge her on the actions of others. Is that showing respect?' he asked scornfully. Hermione closed her eyes, fearing that Ragnok would kick them out of the bank. This is why I didn't want you to say anything, Harry.
Ragnok took a moment to reply. 'Miss Granger's attitude towards my people is well known and appreciated,' he said carefully. 'Her efforts to bring equality to non-humans are commendable but as yet we have seen no tangible progress.'
'Is that her fault?' asked Harry. 'She is doing everything she can on your behalf and you cannot even grant us this small favour? Tell me,' he added, leaning forwards over the desk, 'is it your wish for Hermione to be successful in passing the equality legislation through the Wizengamot?'
'Of course it is. We have sought equality with humans for centuries.'
Harry nodded, satisfied. 'Equality,' he repeated. 'Have you really thought about what that means? It's a double edged sword, Ragnok; if you want true equality for your people; if you want to enjoy the same rights as humans then you must realise that part of this is accepting the same responsibilities as humans. This means accepting the law; this means no special preferences for institutions such as this one. You cannot pick and choose what aspects of society you wish to abide by; it's all or nothing. You talk of respect; well, let me tell you that I save my respect for those that earn it. If you cannot even bring yourself to assist us in investigating the murder of one of your employees then you are not deserving of my respect.'
Hermione cringed inwardly at these words aware that she might have to mend some fences. 'What Mr Potter means…' she began.
'I am well aware of what Mr Potter means,' interrupted Ragnok. He sat back in his chair and regarded them for a long moment. The silence stretched out interminably. Finally the old goblin spoke again.
'There is perhaps something in what you say, Mr Potter, but not all humans behave as you and Miss Granger do.'
'Not all Goblins are as civilised as you either,' replied Harry. 'If I were to judge your people solely on some of the Goblins I have met then I am afraid that I would have a rather unfavourable opinion of the whole race. Let us accept that bad apples exist everywhere - regardless of species. As I said; I believe it is better to take individuals as you find them. If you want our respect you have to earn it. I would expect the same attitude from you in regard to us.'
'Miss Granger has certainly earned my respect, Mr Potter; I am not so sure about you.'
'Then grant Hermione her request. I do not need to see the accounts - only she does. Surely you can do this small favour for her?'
Once again Ragnok took his time before replying and Hermione was aware that he was carefully considering Harry's words. She had never thought to try such a candid approach but she could see that Harry had hit a nerve. Finally, the old goblin turned to face her.
'I agree to your request, Miss Granger. You may examine Miss Chang's accounts. I know enough about you to realise that you only ask out of necessity.' He turned to Harry. 'You say that respect has to be earned, Mr Potter? In that case, I shall endeavour to earn your esteem. You too shall be granted full access if you desire it. I am aware that in the past you have behaved correctly towards non-humans; particularly elves - even in death,' he added softly. He smiled suddenly; a calculating grin that transformed his face. 'I had already half-decided to allow you both access. I just wanted to see for myself what sort of a man you are. What I have heard about you is indeed true; you will find friends here at this bank.'
'Heard about me?' asked Harry, clearly confused.
'Yes, Mr Potter. One of my dearest friends was Albus Dumbledore who always spoke of you - and Miss Granger - in the most glowing terms. But, as you say, I too prefer to take people as I find them. I am gratified that you did not disappoint me, Mr Potter. Albus was correct in his assessment of you.'
'You mean this was some kind of test?' asked Harry dangerously.
'If you want to put it like that then yes; it was a kind of test. You see, Mr Potter, I too judge people as I find them and I wanted to see how you reacted to my refusal. Whilst Miss Granger is a dear and appreciated friend to my people, she sometimes fails to realise that there are a lot of Goblins who are, shall we say…of a less than respectable character? You are my kind of human, Mr Potter. Everything will be done to assist you in this matter.'
Harry and Hermione shared a look, both surprised by this sudden turn of events. Finally Harry turned back to the Goblin.
'Thank you.' I think, he thought to himself.