Harry Potter and the Ties that Bind

Chapter 35

It was still Christmas Eve. This day was meant to be spent with family, but Harry had left the moment he had finished breakfast. There were things that needed to be done, things that couldn't wait.

Harry's first stop of the day was Gringotts. The wizarding bank loomed over him like an imposing goliath, but he ignored its appearance as he marched passed the massive double doors. Since it was Christmas, there weren't many people there. Everyone was spending time with their family. Harry should have been spending time with his family, but his new directive was beyond imperative.

He walked up to a teller, waited until the goblin looked up, and said, "I need to speak with Director Ragnok."

"Do you have an appointment?" asked the goblin.

"I do not, but if you inform him that the Heir of the Potter family has a business proposal for him, he should be willing to make some time."

The goblin frowned. He frowned for so long that Harry wondered if he would ever move. After nearly a second of nothing but frowning, the goblin hopped off his stool and made for the door on the far side.

"Wait here," he said.

Harry closed his eyes and magically enhanced his ears, allowing the sounds of the bank to wash over him. Six meters away, a goblin placed jewels on a scale, the chink chink of shifting jewelery causing his ears to prick. To his left, a wizard paced. The tapping of his feet created a series of staccato echoes that resonated with Harry's state of mind. A door opening with a slow creak made Harry open his eyes again. The goblin had returned.

"Director Ragnok said that he will see you," the goblin said with a sneer. "Follow me."

When Harry entered Director Ragnok's office, it was to find the goblin in charge of Gringotts going over papers. Harry walked up to the desk and sat down.

"It's not like you to demand to meet with me without scheduling an appointment first," Ragnok said. "I take it you have something important to discuss?"

"I'm going to open a restaurant that caters to magical creatures," Harry said without preamble. One did not offer a goblin platitudes unless they wished to have their head removed from their shoulders. "To that end, I would like to buy some real estate. However, due to the nature of the restaurant, it has to be somewhere more discreet than Diagon Alley."

Ragnok stopped reading through papers and looked at him. His shrewd eyes were narrowed as though he was trying to peer into Harry's soul.

"You wish to open a restaurant for magical creatures?"

"Specifically for those creatures who are labeled 'dark' like vampires and werewolves," Harry said. He reached into his robes and pulled out a parchment, which he handed to Director Ragnok. "Either I'll need to buy a building with these specifications, or I'll need to buy land where I can have a building with these specifications built."

Ragnok looked at the parchment, studying the architecture no doubt. His face remained inscrutable.

He looked back at Harry. "And what do you hope to accomplish with this?"

Harry understood enough about goblin culture to read between the lines. Director Ragnok wasn't asking what he was hoping to gain, but rather, what the goblin nation stood to gain for helping Harry with this endeavor.

"Goblins aren't allowed to loiter around places like Diagon Alley or other wizard heavy population centers. While you do have your city under Gringotts bank, not being able to go where you want is rankling. This restaurant, which is also going to second as an inn, will be open to all magical creatures, including goblins. Since this has never been done, it's bound to be a profitable venture, especially if advertised right."