The Shadows Solace Book I: The Growing Years Prequel

Chapter II: Learning to Accept

Petunia and Vernon followed the diminutive goblin out of the foyer and into a long hallway where they were led to some large double doors near the other end. He knocked and waited before a rough grunt was heard and hastily opened the doors.

Petunia and Vernon gasped slightly to the luxurious office they stepped into. The polished wood floors and lush rugs around the room made for a comfortable atmosphere. The walls were painted a medium blue and had gleaming war-axes, daggers, and other weapons that had to have been made in the magical world glittering on the wall.

The fireplace was ornate with a design chiseled into it that had to belong to the goblin's clan; crafted from a pale grey marble of extremely high quality and shaped from a master stone-mason, it was kept lit to keep the room warm due to the cool stone of the building. The dark wood furniture was clearly made of real wood though they weren't too sure of what tree the wood came from.

Grey leather sofas and chairs tastefully accenting the dark wood while the rugs mentioned before added a unique pop to the interior design. The many upon many bookcases around the back of the office behind the desk obviously displayed the intelligence and possibly the wealth of this goblin.

They turned as he stood and eyed them, "I am Ragnok Iron-Fist. I am the Director of Gringotts Bank in London, and the War-chieftain to the Goblin Nation. I was informed that you had important business with me, so who might you be?" he asked

Petunia turned her body to face him and so that the goblin could clearly see the child nestled into her arms protectively, as she allowed him to glance at her nephew.

Ragnok's eyes followed and then widened, "I see. I am glad you have come. There is much to do and little time due to Albus and his ploys to get him under his control. The late Lord Potter would never forgive me if I allowed it, and the Lady Potter would skin me alive and post my hide to the wall."

Ragnok then sat, "You must be her sister and her husband. I am sorry for the loss of such a fine witch to our community; one that even the goblin nation respected, and you should know that she will be missed greatly."

Petunia nodded as she sat slowly, "I am sorry, I do not know how to address you. I am...not magical; I have not lived in this world nor been here all that much."

Ragnok nodded, "It is fine. You can address me as Ragnok since I fear we will be in contact a lot over what was left for your nephew by his parents. There are more sides to his assets than simply money and there are more groups than simply the headmaster and his allies after it. You would think that Harry was dead too with how those mongrels we call people are acting."

Petunia blinked, "I know of Albus and his ways, but who else is trying to take advantage?"

Ragnok glowered, "The Ministry of Magic itself is, for one. They want to freeze his assets until his return to our world at eleven. They cannot order it as Harry is a toddler and has not been convicted of any crime. The bank does at times adhere to ministerial law, but we also have our own laws that supersede theirs when regarding the financial matters of our clients."

He eyed the desk, "Then there have been attempts from the remaining Death Eaters; the remaining remnant followers of the dark lord that we cannot prove followed him. They wish to try and seize his assets to force him to later deal with whatever they could demand of him.

That would likely be to surrender to them and then to kill him in revenge for their master. Or to use him to resurrect the man to a corporeal form."

Petunia paled, "I see. I need to know more of what has happened after he was left with us. I don't get news from the magical world as you might know?"