The Goblins' Son
by Healer Teddylonglong

All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.

COMPLETELY AU! Partly OOC. Sick!Harry

It is my story, and I intend to write it the way I want it. If you don't like it, don't read it.
Reviews are very welcome, as they inspire my muse.

Seven-year-old Harry Potter was lying on his small lumpy mattress in his cupboard under the stairs. He knew that he should immediately start his chores; otherwise he would not be able to finish everything by tomorrow night, when his relatives, the Dursleys, were going to come back from their weekend ski trip in Scotland. However, he was feeling outright ill this morning. His head, throat and eyes were sore, and he felt hot and cold at the same time. In fact, he had tried to get up and drag himself out of his cupboard to begin with his chores earlier, but feeling too dizzy to remain upright, he had crawled back into bed.

A panicked thought suddenly struck his mind. 'I need to shovel the snow by the front door,' he remembered. 'Otherwise I could really get into trouble if someone slips on the snow and gets hurt.' He dragged himself out of his cupboard and pulled over his warmest sweater, a relic of Dudley's wardrobe, and his much-too-light denim jacket, which was all he possessed, since Dudley had not grown out his winter jacket yet.

A few minutes later, as he began to shovel the snow, he relished the ice-cold air soothing his flushed, hot face. He hadn't even reached the half-way point to the main road and felt absolutely exhausted. He knew, however, that he had to finish his strenuous task before he'd be able to rest.

All of a sudden, a soft voice penetrated his ears. "Hello Harry."

Harry looked around in surprise, not used to anyone but his school teacher, Mrs Atkinson, addressing him in such a gentle voice. It was Hermione, one of his classmates.

"Hermione," He whispered, looking at the girl in surprise. In fact, he somewhat liked the girl. She never played pranks on him nor ridiculed him like most of his other classmates did in order to please his gluttonous cousin, Dudley. However, she had not really spoken to him either, even if he noticed that she was often watching him. 'She's probably afraid of what Dudley would do to her if she was friendly to me,' he thought. He knew that her parents were dentists and that they had taken over the dental practice in Little Whinging a few years ago.

"I had hoped to see you," Hermione now said, smiling, holding out a small parcel to him. "Happy Valentine's Day Harry."

Harry blinked in confusion and disbelief, thinking, 'I'm not allowed presents because I'm a freak.'

"Harry, take it," Hermione encouraged him. "It's for you. It's a chocolate frog. I hope you like it. You know what a chocolate frog is, don't you?"

"No," Harry replied, a frown marred his face for a split-second before looking at her in question.

"Harry, I know that you're magical just like me..." Hermione began to lecture him in a firm voice, before Harry interrupted her, terrified.

"There's no such thing as the M word," he whispered, glancing around at the neighbouring houses, feeling very relieved that his relatives were away and could not witness their strange conversation.

"Nonsense," Hermione replied firmly. "And I know you. You're Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived." Noticing that Harry did not show any reaction to the epithet, but looked at her in apparent confusion, she stepped in front of him and slowly raised her right hand to lift his fringe, her delicate fingers brushing the thin scar. "See, I knew it, you have the scar," she said, triumphantly, before she interrupted herself and blurted out, "Oh Merlin Harry, you're burning up with fever. Why does your aunt make you shovel snow if you're ill?"

"I'm fine," Harry replied, automatically. "My relatives are away over the weekend."

"Come home with me," Hermione said in determination.

"I have to finish this," Harry replied, inwardly sighing. 'I'd so love to go with her,' he thought, when suddenly a violent shiver shook his body.

"That's it," Hermione said in a firm voice. "You're coming with me. My parents will be able to help you." She pressed the box with the chocolate frog into Harry's hand, before she gently supported his left arm and slowly led him to her home, knowing that she could rely on her parents to help the boy.

HP

The Grangers warmly greeted Harry and invited him to lie down on the sofa in the living room. Knowing that he wasn't supposed to be in the living room at all, the child very hesitantly complied, and Mrs. Granger placed two small phials on the table next to him.

"Drink up sweetie, it's Pepperup potion and fever reducing potion for children, like medicine but much more efficient. It always helps Hermione when she has caught a cold," Mrs. Granger instructed him in a soft voice, causing Harry to look at her, eyes wide.

"I'm not allowed medicine," he whispered, however, he felt too miserable to not comply when the Grangers insisted that he was not only allowed, but was even supposed to drink his potions so that he'd feel better quickly. He noticed that the potions helped a lot and listened with interest when Hermione told him how she had learned that she was a witch by chance.

One day, about two years ago, Mrs. Granger had been talking to Mrs. Figg. When the old lady had enquired about Hermione, Mrs. Granger had told her that she was very upset with her daughter because Hermione had turned her teacher's hair blue that very morning because the teacher had not given homework to her class. Knowing that Hermione had to be a witch, Mrs. Figg had introduced the Grangers to her friend Alberta O'Brien, who was also a witch and who had kindly given the Grangers a thorough introduction to the wizarding world. Ever since then, Hermione had read books about the magical world.

"Thank you for telling me this," Harry said, gratefully, before he slowly rose and explained, "I need to go and finish shovelling the snow and do my other chores. Otherwise, my relatives will be very angry."

"Harry," Mrs. Granger contradicted in a firm voice, "you're in no condition to do chores, and I'm sure your relatives will understand if you tell them that you've been ill."

"No." Harry sadly shook his head. "They know, but they just ignore it," he admitted in a small voice, causing the Grangers to cast him horrified looks.

"Harry," Hermione spoke up, sounding upset. "If they don't treat you well, we'll just take you away from them." Turning to her parents, she said, "Harry never has anything to eat for lunch with him, and he always wears Dudley's hand-me-downs. He doesn't even own a proper winter coat."

Harry could not help but blush. "I'd love to get away from them," he supplied in a barely audible voice, "but they told me that no one else would be willing to put up with my freakishness and that I'd end up in the Children's Home."

"Nonsense Harry," Mr. Granger contradicted in a firm voice. "We'd be willing to take you in. We'd need your relatives' consent though for the legal papers."

"I don't think that it'll be that easy," Mrs. Granger spoke up, thoughtfully. "When Hermione once asked Mrs. Figg about Harry, she told us that the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, who is one of the most powerful people in the magical world, has placed him with his relatives. He also instructed her to not tell him about the magical world. Maybe we should floo-call Mrs. O'Brien and ask for her advice."

Her husband and Hermione agreed, and to Harry's surprise, Mrs. Granger leaned face-first into the fireplace and appeared to speak with someone. A moment later, an elderly lady stepped out of the fireplace.

HP

"You won't be able to take Harry in," Mrs. O'Brien bluntly told the Grangers after hearing about their suspicion that Harry was neglected and abused by his relatives, "nor will we. My husband is the Head Healer at St. Mungo's and, as such, very influential in the magical world and could also testify about any possible abuse. However, Professor Dumbledore is the Head of the Wizengamot and, as far as I know, he is also Harry's guardian in the magical world." She remained thoughtful, eyeing the boy, who was much too small and too skinny for his age, in apparent concern, before she spoke up again. "I suggest that we introduce Harry to the goblins. They're not in any way obligated to obey to Dumbledore, so they'd be the best option to help the child."

Seeing that the adults and children looked at her in expectation, she continued, "I'm good friends with a goblin named Gwenlin. Her husband is Buckbean, one of the goblins working at Gringotts Bank. Would you mind if I called her and asked her to step through?"

"Of course not," Mr. Granger replied immediately. "Thank you very much for your help in this matter."

"You're very welcome," Mrs. O'Brien said, smiling at the Muggles who were so extremely interested in everything concerning the magical world. "Thank Merlin that I could convince you to connect your fireplace at that time," she added, chuckling, before she leaned into the flames and called her goblin friend.

Hermione sat next to Harry on the sofa and gently laid her hand on Harry's right arm. "Don't worry Harry, everything will be all right," she said in a soothing voice, before hopping up to join him on the squashy sofa. "Why don't you eat your chocolate frog in the meantime?" she suggested and proceeded to tell the boy about the cards of famous wizards and witches, which could be found in the package together with the frog. "I've been collecting them for two years now and have a lot of them," she said, proudly. "I'll show them to you later on."

HP

The children's conversation was interrupted, when a strange creature stepped through the fireplace. It was almost the same size as Harry. 'Looks like a dwarf like in the story that we read at school last week,' Harry thought, giving the creature a curious look.

"This is Gwenlin," Mrs. O'Brien informed Harry and the Grangers, before she introduced the Muggles and the two magical children to her goblin friend.

"Good day, Mrs. and Mr. Granger, Hermione and Harry," Gwenlin greeted them in a friendly voice. She accepted the offered seat and listened with interest to what the Grangers and Mrs. O'Brien told her. After remaining pensive for a few minutes, pondering the situation, she finally broke the silence that had followed the explanations about Harry and his situation at his involuntary home.

"Did I understand correctly that Harry's guardians are away and will not know if I take him with me until tomorrow evening?"

Seeing that everyone turned their eyes to him, questioningly, Harry confirmed, "Yes Ma'am."

The goblin smiled. "Just call me Gwenlin, sweetheart. Very well then I suggest that I take Harry with me for the time being, and he can see if he'd like to live together with my husband, our eight-year-old twins Kengo and Jane and myself. What do you think, sweetheart?"

'It can't be worse than at the back at Privet Drive,' Harry thought, enthusiastically. "I'd like that very much," he replied, smiling shyly. 'I just hope they won't make me go back to my relatives when they notice that I'm a freak,' he thought, anxiously.

"Gwenlin," Hermione threw in, excitedly. "Will I be able to meet with Harry every now and then, even if he's living with you?"

The goblin smiled. "Of course dear, your friend is only a floo-call away. You may come and visit us at any time. The same goes for you as well," she added, turning to the adults. "Very well Harry, shall we go?" she asked, giving the boy an encouraging look.

"All right," Harry replied in a small voice, casting Hermione an uncertain glance, before he allowed the goblin to pull him into the fireplace together with her.

"I'll contact you tomorrow evening," Gwenlin promised, before she shouted, "Buckbean's home."

HP

When Gwenlin pulled him out of the fireplace, Harry took in his surroundings with interest. 'Everything looks more futuristic than at the Dursleys' house,' he realised, seeing that the furniture was made of metal instead of wood.

"Jane, Kengo, Buckbean," Gwenlin called her family and introduced Buckbean and the twins to Harry. "This is Harry, he comes from an unfriendly home, and he'd like to stay with us," she explained.

Harry shyly looked at the goblins, trying to distinguish them. 'Buckbean is just a bit taller than Gwenlin, and Jane wears a skirt, but her brother wears trousers. If they're always clothed like this, I'll be able to recognise who is who,' he thought.

"Shall we show Harry Goblin Island?" Jane suggested, smiling friendly at the younger boy.

"Yes, that would be nice," Gwenlin agreed, "but are you feeling well enough Harry? The Grangers said you were sick?"

"It's just a cold," Harry replied, feeling very uncomfortable at the attention. "I'm fine, and I'd like to see the goblin island."

"If you don't feel all right, you must tell the twins and come back," Gwenlin instructed him in a stern voice. "Leave your jacket here. On Goblin Island, it's always warm and sunny."

"Well then, come Harry," Kengo spoke up, and the twins led Harry out of a door, before they began to explain.

"There are about five hundred goblins..."

"... and we all live on this island."

"Most of the men work at Gringotts, the wizarding bank..."

"... and the women stay with the children who're too small to attend school or help with the cooking."

The twins pointed to a large building that seemed to be made of metal and looked like a pot. "This is our assembly building, the Teapot, as it's called," they told Harry and informed him that all goblins would gather at the Teapot for the meals and at special occasions. Continuing to complete each other's sentences, they showed Harry the school, which all goblin children attended from the age of seven.

"Will I be able to go to school here?" Harry asked, excitedly.

"Of course..."

"... if you live with us, you must attend school here," the twins informed him.

"We have classes in Reading, Writing, Maths, Economics, Health, Potions, Wizarding Culture, Goblin Culture, General Magic and Sword Making..."

"... and Wizarding Culture is taught by a half goblin and half wizard..."

"... Professor Flitwick, he's a professor at Hogwarts."

After showing Harry the main buildings of Goblin island, the twins led Harry to the beach informing him that the whole island was surrounded by a beach, before leading to the endless ocean; a brighter blue than a summer sky back in England.

"In order to get away from Goblin Island..."

"... you must either use the fireplace or step through the Portal, which is situated in front of the school building..."

"It leads to Gringotts in Diagon Alley, the magical shopping area on the mainland..."

"Or you can apparate..."

"... but we're only going to learn to apparate when we'll be ten in two years' time," the twins told him.

Harry chuckled. "Your way of speaking is really funny," he said, noticing the twins' questioning look. "Thank you so much for all the information. I already like Goblin Island a lot. It'll be great to live here." 'All the houses seem different from each other, not all alike like at Privet Drive,' he thought, 'and the sea looks gorgeous. I wonder if we'll be allowed to swim here sometimes.'

"That it is," Jane replied, warmly, "and we're happy to have a little brother, aren't we Kengo?"

"Yes," the older boy replied, grinning at Harry.

HP

By the time the three children returned home, Harry felt exhausted and noticed that he had a bit of a headache.

"I don't think that you're really well yet," Gwenlin said, eyeing the young boy. She pointed her hand at his head and sighed. "Your temperature is slightly elevated. Maybe you need another dose of Pepperup potion. After dinner, I'll take you to Inken for a check-up. She's our healer and will surely be able to help you."

"I'll come with you," Jane announced, noticing that Harry gave her mother a frightened look.

"Let's go to dinner," Buckbean spoke up, before he turned to Harry. "Have the twins shown you around the island?"

"Yes sir," Harry replied, smiling. "It's a wonderful place."

Together with his new family, Harry stepped out into the sunlight again and walked to the Teapot, where dinner was just about to begin when they arrived. Dinner cooked by the goblin women was delicious, even if it was slightly different from the kind of meal that Harry was used to cooking for the Dursleys and mainly consisted of meat, roots and fungi. At first he was hesitant to sit at the table and eat together with the goblins, having learnt from his relatives that freaks did not have the same rights as everyone else. However, when he told Gwenlin about it, she became very angry at his relatives and made it clear for Harry that he was supposed to sit at the long table together with them and eat whatever they ate.

On the way back home, they walked by the infirmary. Harry glanced around at the light, airy room, frightened, while Gwenlin introduced him to Inken, the healer. 'It looks like the hospital room at school, but with a much better view' he thought, recalling that the school nurse had always been very friendly to him and had stood up for him in front of Aunt Petunia multiple times.

However, when the healer, who was dressed in a white robe, pointed her hand at his head and waved her hand over him a few times, Harry felt very uncomfortable, unused to magic or medicine. He looked up, horrified, when the learned healer informed Gwenlin about the bruises and welts that were covering eighty percent of his body.

"We know that he comes from an unfriendly home," Gwenlin informed the healer. "That's why we decided to take him in and make him a member of our family."

'She wants me in her family,' Harry thought in delight, 'although she must know by now that I'm a freak.' He drank the Pepperup potion, without complaint and deep in thought, from the goblet that the Healer pressed into his hands, feeling happier than he had ever felt before.

"He only has a very bad cold that seems to have been neglected for a while. Perhaps he will need one more dose of Pepperup in the morning, but then he should be fine," Inken told Gwenlin quietly. "One day, I should do a thorough check-up on him, but that can wait until he's really comfortable with our magic. He seems to be a bit frightened."

Gwenlin thanked the Healer profusely, before she took Harry's hand, squeezing gently, "Let's go home sweetheart."

While far away at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry an alarm alerted the headmaster and his colleagues, who were having tea in his office, to the fact that the wards around the Dursleys' residence were coming down, Harry happily walked back to his new home together with his new parents and siblings.

HP

Back at home, Gwenlin led Harry into a bedroom that was even larger than Dudley's first bedroom. "Harry, would you mind sharing a room with Kengo?" she asked in a soft voice. "We can make another room, but for that we need to ask one of my husband's colleagues for help."

"No no, it's fine," Harry hurriedly reassured her. "I'd love to share a room with Kengo, but only if Kengo doesn't mind." He questioningly looked at the older boy.

"Of course I don't mind," Kengo replied, smiling. "Just think how much fun we're going to have playing pranks on Jane."

Chuckling at the unexpected reply, Harry shook his head. 'I'm a good boy,' he thought. 'I don't play pranks, especially not on nice girls.'

While Harry engrossed himself in a conversation with the twins, their mother waved her hand around the room, adding a second bed, wardrobe, table, chair and bookshelf on one side of the room.

"Harry, this is your side of the room," Gwenlin informed the child, before she continued in a no-nonsense voice, "Go to bed now and rest."

"All right," Harry grudgingly agreed, although his mind screamed that he felt well now and wanted to spend some more time speaking and playing with the twins.

At the same time at Hogwarts

"Albus, what is this sound?" Professor McGonagall enquired in concern.

The old wizard thoughtfully stroked his long, white beard, before he replied, "The wards around Harry's home seem to come down. Minerva and Severus, would you be willing to accompany me to the Dursleys' residence and make sure that Harry is all right?"

"Why would I go and check on Potter?" Snape muttered, while McGonagall readily rose from her seat.

A minute later, the three professors stepped out of Arabella Figg's fireplace.

"Hello Arabella," Dumbledore greeted her in a grave voice, "Do you have any idea why the wards around the Dursleys' home could be failing?"

"No Albus," the old Squib replied, astonished. "I've seen Harry shovel snow earlier, but I don't know what's happening." Seeing that the professors already left her house, she ran behind them, across the street towards the Dursleys' house.

"Everything seems to be all right here. Maybe the Dursleys have gone out for dinner," Dumbledore supposed, upon realising that no one seemed to be at home. "Considering that Arabella saw Harry earlier, I think we don't have to worry right now. Let's return to Hogwarts."

"Albus, are you sure that Harry's all right?" McGonagall queried in utmost concern.

"Yes Minerva, I'm certain," the Headmaster replied, calmly. "If he was in any peril, a different alarm would have alerted me to the fact."

On the Goblin Island

When Harry woke up in the morning, sunshine flooded the room, and the twins were sitting on Kengo's bed smiling at him.

"It's time to wake up lazybones," Kengo said, chuckling.

"Breakfast is going to begin in fifteen minutes," his sister added.

"And after breakfast, we're going to go and play Quidditch together with the other kids..."

"Have you ever played Quidditch?"

Harry cast the twins an uncertain look. "I'm sorry, but what's Quidditch?" he asked, hesitantly, causing the twins to give him a detailed explanation about broom riding and Quidditch in general as well as on Goblin Island. By the time they headed to the Teapot, Harry was certain that he wanted to play Quidditch together with the twins.

HP

Two hours later, the goblin children were very excited. "Harry, we want you to play in the Children's team," the goblin who trained the children informed him, causing Harry to give his siblings a questioning look.

"That's all right Harry. You'll make a brilliant Seeker," Kengo reassured him, smiling.

"And the Children's team plays against the Goblin's team of the adults," Jane added. "Most players coming from the Children's team will play on the Goblin's team when they're older."

"The Goblin's team is our official team that plays in the tournament against the elves' team and the wizards' team," the trainer supplied. "Only very good players are able to play in the Children's team, but you're the best Seeker that I've ever seen. With you as our Seeker, we might be able to beat the adults' team."

"All right," Harry hesitantly agreed. "If you think that I'm able to play."

"We saw that Harry..."

"... You were brilliant," the twins reassured him.

"What's your name?" the trainer queried.

"Harry, son of Buckbean," Kengo supplied quickly, before Harry could even say his real name.

"Very well. Training is every Sunday afternoon at five o'clock, and the team has its own brooms. You don't need to bring one," the trainer informed Harry and dismissed him.

Like in a daze, Harry followed the twins back home, where Jane and Kengo excitedly told their mother what had happened.

"Congratulations Harry," Gwenlin finally said, smiling at the boy. "I'm very proud of you son."

'She's proud of me?' Harry wondered, knowing that never before anyone had told him that they were proud of him. 'It must be like this to have real parents,' he thought, happily.

HP

Later the same day, after Harry returned from Quidditch practice with the Children's team, Buckbean asked, "Harry, if I understood correctly, the Dursleys are going to return home tonight. Are you sure that you want to remain here as a member of our family?"

"I'd like to remain here sir... if it's possible," Harry replied immediately, anxious.

"Of course it's possible," Gwenlin reassured him. "Buckbean just wanted to make sure that's what you want. Otherwise we'd have to take you back tonight. Now how about you call your friend Hermione and invite her to visit us tomorrow after school?"

"And yes..."

"... it's possible," the twins threw in, grinning.

With Gwenlin's help, Harry floo-called Hermione, who was very happy after hearing what he told her about Goblin Island and excitedly agreed to visit Harry the following day.

'I can't wait to show everything to her,' Harry thought when he was in bed later on and Gwenlin had gently tucked him in. However, in the morning, he was so excited about his new school that everything else remained out of his mind for a few hours.

tbc...