A/N –The characters and world are the creation of JK Rowling and it is not my intention to steal or ruin them, I simply like to play with them a bit.

...And so we begin...Chapter Three

The Leaky Cauldron

"Okay, the mirror won't stop complimenting me!" Harry exclaimed as he dashed out of the bathroom. "And it is getting quite racy..."

All of the research in the world couldn't prepare you for the wizarding world. After eleven years of muggle living, Harry wasn't sure he would ever get used to the casual use of magic. He'd almost been knocked out by a mug when they arrived at the famous magical pub (not that the witch summoning the mug would ever admit she almost hit him), and Draco had almost been tripped down the stairs by the mop (which was apparently "doing its evening rounds" as they were haughtily informed by the bucket accompanying it.)

"Yes, well at least the blasted mirror likes you!" Draco lamented, "That's what I get for letting you have the loo first."

When Draco had entered the bathroom the night before, the mirror had promptly said that if he was trying to copy "Handsome Harry" then he should know that his hair was backwards, and he was too short. Draco, being the slightly vain creature he is, proceeded to insult the mirror's frame, cleanliness, and overall reflective capabilities. The shouting match that had ensued would have gotten them kicked out of a muggle establishment and only ended when the mirror turned completely black and refused to speak any more.

"Yeh, you were rather creative last night." Harry chuckled. "At least we don't have to stay here any longer than one night. After we see the goblins we should be able to pick an estate to stay at." Draco rolled his eyes.

"Speaking of, we need to go. I would rather get through the alley before the rush. There will be fewer people gawking."

"I'm ready when you are!" Harry opened the door, bag over his shoulder. They turned their key in to Tom, and walked out the back entrance, and into Diagon Alley.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

No one but the brothers noticed the slight stiffening of the Goblin guards at the door of Gringotts as they passed, but the few early morning patrons did notice the lone goblin who met them at the door and whisked them away through a door behind the counters. Harry and Draco were expecting this, and followed behind the unnamed goblin without complaint. Draco had studied the Goblin Nation's customs closely, and both he and Harry were well prepared.

They were escorted to an empty conference room, and left to wait alone, still without a word having been uttered by their guide. Silence was highly valued by the goblins, as it showed restraint and thoughtfulness. Harry and Draco sat down, keeping their backs to the door, as was custom for the first to arrive to a peaceful meeting, with Harry sitting to the left of Draco, showing who was older and therefore the leader, according to goblin social laws. This showed a trust and respect for the party you were meeting.

It wasn't many minuted later that a goblin, larger than most, entered the room. He noticed the seating arrangement, but knew it could be a coincidence, and so subtly continued the customary meeting opening by bowing to the person seated on the left first, then the right. The boys continued the dance rising, Harry bowing first and Draco bowing second.

The goblin's face lit with happy surprise at the actions, and respect they made clear, as he stuck out his hand to shake theirs. Draco and Harry relaxed and smiled back at the goblins show of respect for their own cultural norms and accepted his hand.

"I am Manager Gemble tsa Zautso, though the wizards call me Bone-Crusher."

"Manager Gemble tsa Zautso, I am Harry Potter, and this is my brother Draco Malfoy, though the wizards call him Draco Potter." Harry smiled fully at the bank manager for the first time, as they sat at the table once again. Draco, continuing the goblin custom, allowed Harry to do the speaking for now. He trusted that his brother had learned all Draco taught him.

"It is good to meet you both at last. The Nation has been awaiting your arrival for some time. The guards alerted us to your presence the moment they saw you in the Alley." The brothers recognized this for the test it was, and didn't comment on the subtle hint of the Goblin Nation's fabled psychic inter-connection. It would be in bad taste, and slightly hypocritical, since they had been developing something similar over the years.

"I am glad we were recognized so quickly. It certainly makes our business here today easier." Harry smiled. "Draco will be handling both our assets, so I will be turning the conversation over to him at this time." Draco gave Harry a slight smile, and continued.

"Manager Gemble tsa Zautso, I realize that at my current age, I am ill equipped to handle two very old family estates. I would appreciate, if you don't mind, a recommendation for a goblin account manager while I am at school. I realize this may be far below your notice, but I trust your judgment, as Nature does." The manager's smile had been growing through this entire speech, but it was scarily big now.

"I thank you for your trust. I do know the perfect goblin. My great-nephew Gemble tsa Nuzak, know as Griphook. He will never be a warrior, but his mind is far sharper than most, and he is up to the challenge of handling two such large accounts. I would also recommend that you claim any other inheritance you might have now, though it is an involved process. If the foolish wizarding government gets involved, you will never see them, for your own good of course." The goblin snapped his fingers and in moments a goblin was at the door.

"I believe that would be a good idea." Draco agreed. "It was, in fact, my next inquiry. I am also aware that if we lay claim to at least three family names each, we are emancipated automatically. We are hoping for this outcome."

"Very good." The manager turned to the new arrival. "Please fetch Gemble tsa Nuzak here, and have a shaman bring the inheritance goblet." The smaller goblin bowed and rushed out of the door. "I suspect you studied us, to come here with such good manners, but I am curious where you got the information. Most wizarding libraries and book stores are severely lacking in non-wizarding cultural reference."

"We stumbled upon many interesting books in a muggle library, in a section it seems most others could not see." Harry smirked, thinking back to their many trips to the Lambeth Palace Library.

"It seems Ministry accidentally did something right, and promptly forgot about it. If it wasn't for the charms keeping it updated, I'm sure it would no longer exist." Draco agreed.

"Ah, yes. A muggleborn ministry secretary somehow managed to get the funding for that almost 250 years ago. I am not surprised it was abandoned, though I am surprised it has managed to last this long." The conversation was cut off by a knock at the door. "Come inside, please."

The first goblin who entered, was almost a tall as Manager Gemble tsa Zautso, but much thinner, obviously a scholar.

The second was short and plump, clearly female and very old, and wearing clothing that was at the same time much more elaborate, and much simpler than the other goblins present. Both seemed to show a subtle respect for her, and Harry and Draco followed their example, bowing their heads to her, and rising while she was still unseated. This was not because of her gender, as goblin gender rolls were strictly for child bearing, with men and women being treated exactly the same otherwise, but because of her extensive study into goblin shamanism.

A goblin shaman was very powerful in their own way, though it was never flashy. They were masters of blood magic, seeing connections between people and objects like no other creature on earth. They were also seers of some renown, though most wizards would never trust a goblin seer as far as they could throw them, and given the lack of physical exercise in the wizarding community, that wasn't very far in the first place

The shaman smiled at the wizards and found her seat to the left of both of the other goblins. "Hello Harry and Draco Potter." The rest of the party sat while she got comfortable. "I am tso Magil." Both boys were a little shocked at her informality in giving her name.

"Please call me Harry."

"And me, Draco."

"It is an honor to meet you tso Magil." Harry continued. "We were not expecting to get the chance to meet someone of your standing."

"You flatter an old lady." tso Magil laughed. "I am honored to meet you. The world had chosen you for something very important, though I cannot yet see what it is. I would be foolish to refuse the chance to make a personal alliance with you both. The chosen and his chosen. We have had prophesies about this time for hundreds of years." She looked at them with shrewd eyes, clearly seeing more than anyone else did. The brothers tried not to squirm under her piercing look.

"But the time will come for that later. For now we will stick to making sure that what should be yours, stays yours." She produced a goblet and dagger from somewhere in her clothing. "I am going to assume that you don't know anything about this process, and explain it all from start to finish. This is not meant as an insult, but as an assurance that we have covered all pertinent points, and that there will be no surprises." Draco and Harry bowed their heads in assent, her no nonsense attitude putting both boys slightly more at ease. The goblins to tso Magil's right were clearly attempting not to smile, though there seemed to be some sympathy for the brother's discomfort in their eyes. Tso Magil gave a nod to Gemble tsa Zautso, and he rose to dim the lanterns in the room.

"I have already added the necessary herbs to the goblet. The only thing required now is your blood. As you have been bonded as brothers, I can use just one of you, but a more accurate result will be produced if we mix your blood. This would be necessary even for brothers born of the same parents, so it shows no fault in your bond." Harry didn't realize the tension that had been building in his shoulders until it released with her last sentence. He relaxed and continued to listen.

"Some inheritance's are not about blood heredity, but about magical heredity. There are many vaults that haven't been claimed in hundreds of years, but the ministry is unable to lay claim, due to a magical inheritance that was laid by one of its previous owners." The brothers nodded their understanding and she continued.

"When the blood begins to mingle with the herbs, you will feel it at the site of the cut. It will be painful; this is old magic, and wizards dismiss it as dark for these reasons. I am warning you now so you don't feel I am attempting to corrupt you. The cut will heal almost immediately, but it will feel different for the rest of your life. This is the reason most wizards, even those considered dark, never ask for this spell, though we would never perform it for them anyway. When very dark magic is near the scar will burn, and when very light magic is near it will tingle, so I would choose a place that won't be detrimental to you in a fight." Harry's head tilted as he pondered this. He looked to Draco, who nodded and turned to ask the question.

"Very Light? We haven't found anything about this."

"You wouldn't have. Wizards don't believe anything can be too light. But any extreme is an affront to the natural order. Balance is called for in all things, even magic. That is why you find unicorns living side by side with dark creature. They need each other to exist." Draco nodded and allowed her to continue.

"Once the mixture is ready, I will pour it over a scroll, while saying the ahem magic words," she smirked, "and we should end up with a comprehensive list of inheritances for the both of you. I will then clean the cup in your presence so you can be sure no blood is being kept for nefarious reasons. Does this sound satisfactory to you both?" Harry and Draco's eyes met, and they nodded simultaneously.

"I believe we will use the back of our inferior hand. It shouldn't affect grip, and if it does, we still have our dominant hand anyway." Draco mused. Tso Magil nodded and rose to walk around the table. The brothers and goblins started to rise with her.

"Gemble Tsa Zautso, you know I don't stand on ceremony in close company. I will need to stand for this, but there is no sense in everyone standing the entire time. Sit down!" The manager and the still unnamed goblin, swiftly sat back down, followed by Draco and Harry. "Please give me the hands you have chosen." They each held out a hand, Harry his left and Draco his right. Tso Magil was quick with the knife, and before they realized it, they had matching cuts, bleeding freely into the goblet she held in her other hand. It filled halfway before the cuts suddenly stopped bleeding and healed over, leaving a pink scar.

"Nájdite koreň, sledovať cestu, predok výstava vaše meno" Tso Magil chanted slowly as she poured the mixture over an ordinary piece of parchment on the table.

Knowing it was going to be painful, and actually feeling it were two very different things. Harry held his hand close to his chest, attempting to breath through what seemed like electricity jolting down his fingers, while Draco squeezed his right hand hard with his left and moaned slightly at the pulsing heat surging up his arm. But it was over as quickly as it had begun, and all that was left was a slight ache and a relief that was bone deep.

Tso Magil was watching them closely, but she nodded and looked away, as the mixture turned to words on the page. "The pain is different for everyone. It has meaning, in and of itself, but only you can discover what that is. If I were you, I would find literature about magical scars." She proceeded to wipe the goblet clean with a white rag, and then set the rag on fire. "My part is done, but I do hope you will visit me again. I can assure you that I will help you in any way I can." Without reading the parchment, she gathered her things and left the room.

"Thank you!" Harry attempted to call after her, but the door had already slammed shut. Draco looked towards the remaining Goblins.

"Yes, she is always so abrupt." Gemble Tsa Zautso smirked. "But when you reach her age, you earn the right to act as you wish. I believe wizards would call her eccentric."

"That's the term all right." Harry chuckled. Still massaging his hand, he turned away from the door, and to the parchment on the desk. The younger goblin hid a smirk, and nudged the elder.

"Ah yes. Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy. This is my great-nephew, Gemble tsa Nuzak."

"Please call me Nuzak. We will be working closely together for many years to come. Why don't we take a look at what we will be managing." He replied, getting immediately to business, and skipping over all the formality his uncle was using.

"While he doesn't have the age to be eccentric, Nuzak is certainly different than most goblins." The manager sighed with a slight chuckle and a fond look. "I don't believe my presence in necessary anymore, and so I will bid you both a good day." He rose to leave, taking the time to shake both brothers hands.

"Thank you for all your assistance today." Harry said.

"And for your hospitality." Draco added with a smile. "We will be seeing you again, I am sure. We wouldn't want to disappoint tso Magil."

"It was no problem. You showed immediate respect for our ways, and I respect you for that. I am glad that there are still wizards out there who trust and honor our ways and differences. I look forward to seeing what you two will do in the future." With that he followed tso Magil's example and left.

"My uncle is a hard goblin to impress." Nuzak brought their attention around. "But, that is not why I was brought here, so back to business." He slid the parchment towards the boys so they could read it.

What they saw didn't exactly shock Harry. He had assumed they would inherit many lines that had died out without a blood heir. He was surprised by a few of the family names they would be laying claim to. Under Harry's name was a list of six families, he would be absorbing into the Potter name: Gryffindor, Allnatt, Badrick, Goodliffe, Emrys, and Woolgar. He recognized Gryffindor and Emrys, though he knew his connection to both to be strictly magical and not by blood. The other four he would need to research as he had never heard of them before.

Draco, being the "second in line", became heir to the lesser families. Not including Malfoy, his list had only two other names: Black, and Quenell.

"I assume you recognize the importance of some of the inheritances you have received. Mr. Malfoy, I would like to point out that the Black inheritance, while claimable now, will not technically be yours for a full year, due to the live, though imprisoned, Black family members." Nuzak began as they finished reading. "As soon as you claim the names, you will emancipated, as you already knew, and all monies and items will be transferred to the oldest most secure vault you now own. Do you claim these families?"

Harry stared at the list. He knew he could be selective in claiming any other "family" under the protection of the Potter name, and he knew the notoriety this might thrust upon him. "Is there any way to keep this from getting out?" He questioned. "At least for a bit. This will make it quite hard to be in the Alley."

"I can keep it from the Ministry for exactly 24 hours after the claiming. It would give you time to get what you need done." Nuzak agreed.

"Then yes, I, Harry Potter, lay claim to all inheritances put forth by the goblin shaman as mine."

And, I, Draco Malfoy-Potter, lay claim to all inheritances put forth by the goblin shaman as mine."

There was no noticeable change for either boy, but each felt the weight of the responsibility they now officially carried, and the lightness of being the masters of their own fate.

A/N – I want to thank everyone for sticking around for so many years. Getting married and having kids makes life slightly more(read extremely) busy. I have had a reviewer ask if this was going to be slash, and I wanted to say that it is NOT a slash fic. This is about familial relationships, and romantic relationships will be almost non-existent. Sorry to all those who got their hopes up!

Reviews make me happy so...