AN: Well I've been thinking up this story for a while, so I've finally decided to put it on the computer. For money purposes, I am going of the estimate that 1 galleon = £7.86, and in 1993 £1 =$1.49, just to give you a sense of how much Harry spends. You can do the math yourselves, and I have tried to stay as accurate to how much things would really cost. I am not trying to be outrageous in the prices.

I apologize now, I am American and do not know how the English speak or the slang they use. I can only apologize and hope you don't hold it against me and continue to read my story. Read and please let me know what you think so far.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything about or in the Harry Potter world. Chapter Edited 7/04/14.

Chapter One: Goblins and Surprises

Harry felt his stomach clench in excitement as he stepped into Diagon Alley. It was the first day of his freedom, the first day for him to once more be a wizard. He knew he should feel regret about blowing up his aunt, but he wasn't punished and he had two weeks before term began, making Harry very grateful for the turn of events.

'Not to mention she's beastly!'

Harry grinned to himself as he set off towards Gringotts, planning to get his school shopping out of the way, so that he could relax the rest of the time.

'Except you still have to do all your homework.'

Harry groaned as the thought filtered through his mind. The Dursley's hadn't allowed him to do any work, so he had to catch up; especially if he wanted to be done by the time the Weasleys made it to Diagon Alley.

'I will visit the bank, then grab my school supplies and spend the next two weeks doing my work. That way when Ron and Hermione get here, I'll be done.'

Harry nodded absently to himself, causing a store clerk that was setting up for the day to give him a weird look. He smoothed down his bangs, making sure that they covered his scar, not wanting to draw too much attention. Harry ignored the man and made his way to the bank, thankful that he had started his day early as there weren't many people out and about.

Approaching the tall podium, Harry scanned the hall, noticing that while most wizards had not yet mobilized for the day, the goblins seemed to already be deep in work.

On one side of the chamber, the creatures were weighing different metals and already forged coins and gems. The other side had what Harry guessed was the record keepers, because they were all writing, their quills scratching across the parchment until the hall was a mixture of scratching and dinging sounds.

Harry supposed that some would find the atmosphere irritating and stuffy, as many wizards and witches looked down on goblins. Or at least, from what Harry had observed, the goblins were often talked down to.

Yet, Harry found the surroundings soothing and felt confident in their ability to manage his gold. Harry was brought out of his thoughts at the gruff voice that came from the top of the podium, demanding to know what he wanted.

"Um, I was hoping to get into my vault. I have my key." The goblin glared down at Harry, making it clear that he was anything but happy to assist him.

"Name?"

"Potter, Harry Potter." When Harry uttered his name, he was surprised to see the goblin's eyes widened before he started flipping through a stack of paper. When he came to the one he was looking for, the goblin nodded to himself before turning back to the confused teen.

"If you will please wait over there, the manager of your accounts has requested your audience. It will be a few moments." The goblin explained in a much more courteous tone before turning to another goblin, murmuring something to it in a strange language.

Harry was beyond confused as to why the manager wanted to speak with him, but he moved over to the indicated seating. He was surprised as he watched the creature at the podium speak with another one, and then the second goblin simply walked into a wall.

'It must be like the platform.' Harry sat down and waited, trying to come up with reasons for the requested meeting.

A few minutes later, the second goblin came back out of the wall and motioned for Harry to step back behind the counter. The teen quickly made his way over and watched as the goblin placed a hand on part of the solid, plain wall, watching as it morphed into a gold inlaid door. Harry's eyes were wide as he followed the goblin into the hallway and down a few passages.

Finally coming to a set of large wooden doors, the goblin rapped twice before opening it. He pushed Harry into the room and closed the door behind him without a word. The boy turned to see a well-dressed goblin sitting behind a massive desk, also decorated with gold, which was covered in files and folders.

"Good morning Mr. Potter. I am Ragniok, the manager of your account. Please have a seat." The goblin motioned to one of the plush chairs in front of his desk. Harry made his way over to the seat and lowered himself, watching as the manager pulled a large folder towards him.

"Excuse me sir, but I'm not sure why I'm here. I thought everything was fine with my vault. Has something happened?"

"Mr. Potter, I asked the front desk to bring you to see me if you came in because you have not inquired about your accounts, which is unusual for the last heir of a Noble family. I had expected you years ago." Ragniok's voice held frustration and irritation, obviously put out about Harry's lack of interest. The wizard's face grew more confused as the goblin continued until he was shaking his head in denial.

"I'm sorry sir, I was told about my vault my parents set up and was given my key. I wasn't aware that anymore needed to be done. I apologize; I didn't mean to offend you or the Goblin Nation if I did so."

"Well, then someone has not properly informed you. You should have been told about this when you came back into the Magical world. But nevertheless, our business today concerns your Holdings vault. As you are not old enough to access your Family vault without a guardian's consent, I was not sure if you wanted to gain access to your other belongings. In your parents' will, they specifically requested that you visit the Holdings vault as soon as your guardian thought it was appropriate."

"Wait, I know I keep interrupting you sir, but I don't have a clue about what you're talking about, sir. I don't have a "Holdings" vault or a "Family" vault. All I've ever had was the Trust vault set up for school. I think you might have me confused with someone else."

"Of course I have the right person, as you're Harry James Potter. Are you saying that you do not know about your accounts? Have you ever even heard your parents' will Mr. Potter?"

"Um, no I was only one when they died. No one has ever shown it to me. I just thought they didn't make one."

"Of course they made one; being a Noble family would demand it. They would have to make sure all their assets were properly sorted. I can't actually show you the will without your guardian, but your parents left everything to you, with 50 galleons to be drawn out of the Trust vault a month for your care. Here, this is a list of all the assets you have currently." Ragniok pulled out a sheet of parchment from the open file and handed it to Harry.

Harry starred down at the writing, not completely sure if he should believe what it showed 'That's a lot of money!' Harry looked away from the sum and scanned the properties and businesses that were owned by the Potter family. Then he saw that he did indeed have 3 vaults: the Trust, Holdings, and Family ones Ragniok had mentioned.

"This is all mine? Really?"

"Yes, Mr. Potter. Your family is an ancient and noble line, with each generation adding their own earnings and possessions to the vaults."

"Mr. Ragniok, why wasn't I told about any of this?"

"I assumed that your guardian would have told you. When you did not request to see the Holdings vault on your first trip here, that is when I began to become concerned. Albus Dumbledore should have told you that as the last heir to a Noble family you would have more than a trust vault, especially since he knew of your birthright."

"Dumbledore? He knew about my…inheritance?"

"Yes, Dumbledore was at the reading of your parents' will. It troubles me that you have been neglected from the knowledge of your heritage. It is not in Goblin custom to leave our young in the dark. But, those matters are between wizards. I am simply concerned with making you aware of your accounts; what you do about the other revealed information is up to you." Ragniok gave Harry a look that showed how much he thought Harry should look into those matters. He nodded at the goblin before handing the parchment back to the manager.

"I'm not educated in the ways of either the Magical or Muggle world, so I was wondering if you would perhaps continue to look over my accounts, and send me reports or something of that nature. I don't know the first thing about banking or money managing, but I trust you to care for my gold."

"I would be happy to continue to serve as the manager to your accounts. I will review them, and send you a report once I'm done. Now, let me explain your Holdings vault. This is where the Potter family has put the belongings that they didn't want on the various estates, or they were excess. Also, every major item, such as ones holding magical properties or such, is usually placed in the vault once the family leaves a home so that nothing happens to them."

"So there's…furniture and stuff in there?"

"Yes, there are all sorts of items located within the chamber. Goblins don't go into vaults such as those or Family vaults, because they're keyed into the blood of the family. You can only take one visitor with you, as you have to be touching them and the door at the same time. You can take anything in or out of the vault; to place an item in it, just tap it twice with your wand and say "Holdings" and it will be transported straight to the vault."

"Great, thank you for explaining everything to me. I will look into why I've been kept from my inheritance, but I'm not sure how well that will go. If it's true and Dumbledore has known about this all along, I don't know what else he's kept from me." Harry was scowling, trying to understand why someone that he had viewed as a mentor and…well grandfather would keep something so important from him.

"I do have a quick question before I let you get back to your work. Is there any way that I could just automatically draw money out of my account? It's just that I plan to buy quite a bit today, and I don't want to have to lug around galleons. Also, I might venture out into London, and I need a quick way of transferring galleons to pounds."

"Yes, we do actually have something, although it's not asked for often. It will cost around 100 galleons, if you want one." Upon the boy's nod, Ragniok stood from his desk and left the office.

Harry took the time to look at his surroundings, taking in the dark colors that were offset by gold. The paintings on the walls varied from depicting goblins at war, or goblins relishing in precious metals and gems. He was interrupted from his perusal as Ragniok came back into the room, carrying a couple of items.

He placed them down on the desk and picked a small square wallet, opening it up until Harry saw it looked similar to Uncle Vernon's money pouch.

"This is a wallet that has been connected to your Trust account. All you have to do to get the proper amount of galleons, sickles, or knuts is to open this part and stick your hand inside and request the amount." Ragniok explained, showing Harry the designated portion of the wallet that was meant for magical money. It looked just like the coin section of a Muggle wallet, except it didn't seem to have a zipper.

"For Muggle money, open it longwise and ask for the amount of pounds and pence and it will appear in your hand. But, to keep from appearing…strange in front of the Muggles, we have copied their form of card money, where you swipe the card and the money is transferred. I believe they call it a credit card. You will swipe the card and then I believe you have to sign your name, so please sign the back of this."

Ragniok set the card face down on the desk and handed Harry a pen. He took the writing tool, noting that it was much easier to write with than to have to load a quill up with ink, which often left blots on the parchment as you wrote.

'I'll have to buy some before school starts. I can't believe I've actually forgotten about them.'

"Very good, Mr. Potter. Now, to make sure the wallet is not stolen or used without your consent, please give me your hand."

Harry extended his hand and tried not to jump and pull his arm back when he felt the goblin pierce his finger. He was about to question the creature when Ragniok turned his hand over and allowed a single drop of blood to fall onto the wallet. Harry expected the blood to stain the leather and run down it; instead, it sank into material with a small flash of light.

"Now the wallet can only be opened by you. Also, there are anti-theft spells on it, for both magical and muggle modes of stealing, as well as a waterproof charm. I have also supplied you with an identification card, since you are too young for a driver's license. Is there anything else I can do for you today Mr. Potter?"

"I don't think so, Mr. Ragniok. I greatly appreciate you taking your time to shed light on my accounts. I am not sure how long it would have taken me to find out the truth if you hadn't requested this meeting. I will let you get back to work. Thank you again for your time and help."

"It was my pleasure, Mr. Potter. I will send you that report on your accounts as soon as I have had a chance to look them over in detail. Please feel free to send me a letter if you have any questions or concerns." Ragniok said as he escorted the teen out of his office. Harry shook his hand and bowed his head, not sure what the proper custom was for goblins.

'I'll have to buy a book on goblin custom to make sure I don't offend anyone.'

Ragniok bowed his head also before stepping back into his office, signaling to a goblin in the hallway to escort him back to the front of the bank.

Now that Harry didn't have to go to his Trust vault, he decided to visit the Holdings one before he went shopping. Ragniok had said that his parents wanted him to go to the vault as soon as possible, so there must be something important in its depths. He went back to the high podium and asked to see his Holdings vault, which he was quickly escorted to by a familiar goblin.

Once they had reached the appropriate level, the cart slowed down until it eased to a stop. Harry had to stay still for a moment to make sure his stomach was going to stay in place before stepping out of the cart. He turned back to the goblin and gave him a bow of thanks.

"Thank you for escorting me, Griphook." The goblin's eyes widened at that, not accustomed to wizards bothering to remembering specific goblins.

"You are welcome, Mr. Potter. When you are done, ring the bell and a cart will come back for you. Have a good day."

The goblin was extremely polite, which Harry figured was not a common occurrence. He bowed again before turning to the stretch of wall, where two massive stone doors stood. He heard Griphook whiz past, probably headed back to the top.

On the doors were carvings of phoenixes, in different stages of life, going from birth to death to rebirth. Harry took a deep breath before laying a hand on the right door, steeling himself.

He had expected the pull inwards would be painful, but Harry had to admit that it was almost pleasant. It was like stepping through a warm shower, only he didn't come out wet on the other side.

When his feet hit the floor of the chamber, torches lit all over the cavern, illuminating the area. Once his eyes adjusted, Harry was shocked by the contents. He could make out that there did seem to be some form of organization, as all the furniture seemed to be located in one section and…what looked like clothes were in another, along with other random belongings in their own sections.

Harry stepped further into the room and his eyes were drawn to the center, where there was a box sitting on top of a table. Since the other furniture was in a different area, Harry determined that whatever was inside the box was probably the reason his parents had wanted him to visit.

Stepping up to the box, Harry was surprised to see his name carved into the surface. He traced the wood reverently, having to stop himself from ripping the top off to see what was inside. He looked around, spotting a horrifyingly lime green chair, taking the box over to it and sitting down.

'No wonder it was placed in here. This thing is absolutely dreadful. Why anyone would actually purchase it is beyond me.'

Harry shook his head, bringing himself out of those thoughts and refocusing on the box. He held it up so that he could see the sides, and was confused as to why there were illustrations of a stag, dog, wolf, fox and…Harry squinted his eyes and was finally able to make out that the fifth animal was a rat. He didn't understand why those specific animals were chosen, but the carving was beautiful nonetheless.

Setting the box down in his lap, Harry slowly lifted the lid, being careful because he wasn't sure how good of shape it was in after all these years. Although, there wasn't any dust on it, so Harry had to assume there was a type of preservation charm on it.

Once the box was open, Harry found an envelope addressed to him resting on top. The feminine script spelling out his name caused Harry's heart to constrict and his hands begin to tremble.

'This letter is from my mum!'

Harry slowly lifted the envelope out, moving to place the box on a table next to the chair before refocusing on the letter. His hands shook as he slowly opened the envelope, sliding the folded parchment out. He laid the envelope next to the box and carefully unfolded the paper, until the pages were flattened in his lap. He had to take several deep breaths as his heart began to race, not wanting to accidentally rip the parchment.

Dearest Harry,

If you are reading this, then that means your father and I have not lived through this war. I am so very sorry that you have had to go through your life without us. I can only express how much you mean to the both of us and that we are so proud of you. *sniffles*

Sorry son, your mother had to collect herself. We're sitting in the den, watching you play with the stuffed dog Sirius got you and it's painful to realize how close we are to our own deaths, but please know that we went down fighting. You are the most important thing to us and I will gladly lay down my life to protect you and your mother.

I'm alright. Sorry Harry, I just needed a minute. I am so proud of you already, and you're only a year old. You're already forming sentences, which is astounding. Your father and I decided to write this to you so that you would have something from us.

I hope that your life has been filled with laughter and love. Sirius might be childish, but he loves you like his own and I know he will make a great godfather. Just please try to stay out of trouble.

Humph, don't listen to your mother. The whole point of going to school is to have fun and pull pranks.

JAMES! Don't tell him that! Don't let him fool you Harry, once he got his act together, your father was at the top of his class and even made Head Boy. But he is right about enjoying yourself. Your life is going to be full of obstacles and trials that I wished I could spare you from, so it is important that you make true friends and live every moment to its fullest.

And Harry, make sure you keep the guide to becoming an Animagus that's in the box. The Marauders made our own edition because we found there were better techniques, and I'm certain you'll be one, since the gene is usually hereditary. As well as a famous Quidditch player. I took you up the other day and your whole face lit up. Whoops.

Took him up on your broom, did you James?

Aw come on Lils, you know he loved it. And nothing happened to him, see he's just fine. *baby giggles*

That's not the point, James! You could have dropped him or something!

Harry, I love you and am very proud that you're my son. Know that I will always be looking down on you with pride and joy. *door opens and shuts*

Your father is such a chicken. He's run away because he knows I am going to hex his bits! Anyways, I love you so much Harry. You have been the light of my life and every time I am with you or think of you, my heart swells with love.

Please do not be too mad at us for leaving you, because I can assure you it was against our will. As your father said, I will also be looking down on you and will always be with you. Try your best in everything you do. Know that every time you feel the wind or sun on your face, your father and I are thinking of you.

With all our love, Mom and Dad

Harry starred down at the pages, tears streaming down his cheeks. He never thought he would actually have anything from his parents, and yet here he was with a handwritten letter. Harry set it aside, afraid he might get it wet from crying.

He scrubbed at his face with his hands, trying to gain control over himself. Once his eyes were again dry, Harry reread the letter, his own heart swelling with the knowledge that his parents loved him. He paused when he came to the part about someone named Sirius supposedly being his guardian.

'I wonder why I've never met him. Why isn't he my guardian now? Something must've happened.'

Harry set the letter aside once more and pulled the box back over to him, looking inside. He was met with a picture of strikingly green eyes.

Pulling the stack of photos out of the box, he saw a note that said the pictures were ones that hadn't been placed in any photo album yet. He shifted through the pictures, noting that most of them seemed to be from the same span of time, as Harry looked to be around one.

He stopped at a picture of Lily holding a baby Harry in her arms, with James standing behind her, his arms around her waist and resting on Harry. Both of the young adults were smiling in happiness and would share a kiss every few seconds.

Harry watched the photo as Lily tickled the baby, causing him to giggle, which made the parents smile wider and laugh. Harry wiped another tear from his cheek and set the picture aside, looking over some more. When he got to the last one in the stack, Harry turned his attention back to the open box.

The only thing left at the bottom, besides the book James had commented on, was a small silk pouch. He opened it and turned it over, surprised when five rings fell into his palm. He closed his eyes against the pain when he realized he was holding his parents' wedding rings. Collecting himself once more, Harry brought his hand closer to his face to get a better look.

Harry picked up what was obviously a family ring, as the thick band had a circular top, with an intricate P that was on top of swords, which were crossing in an X shape, and then laid over a phoenix, which had its wings spread wide. Harry guessed that it was the Potter crest and slipped the ring on his right middle finger, and was surprised when the ring shrank to fit.

The other masculine ring was made out of the same metal, but instead of a crest engraving, it had a stag.

'That's two stags already. And my dad mentioned he wanted me to be an Animagus too, which meant he was one. So I guess he was a stag.'

Harry traced the shape with wonderment, remembering Professor McGonagall's cat form. He set the ring down and picked up the other three, which all seemed to be of the same metal of the male rings.

One of the rings had a heart shaped garnet, and as Harry examined further, I promise to love you forever was etched on the inside of the ring. The other ring had a slim band that had diamonds inlaid. The center stone was probably 3 carats, although Harry wouldn't know for sure. The last ring had a row of small diamonds, and Harry concluded it must be the wedding band.

Gathering all the rings in his hand, besides the one on his finger, Harry contemplated what to do with them. He debated trying to find some type of necklace to keep them on him, but the thought of something happening to them caused him to rethink that plan.

He slid the rings back into the pouch and loaded everything back into the box. He didn't take the book out because he figured he could look at it later. Instead, he began to explore what else the Holdings vault contained.

He scanned the furniture that he was surrounded by, and seeing nothing of interest, he moved over to the artwork, figuring that he would look through everything so he didn't miss anything, even when he knew he probably wouldn't be taking anything out of the artwork section.

'I mean, where am I going to put paintings?'

Harry rolled his eyes at himself before he moved a couple of tapestries to peer at the other pieces. His eyes widened and his heart lurched, not sure if he should believe his eyes.

"Mom? Dad?"

AN: Ah! A cliffhanger! Please review and let me know what you think.