"What about the rest of the Slytherins?" Ernie asked, holding his hands up defensively when Daphne whipped around to glare at him. "Obviously you three are alright, but how do we know who else is trustworthy? We don't know who might already be on You-Know-Who's side."
"Do you really think anyone who's still a school kid can be on his side?" Harry pointed out wryly. "Even if they think they are, they have no idea what war is really like. I'm not saying go out and hug every Slytherin, but don't treat them any differently than you would a Ravenclaw or Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. If we automatically write them off just because of their house, we're as bad as Dumbledore." How many Slytherins could they save just by reaching a hand out in friendship? From what he'd learned from Remus and Sirius over the summer, everyone assumed the Slytherin kids were lost to the dark from the moment they were sorted into the house. That's how Voldemort ended up with such a huge following; they had nowhere else to go.
"So that's your grand plan?" Blaise asked with a raised eyebrow. "Friendship? You do realise you couldn't sound more Gryffindor if you tried?"
Harry grinned at him. "That's exactly why it's so perfect. Dumbledore couldn't possibly get angry about all his students being friends, not without having to face some serious questions." The headmaster would have no choice but to encourage them. "Think about it; all the school-sanctioned clubs are single-house only. Quidditch teams, study groups, hell, even the gobstones club is separated by house. It's like they don't want us interacting with each other. Shouldn't they be trying to encourage inter-house unity? We're all supposed to work together once we leave Hogwarts, after all." The only attempt at inter-house cooperation was pairing them together for classes, but even then that often stayed with one house on one side of the classroom and one house on the other.
"It is a bit weird," Parvati agreed. "Even when Padma and I got sorted into different houses, people acted like I was supposed to just stop talking to her. She's my twin sister."
"So we make friends, then," Susan declared. "And when the time is right, we start up the study group." "We can start small," Neville suggested, balking a little as every eye in the room turned to him. "Asking to borrow a quill, complimenting someone's hair. Being nice to Slytherins. It'll look weird if we all suddenly want to be best friends with people outside our houses."
"Neville's got a point," Harry agreed. "We don't want to look suspicious."
"I hope you aren't expecting me to be nice to people, Potter," Daphne drawled. Harry snorted.
"Wouldn't dream of it," he replied sweetly. "Just be a bitch to everyone equally and you'll be fine." That made Daphne laugh. After a summer writing letters to the Slytherin girl, Harry was pretty sure he had a handle on her particular brand of humour.
"If we're starting a study group, can we start now?" Sullivan asked, glancing around the group. "You've all done third year Transfiguration. This essay on mammal transformations is doing my head in."
It turned out a lot of them had brought their books with them, having come straight from lessons, and it was an easy transition to working together. Most of them were fourth years, after all. Cassius, the one sixth year of the group, was saved when he admitted he had Herbology homework, and Neville jumped at the chance to help with the advanced work. It made Harry smile to watch his shy Gryffindor friend slowly gain confidence as he explained things to Cassius, who took diligent notes.
Maybe it wouldn't be so hard after all.
.-.-.-.
Hedwig was a smarter owl than Harry gave her credit for; rather than swooping in at breakfast with the rest of the morning post, she waited up in Harry's dorm window, letter securely attached to her leg. Harry was alone when he found her — no need to make up an excuse to hide the letter from Ron and Hermione. As if they had any right to read his mail!
He unfolded scanning the handwriting.
the parchment, quickly goblin's neat cursive Dear Mr Potter
The news of your scar is troubling. I will set my best team on the matter and let you know if we have any results, though this is unlike any prior cursebreaking we have come across in recent memory. It may not be something we can assist with.
The matter of your vault is an easier one, however. I have made arrangements with Farlig for your vault security to be upgraded — no one will be allowed access without you present beside them, unless you have given us prior, in-person permission that can be verified by magical signature. If certain people ask, we will excuse it as standard security changes. I have also enclosed a list of vault transactions in the last fourteen years if any of these are unauthorised or unwelcome, we are happy to take recompense from the offender's personal vaults. You are also within your rights to demand any items removed from your vaults are returned.
May your vaults be ever full,
Gorrak
Sr Inheritance Manager, Gringotts Bank
There was a second piece of parchment folded beside the first. Harry opened it up, his heart sinking to the pit of his stomach the more he read. It had the most recent transactions listed first; Harry's name was written next to almost every one of them. However, there were several that didn't add up — a withdrawal of 30 galleons from Molly Weasley this summer. She hadn't bought anything for Harry; why was she taking money from his vault??
The further Harry read back, the less things made sense. A handful of withdrawals from Molly Weasley over the last three years, all for more than she possibly could have spent on Harry's school supplies. Not enormous amounts, but certainly not necessary. And then he got to the withdrawals from Dumbledore.
Regular money withdrawals — far larger sums than Molly Weasley ever withdrew — as well as what looked like several Potter family heirlooms; books, jewellery, art, all sorts. The listings went right back to November 1981; mere weeks after Harry's parents had died.
Even if Dumbledore had been sending the Dursleys some sort of stipend for caring for Harry — which, he knew from their multiple complaints on the subject, he hadn't — that didn't excuse the heirlooms. That didn't excuse the withdrawals during the school year, when the Dursleys didn't even have Harry.
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