Bankor cleared his throat before speaking.
"As you know," he said in a placating tone, "through my contacts with the Ministry I am kept well informed about the issues-of-the-day here at home as well as events throughout the wider wizarding world." The soporific effect of the milquetoast Minister's voice drew a rasping snore from their obese boss as he continued.
"I can assure you, the Ministry is considering no new restrictions, strictures, or curtailments at this present time, nor are they likely to attack us," he said with a smile. "And I would know if any of the Ministry money has gone missing - though I cannot say the same for their Personal Accounts," Overseer Bankor was quick to add.
"That's good to know," Barchoke acknowledged, "I have no doubts as to the thoroughness of your servicing of the Minister of Magic." The human seemed to be the only one to pick up on what he meant by that. "But it wasn't your department we're here to discuss. The Ministry at large may be unaware of this Breach," Barchoke let the suspense build for a moment, "but the issue is well known within the halls of Hogwarts-"
Almost as one the Overseers' eyes converged on the human amongst them as Barnabas Marsh's brow became… marshy as the formerly pompous pureblood suddenly wasn't so confident.
"-And it deals with Confidential Affairs," Barchoke cried, pointing at Overseer Lognot, seated beside the now emotionally-drained Marsh.
Lognot's eyes bulged and he became as white as parchment. Gutripper turned to leer at the goblin in question. Lognot having full-time control of a dedicated contingent of guards had always been a point of contention between Security and Confidential Affairs, and he was a much closer target - one his dagger could actually reach. Grand Overseer Largrot woke again with a snort.
...
It was a quiet and nervous group surrounded by Gringotts Guards who followed Lichfield down the same rough-hewn hallway back to the same small room as before. The girl had gone from petrified to jittery. He nodded courteously to the bald goblin who held the door for them.
"Thank you for your service and swift death to your enemies," he said as he handed the box carrying wands over before the metal door closed them in. Lichfield didn't know who the guard had declared vengeance upon but as long as it wasn't him he didn't care.
After glancing up at the runes near the ceiling he turned to Arthur. "I'm sorry your kid got dragged into this, but I think it's better I take it from here."
"I can't leave Ron alone," Arthur replied; the kid didn't seem to enjoy the prospect either.
"I know you want to protect your kid," Lichfield gruffed when it looked like the other kids were going to join in the argument. "But you wouldn't tend to him yourself if he got a bad case of spattergroit, would you?"
"O-of course not," Arthur said, obviously wondering what that had to do with anything.
"Well, that's what we got here," Lichfield said. "They're infected, I'm the healer, and you're the concerned parent. The only way I can do my job is to get you out of the way before - no, that won't work," he said, thinking of the Overseers somewhere above them. "They won't like being compared to a bizarre fungal infection if they overhear that bit."
"I thought you said this room was protected," Harry interjected.
Lichfield quieted him with a finger to the lips and a look.
"Why can't I stay?" Arthur asked, clearly confused.
"What we're dealing with here isn't Ministry justice," Lichfield tried to explain. "It's Goblin justice, Gringotts rules, and cut-throat office politics."
"Do they actually cut throats?" the girl asked, still a little wide-eyed.
"They have," he replied, "but only Barchoke will have to worry about that if you're wrong. He's putting a lot of faith in you," Lichfield said to Harry with a look saying they'd better be right. "Even being recognized as their litigator," he said to Arthur, "it'll be a stretch for me to be able to go in there with them since goblin justice doesn't use them. They won't care if you're this one's father or not-"
"-I have a name, you know," the ginger kid interrupted.
"-And I'm sure it's pretty," Lichfield shot back, "but they won't care who you are either, only what you know. But again," he pressed Arthur, "you won't be allowed in at all, and you being there will make it tougher for me to get in. The only chance we have to get an outsider in the room with them is for me to go alone."
Arthur looked at the kids, the concerned and uncertain parent look written all over his face. The image of a dark haired, dark eyed girl he had never gotten the chance to meet swam in front of him for a moment. She would have been about the same age as Harry's parents. Mentally he shook himself. 'Work now, grieve later, ' Lichfield told himself. It gave him an idea though.
"Arthur," he said, drawing the other man's eyes to him. "Has the family ever steered you wrong?"
The man blinked at him for a moment and then smiled. "Under your protection?" he asked.
"Someone's got to act like the guardian the kid's never had," he said with a shrug as Harry gave him a curious look.
"You protect Ron from them and me from Molly and I'm willing to go with you on this," Arthur said. "But what am I supposed to do in the meantime if I can't leave the building?"
The girl's brain finally seemed to snap.
"Dad," she said, turning to Arthur Weasley. Maybe a trip to Saint Mungo's for mental healing was going to be the next order of business once the building reopened.
"Could you find out what happened to my dad and make sure he doesn't get into any more trouble?" the girl asked, quieting his concerns for her sanity. Barchoke already had one mad litigator working for him, Lichfield didn't need the competition.
"Having him not speak at all would be ideal," he told Arthur with a look, earning a nod from the girl.
"I'll do what I can," Arthur said. "You really think they'll let me walk out there?"
"Only one way to find out," Lichfield replied as he jiggled the door handle and stepped back.
The iron door opened a few inches.
"What?" a goblin from the hallway demanded.
"Mr. Weasley appears to have no knowledge the Overseers are interested in," Lichfield said to the cracked door. "Please have someone escort him to the lobby's waiting area until his son is ready to leave. I will be staying to represent the others."
There was a moment's pause. No doubt the guards were fairly uncertain about what exactly was going on and what precisely was expected of them. Detaining witnesses was one thing but a witness's parent? He was hoping his role in prior Ministry-based investigations would convey he knew what he was talking about, or at least he'd be the one to blame if his request ran contrary to Overseer wishes. After all, if they did, the lobby wasn't that far away and the man could be dragged back in here easily enough.
The door opened the rest of the way in one smooth motion and the goblins peered cautiously inside. Just because they appeared to be wandless and held captive in a warded room a level below the bank while the entire building was shut down was no reason for them to be lax.
As Arthur disappeared with a metallic bang the boy finally turned on him.
"What's going to happen to-," Harry asked before he silenced him with another finger across the lips.
When he had the kids' attention he put his hands over his eyes for a moment before removing them. He gestured they should to the same, and then again when they stared at him stupidly. The kids momentarily blindfolded, Lester withdrew his emergency wand from behind his ear, and with a flick it became visible.
.....
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