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Potterâ€™s Affairs Challenge Update (1)

Looking around, one would think they were in a rich, plush corporate headquarters conference room in a tall building overlooking downtown London or something. But to the contrary, they were about 100 meters below the ground of a goblin-banking institute in a very secure and private conference room used only for special Gringotts account holders. However, the room they were in was still quite posh.

To the left sat Gavin Smythe, a highly successful, senior wizard-banking solicitor of a prestigious financial firm who has been managing the Potterâ€™s portfolio for many generations. To the right sat Griphook, a goblin financial manager at Londonâ€™s Gringotts bank recently promoted to the Potterâ€™s account. He came highly recommended by the bankâ€™s president at Harryâ€™s inquiry. And, of course, sitting in the middle of the conference table was Harry Potter himself, now of age but still attending his last year at Hogwarts School.

â€œSo, let me get this straight.â€ Mr. Smythe said. â€œYou want to end up with only three vaults when we complete the mergings. You want to retain the Potter Family Ancestral Vault and combine everything from the others into it. The same thing with the Black Family Ancestral Vault and the other two they had. And one other smaller vault for your normal, every day expenses and needs.â€

â€œYes.â€ Harry acknowledged. â€œAnd a complete inventory of everything I own in each vault, including lands, homes, furnishings, jewelry, stocks and bonds, company holdings, all currencies and anything else you find. And a one-page summary is to be maintained in the normal vault I will access on a regular basis.â€

â€œNow, what about this separate vault you mentioned earlier, Mr. Potter?â€ Griphook spoke up.

â€œYes. I want to register a new vault like a business, having nothing to do with me as a private individual and no connection to any other vaults I have. But here is where you two come into play.â€ Harry looked at both to ensure he had their attention.

â€œI want you two to research, investigate, and actively pursue any and all awards, monies, war reparations, war booty, Death Eater frozen accounts, fees, Ministry funds, compensation, anything that I may be entitled to as The-Boy-Who-Won, the destroyer of Voldemort, the winner of the war, whatever you want to call it. Check goblin banking laws, Wizard and ministry laws and rulings, and even Muggle laws if it may apply to any Muggle company or banking holdings. I want us to be as greedy as we can. All that we get will go into this business vault.â€

â€œOn the other side, I want an accounting of all the damage caused by Voldemort and his followers since I was born 17 years ago. Families ruined, homes destroyed, both Muggle and Wizard, orphans, crops, livelihoodsâ€™, etc. Just walk down Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade and see the destroyed or boarded up shops and buildings. I want to create a small company to help those harmed by the war. And this money is going to do it.â€ Mr. Smythe and Griphook nodded in agreement.

The Challenge story can be told in many different ways. This is just one suggestion to get your mind to start thinking of ideas.

Sir Ollivander on 2008.08.10 - 12:41AM ()

Comments

Spenser Hemmingway came out of the woodwork on 2008.08.10 - 01:12AM to say:

This is wonderful! "Sir Ollivander...tear down this wall!" At least put this posting into an actual submission. I know you have thought it out--you've done some research and jotted it down! "I'm sorry a 'political candidate' ate my homework" isn't going to cut it for us. The same applies to you there at the end of the table, chewing on the taffy we saw you steal from under the bench. Drive on folks! We've stories to create! Eric B.

Sir Ollivander came out of the woodwork on 2008.08.10 - 09:43AM to say:

Spenser - just wait till the Slytherins get involved. "The only thing we have to fear...."

Torak came out of the woodwork on 2008.08.11 - 09:39AM to say:

...is taxes and politics.

Spenser Hemmingway came out of the woodwork on 2008.08.11 - 10:04AM to say:

I cannot believe that I opted not to use Burundian Kowtowing Toadies. They would be perfect! For those who have never met Toraks critters, I refer you to Wikipedia.

Torak came out of the woodwork on 2008.08.11 - 10:58AM to say:

They're not on Wikipedia any more. For some reason they considered it Original Research, and deleted the article... (Oooh! I just remembered, I saved a copy of the article to my user page! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Torak/Burundian_Kowtowing_Toadies)

Spenser Hemmingway came out of the woodwork on 2008.08.11 - 05:46PM to say:

I had similar problems finding finding the Toadies, but I finally did. They are worth your time boys and girls. Burundia? I'm still trying to decide where Freedonia is located, and Groucho Marx took over that nation decades ago. Hmm..that explains it. We will have to ask Xeno.

Torak came out of the woodwork on 2008.08.11 - 07:19PM to say:

Burundi, actually - it's a country that actually exists, but the name just sounded right. Particularly since one of its main exports is coffee.