Chapter 10

Snape was humming as he stirred one of the three cauldrons simmering before him with practiced ease. There was a hesitant knock on the nearby door before a mop of unruly hair peaked in. "Sir, could I have some of your time?" Harry asked while he hesitantly looked into the basement of Grimmauld where Snape had set up his lab for the time being.

"Mr. Potter, considering that this is more your home than mine I would say that you have more say in the matter,"

"Well sir,... uhm..." the flustered 15-year-old mumbled.

Snape sighed but put a stasis charm on his three potions before looking at the teen still in the basement doorway. "Well don't just stand there, come in," the dour man muttered. Harry did just that and made his way down the rickety staircase.

"Sir, first... uhm... I wanted to say thanks for saving me in the graveyard," Harry uttered as the boy looked nervously around the room. One part of the basement was the transfigured potions lab Snape used while the other end held a one-person bed and dresser, very likely also transfigured.

"Mr. Potter, please spit out why you are here exactly," Snape demanded.

"Well, Sir, I was wondering if you might have a potion to help Sirius," Harry mumbled.

"Potter your dogfather is the least of my worries." The potion master scowled.

"I know you don't like each other," Harry began upon seeing his professor's impassive reaction. "But Siri can't get a mind healer right now and I don't know how much more I can put up with this,"

"With what exactly Mr. Potter?"

"He keeps mistaking me for James, sir," Harry explained. "Once or twice I could chalk up to us looking similar but he's been calling me James at least once a day since I got here. The Headmaster said that seeing a mind healer while Sirius is still a fugitive was out of the question so I was wondering if you had any potion that could help,"

Snape pinched the bridge between his brows while muttering something Harry didn't catch. "Mr. Potter, while there are potions, they are strictly controlled by the Ministry, mainly because some of those ingredients could become highly addictive. Even if I were to brew it, feeding it to your godfather without a mind healer present would cause me to lose my license and get barred from the Potions guild altogether."

"Oh right," Harry said as he hadn't realized the trouble his professor could get in with his request. "I understand sir,"

"Mr. Potter," Snape began, causing the teen to finally look at the dour man. I can't believe I am offering this, but should your godfather become more insufferable than he already is, then you are free to come hide out in the basement."

"Really Snape?!" Harry perked up at that and Severus just had to wonder how far gone Black was to have his godson want to spend time with his Potions professor than the man in question.

"Prof-... Professor, wake up," a voice uttered as Severus felt someone shake him awake. He opened his eyes to the harsh light from the room. Potter was to his right with a hand on his shoulder. Then, he remembered where they had ended up, a Gringott's cell.

Snape shot Harry a withering glare, not only had the other woken him up from his sleep, even if it was against a bare concrete wall, but they also gotten him into this mess in the first place. "It will be fine professor. You shouldn't worry so much," Potter had assured him as they aparated to Gringotts. Well, it most certainly hadn't been fine. After approaching a teller and Potter stating his name and the fact that he lacked a key to his vaults, they were promptly detained. Being escorted to a side door hoping to see an account manager only to be met with five spears pointed at their throats had not been on Severus's agenda that day.

"Fraud," the goblin teller had sneered at them as they had been led to a cell in the underbelly of the bank. Their magic signatures were recorded like some common criminals and sent for investigation. That was hours ago and Snape had finally managed to drift off without saying a word to Potter who looked sheepish.

"Sir, I know you are probably wanting to tell me 'I told you so', but we have company," Harry stated and then pointed towards the bars where a goblin decked in regal armor stood with a contingent of guards.

"Greetings wizards, there are some accusations you need to answer for," The authoritative goblin stated. "I am Prince Laggof, son of King Ragnuk the 12th, and you have been charged with fraud against the Goblin Nation."

Snape shot Harry another glare while the goblin continued. "You may not be aware of this but Gringotts records the death of a magical individual the moment it happens even before your so-called Ministry has made it official. Not only is Harry Potter deceased but you claiming to be him and gain access to his vaults is an insult in of itself. You will explain to us in detail what dark ritual you used to take on his magical signature or you will be promptly gutted as the spineless criminals you are,"

"Now hold on a minute!" Harry protested. "I never lied! I am Harry Potter, just not from this reality!"

Laggof scoffed. "You expect me to believe that?" the goblin then questioned. "State your real name and affiliation and we will make this interrogation less painful,"

"Potter stop digging yourself into a deeper grave by arguing," Snape hissed before turning to the Goblin Prince. "Would memories of how this all came to be suffice in proving our innocence?" Snape questioned. "As loath am I to admit it, he really is Harry James Potter."

"Memories can be faked. As you very well know Heir Prince. You are after all a Master Occlumens," Laggof hissed dangerously. "But don't worry, we have ways to make you talk,"

"If I have to swear on Lady Magic herself then so be it," Harry declared as his magic whipped around him in an impressive display. Even Snape had to shiver as the magic leaked over him and toward the bars of the cell. The goblins instinctively readied their weapons.

"A con artist boasting he'd put his magic on the line?" Laggof gave a toothy grin and challenged. "Go on then. Swear on Lady Magic that you are in fact, Harry Potter. I will eat my beard if you still have magic afterward,"

"Very well," Harry began, now sporting a grin of his own. His magic had calmed down as he raised a hand to make the oath. "I swear to Lady Magic that I am Harry James Potter from another reality. If I spoke any falsehoods may my magic be extinguished forever. So mote it be," The oath was simple but effective. One did not swear on Lady Magic lightly for she could be as merciful as she could be sadistic. There was a heavy silence that followed and Laggof sucked in a breath when Harry wandlessly produced a Lumos after his oath. "Now you said something about eating your beard?"

"How... How...." Laggof gaped.

"It's a long story, the telling of which may require strong alcohol," Harry stated. "So if you would kindly let us out we can go back to business. I just wish to secure funds and the professor here needs to know about his platinum key,"

"Platinum key? What Platinum key?!" Laggof muttered already turning a rather interesting shade of white.

"This key," Snape produced from one of his inner pockets. Harry had no clue why they weren't searched but he probably chalked it up to the goblins believing that they had quite the upper hand in their own territory.

"P-...Pla-..." The Goblin Prince's eyes widened as they landed on the key in Snape's grip before staggering back.

"Get them out of this cell! GET THEM OUT OF THIS CELL IMMEDIATELY!!" Laggof ordered. "Show them the best hospitality we have! I need to confer with Father!" with that said the Prince all but fled the dungeons leaving not only the guards but the other prisoners gaping.

"I guess we should have started out with the key business, huh Snape," Harry tried to joke as their cell was opened.

"Potter, just shut up," Severus grumbled.