But the goblins, needing someone human to handle Harry's new inherited vaults, had gone to the three remaining Black adults at Harry's bequest. Narcissa Malfoy, Bellatrix LeStrange, whom Voldemort had wasted no time in freeing from Azkaban, and Andromeda Tonks had taken over overseeing the Black vaults until Harry came of age. All three knew they were only managing the accounts until the new owner came of age though Bella and Narcissa both believed the new owner was Draco.
Before they could be named as custodians of the accounts, they had to swear an oath on their magic not to defraud the estate or the new owner in any way, shape or form. Every expense had to be a legitimate Black family debt of honor that had to be paid from the Black accounts. No new debts were allowed to be accrued to the Estate without the full approval of all three sisters, a high ranking bank representative and the owner himself or his representative named in person by him after he was proven to be spell and potion free. Both Holder and his appointed representative, that is. Neither could be under the influence as that could lead to a withdrawal not in the best interest of the Holder and against his will.
Should any one of the three sisters break this agreement, they would lose their magic and be subject to punishment as decreed by goblin law rather than human law. Human law would have given them anything from a fine to time in Azkaban to banishment from the magical world with their wand snapped and their core bound. But goblin law was different. Under goblin law, if they broke their oath they had better be praying they were sentenced to working in the goblin mines. Because that was the nicest of their punishments. And they'd be praying for death long before they died.
The oath was really more for Bellatrix than it was Narcissa or Andromeda. It protected them but not to the same degree. Because they didn't wear a certain tattoo on their arm as she did. The oath meant there was no way Bellatrix could sign any of it over to her Lord and Master or even allow her husband and brother-in-law access to the funds. Nor could she take out the funds herself and turn them over to her Lord and Master. If she even tried her own magic would punish her for it. Of course, she was supposed to be in Azkaban right now so it was unlikely she'd actually try to do any such thing as her presence here gave the goblins blackmail over her and she was Slytherin enough, even in her insanity, to recognize that. Though she had safe harbor in the Bank itself, she couldn't stay here forever and if she tried to defraud their client, they could easily slip the information of when she was here to the DMLE who'd be waiting for her to leave the premises.
Andromeda had no problem signing the agreement. She was the only one of the sisters who knew who the new owner actually was. She also knew Sirius well enough to know this had truly been his wish and that although Sirius had hated the ancestral home, he didn't want it falling into unfriendly hands that wouldn't do their best to preserve it for future generations. She was well aware he'd always meant to one day remove Harry as his heir since Harry was already the heir of the Potter Estate and a Seat of Power. Giving him the Black Estate and a second Seat of Power would be placing too much on his shoulders since he'd need to have two wives to live up to his responsibilities to both Estates. Since both Estates were old power, they could only be inherited by a son. So Sirius had always intended to have his own child but, thanks to being consigned to a living death in Azkaban, he'd never gotten around to doing so. Naming Harry as his heir had prevented the Estate from being destroyed and wasted by the unworthy.
Narcissa only had a few qualms about why the oath was necessary since she certainly wouldn't act against the best interest of her own child. Haughtily she said, "Draco should know I'd take care of his inheritance for him without needing to swear an oath on the matter."
But the goblins had anticipated this and explained the oath was mainly for Mrs. LeStrange who was sworn to serve He Who Must Not Be Named with all that she owned. That would include the Black Estate if she could figure out a way to get it to him. Mr. Sirius Black didn't want his ancestral home and lands falling into his hands given the state he reduced other once proud estates to over his years as a Dark Lord. But it was unfair to ask only Mrs LeStrange to swear the oath. Plus, Lady Malfoy's husband was a known follower of said Dark Lord as well. Was she trying to tell them her husband would be unable to talk her into making a withdrawal for him or granting access to the holdings of the Estate to him? Withdrawal or access he could then easily turn over to his Lord and Master? The oath offered her protection just as it did Mrs. LeStrange. With that phrasing Narcissa knew the oath really was for her protection as well as Bella's. So she signed the agreement as well and gave her oath.
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