Fortius Quo Fidelius ; Strength Through Loyalty - or, more accurately, "the more faithful, the stronger." That had been the Gringotts mantra - the guiding principle of the entire goblin people - for nearly a thousand years. Ever since the day they had been forced from their halls by the Humbling of the Half-wit, his head decorating Hog's Head Hill as the rest were forced to march across two countries to make a new life for themselves here, that principle had always worked - the price for betraying it: death.
The more faithful - the more dedicated - a goblin was to a cause the stronger that goblin became and the higher their rank. For most this took the form of a dedication to the function of their job above anything else, for some a dedication to their family, and for the goblins of upper management, dedication to the gold and the treasures they kept safe, for the role they played in a society which spurned them but nonetheless carved out a niche for their people to fill.
The dedication to the value of that gold had caused the last goblin king to lose his head too, but how strong could they possibly be without someone to rally around? And how could you name any goblin a king without having him betray that position and become loyal to only himself? Dark thoughts, Barchoke knew, but it was a tired and grumpy goblin who was sitting in one of the plush seats in front of the Minister of Magic's desk.
The seats might've been too soft and the carpets pointless and thick - besides to keep the noise down in an area where financial dealings were supposed to be done in secret, why would you need one? - but besides that it was an office to be admired. It clearly communicated wealth and indolence, though Barchoke thought to a human mind it might be the curious thought that nothing was beyond this man's control. Why else would he have windows enchanted to show himself looking down from hundreds of feet in the air?
"Well that's - that's certainly good," the portly Minister said, as if he had actually understood a thing he'd said. "The sooner we get all this behind us the better."
"Indeed," Barchoke agreed with what he hoped would be a jovial grin. "So while I concede Overseer Gutripper wasn't the most pleasant to Madam Umbridge-"
"That man's an Overseer?" Fudge cried curiously.
How anyone could think a bank on goblin land, staffed by goblins, using gold minted by goblins wouldn't actually be run by goblins was beyond anything he could imagine.
"That goblin is, yes," Barchoke said through a thin smile that showed only his tiny teeth. "He's most competent when it comes to Security, and he's adamant the doors remain closed while the investigation is underway, and you must see that until additional measures are taken it really would be best for us all. While we at Gringotts are eager to get back to business once all this is done, we are absolutely committed that this threat must not become an outright catastrophe for the economy of wizarding Britain," the Overseer said, returning to his prepared remarks.
"To that end we've drawn up a list of - recommendations," he slightly corrected himself as he withdrew the list from his coat pocket. At Bankor's urging he was not to use the word 'demands.' "-That we suggest you have the Wizengamot take up tomorrow and immediately pass covering everything from exchange rate freezes, price fixes-"
"-Are you sure all that's necessary?" Fudge asked, looking more than a little unnerved at having to take on such a complicated issue himself. Back again was the bumbling politician.
"If you want to avoid chaos breaking loose as everyone pulls their money from the bank, jacks up prices, and starts robbing and killing each other in broad daylight with the international community watching while we're left powerless to know whether any of that gold is actually worth anything at all?" Barchoke asked rhetorically before thumping the list down on the Minister's desk. "Yes."
The truth was that the new control measures they were employing at the bank would keep the killing to a minimum and chaos mostly to the international marketplace, provided the Ministry not override everything and pass a law ordering them to open their doors that is.
"I just… I never thought that Dumbledore would ever do something like this," the Minister said finally, as if he had been personally hurt on the matter. "What has he said about all this?"
For a moment Barchoke saw an slight ripple behind the Minister. It had happened a time or two before but once the man had sent Umbridge away and made sure they wouldn't be disturbed it had seemed overly rude to question him about their security measures. If these people didn't care enough to guarantee their Minister's office was secure then why should he?… Besides the fact he was sitting in it that is.
"Goblins are not interested in what a guilty person says unless it's a confession, evidence to implicate others, or can be used to make sure the whole thing doesn't happen again," the Overseer said, giving the Minister a brief synopsis of the goblin justice system as he stared at the window behind the human. He desperately missed his Concealer and was starting to feel edgy without it. "We are more interested in seeing them punished."
"Yes, well…" the Minister hemmed and hawed.
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