What were they lamenting about? Lockhart had just announced that he was going to be throwing a large 'morale boosting' Valentine's Day for the castle. The man even said that he was hiring 'cupids' to deliver Valentine's Day poems for the students if they wanted to submit one. This weekend was going to be a nightmare. Luckily Valentine's Day fell on a Sunday this year so that classes wouldn't be interrupted at least.
-Sunday, February 14th-
"I've got a musical message to deliver to Harry Potter in person." A rough male voice behind Harry stated as he was almost to the Great Hall. He'd been safely secure, hiding, in his workshop for most of the day. Unfortunately Penny would be cross with him if he skipped meals so he'd had to leave his sanctuary.
"I'll give you twenty Galleons, right now, to not do what you're about to do." Harry offered to the 'cupid' behind him as he turned to face the person; although the 'person' actually turned out to be a Dwarf; about a meter and a half tall, stocky and with a prominent beard. Harry had read about them a little bit when he was familiarizing himself with the Magical World in First Year. They weren't mentioned much and seemed to exist on the very fringes of Magical Society. There was mention that they were excellent Blacksmiths, as well as Jewelers, and that they lived in mountains mostly. They were also often described as blunt and stubborn.
"Show me the gold first." The Dwarf demanded and Harry, eager to avoid the inevitable embarrassment, fished into his pocket and pulled out a Magical Pouch. These were commonly sold in Diagon Alley and were a lesser version of the Mokeskin Pouch Harry had sitting in his Rune Safe. Opening the pouch Harry quickly pulled out twenty of the golden coins and showed them to the Dwarf.
"We have a deal." The Dwarf nodded as he tore up the poem in his hands and then held his right hand out for payment. Harry handed the stack of coins over to the Dwarf and watched him place them into his own pouch. "Have a nice day." With that the Dwarf turned to walk away, but Harry's curiosity got the better of him.
"Sir Dwarf, if it's not a bother, could I ask a few questions?" Harry inquired and the Dwarf turned to look at him.
"Make it quick, I still have a few more of these things to deliver before I can get out of this 'costume'." The Dwarf grumbled, clearly not a fan of the cupid outfit Lockhart forced them to wear.
"Right, since you already know my name, might I ask yours?" Harry wanted to make some form of introduction.
"Drad Erdunn." The now named Drad replied brusquely.
"Thank you, Mr. Erdunn." Harry thanked the Dwarf.
"The 'Mister' is unnecessary." Drad shook his head.
"Beg your pardon?" Harry asked confused.
"Erdunn is proper address by Dwarven standards." Drad informed him. "Mister and Misses are Human forms of address. Dwarves are not overly much for excess formalities."
"Ah, I see, thank you for the information, Erdunn." Harry nodded to the Dwarf.
"It is fine, lad." Drad waved it off. "Anything you actually wanted to ask or can I be on my way?"
"Just a question or two, I won't keep you long." Harry stated before he asked his first question. "Why do this 'job' when you clearly hate it?"
"Not much choice, lad. Dwarves can barely get any work in the Magical World these days. We take whatever we can get to keep our families fed." Drad replied a grimace on his face.
"I read up on what was available about Dwarves when I was familiarizing myself with the Magical World last year. I did notice a rather…lacking…amount of information on the Dwarves." Harry remarked and he saw Drad's eyes narrow in response.
"I suppose that is your next question?" Drad asked for clarification.
"If it isn't an imposition, of course." Harry nodded. "Feel free not to answer if you don't want to."
"The Dwarves have been pushed to the very edge of the Magical World. Especially in Europe, our own native lands. It started almost a thousand years ago and now we have been reduced to this." Drad grumbled as he motioned to the cupid outfit he was wearing. "Just so that we can eke out a living."
"How did that happen? The books don't say anything about that. They only mention that the Dwarves were excellent Blacksmiths, Jewelers, and that they lived in mountains."
"Those were the days." Drad exhaled deeply. "My people were driven from our mountain halls; all because the Wizards of the past wanted their fighting with the Goblins to end." The Dwarf snorted at this. "Lot of good that did them, Rebellions have happened throughout the ages since."
"Wizard and Witches pushed the Dwarves out?" Harry questioned in shock.
"They don't mention that in their books, do they?" Drad huffed as he shook his head, his beard swaying slightly. "A thousand years ago 'Gringotts' had a different name, 'Baraz Irkul'. Before we were driven out and the Goblins took it over with their filthy, grubby claws."
"That's disgusting." Harry grimaced at what had been done to the Dwarves. No wonder there was barely anything on them. They'd almost been wiped from Magical History in the last thousand years. All for what appeared to amount to a failed treaty with the Goblins of all things.
"We don't blame the Wizards and Witches of today for the actions of their ancestors." Drad informed him. "We do hold the Goblins in contempt, but that has more to do with our longstanding feud with them for what they took from us."
"What happened to your mountain halls?" Harry questioned and Drad sighed despondently.
"The mountain is gone. All the Magic harvested out when the mountain was mined to almost nothing in a few short generations. When the Magic was gone it was sold to some Mundane King for profit. I believe it's been built over entirely now with a Mundane City, but I couldn't tell you the name of the place." Drad muttered out.
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