Gringotts Bank

[pippin_999 <foxmoth@qnet.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 50603

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Ali <Ali at z...>" 
<Ali at z...> wrote:

> Oh course, it's JKR's world, but if it is as simple as keyholding, 
> where is Sirius' key when his funds are withdrawn? Does an 
Owl Order  contain a key? In fact, Sirius doesn't even say he 
used an Owl Order,  all he says is that Crookshanks took his 
[Firebolt] order to the Owl 
> Office. This order used Harry's name but took the gold from 
Sirius'  vault.
> 
>  
> Kiricat wrote:
> 
> >>> Which doesn't really get to the question of how money is 
> transferred  from the account of a fugitive to a broom merchant. 
I 
> suppose if  everything is written out correctly on an order form, 
> with the correct vault indicated, and signed by the owner of the 
> vault, then,  perhaps this is then considered a binding 
agreement. <<<
> 
<snip>
> I tend to agree with Steve Bboy, that the Order implies a gift 
order. Name of recipient X, name of buyer, Y. Perhaps, it is only 
necessary  to quote the vault number, and not give name or 
signature. This would  make Gringott's banking very different to 
the Muggle World, and open to abuse unless, there is some sort 
of magical contract of which we  are not aware.
> 
> 
There seems to be two kinds of vaults at Gringotts: the kind 
Harry has, which is accessed with a key, and the high security 
vaults, which are numbered, and accessed by letter. Hagrid 
gives a letter from Dumbledore to the goblin in PS/SS authorizing 
him to withdraw the "you know what" from vault 713. 

JKR could have had the numbered accounts of Switzerland in 
mind for these. Perhaps the Ministry has no authority to force 
Gringotts to reveal the ownership of numbered vaults, and 
therefore could not monitor Sirius's vault for activity. As to how 
Sirius himself gains access without revealing who he is, 
perhaps the owners of numbered accounts are identified to 
Gringotts with a password.

So Sirius fills out the owl order in the name of Harry Potter, but 
gives Quality Quidditch Supplies the number of his Gringotts 
vault (given in the UK edition), and his password. QQS presents 
the demand, the vault number, and the password to Gringotts, 
which then transfers the money from Sirius's vault to QQS's. 
QQS would have no idea that the vault wasn't Harry's, and 
Gringotts, as long as the password and the vault number match, 
doesn't care about the name on the order at all.

Sirius would have to trust QQS with his password, just as we 
trust mail order merchants with our credit card info. But I imagine 
the goblins take very strong measures against those who abuse 
the system.

As for the keys, there is probably some pretty strong mojo on 
them, too. We know there's a spell that makes keys shrink to 
nothing--perhaps this was originally developed to discourage 
thieves. Thief's curses are mentioned in the Schoolbooks. 
Perhaps a stolen key turns your hand red <g>

Pippin