Peace In Our Time
Chapter 2: AftermathSoft patters of rain fall from a gray, emotionless sky and a gentle wind pushes against the walls when the comatose Sam finally awoke after being asleep for nearly two weeks. Sam sits in his bed vacantly staring out the window observing the misty fog flooding the great blackwood forest which now seemed so devoid of life. There was a sharp knock on the door.
"Come in." said Sam in a somber tone.
"Hey I'm so glad you're awake." said Red in a quiet melancholy voice.
"Hey Red."
"So how are you feeling."
"About as well as can be expected in this situation."
"I get it."
"Enough about me though how about you. You were in the explosion too how are you doing."
"I'm doing okay just been preparing for school mostly."
"Already school starts in like a month doesn't it?"
"You were comatose for 2 weeks Sam."
"Oh right the doctors told me I would be a bit forgetful."
"The funeral was last week. It was huge lots of people showed up. Even some of your old classmates. I can take you to the grave later if you'd like."
"No. Thanks but I don't think I can handle that just yet."
There was another knock on the door.
" Who could that be?" said Sam.
" Probably a rep from MACUSA here to read you the will. I told them to wait dammit." said Red angrily.
" No it's fine let them in please."
Red opened the door and a short sweaty guy in suit wearing a bad toupe waddled in.
" Good afternoon Lord Peace. My name is Barnabus Wallace and i'm here to read your parent's will."
" Hello and just Sam is fine."
" Of course." Barnabus said as he sat down a put on a pair of round reading glasses.
Barnabus opened his breifcase and many documents floated out and unfolded in front of him.
" Your parents had their thumbs in quite a few pies so this may take a while."
" Well no time like the present." said Sam in an exasparated tone.
Barnabus began to read off the many things left to Sam, checking off boxes as he went down the list. This continued for many hours as the sun slowly sunk behind the far off mountains.
" And we are now on the last few things I know it has been a while so I will try to get through them quickly." said Barnabus in a tired sigh.
" I'm all ears." said Sam.
" Right well your parents have left you their entire fortune and have given you full access to it upon your 18th birthday, which I believe was just this past monday. It is in european currency."
" Well lets hear it, how much."
" 1,526,998,082 Galleons."
" WHAT!?" shouted Red, who had been sitting quietly in the corner until now.
" What?" asked Sam slightly surprised.
" I knew your parents were rich Sam but I didn't know they were that rich."
" Yes the money comes mostly from the giggle water distillery in Maine. It's pretty popular amongst... well any wizard on Earth."
" Shall I continue Lord- I mean Sam." asked Barnabus meekly.
" Yes please continue."
" Along with that they have left everything in their vaults at Gringotts to you. The vaults have been left in the care of the goblin Quimbley. I could arrange a meeting with him if you would like."
" Yes please do. I will be leaving for Hogwarts as soon as possible so the sooner the better."
" What Sam, You're still going to Hogwarts?" asked Red in a somewhat concerned tone.
" Yes. It was my parents last wishes. It would be wrong to disobey them now."
" I suppose you're right."
" Well that pretty much covers it. Mister Peace, Miss Violet farewell and have a wonderful school-year." said Barnabus as he quickly exited the room.
" Well I should probably be heading home unless you'd like me to stay Sam."
" No please I don't want to be a bother. Head home say hi to your dad for me will you?"
" Sure thing." Red said as she closed the door.
The next morning Sam was discharged from the hospital. He was called a cab, even though he informed the doctors he was more than capable of walking they insisted. Sam climbed into the cab, he was not about to be impolite to doctors.
" Where you headed?" asked the driver in a heavy Brooklyn accent.
" The Peace Mansion, Blackwood Estates please." replied Sam.
Moments later they pulled up to a large gothic looking mansion with a steep scaled roof and large vacant looking windows. The sight of it seemed to make the driver a little unsettled. Sam recalled a conversation with his father when he was younger, about how this house had been in the Peace family for 5 generations and was based on classic 15th century gothic architecture. Its appearance never seemed so ominous to Sam before but now he could not see it wihout thinking of his parents.
The driver whistled " Now that is one hell of a house." the driver said with a look of wonder in his eyes.
" Strange, I could have sworn it was demolished not too long ago, maybe I'm just imagining things."
" What do I owe you" Sam asked paying no mind to the drivers comment.
" $23.50"
" Here keep the change" said Sam as he handed the driver a $50.
" Much obliged" said the driver as he pulled away.
" No-maj money is so strange." remarked Sam as he walked up to the entrance.
Standing in front of him was a large black door with a silver knocker resembling a goblin's face affixed to the front of it. A few seconds later the goblin face started to move and asked in a steely tone.
" Many have heard me, but no one has seen me, and I will not speak unless first spoken to. What am I?"
A riddle Sam had heard many times.
" An echo." Sam replied.
" Welcome home Lord Peace." said the goblin as the door slowly swung open revealing a lavish entry way with a large crystal chandelier two curving staircases and a priceless persian rug.
Sam walks in dropping his bag on the floor quietly observing the large room lost in an old happy memory.
"The new furnishings aren't quite to my liking but all in all not too bad "Sam thought to himself giving props to the wizards who reconstructed the house after the explosion.
" Lord Peace. Creighton has been expecting you for quite some time." said a raspy voice behind Sam.
Sam turns around and at first sees nothing, but then notices an ancient grumpy looking house elf shuffle out of the shadows. He was wearing one of those terrible rags that elves often wear and was carrying a tiny broom inefficently sweeping dust every which way.
" Creighton?" Sam says slightly confused. " Ah! Right the MACUSA rep told me a house elf was to be appointed here should my parents pass away."
" Yes, yes such a tragedy Lord Peace. Creighton offers his condolences."
" Thank you. How long have you been here out of curiosity."
" Since shortly after the reconstruciton. Creighton has just been sprucing up the place does Master approve."
" Well yes it looks nice. The furniture isn't quite my style but it looks good as new."
" Creighton could arrange new furniture if Lord Peace wishes."
" No that won't be necessary I won't be here long, I'm just here to get some things."
" Master is going somewhere?"
" Yes my parents wished for me to go to Hogwarts so that's what I will do."
" Would Lord Peace like to be escorted to the Floo Network."
" Yes please, but before that do you know where my parent's portrait is I would very much like to see it before I go."
" Yes right this way Master."
Cretighton leads Sam to a hallway located behind the stairs which leads to his fathers study where the portrait was located.
" Creighton will wait outside for Lord Peace."
Sam walks into the study a small dim room filled with books and case files from his fathers many old jobs. In the middle of the room is a large ornate desk cluttered with auror documents and quills. Just across from the desk is a fireplace with a warm fire still burning in it and above the mantle is the portrait of his parents. His mother was sitting in a chair with his father standing just beside her. They look so happy as they casually chat with each other taking no notice of him.
" Hey guys." Sam says with a hint of sadness in his tone.
" Hey sport hows it going. Getting ready to go to school." his father says taking no notice of Sam's sadness.
" Honey are you still going to Hogwarts like we said?" his mother asked.
" Well it was your guys' last wish so I have no good reason not to."
" Yes well I'm sure you will make many good freinds and hey I heard they're starting a No-maj studies class this year so you may even learn a thing or two." his father says with a small chuckle.
" Yeah maybe I will." Sam says with a small smile." I really am gonna miss you guys."
" We'll miss you too honey." his mother says." We love you."
" I love you too." Sam replies as he exits the study.
" Did Master get the closure he was hoping for?" Creighton asked as Sam closed the door.
" No. All I did was confirm that they are just echoes of my dead parents." Take me to the Floo.
Creighton leads Sam back into the entry way and as Sam picks up his bags Red comes through the door.
" Sam, hey are you about ready to go?" Red says.
" Yeah but why are you still here?" I thought you left yesterday." Sam replied.
" Oh no I just thought you might want me to come with you to Diagon Alley. It is a pretty crazy place you might get a little overwhelmed."
" I'll be fine. I've been around magic my whole life so I can handle it." Sam said with a small smile.
" Okay then how about I just meet you there. I can take you to Ollivander's so you can get a new wand and get you all your books."
" Yeah sounds good."
" Master I have gathered your luggage for you." Creighton says as he walks down the stairs dragging a large trunk.
" Thanks Creighton." says Sam
" Oh is this the house elf the little sweaty guy was talking about." Red asks seeming genuinely intrigued.
" Oh yes Creighton this is my friend Abigail Violet."
" Please just Red is fine." Red says with a small smile.
" Friend? Not possible Lord Peace would never associate with a filthy mud-blood."
" Creighton! Never speak to any of my friends like that ever again." Sam says with pure anger.
" Sorry Master. Bad Creighton bad." Creighton says as he quickly walks away.
Sam looks at Red who has look of genuine pain on her face.
" I am so sorry about that." Sam says
" No it's okay I'm used to it by now." Red says in a somewhat sad tone.
" Well how about we get going for both our sakes. The sooner I leave this place the better."
" Yeah I'll see you there." Red says as she walks out the door.
Sam picks up his trunk and walks into the living room where a large black marble fire place sits with a small amount of ash in an ornate vase next to it. A Floo portal.
" Alright here we go." Sam says as he walks into the fireplace and picks up a handful of the ash.
" Now what did Red say it was called. Direthorn Alley no Darkon Alley oh wait no I've got it. Dagon Alley!" Sam shouts as he goes up in green flames.