Disclaimer: See chapter 1 (Spoiler, I own nothing in this story)

Thursday, August 31st, Los Angeles International Airport, 5:15pm

Waiting in the security line for his twelve hour flight to London (layover in Houston), Xander was starting to wish he had taken the goblins up on the offer to transport him to the London branch of Gringotts. For some reason Giles had convinced him to fly the 'traditional' way, and he had gone with it without too much complaint since he had never actually flown before. In the last ten minutes, Xander had moved forward ten feet. He wished that Giles hadn't been so persuasive. Sure, it was costing less to fly, but Xander wasn't sure the hassle was worth the cost savings. At least the wait gave him some time to digest his argument with his parents earlier that morning.

It had taken fifteen minutes of trying to convince them that he wasn't their biological child before he had the thought that maybe someone messed with their memories. Considering that the mayor was a wizard/warlock/mage/whatever, it was entirely possible that he changed their memories. He asked Sarah, one of his magical tutors with him at the time, to run a diagnostic on them, and his fears were confirmed. Twelve years ago, someone, and he had a really strong suspicion it was the former mayor, modified their minds to make them forget any association with his parents, and that they agreed to raise him. In it's place, memories and suggestions that Xander was their biological child, and that Xander was a heavy burden on their lives. Not enough to cause him abuse, but enough to lessen the care and protectiveness parents usually felt. Luckily, Sarah was able to recover the lost memories, at least part of them, which they shared with Xander after apologizing profusely for their parental neglect.

Before Xander was born, the Harris' were a happily married couple, Tony was in the Navy and Jessica was working at the hospital Tony was staying while recovering from being injured in a 'training accident'. They met, fell in love, got married, and were honeymooning throughout Europe. They had just enjoyed a tour of the Tower of London when black cloaked figures attacked them. Tony was able to disable two before he was hit with what Xander recognized as a stunner. After that, they only remembered seeing Xander's birth mother rescuing them from a dungeon, and then much later her coming to them in Sunnydale, asking them to take care of Xander while she had a mission. There were huge holes in their memories, but Sarah said that was normal and that they would likely return with time. Xander and his parents parted on better terms than they had been on in years, promising to be better parents and to let him know if they remembered anything else about his biological parents.

Once they were through airport security, it was fairly easy going. A very long set of flights, but first class made it very bearable, almost enjoyable if he wasn't stuck in a metal tube. He sneaked a peek into the regular seats, and was grateful he wasn't stuffed beside some stranger and a screaming infant. Customs in London was an interesting experience for Xander, having never been out of the country, but Giles had prepared him for what to expect, and they were quickly shuffled through.

It was Friday afternoon when they we able to check into their hotel, a nice one with lots of people who expected tips for helping. They would be attending the reading of his father's will the next morning, and so they would postpone sightseeing and other vacationing activities in favor of sleeping in one of the most comfortable beds Xander had ever experienced. He almost ignored Giles when he said something about dinner in favor of more sleep, but his rumbling stomach overrode his tiredness. It was a good thing too, because he learned why the culinary world made such a fuss about Michelin Stars. It seemed that having lots of money thrown at them made restaurants want to serve better food, who knew? Xander made sure to leave a generous tip, their service was beyond anything he ever experienced in Sunnydale.

Before parting ways to their separate hotel rooms, Xander hesitantly asked Giles a question that had been bothering him since they checked in.

"Uhh, Giles? I know that I have a ton of money now, but I don't want to change. I'm worried that having all this cash will make me a horrible person. I don't want to end up like some of people that pretended to be friends to Cordelia's parents. They were mean, bitter, and didn't care about actual people, just status. How can I avoid that?" It was a testament to how close the two had gotten over that last few months that Xander would even ask this question of Giles.

"I know you, Xander," Giles began. "You have a caring heart. I do not like to announce this, but my family is quite wealthy. When I was growing up, I had the best tutors, the best food, the best accommodations. I resented the wealth because of the responsibility that it required, and I was unwilling to take. I still enjoyed the benefits of it, but I shirked the duties that came with it. I rebelled, and you already know how that turned out."

"Yeah, Giles, great role model you are, you rebel you." The sarcasm in Xander's voice couldn't cover the disappointment at not having his question answered.

"What I am trying to tell you is that wealth is a responsibility, a burden of sorts, if you wish to be able to look yourself in the mirror every morning. Follow the Force that you told me about. Follow the conscience that you have developed. Follow the same voice inside your head that told you to pay for Cordelia's prom dress. You understand responsibility well, your fight against the evil forces have proven that. Keep up your studies and keep up your learning about your responsibilities, and you will be fine."

Xander pondered Giles' words for a moment, then broke out into his trademark grin.

"Thanks. I'll see you in the morning for breakfast."

Xander contemplated going out on a patrol, but his fatigue from travel, unfamiliarity with the area, and the important meeting in the morning helped convince him that he should wait until taking a bite out of the local nightlife. He had 14 seconds of contemplation, laying in his comfortable bed, before he started snoring. Unfortunately, his sleep was not as restful as he would have liked.

It was the same Force dream that he had had before, about once a week for the last month. It started with a view from space, looking at the earth rotating. Different parts of the world shone with varied brightness. Other parts were blackened. There was a dark spot near Sunnydale, another back east by the Great Lakes. As Xander knew would happen, one of the dark spots in England began to spread, until the entire island nation was consumed. Shortly afterwards, the darkness spread to Europe, Asia, North and South America, and finally Africa. For whatever reason, Australia always remained bright. Xander started meditating on what it could mean, when the dream changed. Every other time he had this particular dream it ended after the destruction spread to the rest of the globe, so this startled the Jedi/Wizard in Training.

There was an endless, dark room, with dozens of high shelves, with glowing white orbs spaced on them every foot or so. Xander got the impression that they were like holocrons, containing some type of information. As he wandered the halls, he came across a snake and a bird fighting over an orb. Biting and pecking, the two animals viciously battled for control, heedless of the many wounds they received. Off to one side, a toddler, no more than a few years old, sat crying for his mom and dad. Careful to not interrupt the snake, who had managed to wrap a few coils around the bird, and the bird, who had managed to sever a portion of the snakes tail off with its sharp beak, Xander sat next to the boy, comforting him with a hug. As soon as Xander made contact, the fighting stopped, and both reptile and avian swung their heads to stare at Xander. The dream changed.

It was a castle, a gigantic, medieval, fully functional castle. There was a lake to one side for water, towers for lookouts and archers, wide fields surrounding it allowing for a clear line of sight. The forest near the castle had been cleared to prevent armies from sneaking up on the walls. Walking towards the entrance, Xander saw the same bird as before, this time the bird had a dozen plates spinning on it's feathers. While it was performing it's juggling act, a toad appeared and started slapping the bird with it's tongue, causing some of the plates to fall and shatter. The bird attempted to fight back with it's talons, but with little effect. The toad continued it's annoyance, until, after more plates fell and broke, the bird took off flying, the toad hopping around in joy. Shaking his head at the strange sight, Xander continued on into the castle itself. He felt drawn into a particular corridor, along a specific pathway. Twists and turns, stairs and corridors, Xander hurried along. He figured he was somewhere near the center of the castle, maybe. There, he reached a door he was impelled to open.

Inside was the more pure white light Xander had ever felt. It was hope, it was beauty, it was comfort the likes of which he had never felt before in his life. He walked towards the center. It was like he was in the holocron with his mother, embracing the light side of the Force, but slightly different. When he noticed small bugs falling from his body, the Force helped him make the connection to his parasites, and Xander realized this was one of the areas of positive magic that would help him get rid of his infestation. The Force wanted him to choose this castle, needed him to choose this castle, for his magical medical treatment. Decision made, the force vision faded away, allowing Xander to have a few more hours of fitful sleep.

It was barely dawn when Xander awoke. As was his custom, he wrote everything he could remember about his force dream in his journal. He laughed when Buffy suggested it (mind you, she called her Slayer Dream journal a diary), but when Faith backed her up on it, he relented. It turned out to be a good idea, he couldn't remember all the details from his first dreams, but the journal helped remind him when he had an insight. Then he ate breakfast served by the hotel staff and got on his formal wear, as recommended by the goblins and Cordelia. Seeing the goblin tailor and Cordelia clash on fashion was an explosion of epic proportions, but in the end the only casualty was Xander's wallet. If Cordelia approved, then he must look good. He didn't know, but he trusted her judgement. At least with regards to fashion.

After meeting up with Giles, the two took a cab to the location the goblins told him, a dirty looking bar that hid between the backs of two department stores. They had anticipated Giles triggering the "Anti-Muggle" wards, but luckily between Xander's encouragement and a temporary magical token provided by the fine folks of Franklin Institute (for a fee), Giles was able to get inside. The overtly magical nature of the bar made Xander shake his head, everywhere he looked there was someone using magic when it would be just as easy to do it by hand. Without stopping or acknowledging anyone, the two continued out the back and through to Diagon Alley. That didn't stop several of the patrons from whispering in his direction. Even if they didn't know who he was (very likely), someone dressed to the standards of Cordelia stood out. Stares followed them every step they took, and Xander took care to not react at all to them.

If the bar showed evidence of magic, the Alley was a giant neon flashing billboard of magical usage. Wands, brooms, pointy hats, robes, apothecaries, magic everywhere. And of course Gringotts Bank. This branch seemed less impressive than the Los Angeles branch, but from what he learned earlier it was three times as deep since they didn't have to worry about earthquakes. The most powerful wards in the world couldn't stop a 7.0 earthquake from ruining your day. He had learned from his tutors that large natural disasters (earthquakes, monsoons, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.) had a resistance and immunity to magic. Over 700 wizards and goblins died in the 1906 San Francisco Quake, the shaking earth bypassing all wards and caused catastrophic structural damage. Mother Nature had a magic of her own, and no force or magic is immune to her. The goblins remembered this lesson well. The wizards, not so much.

Passing the shops, promising himself he would explore them once he was done with the goblins, Xander passed through the vault-like doors of the premiere bank for the wizarding world. They were two hours early for the reading, which they planned to spend getting caught up on the Black Property Registry, one of the few tomes that could not be transferred to the Gringotts branch in LA. It contained a record of every property currently and previously owned by the Black family. Approaching the counter, Xander waited politely in the queue. It disgusted him to see the other witches and wizards treat the goblins as inferior, making demands, rude comments, and turning their noses up whenever they were near one. After everything the Goblin Nation had done for him, the least he could do was treat them as an equal.

Xander looked at his watch and made a decision, partly because he wanted to see how it played out and partly because he wanted to pass the time without looking through old books. It didn't hurt that the Force agreed with his actions. When Xander arrived at the front of the line, he saw an opening appear at the far teller. The goblin did not even look up, expecting Xander to walk up like every other wizard before him. When Giles started forward, eager to see the magical registry, Xander laid a hand on his arm and gave their 'Wait' signal they developed while on patrol and in demon negotiations back home. After a few seconds, and several throat clearings from behind Xander, the goblin still did not look up. A frumpy witch huffed in frustration, and scooted around Xander, walking towards the goblin. That seemed to start a trend. Every time a teller opened up, the person behind Xander and Giles would wait a few moments to see if the well dressed, but odd, couple would move, and then take the opening. Not once did a goblin teller look their way. Xander knew the goblins were a proud and warrior people, and would wonder at the meaning behind his actions.

It was 45 minutes, during the which Giles had taken a seat on a nearby couch and started writing in a book while Xander waited and watched, before an ancient goblin came out of a door hidden behind the bankers. He hobbled towards a vacant spot, and started preparing the desk for work. When the wizard behind Xander moved towards him to fulfill his banking needs, the goblin gave him a frosty glare and banished him back to the line with a dismissive gesture. The anger and rage held beneath the goblins's skin prompted the wizard to obey the silent command. A minute later, he looked up, locked eyes with Xander, and waved him forward. Xander smoothly (at least as smoothly as he could manage after standing for close to an hour) strode to the banker. Giles remained seated, not noticing Xander's movement.

"Welcome to Gringotts, Lord Black. I presume you are here for the reading of your father's will."

"Thank you for your aid in smiting my enemies and defending the helpless, mighty warrior," Xander greeted according to the goblin customs. "I am indeed come to claim my inheritance and meet with my family members, as requested by custom and required by law." It was hard for Xander to play the part of a pompous aristocrat, but he had practiced often this last month. Giles had agreed that it was the best mask to wear, at least at first.

"The reading is in one hour. Would you like to wait in the conference room until the appointed hour?" The goblin matched Xander's attitude perfectly, more so even since the goblin didn't seem to be faking.

"Yes, if you will. I would also like to view my families Property Registry, while I wait." The goblin nodded in acknowledgement, then motioned to another goblin to come forward. They held a whispered conversation before both returned.

"Grablog will show you to the room and will retrieve your registry for you. If you need anything, feel free to ask for me." The ancient goblin smiled/smirked (one could never tell), knowing what question Xander had to ask. Xander complied.

"I never did receive your name. Who should I ask for?"

"Go'Derk"

With that, the Goblin King strode back through the secret door, leaving a slack-jawed wizard/jedi behind. After some grunting from Grablog, Xander shook his head and followed the lead of his goblin guide. Giles joined, completely oblivious to the honor Xander received, being aided by the longest living goblin king in history. He was soon engrossed in the book summarizing all the lands and homes Xander would own in a short time period.