She and Su entered Gringotts, past the great doors inscribed with its warning to potential thieves.
Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn,
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.
Was anyone truly deterred from attempting to breach the vaunted walls of Gringotts by such a poem? No, she didn't think that was the intention, not from what feelings the poem inspired within her.
This was a challenge, to all potential thieves. It fit better with what the Goblins were; unconcerned with warnings, they would revel in Sorcerers attempts to break the security of Gringotts, especially the most deep vaults, guarded by a dragon.
Killing a dragon was no easy feat.
The smooth granite floor sparkled beneath her feet and the high ceiling was held up by great stone pillars, rising high above, lit by crystal chandeliers. It would be impressive, had she not seen better from muggle architecture.
The Goblin tellers looked down upon them from their high seats, sneering down at them from behind their long, pale noses. Nasty little creatures, who would grasp any attempt to feel the superior of Wizardkind.
Were they really so bad? She had wondered, for awhile. She was not heavily inclined to believe a Wizard's view of another species' worth, but she'd read as much as she could and her interactions with them only convinced her.
They were scum, that would not be satisfied until they were the ones in control.
The teller they went to sneered down at them. "Well? What do you want? I haven't got all day" it said in a nasally voice. Male or female, she had no idea, she wasn't even sure whether they had separate genders.
Morgan sneered at the little cretin. "Oh, I apologise. Perhaps a manicure, a hair trim, some new clothes and- my, what do you think I want? Take me to my vault." Reaching into her top, she pulled out a shining golden key, a thin chain tying it around her neck, presenting it to the resentful eyes of the Goblin.
Ah, the look of distaste upon its face made her afternoon. "Very well" it said. And with no further words, it jumped down from atop its high stool, revealing itself to be barely 3 feet tall, at least 2 feet shorter than two 11 year olds.
Su snorted next to her, then clapped her hands over her mouth as the Goblin whirled round, glaring. "Did you find something funny, witch?" it growled, hairless face scowling.
Ah, Su. She truly was delightful. Morgan had forgotten that Su had yet to met a Goblin and she would hardly blame her for the reaction. She had been much the same.
"No doubt she was merely surprised by your, ah... Lacking height. Why, sitting so high up, are you compensating for something? There's nothing shameful about being short you know."
Oh, such a look of murderous rage, did she say something offensive? Her smile only rose the more the Goblin glared at her, teeth bared. "Why, does that upset you? Why don't you just wave your wand and make yourself taller…. Oh, right."
It snarled, fingers twitching, the pointed nails ridged and claw like. It leaned forward, preparing itself. It really was too easy to rile these things up…
With a faint grin and burning eyes, she tapped into the merest edge of her power, the scent of burning tickling her nose as the surroundings warmed. The tension was so thick, it felt like they were about to attack each other at the slightest provocation. Unfortunately…
"Clawnail! What are you doing?!" came a deep voice, cutting across the large banks atrium. Turning, Morgan's smile turned a little more genuine.
She despised Goblins, but at least there was one she could tolerate.
"Well, answer me!" Blacktooth growled, standing nose to nose with the now paler Goblin.
"S-sir, you should have hea-"
"Yes, no doubt she called you a midget with a fat nose. Grow up, you should know better by now!" Blacktooth sneered, revealing his namesake, a black fang longer than the rest. "Back to work, i'll deal with you later."
Clawtooth scurried off, casting angry glances her way. Such a shame, she was rather enjoying that.
"Blacktooth" she drawled. "Must you ruin my fun?"
He just scowled at her with his beady little eyes, looking down his nose at her. But, of course, she was more focused upon the white mustache upon his lip. It was hilarious, like a thick caterpillar and so out of place amongst the rest of them.
"The last time you had your 'fun' I had to break down a decent worker to shovelling shit."
"It is hardly my fault it couldn't control itself. Why, I'm doing you a favor, exposing such thin-skinned workers" she said, grinning.
"Yes, your a true patron saint. Now come on, I don't have all day." Turning on his heel, he lead the way deeper in Gringotts, towards the carts to vaults.
"Very well, come along Su. Try not to laugh at the caterpillar upon his lip, we don't want to be impolite now, do we?"
Su was looking very confused, not sure whether to laugh or stay silent, so she just shut up, probably wise but much less fun.
"Again with the mustache. Are you ever going to drop it?" he said.
"Nope~."
"Don't know what I was expecting" he grumbled, leading them into a dark, long cave, a metal cart sitting upon the track that went down the centre, lit only by faint torchlight interspersed at various points along the rough stone tunnel, leading off into the darkness.
The smell of mold hung in the air and the sound of water dripped from afar as she and Su sat upon the cold metal cart, causing her to grimace slightly.
"Whats wrong? Can your weak female body not handle the cold?" said Blacktooth, grinning down at her from where he stood next to the cart lever.
She just smiled in return. "Oh, I'm sure you can understand. I lack your more…" she trailed, eyes once again upon his thick mustache "insulating components."
Ah, this was rather refreshing in all honesty. Throwing insults back and forth, just like how they met when she first mocked his travesty that he called facial hair. He was a Goblin! It was so unusual it deserved double the mocking. And she knew that he enjoyed these back and forths just as much.
"You have my pity" he dead-toned. "And whose the limpet, dragging at your heels? Finally got tired of playing around with that long-legged whore? Going after the young ones now?"
"You know me, I love the vulnerable ones. Su, meet Blacktooth, named after that rotting enamel he's so proud of. Blacktooth, Su. Do be nice, she's a gentle soul."
Blacktooth met Su's eyes, both of them staring at each other, eyeing the other up. He sniffed the air, grimacing slightly. "Yes, gentle..."
Su's slim eyes narrowed in warning, but he was already turning away. With a wrench of the lever, the cart shot off.
It was much like a rollercoaster, though not really, Rollercoasters were scarier. Still, Su was happily enjoying herself, and Morgan thought it was a rather nostalgic thing.
The ride wasn't long - her vault wasn't anywhere near the level of old pureblood ones after all - and they came to a stop in front of a heavy, wrought-iron door, the dark metal gleaming in the dim light. Getting out of the cart, they watched as Blacktooth inserted the golden key, trailing his nail across unseen grooves as gears whined, the door crumbling away and revealing the rather sizable amount of coins within.
She'd been building this up for years, after all. Thanks to Maria's help, she'd managed to gather vastly more than she had expected. Drugs were such a terrible thing, truly dreadful…
That said though, it was much less than she had last time. "Ah, Blacktooth, I presume the acquisition went through with no trouble?"
"No, I just took all your money for myself. Of course it went through, though why you would spend so much money on that company… You know broomstick makers are practically a dime-a-dozen these days, right?" Though he looked unconcerned, she could see the slight worry creasing his brow.
"Why, you almost sound like you care, how charming. I'll be sure to send you a christmas card, as thanks" she teased. "But don't worry, you could say I have a good feeling about this one."
Indeed, most broomstick companies amounted to very little, many were actually complete frauds. Nimbus and Clearsweep were the only real choice of brooms anymore, in Britain and much of Europe, anyway. Firebolt, to most, would seem like another fraudster, making undeliverable claims.
Morgan knew better. Right now it was worthless, having released one completely unremarkable broom years earlier, but in the future…
She quickly gathered up enough money for her and Su, then hopped back into the cart as it shot back to the surface.
"Do try not to miss me, Blacktooth" Morgan said, smirking at the bored looking Goblin.
"My heart weeps for your absence" he replied, blankly staring at her. "Now get out, before you piss off another of my workers."
Nodding, she grabbed Su by the hand, leading her out, into the cobblestone-lined streets of the Alley.
"Well, that was fun, right Su?"
She nodded. "Are… are all Goblins like that? They didn't seem very happy to see us…"
Morgan chuckled, leading Su towards the shops. "The Goblins are a prideful, resentful race. They believe themselves to be supreme and hate that Sorcerers deny them what they feel is their right to rule. They've tried and failed so many times to rule that at this point, I think the hate is almost genetic in them."
Su's asian features crinkled slightly. "Oh…"
Moving on, she dragged Su all over the alley. They bought the standard school clothes, black skirt, white shirt and black robe, as well as all the other equipment they needed except wands. Those could wait until last.
She even forced Su to go get her hair cut, hardening her resolve when she tried to whine her way out of it. Su seemed fond of the bob cut, while Morgan kept hers swept over her left shoulder, fringe partially covering one orange eye.
Finally, she stood outside the shop she most eagerly anticipated, Ollivanders.
How many years had she waited for this, for the power inherent within a properly matched stick of wood. Struggling day after day with her own power, focused only by her will and instinct. With a wand…
She strode into the shop, calm and confident. The left wall was entirely taken up by stacks of small boxes, from floor to ceiling. Wooden steps led up to a second floor on the left, a desk lit by a lamp next to them. Their was a very… Homely feel about this shop, with all the dark wood, orange lighting and rather cosy look to it. Sadly, it was ruined by the haunting spectre of Ollivander, peering at them from behind the desk, his eerie blue eyes searching them as his hands twirled a rectangular block of wood.
"Ah, here for your wands, I presume? Yes, yes, It's always good to get an early start. Wait just a moment." Standing, he reached into a drawer, pulling out a tape measure. "Now, which are your dominant hands?"
Straight to it? Well, Morgan wouldn't complain. They were both right hand dominant, so they both raised their right arm when said to, jumping slightly as the tape measure shot out, taking measurements of seemingly everything it could before whisking back into its case.
"Well then, why don't we start with you, miss…" he said, looking at Su, a slim finger perched upon his lips as his eyes seemingly looked through Su.
"Su Li" said Su, meeting his eyes unflinchingly.
"Miss Li" he said, inclining his head. "Here, try this one first. Vine, unicorn tail hair, 10 inches" he said, grabbing a nearby box and thrusting the wand within into her hand.
Only to snatch it away again, leaving Su standing there, blinking. "No, no" he said. "Not bad, but not the ideal either… Try this, beech, dragonheartstring, 12 and a quarter inches, swishy."
This wand he allowed Su to hold and with a wave it shot from her hand and into the back of the shop.
Morgan browsed the shop as more wands were tried out, eventually settling upon a chair to the side and watching with faint amusement as Su grew more frustrated, a small frown creasing her adorable face.
"Hmm, very interesting…" said Ollivander, eyes gleaming. "I can see you're much more mature than ordinary children, Miss Li." He drifted off into thought. "I think I know of the wand for you. A dragon heartstring core and… Hmm, yes, let's see…"
He disappeared into the back of the shop, reappearing with a green box within his hands.
"Here, try this one. Cedar, 10 inches, inflexible, the core from a particularly territorial Hebridean Black. Go ahead, give it a wave."
Her face showing frustration, she opened the box, grabbing the dark wand within; it was slim, with the handle spiralling upwards, twisting about itself until it merged seamlessly with the straight shaft.
Her eyes glazed out, lids closing as her grip tightened, her body shooting up rigidly as her breath stopped.
Oh yes, that was it. Even Morgan could see. The feel of Su's dark magic filled the room, reassuring and comforting, like a warm blanket to Morgan's senses.
Ollivanders voice broke the moment, quiet as Su revelled in the moment. "A good wand, loyal, particularly good for… subtle magics. I fear for any that may harm who you care about, Miss Li." His eyes flicked over to Morgan, she just gave him a smile, quirking the corners of her lips. That's right, it said, she's mine and you know it, don't you?
She knew about wands, knew that they were mere reflections of their owners, and she was pleased. Really, her loyalty wasn't even hard won, but, well…
That's what you get when you treat people like muggleborns were treated.
Whatever his thoughts, he kept them to himself.
Su let out a shaky low moan as the tension left her body, almost looking like she was about to fall from weak knees. Morgan noticed that her hand never gave up the tight-fisted grip, her tanned hand pale with pressure.
"Now then, Miss…"
"Fay, Morgan Fay" she said. She felt a little like James Bond, it was a fun little way to introduce herself, a small reminder.
Ollivander's eyes widened, before sharpening, staring into her eyes as they watched each other.
Morgan stood, walking up to him. "Well? I do believe I'm here for a wand, Mr Ollivander" she said, with a quirk of her eyebrow, never once backing down from the state-off.
He seemed to come back to himself. "Ah, yes, Miss… Fay. Just a moment."
He disappeared into the back of the shop, reappearing with an armful of boxes. "I suspect we shall be here a while, Miss Fay." With one hand, he presented her a wand box, not naming the properties of the wand within.
Morgan didn't ask. Ripping off the lid, she grabbed the wand, feeling it meld with her power, only for her to throw it back into the box.
It was wrong… Inharmonic was the only word for it. The wand just didn't resonate with her.
"And why is that?" She asked, voice level and unconcerned. As though she would mind taking a while. She had waited years, she could wait a little longer.
Ollivander watched her, eyes assessing as she tried another wand. " Most children are… Simple, for lack of a better word. They need only try a few wands before a match is found, aside from curious cases like Miss Li here." He nodded his head to Su, still looking rather out of it.
"Oh? And you think I will be different?" she asked, as she rejected another wand.
"You are no ordinary child, Miss Fay."
Morgan let out a startled laugh. "Oh bravo, Mr Ollivander. I expected perceptiveness off you, how good of you to not let me down."
How amusing today was turning out to be. Ollivander wouldn't know exactly what she was, but he could sense something off about her.
It was all rather exciting, to see the frown upon his face, the pursing of his lips as he watched her. To see him so close but so far.
"You wouldn't happen to have used a wand before, would you?"
Morgan raised an eyebrow. Well, she didn't see how it could hurt, so with a quick movement she withdrew the ash wand, throwing it to him. "I can't really use it though, so I'm afraid you'll have to look elsewhere for whatever you're looking for."
"Hmm, an interesting combination. The capriciousness of the leprechaun hair somewhat offsets the ash's tendency to lose power when passed on…" His eyes lit with curiosity and with a flick, flowers burst from the tip. "Terrible workmanship, however. And rather useless for most…"
Useless? Well, she could get behind that. Apparition was a magic that only barely relied on a wand, advanced users had no need of one, and that was all she could do with it.
"Oh? I had wondered why I could barely get it to work."
"Yes, yes" he said. "Leprechaun hair is excellent for conjuration, but refuses to perform even the most basic of any other branch of transfiguration. Outside of rather specialist uses, it's a poor choice for a wand."
Hmm, well Morgan couldn't deny that she was interested, but she had other things occupying her attention.
Another wand was rejected, though it seemed close…
"I think I'm beginning to understand what wand you may need, Miss Fay. Very unusual, if so…" And with that, he once again disappeared into the back, emerging with more wands. "Aspen, unicorn hair" he said, handing her the wand.
Morgan frowned. It was close, but not there yet….
"Aspen, Phoenix feather" he said, handing her the next wand.
This… this worked. Her body was infused with warmth, her cheeks flushed and lights shot from the tip. It was an almost perfect match…
But only almost. There was something off about it…
This… If she was still the same person from her second life, this would have been perfect. Life and ambition, all tied into one wand.
And that meant it was a wand for great fools. Fool she may be, but she was not at that level anymore.
She threw it away in disgust, reminded of something unpleasant. The person she was was an idiot, a fool only slightly better than her original self, and it disgusted her.
Ollivander watched with querying eyes. "The wand chooses the witch, Miss Fay."
"And the witch chooses the wand" she hit back, "A relationship is a two way street, and I will not be the partner of a wand made for the naive and foolish."
"I see" he said. But did he? What would ue know about the true realities of life, holed up in his comfortable little shop. He was a useless fool just like the rest of them.
The look in his eyes only made her angrier.
"Well then, perhaps another time" he said, putting the wand away. "I think I know the wand you need, Miss Fay. Aspen wood, highly unusual, for a certain."
"Unusual how?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"I can count on one hand the number of children your age that have been accepted by Aspen wands, across the entirety of Europe. They require a concrete ambition and more… It's not enough to just have ambition, you must also be aware of the challenges of achieving it, as well as absolute certainty that you can still achieve said ambition. And it must be more, more than normal ambition… It must be great" he finished, his voice hushed as his eyes took her in. "Yes, most children simply aren't old enough to envision such a thing."
Well then, such a wand should be perfect for her. If ruling the world wasn't great, then nothing was.
Ollivander handed her a slim black box, watching her passively. Ripping off the lid, Morgan beheld a slim wand, the colour of fine China, sitting upon a bed of black silk.
This moment felt… momentous. This was it, the wand she would choose, she could feel it deep within her bones, a resonance of mind and magic as a yearning to grasp the fine wood rose within her.
"Aspen, 11 inches" started Ollivander, distracting slightly. "Rigid and with a core of thestral hair. A complex wand…"
"Thestral hair? I was rather under the impression you stuck to your so-called supreme cores."
"I'm am, foremost, a researcher. It is my ambition to seek out ever greater materials. And don't be put off, thestral hair is just as good as Phoenix feather or Unicorn hair, but I don't often use it. Again, most won't ever be compatible with it. How curious…"
Morgan was getting tired of prompting him, so she just raised an eyebrow, giving him an inpatient look.
"You see, thestral hair, though excellent, will only ever choose those with an… unusual relationship with death. Seen death, caused death, survived death… Yes, most curious indeed Miss Fay… Well, give it a wave" he said, excitement glimmering in his eyes.
The air felt heavy as she beheld the wand, anticipation tingling her senses. Reaching out a slim hand, she grabbed the wand.
And moaned, rather embarrassingly. Her magic filled the room, blanketing it as it merged with the wand, with the power of the wood. Her brain was caught in a washed out bliss, revelling in the connection to the wand, deepening and widening as they resonated with each other.
If the wand had an awareness, it was currently rummaging through her mind, seeking out her ambitions and dreams, her motivations and failures, and it liked what it saw, giving itself to her completely, a blinding orange flash lighting the room as the temperature shot up.
She came back to herself as Ollivander was talking. "The wood from a tree that was the sole survivor of a ravenous forest fire and the core from a tail of a regal, ruling thestral. My, I believe you shall do great things Miss Fay. Yes, great things indeed…"
Terrible, but great. The words echoed in her mind, words from long ago, heard and read. Yes, she would be great, for better or worse.
"Lumos" she whispered, and the wand lit up, taking her magic and shaping it into something more complex, something that took her a long time to learn wandlessly. Yet it performed the spell so easily…
The pale light shined upon her face, illuminating even the dim corners of the room. "You have my thanks, Ollivander. Great, you say? I did say you were perceptive." With a quick nox, she turned to Su. "Well then Su, let's pay up and go, we hav-" she cut herself off as she noticed the state Su was in, gazing at Morgan with lidded eyes.
From barely an inch away.
Weird.
Well, it was fine. She could figure it out later. Paying Ollivander, she dragged Su outdoors, ignoring his eyes following them all the way.
They had work to do. School was but a month away, after all.
