He didn't know why he was there, a void, and utterly abandoned. Time was there, and then it wasn't. There was no up nor down, there was only the dark and his mind.
Was he in Purgatory? No. The complete and total loss of his senses were a hellish existence. It could have been years, a day, or maybe even decades, but he continued to just… exist.
There were moments where his sanity departed, then it returned, just to leave again in a vicious cycle. This cruel cycle continued until he felt something for the first time since he entered this existence. Something drilled it's way into his frayed and weakened mind. First, they started out small, and then the volume rose an octave, and he couldn't do anything about it.
His mind felt as if it was being molded as the voices came again and again, first low and then louder in a new cycle. At some point, he grew defiant. His will became tempered from the constant breaking and reforming. He decided that this torture will not break him, and he would survive however long it would take to get to the other side.
With his resolve hardened, he commanded himself to ignore the voices. Now, he had to listen to all those movies and books talking about inner peace and find his own.
After a time the voices dulled but that wasn't good enough for him. What he wanted was total control to make the voices silent. It took what felt like days to get the voices under control, but once that hurdle was complete, he felt his mind expanding on a scale that he would have thought impossible before.
He once again began to feel as what felt like flames coursed through his veins as it ran from his heart to his brain then the rest of his body. Memories became clear, and thoughts and ideas on tech and what he knew from comics became easy not only to understand but also to create. His mind was now flowing on a level that was indescribable. With the clarity of his mind and newfound intelligence, he fully understood the gift that was bestowed upon him.
The Sage Force.
That, and all of its powers that came along with it. The major thing he knew about the Sage force was that it gave it's avatars telepathy and telekinesis of the omega level scale and beyond.
'The man makes the powers, and the powers do not make the man.' He repeated that mantra continuously, using it to focus himself and calm his excitement.
The other thing that he knew about the Sage Force was that it was from the DC universe, and that could mean far too many things for his situation. The only thing he could do was to force himself to wake up and then deal with it one step at a time. Now that he knew he had more than an overdose of telepathy, that could only mean that he was currently trapped in his own mind, in a coma.
With the twinkle of an idea, he focused on the act of breathing. He thought of the rising and fall of his chest before he could actually feel himself breathing. As he continued to breathe, he began to feel something pressed on his back. That feeling took up the entirety of his back side. The back of his legs and arms were included. It wasn't long until he felt cool air on his face.
He didn't open his eyes yet, but he tried to sit up and speak, but was gently stopped and pushed back down. A straw was placed in his mouth and he drank the water that was in the cup. It was as if the water was pouring life into him. Once he finished the cup, he was able to open his eyes and look at his surroundings.
He was shocked to see a small being with spindly arms and legs and oversized head and eyes. It had pointed, bat-like ears, a brown bob of hair, and was wearing a vintage nurse uniform.
'Is that what I think it is?' "What are you?"
"Tibby be a House elf. Tibby will go tell Healer yous be awake." She popped away.
Deciding to handle that tidbit later, he laid back down and tried to cycle through his memories.
Before he could do that, a blue box appeared before him, looking very much like a game window.
Hey!
Sorry to say this, but you died.
Usually you'd be getting either your own Game System or Essences, as well as your own omniverse, but I plucked your soul from the line for a small experiment. (Sorry about the Void, but it was the only place I could hide you.) I wanted to see how someone with the Sage Force would fair in a Harry Potter world.
Now, I know that you know that this is absolute bullshit, and a Game System would be far superior to the Sage Force, but I'll make it up to you!
1. You are a pureblood belonging to an Ancient and Noble House. Go to the bank to find out which one.
2. You are a metamorphmagus. Not a partial one, a full blown, can be anybody you want, metamorphmagus.
3. You are a parselmouth. Can speak the Noble Tongue of the Serpents.
4. You will be given a long list of missions that you can take to earn Credits.
5. I've spoken with the Crafts(wo)man. You can access and buy things from the Shop as if you were a Gamer.
6. You are blessed by Magic herself. Everything regarding magic comes easy to you.
Once again, I know that this is absolute bullshit, and those things won't really make up for it, so I'll cover the cost of ten items from the shop, so long as they aren't too ridiculous.
That's cool, right?
…no?
Fine.
You can have all of that, and I'll owe you one. That's the best I can do.
Have fun in your new life. I'll be watching.
Oh, by the way, you're not black anymore.
'I really don't know how to feel.' He scratched his head as he read through the bubble. Then, looked at his hands and arms in a panic. 'Wait, where's my beautiful melanin?! I'm a white boy now? I can't say nigga anymore?!'
Before the dread could fully set in, he felt memories that weren't there before slip into place. Memories of growing up in an orphanage for sixteen years, of having small accidental bouts of magic that made other children stay away from him. The caretaker of the orphanage also kept him at a distance. Memories of finishing his final year of schooling then his Hogwart's letter the same day. Memories of being met by Professor McGonagall and being told about magic. Being brought to the leaky cauldron in London and given instructions on what to do. He was making his way towards the bank when he, out of nowhere, felt a large amount of pain on his head, then complete darkness.
As he was sorting everything into place, a Healer walked in with a clipboard and a smile. She wore a dress similar to the House elf and a doctor's coat. "Good evening, Mr Parker. I am Healer Belford. It's good to see you're recovering well."
"I feel completely fine now, thank you. Can you tell me what happened? I was just walking when I felt a lot of pain, then nothing." Since when did he have a British accent? At least he won't have to code switch anymore.
"A young wizard decided to hand his new wand to his younger sister to show her. She unfortunately waved it, and a spell shot out and hit a sign you were walking under. The sign fell and dropped directly onto your head. The Lord of the family formerly apologizes and has already paid for your treatment." The Healer explained.
"Good, it was just an accident, and not a deliberate attack. I have no issues with that. How long was I here, and how long am I staying?"
"It's still morning, and since you're muggle raised, you'll be receiving your inoculations. After that, you're advised to rest for a couple more hours before leaving. Lunch will arrive within the hour."
As she walked out, He allowed a small smile to grace his face. He laid back down and allowed his mind to expand to the world around him, then, he pulled back and went deeper inside. Dumblefuck and the Dungeon Bat enjoy peeping children's minds, and he refused to have someone else within his mind.
The first layer will be a massive black dragon. He will be holding a vault that has an electronic keypad. Inside the vault will be a small room with a simple desk with a laptop and comfortable chair. The laptop will be filled solely with his memories. He'd just type in a subject, and all the information he knew of the subject will show on the screen.
His first search was telepathy, and two books, Marvel and DC, were presented and opened to pages that were filled with the what telepathy could do in both worlds.
Most people would be uncomfortable with the act of entering others' minds without permission, or stealing information from their minds, but he didn't really see an issue with that. He surmised that that was probably why he was chosen for this experiment. He could be called a Hedonist with sociopathic tendencies, but there were times when he felt like doing good just to do good with no expectation of a reward.
Since he knew what to expect and how to train, he began to practice. Opening his senses, but keeping his mind closed was hard at first, but he easily began fine tuning his mind. It started as a dull noise, then became a loud roar as he heard and sensed all the emotions and thoughts of those with him inside the hospital. The trauma and pain almost forced him to curl up into a ball and cry, the he was assaulted with joy and jubilation of families gaining new children and people being told they are cured.
The minds he wanted first were those of the Healers and Trainees. Fortunately, a majority of them only had occlumency to organize their minds instead of defending it.
Tibby brought him his lunch and the potions for his inoculations, so he used the opportunity to practice multitasking. He copied their minds then went to his mental laptop filter out all the information. With all the compiled knowledge, he could get a Mastery in nearly every Hogwarts subject.
After the Healers, he began to look at the patients. There were a lot of Aurors, and Hit Wizards. Their minds were more defended, but he was able to train his subtlety and enter their minds unnoticed while copying spells, tactics, as well as standard Auror procedures.
He found two Unspeakables, one disguised as a Healer, and another one hidden as added security. He forced himself to be as subtle as possible as he found the smallest cracks in their defenses, because their minds were far more defended than the Aurors.
He found quite the wealth of knowledge in their minds. Skills, spells, and tactics were all copied and pasted into his own mind.
Combining his metamorphic abilities with his telepathy, he was able to manipulate his nervous system, and replicate the muscle memory of each spell onto himself. That took a lot out of him. He was sweating a lot due to all that exertion, but Tibby just popped back in and snapped her fingers, and he felt as if he took a shower.
He found several Lords, both current and former, and he perused their minds for information on tradition, and how to act as a proper noble. He did find a good portion of House secrets that he took mental notes of. Some of the Lords had on rings that prevented him from subtly entering their minds, so with the full might of the Sage Force, he bashed his way in, took what he needed, then removed the memory of his attack.
He left the hospital around 3pm, and made his way towards Gringotts. As he walked, he practiced sensing emotions, attempting to make a danger sense. He was swamped with several different emotions, but after his first attempt in St. Mungo's, he was more than prepared.
As he walked, he felt a surprising bit of lust from some of the witches he passed, and thought about his looks now. Before he came to the Harry Potter world, he was a slightly above average looking guy who's charm was increased due to the abs he worked hard to have.
Here, he looked even better. Straight black hair that reached his shoulders, grey eyes that had purple flecks, high cheek bones, and dimples. He was 6' at sixteen, and had the same abs he was so proud of. Now that he's a metamorphmagus, his body could be in any shape he wants, but this was his "natural" look, or the look he used most his life. Apparently, this body tried exercising, and looking good to gain attention from a girl at the orphanage, despite the slight animosity shown by everyone there. 'Damn, I miss my melanin.'
Finally, after about ten minutes of weaving in and out of the still crowded alley, he made it to the steps of Gringotts bank, his Hogwarts letter still in hand as he made his way inside. He gave the guards a slight bow as he entered, receiving a nod in return.
He made his way through the room observing goblins moving around and some other wizards and witches speaking with different tellers at their benches. He didn't know the proper protocols to follow, and since this is a Harry Potter world, fanfictions might have some insight. He wasn't sure if he could trust that yet, so he he scanned the minds of everyone that was closest to him, then got an impression.
Walking right up to the head teller at the tallest desk he cleared his throat. "Excuse me, my deepest apologies for disturbing you but, I require assistance." He spoke in a strong, yet undemanding voice. Goblins were a warrior race, so it would be wise to appear strong where he is weak.
The goblin stopped his scribbling and looked down at him with a raised eyebrow. "A young wizard with manners? How rare. What business does a child have with Gringotts bank, and be quick. Time is gold." He spoke with an amused yet annoyed voice.
He held up his letter to the goblin. "I was directed to come to Gringotts to get my school funds to buy my supplies for Hogwarts, I was hoping you could help me."
The goblin took the letter and read through it quickly. "I see. Very well. You will need to undergo an inherency test first, to check that you are indeed eligible for the funds or if you require to create an account. If you have magical relatives they or your house would be required to pay for your schooling." He waved his hand to another goblin who came over.
He spoke in their language to the other goblin before the letter was handed back. "This goblin will show you to a meeting room where you shall have your blood tested. If you are not part of any house, you shall be given the key to a Hogwarts student vault with your funds inside." He said in dismissal.
"Thank you for your assistance, and the gold you spent on me." The telepath nodded and turned to follow the goblin who lead him to a set of double doors where he was lead inside.
"Wait here." The goblin ordered gruffly before leaving through another door.
Looking around the room, he saw only a solid wood desk and two chairs in the middle. He shrugged and went to sit in one of them. He let his mind wander to peek into goblin minds.
After a minute or so, the goblin returned with another one who came in pulling a large wooden box on wheels. The first goblin left, while the other approached. "Are you the to-be-student, who's here for an inherency test?"
He gave a curt nod. "I am."
The goblin opened the wooden box and took out a stone bowl that had a number of carved runes on its rim with a red ruby in its centre, and a curved knife with similar runes.
"I need your blood for the test." The goblin said as he sat at the desk and placed the bowl in front of the telepath.
"How much do you need for the test?"
It would seem some of the fanfictions were right, goblins did like to make wizards squirm. He could sense shock from the goblin, despite the fact it didn't register on his face at all. "Five drops will be sufficient."
With a nod, he took the blade and cut his palm a bit. He held it over the bowl and letting five drops fall in before taking his hand back, and watching with slight awe as the cut closed up at the same time the runes on the blade glowed. He handed the blade back to the goblin.
As the goblin took the bowl back, he tapped the runes in a sequence as they light up and the blood was soaked into the ruby in the centre of the bowl. In mere seconds, a thick black smoke started to poor out of it, floating up and forming a familiar crest.
His eyes widened as he recognised it. It was a shield divided into two, the top half with an armoured arm holding a wand and the bottom part with three birds, ravens or crows, he wasn't sure. He looked to the goblin, who looked mildly surprised, but he could sense major shock he was feeling.
"Well this is most surprising, it would appear, wizard, that you are a lost son of the Ancient and Noble House of Black." The goblin spoke as the crest faded away.
"How…? Who…?"
The goblin smirked. "Let's find out, shall we." He moved to the box and took out a quill and a sheet of parchment. "I will need some more of your blood, ten drops this time. Once it's done, I will use the quill to trace back your magical family lines for three generations on either family side. After that, I'm required to hand you over to your families account manager, I believe he will have a number of things to discuss with you now that you have been identified as a son of the House of Black."
He nodded, and repeated his actions in giving his blood. Afterwards, the goblin place the quill in the blood and it soaked it all in before he placed it on the parchment and they watched the magic take effect.
The quill lifted up into the air and then proceeded to write, starting with his name and then going backwards. He watched in fascination as he saw his birth father's name written next to Sirius Black and his eyes were fixed on it.
"Caelum Regulus Black, son of Regulus Arcturus Black and Alaria Parker." The goblin announced, as the quill continued to write. "It would seem that your mother was a third generation witch, born to a lower magical family. She would be seen by most wizards the first pureblood of her line, meaning you yourself are a pureblood."
The goblin rolled the parchment up. "I will take this to the account manager for your House so that he can confirm it. He will be with you momentarily to continue your business with Gringotts." He collected the other items back into the wooden box and dragging it behind him as he left the room.
The message he received told him he was a pureblood belonging to an Ancient and Noble House. It would make sense for him to be in one of the more prominent Houses that was a part of canon and fanon. The messenger took one blackness from him, and replaced it with another. There was a lot he could do with this. He'll need to check to see if the Shop has books on politics, and maybe there would be a book on Hogwart's rules.
The doors to the meeting room opened once again and another goblin came in this one wearing an all-black suit looking older than the last. He had the Black's house crest on a black sash over his coat. He made it to the desk and sat down before speaking. "Well met, Mr Black. My name is Ironclaw, and I am the account manager for the Ancient and Noble House of Black. It is a relief to know that the House of Black has once again been revived with your discovery."
"Well met, Account Manager Ironclaw. While your words are most welcome, I'm grossly uninformed at the moment. I've been raised outside of the wizarding world, so I would like to seek your council as to how I should proceed from here."
"Well, I can see that you are quite wise seeking the help of others Mr Black. I and those of my clan have been loyal accountants to the House of Black for close to four hundred years. It would be my honour to aide you until you can keep your own council." He said with a smirk. "Now, as you said you are just now re-joining the magical world, I would ask if you have had your inoculations as of yet."
"Yes, just this morning in fact." Caelum replied.
"Good. Now, as you are the last Son of the House of Black, the line of inherency falls to you. As you are already 16, that makes you Lord Black as soon as you wear the ring." As he said this, he pulled out a small box from pocket.
Inside laid on the black cloth interior was a ring that was all black with an amethyst gem. On top of the amethyst was a golden bird.
He gingerly picked up the ring, then with the slightest of hesitations, he put the oversized ring on his finger. There was a small flash of light, and the ring shrunk to fit his finger before there was a rush of something cold rushing through his veins for several moments before it faded. It left him slightly winded. "W-What was that?"
Ironclaw only smiled, as he closed the lid of the box. "That was the final confirmation that you are indeed the Lord Black. It was the Lord's ring confirming you were worthy to wear it and bear the title. My apologies for not telling you about it, but it was not my place to do so."
Caelum nodded, not really upset.
"Congratulations, Lord Black. Now, if it pleases you I can take you down to your family vault for you to collect any gold you may need as well as browse you're other belongings."
"Lead the way."
Staggering out of the cart once they came to a stop, Caelum had a wide smile on his face. He absolutely loved rollercoasters, and the movies didn't do the Gringotts' Carts any justice. He was a little unsteady on his feet after that experience.
Ironclaw just smirked as he watched him stagger his way to the door.
"Please excuse my excitement. This is similar to muggle attractions called rollercoasters, and I love to ride them." Caelum explained as he regained his baring.
Ironclaw just smiled in amusement. "Indeed. Now to business. Please place your ring on the vault door, Lord Black. The magic upon it will recognise you as such and will permit you entry."
Doing as instructed, he felt the magic of the ring mingle with the vault door. He then heard the loud clicks of the inner door workings moments later as the door began to open. He didn't bother hiding his surprise as he gazed inside the massive space.
The inner ceiling was at least two floors high and it went in at least a hundred meters from the entrance corridor. Towards the back, there were shelves filled with tomes and books and to the side were various other shelves with dozens of items on each. Trunks stacked up in multiple stacks made of various fabrics filled one section of the wall. In the centre of the room was a huge mound of gold galleons that was at stretched back at least sixty meters and was nearly touching the ceiling, there was just so much.
Ironclaw bowed his head to me slightly, "I shall wait here for your return, call if you need me."
"Thank you, Account Manager Ironclaw." He bowed before he started forward into the vault.
Walking in, he let his eyes roam around, not knowing where to start when he heard a booming make voice. He didn't jump, but he felt his body take a screenshot. "Who are you and what are you doing here!"
He calmly turned to find the source of the voice and his eyes landed on the source. Along the back wall of the vault were some magical paintings. The painting who boomed was a man with long black hair and hard-features, and piercing grey eyes, dressed in rich looking black robes who was watching me with his hard gaze. His eyes flickered to the golden nameplate.
"Orion Black." He said as he realized looking at the portrait of Sirius and Regulus's father, his grandfather.
"I will not ask again, boy. Who are you, and what are you doing in here?" Orion questioned harshly.
With an unimpressed gaze, Caelum answered. "I am Lord Caelum Regulus Black. Obviously, I am here to peruse the vault that now belongs to me. What other reason would someone you've never met be here?"
Orion's eyes grew a fraction wider when he heard this as he seemed to take in my appearance more as he looked me over. "The only way you could be Lord Black at your age would be if you were born of the family, yet you're dressed like a muggle. Who is your father?"
"Regulus Arcturus Black."
Orion's eyes widened even more when he announced that. His eyes then darted down to the ring on Caelum's hand. "I see. You are most welcome here, Lord Black. I apologize, but my son, your father, never had his portrait made so you will not be able to speak to him, but I and my wife, Walburga, will assist you with anything you need." He spoke respectfully. "If you have any questions do not hesitate to ask us".
Caelum nodded. "Thank you, grandfather, I will do that. But I fear that I may do so quite often, I was raised outside of the wizarding world. Until recently I was in an orphanage and I did not know I had any family at all. All of this is completely new to me."
Orion nodded to his words. "I see. Yes, you do have a lot to learn then. But at least you seem to possess a strong fortitude, which is good. You will need that if you want to be the next Lord Black. Knowledge can be learned, but it takes a certain fortitude and strength to be a Lord, I think you will do nicely. Once you go home, you'll be able to see Walburga."
"I see. Is there anything in here that you can think of that would help me in my studies, or would be of an advantage for me to have at Hogwarts?" He asked plainly. Anything to make his life easier.
Orion nodded. "There are many books and tombs on the far shelves that may prove interesting. I know that Hogwarts library doesn't stock many of these tombs as some could be considered… questionable in nature. But their contents are none the less useful. As for aiding you in your studies, I would suggest you browse the heirlooms. Those trunks are all multi-compartmental trunks, each with the space of a medium size house inside with various other features. Such would be advantageous to have at Hogwarts to have a private place to study away from prying eyes."
"Thank you grandfather." He turned to begin his search of the wall of trunks. Each had a folded up piece of parchment on the lid with a drawn map and a list of rooms inside, along with a list the additional charms and features each had, making his inspection easier than he previously assumed it would be.
There was only a few luxury trunks, but the rest were regular trunks with simple expansion charms in it, as well as shrinking runes engraved on them. Through his inspection, he found one that would suit his purposes. It was large with a thick dragon skin finish and came with a number of features. It was both fire and water proof, had a deterrent charm so people would stay clear of it, a weightless charm so that it would be easy to carry, a security charm linked to his own magic which was linked to a penalty charm that would stun anyone who tried to open it who wasn't him, a concealment charm that kept the interior and its contents invisible to anyone when active so he wasn't worried about someone seeing what was inside it when he wasn't around. It also had a self-shrinking charm on it so he could shrink it to the size of a match box and put it in his pocket.
The reason he chose it was because not only did it offer the most space, but it also had a number of rooms he knew he would find useful. A potions lab with a large ingredients store in stasis, a huge training room with a build in duelling ring, a combined large library and office space, living quarters with a kitchen and pantry, and a master bedroom with bathroom and large closet space. It was practically a house on wheels.
With his trunk shrank and in his pocket, he took all the regular trunks, shrunk them and put all the shrunk trunks into one, then shrunk that one and put it in his pocket. He had plans, and they included a lot if trunks. With that done, he picked up a sack and a satchel, then started to browse through the heirlooms, his hands at his sides. With a House as dark as his is, he'd be an absolute fool to touch things without knowing anything about it.
As he looked through the various jewelry on display. There were necklaces that were just for looks, but there was a lot with defensive runes engraved on them. He plucked the ones that blocked legilimency probes and attacks. There were more rings with different effects that he plucked, like one where a dagger could be manifest by focusing a bit of magic into it. There was another that had detection runes engraved, whether it be potions, charms, or curses. He placed both rings on his right hand without hesitation. It would be prudent to to always have a weapon ready, and he's read too many fanfics where people fall afoul to potions.
He moved on to the various wands on display, and took his time inspecting each and every wand. He knew it would be prudent to have backup wands for more nefarious purposes. House Black has been around for a very long time, and the vast amount of wands present reflected that. He picked up each wand and ran his magic through it, but only two wands were passable for use. One had an ashwinder ash core, and the other had a runespoor fang core. He placed a wand holster on his left forearm, then holstered the runespoor wand. That one had a more dark reputation. He put the ashwinder wand in a box then put it in his satchel.
He looked towards the weapons, and, like any boy, went to check them out. He, once again, kept his hands to himself, but did lean in closer to look at all the cool blades and armor. A lot of them practically radiated darkness, so he steered away from those, but he was interested in the daggers.
Making his way to the books, he leisurely browsed the shelves, and picked out several that caught his eye. Rituals, warding, runes, battle transmutation, curses, Occlumency and potions, as well as three books that he found on Metamorphmagy.
There were journals made by all the Lords there, including his father's. He picked it up, and flipped directly to the end. Regulus wrote how he discovered that Voldemort made a horcrux and tried to kill his elf to aide in hiding it. It ended with Regulus declared that he would either destroy it, or die trying.
By the time he was ready to leave, he took small sack, and held it open in one of the big money piles. Letting gravity do most of his work, he filled the sack with galleons. No matter how much he filled the sack, the weight didn't change, nor did it look filled.
"I'm taking my leave, grandfather. I still need to buy my school supplies." Caelum told his grandfather.
"Ah, yes. Then I'll see you in a couple hours." Orion nodded.
The first thing he did when he exited the vault was apologize to Ironclaw for taking so long, much to the goblin's amusement.
"Lord Black, all of our vaults have various different runes etched onto the walls, one including time dilation. Barely a minute passed out here while you were in there." Ironclaw explained.
"That's incredible. Before I leave the bank today, I'd like to discuss some more business with Gringotts, and a business opportunity with you that could possibly see increased revenue for Gringotts."
"Oh? Then please follow me to my office."
They took the cart again, much to Caelum's enjoyment, and arrived by a hallway with different office doors, some open, others closed. They entered Ironclaw's office and immediately sat down.
"Before we begin, may I ask how much Gringotts is familiar with muggle banking?" Caelum started.
"Quite a bit, actually. We have to be to be able to convert muggleborn's money into galleons. We began to invest in the Muggle World just over a decade ago." Ironclaw replied.
"Good, then you're familiar with checks and debit cards?"
"Yes, we are."
"Why don't you make a Wizarding World equivalent?" Caelum asked.
Ironclaw tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
"With how vain the pureblood's are, they'd want something else to hang over the heads of muggleborns. Why not feed into that vanity and gain profit by doing so? Make personal checkbooks that have the family name or crest for Lords and Ladies, and charge a fee for handing them out, then charge a fee for every purchase they make using the check. Maybe 10%, or whatever you all decide. It'll also make it easier to track their purchases. I'd make them more simple than the muggle checks, though. We both know how foolish wizards are." Caelum smiled, no teeth showing.
Ironclaw sat with a neutral expression on his aged face, but Caelum could sense the massive shock coming from the goblin. "You are correct that this would be a boon to Gringotts. With how proficient to muggle banking we are, one would think we'd be able to come up with such an idea ourselves. What would you like in return for bringing this idea to our attention?"
"Can those in the employ of Gringotts erect wards?"
"… yes, we can." Ironclaw stated a bit suspiciously. "Our wards are the best of the Magical World due to the old, and precious stones we use to make them. Our best wards use centuries old dragon cores to power them."
"Are they for sale."
"Usually? No. But for the boon you've given us, we can make an exception." Ironclaw admitted.
"Truly? Then, I thank you for your help in keeping me and mine safe." Caelum stated cordially. "Please send an owl for whenever your people are able to erect the wards at the Black Townhouse. Would you also be able to send me a list of manors that are for sale? I find it a bit ridiculous that a muggle-hating pureblood House would have an ancestral home surrounded by muggles."
Ironclaw took notes. "It can easily be done. I take it that when you find and purchase a proper home, you'd like to move the wards to said home."
"Yes, for a proper fee, of course."
"Of course. Will that conclude your business with Gringotts today?"
"Almost. I'd like to have a audit of the Black vaults back to when great-grandfather passed away, any statements of the vaults during that time and another other important parchment-work that I need to look at. I'd also like to know the family is currently investing into."
"I'll have all the relevant information sent on the morrow."
"Then this should conclude our meeting today, and please, Account Manager, after the favor you've granted me today, call me Caelum."
"Then, call me Ironclaw."
The two returned to the carts and made their way back to the meeting room.
"May the last thing your foes see be your blade." Caelum bade goodbye.
"And may your vault continue to overflow with the gold of your enemies." Ironclaw nodded his head in acknowledgement.
Finally.
After walking around for over an hour buying everything else he needed, he stood in front of the one store every Harry Potter fan wanted to visit.
He pushed open the door and walked inside, and marveled at the interior. It was just as the movies showed with walls and shelves upon shelves of wand boxes of all shapes and sizes. He gazed around in fascination at what very few Potterheads get to see.
"You have a marvelous store, Mr Ollivander." He spoke idly before leisurely turning around and locking eyes with Garrick Ollivander, the owner of the store.
Ollivander was surprised and put out that he couldn't scare another customer. "Yes, thank you, Mr Black. I must say your appearance will most definitely cause a stir."
Caelum tilted his head, but he wasn't overly surprised that Ollivander knew his name. He had to have an alert ward of some kind that reports the customer's name. "How is it that you know who I am when I myself just learned it a couple hours ago?"
Ollivander smiled a genuine smile. "That's simple, my dear boy, I was the one who made your mother and fathers wands. You look like the perfect mix between them." He puffed out his chest in pride. "Your father's was a hazel and dragon heartstring, nice and flexible, good for shields and powerful enchantments. While your mothers was willow with unicorn tail hair, very swishy, good for charm work and healing. I wonder which you might take after, or perhaps you're your own man. Shall we get started then?"
"Yes, though I must ask if you are capable of keeping a secret."
"Of course! It's no one's business who comes into my shop besides me and my customers." Ollivander nods.
"Then, I'll let you know that I am a parselmouth, so I'd prefer if we begin searching through all of the serpent cores first, no matter how unlikely the creature you have."
"Oh, what a wonderful gift! It's unfortunate that the majority don't see it that way, but rest assured, Mr Black, your insistence to keep it quiet is understood and accepted. Come, come. Let's begin with ashwinder ash core, with an acacia wood!"
It was only thirty minutes as Ollivander handed him wand after wand. He grew more excited the more wands wouldn't match with Caelum, until he was suddenly pensive. He looked towards a corner where a black box sat innocently. As he walked towards it, he spoke in a low tone, almost as if he was unsure of the words he was saying. "Every wand my family has made, it was as if we were directed by magic itself to piece together the different parts. We instinctively knew that the wand we craft would be purchased by someone."
He grabbed the box, and blew away the dust as he made his way back. "This wand was the first and only wand where I was unsure whether someone would buy it or not. It's core is a horned serpent's horn. This core was exceptionally powerful, sensitive to parseltongue, and vibrated when parseltounge was being spoken. It could warn their owners of danger by emitting a low musical tone. It's wood is elm, a wood that prefers owners with presence, magical dexterity. Wands made from this wood are sophisticated, and capable of highly advanced magic in the right hands."
He opened the box and held it towards Caelum to pick it up, not willing to hold it. Caelum looked at it before picking it up, and instantly felt a connection. His magic and the wand were practically caressing each other lovingly as he stared at it. It was a light brown with a distinctive handle, being squarish in shape, and from the tip down a couple inches, the wood looked to be twisted. The handle, and the twisted portions had runes etched onto it.
It looked like a lighter version of Sirius' wand from the movie.
"12 inches, horned serpent horn core, elm wood. Truly a powerful foci, where only two others before you had the same core. I tell quite a number of young adults that they are destined for great things when they get their wand for the first time, but this time, I truly mean it. You, Mr Black, are destined for great things. Whether those things are good or bad, that has yet to be seen."
With the smallest of cracks, a disillusioned Caelum appeared right before the wards of the Black townhouse. He looked around with both his eyes and his mind to see if anyone was looking in his direction, then dropped his disillusion.
Before entering, he thought of how grimy the inside will probably be, then an idea from fanfiction inserted it's way into his mind.
"Tibby." He called. It took a moment, but the house elf appeared, and she looked confused.
"Yous not be hurt anymore. Why yous call Tibby?" She asked.
"Hello again, Tibby. I'd like to ask if you know of three or four free elves that are looking for work."
She gasped and with a smile on her face, she popped away. He figured the smile was a good thing, so he waited patiently for a minute or so until she popped back with four elves in tow. "These be some of Tibby's friends."
It was three females and a male. All wore filthy pillow cases, and looked weak. "Hello, I am Lord Caelum Regulus Black, and I am in need of your services. Please tell me your names."
"I's be Sanny."
"I's be Bobby."
"I's be Nippy."
"I's be Filsy."
"Good. Come and bond with House Black." The elves hugged his legs, nearly making him trip, and the briefly glowed before letting go quickly. "Perfect. Now, you're all representing House Black and you should dress to represent that, so peek into my mind to see what I'd like for you all to wear."
He allowed a mental picture to appear outside of the dragon's range. The elves got the picture and used their magic to change their clothes. They now wore the iconic servant uniforms of a butler and maids with the crest of House Black on their shoulder.
"Good. You all now can properly represent House Black. Before we enter the building, I will warn you that it is very dirty inside, and the old elf that's there is a bit barmy, so I'll be making him my personal elf to keep a close eye on him. You all will be responsible for everything else. Do you all understand?" He asked.
"Yes, Lord Black." They all replied.
With a curt nod, he turned and walked through the wards, his elves trotting behind him.
Reaching for the ornate handle with his ring hand, he could feel the magic of the ring reaching out and mingling with the magic of the house. When he held the doorknob, he could feel the wards of the house scanning him and testing him. He clearly passed the test, because the scanning stopped, and he opened the door without issue.
As he entered the hall with his troop of House Elves behind him, he began to glance around, it definitely wasn't as bad as it was in the movies, but it was still pretty bad. Kreacher had been trying to make repairs and clean, the floors were swept clean and it looked as though the hall at least had been dusted, though that helped about as much as putting a small plaster on a bullet wound. Wallpaper was peeling away, the floorboards were rocking and creaking beneath my feet, and there was a musky scent in the air. In short the house was in need of some major repair work.
"Mudblood filth! How did you get in here?! Kreacher! Get rid of him!" A shrill voice shrieked. He turned to meet the gaze of who he assumed was Walburga Black. She was an older woman, in her mid-forties at least, with wild black hair and pale skin, but was admittedly beautiful. Her gaze that of a woman that demanded respect and would raise hell if not given it.
"I am Lord Caelum Regulus Black, your new Lord, and my blood is pure. If you cannot do anything but shriek, then I will turn you into kindling. I don't need the dead to irritate me while I return this House back into prominence. Weren't you supposed to be a Slytherin? Why are you shouting and ranting like a brash Gryffindor instead of subtly inspecting me for who I am like a proper Slytherin?"
As Caelum tore into Walburga, Kreacher appeared stood silently, his small beady eyes looking towards the young elfs behind his apparent new master, then back to the young man.
Walburga wanted to continue ranting and raving, but she knew she was wrong, and this new Lord definitely had the power to remove her portrait and destroy it, should he wish. "My apologies, milord, for my uncouth behavior. I will endeavor to be much better behaved in the future. May I inquire as to your parentage?"
Caelum kept his expression cool. "I am the son of Regulus Arcturus Black and Alaria Parker."
As he spoke, Kreacher's beady eyes seemed to widen as did Walburga's. "You be Master Regulus's son?" Kreacher spoke his voice a little shaken by the declaration.
He nodded. "I am, I did not know my father nor my mother. I was orphaned and only found my way back to the house of my birth this day." Kreacher looked tearful. "Behind me are some elves to help clean this House as I understand that you are old. You four may begin cleaning, but two of you clean the Lord's office and the other two clean the Master bedroom first. I need those prioritized. Here, take this trunk and put any artifacts that would be harmful to me in it."
"Yes, Lord Black." They bowed in unison, then one took the shrunk trunk and all popped away.
He turned back to Kreacher who looked both happy and disgruntled at the fact that he had help. "Now, Kreacher, I've read the last pages of my father's journal, and he mentioned that he planned on destroying something of Voldemort's. Did he succeed in his mission, or was it what killed him?"
Kreacher bursted into tears at this question. "Poor Master Regulus died trying, and gave Kreacher the task of destroying it, but Kreacher failed! Kreacher is bad elf!" The elf was starting to hit himself before Caelum stopped him.
"Stop." He ordered. "Now, tell me where the locket is, and I'll destroy it."
Kreacher didn't hesitate to pop away, then returned with a sinister feeling locket in his hands. He had it placed on a stand that was holding a flower vase. Flipping a mental switch, he spoke in Parseltongue. "Open."
He got a couple of different ways to destroy a horcrux from the Unspeakables, and he chose the simplest while using the wand of his ancestor. "Avada kedavra."
Before the sinister glowing red eyes could also form a mouth, he fired his spell, and the thing screeched horribly as it died. "That's done. You're final task to your previous Master is complete, Kreacher. What would you like in return?"
"Thank you, Master. Kreacher would like to fulfill his destiny as a Black elf."
"You have my permission to do so."
As Kreacher shuffled to the stairs, he climbed then stopped at a seemingly random one. Then he sprang high into the air and twisted into a spike that stuck out of the wall, killing him instantly.
"What a gruesome sight." Caelum said, seeing the row of elf heads. "Bobby, can you please remove those elf heads and give them proper burials? Afterwards, return to your duties."
"Yes, Lord Black." Said the elf that popped next to him.
He explored the house a bit, just meandering around until one of the elfs popped in front of him to inform him the office was done being cleaned. He was led up the stairs towards the office and was met by the portrait of Orion. After some polite conversation, Caelum entered the office and sat on the worn, high-backed chair in front of the ornate wooden desk.
'I guess now would be the perfect time to browse the Shop. The problem being-'
His thoughts were cut off by a light pinging and the appearance of a screen.
Welcome to the Gamer Shop!
I am the Crafts(wo)man, and I run the Shop where literally anything and everything is sold. Whether it be a minor healing potion, or Hinata Hyuuga as your obedient servant/slave, it is all sold here!
As a freebie for a first time customer, you receive the Eromancy (Mastery) skill book. All proper Gamers have a harem, so it makes sense for them to have the tools to keep them satisfied.
Your next 10 purchases have already been covered, so choose wisely!
Caelum dismissed the message and browsed the Shop. He immediately searched and put Politics (Mastery), and Business (Mastery) into his cart. He looked through the Familiar tab and found a plethora of different companions. He decided to get a Dark Phoenix. From the description, it is more loyal than regular phoenixes and will not shy away from darker people, despite being bastions of the Light. He added that to his cart too.
He had plans, and he just found a book on exactly what he was looking for. White Magic (Mastery) was added to his cart, and a maniacal laugh wanted to force itself out, but he managed to stifle it. He also got a book on Anything Goes Martial Arts (Master), while it was available. He added Duelist (Mastery) for his wand-work, and Dagger Wielder (Mastery).
He looked through the servant tab carefully. While the thought of a cute, submissive Hinata servicing him under his desk while he worked really appealed to him, he needed someone that could both suck a softball through a straw, and manage the businesses he's going to open. He searched Natalia Romanova and was surprised by the amount of different versions of her, but he quickly realized that he shouldn't be surprised by that fact. The multiverse is more infinite than than anything else, always adding something new.
He found a filter, and narrowed the amount significantly. 'Let's make her a witch of the HP-verse. We'll keep her training as the best assassin around, but add magic to her repertoire. Completely devoted to me, but let's keep her personality the same for everyone but me. A natural in legilimency and Occlumency. Able to comfortably blend in the Magical and the Muggle world. Let's see what's left.'
As he entered the filters, there was only about a dozen left. He read the brief summary each Natalia had, and found the his favorite. 'Born to a squib Black who managed to persuade his father to banish him instead of killing him, and Anastasia Romanov, youngest daughter of the last Muggle Tsar of Russia, Natalia was raised by her parents for several years before she was taken away by the Government to train in a secret program to become an assassin in the Cold War. She trained hard, absorbing as much information and skills as she could before she escaped and made her way to her parents home. They were unfortunately killed, but she found her father's journal that detailed exactly where the Ancestral home of the Blacks were located. She knows magic exists, and she had very little training, but give her a bit of time and guidance, and she'll be incredibly skilled.'
If you purchase this servant, she'll appear the next day, her background will automatically integrate with your world.
Caelum added her to the cart. 'I still have 2 freebies, so I should save that for when I need something.'
He nodded to himself before going to the check out, and purchasing his items.
Congratulations on your first purchases with the Shop!
Thank you for your patronage, and I hope you shop with us again!
A box appeared next to him with his books inside them. He took them out, and the box disappeared. He held the egg in the crook of his arm, and touched each book to assimilate all the knowledge in them. He rested on his seat for a bit as he searched through the new skills he has as they mix with his previous existing skills to make him a more dangerous wizard.
As he rested a bit before he could continue his plans, one of his elfs popped in with dinner. "Dinner, Lord Black."
"Thank you, Filsy."
He ate his dinner in peace and properly sated his hunger. He put his plates aside then began to look through the desks. He found the journal of the previous Lord Black, and another journal with Ad Nigrum Librum etched onto the cover. He decided to look through those tomorrow.
He pulled out a blank sheet of parchment to write down his plans and properly visualize it as Filsy appeared to retrieve his empty dishes.
'First, I no need to check through the results of the audit of the Black accounts. I really hope no one has been stealing from me. Then, to check on investments and businesses that were made. If I'm losing money with poor investments, then they're getting dropped. After that, to look through the homes that were listed, and see which one would be a suitable Ancestral Home for House Black. Then, to look at empty buildings in Magical communities that can be bought and turned into profitable businesses. I'm willing to bet my fortune that there are many smart and reliable muggleborns and halfbloods that just need a proper sponsor to gain a Mastery, and even more just need a job. I'm willing to have werewolves under my employ, because I could easily turn the curse into a blessing with White Magic.'
With his semi-schedule for the next day laid out, he called for an elf. "Nippy!"
"Yes, Lord Black?"
"Is the master bedroom cleaned?"
"Yes, Lord Black."
"Good. Please lead me to it."
Following her lead, he left his office, bade his grandfather a good night, and climbed the stairs to the top floor. Opening the double-doors, he entered the room and placed his egg on the loveseat, resting on a pillow before dropping all his clothes and stepping into the bathroom.
He made his way straight to the shower, and he could see three stones, one with a red rune, one with blue, and one with purple in the center.
Using the long lost art of Common Sense, he tapped the purple rune and a shower of warm water sprayed out of it. He figured it was mineral water due to the fact it was coming from rocks. He cleaned himself off using the soap that was prepared for him, then made his way to bed after casting a drying charm on himself.
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