I got some breakfast in the morning and headed to Diagon Alley to Gringotts. My inheritance test was tomorrow I had to book it in advanced, because it required a ministry official on hand aswell. But I was here to change some galleons into pounds before heading out into London.
I transferred 100 galleons into 500 pounds. That will definitely cover my present ideas.
While I was in Dagon Alley, I picked up some other gifts. For myself, I bought a coin pouch with an undetectable extension charm. It had enough space to hold 10,000 galleons and only cost 2. I also bought a satchel with the undetectable extension charm for 100 galleons. Both were marked so the ministry could easily identify them. The coin pouch whent into my pocket and I headed to a jewerly store and sold off the jewerly I had gotten from the room of requirements, that gave me 250 galleons, I could have gotten more but I accepted a lower price for no questions.
I headed to the streets of London in jeans and a jacket. I didn't have to look far for a music store, entering it I headed over to the piano and keyboard sections and bought several books of sheet music of popular music. And I did the same for drums. That was the first part of my gift. I headed to an electronics shop and bought 2 more walkmans and a set of portable speakers that ran on batteries. I found a clothing store and bought a couple of good woollen socks featuring Christmas themes. In the post office, I got a stack of Christmas cards.
Lastly, I stopped in a record shop and looked over the cassette, picking up some new releases like Nirvana's Nevermind album and Pearl Jam's Ten. Grabbing a collection of oldies and some more blank cassettes.
I left London and went back to Dagon Alley. I continued my Christmas shopping, found some books for hermonie and Neville, hermonies book was a biography on Damovles Belby the inventor of the wolfsbane potion. Neville's was on setting up greenhouses.
I brought Professor Snape a blank Tome and a fountain pen. I also gave him a nice Christmas card and suggested he could use the book for his thoughts, but I would love an updated textbook.
Some candy to fill out the other Christmas presents. I headed to my room in the leaky cauldron and wrote Christmas cards and wrapped gifts. It was 2 in the afternoon when I was done. I dropped the packages off at the post office and paid the fee.
I spent the rest of the day in the leaky cauldron, listening to music. Tomorrow would be a day.
8:00 in the morning, I was in Gringotts again. A goblin approached me.
"Mr. Carter, I am Bludrook, follow me to the testing office." The goblin introduced himself and led me to an office. The office was more of a ritual room. A magic circle was inscribed in the center of the room, and huge hourglass of blood sat on the far side of the room, the blood moved like a lava lamp. A wizard in deep blue robes was inspecting the circle. The Bludrook cleared his throat. "All seems in order Bludrook" he looked up "Ah you must be Mr. Carter I need you to fill out this form." The wizard came over with a form. I read it over," and if I can't answer a question ?" I asked.
"Leave it blank, but make sure you sign the liability waiver." He said.
I filled it in, date and place of birth I knew but things like parents names and family linage I didn't. I did sign the waiver, however.
"Okay, mister Carter, we will take some blood now." The wizard said as he pulled out a goblet and his wand. I held out my arm. The wizard sliced with a spell and filled the goblet, casting a healing spell on me. Bludhook handed me a potion. "To replace the blood we took." He said, and I drank it down, feeling better. The goblet was placed in the circle with a scroll and other ingredients. The goblin and wizard started to work the ritual, and a glow surrounded the hourglass and the scroll. Five minutes later, the goblin stepped in and removed the scroll; he waved me to follow him to a desk. Where he unfurled the scroll. I looked at the scroll.
-results of the Gringotts inheritance test-
Subject: Edward Albert Carter.
Born July 17th 1980.
Father: Hugo Thomas Carter. Deceased
Mother: Susan Lee Carter nee Burroughs. Deceased.
Heir to the Carter line.
-Carter vault Britian vault 615.
-Carter vault American vault 187.
-properties held in trust by the American Gringotts branch.
-possible heir to the Burroughs.
--
I looked at the parchment. The Bludrook and the ministry wizard looked at the scroll.
"What does it mean," I asked in a shaking voice.
"Your a pureblood" the goblin said "last of the line of Carter and possible heir of Burroughs."
"There's no families with that name in Britain" the ministry wizard.
"Of course not they immigrated to America in 1789" the goblin said pulling out a file. "We did pull some records in case this boy was a match. However, I do have to pen a letter to the American branch now." I looked over the file the goblin handed me, it wasn't much the Carter family immigrated to America leaving behind their vault and getting gringotts to sell of their properties.
"Take me to the vault," I said.
"Certainly sir" Bludrook "I will be your manager here at gringotts" I took the scroll after the ministry wizard made a copy to check with ministry records.
Bludrook led me to the carts, and we screamed down into the vaults of Gringotts. "Vault 615", he announced as we pulled up.
He took out a key in his pocket, unlocked it, and handed me the key. "That is your vaults key" he said "do not lose it."
We opened the vault door. Piles of galleons were on a centre platform, a bookshelf filled with books was to the side, and a violin was in a display case. I scratched my face. What the hell?
"About 20 thousand galleons," Bludrook said as he looked over the pile. "This must be from the properties' sales, " he explained.
"Bludrook, that inheritance test is correct, right, meaning I'm the last Carter, and no one will contest if I take this?" I asked. I was still shaken.
"That's correct. You are only a possible heir to the Burroughs because your grandparents are alive, and you have not been selected as heir."
I nodded and went over to the bookshelf. Potions books and grimoires and even some fiction. Lined the shelves. I didn't touch them. I looked at the display case where the violin was displayed. The plague read.
-Maryann's violin- it meant nothing to me. I opened the case and touched the violin; my magic reacted to it like I had touched a wand. Bright light erupted from the violin when it dimmed; I held it. 'What the hell?' I thought. "There no bow" I said looking into the display case.
"Well, use some of this gold to buy one." The goblin said. "Now you need to know the Americans use a different currency, called Dragot and Sprink; if you want the money in that vault, it will take some time, and there will be fees." He smirked.
"After I get a full accounting of the vaults, then we can talk," I said. I placed the violin into my satchel and started to put handfuls of galleons into the coin pouch. I looked over the books again. -Carter Potions- I opened the book. It was a potion book for some potions I hadn't heard of before. I put that into my bag as well.
"Okay, I'm done here," I said as I walked out of the vault.