As Severus stepped off the Hogwarts Express for the final time and left the train station with a bittersweet feeling in his heart, memories came back to him of the first day he came to there with his mother, meeting Lily and her family before their departing to Hogwarts to start their first year.
On his way out, he saw all the students rushing towards their parents and greeting them with hugs. He also noticed the Marauders doing the same thing, feeling a rush of jealousy through his heart. But what caught his full attention was Lily, who smiled, lovingly, as she hugged her mother and father. Time felt like nothing to him as he stood still, a tear barely managing to escape from the corner of his eye.
He envied how she and all of the other students got to greet their parents like that, without ever feeling a single bit of fear of what would happen the second they reached home. Without fear of dreading the punches, kicking, whipping or yelling that used to wait for him.
As he continued to watch the Evans from afar, in the crowds, memories entered his mind of Lily's parents. Before his fifth year had started, both Richard and Elizabeth Evans had been the only people, besides Lily, who were kind to him. Whenever he was invited over for dinner or just came to visit, he was met with smiles and genuine concern of his well-being that his real parents never showed. Mrs. Evans always worried about his poor health and skinny body, complaining how he wasn't getting enough to eat. While Mr. Evans treated him like an equal and spoke to him with a level of maturity that he didn't give to his girls, aware of that he wasn't entirely like other kids. To him, they were the closest thing to what a mother and father should be.
As he watched the family, he took notice that Petunia had never once addressed or even looked at Lily, always staring off at the ground or into the distance. It was no secret to him that Petunia envied Lily for being a witch and treated her like an outcast, but even then she would at least say hi or hug her sister. He quickly caught a glimpse of Lily looking at Petunia, only to quickly look away, with sadness in her eyes. The sight sent shivers down his spine, knowing that the rift that existed between them had now gotten worse. It quickly reminded him of his parents, how it all started with fear, then led to anger, and finally, hatred. Lily would be like his mother, doomed to live with the fact that the person she loves hates her. And Petunia would be like his father, doomed to live with a hate-filled-heart and never find peace. But the last ingredient that always followed after hatred was pain. It was a good thing that the two sisters would not be in each other's lives for much longer or else they would end up exactly like his parents. And he knew how that would end.
But still, he knew he needed to do something about it, before it got worse. His friendship with Lily may be over, but he could still make sure that her relationship with her sister was saved. The last thing he wanted to see was another family torn apart because of the Wizarding World.
As the Evans family exited the station, Severus did the same and paid for a ticket back to Spinner's End, where he found himself back at the house he always hated. Not wasting time, he began to put into effect the actions needed to sell the house, assuming the bank wouldn't take it from him. Last time he had checked, his father was smart enough in his youth to pay off the house before marrying his mother.
As nighttime drew closer, he was met with a surprise at the sound of tapping on the kitchen window. There, he found an owl with three letters in its beak. Opening the window, he feed the owl before sending it off and taking the three letters.
Reading the first two, he felt his heart race with excitement at seeing that they were from the Rome and Salem Academies. Sitting down at the kitchen table, opened both letters, beginning to read each one, nervous about the decision the schools had made.
/
28 June 1976
Dear Mr. Severus Prince,
We are pleased to announce that your application was accepted to enroll at the Rome Wizarding Institution for your final two years of education. If you so wish to accept your approved enrollment, please owl the institution before the end of August 10th, which is the end of all enrollment applications. If you fail to respond until then, your approved enrollment will be terminated.
We also took the liberty to look into your background and your grades at Hogwarts, and the board, including me, are very impressed. If you so choose to come to Rome, we can promise that the experience will be unlike anything from Hogwarts.
We look forward to your response,
Respectfully yours,
Aldo Antonio
Headmaster of the Rome Wizarding Institution
29 June 1976
/
Dear Mr. Severus Prince,
It is with great pleasure and honor to tell you that we've accepted your enrollment application to attend Salem Wizarding Academy. We've reviewed your grades from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and we're very surprised by your high scores, especially considering you have yet to receive your O.W.L.s grades. Please owl us back if you wish to accept or deny the enrollment. Be sure you reply before August 12th or else your acceptance will be considered invalid by that point,
Please consider this offer. As a former Potions Master myself, I see a lot of potential in you. Salem is always on the lookout for people of great talent to help make the world a better place,
Respectfully yours,
Jackson Dillon
Former Potions Master
Director of the Salem Wizarding Academy
/
Severus reread both of the letters to make sure his eyes weren't fooling him. Setting the letters to the side of him, he leaded back against the chair, sighing in relief. His heart was set on Salem, but he also had Rome as a possible back up plan. Either way, he was aiming to leave Hogwarts no matter what. But to see that Salem had accepted him made his heart leap, having alter motivates choosing that school.
He remembered the memories and the mention of the woman's brother possibly being there. If he was, he could find him. Or if he wasn't, he could try to find clues to his current whereabouts and finally get some answers. If he had any to provide.
He remembered the letter that his mother had sent him, including the vials that contained her memories. He face palmed himself for not thinking to get a Pensieve to view them for himself. The next time he was in Diagon Alley and had the money saved up, he was going to buy one to finally find out what his mother was trying to show him.
Suddenly, he remembered the third letter, having been forgotten due to his excitement for the response letters from the two schools. Fear filled him as he wondered if it was possibly from Lucius Malfoy, who more than likely had heard of his 'betrayal' from Mulciber or Avery.
Reaching for it, he turned it over to read who it was from, and his eyes widened.
To: Severus Tobias Snape
From: Gringotts Wizarding Bank
Blinking, he read the front part of the envelope again, unsure if his mind was playing tricks on him.
Why Gringotts was writing to him, he had no clue. His mother had little worth to the bank, if she even had an account with them to begin with. And they both had zero connection to the Prince family. In their eyes, the Snapes as worthless as the paper they had sent him.
Opening the thick envelope, he took out a series of papers. Taking the letter on top, he unfolded it, straightening it out so he could read its contents.
/
To Mr. Severus Tobias Snape,
Greetings,
My name is Clawlock, the Senior Financial Advisor, Head of Trusts & Inheritances, and Personal Goblin-in-Charge of the Prince Dynasty-Family holdings. It is my responsibility and duty to inform you that the entire Prince family inheritance has been passed on to you. With the recent passing of Eileen Snape (nee: Prince), and also Rebekka Prince (nee: Travers), you are the last known remaining Prince blood-relative, which in turn makes you the sole heir and inheritor of the vast Prince family fortune,
The attached documents are current financial records of your inheritance,
I highly recommend that you come see me as soon as possible. I just contacted the Hogwarts Headmaster and he tells me that you'll be free on June 23rd, so I have scheduled the entire day of tomorrow for you to come and see me. It is very important that we get all the necessary paperwork done and officially instate you as the Lord of the Prince Dynasty-Family,
Please be at the Gringotts Banks at 8 am,
I look forward to meeting you, Mr. Snape-Prince,
I shall, from this day forward, forever be your humble and honored servant,
Clawlock
Senior Financial Advisor and Head of Trusts & Inheritances
Gringotts Wizarding Bank
/
Severus's eyes were the size of baseballs the moment he read the letter. He re-read it three more times just to make sure that he didn't imagine it all. His heart was racing like crazy, and he didn't realize that he was holding his breath until he felt his lungs beg for air.
Some of the words from the letter repeated in his mind.
'... the sole heir and inheritor of the vast Prince family fortune...'
'... officially instate you as the Lord of the Prince Dynasty...'
Me?!
Severus was at a loss of words, fully expecting it all to be a mistake.
How could I be the last heir to the Prince family? My mother was disowned, that also includes me too. Yes, this has to be a mistake.
But the more he thought about it, the more he came to realize that Gringotts very rarely made mistakes. The goblins who operated and ran the bank were the absolute best in the world. But still, he had his doubts. Life was no stranger to bringing the worst to him. Ever since the day he was born he was cursed to live an unhappy life. Probably the only reason he wasn't dead was because death would be a release from his miserable life.
His mind was going back and forth between whether or not the letter was true, or if was a mistake, or a prank from either the Marauders or someone in Slytherin.
He already knew the story of what happened between his mother and the Prince family. When his mother ran away and married a muggle, Cornelius Prince disowned her and forced the entire family to cut ties with her. Surely by disowning her that also meant that he was not welcomed into the family too. Unless there was some kind of loophole or Cornelius had a change of heart. But hearing the stories of his grandfather from his mother, he highly doubted that he would have reinstated her back into the dynasty. Let alone any grandchildren.
However, he held a letter that countered everything he believed. And he hoped to Merlin that it was real. Because if it was, then that meant that he wouldn't have to worry about money or a job ever again. In fact, he would be able to get his Apparition license and even make himself a legal adult without being under the guardianship of Dumbledore.
Severus's heart jumped at the thought. He even felt his blood rushing with excitement. Was it possible that his future was finally becoming brighter?
Deciding that it was worth the trip, Severus got a pair of clothes together and some money he had been saving up in his bedroom, heading out the door of the house, taking the letter and the documents along with him.
Walking on down to the bus station, he paid for another ticket for the six o'clock departure for London. Once arriving in the city around nighttime, Severus made his way to the Leaky Cauldron, renting a room for the night. He barely fell asleep in the old room he was staying in, excited for the first time in so long for what was to come in the following morning.
/
Severus awoke early at six in the morning, showering and dressing into the muggle clothes he brought with him. He immediately regretted not bringing his Hogwarts robes, as they would have been much better than muggle clothes. But he decided to make do with what he had and prepared for his meeting with the goblin known as Clawlock at the Gringotts Wizarding Bank. He ate breakfast down in the pub, making sure he wouldn't be hungry for the next several hours, if the day went as he hoped it would.
Once it was nearing seven thirty, he made his way to the entrance of Diagon Alley behind the Leaky Cauldron, entering the cobblestoned alley.
Even to this day the world of Diagon Alley still impressed him. It had a welcoming presence that continued to amaze everyone. It was the number 1 shopping place for all wizards and witches, including other creatures of the Wizarding World.
While there weren't a lot young wizards like him in the market, it was still largely populated by adult shoppers and business associates.
Making his way to the Gringotts Wizarding Bank, Severus immediately recognized the face of Lucius Malfoy in the crowd, walking alongside his fiancée, Narcissa Black. He wanted to move to the side to let them pass, not wanting to face the wrath of the one man who introduced him to the Death Eaters. He guessed that Lucius already knew about what had happened between him and the house of Slytherin.
But the sight of Malfoy heir made him feel an urge within to take a stand. To officially declare his separation from the Dark Arts and the Death Eaters.
He held his gaze at the young couple, who were smiling together. Enjoying the day in one another's company.
It made him wonder why the two hadn't officially tied the knot after graduating Hogwarts. It had already been three years since Narcissa completed her education and became an assistant for the Malfoy family, under Abraxas. Everyone knew that she only took the job so she could be close to Lucius. Rumors surfaced that the two begun sharing the same room in secret, although Severus wouldn't be surprised if it was true. It was Lucius who went to his father and asked for an arrange marriage between him and Narcissa, winning both parties due to the fact that they would be continuing the pure bloodline tradition and also connecting both families with their endless wealth, creating new possibilities for profit. It almost seemed like life was completely on their side.
Lucius's eyes soon met his and the happy smile disappeared, replaced by a mix of anger and disappointment. Narcissa turned to see what he was looking at and immediately turned away in disgust.
He knows, Severus thought to himself.
The three of them were soon at the center of the crowd, just a couple feet away from each other. Both Severus and Lucius's eyes continued to stare at each other, while Narcissa looked away, although she appeared to acknowledge his presence.
Lucius, meanwhile, was trying to understand why Severus happened to be in Diagon Alley, instead of at Hogwarts. But his interest quickly went away as soon as it came.
"Hello, Snape," Lucius spoke first, not showing any emotion in his voice.
Nodding, Severus replied, "Malfoy. You look well. Congrats on the engagement."
He could see Narcissa trying not to snort. She apparently didn't like the fact that he was speaking at all to them.
"Thank you," Lucius nodded, but his voice hinted no gratitude. "How are things going back at Slytherin? I've been hearing some... well... disturbing rumors from certain sources. Maybe you could help me understand."
Severus wanted to laugh at the fact Lucius was trying to play the guilty game with him.
"Let's skip the stupid guilt trip, Malfoy!" Severus exclaimed, letting his impatience be known. "You already know what I've done."
"Yes," Lucius's expression was turning red with anger, but remained in control. "Mulciber was very clear in his letter to me, that you defended two Gryffindor girls, both of which were blood-traitors. Violently beat up Jax and then ratted him out to the teachers." He paused. "You should know better than to betray your friends."
"Don't act like all of you ever were."
"Haven't we? Who was it that took you in?" his face was filled with disgust "You're making a big mistake in turning your back on us," Malfoy warned. "He has already set his sights on you. The moment he learns you have refused to join him, he will make sure that you will suffer for it."
Severus scoffed, "I honestly don't care anymore."
"Oh, trust me, Snape," Lucius smiled. "When the time comes, you will."
Severus's eyes met the building of the Gringotts Wizarding Bank in the background, remembering his eight o'clock appointment. He did a mockingly bow towards both Lucius and Narcissa, who still refused to look at him. He could hear Lucius mumbling something under his breath.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some important business to attend to. Good day to you both."
He walked past them, ignoring their angry glances.
Entering the Gringoffs Wizarding Bank, he approached the front desk of the first goblin he saw, who was quietly filing paperwork. The main lobby of the bank was very impressive and highly decorated. Some parts of the walls were made of gold, while the rest was cold stone.
"Um, excuse me," he said politely.
At first the goblin seemed to ignore him, until it raised his head and looked at him, studying his clothes and body from his seat. His facial expression was hard to read, but Severus figured that the goblin disapproved of him right away.
"May I help you, sir?" the goblin asked, his eyes staring deep into his.
Swallowing, Severus replied, "I'm here to see a mister Clawlock for an eight o'clock morning appointment."
"Name?"
"Severus Tobias Snape."
The goblin raised an eyebrow and then got down from his seat, coming around the desk as he motioned for him to follow. He led him from the lobby of the bank and down a large corridor, coming to a room. Walking on inside with the small goblin, he was asked to sit in a chair in front of a metal table.
At first hesitant, he obeyed and heard the door shut behind, leaving him alone for the time being.
He realized what the room was for. It was one of the blood testing rooms that the goblins used to test a wizard, witch or even a muggle's blood to confirm their identity. Back in the early centuries, the goblins had discovered a parchment, made from the use of crystals that the goblins dig for underground. The crystals could contain anything from blood to paint and preserve them for hundred of years. The goblins would take a person's blood and drop it onto the parchment. Once done, the parchment would immediately contain the blood and remain fresh forever, as long nothing happens to the parchment that is.
So, whenever an inheritance is passed on to the next kin, the goblins would take that person's blood and match it up with the last inheritor of the inheritance. And the goblins were the best at blood testing. They would know if a person's blood was tampered with right away.
Not so long later, the door opened and a different goblin entered, approaching Severus.
"Ah, Mr. Snape," the goblin greeted, stretching out his hand to him. "I am Clawlock. So happy you could make it. My condolences for your loss."
Severus stood up and shook the goblin's hand.
"Thank you, Mr. Clawlock," he nodded.
Clawlock motioned for his to sit down again and went to a drawer, opening it up to take out a piece of parchment and a dagger as well.
"Now, before we can move forward, I need run a blood test to confirm who you are. I deeply apologize for any uncomfortableness in how it all works, but its only policy. If you are indeed a blood relative of the Prince Dynasty, then we will be able to move forward with everything that we need to do for today."
"I'll do the test," Severus said right away, eager to get it over with.
"Very well," Clawlock went around the metal table, opposite of Severus, and laid out the parchment. "Now, give me your hand, with your fingers stretched out. And whatever you do, don't move. It will only make it even harder."
Doing as he's told, he watched as Clawlock took his hand and leveled it just inches from the parchment. Bringing the dagger to his palm, he quickly sliced into the skin, sinking deep into the nerve. Blood quickly dripped onto the parchment.
Despite the pain, Severus didn't flinch. After years of abuse from his father and pranks from the Marauders, pain was no stranger to him.
Satisfied, Clawlock put the dagger down and waved his free hand over Severus's palm, instantly healing the cut. Releasing his hand, he picked up the parchment and said, "Now, I hope you don't mind waiting here for just a little while longer. We'll take a look at this with the blood sample we have of Cornelius Prince and return with the results in just a little bit."
"Alright," Severus nodded again.
Nodding back in return, Clawlock exited the room.
A few long minutes passed and Severus started to worry.
What if his blood didn't match? What if it did match but then was rejected for being the son of Eileen Snape, who was a disowned witch? He really hoped that didn't happen. Not when things were just starting to get good for him. But he couldn't shake the feeling that maybe life would pull another one on him and force him to leave empty handed.
The only thing he knew for sure was that he was keeping the promise he made to himself. He was leaving Hogwarts, no matter the result here.
If he was rejected, then he would just leave. Get a ticket out of the country and travel to Salem.
He smiled at the thought of vanishing from the Wizarding World. To pull a fast one on everyone. Lily, the Marauders, Dumbledore, Lucius, Slytherin, the Death Eaters. One way or another, he was leaving it all behind.
The door opened and Clawlock returned with the results.
"Congratulations, Mr. Snape!" he declared. "Your results came back positive, you are indeed a descendant of Cornelius Prince. As of right now, you are the sole inheritor of the Prince family fortune."
Severus was at a loss of words. All of his doubts and fears vanished, being replaced with a huge sense of relief. Something that very rarely happened to him. He wanted to jump out of the chair and shout out his happiness. But he instead kept these feelings under the surface and stood up, shaking Clawlock's hand.
"Thank you, Mr. Clawlock."
"No need to thank me, Mr. Snape. Or should I say Mr. Prince. I'm just the person who oversees and protects your family fortune."
Hearing the goblin call him Prince sent chills down his spine. All his life he was forced to carry on his father's last name, the one thing he knew he could never outrun. But now he no longer had to carry that dreadful name any longer.
He began to worry that this was all a dream. That maybe he was in a coma from the attack that Avery, Mulciber and the others pulled on him. It all just seemed too good to be true.
A voice in his head yelled at him for thinking such silly things, that he was losing his Slytherin edge. But another voice still expressed concern about the whole thing. Since when did life suddenly go from worse to great out of nowhere for him. He was Severus Snape.
But now... now he was fully free to escape his pain and begin anew somewhere else, along with a new found wealth as well.
Clawlock smiled at him and motioned towards the door.
"Please follow me to my office. We have a lot to discuss and do, as it will be hours before we're fully done. We need to officially instate you as the Lord of the Prince Dynasty."
Severus shook his head and nodded, following the goblin out of the room and down the large corridor again. They climbed a series of stairs to the upper levels and finally came to a very large, impressive office, which overlooked the shops of Diagon Alley down below.
"Please take a seat," Clawlock sat in his personal chair behind the large desk and motioned towards the three chairs in front of him. "I've cleared the entire day to oversee that our work gets done. I trust you brought the documents from the letter I sent you?"
Severus nodded and took his seat at the middle chair, bringing out the documents from one his pockets.
Meanwhile, Clawlock had reached into the drawers of his desk and brought out tons of paperwork, placing them in separate piles. Once done, he took the documents that Severus had laid on the desk and sat them to the side.
"Let us begin."
/
Hours upon hours passed as Severus and Clawlock worked their way through the files of paperwork. They all required explaining and signature signing from both of them, which required Severus to use his new last name for now on. It was all exhausting and boring, but Severus refused to complain. He knew that once he was done, he would have an entire fortune at his back and be able to request for Clawlock to help him apply for both Rome and Salem. But for now, there was work to be done.
When they finally finished, Severus rubbed his eyes, weary of the long hours it took to just legally instate him as the Lord and inheritor of the Prince family dynasty. It was already four in the afternoon. The streets of Diagon Alley were busy with shoppers. And the sun was high in the corner of the sky.
"Well, that concludes that," Clawlock sighed and filed the paperwork away. "I'll make sure these are properly entered into the records of the Gringotts, and also send the right files to the Ministry to make everything official. But as of right now, you are in full control of the entire Prince family fortune. Making your new legal name, Severus Prince."
Severus couldn't help but smile to himself. He couldn't believe that this was finally happening.
"However, we will need to meet again to discuss and go into the overview of your finances, which will require a few days to do."
Jeez! How big is this fortune? Severus wondered to himself.
"Out of curiosity, how did the Prince Dynasty maintain their wealth?" he asked.
Clawlock slightly shifted in his seat, "The reason why it is so big is because previous Lords were known to keep their family lines short. Whenever it got too big, the main Lords would disown the distant ones from the family. Well, that and also the fact that if you keep on marrying your children off to other powerful families, then you find that the profit can triple in size.
"When Cornelius took over, he disowned all the cousins and any other blood relatives who weren't his own children. However, things changed when his own children ran away from him, not wanting to be part of the arranged marriages he had put into place. When he discovered that Eileen, your mother, married a muggle, he disowned her out of a fit of rage. He planned on having another heir, but his wife, Rebekka Prince, refused to give him another child. He would die a few years later from a stroke in 1966. Because of his death, Rebekka became the inheritor of the family legacy, but she later fell victim to death as well. Dying just a few weeks after her husband did. Some believe that she was so heartbroken of losing her children that her health and heart declined from it all."
Severus felt his heart sink as he heard the story. He couldn't help but acknowledge to himself that he had one messed up family. On both sides.
"After Rebekka passed, many of the disowned cousins of your family tried to take the matter to the Ministry, to allow for them to split the Prince fortune among themselves. However, because Cornelius disowned them, there was no way for anyone to get their hands on the inheritance. Until you, of course."
"But wait, if Cornelius disowned my mother, then why am I the sole heir? Shouldn't my mother's disowning also affect me too?"
"Well, yes and no. There is more than one answer to that question. Cornelius wasn't stupid, he knew to cut off any children that Eileen would have with her muggle husband. When he disowned Eileen and his other children, he made it clear that none of them were to be named heir to the Prince Dynasty, including any of their offspring. But he forgot a few loopholes that Rebekka realized. After Cornelius died, she added a few new details in hopes of correcting what your grandfather did. You see, no one can change the disowning of someone once it has been done, only the person who activated that disowning can do that. And although there is a way to completely reset the rules that one has made, the process can kill the one trying to do it if their magical core aren't strong enough. Your grandmother wanted to try, but she was going through a rough time and wasn't strong enough.
"However, she did realize that she could add in some new additions to make it possible for her children, and grandchildren, to reclaim their rightful place among the Prince family. While Rebekka couldn't lift her children's disowning, she declared that if they ever divorced or lost their spouse, then they would be given the option to change their last name back to Prince. Which would grant them, and their children, the ability to become part of the family once again and lay claim to part of the inheritance. As for the grandchildren, Rebekka could only grant that if both of their parents died before their seventeenth birthday, then they would be officially no longer disowned."
Severus sighed, wishing he could thank grandmother for her actions. If it wasn't for her, none of this would have ever been possible. From that moment on, he would see all of this as a gift. A gift from both Rebekka and Eileen. He wished that his mother could be there with him. If only she had known about this, then she could have divorced his pathetic excuse of a father and got to live a better life.
"The woman was a genius," Clawlock continued. "Being able to outsmart her own husband after his death. Sadly, she never got to see her children again. Cornelius made sure of that."
Severus nodded, understanding Eileen's reasons for running away in the first place. Even with a huge wealth like this, he couldn't blame his mother for it. He probably would have too.
"What happened to the other children? I don't remember my mother saying anything about siblings."
"Cornelius and Rebekka had three children together: Helena, Maximillian and Eileen. Maximillian left the family to marry a muggleborn witch he fell in love with. He didn't waste time leaving the country and disappearing to travel the world with her. Even if he was still alive, I highly doubt he would ever want to have anything to do with the Prince family. It was no secret that Cornelius and his son despised each other.
"Helena and Eileen would later follow in his footsteps, but for different reasons. Helena's whereabouts are unknown, just like Maximillian. Although it is believed that she has married a wizard who wasn't part of a power family, since Cornelius disowned her as well. Only Eileen is the one that I can account for."
Severus rubbed the sides of his head, taking in all the information at once. He couldn't believe that he once was involved with the pure-blood race and the stupid belief that it was for them to rule over everything. His own mother, aunt and uncle couldn't stand to live under someone like that, but yet he never paid attention to the details. In the last two weeks, his whole world had been turned upside down, making him question everything he had ever believed in. But looking back now, he was thankful for it. Now he was free to discover something new to believe in. Something better for himself.
Coming back to the matter at hand, Severus thought about his desire to enroll at Salem.
"About the rest of the stuff that we need to get through, when can we start?"
Clawlock thought about it and nodded.
"Tomorrow. It should take a few days to finish."
Severus leaned up in the chair, preparing to ask the question he had been waiting for hours to ask.
"Understood. And while we're discussing my future, I've been thinking about enrolling at a new school for my final two years. The Salem Wizarding Academy! I was going to ask my headmaster at Hogwarts to allow me to exchange schools, which he had already granted. But now that I'm officially the Lord of the Prince Dynasty, I'm no longer in need of his permission. I've already gotten an acceptance letter back from Salem to enroll as a permanent student. The fall term begins on the first of September, but all applications and enrollment requests must be turned in by August 12th. But I would like to get my Apparition license and also legal authorization to travel by international Portkey.
"These can be arranged in time, Mr. Prince," Clawlock smiled. "However, if you don't mind me asking, why are you leaving Hogwarts? Isn't it the best educational school in the Wizarding World?"
Severus swallowed, deciding to keep to a shorter version of the story.
"In terms of education? Yes, it is. But recently I've been getting a lot of prejudice for being a Slytherin. Not to mention the Death Eaters are giving me a hard time as well, trying to bring people to You-Know-Who's side. I just don't feel safe or happy here in Britian to accomplish what I want to do. I wish to start anew somewhere else."
"I can understand the need to get away from all of that. We goblins may not take sides when it comes to war, but we do have our own opinions. I highly agree with your decision to leave Britain at this very moment, considering how dire things are getting with He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. We goblins despise the Dark Arts. But, seeing how you will be visiting Britain about your finances, I highly advise you to keep away from any other pure-blood families. Some of them are in league with the Death Eaters and are looking for new blood all the time. If word ever gets out that you have become the new Lord of the Prince Dynasty, you will instantly become a target for all to take notice of. And trust me when I say that many pure-blood families have their sources of finding out about things."
"What do you suggest I do, Clawlock?"
"You are young, healthy, intelligent, very talented and wealthy, but also alone. You don't have the luxury of having family to protect you, which is a great disadvantage. But it is also your greatest advantage as well. Because you are the last to carry on the Prince name, you have full control of a mass wealth and power, allowing you to make decisions on your own. Keep yourself hidden when in Britain by obtaining safe houses and contingencies in place to protect yourself. By leaving for another school, you will be able to keep yourself out of arms reach of anyone, even the Ministry of Magic. However, I also advise you to make some friends wherever you go. Friends who can be of use to you in the future."
"That's a lot to go through. I think it would be best if we saved it all for the next time we meet. I really want to get through everything else that we need to do. You say that everything that has happened here today would not leave this room, correct?"
"Quite correct, Mr. Prince. If you so wish, I can personally see that all the work we have done today is filed properly at the Ministry of Magic and here at Gringotts as well. Which is a way for any rich families, pure-blood or not, to officially become lords and powerful figures without going public. This would help keep your enemies from knowing about your inheritance. Including anyone else."
Severus nodded, "Yes, that sounds like both the best and safest option to do at this moment." He sighed, feeling relieved. "Thank you so much for your help, Mr. Clawlock."
Clawlock nodded, folding his hands together.
"I live to serve the Prince family, Mr. Prince. And before you go, would you like a tour of some of the vaults? There's too many to see, but I figured that maybe you would like to withdrawal some money."
Severus's heart started to race. He suddenly felt like a little kid again. Or in this case, for the first time. He was so used to being under the pressure of money and the threat of no longer being able to go to Hogwarts because of how poor his parents were. Although, looking back, maybe not being able to go to Hogwarts wouldn't have been such a bad thing. But now, he no longer had that problem.
Nodding in agreement, Severus stood up and replied, "Lead the way."
Clawlock smiled and stood up as well, motioning towards the door as the two exited the room.
/
Severus always knew how grand and impressive the underground tunnels of the Gringotts Bank was. But the moment he traveled down to the vaults with Clawlock on the cart, he was truly amazed by how the goblins had accomplished everything that they did. The cave tunnels of vaults went on for miles and miles. It almost felt like they could go straight to the center of the Earth. The Prince vaults selection was very deep underground, deeper than the Malfoys and the Blacks. When they finally arrived, Severus was standing at the beginning of a very long dark tunnel, with all the vaults having the symbol of the Prince dynasty labeled on them.
"How many vaults are there?" he asked.
"About fifteen hundred of them," Clawlock answered. "Like I said, the fortune you have inherited is huge. The biggest in the world, despite that no one knows about it. Everyone thinks the Malfoys or the legendary Peverells to be the richest of the rich. Oh, and by the way, these vaults aren't small." He reached into his pockets and pulled out a large golden key, which had the label of the Prince dynasty on it. "This is your Gringotts key. Whenever you visit Gringotts, bring it with you and you will be able to enter and exit your vaults with ease. You can even transfer funds into other accounts around the globe, including muggle banks and businesses of all kind. I took the liberty of adding a few spells and charms to only be used by its owner. If anyone steals it, all you have to do is whisper a key word or phrase and it will appear before you. If anyone tries to us it to access your vaults, the key refuse them and will let us know."
Severus took the key in his and felt something shoot across his body. The key started to glow and his hand tightened its grip around it without warning, almost as if some visible force was making him do it. A second later, the glowing stopped and his hand was his again.
"What happened?" he asked, studying the key over.
"That was the key becoming one with yourself, Mr. Prince," Clawlock answered. "It now recognizes you as the primary owner and will only obey you. If anyone gets their hands on it and somehow manages to make it down the vaults, the key will not open any vault doors for them. You may allow others access to the key, if you so decide. Say maybe a spouse if you marry in the future."
Severus blushed, but kept it hidden from the goblin.
"Now, think of a word that you can use to summon the key back to you. Something that you don't normally say out loud, but something that you will remember."
Severus thought for a moment and knew instantly what the key phrase would be. He put his lips next to the cold golden steel of the key and whispered, "Eileen Prince." Immediately, he could feel the words echoing into the key and knew that the words he had spoken were now implanted into it.
"Excellent!" Clawlock clapped his hands together. "Now, let's start with vault number one."
/
It was another two hours later when Severus and Clawlock finally made their way back to the surface. They had gone through the first eleven vaults of the fifteen hundred that awaited them. But after the tenth vault, Severus was feeling tired and wanted to get back home before it became too late. He needed to get some rest before he had to return in the morning. He decided to do his first withdrawal some money to spend for the time being. Hoping to put it to good use before returning to his room.
Before he left, the two of them stood at the main doors of the lobby.
"Thank you for everything, Clawlock," Severus shook his hand, nodding in respect to him.
Clawlock nodded back and replied, "The pleasure was all mine, Mr. Prince. I will see to it that everything you have requested is done and look forward to seeing you tomorrow. May great fortune come wherever you go."
"As to you," Severus turned and walked out the large doors of the bank, disappearing into the crowds of people before him.
Having visited Diagon Alley plenty of times, Severus found exactly what he was looking for. He visited a body and hair shop, who specialized from haircuts to body makeovers. If there was one thing, he knew he needed to correct the most about himself, it was most definitely his oily greasy hair, hygiene and the structure of his face. He had been doing a better job of making himself smell much nicer for the last two weeks, but he knew he needed better body wash materials.
One of the employees did his hair, cutting it short, and then used a special kind of potion to clean up the greasiness of his hair. Once that was done, he had his face and neck looked over, changing the facial structure, while also keeping a bit of the same appearance.
When it was all done, he looked himself in the mirror and couldn't believe the face that was looking back at him. His hair no longer covered his face, having been cut to only stop just before the edge of his forehead. The style of his hair was no longer straight, but curly and more brownish, with a mix of black as well. It also had been combed and jelled, adding a more handsome appearance. There was no longer any grease or oils. His face and neck looked spotless and radiant. His skin looked a bit tanner, replacing the sallow pale. And his once long, hooked nose was now a normal size.
Fully satisfied, he paid for the work done for him, making sure to buy the same materials that were used on him. He also bought some better body wash potions and cologne. From that moment forward, he was going to take way better care of his body.
Next, he visited a tooth fixing shop and got his teeth renewed, replacing the yellow color for white.
After that, he went to a robes shop, buying a few new fancy clothes to wear. He wasn't looking for anything expensive or stylizing, but he was wanting to look better. He also bought a brand-new school robes as well, knowing that he was way overdue for a new one. While at it, he bought some new undergarments, as his old ones were far beyond saving.
By the end of it all, he had spent nearly two thousand and three hundred galleons. Normally he would find himself worrying about how he would be able to raise up more money for later, but not now. For the first time in entire life, he left Diagon's Alley without a single worry in him. He left feeling relaxed and happy.
Getting back to his room, he immediately started preparing for the next following day. Setting out his new robes and his new purchased on the table, he showered and prepared for bed.
Pausing at the mirror in the bathroom, he looked at his reflection and couldn't help but admire his new look. He also had to admit that he looked more handsome than before. The only problem that remained was the rest of his physical body. He was way too thin and the skin below his neck still had the sallow pale color, not to mention old bruises and scars too. He needed to eat better food and gain some more weight. Sure, the scars would always remain, but he liked to think of 'em as 'reminders'.
As he turned out the lights and fell asleep on the bed, he could feel a sense of happiness within him. While he still couldn't bring himself to actually smile for real, it was more than enough for the moment. There was always tomorrow to learn.
As the hours passed, Severus began to stir and moan in his sleep, mumbling out-of-place words. Because of everything that had happened that day, he had forgotten about the dreams that always hunted him at night. He was soon crying out in fear and agony, his hands turning into fists as they grabbed ahold of the blanket.
His eyes opened and he quickly leaned up on the couch, breathing heavily. He was completely oblivious to the fact that he was covered in sweat. Resting his head into his hands, he was instantly reminded of the letter his mother wrote him, feeling the desire to view the vials when he had a chance. But for now, he wished to put them aside until his dealings were finished.
Questions raced in his mind. He wondered if she had planned on telling everything she knew before her tragic death. If she even knew what the dreams were about and if they were real. He had his ideas and theories, but now he was worried that maybe the truth was officially buried away with her.
His eyes narrowed and a look of determination appeared on his face, vowing to find out what she knew.