The next day, when Norman woke up, he found himself in his bed. He felt a burning pain in his chest, so he went to check it out. There was now a large tattoo and some strange stone directly above his heart. At first, he almost started freaking out, but then he remembered the last thing he and his father had talked about—how magic is real and that they would discuss it further, but he must have fallen asleep not too long after that.
For now, Norman just packed this information away and started dressing up. When he was done, he noticed his two favorite presents from yesterday: his plush bear and mask. He decided to take them with him for the time being. When he stepped out of his room, he noticed that his brother's door was closed, which was strange since he always wakes up early and storms out of the house before Norman even wakes up.
When he arrived in the kitchen, he saw his father brewing coffee for himself. "Good morning, Dad. Did you sleep well? Sorry I fell asleep when we were about to talk yesterday." William had a bit of a relieved look on his face before he answered. "No problem, son. The party must have taken a lot out of you. The most important stuff you've already learned."
Norman perked up at that moment and exclaimed, "Oh yeah, Hogwarts! Shouldn't we think about it or send back some kind of reply to them?" William just shook his head and explained, "It's not really a choice, at least not for you. Even if you're a half-blood, technically, you are a direct descendant of two of the Sacred 28 houses, both of which are nearly extinct. So, it's kind of impossible for you not to go to a wizarding school. Besides, young wizards need a place filled with natural magic to grow up healthy and strong."
"And we are kind of late to reply, since today is the last day to do so. Most likely, the headmaster will send out a representative to take you to Diagon Alley. Most of the Muggle-borns are grouped together to lessen the burden on the school, but if someone is unreachable or can't reply, then a representative teacher will go out to the families and ask them directly." Norman was getting more and more excited since he wanted to do magic like any ordinary kid.
"Wow, Dad, you know so much about that place. Did you go there too? And if you did, what was it like?" William just shook his head. "I didn't go to Hogwarts since I was homeschooled by my mother, but my parents did study there." Norman was now just confused. "Why were you homeschooled? Didn't you want to go to Hogwarts?"
"I really wanted to go there, but due to the Dark Lady I couldn't. When I turned 11, there was a whole civil war going on, so my mother didn't let me go. She wanted to teach me everything that could be used to protect myself and others—all by herself. My father was against it, but he couldn't do much. For a long time, I resented my mother for taking away my chance to go there, but as I got older, I understood where she was coming from." William now had a really melancholic look on his face. Norman just grabbed his hand in support.
William ruffled his son's hair in response. "Thanks, kid, I needed that. You're such a good boy. I sometimes wish I had a heart as pure as yours, but that ship sailed a long time ago." As William took a sip of coffee, Norman perked up once again. "Oh yeah, do you know what this cool tattoo is supposed to be? When I woke up, it was just kind of there."
At first, William didn't really register what he heard, but when Norman took off his shirt to show what he was talking about, William's eyes bulged in shock, and he spit out all the coffee from his mouth onto the table.
~Cough ~Cough
"~Cough That should have vanished while you were asleep. How can this be? It should only show up when you siphon magic from the atmosphere or if you are actively trying to use it. Unless… wait a minute, don't go anywhere; I'll be right back!" Norman was just amused and a bit confused since he had no idea what that was about.
Not long after, William returned with a familiar pink ribbon and held it out to Norman. "Th-This is Ellie's; she was always wearing this. Where did you get this?" Norman was getting really worried since Elizabeth would never leave this behind, no matter what.
William put on a somber tone and lied through his teeth: "Last week, a police officer gave this to me. They say it was found near the old forest, hanging on a fence." Norman stood up in shock. "But you said the old forest is filled with traps to keep the bears and wolves out! Why would Ellie go there?"
William forced out a single tear and slumped down next to the wall. "I don't know, kiddo, but the officers said it's best if we prepare for the worst-case scenario. They found traces of dried-up blood near the area." Understanding what his father was trying to say, Norman ran up to him and cried into his chest for a long while.
After what felt like an eternity for both of them, William perked up. "Don't worry. Now that you are a wizard, you can do anything. That mark on your chest is special, so don't worry; you will see your sister soon enough since she was magical just like you. Here, take her ribbon and try to concentrate on it. You should feel some kind of pull from inside of you." Norman wiped off his tears and did just as he was asked.
From behind him, he felt two arms circle around his neck in a hug. When he stopped concentrating and turned around, he saw her. His beloved sister was floating behind him. He couldn't see her face, as it was obscured as if made out of shadows, but he could clearly see her teary green eyes.
William was confused at first since he didn't see anything, but judging by the air getting colder and his son's reaction, he concluded that the first stage of his plan was a success. He started tearing up, so happy that his beloved daughter might one day return to him and his family.
Elizabeth didn't say anything, or at least Norman couldn't hear anything, but her expression quickly turned into a happy and relieved one as she flew forward and hugged her big brother. Norman didn't see this, and neither did William, but she had a complicated expression when she looked at her father. She couldn't decide what to feel about him or his deeds, but for now, she wouldn't tell Norman about them.
When Norman let her go, he tied the ribbon temporarily on his arm so he could always have a reminder that he was now responsible for his sister as well as himself. "Dad, we have to tell Michael; he would be super happy to have Lizzy back, even if she is in this form." William came out of his self-induced euphoria and turned a bit angry again. "I will tell him later; he is currently grounded for not coming to your birthday."
Norman was a bit stumped; he wanted to protest, but Elizabeth floated right in front of him and shook her head while giving a somewhat annoyed expression. "Okay-okay, I get it, Ellie. I will stop being a pushover—just please get out of my face; your hair tickles." William was feeling like the happiest man in the world; he felt like nothing could ruin his mood at the moment. If he could, he would stop the world so the three of them could enjoy the rest of eternity in such a blissful atmosphere.
During this moment, they all heard loud knocks coming from the front door. William wanted to curse himself for jinxing it. "Norman, could you go and see who it is? I have to clean up the table and change my shirt." William stood up and headed towards the bathroom. Norman, not having any problem with the request, headed towards the door, while Elizabeth decided to use her brother as her personal vehicle, floating while clinging to his neck like some weird human balloon.
When Norman opened the door, he found a tall, serious-looking woman in strange, old-fashioned clothes. "Good morning, how can I help you, ma'am?" The older woman simply lifted her hat before a smile grazed her face. "Good morning to you as well. Can you tell me, is this the Afton Residence?"
He just nodded to confirm. "Perfect. I suppose you must have seen this already, but in case you didn't, I will give you a new copy of it." With that, she handed him the same kind of parchment that he had received for his birthday from Hogwarts, the magic school. He decided to open it, and inside, he found a large two-page letter addressed to him.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
To Mr Norman Arthur Afton (né Prewett)
The Afton Residence
Brittle Hollow
Surrey.
Dear Mr Afton (né Prewett), We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July. If your reply won't arrive within the allocated time frame a representative of the school will visit in case of a mistake.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall: Deputy Headmistress
UNIFORM
First-year students will require: 1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
Break with a Banshee By Gilderoy Lockhart
Gadding with Ghouls By Gilderoy Lockhart
Holidays with Hags By Gilderoy Lockhart
Travels with Trolls By Gilderoy Lockhart
Voyages with Vampires By Gilderoy Lockhart
Wanderings with Werewolves By Gilderoy Lockhart
Year with the Yeti By Gilderoy Lockhart
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK
Yours sincerely,
Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus: Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions
When Norman had read over the letter, he looked a bit confused about the many requirements. "Who is this Lockhart guy, and why are half the books his?" He only received an exasperated sigh from the now-obvious witch. "He is the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Every teacher has the freedom to decide which book or books they would like to teach their classes."
"Do I need to sign somewhere or get my dad to do it for me?" She just shook her head, denying his inquiries. "No, it's not necessary. The moment I receive confirmation to the letter from you or your parents, you are admitted into Hogwarts. I would appreciate it if I could talk to your parents so I could explain everything to them." Norman fully opened the door and invited her in. "I don't think that is necessary, but feel free to come in. My dad will be back any minute. He had a tiny accident, so he had to change his shirt."
Norman led his guest to the table, and since there was still spilled coffee on it, he decided to look for something to clean it up. "Hey, Lizzie, do you know where the paper towels are?" She just gave him a nod and pointed towards a cupboard. "Great! Can you pass me a few pieces? No? Oh right, sorry if I was insensitive!" All the while, the stern witch just watched in complete puzzlement.
"Excuse me, but who are you talking to? We are the only ones here." Norman, after he climbed up the kitchen counter to take the paper towel container himself, took a few pieces and jumped down. "Oh, I am just talking to my sister. Apparently, for now, only I can see her... Elizabeth, stop it! That is mean; don't mock other people!" This didn't really alleviate the visitor's confusion; it only managed to start making her worried for his health.
Just as she was about to ask more questions to the now-cleaning Norman, she saw a man step into the kitchen dressed in a purple shirt and black overalls. "Hello, you must be Mr. Afton. I am Professor Minerva McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress and representative of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, sent to inform and educate your family about magic and wizardkind as a whole."
He just sat down at the table once again and turned towards Norman, who was throwing out the dirty paper towels. "Thanks, kiddo, you really didn't have to clean up. I already told Michael to do it." Next, he turned towards the visitor and put on one of his well-practiced, charming fake smiles. "I really appreciate your efforts, but you don't have to bother with it. I am from a magical family, so I know most of the traditions. But I would really appreciate it if you could educate my son about them since I'm really busy and can't accompany you. In fact, I have to leave for work in just a few minutes."
McGonagall truly didn't expect to meet such an interesting, yet puzzling family today. That means a lot coming from a person who has to deal with a school's worth of them. "Very well, since that's exactly why I came here, I have no objections." Before William left, he handed Norman 1,000 pounds since he had no idea about the conversion rate between Galleons and Pounds. Since McGonagall didn't know either, she didn't intervene. He suggested that once they go to the bank to exchange the currency, they should check if the goblins could give them a new key for the old family vaults via blood authentication.
This time McGonagall was truly lost, as there was almost no chance that a normal wizarding family would have a vault old enough to be locked behind such a complex and ancient identification system. She decided to talk to the prospective student about it.
When they stepped out of the house, McGonagall reached out her hand towards Norman. "Alright, grab my hand. We will Side-Along Apparate to the Leaky Cauldron, where we will use the alleyway to reach Diagon Alley to get your supplies." Norman looked worried for a bit. "Is it safe?" Once again, the elderly professor smiled and reassured the teen that it would be all right.
"Well, Elizabeth, it's best if you cling on real tight; I don't want to accidentally lose you somewhere." Norman reached for the professor's hand and clutched his teddy bear close to his chest. The next second, a bewildered McGonagall grabbed Norman's hand tightly and began the spell.
The next moments were a blur to Norman. He felt a strong push from all around his body, like he was crawling through one of the tubes on the playground, only much faster. When they arrived in front of a rundown pub, the vertigo almost made him lose his footing, but the professor managed to catch him.
"Don't worry; you will get used to it. The nausea will lessen the more you Apparate. Now, let's head inside; we only have today, since I will have to prepare for the opening of the school with the other teachers." When the two of them stepped inside the pub, numerous eyes landed on them. Norman got a bit scared, but since the professor was protecting him, he didn't scream or freeze up.
"What can I give you today, Minerva, or is there a Quidditch match you want to bet on?" The professor seemed really embarrassed and quickly shushed the barkeep. "Not now, Tom. I am on official Hogwarts business. This is Norman, a new first year; he still needs to get his supplies." The old man eyed him a bit before shrugging. "A straggler, huh? They're quite rare these days, but no matter. Just go through the back—you should know the combination already."
The professor said goodbye to the man and led Norman out to the back of the building. Next, when they were standing in front of a blank brick wall, she pulled out a stick and began tapping on specific bricks. The next moment, the wall magically started opening up to reveal a whole secret area with buildings that made no sense, as Norman was sure they couldn't possibly fit between the already existing buildings.
"Welcome to Diagon Alley and the magical world of wizardkind." Norman was amazed; there were so many amazing-looking places he wanted to go in. "Hey, Lizzie, where do you want to go first?" He didn't really expect a reply, only some small gestures, but the next moment shocked him. "I want to go to that clothes shop; it seems fun." When Norman turned towards his sister, he noticed that while her face was still obscured by shadows, now he could actually see her mouth as well, not just her eyes. Her entire body was starting to gain a bit of color; it was no longer monochrome in its entirety.
"What is that? Oh Merlin, how could this be?" McGonagall, who also turned around to see what was happening, was shocked to see a ghostly figure hanging off her new student. "Oh, this is Elizabeth, my sister I told you about. It seems that she is slowly getting better." Once again, this day could be counted amongst the strangest ones in her opinion. "That can't be! It's really rare even for a full-fledged wizard to become a ghost. Not to mention, how can she touch you?"
This time, it was Elizabeth and Norman who got confused. "What do you mean? She could always touch me... at least, I think so, since she just appeared today. I don't really know what she has been up to the past couple of months; I last saw her in May—well, when she was still alive. But that's beside the point. We're wizards; this should be normal, right?"
McGonagall was furiously shaking her head. "No, not in the slightest. Most ghosts are fully incorporeal and are essentially immune to everything. There is no way for a ghost to do something like that. Also, ghosts are mostly bound to areas with large concentrations of magic. They can't really leave them, so it baffles me that she could follow us here. Furthermore, I cannot even begin to comprehend how she used Side-Along Apparition with us."
Elizabeth just shrugged and decided to sit on Norman's shoulders. "I guess I am just simply better than all of them. I will always be next to my brother, no matter what. Besides, I am something of a witch myself." The stern-eyed witch just sighed in exasperation. "Fine, I will just not think about it. This day is already way too much for me. Let's just go to Gringotts and get everything you will need."
As they walked towards the bank, most of the people on the streets openly gawked at the strange sight of the group. "Professor, may I ask something?" She just gestured for him to go on. "Why is everything so quiet and peaceful? Is everyone hiding due to the Dark Lady? Is Hogwarts safe from them?"
"Since almost all the children have already gathered their school supplies, there isn't really a big crowd since most wizards and witches are working. And where did you get that about there being a Dark Lady? I assure you, there is no such person in Britain; even if there was, Hogwarts could fend them off without too much difficulty, since our headmaster is Albus Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard in the whole world!"
"My father talked about the Dark Lady. He and his parents had to hide to survive her wrath. Only he made it; his mother and father died during their escape. That's why he took on Mom's name, to protect our family from the evil people."
"She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was defeated over a decade ago by Harry Potter. It became a legend overnight. How come your family never heard of her defeat?" Norman just shrugged. "As I said, my father made sure that we wouldn't be found by any wizards. He must have lost all contact with the wizarding community."
Now intrigued and curious, the professor asked a question that had been bothering her all morning. "He mentioned that your family can be traced back to a long line of wizards. Do you know perhaps which family you are originally from?"
"I'm not really sure if it's a big thing or not, but he mentioned that we are the descendants of two families. If I remember it right, the Prewett and the Black families are where my grandparents are from, based on their family names."
"What? That can't be! The Prewetts have only one remaining direct line, and that is through the Weasleys. The last living Prewett is Molly Weasley; her brothers died during the war, and I'm sure they didn't have any family. And the Blacks are all either dead, in prison, or became parts of other houses."
"I don't know anything else, it's what he said to me. Is there any way for us to check if it's true?" McGonagall pondered for a bit until she got an idea. "Well since we are heading towards Gringotts you could try an inheritance ritual. It's not cheap, but it's fool proof. I could also try to contact your aunt if she has any ideas." Since Norman felt like it's a good idea he agreed without any problem. He wanted to ask more questions about his family, but they didn't have much time to debate the topic, as they arrived in front of the large, wonky-looking building with "Gringotts" written on it. There was also a large engraving on top of the entrance:
"Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn,
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there."
Norman understood almost immediately that he must be very careful not to offend anyone here. When they entered, they noticed that all the employees were strange-looking and were completely ignoring them, even Elizabeth, who would be a strange sight to anyone else.
The Deputy Headmistress quickly explained, "They are goblins. They only care about profits and making more money. They really don't like wizards, but they're very intelligent, and they like to hoard our money, so they've been in charge of all our banks for centuries, all over the world."
McGonagall walked up to one of the tellers and gently cleared her throat to get its attention. "Good morning, we would like to convert pounds into galleons if possible." It just nodded its head and reached out its hand, waiting for something. Norman understood and gave him the 1,000 pounds his dad had handed him. The goblin gave a vicious smile, pleased with the large amount of money to work with. He finished the transaction quickly, and Norman received 200 galleons in a small sack.
"The average exchange rate is 5 pounds for one galleon. Due to the large amount of money, you get a simple money pouch for free. Is there anything else you need our bank's services for?"
"Yes, we would like a magic and blood ancestry test for the boy and, if possible, for the girl too," McGonagall replied sternly. The goblin's smile widened again. "There is a 50-galleon fee for that service. Are you sure? Many wizards come here every day to try to become a member or heir of an old and noble family."
"We're sure. Here is the 50 galleons for the test." Norman, with a little more confidence, pushed forward a fourth of his money. "Ha ha ha, I like your guts, kid. You have a good sense for business. Come here; the ritual chamber is over here. However, you will have to stay out here if you are not his or her official caretaker, as this is a family matter."
"Good luck, Norman, I will wait here for you two." McGonagall casually waved them off. After they separated, they followed the teller for a while until they arrived in a large, empty chamber. In the middle was a large basin, and the walls were dotted with countless holes.
The goblin turned to them and spoke. "First, we'll need to pour some of your blood into the basin. After that, you will need to keep contact with it so it can look through your magic directly into your ancestry." Norman raised his hand to ask a question. "Sorry to interrupt, but how will my sister give blood?"
The goblin shook his head. "It's really idiotic since I don't think she will be able to do anything with this information, but since she is—or was—your sister, her magic will identify her as such, so your blood should be enough." Next, the goblin stepped up to the basin and pulled out a strangely designed knife from under it. He cut Norman's wrist without any warning, but much to his surprise, it didn't hurt one bit. After he lost more blood than seemed humanly possible and filled the basin to the brim, he and Elizabeth touched it together and felt a pull toward it from within themselves.
One by one, the holes in the walls lit up and started changing colors rapidly. At the end, only some of them remained lit up. Most turned off again; about ten or so lights remained white, eight turned red, five turned yellow, two turned green, and only one turned blue. After it was over, they removed their hands and waited for the goblin to begin its assessment.
"Very interesting. The white dots are the houses where you have some kind of weak blood connection due to a common ancestor way back in your family tree. The red ones are families where you could have been eligible for heirship, but someone else has already claimed it, or there is someone with a more direct blood connection, giving them a higher claim than you. A great example is the Potter house, since Harry Potter, the boy who lived, has a more direct blood connection to it than you.
The yellow ones are more interesting. They are houses where you could become the heir, as there is no current active one, but you are lacking in some aspect to claim it or there is another person who is just as qualified as you, so you need to fulfill some requirements. These are the Black, Lestrange, Sayer, Gryffindor, and Slytherin houses."
"I would advise against taking on the Slytherin and Gryffindor houses' heirship since all their assets are directly tied to Hogwarts and they have close to no political ties to the current wizarding world. I would also not choose the Lestrange house, as to prove yourself you would have to kill the other heirs or the previous head of house to get the position. The position of the Black family is strange; technically, you can and can't get that position. You would need to be a pure-blood, have another main branch Black family member agree with your position, and have a spouse or wife with prominent familial ties to the Sacred Twenty-Eight. The Sayer house is interesting, but all of their assets are in America, so you would have to go there and talk to the goblins responsible for their assets. It would take a really long time, and you might not get anything significant from it in the end."
Norman looked a bit disappointed, and Elizabeth had a weird idea that she originally got from her father. "I am not a pure-blood, so I can't take on that mantle no matter what, and I also don't have a spouse." The goblin just smirked and pointed towards Elizabeth. "The ritual registered your sister as a pure-blood based on her magical signature, most likely due to her body being changed with the help of your family magic when she turned into this form."
"Oh-oh! I want to be the head of House Black! It sounds cool and mysterious!" Elizabeth became giddy since it seemed like a great idea to her. "Perfect! Since your brother is also a member of the main branch of House Black, he can support you! You would only need to find a husband for yourself, and you would become one of the most influential people across the Isles."
Norman had a questioning look. "But she is a ghost. How could she become an heir to a house?" The goblin was a bit intrigued and proud. "I have no idea, but the Basin of Bloodlines registered her as a valid candidate for the same houses as you, except one of the green lights and the blue one." The now very excited Elizabeth started cheering, but Norman shut her down, seeing the big problem with this idea.
Norman looked worriedly at his sister. "Lizzie, you don't have to do this; you're still just 10 years old. I don't want you to be stuck in an unhappy marriage just so we could be more powerful." Elizabeth just giggled and hugged her brother. "Don't worry, brother! I already have the perfect husband for myself! Someone whom I love more than anyone in this world!" Norman was shocked and couldn't think of anyone he knew who fit this criteria. As he was thinking, an obviously fed-up Elizabeth flew closer to him and hit his head. "Don't be a dumb-dumb! Of course, it's you, dummy! Do you know any other wizard other than yourself and Dad?"
"Whaaaattt!?!??" Norman almost jumped a few meters back when he heard the weird proposal. "It should be okay, right, Mr. Goblin?" Elizabeth turned towards the goblin, who just nodded in satisfaction. "My name is Ripjaw, but to answer your question—no, it is not a problem. Almost all wizarding families have very close familial connections, so inbreeding does occur a lot. I don't even know if you can sire children, but since you are a being of pure magic, I don't think you could have any genetic problems that normal wizards or even muggles might pass on, if that's your worry."
"To be honest, I really hope this turns out well. I would love nothing more than to see those pure-blood bastards get a proverbial kick from one of the magical beings they look down on so much due to a technicality in their own backward rules." At this point, he was fully supporting, with an ecstatic and manic grin.
"Wait-wait! Don't I get a say in this?! Lizzie, you're still my sister! I love you, but not in that way!" The now indignant Norman couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Oh, shut up! You're practically my husband anyway. We are connected for eternity! You're the sole reason my soul hasn't passed on; you're literally the reason for my life! I'm sure no one would be able to enter my life if you weren't with me!"
"Besides, I know for a fact that Father has no problem with this; he proved it to me during our previous conversations. 'I need to keep the family lineage alive! Whatever that means,' he said it himself multiple times!" One after another, emotional gut punches reached Norman as his sister's tirade continued. "I don't even care if I am not the only one in your life. I just want to be loved by you for the rest of time; I want to be with my big brother forever!" The goblin tried to nudge Norman in this direction by throwing him a bone. "Look, kid, if it makes you uncomfortable, just know this: Even if the two of you are married, you don't have to do anything other than seal the wedding with a kiss. Many pure-bloods only marry to keep up the status quo; they don't even like or see their spouses for most of their lives, except during big official events. If this still doesn't convince you, just know you and, eventually, your sister will be forced to marry someone from a pure-blood family. It's better to be someone you know."
Not long after, the multiple attacks from his sister, backed up by the goblin teller, managed to make Norman buckle under the pressure. "Fine, but first, we should go through the rest of the houses to find me my heirship. Just… anything else, please, that doesn't involve this topic for now."
"Very well, the next houses that turned green are the ones where you can take the heirship instantaneously, due to you being the purest and most direct line in the family tree, or simply because there are no other branches alive. These two are House Prewett and House Gaunt. I would highly advise against taking the Gaunt heirship, as they have a very bad reputation, owe massive debts to other houses, including Gringotts, and, worst of all, have no political power left in Britain." Before Norman could ask questions, the teller continued. "Normally, this would be the end of the discussion for most people, but that blue light makes things a lot more interesting. That blue light means that your magic is recognized by a house as its lord! It's a very old house, one that most people nowadays believe to be a myth—the Peverell house. It's honestly much older than most, if not all, of the so-called Sacred Twenty-Eight houses."
Ripjaw scratched his ears in confusion. "I honestly have no idea how you even managed to get the lordship for such an old house, especially since you're not an adult. This does put you in a bit of a pickle, my friend, since you need to be an adult to be a lord. You could end up in a lot of political trouble if the other lords find out about your current predicament. I think your best option is to merge the Prewett and Peverell houses into one so you can remain just an heir. Even if the Peverell name carries a whole mythos, it means little in the eyes of politicians. The Peverells are such an ancient house that they don't even have a single galleon to their name, nor do they have any proper land left, as they were using an entirely different system that's now non-existent."
Norman nodded. "Why should I merge the two houses then? There seems to be little to no benefit in doing so." The goblin gave an understanding gesture. "Well, the only big benefit would be a very secure Gringotts vault, free of charge, which they have ownership over, as they gifted the Goblin Nation the land where all our banks stand till this day. Other than that, they might have some valuable magical items you could access, though I'm not even talking about the Deathly Hallows, of which you would be the true master."
"Very well, then I would like to merge House Peverell with House Prewett and take its heirship into my hands." Ripjaw gave a victorious gesture and led the siblings into a well-decorated office. After they sat down, the goblin took out three documents for them. First was the magical contract for merging the houses. When Norman signed it, the paper burst into flames and disappeared. Next was a document for Norman to take the heirship of the newly named Peverell-Prewett house. When he signed it, once again the paper disappeared, leaving in its place a simple silver-gold ring with a symbol Norman was sure he'd seen somewhere before.
"This is the new ring of the house. It symbolizes and validates the heir or ruler of said house. Since you don't have any lord of the house present, you can claim it. It was created after the two previous house rings merged with each other. It's phenomenal; in all these years, I've never seen such a thing." Norman picked up the ring and put it on his ring finger, where it magically shrunk to fit perfectly. "Congratulations, you are now officially the young heir to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Peverell-Prewett."
Next was something Norman had dreaded ever since his sister managed to convince him. "Now, the two of you, please stand up." When they did, the teller continued, "By the authority that the Goblin Nation has granted me, I pronounce you wife and husband. May the world and Mother Magic bear witness to your union, so mote it be! You may kiss the bride to seal the pact." Norman, who was sweating bullets, turned toward Elizabeth. "Are you ready? On three, okay? One… Tw—Ugh!" Before Norman could even finish hyping himself up, Elizabeth had already jumped on him.
The next moments were so surreal for Norman that he didn't know if he was still alive. He felt an indescribable pull coming from his heart that joined Elizabeth's being in the next second. He could literally feel Elizabeth's emotions and thoughts the moment they kissed. He started having trouble differentiating between Elizabeth and himself, as in that moment, their souls fully merged into one.
Realizing this, he immediately tried to pull away. This took a tremendous effort; he felt as if his soul was being ripped in half. An ear-piercing shriek was heard as they separated. Ripjaw ran up to them and began pulling Norman away from his new wife.
After he managed to separate them, both slowly started coming to their senses. "Ugh... my head is killing me. Are you all right, Elizabeth?!" Norman asked, surprised once again. "What happened, Norman? I have a massive headache, so could you keep it down a bit?"
Ripjaw couldn't hide his amazement. "How fascinating! I've never seen or heard of anything like this happening before in history. Just who are you two? No—no, that's not important! What are you?!" In front of the astonished eyes of Norman and Ripjaw, someone who was supposed to be only a ghost took her breath once again after a long time.
Elizabeth had regained her original form, looking like a perfectly normal child. For a moment, she thought she'd regained her body, but as she looked towards Norman, she noticed barely visible threads coming from his chest, connecting to her heart. She checked under her shirt. Right where she remembered her father had placed that thing in her brother's chest and soul, now on her chest was a similar snake surrounding the symbol on her brother's new ring and that stone her father said was the resurrection stone.
Her initial excitement faded as she started sobbing to herself. What was I thinking!? I'm still just a ghost, a magical construct my brother needs to maintain! Why am I so helpless? Why didn't I listen to Dad when he told me not to see her? Her thoughts stopped when she felt warm hands wrap around her. She could truly feel something! Not just muted feelings of touch or memories of scents—she felt warmth, she smelled their scent, and felt that all-too-familiar touch.
"I know this is hard for you, but we'll get through this, I promise! We're bound together, so we'll never be alone again. I'll protect you, just like you protected me from Mike and other bullies. We'll figure things out, okay? Maybe at Hogwarts, we can find some answers or help for you!" Elizabeth's tears started flowing again, but this time not due to grief or self-pity, but thanks to the overwhelming love she felt at that moment.
Elizabeth turned around and, with much less force, kissed her new husband with far more love and passion than before. "Thank you, I will be forever grateful to have you with me. I promise I will always be there for you whenever you need me!" Norman was stunned, but this time he didn't feel disgusted or wrong—it felt genuine to him. This time, it didn't hurt.
After they separated, their attention returned to the quiet bank teller. Ripjaw, now at his desk doing paperwork, tried to put on a grumpy face, but they could see he was genuinely happy for them. When he noticed their attention had returned to him, he coughed to hide his embarrassment and began handing out more papers.
"Now that the two of you are married, we can finally complete this procedure. You two will need to sign these papers to confirm the heirship of House Black and to claim your bank vaults." Elizabeth signed her two documents, and Norman did the same with his. Ripjaw gave the two a much less vicious smile than before and bowed in respect. "Thank you for being so cooperative with us. Nowadays, it's hard to find a non-stuck-up wizard. There is only one thing we will need to do, but you would need a parent or guardian to be present with you, according to the Wizengamot's current ruling."
Norman held his chin in contemplation a bit. "We could ask Professor McGonagall since she is the representative of Hogwarts, and our dad asked her to help us today as well." Ripjaw just shrugged and mumbled a low "Works for me" before he gestured to the kids to follow him back to the lobby. During their walk—which Elizabeth enjoyed a bit too much, now that she could properly move without needing to float around—she started having small talk with Ripjaw.
"So, not to be rude or anything, but shouldn't I receive a ring similar to my brother over here? I did become the heir to House Black, didn't I?" Ripjaw just nodded in confirmation before he explained a bit further. "Currently, we don't have the Black family's house ring in Gringotts. I think it should be in one of the properties of the Blacks. They never trusted us Goblins too much; they thought themselves to be superiors. Of course, this didn't mean they weren't relying on us to keep their money safe, those two-faced bastards..." Elizabeth just turned down her head in shame. She didn't expect, however, that her timid brother would speak up.
"I am sorry, Mr. Ripjaw, for what our families have done against you and your kind. I cannot express how ashamed I am of their behavior." Ripjaw was pleasantly taken aback by the sincere apology coming from Norman. "Thank you, that means a lot. You two are a lot less stuck-up than they were, so don't feel too bad about yourselves. After all, it's all in the past; we can only change the future. Besides, the fact that you two became heirs to such prominent houses is way better payback than we could ever ask of you."
Not long after, they arrived back in the main lobby, where they found the deputy headmistress talking with a woman they didn't recognize. "Professor McGonagall, over here!" She stopped mid-conversation to look for the one who was calling her. She didn't need to look for too long, as the two children and the goblin were pretty noticeable. What she didn't expect to see was the little girl looking exactly like a normal child without any ghostly qualities.
When the two groups met up, there was a bit of confusion, as both parties had things they wanted to ask the other. McGonagall spoke up first after a bit of contemplation. "Norman, Elizabeth, I hope you managed to do everything you wanted. Before we go, I wanted to introduce you to one of my great friends and the mother of some of my students, Molly Weasley."
Norman and Elizabeth just bowed their heads in respect. "Nice to meet you. My name is Norman Arthur Afton. This is my little sister, Elizabeth Clara Afton." McGonagall wanted to ask several questions, but Molly shut her down, as she also wanted to talk to them ever since she'd heard about them from her.
"It's nice to meet you two. I didn't want to believe my ears when Professor McGonagall sent me a message about you two, but now that I've seen your faces, it's not even a question. You two are Prewetts; you both share the same fluffy hair my uncle Ignatius used to have." Elizabeth just grumbled about it being "difficult to tame after waking up from bed," but Molly just laughed good-naturedly at that.
"I do wonder, where were you two sweeties hiding this whole time? After and during the war, both of my brothers were searching for your dad, your grandfather, and your grandmother, but we only received news about their passing due to the Death Eaters. My poor father was heartbroken about it until his passing." McGonagall placed a hand on Mrs. Weasley's shoulder to make her back down a bit.
"We are sorry for your loss. To be honest, we didn't know a whole lot about them, since our dad was pretty tight-lipped about our family in general. We only recently found out about us being magical—yesterday, to be perfectly honest." Molly just shook her head in sadness. "Ah, William, from what I remember, he was always a quiet boy. It's a shame I couldn't help him out when he needed it. After all, as family, we should stick together. But that is enough moping about. Tell me, how would you like to meet the rest of your family, like my kids and husband!"
"That would be wonderful! We have so many questions about the wizarding world, and Norman here has been bugging our father to tell us more about the family for years now." Elizabeth, more than eager to spend some time away from her father to think about everything that happened, tried to influence Norman to do the same. After some thinking, Norman had to agreed that sometime from home would be great, especially since Mike wouldn't bother him and he would feel alone. "Well, I agree that is a good idea, but is it alright with you if I tell dad, so he wouldn't worry about us?"
Molly ruffled Norman's fluffy hair before she bent down to be on the same level as he was. "No worries, sweetie, I understand. After all, not too long ago, three of my sons did a reckless and stupid thing without telling me about it first. Just know this: if you aren't comfortable with this offer, you don't have to accept it. I just thought you and my family would like to get along, especially since all of them will go to Hogwarts with you."
Norman gave a happy smile in response. "Thank you for being so kind, Miss Molly. I really want to meet them. I just wouldn't like to worry my father needlessly after what we have been through these past few months." Molly Weasley had seen a lot of adorable children in her life—she is the mother of seven cute kids herself, even if most people don't agree with the "cute" part. She, however, had never felt such a pure feeling from just looking into a child's eyes, so she couldn't help herself and picked up Norman in a giant bear hug.
Elizabeth didn't really like this, however, and tried to wrestle her brother away from the arms of the mother bear. This would have been quite the humorous thing if they weren't doing it in the middle of Gringotts. Thankfully, before they were thrown out, Ripjaw and McGonagall stopped the tomfoolery by loudly stomping on the ground. It reverberated throughout the nearly empty, gigantic bank and promptly got the attention of the trio.
McGonagall was shooting a questioning look towards the Weasley matriarch, who had at least the shame to look embarrassed. Ripjaw was just amused by the antics of the wizards, but he did motion to the large magical clock on the wall, so the kids quickly understood that they shouldn't waste any more time. They decided together that it was better to ask the professor about the vault now, before they got distracted again.
"You two have vaults here? Didn't you say that your father cut ties with the magical community?" McGonagall and Molly were a bit surprised by the sudden request. Ripjaw came to the rescue and started explaining instead of the kids. "Mr. Norman and Mrs. Elizabeth here just got done with the inheritance ritual, as you know, Professor McGonagall." She nodded without commenting, but this statement shocked Molly greatly, since the price of such a service was way out of her budget—so much so that even just thinking about it seemed ridiculous to her.
"All right, let's just do this quickly; we are already way past schedule." McGonagall gave in eventually, not knowing she would be the witness to something so extraordinary today that even she—who thought that the world had shown almost everything it had to offer—wouldn't believe her eyes. "Mr. Ripjaw, is it possible to bring Miss Molly with us? She is family, and thus she has a right to see what is down there. Who knows, maybe she could give us ideas on some of the items?"
Ripjaw had no problem with it, since they are the owners of the vaults. Molly wanted to turn down the offer, but the pleading look from Norman and Elizabeth changed her mind quickly. After that, they all went over to some old rail system and got into a large cart with less-than-promising safety features. Ripjaw even took two lamps and handed one to Norman, while he kept the other with himself.
"Alright everyone, first stop is the Prewett vault, numbered 694. Everyone keep all your limbs inside the cart during the ride. Gringotts will not cover your medical fees or funeral in case you are maimed or killed." Norman handed the lamp to Professor McGonagall and held onto his plush bear and sister like his life depended on it. Elizabeth, who was pretty reluctant about testing out the mortality of her new magical body, clung to Norman tightly.
The cart began its journey downwards to the high-security vaults. The siblings, initially scared, quickly stopped worrying as the cart stayed remarkably stable. They became enamored by the size and complexity of the cave system, with tracks and vaults stretching as far as their eyes could see. Ripjaw, noticing this, started a bit of a history lesson: "We are currently approaching the middle levels of Gringotts. Most of the current wizarding families have vaults here." When they saw a waterfall on the track ahead, they got scared for a moment, but McGonagall quickly explained its purpose.
"That is a magical waterfall. Its main purpose is to wash away all enchantments on a person. It's one of the security measures they've set up to stop anyone who is not welcome here." Ripjaw grinned in confirmation as they drove straight through it. Elizabeth was a bit worried about it possibly affecting the marks on Norman's chest, but he was perfectly fine after passing through.
Some time passed, and they finally arrived in front of the Prewett vault door. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived. Due to the lack of a vault key, I will require Mr. Norman's blood." He didn't particularly want to, but Norman, not keen on wasting any more time, raised his hand toward Ripjaw. The procedure hurt a bit since Ripjaw used his claw-like fingernails rather than an enchanted blade, but McGonagall and Mrs. Weasley tended to Norman's wound with magic, both sending glares at the goblin. Ripjaw, however, was unapologetic.
Just as Molly was about to go off on him, the doors opened. Inside, there weren't many valuables—just old pictures, clothes, accessories, and a few hundred galleons. Norman turned toward Molly, who looked a bit melancholic and defeated.
"I'm sorry. We were never the richest family around, and during the first wizarding war, we used up most of our inheritance to fight against You-Know-Who." Norman looked confused at first, not fully understanding who she meant, but he quickly realized she was talking about the Dark Lady.
"Don't worry, Aunt Molly, I don't care too much about money. We came here in case you wanted something from this vault. You have a much deeper connection to all of this than Elizabeth or I do. You deserve this more than we do." Molly wanted to refuse, but her emotions were overwhelming. When she stayed silent for a moment, Norman and Elizabeth hugged her to comfort her.
Eventually, as Molly calmed down, she hugged the kids back and thanked them profusely. She decided to take only some family pictures and, reluctantly, a couple dozen galleons due to Elizabeth's insistence. Afterward, Norman placed the rest of the galleons into his pouch from Ripjaw since there were no more than 300 galleons left after Molly's share.
Once they left the vault, the door closed behind them. Elizabeth wanted to visit her own vault, but McGonagall objected, believing the Black vault must be full of dangerous dark artifacts and tomes. When Ripjaw didn't correct her, Elizabeth backed down in frustration. But then, to the adults' surprise, instead of returning to the lobby, the cart turned away from the expected path and started descending into the chasm's depths.
"Where in the bloody hell do you plan to bring us?" McGonagall shouted at Ripjaw, her wand pointed at him. "Please, Professor, calm down! He's bringing us to the house I merged with the Prewett house!" Ripjaw, who was about to pull a lever to drop the old witch into the depths, nodded in confirmation at Norman's exclamation. "He's right, woman, and put down that wand before you lose your life here!" McGonagall finally put her wand away.
The Weasley matriarch, caught between a rock and a hard place, tried to get more details from the kids. "You merged our family house with another!? Why would you do that?" Though a bit peeved and offended, she wanted to hear Norman's reasoning before judging him.
"Sorry for not telling you sooner. I didn't know how to break the news. Trust me, I wouldn't have done this if I had a choice. Apparently, I was already the lord of another house, so I had to lose my lord status because I'm only eleven. Ripjaw said the only way to get out of the mess was to merge the houses." Molly, not fully understanding the details, saw the sincerity in Norman's face and let it go.
"Alright, I understand. We can't always choose the easy options; sometimes, we have to choose the best of the worst. Which house were you the lord of, though, and how did you manage that?" Before Norman could answer, Elizabeth covered his mouth and exclaimed, "It's a secret! We don't know anything about this house, and we don't want to be spoiled or shut down over it." The professor visibly caught her jab, her annoyance clear.
"That was completely necessary! As I said before, the Black fam—" Her tangent was abruptly interrupted by Elizabeth. "Yeah, yeah, I get it! It's dangerous, but even so, I'm the heir to that house. I should at least know what's in my bank vault." The now thoroughly irritated McGonagall shot back, "How are you even the heir to that house? You're not from the main branch, and you're a woman! I highly doubt the Black family, known for its prejudice and bigotry, would allow you to be their heir."
Elizabeth gained a smug look on her face. "Well, I don't know about you, but it was pretty easy for me! According to Ripjaw over here, I only needed to do a few things before I became the heir." McGonagall, now intrigued, gave in and asked, "And what would be those things you needed to do?"
"First of all, I needed to be pureblood, whatever that means. So unlike my brother, I can take on the heirship of the house!" This time, Molly was the one who spoke up. "How can you be pureblood if your brother is not? Did you two have different mothers?" Elizabeth answered casually, "No, but ever since I became this, I am purified! I am as pure as the family magic lets me be."
Although confused, Mrs. Weasley didn't want to get into this rabbit hole too deeply, so she just nodded, going along as if she understood. "Next, I needed someone with strong familial ties to the Black family to agree to my heirship. Since I have my brother here, that was even easier!"
McGonagall, who had managed to follow along up to now, gestured for her to continue. "Lastly, since I am a woman, I had to marry someone from the Sacred 28 houses but still keep my new name, Black." The adults were gobsmacked, and McGonagall had to ask, "How in the bloody hell did you manage to find a husband from a pureblood family and get married during the less than an hour we last saw each other?!"
"Nah, that was nothing. I just had to convince my brother to take that role. After Ripjaw helped me, it was super easy." The awkward silence that followed was deafening, but like the calm before the storm, it didn't last long. "YOU TWO DID WHAT?!" shouted both women. It was so loud and sudden that Norman almost jumped in fright, and Ripjaw had to cover his sensitive ears.
"How could you do such a reckless and idiotic thing! How the hell will I explain this to your father?" McGonagall was fuming, confused, and totally lost, unsure how to proceed. Molly, though similarly shocked, calmed down sooner than the professor. She was still angry at the children for doing it, but she tried to reason with herself to calm down, convincing herself that the kids must not have known or understood the true meaning of it all and that this would be resolved eventually.
McGonagall wanted to continue her tirade but was abruptly silenced when the cart came to an abrupt halt. As they all looked around, they could not see the end of the cavern. Everything was dark, with only a single road lit up from the cart toward a large door. On the vault, there was no number—only the ever-familiar symbol Norman had learned about today: the symbol of the Peverell house.
"Welcome, everyone, to this monumental moment in Gringotts' history. Vault number 3, the vault of the Peverell family." Norman and Elizabeth, who didn't fully grasp the true weight of this revelation, just looked around the enchanted cave in amazement. "Be careful not to wander into the dark! The entrance is specially enchanted with master-level protections and spells. Even I'm not sure what would happen if you stepped out there, but I am sure we wouldn't see you alive again." Norman, who was just about to step outside of the lamp's range, was pulled back by Elizabeth after hearing the warning.
"I-I cannot believe it. That symbol, that family... Are the Deathly Hallows…?" McGonagall was stunned; she couldn't believe that the famous family from legend was actually real, that the mythical items they owned were real. Now, standing in front of their vault, how could she think otherwise?
Molly had similar thoughts, unable to believe that the bedtime stories she told her children were real—that her nephew was now heir not only to her family house but also to this legendary one. As she followed the group toward the door, she could only think, "How am I going to explain all this to Arthur and the kids?!"
At last, when they arrived in front of the door, Ripjaw took over. "Now, please, Mr. Peverell, place your house ring against the vault door. It's the only key this vault has ever had, or will ever have. Make sure you never lose it or let anyone else wear it; the pain and suffering it would cause to anyone other than you would be far worse than the Cruciatus Curse could ever be."
Norman took a deep breath, stepped forward, and pressed his knuckle against the door. The moment his ring touched the door, he felt a burning sensation from his chest. It felt as though an indescribable and terrifying presence had turned its gaze toward him, evaluating him, as if his entire life flashed before his eyes in that instant. One thing was certain at that moment: his life was about to take a drastic turn in the near future—there was no doubt about that in his mind.