A New Friend And Some Advice
(Another question for this chapter: If any of you were to be inserted into any setting, where would you want to be or who would you want to be? If you feel really daring, give a reason why you want to be there.)
Nezan POV:
Following Ricbert into another office, this one was covered for miles in paper towers with stacks reaching heights only seen in modern skyscrapers. As I looked on with some amount of awe, Ricbert gave a small chuckle as he said in a faux nonchalant tone, "I imagine from your expression that you did not expect this amount of paperwork, but when you are dealing with thousands upon thousands of individual wizards and multiple countries it seems to pile up."
Giving him a small scoff, I looked at him, and he looked away, but as we entered, the goblin snapped his fingers, and from the thousands of moving papers, one flew right into his hand, and he gave it to me.
Taking the paper and reading it, a small smile forms on my face as the will states that if the writer of this is made ineligible or deceased, all Black family properties are to be given to me. Ricbert then began chuckling as he said, "I assume you found what you're looking for based on your expression, young lord."
I gave him a nod and said, "Yes, this was simply a confirmation of what I learned previously, but I would have to ask for the location of 12 Grimmauld Place." The goblin then snapped again, and another paper flew into his hand. And as he looked it over, he said, "According to this, the location of Mr. Black's home is in Claremont Square, London, in the borough of Islington. But if it may be so bold to ask, young lord, what exactly are you searching for?"
After handing the will back to him, I simply said, "I am simply doing what is foretold and a means to break my chains." The goblin gave me a more contemplative expression as he nodded his head and, taking the two papers, he tossed them into the air. They joined the piles of papers, but soon enough, two copies formed in his hands, and he gave them to me and said, "I would recommend taking these copies in case some rather unsavory folk come calling."
Heeding the man's advice, I took the two papers and placed them in my bag. And after giving him a small nod of thanks, he returned with a small bow. We then left the room with the door closing by behind us.
As we returned to the main lobby, I asked the banker, "This may be a bit much, but would there be any way to gain knowledge on Occlumency and Legilimency as well as an apparition?" The goblin gave me a confused look but then smiled and said, "Anything can be found with a price, young lord."
Noticing his mannerisms, I hand him two hundred galleons, and he takes them quickly and hands me three books. With that, he says, "If anyone asks, you received them via a gift from someone else. But as a bit of free advice, I would take learning apparition very seriously."
I gave him a lips are sealed signal, and he nodded as I placed the books in my bag. Internally, I am jumping for joy as if there is one thing you can count on in the world: the value of money. Unless one deals with most Supernatural forces, money can solve all your problems.
For now, though, I remain calm as Ricbert returns to his post at the main teller stand. He gives me a small nod, and I return it. I then leave the bank and head to Flourish and Blotts Bookseller, where the real fun begins.
As I reapplied some makeup to my scar as well as some backup colored contacts, I headed into the bookstore and saw rows and rows of books lining the walls, with some moving on their own from end to end. The store is not rather busy at the time, so as I peruse the stock, I pick up some necessary reading such as:
Magical Drafts and Potions – by Arsenic Jigger.
Advanced Potion Making – by Libatius Borage.
Asiatic Anti-Venoms.
Moste Potente Potions
A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration – by Emeric Switch.
Intermediate Transfiguration.
A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration.
Theories of Transubstantial Transfiguration.
Ancient Runes Made Easy.
Ancient Rune Translation.
Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms.
Spellman's Syllabary
A History of Magic – by Bathilda Bagshot.
Hogwarts: A History.
Important Modern Magical Discoveries.
Modern Magical History.
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi – by Phyllida Spore.
The Standard Book of Spells Grade 1 – by Miranda Goshawk.
The Standard Book of Spells Grade 2 – by Miranda Goshawk.
The Standard Book of Spells Grade 3 – by Miranda Goshawk.
The Standard Book of Spells Grade 4 – by Miranda Goshawk.
The Standard Book of Spells Grade 5 – by Miranda Goshawk.
The Standard Book of Spells Grade 6 – by Miranda Goshawk.
Achievements in Charming.
An Anthology of Eighteenth Century Charms.
A Guide to Medieval Sorcery.
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection – by Quentin Trimble.
Basic Hexes for the Busy and Vexed.
Curses and Counter-Curses: Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenge: Hair Loss; Jelly Legs; Tongue-Tying and Much, Much More – by Vindictus Viridian.
The Dark Arts Outsmarted.
Defensive Magical Theory – by Wilbert Slinkhard.
Jinxes for the Jinxed.
The Monster Book of Monsters. (Disabled the charm, making it a rabid book for some reason?)
Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit.
Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland.
From Egg to Inferno: A Dragon Keeper's Guide.
The Tales of Beedle the Bard.
New Theory of Numerology.
Numerology and Grammatica.
Charm Your Own Cheese.
Enchantment in Baking.
One Minute Feasts: It's Magic.
Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions.
The Healer's Helpmate.
Yes, a lot of books, but hey, extension charms and magic vault for the win, and while this may seem like a lot, and it is, I just feel the need to collect them for later.
Essentially, I am collecting them for when I unlock my warehouse after the jump, and I can see it now as an endless library of various magical lore. It will be beautiful. But the lack of books relating to the dark arts will need to be found in other places. (Our MC may have a hoarding problem.)
As I approached the owner, she looked at me with an almost sad expression as she asked, "Young one, why the need for so much?" I gave her a pitiful expression and said, "Sadly, knowledge is my only comfort as all I have received is a good inheritance from a family I have never met nor will physically meet. But fear not, as I have the necessary funds."
I handed her the money, which was essentially most of what I took from the vault, which, luckily, was a small amount. Who knew wizards could suffer from inflation?
Seeing the money, she then asked, "May I ask how you will transport these home?" I then show her my bag and say, "This is the other part of my inheritance, an enchanted bag which will carry the books. "Seeing this, she gave me a nod, and I gave her a small thanks, and as I looked at the places where I took the books from, I saw that they had been refilled and, again, the wonders of magic. Or they have copies, but I digress, and as I look at the watch I have, I see that it is currently 1:00, which surprises me as I arrive around 10:00 in the morning.
But I have five hours until Mammoth comes to pick me up, so I head to Ollivander's to get my extra wand, which I won't end up using a lot outside of Hogwarts or against Voldieshorts as the trace exists on each wand, and the ministry can essentially scan the wand to see what spells have been used beforehand.
It's kind of like the search history people like to hide from their parents. The thought brings some comedic value as I once came over for a surprise visit before Christmas and saw Jim's kid Ace and his misses well doing some "advanced calculations," and their faces were priceless.
Let's just say I was not allowed over for a month, but by that time, I was in Egypt trying to learn to ride a camel, which was a lot harder than I thought it would be.
It didn't help that the one I was given was an ass, but the stubbornness was oddly a part of the charm. But let's just say the instructor who was teaching the class definitely got to laugh at my experience. But hey, it was definitely a memorable experience.
While deep in thought, I failed to notice that I had entered the shop, and upon entering, the silence was apparent, yet with my connection to magic, I "felt" each of the wand's presences. Before I could touch one, a hand grabbed my right arm and started doing measurements, and upon seeing his face, he gave me a look and said, "Why are you hiding your eyes? And your scar, for that matter?"
I looked him in the eye and simply said, "Inexperienced and a small bit of fear, Mr. Olivander, as I wanted to introduce myself to this new world at my own pace." Hearing my response, the man simply continued measuring my arms and height, but after fishing, he began to run around the shop in a mad dash.
After a couple of seconds, he places a wand in my hand, and it does nothing. Before I can say anything, he takes it. "Too light. Not enough substance."
Continuing to run around the shop, he handed me wand after wand, which caused various amounts of mayhem, with some breathing fire and others simply flicking themselves at high speeds out of my hand.
With Olivander becoming both frustrated and excited at the same time, he continued to try to give me different wands, but after half an hour, he ran to the back, took out another wand, and put it in my hand.
As soon as it touched my skin, the same feeling I felt from my other wand, but less, flooded my being with Olivander saying, "I feel that you have already bonded with a wand. Why seek another, might I ask?"
I give him a look of seriousness and say, "The one I have was a gift from someone I shall never know. I wanted something that was truly mine. If the sentiment rings true in some form." Olivander then nods and says, "Yes, since time and immemorial, individuals have always tried to make their own mark using their own resources. I myself once thought the same when I was learning how to create ones as I wish to create them better than my predecessor. I wanted to have a wand that I created to be truly unique."
Then, pulling me away towards another part of a shop, he shows me some other wands amidst a dusty collection. "These ones were my first attempts, and they shall remain here until I dissolve into dust and memory. I can feel by your wand's desire that you seek knowledge and new experiences, but remember to not let the journey of seeking new things lead you astray, young man."
I give the man a nod of understanding as he lets go of me and says, "The wand chooses the wizard, Mr Potter, and even though you may be different, the wand still acknowledges you don't let it down."
Looking at the wand in my hand, I grip it more tightly and send a solemn thanks, which makes the wizened old man smile slightly as he says, "I remember every wand that I have sold and everyone in this store, but that one specifically will allow you to do many great things whether they be terrible or the work of miracles is up to you."
Taking my gaze from the wand to the old man, I find that he has disappeared, which is both impressive and annoying as I feel that someone else has been in my place.
But my mission had been accomplished, and as I left the store, I found that a book had been placed on my trunk which said "Wandlore For The Ages: An Olivander Perspective." I looked back to the shop and gave a small salute, which remained unanswered, and with a bit more pep in my step, I headed to the last stop, the Owl Emporium, to pick up a certain owl.
As I got closer to the shop, the sound of various bird calls filled the air, and as I entered, I saw some families shopping for their children. And with one look, I located my target.
With feathers as white as snow and piercing yellow eyes, it stared toward me, and as I got closer, it began to approach the edge of the cage as if to either pet or bite me, which was, luckily for my fingers, the former. I placed a hand on the side of its head and slowly petted the owl, and it cooed at my touch, which I thank in part due to the perk being supernaturally attractive.
Specifically, it allows me to enact nearly every movement of my body to a more basic amount of grace and control, which definitely worked in my favor.
But after petting her, I let go and approached the man at the register and asked, "Sir, I am interested in purchasing the fine owl you have over there." I then gestured over to Hedwig, and he seemed almost surprised as he asked, "That one? You must be mad, little one. That poxy bird would not even let the boss feed it."
Noticing the lack of confidence in his voice, I then walked over to Hedwig and began to pet her, which flabbergasted the man, and he said, "Blimey, I never thought I would see the day where the princess would allow someone to pet her. You have a gift, kid. Ever considered becoming an animal trainer?" (Pokemon Jump Maybe?)
The thought did interest me, but I gave him a response: "Maybe, but for now, I would like to take her home, and who knows? Maybe after taking care of her, I would want to take care of other animals." Seeing me petting her, the man smiled and said, "Well, who am I to argue with the princess's choice? I will get you set up and give ya a little discount for showing some good skill with animals."
Giving the man a thank you, he walked over and handed me a cage as well as some food and a book on owl care, which I took and placed in my trunk (Magic Trunk FTW). After paying the man, I was left with a decent amount of money. I would have used it to go get something to eat, but I do not want to remain here for much longer.
So, taking the cage and holding it by the handle at the top, I said to her, "What do you think about the name Hedwig?" The owl then closed her eyes as if in thought and surprisingly shook her head.
Giving her a look, I then rattled off some names "Snow White? Lady Winter? Boreal? Okay, what about Priscilla?" The last name made her nod as I smiled and said, "Okay, Priscilla, it is welcome to the family, little one." The owl hooted in excitement, and I left the store, but not without noticing some of the parents giving us some emotional looks.
So after leaving Diagon Alley, I sent the trunk to the vault but kept my wand from the jumpchain in my pocket and thus began my trek to 12 Grimmauld Place, which in a car would take 30 minutes but walking maybe an hour and a half. But another mission is complete with some extras, too.