Chapter 2 Goblins and News

The guard goblin exchanged a glance with the teller before turning back to me. "Very well. Follow me," he said, leading me through the maze of hallways and vaults. As we walked, I couldn't help but notice the intricate security measures in place. There were physical traps, spells from the magic I could detect, and enchantments judging by the rune guarding each vault, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the power and sophistication of Gringotts' protection system. Finally, we arrived at a small, unassuming door. The goblin produced a key and inserted it into the lock, turning it with a loud click. The door swung open, revealing a small room with a single, wooden chair and a small desk. The goblin motioned for me to take a seat and then disappeared, leaving me alone.

I waited for what felt like an eternity, the anticipation building with each passing moment. Finally, the door opened once more, and a different goblin entered the room. He wore a finely tailored suit and carried a leather-bound book under his arm.

"Good afternoon," he said, bowing deeply. "My name is Odbert. I am the manager of the department of Gringotts Wizarding Bank. How may I be of service?"

"I'm here to inquire about any vaults that may be in my name," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

Gringott raised an eyebrow. "May I have your name and account number?"

"I don't have an account number," I admitted. "I hoped to do a blood test"

"Ah, wizard, today is your lucky day," Odbert snarled, revealing his sharp teeth. "I am one of the managers in charge of the blood department," he added, his voice dripping with disdain. "Follow me," he commanded.

"Very well," I replied, following him through a maze of hallways to his office. On his desk sat a parchment and a knife with a peculiar design, which I recognized as a type of rune from my knowledge of Harry Potter. Odbert sat behind his counter, holding the knife out towards me, and said, "Let some of your blood fall on this parchment, and it will list all your magical-related status. If not..." The goblin gave a menacing sneer, looking as unpleasant as ever, making it clear he did not appreciate having his time wasted.

I cut my wrist, and a few droplets of blood fell. I was relieved to see the wound heal immediately, knowing it wouldn't impede my future archery training. The parchment was filled with strange patterns and words, written in Gobbledegook. Judging by his expression, it was shocking news for Alexander. The goblin reviewed the words for a few minutes before saying, "Congratulations, Lord Black. You have four vaults here at Gringotts," holding it out for me to read.

Name: Alexender Leonis Black-Queen, Heir Black

Born: May 16, 1980

Age: 5

Father: Regulus Arcturus Black, heir black (deceased)

Mother: Unknown, muggle (alive)

Godfather(s): Arcturus Black(alive)

Godmother(s): Andromeda Tonks(alive)

Title:

Heir of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black (paternal)

Lord of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Ravenclaw (magic)

Vaults:

Trust vault of Alexender Black

Regulus Black vault

Walburga Black vault

Ravenclaw vault

Black family vault

Properties managed by Gringotts:

Black Manor (Wiltshire, England)

Black Cottage (Villefranche-sur-Mer)

12 Grimmauld Place (London, England)

Black Beachhouse (Manarola, Italy)

Ravenclaw Castle (Scotland)

Odbert nodded, his face still twisted in a sneer. "Very well, Heir Black. Please fill out this withdrawal form," he said, pushing a parchment toward me.

I quickly filled out the form, signing my name at the bottom before handing it back to the goblin. Odbert examined the form for a moment before nodding and disappearing into a back room. He returned a few minutes later with a small pile of gleaming golden Galleons. He counted out the agreed-upon amount and slid the coins across the counter to me.

"Is there anything else I can assist you with, Heir Black?" Odbert asked, still glaring at me.

"Not at the moment, but I will keep your services in mind," I replied, gathering the coins and tucking them into a small bag.

After receiving a curt nod from the goblin, I knew it was time to leave Gringotts. With my newfound wealth and some new information in hand, I exited the bank and made my way to where I would be staying. I had been given some floo powder by *** and used it to transport myself to 12 Grimmauld Place.

As soon as I arrived, I remembered the crazy house elf named Kreacher who was in the house. Knowing that he could cause trouble, I threw myself to the ground and commanded him to stop. When he did, I flashed my black ring and ordered him to clean the house and show me the way to Regulus' bedroom. Although he initially refused, Kreacher eventually complied and led me to a clean bedroom with a big bed and lots of bookshelves.

Upon awakening from a restful night's sleep, I felt great, but the memories of the previous day continued to weigh heavily on my mind. To clear my thoughts, I decided to meditate for a while and compare the street of China to Diagon Alley. However, the attitude of the house elf and the conditions set by the Black family for their heir to inherit their fortune still left me feeling uneasy. The Black family required their heir to study at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for two years, after which they would gain access to their fortune. This requirement made me hesitant, as attending Hogwarts would mean being bound to complete all seven years and coming under the magical guardianship of Albus Dumbledore. As I made my way out of the bedroom, a shrill yell echoed through the house. It was the voice of a woman surely Walburga Black, the deceased mother of Sirius, emanating from a painting on the wall. The painting had always given me the creeps in the books but now it seemed even more ominous.

I couldn't help but wonder what had set her off this time. Maybe Kreacher had done something to upset her, or perhaps it was just her usual natural disposition or it was my presence? Either way, I made a mental note to stay far away from that cursed painting before knowing how to burn it.

As I made my way down the stairs, I caught sight of Kreacher scurrying around in the kitchen. He looked up and scowled when he saw me, muttering something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like "filthy mud blood and great mistress". "Kreacher, please prepare me a lunch without any potion," I said, trying to ignore his muttered insult.

"The master mud blood should be careful," he grumbled as he began to prepare the food.

As I ate my lunch, I couldn't help but think about Olivier's intense emotions and his desire to save England from corruption. I knew that I needed to learn real Occlumency skills quickly to deal with the overwhelming emotions that I was feeling. If needed I will erase them but I don't have enough knowledge.

But for now, I needed to focus on my plans for the next four years. Understanding the magical universe's timeline was crucial for predicting the future, so I decided to start by gathering as much information as possible.

After finishing my meal, I asked Kreacher to bring me all the newspapers he could find in good condition. I needed to stay up-to-date on current events and any developments in the magical world and I had to gather as much information as possible about this universe and its timeline. I knew that understanding the past was crucial to predicting the future, and despite knowing it I wanted to be prepared for whatever lay ahead.

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A few days later

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Having read through all the Daily Prophet newspapers I could find, I was able to see where the being that reincarnated me in this world had made some changes. Firstly, there was no Dark Lord Voldemort, but instead, a Dark Lord Grindelwald. It seems that the timeline became more compressed.

I discovered that the female version of Tom Riddle, named Hella Dumbledore-gaunt, had experienced the love of a father after being adopted by Dumbledore in her first year, and she is now a famous healer at St. Mungo's. Narcissa and Bellatrix were not married, as Walburga Black had kicked them out of the family after their relationship was exposed. Lily Potter was in a coma, and her daughter, Harriet Potter was being cared for by them. James Potter killed and died fighting Grindelwald on the 31st of July judging by Dumbledore. On the other hand, the Longbottoms had twins, Lena and Neville. They still are cared for by their Grandmother as their parent are dead Fudge was still the head of the Ministry, but it seemed that Amelia Bones had more power judging by the flourishing auror. On top of all this, I found out that Lucius and a common muggle had a daughter named Lucinda Malfoy. According to an article made by Rita Skeeter she too lives with Narcissa, Bellatrix, and Andromeda. Her daughter Nymphadora lives with Ted and her in an alternative guard apparently as their divorce caused chaos.

However, it seemed that the professors at Hogwarts had not changed, so it could be the same Horcrux as Voldemort, or they may be different or not even exist. I should still check the Room of Requirement, where the Room of Lost Things is located, and see if the locket of Salazar Slytherin was given to Kreacher.

The political landscape of the Wizengamot was still a mystery to me, but it seemed that more and more laws against werewolves were being passed, which meant that werewolves were considered dangerous or the pure-blood faction had more seats than the faction of Albus Dumbledore. I decided to have Odbert recommend some bodybuilding equipment, and after that, I planned to build my arrow cellar in the basement of the house. If all goes well, it should help me visualize my Occlumency mindscape.

Once done, I would start creating an adult identity associated with either a Polyjuice potion or a glamour spell linked to a ring I could activate or deactivate at a moment's notice. I already dreaded the fee Odbert would charge me for this, but if I chose to start robbing corrupt people like Olivier, I needed to be prepared.