Harry Potter and Lord of House Black

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Tonks House, Somewhere in Southern England,

"Dora… don't muck it up, yeah? Make sure you say it nice and clear," Andromeda said, handing her the box of Floo powder.

"I know, Mum… this isn't my first time using the Floo Network to get to Diagon Alley," Nymphadora sighed, shaking her head at her mum's worrying ways.

Clutching the Floo powder, she stepped into the fireplace, tossed a handful in, and called out, "Diagon Alley!"

Whoosh!

A burst of green flames swallowed her up, and she vanished.

After Nymphadora had gone, Andromeda grabbed a handful of Floo powder herself and did the same.

"Diagon Alley!"

Whoosh!

The green flames flared, and she too disappeared.

…

Gringotts Wizarding Bank, Diagon Alley,

Appearing before the imposing, snow-white, multistoried marble building towering over the neighbouring shops partway down Diagon Alley, Rigel smiled to himself. "Truly… this place is even more amazing than I imagined."

It was his first visit to Gringotts Wizarding Bank of Britain, and he couldn't help but be amazed by the gleaming white marble. The building was massive, enough to make him feel small, even in the guise of a tall, middle-aged man.

The marble columns caught the morning light, giving the place an air of grandeur and authority.

And that wasn't even the best bit.

Climbing the wide steps, Rigel reached two burnished bronze doors flanked by a goblin in a neat scarlet and gold uniform, silently sizing him up with sharp eyes.

Spotting the tall, middle-aged man with blonde hair, a blonde beard, and piercing blue eyes, dressed in a fine black robe, the goblin immediately knew this wasn't just any wizard. Though he didn't recognise him or his associations, he bowed stiffly but politely and smoothly opened the doors for the wizard to enter.

"Welcome to Gringotts Wizarding Bank!"

Rigel gave a nod and stepped inside, finding himself in a small, sparsely furnished entrance hall that ended with another set of doors—this time silver, also flanked by goblins—leading deeper into the heart of the bank.

As he approached the silver doors, he made sure to read the warning engraved on them… after all, it's customary for anyone entering Gringotts for the first time.

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.

'Empty words…' Rigel thought, scoffing at the warning.

The poem engraved on the silver doors seemed meant to warn anyone harbouring thoughts of nicking from Gringotts that their fate would be grim, and that they'd find things they couldn't even imagine. But when it came down to it, stealing from Gringotts wasn't as tough as they made out.

'Quirrell, while playing the role of Voldemort's parasitic host, tried to nick the Philosopher's Stone… and while he didn't succeed, it wasn't because of Gringotts' security. It was simply that the Stone had already been moved. And to make matters worse, he slipped away without a hitch, nobody even knew who did it.'

'Then there was the Golden Trio, with a goblin in tow, who came to nick Helga Hufflepuff's Cup from the Lestrange family vault, a vault even more secure than the one holding the Philosopher's Stone, and they actually pulled it off.'

'Most secure place in the world, my arse… It's nowhere near as secure as they claim.'

No place that brags about being the most secure is ever as safe as it says on the tin.

Whether it's Gringotts, Hogwarts, Ministry, or that bloody Potter house hidden under the Fidelius Charm…

Shaking his head, Rigel settled his thoughts and moved on. The two goblins guarding the silver doors opened them, and he stepped into the main hall.

…

Inside, the vast marble hall, with intricately designed walls and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, buzzed about with too many wizards to count and about a hundred or so goblins.

The small humanoid creatures with pointy ears and sharp eyes perched on high stools behind long, high counters, scribbling in ledgers larger than their body size, with quills longer than their arms, weighed coins in brass scales, and examined precious stones through special eyeglasses.

The wizards, meanwhile, stood or sat, tapping their feet impatiently after waiting so long. A few even voiced their frustration to the goblins behind the counters. "Why do I have to wait so bloody long? Don't you know who I am?"

The goblin managing the waiting lounge offered a brief apology and asked for their patience. "It won't take too long… I hope for your understanding."

"I don't give a toss about understanding, just take me to my bloody vault. I've got better things to do than stand around waiting to get my galleons out!"

"It'll be your turn soon…" the goblin apologized again, asking the wizard to hang on a bit longer. The wizard grumbled in frustration but, helpless, had no choice but to wait.

Rigel spotted similar scenes all around but didn't bother much. Instead, he headed straight to a counter, pulled a letter from his pocket, and handed it to the goblin behind it. "Here… have a look at this."

The goblin, busy scribbling in a ledger with his quill, paused and eyed the letter held out before him. Since it was the back of the letter facing him, he noticed the sigil stamped in sealing wax, "This is from…" he blinked in surprise before glancing up at the owner of the hand offering it.

"And you are…?" the goblin asked, taking the letter from Rigel's hand.

"You'll find out when you read it," Rigel replied with a blank expression.

The goblin lifted his eyes but said nothing as he broke the wax seal, opened the envelope, and pulled out the parchment to read its contents. His eyes widened, but then he glanced suspiciously at the middle-aged man. "Aren't you a bit too old to be the one this letter's about?"

Rigel shrugged. "Too young to be wandering about in the open," he said, raising his hand to reveal a ring on his index finger.

The goblin blinked, glanced at the ring, then back at the letter to check the stated age before nodding. "We'll verify things in a VIP room… though I hope this isn't some fraudulent stunt. The consequences wouldn't be pretty."

Rigel chuckled. "Wouldn't dream of it. After all, Gringotts isn't the most secure place in the world for nothing."

The goblin nodded and called out, "Griphook!"

The famous goblin who'd guided the Golden Boy to his family vault on his first visit to Gringotts, and who'd also helped the Golden Trio nick the Golden Cup from the Lestrange vault, soon appeared by their side. In a low, hushed voice, the elder goblin said, "Escort Mr… err…" He glanced back at Rigel, who smiled and replied, "Christopher Hemsworth."

"Right… escort Mr. Christopher Hemsworth to the Private Room on the floor E. And send for Ragwurt as well."

"Understood," Griphook nodded, eyeing Mr. Christopher Hemsworth like a walking treasure trove and proper VIP, then promptly led him to the private room on floor E.

Once inside, Griphook said, "Wait here, sir… Ragwurt'll be with you in a few minutes. In the meantime, shall I get you some refreshments?"

"Sure thing," Mr. Christopher Hemsworth nodded, settling onto the sofa and peering through the one-way glass at the bank's workings below.

…

Soon, an elder goblin—Ragwurt—arrived at the private room. Once the door was closed behind them, he turned to the blonde man. "Right then… I've heard about the matter, but…"

"Is there a problem?" Rigel asked, removing the ring he'd shown earlier at the counter and slipping it into his pocket. The moment the ring came off, his form shifted back to his true self, a small frame with black hair, black eyes, and a sharp voice fitting his six years.

Of course, removing the ring was just a bit of theatre to make the goblins believe he needed it to change his appearance. Truth be told, he didn't need any such trinket to alter his form, but he wasn't keen on showing off that kind of ability to anyone, anyone he didn't trust enough with his secrets, so the ring served its purpose perfectly.

"I see… so it was indeed the ring," Ragwurt murmured, taking a seat opposite Rigel.

"After all, it's not safe for a child my age to be wandering around Diagon Alley. Knockturn Alley's just next door… and not to mention the family name and status I carry," Rigel explained casually.

"Understandable," Ragwurt nodded, adjusting his glasses. "Now, Mr. Rigel Black, I've read the letter, and its authenticity has been verified—so no issues there. But I'll still need to confirm your legal right as heir, along with your connection to the previous head. Otherwise, it'll be difficult for us to transfer the vault to you or discuss anything related to the Legacy of House Black."

"Is that so?" Rigel tilted his head, curious. "And how do you plan to verify that?"

"Through the magic in your blood, of course," Ragwurt replied as if it were the most natural thing. He produced a small mahogany box, opening it to reveal a little tool inside. "This here's the instrument we use. We'll need a bit of your blood to verify if your ancestry is pure-blood and if your claim as heir to House Black holds water."

He paused, his tone turning grim and dark. "But fair warning… if it's not as you say, you'll be struck by a curse and drop dead on the spot for trying to claim wealth that's not yours."

After explaining, he glanced at Rigel and asked, "Shall we proceed?"

'Harry Potter didn't have to go through all this…' Rigel thought, recalling the tale where Harry simply used a key given by Hagrid to access his family vault.

A bit wary about giving his blood, knowing it could be used for dark magic against him without his say, and mindful of the curse that could kill him instantly, Rigel asked, "Do you run this test on every family vault?"

Ragwurt, reading his doubts, shook his head. "Nah… only for vaults with lower numbers, those with two digits or fewer. Vaults with three digits or higher numbers don't require such tests."

"I see… so that's how it works," Rigel nodded, starting to understand. The lower the vault number, the higher its security and value; this is something he already knew.

The history of House Black goes back millennia, older even than House Ollivander's, and with that history comes a fortune. And to store such a massive fortune, naturally, bigger, more secure vaults are required, so no surprise that the Black Family vault is numbered in double digits.

And naturally, the goblin in charge of such an important vault wouldn't hand it over so easily with just a key. House Black's staunch pure-blood stance also means they've likely taken extra steps to keep Half-Bloods and Mudbloods from gaining control.

Understanding all this, Rigel nodded. "Very well… I'll take the test."

Seeing Rigel agree without much fuss, Ragwurt felt a flicker of disappointment.

Though he kept a straight face, deep down, he'd hoped the boy would refuse the test.

If Rigel had refused, no one could claim the vault, meaning it'd stay locked up tight. And when that happens, the vault eventually becomes the goblins' property. They might never open it, holding out for a pure-blood heir to turn up someday—but until then, whatever's inside belongs to them… even if it stays sealed for good, it's theirs.

It was a pity such hesitation wasn't shown, as the boy had agreed to the test and seemed confident enough.

Though a bit disappointed, Ragwurt kept a straight face and simply ordered Griphook, "Proceed."

Griphook nodded and drew a knife. "I'll be needing a bit of your blood."

"Take it then," Rigel said reluctantly, holding out his small palm.

Griphook gripped his hand and, with the knife, made a long, narrow cut across the middle.

"Hisss!" Rigel hissed sharply at the sting as the blade bit into his soft skin, but gritted his teeth, refusing to cry out.

After drawing blood, Griphook opened the lid of the tool, a clear container holding a transparent potion, and let drops of fresh red blood drip into it.

Drop by drop, the blood mixed with the clear liquid until Ragwurt said, "That'll do." Griphook released Rigel's hand.

Rigel casually covered his hand with a handkerchief to stem the flow of blood while he, Griphook, and Ragwurt watched closely as the crimson spread through the colourless potion, turning it scarlet before darkening to a deep, inky black so thick no light could get through.

But then, another change came soon after.

Slowly, the black liquid began to crystallise, taking the shape of a round ring made from some dark stone or crystal, wrapped in an intricate silver pattern.

Watching the ring float in the clear liquid, Rigel asked, "This means that…"

Ragwurt nodded. "The test is complete… that's your ring, as Lord of House Black."

Griphook pulled the ring from the tool, wiped it clean with a cloth, and handed it to Rigel. "Here you are, Lord Black."

Rigel eyed the ring, noting it looked a bit big for his hand. But when he slid it onto his index finger, it magically shrank to fit perfectly, as if it had always belonged there. "Self-adjusting, eh?" he murmured, studying the intricate silver patterns before turning to Ragwurt.

"Well… now that I've claimed proper lordship of House Black…"

Ragwurt cut in, "I take it you'd like to check out your family vault?"

Rigel nodded. "I want to see all the vaults belonging to House Black that I can access as it's the Lord of House Black."

After all, House Black doesn't have just one vault. There's the family vault, only accessible to the head of the house, and then a whole bunch more. For instance, Vault No. 711 originally belonged to Alphard Black but was passed on to Sirius Black.

Of course, Rigel couldn't lay a finger on Vault 711 since it was no longer under the Lord of House Black's control but Sirius's. Still, there were plenty of other vaults owned by the Blacks he could check out.

"Very well… we'll arrange a cart that can reach the double-digit vaults," Ragwurt said, a bit surprised Rigel wanted to see all the House Black vaults, but it didn't faze him. He then ordered, "Griphook, arrange the cart."

"Understood," Griphook nodded before leaving the private room.

"It'll take a bit of time to sort out the cart since it's rare for folks owning the double-digit vaults to show up. On top of that, we had a cave-in a few hours back while digging tunnels for a new vault, so most of the staff's tied up clearing the mess. I hope you'll be patient, Lord Black," Ragwurt said apologetically.

He clapped his hands, and tea and snacks appeared on the table. Gesturing to them, he added, "In the meantime… please help yourself to these refreshments."

Rigel barely glanced at the tea and snacks, "That's fine. I don't mind waiting a bit—I've got a few other matters to discuss, anyway."

"Other things…? Pray tell," Ragwurt nodded, urging the young lord to spill the beans.

"I want to know if the House Black owns any property in Diagon Alley," Rigel said, leaning forward.

Ragwurt blinked in surprise. "Planning to set up a business, Lord Black?"

Rigel nodded. "Something like that."

Ragwurt stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I do know the House Black owns a few properties in Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley. They collect yearly rents, which are regularly added to one of the secondary vaults…" He paused, then added, "But the deeds are kept in the Black family vault, so you'll need to check there."

He looked at Rigel again. "If you like, I can tell you which properties they are."

"Yes, please do," Rigel nodded.

"Very well," Ragwurt said, tapping the round table with his index finger. The surface transfigured into a detailed map of Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley, the most popular shops clearly marked.

At a glance, Rigel spotted famous names like Ollivanders, Madam Malkin's, Bigg's Brooms, Borgin and Burkes, The White Wyvern, and more.

He tapped his fingers again, and five buildings on the map lit up. "These five buildings are owned by House Black," he explained.

"Five, eh?" Rigel murmured, eyeing the highlighted spots. Each held a shop—one called 'Flail & Hyde Furriers,' another 'Jagon Gallowglass,' the third 'Mulligrubs Materia Medica.' He barely registered the fourth and fifth as his gaze stopped on the third one.

"'Mulligrubs Materia Medica'… that's right in front of Ollivanders, isn't it?" Rigel asked.

Ragwurt nodded. "Indeed."

"This could be perfect… I need that shop vacated," Rigel said, eyes gleaming.

That shop was in a prime location. After all, every new wizard would be heading to Ollivanders for their wand, and anyone coming or going would spot the shop right opposite.

Ragwurt shook his head. "I apologize, Lord Black, but that's not our department. We don't handle vacating shops or properties that aren't owned by us. The best we can do is sort out the monetary settlement needed to break a contract halfway through—but that's about it. If you wish for the shop to be vacated… you'd have to do that on your own… or perhaps turn to the Law Department in the Ministry for the legal procedure if there is refusal from the owner of the shop…"

"Hm… I see," Rigel said thoughtfully. "Well, I suppose I'll pay a visit to the shop first before making any decisions."

"That's your call," Ragwurt nodded.

"Is there anything else I can help you with?" Ragwurt asked.

"For now, I just want to check the Black family vaults," Rigel replied.

"Griphook'll let us know the moment your cart's ready," Ragwurt said.

"Well, I suppose I'll wait until then," Rigel nodded, rising from the sofa. He walked over to the one-way glass and quietly watched the goblins, muggles, and wizards bustling below.

Ragwurt stayed quiet and let him get on with it.

Rigel watched silently, the goblins at work, wizards bustling about, muggles exchanging pounds for galleons, sickles, and knuts, and all the usual hustle and bustle.

As he took it all in, something, or rather, someone, caught his eye. Two women in particular.

"Aunt Andromeda… she's here too? Well, what a coincidence…" he murmured, staring at her and Nymphadora sitting quietly in the lounge, waiting.

'Wonder if she's made up her mind to become my maid?' he thought, though he knew that since she was here at Gringotts, it was unlikely. Even if she had, it probably wouldn't be the decision he wanted her to make…

Of course, that wasn't exactly a surprise, and he already had the next step of his plan lined up to give her the final nudge she needed to make up her mind. But he wasn't in any rush.

'Best wait a bit… besides, I need to step out of Gringotts first before I can summon Kreacher and Drek William,' he thought, settling in to watch quietly.

As he waited and watched, he suddenly noticed an argument breaking out between Andromeda and a fat, troll-faced woman. That made Rigel frown.

Before Rigel could dwell on the argument, Griphook appeared in the private room. "Sir Ragwurt, Mr. Rigel Black… the cart is ready."

Breaking the silence, Ragwurt asked, "Mr. Rigel Black, shall we be on our way?"

Rigel didn't turn around but asked the elder goblin, "Mr. Ragwurt, would it be alright if I had two others tag along in the cart?"

Caught off guard, Ragwurt replied, "I wouldn't recommend that… it could compromise the privacy of the Black family vault."

Rigel pursed his lips before turning to face him. "That won't be a problem—one of them's family." He corrected himself silently, 'Or would be…'

"Well, if you're sure, Lord Black, it's not my place to argue," Ragwurt shrugged.

Rigel smiled. "In that case, bring those two women—the mother and daughter, Andromeda Tonks and Nymphadora Tonks—and let them know a family member wishes for their company."

Both Ragwurt and Griphook were visibly surprised. After all, it was no secret that Andromeda had been disowned by House Black. For the current lord to say that meant a great deal.

Ragwurt nodded. "Understood." Turning to Griphook, he ordered, "Escort Lord Black to the cart. I'll fetch his family members."

"Very well," Griphook nodded and turned to Rigel. "Lord Black… if you'd follow me."

"Of course," Rigel replied, following the gobbling out of the private room as Ragwurt went down to the marble hall to fetch Andromeda and Nymphadora.

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