Hogwarts: The Dark Prodigy

Dante, or William Dante Rosier, knew he had to make all the preparations for Hogwarts. But he had no idea how to go about it. He accepted Dumbledore's offer and decided to go with him to Diagon Alley.

Even though Dumbledore knew that Vippy could take Dante to Diagon Alley, something told him that Dante was special. That's why he helped him.

But traveling in the wizarding world was not as easy as it was in the muggle world. To materialize - the word filled Dante with excitement and curiosity, but also with some trepidation.

Dumbledore drew his wand and lifted the wide sleeves of his robes. "Are you ready, William?"

Dante took a deep breath. "I think so..."

The professor held out his hand. "Then hold on tight. The materialization can be a little jarring for first-timers."

Dante took Dumbledore's hand and suddenly the world turned.

Everything swirled around him. For a moment it was as if he was nowhere. His chest tightened, as if he couldn't get enough air into his lungs. There was a sudden pressure in his stomach, as if his internal organs were shifting... Then, bam!

As soon as his feet hit the ground, he staggered. The world was still spinning slightly. He felt nauseous.

Dumbledore tilted his head to one side and spoke calmly. "Usually wizards vomit when they first materialize. It is perfectly normal."

Dante took a deep breath and tried to suppress the discomfort in his stomach. "I... I'm fine."

"You handled it well," Dumbledore said with a wink.

Dante gasped as he looked up and around.

He was in Diagon Alley for the first time.

The street was teeming with magic.

Dante's head was still spinning. The queasiness in his stomach hadn't completely gone away after the materialization, but he had managed to pull himself together. He took a deep breath and tried to keep his footing. It was as if his body had been left behind, but his mind had caught up with him with some delay. Gently touching Dumbledore's back, he said, "Usually wizards who materialize for the first time vomit, William. But you have recovered quite well," Dumbledore said, making him forget the nausea for a moment.

But there was something else that distracted him now: Diagon Alley.

Dante had never seen a place like it. It was like being in a Victorian painting, moving with magic. The sidewalks were paved with cobblestones, the irregular rows of buildings almost leaned against each other. Everywhere there was some manifestation of magic: wizards on broomsticks, dresses that changed shape by themselves, wads of paper flying through the air... Shop windows glowed with bright colors, some of them winking at Dante to keep the wizards shopping. The street was full of witches, wizards, Hogwarts students, and strange creatures. People went from shop to shop with spell books and wands, haggling loudly.

A group of young witches stood in front of one shop, examining a magic cauldron. From time to time, the cauldron shook slightly and golden sparks flew from it. As he passed another shop, Dante saw a tiny, bright blue bird dancing in a giant cage. The bird made a singing sound and its tail shot out sparkling lights like stars. It was all more magical than Dante had ever imagined.

Dumbledore smiled slightly, as if he noticed Dante looking around in awe. "This is the heart of the wizarding world, William. But first we need to make a quick stop before we do our shopping."

Dante asked, still looking around. "Where?"

The professor stretched his hand slightly forward. Dante turned his eyes to where he was pointing and saw the massive white marble building. Gringotts Wizard Bank.

The bank was a huge structure. The imposing white pillars reached to the entrance of the building. Armored goblins stood at the entrance, watching those who entered. With long fingers and sharp glances, they looked each wizard up and down, exchanging short but sharp words with each other. As he climbed the stairs, Dante marveled at the magnificence of the building. The doors were huge and ornamented with gold details. Once inside, Dante was struck by the high ceiling, the large chandeliers, and the marble columns. It was as if the whole bank was standing, not by magic, but by centuries of mystery.

The lobby of the bank was quite large. Inside, goblins sat at long tables, busy with scrolls and piles of gold coins. Dante marveled at how fast the goblins' fingers moved. From a large crate in the back, a huge chest was being carried out. The seal on the chest seemed to bear the symbol of an ancient family. The sound of gold clinking, parchment rustling and magical seals glittering was heard.

He and Dumbledore made their way to an old goblin sitting behind a long table. The goblin squinted his small round eyes at Dante and grinned, baring his fangs slightly.

"There you are, Professor Dumbledore. And of course, Mr. Rosier."

Dante blinked in surprise. It felt strange to know his own name like that. It was as if he wasn't a stranger here, but someone long awaited. The goblin's eyes were piercing.

Dumbledore spoke with a slight shake of his head. "Mr. Rosier requests access to his family vault."

The goblin lowered his head and stared at Dante. "We need to verify that you are of the Rosier family."

Dante frowned. "How will you verify that?"

The goblin pulled a small silver dagger from under the table and placed it on the table. Dante saw waves of light reflecting off the surface of the dagger.

"With a blood test," the goblin said. "To gain access to the Rosier family's magical vault, your bloodline must be verified."

Dante looked cautiously at the dagger. Dumbledore wore a calm expression. Noticing the young man's hesitation, the professor said, "Don't worry, William. This is just to confirm your identity," the professor said.

Dante took a deep breath, reached out his hand, and lightly pressed the sharp point of the dagger against his finger. A drop of blood fell onto the surface of the silver blade. At that moment, the dagger trembled and the blood was absorbed, casting a strange light as it spread over the intricate symbols on it.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then the goblin looked down at the parchment in his hand. Words appeared on it:

William Dante Rosier - Rosier family bloodline confirmed.

The goblin looked at Dante and nodded with a satisfied expression. Then he pulled a small, dark iron key from under his desk and handed it to Dante. The key vibrated slightly as he took it in his hand, as if there was something alive in it.

"This is the key to the Rosier family safe," the goblin said. "This key can only be used by you."

Dante nodded and clenched the key in his hand. For the first time, he felt that he was truly holding a family legacy. This small, simple-looking key was the most tangible proof of his connection to his past.

"Please come with me," the goblin said, leaving the table and leading them down a long corridor.

The paths leading down to the lower levels of the bank were full of cavernous passages where vaults were hidden deep within. At the end of the corridor, a small cart was waiting on the tracks. The goblin climbed into the wagon and lifted the lantern in his hand.

Dante turned to Dumbledore and raised his eyebrows. "Shall we get on?"

Dumbledore smiled slightly and nodded. "It's the quickest way to the safest bank in the wizarding world."

As Dante climbed into the carriage behind Dumbledore, he felt a strange thrill. The small carriage sat on narrow metal rails, and the lamps hanging overhead cast a pale light into the cavern. As the goblin pulled hard on a lever beside the rails, the carriage jerked and suddenly began to move downward at great speed.

Dante was thrown backwards by the sudden acceleration of the carriage and grabbed the sides. His eyes widened. "Isn't this a bit fast?" he shouted, his voice echoing through the tunnels.

Dumbledore smiled slightly as the wind caressed his face. "Getting to the vaults of Gringotts is no easy task, William. The deeper we go, the safer we are. That's why the vaults are hidden miles underground. Very few wizards have ever been found here."

The cart turned and plunged into the tunnels. As it circled them, Dante noticed the gleaming stone walls, the tiny blue crystals glittering inside. Some of the tunnels were wider than others, others were quite narrow and seemed about to collapse as he passed through. Dante's stomach churned again as the wagon made sharp turns, sparks flying from the rails.

Then, suddenly, a chill filled the tunnel. Dante folded his arms, feeling a slight chill. "Where did this chill come from?"

Dumbledore ran a hand through his beard and nodded thoughtfully. "I think we're close. The deepest corridors of Gringotts contain the oldest vaults. But they are not only protected by labyrinthine tunnels..."

Dante frowned. "What do you mean?"

Dumbledore gestured forward. "Look and see, William."

Suddenly, the carriage opened into a large clearing. Dante held his breath. In front of them, at the center of a huge stone platform, stood a huge dragon in chains.

The dragon's scales were pale white, as if it had lived in these subterranean depths for thousands of years. Its eyes were narrowed, but occasionally glowed red. A faint puff of smoke came from its nose, and its deep breaths made the air in the tunnel tremble. The long, sharp teeth in its mouth shone bone-white, and its large claws scraped the ground, leaving deep marks in the stone floor.

Dante swallowed in fear. "What... what is it doing here?"

Dumbledore replied calmly. "It guards the oldest vaults in Gringotts. Not many wizards have gotten past it, William. Dragons are one of the strongest protectors of this bank. Especially this one, the Ukrainian Ironblood."

Dante looked at the dragon again. Some of the chains on the beast glowed with magic, obviously some kind of protective spell. Still, its very presence was intimidating. "What if it sees us?" he asked softly.

Dumbledore smiled. "He already has. But don't worry. There are some spells that will calm him down... and of course we are authorized to use them in this way."

The goblin took a small, glowing bell from his pocket and rang it softly three times. The dragon raised its head and grunted for a moment, then sank back down.

Dante took a deep breath. "Then... can we pass?"

The goblin nodded and the wagon moved again. As it passed under the massive body of the dragon, Dante almost held his breath. It was frightening just to see its huge, scaly chest rise and fall. When they passed, Dante breathed a sigh of relief.

The wagon traveled through more winding tunnels for a while, finally reaching an area surrounded by large, black iron gates. When they stopped, the goblin jumped out of the wagon and held up a key.

"This is the Rosier family vault," he said, standing in front of the door.

Dante marveled at the splendor of the vault. The door was huge, made of black steel, and the carved patterns on it were intertwined like a labyrinth. Some of the symbols, shining like silver, seemed to have been taken from ancient magical languages. When Dante touched his fingers to the cold metal surface of the door, he felt a slight vibration.

The goblin slipped the key into the slot and turned it, and the door opened slowly with a deep rumble. From inside came the faint clink of gold.

Dante blinked and stepped inside, speechless at what he saw.

A fortune lay in the vault.

There were piles of gold, coins, silver goblets, and ornate jewelry everywhere. A huge chest sat on top of a small hill, even the nails seemed to be made of pure gold. Ancient scrolls and old books were stacked on top of some of the piles of gold. In one corner, unknown potions glittered in crystal bottles.

Shelves lining the walls held ancient swords, magic rings, and perhaps items the Rosier family had kept for generations. On a table, a sphere glowing with a pale blue light caught Dante's attention. Inside the sphere were swirling, hazy images.

Dante watched in silence for a while. "Is this... my family's vault?" he asked in a whisper.

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes. The Rosier family is a long and powerful line in the wizarding world. What is stored here is not just gold, but history."

Dante slowly picked up one of the coins and held it up to the light. "All these years, I didn't know much about my family," he said. "But now... I feel I am following in their footsteps."

Alice looked at him for a moment, then rested her head gently on his shoulder. The tension in her eased as Tom's warmth reached her.

The forest was still quiet. It was getting close to morning, but that strange period of time still lingered. Alice closed her eyes and took Tom's hand. "You know, maybe you're right. But I still want to make sense of it in my own way."

Tom gently stroked Alice's head. "And I'm going to let you do it."

Alice smiled, her anger giving way to peace. "You can't always fool me like that."

Tom smiled slightly. "You say you love me, but you're still so open to being fooled."

Alice laughed and they walked on. The sky was slowly turning orange now, the morning was about to come with its full weight. Maybe this walk had been more meaningful than she had thought.