Chapter 17 - Gringotts (3)

Diagon Alley – the London of the British Wizarding World, a place where all wizards and witches came to buy the necessities of daily life, have fun, or, if you were a student at Hogwarts, purchase your school supplies.

At this moment, in this outdoor shopping area, it felt strangely silent. Only the sounds of footsteps hung in the air as the crowd of people parted, making way.

Asterion, sandwiched between Arcturus and Narcissa, looked around at the people with curiosity. Whenever he looked at them, people automatically averted their gaze, afraid to meet his eyes. He had to admire how much fear his predecessors had instilled in this nation; if Voldemort was considered a demon, the House of Black was considered the very reincarnation of Satan on earth.

Well, it was no wonder, the House of Black produced seven Dark Lords...

Interestingly, he noticed that only those who were apparently Muggle-borns seemed to be more afraid of them, which was completely normal given the infamy that his noble house carried.

For fun, Asterion waved to the crowd, who recoiled in fear, causing his lips to curl into a rather amusing smile.

"I'll enjoy playing with this a few times," the boy murmured, earning a silent reprimanding look from Arcturus.

"Don't be childish, Asterion," Arcturus spoke in a low tone. "They are just poor souls influenced by those in power."

"Still, it doesn't change the fact that they are afraid of a child, which is quite funny when you think about it," Asterion replied, innocently looking at his great-grandfather.

"Sometimes you forget that you're almost a semi-special grade wizard; your presence is quite intimidating, especially with the lovely dog at your heels. Consciously emitting a frightening aura to protect you," the old patriarch whispered, looking coldly at his great-grandson's shadow.

Asterion nodded as he looked around at the various shops, each one more exotic than the last. Some were quite explicit for the current time of day; after all, who goes to a sex shop in the morning? he thought, observing an elderly man entering the adult store.

"By the way, why do we have to go to Gringotts? Wouldn't it be more logical to go to the Ministry?" Asterion asked. In his eyes, matters such as inheritances should be dealt with at the Ministry.

"Because by acknowledging your inheritance at Gringotts, you can formally inherit the Vaults of the House of Black. After the inheritance test is completed, we will send the necessary documents to the Ministry, which will recognize it as legitimate, making you officially the Heir of the House of Black," Narcissa responded in place of Arcturus.

"We give too much power to a race that isn't even human," Asterion grumbled.

"What is the foundation of a civilization, Asterion?" Narcissa took the opportunity to give him another lesson in politics.

"Interests - people gather in a country for their own interests. You wouldn't stay in a country where you can't meet your basic needs, of course, assuming you can leave that country," Asterion replied after thinking for a brief moment.

"Very well, you must remember that our world is not just ours; dozens of other intelligent races walk the face of the earth like us. We share some of our interests to avoid a bigger problem," Narcissa whispered, explaining how the world was a vast network of interests, involving not only the human race but other races as well. "Wars are the least of our problems; the worst ones are social, economic, and political. Once one of the three is broken, our society will face even greater problems, such as the collapse of our economy or the exposure of our existence, spreading fear and further increasing the emergence of Cursed Spirits and their power."

"I understand, we sacrifice some of our rights for the greater good," Asterion muttered to himself, thinking about how complicated the world was when viewed politically. Then, he thought of something, looked at Arcturus, and asked, "I presume my interests are already being discussed?"

"Yes, Narcissa and I are making a meticulous plan for your future in the Ministry of Magic, when you assume the Black throne in the Wizengamot," Arcturus nodded and replied without hiding anything.

Asterion didn't ask and didn't care; the idea of spending his days in an office didn't appeal to him. He preferred to receive a position as an Auror and go on missions outside.

The three walked to Gringotts, a huge white building made of marble, quite majestic. At the entrance of the building, two goblins stood immovably guarding the massive doors. Both goblins had wands in holsters on their arms.

Suddenly, Arcturus's steps halted, and consequently, those of Asterion and Narcissa. Both looked confusedly at the old patriarch. They were about to enter Gringotts, why did they stop?

Looking in the direction Arcturus was gazing, Asterion saw two tall figures. One was an elderly woman with an unattractive hat, but tall and slim. Next to her stood a boy around sixteen years old, tall and muscular, with black hair and blue eyes.

Someone Arcturus knew? Perhaps an old lover?

Asterion thought as he prepared to watch the show.

The expression on the elderly woman's face changed from indifference to coldness, with a faint murderous intent hidden in her gaze, upon seeing Arcturus.

"Matriarch Longbottom," Arcturus greeted the woman politely.

"Lord Black," the woman responded.

Asterion finally understood who the elderly woman was. So, the person beside her was... Neville?

Looking at the tall, muscular boy in front of him, Asterion couldn't believe this was Neville Longbottom.

Huh?

Asterion frowned when he noticed something unusual about Neville. He couldn't sense any emotions from him; it was as if he didn't have any. He was empty and cold.

However, it was then that Asterion realized he could sense people's emotions based on the magical energy they emanated, but from Neville, he couldn't sense anything. This could only mean one thing: Neville had no magical energy.

Celestial Restriction?

So, you're the Toji of this world, Neville Longbottom.

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Author's Thoughts: Neville appears! One of my favorite characters, I bet you didn't expect that. HAHAHAHA! I hope you enjoyed it!

IMPORTANT NOTE: My sister's wedding will be on the 27th of this month, I can get busy, but I will try to post during the week, wish me luck, because I will need it...

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Next Chapter: (Chapter 18 - Gringotts (4)), (Chapter 19 - Gringotts (5), (Chapter 20 - Unrest in England (1), ( (Chapter 21 - Unrest in England (2), (Chapter 22 - Unrest in England (3), (Chapter 23 - Escaping from Azkaban (1) (Chapter 24 - Escaping from Azkaban (2), (Chapter 25 - Wizengamot);