Chapter 24: St Mungo's
A/N: Pat-reon: HelloDarkness07
Two chapters today! This is the first one!
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With a soft crack of displaced air, I appear in an alleyway out of a small hole in space, and look around to see if anyone saw me, as I start walking forward. But it's unlikely; muggles are prone to ignore Magic even when they're staring right at it.
It was a small side effect of the Statute of Secrecy, although not a direct or purposeful one. Muggles could still see magical things, it wasn't anything like the Mist from Percy Jackson. It was a psychological effect.
Having spent centuries thinking that Magic is a myth, something to tell stories about, muggles now find it almost impossible to even think otherwise. They find an explanation for themselves, for whatever magic they see, and most of the time, the explanation is completely mundane!
Of course, someone can still find it odd when someone appears out of nowhere, or if you do something completely magical out in the open. They tend to ignore it, but they don't always do that. And, something like Apparition is more likely to catch someone's eyes, than a glowing light. Still, I cast a Notice-me-not charm around myself, as a precaution.
Apparition. It was an amazing art, and now I finally have my license for it. You're at one spot, enter a very small wormhole of your own creation, and exit out of another wormhole at your destination. That's rad, even if I think portals are a bit more convenient, but that argument is not that important. The broken down department store in front of me, is.
Purge and Dowse, Ltd, says the name board hanging overhead. It looks completely normal, if completely abandoned. The glass windows were broken in, and dust and broken dummies covered the ground. There was another banner outside, on the windows and the door, that said, 'Closed for Refurbishment' so that Muggles don't pay too close attention to it.
Or at least, that's what you'd see from the outside.
Ignoring the door, I walk towards the window that held a frankly ugly model dummy, as I was instructed, and approach it to touch the window. The window feels solid to me, so I turn towards the dummy, and whisper, "I have a meeting with the Head Healer."
Almost imperceptible, the dummy nods and the window gives in, becoming intangible, my hand passing through it. Looking back, to see if anyone saw through the notice-me-not charm, I walk through the intangible window, and come out somewhere else.
St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries is the main Wizarding Hospital within Wizarding UK.
There were smaller hospitals in Wizarding villages, but they were either Private, or for small time treatments. St Mungo's was Government funded, and had cures, or treatments, for almost any malady.
I was currently in a reception room, from the looks of it. There were about 30 wizards and witches here, most of them looking normal. A few had abnormalities growing out of their bodies, and one even had a chair leg for a hand. How that happened, only he knows.
A few were serious patients, one who was coughing, with visible large boils on his face, Dragon Pox, and another with blood flowing down from the head. They had a healer or two near them, to keep them stable before anything more could happen.
Ignoring them all, I approach the Reception desk, and smile at the blonde, plump woman sitting there. She looks entirely calm, even with all the excitement happening in the room.
Looking at me, utterly bored, she asks, "Name and purpose?"
Well, you could have at least used the full sentence.
I answer, "Mason Aves. I have a meeting with the Head Healer. I got a letter informing me of an appointment."
And I hand her the letter to allow her to conform, when she asks for it.
She looks it over, places it back in front of me, and then begins looking over a book. The finger going down the page clues me in on what she's doing.
As I wait patiently, she pauses her finger, and says, "Ah, yes. Mr Aves. You do have a meeting with Healer Potter. Take those stairs, and go to the 3rd Floor. Her office will be right in front of you. I'll inform her of your arrival."
Taking the appointment letter, I place it back inside my coat, and nod at her. Smiling, I say, "Thank you for your help, Miss. Good day."
"Have a good day!" The lady calls back, as I start walking towards the stairs.
The place looked alright, about what you'd expect from a hospital. It wasn't too fancy, and nothing too magical was apparent visible, if you ignore the patients and the Magical portraits.
The stairs were bland, with nothing magical about them either.
Soon, I reach the 3rd floor, and walk towards the office of Healer Potter. Huh, I wonder if she's a relative of Harry Potter, or a would-be-relative. I don't remember reading about anyone in his family being a healer, but JK did skip a lot of important stuff.
Mainly family trees.
I just know that the Head Healer's name is Head Healer Potter, and that she's a woman. Other than that, I wasn't told anything. Not by the receptionist, not by the appointment letter, and neither by Professor Slughorn, who informed me about the specifics of the Apprenticeship. I don't even know who I'm going to apprentice under!
Before I can knock on the door, that says Head Healer Potter, the door opens, and I am allowed to look inside. There was a table, with the expected files and folders stacked neatly, and a woman seated behind it.
The woman looked to be in her 60s, and had a few patches of grey hair to show it, and had brown eyes. She was wearing the typical Lime Green Healer's robes, and had a top hat that reminds me of muggle nurses.
As I take my first step inside, the woman gets up, and says, "Mason Aves, I presume?"
"Yes, I am. Master Potter?" I ask, just to make sure.
The woman nods, holds her hands together in front of her, on the table, and says, "That's yet to be decided. I agreed to meet with you because I owed Horace a favour. I have not yet decided to accept you as an Apprentice Healer."
"Of course, ma'am." I say, nodding at that statement. I already knew that.
Nodding at me, Madam Potter tilts her head towards the empty chair, and says, "Come in, sit. I don't have all day."
Nodding graciously, I sit down on the chair, and keep my document file on the table. She starts writing on a form in front of herself, and asks, "Have you gotten your NEWT results yet?"
Nodding, I offer her my file, and say, "Yes ma'am. It's right there, behind the OWL marklist." She takes the file, keeping the form she was working on to the side. It was a patient discharge form, I notice.
"What did you think of the NEWTs? And the OWLs? It can't have been easy, giving them two years early." Healer Potter says, as she leafs through my file.
I say, "It wasn't difficult, Ma'am. I've been studying ahead since day one at Hogwarts, and I could have sat my OWLs in third year itself. The NEWTs were a bit more difficult, but I did wonderfully, if I do say so myself."
Honestly speaking, the only part of NEWTs I had trouble with, was deciding which subjects to drop.
"O's all around? You topped the class?" Healer Potter asks, looking up with a raised eyebrow.
Why is she asking me this? Shouldn't she already know?
I shake my head with a smile, and say, "No, ma'am. A girl from Slytherin, Thena Avery, was the one who topped the year. I came third, likely because I did not take as many subjects as the first two."
Meh, not like coming in first had any advantage out in the real world. The only reason Avery might go far, is because she has the family name to back her up, just like me, somewhat.
She keeps the file down, closing it, and stares at me for a few seconds. I nervously look around, interviews still having a bad effect on myself, and blink as she asks, "Why do you want to be a Healer, Mr Aves? As good as your NEWTs are, you could get any job in the Ministry. I expect you'll be the Minister within three decades at most, if you go that route. You also have the family name to keep the Purebloods happy."
Nodding, I answer, "Yes, while that is true, I'm not interested in being a pencil pusher. I like to keep myself busy, and being a Ministry worker will just keep my hands busy, and nothing else. Besides, my mother was a nurse during the last muggle war, and that is what pushed me on this path. Originally, before I knew I was a wizard, I was going to become a Doctor, and had even began reading pre-med books. But, being a Healer gives me more range of people to take care of."
"Why not an Auror then? You can help people by catching Dark Wizards. Or maybe helping out with the Grindelwald issue. He's causing trouble in Germany, last I heard." Healer Potter asks, raising an eyebrow and staring at me.
I blink, again, understanding what she's doing. She's judging my character, and I'm ashamed to admit it took me this long to figure it out.
Snorting, I look a bit insulted, and say, "I'll be honest, Ma'am. Our ministry is corrupt, we all know that. Aurors are obligated to follow orders of the Corrupt politicians while Healers are not. As an Auror, I could be ordered to prioritize saving one person ahead of the other, which I do not like. And I am still going to help out in the upcoming war with Grindelwald. But until then, I'll practice my healing as much as I can." I answer honestly, but clearly.
I see a minute twitch in her lips, but it wasn't enough to clue me as to what her feelings were. And I'm not going to use my Telepathy on her. She's going to be my boss, hopefully!
She taps her fingers on the table, making me glance at her bright green nailpolish, and says, "Hmm.. Horace mentioned that you wanted to take a break after your apprenticeship is over. Why is that?"
Scratching my head, since this was a bit of an issue, I answer, "Um.. I wanted to study muggle healing if possible. I think being a Doctor will help me with my Healing capabilities."
It was an issue, because I'd literally be abandoning my post right after completing my apprenticeship. For a minimum of 5 years. That has a chance of becoming a deal breaker.
"Good. You've thought it out then. Very well. I'll accept you as an Apprentice Healer. You'll get three chances. Three mess ups, and I'll forgive them, depending on the severity. But a fourth one, and you will be kicked out, with a permanent ban on using Healing Magics, even on yourself." Healer Potter says, bringing up another piece of parchment, and starts filling it up.
Smiling wide, I say, "Ma'am, I'll be sure to not waste even a single chance."
"See that you do." Healer Potter says, without looking up. She then points her quill at the corner of the table, and says, "There's an ID with your name on it. You'll show up in my office at 7 AM, everyday, from the next Monday. Use these days to buy, and read these books. You'll get them at Flourish and Blotts, but you'll have to show them this ID to get the books. Any questions?"
As I take the offered parchment, with the list of books, and the ID, which does have my name on it, I shake my head and get up. I say, "Thank you for this opportunity, Healer Potter. I won't let you down."
"We'll see. And call me Master Potter from now on, you will be learning directly under me, after all." Healer Potter, now Master Potter, says with a smile on her face.
I smile wide, wondering if this is some stroke of luck that I'll have to pay for later with bad luck. Apprentice under the Head Healer? Damn, I'm lucky!
"Remember. If I'm not satisfied with the zeal I see within you, you will be removed as an Apprentice. So, don't disappoint me." Master Potter says, making me smile.
I say, "Don't worry, Master Potter. I'll be at my best." And I will, for sure.
Finally, something shiny catches my eye, as I see a nameplate, hidden behind the files that she disturbed, making it visible again.
'Head Healer Euphemia Potter.'
Well, I guess I am lucky. My Master is Harry Potter's grandmother. Is it good luck, or bad, though?
We'll see.
For now, I'll have to make sure to get my muggle certificates in order, and start reading Pre-med once again.
Don't want to let Master Potter down.
-
A few days later, I walk towards Gringotts, with a small skip in my step. I had finally received it, the Emancipation Certificate, from the Ministry.
The Bureaucracy processing speed of the Ministry honestly baffles me sometimes, like now. I got my Apparition license 4 entire weeks before receiving the Emancipation Certificate. I literally had the Apparition license in my hand before I was even declared a legal adult.
Approaching the Goblin manning the Inheritance station, I wait in front of the Goblin to be acknowledged.
A few minutes of waiting later, it's my turn, and the Goblin asks, "What can Gringotts help you with?"
"I would like to take a Bloodline test, and claim any vaults I am entitled to." I say, looking straight into his eyes.
The Goblin stares at me for a few seconds, and asks, "Name?"
I answer, "Mason Lucas Aves."
The Goblin, who's name is apparently Girnar, says, "Snaphook will take you to Grungir's office. You can have your test done there itself. Be aware that you cannot claim any vaults that you aren't the undisputed heir of."
Nodding, I follow after Snaphook, realising that he was the one that brought me to Grungir the first time. Heh, what a coincidence.
"Mr Aves. I wasn't expecting to do this so soon. Aren't you just 16 years old? You still have a year before you can claim your vaults." Grungir says, as soon as I walk inside.
"You know me, I don't do things on time. I do things early." I joke, sitting down in front of Grungir.
He and I, we're not friends, not even close. But he has gotten a bit less.. stiff, while in my presence.
Handing him the Emancipation Certificate, I say, "Jokes aside, the Ministry of Magic just declared me a legal adult. Now, I know that Goblin's don't exactly follow Ministry law, but I think 20 Galleons should change that, right?"
"25. I need to explain to my superiors, why I allowed a child to claim his Family Vault a year early." Grungir counters, showing his teeth.
I shrug, and count out 25 Galleons from the pouch on my hip. G25 is not that much of a loss for me.
Grungir keeps the money in a drawer, and hands me a parchment along with a parchment. He says, "Seven drops, please. And just so you know, the Emancipation Certificate holds true in the Bank. So, thank you for the generous donation."
As he gets up and walks towards a locked cupboard in the back, I say, "You're welcome. And at least this way I won't face any troubles while claiming my Vaults."
Already knowing the procedure, I cut my thumb, and drop 7 drops of blood on the parchment. Meanwhile, Grungir closes the cupboard and approaches his chair once again.
Keeping a small box on the table, he says, "We already know you're the sole heir of the Aves Account, which the Bloodline test will show. Now, lets see if you'll get any more Vaults that you're dreaming of."
I curiously look at the box. It was about a foot long, and half a foot wide. The box was probably wooden, but it was covered in a smooth Acromantula Silk, so I couldn't tell for sure.
Taking the parchment from me, Grungir puts his pointy finger on it, and says, "Reveal!" in the Goblin Tongue.
I could understand it, thanks to my Mutation, and I could read it too. But, my throat just wasn't meant for speaking it, so I didn't even try to do it in front of a Goblin. It contains a lot of growly, throat sounds, along with more than a few snarls, and I would mess up within the first 5 words itself. Every time.
Just like last time, my name is written at the bottom, and my parents' names get written atop mine, followed by my grandparents. But then, the list keeps on going up my family tree. On and on, the names go, one generation to the previous, and I see a few surprising names up there.
Dilys Derwent, a previous Headmistress of Hogwarts, and a Head Healer of St Mungo's was one, while Josephine Claude/Flamel, was another. Josephine Claude was a Potioneer from the 12th Century, who had married out of the Flamel Family, and into the Claude one. It was an extinct Family now, the last daughter marrying into the Aves family itself.
Heh, I didn't know I was a descendant of Nicholas Flamel's great aunt. Welp, judging by the intermarrying that is prevalent here, in the Wizarding world, most of the Wizards in France are probably descended from the Flamel couple themselves, which I'm not.
The names finally stop in the 11th Century, when the building of Gringotts had first began. Gringotts, as a Bank, was only established in the year 1474, but people would still hire them to protect their property in underground Vaults, that still stood to this day.
Of the hundreds of names written there, I see that a few surnames were written in Green ink, some in Red, and some in Black. The names, meanwhile, were all in Black, which I know means they're all dead. Other than Morfin Gaunt, of course. This bastard is the only one of my ancestors still alive. Not for long though, if I have my way.
I ask, "What do those colours represent?"
Grungir keeps looking at the parchment, and says, "Green indicates the Account is active, Red indicates the Account is deactivated, but still intact, and Black indicates the Accounts have either been sold off in an auction, or claimed by either the Ministry or the Bank."
"Do they do it often? Claiming vaults?" I ask, leaning forward to see which Vaults are still active, since those are probably not available to me.
Grungir hands me the parchment to look at, and says, "Not that often. Whenever we manage to unlock an abandoned Vault, we put up a notice. If the Vault belonged to someone famous, we hold an auction. If the Vault belonged to a Criminal, we take all the Money, and our Silver, and give the rest to the Ministry. Anyone else? Those Vaults are all claimed by Gringotts. Alas, most of the Old Vaults, those that were here before Gringotts was a recognised Magical Bank, have not been unlocked yet. They are protected too well for us to claim as ours, even after the many tries from our Curse Breakers. Those are also denoted by Red, as you'll see."
Well, so this is probably why not many Heirs of the old houses are around, despite most people being descendants of them. Goblins didn't manage to unlock them yet. Quickly, I browse all the Red surnames here, and see just a few. Slytherin was the most famous of them, along with Peverell, surprisingly.
Heh, obviously, just like half the population of this World, I'm also descended from all four founders. This was expected, since the Founders were so far into the past. Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff were all in black, telling me that the accounts have already been closed. Or they didn't exist in the first place.
Slytherin, however, was in Red, and so was Peverell. So, the Account still exists, and I can claim them. I am a bit upset about the lack of a Ravenclaw account, but Rowena already gave me a Library that has literally infinite knowledge. I think it's a fair trade off.
"Say, Grungir? Slytherin and Peverell are still Red? Does that mean I can claim them if I'm eligible?" I ask, keeping the parchment down.
Grungir snorts, and says, "The Peverell Vault has been closed for 400 years, and none of our Curse Breakers managed to open it. Even a few of their other descendants tried it, but nothing worked till now, so I suggest against it. As for Slytherin, the Gaunts have already tried opening the Slytherin Vaults, Mr Aves. It didn't open for them, so I doubt it will open for you."
"Humour me, if I try, and if I open the Slytherin Vault, will I be entitled to all within it?" I ask, dismissing the Peverell Vault for now.
It seems like the Peverell Vault is literally closed off, if even the Potters failed to open it. As for Slytherin, I'd still like to try. Hopefully, the Vault has more knowledge about Salazar's time shenanigans. Some more Ritual knowledge will also be appreciated.
Grungir blinks, twice, and says, "Well, unless you want to pay the Vault fees for the last 400 years, with interest, Gringotts will claim all moneys from the Vault, along with anything Goblin made, and the rest will be transferred to the Aves Vault. Speaking of the Aves Account, here."
Grungir slides the box from before towards me, as I ponder over the Slytherin Vault. Not even a second later, I decide. Yup, I'm going to try and open it.
I take the box, and try to open it. It doesn't budge, but it glows a bronze colour for a second. After which, there's a click sound, and the box opens automatically.
Inside the box, which is also decorated by expensive blue silk, are two items. One is a key, Golden in colour, while the other is a small ring box. I take the key first, and put it in my pouch.
I open the Ring Box, to find a silver banded ring, with a blue sapphire adorning it. On the inside of the ring, written in latin, were the words, "Sapientiam Super Omnes."
Wisdom above all.
A Signet Ring. Well, not like I'll go around calling myself a Lord now, but the Ring does show my status as a Head of House. If anyone recognises it, that is.
"Do you still want to try to open the Slytherin Vault? Or shall I have someone take you to the Aves Vault?" Grungir asks, bringing me back to the bank.
Smiling, I say, "I'll try it, if only to satisfy my curiosity."
Grungir stands up, and starts walking towards the door, surprising me. He asks, "Shall we then?"
I ask, "You're coming? Isn't this.. I don't know.. below your station?"
Grungir scoffs, and says, "Like I'll miss a chance to see a Wizard fail. The reaction is always quite amusing, from what I've heard."
Hm.. I don't know if I like him now.
Shaking my head, I walk after him, towards the Caverns that house the Vaults. I say, "Can we stop at the Aves Vault first?"
"It isn't my job to show you everywhere, Mr Aves. We'll deal with the Slytherin Vault first, and then, I can have a Runner take you to the Aves Vault." Grungir says, not even slowing down in his walk.
I accept that, since time is money. I'm just thankful I still have a couple days before I am to join St Mungo's.
Soon, we take the cart, deeper than I've ever been before, and stop in front of a dark cavern. Grungir stops, and takes the lantern, while I follow after him with another Lantern in hand. It is forbidden for Wizards to use Magic in Gringotts, or I would have summoned my Lumos orbs. But it wasn't that dark, I could see in front of me, but the Lanterns just helped us not be too blind.
He starts leading me inside the cave, with us being able to see just a few dozen feet in the front. After a minute or two of walking, we stop in front of a metal door, that has a Snake carved into it.
Not just any snake, it was the Basilisk. The Basilisk had eyes made of emeralds, and it was staring right at me. I take a step to the left, and see it turn it's head to look at me again.
Curious.
"Well? I haven't gotten all day, you know?" Grungir says, startling me. Damn, I'd forgotten he was still here.
Taking a step forward, I say, ~~Open.~~
Nothing happens, the snake just keeps staring at me.
"I didn't know you were a Parselmouth, but it isn't surprising, knowing your father's family like I do." Grungir voices, from the back.
I mumble, loud enough for him to hear, "I don't advertise it, since I don't actually want the bastards to find out yet."
Then, I hiss out, ~~Speak to me Slytherin, Greatest of the Hogwarts Four!~~
Nothing.
~~I am a Descendant of Salazar Slytherin!~~
Nothing. Welp, worth a try.
"So.. that's three tries. I don't know what you said, but I'm guessing it didn't work. Are you done?" Grungir asks, making me turn back.
He was sitting on a rock, with his head resting on his palms.
I say, "Just a few more. I promise I won't take more than a minute of your time" And turn towards the snake again.
Taking a deep breath, I say, ~~Let me in, you cunt!~~
As I'd expected, nothing happens that could indicate the door opening. However, something does happen. The Basilisk carving glows it's eye green, and I hear, ~~You have been to hissss roomsss?~~
I literally jump, since I didn't expect the snake to actually be able to speak. Putting my hand on my chest, I say, ~~Yes, I have. Can you tell me how I can open this door?~~
~~Ssss…~~ the Basilisk hisses, sounding happy. He then says, ~~Only one of Master's blood can open this door, and only if you've been to his Chamber.~~
Well, I actually didn't expect him to give me a clue. And what a helpful clue it is. Blood, and password. And the Gaunts would have never guessed 'Let me in, you cunt' to be the password. Someone who already knows about the Room is sure to try that password, which makes it extra secure.
Putting my hand in my pocket, I take out my Rune Carving scalpel, and press it to the palm of my left hand. Placing the bleeding palm on the head of the snake, I say, ~~Let me in, you cunt!~~
The emerald eyes flash with a bright light once again, and this time, I hear a grinding sound.
"What?! How?! I know the Gaunts tried bleeding on it, and it didn't work!" Grungir yells in shock, his voice echoing.
Ow. I rub my ear, after casting a simple healing spell on my palm, and say, "That's a secret Grungir. Can't tell you everything now, can I?"
Grungir stares at me, wide eyed, as the door finally opens completely, and looking inside, he says, "I… need to inform some people. You, wait here."
As he starts running towards the cart, I ask, "Can I go inside? It does belong to me , you know."
Grungir just waves his hand, without even turning around, and says, "Have at it." Before he disappears from my sight.
Looking towards the dimly lit Vault, that once belonged to Salazar Slytherin and his descendants, I walk in, the Lantern left outside. As soon as I take my first step inside, the Vault lights up, as a chandelier makes itself known above me.
This Vault was left alone for 500 years, when the entire Slytherin family passed away in a hunting accident. They were kissed by Dementors, that mysteriously showed up. I'm suspecting, as it was also suspected then, that the Gaunts had them killed, but they didn't know about the dual password, and hence, they stayed poor. Alas, they weren't punished, since the Wizard's Council didn't care much.
The Vault was big, about as big as the Great Hall of Hogwarts, and it was divided in different sections. To my left, was the armory, with a few weapons, armours, shields, and various items kept on shelves. The armours were kept assembled beside the shelves, like the empty armours at Hogwarts.
Next to the armory, was the Money section, with piles and piles of the Gold and silver coins, and a single small stack of bronze knutts.
Right beside that, was a small shelf with gemstones and precious metals kept. I could see Gold, Goblin's Silver, Silver, and a few more metals that I don't recognise. The most beautiful of the stuff there, however, has to be a single jar.
The jar had sand inside of it, but it wasn't normal sand. The sand looked like powdered Gold, but there were specks of green mixed in between. I had no idea it still existed outside of the Department of Mysteries!
The Sands of Time! Fuck! The Slytherins were smart, not to let anyone know about this. This.. is beautiful!
Hearing the sounds of footsteps, I immediately pick the jar, and place it in my mokeskin pouch, the pouch expanding to accomodate it, before shrinking back down.
This.. is better left hidden. I'll keep it in the Vault again, but later. Now, I'll have to talk with the Goblins of Gringotts. I glance at the Library, which was at the right of the Vault, and the wardrobe, in the middle, and ignoring them for now, I start walking outside.
"Mr Aves." An old-ish Goblin says, walking towards me with guards surrounding him on three sides, and Grungir standing behind him. Offering his hand, he says, "I'm Uthgard, the current Director of Gringotts. Let's talk business, shall we?"
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A/N: In the original, I had him claim the Ravenclaw vault too, but it just doesn't make sense. Rowena died in 11th century, at most, and her daughter Morgan, didn't go by the Ravenclaw name. It was also too much to have him claim 3 whole vaults, that literally no one claimed before? Yeah, not likely.
So, I came up with this. Slytherin Vault and Peverell Vault are still active, but the Goblins couldn't open them to claim them for themselves. Their descendants didn't know how to open the Vaults either, due to reasons.
Mason will only have the Aves and Slytherin vaults for now, the Peverell Vault might or might not make an appearance.
Tata!
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