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...
Support me to write more and read chapters ahead of all regular readers!
The Patreon will be updated daily, except on Saturdays and Sundays, when I do not write.
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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);
"It's been some time, Lady Augusta," Arcturus remarked, looking at the woman with indifference, his gaze cold and piercing.
Arcturus's body was tense, ready to react to any attack, which he had no doubt would come at any moment, given how emotional the woman in front of him was.
Like any ancestor of the 72 Noble Houses that founded the Wizengamot, House Longbottom descended from a powerful Class Special wizard – Charles Longbottom.
The Innate technique of House Longbottom was called [Alteration of Inanimate Objects]. Fundamentally, the technique consisted of increasing and decreasing the weight and height of inanimate objects. Charles Longbottom's greatest achievement was altering the weight and height of dust particles, essentially creating an extremely destructive meteor shower.
Certainly, apart from Charles, no other member of House Longbottom reached that level, but Arcturus dared not underestimate this woman.
"Not enough time to destroy your cursed family, Arcturus Black," replied the elderly woman, showing no trace of weakness.
When the woman mentioned the name Black, the young man whom Asterion presumed to be Neville clenched his fists, his face turned pale, anger palpable on his features.
Arcturus seemed to have heard a very amusing joke. "Time? Is that what you count on to destroy my House?" The sarcasm in the old patriarch's tone made the matriarch grit her teeth in anger.
So, Arcturus looked at the young man beside Augusta Longbottom. "Is this your grandson? I've heard about him, certainly a strong lad."
Upon hearing this, whether it was Neville or Augusta, they both displayed a very displeased expression. What Arcturus said could be considered a compliment on any other occasion or for another person, but for Neville, it was an insult. A very subtle insult if you didn't know about his condition. Something that the person in front of him would surely know, yet still, he insulted him.
Arcturus wasn't a man to make enemies everywhere; he would never stoop to insulting a young man. But when he was facing an enemy, like House Longbottom, it was a different matter. He wouldn't show mercy to his enemies.
Especially towards Augusta Longbottom, who voted in favor of the execution of his great-niece, Bellatrix Lestrange, born Black.
Did she have reasons to vote in favor? Yes, she did. After all, Bellatrix and her husband, Rodolphus Lestrange, tortured her son and daughter-in-law, Frank and Alice Longbottom, using the Cruciatus Curse (Crucio).
But did Arcturus care? The answer was, no. Augusta had reasons to kill, he had reasons to protect. Regardless of what Bellatrix had done, he would protect her as he protected her.
"At least, my grandson doesn't look like a delicate girl," Augusta retorted, looking at Asterion beside Narcissa, her voice cold and sarcastic. Though she didn't know who he was, she presumed he was his grandson upon seeing the boy's cursed red eyes.
Asterion, who had been observing the exchange of insults with joy, was stunned by the sudden insult directed at him, if you consider her words an insult at all. Yes, he admits he has refined, even delicate facial features, but Asterion didn't dislike it; in fact, he quite liked his appearance. It made anyone easily lower their guard against him.
As his great-grandson, Arcturus showed no anger, even letting out a low laugh. "Well, Asterion certainly won't have any trouble finding a marriage."
Arcturus's words seemed normal, but beyond praising his great-grandson, they cruelly attacked Neville.
In British wizarding society, those who had wizard parents but lacked magical energy were scorned as Squibs. This was not solely due to the wizards' sense of superiority over Muggles but also a social characteristic of England.
If you were the heir of a Noble House, to inherit your noble seat in the Wizengamot, the Supreme Wizarding Parliament, there were two requirements to fulfill. First, you had to have the lineage in question, and second, you should inherit the Innate Technique or the Simplified Technique of the Noble House in question. Neville fulfilled the first requirement but not the second, as he lacked magical energy.
The Celestial Vow exchanged all his magical energy for superhuman strength and senses, meaning Neville could feel cursed spirits but could not see them.
Neville, for not inheriting the Innate Technique of House Longbottom, also could not inherit the Longbottom throne. Therefore, since Augusta was too old to have another child and Neville could not inherit the Longbottom throne, the main branch of House Longbottom was considered extinct up to this point.
Neville practically became a laughingstock throughout wizarding society, scorned and humiliated on almost every occasion he attended.
As for marriage, no woman from a Noble House would consider Neville as a potential marriage partner. After all, marriages in the nobility were not based on love but rather on political power, something Neville did not possess.
In other words, Neville had to marry a Half-blood or Muggle-born, something that would further lower his status in the purist blood society that was England.
Arcturus was a master at hiding his own emotions, but Augusta certainly was not. The words of the Black patriarch left the Longbottom matriarch full of anger, something that easily transpired on her face.
Arcturus's words cruelly pierced the fragile heart of the ten-year-old boy, causing his nails to pierce his palms, blood dripping between his tightly clenched fingers.
Narcissa, who didn't like Augusta involving Asterion in their disputes, took a book from her bag and made it float with her magical energy until it landed at Neville's feet. "Here, take this book, it will help you in your glorious future."
On the cover of the book was written – [The Basics of Magical Energy Manipulation].
Asterion almost laughed seeing the title of the book. Narcissa was truly cruel, but he liked that side of her very much.
If the fire had already begun to burn between Arcturus and Augusta, Narcissa poured gasoline on the flames, causing the furious fire to explode.
The moment she read the title of the book, Augusta's magical energy violently erupted from her body, like dark blue smoke burning like furious flames. She drew her wand and pointed it at Narcissa, who remained unmoved by the attack.
Tiny objects from the sleeve of Augusta's blouse aligned themselves above her, appearing to be very small needles. In the next instant, the needles expanded, growing to an incredible twenty meters in length.
The gigantic needles sliced through the air at great speed, heading towards the three members of House Black.
Arcturus merely coldly snorted and also utilized his simplified innate technique. A curtain of darkness unfolded behind him, and a colossal skeletal hand emerged from the darkness, swatting the huge needles aside. Violent winds spread in all directions, causing screams of surprise and fear.
A massive amount of Negative Magical Energy spread throughout Diagon Alley, causing numerous people who had never seen a Semi-Special Grade cursed spirit to feel as if they were facing an evil demon. The malice and terror emanating from the cursed creature made everyone tremble with fear and helplessness.
"Let's play, Augusta, it's been a while since I've seen blood," Arcturus said, emanating an aura shrouded in malice and murderous intent, the air around him feeling so heavy that it was difficult to even breathe.
The people watching the spectacle between Arcturus and Augusta began to retreat, running far away.
The black curtain behind Arcturus expanded rapidly, and the enormous cursed spirit finally emerged from the curtain, revealing its appearance to the world.It was a massive black skeleton hundreds of meters tall.
Its colossal height instilled fear and terror in all who beheld it. It was no wonder—a monster hundreds of meters tall could haunt anyone's nightmares for a long time.
Translate by IA.
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Author's Thoughts: Other people's choices creating enemies for Asterion!
Support me to write more and read chapters ahead of all regular readers!
The Patreon will be updated daily, except on Saturdays and Sundays, when I do not write.
P-atreon.com/HPSCB
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)
Next Chapter: (Chapter 19 - Gringotts (5)), (Chapter 20 - Unrest in England (1), (Chapter 21 - Unrest in England (1), ( (Chapter 22 - Unrest in England (3), (Chapter 23 - Escaping from Azkaban (1), (Chapter 24 - Escaping from Azkaban (2) (Chapter 25 - Wizengamot (1), (Chapter 26 – Wizengamot (2)), (Chapter 27 – Wizengamot(3)).
Patron's: Chris, Justrice Harrison, AlucardoBlood, Renne Bruffett, Straydog, IDaGoat Mypark, Hamza Ahmed, Dishitian, James, Zhenya, Enriv125, Michael, NinjaTiger, Mursel Kenan, Andrea Barbarino, Benjamin Kingunza, NaYati, Austin Pierce, Leopardu Junglei, Anthony Casas Cano, Xerxes33311, Ray Tery, Joseph, Max Brown, Hrisav Dewanjee, Szwagier, Maxime Anne Louise, Ree Iphone, OdiimBR, Alistair Lawrence, JustAGuy, Kheinz, T S, Zephyre, Tobias Sinkewicius, Phokingchin, Kieran p o'connor, Artem Marvik.
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