Chapter 7: [The Locket]

'wow, that was fun!'

I hopped out of the cart as we arrived in front of a vault, the trip was short but zooming in a cart at breakneck speeds is always fun. I looked back and a goblin holding grandma's portrait walked out.

Ironheart walked forward and placed his palm on the vault door that had flowery vein pattern covering it. He then inserted a key into the door as they swung open. I marvelled as huge mounds of gold glittered from the vault.

"Alright, Alex let's go!" Grandma said as I stepped into the room. Along with the gold, there was a shelf upon which various different artefacts were placed, a dresser filled with robes and Jewellery, and a collection of old wands.

Excitedly I whispered Inspect, again and again, trying to figure out if there was a wand with better compatibility with me. The results were disappointing except for one wand that had a compatibility of 76%.

'Should I take it?'

"Alex, come on now try these wands if one of them matches you it would certainly reduce our troubles," Grandma said so I shrugged and picked up the wand with the highest compatibility.

[Alex Fawley's wand (Compatibility 76%)]

[Strong-Short Spell Casting, Transfiguration]

[Weak- Dark arts]

'huh, that certainly fills up some holes-'

Bright red and green sparks flew out of my wand as a smile blossomed on Grandma's face, "Congratulations, you can now practise underage magic, as long as you perform it away from your original wand."

'huh- that would make studying things a lot easier.'

"Now on the shelf, there should be a small trunk shaped locket, find it!" I nodded obediently and started looking through all the weird stuff on the shelf, there was a ball that lit blue as I touched it, some vials that had silvery wisps floating around, there were dried carcasses of various snakes which I avoided before I found a locket, it's chain looked like two very small and petite snakes intervened and at the head, both of them were trying to bite a trunk shaped box.

'which one of my Slytherin ancestors had this idea-'

I chuckled and took the necklace before bringing it to grandma, she took one look at it and her eyes hid a strange excitement, "Good it is here thank merlin," she whispered before saying, "Put it around your neck and place a drop of your blood on it."

'okay, why do I feel like this locket is very important and I am about to feel a lot of pain very soon?'

I placed the locket around my neck and pressed my thumb on the box, I felt a sharp prick and then the locket started glowing with runes for a moment and then vanished. I reflexively clutched at it to stop it when my fingers closed around a familiar box.

'It turned invisible?'

*Ding*

[Equipped a Legendary Item]

[+10 to ???]

[+15 to Wand Magic]

"What is this locket grandma?" I turn to her after making sure the locket was still there.

"It is a Fawley family heirloom passes down from father to son, it is covered in various runes and is presented to the heir apparent to reinforce their occlumency shields-" at my confused look she elaborated, "Occlumency is a branch of mind magic that stops people from looking in your thoughts and to better compartmentalize your memories, which gives increased memory recall and calmed emotions. Someone can use Legilimency to look at your surface thoughts or even break through your mind and look at your memories. We'll get there don't worry, now the trunk-" she indicated to the general area of my neck, "Is detachable and when you touch it with your wand it will expand into a full side trunk."

'mind magic-'

I was a little dazed from her explanation as I realized something, I whispered "Skills"

[Skills:]

[Defense against the Dark Arts: 2/100]

[Dark Arts: 0/100]

[Charms: 2/100]

[Herbology: 1/100]

[Potions: 3/100]

[Transfiguration: 2/100]

[Flying: 45/100]

[Wand Magic: 20*/100]

[Occlumency: 15*/100]

'right, the ring and the locket are boosting my wand magic and occlumency, that is why I suddenly could recall a law that I read 2 years ago...'

"Alex!" I woke up from a daze to look up at grandma giving me a flat look, "Yes sorry I was just, the mind thing-" I just shrugged so she nodded and continued, "- what I was saying is that, that trunk is a specially designed library for the heir about anything and everything that he is required to know. Inside it is a room which contains a select number of books added by the previous Lords to help the heir grow."

I clipped the trunk off and looked around to see if anyone heard anything when I notice the goblin who carried Grandma's portrait isn't here.

'maybe she dismissed him?'

"In the Library, you will find books divided into various segments from beginner to masters level, the first thing that I want you to is when you get home, wait till everyone's asleep, close your door and start reading the book 'Mind Arts: The Hidden Shield' and practice your occlumency to tier 2, that way your secrets will be safe with you, REMEMBER-" she emphasised, "Don't trust anyone, you are our family's last hope, I don't want you to get hurt before you can bloom."

I nodded and clutched the locket, "Okay Grandma" she smiled at me sympathetically before saying, "I know you don't deserve all this honey but you get what I'm saying right?" I gave her another nod and try to smile a little.

"One final thing before we leave, I believe your parents must have put letters for you in case something like this happened, I think you should ask Ironheart about it-"

'...'