5 Gringotts and meeting the Guardian

It was painful and agonising to regain consciousness: his head ached and dizzy, his eyes blurred from the sunlight. The former Potter was suddenly pleasantly surprised to find himself lying on a soft bed and carefully covered with a blanket. Trying to get up, he suffered a crushing defeat and fell back down with a groan of pain. At that moment the door opened and Toby entered the room, levitating a tray of food behind him. Alex suddenly realised that he hadn't eaten anything since the day of his 'death'. His stomach rumbled, demanding to be nourished.

- Good morning, my lord, how did you sleep? - The housekeeper asked, continuing to levitate the tray of food and clothes to the boy's bed. - The bath is ready. You may clean yourself up. And the keeper said to tell you he wants to talk to you after breakfast.

- Thank you, Toby. You can go, tell the keeper he can come back in half an hour," Alexandros replied as he headed for the bathroom.

Half an hour later, when a freshly washed and fed Alex was about to leave the room to look for the keeper, there was a knock on the door.

- Come in," he said, adjusting his clothes.

The door opened and a tall man entered the room. He had long white hair, also wearing a white hooded cloak. Last time Alex didn't manage to get a good look at him, but now he had the opportunity.

- How are you feeling, my lord? - The guardian asked in a sympathetic manner.

- Not bad, - the boy answered. - Did you want to talk about something? - Alex asked, looking up at the guardian from below.

- Yes," he nodded.

- And about what? - The young lord asked curiously.

- What do you know about the traditions of the purebloods, the laws of magic, and your own kind? - The man asked, taking a few steps forward.

- Very little. I have recently learnt that my entire life has been a lie, a very well planned play. So I wouldn't be surprised if my meagre knowledge of laws and traditions was false as well," the already-not-Harry-Potter replied.

- Oh, that's it," the man arched an eyebrow, ostensibly expressing some surprise. - Well, I don't need to, I already know everything I need to know about you," he added with a slight half-smirk.

- How? - The boy asked stunned.

- The portraits told me," the man explained.

Flashback

Picking up the unconscious boy, the guardian shifted his gaze to the portrait of the founder. The two looked at each other for several minutes.

- Founder, - a small, welcoming bow of the head, as required by decorum.

- Guardian, - an identical half bow of the head in return.

He made the boy comfortable and headed for the head of the family. When he got to the room, the man laid him on the bed and covered him with a blanket. After tucking the young lord in the chambers, the keeper returned to the room with the numerous portraits.

- 'Well, tell me about it,' he said, transfiguring a chair out of thin air in the centre of the room and sitting down on it. Then he listened as the portraits retold the boy's story, their own thoughts and concerns about Dumbledore and Voldemort, and the fact that the new Lord Peverell was from the future.

To say that the guardian was angry is to say nothing. He was furious. Only his incredible mastery of occlumency, his impeccable upbringing, and his strong character helped him keep his temper and strength under control.

- Well, I see. Based on your words, it follows that he knows almost nothing about pureblood wizards, tribal magic and the laws and traditions of the magical world? - He asked the question he was interested in, to which he received affirmative nods. He raised his eyes to the ceiling and let out a heavy sigh.

- How much time do I have?

- Six years according to the boy, but I wouldn't count on that and would keep one year to spare," he replied.

- Will he go to Hogwarts? - Another important question.

- 'Yes, since he was here in the guise of a child, awakening the castle and you with blood magic, the 'admission pen' has put him in the 'access book'. So you can expect a letter from Hogwarts by his eleventh birthday," the portraits replied.

- I want to take him to Gringotts for a blood test and to give him the ring of the head of the family," the keeper informed the portraits of his intentions.

- Reasonable, even though we know he's a Peverell, we should make sure," the portraits agreed. Their conversation was interrupted by a housekeeper entering the room.

- Guardian, the young lord is awake," Toby reported with the obligatory half bow.

- What is he doing now? - The man asked.

- He's tidying up, and then he'll have breakfast," the elf answered, straightening his back and looking at everyone with his big and surprised eyes, which said that the houseboy still couldn't believe what was happening in this house.

- Did you tell him that I want to talk to him? - The man asked.

- Yes, I did," Toby bowed and disappeared.

- Are you going at once? - asked Ignotus, who interrupted the short silence that appeared after the elf's departure.

- Sooner we start, sooner we finish," said the man. - Well, now I could use some refreshment myself," he grinned and left the room.

End of Flashback

- Ah-ah-ah," the lord said, understandingly. - What are we going to do? - He asked the man.

- We'll go to Gringotts," the keeper replied with his usual coldness in his voice.

- Why? - Alex asked in surprise.

- To shed some light on your origins, - the man clarified the situation.

- The Keeper... - the boy started, as he was interrupted.

- My name is Darius. Darius Peverell," the now famous man introduced himself.

- All right, Darius. How do we get there? - The young lord looked at his companion with interest.

- In my opinion," was his answer.

***

Today was a fairly quiet day. Slanting Lane was as crowded as ever. Suddenly, the space in front of the main entrance to Gringotts Bank began to distort. All the people in the vicinity looked at the unusual sight with bewilderment. Meanwhile, the space continued to distort and now there was a black hole from which two figures emerged. One in a black robe and the other in a white cloak. One was a tall man of about thirty, with white hair, and the other was a boy of about five or six, an almost identical copy of his companion. They were different, but still, they were alike in two things: the colour of their hair and their eyes. And one symbol on their backs and chests. It was a circle inside a triangle that was vertically crossed with a stick. Everyone looked at the atypical couple with astonishment. Meanwhile, they headed towards the bank.

Inside, it was business as usual. Nothing had changed in decades. The goblins were still working behind the high counter. Darius and Alex headed towards one of them, not noticing the two pairs of interested eyes following them.

Abraxas Malfoy and Orion Black had arrived at Gringotts today for a business deal. They were just about to discuss the details with the goblin when two people caught their attention. The young lord and the keeper, not noticing the stares, purely casually approached the goblin next door to them. They strained their hearing to the max, trying to hear the topic of their conversation with the goblin:

- Hello," Darius said politely, turning to the goblin.

- Hello," he replied, giving them a condescending look.

- I need a blood test for my ward," Darius explained the reason for his arrival at Gringotts.

- What ward? - The goblin raised an eyebrow. The man tilted his head down in silence. The goblin lifted himself up and saw the young lord. He in turn just tilted his head slightly, greeting the goblin.

- Hello," Darius said politely, turning to the goblin.

- Hello," he replied, giving them a condescending look.

- I need a blood test for my ward," Darius explained the reason for his arrival at Gringotts.

- What ward? - The goblin raised an eyebrow. The man tilted his head down in silence. The goblin lifted himself up and saw the young lord. He in turn just tilted his head slightly, greeting the goblin.

- I'm sure you've heard the conversation in our neighbourhood," Black continued, to which he nodded in affirmation.

- We're interested in these people. I think for a fee..." Black was about to continue when Malfoy put in his five galleons:

- 'And one artefact each,' to which Black nodded after a moment's thought and continued:

- 'And one artefact from each,' he repeated. - And you will share with us information about these individuals and the results of their ritual," Black finished. Hookwolf decided not to miss the chance to enrich the bank and himself, so he agreed.

- Good, agreed," the goblin nodded. - We'll draw up the contract now," the two lords nodded and started discussing.

Meanwhile, Alex, Darius and the goblin walked along the long corridors. Coming to one of the doors, they went inside.

- Sit down," the goblin said, pointing to the chairs. He began to dig under his desk. A couple of minutes later, he pulled out a ritual knife and an enchanted parchment.

- Cut your palm and let a few drops of blood fall onto the parchment," the goblin instructed.

Having done so, everyone waited. A couple of seconds later, strange patterns of red colour began to appear on the piece of paper. The goblin narrowed his eyes slightly and began to read:

"Alexandros Peverell, fifty-eighth generation pureblood mage.

Father: unknown.

Mother: unknown.

Magical guardian: Darius Peverell - guardian of the Peverell family.

Godfather: unknown.

Godmother: unknown

Right of succession: heir to the Peverell family, by blood and magic. Slytherin heir by magic.

Ancestral gifts: Artefacting, Necromancy, Blood Magic, Ritualistics, Parseltongue, Potions, Dark Magic, Animagic.

Property: Peverell Manor, Slytherin Manor, Necropolis - Antiochus Peverell.

Safes and Finance: Peverell family safe: 433 million galleons, Slytherin family safe: 316 million galleons."

After reading it, the goblin looked at the completely unperturbed mages with some surprise.

- Can he assume supremacy over the two clans by wearing the rings? - Darius voiced his question.

- Yes, he can," the goblin answered after a moment's thought

- Bring them in," Darius asked, still the same.

- Only the clan's attorneys have access to the family vaults. And since both of your clans are considered dead, no keepers have been appointed," the goblin explained in a slightly guilty tone.

- Can you become one? - The Lord asked twice.

- Yes, I can," the goblin replied with surprise. - I will be your attorney for three per cent of the total income of each clan," he enlightened them.

- It's a deal," Alex agreed.

An hour later, a weary Lord Peverell-Slytherin and his equally weary guardian/guardian walked out of the bank. Without a word, both headed for Peverell Manor.