Chapter 3: Reclaiming a Lost Lordship
After getting some semblance of sleep, Aidan woke up at eight AM. He had a busy day to go through and, as much as he was going to hate it, he had to push forwards. Thus, he got up, freshened up, took a shower and got dressed in a suit. After all, he would be taking care of formal things that day.
The suit had been a gift from his father, a full burgundy suit, vest included, with a white shirt, a bordeaux tie, and black shoes. Aidan had to admit, he looked very good in a suit. Then again, most men looked good with a suit that actually fit them.
"Aidan, are you ready?" He heard Jack ask from the ground floor. "We're supposed to leave in five minutes."
"All ready, dad." Aidan answered while going down the stairs. His father was dressed more casually, thought still formal. His mother was not going with them that day, so she hadn't dressed up.
"You look so good son." Ivy said while looking him over with narrowed eyes and a playful smile. "Are you sure you haven't broken any hearts while at Hogwarts?"
"So, do we leave now, dad?" Aidan asked, pointedly ignoring his mother's teasing. "I want to get this out of the way as soon as possible."
"Yes son... we leave now." Jack said, smirking at his wife's pout. She had been trying to tease Aidan ever since he reached his fourth year, but apparently the kid was immune to her prodding. "You know the drill, since we are apparating you hold onto me."
"When are you teaching me how to apparate, again?" Aidan asked. He had been bugging his dad about the art of apparition for two years, and the man always answered the same thing. "I know, I know, when I'm rea-"
"We could start today once all of this is over if you want." Jack answered, betraying Aidan's expectations. Seeing his son's surprised expression and widened eyes, Jack smirked. "What? You're already seventeen, you would learn it at Hogwarts this year anyway."
"You know what, that'd be cool." Aidan said while putting a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Let's go, then. Bye mum!"
"Bye son, bye dear." Ivy said with a smile, pulling her husband and son and placing a kiss on the cheek to each. "I'll be waiting for you, good luck."
A twist and a pull, a distortion in space, and both Jack and Aidan had disappeared from the house.
*
Diagon Alley, Wizarding London.
Jack and Aidan appeared in front of the entrance to Gringotts, the Goblin-run bank of the English Wizarding World. As soon as they appeared, Aidan's looks and clothes picked the attention of those walking through Diagon Alley.
"Son, I will go buy some things I think you will need from now onwards." Jack said while smiling confidently at Aidan. "Will you be okay on your own?"
"Yeah, you don't need to worry, dad." Aidan said. "I'll go in now, see you in a while dad."
"Sure son, good luck." Jack answered.
After the short conversation with his father, Aidan headed straight into Gringotts. It was not his first time in the bank, since he had visited for years with his father to take money from his vault. Alas, his reason for being in the bank was not completely different, something that made Aidan feel slightly nervous, even if he hid it very well from the rest.
"Mr. Thorne Jr., what would be the reason for your visit?" A goblin asked as soon as Aidan approached one of the many cubicles in which goblin's sat, ready to tend to clients of the bank.
"I came to reclaim the inheritance of House Haimadros." Aidan answered after inhaling a large amount of air. "My surname... is no longer Thorne."
Gasps of surprise could be heard all around Gringotts, since Aidan had not necessarily been quiet. Such a reaction told him that what he was doing was, if anything, a shocking thing. After all, it was not every day that you got a reaction —other than a nasty grin— from goblins.
"Mr. Thorne, claiming the surname of a Most Ancient and Noble House is not a matter to joke about." The goblin that was tending to his business commented. "If... this is a joke, it would be better for you to take it back right now."
"While I understand your concern, I am not here for jokes either." Aidan answered, his face letting the goblin know that he did not appreciate the implication of him trying to joke about something so serious. "I have a legitimate claim to the surname, and I intend to claim the Lordship of House Haimadros, as the last remaining member of its bloodline."
An awkward pause took over the conversation, which was quickly broken by Aidan.
"In fact, if you do not believe me, all you have to do is bring the Ring of Lordship and you will know that my words carry with them the weight of truth." Aidan stated, not wanting to waste any more time dealing with the goblin's scepticism.
"As you wish, Mr. Thorne." The Goblin answered. "I just hope this is true, since consequences could be... undesirable."
"Don't worry about me, I'll be waiting for the Ring of Lordship." Aidan said, sitting calmly with his legs crossed. Sighing, the goblin left the main hall of Gringotts and headed into the deep, dark dungeons in which the Vaults were located.
After what felt like at least half an hour, Aidan saw the same goblin returning, this time accompanied by another, much older, goblin.
"This here is Fernuk, he is the goblin who is in charge of the matters of House Haimadros." The goblin that had been tending to Aidan said. "He will take charge of your business from this moment onwards."
Without any more words, the goblin went back to his position in the reception, waiting for another client that had, hopefully, less complicated business. Fernuk and Aidan were left in the cubicle, staring at each other as if analysing the other party in depth.
"So... you claim to be the last heir alive to House Haimadros?" Fernuk said, his voice husky in a manner that was not pleasant to the ears.
"I do not claim to be, I am." Aidan answered simply. He was really getting tired of goblins playing games.
"Well, we'll see." Fernuk said, placing a small cubic box in the table between them. The box was blacker than the darkest shadows at midnight, with the exception of a ruby that functioned as a button to open the box. "This here holds the Ring of Lordship of House Haimadros. Just open the box and fit the ring on the ring finger of your right hand. If the ring accepts you, then that's that."
"I see." Aidan muttered. "Let's get this over with, then."
Without leaving any room for doubts, Aidan grabbed the small box and opened it, seeing for the first time the ring inside it, which was sitting in a crimson cushion. The ring was beautiful in a way that Aidan could not describe. The attraction he felt towards it was something he could not explain, as if the ring called to him, like a part of himself that had been missing and he had not realised until that very moment.
"The ring is made by goblins, but like all Rings of Lordship it belongs to the bloodline of its corresponding house." Fernuk began explaining. "The band is made of moon-forged iron, an old goblin trade secret. The stone around the main gemstone is a heliotrope, while the core is a bloodstone... something that the Haimadros made themselves by condensing their own blood into a gemstone."
"Memoria Sanguinis Aeternum..." Aidan read the words inscribe into the ring out loud. "The Memory of Blood is Eternal."
It had waited long enough. It was time the ring was once again where it was meant to be. In the hand of the Lord of House Haimadros. Aidan grabbed the rings and put it on, with the ring immediately pulsing to life, prickling Aidan's finger, tasting his blood. And then the small puncture healed, and a rush of warmth spread throughout Aidan's body.
He felt his magic stirring in communion with the ring, much like it would when grabbing the correct wand for the first time, just that in said instance it did not become stronger. Now he could tell the difference, it was like a qualitative and quantitative change in his magic. He was sure that he could perform magic with an ease that was not there before.
When the phenomenon ended, Aidan felt like a different person. He could feel the magic around him, in the wards of Gringotts, in the goblins around him, in Fernuk right in front of him. Then, from nowhere, a mirror appeared. Aidan could tell that it was summoned by Fernuk because the magic coming from the mirror was the same that Fernuk was giving off.
"I would like to cordially welcome Lord Haimadros back to the public eye." Fernuk said, making a half-bow that could be considered as the most respect one would get from a goblin.
Then Aidan saw it. In his eyes, his steel grey eyes, there was something that was not there before. His right eye was now a bright red colour, much like blood flowing from an open wound, before oxidising.
"Ah, so that is why you summoned the mirror." Aidan said, unable to process everything that had happened in the last minute.