Chapter Text
Hello everyone and welcome to the next chapter of Wayfaring Souls: (0.2) Lol. I am very happy with this chapter and I hope that you are as well. This story only after the very first chapter. I was very surprised and ecstatic about how it has your attention. :) I brought my own ideas to this, of course and there will be twists and turns before they finally get to go to Middle Earth... I hope you don't mind. This is special and I am undecided if they will ever be able to get back to this. So let's savor this a little and go with the flow okay? Even when they get to Middle Earth it will be a slow build. You can't rush this kind of thing. :)
Please leave a review. I hope you like where I am going with this.
"What do I need to do?" Aviana hardened her tone, her question leaving her before she could even sort out her thoughts. She slowly smiled at the thought of reuniting with her father, brightened for the first time in what seemed like years and Aviana knew that she would give anything to be with her father once more… even her own life.
After all, 'the ones we love never truly leave us'... right dad?
"It's simple enough." Sharptooth responded easily after a moment of silence, "All you would have to do is state who you would like to inherit your possessions and anything else you wish to pass along. I shall take care of the rest. Now that has been said, I need to draw your attention to a letter that your father requested that I give you if he could not." He was silent as he reached into his desk and pulled out an envelope to give to her. "It is from your mother, Emilia Chevalier."
Sirius Black,
Do you remember that night in the three broomsticks that we spent together? After you were called away for Auror business I was captured. Within the cell that they forced me in, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl that I would have hoped that we would love and care for together. I would give anything to watch her grow up; but if the plump woman, clad in pink with a toad-like face... I won't be able to. I don't know what her name is but in doing so, this woman shows that she is intelligent. We both know that names are powerful. She sent someone like-minded in her apparent despise for creatures from your Ministry, I know not the name of the man that captured me.
An Auror by the name of Mad-eye Moody promised to get me out of here, after getting the supplies that I asked for to write this letter. Apparently he mentored you and trained you when you first became an Auror? I am glad that I have at least one friend here and the promise of freedom is too sweet to ignore. My heart is still aching though, for I could only lay eyes on my baby girl before she was ripped away from me. She looked so much like you from what I had witnessed, her dark hair and porcelain skin reminding me of your own with fondness; even in these dark times.
She was born only yesterday, on what Moody says was the tenth of June, at 12:15 AM. Find her Sirius... you must. I can't bare the thought of her being in pain. I will do everything I can to fight my way out, for you... for our baby girl. However, if I am unable to get to the Veela Government in France, then I leave the most precious thing I have in this world to you, my beloved mate. I blame you not for what you couldn't control, Sirius and I urged you to feel the same. I will always love you, even after I take my last dying breath.
Emilia.
After reading the letter, Aviana placed it down on the table in front of her and wiped away the stinging tears that started to fall down her cheeks; the almost cold temperature immediately making itself known. Even though her father had told her countless times that her mother did, in fact, love her… She always was privately skeptical. If her mother loved her, why wasn't she ever… there? And here it was, undeniable prove laying right in front of her, that her mother really did love her. That she was captured and was unable to even hold her all thanks to that... "Umbitch." Aviana growled lowly, feeling her eyes shift with the newly awakened Veela blood within her after her inheritance.
"Where… where can I find her?" Aviana questioned him after a moment of she herself together, releasing a breathe slowly. She would not break down here any further, she refused but Aviana was also grateful that Sharptooth didn't comment on her emotional overload. Her emotions were hanging by a thread as it was, drawing attention to it would only make it worse, and once more Aviana was thankful that Goblins minded their own business. Because that was all they really cared for, business.
"Lady Black, Miss Emilia Chevalier still resides in France as far we, at Gringotts, know of. " Sharptooth said slowly, mindful of the witch that sat across from him and how dangerous he held no doubt that she could be. The Black Family most likely collected priceless artifacts throughout history and the Goblins valued everything at the price that the items would be sold at today. That made sense to her rational mind as Aviana took a moment to scan her librarian mindscape for more information. She remembered reading that the Blacks were one of the sacred Twenty-eight of the Wizarding families. These were twenty-eight British families that were still "Truly Pure-Blooded" by the… 1930's? Who knew when they started to accumulate treasures that were priceless today.
Though, after remembering details in regard to all of this, Aviana wrote a Will for all that she had knowledge of and asked Sharptooth to execute it six months after she's gone through the veil. Sharptooth gave Aviana the "Black Head of House ring" to offer to Sirius if she were to find him, knowing that she would be the one whom had the best chance in doing so, or keep in it in the event that he was dead. There was a clause in Gringotts that if the Head of House wasn't able to make decisions, that the next in line would do so in his steed. The Goblin then explained that it would boost the wearer's magical core by twenty percent and give him an impenetrable Occlumency shield. He then gave her another ring; it's artful design a little different than the Black House Ring yet the pair complimented each other, with an onyx precious gem peeking through white gold and a thin strand of hair that almost blended with the ring from the place where it was wrapped around the edge. The long piece of hair looped underneath the gem, and held with magic, the hair was curled into a cursive 'A' for her name. Apparently, her father had the Goblins make it when Aviana was delivered unto him and the hair was one from her mother's. Instead of an Occlumency shield, Sharptooth told her that her ring protected her from being assaulted because of the Veela charm, although it would boost her magic only slightly. That could have helped a lot in the past few years… Aviana sighed before opening her mouth to speak.
"May I visit my family vault?" The witch requested kindly of him, knowing her path now led her down a road that she may not come back from. As long as Aviana found her father along the way, she could safely say that she would never regret it. Dimensional travel shouldn't be possible, or at least that was what Aviana thought. Then again, she was willing to move mountains if she could see her father once more.
"Of course Lady Black, I shall accompany you there myself." Sharptooth allowed her request without much thought and they both exited the office and made their way to a cart. Through dips and curves the cart moved at the usual fast pace; it was still a long ride down as the Black Family vault was one of the oldest and most protected in Gringotts. Finally though, the cart slowed down to a stop. As they both moved out of the cart; the pale dragon guarding the vault roared at them before seizing movement all together and tilting it's snout upward to sniff the air. The reptile's orbs locked on Aviana's own before the creature did a spectacular thing; it bowed it's enormous, spiked head low to gain her favor. It surprised her, especially when Aviana's mind flashed with the image of the dragon's in the Triwizard Tournament… then she realized something. It must have sensed the Black lineage coursing through her veins, even with the added Veela hidden within. Sharptooth's shallow intake of breath reached her ears but Aviana paid him no mind, for she favored to bow back at the magnificent beast. The huge, fire breathing reptile deserved as much respect as Aviana could convey, even if it was for the sheer fact that she wasn't burnt to a crisp... yet.
Sharptooth cautiously led her forward into the vault, all the while mindful of the dragon's deadly grin. Having need of no key when a dragon guarded your possessions, Aviana walked forward and pressed her hand on the vault door, allowing it to prick her finger and slowly the locks slowly could be heard releasing from the stone. It opened upon request and Aviana had to recoil instinctively at the sounds... only to struggle not to drop her pouch in the sight before her. On their own accord, her feet began to move into the vault and Aviana was only vaguely aware of the way the blood wards enveloped her body to allow her passage.
On the wall opposite of her was the words "Toujours Pur" the Black Family motto, translated into "Always pure" in French and were written in a deep Slytherin green. The words were willed to float over the treasures to make a bold statement, on each side rested one torch that lit upon her entry. Above were three crows that dipped and dived in the air, curving artfully as an enchanted suit of armor ran the perimeter as he watched over their priceless treasures. On the walls of the spacious room had little nooks for books and trinkets, calling to her inner Ravenclaw to study each precious item that they equally deserved.
Aviana caught sight of an old, cherry wooden pirate chest that rested innocently on a mound of gallons, hidden within a nearby shadow for protection. Immediately her curiosity was equipped to discover it's origin and something within her was urged to see what laid within, especially when she caught sight of the ancient runes that were etched in the wood. After a moment of pausing, Aviana's curiosity overcame her and she left the Goblin outside of the wards while she ventured off towards the chest, climbing on top of the hill with unsteady feet and reached out a hand to trace one of the runes that caught her eye. After tracing it a few times, her pointer finger curved on the the edge of it the wrong way and it opened up her finger and leaving her with a tiny splinter. The second her blood touched the rune, it illuminated like a someone cast a Lumos Maxima from within the depths of the chest. When one rune was lit the others amongst it quickly followed, and Aviana was minded of what she imagined the legendary Pandora's box would be like.
It shone in her face but as soon as it started, it seemed to extinguish just as easily. The hefty, old fashioned lock magically unfastened; the familiar click reaching her ears in a soft echo. Cautiously, Aviana Black sat back and reached with both hands to lift the lid upwards to be able to peer within. Dust made her cough in an effort to get clean air back to her lungs but Aviana could still make out a pair of thick tomes that looked too interesting to ignore, an amulet that shone pale with the moonstone gem, two dark colored wand boxes and what appeared to be little vials of potions supplies. Curiously, Aviana reached in and picked up the first vial that caught her eye. Reading the label, the witch instantly knew that there would be untold treasures in front of her; for the three words 'Lernaean Hydra scale' blatantly stared back at her. Many knew not that it was the true name of the Hydra, the serpentine water monster in Greek and Roman mythology. Such things had always interested Aviana, the mysteries that time forgot; nevertheless, it was still a shock.
'...What?' The young witch mentally thought to herself, unknowingly mouthing the word silently as she stared at the label before eyeing the chest once more. If this vial was a reflection of what else was housed in this chest… She slowly gave into the urge to reach for the tomes, first needing the grab the amulet that laid on the books and Aviana discovered that the pale gem had spacious silver coiled around it with etched runes. It was beautiful with a long silver chain hooked to it, and it didn't take a genius to link the amulet with the books somehow. Setting it aside, she finally grabbed one of the books and shifted to get as comfortable as Aviana could on the pile of gallons.
With hesitance guarding her movements, the young witch soothed a lover's caress on the cover; feeling the runes masked from her eye until she gently opened it to the very first page. From the very second she lifted the cover, light tempted from beneath and when Aviana went to reveal what was, magic sought upward. The light blinded her for but a mere moment before Aviana blinded at the Three-dimensional image that greeted her gaze. The tree of life stared back at her; each and every leaf housed upon it glowed a brilliant color different than the next, with divergent scenes in time peeking through the numerous shades. It took her a few moments of staring at the moving images before her, attempting to pick apart what she was seeing and to get her brain to compute the information… that Aviana finally understood. No wonder the runes were placed upon it in such a way, guarding it so only the Heads of House or Lady Blacks could peek within; Aviana could only begin to imagine just how priceless the treasurable knowledge of dimensions would be. She suspected that it was sacred; in the way it hidden within a chest overwhelmed by runes, passed the blood wards interconnected with another set. The Black family had always seemed paranoid to her; more so than others, of course. This just proved it.
Aviana pulled her wand of polished Ash wood that cradled a hair of a Splinx - a mixture that was the length of eleven inches of which that she had purchased from Gregorovitch to finally obtain a proper wand suited for her - from within her robes. With a tender caress, the witch remembered that a Splinx was a hybrid of Ancient Egypt, with the body of a lion with the head of a king or god, it had come to symbolize strength and wisdom. With a swish of movement, Aviana cast an unbreakable charm on all the items she could pull out of the chest, before gently placing them in her sack. Aviana promised herself that she would go over them when she had the time, now however she wanted to look around some more before she had to leave. She did not waste any time at all going over to the rare collection of books and placing them in her bottomless bag, before moving on her way to grab some of the gallons that littered the floor in dune-like piles.
Aiming to pass the jewelry section with ease, Aviana only took pause when her eyes caught sight of a white gold necklace that held a pendant of a Veela in full form, eyes closed with peace that rarely came to their species and smelling in Orchid she had risen with a tender grasp. Something about it called to her and before Aviana knew what she was doing, she already had it in her grasp and was placing it in her bag. She also found a set of wedding rings that she also pocketed, one was a wedding band for a male and the other ring was obviously for a female.
After everything was all said and done, the Black witch decided that the treasures that she now held were more than enough and she would leave the rest to be divided up when she left this world for another. Aviana watched calmly as Sharptooth sealed the vault before bringing her back to his office to take a vial of blood to be able to extract things from the Black Family Vault when she was gone. The Goblin then asked if there was anything else he could help her with. Aviana let a smirk curve her lips before she chose to lean forward to fully look into his dark eyes, "As a matter of fact, I think there is something I think you can help me with…" When she uttered her request, Sharptooth grinned as sharply as his name suggested before he snapped the very long fingers of his right hand before a piece of paper was magically transported in them. She stared down at the paper that was immediately offered to her, and rose from her seat to utter the proper goodbye to the Goblin.
It would only be a short time later, when Aviana was finally out of Gringotts and back at her home in Grimmauld Place, that she finally smiled at the address that was on the paper… It was about time that Aviana finally found out what happened to her mother.