Gemma curiously looked around the forest, which was covered in mist, and she instinctively stood back-to-back with Altair, keeping a sharp eye on their surroundings.
"How will we find them?" she asked, and the young Black smiled.
"We shall call them, of course," he said and placed his wand under his chin. "Bippo!"
His voice travelled as an echo, quiet yet far-reaching, and only moments later they heard a pop by their side.
The old elf looked at them curiously, wearing dirty rags, then bowed deeply to the pair as he sensed their pure magic and blood.
"My Lord, my Lady. What can Bippo do for you?" he asked, and Gemma was stunned by his behaviour.
Was it truly this easy to convince elves to come with them? They had not even told him why they were there, yet he was already willing to serve. She frowned, but her instincts told her that this was not normal. Perhaps they were an exception... Altair was an exception.
"We heard of your wish to serve a noble wizarding family. Old Gibbon told us about you."
The elf's eyes brightened at Altair's words and he looked at them expectantly.
"Does my Lord wish to accept me and my family?" There was unmistakable hope in his voice.
"My wife does. She wishes you to serve her and the Dumbledore family from now on."
Bippo glanced at Gemma, who nodded, and was stunned as she watched tears slip from the old elf's eyes.
The next moment, Bippo disappeared. When he returned, he brought an elderly wife with him and three more family members, one of whom was a small elf-child.
"My wife, Mimsy. My son and daughter, Tibby and Pippa, and their daughter, Twiila."
Gemma smiled as she knelt and gently patted the little elf's head, who leaned into her touch.
"Let us begin, shall we?" Altair asked as he swung his wand over his head. "Ignis Fidelis!"
A stream of beautiful emerald and silver flame escaped his wand and formed rings of fire around the elves and Gemma.
It radiated a soothing and comforting feeling, which made them feel protected and helped them to calm down.
The elves stared in awe as they sensed the power of the Sacred Flames and their purity. They felt honoured and instantly knelt.
Bippo took a deep breath and grasped the hands of his family. Soon, everyone was holding hands with those beside them.
"By darkness before dawn and the first breath of magic,
Under the shadow of the sacred flame, in the presence of the pure.
By oath unbroken and servitude sealed,
We, Bippo, Mimsy, Tibby, Pippa, and Twiila,
Offer name, will, and our elven magic
To serve the Noble and Sacred House of Dumbledore,
Bound in secrecy and obedience
Until our dismissal or the world's ending."
As soon as they took their vows, the flame rings closed in on them, and on Gemma, who took a deep breath as she prepared to accept their servitude.
"By the name Dumbledore and the old laws that bind,
I, Gemma Porpentina Dumbledore, accept thine oath and thine magic.
So long as my House stands, your bondage and shelter are sealed by ancient power and witnessed by the magic itself.
Magia iudex est."
A light shone from her right hand and surrounded the five elves, and then both the light and the sacred flame disappeared inside their bodies.
In an instant, the old pair seemed to have become decades younger by elven standards, and they appeared invigorated.
Their bodies were clean now, as were the rags they wore. Gemma could sense the connection she now had with them.
They wept tears of joy and could not hold back their smiles. They even began dancing around in happiness, and Gemma giggled at their antics.
"Bippo, can you send us to Gringotts?" she asked when they settled, and the old elf quickly bowed.
"Of course, Mistress!"
He was about to click his fingers when she offered her hand, and Altair did the same.
For a moment, Bippo was stunned. He then held back his tears as he took their hands and teleported with them directly outside Gringotts.
It was dawn now, and there were already some people on the street. None paid any attention to their arrival.
"Go back. I shall call you over later."
"Yes." Bippo disappeared after bowing to them, and then Gemma led Altair into the wizarding bank.
There was no other wizard or witch inside, and their footsteps echoed in the massive hall.
When they approached the front desk, Gemma requested to see the new manager of the Dumbledore family's accounts. Without any hassle, they entered the office of a young Goblin, who was very enthusiastic to receive them.
"Lady Dumbledore!"
"Good morning, Grimbolt." She smiled, then took her seat, pulling Altair to sit by her side. "I am here to claim my ring, the last two vaults, and Dumbledore Hall."
The Goblin looked at her in surprise.
"And has Lady Dumbledore found a consort? House-elves?"
"I am married now, and yes, I already have the House-elves. I would like to register them as well."
"Of course." The Goblin jumped out of his seat, entered the back room, and returned with a bowl and a ceremonial knife.
Gemma already knew what she had to do. She indifferently made a cut on her left palm, allowing the blood to drip into the enchanted water, which soon turned blood-red and began swirling with magic.
Grimbolt quickly placed the lineage parchment inside the bowl, waited for it to absorb all the liquid, and then picked it up to confirm Gemma's magical marriage.
She was married.
As soon as his eyes landed on her consort's name, he froze. He then reverently looked at Altair and stood up.
"Lord Slytherin! My apologies for not recognising you." He bowed deeply, and the young Morvaine smiled.
"Please, keep quiet about it," he requested, and the Goblin nodded in understanding and promise.
"The information will not leave Gringotts unless Lady Dumbledore wishes it made public," he said, glancing at the parchment again. "May I confirm that you are already married twice, and Lady Dumbledore is your third wife?"
"Yes," he nodded, and the Goblin smiled, not asking the names of his wives.
"I have never seen a wizard so young married, and married to three at the same time." He smiled. "You are a proud Magical, Lord Slytherin."
"Of course, I am." He chuckled, and Gemma rolled her eyes at his words.
"Are all the requirements complete now?"
"Yes, Lady Dumbledore. Everything is in order. Please follow me to your family's main vault. The ring is inside, and only you can retrieve it." Grimbolt walked over and bowed to Altair again. "Lord Slytherin, please wait here."
"Of course."
Since it was the vault of the Dumbledore family, he could not enter or even see where it was, despite being Gemma's husband.
This was the difference between taking a consort who was already married and taking a consort who would marry into the family. This was the ancient way of ensuring the family wealth would not fall into the wrong hands.
Altair, a little bored, picked up the lineage parchment that had Gemma's details on it and read them.
It clearly showed she had inherited the Dumbledore magic from both sides of her family. The magic deemed her a Fawley and Dumbledore more than a Scamander.
His name was there, his complete magical name, right under hers, marked by the Sacred Marriage, and even the terms of their marriage were listed.
There was also information that he was married to two other witches.
He returned the paper to its place and stared at the beautiful domed ceiling that had dragons sculpted upon it, breathing fire at each other.
One was a Hungarian Horntail; the other, a Hebridean Black.
He stared at them for a while before closing his eyes and sharing a vision with his MoonFox, who was resting on her bed. On his bed were Aurelia, Cho, and their two cats: Sidious and Cleo.
Altair then shared the vision with his Griffin Eagle, who was not in Buttermere but in the sky above Cambridge, gazing at a house with the nameplate "Granger" outside.
From the window, he saw little Hermione studying so early in the morning. Almost as if she sensed something, she looked up, but Strix was hiding in the clouds, so she could not see him.
Eventually, she returned her focus to reading and gently combed the fur of her cat, Truffles, who was resting in her lap.
Altair watched her for a while before Strix decided to head elsewhere. He laughed as he saw his familiar lock onto a helpless rodent.
He did not watch the hunt as he opened his eyes. A few moments later, Gemma, now wearing the Dumbledore ring, returned to her seat next to him.
Grimbolt went into the back room and brought out a few files.
He took his seat and got to work.
Altair did not ask what he was doing because he had a guess, and it proved correct when the Goblin asked Gemma to call over her House-elves.
Bippo and his family soon appeared. Grimbolt confirmed with magic that they were bound to the Dumbledore family before handing out sheets of parchment and making them plant their handprints on them in blood-red ink.
He then wrote down their names, and Gemma conjured up an illusion of the Dumbledore House-elf uniform, which bore the Dumbledore crest.
It was similar to the Black family's House-elf uniform, just less ornate, and Bippo happily created it for himself and his family.
The House-elves were then sent away, wards in the office activated again, and Gemma discussed some matters with her accounts manager.
She paid him to deal with the formalities at the Ministry regarding the registration of the House-elves, her marital status, and the seat at Wizengamot, which was to be held by her mother for a while as her chief representative.
When they stood up to leave, Altair noticed she was wearing a locket, which was, in fact, the Grimoire of the Dumbledore family.
He did not say anything about it and simply smiled at seeing her happy.
Outside Gringotts, she suddenly remembered something and sighed.
"Why do so many people have their birthdays during the winter holidays?"
"I do not know." He chuckled, remembering he had two birthday parties to attend that night, and another one tomorrow. "What does your cousin like?"
"Oh, he is mad about magical creatures. He has inherited Grandfather's passion for their care. He loves flying, but he is too young to fly on his own."
"I see." He glanced at the shop in the distance that had just opened fir the morning, then smiled and walked towards it.
Gemma too needed to buy a gift for her cousin, Rolf, and another for Laetitia Rosier, who had invited them to her birthday.
It was the first time the girl was celebrating her birthday, and it was special, as she would be receiving her Hogwarts letter right now. It was also the day she would get her wand.
The eleventh birthday for any witch or wizard was truly special in their world.
Wicks & Wonders: Home to Magical Marvels
They were an expensive shop by wizarding standards, known for overcharging for their wares, but also the finest destination for those wanting unique birthday gifts.
The entire shop was illuminated by enchanted candles floating above the shelves, and a beautiful chime sounded out when they entered.
At the desk, old Mr Wick was reading today's Daily Prophet, and only glanced at them before focusing on the news.
Altair and Gemma parted ways as they looked around. The young Black took his time, examining enchanted hourglasses, pocket watches, pens, rare enchanted quills, showpieces, alarm clocks, and dozens of other things.
Finally, after a couple of hours of browsing, he found something for Laetitia.
Only moments later, he found a very unique gift for Rolf as well.
When he walked over to the desk, Gemma was already there with her two gifts wrapped up, reading Hogwarts Weekly, which had all the information about the upcoming Geminus Cup.
She and Altair were on the front page, listed as the most popular pair and favourites to win.
The girl glanced over when he placed the two items on the table. Old Wick was surprised by his choices.
"Quite an eye you have, Heir Black. These are two of the most unique wonders of my shop." He smiled as he quickly brought over the gifts wraps and packed them.
Old Wick then handed him an enchanted quill, and he wrote letters for both Rolf and Laetitia to be placed inside the wrappings.
His calligraphy stunned both of them. Recalling her own clumsy writing, Gemma felt a little embarrassed but hid it well.
"And what will these two wonders cost me, Mr Wick? Hopefully not my entire fortune."
The old man laughed, then smiled slyly.
"A special price for you, Heir Black. Four hundred and forty-four Galleons."
Altair stared into his eyes. He could sense that he was charging him slightly more than the true price, but only by a little.
Gemma, however, felt he was ripping off Altair, but stayed quiet as the young Black paid the price without complaint.
When they came out, she finally could not hold it in, but was surprised to hear his answer.
"The gifts are special, Gemma. A lot of enchantments and thought have gone into them. Worth the price."
"Is not one just a globe?"
"No. It is an interactive globe with magical borders, special magical places, wizarding banks, secret markets, and also the locations of Fantastic Beasts all around the world marked on it."
"Oh… Rolf is going to love it!"
"I hope so." He smiled, glancing at Ollivanders. He saw Mr and Mrs Rosier coming out with Laetitia, who was fondly looking at her wand and smiling.
When the family looked their way, they were surprised. Now that they were looking at each other, it would have been very rude not to say hello.
"Lady Dumbledore, Heir Black. What a pleasant surprise." Armand Rosier politely bowed to them, and they returned the greeting.
"What brought you to Diagon Alley so early in the morning?" Lady Roxana Lestrange asked curiously, and Altair smiled at Laetitia.
"We had to wake early to get some birthday gifts. A special someone is celebrating her birthday for the first time, after all."
"Heir Black." Laetitia curtsied to him and then placed her hand in his as he bowed and kissed her knuckles.
"Happy birthday, Miss Rosier. And congratulations on finding your perfect wand."
She showed it to him, much to her parents' amusement, and he examined it and returned it.
"A very powerful and unique core."
"Lord Ollivander said that a certain young boy provided him with the core for this wand," she said, meaningfully. Altair smiled at her.
"And who might that be?" he asked playfully, not in the least surprised that she guessed correctly.
"It was you, Heir Black."
Her parents were shocked at her words. Gemma too was surprised when Altair nodded, accepting her answer.
"Yes, and I am truly glad it found a master so soon."
She smiled and then curtsied to him again.
"Thank you. I love it."
"Would you like your birthday gift now, Miss Rosier?" he asked, and she froze. "I will not be able to stay at your birthday party for long. My grandparents are celebrating theirs tonight as well."
"It is fine. I shall accept it in the evening," she said, hopefully, and relaxed when he nodded with a smile.
"Well then, I hope you will like what I have prepared." He bowed to her parents. "Please excuse us, Lord Rosier, Lady Rosier. We have a few more things to get and must return home soon."
"Of course." The man smiled and congratulated Gemma on turning seventeen and becoming the Head of the Noble and Sacred House of Dumbledore.
Lady Rosier shared a few words too, then both Altair and Gemma moved deeper into the alley.
Laetitia stared after Altair, then glanced at Gemma before her mother asked what she was thinking.
"They seem close. Very close," she whispered. Both her parents glanced at the pair as they were leaving and nodded.
"Let us get the rest of the supplies quickly. Your brothers must be getting impatient to see your wand."