The weeks passed, Linus spend his days studying and training, his injuries was almost healed and didn't need a cane for support anymore.
I still can't find a trace of who ordered the assassination, everything has been cold, and traces removed, they had a lot of time to hide it too, Alaric didn't find anyone in the house who could have been a mole. The staff were all staff members who had served the family for long and during the investigation all of them took Veritaserum and no one was found to have connections to anyone.
Linus was laying in bed when he heard a voice he hadn't heard in almost 2 weeks.
[Someone has been busy I see, not having time to talk to me even] Yrsa said in a little sad voice.
"As you said I've been busy its not easy running a family for the first time, and you can see and hear everything you can speak first you know"
[Oh, I know but it was fun seeing to try all those spells and becoming the leader of the house, you fit really well as it too…]
"Are you flirting with a 10-year-old?"
[No, I said you just look good at being a leader…] in a smug voice
"Sure Sure…"
[did you miss that you have 2 new rewards?]
"No, I was just saving them but we can open them right now"
*Rewards claimed: potions +2, leadership +1*
Not bad but would have like that +2 in leadership instead but I Quess 7 is still pretty high.
A knock was heard on the door and Alaric and Astrid walked in.
"My lord it's time to leave for the meeting" Astrid said
Finally, it's time to make these fuckers pay for what they did to my family.
The outfit Linus had for this was a traditional Gray formal wear, almost like a military uniform, it was a dark gray color with silver details embroidered in, the robe covering everything was the family robe, a black robe with a gray wolf on the back, this robe had been in the family for hundreds of years. The robe had runes inscribed for more protection and warmth, it wasn't really needed now that I have a trait making me pretty much immune to cold.
"We will use floo powder to reach Stockholm and then enter into the ice bear pub, from there we will enter the magic world of Stockholm" Astrid said she was also coming with to this meeting as support and bodyguard. The Gray family had plenty of bodyguards but coming to a meeting with 10 body guards would show a sign of paranoia instead just having Astrid and 1 more guard was enough, no one would be stupid enough to start conflict in the middle of Stockholm.
Linus used the floo powder and appeared inside the Ice bear pub, the people there looked at him shocked, it was not every day that the most influential family came here. I looked around the room
"Gooday gentlemen" Linus said as he looked over the people sitting there
"Gooday young Gray!" they all said
The Gray was a very respected family in the eyes of normal wizards and witches because of the work the offered was good and they were treated well in businesses, and most important paid well.
Stockholm also has an area like London had its Diagon alley, Stockholm's version if this was called isgränd (ice-valley). Isgränd had a different way to enter instead of a brick wall it was a tree that would open up and show a door.
Isgränd looked a lot like gammla stan in Stockholm, as the name is-valley suggest the alley looked like it was in winter all year around, snowflakes fell slowly from the sky, the streets looked like they had a cover of ice on them, but it wasn't cold here these were just things to make it look cold.
As Linus and Astrid walked with a steady pace through the alley heads were turn, and whispers could be heard.
"it that young master gray…"
"they haven't shown themselves in a long time now"
"I heard a rumor that they died"
That last whisper made Linus react and so did Astrid, but they didn't act on it but it confirmed that such a rumor goes around and it had to have started somewhere.
Linus and Astrid walked up towards the ministry of magic building where the meeting was to be held. The guards in front didn't even confirm the identity and just opened the doors.
Inside a young woman was standing and bowed when Linus entered.
"Young master Gray, please this way to the meeting"
I just nodded to her and she led us to a pair of double doors, before I entered, I looked at my watch 13:01 perfect one minute late, this was done deliberately to make sure everyone that was present could see me enter.
****
Inside the chamber
"Welcome everyone to this meeting of the 14 families, if you don't know who I am, I am the minister of magic my name is Stefan Lövgren, I see we have 13 families present with the Gray family absent yet again. I haven't been able to contact the gray family in a long time has anyone else heard anything?"
"We haven't heard anything either, it's starting to worry me," said an older looking woman
"I tried talking to one of the Gray owned dragon farm near our estate but was told they knew noting as well…"
At that moment the doors to the chamber were opened and everyone turned to see the young wolf walking in, head held high and with confident steps he made his way to his assign seat, pulled out his chair.
"Sorry for the delay floo powder doesn't always work the way you want it too" a total lie but they didn't need to know that
Everyone was shocked and just stared at the young wolf now sitting in his chair like nothing happened.
"Welcome young master Linus…" said the minister still shocked
"Did I miss anything?"
"nono we were just getting started… but young master, your family has been absent for a longtime and no one has heard a word for anyone…"
"This can wait until this meeting in concluded, we aren't here to talk about my family"
With a shocked expression the minister carried on with the meeting, subject like trade problems and new project were discussed as well as known dark wizards' groups roaming around. These were all very normal problems in the wizarding world so the meeting was nothing really special. As the meeting concluded Linus stood up from his seat and stood in front of everyone.
I stood in front looking over the faces some I've seen before and some new.
"Hello everyone, today I'm going to share about the current situation at the Gray family… the reason that I'm standing here today and not my father is because my father is dead"
The chamber went cold, everyone was stunned, no one dared or could talk.
"The Gray family was ambushed on a normal day out in the forest near the Gray estate, in this ambush my father, mother, sister and brother were killed but assassins"
I paused for a moment looking over the faces, some went pale and others looked less effected, I should take noted of those who seem less surprised.
"I happen to be alive because the assassin seems to forgotten the wolfs that protect the Gray estate, the wolfs killed the assassins before they could use the killing curse on me" I left the part of me being hit but the cursio curse out.
At that moment the older lady that had spoken before Linus entered stood up. And bowed towards Linus
"I'm sorry for your loss Lord Gray"
After those words everyone else seem to realize that Linus is now the Lord Gray and also stood up and bowed.
"Thank you all for your support, I want to take this time to reassure everyone that the Gray family won't sit ideally, we wont rest, we will turn ever fucking rock to find the one fucker who did this and we will make sure that hell looks like a paradise compared to the thing I will do to him or her"
Linus left the chamber soon after.
The press needed news on the Gray family and I'm more than happy to give it to them if it means making the guilty stressed. The tactic was simply made Gray look strong even when terrible things happened to them, it would make other second quess their decision or even better make someone scared so that they would slip their tongue.
Once outside the ministry of magic building the press was already assembled, this was normal but now that Gray had returned after 9 months made even more reporters hungry.
Linus took his place upon the podium that hade been raised before the reporters. Linus raised his hand which made everyone quiet.
"My name is Linus Gray, son of Urban Gray and Julia Gray. And it is with a heavy heart that I stand before you today to reveal that 9 months ago there was an attack on the Gray family… an attack took the life of my family leaving only me alive"
The moment after this was said you could hear a needle drop, even people just walking by had stopped dead in their tracks after what they heard.
"My current position is the head of the gray family, alone I stand and I will keep the Gray family standing. Thank you for your respect, and allowing me to tell everyone this without being disrupted, now in a orderly fashion I will answer some questions you may have, raise your hand if you want to speak"
After a short moment some hands started to raise.
I pointed at a lady near the front.
"I would first like to offer my condolences to you lord gray, and also ask if you were hurt during this tragic event"
"Thank you, and yes I was hurt and I was in a coma for a while"
Linus answered 7 more questions before leaving to return to the gray estate.