evelynn | t.riddle

34 | INHERITANCE

EVELYNN SHADOWS TOM TO DIAGON ALLEY STRAIGHT FROM HOGWARTS. At some point, he seriously needs to learn Shadow Magic himself; not only for the prestige of mastering an obscure, long-lost branch of magic that few have heard of, but also to alleviate the discomfort of traveling in such a way. She offers, "I can wait in the lobby, if you want."

Once he's recovered, Tom rolls his eyes and retorts, "You'll scare the Goblins in the front lobby, Evelynn." His language is crude but accurate - it seems Evelynn's influence is starting to rub off on him.

He thinks to himself, I'll work on that later. Right now, I've got an inheritance to claim.

Ten minutes later, Griphook is staring at him, his eyes almost as wide as Ragnuk's were when he was with Evelynn that summer day. "I'm going to assume Miss Peverell brought you?" he asks.

Tom nods in response, asking, "You can tell?"

Griphook responds flatly, "Her magic signature is all over you. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were also the Master of Death."

Tom shakes his head and says, "No, I'm not. I'm just close with her." He means really, really close, but that's all.

Griphook stares at him for a solid minute as if he's gone full-Voldemort, then finally deadpans, "You must either be the bravest human in existence or have a death wish. I swear." Now, he fully understands what Director Ragnuk meant when he said these two clients would likely be the most difficult he'd ever have to work with.

Tom refrains from denying that Evelynn is that intimidating - she usually isn't, and she's never intentionally directed it at him - and says, "Either way, we need to get back to school before we're missed."

Griphook nods and says, "Gringotts has been notified of Morfin Gaunt's death - as such, you are now eligible to claim any Lordships awaiting you."

Tom frowns internally at Griphook's choice of words and asks, "Is the Slytherin Lordship available for me to claim?" After all, he was identified as the Heir. However, he might have to wait for it, much like Evelynn does for the Peverell Inheritance.

Griphook shrugs and responds, "Unknown. Salazar Slytherin was extremely cautious with the Lordship. He included clauses about who was worthy and who wasn't. The last eight generations of Gaunts have not been found worthy, leading everyone to assume the Slytherin Lordship was a myth. The Goblins know better, but the general consensus was that it would never be claimed again." Given how the Gaunts were becoming increasingly unstable, violent, and weak, it was assumed that the line would eventually die out.

Tom hums, then asks, "And the Gaunt Lordship?"

Griphook sneers in disgust, responding, "A title only, at this point. The Gaunts had little common sense, squandering their fortune four generations ago. There is no gold to flow at the moment." In Goblin Society, someone who wastes all their money and brings none in is considered barely better than a thief. Thieves are viewed as the worst of the worst.

Tom sneers back, stating, "I intend to turn that around completely, you'll be pleased to know." He already has the most important parts - the actual Lordship and access to its 'holdings'.

Griphook nods, giving Tom a sharp, toothy smile, and asks, "Would you like to take another Inheritance Test to see if you are eligible for the Slytherin Lordship?"

Tom shakes his head, responding, "I remember it declaring me the heir last time. Would the result differ if I were eligible?"

Griphook shakes his head and says, "That makes this easier. No, it would not. If you weren't eligible, it wouldn't have proclaimed you as the Heir. You'll remain the Heir until the Lordship Ring accepts you. I recommend ensuring that you're not under any controlling spells or potions first, as you only get one chance and the Slytherin Ring will reject you if any foreign magic is controlling yours."