"Just as Nero reached for the door, ready to step out of the Ravenclaw common room, the Sorting Hat's voice rang out from its now usual stop."
"Where are you going, lad?"
Nero paused, a smirk tugging at his lips. "As you know, I have quite a lot of pressure from accumulating lots of knowledge. It is time for me to unwind a bit. What better than to marry the useful with the enjoyable? I've decided it's time to step up my game regarding purifying dark artifacts."
The hat let out an amused hum. "And what do you have in mind? Since you developed that blasted application of barriers to shield your mind, I can't even see what you're thinking anymore."
Nero chuckled. "Ah, I have to thank you for that, my dear hat teacher. Though I have to actively form the barrier, my Occlumency is strong enough to detect any attempt to peer into my mind. Once I sense it, I can block it for about sixty seconds, more than enough time to fully deploy my barriers. Still, one day, I'll be able to do it passively, without barriers." His smirk widened. "And who knows? Maybe I could even learn how to apply fake memories to those barriers, that would be a nice surprise for whomever wants to peer into my mind."
The hat gave a dry laugh. "You're a terrifying child."
Nero's expression remained playful. "Flattery will get you nowhere."
Then, with a glint in his eye, he added, "Besides, it's about time I started learning Legilimency."
"Legilimency, is it?" the hat mused.
"Well, I can't exactly carry Veritaserum everywhere, can I?"
The hat barked a laugh. "Cunning little snake, aren't you? Why didn't I sort you into Slytherin already?"
Nero gave a slight bow. "I'm just built differently. Now, if you'll excuse me"
The hat interrupted, "Where are you going so early on a Saturday?"
Nero waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry. Nothing Grandpa didn't agree to."
"That doesn't reassure me."
Nero merely grinned.
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With an almost imperceptible pop, Nero arrived just outside Gringotts Wizarding Bank, its grand marble facade gleaming under the morning sun.
The goblin guards stationed near the entrance scrutinized him as he stepped forward, but their sharp gazes barely fazed him.
Waiting near the entrance was Ironquill, a goblin Nero had come to respect, not only for his efficiency but for his wealth of knowledge.
As the goblin in charge of the Ravenclaw family vaults, Ironquill had access to some of the most well-guarded magical secrets within Gringotts.
"Young Master Nero, I'm pleased you remembered to contact me should you need anything," Ironquill greeted, his piercing gaze appraising him carefully.
Nero nodded respectfully. "Of course. I'm grateful for your assistance."
Ironquill studied him for a moment before giving a sharp nod. "You are an interesting one. Seeking such dangerous knowledge at such a young age… it is not a decision made lightly."
"Curse-breaking is a perilous profession," Ironquill continued as he gestured for Nero to follow him inside. "Most wizards do not consider it until after years of field experience. Even among goblins, it is reserved for the most disciplined." He gave Nero a sideways glance. And yet, here you are."
Nero smiled. "I prefer learning by doing."
Ironquill let out a rare chuckle. "That much is clear."
The two walked past the grand counters where goblins meticulously handled transactions.
The main banking hall was as busy as ever, with wizards and witches haggling over inheritance disputes or nervously signing contracts.
Nero ignored the chaos, his focus solely on Ironquill as they moved deeper into the bank's restricted areas.
Eventually, they arrived before a grand, heavily warded door. Runes shimmered along its frame, pulsing with ancient magic.
It was a testament to just how much powerful magic was protected within.
Ironquill placed his palm against the door, murmuring something in Gobbledegook.
The enchantments unraveled, and the massive door swung open soundlessly.
Inside was an office unlike any other Nero had seen.
The room was lined with ancient tomes, enchanted relics resting on pedestals, and several artifacts radiating ominous energy, contained within warded cases.
Along the walls, maps were pinned with detailed notes scrawled in Gobbledegook, marking dangerous excavation sites or lost ruins.
Ironquill walked toward his desk and gestured for Nero to take a seat across from him.
"Tell me," Ironquill began, steepling his long fingers together. "Why, exactly, are you interested in curse-breaking? There are far less dangerous paths you could take."
Nero leaned back slightly. "Because knowing how to dismantle curses means understanding them better than those who cast them. And understanding them means power."
Ironquill's lips curled into something between a smirk and a sneer. "Spoken like a true wizard. But I assume your ambitions are not as crude as mere power."
"Knowledge," Nero corrected. "There are too many mysteries in this world, too many secrets buried under curses and wards. I won't let something as primitive as ignorance stop me."
Ironquill tapped a long, sharp nail against his desk, considering the boy in front of him. "A reasonable answer," he admitted. "But not sufficient."
Nero raised an eyebrow.
"Gringotts does not accommodate mediocrity," Ironquill continued.
"Curse-breakers who work under our banner must meet the highest standards, for we cannot afford incompetence. If you wish to pursue this path through Gringotts, you will need to pass a test. Fail, and I will still assist you, but only outside of Gringotts' influence."
Nero exhaled through his nose, amusement flickering in his gaze. "I was wondering when the person hiding in the room was going to reveal themselves."
He turned his head slightly, scanning the shadows in the corner.
"But I suppose that was part of the test in itself. Someone unable to detect such an obvious presence…"
He let the sentence hang, a faint smirk curling his lips. "Might as well sign their death warrant before stepping foot into a ruin."
The air shifted. A slow, deliberate clap echoed through the room.
From the shadows, a figure emerged, the darkness clinging to him like a second skin.
His robes blended seamlessly into the gloom, enchanted threads swallowing the ambient light.
He moved with a predator's grace, footsteps too measured to be casual.
The man was tall, lean, and weathered, with the coiled tension of someone who lived at the edge of a blade.
His sharp, hawk-like eyes glinted with amusement as they fixed on Nero.
"Not bad," the man murmured, voice low and roughened by time. It wasn't praise, merely a statement of fact. "Few notice me before I want them to."
He crossed his arms, head tilting slightly. "Are you sure you're not an older wizard under Polyjuice Potion?"
Nero grinned. "Wouldn't that be something?"
The man chuckled darkly, his interest in the boy clearly piqued.
Ironquill merely smirked. "I believe introductions are in order gentlemen."
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