"It is a kind of spiritual snobbery that makes people think they can be happy without money." — Albert Camus
James's POV
It had been a year since I was born into this world. I did nothing but eat, shit, sleep, and contemplate my life. The first thing I ever noticed that was abnormal in this world was, obviously, magic. I never got used to the sudden popping of Kreacher near me. It startled me a lot. My mother, Walburga, noticed for a few days how I became unsettled by their family elf's sudden appearances. So, she forbade the elf from Apparating directly into the room. Every time, the elf appeared at the door and knocked before entering.
Kreacher did most of the odd jobs, like cleaning up after me and taking care of me. Surprisingly, he was not cursing about it. It was awkward for a bit when it came to feeding, but I got used to it in a few days. Everyone doted on me in my family. I did smile and laugh when my family members came to see me, which clearly made me lovable to them.
I refrained from crying unnecessarily after pooping. I found that every time I cried about it, Kreacher got whipped. That was inhumane of them. So, I waited until Kreacher, or my mother checked on me. It was a hell of a task to adapt to this family. Whatever was considered the norm in the previous world was totally shifted here. I tried my best to adapt to certain things for the first six months after my birth.
After the first six months, I got used to my baby body. My family members started to use magic in front of me, and I was amused by that. They knew that whenever they performed a flashy spell in front of me, they gained my attention. Almost all the adults in the family could use a Patronus, except my grandmother. I wondered why.
My grandfather, Arcturus, sometimes took me to his study while governing family matters. From that, I knew my family was rich. Filthy rich! Not just rich, but very powerful; we had lots of influence in the Ministry of Magic. I could only imagine the extent of the power and wealth of the Black family from this small body. I needed to grow up fast.
Another piece of good news was that I had started sensing magic. I could not see it, but I could sense it, like a new force of energy circulating in all forms of life and material. Whenever my father performed the Patronus Charm to amuse me, I could sense the air change around me to form the spell. It was certainly a surprise.
I attributed this to my innate sense of the presence of my grandmother from my previous life. Magic was certainly fascinating to sense. It made me refreshed, yet it made me tired to keep sensing it. I was now aware that I was surrounded by magic, but it did not nourish me like in cultivation novels. So, I just kept sensing it and growing accustomed to it.
I was not in a hurry to get the magic inside me and become an Obscurus so fast. It would certainly make my life miserable. But I was aware of the impending danger that was about to befall this family: Voldemort.
My first name day was arriving…
…
The Black family had many properties. One such property was the Grand Manor of Black. This castle-like structure was built eons ago by the first of the Blacks, before London was even a place. The history of London dates back to 47 AD when the people of Rome settled near the River Thames. The city was then called Londinium.
…
Flashback: 47 AD
The Roman explorers marched their way to Britain. They found the River Thames and the land around it flourishing and fertile. They found simpletons and peasants living in these lands with no knowledge of the world, living in peaceful communities. They intended to occupy these lands and enslave the communities for the purpose of labor.
Roman Emperor Claudius gave the order to seize the lands and expand Rome here. Before that, he ordered his men to explore the lands and assess the people in various communities to be reported back to Rome. While surveying the lands, they found a grand palace, far bigger than any structure they had ever laid eyes upon. The castle gave the soldiers and explorers an eerie sense, like something far ancient resided there.
A brave soldier, along with his men, approached the castle that resided in the forest. They found it weird that they were walking on the same spot for a long time and found it hard to appear near the gates. At that moment, a booming voice resounded in their minds:
"Leave this instant or perish."
The soldiers and explorers knelt on the spot in fear. When they went out of the forest, the castle vanished. Only the forest remained. The strange occurrence was reported back to Rome, and the Emperor ordered a ban on entering the forest. The idea of enslaving the Britons was dropped, and the Romans occupied the nearby places without any damage to the existing communities.
Flashback Ends
…
The Grand Manor of Black sat on a huge 35-acre plot. The manor itself was a behemoth that towered over the Cathedral of Spain. It contained hundreds of rooms that could not be explored in a day. Some of the rooms were hidden so well that they had not been explored yet. Some rooms were restricted with wards that limited access. Some had been lost in time, waiting for a worthy heir of House Black to open them. If it was not meant for them, they remained protected.
The accessible parts of the castle itself were tiresome to take care of. More than 100 house-elves lived here to take care of the castle regularly. The castle had several ballrooms in which parties and gatherings took place. One such ballroom was where my first birthday was celebrated…