Back in the present, Dumbledore dreaded the coming breakfast, yet he refused to sidestep the moment. The Headmaster of Hogwarts could be accused of many things, but cowardice was not among them. He had created this situation, and he would face whatever consequences followed.
Julian, however, remained entirely unaware of the storm waiting for him. He ate his dinner in peace.
...
Once the meal ended, Julian left the Great Hall and took a shortcut toward the seventh floor. He intended to use the Room of Requirement for the ritual he had been preparing.
He asked the room for a perfectly clean space with no light at all, and the Room of Requirement provided it without hesitation.
He moved quickly, first determining the cardinal directions. Then, with the room illuminated by a Lumos charm, he drew the ritual circle exactly as the book instructed. When the markings were complete, he placed the ingredients in their proper positions, then stepped into the center of the circle and extinguished the Lumos, plunging himself into darkness.
"NON OBSTRUET ME OBSCURUM SICUT EGO PRAECIPIO TIBI!"
The moment he spoke the activation phrase, he felt the magic within him respond.
...
It flowed outward from his feet, ran along the line through the circle's center, and paused briefly over the two sets of eyes. Then it spread through the rest of the circle and gathered, building pressure.
A pulse followed.
As soon as it hit, the eyes burst into smoke.
The smoke streamed along the central line, then climbed up Julian's body in a slow, crawling rush before pouring straight into his eyes.
Julian cried out as sharp pain flared, the magic working aggressively to reshape and adjust his vision.
Blood ran from his eyes for five full minutes. Only after that did the pain finally ease enough for him to force his eyes open.
...
He stared into the darkness and froze, surprised.
He could see clearly despite the absence of light. Everything looked slightly muted, as if the world was shaded, but it was still sharp and readable, almost like viewing the room on a cloudy afternoon rather than in pitch black.
He could feel the blood on his face. He glanced down at the floor, sighed, and cleaned himself up before banishing the mess. After that, he removed the ritual circle and left the Room of Requirement, heading for bed.
...
A few secret passages later, he reached the Fat Lady's portrait. She merely smiled at him and shook her head.
"Marmalade," Julian said, giving the password.
The portrait swung open without a word.
At this point, it was practically tradition for Gryffindors to ignore curfew rules, and the Fat Lady was long past the stage of being surprised by it.
...
The ritual had not taken long, only about an hour. That still left Julian able to sleep at a reasonable time, which was fortunate, because the work had mentally drained him.
He did not meet the elf in his dreams that night.
He woke at dawn as usual.
Julian was in a good mood. His plans were fitting together neatly, and he headed to breakfast wearing a broad grin.
...
Breakfast began normally enough. Students settled in, food appeared thanks to the house elves, and the hall filled with the usual sounds of morning conversation.
Then the owls arrived.
That was when Julian, along with those familiar with him, stiffened in surprise.
A large tawny owl landed directly in front of him, carrying a small box with a letter tied neatly to it.
Julian paid the bird, fed it a strip of bacon as a treat, and watched it take off again, still wearing a puzzled expression.
"Whatcha got there, mate?" Ron asked, leaning closer with curiosity. Harry looked equally interested.
"I'm not sure," Julian admitted. "I don't have any family, and I didn't order anything. I don't know why I'm getting mail."
"Try the letter," Harry suggested. "Maybe it'll explain it."
Julian nodded, untied the envelope from the parcel, and examined it.
It was plain white, sealed with a blob of gold wax. Pressed into the wax was a signet mark, a capital G stylized into the shape of a goblin's head.
Julian did not recognize it, so he showed it to Ron.
Ron's face shifted instantly. "That's the Gringotts mark," he said, suddenly serious. "This has to be important!"
Julian did not hesitate. He sliced the seal open with a knife, pulled out the single sheet of paper, and read.
{Dear Mr. Iron
We at Gringotts are writing to inform you as to the results of the inheritance test performed under the request of one Albus Percival Wulforth Dumbledore. The details of the test are in the parcel attached to this letter. We sincerely look forward to future business with you and wish you a profitable day. Sincerely- Warwick Davis.}