With a few more political tidbits, I was shown to a room that would become mine. Since I had sorta already accepted their offer of adoption, I would need only say yes, magically, and then go through with it. That would come soon, I needed to settle and rest, and they needed to get a few things ready as well.
The rest of the day preceded peacefully, Sal and Betty had things to do suddenly, and I was left to read a bit about the political landscape, contracts, some warlock that accidentally turned his wife into a frog, the tale of the three brothers, and an odd book that was crammed into the corner titled 'A Cat Named Jeff'. It was about familiars and how with a proper bond contract, certain abilities can be passed to and from a bond. It detailed a few other more slave like contracts, but the one I focused on was an 'Equals Pact'.
I took the book out onto the porch with me and read it in the fresh air.
'An Equals Pact, need not be made with only your familiar..', but there was a warning at the bottom that it would be 'no different from a Blood Pact with extra', 'when performed in place of a Blood Pact, if either dies the other dies', and what not. 'Not Recommended', etc. It's all about intent, if one intends to use it with a familiar, then that doesn't come into effect.
"An Equals Pact, and intent. Huh.." I mumble out loud and in that moment, a jet black cat leaps up from beside me and makes me it's new napping spot.
"Hello there." I say softly, "I didn't see you buddy, are you a regular here?" I ask as if the cat can respond, but respond it did.
It turn its eyes towards me, and in my head I felt a ping. Occlumency, I had only read a brief bit about it, I haven't even set up anything yet, but I felt that. Perhaps It was intentional.
The cat mewed at me, nudging me, and pawing the book below me.
"One day, bud. But for now I need to accept my place in this family first, and learn more about magic. Perhaps for my 11th birthday, I feel like that would be significant magically. I'm not sure why."
The cat mewed in content, and was about to settle in when we heard the crack of apparition. I looked up to see that Betty and Sal returned, but when I looked back at the cat, he was gone. 'Until next time, bud.'
"Everything is ready, we can hold the ritual at any time." Came Sal's voice while holding a vial of golden liquid that seemed to shimmer and flow without any physical reason.
"I'm ready. I'm reasonably assured that this won't be too bad. I just hope I can catch up before Hogwarts." I reply.
"A Claw then?" Betty chimes in. "Or perhaps a Snake, what with asking about our politics before agreeing to the adoption? Then again, you're rather brave and perhaps rushing a bit blindly, maybe a Griff? And catching up would require a great deal of hard work, how Puffish of you."
"I get the feeling that I'll either be a Claw or a Snake. But until I go under the hat, I won't know for sure." Is my reply. "I'm usually a Claw when I play any games," Before they can ask I say, "future knowledge." with a wave of my hand. "But when I write I'm nearly always in Slytherin." I shrug. "I'm not thrilled with politics, but I can't deny how important they are in this world, and if I'm thrown all the way back here, I might as well do whatever I can to prevent some nasty things. I can do that politically best."
"Well reasoned. Let's get to it then, the ritual circle is in the back." Sal says as he start walking around to the back of the house. "You'll need to remove yourself of any magical enchantments you ahve on yourself, for all that this is a magic ritual, it requires a lot of mundane work.
After removing my cellphone, which was fried 6 ways to Sunday, and I didn't even realize was in my pocket, we began the ritual. I was putting a lot of trust in Betty and Sal, or I suppose Mom and Dad soon, but as I was sure I had already done it, I knew in my core I would be fine... Or this really is crazy town and I'm in a padded room somewhere.
I turned to Betty and said, "We haven't gone over your ancestry yet, mum." She gasped. "Well, I should get used to it sooner rather than later, since that's what you'll be. Mine is long gone, or rather not even my great grandmother exists yet, so you and Dad are what I'll have after this ritual. And a cat."
"Cat?" Sal asks, but Betty shushes him, "Later. Ritual first, then my history, then we talk about other things. Center of the circle, dearie. We will claim you, by our names, and you will then accept by your chosen name, and then Sal will finish the ritual with a special incantation that will grant you extra protection for being out of your time."
"How will Sal do that, no offense, but as I'm still quite ignorant of magic, and this is magic right?" I ask meekly.
"You'll see." He chuckles.
"Ready?" They ask and I nod in reply.
"I Salazar Ezra Prince, do hereby claim this one as mine, by magic and blood."
"I Bathilda Helen Bagshot, do hereby claim this one as mine, by magic and blood."
"I Benevolence Valor Prince, do hereby accept their claim as mine, by magic and blood."
I was handed the vial, to drink and I did. Then I heard something I most certainly didn't expect from anyone just quite yet and certainly not form Sal. How much was I wrong about the wizarding world?
"Ssssaaavvvvyyyaaaalll, Sssseeevvvvvvsssss, Ssssssppppooooottttttkkkkktttttssss"
Dad grew quite weak from that. I suppose it was a lot for him. But to think that a squib could use parslemagic.
"Dad, are you okay?" I rush to his side to keep him standing, but he looks to me in shock before reaching out to grab my shoulder.
"Concentrate on who you are. What you look like. Do you remember what you look like, Benny?" He says to me softly, as if to calm me down.
I tilt my head slightly. "I'm not sure I understand what you're talking about, and to be perfectly honest with you, I really don't recall what I looked like at 8, but I suppose I had my parents general features, and I was a bit small for my age, I didn't hit a growth spurt until my mid teens." I look to take a good look at him and mum. "Shouldn't I look like you two now, though?"
"That's not how the potion works, you might, heh, you have inherited a few familial magical traits, but your physical appearance should have remained the same. You are now a metamorphmagus, so you will need to learn to keep one form."
"WILL YOU TWO STOP ALL THAT RUDDY HISSING!" Mum said with some heat. "I hate it when you talk without me Sal! You know that!. Benny dear, It seems you have inherited a few family magics, but please speak English around me."
"Wait.... I'm a parslemouth!?"