Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Everything you recognise belongs to J. K. Rowling.
A/N: I know that if the owner of the Elder Wand dies of natural causes, it will cease to be the most powerful wand, but for the purposes of this story, this fact will not be true.
Warning: This story has medieval themes. Other Characters will be included (Aries Black, son of Sirius Black and Marlene McKinnon). Character Death
CHAPTER I
In his one hundred and tenth year of life, King Albus of House Dumbledore, ruler of the Western Lands and king of Hogwarts Castle knew he would soon leave this earth. He was ageing and his illness was consuming him, no matter how strong and valiant he appeared to his people. Hogwarts Castle would be left without a ruler to keep it, without a leader to guide its young magicians in their studies. King Albus shuddered at the thought. More than half a century he had served the Western Lands. He could not bear to leave them despite his frequent claims that he was unafraid in the face of death.
Albus was very afraid. King Thomas of House Riddle, stylising himself King Gaunt, was rising from his home in the East, gaining followers with every day that passed. Thomas was not fit to be a king. He was craven and power hungry. His ambitions would destroy Britain.
King Albus sat up in his bed with difficulty. This would not do. He could be dead by midnight. He called on his most trusted advisor, the Lady Minerva. She appeared in his chambers, clad in her usual green robes, intense grey eyes staring right through his blue ones.
"Sire," she greeted him. Albus had long since asked her to be less formal, but Minerva was not a woman to be moved. "I am honoured you would ask for my presence."
King Albus smiled weakly. "Minerva," he said softly, motioning for her to come forward. "Come. You are my wisest advisor and my most trusted one. I require your help."
Minerva inclined her head again. "I am honoured, Your Grace. What is it that I can do for you?"
"Your men, Minerva. Your strongest men... You have trained the strongest warriors to walk Hogwarts Castle. Find them and bring them to me. The Alchemists, the Healers, the swordsmen and archers..."
Minerva bowed and disappeared from the king's chambers with a humble "yes, Sire." She tried to remember the greatest men that had studied under her. Lord Severus Snape of House Prince, the subtlest and most cunning of Alchemists, Lord Sirius of House Black, swordsman and wizard, Lord Franklin of Longbottom, Lord James of Potter...
Minerva smiled to herself at the mention of the latter two. They had just sired sons. Two healthy, strong boys who would one day do the two lords proud. Shaking her thoughts away, Minerva continued her journey. She Apparated to Potter Manor to find James. She strolled through the wards – James had granted her entrance years ago.
She found Lord James with two red-headed boys about ten and eight years of age. The boys were struggling with the bows in their hands.
James heard her footsteps and spun around, ready to fire a curse. He then saw her and smiled. "My lady," he said pleasantly. "What brings you here?"
Minerva glanced from Lord James to the boy. "James, who –,"
"William and Charles Weasley," he replied. "Arthur is holding a council. Molly's taking care of the rest."
Minerva knew quite well why James had to take eldest Weasley boys. Molly and Arthur Weasley had six sons and was pregnant with her seventh. Molly couldn't care for six children without her husband.
"King Albus demands your immediate presence," Minerva said finally.
A look of surprise crossed James's face. The two Weasley boys looked at each other in awe.
"The King?"
"He requires his strongest men," Minerva elaborated. "Take the boys back to the Lady Weasley and send letters to Houses Longbottom, Black and Prince and meet me at the Irongate."
James stabbed his broadsword into the ground and leaned his arm on the hilt, looking at Minerva challengingly. "Which of the Blacks do you need?"
"The Lord, you dim –,"
"Andromeda is a Healer. Bellatrix is a qualified duellist. Regulus is an Alchemist and currently holds the works of Nicholas Flamel in his own chambers. I do not know why King Albus calls for us, but I am certain the Blacks will be very valuable."
"That's wonderful," Minerva said drily, "except Bellatrix is Lady Lestrange and swore to serve King Riddle."
Lady Lily emerged from inside the manor house. "Mistress? It is very surprising to see you here."
Minerva averted her gaze from James to Lily. "Your apprenticeship to me ended years ago. You needn't call me that now."
James quickly repeated their conversation to his wife and waited for a reaction. James was a very unusual lord, realised Minerva. Few lords would let their wives speak.
"Bellatrix has come back to us," Lily said finally. "She looked for an army to lead. King Riddle did not offer her a place in his ranks. He does not think highly of any woman. And after Rodolphus was poisoned... There was no place for her there at all."
James frowned in confusion. "Lily, take the boys back to Molly. I will find the Blacks. Minerva, go find Frank and Severus."
James pulled the hood of his cloak over his head and disappeared. Lily sighed. "Come, boys," she told the two redheads. They obediently took her outstretched hand and she, too, disappeared from view. Minerva was left alone to look for the other two men.
As promised, they met at the Irongate minutes before midnight. The Irongate was a very aptly named landmark. It was a seventy-metre tall and two hundred-metre long black gate that separated the Western Lands in two. Its elaborate patterns took the form of sixty-metre tall dragons, whose wings met at a point at the top of the black gate. The dragons were painted in green and red, in honour of one of the strongest alliances and one of the worst wars in the history of Britain – Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin.
James appeared with four Blacks by his side. None of them had changed too much. They still possessed the patrician beauty that was typical for their family – the high, pronounced cheekbones, the thin faces, the black hair and stormy grey eyes and the tall, thin build.
Bellatrix Black glared at Minerva under heavy eyelids, keeping a firm grip on the hilt of her sword. James had laughed at first – the sight of a woman wielding a sword had been ridiculous. When he saw her strength, he had been the first to call her an ally.
"Hadrian and Neville will stay with my mother for the night," Franklin said. "She took them both."
Lily sighed in relief; she hadn't known what to do with her son. She trusted Molly with him, but the Lady Weasley had enough on her mind already. Finally, she had given him to Alice Longbottom.
"Very well," Minerva said. She pressed her hand to the red dragon's tail and the gate swung open. They travelled to Hogwarts Castle and found the king in his chambers.
After the typical formal greetings, King Albus began speaking. "Death is coming for me," he said softly. "I do not know how long... how long it will be. I have no sons or daughters. My brother refused the throne. I wish... I wish one of you to take it."
The group looked at each other. Albus stared at them with piercing blue eyes. James was not the one to care for thrones and politics. He was a knight and always would be. The king didn't trust Bellatrix with the throne. Franklin's place was beside James. Knights. Brothers.
"Sirius..." King Albus finally said. "Sirius, take the throne when I'm gone."
Regulus tried to drown his anger. Sirius was the first born, he reminded himself. But he, Regulus, had done everything right. He had pleased his lord father and stood by his family when the times were hard. Sirius had abandoned them and run off with his precious Marlene McKinnon and his fool allies James Potter and the half-blooded beast Remus Lupin. He deserved no throne and no titles.
Sirius dropped to his knees. "Your Grace," he said softly, "I am not worthy of the honour."
Albus smiled faintly. "You are not the rightful heir, Sirius, but you are the right king. Take Lily and Minerva as advisers. Bring back Remus Lupin. He is a wise man. The knighthood will guard the kingdom from Thomas Riddle." He took a deep breath. "If you look in the right place, you will find the answer to victory."
Sirius wanted to scream. This was no time for riddles. He needed a straight answer. Aloud, he only said, "Sire, do you wish me to write your will?"
Albus nodded slightly, looking pained. The illness that had consumed him two years ago had finally won the battle. "The throne is yours, Sirius. I stand by that." His voice was soft and weak, trembling. The only sounds in the chambers were the king's heavy breathing and Sirius's quill scratching on parchment.
"I leave... the title Lord Dumbledore to my brother Aberforth. I give all of my magical instruments... to Arthur Septimus Weasley, the Dumbledore Library to Minerva Isobel McGonagall and... my spells to James Charlus Potter... I leave my wand to Aries Sirius Black. And... the –," he coughed. Albus's eyes started closing. "Sword of Gryffindor... Hadrian James Potter..."
Albus's eyes closed and his heavy breathing was heard no more. Sirius and James adopted looks of devastation. Andromeda closed her eyes and pressed her head against the cool window. Frank put his head in his hands and tried to suppress his emotions. Regulus shook his head.
"How will we tell the people?" he asked hoarsely.
"I will do it," Minerva said bravely.
James stood up. "I'm going to send a letter to Remus," he mumbled.
Meanwhile, Sirius was wondering why Albus would leave his wand to his son.