In the early years of peace and tranquility the Wizarding world was, in a whole, a very safe place. Witch, wizard and creature alike could exist harmoniously and, even though some of them had very different views of one another, they kept out of each other's way and somewhat respected their opinions.
In these years, a generation existed that was filled with magical families with different blood statuses and higher and lower ranks. These families thought it wise to try and preserve their family honor no matter what the circumstances. Each individual family had their own beliefs and their own way of expressing their opinion to others. These families were, overall, very different in their appearance, their beliefs, their rules and their expectations, but all the families had one thing in common: dark secrets.
"Are you sure this is safe? It doesn't look safe by any means." Said Walburga Black, standing in the drawing room of her house next to Arcturus, her father-in-law. Arcturus was holding a locket which was made of gold and had a pendant that had a snake made of green jewels on it. The pendant was about the size of a small egg and it looked as though it could be opened and closed with the latch on the side. Much to the dismay of Walburga, it didn't open when she tried.
"Walburga, I am old," said Arcturus wearily, looking at Walburga with tired eyes. "I cannot protect it anymore. As much as I wish I could, time has not been kind to me. I must make sure that, before I die, this locket is under the greatest protection our family can offer," he said. Walburga turned away from him, her arms crossed, staring ahead of her in thought. "I know this is difficult for you, Walburga, and I wouldn't burden it on you if I didn't have any other choice. But since Orion died, I have to make sure that the next generation of this family protects this locket. He was your husband. He explained what this locket means to the Noble family of Black." He said to her. Walburga turned to him with fire in her eyes.
"Of course he explained it to me, Arcturus. That's what frightens me. I know too much about that locket and what it is. I don't want to subject myself to that." She told him in a hushed voice, glancing towards the stairs to make sure neither of her boys came down the stairs. She looked back at Arcturus. "Why can't you give it to the Malfoys? Or another family? Why does it have to stay in the Black family?" she gave the locket a nasty look as it glinted under the light of the candle-lit room.
"I've already explained this to you! It must stay under our family's protection or great misfortune will come upon our family! You heard the Prophecy yourself!" he exclaimed. Walburga shushed him wildly, her eyes wide as they dashed to the stairs again.
"Do not wake my children!" she hissed under her breath. "Of course I heard the Prophecy, Arcturus, but I'm frightened for my life! This locket is evil!"
"I understand that! I've protected it for nearly all my life! But now, I can no longer protect it and you must take it because if we don't continue to keep it safe, the Noble House of Black will be Noble no longer!" he whispered harshly at her. Walburga glared at the old man for a moment before she sighed in surrender.
"Fine. What do I do to protect it?" she asked him quickly, staring at the locket. Arcturus felt a relief come over his body and he continued to talk.
"The key to protecting this locket is to make sure that you take turns wearing it. Don't let anyone wear it for very long. You're going to have to make the boys wear it some days. But it is in the utmost importance that you do not put it somewhere where you'll forget it. You must keep it in your sights at all times," he said. Walburga sighed and nodded quickly, knowing she didn't have a choice. Just before he handed the locket to her, Arcturus looked her right in the eyes and gave her an immensely serious look. "This locket is the most important thing in your life now, Walburga. This locket comes before your own safety. You must promise me now that you will protect it no matter what happens." Said Arcturus. Walburga stared at the old man for a moment before she nodded.
"I promise." She pledged. She looked down at the locket and Arcturus quickly looked down at it as well. He swallowed and slowly, he placed the locket in her hands. Arcturus looked back at Walburga's face, which seemed to have relaxed as though a burden had been lifted completely from his shoulders.
"…Good luck." He told her. Walburga looked up just in time to see Arcturus disappear out the front door, shutting it quietly. The room was filled with silence for a moment before Walburga heard a floorboard creak behind her. She spun around, snatching her wand from her pocket and was about to shoot a spell at the person standing behind her when she saw her little boy with shaggy black hair and brown eyes standing by the stairwell, holding the railing, staring at her curiously. Walburga felt anger build up inside her as she stowed her wand in her pocket and hid the locket behind her back.
"Sirius!" she exclaimed wildly. "Get upstairs, now! I didn't permit you to come out of your room! Its hours past your bedtime!" she yelled. Frightened at the violence in her mother's tone, little Sirius Black ran up the stairs and back into his bedroom. Walburga, being left alone once again, sighed and looked down at the locket in her hand, which sparkled innocently in the dimly-lit room. She stared at it for a moment before she put the gold chain around her neck and dropped the pendant beneath her shirt, making the locket all but disappear into a protective non-existence once more.