To Bow with Pride
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
Warnings: See chapter 1.
A/N: My undying gratitude goes to Ninfea for beta'ing this chapter. (Edited April 2014)
Chapter 2.
Sirius Black was uncharacteristically subdued. He hid his sullen face behind a glass, taking tiny sips. Soon after he arrived at the summer gathering at the family seat, it took only one remark in Arcturus' acid drawl about Gryffindor, "Still rolling in that muggle filth, are you?" and he retreated to the corner to avoid engaging in any conversations with his relatives. The Black gathering always put Sirius on edge, in contrast to the rest of the Blacks who were fully enjoying their posh robes and dresses and flaunting their wealth and individual connections.
He was tempted to put a jinx on the food table to alleviate his anxiety. But ever since Irma had slapped Sirius in public for spiking the cocktail served at a gala two years ago, he didn't dare. Irma Black, nee Crabbe, absolutely terrified Sirius. She was one of the Heads of the Blacks, an intimidating woman with hawk-like eyes that seemed to pierce into people and shred through their minds with her claws. He kept a careful eye on her – if she was heading in his direction, he would bolt out to another hiding place. Thank Merlin that Arcturus, Irma, and other Heads of the Blacks were staying at the East Wing of the Manor, far far from his room.
Home had stopped being home long time ago. Especially during the summer when most of the Blacks gathered in the Black Manor and socialised for at least a month. Sirius felt like he was treading on a war ground in the Black Manor with his vulnerabilities open — soldiering through a raft of enemies who always knew precisely where to strike to inflict the most pain.
Sirius leaned his head against the wall and sighed, wondering when his misery would end. But he tensed as he heard footsteps nearing him.
"Move out of my way," Bellatrix hissed, shoving roughly against him as she collected a glass from the buffet.
Sirius grimaced and inched away from his cousin. Bellatrix always acted like everything Sirius did raised her hackles, and Sirius had soon figured it was best to stay away. Her obsession with Dark Arts and constant mockery towards his Gryffindor friends put Sirius in constant conflict with his cousin.
He sorely missed his friends. Sirius wondered what others were doing. Remus was probably studying for O. W. L. s already; James and Sirius would cram for two weeks before the exams like they had always done. Peter might be practicing Quidditch with James.
Sirius ignored the pang in his heart. He broke out of his reverie when he noticed a stranger among the old coots.
That was odd. Was he one of the distant or estranged relatives?
Sirius scanned the stranger. He was surprised to see his relatives not clucking their tongues at the man's tousled, unruly hair, a style his relatives always detested. The man looked quite charming, but Sirius had thought the Blacks favored cool, cunning faces, claiming such features as "pureblood." The man exuded confidence and had the stance of an experienced soldier, both alert and relaxed at the same time. Who was he?
He caught Cassi's eyes and waved playfully. His favorite little cousin was standing beside her mother who was talking to the stranger with genuine appreciation on her face. Sirius was surprised. Aunt Lucretia didn't often have such a look on her face when dealing with strangers.
Sirius disliked Lucretia less for being the sanest among his relatives and for her witty retorts. Sure, she took the blood purity into account when judging someone, but it wasn't as extreme as other relatives. It also helped that she didn't bash on him and his Gryffindor allegiance.
He snickered as Andromeda too was stung by a barb from Arcturus' tongue and joined him in his corner space, accompanied by Narcissa. "Who is the new bloke?" Sirius asked her, tilting his head towards the stranger. She looked relieved to drop the fake smile especially worn for their relatives.
"Dunno. Heard he saved Lucretia and Cassi from the Death Eater raid in Diagon Alley," answered Andromeda.
"What? Are they okay?" asked Sirius, alarmed. Sirius scanned Lucretia and Cassi and sighed in relief when he couldn't see any visible harm.
"Is he pureblood?" asked Narcissa, glancing at the man.
"I don't know. But I'm sure that he's at least half pureblood. And I mean pure pureblood, not like those Weasleys who degrade themselves by marrying filth, but a regal and noble pureblood," said Bellatrix from behind them, making Sirius jump, appraising the man with sharp eyes. "Of course he can't have those features and manners without having some pureblood in his blood," she smirked.
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Excuse me, cousin, but 'pureblood' doesn't inherently have aesthetic features. Look at Goyle. The git is as pureblood as he can get and he looks like a direct descendant of a troll."
Andromeda smothered a laughter.
"Yes, just like how you're pureblood and you act like a mangy mutt," Bellatrix shot back.
Sirius ignored her.
Andromeda coughed. "He looks dashing," Andromeda grinned, waggling her eyebrows, trying to lighten up the mood.
Sirius furrowed his eyebrows. He thought Dromeda had a crush on a Hufflepuff. At least, that's what she'd be been denying shrilly whenever he teased her about it. Not that he did so near any other Blacks – that would be cruel, considering her parents were the most dreadful in their unadulterated hatred for Muggles and mudbloods. When she demanded to be told how he knew about her secret studying sessions with her Hufflepuff, Sirius would avoid answering by simply running away. Of course he couldn't tell her Sirius and his friends were roaming and inspecting 7th floor to complete the Marauder's Map. Sirius almost felt that having James' Invisibility Cloak was cheating; snooping was so easy.
Sirius staggered as someone lightly punched him in the arm. It was Uncle Alphard. "Having fun, Sirius?" Bellatrix took one look at him and stalked away, sneering. "Hullo, Narcissa." Narcissa gave Alphard a nod.
"Oh yeah," replied Sirius, rolling his eyes.
Uncle Alphard nodded knowingly. Among the Blacks, Alphard was one of the very few people he could relate to. Alphard precariously balanced himself between being a member of the Black family, albeit barely meeting their expectations, and being a wizard who befriended muggleborns and even Muggles, masterfully disguising the latter side to their relatives – except he loved his half-Muggle, half-wizard fashion which irritated the Blacks. Sirius knew Alphard earned Narcissa's respect for his extensive traveling.
Alphard was the very first person other than his friends who told Sirius that it was okay to be a Gryffindor. He had hugged Sirius and said he was proud to have a nephew with the heart of a lion.
"Why aren't you in that group, Uncle Alphard?" Sirius asked, pointing with his chin at the group around the stranger.
"Nah," he waved his hand dismissively. "Heard the man attended Durmstrang. That's an outright label for pureblood worshipers. And you know how much I want to befriend those people."
"He looks like a bloody ponce to me," Sirius mumbled.
Alphard slowly shook his head and gave Sirius a look of mock concern and pity.
Lucretia applauded her cleverness in bringing the stranger home. Carrow, or Harry as she'd been invited to call him, was indeed a great find. Harry was clearly brilliant. He had driven off those Death Eaters without a twitch. He was fending off the Blacks in their own home with deft skill, handling Druella's grilling on his Durmstrang education and Cassi tugging on his sleeve to demand whether he could play Quidditch with equal patience and courtesy. He had even charmed that old grouch Irma into, if not outright acceptance, then forbearance.
But with every answer he gave, five more would leap to Lucretia's lips, and she was struggling to hold her tongue. If he was British-born, why did he go to Durmstrang when his cousins went to Hogwarts? Why was he reluctant to talk about his relatives? How and where did he learn all that advanced magic?
Still, even with his mystery, his power and charm was magnetic.
Lucretia could see the fleeting, shrewd glint in her relatives' eyes as they stared at the man. Blacks had a knack for identifying any sort of profit or advantage for self-preservation. They all were thinking the same thing. Establish a tie with this man. And exploit the man's obvious soft-heartedness with children.
The elder Blacks with children in Hogwarts decided to seize the opportunity. Walburga and Orion exchanged glances, and beside them, Cygnus coolly nodded to Druella and she gave him an approving smile.
Regulus would be in his 4th year, and Sirius and Narcissa in their 5th. They could ask for the man's help with their O. W. L. s. and Andromeda with her N. E. W. T. s. As for Bellatrix, for her upcoming final year in Hogwarts, she wanted to secure her top rank and reputation in Hogwarts Dueling club before she graduated.
"Did you hear about the current British Dark Lord, Mr. Carrow?" asked Druella, clearly unable to restrain herself any further. Suddenly people around them broke into murmurs about the Dark.
"Yes. Speaking of which, I didn't know the Death Eaters decided to employ offensive tactics," said the man, his eyes narrowing.
"Oh now, about that matter," Irma bustled. "How dare they sweep you, members of the Black family, into the middle of Diagon Alley! You are all right, aren't you, my dears?" Irma patted Cassi's cheek again. Cassi cringed and shied away from Irma's hand. Lucretia growled inwardly. That woman, she sighed.
"Don't take it too personally." Irma advised them. "The Dark Lord knows our allegiance lies with him. I'm sure it wasn't his intention to hurt you."
"Even if it wasn't the intention, the end result was us almost getting killed," Lucretia bristled.
Imra waved it off. "I'm sure it was mere intimidation."
The man turned to face Irma. "Allegiance? So does the Black family formally support the Dark Lord?"
Pollux coughed. "Well … Allegiance might be a strong word," said Pollux, trying to be diplomatic. Irma threw a reproachful look at him. She preferred straightforwardness rather than convoluted slyness with intentional ambiguity.
"But that is not to say we don't agree with his views on muggles and mudbloods," Pollux hastily added after eyeing Irma's disgruntled face.
"Well at least mudbloods have magic," said Orion grudgingly. "Nonetheless, they risk too much exposure for the Wizarding World, having their feet in both the muggle and Wizarding World."
The Blacks around them nodded and murmured in agreement, their spite towards muggles and muggleborns flashing in their eyes.
Sirius cautiously eyed Orion, Walburga, Cygnus, and Druella surrounding the man with too eager looks on their faces. He couldn't help but applaud the stranger for holding his ground against the team of notorious four Blacks.
"Why are they looking at us? They look cheerful. That usually means someone's going to be hurt," said Sirius with dread pooling in his stomach. It didn't help that Alphard's look of pity was quite genuine before he walked away to entertain Marius Black who recently came back from Austria.
"You're overreacting again," Bellatrix sneered, clearly unfazed at their parents' scheme. Sirius ignored her and turned to Andromeda who was sharing a piece of dessert with Narcissa.
Andromeda looked over at the crowd, assessing the interaction between the man and their parents. The man's expression remained politely blank until Druella stepped closer and said something, joined by Cygnus. The stranger seemed confused at first. Then as Lucretia chimed in, gesturing at Cassi and also towards the younger Blacks who were watching from afar, he contemplated for a while and nodded in agreement. Their parents smiled in relief.
"Children." Druella approached them with a satisfied smile on her lips. She looked like the cat who got at the cream. The stranger looked like he'd had an unexpected windfall, and was smiling at them with an amused glint in his eyes. Sirius eyed him suspiciously.
"I believe we found you a tutor," said Druella, gesturing at the man. "Mr. Carrow is a very skilled wizard and has extensive knowledge in various areas of magic. We deem his assistance to be helpful to your studies and preparations for exams."
"What? We just got out of school a week ago!" Sirius protested.
"We, as in —?" inquired Narcissa.
"Your father and I. And, of course, Orion and Walburga. Lucretia wants Mr. Carrow to teach Cassi the basic theories of magic in general and help her with Potions, and we figured all of you may appreciate his help for your exams."
"How do you know he's so 'skilled' when you've only known him for less than a day?" snapped Sirius, feeling ridiculous that they would appoint the man with dubious background.
"Lucretia can attest to his skills." His mother silently scolded Sirius, her cold coal-like eyes drilling into Sirius'. And are you doubting our judgment? He dropped his eyes to the floor, fuming.
"I need help with Defense," said Andromeda, shrugging.
Lucretia, who had been standing beside the man, smiled.
"From what I gathered watching Mr. Carrow dueling, he's beyond capable in Defense as well as offensive magic, I can guarantee you that." The man flushed at her compliment. Sirius rolled his eyes.
Narcissa stared at the man with unreadable expression. "Are you good at Transfiguration?"
The man smiled, flicking his wand. The dessert on the plate Narcissa was holding turned into an opal swan pendant. Sirius snorted at the man's flirtatious gesture. Surprisingly, Narcissa seemed to take it well, with a slight smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She nodded in approval.
A small voice said in the back: "I wish to improve my Potions skills."
Fine, be a good, little mama's boy, he scowled at his brother.
"I can't prove my Potions skill on the spot, but I can help you with the background theories necessary and helpful to understand the Potions and brewing." Harry nodded, smiling.
"Okay," Regulus nodded. "That's fine with me."
"But we don't have any guarantee or proof that you are, in fact, talented and capable of teaching us," said Sirius, determined to undermine whatever cover the man had. Then he yelped as he felt a hand pinching his ribs.
"Sirius, Cousin," Andromeda forcibly smiled, clenching her teeth at the same time. "We'll figure that out when he tutors us few times first. If he's not good at it, we can always tell him that we don't need the tutoring." People around nodded in agreement. Sirius growled. He was losing it. He sighed, deciding to resort to extreme measures.
"Dear cousin Bellatrix, surely you don't trust this stranger to tutor us?" he asked, stiffly smiling. Bellatrix just ignored him, turning towards Lucretia.
"Did you say his skills in dueling were remarkable, Aunt Lucretia?" inquired Bellatrix sweetly, narrowing her eyes in interest.
"Oh yes. You should have seen the spells he used on them, also casting a magnificent shield to protect us all the while. Mr. Carrow, how did you deflect the curses in succession? I didn't know one could do that."
"Spell deflection?" gaped Bellatrix, eyes darting at the man in shock. Lucretia smirked at Bellatrix's reaction.
"And he also cast an absorption shield," she grinned, raising her eyebrows. Bellatrix's eyes were practically radiating with greed as she stared at the man who was ruffling his hair in embarrassment.
The man coughed. "Well, yes."
"You have to teach me how to deflect spells and how to cast the absorption shield," Bellatrix all but leaped at the man. The man looked startled at first but nodded.
"Well, I guess that settles it then," said Druella, clasping her hands. She stared at each young Black, beaming. "With the exception of Sirius, Mr. Carrow will tutor the areas you need help with."
Sirius sighed in irritation. Well, at least that was fine with him. Until his mother barged in.
"Oh no, Sirius Orion Black, you may pretend you don't need any help, but I saw your recent grades, and they appeared as if they need some help," his mother said with disdain, crossing her arms, and glared at him.
Damn, Sirius cursed. It wasn't that Sirius needed help. He and James were too busy researching Animagi and discarded studying for the exams. Both of them were determined to become Animagi this year and didn't care about their studies, even less than usual.
"Only one dropped from O to E!" he seethed.
"They shouldn't have dropped at all!" his mother screeched. "Regulus always maintains his grade!"
Yeah, as D, I'm sure, Sirius grumbled inwardly.
"Sirius, your mother and I are concerned about your grades. Even before this, we thought of asking for help if you need it —"
"Well, I don't need it!" said Sirius shortly.
"You don't get to decide this. Your grades dropped and you're not studying. So, have a tutor to help you or no Hogsmeade visits for next year!"
Sirius stared at his parents, unfazed. He actually felt like laughing out loud at the threat. As if that would stop him. Sirius never felt more gratitude towards James for coming up with the idea of the Marauder's Map. Although…
"All right, Carrow: how much do you know about Transfiguration?" Sirius smirked slyly.
The man remained infuriatingly calm and confident as he answered. "Quite. I've got a good grasp on human to nonhuman transfiguration both active and passive, voluntary and involuntary, and object to object transfiguration."
Sirius narrowed his eyes. Was Animagus transformation included in voluntary and active human no nonhuman transfiguration? Sirius mentally went through the table of contents of major Transfiguration textbook. He paused, scowling. Sirius would not admit he needed help with Animagus transformation. It was going smoothly; he was taking the necessary steps as indicated in the textbook that James had nicked from the Restricted Section.
But the man's answers seemed to satisfy his mother who gave a pleased nod.
"I believe that's settled then," said Druella.
This was going to be a rough summer.