Chapter Four
30th of September 1997
"Oi, Black," came a shout from behind her. Lyra sighed, it seemed that this was the only way Potter could address her.
"What is it Potter?" she demanded, turning on him and raising an eyebrow. She was on the way to the kitchens and not in the mood to listen to his stupid ramblings. She had her heart set on a slice of chocolate cake with the creamy icing that the Hogwarts elves had perfected with a glass of warm milk- how very Hufflepuff she thought, but given her dues. It was her birthday.
"How did it go?" he asked, referring to her trip to Gringotts.
"Better than expected," she replied.
"Well, here's your present," he said pulling out a package, badly wrapped in Christmas paper from behind his back.
"Thank you," she said, opening the flat parcel with interest. She pulled out a photograph of three children crowded around a blonde adult. Lyra involuntarily smiled at the photograph, watching as Aunt Cissy tried to stop Draco from pulling Lyra's hair and telling Harry off for laughing at them both. On the other side was a photograph taken in the summer. Aunt Cissy, Aunt Andy and Uncle Lucius had taken the three of them to tour the peak district for a few weeks, stopping at various luxury lodges along the way, this photo showed Lyra, Draco and Harry all snuggled up under a blanket, nursing hot chocolate- it had been a chilly evening- and Narcissa, Andromeda and Lucius were sat beside them on the settee. They all looked strangely content and happy to be around their adopted family.
"Thank you Harry," she said, too overcome by seeing the photographs to say much more.
"Happy Birthday Lyra," he said, enveloping her in a hug which she returned after a moments hesitation, gripping at the wool of his scarlet jumper with her long nails.
After Lyra had gotten her spot of supper from the kitchens she returned to her dormitory, where three owls were waiting for her. She took the parcel off the largest, a regal looking eagle owl first.
My dearest Lyra
Happy 18th birthday my dear.
I hope you have had a wonderful day and that you did indeed go to Gringotts this morning to see your inheritance vault. As much as I would love to hear everything about your day it is against the rules to tell other family members, so alas I will have to do without that knowledge- just an assurance of your pleasure in seeing it shall have to tide me over.
When Draco and Harry turn eighteen in the summer they will also have to make the trip to Gringotts to access their own familial vaults. I ask only that when the time comes you mention your own experience to them as I cannot tell them what will be inside or offer them any advice.
I hope you enjoy your present and that sending it by owl post didn't do it any harm.
Uncle Lucius also sends his congratulations but he is working late this evening and is not back in time to sign this letter, he worked awfully hard in finding the present for you- I wouldn't know where to start looking, but we both know he has his contacts.
I cannot wait to see you home for Christmas,
All my love
Aunt Cissy
Lyra was filled with affection for her surrogate mother whilst she read the letter and even more so when she opened the large package which had been sent with it.
An odd looking tropical plant with orange, pink and yellow flowers sat in the packaging, it's large, flat and smooth leaves uncurling as it was pulled out of darkness. Sat under its pot were four books.
Joya de los Trópicos: A Herbologists Guide
Joya de los Trópicos: A Potioneers Guide
An In Depth History of Natural Potioneering
Plants and Potions of the Aztec Sorcerers
Lyra could not help but smile, Aunt Cissy and Uncle Lucius had managed to get hold of one of the rarest plants in the wizarding world for her birthday and had given her books which she had looked for so long to find in the Hogwarts library-with no luck. Lyra checked the cover, all first editions no less. She made a mental note to thank them as soon as she opened the other gift.
Still smiling she picked up the next letter.
Dear Lyra
Wishing you an excellent birthday and eager to see you again. The book I sent was one of Ted's, I hope you find it interesting and useful.
Love, Aunt Andromeda and Dora
Lyra smiled sadly at Aunt Andy sending her one of her late husband's books, but she was grateful all the same. It was a copy of a Creature Charms something she would find very useful in her Care of Magical creatures classes. She had also sent packs of sweets from Honeydukes and a wand holster and a magical swiss army knife, which Lyra could bet was her auror cousin's input.
Dear Lady Black
Your elf has informed Gringotts of all your wishes and as such to your demands, your patronage will be anonymous to outsiders and all account activity will be kept in the most top secret of files. This correspondence is conformation of your elf's demands and all further correspondence shall be sent to your new address to be taken care of by said elf.
As you did not have the time to actually visit your Black family vault today I am also writing to inform you that with the inheritance came the title, Lady Black of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black- as the other title of Lady Black which you hold is for the more aristocratic house of Hufflepuff that is the one Gringotts will have primarily on its files but it shall not become publicly known you so wish it.
With respect,
Gorguk, Head of Inheritance and Law Division, Gringotts Bank
Lyra nodded once and burnt the correspondence with her wand before placing the plant on the coffee table and opening the herbologist's guide so she was fully informed before she started to tend to it.
Last thing that evening, before she went to sleep Lyra sat the photographs of her family on the bedside table next to her bed in Hogwarts, making a mental note to put some photographs up at the manor.
For a while she just sat on the thin mattress, staring at the photograph and letting the memories wash over her.
29th of July 1990
It was a cool, blustery August day in the West Country gorges that they had come to visit.
"Do you enjoy coming to see the best scenery the British Isles has to offer my dear?" Narcissa asked as they walked, separated from the boys. She was dressed casually, for her at least. Her outer robes were made of thick green tweed which cinched in at the waist with large, flat green buttons. She had previously charmed her black skirts, which should be muddying in the terrain as they skimmed the leaf litter.
"I do Aunty Cissy," an eleven year old Lyra had replied. "It is very pretty here, if it is this landscape which makes muggles believe in faeries and nymphs… it is a wonder how any can be as dense as to deny their existence at all."
Narcissa smiled.
"You shall love the Hogwarts wilderness," she said nostalgically. "I remember that I did very much. What do you suppose will be your favourite subject?"
"Draco says that Potions is the best subject by far," she replied.
"Do not listen to Draco, he has never taken a class at Hogwarts, what does he know?" she scoffed. "You like nature do you not, what about Herbology?"
"Draco, Uncle Lucius and Aunt Druella said that Herbology is for Hufflepuffs," she replied matter-of-factly. Narcissa laughed again, she had a high, tinkling laugh.
"Deary me Lyra, soon you will realize that it is not worth listening to those lot, I was a Slytherin and my favourite subject was Divination, but you can't take that until third year and I don't think it's for you, you are much too scientific," she laughed. "Oh how I will miss you when you leave for Hogwarts next week."
"I will miss you too Aunt Cissy," Lyra said honestly, smiling up at Narcissa. Narcissa crouched down then to Lyra's height.
"If it were not so important for you to go and learn and I were a little more selfish then I might just not let you go to Hogwarts and keep you all to myself," Narcissa teased, beaming at the little girl and pushing her long raven hair behind her ear.
"You could come too Aunty," Lyra said. Narcissa just laughed again, Lyra loved the sound of her aunt laughing.
"Oh I am much too old my love," she replied. "I am only a few years younger than your father."
"Did he go to Hogwarts too Aunty Cissy?" she asked.
"Yes my dear, he did, he was a brave man," she replied. "You don't look anything like him, you're so like Aunt Andy."
"No, Aunt Andy is tall and pretty and has long hair," Lyra denied.
"Your hair will be as long as hers soon and when you are older you will be tall," she laughed, tugging likely at the ends of the little girl's tresses. "And you're the prettiest little witch I know."
"You're the most beautiful lady in the world Aunt Cissy," she said, beaming up at her.
"Oh shush you," Narcissa laughed, pulling Lyra into a hug and sighing heavily and waiting a while before talking again. "You're like the daughter I never had Lyra, I love you very much, always remember that." Lyra squeezed her aunt harder and felt a kiss placed on her forehead.
1st of October 1997
The next morning, when the post came for a moment Lyra's heart beat much too fast and seemed to jump into her throat. One of the pages had her name.
Black heir reaches age of inheritance and receives title of Her Ladyship.
Thankfully, it was just a small article which mentioned how she had come into Black money and had inherited Druella Black's title. Most of it was actually about Draco because he was the closer relation to Druella which according to the Daily Prophet must mean that he was already in definite receipt of a Malfoy title.
15th of October 1997
The library in the manor was something that Lyra found much pleasure in; some of the books were so old that she was sure they must be one of a kind. In the back corner of the library there was a shelf full of handwritten books labelled only with what at first glance Lyra thought were dates, before she realized they could not possibly be as they must have been written long before.
She opened to the first entry in what looked to be the last written of the books.
When Lightning strikes the orphan down
The Lord shall be no more
But Lightning shall be an orphan hence
But later Lord of lore
Thunder shall not know her true self
Despite close others being sure
Until the choice is made between golden love and raven life
When the wolf comes to the door
The one true home shall reveal in the storm.
Thunder and Lightning shall be together for
One and eight or one and eighty, but only when they come together,
Will the home, for them, always hold an open door.
Thus half of the founder shall be found and half still a hiding.
Lyra read it through thrice before coming to the conclusion that whilst this was a very pretty verse about what she could only assume was religion she really did not have time for poetry when there were so many text books to read.
The potions section was particularly interesting most of the heavy, printed books had someone's elegant scrawl in the margins, making suggestions and giving tips. Lyra wondered who it could have been who modified the tomes but accepted that that fact was probably lost in time now.
