I do not own the Harry Potter Franchise. They belong to J.K Rowling and probably some other people.
Again, sorry for the delay. Again please review!
Nyx felt the familiar pressure of disapparating before appearing in the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts. She had been in this office on multiple occasions while attending Hogwarts, and each time she was awed and a little intimidated by the space. She saw in a corner of the room, among the delicate silver instruments, her brother with his back turned to her. The casual observer might think that he hadn't heard Nyx and Dumbledore enter the office, Orion did not even flinch when he heard the loud pop that just preceded their entrance. Nyx, however, knew her brother was steeling himself against her inevitable tantrum.
Nyx decided to surprise him, "Rion?" She spoke in a soft voice usually reserved only for the most somber of times. It worked, and her twin finally turned to face her. Their identical ice blue eyes met and for a few moments they silently communicated about a million different things. After some time, Orion turned to the headmaster, "Okay," he seemed reluctant to look Dumbledore in the eye. "I told you everything I know, but now with Nyx here, we can tell you the whole story. Or, what we know of the whole story."
Nyx stepped forward, "Actually brother, I would much rather we show him." She raised her blackthorn wand to her head and drew out a silvery not-quite-liquid-or-gas substance and deposited the memory into Albus' pensieve, Orion nodded and repeated the gesture with his identical wand. Albus joined the twins at the basin and the three of them were thrown into the memory.
Nyx, Orion, and Dumbledore watched as a small girl of about 5 or 6 tip toed down a hallway past the glaring faces of her ancestors portraits. "You KNOW you shouldn't be down here, Miss Lestrange." One called out to her. "Oh be quiet Phineas!" The girl responded. She stopped at a large door that was partly ajar, her long black hair covered her face like a curtain as she peered in. The black dress she wore and the red ribbon ties around her waist made soft swishing sounds as she adjusted herself to be able to see. She accidently bumped the door which made a loud creek as it opened further. Within a matter of seconds the door was pushed completely open from the inside, little Nyx was knocked to the floor and a woman of terrible beauty stood at the entryway.
The woman turned her eyes to the girl who now seemed to be attempting to curl within herself. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING DOWN THIS HALL? YOU HORRIBLE LITTLE GIRL! GET OFF THE FLOOR NOW! WHAT ARE YOU? SOME KIND OF FILTHY SQUIB GROVELING DOWN THERE?" The woman was screaming at the top of her lungs. A few of the portraits nodded their heads in approval. Nyx quickly got to her feet and looked up at the woman.
"I-I'm sorry Mother. I was only trying to see you, Aunt Narcissa said the Dark Lord was sending you away and I only wanted to say goodbye." The small girl's eyes started to water, but she would not let any tears fall.
Bellatrix looked at her daughter with little better than utter disgust on her face. "If I want to see you, I will send for you. As it is, I was going to your and your brother's room anyway to fetch him. Orion is to accompany on my journey. You are allowed to walk with me to your brother." Bellatrix took off down the hallway without checking to see if Nyx would follow. She did and eventually caught up to her mother.
"Why does Orion get to go with you?" She looked up at Bellatrix hopefully, but only received a harsh 'Don't as questions' as an answer.
The grown up Nyx, as well as Orion and Albus, followed the the mother and daughter through the winding manor house. The floors were a dark mahogany and the walls were decorated with an assortment of family portraits (some showing ancestors, others Bellatrix and/or Rodolphus, and a very small few contained Orion and Nyx as babies or toddlers), also among the portraits were violent images of people (muggles and half-borns, no doubt) being tortured or killed. The entire house was very dark, the twins walked so closely together their shoulders touched, as if they could shield one another from the memory of their childhood home.
At last they came to a set of doors which Bellatrix opened to reveal a spacious sitting room. In the center of which, sat the 5 or 6 year old version of Orion, looking at a book. He stood when he noticed the entrance of his mother and sister. "Mother." He bowed his head to her, and then shot a questioning look to his twin, who responded only with a slight shrug of her small shoulders.
"Such a good, respectful boy." Bellatrix walked to her son and patted him on the head in very much the same way someone might pat a beloved family pet. "Orion, you have been chosen by the Dark Lord for something great. You and I and your father will be going to Him today. I want you in front of the large fireplace downstairs in twenty minutes."
"Will Nyx be coming too?" The boy kept his tone neutral.
"The Dark Lord has no interest in her." Was Bellatrix's only response before sweeping out of the room.
The memory blurred and suddenly the three were in a heavily wooded area. They could see two adult figures in heavy black cloaks and one much smaller figure also cloaked in black. One adult turned to the other.
"You are sure you got his directions correct, Bellatrix?"
"Of course I'm sure Rodolphus, what do you take me for?"
"Well then where is he? What could possibly cause him to run late?"
"Lord Voldemort does no 'run late', Lestrange." A high, cold, voice joined the conversation, and a very tall man entered the scene. "I arrive precisely when I mean to."
"My Lord!" Bellatrix and Rodolphus said at the same time and bowed to their master.
"This is the boy, then?" Voldemort turned his attention to Orion, who attempted to hide behind his father, Rodolphus pushed him forward.
"Yes, my lord this is our son. Orion Pollux Black-Lestrange." Rodophus set his hands on Orion's shoulders.
"Tell me, Bellatrix, why did you give him your maiden name?" Voldemort turned his gaze from the boy to his mother.
"I wished to re-establish the name. I'm quite proud of my ancestry, but the name has fallen into shame by the last two male Black heirs. Orion will restore the family Black to it's former purity, and so rectify the deeds of the blood-traitor Sirius and his coward brother."
"I see." Voldemort returned his gaze to Orion. "Bellatrix, you and your husband may leave now. Your son will be returned within the hour."
At that point the memory grew fuzzy. Albus could tell it had been tampered with. They saw Voldemort take a silver knife from his robes and cut himself on the arm, allowing his blood to drip into a phial of black liquid. The young Orion drank the liquid then passed out and the memory once again shifted to the Lestrange manor and the younger version of Nyx.
She was sitting on a chair with her face in her hands. Directly opposite her, kneeling so he could see her face was none other than Severus Snape. He had one hand on her shoulder and looked very grim. "Nyx, moya devochka, you need to listen to me."
Both the memory and real Nyx looked up at Snape's nickname for her. My little girl, said in a different language every time.
Memory Snape continued, "Your brother is going to come back different. He isn't going to be the same Orion you remember. You need to protect him, okay?"
"From what?" The little girl's large blue eyes widened and Snape's face further contorted into concern.
"From himself. Listen, you are not going to see me for a while so I want you to listen very carefully to this part." Little Nyx sat up straighter in her chair and Severus nearly smiled, "There is something bad in your brother now. You need to remind him who he is. I know you don't understand this now, but trust me. There's going to come a day when you are both older when things are going to get very dark. You will know the day when it comes, and when it does come I want you and Orion to go to Albus Dumbledore. Do not mention this to anyone, not even myself, until that day comes."
"I don't understand!" Little Nyx seemed on the verge of tears, but again refused to let them fall.
"I know you don't. Just trust me." Severus seemed about to say more but there was the familiar sound of someone apparating coming from the front garden. "I have to go ma petite, keep this talk our little secret." With a flourish of his black robes Severus slipped out the back and disappeared.
The real Nyx, Orion, and Albus were once again standing in Dumbledore's office. The memories were done. Orion rounded on his sister, "Severus knew! I can't believe you didn't tell me this before!"
Nyx replied with equal vehemence, "You heard me promise! I trust Snape, I figured he had a reason for not wanting me to tell anyone!"
Albus stepped between the twins, who now had their wands out and pointed at each other. "I apologize to both of you, but I'm afraid there is still a great deal I do not understand. Lower your wands and have a seat." Albus conjured two arm chairs for the twins, who sat reluctantly.
"We assume it was the Dark Lord who tampered with my memory." Orion began, "I had never seen Nyx's memory with Severus before. She always insisted she knew more than me about my, er, condition."
"What exactly is the nature of your condition? I would also like to remark that you seem to have left a great deal out during our first conversation, it is imperative I know everything you know if I am in any way to help you."
"Sorry." Orion paused and looked at Albus who inclined his head as a signal for the young man to continue. "I'm a parselmouth, for one. I kept it secret while here. I didn't want anyone thinking I was the heir of Slytherin or something. I'm also a natural legilimens."
"These gifts are uncommon but not unheard of." Dumbledore put his fingers together.
"There's more." Nyx said just barely over a whisper. "Tell him 'Ri."
"Sometimes, and I don't mean it to happen! But sometimes I lose my temper. Bad, really, really bad. When that happens, things sort of die." The last part was barely audible.
All color left Albus' face, "I'm sorry, what do you mean?"
Orion seemed unable to speak anymore and sent a pleading look to his sister who responded for him. "I've seen it. His eyes go sort of red and then things get all cold and whatever is living around him dies. Flowers, trees, animals, I'm the only human he's been around when it's happened. We don't know if it's a freaky twin thing that he doesn't affect me, or if all humans are immune. And we do not intend to test it."
"You said things go 'cold'?" Albus leaned closer to the twins.
Nyx nodded, "Yes, it feels like, like when a dementor is near. Only I've tried conjuring a patronus and it has no effect. Have you ever heard of anything like this?"
Albus shook his head, "Like many things with Voldemort," Nyx flinched at the name. "We are dealing with quite unheard of magic."
"Like an infant surviving the killing curse." Orion spoke up, Albus nodded.
"Precisely. I'll research this to the best of my ability, and I think I will also be having a conversation with my potions master. For now, we must assume both your parents and Voldemort - fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself my dear lady - are after you. We must get you to safety."
"We have land in France..." Nyx began but was cut off by the headmaster.
"I am aware of that. However, I would like you to be closer. There is a house in London in which resides a man who will be most excited to meet two rebels such as yourselves. That is, two people, who like him, decided to not be defined by their family name."
"Are you talking about Sirius Black?" Orion looked at the headmaster and for the first time that meeting Albus could see youth and excitement in the younger man's face.
whoa! long chapter! worth the wait?
Here's a couple of links to pictures of who I imagine the twins to look like. I know they are too pretty to be real, but come on, they are BLACKS! That family if freaking gorgeous!
Orion:
Nyx: .com/2009_The_Unborn/2009_the_unborn_
Let me know if the links don't work or don't show up. I can send them to you.