A/N:
Hey look, you did not have to wait months for an update. Fingers crossed that I can keep this up! This chapter is a bit different in that it includes some (a ton of) history; please be lenient I am not a historian.
Chapter Seven: Fire and the Library
Noctis was curled up in a cushy arm chair in the Black library, reading a relatively new looking book. The book was protected by a bright red hard cover, and emblazoned over it in silver lettering was "A Brief History of Magical Conflict."
Noctis was positively enraptured with the book - making his way through it slowly with a dictionary on the end table beside him to help him decipher words that were new to him. It had started off as a slow process - but nothing could stand between Noctis and knowledge. Nothing.
Except maybe any of his favourite foods, his best friend Aimus, or an animal of any kind.
Fortunately for the book in his hands Noctis currently had none of those things so it continued to receive Noctis' attention and reverence.
The sun had long set over the home of the Black family. It was early December and the sun had been setting earlier and earlier every day - casting long shadows into the afternoon that quickly blanketed the world in darkness before dinner time. Noctis didn't mind.
Noctis' arm chair was positioned in reading nook on the far wall of the library that overlooked the forest. The walls of the nook were composed almost exclusively of windows - allowing the famous forest of the Black family to be put on display. Bronze oil lanterns hung from the walls all over the place casting ample light over the comfortable yet refined furniture that called the nook home.
Noctis finally broke eye contact with his book and set it down for a moment, still open face down over his lap. The small boy rubbed his eyes sleepily and let out a long yawn. He sat there quietly for a few moments and released another, louder, yawn.
"That must not be a very interesting book you have there, Noctis." Arcturus had slipped into the library and evaded Noctis' notice. He held in his hand a book of his own, something very ancient looking with a faded leather cover. Something was inscribed on the cover but Noctis couldn't see what it said. He suspected even if he could read what the title was he still would not understand it. His grandfather often read strange books in different languages - sometimes with whole other alphabets that Noctis had never seen.
Noctis, ever the bookworm, was quick to correct his grandfather. "No it is not boring at all! I'm learning all about lord Magnentius, he was the son of a powerful Roman who became a German dark lord! He conquered magical Germany before he was defeated by a group of angry wizards."
Arcturus could not help but chuckle at Noctis and his excitement. The boy was absolutely obsessed with history, and powerful people in particular. The boy was very knowledgeable for his age - he only nine after all. Still, his depiction of the historical moment was a little off to say the least.
"You seem to know a lot about him, little one. Did you know one of our ancestors was an ally of Magnentius?" Arcturus moved forward slightly and sat down in a padded armless chair - one of his favourites. Its cushioning was firm and it had a high back - it was something one might find in a monarch's personal sitting room.
Noctis's eyes shot open in surprise at the news his grandfather has presented him with. "Really? Who was he? What did he do? Are we German!? Was h-" Noctis started rhyming off questions so fast that Arcturus' head was spinning.
"Calm down Noctis, I will tell you all about him." The old man chuckled at Noctis' excitement. "His name was Canis Blæk, and he was not German, per se, he was actually a Saxon. Saxony is now a place within Germany; but at the time - back then - Germany did not exist. Canis himself was a very powerful wizard, and he was very famous at the time for his knowledge of war and strategy; he, and his family before him, had successfully fended off dozens of attacks against their fortress on the coast of northern Saxony near the mouth of a enormous river for hundreds of years."
"When Lord Magnentius' father was defeated by an opposing emperor, he fled North, into what was then called Germania - Saxony was a place in Germania. Lord Magnentius' father was abandoned by his army before he made it all the way to Saxony. But that did not stop him, he continued on with a few of his closest friends fleeing the power of Rome and the powerful men there who wished to do them harm."
Arcturus paused to take a breath and a short break from the story, the older man drifted away from a moment and stared off into space as the next part of the story came to him. Noctis sat on the edge of his seat soaking in every word his grandfather was sharing with him.
"When they got to Saxony they happened to stumble into the land that our ancestor, Canis' father, ruled over. Our ancestor eventually agreed to give refuge to the men that appeared at his gates. The men were skilled warriors and well educated in the ways of the Romans, so it was believed that they could be of use. The men made a home in the town surrounding the Blæc fortress that overlooked both the North Sea, and the mouth of the river. There were a lot of witches and wizards in the town, and while they were very private they did not hide from non-magicals like we do today." Noctis nodded along while his grandfather spoke, still looking over at him, completely enraptured. "As the men settled down in the town, they found jobs, homes, partners, and some had children - including, as you can assume, Lord Magnentius' father."
Arcturus paused again and took a deep breath. He looked out behind Noctis - into the dark night and even darker forest; it seemed to almost absorb all of the light in the sky.
"Lord Magnentius met Canis when they were both boys. Lord Magnentius' father had found a good job working for the Blæc family and was able to have his son, the man we have all come to know as Lord Magnentius, educated alongside Canis. The two were very close friends for their entire lives. When Magnentius set out to conquer the majority of what is now magical Germany, what was then Germania, Canis was with him, planning battles and fighting alongside him every step of the way."
Noctis' face was the picture of adoration. The boy had a keen interest in history and an even keener love for his family. To combine the two was turning out to be one of Noctis' passions.
"They never conquered all of magical Germania, but of course you know that, but they did come to be the rulers of the majority of what is now Germany, including some more territory to the east. Sometimes they fought vicious battles to gain power, but other times they negotiated with the local leaders and joined forces. But together, Magnentius and Canis ruled the magical kingdom they forged, they called it "Walpurg." They made the fortress of Canis' people their capital and they expanded it, adding more fortifications and defences, enchanting it with powerful magic and building it bigger than they had ever imagined. It was said that the old fortress became one of the most magnificent castles - a crown jewel of Europe. It was even written about by several ancient Roman wizards. They ruled from that castle for ma-"
Arcturus was abruptly cut off when his wife, Analise, entered the library, a thin black covered book under her arm. "Telling stories again, are you dear?" Analise's face was lit up with affectionate amusement.
"Noctis was telling me about somebody in the book he is reading." Arcturus nodded toward the volume that now sat on the table beside Noctis' chair - neglected. "It just so happened that I know a lot about the people the book was talking about - because they happen to be family of ours."
Analise smiled knowingly while simultaneously reaching out and placing the book she had brought into the room with her into a nicely polished wooden box. She left it there in the box and walked over toward the reading nook where Noctis and Arcturus had set up camp. She gracefully sat in the last remaining piece of furniture - a chair not unlike Arcturus' but for the expectations of two high arms on either side and a considerable amount more padding. As she made herself comfortable a house elf popped into the room and grabbed the book she had left in the polished box.
"Krasus, when you are finished with that book could you please bring us in some tea, and cocoa for Noctis. And could you get my nice Afghan from my study please - there's a chill." Analise's face was the picture of kind grace as she gave the aged head house elf of the manor the order.
"An elf will be taking care of it Mistress." Krasis replied politely - his voice did not betray his age, he sounded more like a very polite middle aged elf than an old one. Krasus turned not long after replying and walked deep into the shelves to return the book Analise had brought back.
"Now, don't let me interrupt dear - please go on." Analise smiled sweetly at Arcturus who cleared his throat to begin again.
"Teas master and mistress!" Dobby's cheerful voice squeaked into the room unexpectedly as he conjured a relatively high tea table and placed a tray with two prepared cups, and a full tea set out for the two older occupants of the library. Noctis had jumped slightly at the abrupt and lively arrival but his face quickly became a picture of delight once more. "And hot cocoa for the young master." Dobby smiled widely at the young boy, who he personally cared for, and placed the large mug of cocoa on the table beside Noctis. "I'll be going now, be asking if you is needing anything." Dobby said in his typically chipper voice before disappearing with a crack that sounded more like a bell.
No one said anything, but Krasus could be heard muttering about "posture" and "those young ones" under his breath from amidst the towering shelves of the library. While he did a second elf, older than Dobby, popped into the room again and gracefully tossed Analise' favourite afghan, made with a pattern of silver and pastel purples and pinks, over her just right. Analise smiled at the elf who bowed quickly and left the room as quick as she had arrived.
"Now… where was I?" Arcturus pondered out loud after passing Analise her tea, taking up his own, and crossing his legs.
"You were just telling me about how Magnentius and Canis ruled from their castle until something happened!" Noctis chipped in before diving for his hot cocoa, taking the cup with two hands and holding it up to his mouth to take a deep drink.
Both of his grandparents smiled again at the boy's enthusiasm. "As yes, that's right. They both lived there and ruled over Walpurg - establishing laws to oversee and protect the land and its occupants, while also fighting off invasions from magical Roman armies and other enemies. They were ruthless in these battles Noctis, Canis and Magnentius always joined in the fights because they believed all good leaders should; and they never lost. They commissioned fortresses all along their borders to protect their country from invasion and even established a wizard's council to foster good relations between groups in their land. They built a powerful kingdom in just a decade. But that wasn't enough."
Arcturus paused for suspense and nursed his tea for a few moments, chuckling privately to himself. Noctis was sitting on the edge of his seat and practically shaking.
Analise took the opportunity to tease Noctis. "I think it is past your bedtime Noctis, you should head to bed, we can finish the story another night. We have a busy day tomorrow, the Malf-"
"Noo!" Noctis protested loudly, a pout resting on his face as he looked to his grandmother, pleading.
"Oh alright then Noctis, you can listen to the rest of the story tonight," Analise smiled at the boy who was again smiling and content - sitting comfortably in his chair nursing his cocoa again.
"Canis and Magnentius were on their way to the tallest mountain in the kingdom when a rebellion started. A group of wizards lived in that area called the Lombards. They were angry with Canis and Magnentius because they had lost their independence to them years ago, but also because Magnentius' father was a Roman, who the Lombards hated above all else. While Canis and Magnentius were on the mountain conducting a ritual celebrating the coming of spring they were attacked by the Lombards. They were vastly outnumbered and Magnentius was slain in battle. Canis was devastated at the loss of his companion. Once he had escaped the Lombards he called on mother magic to forever curse the Lombards for their transgressions against them, so that no magic would ever run through their veins again."
Noctis sat there with a blank look on his face. His ancestor had assisted in building a magical kingdom only to have a group of jealous wizards try and kill him and his companion while worshipping on one of the holiest of days. "W-what happened to Canis?" Noctis asked quietly, desperately hoping for a happy ending.
"He returned to his family's castle on the north coast of Saxony. Much of the kingdom mourned while other parts of the kingdom celebrated. Walpurg fell apart fairly quickly - it was a new, barely united kingdom and half of its leadership had just been assassinated. Canis resigned himself to the castle he had built with Magnentius, had children, and became a scholar. He wrote many books that delved into the obscure and arcane laws of magic and oversaw his people, books that are still influential to this day. They remained a very powerful magical force as he and his people withdrew further and further from the muggle world, banishing muggles from their realm. Before his death there were no more muggles left in Canis' lands."
"Canis died when he was 89, very early for a wizard of his position and power - but without Magnentius Canis was a shadow of his former self. Just a year after his death an enormous force of Roman wizards laid siege to the famous castle of Canis and Magnentius. Canis' first born son, Magnentius Vega Blæc, who you would know as our ancestor Vega Black, decided that the only thing that could be done was to seal the fortress from the Romans, and evacuate. He brought our family and our people to England, Noctis. And he built Blackweald - our home."
-o-O-o-
Noctis had long since fallen asleep in his armchair - his book closed and placed neatly at his side. Analise had woken him and guided the half asleep boy out of the library and into his bedroom a while ago, but his book still sat beside his chair. Arcturus got up and opened it - skipping to near the end of the book to a chapter dedicated to Lord Grindlewald.
The book had gotten the general premise of his agenda and war correctly but it failed to observe the connections between Grindlewald's war and the kingdom of Walpurg - despite Grindlewald's top lieutenants actually being named after the extinguished magical kingdom. Arcturus sighed and sat back in his chair skimming further through the chapter.
Amongst the most fearsome of the knights of Walpurgis were the mysterious Red and Black knights - so named for the colour of their battle robes. The two warriors have never been identified to this day though Albus Dumbledore, who ended Grindlewald's reign of terror over Europe, claims to have killed the men in a battle several hundred kilometres northwest of Hamburg. Arcturus snorted as he read the book, laughing both at the idiocy of the public who would believe such garbage, and how close the book had gotten to actually connecting Grindlewald and the Knights of Walpurgis to the ancient kingdom of Walpurg.
Arcturus set the book back down beside Noctis' chair before grabbing a piece of paper and scribbling out a note directing Noctis to a book that was more suitable, perhaps a tougher read he considered… but certainly more factual than the one he had somehow found.
After he had finished that task the aged man let out a deep sigh and then reached to make himself a final cup of tea - the pot was still quite hot thanks to the spells that had been cast on the pot.
"What would you say if you could see what has become of the world, Canis? Vega? Or even you, despite your madness and fanaticism Gellert?" He asked no one in particular, and he did not expect a response. He of course received no answer but the sound of a house elf tending to a fire on the other side of the large room.
Finally finding himself able, Arcturus picked up the incredibly ancient book that he had come to the library to read. He got up and moved to a writing desk just outside the reading nook - closer to one of the hearths that kept the room warm. Carefully he placed the book down on the desk and used his wand to open it. On the cover, inscribed in ancient greek script, was something along the lines of "old magical fire." Arcturus was not certain, his ancient greek had never been the strongest. This book was clearly was not the original copy of the manuscript. Arcturus suspected that it had been transcribed, perhaps even translated, by a family member many years ago before the book could be lost to time. He was proved right a few moments later when a page bore the note of an editor, written in a form of what many in his society chose to call "ancient runes." Those with more education in the subject might be capable of identifying them as germanic - fewer still would know that they were old saxon; a rune system that his family had been using for more centuries that he could count. He was happy to see the more familiar script.
Just past this note informing him that the book had been reproduced was another note, left by the same ancestor that had transcribed the text. Arcturus raised his eyebrows. It was unlike his ancestors to add a page to books for such things - normally they would record any comments on books in their personal of family journals.
Dearest ancestor, I have decided to protect this book from the tests of time because I believe it to be one of the most important books our family has - it is the book describing our ancestors, before my forefathers settled on the coast of what is now Saxony and built this, our fortress home. We, the Blæk were once known as the Phlegein of ancient Greece, and before that still many thousands of years ago, the Bhleg; so named for our affinity to harness the fire existing within the stars and the destruction we have rought upon our enemies with this fire. I plead of you, ancestor, guard this knowledge with your life - few families have the fortune of knowing their histories the way I, and soon you, do.
Arcturus' brow rose higher and higher as he read the note - he had no idea that his book would contain such information, he believed it to be a book about magical fire - not about his family. Underneath the note in the dead centre of the page was the mark of his ancestor Canis Blæk.
Arcturus rubbed his eyes for a moment and turned the page once more, where he found the title written again - this time in old saxon. It read "A History of Magic's most Ancient Fire." Arcturus decided that it was time to close the book. He would come back to it with fresh eyes - he did not think himself capable of any more surprises for the day.
A/N:
I have taken an incredible number of liberties with my portrayal of history here; so keep this in mind. If any of you are confused about the home of the Blacks, please note my minor edit in chapter four where I have removed a reference to what I had then called blackmoor or nightcastle, the name Blackweald will stick. Apologies for the long note.
