10 July 1946

Dear Mel,

I've recently found out about my brother's treatment of you and I'm so sorry for not realising it sooner. I actually found out at Hogwarts, but with exams and the like, I did not want to distract you. Please know that I've decided that I no longer care what my family has to say, especially now that Cygnus and Orion are out of Hogwarts. I care more about you and your happiness, and I hope you will decide to be happy with me. However, that is your choice to make.

I hope to hear from you soon and that you are having the best summer you possibly can under the circumstances.

With love,

Alphard

The letter had come during the tail-end of Harper's stay, so Mel waited until she left to answer. She didn't want to tell Alphard the truth, which was that she cared what his family had to say, and because of that, she wasn't sure she could ever be happy with him. It wasn't his fault, of course, but unless they left the continent, they could never be together openly. If she thought for a second they could, the incident with Cygnus was always there to remind her otherwise.

Though Harper's visit had been pleasant, there still had been unresolved tension between the pair of girls. It had partly to do with the Regime's tightening fist, but on Mel's part, it was mostly because Harper still hadn't apologised for shutting her out last term. However, Mel understood the preoccupation with Annie's weirdness, so she shoved her resentment aside.

About a week after Harper's departure, Dad returned home with some good news: he'd been promoted at the Muggle Liaison Office. He was skittish and on edge lately, since his job entailed Obliviating muggles for very minor reasons, so Mel was pleased to see him relax with a gifted bottle of mead from a coworker.

To celebrate, Mum made a cake and the four of them settled in after supper to play a few rounds of cards. Mum and Dad even let Mel have a pint, much to Auntie Bertha's disapproval.

"She's seventeen now," Mum reminded her. "We really can't stop her."

"Yes, I know…" Auntie Bertha started, but seemed to think better of it. "Well, alright, then. Donnie, your turn to deal."

Dad gave Mel a wink and a grin as he picked up the deck of cards. Despite all the danger and drama, the McCreadys were in a jolly mood as they played rummy to the tune of Maria Lambetti's new record. "Summer breeze in paradise," Mum sang unabashedly with red cheeks and slow, snapping fingers. "Getting lost in those eyes…"

Later, mind fuzzy, Mel closed her eyes against the whirling surroundings and drifted off with the song stuck in her head, thinking of Alphard. She was bummed about not being able to go steady with him, but his letter pleased her nonetheless. It was nice to know the feelings toward each other were mutual. Perhaps one day Grindelwald would be overthrown and things would change for the better…

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Mel jolted awake and sat up. Dizziness overtook her and a foul-tasting mix of bile and mead lurched up her throat. Taking a nasty swallow, she looked around the room, wondering if she'd been dreaming. On the bed next to the opposite wall, Auntie Bertha snored away.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

She heard the door to her parents' room open and shuffling across the kitchen. The front door creaked and her father's voice spoke to someone unknown.

"Hands up and wands on the floor!" a voice barked, causing Mel to flinch. "Both of you!"

Her parents must have complied because the next voice was just as loud but not as commanding. "Donald and Angela McCready, we've been informed that you are living with a muggle by the name of Bertha Wohler, is that correct?"

Mel's heart was fluttering in her chest. Behind her, Auntie Bertha was shifting and grumbling, the mattress squeaking loudly underneath her.

"Yes, of course, Reg," her father said. "What's this all about?"

"As of Friday, the Ministry passed a decree making it illegal for wizards and muggles to live in the same household."

"The—what? Is this a joke, Reg?"

"Unfortunately not, Donnie. Where is she?"

"She's in there, but—"

The rest of Dad's sentence was cut off as the door to Mel's room was blasted off the hinges, heavy footsteps thundering in. Mel shrieked and fell backward, clutching the quilt for support.

"What in the name of Christ is going on here?" Auntie Bertha snapped, sitting up with her bare legs hanging over the bed. Since she was rubbing her eyes, she didn't see the Ministry official towering over her, pointing his wand at her. "For the hundredth time, I've got to be at work at four-thirty!"

"Bertha Wohler?" said the one closest to her. "Stand up, please. You've got to come with us."

"No, Reg, you can't do this!" Dad shouted, rushing into the room and gripping the arm of the other wizard standing by the foot of Mel's bed. Loud sobs crashed through the air from the kitchen—Mum was sobbing.

"It's alright, Donnie, I knew this day would come," Auntie Bertha said with grim resignation, yanking down her nightdress before turning to the official. "May I take my things with me?"

"You've got three minutes to pack a bag," he told her, keeping his wand trained on her face. "I suggest no family photos, unless you usually keep photos of strangers."

"No!" Mum howled from the kitchen, beating her hands on the mottled wooden floor. "No, you can't take her!"

Dad turned toward the door, but Reg placed a hand on his arm and shook his head. Meanwhile, Mel was clutching her stomach, unable to process what was happening.

Auntie Bertha held her head high as the wizards each took one of her arms. "Goodbye, all. I love you."

CRACK! Before Mel could unglue her tongue, they'd Disapparated. Dad instantly bolted to Mum and gathered her into his arms. "It's alright, my dear, don't fret…"

"They'll kill her," Mum sobbed. "They'll perform experiments like they've done with those other muggles in the east!"

"No, no, darling...they won't hurt her. Those were rumours...they are simply taking them to designated villages."

"That's a lie, Donnie! They said that in Austria, too, the words straight from the soldiers' mouths but they were lies! The Germans took them to these camps and put them in these chambers—"

Mel could take it no more. Her stomach was churning, threatening to expel everything she'd eaten that day. She leapt out of bed, dashed past her parents, and hurtled into the loo. She didn't make it as far as the toilet, ducking her head into the sink and letting loose.

For eternity, it seemed like, she hurled and gagged, clutching the sides of the sink and heaving. Once she was done, she rinsed everything away. Her face was burning hot, her hair was plastered to her tear-streaked cheeks, and white spots danced in front of her eyes. Would they harm her, simply because she was a muggle? How could they?

Easy, a voice in her head answered, pulling up the memory of Cygnus Black and Icarus Yaxley yet again. They hate you, and it's only just begun.

After another dry heave, Mel collapsed onto the cool tile floor, leaning her head against the wall, tears leaking through her aching fingers. She wondered if she would ever stop crying.

-x-

One of the last places Harper thought she'd end up this summer was at Hogsmeade and with a boy, no less.

Yet here she was, sitting across from Felix Murdoch, who was shockingly polite and attentive around her. He lived only about a twenty-minute's walk away in a smaller magical village, but he'd escorted her from London to a little tea shop near the end of the main road.

Aside from thinking about Annie almost constantly, Harper was having quite a good summer. Now that she was seventeen with an Apparition license, she could Apparate all over town and stay out as late as she wished. Euporie had suggested they should start eating dinner as a family, but Harper pretended to forget until her mother gave up. Charles worked until seven or eight, so he hadn't noticed.

Annie was staying at St. Mungo's for the foreseeable future. When the family had visited after taking Harper from Hogwarts, her sister was under the Draught of Peace. Harper was not concerned about that. She'd had to slip her Riddle's potion without their parents or the staff noticing. Worse yet, their stay was only about ten minutes. Harper settled on leaving her wand on the small nightstand as they left.

"Oh, I forgot my wand," she'd exclaimed and, much to her father's aggravation, dashed back to the room without another word.

Annie had been sitting in the exact spot they'd left her, looking out the window. Harper leaned in, uncapped the vial, and held it to her sister's lips. In case anyone walked by, she pressed her cheek against Annie's, appearing as if she was giving her a hug.

"Sissy, take this," she whispered.

"Alright, dear sister," replied Annie in a dull sing-song, like she was trying to entertain a small child but couldn't muster up enough enthusiasm. Fortunately, she gulped down the potion without a fuss. Harper gave her a kiss goodbye, feeling a bit odd about giving affection and Annie's state in general…

"Harper? Where's your head, lassie?"

She fell back down to Earth, landing on the main street of Hogsmeade. "So sorry, Felix. Blanked out is all."

"Reckon you're bored. Say, want to go sneak a peek at Hogwarts? I've got a theory that the professors sunbathe nude all summer."

Harper grimaced at the mental image. "Are we even allowed on Hogwarts grounds?"

"Probably not," Felix said with nonchalance. "But I know a secret passageway there."

"Do you?" Fully intrigued by then, she nodded. "Alright, I'm in."

He led her to the other side of the village down a dirt path to a conspicuous, old house. Inside was empty and dark, their creaky footsteps echoing off the walls as they crept through it. Right next to the shabby kitchen was a gaping black hole.

"Lumos!"

They entered the tunnel and walked deeper. When it became too narrow, they crawled. Harper was a bit distressed over muddying her shoes, hose, and skirt, but curiosity had more strong of a pull. She'd clean up eventually.

A few minutes later, they could see a flood of light shining through a hole in what was presumably the ground, as they were surrounded by thick tree roots.

With grace and ease, Felix climbed out of the hole and disappeared for a few seconds. Then he leaned back in to help Harper. Once she poked her head out, she glanced around, registered where they were, gasped, and fell back down.

"What's happened, lass?" Felix asked, frowning in confusion.

"Get back down here," she hissed. "That's the Whomping Willow!"

"Yes, I know," he said calmly, grinning down at her. "It's at rest now."

"At...rest?"

He reached his arms out and waved her over. "Come, I'll show you. It's alright, Harper."

She let him help her pull herself up out of the hole, falling onto lush grass. It tickled her cheek as she rolled over and stood up. Felix took her hand and led her around the tree's thick trunk. He seemed right: it was completely still. Its soft branches slid off their shoulders and hung lifeless as they stepped closer to the trunk.

"There." He crouched and pointed at a large knot. "I pressed that," he explained as she crouched alongside him. "It puts the tree at rest for a bit."

She felt his hand on her back, radiating warmth. Before she could discern what to make of it, he stood up and pulled it away, taking her hand again instead. "Come. These woods here will take us to the lake. We're less likely to be seen there than if we cross the lawn."

"Makes sense," Harper answered, looking up at the sun peeking through the branches. It was quite a nice sight and she wanted to soak it in. "How did you figure this tree out?"

"Let's just say I've been doing research," Felix replied with a wink.

"As a prefect, I recommend that you do not elaborate."

"Put me in detention, will you? Will I get to serve it with you?"

Harper chuckled and looked away, feeling color rise to her cheeks that hadn't much to do with the sun.

"Alright, I think we've got to go this way…"

They were silent for several minutes as Harper's mind started to drift toward the clouds. It was so glorious outside; she should leave London more often…

Suddenly, Felix let out a yelp and jerked forward, clutching his rear.

"What's wrong?" asked Harper in alarm.

"Something hit me in the—"

He was cut off by a large CRACK as a tree branch whipped through the grass, missing Harper by inches. The pair exchanged glances of pure terror before looking up. The tree had a thick, rope-like branch raised, ready to whip.

"RUN!" Felix bellowed, seizing Harper's arm. Thankfully, she unfroze instantly and they bolted away as fast as they could. Another branch whipped by, but it missed them again. The next one caught Felix on the back of his legs. For a second, it looked as if he was about to double over, but he merely grimaced and continued.

When they reached the forest, Harper's heart felt three times lighter as the safety of the trees engulfed them. They did not stop running, however, until Felix tripped over something and lost his balance, taking her with him.

"Shite!" he yelled, and Harper, giddy with relief, burst into laughter as they both collapsed on the ground in a heap.

"I'm sorry, lass, I can't walk on my own two feet, evidently." Their chests were heaving as they both struggled for breath. Felix caught his first and sat up, inspecting the pink welts on the back of his legs. Luckily, the branch had only torn his trousers, not his skin. "Well, at any rate, I told you it'd be alright."

Harper turned to him in disbelief and found him grinning playfully at her. She chuckled and shook her head as he rose with a hand out to help her do the same. "If that's your idea of 'alright,' I can't help but wonder what you'd classify as dangerous."

She was teasing, but his face fell. "That was dangerous. I wanted to give you a good time and I've done the opposite."

"Felix, I'm having a ball," she assured him with sincerity, clasping his hands. "Honestly, this is the most fun I've had in ages, even though I must look a complete mess."

He shook his head, smiling. "No, you look swell as always."

Harper looked away, but he took a step closer to pull out a twig from her hair. She looked up and grinned at him. He tossed it away and held eye contact with her for a silent second. His eyes were not blue like she'd previously thought, but had a bit of green mixed in. She was reminded of a vivid piece of sea glass she'd found once as a little girl when her family had visited the shore.

Felix took another step closer and lifted a tentative hand to her face. With the back of his fingers, he stroked her cheek. "Would you mind...if I kissed you?"

Harper felt her nervous system kicking up, but that brought more excitement than fear. "Yes, please do."

The first kiss was only a gentle brushing of lips as they were both shy and inexperienced. "That was my first kiss," she admitted. "Yours?"

He shook his head, still only inches away. "Second."

"Who was the first?"

"Wisteria Lovegood."

Harper nodded, filing away the information.

"It didn't lead to anything," he added.

She didn't have an answer for that. He wasn't expecting one, anyway. He placed his hand on the back of her head and brought his lips to hers again.

This time was longer and better. His lips were quite soft. A warmth spread through her body at an intensity she'd never felt before. Seconds before the kiss ended, she was resisting the urge to hold him tight and press herself against him.

"I like that," Felix said. "Let's do that again. Now, though, we've got to make a choice: go on to the lake or back to Hogsmeade, now that the tunnel is out. It's getting a bit late, though…"

"Late?" Harper echoed in confusion. She checked her watch and was startled to see that it was nearly six o'clock. The sun set later up north, which she'd completely forgotten.

"Oh, my," she said in dismay. "I guess we'd better postpone the trip to the lake. I'd rather not hear it from my parents, see."

"Nor would I," he agreed. "Though I bet yours are tougher on you, since you're a witch and all."

"Too right."

On the long walk back to Hogsmeade, they chatted idly about various topics, such as classmates and lessons. Felix told Harper about his trip to America and how he'd accidently set his trunk on fire, causing a major stir on the ship full of muggles. He told her his parents did not speak to him for their entire stay in New York City. Harper was clutching her sides in laughter by the end, stopping short once the edge of the trees came into view. They were only feet away from the border of Hogwarts grounds, where they could Disapparate.

They stood facing each other, unsure of how to say goodbye. "Harper, I'd like to go steady with you," he said at last. "If that's alright with you."

"Of course it is, Felix."

He beamed at her before kissing her softly once more. She closed her eyes, taking it in until he pulled away. Hand in hand, they approached the edge of the forest.

When they arrived in Apparition Alley, near an entrance to the Ministry, they hastily cleaned themselves up. Felix brought Harper's hand to his lips and kissed it before leaving, "Until next time, pretty lady."

Harper blushed and smiled fondly. "Goodbye, Felix."

As she headed to Grimmauld Place, there was a bit of bounce in her steps. Until she checked her watch, that is. Upon seeing that it was well after seven, her heart sped up and she increased her pace to a jog despite the sticky London air. Hopefully this was a particularly late night for Charles at the Ministry.

This was unfortunately not the case. Though Harper had removed the stains and dirt from her clothing, she hadn't fixed her hair and realised belatedly that it was a knotty mess. As she raked her hands through it, Charles walked out of the dining hall.

"Where in Merlin's name have you been, Harpalyke?" he demanded. "Your mother tells me you haven't been home for supper in days! Just who do you think you are, traipsing all over the place like a harlot?"

Harper kept her eyes on the patterned wall behind him, waiting him out as usual.

"Look at the state of you! You look like you've been passed around the pub. What wizard would want you, looking like that?"

"I've got a wizard," she blurted. "I was out to tea with him."

"Who is he?" He stared at her in disbelief.

"Herbert Murdoch's son."

She thought that would appease her father or at least get him off her back, but he only grew more furious. "Murdoch, that half-blood? You dare taint yourself with such filth? No, I forbid it. Purebloods mixing with anything less than pure is not only unacceptable, it is despicable."

"Lucky Mother looked your way, then," she replied coldly, fists curling.

SMACK! Harper jumped back as her father's hand connected harshly with her cheek. Her eyes stung with tears, but she stood resolutely still, refusing to break.

"Insolent little bitch," Charles hissed. "You dare speak to me in such a manner? You disgrace of a daughter, you would do best to learn your place under my roof, or I'll toss you right out. Do you understand me?"

Her ears were ringing, her lips pressed together as she held her anger in check. Further enraged, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her closer.

"Answer me this instant, Harpalyke," he snarled, digging his knuckles into her scalp.

"Charles!" Euporie shrieked from the doorway of the kitchen. "What are you doing to her?"

"Mind your goddamn business, Euporie." Charles released Harper's hair and stomped toward his wife. "Because you've failed as a mother, I've got two wayward brats to deal with…"

Harper turned and bolted up the stairs, rubbing her throbbing scalp. Her right cheek stung as she swiped at the tears blurring her vision. She slammed the door to her room behind her and collapsed on the bed.

Fat, angry tears flooded her face as she sniffled and sighed. Eventually, she pulled out a handkerchief from her robes and dried her face, lying flat on her back. Damn him, she thought stubbornly. I'm going to see Felix and he can't stop me. Though she knew that, ultimately, her father did have the power to end the affair whether she was seventeen or not.

I'll just have to be sneakier, she resolved. She'd have to be sneakier to treat Annie and brew the potion as it was. Thinking of Annie made her even more miserable, so she closed her eyes and replayed the pleasant afternoon she'd had with Felix.

Already she had her first kiss; she'd not been expecting it for another few years. In disbelief, she touched her fingertips to her lips, remembering the warmth of his. Next she slid her hand over her cheek, caressing it like he had. Charles had slapped the same cheek as if to negate the embrace and she hated him for that.

I dare to taint myself with the impure, she answered him silently, snidely. At once, her mind ran down a path she'd never explored anything like before. She imagined herself back in the forest, sitting on the ground, pulling her skirt back and spreading her legs as Felix watched eagerly. In a fleeting moment of lucidity, she realised she'd slid her hand up her skirt and was rubbing her fingers idly over the heated spot of her knickers.

Indecent, unladylike, a voice scolded in her head, but she opted to disregard it and continue with her fantasy. In the forest with Felix, she slowly pulled her knickers to the side under his hungry gaze. "Would you like to play?" The Harper in her dreams was much more confident than the one on Earth.

After she'd finished and cleaned up, a small wave of shame rippled through her. She could never act like that, nor would she want to. She had to shift her focus back on NEWTs, Annie, the potion, and Legilimency, not these absurd thoughts.

Yet the dreams and fantasies persisted, cropping up every once in a while to remind her that she was no longer a child.

-x-

One of the upsides of attending a wedding between two cousins was that there were less people invited, thus less Sacred 28 idiocy. Alphard wondered if there had been some manual each wealthy pureblood kid was required to read that he'd somehow missed. He simply couldn't muster up enough desire to act like these people. Even Tom Riddle, the half-blood orphan, belonged here more than he.

Alphard sat at the "youth" table between Icarus Yaxley and fourth-year Evan Rosier. Felix Murdoch was present but Sequitur Delmont was not. At the girls' table, Beryl Fawley, Aurelia Parkinson, and Druella Rosier chatted away.

The newlyweds, Orion and Walburga, sat in the center under a golden braided arch, lavished with gifts, flowers, and attention. Cygnus, Malfoy, and Riddle had been assigned to the adult table now that they were all out of Hogwarts, but after dessert, they moved to Alphard's table. Yaxley and Murdoch immediately cleared space for them, greeting them heartily.

"The Dark Lord expresses his regret that he could not attend," Riddle said with a smirk, causing the other boys to chuckle for some reason.

"Sir…" said Cygnus uneasily, nodding toward his brother. They grew silent and stared at Alphard, who shifted uncomfortably in his slightly-too-small dress robes.

"It's alright, Cygnus," Riddle assured him. "Alphard should be aware of what the Knights are fighting for and how important it is. Perhaps he'll be willing to join."

Alphard turned to Cygnus to ask who the Knights were and what they were fighting for, but then Riddle turned away as if bored with him and addressed Murdoch.

"You're unusually sullen today, Felix," he remarked. "Everything alright?"

"Yes, sir," said Murdoch blandly, staring at the white-laced tablecloth.

"He's in love with Messier Two, but he can't have her," Malfoy offered. "Her father told his to keep him away and now it's a Shakespearean tragedy."

"Shut up, Abraxas," Murdoch muttered, his tone of voice unchanged.

"Well, I think you should give her up and find a different witch," Yaxley interjected. "One that's a little more...attainable. You lot agree?"

"Indeed," said Riddle as Cygnus nodded along.

"And then I'll take her," Yaxley continued crassly. "Since I'm a 28, her old man will allow it."

Everyone stared at him, appalled. Murdoch lifted his head and opened his mouth to retort, but Riddle held up his hand.

"That is enough discussion about Miss Messier for the evening. Icarus, I would ease up on the champagne if I were you."

"Yes, sir," Yaxley grumbled, and now there were two brooding young men at the table with their arms crossed. Meanwhile, Alphard was wondering if anyone was going to tell him who the Dark Lord was. His first thought had been Grindelwald, but that didn't fit right. He was the Minister, Great Leader, his Magic Army openly rewarded. Why all the secrecy surrounding these Knights?

"Cygnus," he said later as everyone dispersed throughout the hall to mingle and dance. "Who are the Knights and what do they do?"

"Nothing much as of yet," Cygnus answered, scanning the vast room for someone. "We're still in the planning stage."

"Planning...to harm muggles?" His brother's words in the dungeons at Hogwarts were still fresh in his mind.

Cygnus merely clapped him on the back and shook his head. "Don't worry about it, brother. Now if you'll excuse me, I must ask your classmate, the lovely Druella, to dance."

Alphard didn't bother to point out that Druella Rosier was far from lovely, but he knew appearance and blood status were higher priority to Cygnus. He watched his brother disappear unto the crowd before deciding that he needed a breath of fresh air.

Just outside the entrance was a large terrance perched on the edge of a cliff. Below, the sea churned furiously, but it was far enough below to sound only like comforting white noise.

Her stood still for a moment, looking at the deep blue sky dotted with stars, thinking of Mel. He thought of the first time he'd spoken in depth with her, how she'd been sitting by the lake in the freezing cold. His chest tightened as he ruminated over his sent letter and speculation on why she hadn't responded.

A pair of low voices caught his ear from somewhere on the right. He turned and made out two tall, dark figures next to a Renaissance sculpture. One was slightly slurred, which he recognised as Murdoch's: "...I quite like her. She's so clever, the wit on her…"

"I don't doubt that, Felix," a familiar low voice responded, "but her father has made it clear she is off-limits, yes? You've got a number of things to focus on during your last year of Hogwarts, and pining over an unattainable witch shouldn't be one of them."

"I know, sir, but if I don't, Yaxley will have her," Murdoch said mournfully.

Riddle—that's who he was speaking to. Alphard found it odd that everyone continued to call him "sir," even those who were out of Hogwarts like Cygnus and Malfoy, but it was habit now, he supposed.

"I will ensure that doesn't happen," Riddle told Murdoch firmly. "The Dark Lord discourages petty distractions such as chasing witches, unless a beneficial union will become of it, and it is prioritised accordingly. Don't worry, Felix, once the Knights move into action, witches will be throwing themselves at you, and you won't have to pine for them."

"You're right, sir. It's silly to pursue her."

"Indeed…"

Murdoch excused himself back to the party and meandered over to the entrance. Alphard looked frantically toward the nearest statue, knowing he couldn't reach it in time to hide, but Murdoch passed him without a glance in his direction, lamenting deeply over Harper Messier, apparently.

"Alphard," Riddle called suddenly once Murdoch had gone inside. "Come."

Slowly, Alphard made his way across the terrace. Riddle was standing near the railing, gazing out into the sea. "I can tell you are bursting with questions," he said, not looking at the approaching figure. "I may be able to answer some of them."

Without waiting for further prompt, Alphard asked, "Who is the Dark Lord?"

"That I can't disclose," said Riddle with a soft chuckle. "But I can tell you his mission is the same as ours."

"What would that entail, sir?"

He turned and looked at Alphard full-on for the first time that evening. "Purifying the wizarding race, of course. Do you not share the same objective, Alphard?"

"I do, sir," he lied quickly. "I just—isn't the Minister taking care of that for us?"

"Ah, yes, but we cannot expect the Minister to bring effective change in a timely manner. Not only is he restrained by bureaucracy, he is in a cocoon up there in his office, protected by his soldiers. Real progress happens at ground-level."

A gust of salt-scented wind blew a lock of hair over his forehead as he looked back out at sea. Alphard noticed he was dressed in simple black robes like the ones he usually wore at Hogwarts. His unchanged appearance gave Alphard the impression that this was a dream, that he and his professor were displaced into lavish surroundings. "Would you be interested in joining?" Riddle asked a second later.

"I-I'm not sure, sir," Alphard stammered. "I'm trying to get into the Ministry, see, and, erm, I don't want to be distracted…" he trailed off lamely before he went on a full-fledged ramble.

"Cygnus is also trying to secure a position in the Ministry," Riddle pointed out. "It won't be too hard for either of you with your family name. Cygnus and Orion have expressed that working to clean our society of unworthy blood goes hand-in-hand with maintaining the Black family honor. You do wish to honor your family, yes?"

"Yes, sir," said Alphard, nodding vigorously. Meanwhile, his throat was starting to close and his palms were sweaty. He did have to honor his family. His parents were already on his back about finding a proper wife, and Mel obviously didn't fall into the category. Would a high-ranking Ministry position suffice, or would he have to further prove his devotion? The thought of helping cause even more suffering churned his stomach.

Riddle was studying him thoughtfully, as if reading the truth on his face. Alphard willed his expression to stay passive, clasping his hands behind his back.

"Well, I'm not going to push you in one direction or another," Riddle said quietly, turning toward the entrance. "If you decide you'd like to join, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. Enjoy the rest of your summer, Alphard."

"You as well, sir," Alphard said to his retreating back.

His plan was to remain on the terrace for a bit to collect his thoughts, but after about five minutes of peace, Yaxley poked his head out and called, "Alphard! You'd better get inside here, mate. Things are getting ugly."

"What on Earth is going on?" Alphard asked, a ball of dread forming in his stomach as he stepped through the entrance.

"Well...your uncle's sort of pissed and mouthing off to your dad about Orion and Walburga being, er, related."

Alphard suppressed the urge to let out a loud sigh and sink his head into his hands. This was the last thing he needed right now. Yaxley looked like he was fighting back a laugh. He turned away and let out an odd, high-pitched cough. Sure enough, Alphard's father, Pollux, was towering over a red-faced Uncle Arcturus.

"You ignoble swine!" Pollux yelled. "You dare criticise this union of honor?"

"Is that what you call it?" Arcturus shot back. "Just you wait, the offspring will come out raving mad!"

"Father, please, let's get going," Lucretia pleaded, tugging on the sleeve of his robe.

Alphard turned to Cygnus. "Perhaps we should try to calm Father down?"

"Waste of time," replied Cygnus, immersed in a card game with Orion, Yaxley, Malfoy, Murdoch, and Delmont. The cards depicted drawings of Veelas, who giggled and winked. Riddle had left, Alphard noticed. On the table in front of the lot of boys were goblets full of mead, unnoticed by the older adults. Orion and Murdoch were red-faced, swaying slightly in their seats.

After a tense ten minutes of the elder Blacks engaging in a shouting match, Lucretia finally managed to leave with Uncle Arcturus, which helped Pollux gain his composure immediately.

"Come have a seat, brother," Cygnus said, pointing across the table. "The—Riddle just left, so you can take over his hand."

Alphard shook his head. "No, thank you."

"Well, have a seat, then, at least."

There was a slight edge to Cygnus' voice, so Alphard did as he was told, taking a sip of the mead. It tasted awful; unlike the other men in his family, he didn't care much for any type of alcohol.

"You over Messier yet?" Cygnus asked Murdoch as he dealt another round.

"Getting there, I suppose," Murdoch answered blearily, eyes half closed.

"Messier?" Druella Rosier, dressed in sequined silk, asked from the girls' table. "Which one?"

Cygnus, who had been keen on spending time with Druella not two hours ago, ignored her completely.

"Two, I reckon, since they went to Slughorn's party together," Aurelia Parkinson said, and shortly thereafter, the gossip mill was in full swing.

Murdoch also ignored them, dropping his head on the table on top of his cards.

"What a pisser," Yaxley sneered. Ten minutes later, Delmont did the same, asleep before his cheek slammed onto the table.

"Excuse me,' Alphard said, rising and setting his cards down. The others were too engaged in the game to pay him much attention.

"Mum, I'm going home," he told his mother, Irma, who was speaking amicably to Aunt Melania despite their husbands' row.

"Yes, alright, dear," she responded distractedly before raising a goblet of wine to her lips.

Alphard had never been so relieved to be back in his room at Number 12, alone. He desperately needed to gather his thoughts after such a strange evening. First there was the Dark Lord—who the hell was he? And this mysterious figure had already gathered a group of men among the most wealthy and influential wizarding families in the UK.

He composed a list of all the Knights: Cygnus, Orion, Delmont, Malfoy, Yaxley, Murdoch, and Riddle, even though the last two were half-bloods… Blood status didn't seem to matter very much to the Regime, either, only muggles…

He rubbed his eyes and sighed, sitting on his bed. Even with all of the racing thoughts, still they returned to Mel. Why hadn't she written? Had she dismissed him entirely? The silent questions tore at his chest every time they came up.

Worse yet, he had over a month left of the summer until he could find out. Over a month of rumination. "Swell," he said to himself out loud, voice heavy with misery.