Act II
Chapter I: Solstice Dinner
"This was not a good idea" Darius Greengrass grumbled to his wife.
Artemis rolled her eyes as she walked past her husband, a large steamy silver platter in her hands. Dressed in a beautiful light blue dress that matched her eyes, her honey hair was combed into a bun on her back. She elegantly soared over to a large table, where silver cutlery had been laid in waiting. From the tiniest of forks to the mightiest spoon, the gleaming silverware was a boastful display of light over the crimson tablecloth.
"He is your brother, Darius" Artemis sighed as she laid the platter at the very centre of the elegant dinner table. She allowed herself to smile, as everything remained seemingly perfect, before turning to face her husband with a harsh glare. "In this house, we respect tradition and the old ways, Darius, and that means family".
"It's still a mistake" Darius mumbled, shaking his head. With a fine Victorian emerald-suit, he was the epitome of poise. Admittedly, had he been any less scornful and anxious, he might have looked somewhat imperious rather than haughty and haggard.
"What exactly bothers you so much about your own brother?" Artemis grunted, annoyed. She was a very patient woman – gods knew how motherhood had tempered her soul. However, even she had a limit and Darius grating insistence was truly testing her. "He has done so much for us already…"
Artemis would be lying if she were to claim she didn't feel any remorse. On the contrary, she had been quick to believe Darius about Selenius, even when she had whispering suspicions of a different tale. It had been so easy, so comfortable, to put behind the dark era they went through… but now, the shadows of the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters reigned supreme, and complacency was not an option.
"You don't get it!" Darius hissed, stepping close to his wife. He glanced around, making sure they weren't eavesdropped by any naughty children. "Selenius has always been greedy. He's the sort of person that wants power for power's sake. It's – it's…" he struggled for a moment, frowning, as he tried to find the correct term. "It's like some sort of inferiority complex or something".
"That means he needs of us… of you" Artemis hummed with an admonishing huff. "Please, Darius, he might have changed. Give him a chance".
Darius grimaced as her wife smiled at her baring a face that the man could not resist. In the end, Darius huffed and puff, frustrated, before admitting defeat. It was inevitable, and Artemis knew it.
"Alright, alright, it's the least I could do for everything he has done for us" he reasoned, albeit begrudgingly.
"That's the spirit, dear!" Artemis giggled, pecking his husband's lips.
Darius kept a sour face, though, as if he was both annoyed by her wife's good-intentions and the fact he was forced to celebrate Solstice with his younger brother. A part of his mood, though, were his nerves gnawing on his soul. This was the same brother he had backstabbed in favour of his wife and children, a brother he had been meant to protect and guide and, instead, thrown to the wolves. True, back then it was barely a choice, with the Dark Lord himself baring down in all of his nightmarish presence, but it still brought a sense of guilt within the proud man.
"Oh, please, Darius, do try!" Artemis sighed, exasperated.
The only response her husband offered was a low, guttural reluctant grumble.
All of a sudden, the two adults froze as they felt a faint tingling in the nape of their necks, accompanied by a shiver. Someone had crossed their wards, a stranger accompanied by a familiar presence. Darius looked at Artemis, silently asking for confirmation. All it took was one smile to know exactly who had just crossed the perimeter into their property. Thus, Darius scowled.
"He's here, and he appears to have brought a young woman" Artemis' eyes were dangerous bright with glee. Her husband wearily shuddered, cautious about that look of hers. If anyone loved gossip, it was definitely Artemis. Darius' scowl only deepened at that.
The married coupled calmly walked towards the entrance, one with stiff reluctance, the other elegantly gliding across the house. They stopped a few feet from the door, only to trade faces again. Whilst Artemis smiled brightly, Darius grimaced. He did try to soften his expression… after a harsh glare from his wife, of course.
"Let's just get on with this" Darius muttered under his breath.
With a triumphant air around her, Artemis stepped forward and, regally, opened the door. Right past the threshold, stout and strong, was Selenius, clad in his usual dark green trench coat. His sapphire eyes glowered under the shadows of dusk, and his short hair waved in the harsh winter winds. It was his companion, however, who drew Artemis', and Darius', attention.
She was a very elegant young woman with long, silky blood-red hair that had a porcelain white skin and a strange poise to her stance. There were faint specks of what might have been freckles, although they were somehow faded. In a gothic crimson dress and a matching coat to guard her from the cold, she smiled at them. Her eyes were, though, the most disturbing feature on her person. Where there had once been brown, there was an eerie hazel that came close to yellow, holding a faint hellish glimmer much like that of Selenius, if only far fainter.
Artemis glanced at her husband, sharing a moment of confusion. They could both feel something was… off with the girl, but it was hard to understand what. Still, those eyes were rather disturbing. That didn't daunt Artemis one bit.
"Welcome! It's so good to see you again, Selenius!" Artemis exclaimed as she proudly beamed at her brother-in-law. She stretched her arms and, in one surprise move, embraced a startled Selenius.
The Pyromancer, a bit too shocked by the human touch, released a strange strangled squawk. His gaze turned to Darius, urging his brethren for support, or at least an answer. Darius, though, cracked a smile as his wife constricted his brother with her boundless love. The unknown young lady giggled at Selenius, only to find herself much in the same position soon after.
Selenius chuckled as Ginny squeaked under Artemis' motherly affection. He turned to Darius, sobering for a moment.
"Brother" Selenius politely said as he nodded to Darius.
"Hmmm" hummed Darius before he puffed up his chest. "Selenius…" he softly added, extending a stiff hand.
Selenius mechanically stretched out a hand of his own. Tied by blood, the two wizards shook hands. They tightened on each other, their owners' gazes locked competitively onto the other. When they broke their greetings, Selenius and Ginny stepped inside, while Artemis closed the door behind them, cutting of the wintery air from the warmth within.
"Please, please, make yourself at home" Artemis joyously proclaimed. "Allow me to take that coat, dear…" she said, addressing Ginny.
"Artemis… Darius… let me introduce to you Ginevra Weasley" Selenius said. "Ginny, this is Artemis Greengrass Nee Selwyn, and Darius Greengrass, my brother".
"My goodness!" Artemis exclaimed, flabbergasted. She wasn't the only one. "A Weasley! Under my roof" she laughed, lightly nudging Darius "never thought I would see the day I would host a Weasley to a Solstice Dinner".
"Not just any Weasley" Darius hummed, squinting at Selenius. "She is Arthur's daughter, isn't she?"
"You know my father?" Ginny asked, mildly surprised.
"Know him?" Darius gruffly muttered. "He has 'raided'" he air quoted "this very house over five times in a decade – each time worse than the time before. Of course I know him".
"Why?" Ginny frowned, baffled. "Why did my father raid your house that much?"
"Because of my dear brother" Darius glared angrily at Selenius, who shamelessly tried to stifle a snicker behind a fist. "If there is one person in our entire Magical land known for misusing Muggle artefacts, it is certainly Selenius here. I don't know if you are aware of this, but my brother has garnered a bad habit of tinkering with all sorts of muggle garbage. Thus, any time some ruddy mage baited muggles, your father would immediately assume Selenius was back in town – and hiding here!"
"I didn't know you had a passion for muggle tek-know-logy" Ginny hummed at Selenius. She had, however, already noticed how much muggle objects the man kept in his study, something she hadn't bothered to question before.
"It's technology" Selenius corrected, rolling his eyes "and I wouldn't call it a passion. I…" he trailed off, unsure "…I merely found many fruitful uses for what many would have considered garbage".
"Why don't we sit down?" Artemis interceded with a grin, holding Ginny's coat on one arm. "While it's entertaining to chat by the door, I think it would be far better to make ourselves comfortable, wouldn't you agree?" She turned to Darius "call the children, dear. I am more than certain they would love to meet their long lost Uncle".
Before Selenius and Ginny could respond, Artemis literally pushed them over to the Dining Room. As a matter of fact, all they could do was dumbly stare at Artemis as they were whisked away to the dining room and onto their seats (with Selenius sitting at the head of the table and Ginny at a side). They were almost forced down before their hostess vanished off to the kitchen. The couple exchanged baffled expressions, only to share amused smiles.
Ginny shyly looked around. She was unused to such surroundings. For starters, it wasn't luxurious. Far from it. There was an air of humbleness that pervaded everything beneath the wooden ceiling. She could even say there was a hominess to it all and a feeling of warmth. Still, she studied everything with apprehension. She was in the home of Pure-Bloods… Selenius' family. Tall shelves held many painted plates and cups, from simple china to what was merely decorative in all forms and shapes. Family pictures had long conquered what little space remained, including ancient portraits of what one could assume were the Greengrass of old, as well as far more recent images.
The Greengrass had never been notorious blood-supremacists like the Malfoys, but that was because they were neither as outspoken nor influential. Ginny though knew that most pure-bloods did have such leanings, if mostly in private. Selenius had struck her as rather decent in regards to that, but she had the strong feeling that he wasn't exactly appreciative of muggles and muggle-borns, although his love for muggle artefacts could be evidence of the contrary.
"Are you sure Ron will stay asleep?" Ginny whispered to Selenius. It came out as a hiss, dripping with nervousness.
"Relax" Selenius chuckled. He took hold of her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "My family will not divulge anything, not unless Darius has strayed from our parents' teachings, which I doubt. And yes, Ronald will be snoring for the entire night".
"What manner of potion did you use?" Ginny wondered.
"Oh, it was no potion" Selenius dryly chortled, embarrassed. "I am awful at potions… so I might have used muggle sleeping pills. They are just as effective but ten times more accessible than sleeping draughts". Selenius did not bother to add that it was easier to steal from a muggle with his beloved 'Galleon for your thoughts' than from a mage at Diagon Alley.
Ginny was about to inquire about these "peels" when their hostess returned.
"So, Ginevra, dear, what's your relationship with my brother-in-law?" Artemis inquired as she hovered over them with a platter filled with small delicacies.
Selenius and Ginny hungrily looked at the platter, one which was offered to them. Truth to be told, all the food, including that on the table, looked strange yet delicious. Ginny had never seen such cuisine before, and being hungry, she was rather impatient to dig in already. As they each grabbed what caught their attention the most, Artemis laid the platter on the table and went to sit down opposite them next to the other end of the table.
"Call me Ginny, please" Ginny mumbled with a blush. "And I am actually Sel's – sorry, I mean, Selenius' – apprentice".
"Indeed?" Artemis' eyebrows raised on her forehead with surprise, before frowning at them. "Dear, Ginevra is such a beautiful name. Ginny is a bit… childish".
Before Ginny could actually formulate a retort, they were interrupted by what sounded like a herd of stampeding buffalos. Whatever it had been, it quieted down just outside the Dining Room right before a rather flustered Daphne Greengrass haughtily made her entrance, briskly brushing her long blue dress down. She was followed by a mischievous-looking Astoria, whose pearl-blue dress was a fine mess, and two energetic boys, both clad in small Victorian fitting suits – closely resembling their father. All four children froze by the entrance, petrified by Selenius' presence. Not even the stoic Daphne was unable to hide her surprise – and excitement. Her eyes, though, jumped onto Ginny. In the span of a second, Daphne's face morphed into utter disbelief.
"Come on, children, don't tarry" Darius huffed and puffed behind the lot.
As one, the children hurried onwards and towards the table, rushing to sit down. They didn't stop glancing at Selenius, who confidently smiled at them all, while Ginny blushed, unused to such situation. Darius marched after them, looking irritated, changing course towards the remaining chair at the other head of the table.
"Astoria" sighed Artemis. "What have you been doing?" She shook her head at her daughter, looking rather disapproving. "Just look at your dress!" She exclaimed, mortified.
"I didn't do anything" the young girl in question hastily responded.
"She tried to steal my letters" Daphne scoffed in a cold, dignified manner next to her sister and opposite her mother. Astoria sat between Daphne and Ginny, grinning madly at the redhead.
"Daphne has a secret boyfriend" Astoria conspiratorially told Ginny. She didn't speak softly enough, though.
"I do not!" Daphne hissed at Astoria. If looks could kill, Astoria would have been long past 'deceased' – she might have been in the lines of 'obliterated', actually. "I have more important matters to tend to than love scuffles…" condescendingly huffed the eldest Greengrass daughter.
"Girls" Darius warningly said. Just like that, both daughters dropped the subject entirely.
Ginny looked around. The food was already served and steaming. The smell was beyond alluring and the young woman found herself salivating a bit too much. And yet, no one moved onto the plates. It felt a bit too formal, too stiff… and at the same time a bit too special, almost ceremonial. Thus, she sat up straight and waited. Her patience and observations were rewards soon enough.
"Alright, I think we can actually start the meal" Darius hummed with a firm nod of approval to Artemis. The housewife, however, raised a hand and turned her face towards the younglings.
"Did you wash your hands?" Artemis asked her children, all of who nodded eagerly.
She raised a challenging eyebrow at her brood, particularly her sons who sat opposite Ginny and next to Selenius. The two young boys raised their hands, exposing their palms. The matron nodded in approval and rose to her feet, her mirth replaced by solemnness. Ginny frowned, utterly lost, as everyone stared at the woman with rapt attention and with the utmost respect. Even the children seemed to understand the relevance of what would follow next. Thus, she followed suit, curious about this strange meal.
Much to Ginny's surprise, what followed was a blessing of sorts.
"Gods of old and magic ever so bold, we are gathered here as a whole to dine under thy blissful hold" Artemis started. Ginny blinked, taken aback by the chant. "Tonight, we shall ward off the ever encumbering darkness and be reminded of that which we hold dearest". The woman paused, lowering her gaze with an odd touching sadness. "It is in tumultuous times like this that we must stand together, if only to be reminded that in the darkest of nights it's when the stars shine the brightest".
Selenius nudged Ginny, quickly gesturing for her to pick her empty drinking glass. It was in the nick of time, when all glasses were lifted in practice unison. The boys had tinier glasses than their sisters', which in turn where smaller than the glasses of their parents.
"Byddwn yn ymladd dros ein teulu" the Greengrass proclaimed.
While it was a simply chorused sentence, Ginny felt something change in the air, a foreboding feeling that washed over her. It was undescribable... yet at the same time, it was obviously magic. What kind? She had absolutely no idea but it was definately far from dark.
To say Ginny was a bit bewildered by the whole ceremony was an understatement. The fact she heard them speak such strange tongue was all more flummoxing. However, she had little room to ponder on everything as her glass was magically filled by a blubbly amber liquid. Seeing as all the Greengrass were about to take a sip of their drinks, Ginny followed their example.
The taste of the beverage was not what she had expected. For starters, it was rough on the throat and fiery in her mouth. To her surprise, she immediatelly found a love for the liquid. She must have looked inquisitively at her glass a bit too much for Selenius seemed to have understood what she was wondering about.
"Home-made beer" Selenius whispered.
"Like butterbeer?" Ginny murmured to the man.
"It's a bit stronger" Selenius chuckled with an amused smirk.
From the corner of her eyes, Ginny noticed that no one had started serving themselves. Once again, she found herself befuddled by the proceedings. Was this some sort of tradition? However, her questions were answered as Darius grabbed a platter and started filling each plate and handing it over. Ginny was quick to notice that there was an order for this: the young boys were first, followed by the youngest daughter and then the oldest one. Soon, Ginny had a plate filled with all sorts of food, followed by Artemis. Selenius was close to last, with Darius finishing serving himself.
"So, I suppose it's time for the proper introductions" Artemis announced once they all started eating. "Selenius, these are Darius and Romulus" she said, gesturing to the two boys. "The young ever-smiling Princess is Astoria, and the Ice Queen by your side, Ginevra, is Daphne. Children, these are your Uncle Selenius and his apprentice, Ginevra Greengrass".
Ginny was rather surprised that her announcement was met with silence. Admittedly, they all looked like they were dying to ask their questions to death, but by the way they were glancing at their parents, they at least had the manners to rein in their curiousity. At last, Darius nodded at Daphne, who frowned ever so slightly at Ginny.
"Ginevra Weasley... you are... but it can't be..." she whispered. "You are the brother of Ronald Weasley? Of the Weasley Twins? That Ginevra?" She inquired, raising an eyebrow. While her tone was questioning, her gesture, and something embedded in her voice, came off as suspicious and accusatory.
"Yes" Ginny politely nodded.
"You look... different" Daphne stated, only to add with certain hesitation "and livelier than rumoured..."
"Everyone thought the Death Eaters kidnapped you and did all sorts of things!" Astoria immediatelly chimed.
"Astoria!" Artemis admonished.
Darius seemed to have problems eating with the way he suddenly started forcibly biting his food. He squinted at Selenius, who sent a placating look at his brother.
"It was I who kidnapped Ginny, actually" Selenius told Daphne. "And it was to protect her from the Death Eaters".
"How did you do it?" Daphne politely asked, mystified. She suddenly gave a rather unladylike snort "Not that I am that surprised. With the way Hogwarts has been broken into, it's hard to believe it even has any sort of wards or protections".
"The problem is that Hogwarts is a tad too ancient" Selenius explained. "Thus, a lot of the actual warding schemes have been lost with the generations, and certain modifications have gone unregistered. Moreover, many secrets have been created with the passage of time, secrets that can be exploited. However, you shouldn't underestimate Hogwarts' wards. They are some of the most powerful I've ever seen".
"Oh really? What can they do?" Astoria immediatelly jumped it.
"Well... from my understanding of the actual schemes, the wards of Hogwarts would seem to offer a lot of..." Selenius slowly replied, before he paused to clear his throat "...of luck".
"Luck?" The two young boys asked in unison.
"Yes, Hogwarts protects its students by actually favouring them in small, different ways... all of which make it look like a good lot of luck or coincidences" Selenius sighed. "I know, it's hard to understand. As a matter of fact, I can't say I fully understand Hogwarts' wards in their totality. Not even Dumbledore could claim such a feat, I presume. As I said, it's believed most of its schemes have been lost through the passage of time.
"In any case, a student who might have tripped in the moving stairs and fallen to her or his death would have found himself luckily regaining her footing, for example. It's because of those wards that deaths rarely ever happen within Hogwarts' premises" concluded Selenius. "Take an ill-pronounced spell. Instead of unfortunate consquences doing Gods-know-what, the wards make it so that the damage caused is minimal, or nonexistant by something that would look like mere luck to the uninformed witness".
Ginny paused in her chewing for a moment to take those words in. She was suddenly reminded to her first year in Hogwarts when she had been forced to release a Basilisk onto the other students. No one had been able to explain just how lucky they had all been that no one had died. The fact everyone simply got the means to look at the Basilisk eyes through something was more than just fortunate, without adding the right circumstances for the Basilisk to actually bite someone off their feet, considering how large it was.
"And I am very thankful about that" Artemis nodded, sighing with relief. "With something as volatile as magic, it's always good to know your children are in a safe environment. Gods know what manner of accidents could happen to untrained students outside such wards".
Ginny blinked at Artemis, taken aback. Was that the reason why they were always forbidden to use magic outside of Hogwarts? Because the wards of the school made it so that accidents were rare and, when they happened, they were never lethal or extremely damaging? It now suddenly made a lot more sense, a bit too much in fact. The question now, though, was: why weren't they told such things beforehand?
Ginny shuddered thinking what Seamus Finnigan might have been like outside Hogwarts. If he had caused explosions in his first years, it would be terrifying to know what manner of things could errupt without luck on his side.
"So that's why Hogwarts is called the safest place in Britain" Astoria suddenly realized.
"Exactly" Selenius nodded. "Then again, luck can take you so far… as far as I know, if used properly, the Hogwarts wards should be able to identify and pinpoint anyone walking inside its premises. In theory, someone could easily track pretty much anyone anywhere if she or he taps into the wards".
"Have you done that?" Daphne asked, rather amazed. "Tap into the wards to track people, I mean".
"Ha, I wish" snorted the Pyromancer.
"Please, you were far busier on your little projects" Darius butted in with a scoff, only to add to Daphne "Your Uncle preferred tinkering with muggle artefacts than to actually bother with warding schemes".
"That and running around the school doing Gods-know-what" Artemis giggled, fondly remembering their Hogwarts days.
Ginny, who had her own questions, turned to Artemis. "Ehm… Mrs Greengrass, what exactly is this food?" She politely inquired, only to add in a hurry "it's delicious".
"I'm glad you like it – and please, do call me Artemis. These are actually old Greengrass family recipes" laughed the Matriarch. "They are mostly Welsh cuisine, like rarebit and Glamorgan sausages".
"Our family comes from the green fields of Wales where Bran Greengrass, the first of his name, started writing our family grimoire" Darius retold, his chest swelling with pride.
Ginny looked back at the table, impressed with the food. It felt strange to actually enjoy such a traditional meal. It almost made her somewhat jealous to know that her family didn't have anything like this, something to call their own and to hold it as a precious gift from their ancestors. A part of her thought of it as foolish, but the rest of her wished she had such family traditions.
"Where were you all this time?" One of the boys suddenly asked to Selenius.
There was a pregnant silence in which the adults traded uncomfortable looks. Selenius pondered on what to say for a bit before he answered the child. Ginny shifted in her seat, curious and troubled by the question.
"I was on the run, being hunted by the authorities" Selenius retold with a scowl. "After the Dark Lord's fall dark wizards like me were… well… not appreciated -"
"You are a dark wizard?" Astoria interrupted, sounding thrilled.
"A Pyromancer, actually" Selenius answered.
"Really?" Daphne gasped, awed.
"That's brilliant!" Astoria grinned, ecstatic.
"Oh no, you are NOT going to learn Pyromancy, not while you live under this roof" Artemis interceded, glaring her daughters down. To Selenius, she added "and don't you dare teach such dangerous arts to my children, am I clear?"
Selenius, looking rather intimidated by the mother, nodded repeatedly.
"What exactly does it entail?" Daphne politely inquired "Pyromancy, I mean".
"Daphne…" Artemis warned.
"No, dear, I think they should know" Darius Senior said, much to his wife's surprise. "I can't say I'm not curious myself".
Selenius and Ginny traded faces. This was their field, their strength. The redhead offered an encouraging smile to her teacher, who appeared to need all the moral support he could. He took a deep breath and, after silently asking for permission to Artemis and Darius (who nodded with approval), he began his explanation.
"As you know, magic in itself is an energy that can be given many forms. With a wand, we mages are capable of controlling and manifesting magic in any desired shape or power. It can be a Force, meant to lift or pull something, or maybe even an actual object. Magic can also be a metamorphosing energy can be used to actually exert control over matter or other energies.
"Pyromancy, like some other similar branches of magic, is based on the principle of actually manifesting your magic into a physical form. In this case: fire. This doesn't mean you use magic to create fire, but actually making your magic into fire, for magic to burn and wave as flames rather than some ethereal power within" Selenius passionately explained.
"That doesn't sound useful" Daphne commented.
"On the contrary, it's pretty useful if properly understood. If your magic can actually burn something in its raw form, you can create a connection to the ashes or even the smoke, or actually imbue objects with your very essence. My powers don't revolve only around fire. I can create and control beings from ashes, manipulate smoke and even manifest my own powers on objects forged from the fires of my magic, mostly from metallurgy" responded the Pyromancer.
"Where did you learn all of that?" Darius wondered. "I know you had already started before you graduated but…"
"Oh, Professor Slughorn actually got me into Pyromancy" Selenius answered. "He saw my potential as a great tinkerer so he believed I would greatly benefit from such magical art".
"Professor Slughorn taught you Pyromancy?" Ginny and Daphne gasped at the same time.
"Of course not" scoffed the man. "He merely… well…" he trailed off, a bit uncomfortable "he had a few contacts that had certain interesting books. The, well, you know, the sort of tomes that would be burned by the Ministry on sight and… and I – well – I just… had the benefit of getting my hands on a few of them".
"Horace was in the Grimoire Black Market?" Darius queried, intrigued. "We all knew he was lenient in regards to the Dark Arts, but I never suspected he actually encouraged students down such paths".
"It's not like he wanted me to be an active Pyromancer and explore that branch of magic itself. He merely wished to encourage a productive side of me, like Metallurgy. He wanted to encourage my affinity to tinker. He wanted to push me into creating artefacts and the kind" Selenius sighed. "Slughorn was of the thought that nothing good could ever come from discouraging mages' education. To him, magic was meant to be explored to its fullest, not restricted to the whims of bureaucrats or close-minded idiots".
Admittedly, that was mostly a philosophy shared by the members of the House of Slytherin back at Hogwarts.
"A sentiment I'm sure you don't share, do you Weasley?" Daphne hummed with a faint smirk as she delicately chewed on her meal.
"For your information, I do agree with Professor Slughorn's sentiments. As a matter of fact, I'm currently learning Pyromancy from Selenius" Ginny retorted.
Daphne frowned at Ginny, turning to Selenius for answers. Darius and Artemis, on the other hand, looked worried. Astoria and the boys… well… they looked jealous.
"Is that a good idea?" Artemis wondered. "When you said you were his apprentice, I didn't think he was actually teaching you that" she asked Ginny.
"Pyromancy isn't that dangerous, as long as it is taken serious – and there is someone to supervise her training, of course. Given how you change your magic, there might be a few modifications here and there, but nothing too serious" Selenius replied. "Since Ginny can't use her wand without drawing in the entire Ministry, I deemed it a good idea so she could defend herself".
"Uncle, she's a Weasley" Daphne bluntly stated, a hint of ire tinting her voice. "Her family has been under Dumbledore's treacherous thumb for generations. She'll betray us as soon as she gets the chance".
Ginny held back a gasp, looking as if she had been slapped. Selenius' jaw tightened, his gaze hardening at his niece.
"She has a point" Darius senior reluctantly grumbled. "Her family has been little more than blood-traitors and bureaucrats for some time now. They have long given up on their family traditions and incorporated filthy muggle ones, all in the name of inclusivity".
Artemis didn't say anything herself, but by the looks of it she seemed to either agree with her husband, or didn't actually have an opposite opinion to share. Ginny, though, felt utterly ashamed. Oddly enough, it was not at the jabs being thrown at her family and lineage, but rather the fact that in part she actually agreed with them. It was strangely surprising, if not disturbing.
Here she was, feasting with a family of (probably) blood supremacist who had a Pyromancer in their fold. A part of her, perhaps a very dark side of her, really wanted to fit in. She wanted to be included and respected by Selenius' family. Since when did she want to dine with a family of stuck-up purebloods? Probably since she had fallen under Selenius alluring charm and personality.
"So what do you suggest I do?" Hummed the Pyromancer. "Should I hand her over to the Death Eaters? For her to be killed or worse? Or maybe I should shove her at one of the Dark Lord's 're-learning' camps to brainwash her to our cause".
Silence. No one uttered a word. Rather, Darius exchanged uncomfortable glances with his wife while Daphne glumly grimaced. Astoria and the two boys probably didn't follow the conversation, but even they could perceive the moroseness of the topic at hand.
"I agree" Selenius firmly nodded at Darius. "Ginny could very well betray me as soon as she gets a chance, but that's a risk I'm willing to take. For far too long we – the families who understand the values of tradition - have been silent, or worse we have spoken too vehemently and derisively". He leaned back, sternly staring down at his eldest niece.
"We've been blind, stubbornly sticking with ourselves without ever attempting to even try to start the conversation. We haven't exactly reached out to our compatriots, to those we've called Blood-traitors. And do you know how we have come off?" He challengingly kept his eyes on Daphne, who looked down at her lap in shame. "As bigots, as stone-age primitive backward bigots. We have been doing Dumbledore's job by acting the part of the evil mages, the close-minded blood supremacists, all the while being none the wiser.
"Instead of debating, of bringing facts into the discussion, we have alienated dozens of families. We have antagonized them into being Blood-Traitors. Do you know who's to blame for the Weasley's disinterest in the Old Ways? We are. It was us who labelled them blood-traitors, who come off as wanting to kill or maim any muggle-born that crosses our path and who have done little to endear anyone to our cause. Why in the world wouldn't they betray us if we have only faced them with derision and contempt, all the while playing the part of the ignoramus and violent?
"There is a wide rift in our society, a wedge that keeps growing and growing" Selenius shook his head with sorrow. "Thus, I think it's time one side finally offered a hand of friendship, kinship and trust. If we are on the right, then we have nothing to fear and lose. If we are wrong, then we have everything to gain. Ginny might be a Weasley, but she is also my apprentice now, and as such I will trust her and welcome her to our fold as my own family".
Ginny was rather moved by the speech, if not deeply touched. She blushed as Selenius offered a kind smile at her, her heart fluttering in her chest. How in the world was she meant to resist such charm? By this point, she wasn't even trying.
"I agree" Artemis immediately said, sitting proudly and smiling warmly at Ginny. She turned to her husband, brightly grinning at her husband. "Isn't that the most honourable path to tread?"
"Maybe" Darius grunted before he sighed in defeat. "Let's talk about something else, shall we?" He leaned forward, looming over his half-full plate. "Selenius, where have you been all this time?"
Selenius grimaced at his brother. "In the muggle world" he scornfully scoffed.
"Really?" Astoria's eyes brightened as she excitedly beamed at her newfound Uncle. "What was it like? I've heard it's a very smelly place, but rather interesting too."
Ginny looked at Selenius just as curious as Astoria. Matter of fact was that, as much as her family supported muggles and muggle-borns, their interactions with muggles were relatively minor. At most, they had to talk with the villagers of a nearby town, but that happened rather rarely. In fact, the Weasley siblings, all seven of them, pretty much preferred keeping away from muggles if only to be able to have fun with magical toys and so forth. If she wasn't mistaken, even her parents were rather reluctant on letting their children near muggles, perhaps out of some deeply ingrained bias or fear. Thus, Ginny was not exactly knowledgeable about muggles, and she had never actually cared that much… but this was Selenius talking, after all.
"Yes, really" muttered the Pyromancer. "Honestly, muggle society is rather fascinating. They have been able to pretty much employ their cunning and intelligence to bend the world around them to their will. There's a lot of brute force involved, but their ingenuity is definitely remarkable. Unfortunately, their relative success has long started to affect their society. It has come to a point that technology has driven them to absolute madness and degeneracy" Selenius explained.
"Dear gods" Artemis whispered. "What did you do amidst the muggles?"
"I actually got a job at a restaurant as a waiter in Paris" Selenius chuckled.
Ginny, like the rest of the gathered mages, were dumbstruck by the revelation. It was hard not to given the air and persona Selenius had built around himself.
"I needed the money to live among the muggles and, at the time, I was rather lost. I had been chased out of England, the French authorities had an eye open for me and, given the circumstances, all I could do was hang around muggles. I was rather disoriented for some time" Selenius confessed.
"Who can blame you" Daphne compassionately murmured.
"An year or so later, when I had finally gotten back on my feet and the French aurors were no longer vigilant, I slowly started returning to the magical community… mostly the dark parts of it, I'm afraid" Selenius ruefully grunted.
"Thankfully, I was able to make friends with like-minded people and, before I knew it, I was travelling all across muggle Europe. It was almost three years after my exile that I found a Master Pyromancer willing to teach me, an old Polish woman who called herself Cor'Ignis" Selenius fondly smiled as he retold his misadventures, looking rather reminiscent. "She was very reluctant to teach me, at first. However, I was able to talk my way around her soon enough."
"Don't you always" Darius muttered. Selenius cheekily grinned at his older brother.
"You talked your way around her?" Astoria, confused, wondered.
"Let's just say my brother has long developed the means to talk his way out of trouble" Darius snorted. "What he can't achieve through Transfiguration and Charms, he can get through his cunning and silver tongue".
"I might have offered a handful of gifts in goodwill and to prove I didn't want to burn half of Siberia" Selenius humorously added. He showed a closed fist, starting to count his fingers as he spoke "it was a golden ring that could shine in the dark, a monocle that could zoom in a bit and a candle… which when lit would blow into a cloud of smoke, perfect for emergencies – it was the best I could create with what little I had learned and with what I had available".
"Where is she now?" Artemis inquired.
"Cor'Ignis?" Selenius wondered. He received an affirmative nod. Ginny saw how a grim shadow fell over the man's face as dark memories surfaced in his mind. "She is hiding… somewhere unknown. When the Dark Lord returned…" he pinched the bridge of his nose, looking both angry and sad. Ginny, sympathetic, took hold of his hand, much to his comfort. "When he returned, I decided to end my Exile and… and I urged her to hide. The last thing I wanted was for the Dark Lord to get his hands on her".
To say the mood on the table was sombre would have been a great understatement. The children awkwardly exchanged uncomfortable faces while Ginny sympathetically looked at Selenius. The man in question held a stern face, riddled with apathy and bitter anger. Ginny, biting her lower lip, took hold of his hand and comfortingly squeezed it. Selenius morosely looked at her, only for his face to soften. The small gesture wasn't missed by either Artemis or Darius, who traded baffled glances.
"I hope she's safe" Selenius wearily sighed.
"Thankfully you are back at home" Artemis cheerily declared. She raised a glass, which magically refilled itself. "I propose a toast" she added.
The family exchanged awkward faces, but followed suit. They all raised their glasses, magically refilling as they did. Ginny was quick to raise her own as everyone followed suit.
"For family" Artemis proclaimed.
"For family" everyone chorused as they toasted, grins spreading across their faces.
The meal was much more entertaining than Ginny had first expected. Admittedly, she had been truly nervous that she would be rejected or perhaps held with vigilant suspicion. However, it seemed even Daphne, who seemed to favour a cold demeanour, warmed up to her. Astoria was a given, as were the boys. It was Darius who proved to surprise everyone with friendly banter.
Stories were shared about the kids, in regards to Daphne's early boisterous years (much to her embarrassment) as well as Astoria's first magical mishaps. Darius retold the tale of when Selenius first saw a muggle car and all the high jinks that ensued, from Selenius getting stuck in one of the cars to the brothers blowing said vehicle. Much to Ginny's own surprise, she laughed as it was left unsaid whether the siblings did so out of spite or it was a simple mishap. Given what she knew about Selenius, it could have well been either.
It was as Ginny enjoying the dessert that she noticed Selenius suddenly sitting up straight, eyes wide. He didn't look surprised nor startled. Rather, he appeared as if he was hearing a distant call. Ginny knew right away what was going on. Her good mood vanished, replaced with concern. She wasn't the only one.
"Is everything alright?" Artemis asked Selenius as everyone sobered up and looked at the man in question.
"Something has come up" Selenius sighed as he slowly stood up.
Ginny looked at him, unsure. What exactly was she supposed to do as he went off to a hunt?
"Is it something urgent?" Darius cautiously asked. He shuffled on his seat, uncomfortable.
"What's wrong? What do you have to do?" Astoria asked. Daphne was just inquisitive with her gaze, remaining awfully quiet.
"One of my dark hands… they've found…" Selenius glanced at Ginny "something". He hurriedly added "I should be back soon".
"What should I do?" Ginny wondered, blinking at the man.
"You can stay here" Artemis interceded with a warm smile. "We can prepare the guest room if need be".
"I think that would be best" Selenius agreed. "Don't worry, I doubt it's anything" he reassuringly told Ginny.
The redhead, though, was not convinced. Rather, deep down, she felt something unsettling her in her gut. There was an ominous feeling that made her stomach churn. Her eyes followed Selenius as he left until his imposing frame vanished behind the dining room entrance, accompanied by Artemis. Regardless what he said, Ginny knew there could be a great risk he could return like he had long before, shaking under the prolonged torture of Death Eaters.
"Where is he going?" Daphne inquired, facing Ginny.
"Hunting" Ginny stiffly replied. "What is he hunting? I don't know" she admitted.
"Maybe it's a who and not a what" Astoria suggested.
"Girls" Darius chidingly chimed in. "Let's not discuss such matters tonight, shall we?"
Selenius looked around, perplexed, only to figure out where he had apparated to. It was Godric's Hollow. This had been one of the first places Selenius had kept an active eye on, having some of his dark hands prowl around during the nights. Godric's Hollow was, after all, the place where the Dark Lord was first defeated, but more importantly Dumbledore's childhood village as well as the Potter's resting place. While definitely not a priority, Selenius had seen the merit of making sure to know if his target ever visited the little village to get a glimpse of his parents' house, where the Dark Lord fell or merely to pay his respect to his parents. It seemed his foresight had paid off.
Thing was, the Dark Hand which had summoned Selenius was facing a house, a cottage to be exact. Selenius didn't need to be a genius to know it was probably warded. However, by the looks of it, Potter was in there. The Dark Hunter's heart skipped a beat with excitement. This was it, the chance to finally catch the brat, to finally prove himself. Still, he was far from victorious.
The advantage of breaching into the Fidelius was that you can count for the inhabitants to be taken by surprise. True, breaking into the Fidelius had always been considered impossible, so extra wards had been deemed pointless. That and it was likely magic saturation in the air messed up any ward you could erect inside a Fidelius. As it was, Selenius was facing a magical household, meaning he had to expect a myriad of wards around its perimeter. Problem was, Selenius had no idea to be sure of that, or to even assess what wards there were – not unless he risked getting detected by the one controlling the wards.
The cottage could have a simple detection framework which allowed the Keeper of the house, generally the owner, to feel whoever breached the perimeter. There could be also traps installed connected to the magic surrounding the house. Gnomes, statues and plants could have been spelled to come to life and stall anyone breaking in, giving enough time for the owner to prepare, either to fight or run away. Some wards were also keyed against Dark Hands, meaning that Selenius wouldn't be able to send his minions over to attack Potter. Whichever it was, odds were that many a ward had been erected. With the Dark Lord and his minions rising to power, people were bound to become far more paranoid and protective.
There was another complicating detail: there were visible lights coming from the house. Thus, it was safe to assume that the people within were awake. They could always walk too near a window and catch a glimpse of him. He had to be careful.
"How am I supposed to get in?" Selenius wondered. He turned to the Ashen Wolf patiently sitting next to him. "Any ideas?" He jokingly asked his minion. The Dark Hand looked at him without an answer with two burning red eyes.
Suddenly, an idea popped into Selenius' mind. He smirked sadistically at the cottage.
"I'll have to smoke them out" he chuckled. The man glanced at the nearby trees. "And all I'll need are flammable branches…"
Author notes: so I'm back. The next chapter might take some time to write, I'm afraid. Reviews are always welcomed (and could very well encourage me to write faster ;) )