Clairi sat in the hidden window in the library watching as the other students ran around next to the Black Lake. The Griffendor was still suffering from lingering effects of the tussle with Death Eaters a few months ago. She got hit with a curse that she hadn't heard of. It was a green lighting that hit her in the left arm and left a spider web of scars from the impacted spot to the tip of her fingers, her left arm still felt numb most of the time even with the help of Madam Pumfry. Hermione got hit with a darker curse that was possibly meant to kill the girl; she was still in the hospital under the care of Snape and Pumfry who are certain that the purple scare will never go away. Ron had finally woken up from his unconscious state he was in for almost a month after a run in with the brains in the Brain room of the mysteries department. He was suffering from slight memory laps.
Clairi believed that the Death Eaters where mainly focused on Harry that night, which is why up until the adults arrived not a single Arvada curse was thrown at them. Her Auntie Bella was on both Harry's and her own list of most hated people. Clairi hasn't been able to get this feeling of anger to leave her, it sometimes felt as if it would over take her at times. She knew that the Blacks had a history of going insane with madness. Clairi had an idea that it might have been because of the inbreeding that the family participated in by marrying second and third cousins. But now that she is struggling with this over whelming anger, hatred, despair that she was feeling, she has another idea that since the Blacks where known to keep their emotions in check that once something happens that causes them to lose the control they had break, starts the slow descend to madness.
"You're not going mad Clairi." A voice interrupted her thoughts.
"How do you know Uncle Reggi?" Clairi asked without looking away from the window.
"Because you are so much like your father." He said walking to take the rest of the window seat.
"Right, I only got almost 3 years with him. So I doubt that I'm much like him." She scoffed at the thought.
Sure she knew that she had some of Sirius's personality but she only spent a few years before Azkaban and a few after he was released. So she couldn't be much like him.
"Oh, the look you have on you face is the same one he wore when it came to Bellatrix." Reggi chuckled.
"I have plans for Auntie Bella." She sneered.
"Oh and like a good little Black you are going to be creative with those plans."
"Oh I'm planning to be very inventive with my plans Uncle." She laughed.
Clairi didn't notice the look that her Uncle had on his face as she subconsciously started to chew on her thumb nail, something Zander pointed out that she had done when she planned things out.
"You aren't the only one that has plans for your Auntie, Clairi. Did you know that when I was named the Heir after my mother nearly killed Sirius? That Bellatrix offered to kill him as a gift to me?" Regulus asked his niece.
"No, dad hardly spoke of his time growing up." Clairi looked at him in shock.
"Well that's probably because it wasn't all sunshine and lollipops for him. He was just as rebellious as he always had been. Always getting into trouble, arguing about traditions, befriending Potters, werewolves, and muggle-borns."
"Sounds like Dad." She laughed slightly pulling her knees closer to her.
"Yeah, your father always told me he would be there for me when I needed him. He tried to talk to me after you where born, trying to get me to leave the Black family. I was scared that mother would go after him if I did so. Especially when I saw that you had appeared on the family tapestry."
"But I thought he was blasted off the stupid tapestry?" Clairi asked in confusion.
"That's true, but I was working on returning the one's blasted off to it. I never believed what my mother did. I must have been close because you appeared connected to him."
"Oh, so you where trying to curse beak the tapestry."
"Yes, I was." He chuckled.
"Dad wont get to see everything he spoke of wanting to see happen now." She spoke sadly.
"Things like what?" He asked knowing some of what she was speaking about.
"Well he wont get to see Jaspin make it to the world cup, or see snake face be put down, he wont get to see Harry finally get with Ginny. He wont be at my graduation next week." Clairi explained.
"So he wont get to see the things that a father should see." He nodded.
"Yeah, I was goanna ask him to meet me at Hogsmead to shop for a dress for graduation, but I cant now. I can't ask you since your supposed to be dead and to many death eaters are around now." She said as she got up.
"You could always ask Hermione." He suggested knowing that if he wasn't still hiding as Regel Noir that he would be agreeing to go with her and his own daughter.
"I was thinking that." She smiled at him.
Once she was gone, Regulus let out the massive breath he was slightly holding in. He could tell that she will be troubled for a while with this. Knowing that he father died because of a group of students jumped first instead of asking questions. Knowing that another member of her bloodline was responsible for his death. This was going to be a long summer for her. She would be the head of the Black family by the end of the summer and then the Dark Lord will more then likely turn to her to try to get the Black family back under his rule.
A week after her conversation with her Uncle in the library and going shopping with Zander since Hermione wasn't allowed to go. Zander helped her find a simple black dress. It head a high neck line and hugged her body, but what made the dress was the back. It had black straps that crossed her back where her shoulder blades set and plunged to her lower back. The plunging back made the dress scandals in pure-blood society, which thrilled Clairi since she wasn't a typical pure-blood heirs or head of the Noble House of Black.
She stood infront of the mirror in her dorm room looking at the dress. She pulled out her wand and wordlessly enchanted the bodice to sparkle with red and gold stones to show she was a proud Gryffindor. She had set her curled hair into an elegant bun behind her left ear with spirals of loose curls framing her face. She found a ribbon studded belt that she tied into her hair that the studs matched the ones she enchanted on her dress. She used simple make up, black eyeliner, mascara, a light blush and a red lipstick. Clairi wanted to be elegant but simple for the graduation and ball that fallowed that night.
"Fred and George would be cat calling you if they where here." Zander chuckled when she exited the stair case of the tower.
"Very true, they always went over the top when it came to me looking like a bloody girl." She laughed.
"Not girl anymore, but now it would because you are looking like a woman." He said offering her his elbow.
"Well thank you Mr. Nott." She bowed her head as she placed her hand in the nook of his elbow.
"Of course Lady Black." He smirked.
Zander had agreed to escort her to the graduation and ball since his ex was caught in the quidditch team locker room with a Ravenclaw boy. Zander was dashing in his black dress robes and red silk tie. Their relationship was strictly platonic, brotherly/sisterly, but to anyone in the wizarding society it looked more then that. It would look like the House of Nott and the House of Black where connected to each other.
Graduation was very different then any other event. Each female student had to be escorted into the great hall by a fellow male student in their year, the students would line up in a receiving line at the top of the grand stair case. One of the Professors would announce the pair of students, speaking their title with their names, their house, and what they plan on pursuing after that night.
"Please Welcome Lady Clairissa Black escorted by Mr. Nott. Both from Gryffindor, Lady Black is planning to take up Curse Breaking as Mr. Nott plans to join the Aura Department." Professor Noir announced as they stood at the top of the stairs.
The two of them walked down the stairs with the elegance of their Noble houses and the sense of pride in their Hogwarts House. This ceremony was created by the founders and never changed. It was exhausting to those who hated the high society life they where born into. As the students entered the great hall the décor was created to reflect all the houses. Cascading vines draped across the ceiling and walls, with flowers that represented the houses. To represent Hufflepuff, Marigold's, solidago's, Daffodill's, and Sun Flowers. Ravenclaw had gathered together, Delphinium's, For get me Not's, Hydrangea and Cornflower's. Gryffindor was represented by Astilbe's, Dahlia's , Red Lillie's, and Amaranthus. Slytherin had enchanted Green Rose's, Bells of Ireland, Dendrobium Orchid's and willow vines.
The Great Hall looked like an enchanted garden and it was more beautiful then the Yule ball décor. The floating candles still above them with the stars shining above the flowers.
Once all the students where announced, and parents sat down inside the great hall did the Headmaster approach the owled podium.
"Welcome parents and guest to this beautiful ceremony to introduce these amazing young men and young ladies to the society we live in. These students after tonight will no longer be the children we raised and taught, they will be functioning members of the Wizarding world. As you all have heard they have chosen how they will contribute to our world. Some becoming Master's in Charms, Potions, Transfiguration. A few going to Romainia to join the adventurous profession of Dragon Taming, many of our talented flyers have been recruited into the Quidditch league. A majority are planning to enter the Aura training program, and the talented few are planning to become curse breakers. These young men and Ladies are the ones that are building our worlds futures.
I want them to remember that not everything is as it seams. That the world isn't black and white. You have learned many lessons here at Hogwarts, I hope that you all will take them out of these walls and still learn from them."
Once Headmaster Dumbledore finished his speech, Professor McGonagall explained that when a students name is called they where to precession up to her so that she could hand them their parchment of graduation. This was a tedious and slow process, since she didn't call the next student till the one before was heading back down the isle. After the preseason was complete the Head Boy and Girl had given their speeches. Then all the Professors participated in launching house colored sparks over the heads of the students, concluding the end of the ceremony and the start of the next event the ball.
*******Ello Readers!*****
Hope everyone is staying safe out there. I hope you all enjoy my take on the graduation from Hogwarts.***** Disclaimer; I do not own Harry Potter****** Enjoy!*****
