005 / MC became big brother.
It was the 14th day of September, the year 1847 when I met my newborn brother for the first time and fell in love with his tiny chubby face.
"What is his name Mother?" I asked as I held his tiny hand with my fingers.
"He hasn't been granted a name yet son; you can call him brother for now." Mother said patiently.
"You are his big brother son; your duty is to protect and guide him," Father said proudly, gazing with similar adoration at my brother in the way he usually looked at me.
"Oh, when can I play with him?" I asked as I couldn't wait to play with him. I was an only child in my last life, I was beyond happy to have a brother here. Only after asking this question, I realized that I do possess an adult brain and it seems like my lack of instincts is hampering my mind as well.
"He is too little right now, perhaps when he is older." She said feeding my brother milk from a bottle like what I used.
I was a bit sad hearing that, but my rational mind knew that tiny babies were fragile. I had myself started running properly only a few months prior, that too laced with a multitude of cushioning charms under the careful eyes of my nanny.
I kept coming back to spend time with my brother daily, who was looked after by a different nanny, a newly hired young witch called Miss Clara Allen, who was under command of Madam Polly.
As I turned 2, my education started properly. Sensing my intelligence and great interest in learning, Madam Polly, who was my governess as well, didn't hold back in her teachings.
She started slowly with alphabets, numbers, words and basic things until I had a solid grasp on it in speaking long sentences, then she started all that again in French and Latin.
I groaned for a day over learning a foreign language, remnants of prejudice from my last life, but soon buckled up and started learning everything taught properly.
My family was happy with my progress, as I approached about 2.5 yr mark, Madam Polly started teaching proper table manners and horse riding on a small pony with the help of our stable head.
I also witnessed the naming ceremony for my brother on the vernal equinox. I was curious about what had transpired when I was only a few months old, now I was able to witness it properly.
I saw as my grandfather, father and Aunt Aliya stood in a triangle surrounding my brother, who was lying on a softened stone ritual circle, crying loudly. They sent colourful beams of magic at my brother while they chanted something in Latin, which I couldn't understand in the slightest.
I was standing at a distance with my mother, holding her hand, while the rest of the family stood near us, at a certain distance from the ritual circle.
Our whole household was present for the ceremony, including all the house-elves, who stood at a distance from the rest of us.
''What is happening mother?'' I asked in a whisper to my mother, as I couldn't tear my eyes off the ritual.
''Your brother is getting the blessing from Mother Gaia Sirius, after this his connection with magic would improve and he would be strong like you.'' My mother softly replied, still looking at her younger son lying on a stone altar.
''What would happen after this? Would brother be fine?'' I asked worriedly. I still remembered happening this to me, but I didn't remember it looking this painful from my perspective then.
After this, your brother would be named by your grandfather, and we would break bread and feast on the success of the ceremony.
''Will this also happen with the new child of Aunt Laila?'' I asked pointing at the few months' old babe in arms of Aunt Laila, who was present today but wasn't participating in the ritual as I could see that she wasn't wholly recovered yet. Third child of Aunt Laila was about a month younger than my brother.
''Oh no son, this is a Black family ritual, only for Black Born children. Your new cousin is an Abbott by birth, just like your other cousins, they have their own rituals and ceremonies to follow.'' She said patiently.
''oh'', I said still mesmerized by what was happening to my brother, he was asleep or unconscious now, probably tired after what happened to him.
After a few minutes, the tone of chanting lowered and then it ended. Baby brother was glowing silver when grandfather went and picked him up.
He looked at the sleeping baby after taking him in his arms and vanished his tears.
All the family members moved inside after grandfather, as elves popped away and all the household staff left to take another entry inside the home.
As we entered the manor, grandfather stood in the center of the entrance hall and the rest of us around him.
"I declare him, Phineas Nigellus Black, Second-born son of the black family born on 13th day of 9th month of the year 1847, 3rd in a line of succession to the dukedom of Newcastle and son of Lord Cygnus black II of Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black and Lady Ella Black nee Max of Noble house of Max, on 20th day of 3rd month of 1948, on this Pious occasion of the vernal equinox. May Mother Gaia's blessing always be with you son." He said in a joyous tone.
Everyone started congratulating my mother and father, who was now standing holding my other hand.
I keep looking at baby brother, who was still either unconscious or sleeping.
Madam Polly took him from grandfather, while Miss Clara followed her around. They left the entrance hall, with my mother following them. I followed my father who was guiding us to the dining room happily talking with one of my uncles.
After breakfast, we all followed my grandfather to a room, where he took out 2 vials from my mother and added it in another vial in his hand.
He mixed the contents and then threw tiny vials' content on the tapestry under my parent's name, next to my name. then he waved his wand murmuring something, not audible to me.
As he was chanting, I saw my brothers' new name appearing with a tiny portrait upon it.
It was ''Phineas Nigellus Black, b.1847'' written in gold letters connected by a gold thread to my fathers' name, like my name below his. There was a flower also connected to his name in a red thread which had Ella Max written on it.
With that the ceremony was concluded, and everyone left to do whatever they wanted to do.
It was a happy day for all of us. My baby brother finally had a name, Phineas was a good name for him.
With that concluded, life moved on.
Soon I held quill for the first time, before that, I had practiced my number and alphabet with coloured wax and charcoal sticks on a bound book made of thick white parchment. It was specially treated parchment for art according to Madam Polly.
I rotated the quill in my fingers and saw it wasn't sharp enough to write fine letters, but Madam Polly had instructed me to write in blocks first then she would teach me the fine art of calligraphy when I had enough control on my thick quill.
September came and Phineas was babbling all the time now. He soon started walking unaided and was promptly shifted to a safe flying carpet to learn properly, where I usually helped him in walking by encouraging him to come to me.
When I turned 3, one of the squibs employed by my grandfather started teaching me swimming and fencing under the ever-present gaze of Madam Polly.
She taught me history and need of sport and said it was a gentlemen's sport which would help me in future. I just shrugged and learnt whatever was taught to me.
Around that time, my magical accidents grew, I started to understand the sensation happening in body during those bouts of uncontrolled magic and started trying to mimic them.
I wasn't successful in the beginning but I could feel in my very bones that this was the key to learning pure magic. I was too young to hold a wand or even learn magical theory, but accidental magic, was within my power.
Even though I was learning a multitude of things, I didn't really have a busy schedule as I had nothing else to do except learn, so I started practising reading with low-level books from the library while practising my magic secretly. I had to get reading material approved by My nanny, as not to ruin precious books.
On the day I turned 3, my grandfather told me during my birth anniversary celebratory dinner, that I would be present for dinner with family daily from that day daily. Before that day, I usually had my dinner early with Madam Polly instructing me on manners while Phineas babbled eating his mashed food. The mashed food which I knew was bland and tasteless.
I was happy with his decision; with this I would be able to learn what was happening in the family on daily basis as well as eat my food away from the strict gaze of Madam Polly.
How naïve I was in my thinking, I realized soon enough because Madam Polly started joining us for meals that day onwards and sat right next to me, keeping an eye on me throughout the meal.
Life was easy as a child, I was enjoying my childhood to the fullest even if I had to play with Stephen and Lawrence whenever Aunt Laila visited, which was once a week.
Magical travel made it easy to go anywhere. Cousin Edith, third child of Aunt Laila was too small to play with us rowdy big boys. Phineas usually kept her company, and those two were inseparable for that time. Miss Clara kept an eye on the babies while we were under Madam Polly's strict gaze all the time.