DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, any of the characters used. THIS
STORY IS IN NO WAY AFFILIATED WITH THE HARRY POTTER SERIES BY JK ROWLING,
IT IS A PURE FORM OF FANFICTION!!!!
I'd like to thank Arien Eledhwen, Headmaster Cromwell and Lyn for their reviews. ^_^
Alexei Noire x X x :D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter Three: The Black Challenge~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The four Blacks stepped into a dimly lit, very long chamber that seemed to go quite far ahead. As soon they had stepped into the room, they could feel the temperature drop, and shivering, proceeded further into the room.
Looking round, Sirius noticed a lot of bookshelves full of books in foreign languages, and archaic English. There was a faint smell of decay within the room, and, from what they could see, an enormous black crystal ball in the middle of the room.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" Narcissa's voice echoed off the damp stone walls.
Her face had gone horrible pale, and she was pointing to the ceiling. There, on a large chandelier, was a skeleton, clothed in the most ragged attire Sirius had ever seen, swinging upon it with a menacing grin on its face.
Sirius and Bellatrix had gotten their wands out pointed it at the skeleton, to curse it in case it tried to attack. But Sirius was not sure that curses would work on skeletons.
They stood, wands poised for over five minutes, Sirius could feel his heart beating rapidly beneath his ribs and swallowed saliva down his dry throat. He bit on his lip ring in concentration, breathing steadied now.
But the skeleton continued to swing back and forth, without making the slightest hint of acknowledgement of the new people in the room.
"Oh my God, it's just a decoration," Bellatrix said, lowering her wand.
Sirius sighed and, lowering his own wand, glanced at Bellatrix momentarily, but abruptly shifted his gaze to the rotting wooden floorboards beneath him.
"I can't believe YOU screamed," Andromeda said to Narcissa, sniggering.
Narcissa walked further into the room, not moving her eyes from the swinging chandelier.
"Look, here's another one!" Bellatrix called to the others, pointing to a greenish skeleton, also in rags, and wearing a very filthy bowler hat. It waved to them and stared with its empty sockets and permanent smile.
Andromeda and Sirius had walked over to the massive crystal ball, if you could call it that, seeing as it was seething with thick black smoke.
Suddenly, the crystal ball began to form cracks. It cracked at the top, near the bottom, and eventually the whole thing was covered in branches of cracks.
"I didn't do it," Sirius said, stepping away from it.
Bellatrix and Narcissa were gaping at it avidly, but Andromeda had walked straight into the bookshelf on which the skeleton was perched.
The cracks became so many, and so intricate that the ball was more white, now than black.
Any moment now, it was going to smash...
But it didn't smash, instead, it swelled in the middle, and as if a giant hand was squashing it down, it began to flatten and deflate.
"This has to be something to do with the challenge," Narcissa whispered, Sirius smirked momentarily at how unattractive she looked when terrified.
When the ball had become a flat disc, it collapsed and became a sort of hole which went deep into the ground.
The Blacks all looked at one another, not knowing what to expect. Sirius bit down on his lip ring, as he always did when he was tense.
And then out of the hole came a solid arm, though pale and bluish in appearance, it reached and climbed out of the hole. Before them, stood very tall, thin man with a very long black beard and equally as long black hair which resembled a lot the Black family's. He wore the same disgusted expression that Narcissa always wore, but had a fire blazing in his eyes, and the only other place that Sirius had seen that fire was in his mother's.
As soon as the man was fully outside, the hole changed into a sort of jet black throne, upon which he sat with a great thump.
"Who goes there?" he asked, his voice was faint and callous, unlike any voice Sirius had heard before.
"The present day members of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black," Bellatrix said in a loud and clear voice.
The man looked to her, and then to Narcissa, Sirius and then finally to Andromeda, who was still flat against the bookshelf.
"Ah, my descendants," he uttered with pride, "you," he looked towards Andromeda, "I'd move away from the books, that skeleton is there to guard those books, and he will attack anyone who takes them without asking."
Andromeda suddenly caught sight of the skeleton behind her, and moved quickly away towards Sirius. The skeleton had a dagger in its bony hands, which it wielded threateningly.
"So," he said in his faint, barely audible tone, "another Black Challenge with fresh faces. I see this year we are quite plentiful with those in our clan, why there was once a time when there was only one small First Year to whom the Challenge was issued, he failed of course, but that was to be expected.
There was another time when we had no less than twenty Blacks, all interrelated and bound by blood. Many of them succeeded in their tasks, but many also failed."
He looked towards Sirius and pursed his ghostly lips, "You boy, will have the biggest honour to uphold for us Blacks, but you will meet downfall and hardship also. I have but pity for you, child.
Uh...What is that thing about your eye?"
Sirius felt his eye and then realised what he was talking about, "Oh, that's my eyebrow bar."
"Um, can you tell us who you are?" Andromeda asked, from beside Sirius, she kept glancing over to the skeleton on the bookshelf, who had stowed its dagger safely back under its bowler hat.
The man stood up, and his robes fluttered behind him like curtains in wind, "I am Maxilla Ulnaris Black, I died more than five hundred years ago, by which time, I kept my seventy-seven year old self with the bounds of this room.
I came up with the idea of setting the Blacks who would succeed me challenges every so often, to show our superiority and power. Whosoever shall pass the tasks issued to them will receive a certain...power - an ability signature to that person which they can use so long as they continue the Black clan's prestigious heritage."
"What kinds of power?" Narcissa asked with interest.
"In the past, your relatives before you have been given the ability to fly, to teleport, to morph into any object at will, and once there was even a lad called Winchester Amadeus Black, who could mortally terrify those he disliked with a powerful stare."
Narcissa and Bellatrix smirked at one another, with excitement on their faces.
"Now," he said, sitting back down upon his seat, "How many of you have upheld the family's reputation and been placed into the greatest of the houses, Slytherin?"
Bellatrix and Narcissa put their hands in the air, passing derisive sneers from across the room to Andromeda and Sirius.
"I see," he continued, "And you two?"
"Gryffindor," Sirius muttered.
"Hufflepuff," Andromeda said quietly.
"WHAT?" he yelled, getting back up, "A Black in GRYFFINDOR AND HUFFLEPUFF? It's an outrage! A scandal I say! Do you feel no shame?"
"No," Andromeda said, frowning, "We're proud of the houses we were sorted into."
"Oh you are, are you?" he sat back down, yet again, seething with rage, "well let's see how well you handle the tasks I set. Never in my entire existence have I seen such contamination of the name Black."
He looked round at them all, scattered about the chamber.
"Line up, youngest to oldest," he barked.
Narcissa stood up in front of him, with Bellatrix and Sirius, Andromeda stood at the end.
"I'm older than you," Bellatrix said to Sirius, irritably.
"Don't be stupid, I am, and you know it," Sirius fumed.
"The boy is older, young girl, and he's right - you DO know it," Maxilla breathed.
Bellatrix smirked sarcastically to Sirius, she was just winding him up again.
"Now, from the young girl at the end to her oldest sister, call out your names, and how you are all related to one another," Maxilla continued.
Narcissa stepped forward, "Narcissa Friday Black, youngest of my sisters and first cousin of Sirius Black."
She stepped back and Bellatrix did as she did, "Bellatrix Detascalvo Black, younger sister of Andromeda and Narcissa Black - first cousin to Sirius Black."
Sirius' turn came, and was glad that there were only three of his relatives in the room - he wouldn't have fancied having been one of those twenty Blacks, having to name every single relationship.
"Sirius Black, first cousin to Andromeda, Bellatrix and Narcissa Black."
He stepped back, and gave Bellatrix a derisive smirk, she eyed him coldly, then faced Maxilla.
"Andromeda Nymphadora Black - oldest sister of Bellatrix and Narcissa Black and first cousin of Sirius Black."
As soon as she stepped back, Maxilla got back up, and Sirius wondered if he ever got tired of his constant sitting and standing.
"And now I shall issue you all your individual tasks," he whispered, "but firstly, there are some rules you must follow.
You must not help each other in the tasks, you must not discuss with anyone but another Black the tasks and you must always try to succeed in your task, any backing out of this challenge will result in heinous reprimand."
Narcissa sighed apprehensively.
"Narcissa Friday Black - I see you have been gifted with the usual stunning looks of all the Blacks," Narcissa smiled and blushed gently, "So I shall give you the task of alluring another Pure Blooded Wizard, and stealing his heart."
Narcissa grinned so widely, her disgusted expression even disappeared from her face momentarily - this wasn't a challenge for her, she'd stolen so many boys hearts, it would be as easy as clicking her fingers.
"Bellatrix Detascalvo Black - the most underhand of all the Blacks situated here - you have an ability to cause trouble and not get caught. I prompt upon you the task of tormenting one with dirty blood to such an extent that they become mortally terrified of you."
Bellatrix smirked, but Andromeda cut in, "That's cruel and unfair! I have a friend who's Half Blood and he's just as much a Wizard as you or I."
"Obviously you and I have very different opinions on what a true Wizard is, Andromeda," he smirked slightly and continued, "you, with your limited wit will have to most hare-brained task of all - to capture an Augurey."
Narcissa and Bellatrix burst out laughing, and even Maxilla's lip twitched. Andromeda went bright red - it was true she wasn't the cleverest Witch, but she was one heck of a Chaser in Quidditch, surely that counted for something.
"Now, go forth and complete your tasks -."
"Wait! What about my task?" Sirius asked tentatively.
Maxilla looked at Sirius for a second, then whispered, "You, boy must wrestle a werewolf."
Narcissa looked at Sirius with utter scorn, she knew this task would be impossible for him - even if he managed to find a werewolf, there was little or no chance he'd escape alive, or at least with any limbs intact.
Bellatrix didn't react to this; she just stared at the wooden floorboards beneath her, with her pretty face and tapped her feet impatiently.
Andromeda gave Sirius a thunderstruck look, towering above him.
"Now you have till All Hallow's Eve to complete your task - if you finish any time before then, you will find out how to attain your power. Come back when any of you discover it. Till then - Adieu."
The throne once more became a hole, into which Maxilla climbed. The hole became the disc, which inflated to once more become the great black crystal ball.
As soon as they were outside, Andromeda faced Sirius and said in a harsh whisper, "We're doomed."
Sirius sighed, there was a small chance that he could complete his task - after all, one of his best friends WAS a werewolf... It was time to ask Remus Lupin for a favour...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the immortal words of Jack White : "I said it once before but it bears repeating, now."
PLZ REVIEW THIS CHAPTER OR I WON'T WRITE NO MORE!!!!
Alexei x X x :D
I'd like to thank Arien Eledhwen, Headmaster Cromwell and Lyn for their reviews. ^_^
Alexei Noire x X x :D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter Three: The Black Challenge~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The four Blacks stepped into a dimly lit, very long chamber that seemed to go quite far ahead. As soon they had stepped into the room, they could feel the temperature drop, and shivering, proceeded further into the room.
Looking round, Sirius noticed a lot of bookshelves full of books in foreign languages, and archaic English. There was a faint smell of decay within the room, and, from what they could see, an enormous black crystal ball in the middle of the room.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" Narcissa's voice echoed off the damp stone walls.
Her face had gone horrible pale, and she was pointing to the ceiling. There, on a large chandelier, was a skeleton, clothed in the most ragged attire Sirius had ever seen, swinging upon it with a menacing grin on its face.
Sirius and Bellatrix had gotten their wands out pointed it at the skeleton, to curse it in case it tried to attack. But Sirius was not sure that curses would work on skeletons.
They stood, wands poised for over five minutes, Sirius could feel his heart beating rapidly beneath his ribs and swallowed saliva down his dry throat. He bit on his lip ring in concentration, breathing steadied now.
But the skeleton continued to swing back and forth, without making the slightest hint of acknowledgement of the new people in the room.
"Oh my God, it's just a decoration," Bellatrix said, lowering her wand.
Sirius sighed and, lowering his own wand, glanced at Bellatrix momentarily, but abruptly shifted his gaze to the rotting wooden floorboards beneath him.
"I can't believe YOU screamed," Andromeda said to Narcissa, sniggering.
Narcissa walked further into the room, not moving her eyes from the swinging chandelier.
"Look, here's another one!" Bellatrix called to the others, pointing to a greenish skeleton, also in rags, and wearing a very filthy bowler hat. It waved to them and stared with its empty sockets and permanent smile.
Andromeda and Sirius had walked over to the massive crystal ball, if you could call it that, seeing as it was seething with thick black smoke.
Suddenly, the crystal ball began to form cracks. It cracked at the top, near the bottom, and eventually the whole thing was covered in branches of cracks.
"I didn't do it," Sirius said, stepping away from it.
Bellatrix and Narcissa were gaping at it avidly, but Andromeda had walked straight into the bookshelf on which the skeleton was perched.
The cracks became so many, and so intricate that the ball was more white, now than black.
Any moment now, it was going to smash...
But it didn't smash, instead, it swelled in the middle, and as if a giant hand was squashing it down, it began to flatten and deflate.
"This has to be something to do with the challenge," Narcissa whispered, Sirius smirked momentarily at how unattractive she looked when terrified.
When the ball had become a flat disc, it collapsed and became a sort of hole which went deep into the ground.
The Blacks all looked at one another, not knowing what to expect. Sirius bit down on his lip ring, as he always did when he was tense.
And then out of the hole came a solid arm, though pale and bluish in appearance, it reached and climbed out of the hole. Before them, stood very tall, thin man with a very long black beard and equally as long black hair which resembled a lot the Black family's. He wore the same disgusted expression that Narcissa always wore, but had a fire blazing in his eyes, and the only other place that Sirius had seen that fire was in his mother's.
As soon as the man was fully outside, the hole changed into a sort of jet black throne, upon which he sat with a great thump.
"Who goes there?" he asked, his voice was faint and callous, unlike any voice Sirius had heard before.
"The present day members of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black," Bellatrix said in a loud and clear voice.
The man looked to her, and then to Narcissa, Sirius and then finally to Andromeda, who was still flat against the bookshelf.
"Ah, my descendants," he uttered with pride, "you," he looked towards Andromeda, "I'd move away from the books, that skeleton is there to guard those books, and he will attack anyone who takes them without asking."
Andromeda suddenly caught sight of the skeleton behind her, and moved quickly away towards Sirius. The skeleton had a dagger in its bony hands, which it wielded threateningly.
"So," he said in his faint, barely audible tone, "another Black Challenge with fresh faces. I see this year we are quite plentiful with those in our clan, why there was once a time when there was only one small First Year to whom the Challenge was issued, he failed of course, but that was to be expected.
There was another time when we had no less than twenty Blacks, all interrelated and bound by blood. Many of them succeeded in their tasks, but many also failed."
He looked towards Sirius and pursed his ghostly lips, "You boy, will have the biggest honour to uphold for us Blacks, but you will meet downfall and hardship also. I have but pity for you, child.
Uh...What is that thing about your eye?"
Sirius felt his eye and then realised what he was talking about, "Oh, that's my eyebrow bar."
"Um, can you tell us who you are?" Andromeda asked, from beside Sirius, she kept glancing over to the skeleton on the bookshelf, who had stowed its dagger safely back under its bowler hat.
The man stood up, and his robes fluttered behind him like curtains in wind, "I am Maxilla Ulnaris Black, I died more than five hundred years ago, by which time, I kept my seventy-seven year old self with the bounds of this room.
I came up with the idea of setting the Blacks who would succeed me challenges every so often, to show our superiority and power. Whosoever shall pass the tasks issued to them will receive a certain...power - an ability signature to that person which they can use so long as they continue the Black clan's prestigious heritage."
"What kinds of power?" Narcissa asked with interest.
"In the past, your relatives before you have been given the ability to fly, to teleport, to morph into any object at will, and once there was even a lad called Winchester Amadeus Black, who could mortally terrify those he disliked with a powerful stare."
Narcissa and Bellatrix smirked at one another, with excitement on their faces.
"Now," he said, sitting back down upon his seat, "How many of you have upheld the family's reputation and been placed into the greatest of the houses, Slytherin?"
Bellatrix and Narcissa put their hands in the air, passing derisive sneers from across the room to Andromeda and Sirius.
"I see," he continued, "And you two?"
"Gryffindor," Sirius muttered.
"Hufflepuff," Andromeda said quietly.
"WHAT?" he yelled, getting back up, "A Black in GRYFFINDOR AND HUFFLEPUFF? It's an outrage! A scandal I say! Do you feel no shame?"
"No," Andromeda said, frowning, "We're proud of the houses we were sorted into."
"Oh you are, are you?" he sat back down, yet again, seething with rage, "well let's see how well you handle the tasks I set. Never in my entire existence have I seen such contamination of the name Black."
He looked round at them all, scattered about the chamber.
"Line up, youngest to oldest," he barked.
Narcissa stood up in front of him, with Bellatrix and Sirius, Andromeda stood at the end.
"I'm older than you," Bellatrix said to Sirius, irritably.
"Don't be stupid, I am, and you know it," Sirius fumed.
"The boy is older, young girl, and he's right - you DO know it," Maxilla breathed.
Bellatrix smirked sarcastically to Sirius, she was just winding him up again.
"Now, from the young girl at the end to her oldest sister, call out your names, and how you are all related to one another," Maxilla continued.
Narcissa stepped forward, "Narcissa Friday Black, youngest of my sisters and first cousin of Sirius Black."
She stepped back and Bellatrix did as she did, "Bellatrix Detascalvo Black, younger sister of Andromeda and Narcissa Black - first cousin to Sirius Black."
Sirius' turn came, and was glad that there were only three of his relatives in the room - he wouldn't have fancied having been one of those twenty Blacks, having to name every single relationship.
"Sirius Black, first cousin to Andromeda, Bellatrix and Narcissa Black."
He stepped back, and gave Bellatrix a derisive smirk, she eyed him coldly, then faced Maxilla.
"Andromeda Nymphadora Black - oldest sister of Bellatrix and Narcissa Black and first cousin of Sirius Black."
As soon as she stepped back, Maxilla got back up, and Sirius wondered if he ever got tired of his constant sitting and standing.
"And now I shall issue you all your individual tasks," he whispered, "but firstly, there are some rules you must follow.
You must not help each other in the tasks, you must not discuss with anyone but another Black the tasks and you must always try to succeed in your task, any backing out of this challenge will result in heinous reprimand."
Narcissa sighed apprehensively.
"Narcissa Friday Black - I see you have been gifted with the usual stunning looks of all the Blacks," Narcissa smiled and blushed gently, "So I shall give you the task of alluring another Pure Blooded Wizard, and stealing his heart."
Narcissa grinned so widely, her disgusted expression even disappeared from her face momentarily - this wasn't a challenge for her, she'd stolen so many boys hearts, it would be as easy as clicking her fingers.
"Bellatrix Detascalvo Black - the most underhand of all the Blacks situated here - you have an ability to cause trouble and not get caught. I prompt upon you the task of tormenting one with dirty blood to such an extent that they become mortally terrified of you."
Bellatrix smirked, but Andromeda cut in, "That's cruel and unfair! I have a friend who's Half Blood and he's just as much a Wizard as you or I."
"Obviously you and I have very different opinions on what a true Wizard is, Andromeda," he smirked slightly and continued, "you, with your limited wit will have to most hare-brained task of all - to capture an Augurey."
Narcissa and Bellatrix burst out laughing, and even Maxilla's lip twitched. Andromeda went bright red - it was true she wasn't the cleverest Witch, but she was one heck of a Chaser in Quidditch, surely that counted for something.
"Now, go forth and complete your tasks -."
"Wait! What about my task?" Sirius asked tentatively.
Maxilla looked at Sirius for a second, then whispered, "You, boy must wrestle a werewolf."
Narcissa looked at Sirius with utter scorn, she knew this task would be impossible for him - even if he managed to find a werewolf, there was little or no chance he'd escape alive, or at least with any limbs intact.
Bellatrix didn't react to this; she just stared at the wooden floorboards beneath her, with her pretty face and tapped her feet impatiently.
Andromeda gave Sirius a thunderstruck look, towering above him.
"Now you have till All Hallow's Eve to complete your task - if you finish any time before then, you will find out how to attain your power. Come back when any of you discover it. Till then - Adieu."
The throne once more became a hole, into which Maxilla climbed. The hole became the disc, which inflated to once more become the great black crystal ball.
As soon as they were outside, Andromeda faced Sirius and said in a harsh whisper, "We're doomed."
Sirius sighed, there was a small chance that he could complete his task - after all, one of his best friends WAS a werewolf... It was time to ask Remus Lupin for a favour...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the immortal words of Jack White : "I said it once before but it bears repeating, now."
PLZ REVIEW THIS CHAPTER OR I WON'T WRITE NO MORE!!!!
Alexei x X x :D